The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn .

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn is the second book in the wildly popular, bestselling Bridgerton series (which inspired the hit Netflix adaptation). It is a quintessential Regency romance featuring one of the genre’s most beloved tropes: enemies-to-lovers combined with a forced-proximity marriage of convenience.

Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest Bridgerton sibling and the Viscount, has finally decided it is time to marry. His plan is strictly pragmatic: he wants a dutiful, flawless wife to secure the family legacy, with zero expectations of actual love—because Anthony is utterly convinced he is destined to die young, just like his father did at age thirty-eight.

He sets his sights on Edwina Sheffield, the season's designated "Incomparable," who is sweet, beautiful, and ticks every box on his list. There is just one massive obstacle standing in his way: Edwina’s fiercely protective older half-sister, Kate Sheffield. Kate sees right through Anthony’s rakish charm and knows he will make a terrible husband. She vows to do whatever it takes to stop the match.

However, as Anthony and Kate lock horns in a relentless battle of wits, their mutual animosity gradually transforms into an undeniable, electric attraction. When a scandalous compromise forces them into a hasty wedding, the two stubborn rivals must navigate their fiery chemistry, past traumas, and deep-seated fears of vulnerability.