Desperate Duchesses

I'll make this short and sweet:

This book has an excellent first half and a horrendous second half.

The longer and unsweet explanation:

The first half introduces the cast of characters, and the dialogue is very clever, smooth, and fun to read. (If you like Eloisa James's style of dialogue. Some people might not.) The setting up of the two main characters (ostensibly the hero and heroine) and the secondary cast is well done: personalities drawn, relationships drawn. There are a few problems with the first half: the characters are sometimes brought in without the reader being told who they are or why they matter, or whether they're main or supporting cast. Very confusing. But that can be overlooked if the set-up leads to a good follow-through.

Sadly, the second half does NOT follow through. Secondary characters refuse to stay secondary, but instead steal the scene. The main hero, Damon, continues to be less well-drawn than the actual secondary characters, or even some of the tertiary characters. And Roberta, the heroine, stops being understandable in her decisions about halfway through the book and just gets stupid.

SPOILERS BELOW:

#############################Also, a BIG problem for me with the book, which I'l have to explain carefully so as to avoid big spoilers: The hero, Damon, is basically very, very dishonorable. The hero does something that is inherently dishonorable with the heroine, the hero and heroine are caught out doing so, and the hero then challenges to a duel the man who caught the heroine out. This is unfair. If you are going to do something dishonorable with someone, basically seduce them into it, you cannot blame the man who is humiliated by it and challenge him to a duel. That's just wrong. I cannot champion a hero who only does what he wants and then humiliates a man and then fights him about it. What a jerk! ##########################

END SPOILERS

Basically, the hero, Damon, is a selfish jerk. Roberta is at first kind of cute, and then at the second half of the story turns into a moron. Three of the secondary characters, Jemma, Beaumont, and Villiers are actually much more interesting and understandable than Damon and Roberta. It ends up that Villiers, the sort-of bad guy in the book, is actually more sympathetic than Damon, who just looks like an immature jack*** when all is said and done.

Too bad. This book could have been EXCELLENT, if only the hero and heroine had had a better character arc. Then the whole problem of the rest of the characters overshadowing the hero and heroine would have been solved, and the problem of the stupidity/selfishness/shallowness of the main characters would also, theoretically, have been solved.

I almost didn't finish reading this book. Unlike most romance novels in a series, it introduces too many characters and places too much emphasis on the Elijah and Jemma. The hero Damon and heroine Roberta were more like supporting characters, with the plot revolving around Elijah and Jemma, duke and duchess hosting them. Like some other reviewers, I was more interested in their story than in Damon and Roberta, who were shallow and uninteresting. I even found the Mad Marquess, the heroine's father and whom she spent half the book complaining about, a more sympathetic character than either of the main characters.

This is the second book I've read from Eloisa James, and I'm not sure I like her tendency to switch between perspectives of different characters on the fly, either. I don't really care for the perspective of a servant who appears on a single page in the book, and occasionally it makes things confusing as to who's doing the thinking.

Loved the unique story line of this book. A young man in love with the main character while she has her heart set on another fellow who could care less about her. Especially loved the character, Damon Reeve, Earl of Gryffyn!

As other reviews have noted, this is emphatically part of a series. There are several overlapping story elements and the subplots are carefully developed for use in later books, so it's best to read them all in order. I know that probably annoys some people, but on the bright side every single one of these novels is kind of fantastic. I'm a horribly picky reader who gets irritated by things like "inconsistency" and "anachronistic language," but I'm consistently surprised and delighted by the deftness James has in using authentic historical details, breathing life into this vibrant period. Her writing itself is miles ahead of most authors in this genre, but I guess that's what you have to expect from a Fordham professor who does this in her spare(?) time.

Regarding this book in particular, yes it contains a lot of backstory and development of other characters. Fortunately, all of those characters are absolutely fascinating. I've particularly enjoyed watching Jemma and Elijah's relationship develop over the course of these. Villiers can be somewhat show-stealing, but he has a primary role in the Roberta/Damon plotline so his presence is appropriate and not just random. I disagree with reviewers who said that the primary story was eclipsed by the subplots. I found both the hero and heroine to be charming, realistic and well-developed. James avoided entering Damon's perspective for most of the first half of the book, allowing us to see just his actions and feel some of Roberta's bewilderment about his possible motives. It was an interesting choice and I actually liked it. Let's face it: part of the fun of these books is the escapism they allow, and there's nothing more transporting than having the opportunity to imagine yourself in the position of a young woman in the midst of her first real sexual encounters, confused and elated at the same time. We do eventually get more of Damon's perspective, and there's a lot to like about him. The way the relationship developed between these two characters was well-paced and pretty adorable. James has a knack for describing human sexuality with endearing honesty-- it's almost shocking in a genre where every hero/heroine tends to morph into a porn star when the time comes. I'm thinking in particular of her novel "Your Wicked Ways," which kind of blew my mind by giving us a sexually inexperienced (and inept) hero. Nothing so drastic here, but the sexual mishap described in this book was so ridiculously real-feeling that it instantly won the hero a place in my heart. But my absolute favorite part was a discussion between Roberta and Damon in which Roberta told the hero that he couldn't be in love with her, otherwise he'd be terrified and self-conscious and never act as silly and familiar as he did. It's rare that a romance novel so adroitly cuts to the heart of the difference between infatuation or lust and sustainable, meaningful love. I like having a couple that convinces me their relationship has a future of happiness and not just a rest stop between traumatic fights.

In short, yes-- it's a series. So is Harry Potter. The real difficulty with reading one on its own is that you'll be too excited to know what happened to all the other characters you've become interested in too.

I am reading all the Desperate Duchess series books at one time, and Roberta and Damon do not disappoint as a couple. It is easy to pick favorite characters from the many detailed personalities that James has worked into her fascinating tales, and each get every bit of respect that an author can grant the foil characters as well as the highlighted couple. I do not hand out five star reviews on the regular, and I usually stick to paranormals, but authors like James and Stephanie Lauren's keep bringing me back to historicals.

The plot was overwhelmed with characters that I wanted to know more about, yes, but what about the central romantic couple? We know more about Jemma than we do about Damon and he is the hero and she a secondary character. Roberta, the heorine, was not very likeable. It was difficult to understand what attraction Villiers held for Roberta. Roberta's father, the Mad Marquess was worthy of the farce, but it was difficult to believe that the erudite man that he purportedly was, was so silly. Perhaps all the characters were to be farcical but some definitely more than others. The send-up of 18th century aristocratic morals was funny and well done. I enjoyed the humor but missed substance.

I must admit I was sceptical about this book as to me its started off slow but once it picked up it went really quickly and I could not put it down.

Roberta thinks that she is love with Duke of Villiers and wants nothing more than to marry him. However, her father's eccentric behaviour has caused her to be shunned by society and a source of ridicule. She devises a plan to capture him with the aid of the patronage of the Duchess of Beaumont. Damon Reeve is the Duchess' brother and quickly realises that Roberta is making the wrong choice. Evenutally he begins to understand why her choice is so important to him. I wont give the story away you will have to read it for yourself.

The characters were entertaining with witty dialogue. The secondary relationship between Jemma, Damon's sister and Elijah, her husband the Duke of Beaumont, was very interesting and I certainly want to see more of them and how their marriage develops.

I can't wait for the rest of the series!

DESPERATE DUCHESSES was given to me by a friend, and I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I gave up reading romance novels years ago when they all began to sound alike. This one was really fun -- the main characters are delightful, the romances great fun and even believable at times. Although this is definitely what I consider light reading, I would have given it 5 stars except that the troubled marriage of Beaumont and Jemma is left unresolved. I was hoping here would be a follow-up story for that couple but can't find one, unfortunately. However, this is a thoroughly entertaining story which I believe is worth at least 4 stars !

If one has the right sense of humor, this novel by Ms. James is absolutely wonderful. A whimsical delight which at times while reading I laughed loudly and long - needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In Texas terms this would be described as a "hoot"!

I read this as a part of the Vaginal Fantasy book club and I loved it. It was a book of mostly smut but it was so well done. All of the characters were people I enjoyed and the relationships made sense to me. Roberta was the perfect mix of naivete and sexual knowledge and Damon falling for her was perfect. Yes it was part of a setup but I still loved it. I was hoping to see the relationship between the Duke and Duchess Beaumont but that is why there are other books that come after this one. I cannot wait to get the others to see if they can live up to this.

This is an outstanding historical romance. Georgian, so there are powdered wigs and panniers under wide skirts, corsets and beauty patches. The background is fantastic - the period detail, the social structure, the haut ton stuff. Interestingly, there is also a lot of description of clothing and finery, and against all expectation it didn't annoy me as such things usually do. James uses these details to illustrate character and situation, and not just to show off an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject, which is refreshing.

Wonderful characterization. Roberta and her father, Jemma and her husband, Damon and his son, Villiers... they all get the full treatment, at least according to their importance in the story. Even the servants and employees feel like real people.

A lovely romance, skillfully tangled and then disentangled. And some of the best sex - or rather, foreplay - I've read in a really long time. Sex in historicals is tricky, what with the importance placed on virginity and the differences in sexual sensibilities between the modern writer and the period two hundred years ago, but James does it really well, by making it a matter of sensuality and awakening rather than naked writhing bodies. She has a good vocabulary on the subject, and a fine hand with the showing.

The second book in the series awaits now; I can hardly wait to dive in!

Having a father known by the Ton as the "Mad Marquess" is not a strong enabler of acceptance by the ton; in fact it is a detractor. Residing at the family country estate in the middle of nowhere makes acceptance utterly impossible. Lady Roberta St. Giles knows that if she is to make a proper match, she must leave the shelter of her home and also leave her father to his poetry in order to begin attending galas especially now that she has selected her future spouse even if the Duke of Villiers remains ignorant of her choice.

The Duchess of Beaumont Jemma has just returned from some French mischief so agrees to help a friend destroy the rogue Villiers for hurting her. She thinks the naïve country mouse Roberta would be a perfect foil to ruin the rakish Villiers so she invites her to a party at her home. However, Jemma failed to account for her brother Damon Reeve, who will not allow Villiers to hurt the innocent pawn Roberta. As he ponders his altruism, Damon realizes part of the reason he wants to keep Jemma from getting hurt is that he loves her and believes she reciprocates although she insists Villiers is her true love.

This terrific Georgian romance is a comedy of errors that showcases the brilliantly creative talent of Eloisa James as she uses a ton of the Ton to tell a delightful historical tale. The fast-paced story line is very humorous as Jemma sets up the game with the precision of a grandmaster and never slows down until the final checkmate occurs. The cast is three dimensional and not just the prime players as Ms. James uses aristocratic pawns to enhance an entertaining eighteenth century romance.

Harriet Klausner

The first in a fabulous new series after the triumph of the Essex sisters, Eloisa James is a must for fans of Regency and historical romance. With a bawdy sense of humour and style, great writing and attention to history (she is, after all, a history professor), this author will dazzle you. Welcome to a world of reckless sensuality and glittering sophistication, of dangerously handsome gentlemen and young ladies longing to gain a title, of games played for high stakes, including - on occasion - a lady's virtue. Don't let the other reviews put you off - a bit of complexity never hurt anyone!

Lady Roberta St. Giles wants a husband and her father isn't helping matters any. Known as the Mad Marquess, her father's unusual poetry and unusual lifestyle has scared away any suitors that may have been interested in the lovely Lady Roberta. It is clear Lady Roberta will have to take matters in her own hands.

After spying the beautifully proper Duke of Villiers at a ball, Lady Roberta heads to London on a mission to become the next Duchess of Villiers. With the help from a very distant relative, the Duchess of Beaumont, Lady Roberta captures the eye of not only the Duke of Villiers but of the Duchesses brother, the Earl of Gryffyn.

Eloisa James writes such smart and witty romances that I can't help but adore them. And I do adore Desperate Duchesses. I was quite desperate myself for Roberta to pick the man I was crazy in love with and my heart would have been broken if she hadn't.

With a story that will just suck you right in, Desperate Duchesses has secondary characters that will leave you begging for the next in this series. I am, well, desperate for more Desperate Duchesses!

Annmarie
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I have to agree with the other reviewers who felt that this novel lacked some of the necessary plot and character development needed to make a novel great. First the positives, it is a well-written story, and avid romance readers know that sometimes a story can be poorly written and poorly edited. Additionally, I like the use of chess as a plot element, and I also like how Ms. James pushed the envelop by moving forward into the 1780's and out of the regency period.

Unfortunately, the negatives hurt this book. It is scattered, and I couldn't figure which characters were the leads. Who was this book about-- Jemma or Roberta? Roberta seems to be the heroine, but her character development is far weaker than Jemma. With 3 male leads, I also became confused which character I should care about, particularly as both of Roberta's beaus were developed equally. Plus, there was much more potential for the development of Damon's character. I think that she really missed an opportunity to flesh out Damon's relationship with Teddy. The climax and conflict are so subtle that at the end of the novel, I'm left wondering, "Is that it?"

I am hopeful that this book is meant only to pad the way for the rest of the books in the desperate duchess series (which is confusing since Roberta isn't a duchess), which will be much better! Don't let this be your first introduction into Eloisa James. There are better places to start.

I was a bit worried before I started this book based on the reviews I read here. This book was not as bad as most of the people here stated. I am not one for multiple character storylines in a book, but this one wasn't really that bad. I did like Roberta and Damon together. Granted until the end of the book there wasn't much of them since the other story lines took most of that. When they did get together however I loved them as a couple. Yes you wanted to smack Roberta a few times for what she was thinking about Villiers, but I got over that soon enough. But the Duke of Villiers was impossible to like. I don't know if he'll get his own story eventually, but right now I can't see me liking him as a hero in any future stories! This was my first Eloisa James book by the way.

If you're gonna start reading Eloisa James' books, please, PLEASE don't start with this one. It'll put you off her works indefinetely - at least for a long while.

The preview on the back looked interesting, so I'd thought to give it a shot. BIG MISTAKE. It is abysmally draggy and I just forced myself to speed-read 'till the end. That was a good 2 hours wasted. This was enough to prejudice me about the author's other works. Ok, ok, I'll say something nice about this book... the cover stepback looks alright.

I've read her "When The Duke Returns" recently. It's much better than this one. (Not that this one was much to go on in the first place). Please, if you're thinking of reading this, think some more; reaaaally carefully.

This was a very interesting novel. Like reviewers have commented, the Georgian time period is a refreshing change. I must say I enjoyed reading about the different fashions (like the hoops skirts, and the powdered hair etc).

While I see the point of detractors that the characters and storylines are a bit loosely done, I think it is setting us up for great sequels. Think about it- how many books have we read where we KNEW that this Lady such-and-such was going to be the intended for whichever Lord. (Usually at the end/beginning of the novel , the said Lord/Lady would be muttering that THEY won't be legshackled, only to have the next scene introduce the one to change their mind)

At this point , we don't know whether the Beaumonts will fall in love with each other, or whether the Duke will find solace with Ms. T (sorry can't remember her name!) . In many novels, we are told by the author that hte hero/heroine was treated abominably by the object of their desire, in order for us to feel sympathy. I actually feel sympathy for them both, and I am looking forward to the direction the author takes,

I gave 4 stars more for the anticipation for more to come. Also, I do believe that the relationship between Roberta and Damon could have been written better. I suppose the author had a word limit.

I still do not understand what possessed Roberta to fancy herself wanting to marry Villiers STILL, even after she was getting increasingly intimate with Damon. Ah well.

All in all a great read!

I agree with "bookworm"- Damon's character needed so-o-o much more in-depth detail. Also this was so off the typical historical society's behavior that I found it a little more than unbelievable- Politically ambitious Elijah putting up with Jemma, her brother and illegitimate son, and Jemma's reputation and antics? Jemma behaving the way she was before producing an heir and a spare? Jemma so quickly accepting a distant ridiculed no-body relative, Lady Roberta into her home and promoting her? Not.

And then there's Lady Roberta not wanting to be publicly humiliated again, yet goes after a rakehell obsessed with Chess and not even trying to take an interest it? And her totally distainful behavior toward Teddy yet claiming she wanted children. And since it's called "Desperate Duchesses" shouldn't she have ended up married to a Duke not an Earl?

The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because of the unique ending describing the baby. That was so-o-o great! I could just picture it.

Recommend Sabrina Jeffries, Sara Bennet, Sari Robins, Lisa Valdez (HOT!), & Sylvia Day instead.

This is my first Romance novel and I'm hooked. I could not put it down ( I stayed up 'till 6 in the morning a few times)! I like the passion of the male character, he was just so dreamy. This is the book where at the end of book I read it twice and re-read my favorite chapter, you will love this book. If you bought it and didn't like it please let me have it. I actually borrowed mine from the library. I really would like to have this book around. It's must read!

As the reviewer before me just stated, it's clear that this is not meant to be a stand-alone book. There are several plots going on at one time and (of course) not all of them are wrapped up neatly by the end of the novel.

I have to admit, though, that I didn't enjoy it that much for that very reason. Perhaps if I had stumbled upon this series a few years down the line -- after all 4 books were complete -- I would have devoured this book and the sequels in quick succession. As it stands, I feel like I've been given a novel and told I'm only allowed to read the first quarter and I have to wait to have the rest parceled out over the course of another year. That wouldn't be too bad, except James attempts to sell this book also as a stand-alone & that's where it all goes wrong. There are some great characters in this book that are sketched very well -- and I know I'm going to enjoy watching them evolve over the course of the rest of the series. However, the main heroine and hero are not two of them. And that's the pity. In fact, as I type this, I'm having difficulty remembering their names -- even though I remember the names of Elijah, Jemma, and Villiers. I can't even remember the name of the heroine, and I just finished this book last night!!

In short: There is so much time invested in exploring the side characters and setting them up for their own books that the main characters pale in comparison. It's similar to what happened with Esme's character in the "Duchess" series and what happend with Imogen's character in the "Essex sisters" series. The difference, though, is that I liked the main characters in the other series -- in this one, I found the main romance to be quite yawn-worthy. I didn't like the heroine that much and found the hero to be almost invisible.

There were so many things I would have liked to have known about the hero that wasn't explored at all -- just casually thrown into a conversation between other protaganists. I wasn't able to get into his head like we've been able to do in the past with characters that Eloisa written about. And it seemed rather odd to me that, at the end, we're just told how rich, smart, and successful he is -- even though the whole book built him up to be completely useless. If he was all that, I would have thought the heroine should have figured it out, instead of having someone else just TELL her at the end. Or, at the very least, we should have had some scenes with the hero, so WE -- as readers -- knew what he was all about. It all seemed very abrupt and rushed to me.

There should have been more time spent on the h/h so we could actually enjoy the novel as a stand-alone. They were constantly put in the back-seat in favor of the secondary characters. Which is fine if you're reading the whole set of books in a row just for those characters (like Jemma/Elijah). I remember doing that with the "Duchess" series. I devoured all the books because I wanted to know what happened to Esme/Sebastian. However, now that I have to wait months and month between books, I feel like I was cheated in this book. This book should have focused more on the h/h featured in this novel -- and it just didn't.

All in all, I'll give it 3 stars for now. Maybe the rating will go up once I've read the rest of the series. That'll take about two years, if it follows Avon's usual publication schedule.

I usually really like Ms James books and characters. This one was a disappointment. There were too many plots and characters. The "main" character Roberta falls in love with the Duke of Villiers when she sees him at a ball because of what he is wearing. She knows nothing about him. Shallow women do not make interesting women. There are a number of other duchesses and dukes in varying relationships with varying plots going on. Simply not up to Ms James' quality.

I see some pretty high ratings for this book, and I'll be frank here, I just don't get it! I had to force myself to turn every page. The most intriguing character was Jemma, and she wasn't even the main gal. I hate having started and in return having to finish books like these. I know this author is pretty popular so maybe it was just this book, storyline or the characters that I didn't connect with, but it wasn't even good for me...only ok at best.

I can't believe I just typed the title for the review as such. I've read several of Eloisa James' books, and I have never been dissapointed before. I agree with the other reviewers who commented that there was too much happening in this book that is setting up future books - it convolutes and detracts from the plot in this novel.

I did like Roberta and Damon, and unlike one other reviewer, I can see her attraction to Villiers was developed enough from her past history with her dramatic father.

Given that it took several chapters for the book to grab me, and that I felt obligated to finish it, it does not come out a winner for me. I hope that the rest of the series can turn out better with the substantial background information from the first book.

As a fan of Eloisa's books, I was surprised that this story wasn't very good. I actually thought about not finishing it, which I never do. The main characters weren't really believable, and I also think there were too many characters in the book. I agree with what another review says, I would rather read the story of Jemma and Elijah.

I loved this story and it did not bother me that some plot lines were left hanging. For me, that added to the complexity and appeal of the overall novel. The multiple characters, their conflicts and the odd way they were involved in each others' lives, all this was quite interesting and cleverly protrayed I thought. There was some surprise, tension, eroticism, and the ending was delightful as the hero's mask comes off for us. Her writing is very well done and I especially appreciate flawed characters who are also consistent, but maybe, learning a thing or two.

This book is an embarrassment to women. If you take all the female characters and combine them into one you still don't come up with an average-sized brain (never mind character, maturity, or simple common sense).

From the first few unlikely and irrational pages this seemed like a bad Junior High School play in which too many characters with little to contribute had been written in so the whole class could have a speaking part. (By high school, you'd expect more mature characters!) Under these circumstances, while everybody spoke, no one had anything of any importance to say. It was a completely chaotic one-dimensional farce. We are, apparently, supposed to find the antics and dialogues humorous and entertaining but "ridiculous", "spoiled", and "downright stupid" are much closer to the mark.

I can't remember a more irritating book, more exagerated stereotypes and characterizations, sillier dialogue, or more frantic pacing (every scene was short, choppy, and sloppily transitioned). Did anybody proofread this?

You never got into anyone's mind (assuming they had one) or into their hearts (presumably, the function of romantic fiction). You were too distracted by all the confusion caused by whatever nonsensical scene was exploding at the time. I have never come across a group of people with less charm, or warmth, or sense of purpose than this crew, about whom further books will, apparently, be written.

The author's biographical blurb states that she writes in her sleep because she is so overwhelmed by her children and pets. I thought she was joking but, apparently, that was the one serious comment in the whole book.

I must say that I love Ms. James books. I always enjoy how one storyline carries on throughout the books of the series and is resolved in the end. I was so excited when this book came out, but reading it was a total chore. I am not an uneducated person, but the language of the book was not easy to read. It took far too much concentration, and trying to figure out if Jemma wants her husband or Villers took too much out of me...and they are not even the main characters of the book! I must say I loved the father in this, as well as the other characters...I am curious to see who Villers falls for down the road. Hopefully the rest of the books will be up to Ms. James usual standards!

Having read many earlier books by this author, I was expecting a witty and captivating story, but that's NOT what I got. Our main heroine was rather silly; we're told she's very intelligent, which makes her mindless determination to marry a cad like Villiers totally incomprehensible. I liked the use of chess as a sub-plot, but the rest of the book was just a major disappointment from an author who can do so much better.

I honestly can say that I really didn't really care for Damon and Roberta. They barely got that many scenes in the book because there were so many characters that they were really over looked. I also was way more interest at what was happening between Jemma and her husband Elijah. I really can't wait for those two to have their own book and see how they get back together. I'm really going to get mad if Jemma and Elijah don't end up together.I hope that the author really doesn't kill Elijah off because I really want him and his wife to work things out.

As a fan who has followed Eloisa James since her first historical romance novel, I have to agree that this novel does NOT fit in the excellent "formula" she has established for her previous books. Once you come to realize that, you also realize that this new take is BETTER! Anything can happen with these characters--the reader doesn't even know who the heroine will marry until at least halfway through the novel, and how many romance novels can you say that about? 1780s England is incredibly refreshing and scandalous! It's wonderful to experience panniers after so many high-waisted dresses. I also enjoyed that the heroine had a pretty typical view of children for her time, and it didn't make her any less likeable. My only gripe is that I now feel very invested in Jemma and her husband, yet I have a feeling that their story won't be wrapped until the end of the series.

Bottom line: give it a chance, and don't expect a Regency or formulaic novel!

This book is bursting with life, and an utter delight, with characters who might have stepped out of an 18th century comedy. The essential period detail slips in gracefully to give a grounding to the characters and their attitudes, and give to airy nothings a local habitation and a name. I can't wait for the succeeding books in this series.

I can't express how much I enjoyed this novel. Other reviewers have discussed plotlines and characters, so I'm not going to dwell on those here. What I will say is I found the time period to be fresh and interesting. The dialogue was delicious and enticing (as only Eloisa James does it). The side plots were fantastic and kept the book moving at a quick pace. I loved learning more about a time period that I'm not that familiar with and hope that other Regency authors consider expanding their horizons into Georgian as well. It is fascinating how saucy and scandalous this time period was compared to what came next. I hightly recommend to this to all romance fans, not just Regency lovers. This is another great Eloisa James book and my favorite book this year.

Eloisa James is usually one of my favorite authors, consequently I might have been expecting to much of this book. I found the book totally beneath my expectations and was dismayed to find myself not even wanting to finish the book. I think Eloisa James is a wonderful author however, this book is not my cup of tea and I would not recommend it to anyone else. I would however suggest any of her other books to read.

The other reviewers had some valid points but I was wishing for the next book by the time I put it down. I had to read the first chapter twice because I had a hard time getting into it. It was a more complicated plot than most romance novels. The characters were not unidimensional which I found refreshing. The Heroine was annoying at times but it was more realistic because of it. James set up some really interesting characters and I look forward to the upcoming books in the series.

I purchased this book as soon as it came out, I've been a big fan of Eloisa James since Midnight Pleasures and was eager to read her new book. I was extremely disappointed after reading Desperate Duchesses, really disappointed.

I felt that the characters were shallow, completely unsympathetic and didn't do anything to make me feel inclined towards wanting to turn the next page and read a bit more about them. It's like, Ms. James completely bypassed characterization and ignored giving the players depth. I surprised myself when towards the end I felt more sympathy towards the Duke of Villiers than ANY of the rest of the characters.

I think I know exactly what's going to happen, the Duke of Villiers will end up married to the other Duchess who asked for Jemma's help in avenging her husband. And :: gasp :: Jemma (who by the way, was pretty much painted as an immoral hussy) will get back together with her husband.

Seriously???

A little surprise next time. PLEASE.

This was one of the worst books I have read so far. In fact I only got a quarter of the way through it before I decided to stop forcing myself to read it. Maybe it's because I also hated Shakespeare of which the author is a professor. Anyway, I would not recommend this book to anyone. Don't waste your money on it.

I will agree with those reviewers that feel the ending was a bit rushed, but I still give the book five stars. Needing a HEA is an unfortunate requirement of the genre. This is the rare book that I would have been perfectly happy had the main storylines remained knotted until the next installment. The characters are so true, so identifiable, when Miss T thinks to herself "the duchess doesn't understand him." you feel her setting herself up for a terrible fall. Unless she isn't. The beauty of the book is also in the open feel - anything is possible. With several storylines going on at once, the possiblities aren't confined to one road. The heroine, who doesn't care for children at all, isn't required to change. She can still find children appalling while coming to appreciate the child now in her life. The Georgian period is a welcome relief from the tedium of Regency convention, it's almost shocking to think "Can she do that? How is that possible?" until you recall the change in setting. The real star of this book is the realism in the human interaction. The frustrated daughter, the angry wife - all of them alive on the page and not stuck in narrow paths. I consider this a must read of the year.

There are a few storylines in the this novel with a wife who loves her husband but is angry he had an affair, a ugly duckling who turns into swan and has two man wanted her. The men in this novel are all lost and some find love and happiness but others stay lost. The style of writing is different but I will read her next novel coming out November 15,2007, Affair Before Christmas.

If you enjoy this genre I would also check out The Lady Lies by Samantha Saxon, Spirited Away by Cindy Miles and Secrets of a Duchess by Kaitlin O'Riley.

I agree with some of the other readers, the heroine was kind of an idiot. Or obviously very confused. The ending was very rushed which is extremely disappointing. Was Jemma excited that Roberta would be her sister in law? I think the sword fight was far fetched. Why wasn't there more characterization around that? The author wrote this too quickly and clumsily.

This book was silly, the main characters, Damon and Roberta, occupied only about 1/3 of the book, with most of the story being about the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont. There is no reason to believe that Damon and Roberta have anything past a superficial attraction to each other. Too much going on, and not enough focus on the main couple. They were a subplot pretending to be the main plot.

For the first 3-4 chapters I was really confused. The battle between Jemma and her husband became ridiculous. They never actually solved that one. I loved the hero, the heroine was an idiot. The father was hilarious. I couldn't give it more than 2 stars because the story was too convoluted. Not what I expected from Ms. James.

I am very surprised any romance reader liked this disjointed story that never truly delved too far into any one character and in NO WAY is this the "read of the year!". The main female character was overshadowed by the other female character, the Duchess of Beaumont. Let me tell you, it was easy to overshadow her, since the main character was a shallow and uninteresting character that I was NOT endeared by...annoyed maybe, but NOT endeared to. To be truthful, I couldn't stand her! I really enjoyed James' other novels and I eagerly grabbed this one, only to be VERY DISAPPOINTED and not happy I wasted $6.99 on it. I would have gladly returned it and not thought a second more about it (darn copyright laws). Through the whole story, you have to really make sure you follow other minor characters interactions and try to become excited about their individual plight's (by minor, I mean BORING)...I don't know...I like a TWO character story, not a seven character story without depth and this is WHAT THIS book was. I am trying to be specific, but I really became bored with the mediocre characters and didn't find any part of the story intriguing enough to mention specifics here...it was just HORRIBLE! So disappointed in James and I hope her next novel is NOT ABOUT the Beaumont's...PLEASE, PLEASE...move on!

I am disappointed. after the 'much ado...' series this is a let down. I am a lover of secondary characters, however too many people with too many problems, have weighed down whatever this was suppose to be about. I hope book two will be better. I wont buy it retail, I will go to a book trader.

Review of The Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James

I just finished James’s Wilde series and loved them all. So I am reading through her Desperate Duchesses Series. This is book one. I confess that the first few chapters so confused me I had to reread them. I couldn’t figure out who the main characters were supposed to be in the book. So many different names to keep up with left me baffled. I managed to grasp it much better the second time through. It is probably just my over 50 brain and not her writing.
Once the story started congealing ,it moved along at quite a clip. I am not a chess player and so I felt lost in her chess moving terms which run throughout the book and often have sexual innuendos. So I guess in all – this book is ok and has quite a bit of humor in it. However, I found the number of characters to be too confusing to keep up with and the chess terms were lost on me.

I loved this book! I love that she has wee side stories going on, as with Jenna and Elijah. Following Esme and Sabastian was the main reason I bought the last series; although I enjoyed the stories for themselves as well. As for Roberta and Damon, I liked them both very much. Damon, especially, had endearing and um...other qualities I enjoyed.I found the end not rushed,but with a twist I didn't expect. I do hope the next story, who seems to be about characters BRIEFLY mentioned, will be as good as this one.And not to throw off on other reveiwers, but come on ladies! If remembering characters is too much for you, perhaps other romance writers would be a better choice. I like some substance along with the romance.