The Duke and I (with second epilogue) by Julia Quinn

 

I read The Duke and I by Julia Quinn after a series of somewhat disappointing reads that had been hyped up as wonderful.  So I went in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder.  This book. This book. I was seriously laughing so hard that the dog wandered over to see what was going on (which made me wonder if perhaps we don't laugh enough in our house, but perhaps that's another story altogether).

The book is famous for its wit and bantering dialogue and I have to admit that it sucked me in. There was a bit on the wedding night that made me laugh so hard I had a hard time breathing.  Our heroine Daphne is a bit of a feminist role model in that she clearly states she wants to be married and have children. She doesn't sidestep the issue; she doesn't lie to make herself more (or less) appealing.  She's naive and occasionally ridiculous, yes, but she has choices in life and she's made hers.  Simon has a tragic backstory and he's still filled with humor and delight.  

I didn't even mind all the cliches. Falling in love with your brother's best friend?  Seems reasonable.  Feeling like your life will never be complete without kids?  Seems insane to me, but at least she's honest about it.  A duel at sunset?  Please.  More of this kind of weirdness.  A grudge against an cruel, absent father?  Oh, yeah. I can deal with that.  If you're going to write using hackneyed plots, at least do it the way Quinn does with hilarity and physical comedy.

But.  This is a big but.

Rape is not sexy.  It doesn't matter if the rapist is a woman. It's not sexy. It's not cute.  It's not okay.  It shouldn't be glorified.  If a man or woman says no, that should be respected, inside or outside of marriage.  

I understand that rape happened in the past (and happens today).  But I what I ask for is that if rape is a plot point, the ramifications of the rape be realistic and stark.  I don't think that the person who is raped goes off to sulk for a couple of months and comes back and falls head over heels for his or her rapist.  

I would have given this novel an enthusiastic 5/5 stars until the last third of the book.  I'm going to go ahead and continue to read more of the Bridgerton novels, but I'm going on with gimlet eye and constant vigilance. You get one more chance, Quinn, but if you continue to elevate sexual violence, you will be dead to me.