Four Nights with the Duke (Desperate Duchesses Book 8)

I generally love Eloisa James's books, so much so that this was an auto pre order.What a disappointment. It didn't even feel like it's a book by the same author I've come to love. The characters are not even a bit developed, in fact, Vanders reads like an overgrown eight year old who can't reason and throws a tantrum when he doesn't get his way. With the addition of an erection. Which he displays to Mia by dropping his pants when he barely knows her, because he's not happy with what she had to say. And Mia, who is slightly better developed, drops gems like "but I can't be a duchess. Look at how I dress". I am 40% through the book, and for the first time ever with this author, I'm not sure I can finish it. This book showed up on my kindle at the same time as Julie Ann Long's new book, and I couldn't decide which to start with. So glad I did not go with this one first. I could put Long's book down. This one I find seriously annoying.

I wish there was more twist and challenge for the man to win back his lady. Over a lapse of time. During which She grows and become successful in her ventures. Can throw one two equally dashing figures to rival the hero.

Vander spends every moment of this book berating and insulting Mia to the point where I wouldn't be shocked if he took offense to her breathing. The man would insult her, become aroused and apologize, do her against a barn, then insult her and call her a whore.
Yea. Great hero there really wonderful catch not a total jerk at all.

I'm a huge fan and was really looking forward to this book. I could barely finish it. I ended it feeling not just disappointed, but disrespected as a romance reader. The characters were woefully under-developed, the plot convoluted and the premise unbelievable (even by genre standards) - really? You remember slights from when you were 15? Even the sex scenes (and there were a lot of them) were poorly written. I'm not sure what to think - writers block? I'll be sure to read the reviews before I buy the next one.

it was my first eloise james book, Not my style, it seemed to revolve Too much on sexual aspects. And it was lacking of the clever and funny dialogues and scenes I love. Sometimes I found it absurd the things the couple argued for. And the heroine had too many insecurities for my taste, I preferred the heroines strong and the charming hero's.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the Desperate Duchesses series until now. I had high hopes for Vander but the book was fast paced and I finished it in a few hours. I still can’t figure out how Vander fell in love with Mia. I can understand a young girl’s crush and how that could translate to deeper feelings later in life but there weren’t enough scenes in their adulthood that seemed to contribute to them getting closer. I would have enjoyed more scenes where the characters spent time connecting emotionally or getting to know each other. While the development of the 2 main characters was lacking, Chuffy brought some much needed humor to the plot!

Ms James writes an enjoyable book. I gave it 3 stars because Mia's character is a little weak. She buckles under very easily every time Vander comes at her. Both the hero and the heroine are damaged but despite that they dont lose their humanity.Their past shapes them and that makes them very real. I liked the references to Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas.

I was disappointed with Eloisa James' most recent book. It started well, but as the story progressed I liked Mia and Vander less and less, and by the end of it thought they were both just being a bit silly. Didn't hate it, but didn't love it either. Not a keeper for me, unfortunately.

Eloisa James is my favorite romance novelist, by a wide margin. I was so excited to order her new book, I bought it a few days after it was published.

I am so disappointed The hero is HATEFUL. He is so mean to Mia, the heroine. He insults her constantly, especially when they're being intimate. The poor girl has horrible self-esteem because of various humiliations throughout her life, which she sees as tied up with her extra weight. The "hero" just makes her feel worse about herself.

He's odious. I never believed he was even capable of love, because he certainly never showed it to anyone. And the ending, when he has his "epiphany" that he's in love with her, didn't help. His revelation is, literally, that every time he says he wants to f*ck her, he really means he loves her.

Excuse me while I swoon.

I feel so bad for the heroine, who is sweet, brave, and actually fun to be around when she's with anyone but the horrible hero. This book does not live up to Eloisa James's standards. Even if the hero weren't such a jerk, there's no actual connection between the two of them. Usually, in her books, James is so good at the slow burn - watching the heroes move from dislike or disinterest towards love, because they're so fascinated by each other's company. It's delightful watching it happen. Here, the only thing between Mia and jerkface is lust. That's it. And since he makes her feel horrible about her sexuality, even that isn't enjoyable.

MAJOR THUMBS DOWN.

I love Eloisa James but this was not one of my favorites. The characters were just slightly interesting.
Sometimes I think these series run out of steam but the author has a publishing commitment so we get this result.

I really enjoy Eloisa James books and will continue to read them but this one was a little disappointing to me. I loved the premise that our heroine Mia has to marry to save her nephew Charlie from a disreputable guardian however the guardian was hardly ever in the book and except for two scenes didn’t seem to be that threatening. In truth I forgot about him for large portions of the story.

The hero, Vander, was a typical intelligent but blind to the obvious and somewhat emotionally stunted hero. His treatment of the heroine waffled from somewhat cruel to very sweet but spoiler alert I had a hard time with the ending climactic scene. It felt forced and very out the blue and unreal I kept wandering if Vander had put the uncle up to the act to make his “heroic rescue” like he thought Mia wanted. I must say the love scenes in this book also fell flat; normally I find Ms. James’ romantic scenes well developed and emotional but these seemed forced both by the characters and the writer. The most unique part of the story was that every chapter began with notes on Mia’s current novel, which were very funny and cute.

I am baffled by all of the 5 star ratings so far. I have read many, many of James' books and this was a chore to finish, almost put it down. Perhaps she meant it to read like an 1800's romance, it didn't work. I'm sorry I spent $8 on it! Don't bother with this one.

The original premise of this book -- spinster blackmails a duke, her childhood crush, into marrying her -- sounded interesting, but the story was disappointing overall. I did like the duke, Vander, a horse breeder without all the usual airs and graces most of the author's dukes have. He's an earthy, unpolished young man who knows very little about women, but has passion to spare, a very attractive and appealing character. The spinster he's forced to marry, however, seems surprisingly immature for her age, with hang-ups that don't really make any sense to me.

Characters, like the Duke of Villiers, from the author's other books, don't play much part in this book, making brief appearances only. I absolute loved the Desperate Duchesses series, but this one fell kind of flat for me.

Silly characters doing and saying silly things. For example the so called hero Vanders is furious at being manipulated in to marriage. He most assuredly cares nothing for Mia. Then in the blink of the eye this statement. " I may not be the first to wish I had married her, but I am the one who succeeded. To his astonishment he discovered he meant every word." Really!? Really!!?? An immediate, and ridiculous turn around. Unfortunately the book continued in this silly way for it's entirety. For example the horse no one can handle till Mia comes in the stable and immediately the horse is tame! She was terrified but treated it like a child and presto, magical horse appears. Lame, at best. I can hardly believe this is the same Eloisa James I have read and loved. Ghost writer, anyone? I preordered this, I suggest you wait for the price to drop if you can't resist a new James book.

Sorry for the bad review but is how I feel. I see many mostly 5 star reviews, maybe I am missing something.

Replies are always welcome and you surely do not have to agree but I prefer a pleasant honest exchange of ideas.

I like Eloisa James' books, especially the Duchess novels. They're fun, they're well written, and they can be quite moving. James is clever in her use of historical romance fiction to create escapist novels that are truly that - an escape from ordinary life but true to the emotions - rather than silly. This offering borders on silly. The protagonist's notes on her novel appear to be an apologia by James - my publisher was pressuring me, this was the best I could do, so sorry. If you're like me and you read James because her books are generally well constructed and well written, give this one a miss or borrow it from the library. If you haven't found them already, look for Cecilia Grant, Juliana Gray and Patricia Gaffney (the Wyckerley series).

I am blown away at how horribly this book was written I cannot believe it is an Eloisa James ! What is going on? So we decide not to have the cliche boring stunningly gorgeous heroine , which of course is fine but do we have to go to the circus freak other end ? The heroine is described and often through her own words super short fat stumpy dumpy fat rear end no waist no legs round belly standing like a pigeon far far far from attractive she was so ugly that her only redeeming qualities were here eyes and hair and soft lips the only features that cannot be effected by any issues and on and on it goes ,fat knees huge rear even fatter thighs extremely short pocket size , how ugly is this woman ?The Duke repeats these to death as well as he was ofcouse attracted to tall blue eyed thin woman but now he just can't stop lust over this hair and eyes and lips his wife her husband they both can't believe it and repeat it to absolute death ? Now I understand the authors want to reach out to that audience that feel ugly unattractive possibly never will find someone to see them as attractive BUT when done to extreme it turns out circus freak horrible and this is supposed to be an escape for most readers . The heroine not only is practically a very very unattractive little person but all she does is walk around self loathing herself repeating this self loathing humiliation to herself to death through out the book again and again till you think she may possibly be the ugliest troll to ever walk the earth , all the lusting after anything like an overweight person a cupcake and crying for no apparent reason all the time.As for her inner being she has to be the most horrible ba?? busting female ever , there is a final scene where the duke goes to tell her he loves her and though he pours his heart out and she feel her heart thumping she opens her mouth to protest he then tosses her on a bed which she can't deny him and after coming three times ,that's right , three times, she sits up immediately and tells him , this won't work, and , you do not respect me , come again ? one brain cell female? I do not know how this guy was not pulling out his hair at this point ! All this in 4 days ?
Now our duke he of course could not possibly be ugly that is out of the question. , no stumpy feet here , but though he absolutely begs the heroine not to blackmail him into marriage and finds nothing he likes about her , he suddenly and i mean suddenly decides he wants her and become rampant with lust for her like a dog on heat . You feel nothing of this transition it is as instant as coffee then start his repetitive no plot action of how he continuously thinks about her.A little boy is thrown in with disability as a side kick to make heroine have some quality of been a decent human being . Nothing literally happens in this book nothing just repetitive lusting duke and boring frumpy overweight super short ridiculous extremely annoying heroine ,and an aggressive horse that suddenly becomes tame in 4 days people at the sight of this pigeon! The ridiculous final attempt at extreme drama with Sir Richard in the end just to match the Duke with her immature fictional heroes is laughable and would never happen ! Also be prepared to read the words Duke and Duchess like a bizzilion times. I have half a mind to return it , it is awful!

Disappointing....I really liked Vander's character in Three Weeks with Lady X, and as such I was really looking forward to this story but it was a disappointment. Mia is incredibly annoying with her over the top insecurities and constant white washing of history, Vander is crass and comes up short in the romance department, the family backstory is murky and confusing. Even the premise of the story is highly improbable and fraught with "really?!, no really?!" type moments.

Not her best work.

If I could give just a half star, I would !!
I was disgusted with the vulgarity . I read a sample then purchased on the beginning. By the middle through the end thus book is nothing but quite vulgar talk, demeaning and simply put,trash.
I read romance along with other genre and have for decades. This book sadly was so defrauding I will never read her again! ! I do not understand why she thought readers wanted to read language that is so shocking and I don't think they spoke that way. I would try to get back into the story yo be pulled out with vulgarity. No English Duke would speak this way to a lady.
Even without this language the story line was non existent. Terrible read I stopped about three quarters in as it was just disgusting.

l looked forward to reading this character's story but it was just so bad I felt someone other than Eloisa James had to have written it. The premise was not sounding good before I bought the book but I bought it anyway because I have always enjoyed this author's books. This was a waste of money but I won't give up on Ms James and will probably buy her next one. Readers should definitely give this one a pass as it is too predictable and just plain silly.

I have purchased everything that Eloisa James has written. Since 'A Duke Of Her Own', I've bought her newest releases on the day they publish. Most of them I love and have read several times. But I've noticed a trend from her last few books that has bothered me. The heroes are jerks. What happened to heroes who actually treat the female with respect? Her

Eloisa James usually weaves a great story - a mixture of opposites attracted to one another against a suede- historic background. The novels usually are a delightful romp through London's Mayfair district or in the lush, bucolic countryside...knee deep in manure, raising horses or involved with music or fairy tales. However this Four Night with the Duke, was not James' best work. The profanity was unnecessary, as were the mention of her writer friends. Did Mis have to be short And fat? For what purpose did ? I shall continue to read James' books and hope she returns to her high standard of excellence and entertainment.

This book was just plain bad. I purchased it because I have always liked this author and enjoyed the other(Desperate Duchess....) books. Not so for this one. I'm trying to figure out way so many gave it a better rating!

What a disappointment this book was for me. I felt Mia was a silly immature female, a poor pitiful me type. Droning on and on. Vander was crude, nothing lovable about him. I was surprised I finished the book.

Nesting a novel within a novel is a specialty of 19th century fiction, and one Eloisa James plays with brilliantly in Four Night with the Duke. In fact - with apologies to the main characters - the best bits of the book are the chapter openings, in which the heroine works out the plot of the novel she's writing and James gets to poke a bit of fun at herself and the industry while sending coded shout-outs to her romance writing friends.

If you're in this for something other than in-jokes, there's plenty for you as well: Novelist Mia Carrington, who once suffered utter humiliation at the hands of Evander Brody, the Duke of Pindar, finds herself desperately in need of a husband after the man she planned to marry stands her up on her wedding day. With the help of a bit of blackmail, she convinces the Duke to become the husband she requires to protect the safety of her ward, Charlie, though her methods leave Vander thinking her nothing but an opportunistic fortune-hunter. Conflict - as ever in this type of novel, based on a lack of communication - and sexy-times ensue, with lots of witty repartee from the leads and James's traditionally charming side characters.

James always gives her leads enough backstory and character to explain (if not justify) the difficulties they have resolving their differences - in this case, Mia's long-ago encounter with Vander has left her extremely self-conscious about her body, and Vander's parents' broken marriage and his mother's affairs have left him with severe trust issues. Whether you find that enough of a reason to give him a pass for some of the things he says to Mia will be up to you. Personally, I'd have liked a scene where she decked him one for being thoughtless, but then that kind of impulse may also be why I'm single.

Four Nights with a Duke offers just the kind of funny, smartly written escapism Eloisa James specializes in, with the added bonus of a bit of an inside look at the romance writing industry past and present, and is likely to leave you hoping that James and her pal Julia Quinn decide to co-write something starring Mia and Penelope Featherington.

I'm using my personal copy to read and review for wicked reads

3 Stars

Genre: Historical Romance

This is hard for me to review, as I think reading 6 400-page Historical romances back-to-back over the past several days has burnt me out on the genre. With that being said, I adore Eloisa James' easy writing style and voice, so it hurts a bit to give a critical review.

What I loved about the book: The initial blackmailing was highly inventive and not something I've read before. Showing how Mia and Vander were in the past during their parents' indiscretions would have added some much needed development, but this portion of the book was excellent for adding scandal. Young Master Charles, Mia's nephew & Vander's ward, while crippled, he was a strong little character (I would have enjoyed seeing more time between him and Rose). The Arabian horse deciding he was in Mia's herd, therefore Charles was Mia's foal. Vander's drunk, adorable uncle was a bright spark. All of these things kept me reading and reading and reading. They brought light and life to an otherwise 'meh' storyline.

Four Nights with a Duke started out splendidly, hooking me from the first page. The going back into the past to when Thorn, Vander, and Mia were 15 was a humorous yet heartbreaking scene. True to life and how young teenage boys would behave. While I could see how this could shape Mia's self-esteem, if she truly were in love with Edward, he obviously enjoyed her personality and looks for two years. So after nearly 400 pages of Mia hating her body while everyone was screaming its praises, I couldn't take it anymore. This should have stopped at the halfway point of the book, because it was no longer about being blind to her charms but rather fishing for compliments while hitting the reader in the face with it... repeatedly.

All the trappings of Historical Romance were absent: Scandals. Marriage-minded mothers. Balls. Operas and theater. House parties and dinner parties. The Season. London. A vast cast of characters (there were few characters shown on the pages) While I'm not sad I missed any of that, since it becomes tedious and repetitious, the story took place on their bordering estates with little else happening.

There were times I adored Mia, and other times I couldn't stand to read one more word of her pages upon pages of ruminations. In fact, Vander had a ton of inner monologue as well. Both of them repeating things already thought chapter after chapter. While I loved the underlying premise of the story, it got bogged down in the same thoughts and actions and redundant scenes. I felt the plot wasn't evolved enough to support so many pages, with no extra story threads woven in. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. The plot was good, and a novella is still a full story told without the excess of redundancy to make up wordcount.

Every chapter began with a passage of Mia's current work-in-progress, as she is a novelist. Truthfully, while these passages could be funny, I began skipping them. One chapter would end mid-scene, and then the next would start, where the reader would have to read about the WIP or a letter to the editor, then it would dive right back into the scene we just left. It was jarring and unnecessary, especially when it cut a heated scene in half. It was cute the author was clearly making fun of some of the ridiculousness that reviewers point out in Historical Romance, able to make fun of herself. Mia adored the books of two of her fellow authors, who were clearly Lisa Kleypas & Julie Quinn judging by what they were named.

All in all, I did enjoy the book, but after reading so many Historical Romances back-to-back, and by this author, I began to see the flaws and the redundancy and it stalled my reading enjoyment.

Four Nights with the Duke is a decent addition to the series, and I look forward to the next.

Recommended to those who are fans of Eloisa James, but don't expect anything you haven't read before, and I feel bad saying so.

Been a while since I read a new historical novel. When I was younger I used to love my Johanna Lindsey, jude deveraux, Julie Garwood etc. Then I just moved in to contemporary romance and stayed there. I read this book because I was intrigued by a reader mentioned that the opening was that of the h declaring that she was never ever marrying the H even if he was the last man on earth. Fast forward years later and she now has to eat her words. So what did I think? I gave it a three stars because I read the book from beginning to end and I was entertained. I didn't know what year the book was written so initially I was shocked that the f bomb was included among other things. I then had a feeling that this was written recently and sure enough 2015. Even though I read the book start to finish it's not one I would reread right away - maybe in 6 months to a year. The main characters weren't all that endearing to me and their "love story" was a bit prickly and started inauspiciously. The hero was kind of, I don't know, sex on the brain I guess, kind of rough and vulgar. I guess I should be happy that is all for the heroine but the way he shows it or expresses it in words makes it sound like an insult to the heroine. That's certainly nothing there that's swoon worthy (books I love I tend to revisit/reread sweet or awwww moments) yeah hero needs some romantic lessons. Heroine - though cool that she is an author and a successful one at that - got a tad annoying for her extreme insecurities with her body. I mean I really believe in all time periods big breasts are an asset right lol, that time immemorial that what men like lol? Anyhoo her insecurities was just too much on the whole book and I may have missed it but I wanted to see her grand debut revealing her bodacious body and everyone ooohing aahh how gorgeous she actually was (yeah I like predictable plots lol) but anyway it was an entertaining read. I'm curious about the next book which involves the heroines ex fiance as the hero next

In the past, as 15 year old youths, Vander, the future Duke of Pindar and Emilia “Mia” Gwendolyn Carrington the daughter of Vander’s mother’s lover were thrown together at different functions. Mia had developed a crush on Vander and had written a poem (not very good either) to him. As it turned out Vander got a hold of it and he and his school chums read it and they had great fun spinning it in a decidedly boorish and disgusting translation. Unfortunately, they did this in the library where Mia had been sitting hidden from sight as they totally tore into it. Finally, having heard enough of their disgusting comments Mia came forth; told the boys off and told Vander she wouldn’t marry him if he were the last man on earth.

Years later, Vander has become the Duke, and Mia has come into her own. Mia has a dowery, but more importantly, she has a career as a writer of fabulous romance novels that is paying her very well. However, ins spite of all that, Mia has come to the Duke of Vander’s home to ask him a great favor, she asked him to marry her. Vander was aghast - not only was this out of the blue but he had no intention of marriage and certainly not to the daughter of the man who openly cock holed his father. But Mia was desperate, she needed this marriage but not for her benefit. She needed Vander to marry her in name only, for a year at most so she could obtain guardianship of her nephew, Charles Wallace. And if took blackmailing Vander to accomplish it, so be it!

Stubbornly, Vander never read the provisions which explained what Mia expected with their marriage but with his back against the wall - Vander counters with his own provisions stating he would spend only 4 nights a year with her and only if she begs for them! However shortly after the marriage, things changed and Vander decided he must work on seducing his own wife!

What follows is another profoundly and brilliantly executed historical romance from the always exceptional pen of Ms. Eloisa James, who has personally given me so much pleasure from reading her marvelous Desperate Duchesses series. Her brilliant dialogs give this story great humor and I loved Ms. James use of chapter intro’s using Mia’s notes of an author plotting her for her latest novel’s storyline. Very cleaver and quite amusing!

Bottom Line: I’ve never been disappointed with Ms. James effervescent wit, fabulous plotting and wonderful storytelling. A winner every time!

Marilyn Rondeau

From the moment that Mia Carrington is horribly embarrassed and insulted over a love poem by a bunch of teenaged boys (including the object of her affection), you just know this is going to be an emotional ride. Add to that the fact that she vows Vander is the last person she would ever want to marry, and you can't wait to have fate step in and throw them together. Eloisa James does not disappoint!

I loved Mia as the unconventional heroine, who is secretly a successful romance novelist, making plenty of money in her own right, yet she can't take guardianship of her young nephew due to a clause in her brother's will. She's a practical woman who faces reality and tries to do the best she can to keep her family together. If that means she has to blackmail Vander to marry her in order to keep her nephew, so be it.

Vander has determined to never marry except for love and only if he is sure the woman loves him completely and will never leave. His father's insanity and his mother's long-standing affair with Mia's father have left him convinced that marriage will be unlikely for him. But maybe this kind of calculated, contracted marriage would work better to protect his heart after all.

Due mostly to the incident with the boys, Mia has serious body image issues. She is convinced that she is too fat, and she absolutely hates her bosom. Although everyone thinks she's charming, witty, and lovely, it isn't until she can be comfortable with her own body that she can believe Vander or anyone else could really love her. Admittedly, Vander is quite insensitive at times and does have to do some groveling, but it just leaves you wanting to smack him and yell, "Wise up!"

This book has a lot of interesting side issues: romance writing in the early 1800s, horse racing, Shakespeare, dealing with disabilities, mental illness, and Mortal Peril. There's something here for everyone who enjoys a complex romance set in the Regency era.

I love Eloisa James. I have yet to read a book from her that I couldn't fall in love with, and this one is no exception.

Mia is probably my favorite kind of heroine. A published author with a large fan base, intelligent and witty and completely unaware of her own beauty thanks to an incident in her teen years with the Hero. She finds herself jilted and in a bind she can't fix without a husband. She needs to marry to keep her nephew, Charlie, safe from his horror of an uncle. Her choices are slim.
Vander has his own issues thanks to a messy family situation. When Mia walks back into his life with a firm plan to blackmail him into marriage, he thinks that she is still in love with him and, without a glance at Mia's explainations and stipulations, agrees but only on his terms. He will give her only four nights a year in his bed and only if she begs. Vander's shock at finding out she hadn't planned on sleeping with him at all was really a great moment. Vander is not on board with her stipulations and proceeds to surprise Mia with how quickly he takes to Charlie, who was born with a clubbed foot, treating him like any other little boy. Vander's interaction with Charlie are some of the best parts of the book and really allows Mia to see past Vander's truely rough edges. Vander has decided he will win Mia by any means necessary, though it turns out they both only need to be themselves.

I loved this book. Loved Mia, Vander and Charlie. Ms. James writes so well that it's an easy thing to slip into their world and lose complete track of time. I read this in one sitting, staying up way past my bedtime. It was worth losing sleep.

What a disappointment this book was for me. I felt Mia was a silly immature female, a poor pitiful me type. Droning on and on. Vander was crude, nothing lovable about him. I was surprised I finished the book.

Nesting a novel within a novel is a specialty of 19th century fiction, and one Eloisa James plays with brilliantly in Four Night with the Duke. In fact - with apologies to the main characters - the best bits of the book are the chapter openings, in which the heroine works out the plot of the novel she's writing and James gets to poke a bit of fun at herself and the industry while sending coded shout-outs to her romance writing friends.

If you're in this for something other than in-jokes, there's plenty for you as well: Novelist Mia Carrington, who once suffered utter humiliation at the hands of Evander Brody, the Duke of Pindar, finds herself desperately in need of a husband after the man she planned to marry stands her up on her wedding day. With the help of a bit of blackmail, she convinces the Duke to become the husband she requires to protect the safety of her ward, Charlie, though her methods leave Vander thinking her nothing but an opportunistic fortune-hunter. Conflict - as ever in this type of novel, based on a lack of communication - and sexy-times ensue, with lots of witty repartee from the leads and James's traditionally charming side characters.

James always gives her leads enough backstory and character to explain (if not justify) the difficulties they have resolving their differences - in this case, Mia's long-ago encounter with Vander has left her extremely self-conscious about her body, and Vander's parents' broken marriage and his mother's affairs have left him with severe trust issues. Whether you find that enough of a reason to give him a pass for some of the things he says to Mia will be up to you. Personally, I'd have liked a scene where she decked him one for being thoughtless, but then that kind of impulse may also be why I'm single.

Four Nights with a Duke offers just the kind of funny, smartly written escapism Eloisa James specializes in, with the added bonus of a bit of an inside look at the romance writing industry past and present, and is likely to leave you hoping that James and her pal Julia Quinn decide to co-write something starring Mia and Penelope Featherington.

I'm using my personal copy to read and review for wicked reads

3 Stars

Genre: Historical Romance

This is hard for me to review, as I think reading 6 400-page Historical romances back-to-back over the past several days has burnt me out on the genre. With that being said, I adore Eloisa James' easy writing style and voice, so it hurts a bit to give a critical review.

What I loved about the book: The initial blackmailing was highly inventive and not something I've read before. Showing how Mia and Vander were in the past during their parents' indiscretions would have added some much needed development, but this portion of the book was excellent for adding scandal. Young Master Charles, Mia's nephew & Vander's ward, while crippled, he was a strong little character (I would have enjoyed seeing more time between him and Rose). The Arabian horse deciding he was in Mia's herd, therefore Charles was Mia's foal. Vander's drunk, adorable uncle was a bright spark. All of these things kept me reading and reading and reading. They brought light and life to an otherwise 'meh' storyline.

Four Nights with a Duke started out splendidly, hooking me from the first page. The going back into the past to when Thorn, Vander, and Mia were 15 was a humorous yet heartbreaking scene. True to life and how young teenage boys would behave. While I could see how this could shape Mia's self-esteem, if she truly were in love with Edward, he obviously enjoyed her personality and looks for two years. So after nearly 400 pages of Mia hating her body while everyone was screaming its praises, I couldn't take it anymore. This should have stopped at the halfway point of the book, because it was no longer about being blind to her charms but rather fishing for compliments while hitting the reader in the face with it... repeatedly.

All the trappings of Historical Romance were absent: Scandals. Marriage-minded mothers. Balls. Operas and theater. House parties and dinner parties. The Season. London. A vast cast of characters (there were few characters shown on the pages) While I'm not sad I missed any of that, since it becomes tedious and repetitious, the story took place on their bordering estates with little else happening.

There were times I adored Mia, and other times I couldn't stand to read one more word of her pages upon pages of ruminations. In fact, Vander had a ton of inner monologue as well. Both of them repeating things already thought chapter after chapter. While I loved the underlying premise of the story, it got bogged down in the same thoughts and actions and redundant scenes. I felt the plot wasn't evolved enough to support so many pages, with no extra story threads woven in. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. The plot was good, and a novella is still a full story told without the excess of redundancy to make up wordcount.

Every chapter began with a passage of Mia's current work-in-progress, as she is a novelist. Truthfully, while these passages could be funny, I began skipping them. One chapter would end mid-scene, and then the next would start, where the reader would have to read about the WIP or a letter to the editor, then it would dive right back into the scene we just left. It was jarring and unnecessary, especially when it cut a heated scene in half. It was cute the author was clearly making fun of some of the ridiculousness that reviewers point out in Historical Romance, able to make fun of herself. Mia adored the books of two of her fellow authors, who were clearly Lisa Kleypas & Julie Quinn judging by what they were named.

All in all, I did enjoy the book, but after reading so many Historical Romances back-to-back, and by this author, I began to see the flaws and the redundancy and it stalled my reading enjoyment.

Four Nights with the Duke is a decent addition to the series, and I look forward to the next.

Recommended to those who are fans of Eloisa James, but don't expect anything you haven't read before, and I feel bad saying so.

Been a while since I read a new historical novel. When I was younger I used to love my Johanna Lindsey, jude deveraux, Julie Garwood etc. Then I just moved in to contemporary romance and stayed there. I read this book because I was intrigued by a reader mentioned that the opening was that of the h declaring that she was never ever marrying the H even if he was the last man on earth. Fast forward years later and she now has to eat her words. So what did I think? I gave it a three stars because I read the book from beginning to end and I was entertained. I didn't know what year the book was written so initially I was shocked that the f bomb was included among other things. I then had a feeling that this was written recently and sure enough 2015. Even though I read the book start to finish it's not one I would reread right away - maybe in 6 months to a year. The main characters weren't all that endearing to me and their "love story" was a bit prickly and started inauspiciously. The hero was kind of, I don't know, sex on the brain I guess, kind of rough and vulgar. I guess I should be happy that is all for the heroine but the way he shows it or expresses it in words makes it sound like an insult to the heroine. That's certainly nothing there that's swoon worthy (books I love I tend to revisit/reread sweet or awwww moments) yeah hero needs some romantic lessons. Heroine - though cool that she is an author and a successful one at that - got a tad annoying for her extreme insecurities with her body. I mean I really believe in all time periods big breasts are an asset right lol, that time immemorial that what men like lol? Anyhoo her insecurities was just too much on the whole book and I may have missed it but I wanted to see her grand debut revealing her bodacious body and everyone ooohing aahh how gorgeous she actually was (yeah I like predictable plots lol) but anyway it was an entertaining read. I'm curious about the next book which involves the heroines ex fiance as the hero next

In the past, as 15 year old youths, Vander, the future Duke of Pindar and Emilia “Mia” Gwendolyn Carrington the daughter of Vander’s mother’s lover were thrown together at different functions. Mia had developed a crush on Vander and had written a poem (not very good either) to him. As it turned out Vander got a hold of it and he and his school chums read it and they had great fun spinning it in a decidedly boorish and disgusting translation. Unfortunately, they did this in the library where Mia had been sitting hidden from sight as they totally tore into it. Finally, having heard enough of their disgusting comments Mia came forth; told the boys off and told Vander she wouldn’t marry him if he were the last man on earth.

Years later, Vander has become the Duke, and Mia has come into her own. Mia has a dowery, but more importantly, she has a career as a writer of fabulous romance novels that is paying her very well. However, ins spite of all that, Mia has come to the Duke of Vander’s home to ask him a great favor, she asked him to marry her. Vander was aghast - not only was this out of the blue but he had no intention of marriage and certainly not to the daughter of the man who openly cock holed his father. But Mia was desperate, she needed this marriage but not for her benefit. She needed Vander to marry her in name only, for a year at most so she could obtain guardianship of her nephew, Charles Wallace. And if took blackmailing Vander to accomplish it, so be it!

Stubbornly, Vander never read the provisions which explained what Mia expected with their marriage but with his back against the wall - Vander counters with his own provisions stating he would spend only 4 nights a year with her and only if she begs for them! However shortly after the marriage, things changed and Vander decided he must work on seducing his own wife!

What follows is another profoundly and brilliantly executed historical romance from the always exceptional pen of Ms. Eloisa James, who has personally given me so much pleasure from reading her marvelous Desperate Duchesses series. Her brilliant dialogs give this story great humor and I loved Ms. James use of chapter intro’s using Mia’s notes of an author plotting her for her latest novel’s storyline. Very cleaver and quite amusing!

Bottom Line: I’ve never been disappointed with Ms. James effervescent wit, fabulous plotting and wonderful storytelling. A winner every time!

Marilyn Rondeau

From the moment that Mia Carrington is horribly embarrassed and insulted over a love poem by a bunch of teenaged boys (including the object of her affection), you just know this is going to be an emotional ride. Add to that the fact that she vows Vander is the last person she would ever want to marry, and you can't wait to have fate step in and throw them together. Eloisa James does not disappoint!

I loved Mia as the unconventional heroine, who is secretly a successful romance novelist, making plenty of money in her own right, yet she can't take guardianship of her young nephew due to a clause in her brother's will. She's a practical woman who faces reality and tries to do the best she can to keep her family together. If that means she has to blackmail Vander to marry her in order to keep her nephew, so be it.

Vander has determined to never marry except for love and only if he is sure the woman loves him completely and will never leave. His father's insanity and his mother's long-standing affair with Mia's father have left him convinced that marriage will be unlikely for him. But maybe this kind of calculated, contracted marriage would work better to protect his heart after all.

Due mostly to the incident with the boys, Mia has serious body image issues. She is convinced that she is too fat, and she absolutely hates her bosom. Although everyone thinks she's charming, witty, and lovely, it isn't until she can be comfortable with her own body that she can believe Vander or anyone else could really love her. Admittedly, Vander is quite insensitive at times and does have to do some groveling, but it just leaves you wanting to smack him and yell, "Wise up!"

This book has a lot of interesting side issues: romance writing in the early 1800s, horse racing, Shakespeare, dealing with disabilities, mental illness, and Mortal Peril. There's something here for everyone who enjoys a complex romance set in the Regency era.

I love Eloisa James. I have yet to read a book from her that I couldn't fall in love with, and this one is no exception.

Mia is probably my favorite kind of heroine. A published author with a large fan base, intelligent and witty and completely unaware of her own beauty thanks to an incident in her teen years with the Hero. She finds herself jilted and in a bind she can't fix without a husband. She needs to marry to keep her nephew, Charlie, safe from his horror of an uncle. Her choices are slim.
Vander has his own issues thanks to a messy family situation. When Mia walks back into his life with a firm plan to blackmail him into marriage, he thinks that she is still in love with him and, without a glance at Mia's explainations and stipulations, agrees but only on his terms. He will give her only four nights a year in his bed and only if she begs. Vander's shock at finding out she hadn't planned on sleeping with him at all was really a great moment. Vander is not on board with her stipulations and proceeds to surprise Mia with how quickly he takes to Charlie, who was born with a clubbed foot, treating him like any other little boy. Vander's interaction with Charlie are some of the best parts of the book and really allows Mia to see past Vander's truely rough edges. Vander has decided he will win Mia by any means necessary, though it turns out they both only need to be themselves.

I loved this book. Loved Mia, Vander and Charlie. Ms. James writes so well that it's an easy thing to slip into their world and lose complete track of time. I read this in one sitting, staying up way past my bedtime. It was worth losing sleep.

When Emilia (Mia) was 15 years old, Vander, the future Duke of Pindar humiliated her in front of friends. She never forgave him. She believed what he said about her and it colored her personal opinion of herself for many years.

Now Mia needs to save her nephew Charlie from a guardian who does not have his best interests at heart. She believes the only person who is able to save Charlie and his future is Vander. She asks him to marry her. She does not explain why she needs to marry.

Vander refuses until he realizes that Mia has the power to ruin his family. In the past, Mia's father and Vander's mother were lovers. They were very publicly involved and the situation made the lives of their children less than ideal.

This is a story of family.

Vander will make a huge sacrifice to prevent further gossip from ruining his family. He takes care of an uncle who has a drinking problem, because he loves him. Vander is not a gentleman of the ton, he is a man who hopes to live his life in an honorable manner.

Mia has a secret life and it has provided an income for her and Charlie. The villain who is the guardian for Charlie's inheritance does not know about that money, or he would try to steal it too. Because Charlie has a disability, the guardian has even denied him an education.

After the marriage, Mia attempts to keep herself separate from Vander. But, that becomes impossible. He is a man who is used to getting what he wants, and he has decided he wants Mia.

Vander develops a relationship with Charlie and that is one way he works his way into her good graces.

This is a very well done book. It has been awhile since I read anything by Ms James. I am very sorry to say that, because it is obvious I have missed a great deal.

The characters are people who are entertaining, likable and hold the reader's interest. The secondary characters add a great deal to the story. The two butlers provide wonderful color to the plot. And how many books have a horse who steals scenes?

Humor and kindness abound. It seems that everyone has a desire for a happily ever after.

Although this is part of a series, it works as a stand alone read. Even though I have not kept up with some of the earlier books, that did not stop me from enjoying this story and being able to follow along.

If you are a fan of Ms James, you need to read this book. And if you have never read a book by Ms James, you need to read this book.

This is book two in EJ's Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers series [btw: I'd love to know who came up with this title of the series] and by now I'm sure as to what to expect from this second generation of DD's series and I'm finding myself less and less surprised by the plot, which in itself isn't so bad. I find that I am well entertained by almost every character in these stories. That's a win-win for me. As long as I like the characters, I'm happy to read the book straight through.

We met this duke in the first book of this series, but we get to see what makes him tick in this one.

I loved the opening of this story because it does a wonderful job of introducing us to the two leads as teenagers and to their personalities as such and gives us a hint as to who they'll grow into.

The hero was one complex character and even though it took me awhile to get to know him, I knew that he'd turn out to be a decent and good man. Vander's arrogance was off putting at the beginning, but his relationship with Charlie and his complex relationship with Mia made him feel more real, more likeable.

The heroine I liked from the get-go, but at times I just wanted to shake her and give her a talking to. I did love the fact that she was decisive and that she was an authoress, but it's her humanity that attracted me the most to her. Her love and sacrifice for her nephew was palpable and watching her insecurities and struggles through her feelings of love for Vender was very emotional and touching.

And as usual, this author populates her story once more with an array of wonderfully fun and entertaining characters, from Vander’s uncle Chuffy to Jafeer, Vander’s Arabian stallion. And bringing back the Duke of Villiers, Thorn and India was like icing on the cake.

If I had only one word to describe this story, it would be satisfying. I highly recommend it and guarantee you'll have much fun reading it.

Melanie for b2b

After a couple of weeks of reading dross (admittedly self-inflicted), what a relief it is to read a HR that is written by a literate author. As it is Eloisa James, this is to be expected.
So, unsurprisingly, Four Nights with the Duke is clever, witty and erudite. With one exception, the literary allusions are an added delight, even when James rather meanly makes one aware that their relevance is lost on the horse-mad H, Vander, as well as his closest friends.
This story by James is earthy and angst-ridden, filled with characters that are endearing, and sometimes even larger than life. Charlie, for example, shines as a great member of the cast, while Chuffy is a tremendous foil for the h, Mia, exchanging acerbic, soothing, supportive and funny lines from Shakespeare with her, even when in danger of falling flat on his face (there is a mystery about him that is not resolved).
The villain is little more than one-dimensional, but sufficiently evil to deserve a dastardly comeuppance.
The first Chapter in the book is one of the best openers I've ever read in a HR - it evokes the miseries of adolescence in an excruciatingly authentic way.
So even though the book is more earthy than I like, concentrating less on romance than it does on sex, at this stage I would give it 4.5 stars.
I do have some reservations, however.
SOME SPOILERS
Initially, I enjoyed the opening sections which precede each chapter, focusing on Mia's alter ego as a famous "Romance Author". I laughed through many of the lines (particularly the revisions). Unlike another reviewer, I wasn't irritated by the sly references to Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas. They were mildly amusing. However, I think that the prefaces could have disappeared much sooner, because, by the end of the story, I felt that they got in the way.
Then there was the literary reference that jarred. I'm a Shelley fan, so the moonbeams line in Mia's adolescent poem hit me between the eyes as having been lifted from his much admired poem, Love's Philosophy. When I got to the end of the book I realised that James was very open about having borrowed from Shelley's poetry, but by then it was too late for me. I had already tried calculating when Mia had written her poem and decided that it was well before she could have read Shelley's work, and even before he wrote it - because it was before he was even born. So every subsequent mention of the moonbeam, or Vander's moonbeam (and there were plenty) stopped me short.
And now that I've mentioned Vander's moonbeam, I can't help but remark that it deserves its own credits, as, in my view, it takes centre stage far too often for what I look for in a romance. I get it that Vander is proud of its dimensions, but truly? Do we want to hear about it? Again and again? And that courtesans were amazed by its size? Is Vander really post pubescent? Moreover, I just can't imagine any adult male I've ever met, ripping open his trousers to display an erect penis to a woman who is a virtual stranger. Even for a man who spent most of his time with horses and who always paid for sex, I found this behaviour truly off-putting and bizarre. (So much more sexy and romantic is the casual buttoning UP in Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels.)
It is testament to James' skills that I somehow got past the ghastly vision of Vander taunting Mia that way, at their first meeting as adults, and even his subsequent unpleasant behaviour, so that finally I could see good in the man. And it wasn't in how he treats his wife - great shagger though he proves to be - but rather in how he loves his uncle and treats Charlie from the first minute they meet. And I suppose he is redeemed by his increasing bemusement as he realises he cares for Mia for reasons other than her passionate responses to and eager bedding of him. (I haven't enough space to dedicate to an analysis of his and her relationships to her "cabbages." Suffice to say, the constant and even obsessive references were off-putting.)
Good for Mia that she forces Vander to realise she is more than a sex partner, although I'm flummoxed at how quickly she initially overlooks the "flashing" and forgives the derogatory remarks, plus the restriction of four nights a year, falling into Vander's arms at the drop of a hat (or feel of that moonbeam). Let's face it - her reasons for blackmailing him, in particular, are always specious, and she finally faces that fact, with many years of unrequited "lurve" providing at least some explanation of why she so quickly throws her skirts in the air.
Thankfully, Mia finally draws a line and demonstrates the character that she has indubitably needed to be Charlie's champion and protector for so many years, let alone a successful author in a cut-throat trade. Vander buckles, works out what to do (his poem! wonderful!) and produces a memento that can't help but melt even a cynical reader's heart.
All is forgiven. Fade to HEA.
I'm glad I bought this. Even with my reservations, I enjoyed it and still recommend it as a high 4.

I'll be honest, I wavered between 4 and 5 stars with this one, but Vander and the absolutely amazingly wonderful Charlie made this a 5 star read! Mia is a fun, unique heroine, but it's the two leading males who made this a joy to read!

I adore Historical Romances because I find it hysterical when the women of the era are trying to live within the boundaries "polite" society has set for them, all the while trying to live their lives the way they want to - by being themselves. Four Nights With the Duke is just such a story, and even though there were times I wanted to strangle Mia, I also loved her for her determination to get what she wanted.

Vander's struggle to understand - and cope with - his own feelings toward Mia was fun reading. He's not inclined to operate within societies rules, either, but those rules are not the same for men as they are for women, and create an entirely different set of...obstacles. And watching Vander with Charlie was heartwarming! And funny! Charlie is an absolute hoot and he needs his own story one day.

The bottom line...

Four Nights With the Duke had me sighing, laughing, and even almost shedding some tears. It's steamy, entertaining and, even now, months after reading it, has me smiling as I write this review. Can't ask for more than that!

As a girl, Emilia Carrington was forced to endue quite a lot for someone so small - among other things, a father carrying on an adulterous relationship with the object of Mia's affection and giving one of Mia's love poems about said boy to the boy's mother as a joke. As a result, Mia was humiliated and swore she would never want anything to do with Evander Septimus Brody. Fast forward a fifteen years and Mia is blackmailing Vander into marrying her. Temporarily, of course. Just until Mia can gain parental rights over her disabled nephew Charlie. But Vander has his own reasons for remaining married to Mia and instead offers what he believes she wants - Him. But only for four nights of the year. The tables turn when Vander finds himself falling for his enchanting wife and precocious young nephew. Now Vander must seduce his own wife into staying married to him!

I honestly did not anticipate liking Vander. At first (and through much of the first half), he was a bit pompous, uptight, and incredibly arrogant. But thankfully his character began to grow into a much better person as he spends more time around Mia and her nephew - they truly bring out his better qualities. Mia herself is an intelligent, self-sacrificing woman who writes popular novels under a pseudonym to support herself and Charlie. As a couple, they are perfect for each other. Mia and Charlie's influence humbles Vander as he is given an opportunity to care for someone other than himself. He teaches Mia not to coddle Charlie so much and we get glimpses of what a fantastic father he will be one day. Although she fights it at first, Mia eventually recognizes that she is and always has been in love with Vander. Her marriage to him teaches her that she can rely on others for support and won't be let down as her father always did.

This book runs the gamut of emotions - you'll laugh at the many humorous parts, sigh with pleasure at the romantic moments, gasp with fear during the more dramatic and intense scenes, and probably shed more than a tear or two for many reasons. As an aside, I would love to see Charlie get his own novel one day. He is absolutely precious and I'd like to read a novel about a disabled hero overcoming society's expectations.

I highly recommend picking up FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE. I loved the characters and the plot was fresh and well-written. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook! This is part of a series, but you do not need to read the others to enjoy this stand-alone novel.

Originally posted at Plot Twist Reviews [dot] Com

Vander is an arrogant, mean and spiteful hero who has the charm of a house fly. What happened to the man described in "Lady X"? Mia the heroine's self flagellation is so over done I wonder she leaves the house at all.
This book had so much potential and I loved the story line with Charlie. It was so over the map and thoughtless in every other way I could not believe Ms. James wrote this book. I am a huge fan however and I hope her next book has a better character development than this.

What's up with the cover of this book...who is that supposed to be?

My first book by this author. I almost gave it three stars but decided it was certainly good enough for four. Why possibly three stars? A bit too wordy. Too much dialogue. I could have done without a few things. The long-winded conversations with the uncle. It was too much. The kid was a bit much as well. Too much conversation going on with the kid. Couldn't decide if I liked the heroine or not. The way she held back from the hero was kind of stupid. First she makes herself a complete doormat, not fighting back etc. Grant it it was a total jerk to her for the first quarter of the book, but instead of letting him have it right away and standing up for herself, she held back too long, then was totally weak and just melted away, then went back to fighting him. What? Make up your mind.
I liked the hero a lot. The story held my interestand I kept reading. The love scenes were done very well. I would read another based on this book.

Notes to self:
1. Never start an Eloisa James novel and think you can put it down for the next day.
2. On that same note, don't start reading an Eloisa James novel at night. (Or if you do, expect to stay up way, way past your bedtime.)
3. Always expect to fall in love with her heroine.
4. Ditto the hero.

Eloisa James continues to utilize metafiction in her latest novel. This time her heroine is a romance writer in the process of writing her latest novel while her own love story is happening. The same people helping Mia "in real life" are helping her work out the kinks (and beta-reading) her romance novel.

I loved how the two stories mirrored each other: as Mia was establishing out her character's situation, her own circumstances were unfolding. Mia has resorted to blackmailing the Duke of Pindar to marry her in order to protect her nephew's inheritance from his evil, mismanaging guardian. It's an unusual arrangement, made stranger still because of our hero and heroine's shared past: Mia's father carried on a 10-year love affair with Evander's mother. And made more awkward because Mia had loved Evander when she was 15 and even wrote him a love poem, which resulted in much soul-crushing humiliation.

Will they or won't they? This is the reason why I didn't sleep until 1pm the other night. I had stopped at the point of Mia and Vander's wedding, and I kept wondering if this was going to be consummated or not. With Vander's stipulation that Mia only gets four nights with him, and must request/beg for those four nights, I wondered how our hero and heroine could resist the attraction that sizzled between them. It's a stipulation that Vander mistakenly and arrogantly assumed would make Mia suffer, but it backfires when he discovers Mia had no intentions of having a conventional marriage with Vander. And then further backfires when Vander finds himself wanting those four nights ... and more.

..."You are my wife. My only wife, Mia. You may have married me on a six-month lease, but I married you for life."

"We're in a marriage of convenience!"

"No, we're not. It's inconvenient, for both of us."

A wave of horror crashed over her. She couldn't be married to Vander. Not forever. Not ... not living in the same house.

No.

He must have sensed what she was thinking. "You will live here, at Rutherford Park. Your nephew will also live with me. And" -- he leaned forward and there was a distinct flare in his eyes -- "you will sleep with no one but me."
- loc 1599

I loved this story. I loved how regular Vander was. He has all the bearings and consequence and arrogance of a Duke, but the author also chose to show his very human and very fallible side -- the side of him that stumbles with words and with relationships; the side of Vander that is more comfortable around horses than people.

This was a surprisingly emotional book for me. I knew I was in trouble when I started to tear up in Chapter 15 when Mia falls asleep with Jafeer (the horse) in the stables. Mia and Vander share such a tainted history: with their parents being lovers, and then with their own terrible confrontation regarding Mia's love poem to Vander when they were 15. Their relationship is such a battlefield, and every word has the potential to cause terrible damage. I cried as Mia is forced to confront all of her insecurities and I cried when Vander unknowingly (or knowingly) caused them.

"You'd better enjoy those four nights with your mousy duchess while you still have me," she added, "because one day I will find a man who -- who respects me."

"Respects you?" His eyes raked her body. "Does that mean that you'll never tell him why I married you and how we married? Because he won't respect you after he knows that, Duchess."

The sob pressed so hard that Mia could no longer suppress it. He was right. "I'm going to my room," she managed, running for the door, blinded by tears.

He caught her just as she reached it, spun her around.

"No!" she said with a little scream. "Get away from me."

"I respect you," he said in a grim voice. "You did what you had to for your nephew, and any decent person would respect that."

"Get away," she gasped. "Let me go" Tears were poring down her face, and it wasn't decorous weeping. It was the kind of sobbing that tears a woman apart. The kind that comes after she's reminded that she's not beautiful, and not loved, and not even respected.
- loc 1762 to 1774

But I also understand Vander -- it is not wilful cruelty that causes him to lash out -- it's year upon years upon years of confusion, resentment and anger: resentment over his mother's affair, confusion over his father's madness, and anger over the scandal they have all caused on their family. He never really had anyone to confide or to talk to -- he had no outlet for his pain. Mia had her novels, and Mia had Charlie, her nephew -- who showed her what unconditional love and acceptance means.

Love is such an undeniable force between Mia and Vander, and, whether it's powerful enough to overcome their past history is something the author tackles throughout the novel. Their relationship is a work-in-progress, like Mia's book -- and there are errors and oversights and inconsistencies -- but, like her novel, there's always a chance for editing and for a rewrite.

I thought Eloisa James had written her best book ever when she wrote Once Upon a Tower, but I was wrong. ^_^

Final thoughts: I loved Eloisa James's play on intertextuality -- the mention of Mia's fellow romance writers Julia Quiplet and Lisa Klampas are fun allusions to Eloisa James's own writing contemporaries. ^_^

Miss Quiplet's books have been very inspiring, and even partly restored my faith in romance, and renewed my conviction that Love is the Secret Architecture of the world.
- Mia's letter to her publisher

In ‘Four Nights With The Duke’ we meet Emilia ‘Mia’ Carrington, a woman in her twenties in desperate search for a husband. Mia has to marry someone fast and Evander ‘Vander’ Brody, Duke of Pindar is her only hope. When Vander excepts Mia’s strange proposal, Mia soon finds herself trapped because Vander has his own reasons for excepting.
But soon Mia and Vander start to realize there is more than meets the eye, and history has been very unkind to both of them.

When I first started reading this book I was a little apprehensive about this story. I’m a big romance lover and since this book starts out with Mia making a very strange and audacious proposal, which wasn’t even a little romantic, I was a little worried about where this book was going. Also the main male character Vander seemed like an arrogant and unkind person.
Honestly, I was a little afraid I wouldn’t like this book very much. But still I was really curious about how this book was going to go. Fortunately for me this book fascinated me enough to keep reading and soon I began to really enjoy the story.

Although the starting of this book is a little unusual, this book slowly began to become a true historical romance. The characters were very interesting and I loved how the author slowly revealed more and more about her characters. Vander was definitely my favorite character in this book. Not only because he was this handsome Duke, but more because the way he always stayed himself despite how people thought he needed to be as a Duke. I also really loved the way Vander interacted with Mia’s little nephew. This part was definitely different, but also very heart melting and funny.

I read this book in two evenings, and really enjoyed it. The characters are very well prescribed, their history is intriguing and the romantic part is different but very addictive. It’s a lovely book to just enjoy on a beautiful sun filled morning. I’m definitely going to read more books by this author.

It’s hard not to like this series or this author, her writing style is polished and detailed, with plenty of information and imagery to fuel the reader’s visualization of the setting and characters. And, you can pick up this series with any of the titles to start: each story is complete in and of itself, although you may meet earlier characters, Eloisa James does give them enough background to understand their connections.

In this story, Mia and Vander have long known one another, as her father and his mother were involved in a rather scandalous affair for years. After a devastating embarrassment some 13 years earlier, Mia suddenly reappears in Vander’s life with an outrageous proposition. Their parents died together in a fire in a small country inn: while Vander cut off his mother from his life and his father died in an asylum years ago, he’s never bothered to enter into society, instead concentrating on his stables and horses. With Mia’s return, all of the anger he held for Mia’s father and his mother have returned to focus on her.

So a not-quite friends to lovers story with plenty of twists turns and oh so many moments that bring the action to life.

Vander is the least ‘societally acceptable’ Duke he can be. His best friend Thom is a bastard and proud of the fact. Vander eschews society in favor of his horses and racing, and has built quite a nice stable. The only benefit he finds in the title is the ability to do what he wants. Rough around the edges, Vander is plain spoken and utterly unused to anyone telling him no.

Mia has several secrets: she is a popular romance novelist, with her heroines always being the ‘ideal’ – tall, willowy, blonde and with scads of admirers who go to great lengths to woo them. She is intelligent, headstrong and utterly romantic, despite believing that her diminutive size, curves and green eyes make her utterly unattractive, and she dresses the part with over-large flounces and ruffles to offset the curves she feel make her fat. Underneath all of the insecurities is a woman that is loyal and thoughtful, her determination to protect Charlie from all of life’s unpleasant moments is easy to understand and relate to, if not always the best direction.

Together, Vander is busily showing his frustration with Mia, while he wants her body, and expects that their marriage is forever, his ‘but I tell you I care’ moments are poorly phrased and ill-timed, and leaves Mia believing that he doesn’t like or respect her. What’s funniest is these two are relating to one another much like they should have at 15, not as grown people of nearly 30. Their near constant bickering and fighting is partly due to hurt feelings now, and old issues unsettled. They are often funny, as Vander is the one usually putting his foot in his mouth, and is unable to understand his own mistakes.

There are many twists and turns, with cameo appearances from Thom and his bride India, but it is the insets from Chuffy, Charlie and the newly arrived Jafeer that add depth to the budding relationship. Chuffy, Vander’s Uncle is a combination of a jolly elf and the feel of Puck from Midsummer Night’s Dream: moments of utter hilarity are mixed with his true ‘fangirl’ moments when he discovers that Mia is the author of his very favorite novels, and he is always quoting from Shakespeare. I loved his fierce protectiveness of those he loved, hidden under the occasional façade of drunkenness and oblivion. Chuffy doesn’t miss much, and every quote and revelation from him is spot on. Charlie is a wonderful little boy: a bit timid at first, but Vander’s ‘real world’ approach to showing him what he can do and new ways to do more rather than what he can’t, with no outward adjustments for his difficulties was wonderful, if a 180 degree difference from Mia’s coddling. In fact, it is Charlie and Mia’s determination to protect and raise him that shows Vander just what a gem she is.

So much happens in this story, it’s hard to pick favorites, but like all of James’ novels, I was drawn in and unable to put it down until the final page.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Four Nights With the Duke by Eloisa James (Audio Edition)
Performed by Susan Duerden
(Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers #2; Desperate Duchesses #8)

♥ ♥ ♥ Let me start by saying that Eloisa James is a hit and miss author for me. I haven't read enough of her books to be fully decided if I truly like her or not. There were parts of this book I really loved, and parts that I really disliked.

Vander is so arrogant that I want to dislike him for it, but on the flip side it makes the dousing of his arrogance sometimes funny and a bit rewarding. I liked that Vander wants Mia, but doesn't want to want her, and it frustrated him. However, I disliked that he disrespects her often in this book, with hastily spoken insults, and cruel words. Then assumes that his lust for her or his quick, almost forced apologies would make up for this. It's a nasty little cycle.

Even though, Vander did have some redeeming qualities, for example his way with Mia's nephew. The way he treats her poorly, too often, and the fact that even though she stands up for herself at times - she still takes him back, thinking all the while she loves him but he doesn't love her.. it still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

This quote took me back.. Vander's thoughts: "He suspected that when Mia spoke about respect, she really meant love..” ... Ah no.. I think she meant respect and the fact that he doesn't see this.. just proves in my mind that he isn't going stop disrespecting her... but I digress..

As I said there were also a few things I LOVED about this book. I loved the beginning bits before the chapter started, the way the heroine is plotting her newest story. Loved that it felt like I was getting the inside scoop on how authors may do this.. and made me wonder if this is how Ms. James plots hers. Next- without giving anything away, I enjoyed the ending. It was very sweet. However, had I not disliked Vander as much as I did... it would have been SOO much sweeter for me!

I found the story was written well enough that I wanted to keep listening. The narrator also had a hand in this, as her reading is wonderful. I am sure I will try another of this authors stories in the future.

Original review posted at: [...]

I wasn't a fan of this book. I found the characters to be so annoying. Vander was worse than a cat in heat, only thinking about sex with Mia. And Mia was so insecure, I found her character pathetic. I can understand being insecure of your body, but it was too much, IMO.

I found no chemistry between them. One moment, Vander hates Mia for blackmailing him into marriage, he finds her lacking and nothing like all the other girls he's been with before. The next he wants her so badly he can't think of anything else and is glad he's married her. All within a day's time. Mia loved him when she was 15 but hates him for the poem debacle. Hasn't seen him since but as soon as they're married, she realizes she never stopped loving him. Their chemistry felt forced and I didn't believe in their romance.

The only reason I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 was because I loved Charlie's character and how Vander was with him. And the last chapter and Epilogue weren't bad.

Read from April 04 to 06, 2015

I received this book as a gift. I have been a fan of Eloisa James for a lot of years and there isn't one of her books that has ever disappointed me and I have read all of her books. I love reading Ms. James style of writing. Ms James heroine's are always witty, independent and funny, Her hero's are strong, handsome and a gentlemen. All her characters are well written and scenes are Awesome.

Four Nights with the Duke: Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington known as Mia. Mia's father was in love with the Duchess of Pinder so Mia was taken to house parties with her Father. At very young age Mia had crush on Evander Septimus Brody, the future Duke of Pinder the Duchess son. When a poem that Mia wrote Vander was shown to Duchess by Mia's Father was given to Vander, Mia who was fifteen was humiliated by the things Vander and his friends was saying about the poem. After hearing how Vander and friends, Mia swore that she wouldn’t marry Vander if he were the last man in England. After thirteen years Mia has become desperate because of a clause in her brother will and she decides she has to blackmail Vander into marriage. Vander agrees to the marriage, but in a contact that he will only spend four nights a year in bed with Mia and only if she asks him for a night. Unfortunly Vander doesn’t read the letter in which Mia states she wants to be marry for six months. Vander decides this is the only time he will marry and it will not be just for six months. What Vander doesn’t expect his desire for his wife will be that he is the one that is begging for more than four nights.

Evander Septimus Brody, the future Duke of Pinder at the age of fifteen idea of fun was drinking to much and trying to get in as many clubs he and Best friend Thorn. So when his mother whom he disliked gives him a poem from Mia whom father was cockhold his father, he hate before he read it but after he read it he assumed Mia was head over hills in love with him and he couldn't believe she wrote a poem to it. Vander had every intention of destroying it. But Rotter another boy who was very mean read the poem aloud he felt he hated even more. But what they didn't know was Mia was hiding behind the couch. When she tells him she would never marry him Vander is shock but happy. So when Mia blackmails him to marry her he is enraged. So he makes a contact that he will only spend four nights in a year. But to Vander surpise he lusts after Mia. She doesn’t really plan on having a real marriage with him. Makes him even more enraged. When Vander learn that Mia is merely desperate to protect her young nephew. Vander finds that he wants Mia for his wife is a suprise and one he don't want to think to much about it. When Vander fines out Mia's reason is She is willing to sacrifice herself for her nephew’s benefit. So Vander meets and like Charlie he starts to teach him what it is boy and protect Mia's feeling at the same. I love the pace and flow of this story. THIS IS A MUST READ

Is it possible that each of Eloisa James’ novel is better than the last? I think so. When I first started her Desperate Duchesses series, I read the first novel and didn’t care for it at all. Part of the problem was that I expected a straight up historical romance and this series isn’t really that. Yes, there’s a central romance but there’s so much more going on; the intricate etiquette and rules of high society in Georgian England in the 1700s.
Beginning with the second book in the series, An Affair Before Christmas, I began listening to them on e-audio through Overdrive at my public library, narrated by the wonderful Susan Duerden. She is most definitely THE author to narrate James’ decadent and colorful stories. Her voice is beautiful but, more than that, it’s a talented and nuanced voice. She gives distinctly different voices for many characters of both genders, including young children and older people. The stories just seem much more fascinating and intriguing when read by Duerden. After that, I was hooked and have been listening to every Eloisa James’ book in this series read by her since.
Four Nights with the Duke is the eighth book in the Desperate Duchesses series and the third in a sort of sub-series, Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers. Essentially, it’s about the next generation, the children of the characters from the first six books.
The parents of Emilia (Mia) and Evander (Vander) had a scandalous love affair for many years. On top of that, one mortifying incident when Mia and Vander were teenagers made the two frenemies; she wrote a love poem about him and his friends discovered and mocked him for it. Vander in turn, being an embarrassed teenaged boy of fifteen, publicly humiliated Mia and she has never forgiven him.
Fast forward several years later and Mia finds herself at the mercy of an unscrupulous relative, caring for her lame nephew, Charlie. Mia also writes fiction under a well-known pen name and has become very successful. However, she needs the protection of a powerful man to protect herself and Charlie and decides that Vander, a powerful duke, will be that man, much as it pains her.
But, of course, he will need to be persuaded. Read: blackmailed. Mia holds incriminating letters between her father and his mother that would ruin Vander and his dukedom and tarnish his reputation even further.
Vander, of course, begins by resenting Mia but at heart, he’s a kind and honorable gentleman–the very best kind–and it doesn’t take long for him to realize all that Mia has endured (a broken engagement, raising a young child alone, the pain and stigma of the scandal caused by their parents’ affair) and to feel compassion for her.
Mia has loved Vander her entire life but, after that youthful humiliation, she swears she will never love him again. Until circumstances force her hand in a desperate move to save someone she loves, but little does she know that she and Vander need each other.
Mia and Vander are a lovely couple. She is a woman alone in the world but who has managed very well. But this is late eighteenth-century England and she still needs the name and protection of a good man. Their love is fiery and passionate and Eloisa James writes with sparkle and life. Her characters and dialogue leap off the page and Susan Duerden brings them to life. The reader cares for both of these complex and flawed protagonists. And for book lovers, the literary references–James is a Shakespeare professor–are fun to find.
I really like Charlie, Mia’s nephew; his spirit is infectious and the way he idolizes Vander is sweet. I also like how he doesn’t steal the show. And Vander’s jovial and fun uncle, Chuffy, is a dear. He’s on Mia’s side from the start, especially when he finds out she’s the author of some of his favorite novels.
Thorne and India (Three Weeks with Lady X) make an appearance as does Thorne’s father, the ever sexy Duke of Villiers (A Duke of Her Own), so I highly recommend reading this series in order or there’s a good chance you might be confused.
Besides, this series is so good you’ll want to savor every single book. A smart and passionate novel set against the decadent backdrop of Georgian England.

Horribly embarrassed as a teenager by the future Duke of Pindar after a love poem that she has written is discovered, Mia swears that she will find a way to have her revenge. Over a decade later, Mia is in a bind. Her entire family has passed away and she is left trying to keep custody of her young, disabled nephew. In order to keep her nephew from the clutches of an evil uncle, Mia must marry someone powerful enogh to stand up to the uncle while also staying respectable. Who else does she turn to, except for her childhood nemesis, Vander, the future Duke.

Eloisa James continues her newest series by delightfully delving into Mia and Vander’s story. Always a wonderful ride, James has exceeded my wildest expectations with Vander’s tale. With glimpses of previous characters, Vander and Mia don’t seem to match at all. Mia begins her relationship by blackmailing Vander with evidence that puts his father in an almost treasonous light. Yet, you can’t help but feel this desperate mood is called for when you see how desperate Mia is to save her only living family.

Mia makes her living as a romance writer. I thought it was incredibly clever how James worked in Mia’s work with the actual romance of the story. It gave me a little insight into the novel writing process and allowed us to get even farther into Mia’s head and motivations. Plus it was just really fun to read her novel and how it related to her current predicament.

I adored Mia’s story but fell in love with Vander all over again. He truly came into his own and was absolutely one of my favorite James heroes to date. Delightful with plenty of witty banter, Mia and Vander’s story was worth the wait. There are even some subtle nods to Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas, so keep your eyes peeled. This may even be my favorite James novel to date and is an excellent addition to her canon.

Four Night With the Duke is Fantastic and amazing.
Fifteen years old Emilia Carrington was humiliated when Vander and his friends discovered a love poem letter(she had written about Vandor)and they ridiculed her for it and her appearance.
She told Vander that she would marry any man in the world before him even if she was desperate.
Now Thirteen years later, Mia is horrified that she has to blackmail Vander to marry her.
For Vander Brody, The Duke of Pindar, Mia is the last woman in the world he would marry, He becomes enraged by her blackmail and proposal.So despite his rage he accepts her offer, in one condition that he will spend four nights a year with her and nothing more.
This is a beautifully written historical romance with great plot; it is steamy, emotional and wonderful.It is one of those books that you can't put it down. I love Eloisa James's books, her writing is fabulous and romantic with great characters.
Thank you Eloisa James

This is my second book of Eloisa James and I now can confirm that she is an author I would very much like to hear more from. I loved this book, especially the heroine.

Emilia Carrington, when she was a young girl, had the misfortune of learning that the boy she was in love with, was nothing more than an insensitive toad.

Years later, after claiming that she would never marry him, even if he was the last man in England, she finds herself, asking him to marry her.

Evander Brody cannot believe that this little scrap of a girl dared to propose marriage to him, a Duke. After he refused her, she pulled out the big guns which, if exposed, would revoke his title.

Vainly thinking that this is some pay back for what happened all these years ago, Vander tries to shock her enough to back out of this foolish idea.

When that did not work, he thought he would deny her what she wants, and only allows her four nights a year to go to bed with him and only if she begs for it.

Outraged by his words, but knowing that she would never claim any of those nights. She just has to remember who she is doing all this for. Besides, it's not as if they will be married for long. Things don't go as plan when Vander makes it very clear that they will stay married and that she must give him an heir.

Outraged by his demands, Emilia tries everything in her power to change his mind, even telling him of her frown upon profession. When Vander showed that he did not care, Emilia was at a lost at what to do.

Would the unexpected heat that Vander feel for his wife threaten to make him want more than four night a year? Would the love that Emilia thought dead, rise again? Would Vander ever get over his enormous ego? Find out in the eight installment of the Desperate Duchess Series, Four Nights with the Duke.

Eloisa James has done it again. She blew me away with an amazing story that had me on edge. I liked how she portrayed her main characters and I was quite frankly not really interested in the villain in this story.

Even though Vander was a big fool, he is weak to love. After seeing his mother parade her lover in front of the ton, dishonoring her vows to his father, (even though his father was stark, raving mad). When he started to have feelings for his unlikely wife, his only way to combat these feelings, was to lash out whenever the feeling overwhelmed him.

Or course this made Emilia feel horrid, since all her life, she has been made fun of for developing faster than other girls. She made it a habit to dress in such a way to hide her curves, but all that did was make her look frumpy looking. Any compliment that Vander said to her, she thought that he was mocking her and would become hurt and retreat into herself.

I shake my head at the obvious flaw in their marriage. They do not communicate at all. They make their own assumptions on things and believe that it is so and act on it. The one who is most to blame for this is Vander and his huge ego.

I love how Emilia had the power to send Vander away, even though she loves him. It showed a tremendous strength within her, since even though she loved him, he threw her away like mouldy bread. Wondering about that part, you HAVE to read the book to find out.
Thoughts: Men can be so full of themselves.
Grade: B+
Review by: Nathifa
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com

I have a secret; I have a love hate relationship with Eloisa James books because they are either a hit or a miss. I adored THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X and I wasn’t sure I wanted to read FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE until I read the synopsis! Seriously, the synopsis sold me and when the chance came to participate in the blog tour, I couldn’t pass up the chance! While, FOUR NIGHTS is the eighth book in her Desperate Duchess series, if you haven’t read any of the books in the series, it’s okay to dive right in.

We have really good character development. Emila “Mia” Carrington has a secret: she’s a successful novelist, but the time has come to marry. Her nephew, Charlie, is at risk and she needs to protect his inheritance. She’s witty, courageous, and charming. It’s easy to imagine her as a close friend. Then we have Evander “Vander” Septimus Brody, Duke of Pendar. He’s a complete jerk at first and as the story progresses, you’ll come to forgive him. His best moments really are with Charlie. Vander also is loyal and takes his duties as a Duke seriously. There are a few secondary characters that we’ve seen in the past and make an appearance. They aren’t vital to the storyline except Vander’s uncle, Chuffy. Sorry, but Chuffy stole the show and if James ever decides to write a novella with Chuffy as the main character, I’d buy in an instant!

What I really enjoyed about FOUR NIGHTS were the conversations between Mia and Vander. I won’t go into detail regarding exactly how Mia and Vander know each other, but it must have been painful to both of them as children hearing the gossip about their parents. I liked how James sets up the opening scene, it was memorable and we’ll easy associate with Mia’s embarrassment. James really shines in FOUR NIGHTS and it comes down to the conversations the characters have. You’ll laugh with Charlie and Vander and want to hug Chuffy.

I debated with the rating between a four and five and in the end, decided on a four due to two particular reasons. The first has to do with Sir Richard. Mia painted him an evil man and what he does at the end does make him deplorable, but I wanted more of him. The whole course of the novel takes place in the span of about a week, but I really did expect him to have a bigger role than he did. Plus, if he’s the sole reason as to why she needs to marry, then give us a reason to dislike Richard! Secondly, James incorporates aspects of Mia’s writing throughout the novel and we see glimpses of what Mia is working on. It was interesting and fun to read at first, but as the novel progressed, it was a bit tedious to read because I felt it took away from the actual story.

Overall, Eloisa James’ FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE was a delight! If you’re looking for a fun historical romance to spend the day with, I highly recommend it! And, you’re in for a real treat too especially if you’re a fan of Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas books. They make an appearance of sorts. ;)

**This review is posted on my blog**

At fifteen, a heartbroken, embarrassed Mia Carrington swore she’d never marry Evander Brody. At twenty-eight, Mia has no choice but to take back her words. In order to secure guardianship of her nephew and thus protect him from his evil uncle, Mia must marry – fast. Having just been jilted at the altar, she’s desperate enough to blackmail the long ago object of her affections.

Vander can’t believe Mia’s audacious proposal – or her blackmail scheme. Against all better judgment, he agrees to marry Mia, but with a condition of his own: he’ll only bed her for four nights a year, and only if she begs for it. But when Vander learns there’s more to Mia than meets the eye, he knows he’s made a mistake. Because four nights with Mia will never be enough when he’s rapidly falling in love with his new wife.

Four Nights with the Duke is a fast-paced, addictive read filled with lively, interesting, strong-willed characters. Author Eloisa James knows how to capture your interest and not let go, and I found myself unable to put Mia and Vander’s book down.

I absolutely adored Mia. She has a big heart and is protective of those she cares about. Mia’s been hurt over and over, but though she has insecurities because of it, she remains a strong, resilient woman. I wanted to see Vander fall head over heels in love with her, because they fit together so well. Vander inadvertently hurt Mia in the past, and he makes plenty of mistakes with her in the present. Vander’s got hidden scars of his own that have given him a distorted view of what love and marriage would mean for him. He’s flawed, realistically so, and doesn’t always choose his words wisely. I actually liked that about him, because he grows over the course of the story and realizes what a treasure Mia is.

Aside from the romance, we get to see Mia and Vander’s other passions. Vander’s for buying, breeding, and racing horses and Mia’s for writing. Mia’s work as a writer of popular romances was particularly fun to read about, and watching her struggle with writing her latest gothic romance was delightful. Historical romance fans will also surely delight in the nods to authors Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas that are sprinkled throughout Four Nights with the Duke.

Four Nights with the Duke is the eighth book in the Desperate Duchesses series and the second book in the spinoff Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers series. Though Mia and Vander’s story can easily be read as a standalone, it was a treat to see Thorn and India (of Three Weeks with Lady X) and Villiers (of A Duke of Her Own) again. But the most captivating secondary characters are those new to the series, namely Mia’s spirited young nephew Charlie and Vander’s cheerful, often-drunk uncle, Chuffy (a nod to Twelfth Night’s Sir Toby Belch). Charlie and Chuffy bring a sprightliness to Four Nights with the Duke that I loved.

Ms. James’s stories are always wonderfully entertaining and Four Nights with the Duke was no exception. I devoured the book in one sitting and I cannot wait to read the next Desperate Duchesses story, Seven Minutes in Heaven!

This book was reviewed by Shayna for Joyfully Reviewed (JR), and was provided by the publisher/author at no cost to JR for the purpose of being reviewed.

4 Stars!

I had a lot of fun reading this book! I have had Eloisa James on my radar for quite a while but somehow never have read one of her books. I did read a novella length piece by this author several years ago and really liked the writing style. I think I even bought a couple of her books that are patiently waiting for me to get to the chance to read them. I wish I could tell you why I waited so long to finally read a full length novel from this prolific author but I honestly don’t have any kind of valid reasoning. I can tell you that I sometimes will go long periods of time without reading any historical romances. I like the genre but usually only pick one up when I need a break for another kind of book.

This story opens when Mia and Vander are 15 years old. The pair have a rather unusual connection – Vander’s mother had a long term affair with Mia’s father. Vander has in his possession a love poem written by Mia about him. They don’t see each other again for many years until Mia shows up at Vander’s home to propose marriage. She makes sure that her offer is one that Vander cannot refuse and the pair are quickly married. They each bring conditions to the marriage. Vander will spend four nights per year with Mia if she begs for those nights. He thinks that she is still infatuated with him after all those years and does not realize that Mia has no intention to ever beg for a single night.

I was a little worried when I started this book that I might be lost since it is listed as the eight book in the series but it reads just fine as a stand-alone novel. I liked the characters a lot in this book. Mia had a lot of love to give and was willing to sacrifice herself in order to protect those she loves. She wasn’t the kind of character that waited for other people to come and save her or complain about a situation. She took care of herself and worked to change situations that she didn’t like. She only came to Vander for marriage when she saw no other choice. Vander is equally likeable. He is determined to make the most of his situation. He is really a good man who knows that sometimes the best way to change a situation is to teach others to take control of their own lives. I absolutely loved the secondary characters in this book, especially Vander’s uncle and Charlie.

I liked Mia and Vander as a couple even thought I initially wanted to smack them both for their thoughts and behaviors. They eventually came around and I really liked the chemistry between them. Since this is a romance novel, I knew going in that they would most likely fall for each other but I still enjoyed how everything played out. There were a few other things going on in the story that kept me very interested. The pacing was perfect and I just loved the dialog. I will admit that I was not a fan of the pieces of Mia’s book that started out most of the chapters. I didn’t feel like the inclusion of the notes and drafts of Mia’s book added much of anything to the story except to maybe show that she had the means to support herself financially if the need arose. Other readers may enjoy those parts but I would have preferred for the novel to stay focused on the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance. This was a wonderfully written novel that I think will appeal to a large audience. I definitely plan to read more from Eloisa James very soon.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Avon via Edelweiss.

Originally given 4.5 hearts at Rookie Romance.

So, I have a terrible confession to make. This is the first Eloisa James book that I've read. I don't know how I've managed to go so long without reading one since she's one of the best in the historical romance genre. I have plenty of her books, I guess they just slip me by though.
Well, I'm very happy to say that all that has changed now! I'm proud to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my first Eloisa James novel.

So, our heroine in this story is Mia Carrington and she's an intelligent and determined woman who makes for a brilliant heroine. Honestly, I thought she was fab. She's desperate to secure guardianship for her nephew, Charlie, who is more like a son to her and in order to do so she needs to marry...quickly. She hardly has suitors lining up for the chance to marry her, so she resorts to blackmailing the Duke of Pindar to marry her. Mia feels horrible about taking this course of action, but she feels she has no other option. Mia is also a talented writer, with several successful novels published.

Vander is an interesting one. Certainly to begin with he's rude and rather cruel to Mia. He has pretty good reason to since she is blackmailing him, so at first I excused this. And whilst his attitude certainly improves as his attraction and feelings towards Mia grow, he can still be an absolute arse at times. He's also arrogant and domineering, and as a Duke is totally unused to people challenging him. So when Mia isn't so easily cowed by Vander it perplexes and intrigues him, which is fun to read. I was very surprised by how good he was with Charlie as well, and I loved seeing that side of him. Vander's POV helps us to see how he actually feels about Mia since he seems to put his foot in his mouth frequently, and it shows us how much he comes to respect, admire and love her.

Vander and Mia have a chemistry that is apparent to the reader from the beginning. Mia has many insecurities about her physical appearance so I enjoyed the way she begins to see herself through Vander's eyes as their relationship progresses, and she feels beautiful and desired. They have a ton of miscommunications which gives their marriage an even rockier start than it would have been with just the blackmail, but it also makes it much more fun for the reader!

I loved this story and its hero and heroine. Mia was stand out for me, although I did find Vander's dukely arrogance rather endearing after a while. It's a fun romp, with plenty of steamy romance and a villain standing in the wings. I stayed up far too late reading this book in one go because I simply couldn't put it down. I loved it and I'm feeling pretty lucky that I've got plenty more books to look forward to reading on the author's backlist!

*I received a review copy for my honest opinion. Thank you!

One poem that landed in the wrong hands had the heart of young Mia Carrington being shred into pieces. It was supposed to be a secret, no one is supposed to see it, most especially, Vander Brody. To her mortification, it was him and his friends who have read it and made fun of it. She told the future Duke of Pindar that she would never, ever marry him even if he was the last man on earth.

Never, ever say something with finality because you may end up eating your words. Desperation had brought Mia back to his Grace, blackmailing him into marrying her to save her and her nephew. But his Grace has other plans in mind.

Marriage and wife was not in his plans. That’s why, much to his surprise, Mia proposed. Instead of turning her down, which was he was supposed to do, he offered her a bargain: he will spend four nights annually with him. Just four nights – that’s it. And only when she really, really begs for it. Which of course Mia will never do.

But will four nights be enough for him?

Despite his early concept on marriage and wife, he found himself enamored of the person who blackmailed him into marriage. Can he seduce his own wife, and make her beg for more than four nights with him?

Desperation makes people do crazy things, but as what I have always said – there is always a reason for everything, and everything will fall into its proper place on its own time. He may have broken her heart, and his heart may not belong to her during the start of the marriage – but he can’t help but fall in love with his duchess. He was not good in speaking his feelings, and he may do something out of character that keeps on catching Mia off-guard, but he was trying.

Mia, on the other hand, will not settle for anything less. Just this once, out of desperation. She needs this marriage, but she will not stay in it without love. So, despite the fact she was falling in love, she will have to let him go because there was no way she was going to stay in a loveless marriage. She wanted to have what her father has – no matter how unconventional and scandalous that may have been – but it was love.

It’s Eloisa James, and I expected nothing less. Just like the rest of her novels, I finished this in less than four nights, in one sitting actually: enjoying banters, swooning over the romance, panting over those steamy scenes and cheering after our interesting and complex characters. She made another page-turning novel you won’t have the heart to down

Delightful, cute, romantic and sexy is the way I would describe this book. I knew from the opening scene that Vander had to have had a reason for acting the way he did and I was glad to find out I was correct by the end of the book. I loved his relationship with Mia's nephew Charlie, especially the way he doesn't coddle him and helps him be the best he can be. I hope we get Charlie's story someday - he certainly deserves one! Mia is a great character, I loved that she's a writer under a pen name and that Vander's uncle Chuffy is a huge fan. He certainly brought humor into the story. Jafeer, Vander's Arabian horse is a character in itself and brought a sense of belonging to the story. Vander and Mia's relationship is HOT! It starts off with him showing her what she's paying for when she proposes marriage and continues throughout the story with some very heated encounters. Mia struggles with these encounters because she thinks they are not appropriate, but Vander has a way of getting her to let go. Highly recommended to lovers of sexy historical romances.
4.5 stars
ARC via Edelweiss

Emilia ‘Mia’ Gwendolyn Carrington is going to do something none of her heroines do, she is going to ask the duke to marry well, technically she’s going to blackmail him but lets not go there. Mia at the age of fiffteen had a crush on Vander, which ended up pretty badly to say the least and resulted in a outbrust; ‘she will not marry him even if he was the last man on England’. Mia wishes she could now take back….

Duke of Pindar Evander ‘Vander’ Septimus Brody has no plans to marry whatsoever especially after the fiasco related to his adulteress mother and a mad father. Vander is arrogant enough to believe that the reason Mia wants to marry is because of the said crush she had on him years ago. Which of course has no bearing why Mia actually wants to marry him but this lead to some pretty funny scenes.

I really enjoyed their relationship, especially the parts where Vander is completely surprised and dumbfounded by his wife. I was smiling every time they would bicker. Vander was pretty arrogant but you couldn’t help but like him. His parents marriage had a pretty bad impact on his views on women and marriage in general which Mia by being herself overcame. Mia was a wonderful heroine, a bit a naive when it came to her writing her heroines and her romance novels but she was also caring, intelligent and beautiful inside and out (no matter what she actually thought of her physical attributes).

Quibbles: I did want to smack Vander for his behaviour at times, especially near the end of the book but he came to senses soon enough. Maybe it was just me but some parts of the felt very modern-ish….

It was a fun, low on angst book with very interesting characters that you couldn’t help but love. I also loved Vander’s drunk uncle and his relationship with Mia. He was a romance novel fan, so how can you not love his enthusiasm and fangirling over authors :D.

Random thing that I liked: The mention of other romance authors and their books which is I suppose a nod to her fellow authors by the author herself.

Overall, this was a great and very charming historical romance book. Happy Reading!

Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington must be married as soon as possible. Her fiancé left her at the altar and now she has no choice, but to blackmail Evander Septimus Brody, future Duke of Pindar, into marrying her. Vander is furious. He knew that Mia had a childhood crush on him, but this is beyond the pale!!! Mia's father and Vander's mother had a very public, adulterous affair that ended in their death, which caused no end of embarrassment and scandal to both Mia and Vander. A marriage between Vander and Mia would start the tongues wagging, again. Vander has spent years trying to live down the damage by his mother and Mia's father to his family's reputation, and his own. Why would Mia force him into this bizarre marriage?

Eloisa James has the most incredible capacity to conjur up the most bizarre plots and hold the reader's entire attention until the end. James is able to make us love the hero and heroine, despite their stubbornness. We are steered in so many twists and turns, and we are still on the edge of our seats. This is the 8th installment of the Duchess Series and it shows no signs of waning. James continues to keep her writing fresh and interesting, even exciting. She keeps us abreast of her former characters and continually brings us more characters to love and hate. Can't wait for the next one!!!

I liked Three Weeks with Lady X better. The novel-writing notes in this one were fun, but I didn’t love them like I loved the notes between Thorn & India. I also kind of dislike the heroine losing all her senses when kissed. It feels like she’s weak. I know it’s a trope, but I just wish the men would feel instantly overwhelmed by the heroine the first time for once. It seems to always take the men until the first time they go to bed, which makes them seem like love is equated with lust. Or maybe it’s just a fault of this particular book. In general, I love Eloisa James’ work, but I don’t feel that this is one of her better ones.

Four Nights with the Duke was such a delight! In this story, we have Mia-a romance novelist who writes about the type of love she wants to experience. She suffers from terrible self-esteem, majorly stemming from a humiliating rejection from Vander, from whom she'd written an ode at fifteen. Vander also happens to be the son of Mia's father's mistress, a truly scandalous and hurtful situation for both. Thirteen years later, Mia needs a husband to maintain custody of her mildly physically disabled, abused nephew (it seems he may have a club foot?). She has blackmail material against Vander, and voila, we have a marriage-of-convenience.

This trope always makes for a good story, even more so under these strained circumstances. I loved experiencing Mia's transformation from a meek wallflower into a woman who knows her worth, amd demands its due. I loved seeing Vander begin to transform from a cold, ruthless man who never wants to fall in love, to a man who realizes that he's inadvertly found a treasure in Mia and her nephew, Charlie. Btw, I dare anyone not to melt while reading scenes between Vander and Charlie.

Vander's uncle Chuffy was a winner, as were the brief scenes including Thorne and India (from Three Weeks with Lady X). I'm interested to see if a particularly interesting character (Edward) will be the hero of the next book.. And though I'm not typically a big fan of animals being heavily featured in books, be on the look out for the Arabian stallion, Jafeer.

Four Nights with the Duke was such an endearing story. If you love strong, insightful heroines and the men who fall madly in love with them, I highly recommend.

Amazing new novel by Eloisa James.

Mia has loved Vander since she was 15 years old. She has also hated him since then as well, due to the fact that him and his friends made fum of her poem about him. Now the duke that she swore she would never marry is her only hope to help her young nephew. She must get him to agree to marriage even if she has to blackmail him.

Vander has not seen Mia since that horrible night when they were both 15. He has regretted and felt guilty about how she was treated that night ever since. The courage she displayed that night has given him inspiration many times. He cannot believe after not seeing her for 13 years she is here to blackmail him into to marrying her. But he stands to lose everything if he does not comply. So he will make some conditions of his own. She will be allotted only 4 nights per year in his bed, and only if she begs.

As the two start married life Vander finds out what drove his wife to want to marry him, he comes to respect her reasoning. Mia knows that she can never give into Vander's seduction to get her in bed, even if it is only for 4 nights. Her heart would not survive.

It is amazing to watch Mia and Vander try to figure out how to overcome their past and trust each other. Mia still deeply in love with Vander will not risk her heart. Vander has to realize that he loves his Duchess before it is to late.

Again, a great story with some appearances of former novel characters. Great read that I highly recommend

I've just read pretty much solidly through the night and half way into today in order to finish Four Nights With The Duke. Why? Simply because I couldn't put it down.
This book has in it everything for which Eloisa James is famous; witty dialogue aplenty, an excellent plot and believable characters whom I couldn't help but like for the most part. Sir Richard Magruder was one particularly nasty exception, although he didn't dominate proceedings.
I identified with Mia's mortification at having her breasts described as cabbages. Being well endowed is one of those burdens no woman should have to bear. Eloisa James truly captured all the self doubt that goes with thinking you are ugly and wishing to hide your "attributes".
Vander is well written too. His surprise at having his word questioned is just what one would expect from a duke, while his lusty appreciation for Mia's lush body is also just right in context.
The plot flows effortlessly from start to finish with just the right balance between what is happening in the main story and what is happening in the story Mia is trying to write.
Eloisa James clearly had fun writing this novel. I loved the references to Julia Quiplet and Lisa Klampas as well as he creation of Lucibella as Mia's alter ego. I have the feeling a lot of fun and laughter went into the creation of this novel. I certainly had a lot of fun reading it and am now eagerly awaiting the next Eloisa James novel to hit the shelves.

Another great novel from Eloisa James. I have read all of her novels and everyone is a keeper. Mia and Vander, our hero and heroine have a history that goes back to childhood. Mia's father and Vander's mother had a love affair that lasted through their childhood. They have not seen each other since their the death of their parents. Mia reappears in his life with a blackmail scheme. She is blackmailing him into marrying her. She has a letter that was written by his father that could cause him to lose his rank and estate to the crown. He agrees to marry her but he changes the rules. She has to live with him and give him conjugal rights four night a year. She doesn't want to live with him, she is only blackmailing him so he can become the guardian of her handicapped nephew instead of a villian uncle who wants to get rid of the boy so he can inherit. They are forced to live together and cannot help the feelings that are developing between them. They do not want to fall in love with each other, but they cannot seem to help it. This story has everything, loss, loneliness, friendship, and a love that willlast a lifetime. This is quintessional Eloisa. A complicated plot with enlightning emotions and a joy to read. Love her.

This is book eight in the "Desperate Duchesses series". I have been jumping around in the series so I would easily say this and the others are standalone books. Eloisa James is one of my favorite authors and I know when I see her name I am getting a real good book!
Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington was at a early age marked to be married to Evander Septimus Brody the future Duke of Pindar. But early on she told him she would not marry him. Which had cause some hard feelings. Now years later she need him to marry her to help with a problem she has. Evander agrees to do so but with hard strings attached to it..he will on spend 4 nights a year with her and only if she begs him too. This is one of the strong heroine, and hard feeling at first hero stories that I find are enjoyable...its always nice to watch the hero 'fall'. I hope that you too will enjoy this book!

An Eloisa James book is usually a slam-dunk for being a page turner. This one is no exception. We are introduced to our hero, Vander, and our heroine, Mia, when they are teenagers and in an embarrassing situation. The story then picks up years later when Mia, who has sworn to never even talk to Vander again, is in his study proposing marriage. Of course Mia can't tell Vander the "real" reason for the proposal and so Vander, justifiably, is angry at her effrontery.

In many books, I find I yawn and shake my head at the use of this trope of misunderstanding or blatant holding back of information between characters. In this book it all makes sense that Mia can't really divulge the reasons for her proposal and why Vander accepts also is totally understandable. So what we have here is powerful writing by a talented author. That these two find common ground is also skillfully accomplished.

This is a sexy, well written, totally engrossing Historical Romance. I recommend it for all romance aficionados.

Rating 4 1/2 Stars

Let me just state Eloisa James knows how to write a spell bounding story. I adore Mia and Vander's story. Granted their relationship is a bit rocky from the start, but absolutely fabulous towards the end. Four Nights with the Duke evokes so many emotions that it's hard to put down this story.

Mia and Vander have tumultuous relationship from the get go, after all Mia's father is having an affair with Vander's mother. Yeah, that can't be good. Young Mia is absolutely in love with Vander that she wrote a poem about him, and he gets his hands on it. He crushes her by basically making fun of her poem with his friends. Yep, boys can be cruel at that age.

We have grown up Mia and Vander together, and Mia needs to get married to ensure her nephew stays safe from her wicked uncle. How do we solve the problem, blackmail the Duke of Pindar. Mia is pretty resourceful. So, we head into the story with a somewhat marriage of convenience story. She's blackmailing Vander.

Okay, our two main characters Mia and Vander. I love Mia, because she's not your typical heroine. It's not too often you find a heroine who is short and curvaceous. So, she views herself as not so pretty and definitely not Vander's type. However, she would do anything to protect her nephew at all cost, even suffer humiliation. Throughout the story, we see her as her worst enemy, because what happen to her when she was 15. That takes a toll on her self-esteem. When Vander tries to tell her that she's beautiful, she takes it as a grain of salt. It's kind of heart-breaking to watch Mia feel unloved. Then we have Vander who has to be in control of everything. This is in part how he was raised, after all his mother was having an open affair with Mia's father. If he had control, nothing can hurt him. Life on the other hand only gives you so much control. We can't forget the secondary characters Chuffy, Charlie, and Jafeer (he's the horse). Chuffy with his wisdom even though he's usually inebriated. Charlie, the reason for Mia for blackmailing Vander into marriage. Jafeer the Arabian horse that helps Mia through this time. They actually help each other out in the story, and it's a lovely relationship.

Four Nights with the Duke is a marvelous story about two people who by all means should not be together. Both of them are stubborn, but compliment one another (when they open up their hearts). I adore how Eloisa was able to take two people to overcome the obstacle of their past to form a union that is unstoppable. So, if you are in the mood for an emotional story with a blackmail marriage to save someone they love, you might find your read in Four Nights with the Duke.

Copy provided by Avon via Edelweiss.

Loved it! I really liked the main characters in this. After a really bad encounter when she was 15, she swore she would never marry Evander... until certain circumstances 13 years later has her proposing to him. What's good about this book is the series of misunderstanding makes a great plot for Mia and Evander. Mia thinks she's ugly and fat from what she heard 13 ago when in fact she's quite voluptuous and sensual. Evander is like a big tough guy who realizes he's falling in love with someone who is not his type. There's also the side story of Charlie, Mia's young nephew with a bad foot, who Evander takes a liking to and helps him grow up to be a confident boy.

I wouldn't say the sex scenes are extremely hot but it was good reading and the writing is believable that both characters really want each other. Didn't make me skim or anything like that. Not a must read before you die, but highly entertaining.

See my profile's website link for my reviews on other books.

It is typical of Eloisa James work that, when reading it, I spend a fair bit of time laughing, some drying tears from the laughter, some reading seriously, and some drying other tears.
This book was no different. I didn't laugh quite as much. But don't get me wrong - I still loved the book.
The characters are, perhaps, a little bit more tormented by their shared pasts, for shared pasts they do have. The depth of character development (in The Real Novel, not the one you get to watch develop inside the story!) is, as usual, excellent.
I'm not sure if I have ever seen this particular plot before. Oh, the main plot, sure. There's a twist that pretty much controls the characters, and THAT is a very unique one. (No, I'm not going to tell you.) There's an evil villain, the hero, an extra hero (just in case. You never can tell, you know), a couple butlers, children. And a horse, of course.
My personal recommendation: get the book. Read it now. THAT WAY, WHEN THE NEXT ONE COMES OUT, YOU'LL BE READY!

I love Eloisa's books, but this one ranks with the lowest of them for me. Eloisa is too in love with her own gimmicks, and this book suffers deeply for it. The "four nights" conceit seems to be a cute way to tie it into the "by the numbers" series, but it is such an arbitrary thing that it completely undermines the characters. Literally, none of the motivations for the push-pull between the hero and heroine make any sense at all.

Also, her references to Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, A Wrinkle In Time, and Harry Potter (the dogs are named Dobby and Winky) are again, too cute -- they take you out of the story.

I LOVED this book.
I have read all of Eloisa's previous novels, and enjoyed many of them, but there was always something that would bother me about a character, or a desperate act that felt like it was tossed in the tug on my heart strings. This book felt REAL to me. The character were real, and there inner struggles and arguments were real. While there were a villain and a plot, what was compelling about this story was the way the hero and heroin interacted and perceived each other and themselves. This is a story about a woman who write romantic novels falling in love with a man who is the least romantic person she has ever met, in fact he is often "vulgar" in his speech and actions toward her. His purposeful vulgar behavior comes from his terror of anything too do with love, which in supported by his back story. This book is not only one I will keep, but re-read and recommend highly.

I loved it! I took breaks only to pee, otherwise I didn't even need food... it was that good!

I haven't read many historicals with the heroine working as a novelist(that I liked and finished), but EJ doesn't disappoint. Mia was great: she's loving, smart, has a great sense of humor and she's an amazing writer. Vander is a bit scared by his past(his father had bipolar disorder, or that's what it reads like, and his mum cheated on him with Mia's dad... both characters were shaped by this), he's kind of antisocial, kind, gets well with kids; but he also has, let's call them bursts of assholish behaviour. He feels threatened by what he feels for Mia and tries to demean her with barbs whenever he's vulnerable. I like that in the end Mia makes him work for it and makes him voice his feelings, not accepting less then she deserves.

EJ wrote another of her amazing books and I can't wait for more!

Admittedly, I love how Eloisa James writes. She is a master of dialogue and characterizations and this book is probably one of her all time best. The entire premise is written precisely and with such attention to detail that it is entirely believable. I believe and fell for Mia and her predicament immediately. Not understanding exactly why Mia had to do or why she insisted on marrying Vander, our Hero came up with his only conclusion, she was that "mad" about him. In turn, he would make the most of a ridiculous situation. This leads to some fun with the difficult situation and actually adds a wonderful layer to the reveal from Mia.

This is a must read for any historical romance fan... and for anyone just considering Eloisa James, this will most definitely win you over. Witty, sexy, engaging characters and smart snappy dialogue. I fell in love with a few of the supporting "players" and for me, they simply added to the depth of the storyline and took nothing away from our newlyweds. Eloisa just gets how to write a deeply engaging, satisfying story.

4/4.5 Stars | Hot Steam

Feverishly frisky and wildly romantic, FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE delivers one of this year’s most astonishing and provocative couples. From their hasty, scandalous and deliciously debauched union until their emotional and heart-poundingly perfect happily ever after, Mia and Vander’s tantalizing love story enthralls and blissfully entertains page after sizzling page.

Still harboring an appreciative crush from meeting dashing and gentlemanly Duke of Pindar, Vander, in THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X, I was excitedly shocked and unprepared for the formidable, commanding and unflinchingly unrefined Vander that we discover in this novel. This new and delectably coarse Duke shook my lingering infatuation until I was dizzy with lust for his savage demeanor, filthy mouth, and insatiable drive to possess his blackmailing bride, Mia.

Initially enraged and embittered by his new petite Duchess’s cunning success in forcing their marriage, Vander soon realizes that the rebellious and utterly luscious “pocket venus” who stole his freedom is perhaps the greatest thing to have ever happened to him. Not only does Vander find Mia surprisingly and admirably intelligent, clever and courageous, he goes utterly mad for her alluring curves, innate sensuality and wondrous responsiveness to his touch. His fury is swiftly forgotten as acute attraction to Mia grows to dominate his every waking thought and action.

Vander’s relentless pursuit filled with raw admissions and bone melting kisses gradually encourages reluctant and insecure Mia to embrace her wanton curiosity and wicked desires, allowing her to triumphantly emerge an emboldened and glorious enchantress. Their once terse agreement transforms into four scorching nights that ignite a singular passion so intense, volatile and all-consuming that it’ll singe your fingertips!

Desperate Duchesses Devotees are sure to adore this entirely addictive addition to their beloved series. And, for those unfamiliar with Ms. James’ unparalleled writing and crave high heat in their historicals, look no further! Not only is FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE a phenomenal introduction to one of the genre’s finest authors, it’s also a decadent gateway read to your next series obsession!

Bottom Line: Read this book!

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! I thought the best book that Eloisa James had written was A Duke Of Her Own, but then I read Three weeks with Lady X....now this book Four nights With The Duke was the best of them ALL!!! Vander is not your typical Duke. He loves horses...and very little else. He is,nothing like the Duke of Villiers....the heroine, Mia is a novelist who blackmails the Duke, Vander into marriage...great twist to the historical romance. There is an Arabian stallion who considers Mia as part of his herd. Mia's nephew Charlie is adorable and at the end a love poem which will make you laugh and cry. A great book to read. (Glad that Mia enjoys the books of Julia Quiplet and Lisa Klampas...)

This is my second audiobook listen of Eloisa James' novels and I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical romance with humor throughout. Four Nights with the Duke tells the story of Emilia, a romance novelist who has found herself in need of a quick marriage so she can gain custody of her nephew. Mia turns to Evander, a man she has known since they were children and blackmails him into marrying her. He agrees on his condition that she only gets him four nights a year. Their relationship is combustible and full of funny quips and situations that make Mia blush. I loved Evander's friendship with Mia's nephew, Charlie. Evander's Uncle Chuffy proved for much comic relief. Also great to have an epilogue following the characters several years later.

Another one of Eloisa's best! I like it even more and more with each new book she wrote. I love heroine making daring decision, out of the norm of society, not a head-turning beauty, nor most-sort-after-of-the-season kind of girl whom a noble man would find himself in love-at first-sight category. But it's the beauty within, though lack confidence, especially about her look which was a sore spot, and the scandal her father caused, but she used her quiet intelligence drawn from the very thing that men made fun of when she was a young girl. Can the Duke of Pindar recognize these qualities in her and see her in a different light, can he even bring himself to love her and convince her otherwise?

5 star love story!!! If you are looking for an unforgettable romance this is it. I bought the book knowing that this was going to be a good story, but it was actually ten times better than I could have imagined. It had all the right ingredients and then some, to get me glued to the pages from the very beginning. I felt like I was part of the story. I was able to feel Mia's (heroine) despair, sadness, happiness, and passion. I wanted to tell Vanter (hero) to stop being unfair, stop being mean, and to open his eyes and look inside his heart. Their attraction and steamy hot scenes were so intense that I could feel the heat coming off my Kindle! I want to thank Eloisa James for her dedication and great story telling on a 5 star plus story that really touched my heart.

As always Eloisa James books keep you glued to the page until you have read every word. Vander is a hero who thinks he can't love. Mia thinks she is not beautiful because she is round and short. When Vander makes fun of her poetry at fifteen she thinks she is unlovable. When the life of he nephew is at stake she ask for Vander's hand.
I waited for months for this book, I was not disappointed. I would recommend this book highly. If you haven't read one of her books you should do so immediately. She never disappoints.

I'm sorry. I love to love books but I HATE the Hero. Im not finishing it. I think it's just this type of arogant ass of a man that makes me want to hit something. It might be my fault in that I just grabbed the book without reading any reviews.

Eloisa James does it again, writes a superb novel that makes her a reigning Queen of the romance genre. I simply loved this book, it was touching, heart-felt and humorous. Mia and Vander are perfect for each other, yet neither ones knows it...their journey to find happily ever after is well worth reading. The secondary characters are delightful and I loved the hilarious scenes and plotting of Mia's novel. I also enjoyed the tributes to fellow romance authors Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas. Great read!

In FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE by Eloisa James we have Mia Carrington, a jilted romance writer with major body issues. Our hero is Evander Brody, Duke of Pindar, a conceited, unpolished, rough Duke with a chip on his shoulder. Mia has had a crush on Vander since she was 15, but that is not why she proposes marriage to him in chapter two. Mia has to use blackmail to make him concede. He barely remembers her. It's complicated. Mia's father and Vander's mother have blatantly carried on a twenty year affair while Vander's father was in and out of the madhouse. Those three are dead now, but it's complicated. Vander reluctantly accepts Mia's proposal. When he realizes the real reason for her need to marry, his ego is deflated. Being married to Vander is a real shock! All of Mia's "book heroes" are based on Vander, but the real Vander is nothing like them. It's complicated. Favorite quote: "His body was the opposite of hers. There wasn't a bit of fat on him; his body was like stored motion, shaped to conquer men and pleasure women." It's a rough road to love, but it is worth the ride. I also loved the cast of characters including Charlie, Chuffy, Jafeer, and Susan the maid. I highly recommend this book!

What a fun book. Especially the references to books by Miss Julia Quiplet and Mrs. Lisa Klampas, stories which aided Mia in writing her own novels (took me a while to figure out why these two were so prominent). Yes, some of the story is predictable -- dumped heroine who doesn't believe she's beautiful, virile duke who has never had anyone tell him 'no', disabled nephew of heroine, nasty uncle -- but it all works out gloriously in the end.

When Emilia was a teenager, Evander and his friends found a poem written by her about Vander and they ridiculed it. Years later, Emilia must marry to claim guardianship of her nephew. She was recently jilted at the alter when in fact the man in question was thrown into prison by the nephew's guardian.

She decides to marry Vander, so she blackmails him into marriage. He reluctantly agrees but tells her he will only sleep with her four nights in a year. He believes she is still in love with him but Emilia reveals to him she is still in love with the man who jilted her. He insults her repeatedly. Eventually the two consummate the marriage and the other three times as well. A few of the times, he insults her afterward. At the end of the book, I hated him and wished Emilia would have gone back to the man she had loved when he returned to reclaim her. He was much nicer and sweeter than the Duke.

Then all of a sudden in the last ten or so pages, Vander admits he loves her. To me, it didn't ring true. Eloisa James' next book is about the man she should have married. I hope it is better than this one.

I love Eloisa's books. She has a different writing style and a way with creating her characters that draws me right in. I look forward to reading more of her books. This is part of a series, but cash be read alone. I have not read the complete series.

Ok I get that the heroines aren’t always supposed to be drop dead gorgeous, but seriously according to the descriptions this one was a troll. Could not get past all the faults she always found with herself. I’m thinking someone else wrote this, not Eloísa James.

Mia and Vander are witty and charming a great hero and heroine. Charlie, Chuffy, and the stallion are very enduring. I have waited very impatiently for months to read this book and I was not disappointed! I was great well worth the wait. Eloisa, NY Times Bestseller does it again.

I truly love these stories. Mia and Vander have been at odds for a very long period of time, but when Mia needs a savior Vander is there. This story has everything that makes for the best reading. Thank you Eloisa James for another great tale..

This is another fabulous Desperate Duchess book that is a must read! I wrote a detailed review at my blog Books I Love A Latte - check it out! You won't be disappointed with this story - great characters, sizzle and so much more! Download this now!

I enjoyed it. There were a few parts that I found...odd...but overall it was a good book. I'd skip the headings of each chapters. They weren't really necessary, but if you like them by all means read them.

Just what an Historical Romance should be: Romantic, Tear at the heartstring, sexy, can't put down book! I've enjoyed everyone of Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses books. I hope there are more to come!

So beautifully complex and intriguing....and it is so much fun to turn every page and find yet another delightful development in the story. A book that is like a chocolate eclair...it was so delicious that you can't wait until the next one.

Romantic, steamy, and funny--the perfect combination for a romance novel. Vander is raw and sexy, completely masculine. Mia is intelligent, brave, and has the heart of a romantic. Great secondary characters-- Chuffy, Vander's perpetually inebriated uncle who loves romance novels and quotes Shakespeare; and Charles Wallace "Charlie", Mia's young nephew. There's also a "bad guy" for added tension. This book is a keeper.

It was okay. Mostly felt like I was reading above my reading level and I had to go back to reread sections because I got lost, on multiple occasions. And I didn't hate the hero but he was a jerk for the majority of the book and for reasons the heroine loved him anyway... Probably wouldn't read again.

Mia blackmails Vander, Duke of Pindar to marry her. She buys the special license and has a few requirments. He doesn't read her requirements but has a few of his own. He wanted to marry for love. He did not want to marry the daughter of his mother's lover.
Great read. Will make you an Eloisa fan for life. Follow this one up with Thorne and Xenobia's story.

I am deeply sorry that I have to agree with some of the readers who expressed their amazement about how bad was this book especially coming from this author.
It really was. At least for me who has read a lot of this genre and a lot of this author. Some of her books are in my Repeat Reads, so I am sorry this book is one of her own. I sincerely hope this was a fluke, a one time mistake.
I dont like to go into detail regarding the plot, but it did have potential. Unfortunatelly, for me nothing was believable, especially the characters and their actions who didint make sense. While reading I felt stupid for not understanding their reasoning, actions or nonexisting "character development". I had to re-read some parts, but came to the conclusion, that "it wasnt me", but the book.
I felt frustated with it, waiting for the book to redeem itself, but having read 85% of the book, gave it up as hoples and didnt finish it. I wasnt curious at all.
Please pass up this one.

Feeling let down from an otherwise very enyojable author and hoping the next instalment will be worth my while.

I haven’t read a historical romance in a while—not since I devoured Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover, the final installment in Sarah MacLean‘s awesome Rules of Scoundrels series. Since I promised that I’d read more books outside the NA genre, I signed up to review Eloisa James’ latest novel Four Nights with the Duke. I hadn’t read any of her works prior to this, but I keep coming across her name. Plus, Julia Quinn wrote a cover blurb for her, and Julia’s one of the authors who really got me interested in historicals.

Four Nights is the eighth book in Eloisa’s Desperate Duchesses series, but since each book focuses on a different couple, I didn’t get confused despite not having read the previous titles. Still, I bet I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had read them, as some of the old characters do appear here.

I was pulled in by how the story combined two of my favorite tropes. The first one is pretty obvious from the blurb: enemies to lovers. See, Mia had a huge crush on Vander as a child, but he crushed (heehee) her affection for him in a major way (you’ll get a glimpse of that in the excerpt below). She promised she’d never marry him even if she was desperate, only to find out later that life did have a sick sense of humor. The second trope isn’t hinted at by the blurb, but you’ll discover it from the excerpt anyway. That’s forbidden romance. Granted, it’s not strictly forbidden, but since Vander’s mom and Mia’s dad had a very public affair, there’s an element of taboo there.

The character of Mia fascinated me. She quickly won over my sympathy, with her poetry writing and consequent rejection, and the fact that she pursued her dream of becoming a published author struck a chord with me. She’s even more admirable given that female writers weren’t socially acceptable at that time and were forced to use pen names. Mia’s a passionate, independent woman, yet she has deep-seated insecurities too.

Vander isn’t your typical duke either. Yes, he’s handsome and rich, but because of his family scandal, he prefers to stay outside the ton and distrusts females in general. Though he’s initially blackmailed by Mia into their unexpected arrangement, he realizes that he’s physically attracted to her and is put in the position of wanting to gain her trust. He’s not the type of hero you’d fall in love with upon meeting, but as I saw more of his layers—the fair employer, the kind guardian, the protective lover—he slowly grew on me.

While there’s an external conflict that drove Mia into seeking marriage to Vander, the main conflict really lay in their own internal issues. I’ll admit, I’m more accustomed to modern historicals, so the language influenced my enjoyment of the story, but as a whole, I liked how Eloisa portrayed two characters who defied their society’s norms and gave them a satisfying happily ever after. I recommend this to fans of the genre and of Eloisa’s series, including my co-blogger, Liana! 3.5 stars!

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
**Review originally posted on www.WillReadForFeels.com

LOVED this one. Loved Mia, the wallflower with a backbone, and she and Vander had some off the charts chemistry. And the angst! There's nothing more I love than that heart-clenchy feeling you get reading a good, angsty romance novel and this one delivered.

Eloisa's books are must-reads for me. I made a special trip to the bookstore for this one and wasn't disappointed. I love the slightly rougher hero and the less than slender heroine; the romance captured my imagination and brightened my day.

This book was soo good!!!! But then I haven't read an Eloisa James that wasn't. Great women who arm't weak pushovers, an alpha male who still has flaws . I dint want to spoil the plot for anyone, but you won't be disappointed.

I have absolutely adored Eloisa's books from the very beginning. However, after Lady X this book seemed flat in comparison. Some of the story line did not add up and I couldn't really feel the passion flow between her characters like previously novels. It just didn't feel fluid or complete. I hate giving her work anything but 5 stars, however, this is her only novel I can say did not really keep me hooked.

I am deeply sorry that I have to agree with some of the readers who expressed their amazement about how bad was this book especially coming from this author.
It really was. At least for me who has read a lot of this genre and a lot of this author. Some of her books are in my Repeat Reads, so I am sorry this book is one of her own. I sincerely hope this was a fluke, a one time mistake.
I dont like to go into detail regarding the plot, but it did have potential. Unfortunatelly, for me nothing was believable, especially the characters and their actions who didint make sense. While reading I felt stupid for not understanding their reasoning, actions or nonexisting "character development". I had to re-read some parts, but came to the conclusion, that "it wasnt me", but the book.
I felt frustated with it, waiting for the book to redeem itself, but having read 85% of the book, gave it up as hoples and didnt finish it. I wasnt curious at all.
Please pass up this one.

Feeling let down from an otherwise very enyojable author and hoping the next instalment will be worth my while.

I haven’t read a historical romance in a while—not since I devoured Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover, the final installment in Sarah MacLean‘s awesome Rules of Scoundrels series. Since I promised that I’d read more books outside the NA genre, I signed up to review Eloisa James’ latest novel Four Nights with the Duke. I hadn’t read any of her works prior to this, but I keep coming across her name. Plus, Julia Quinn wrote a cover blurb for her, and Julia’s one of the authors who really got me interested in historicals.

Four Nights is the eighth book in Eloisa’s Desperate Duchesses series, but since each book focuses on a different couple, I didn’t get confused despite not having read the previous titles. Still, I bet I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had read them, as some of the old characters do appear here.

I was pulled in by how the story combined two of my favorite tropes. The first one is pretty obvious from the blurb: enemies to lovers. See, Mia had a huge crush on Vander as a child, but he crushed (heehee) her affection for him in a major way (you’ll get a glimpse of that in the excerpt below). She promised she’d never marry him even if she was desperate, only to find out later that life did have a sick sense of humor. The second trope isn’t hinted at by the blurb, but you’ll discover it from the excerpt anyway. That’s forbidden romance. Granted, it’s not strictly forbidden, but since Vander’s mom and Mia’s dad had a very public affair, there’s an element of taboo there.

The character of Mia fascinated me. She quickly won over my sympathy, with her poetry writing and consequent rejection, and the fact that she pursued her dream of becoming a published author struck a chord with me. She’s even more admirable given that female writers weren’t socially acceptable at that time and were forced to use pen names. Mia’s a passionate, independent woman, yet she has deep-seated insecurities too.

Vander isn’t your typical duke either. Yes, he’s handsome and rich, but because of his family scandal, he prefers to stay outside the ton and distrusts females in general. Though he’s initially blackmailed by Mia into their unexpected arrangement, he realizes that he’s physically attracted to her and is put in the position of wanting to gain her trust. He’s not the type of hero you’d fall in love with upon meeting, but as I saw more of his layers—the fair employer, the kind guardian, the protective lover—he slowly grew on me.

While there’s an external conflict that drove Mia into seeking marriage to Vander, the main conflict really lay in their own internal issues. I’ll admit, I’m more accustomed to modern historicals, so the language influenced my enjoyment of the story, but as a whole, I liked how Eloisa portrayed two characters who defied their society’s norms and gave them a satisfying happily ever after. I recommend this to fans of the genre and of Eloisa’s series, including my co-blogger, Liana! 3.5 stars!

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
**Review originally posted on www.WillReadForFeels.com

LOVED this one. Loved Mia, the wallflower with a backbone, and she and Vander had some off the charts chemistry. And the angst! There's nothing more I love than that heart-clenchy feeling you get reading a good, angsty romance novel and this one delivered.

Eloisa's books are must-reads for me. I made a special trip to the bookstore for this one and wasn't disappointed. I love the slightly rougher hero and the less than slender heroine; the romance captured my imagination and brightened my day.

This book was soo good!!!! But then I haven't read an Eloisa James that wasn't. Great women who arm't weak pushovers, an alpha male who still has flaws . I dint want to spoil the plot for anyone, but you won't be disappointed.

I have absolutely adored Eloisa's books from the very beginning. However, after Lady X this book seemed flat in comparison. Some of the story line did not add up and I couldn't really feel the passion flow between her characters like previously novels. It just didn't feel fluid or complete. I hate giving her work anything but 5 stars, however, this is her only novel I can say did not really keep me hooked.

I have loved James books. As soon as one comes out I buy it. I was disappointed in this one. I had to stay with the first few chapters and make myself read on. There were too many sub stories to keep up . I liked the main characters and the family they eventually built together. This was not near up to James's great books I've loved.

I'm sorry to say this was a major disappointment...maybe the first Eloisa James book I have not enjoyed. The H/h were very immature and the plot was just plain silly. This wont stop me from reading other EJ's books - I've read too many great ones to consider this anything but an anomaly.

I am not sure Eloisa James wrote this book! The writing was not good, the characters were undeveloped, and I cannot decide if the story was boring or predictable!

It was definitely fast-paced...almost like the author couldn't wait to get it over and done with!!

The story dragged on far too much. Vander was an idiot most of the time. The stallion who could behave for mia was cliche and trite. worse was the mentions of authors whose names were close to Julia quinn and lisa kleypas.

Disappointment. I could not find anything in this book that would surprise me in a good way. Unlikable characters, predictable situations. Hard to imagine that this book was written by Eloisa James. Well, maybe next one will be better.