Review: The Duke and I

Title: The Duke and I
Author: Julia Quinn
Pages: 371
Rating: 5/5
Challenges: Romance Reading Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge, Woman's Author Challenge

Summary from 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---Daphney 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...

Oh my goodness, why have I waited so long to read this book from Julia Quinn!!

I read this book after reading about the new book club that The Book Binge started.  I figured what better why to motivate myself to read this first book than this.  I started it and finished it in practically one setting.  And then today, I hit up the Books A Million and bought the other seven books in the series.  I just can't get enough of the Bridgerton family.

I'm not sure what I loved most about this book.  Daphne was an awesome heroine, and I really enjoyed her personality and characterization.  And Simon was just the right about of brooding and darkness to make him likeable and, dare I say it, sexy at the same time.  I just loved the interaction between these two!  I also loved the introductions to the other members of the Bridgerton family, and look forward to finding out more and more about them.  This series just seems different from other Regency romances that I've read, and I found myself enjoying it much more than I normally would a historical romance novel.  It's opened up a whole new world for me!

Julia Quinn is a very talented writer, and I'm glad that The Duke and I was my first introduction to her.  I've always heard great things about her, and about this series.  I'm looking forward to finishing these up, and then I'm open to other suggestions by this author.  Does she have other series that I should try?