Returning to England after many years, Simon Bassett, the new Duke of Hastings, does not expect the drastic change his life is to take. Simon has sworn off marriage. When hes set upon by every mother of the ton with a marriageable daughter, he and Daphne Bridgerton, a belle of the ball who wishes only to marry for love, devise a plan to save them both.

By pretending to become engaged Simon will be free of the dreaded mothers and their daughters, and with a Duke declaring for her hand, Daphne will have scores of suitors vying for her affection. Surely one of them will be Mr. Right.

Their plan is doomed as they are irrevocably drawn to one another from the moment they meet. Being caught in a compromising situation forces them to face their feelings. Together they learn true love can heal the deepest of wounds.

Once again Julia Quinn delights and enraptures readers with a witty, funny yet poignant tale that will long be remembered. Lady Witherspoons Society Pages is an amusing touch and this reader is intrigued by the hint of more of Lady Witherspoon to follow. SENSUAL (Feb., 384 pp., $6.50)

—Beth MacGregor