Harbinger of Books

The Duke of Hastings, Simon Bassett as just returned to London because his father has passed away and the time has come to claim his title. Simon intends to keep life very low key, staying away from the ton because he decided long ago he did not wish to get married and have children. Unfortunately for him he attends one social function and finds that he will not easily escape mothers who are set on finding their daughters a husband nor his friends wives who wish to see their single sisters married to a duke. One of these daughters is Daphne Bridgerton, oldest daughter of the eight Bridgerton children. Lady Bridgerton insists on introducing poor Daphne to every eligible bachelor but the men tend to see her as friend not a wife or lover. On a very fateful night Simon happens to meet Daphne in a most inappropriate situation which is further complicated because Daphne is Simon’s best friend’s sister (Anthony, eldest of the Bridgerton children). Together Simon and Daphne hitch a ridiculous plan to pretend they are dating thus making Daphne seem less like a friend and more like a wife and keeping the women away from Simon. What they did not count on was their mutual attraction.

The plot for this book was silly and yet oddly refreshing. Silly because their plan is just a disaster waiting to happen. Of course we have the tragic hero with the terrible past and the witty heroine who is full of love looking for the chance to create a warm loving home. The refreshing part of this story is the characters had real problems and they were not over contrived. I do think a man who has spent his entire life in fear of his stuttering problem, an absent father and a mother who died before he even knew her would have some emotional issues that his friends would not be aware of. Just as likely a woman who grew up in a secure home would probably believe that love can conquer anything. Ms. Quinn did a great job surprising me at their reactions to each other. At times I thought really did you think this would be the best way to handle this situation, but I appreciate that because in real life we often react the wrong way, sometimes even making things worse before they are better. This I found refreshing and I really appreciated the humor in keeping things light.

For me it was a great book because I cared about the characters, I cursed at them for making stupid choices and acting without thinking. I laughed at their wit and cried (ok felt really kind of sad) when they hurt. This I think is what makes a great romance novel and I cannot wait to read the next one.