The Duke and I by Julia Quinn [Review]

The Duke and I (Bridgertons #1) by Julia Quinn
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: June 11, 2015

Bridgertons
1. The Duke and I - Paperback | Kindle
2. The Viscount Who Loved Me
3. An Offer From a Gentleman
4. Romancing Mr Bridgerton
5. To Sir Phillip, With Love
6. When He Was Wicked
7. It's In His Kiss
8. On the Way to the Wedding
9. The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After

Julia Quinn
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?
— Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813

By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister, the lovely—and almost-on-the-shelf—Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth—it's all an elaborate plan to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.

But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a complete sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her... but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke... for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love...

Thoughts on The Duke and I: Awww. I liked this one. A lot. Simon was a little closed off and a lot messed up by his past (although he might disagree with that statement) and I LIKED him. His sudden attraction to Daphne was made even sweeter by the way he tried to ignore it because she was his best friend's sister. Oh, and the way he delighted in tormenting Anthony just made me laugh. Because that is SO a guy thing to do.

What can I say about Daphne? First off, I love her family. Mama Bridgerton is  hilariously pushy while also being a pretty awesome mom. Daphne's brothers are pretty spectacular in their desire to keep their sister and her tender heart safe. I totally appreciate the way Daphne could hold her own against them, too. As she kept pointing out, having three older brothers has made her pretty adept at standing up for herself and given her a good sense of how to score a hit (sometimes literally) that can drop a man in his tracks.

Simon was charming while also managed to pull off the brooding, tormented hero thing. Daphne knew what she wanted, but she was able to adjust her plans on the fly when circumstances changed. I liked that about her. I wanted to cry a little for her at some parts, but I like that she took the curve ball Simon threw at her and made the decision to forge forward anyway.

*slow thumbs up to tortured heroes and strong heroines*