bed in the original edition published by the American Avon Books (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers). In Italy, the novel was published it Novels Mondadori with the title of "The Duke and I" .
Warning: spoilers.
Finally I am the first book in the saga of BRIDGERTON , the series of eight novels dedicated the shoots of this prolific family.
I had read so much about the various awards in the public and press against the epic penned by Julia Quinn , in the expectation that I was perhaps excessive. After the sparks of his first comic, tender, but a little 'stereotypical characters, certainly THE DUKE AND I represents a step towards the creation of psychologically complex characters and the writing is more attentive to detail. Probably the success of this series obscures the small flaws of individual novels. THE DUKE AND I , for example, can not maintain an appropriate balance scenes between the lighter and the torments that afflict the protagonist. Missing, in my opinion, this lively and compelling constant touch with which I identify Julia Quinn. To prevail along the bitterness and the suffocating sense of revenge against the ghosts of a past intrusive. There are many romances that play on this theme, but with Quinn I would especially have fun and smile. 
fact remains, however, that this first episode dedicated to Bridgerton Daphne and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, is a pleasant read, a gentle fable that takes us into a world where love heals also deeper wounds.
The story of Simon, Duke of devastating beauty, surrounded by the typical aura of inaccessibility and libertinism, hides a very different reality, made up of emotional deprivation, pain and struggles. A young man with sensitivity, strength and desperation that is self-imposed iron discipline to win something that his father has always denied. But this lasts only half the battle is won and has consequences that are destroying the soul, until he meets the sweet and friendly Bridgerton Daphne.
Bridgerton I have a happy brood reign in which mutual love and a great sense of family. Lady Violet and the late husband Edmund eight children have given their names in alphabetical order, with an excellent practical sense that allows you to easily remember. Like a good mother hen, Violet deals at length for the welfare and education of her offspring, and because the four oldest children are of marriageable age, her social activities have surged proactive.
The eldest son is Anthony, who bears the title of viscount, with responsibility and have a decisive and authoritative, even if, at the time of Eton, was mate of Simon Basset snacks, then Earl of Clyvedon. But the years have hardened and is no longer so willing to joke, especially when it comes to virtue and happiness of her sister, Daphne. The girl, who already has behind him a season London, it has a special enthusiasm to the custom of the marriage market, but be patient maneuvering the mother. Moreover, with three bodyguards as Anthony and his two brothers, Benedict and Colin, Daphne is difficult to go unnoticed. The three guys are already largely outlined by Julia Quinn as compelling and intriguing Marcantoni, for which females are dissolved in a swoon. All Bridgerton are very similar physically and are easily identifiable by their thick brown hair. Colin, the most mischievous and irreverent, he, unlike the others, a couple of fantastic green eyes, a little thing that Daphne 'the envy, because she feels so inconspicuous from deemed to be unable to attract the attention of men of substance and not the usual meaningless youngsters who attend the receptions. The available character and kind, lively intelligence, humor and simplicity of Daphne make the perfect friend and confidant, but it seems that no one notices that she is a woman who would fall in love and seriously create a beautiful family that she grew up in a coma.
Arthur Henry Fitzarnulph Simon Basset, the first Earl of Clyvedon and now, after the death of his father, now Duke of Hastings, was not born from love, but by a conjugal duty. After years of failed attempts, the Duchess his mother was able to realize his dream of her husband finally an heir to breed in the worship of his family and presented with pride to the world. The Duchess, sacrificing himself for the cause, had died in childbirth and no one will ever know if she would give at least love that son charged with many responsibilities by the Duke of Hastings. Unfortunately, expectations were based on Simon's father intended to crumble in front of bases of the difficulties of the infant to utter his first words. In four years, the child did not speak again and the Duke, horrified, shocked, enraged and destroyed by this betrayal, he had begun to despise him, to inveigh against the innocent and frightened creature, and decided that her son was a hopeless idiot had deserted him in the hands of the nurse, the estate country, going to live in London. Over the years, the people who attended had been led to believe that Simon was dead and, in fact, for him it was. The child, with the loving help of the nurse, began to speak, but went out of his mouth babbling especially exhausted and only a strong will, a steely determination to self-control and tremendous effort to prove their worth to his father had allowed Simon to dominate more and more use of the word. When it was presented to Eton, alone, had won the mistrust and had become accepted and from there his mind was the weapon with which he had obtained excellent results in Oxford. By now he had acquired an aura of superiority that fascinated the next, but his character was forcibly retiring and selective, because of past suffering and he was not aristocratic arrogance that all attributed. The Legend of careless libertine, cucitagli him by those who did not know deep down, had made an icon to be emulated by his peers of high society and an object of desire for married women in search of adventure and noble girls of marriageable age. After ten years of traveling the world, made to prevent flashback of his father, meanwhile, had realized that it had generated an idiot and was trying to bring them together, Simon is now firmly in London and now we talk him in the living rooms everywhere.
The meeting between Simon and Daphne Bridgerton case by case basis, upon receipt of Lady Danbury (character highlight of How To Marry A Marquis ). Simon, having lived with the only motivation to take revenge of his father, is determined to oppose whatever it was important to him, even now that he's dead. First, it does not intend to get married and never wants to have children, so the blood of Hastings and the noble title will die with him.
Daphne, besieged by the mother, in full competition with the other parent of young girls in flower, seeking a refuge from social obligations.
When the two are known, the fact that Simon is the best friend of Anthony seems to facilitate attendance and a nice party, in which the taste for humor and brilliant conversation are the masters. Then the light: Simon proposes to Daphne to pretend to love each other. A courtship would make him free from the clutches of matrons and give her a new view of the desirability, to attract larger males and awaken in them a love interest with a double purpose. The charade of hiding, however, inevitable pitfalls. Violet's mother, Daphne, is already plans for the wedding of his daughter with the Duke and the brothers of the girl are on the alert, worried that Simon, with his famous aversion to the sacred bond, we take advantage of their sister, breaking the heart.
Daphne puts us just to fall in love with Simon, because even with her open as he has never done before and friendship becomes a much more profound than they had expected.
Anthony knows the plan of the two, but questions of his friend and intrudes constantly. Anything goes and it seems that even the most intimate depths of a story that you do, way, way more serious, ending up on the desk of a reporter gossipara before its time: the mysterious Lady Whistledown, which all try to guess the identity, but that no one knows, can get hold of rumors and gossip for London and the aristocracy makes it a juicy and witty guide on its "Society Papers , who abhor the nobles, but they read with avidity.
At one point, the flesh being weak and feeling a strong attraction to the Duke, not only physical, for the sweet Daphne, something happens that forces Simon to a fateful choice: to duel with Anthony or marry the girl. Simon, faithful unto death to his vow of oedipal rebellion, while nurturing unexpressed feelings for Daphne, knowing he is unable to meet giving the children she wants, prefers the duel. But in the end, the marriage must one do.
union overflowing with passion and also full of strong emotions, but Daphne wants to discover the secrets of her husband and heal from what haunts him. He also wants get pregnant and the fight is hard and difficult. But in romance and love can all imagine if quest'eroina not find the key tormented soul of her beloved husband and beautiful.
scenes of tension and emotional aspects are mixed with some fun time, as one in which the mother of Daphne tries to prepare her wedding night, unable to say anything intelligible.
A tender story of love and rebirth. A novel divided into two phases, perhaps too much conflicting and poorly balanced. But valid to appreciate the evolution of Julia Quinn.
the official site of Julia Quinn family tree of Bridgerton: http://www.juliaquinn.com/books/tree_big.htm
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PS:
But this woman has to change the hit that every time he takes his leading man is about to deflower the beloved. It is possible that all the heroes by Julia Quinn, the fateful moment, to pronounce her to turn and the unchanged ridiculous phrase: "It May Hurt A Bit ..."
No, I'm wrong, sometimes they say "This May Hurt a Little ..."
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