The Duke and I (Bridgerton #1)

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves at the ball, which brought together the cream of London society. Everyone, that is, except for the two of them. Daphne, a beautiful young woman overwhelmed by her mother, and Simon, the sullen new Duke of Hastings, shared the same problem: the constant pressure to find partners. Upon meeting, they devised the perfect plan: to fake an engagement that would free them from further burdens. But it wouldn't be easy, since Daphne's brother, a friend of Simon's, is not easily fooled, nor are the astute ladies of high society. However, what will truly complicate matters is the appearance of an element that wasn't foreseen in this two-way game: love.

They devised a perfect plan in which love had no place... Ever since her debut into society, Daphne hasn't had a moment's peace. It's all her mother's fault, whom she adores, but who is obsessed with finding her a husband as soon as possible. The worst part is that the reasonably desirable men aren't interested, and those who are are relentless pests she has to get rid of... even by force. That's why she happily accepts the Duke of Hastings' idea of ​​faking a courtship to scare off the suitors. Although perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that the young duke is becoming increasingly seductive to her.

BUT THERE ARE THINGS FROM WHICH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE
Haunted by a childhood filled with loneliness and resentment, Simon Basset, the new Duke of Hastings, wants nothing to do with London's social scene, and certainly not with the attempts of elegant ladies to "hunt" him down as a husband for their daughters. When he meets Daphne, he believes he has found the perfect plan: a sham engagement to keep the suitors who plague him at bay. And when the feigned attraction begins to feel all too real, Simon must confront the ghosts of his past that prevent him from enjoying the happiness that fate has placed within his grasp.