Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught

Rating: A+

Setting: Historical

Hero: Clayton Westmoreland

Heroine: Whitney Stone

After terribly embarrassing her father when she makes a cake of herself by throwing herself all over a local boy, Paul, Whitney Stone is sent to Paris with her uncle and aunt. There, she blossoms under the loving care of her uncle and aunt and turns into a beautiful, confident and witty young woman. She becomes the new rage in Paris when she is presented to the Parisian Society, capturing the heart of sophisticated and suave Nicolas DuVille. But Whitney remains loyal to her childhood love and returns to England all ready to win Paul's heart with her charms. But she doesn't know that her swimming-in-debts father has traded her off with the Duke of Claymore.

Nicolas DuVille wasn't the only one infatuated with Whitney. Clayton Westmoreland, 9th Duke of Claymore was also fascinated by her when she spurred with him at a masquerade, unknowing who he was, and making fun of noble titles. And that was the time Clayton knew he had to have her but he was also aware that Whitney's stubbornness and willfulness won't let him approach her in a typical courtship. So he devises a plan of paying off her father's debts and signing a betrothal with her father without her knowledge. After Whitney gets to know the truth, there begins a roller coaster ride of emotions and relationship intricacies by the end of which we have a wonderful story of two people who learned to learn from their mistakes, a willful hoyden who ended up a lot more grown-up and mature and an arrogant man who learnt not to jump to conclusions every time. 

Over the years as I read more discussions online about this book and its characters, I came to acknowledge their flaws as well but Whitney, My Love was also my book by Judith McNaught, so it must have had something that made me go on a JM spree and devour all her novels! 

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The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Rating: A-

Setting: Historical

Hero: Simon Basset

Heroine: Daphne Bridgerton

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn is the first book in the Bridgerton series that the author wrote. The Bridgertons, headed technically by the eldest brother, Anthony and socially by their mother are one big happy family with all of their eight children named alphabetically. Daphne is, yes you guessed it, fourth of the eight children and eldest of the four girls. She is a normal girl, who likes dresses and parties, and wants to get married and start her own family. The problem is that she's just too normal that all the eligible men consider her just a friend rather than a woman.

Simon Basset didn't have a nice childhood, his father refusing to accept him as a son when he didn't fill criteria of a perfect son because he had a stutter. Over the years, Simon distanced himself from his father, coming back from Europe only after the duke's death. But the new duke of Hastings is ambushed by all the marriage-minded society mothers who find him irresistible with his new dukedom. Daphne was Simon's best friend's younger sister with whom he devised a plan of a fake courtship to the ton's matchmakers at bay. Daphne tagged along thinking the interest shown in her by a duke might spark a renewed curiosity in her among the ton's gentlemen.

The best thing I liked about the novel was how 'normal' Daphne was. It was refreshing to read about a heroine who was normal and ordinary, and liked to do things that a young lady generally did in Regency England. Her desire of having a family of her own is the driving force of the story and it also leads her to do a desperate and cruel act that in my opinion is a bit too much for poor Simon. But of course, the dialogues are refreshingly witty dialogues that put a smile on your face. And the character of gossip column writer Lady Whistledown, with her razor-sharp comments about the members of the Society at the start of each chapter add an extra spice to the book. This book is what you put at your book shelf! 

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Secrets of Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Rating: A-

Setting: Historical

Hero: Simon Hunt

Heroine: Annabelle Peyton

Secrets of Summer Nights by Lisa Kleypas is the first of her wonderful Wallflowers series about four young ladies who enter the London society with one common goal: they must find a husband using their feminine wit and wiles and thus a daring husband-hunting scheme is born. 

A girl, despite being a wallflower, can over-come any problem in her husband-hunting, other than the lack of a dowry! Annabelle Peyton represents Old World aristocracy, she's beautiful and genteel -- and desperately trying to maintain the appearance of wealth. She's determined to use her wits and beauty to snag a nobleman to save her family from total ruin. She would not settle for less than an aristocrate as it was unthinkable in those times for nobility to marry outside their circle. Simon Hunt, a butcher's son, who has made a fortune by investing in industry and railroads and is only marginally accepted by The Polite Society. He's also Annabelle's most intriguing and persistent admirer, who has made clear that he's willing to offer everything, other than marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition... but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction. Annabelle attempts to trap a moneyed aristocrat into marriage--with the help of her vivacious fellow Wallflowers. But on one summer night, situation brings the two of them to altar ... and Annabelle discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.The scenes involving Annabelle and the three other Wallflowers, two sassy and smart-mouthed American girls and a timid, stuttering English heiress, are almost as enjoyable as the ones in which Annabelle and Simon try to outmaneuver each other. 

But my favorite thing about this book is that the book doesn't end when Simon and Annabelle wind up at the altar. It goes deeper touching on Annabelle's changing mindset (specifically, her growing admiration of Simon's working-class roots and her acceptance of everything he stands for) and Simon's insecurity over taking her away from polite society. A definite keeper!

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