The Duke and I, Julia Quinn

After enduring two seasons in London, Daphne Bridgerton is no longer naive enough to believe she will be able to be marry for love. But is it really too much to hope for a husband for whom she at least has some affection?

Her brother’s old school friend Simon Basset - the new Duke of Hastings - has no intention of ever marrying. However, newly returned to England, he finds himself the target of the many marriage-minded society mothers who remain convinced that reformed rakes make the best husbands.

To deflect their attention, the handsome hell-raiser proposes to Daphne that they pretend an attachment. In return, his interest in Daphne will ensure she becomes the belle of London society with suitors beating a path to her door. There’s just one problem, Daphne is in very real danger of falling for a man who has no intention of making their charade a reality…

I have given myself over to reading all of Julia Quinn's books, especially now that I have realized the library has all of them. I have enjoyed reading all of her books so far, some have been more endearing than others, and this one ranks high on the list.

I think I liked this one so much because I wanted to be friends with Daphne. She is such a fun character and  I am a sucker for books in a series so knowing that each of Daphne's siblings has a book and that she would most likely appear in them, had me quite content. It is so relaxing to me having such a big stack of books ready to read that I know will be stress relieving.

A Dance Through Time, Lynn Kurland

This was a really cute and fast reading book that I blew through last night after Nora and my late night 30 Rock marathon. So I was pretty delirious while reading but I liked it! And the whole time I kept thinking this is what Outlander should have been. This was satisfying and romantic but with  nothing creepy or gross and no insane plot threads (and superfluous thousands of pages). I was happy that the library had this one and now I'll have to check for more from Lynn Kurland.

Splendid, Julia Quinn

There are two things everyone knows about Alexander Ridgeley. One, he's the Duke of Ashbourne. And two, he has no plans to marry anytime soon...

That is until a redheaded American throws herself in front of a carriage to save his young nephew's life. She's everything Alex never thought a woman could be—smart and funny, principled and brave. But she's a servant, completely unsuitable for a highborn duke—unless, perhaps, she's not quite what she seems...

American heiress Emma Dunster might be surrounded by Englishmen, but that doesn't mean she intends to marry one—even if she has agreed to participate in one London Season. When she slipped out of her cousins' home, dressed as a kitchen maid, all she wanted was one last taste of anonymity before her debut. She never dreamed she'd find herself in the arms of a dangerously handsome duke... or that he'd be quite so upset when he discovered her true identity. But true love tends to blossom just when one least expects it, and passion can melt even the most stubborn of hearts.

 This was such a cute book! This is Julia Quinn's first novel and it is just as fun as her others I've been devouring this spring. I am going to be really sad when I run out of her books to read. I'm hanging onto my remaining Jill Mansell books for the same reason. Its so comforting to have reliable mood lifting books around for the inevitable cranky moods I end up in. 

I love the romance and the happy endings in these books but my favorite parts are always the funny conversations between the characters. Alex and Emma had some hilariously entertaining conversations in this one.