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A review by cekisha
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
1.0
Even though I read it like 3 years ago, I've decided to write a short review that would serve as a remainder why I wouldn't recommend it to anyone or re-read it ever again.
What was supposed to be a sweet regency romance turned by the half of the book into something really nasty.
Daphne and Simon are the usual clichd regency characters but what surprised me is how Daphne was portrayed as a naive and sweet heroine when on the contrary, she was a manipulative rapist.
As we all probably know, when Simon and Daphne got caught in a steamy a tte--tte and forced to marry, Simon told her that he couldn't have children and if that wasn't okay with her then he'd rather face a duel than force her into a childless marriage. Daphne wanted family, but since she was oh so much in love with him, accepted his proposal. However, what she didn't know was that Simon could father children but it was his choice not to because of some childhood trauma (Simon used to stutter as a child so his father rejected him and he was afraid that he would eventually turn into a terrible father as well). Well, I completely understand why Simon decided to omit this fact. He knew if he had told her the whole truth she would nag him about it and oh boy, she did more than that.
After a big fight, Simon got drunk and they started making out. And that's when Daphne came to an 'amazing' idea to rape her husband and force him to impregnate her. Because that's much easier than simply talking to him about his trauma when he's sober and actually trying to help him? Right. Here's the infamous excerpt.
Soo Daphne basically forced her husband while he was drunk and unable to defend himself, not caring that he clearly said NO in order to become pregnant. If that's not a selfish and manipulative rapist...
Just imagine if the roles were reversed. Nobody would call this romantic.
What was supposed to be a sweet regency romance turned by the half of the book into something really nasty.
Daphne and Simon are the usual clichd regency characters but what surprised me is how Daphne was portrayed as a naive and sweet heroine when on the contrary, she was a manipulative rapist.
As we all probably know, when Simon and Daphne got caught in a steamy a tte--tte and forced to marry, Simon told her that he couldn't have children and if that wasn't okay with her then he'd rather face a duel than force her into a childless marriage. Daphne wanted family, but since she was oh so much in love with him, accepted his proposal. However, what she didn't know was that Simon could father children but it was his choice not to because of some childhood trauma (Simon used to stutter as a child so his father rejected him and he was afraid that he would eventually turn into a terrible father as well). Well, I completely understand why Simon decided to omit this fact. He knew if he had told her the whole truth she would nag him about it and oh boy, she did more than that.
After a big fight, Simon got drunk and they started making out. And that's when Daphne came to an 'amazing' idea to rape her husband and force him to impregnate her. Because that's much easier than simply talking to him about his trauma when he's sober and actually trying to help him? Right. Here's the infamous excerpt.
Spoiler
His eyes pinned upon her with a strange, pleading sort of look, and he made a feeble attempt to pull away.
Daphne bore down on him with all her might.
He exploded within her, the force of his climax lifting his hips off the bed, pushing her up along with him.
She planted her hands underneath him, using all of her strength to hold him against her. She would not lose him this time. She would not lose this chance.
Simon's eyes flew open as he came, as he realized too late what he had done. But his body was too far gone; there was no stopping the power of his climax. If he'd been on top, he might have found the strength to pull away, but lying there under her, watching her tease her own body into a mass of desire, he was helpless against the raging force of his own need.
As his teeth clenched and his body bucked, he felt her small hands slip underneath him, pressing him more tightly against the cradle of her womb. He saw the expression of pure ecstasy on her face, and then he suddenly realizedshe had done this on purpose. She had planned this.
Daphne had aroused him in his sleep, taken advantage of him while he was still slightly intoxicated, and held him to her while he poured his seed into her.
His eyes widened and fixed on hers. "How could you?" he whispered.
She said nothing, but he saw her face change, and he knew she'd heard him.
Simon pushed her from his body just as he felt her begin to tighten around him, savagely denying her the ecstasy he'd just had for himself. "How could you?" he repeated. "You knew. You knew th-that that I-I-I"
But she had just curled up in a little ball, her knees tucked against her chest, obviously determined not to lose a single drop of him.
Simon swore viciously as he yanked himself to his feet. He opened his mouth to pour invective over her, to castigate her for betraying him, for taking advantage of him, but his throat tightened, and his tongue swelled, and he couldn't even begin a word, much less finish one.
"Y-y-you" he finally managed.
Daphne stared at him in horror. "Simon?" she whispered.
He didn't want this. He didn't want her looking at him like he was some sort of freak. Oh God, oh God, he felt seven years old again. He couldn't speak. He couldn't make his mouth work. He was lost.
Soo Daphne basically forced her husband while he was drunk and unable to defend himself, not caring that he clearly said NO in order to become pregnant. If that's not a selfish and manipulative rapist...
Just imagine if the roles were reversed. Nobody would call this romantic.