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Simon Pearson, the Duke of Disdain is arrogant, proud and as the gossip proclaims way too aware of his status as a duke. That doesn’t make him sound loveable, now does it? But underneath the mask of an aristocrat hides a passionate, funny, loving man. He spent his entire life following the rules, being proper, but life throws a curveball at him. His sister, his unwed sister, is having a child. His brilliant plan – marry and marry well, so that when the scandal hits it would be easier to survive it. Maybe it would’ve worked if it weren’t for Juliana.

Juliana is an illegimate daughter of an English marchioness and an Italian merchant. Her life changed dramatically when her father died and she came to live in London. She has hard time adjusting to society, she simply doesn’t the way Ton says a lady has to behave. Her actions around Simon just make it more obvious.

I loved both Simon and Juliana. She is exactly what he needs – someone to challenge him, to make him forget about propriety, to make him happy, to love him. Juliana is unlike most of the English ladies. She is passionate, full of life, unwilling to let anyone dictate how she should feel. And Simon – he spent a lot of the book being torn between duty and desire. He wanted Juliana from the start, but he did his best to resist her. And I liked the fact that since the moment he made love to Juliana, he knew he was going to marry her. So his action at the end of the book is even more meaningful if you consider his aversion to scandal.

Rating:

5 stars.