The Duke and I by Julia Quinn - Review by LAWonder10!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes the first novel in her beloved Regency-set series featuring the charming, powerful Bridgerton family—soon to be a Netflix series.

The Duke and I (Bridgertons #1)by Julia Quinn 
Paperback, 464 pages | Published June 11th 2019 by Avon 
ISBN: 0062911414 (ISBN13: 9780062911414)
SYNOPSIS:
In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable…but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty:

Love ignores every rule…

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Review by LAWonder10:
After many failed pregnancies in fifteen years of marriage, the very wealthy Duke of Clyvedon was blessed with a healthy baby son. it was unfortunate his wife was unable to survive the delivery. He would leave his son  in the capable care of the hired nurse.The Duke checked in on his son at two years of age then at four years of age. At his dismay, he concluded he had been cursed with an idiot for a son and declared to all, he no longer had a son.
  Simon Hastings, the name the  son went by, was filled with hatred and vowed his father would rue the day he thought him, to be an idiot. He would prove him wrong and be the type of man his father despised. Simon got an education and became socially accepted with no aid from his father. When his father finally realized his son's accomplishments, it was too late. Now he was dead, an Simon hid the "scars" well. He had traveled around the world, but was now expected to take his position as the new Duke.
  Anthony  Bridgerton's father had died suddenly of a heart attack.He had been a former roommate to Simon Hastings the new Duke. Anthony was the eldest of eight children, including three sisters. The eldest of the three was in her third "Season" and still unwed. The second sister was now in her first :Season". It was his duties to not only run the affairs of the estate, but to see that his sisters made advantageous marriages. he adored Daphne and would not force her to marry unhappily.
  At a ball, things got misconstrued with Daphne and her new acquaintance with the Duke, endangering her honor. Thus, the Duke devised a plan to protect her, and his, honor, plus a plan that would end with both of them getting what they wanted... Her a happy marriage and him - FREEDOM!
  This is a humorous story, yet, very emotional at times. The reader is unsure until the story conclusion, as to how it will end. The characters will "find a way into the reader's heart". They are all so unique and delightfully endearing, causing one to forget, they are fictional.
  The Title and book cover are intriguingly "fitting"
  This is a time where men thought themselves as gallant and without fault. It was a time when Honor was as valuable as life itself. Many men were valiant, but some were cruel. This tale is one of both scenarios, in a way one will not expect.
  The only negative is, I felt too much of the Duke's earlier life was skipped which image is a big part of the plot.
  ^^READER BEWARE!: There is some profanity and a couple of intimately explicit bedroom scenes.
  * I won this book on a Goodreads Giveaway and was not pressured in any way to offer a positive review. This is my honest review.

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don't read (or write) romance, and and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.

A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.  Website

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