The Unexpected Duchess by Valerie Bowman

Derek Hunt, the Duke of Clarington, is determined to honor his best friend's final wish. He is asked to marry and take care of Cassandra Monroe and not even her sharp tongued friend, Lucy Upton will get in his way.
Lucy knows her best friend is in love with someone else and will never accept the Duke's proposal. Why is it that he doesn't seem to understand it? Lucy does everything in her power to convience Derek that he and Cassandra will not suit. While Derek might not be the right one for her best friend, Lucy is having way too much fun sharing barbs with him.  Is there something more going on than a battle of words?
This is the first book by Valerie Bowman that I have read and I LOVED it.  I'm always a fan of the bantering H/H and I was not disappointed with this one.  While Lucy did not see it coming, her friends knew that Derek was perfect for her and "arranged" a few things....
I love when an author gives me secondary characters that are written so well that I want their story to be told too. Lucy's two best friends and her cousin are such characters and I can't wait to read more about this group of friends.  Cassandra's book, The Accidental Countess, comes out in October. I don't know if I can wait that long to see what happens!!
I've definitely found a new author to add to my TBR pile and I can't wait to read her backlist.

You can purchase this book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iBooks.