When the Duke Returns (Desperate Duchesses Book 4)

I loved this book and it remains one of my favourites to read. Only thing though, there are more chapters about Jemma from Duchess of Mine than I would have anticipated. Those chapters were interesting and provides greater insight into the next book in the series but felt a bit out of place? Nevertheless, When the Duke Returns is a novel that I will continue to revisit time and time again

I have read several of this author's previous works, so I decided to ignore the review that was disappointed because this book seemed much more of an introduction of all the characters in this sister series. That reviewer was right on. While I like the James style of having her two main characters be part of a group dynamic, in this book, they become lost in the sheer number of other characters involved. At the end of this book I really couln't recall anything special about Tess and Lucius that made me care that they loved each other. In fact, I keep wondering how it was possible. I am interested in the stories of several of the other characters, so I will probably buy other books in this series, but this book was definitely a waste of time.

I will read anything Eloisa James writes! Much Ado About You is the the first book in the Essex sisters quartet, and you will fall in love with all the characters...except maybe Imogen, I didn't really like her until Kiss Me Annabel.

I like the hero, love the heroine and am intrigued by the sideshow secondary romance (although I thought it deserves its own book and it did seem to interrupt the other story at odd moments). The climax seemed odd and wasn't as much fun as the rest of the book--the situation came out of nowhere--on the other hand, faced with danger the hero and heroine did exactly as they should have, staying in character. I think that's why I liked the story so much. The plot might have faltered on occasion, but the people were worth hanging around for.

And the two virgins (who do go on about their virginal state as does everyone else--it's a joke) are perfect. No cliches in their first time together.

Love the sweet & spicy main characters.
Would have happily read another 100 pages.
If only there were more men like Simeon in this world...
To wit I have only heard tales of their existence.

Every once in a while one of my favorite authors writes a perfect book. This is one such book! The story is romantic, funny, and quick paced. Each chapter brings more to the characters. I read the book the same day I received it from the store and it was over way too quickly.

I wanted more of this fabulous heroine and hero. I loved that she wasn't the same old same old English lady. She's a hot blooded Italian and she's more than a match for this adventurer hero.

Go to the author's website if you want an excerpt from the book.

I read on average 20-25 romances a month and this is by far the best in a long while. I wish it had been published in hard back! But its a keeper next to my other favorite Eloisa James novels.

I read another review from a reader stating that James's "Desperate Duchesses" series improves with each book. I think she finally hit her peak with this one. It really was the perfect historical romance with a hot blooded Italian and an eccentric, reluctant duke who runs about the countryside in short trousers (oh, the scandal!).

I loved that our heroine, Lady Isidore, was completely unwilling to compromise her beliefs, opinions, and ideas because a man and--more specifically--her husband told her to do so. At every turn, she frustrated and irritated our hero, Simeon. My suspicion was that he was frustrated because what he loved most about her turned his life upside down. Feisty, beautiful, and incredibly bright, Isidore was a woman before her time. And she's a little bit of what every woman strives to be.

Simeon, on the other hand, is intelligent, thoughtful, and stubborn to a fault. He has his own ideas about this proxy marriage of his and feels that Isidore should bend to that will even if she doesn't agree with it. He spent years traveling abroad and gathering up unique experiences like a bouquet of flowers and yet knows little of the ways of the world.

What I loved most about this particular novel is that it was unusual in that very early in the book, we discover that not only is Isidore a virgin (of course) but that Simeon is also a virgin. I've read tons of romance novels over the years, and this is the first one that identified the hero as a virgin...and he's proud of it! What a refreshing change! Isidore is shocked and actually assumes that something must be wrong with Simeon. But it's revealed later on that he had several very good reasons for maintaining his own innocence.

I truly loved this story and loved it even more as it progressed. Definitely one of James's best!

Simon comes from his world travels to meet his bride who is drop dead beautiful and wishes she was a domestic goddess. Typical male:-) Isidore is preoccupied with said beauty and attempts to seduce Simon into submission. Simon's eccentricities in the eyes of the ton are kinda cute but the all important spark doesn't happen until late in the book. I do like the characters especially towards the end and only wished the author had more interaction with characters in the first half of the novel.

This book was such a let down. I could not wait to read this book, but when I did it took me forever to finish it. It was very boring. This was my first book by Eloisa James, and Im afraid it will be my last.

This book might have been interesting if had not been FILLED with pages of sewage problems causing me to just skip these disgusting pages entirely. There was no way to get into this story with the descriptive pages of details of blocked toilets, gross smells permeating the whole house,and men covered in sewage. One or two mentions would have sufficed without the graffic descriptions. These (pardon the pun) made the whole story stink. It sounded as though the author was writing a history on plumbing rather tan a romance novel.

Very boring. There is no passion between any of the characters and they seem unbelievable. Page 264 and they are only getting around to doing the "deed". The whole story seems contrived as if the author could not decide where to take the characters. It took me a week to read this book and I usually finish a good book in 2 days. Wish I could get a refund.

I am surprised that this book has a 4 star average to be honest. I just recently ordered several books from Eloisa James and after just giving one of her other books (Three Weeks with Lady X) a 5 star review and naming it one of my favorite romance novels to date, it pains me to give this a 2. I have read my fair share of romance (Julia Quinn, Lisa Kelypas, Eloisa James, Conie Brockway etc. etc.) and I have read almost all of Eloisa James. I have said it in the past and I will say it again, her books for me are some of the best and some of the not so greats. I was excited to open the book and be introduced to 4 sisters as it was clear Eloisa was going to write stories for all of them. However the more I got to know them the less I liked them. The main character of this one, Tess, was very blah. I don't feel like I ever truly got to know her. Apparently she has to marry to save her sisters from financial ruin but that desperation never seemed that desperate. For me, it felt as if I never really got to know her or what she wanted, thought, and felt. As another reviewer said, this book feels a bit like Pride and Prejudice in that a silly younger sister runs off with a race horse addict. That didn't bother me as much, but the sisters' personalities did. The only one I liked was the youngest (Josie) and she was hardly in the book. Annabel and Imogen were selfish, irritating and unlikable. Also there was way too much time dedicated to what they were thinking/doing. I like knowing about the family, but when it starts to take away from getting to know the main character it becomes a problem. As for the story between Tess and Lucius, there hardly was one. They had a few stolen kisses, barely spoke, and then after a series of random events which I won't spoil, they end up married. Fine. But after that they hardly get to know each other. There is some problem with Lucius' family that hardly gets addressed even though one would think it would have been part of the reason Lucius is the way he is. After reading the whole book I still have no clue who Lucius is besides a rich younger son who made some money on the markets. What this book lacks is what makes some of Eloisa James' other novels truly great. It lacks interaction and connection between the two main characters. I remember reaching the last 50 pages and thinking to myself 'I still have no idea if these two know anything about each other'. There was just way too much time in the first 250 pages talking about what everyone else was doing and by the time we got to Tess and Lucius the book was over. I really hate to be hard because I am sure James spent time and effort trying to write this book but it is really really not her best. If this is someone's first time with Jame's work try something like Three Weeks with Lady X, When Beauty Tamed the Beast, Duchess by Night etc.

After the death of their father, the four Essex sisters become wards of the Duke of Holbrook, a man they’ve never met, and Tess, the oldest, feels she must marry soon so she can arrange suitable marriages for her sisters. Tess accepts the suit of an earl, but is having trouble resisting Lucius Felton’s kisses, who is not a titled gentleman, but very rich indeed. Trying to keep her sisters in hand, with one determined to marry for wealth, not love, one desperately in love with a young lord who is not only mad for horses just like their father, but already betrothed to another, and the youngest sister still in the schoolroom, Tess needs to sort out her feelings and choose a husband. I loved Tess and the man she ends up with, he was just perfect for her and deserved a happy marriage. I look forward to reading about the rest of the Essex sisters and their true loves as well.

I really enjoyed this. I especially appreciated that this has taken a different direction from the first couple books in the series and limited the number of story lines that are taking place. I liked seeing more of Jemma and Elijah, but I would have been okay if this book had only focused on Isadore and Simeon. I think the Duke and Duchess of Cosway are an excellent match for each other. Simeon challenges her to slow down and think before acting, and Isadore shows him that it can be safe to express his emotions. Even though they don't know much about each other, the pair of them have an uncanny ability to push the right buttons to make the other bleed. My heart hurt for them during a lot of the book, so I was very glad to see them find their way.

Cut to the Chase:
While James is clearly a talented and educated writer (there are quirky historical details that have obviously been researched, and her background as a Shakespeare professor is evident in some of the well-worked dialogue), this novel just didn't work for me. Our heroine, though independent, is almost willfully, inexplicably so: she's not just headstrong, she's often purposefully impulsive, almost foolish. Her husband, who has traveled widely and known kings and traders alike, is a bit of a lump: he's handsome, he has a temper, he has ideals he's unwilling to change, and then... nothing. There's no real development, just two purportedly strong-willed people who are attracted to one another, and whose connection never seems to rise above sexual desire.

Greater Detail:
I think that the strongest emotion this book elicited in me is... irritation. There are dukes (seriously, there are lots and lots of dukes in this book) and virgins aplenty... but so much so that things just start to feel too... fake.

Let's start with Lady Isidore. Married by proxy as a child (for her family's fortune), she has grown into the most ravishing of, well, ravishingly beautiful young women. She expected her husband to come back for her when she was sixteen, to consummate their marriage. Mentally and emotionally, she seems to be stuck in that adolescent mindset, even though she's now 23. At the start of the novel, Lady Isidore has taken to going to parties-of-ill-repute (read: orgies and tigers and bears, oh my), to force her husband to come and fetch her...

And... apparently after years of traveling abroad, tracing the start of rivers and meeting princesses who can translate poetry into seven languages, this is what finally does entice our duke, Simeon, to come back: the fact that his wife is attending a racy houseparty.

He claims her, they size each other up, and both find the other wanting. Isidore is upset her husband is a virgin who seems uninterested in bedding her, and Simeon is upset his wife isn't the docile doormat his mother had written him numerous letters describing.

They go through a series of let's-play-chicken power struggles: should they get an annulment, what kind of furniture should be replaced, and with what. They have little in common, other than intense physical attraction they eventually succumb to...

The most interesting detail was about the latrine that had been built, and then had fallen apart because of lack of cleaning and wooden pipes, thus infecting the entire ducal manor with the pervasive smell of sewage. And that's saying something, when the most interesting detail in a romance is fecal waste.

It's frustrating because both characters are drawn as intelligent people who somehow become idiots throughout the course of this novel, culminating in (spoilers of the final scene ahead so stop reading if you care) Isidore having hundreds, if not thousands, of diamonds, real diamonds, sewn into a ball gown and her high heels, auctioning herself off to a potential new suitor, and getting attacked by pirate-like folks aboard a ship for her efforts.

It was not an enjoyable read for me. I'd look elsewhere for my escapist romance...

Comparisons to Other Authors/Books:
This is only the second book I've ever read by Eloisa James (my first by her was When Beauty Tamed the Beast). Here's what I'll say: her heroes definitely have tempers, and there was plenty of action-driven plot, which makes me go with say Stephanie Laurens and/or Virginia Henley. I definitely preferred When Beauty Tamed the Beast, which had a genuinely gripping second half, as opposed to this one, through which I had to fight to keep turning the pages.

c booknosh.com reviews

This was pretty bad. I finished it. It wasn't the worst book I read but certainly the worst by this author. I usually like this author's heroines but I did not like this one. She was basically annoying. You wanted to slap her for her nosy, pushy, impulsive ways. Was the author trying to do this because the heroine was Italian? While beautiful, she could be a stubborn mule? If so, then I am personally offended. The references to Italians being hot headed and screaming (her parents) I picked up on that and didn't like it. However, the hero was completely unbelievable. A virgin at thirty? Come on!! Why? How? I'm not sure she even explains the reason, truly. A great looking guy, traveling the world for years and he remains a virgin?! Ridiculous. Furthermore, I hated his mother and was had to deal with her character for most of the book. This author tends to craft annoying secondary characters. Read Cheryl Hold. Great secondary characters. This author does get better. Her newer books are the one's to read.

Between a three and a half and four star for me. It got better as it went along and it kept my interest and did keep me reading. Almost a keeper but not quite. It was okay. Better than a few other of her older books.
What I didn't like. Too many sisters and too many confusing men in the beginning. Maitland. Mayne. Holbrook and the hero. Could you throw another "M" in there?! I couldn't' stand Imogen the troublesome middle sister. I just didn't think there was a need for so many sisters. The ending came on totally rushed, like the author was tired of writing this story and just put it to bed and fast. What was all that with the parents? the building up of his mother being such a witch and then the heroine meets her and she's not even half as bad? What was the point?
Seems like this author got way better. Her new material is much better than the old. Especially the last three in the new series. Love scenes kind of tepid and brief. Not nearly enough sexual tension as in her new books.

The fourth book in Eloisa James’ entertaining and fascinating Georgian era series, Desperate Duchesses, is a sweet love story and a second chance love story between two people who, though married, have never met.
I like Isidore and Simeon but their love story seems to lack that fire and passion that heated up the pages of Duchess by Night. The novel is really about how they get to know one another, a courtship of sorts, despite the fact that they have been married many years.
I suppose this story really drives home the few choices women had during this period. Isidore is married yet her husband holds power over her. Without marriage and a title, she will be ruined while Simeon will just continue with his life as if nothing has changed.
As in previous stories, we meet the enigmatic and sexy Duke of Villiers as well as get a further glimpse into the sad marriage between Jemma and Elijah, the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont. Storylines from the previous books also weave their way through this, the infamous chess matches and the salacious past of the Duke of Villiers.
As I’ve mentioned before, I highly recommend readers listen to this series on audio narrated by the very talented Susan Duerden. She breathes life and energy into all the characters, makes you care about them and what happens to them. I especially enjoy her reading of the men in the series, very provocative and sexy. The voice for Simeon’s harridan mother is magnificent. And the slight Italian lilt for Isidore is charming, revealing her sweet, innocent, yet very feisty nature.
Eloisa James writes very colorfully, with her descriptions of the extremely elaborate fashions and headgear of the Georgian period and court life. Although I must say that the graphic descriptions of the very sorry state of the Duke of Cosway’s water closets is a little too graphic, though most likely very historically accurate. (Shudders)

I like how this book started out with describing the Essex sisters and how they are all different. Series which have lead ladies with different personalities are always fun reads for me. (Wallflowers anyone?)

I don't mind when it becomes apparent right off the bat who the heroine is going to fall in love with, in fact I kind of enjoy how giddy I get when they are about to meet or are meeting for the first time. When Lucius is about to walk into the dining room and meet a slightly tipsy Tess the smile on my face was unstoppable.

The discourse between Derwent, Lucius's manservant, and Lucius is hilarious. I definitely hope Derwent sticks around in this story. I love how Derwent's eye twitching means to him calamity in the worse form, or to him marriage and just wants to escape the house while everyone is still a bachelor.

I'm quite enjoying the feistiness between Lucius and Tess, especially when Tess responds with "Much ado about nothing.." in regards to their kiss and Lucius's marriage proposal because of it. I love when author's work in the title of the book into the story somehow, adds a little something for me.

Such a plethora of characters that the main ones, Lucius and Tess, get lost in the mix at times. There is not much interaction between the two, but boy howdy when there is action it is intense. This is the first book in a series, the cast of characters are just getting introduce which is why Tess's other sisters get so much attention. Usually I get annoyed when the author gets to busy pimping her other characters for future books but the characters here are so interesting and intriguing as to where they could possible end up that I didn't mind…..at times.

I don’t know, after I finished reading the book I felt like Lucius and Tess's story was unfinished somehow. I felt like this couple had so much more to give! I would have also liked to have had more of Lucius and his thoughts and feelings throughout the book. The whole deal with Lucius and his parents felt completely unsettled, in fact the whole ending felt unsettled. There was a cutesy epilogue but it didn't satisfy me. This was a really good book but like I said before Lucius and Tess were pushed to the back by everyone else's drama. (My God Tess's sister Imogen certainly stole the show towards the end of the book for sure). Lucius was such an intriguing sexy character that for him not to be rewarded with a bulk of the spotlight, in his own book no less, was a shame. I would have loved to have read the conversation between Lucius and the Earl of Mayne on Tess's wedding day; at the end of the book we learn Lucius told the Earl of Mayne "to leave" but I still would have liked to read that scene!

This was once again sooo close to being a keeper for me; if only Tess and Lucius had spent more time together! I am excited to read the next book in this series, it's Annabel's story. Hopefully, with one sister out of the way that book will be less crowed and there will be more focus on who are suppose to be the main characters.

Oh, I almost forgot! What the hell happened to Derwent!?! I hate when authors introduce characters, get you interested in them, but never mention them again. Derwent and Lucius needed to have many more witty misogynist slanted conversations!

I'm not sure why there is so much dislike for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hero and heroine weren't my favorites as individuals but together they were amazing. Simeon and Isidore are both immature about how to handle a real relationship and that is clear from the book. There is plenty of heat between them though and they are clearly meant to be together. Both of them come into a marriage set in their own ways and it takes time and the 'great misunderstanding' plot device to let them see that they could work through their problems. The bickering and fights between them were actually something that I enjoyed. I prefer a hero with a temper and when the heroine stands up to him that makes it even better. I was surprised to see so many negative reviews about this book as I definitely ranked it as a book I would read again.

Isidore is Italian and beautiful, with a passionate nature. She is a virgin bride, married by proxy years ago. She has never seen her husband. Isidore is tired of being a virgin.

Simeon left home as soon as he could to go to the Orient. He immersed himself in the teachings of several wise men. He believes the path of a good life is to be above... well, above. Above things like passion, anger, strong emotion. Simeon wants to be cerebral and reasonable about everything. Simeon is a virgin - has been saving himself for his chaste, shy little bride. Then he meets her, and frankly, thinks she is not the wife for him. This is very unexpected for Isidore, who is a catch by anyone's standards.

I loved the dysfunctional family, I love that Isidore sang in her sorrow for her parents and homesickness, I love that Simeon was unconventional in, well, in everything. I love the struggle they had together to deal with his mother, his deceased father's debts and unpensioned mistresses. I love how Isidore taught Simeon to see her as an extremely capable woman, who had dealt with her own estates from early girlhood without a man's help. As she put it, none of her houses smelled like s***. I loved when Simeon realized his little brother wasn't at school, and wasn't even being fed properly. I really loved when Simeon accepted that the ideal life was not calm and serene.

I loved the plumbing problem. The miasma was practically a character.

This couple had unprecedented problems to deal with when they didn't even know each other, yet had been married (by proxy) for years. It is one of the best books I've ever read, and I can't recommend it enough.

Cut to the Chase:
While James is clearly a talented and educated writer (there are quirky historical details that have obviously been researched, and her background as a Shakespeare professor is evident in some of the well-worked dialogue), this novel just didn't work for me. Our heroine, though independent, is almost willfully, inexplicably so: she's not just headstrong, she's often purposefully impulsive, almost foolish. Her husband, who has traveled widely and known kings and traders alike, is a bit of a lump: he's handsome, he has a temper, he has ideals he's unwilling to change, and then... nothing. There's no real development, just two purportedly strong-willed people who are attracted to one another, and whose connection never seems to rise above sexual desire.

Greater Detail:
I think that the strongest emotion this book elicited in me is... irritation. There are dukes (seriously, there are lots and lots of dukes in this book) and virgins aplenty... but so much so that things just start to feel too... fake.

Let's start with Lady Isidore. Married by proxy as a child (for her family's fortune), she has grown into the most ravishing of, well, ravishingly beautiful young women. She expected her husband to come back for her when she was sixteen, to consummate their marriage. Mentally and emotionally, she seems to be stuck in that adolescent mindset, even though she's now 23. At the start of the novel, Lady Isidore has taken to going to parties-of-ill-repute (read: orgies and tigers and bears, oh my), to force her husband to come and fetch her...

And... apparently after years of traveling abroad, tracing the start of rivers and meeting princesses who can translate poetry into seven languages, this is what finally does entice our duke, Simeon, to come back: the fact that his wife is attending a racy houseparty.

He claims her, they size each other up, and both find the other wanting. Isidore is upset her husband is a virgin who seems uninterested in bedding her, and Simeon is upset his wife isn't the docile doormat his mother had written him numerous letters describing.

They go through a series of let's-play-chicken power struggles: should they get an annulment, what kind of furniture should be replaced, and with what. They have little in common, other than intense physical attraction they eventually succumb to...

The most interesting detail was about the latrine that had been built, and then had fallen apart because of lack of cleaning and wooden pipes, thus infecting the entire ducal manor with the pervasive smell of sewage. And that's saying something, when the most interesting detail in a romance is fecal waste.

It's frustrating because both characters are drawn as intelligent people who somehow become idiots throughout the course of this novel, culminating in (spoilers of the final scene ahead so stop reading if you care) Isidore having hundreds, if not thousands, of diamonds, real diamonds, sewn into a ball gown and her high heels, auctioning herself off to a potential new suitor, and getting attacked by pirate-like folks aboard a ship for her efforts.

It was not an enjoyable read for me. I'd look elsewhere for my escapist romance...

Comparisons to Other Authors/Books:
This is only the second book I've ever read by Eloisa James (my first by her was When Beauty Tamed the Beast). Here's what I'll say: her heroes definitely have tempers, and there was plenty of action-driven plot, which makes me go with say Stephanie Laurens and/or Virginia Henley. I definitely preferred When Beauty Tamed the Beast, which had a genuinely gripping second half, as opposed to this one, through which I had to fight to keep turning the pages.

c booknosh.com reviews

This was pretty bad. I finished it. It wasn't the worst book I read but certainly the worst by this author. I usually like this author's heroines but I did not like this one. She was basically annoying. You wanted to slap her for her nosy, pushy, impulsive ways. Was the author trying to do this because the heroine was Italian? While beautiful, she could be a stubborn mule? If so, then I am personally offended. The references to Italians being hot headed and screaming (her parents) I picked up on that and didn't like it. However, the hero was completely unbelievable. A virgin at thirty? Come on!! Why? How? I'm not sure she even explains the reason, truly. A great looking guy, traveling the world for years and he remains a virgin?! Ridiculous. Furthermore, I hated his mother and was had to deal with her character for most of the book. This author tends to craft annoying secondary characters. Read Cheryl Hold. Great secondary characters. This author does get better. Her newer books are the one's to read.

Between a three and a half and four star for me. It got better as it went along and it kept my interest and did keep me reading. Almost a keeper but not quite. It was okay. Better than a few other of her older books.
What I didn't like. Too many sisters and too many confusing men in the beginning. Maitland. Mayne. Holbrook and the hero. Could you throw another "M" in there?! I couldn't' stand Imogen the troublesome middle sister. I just didn't think there was a need for so many sisters. The ending came on totally rushed, like the author was tired of writing this story and just put it to bed and fast. What was all that with the parents? the building up of his mother being such a witch and then the heroine meets her and she's not even half as bad? What was the point?
Seems like this author got way better. Her new material is much better than the old. Especially the last three in the new series. Love scenes kind of tepid and brief. Not nearly enough sexual tension as in her new books.

The fourth book in Eloisa James’ entertaining and fascinating Georgian era series, Desperate Duchesses, is a sweet love story and a second chance love story between two people who, though married, have never met.
I like Isidore and Simeon but their love story seems to lack that fire and passion that heated up the pages of Duchess by Night. The novel is really about how they get to know one another, a courtship of sorts, despite the fact that they have been married many years.
I suppose this story really drives home the few choices women had during this period. Isidore is married yet her husband holds power over her. Without marriage and a title, she will be ruined while Simeon will just continue with his life as if nothing has changed.
As in previous stories, we meet the enigmatic and sexy Duke of Villiers as well as get a further glimpse into the sad marriage between Jemma and Elijah, the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont. Storylines from the previous books also weave their way through this, the infamous chess matches and the salacious past of the Duke of Villiers.
As I’ve mentioned before, I highly recommend readers listen to this series on audio narrated by the very talented Susan Duerden. She breathes life and energy into all the characters, makes you care about them and what happens to them. I especially enjoy her reading of the men in the series, very provocative and sexy. The voice for Simeon’s harridan mother is magnificent. And the slight Italian lilt for Isidore is charming, revealing her sweet, innocent, yet very feisty nature.
Eloisa James writes very colorfully, with her descriptions of the extremely elaborate fashions and headgear of the Georgian period and court life. Although I must say that the graphic descriptions of the very sorry state of the Duke of Cosway’s water closets is a little too graphic, though most likely very historically accurate. (Shudders)

I like how this book started out with describing the Essex sisters and how they are all different. Series which have lead ladies with different personalities are always fun reads for me. (Wallflowers anyone?)

I don't mind when it becomes apparent right off the bat who the heroine is going to fall in love with, in fact I kind of enjoy how giddy I get when they are about to meet or are meeting for the first time. When Lucius is about to walk into the dining room and meet a slightly tipsy Tess the smile on my face was unstoppable.

The discourse between Derwent, Lucius's manservant, and Lucius is hilarious. I definitely hope Derwent sticks around in this story. I love how Derwent's eye twitching means to him calamity in the worse form, or to him marriage and just wants to escape the house while everyone is still a bachelor.

I'm quite enjoying the feistiness between Lucius and Tess, especially when Tess responds with "Much ado about nothing.." in regards to their kiss and Lucius's marriage proposal because of it. I love when author's work in the title of the book into the story somehow, adds a little something for me.

Such a plethora of characters that the main ones, Lucius and Tess, get lost in the mix at times. There is not much interaction between the two, but boy howdy when there is action it is intense. This is the first book in a series, the cast of characters are just getting introduce which is why Tess's other sisters get so much attention. Usually I get annoyed when the author gets to busy pimping her other characters for future books but the characters here are so interesting and intriguing as to where they could possible end up that I didn't mind…..at times.

I don’t know, after I finished reading the book I felt like Lucius and Tess's story was unfinished somehow. I felt like this couple had so much more to give! I would have also liked to have had more of Lucius and his thoughts and feelings throughout the book. The whole deal with Lucius and his parents felt completely unsettled, in fact the whole ending felt unsettled. There was a cutesy epilogue but it didn't satisfy me. This was a really good book but like I said before Lucius and Tess were pushed to the back by everyone else's drama. (My God Tess's sister Imogen certainly stole the show towards the end of the book for sure). Lucius was such an intriguing sexy character that for him not to be rewarded with a bulk of the spotlight, in his own book no less, was a shame. I would have loved to have read the conversation between Lucius and the Earl of Mayne on Tess's wedding day; at the end of the book we learn Lucius told the Earl of Mayne "to leave" but I still would have liked to read that scene!

This was once again sooo close to being a keeper for me; if only Tess and Lucius had spent more time together! I am excited to read the next book in this series, it's Annabel's story. Hopefully, with one sister out of the way that book will be less crowed and there will be more focus on who are suppose to be the main characters.

Oh, I almost forgot! What the hell happened to Derwent!?! I hate when authors introduce characters, get you interested in them, but never mention them again. Derwent and Lucius needed to have many more witty misogynist slanted conversations!

I'm not sure why there is so much dislike for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hero and heroine weren't my favorites as individuals but together they were amazing. Simeon and Isidore are both immature about how to handle a real relationship and that is clear from the book. There is plenty of heat between them though and they are clearly meant to be together. Both of them come into a marriage set in their own ways and it takes time and the 'great misunderstanding' plot device to let them see that they could work through their problems. The bickering and fights between them were actually something that I enjoyed. I prefer a hero with a temper and when the heroine stands up to him that makes it even better. I was surprised to see so many negative reviews about this book as I definitely ranked it as a book I would read again.

This was the 2nd audible book I've ever listened to.

Isadore was married by proxy to Simeone at a young age and has been keeping herself chaste for him ever since. She's now 23 and so ready to consummate her marriage yesterday. Unfortunately, Simeone expects a prim and proper wife and, oh my, that is not what awaits him. However, Simeione is certainly not your normal proper royal either.. he is tanned, runs in shorts and practices new age philosophies.

Please remember that I was listening to this book, not reading it. The 1st part of the book was cute and I caught myself laughing out loud repeatedly as the author set the stage and dress. Then... talk about a dysfunctional family! I couldn't blame Simeone for hightailing it away from his family as soon as he was old enough. I could also picture the shock of it all to Simeone upon his return when he had to cope not only with his crazy, hateful mother but also his new unconventional bride. But... I really wanted to shake them both as they both seemed to be set on an annulment. That part seemed to drag on and on and on... Thank goodness, the book picked up again towards the end... and the ending was heartwarming and satisfying. I actually couldn't sleep the night I finished it and I laid awake in bed listening to it. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will go back and listen to the others in the series sometime.

3 3/4 stars!

Isidore is Italian and beautiful, with a passionate nature. She is a virgin bride, married by proxy years ago. She has never seen her husband. Isidore is tired of being a virgin.

Simeon left home as soon as he could to go to the Orient. He immersed himself in the teachings of several wise men. He believes the path of a good life is to be above... well, above. Above things like passion, anger, strong emotion. Simeon wants to be cerebral and reasonable about everything. Simeon is a virgin - has been saving himself for his chaste, shy little bride. Then he meets her, and frankly, thinks she is not the wife for him. This is very unexpected for Isidore, who is a catch by anyone's standards.

I loved the dysfunctional family, I love that Isidore sang in her sorrow for her parents and homesickness, I love that Simeon was unconventional in, well, in everything. I love the struggle they had together to deal with his mother, his deceased father's debts and unpensioned mistresses. I love how Isidore taught Simeon to see her as an extremely capable woman, who had dealt with her own estates from early girlhood without a man's help. As she put it, none of her houses smelled like s***. I loved when Simeon realized his little brother wasn't at school, and wasn't even being fed properly. I really loved when Simeon accepted that the ideal life was not calm and serene.

I loved the plumbing problem. The miasma was practically a character.

This couple had unprecedented problems to deal with when they didn't even know each other, yet had been married (by proxy) for years. It is one of the best books I've ever read, and I can't recommend it enough.

I read this and was delighted by the author's wit and voice. And I really slipped into the time period, thanks to her command of the Regency era (or her completely convincing interpretation of it). There were many, many sharply observed moments I enjoyed. But...

The characters took me a while to warm to, though I did understand their different personalities with the fair/dark, romantic/mercenary, gorgeous/even more gorgeous/pudgy, etc. differences between the sisters delineated a number of times. Important male characters were numerous but also well-differentiated. This story's main H/h romance, as other readers here say, took a back seat to all the introductions but I rollicked right along for the most part. Certain key moments seemed a bit abrupt, their passion goes from 0 to 60 in no time, really. I wish there had been more build up between them. Sadly, the male character I was most curious to know about, their guardian the duke, couples the least appealing sister in another book. But she could surprise me so I'll give it a try.

I think overall, sudden, important emotional shifts left me scratching my head, perhaps because it felt as though all was in service to the series' overview, rather than this story, so I didn't have as satisfying a sense of the two lovers' romance. I liked them but...well, what the others said.

I am surprised that this book has a 4 star average to be honest. I just recently ordered several books from Eloisa James and after just giving one of her other books (Three Weeks with Lady X) a 5 star review and naming it one of my favorite romance novels to date, it pains me to give this a 2. I have read my fair share of romance (Julia Quinn, Lisa Kelypas, Eloisa James, Conie Brockway etc. etc.) and I have read almost all of Eloisa James. I have said it in the past and I will say it again, her books for me are some of the best and some of the not so greats. I was excited to open the book and be introduced to 4 sisters as it was clear Eloisa was going to write stories for all of them. However the more I got to know them the less I liked them. The main character of this one, Tess, was very blah. I don't feel like I ever truly got to know her. Apparently she has to marry to save her sisters from financial ruin but that desperation never seemed that desperate. For me, it felt as if I never really got to know her or what she wanted, thought, and felt. As another reviewer said, this book feels a bit like Pride and Prejudice in that a silly younger sister runs off with a race horse addict. That didn't bother me as much, but the sisters' personalities did. The only one I liked was the youngest (Josie) and she was hardly in the book. Annabel and Imogen were selfish, irritating and unlikable. Also there was way too much time dedicated to what they were thinking/doing. I like knowing about the family, but when it starts to take away from getting to know the main character it becomes a problem. As for the story between Tess and Lucius, there hardly was one. They had a few stolen kisses, barely spoke, and then after a series of random events which I won't spoil, they end up married. Fine. But after that they hardly get to know each other. There is some problem with Lucius' family that hardly gets addressed even though one would think it would have been part of the reason Lucius is the way he is. After reading the whole book I still have no clue who Lucius is besides a rich younger son who made some money on the markets. What this book lacks is what makes some of Eloisa James' other novels truly great. It lacks interaction and connection between the two main characters. I remember reaching the last 50 pages and thinking to myself 'I still have no idea if these two know anything about each other'. There was just way too much time in the first 250 pages talking about what everyone else was doing and by the time we got to Tess and Lucius the book was over. I really hate to be hard because I am sure James spent time and effort trying to write this book but it is really really not her best. If this is someone's first time with Jame's work try something like Three Weeks with Lady X, When Beauty Tamed the Beast, Duchess by Night etc.

Much Ado About You is Eloisa James' first installment of the series featuring the 4 Essex sisters.
The is the story about the oldest, Tess. She has 3 other sisters; beautiful Annabel, romantic Imogen and practical Josie.
Their father has passed and so the sisters come into the care of their guardian, Duke of Holbrook.
Tess knows she must marry quickly and well to secure the future of her 3 sisters. She becomes engaged to a man she barely knows, but who shows all the proper attentions to a lady. She has also met another man, Lucius Felton. Lucius is a rogue, a rake, and the kind of man she wishes to avoid. When her fiance bolts on the morning of their hasty marriage, it is Lucius who asks Tess about her future.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved getting to know the sisters and their own distinct personalities. Hope to hear more of Lucius and Tess in the other 3 books.

Married since she was a young girl, Isidore, the Duchess of Cosway, is tired of her husband being gone from her. She and Simeon were married by proxy more than eleven years ago. Since their wedding day, Isidore has not laid so much as one eye on her husband. She remains a virgin despite the various attempts of nefarious rakes wanting her maidenhead. Yet, what good is her being pure when her husband is not in the same country and has not been for years. Isidore has a plan to bring her wayward husband to her side. The plan? To cause as much scandal as possible so that he has no choice but to come and claim her. Her playground for this scheme? Europe.

Simeon Jermyn, the Duke of Cosway, finds himself in a dilemma. Not wanting to upset the inner balance and fortitude he learned at the hands of Asian masters while on his travels, Simeon knows he has to retrieve his wife. Reclaim her he does but consummate his marriage he does not. Simeon wants to remarry Isidore because he feels the vows they exchanged by proxy so long ago don't count. Plus he wants to give her the opportunity to have their unfulfilled marriage annulled if that is what she wishes.

What Isidore wishes is for her husband to want her. She sets about trying to entice and seduce. All the while Simeon fights his own inner battles. Wanting to live his life the "Middle Way", he is in for a challenge with his duchess. I am betting I know the winner of this battle!

Isidore was way more patient than I. More than once I found myself wanting to take Simeon's clothes off myself just so he would get on with the marriage consummation. His wanting to resume his obligations to his family was note worthy and while he thought Isidore was not the proper sort of duchess I loved watching her change his mind. Her tenacity at getting what she wanted made me smile more than once.

The side plot of When the Duke Returns was just as enticing as Isidore and Simeon's story. Rooting for Jemma to find happiness, I am now on pins and needles waiting to see if she gets her happy ever after.

Eloisa James is a household name for me in the genre of historical romance. Knowing without a doubt that I am in for a great storyline and beautiful setting with each novel I read, I welcome each addition to my keeper shelf. When the Duke Returns has me smitten and I can't wait to see the next Desperate Duchess installment. Cross your fingers it is Jemma's story!

Natalie S.

Starting off with a shallow heroine, the Return of the Duke had no where to go but up, which it did but it took a really long time to get there, due to a storyline that had little to do with the main characters and everything to do with a sequel. There was also too much introspection and not enough action between the leads.

Heroine Isidore has been married by proxy to Simeon, the Duke of Cosway for twelve years, ever since she was eleven and he but eighteen. He has been abroad in India and Africa studying the tenets of eastern religious thought and adventuring down the Nile. She is tired of this and to summon him home goes to a very naughty house party knowing that Simeon's uptight mother will alert him to her actions. Sure enough he comes home.

Isidore is absolutely scandalized by her husband, mostly for his virginal state. Here is where her shallowness really comes into play. She would rather have her husband be a libertine, sampling all kinds of female flesh, committing adultery rather than have him wait for his marriage vows. She is in a word embarrassed. She herself is a virgin too. She wants to stay married to Nicholas so she can be a Duchess, not for any other reason initially.

Simeon has quite the homecoming. His mother despises him and he is uncertain if he wants to stay married to Isidore since he wants a biddable wife and she is anything but submissive. He suggests an annulment which infuriates Isidore. In fact, Isidore stays quite angry for at least the first third of the book hiding behind the proper etiquette that she believes her husband does not possess. Still she wants to be a duchess and knows one way to stay in the marriage is to seduce her husband.

When she follows her husband to his estate, her personality becomes less priggish. I liked the Isidore that recognized Simeon's honorable efforts to straighten out his family finances and admired her willingness to assist him in his endeavors. Her seduction gets sidetracked a little with his family and shared responsibilities but this couple's willingness to try to work out problems is endearing. The latter half of the book is good with the exception of a side story which never moved the main story with leads forward at all.

Married since she was a young girl, Isidore, the Duchess of Cosway, is tired of her husband being gone from her. She and Simeon were married by proxy more than eleven years ago. Since their wedding day, Isidore has not laid so much as one eye on her husband. She remains a virgin despite the various attempts of nefarious rakes wanting her maidenhead. Yet, what good is her being pure when her husband is not in the same country and has not been for years. Isidore has a plan to bring her wayward husband to her side. The plan? To cause as much scandal as possible so that he has no choice but to come and claim her. Her playground for this scheme? Europe.

Simeon Jermyn, the Duke of Cosway, finds himself in a dilemma. Not wanting to upset the inner balance and fortitude he learned at the hands of Asian masters while on his travels, Simeon knows he has to retrieve his wife. Reclaim her he does but consummate his marriage he does not. Simeon wants to remarry Isidore because he feels the vows they exchanged by proxy so long ago don't count. Plus he wants to give her the opportunity to have their unfulfilled marriage annulled if that is what she wishes.

What Isidore wishes is for her husband to want her. She sets about trying to entice and seduce. All the while Simeon fights his own inner battles. Wanting to live his life the "Middle Way", he is in for a challenge with his duchess. I am betting I know the winner of this battle!

Isidore was way more patient than I. More than once I found myself wanting to take Simeon's clothes off myself just so he would get on with the marriage consummation. His wanting to resume his obligations to his family was note worthy and while he thought Isidore was not the proper sort of duchess I loved watching her change his mind. Her tenacity at getting what she wanted made me smile more than once.

The side plot of When the Duke Returns was just as enticing as Isidore and Simeon's story. Rooting for Jemma to find happiness, I am now on pins and needles waiting to see if she gets her happy ever after.

Eloisa James is a household name for me in the genre of historical romance. Knowing without a doubt that I am in for a great storyline and beautiful setting with each novel I read, I welcome each addition to my keeper shelf. When the Duke Returns has me smitten and I can't wait to see the next Desperate Duchess installment. Cross your fingers it is Jemma's story!

Natalie S.

It fascinates me that Eloisa James manages to work an odoriferous disaster of a great house's sewage system through so much of this story. Quite the interesting thing to attempt and I would venture unusual to the point of eccentric writing design, in a romance.

But of course there is more, like a Duke named Simeon (one of the top twenty names for romantic hero for me....) that has never seen nor consummated his long ago marriage by proxy. He a virgin, another unusual design but a super fast learner at 30, she at 23 is a virgin (with clear ability to end that with any bat o lash) one wades into the mysteries of the Ganges in this, tiger rubies, family secrets and sadnesses firmly held by a heroine partially from Italy with a good bit of spunk and competencies. Her husband in name is himself in tug over who will head the household and what form their relating will take; it's the central issue of the book, who leads. He's not an especially flexible fellow, in some ways, but in others .....hummm.

Isidore has waited "long enough" for him forcing him back from India, and the tale unwinds the rather interesting journey to seeing if the marriage is to be or not to be. It seems that this Duke has strong feelings that passion, anger, fear take him from his Eastern path. He is student of of the Middle Way and fears falling into a kind of feeling he needs to eschew within its teaching. He contemplates that Isidore is not the biddable maiden he has idealized in his travels ( misled by his mother's letters). He has used her as a fragile and domestic image within his imagination to anticipate and hold in his long nights traveling. This idealized dreaming is a kind of core image he does not want to let go within reality. In foreign lands this kept him virginal and apparently warm at night. But here she is real, and arguing with opinions and abilities. Wow, he might have to not make every decision. Returned to his mother's decaying world, called to his titles responsibilities, a great many of his illusions are falling. Stench of sewer no less.

But our Duke seems up to it finally in quite unique ways. And the story is charming, as James work often is. A side story of Jenna and Elijah, another Duke tale, is set beside this story so the reader is moving between interesting subplots. One thing James does well is develop tid-bits that reference fascinating historical information. With a laugh I can say I've learned history this way and it's worked rather well....I can lay a side board. Coddle an egg.

I love romances. I realized reading that the idea of someone fighting for you is so necessary in love, of the struggle in power, the mis understandings, the mystery of this love force, the attractions are so nice to feel reading in this genre. This book a particularly good representative one to consider as a gift for someone that might be interested, perhaps as I am rather ill and needing it. I've been laughed out of rooms over this affection. None the less they are effective for me.
There. This one quite so.

When the Duke Returns by Eloise James

I love strong opinionated woman characters. Especially when they are not afraid to speak up or contradict a man and they go after what they want in life. Isidore has waited around long enough for her husband to make an appearance so attends a party sure to get his attention. And while he tries to "command" her, they both realize that it's probably not going to work that way.

This story has a unique twist in that both heroine and hero are virgins yet not shy about talking about it.

****minor spoiler**** I like the first sexual encounter between these two. They talked and admitted it didn't go well for both of them and they worked together to make it better.

Somewhere in this book lies the romance between Tess Essex and Lucius Felton but the reader must muddle through many pages of girlish sister dialogue, proper deportment on how to catch a husband and the uninspired infatuation of a younger sister's love for a resolute horse mad gambler to finally discover the passion of these two characters.

All in all, this book was really a set up for the other books to follow. Tess is the oldest of the Essex sisters. They are orphaned and made wards of the Duke of Holbrook, a young resolute drunkard.

They are all looking to be married and Tess's goal is to be first to marry so she can launch her sisters for the upcoming season. All the sisters are beautiful so it is not a hardship for men to find an instant attraction to them. Although an Earl has offered for Tess within days of meeting her, and she has accepted, she is quite intrigued by the Duke's friend Mr. Felton.

Lucius Felton finds Tess beautiful and interesting but is not inclined toward marriage. This changes as he spends time with the proper Tess. Their romance is slow going. This is due to the back story the reader must endure regarding Tess's sister Imogen and her already betrothed love Lord Maitland. Throughout the book, Tess is trying to persuade her sister to move on to someone else. Inogen is resolute in her feelings though.

The last third of the book picks up the romance of Tess and Lucius at full steam. There was practically no sexual tension between them until then. Their romance at this point is honest, physical and above all passionate. They discover their feelings and rely on each other as intimate couples do through difficult circumstances. It was almost as if these two characters had been suddenly painted in bright colors instead of monochromatic black and white. This book would rate four stars if they had been this vibrant throughout the entire novel.

I'm a huge fan of romantic comedy, and this book is one of the best I've ever read. The basic plot sounds simple, but James's execution is magical: Four sisters, aged 24, 22, 20 and 15, are orphaned when their father, a horse-mad Scottish lord, is flung from one of his horses. Tess, the eldest, has been mother as well as sister to her siblings since their mother died when the youngest was a baby. Tess is greatly worried when she discovers their feckless father has left them to the guardianship of a British duke none of them has ever met. But though 35-year-old Rafe, the Duke of Holbrook, drinks far too much, he is extremely kind, treating the sisters like family. It is obvious to Tess and her two sisters next in line, Annabel and Imogen, that they must marry since they have no money to support themselves and they don't want to take advantage of the duke. But since the only dowry their father left them is one race horse each that cannot be sold, they are afraid only undesirable men as horse-mad as their father will be likely to seek their hands. Fortunately, the sisters are all beautiful, and the duke decides he will have little trouble finding them husbands. In fact, one of his two thirty-something best friends, the Earl of Mayne, immediately volunteers to marry Tess in pursuit of a comfortable marriage of convenience. The only thing standing in the way is the duke's other best friend, the fabulously wealthy and extremely enigmatic Lucius Felton. Before meeting Tess, Lucius had no plans to marry, and he is dismayed to find himself far more interested in Tess than any man who cares about either comfort or convenience ought to be.

The heroine and hero, Tess and Lucius, are a great match. They are both intelligent, with a sense of humor, bone-deep integrity, and an enormous capacity for love and loyalty. Because of internal wounds they each bear, the vulnerability they experience as their relationship develops makes the love scenes not only very sexy (and they are hot!) but extremely touching. There are multiple subcharacters, every one of them adding an important element to the book, but the major ones, the tipsy duke, Rafe, and Tess's sisters, are particularly well done. Tess's relationship with each character is important to her story, and the main subplot of her sister Imogen's desperate love for an engaged man contrasts with Tess's relationship with Lucius in a particularly powerful way. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming three books about the other sisters. I'm especially hoping Rafe will recover from his alcoholism and become a worthy mate for one of the three sisters, because he's simply adorable.

I love Eloisa James. The language she uses just envelops me into the world of her characters, and this one was no different.

Tess Essex is perpetually on the outside looking in. Content to take care of her sisters and never having found a great love of her own, when she loses her father, she and her three sisters are sent to live with the Duke of Holbrook--a kind man but a lush and not well respected in Society. The duke sets out to marry his four wards off, and first in line is Tess. When the Earl of Mayne shows interest, the duke encourages the courtship.

While Tess realizes she is being courted, she finds herself attracted to an entirely different man--a man with a dark soul and laughing eyes. Enter Lucius Felton. He's wealthy, dangerously handsome, and untouchable. While he seems to be attracted to Tess, he's reluctant to act on it.

When a twist of fate leaves Lucius and Tess facing one another at the alter, their attraction becomes even more difficult to fight.

I loved the layers of these characters. Tess is timid and mild on the surface, but having practically raised three sisters and nearly minus a father, she has a backbone of steel. Glimpses of a sensual woman drive Lucius mad. And Lucius himself is a mystery, believing he is a man of little emotion and even less to offer a wife. What a pleasantly happy ending James led me to but not in the way I would have expected.

Meet the Essex sisters: four Scottish ladies recently orphaned and left impoverished with no prospective husbands. Now wards of the perpetually inebriated Duke of Holbrook, their first mission is to marry off their eldest, the witty and sensible Teresa, or Tess, as she prefers to be called.

Growing up without the proper training that other ladies of their kind receive, Tess knows that she must marry in order to support her sisters. But what she didn't expect is that she will immediately catch the eyes of two very eligible English gentlemen. There is the Earl of Mayne, who seems to genuinely like her and whom she will most likely develop a nice, though not passionate, affection for; and then there is the very rich, though just a mere Mister, Lucius Felton, who unnerves her and whose very nearness makes her heart somersault. While Tess knows that either man is a good choice, she is torn when both men ask for her hand in marriage.

While the story started off with a great promise, the focus on establishing the characters of the four sisters overshadows what could have been a really delightful romance between Tess and Lucius. Just when you think we'd finally get some action going between the main characters, the heroine would be involved in her sisters' dramas and so the focus is once again taken away from the romance. However, the interactions between Tess and Lucius when we finally get to the part are rather sweet, and at times, funny. The little banter we get to see between them surely adds to the delight of the story.

Overall, MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU is a pleasant read and holds promise for the stories of the other Essex sisters. Next are KISS ME, ANNABEL (Annabel's story) and THE TAMING OF THE DUKE (featuring Imogen).

When the Duke Returns is a historical romance set in England in 1784. Lady Isodore is now 23 years old and has been married by proxy since she was 12. She has never met her husband Simeon Jermyn, the Duke of Cosway until she decides to get word to him that she holidaying at home known for sin. Simeon rushes home but he is not the man you expect. While traveling the world Simeon learned to control his emotions with exercise, no sex (he is a virgin) and surrounding himself with calming thoughts and people. When he meets Lady Isodore she is chaos in a bottle and he doesn't know what to do with all his emotions. I love Lady Isodore she is stronger than what you thought in the earlier book Duchess By Night. I have learned to love this author's style of writing, lots of detail and emotions that give the reader time to experience the characters. Enjoy!

Check out the Desperate Duchesses series; Desperate Duchesses,An Affair Before Christmas ,Duchess By Night,When the Duke Returns (Avon Historical Romance),This Duchess of Mine due out June 2009 (Jemma's story) and A Duke of Her Own due out July 2009 (Villiers's story).

For the most part I enjoyed this book immensely.
I'll start with what I didn't like. The beginning was extremely slow, in fact, the hero and heroine are living apart for awhile at the start. So naturally I would rush through those chapters, the anticipation of their witty interactions getting the better of me. Which was fine for me, as I didn't miss much storyline anyway. After that, the story flowed nicely, building up the tension, emotion, etc.

The other major problem was the secondary story between Villiers/Jemma/Elijah. It was boring for me, so I skimmed through that too.. they were uninteresting filler chapters. That storyline felt like it was battling to be the main one, which it shouldn't. If you have to set the foundations for future sequels, add it very briefly. Not every second chapter or so. It can be annoying especially if the main story (Isidore & Cosway) is entertaining enough alone, and they were. I couldn't wait to see their relationship thrive and how their feelings grow toward one another.

I actually thought at the start while I was reading that this was going to be a boring book and I'll struggle with finishing it. But after the first quarter I was really engaged and couldn't put it down. Even had a few tears at the end, the characters really endeared themselves to me. Not only is this book emotionally gripping but had parts where you'd be laughing out loud at Isidore's naivety. I loved how she was openly vain and honest about her good looks/fortune, and wasn't some withering, petite wallflower type with no opinions. And Simeon with his 'wild' modern ways, running around town in shorts, etc. Hilarious.
This was my first Eloisa James book and I'll now be reading all her others.

The Essex sisters are in a pickle: their improvident father is dead, and now the sisters (four in all) are penniless and homeless. But their prospects are not so dire for their father has given them a guardian in the shape of the Duke of Holbrook (a youngish and rich gentleman, even if he does seem to be perpetually tipsy); and he has dowered them each with a much prized horse. The Duke in determined to do his duty by his wards and to see them settled happily in life; while Tess, now that she realises that she can count on the Duke to do right by her sisters and her, is determined to marry as soon as possible. Fortunately, the Duke his two of his closest friends visiting: the urbane and sophisticated Earl of Mayne and the fabulously rich and rakish Lucius Felton. The earl seems all set to woo her, but it is Lucius Felton who makes her pulses race, and whose kisses thrill. Should Tess make the prudent decision of allowing the earl to propose? Or should she wait for Lucius to make his move?

With this first installment of a new series featuring the Essex sisters, Eliosa James is off to a promising start. For while the series follows an old formula (virtually penniless sisters must marry for security), Ms James' execution of this old plot gambit is anything but, especially since she's introduced a rather interesting twist involving Imogen Essex, her obsession with an unsuitable suitor and how this affects her relationship with her sisters. All this will probably only be properly "fleshed" out in subsequent installments; "Much Ado About You," focuses mostly on setting up the series premise and the characters involved in this series. And while I did enjoy "Much Ado About You" enormously, I have a feeling that some readers may not, because the developing romance/attraction that the book should have focused on (the Tess-Lucius pairing) sometimes got lost in between the many plot threads. A little more of Tess interacting with Lucius would have been very welcome. Since I've never watched Sex in the City, I'm unable to say whether or not the comparision is accurate; but I can advise though is to avoide the plot synopsis at the back of the book -- it gives far too much of the plot away.

The Essex sisters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tess is the mother figure for her sisters after her father dies. She takes her sisters to the home of a drunk Duke per her late fathers request 'that the Duke is to be their guardian'. The essence of each sister is laid out for the series and how different the lives of each character is to unfold.
Rafe I loved. The showing of an aristocrat that intends to keep his word to a man he barely knows, to take care of his 4 daughters, that Rafe thinks are children, but turn out a whole lot different and more of a challenge than her originally thinks. the twists and turns are wonderful.
Must Read the series of the Essex sisters.

Admittedly I enjoy Ms. James's writing and especially her series books. Unfortunately, I have read this series out of order which is confusing. This is the first book of the series and helps the reader understand what happens as the books progress (Kiss Me, Annabel; The Taming of the Duke and Pleasure for Pleasure follow).

Tess and her four sisters have been left orphans upon the death of her father - as the oldest daughter, she feels that she must marry first to insure the future happiness of her three sisters. She has always been the "go-to" sister. She becomes engaged to the Earl of Mayne, but falls in love with Mr. Felton.

Rather than rehash the plot, just let it be said that this is a very enjoyable read - try to read the series in order for maximum enjoyment.Kiss Me, Annabel (Essex Sisters, book 2)The Taming of the Duke (Essex Sisters, book 3)Pleasure for Pleasure (Essex Sisters, book 4)

Much Ado About You....the first in a series of the Essex girls was an enjoyable read. I do agree with others that the beginning tends to start off a little slow. But introducing all the characters and their personalities, without losing focus on the main characters is very hard to do and I feel she did it fairly well. This book is my first of the Essex sisters and I do plan on reading the others to find out how they make out.

Tess is the oldest and bears a lot of responsibility for her sisters. She has to marry well and soon. The Earl of Mayne is attentive, sweet and willing to marry her, and will supply her will all the right connections to help her sisters. Everything she could possibly hope for right? Wrong! How can she possibly marry him when a stolen kiss by Lucien melts her heart. The story has some twists and turns and eventually they get together. That is where the fireworks start. They have great chemistry and you can't help but get drawn in. Lucien is by far my favorite character, because he has many dimensions. He seems practical and cold at times, but underneath lies a heart just waiting to love and be loved. The sister's struggle with being orphaned and death (on different levels as you will see) tugs at your heart and puts a little depth into the book.

I've read some of her books, and although not her best, I thoroughly enjoyed Tess and Lucian's journey.

In my opinion, a good story makes you feel what the characters do and you can't help but cheer them on. It did! It also has a good enough plot to keep you reading. And considering the fact that I read it in only 2 days, it definitely kept me interested. I recommend this book wholeheartedly, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In 1816 Duke Raphael Jourdain buys four rocking horses so that the orphan sisters that recently became his wards would not fight over toys like he and his brother used to do. He hires a nanny and four nursemaids to care for the children, whom he never met. The quartet arrives to a nursery filled with toys. The oldest Teresa thinks that men will be boys, but a shocked Rafe apologizes for his misconception. Tess introduces her younger siblings (fifteen years old Josie, twenty years old Imogen, and twenty-two years old Annabel).

While Rafe drinks too much brandy, Tess realizes she must marry off her siblings; each one's dowry is a renowned racing horse so she figures if men are like her father, besotted with steeds only, she should have no trouble finding a suitor for each of them. However, instead she finds an unsuitable rake for herself as Tess falls in love with Lucius Felton, disowned by his family for his unbecoming of a lord behavior.

This is a terrific historical romance that showcases family living in Regency England. The story line predominantly plays out as Tess and her sisters display love and support for one another. On the other hand, Lucius is fabulous as he tries to gain entry into the sisterhood although his reputation as being barred by his parents precedes him; his family relationships are the opposite of the sisterhood especially with his peerage mother. The final discovery by Tess and readers of the cause of his estrangement tells a lot about the times in a few sentences. Fans will appreciate this strong tale that much ado about fantastic writing.

Harriet Klausner

I've heard a lot about Eloisa James, so when I found several of her books in a thrift store, I bought them . . . only to realize later that they were 4 of a 6-book series. So, I downloaded the first one digitally (Desperate Duchesses) and started reading. It was so all over the place that I had a hard time finishing - but since I had four more books to go, I plowed through it. I think Ms James watches too much "Desperate Housewives." Anyway, to continue with this particular book - I had just read the previous book, "Duchess by Night," so the circumstances of Isidore's proxy marriage were fresh in my mind. In "Desperate Duchesses," when Isidore is first mentioned, Jemma says that she was married by proxy very young and has been living with her mother-in-law ever since. In "Duchess by Night," Isidore says that her husband has been gone from England for eighteen years. In the first few chapters of this book, we learn that the Duke has been traveling for about 11 - 12 years, and was in Africa during the time of the proxy marriage. Also, that Isidore lived with her mother-in-law for a few months after her parents died, but then lived with her itinerant musician aunt after that, until she turned 21. Doesn't say where she's been living for the last two years - she hasn't been living with her mother-in-law, since it states that she has been successfully avoiding her for many years. Maybe she's just been wandering from house party to house party? Young women just didn't live my themselves. And doesn't Ms James or her editor remember what she wrote in previous books of the series? It made it hard for me to get started on this book, because it irritated me so much to have the circumstances change so much between books.

And, speaking of editing, don't get me started on the number of anachronistic words, sentence structures and "snappy comebacks" she uses.

I didn't really have a problem with the hero being a self-stated virgin - especially when I think of all the STD's that were rampant in those days, and wonder how many high-born ladies were given these STD's by their philandering husbands. But I had a hard time with the discussion of how he knew he wasn't impotent. And picturing him running around in some sort of loose pants to the knee just made him seem goofy in my mind.

Another problem I have with each one of the books in the series so far is Jemma's attitude (and that of some of the other characters) toward marriage. I know that 18th century ideas of marriage for the upper class was different from what it is now, but these are romance novels - which mean we want marriages to be real and loving - not just business arrangements. But when any of her friends had marital problems (notably the Duke and Duchess of Fletcher in "An Affair before Christmas"), Jemma's advice was to dump the guy and find someone with whom to have an affair. We revisit this attitude again, both in her advice to Isidore about how to handle her prodigal Duke and in her own marriage to the Duke of Beaumont. Okay, he did her dirt many years ago, but now they are talking about working things out to have an heir, and she decides to be distracted by the Duke of Villiers. The Duke of Villiers who used to be her husband's best friend, but who is now estranged from him for some undisclosed reason. First Villiers turns her down because of this past friendship, now he has an about-face and decides to try to "woo" her? And this after Beaumont visited him on his "death bed" in a previous book and they make some progress towards forgiveness? I find Villiers less than honorable, and not appealing at all, despite his "beauty" and sartorial flair. And what happened to his almost-death wish in "An Affair before Christmas" when he decided he really wanted to marry someone? He got better (after a ludicrously long-lived fever) and went back to his dissipated ways? And Jemma - Jemma's got an attractive, intelligent, important, honorable man at home - why mess around with the dissipated Villiers, whose got nothing better to do with his time but play chess and hang out, at the risk of what she might have with her husband? Doesn't she have any honor or will power herself?

I'd guess not - since none of these "duchesses" so far seem to have any of those attributes.

Isidore is tired of being a 23-year old virgin who is patiently waiting for her husband to return from his escapades. She decides to lure him back by attending the most scandalous party in all of London - and sure enough it works! However, he is not what she expected and she is certainly not what he expected either. He was tall, tanned and gorgeous with an air of rebelliousness about him and she was everything he didn't want in a woman - sensual, alluring and not the least bit docile.

These characters were unique in that neither one had any experience with intimacy or even kissing. They learned about their own sexuality by learning about each other and those little embarrassing moments made them so much more lovable! They didn't instantly fall in love but rather were given an appropriate amount of time to learn and accept each other. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series.

Isidore is tired of being a 23-year old virgin who is patiently waiting for her husband to return from his escapades. She decides to lure him back by attending the most scandalous party in all of London - and sure enough it works! However, he is not what she expected and she is certainly not what he expected either. He was tall, tanned and gorgeous with an air of rebelliousness about him and she was everything he didn't want in a woman - sensual, alluring and not the least bit docile.

These characters were unique in that neither one had any experience with intimacy or even kissing. They learned about their own sexuality by learning about each other and those little embarrassing moments made them so much more lovable! They didn't instantly fall in love but rather were given an appropriate amount of time to learn and accept each other. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series.

The latest in Eloisa James' "Desperate Duchesses" series focuses on Isidore, the Duchess of Cosway, and her husband Simeon. They have a rather unusual marriage in that, despite being wed for eleven years, they have never actually met. They were married by proxy when Isidore was 12 whilst Simeon was travelling in Africa and India and he has never returned. In James' previous book in this series we learned that Isidore accompanied a friend to a country house party in order to try to get some reaction from Simeon. It works - Simeon arrives at the house party and takes Isidore back to London.

Isidore didn't know what to expect in her husband and finds that he's a man who doesn't conform to society's idea of a gentleman in clothing and general dress. However she does find hm very attractive and knows that she, herself, has many admirers. However when Simeon's initial plans to have a 'proper' wedding change to suggestions of an annulment, Isidore has to decide whether she wants to continue with her marriage with its many inconveniences, not the least of which are the problems at the Ducal seat and with his mother, or whether she wants the freedom she has never really had. And can Simeon, who has learned self control and calmness on his travels, ever get to grips with his fiery wife?

Eloisa James writes well and the interest is always kept up in this book. There were some rather unusual plot events (having the water closets cleaned out in the house, for example) and the side plot of Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont, and her troubled marriage was explored further although unresolved. Where the book falls down is depth of plot (this was actually a fairly simple story and I wasn't always convinced by the interactions between Simeon and Isidore) and historical accuracy where characters used American words in the time of George III (such as 'diapers' for 'nappies' and various American sentence structures which aren't used in England). I had looked forward to this book as I enjoyed the previous one but felt somehow as if it didn't quite satisfy and some of the improbabilities in the plot were too much to ignore.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2009

Tess and her sisters have just moved to England after the death of their beloved papa. Their first glimpse of their new guardian is...a surprise. He and his friend are playing with toys. Toys the good Duke had purchased for his new wards...only his new wards are not little girls...they are women grown. Tess has hopes she will be able to quit worrying about their place in life...but although the Duke of Holbrook is generous and giving...he's not going to find them matches. That leaves Tess to take on the responsibility. She's willing to marry and has even decided that Garret Langham Earl of Mayne will make a good husband. But it's not his kisses that fire her blood. No the kisses of Lucius Fenton do that. Will she be able walk away from the feeling she has for this man and marry the Earl, or will she take a chance on love with Lucius?

This was a sweet read but slow to start. The sisters are not as easy to like in the beginning but again...it all works out if the reader sticks with the story. This is the first in the Essex sister's series and Ms. James took a great deal of time introducing all of the players. This is one of the reason's this story was slow to start. If you are looking for a sweet romance you will find it here...just be patient.

I really loved this book. This is odd, because I hated the "Duchess" series, which includes "Duchess in Love", "Fool for Love", "A Wild Pursuit", and "Your Wicked Ways". This book turned out to be way better than the Duchess series.

Tess Essex and her three sisters (the following books in the series are about her sisters) are left alone in the world after their father passes away. He loved his horses more than anything in the world and each girl has been given a dowry of a horse. The Duke of Holbrook agreed to be their ward before their father passed away. He was expecting 4 young children and did not realize that he would get 4 grown ladies, all of which are beautiful. He immediately asks one of his friends to marry Tess, and the rest of the novel is about Tess and who she marries (she has more than one guy interested in her), and what happens when she falls in love.

I liked that the wedding happened before the love (I love marriage of convenience plots). All the characters are well written. I really liked Rafe (the guardian) and if he is not intended for one of the sisters, then Eloisa better write a separate book for him.

There is an interesting side-story with her sister Imogene (which will really have an impact on Imogene's book) and I loved Annabel's character. Josie, as the youngest, slightly chubby. youngest sister was also interesting.

There are, of course, the trademark "sensual" scenes that James uses in all of her books. Watch out for the scene that take place when Tess and her husband are at the race tracks.

All in all, this was a well written book, very engrossing and a great set-up for a quartet. I can't wait until the rest of the series is released.

I found the character of Tess very east to relate to and liked Lucius as well. My main issue is with whoever writes the descriptions on the back of the book. I doubt she (assumption as its a romance novel) ever read the novel! Lucius is described as a notorious rake, which is not at all the case. The back cover also mentions that Imogen will run away with her lover and I felt that kind of spoiled the first half of the book. You are WAITING and WAITING for that to happen, but it really is almost halfway through the book before that event happens. I enjoyed the book very much, but was thrown by the inaccurate description.

In the latest offering from Ms. James, you meet the four Essex sisters: Tess, Annabel, Imogen, and the youngest Josie. The sisters are left penniless and orphaned when their horse crazed dad dies. Arriving on the steps of guardian that they have never met, the Duke of Holbrook, the sisters feel scared and alone, so the oldest Tess, decides she must marry to ensure her sisters' future. Of course not all goes as planned because Imogen sets her cap for another horse crazed man, who is already taken not only by engagement to another woman, but also by an overbearing mama. Enter Lucius Felton, the long time friend of the Duke of Holbrook, Lucius shows up for a yearly visit to this friend's country estate and is surprised by his friend's charges. This book will have you laughing as you follow the misadventures of Tess and Lucius. I enjoyed watching them fall in love while Tess tried to keep her sisters in line. This story has a few plot twist that I was not expecting, but where good editions to the story, none the less. Anyone that enjoys Ms. James books will not want to miss this book. Ms. James once again wrote a book that has a great mixture of humor and romance.

First book in the Essex sisters series.

When her father dies, Tess Essex, as the eldest of four sisters, expects to marry and provide for her siblings until they find husbands for themselves. What she doesn't expect is the clueless guardian her father chose, Rafe, Duke of Holbrook. She also doesn't expect instant attraction to Rafe's friend, Lucius Felton.

Lucius is estranged from his parents for dirtying his hands in the stock market. He's made a lot of money. A LOT of money. And he has no interest in marriage. Imagine his surprise when he kisses Tess and proposes marriage. Tess, thinking he's not serious, says no. Then she accepts a proposal from another of Rafe's friends, Garrett Langham, the Earl of Mayne.

But disaster looms when Tess's sister, Imogen, elopes, endangering the reputations and futures for sisters Annabel and Josie in the process. And there's Tess, engaged to one man when she lusts for another.

I didn't skim one page in this book. Liked everything - plot, characters, dialogue, romance, humor, and a few things surprised me. Smartly written, a real romance. Second book in the series, KISS ME, ANNABEL, is out now. I'm getting it.

This is obviously the first book of a series, for much time is spent introducing not only the heroine Tess Essex, but also her three younger sisters, aged 15 to 22, and other supporting characters. The untimely death of the sisters' father, a viscount, has placed them under the guardianship of Rafe Jourdain, Duke of Holbrook. The thirty-something duke is someone the sisters have never before met, and whom their somewhat reckless father knew only slightly. Nonetheless, they leave their home in Scotland and are welcomed by Rafe at his estate in the English countryside. Tess feels guilty that the duke is burdened with four young women who are not his relations. In order to lessen Rafe's burden, Tess decides to marry quickly so that she can then take over responsibility for her sisters. She is almost instantly wooed by the Earl of Mayne, a friend of Rafe's who she likes but does not have strong romantic feelings for and vice versa. Tess does have strong feelings when around Lucias Felton, a wealthy businessman, and he seems to be interested in her as well. However, Lucias strangely acquiesces to his friend Mayne's suit and does not declare for Tess. Tess feels that she cannot afford to hold out for Lucias when there is so willing and desirable a candidate as Mayne is in the offing. How this dilemma is resolved, as well as miscellaneous flirtations, engagements and weddings, is at the heart of the novel.

The first half of this story was slow moving with too many things going on with too many different characters. Also, Tess' sisters were a little difficult to like or feel much sympathy for. The book took off in the second half and was much better. I enjoyed how Tess and Lucian related to each other in such an all-consuming way, and I liked Tess' enthusiasm and Lucias' sweetness. My one dissatisfaction is that there were many loose ends remaining around the secondary characters in the story. I do not need the presence of so many open issues to want to read subsequent books in a series.

James is balancing the relationship of the sisters with the romance in this novel. At first, I missed the couple time but as the story progress the weaving of the sisters with the romance started to blend perfectly.

It is easy to get lost in the this story. The magic is in reading it. I must confess I have read the last book in the series. It is wonderful. I can't wait to see the Duke get his story. Two of the sisters are hard to like. I should be interesting to see how James makes them into heroines.

A great historical romance.

This was an enjoyable read. I liked Tess and I loved Lucius. It started a bit slow for me. I thought the romance between the hero and heroine came on a bit too suddenly. I wish they would've had more interaction before they kiss. But it did pick up and it was difficult to put down.

I wasn't a fan of the rest of the sisters so I don't know if I want to read their books. I did like Rafe so I am curious to read more about him. And I liked the rest of the characters and would like more information on them as well.

Read from September 18 to 20, 2013

I'm so happy to be able to say that this is one of Eloisa's best books yet. The things I had a bit of trouble with in the last book have been smoothed out and it's just a pleasure from beginning to end.

There are still multiple story lines going, but this time it down to just two and I'm really, really looking forward to the next book which should be Jemma and Elijah's story. She has really brought those two to life and I'm liking them even more in this installment although the hints that are being thrown out make me wonder what's in store for them.

Thankfully there was plenty of time for our main couple Isidore and Simeon, the two Virgins. A very different kind of couple, a passionate Italian and a Duke who was following The Middle Way after having lived in India for so long. They were both delightful and the writing was above and beyond. Their 'first time' scene was so realistic and funny. And the problems with the privys...I can still smell it...LOL

Great hero. Great heroine. Great plot. Great writing. Great book.

I truly enjoy Ms. James' writing so of course read all of her books. She writes in many with humor, always excellent prose and sometimes whimsical - in other words, she is a delightful author of historical romances from my viewpoint. Some make me LAUGH OUT LOUD !

I absolutely love this author! I can't get enough of her books! I was so excited when this one became available and could not put it down. It was a little predictable, but there were more than enough surprising little twists that held my attention. I finished this novel wishing I was Tess.

I'm very tired of authors taking scenes or sometimes whole plots from already famous and popular books. Mary Balogh's Slightly Dangerous could easily be renamed Slightly Pride and Prejudice.

In Much Ado About You the characters are engaging and the plot interesting. However, there is one scene practically lifted from a Louisa May Alcott book. This might not be problematic except that the character is imbued with characteristics and nobility that he hasn't shown throughout the entire book. There is a description of the character given through the author's perspective that is the antithesis of every behavior the character showed. The character is unlikeable and uncharming and the author telling us otherwise doesn't make it so. This is important because it makes one of the characters who will presumably have her own book later in the series both unlikeable and unsympathetic.

There is also a bit about a sister's elopement lifted right out of Pride and Prejudice again.

I liked this book a lot, it was really good. The main character is really sweet and charming and the love interest is a very cool main character. The relationship gets a lot better in the end, in the beginning it is kind of annoying how they are all "oh, will they won't they?" but they get over it and are very sweet. 7/10 would recommend.

Actually my first book by this author. It was a pretty good story when she concentrated on the main characters. The main problem is that every other chapter she switched over to two secondary characters that you need to have the previous book in the series to appreciate. Also, it became clear very quickly that she was writing a sequel with those same characters. Why bother - she spent 1/2 of this book telling their story already! very annoying to read, as I said if she contrated on the main story - it was a pretty interesting story (although I learned more about bathroom drains than I really wanted to know)

I awaited this book with baited breath as I found the others in the series rather delightful. So when I started I had great expectations. While I enjoyed the story, which I sort of read in two parts - most the pages with Isidora first and then the next day the chapters dealing with Jemma. No I did not find this interfere with my comprehension as for the most part they were two different parts of a whole. The whole being the series and the fact that this book is in fact a continuation of the previous of in a way if you wish the characters and story to make sense. So while I enjoyed both parts, I found Jemma's parts seemed to have more substance to them than Isidore, which was a shame.
Still it is an enjoyable book worth a read. I look forward to Jemma's and Villiers books

I'm giving this a somewhat generous four stars thanks to the excellent last half. Up to that point, I spent three days leafing through the book in a desultory fashion. I can see what Ms James was doing - building characters and setting the scene for the next three books, but it was a sorry affair. The characters are initially dull and the comedy heavy handed. The dynamic between the sisters doesn't quite work as it did between the friends in Ms James's previous novels. They felt far too paint-by-numbers. Arabella is pretty and mercenary! Josie is bookish and plump! Imogen is insane! Indeed, it was only in Imogen that James creates an interesting (if greatly flawed) character. Otherwise, there is a sense that we've all been here before. Matters aren't helped by stock characters like the social busybody Lady Clarice - meant as comic relief, but rarely amusing. It's with the introduction of Lucian that things get interesting.

Tess and Lucian work very well together. The way she breaks through his reserve and polite good breeding, their sizzling attraction... it's perfect. Every scene they share is lovely; it's just a pity I had to trawl through a hundred and fifty pages of inanity to get to the heart of a very sweet, very funny little romance.

I love Eliosa James and this was definitely one of her best books! The characters were great and the story was immensely entertaining. I definitely recommend this book if you are a fan of her writing.

I like Eloisa James books, except for the fact that she tends to have too many story lines going, "When the Duke Returns" however is a nice exception. The book mainly focuses on Isidore and Simeon, with just minor snipets to Jemma and Elijah's story (which is the focus of the next book in the series "This Duchess of Mine") As love grows between these two, you can see how they each grow as a person too. This is truely an entertaining love story.

I am a huge Eloisa James fan, but was not thrilled with this book and had to force myself to finish it. It is very clear even without ever knowing more books would follow that was her intention, a setup. Too much time was spent explaining each sister over and over again so we could truly get a sense of them. I felt that Tess really deserved a true story of her own, not one thrown into the mix of all the many explanations. I thought Imogen would NEVER finally run away with her love as we were told she would by reading the back cover. The story was very slow paced and instead of sitting down and finishing it the way I have done with all of her books prier it took me three days. Then suddenly when there are less than 50 pages left it grew interesting. It was truly a letdown but I hope the ones to follow will be better without all the explaining. We can only hope.

So the hero and heroine are both virgins. Big deal! Their conversations and reactions to each other are both heart-warming and amusing at the same time.

My big complaint was that Eloisa James bogged down this book by having too many sub-plots. The Jemma-Villiers storyline was just too much for this love story; it overshadowed the innocent and carefree feeling of Isidore and Simon's relationship.

Not her best work, simply because there was just too much going on.

For me to figure out who the two major characters were. There was so much intermingling of people during the first half, kept me wondering ! Was a very good story and anxious to read more about the Essex Sisters.

Well written and very enjoyable. The sisters are vivid, and there is plenty going on in the plot. Not much for character development, but also no ridiculous angst pretending to be character development.

I can't believe all the good reviews this book got! Where can I start? They talk a LOT about the sewer needing to be cleaned and it permeating the house, all the bills his father didn't pay, his father being nuts, his mother being nuts......blah blah blah blah blah. Boring, strange, uninteresting story line. This has got to be the WORST story I have EVER read! So glad I took it out of the library and didn't waste my money on this. It wasn't even romantic! No build up of that romantic tension that can be so enjoyable to read! I got so sick of hearing about the water closet being broke and full of crap! I mean really! I still can't believe all the high reviews! (shaking head).

This is my first book by Eloisa James. She is an excellent writer, and I enjoyed this novel--my favorite genre, Regency romance--but I would have enjoyed it more if the pace hadn't been so plodding throughout much of the book. Too talky at times, too much dialogue, not enough action. But I certainly plan to read at least one more book in the Essex series.

This is the first book I have read by Eloisa James and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Isidore is a strong young woman and it was pleasurable to see how she brought about Simeon's development of affection. Surprisingly enough, my favorite scene from the book was contained in chapter 16 and took place between two of the secondary characters. Good writing in a novel is evidenced by a chapter which may stand on its own as a short story. I look forward to reading other novels within this series. RC, NYC

This book is delightful. The story is clever, witty and intensely sensual, and the budding relationship between Tess and her newly-acquired husband is a delight. This book gets better and better the more times you read it. Ms. James is a truly accomplished author.

Almost immediately I became enchanted with the sisters. They, and their manner of speaking, came across as real. Tess's practicality along with her need to grasp life moved me. Ms. James' writing made me feel that I was there, and I fell in love with all the characters. It is a beautiful story that doesn't disappoint.

I really enjoy this author and her books. I like how she intertwines characters from one book to the other. Reading the Essex sister books was very entertaining. They got me hooked to this author. Thanks Eloisa James for your fun and witty stories with just the right amount of eroticism.

I don't want to give away to much of the book. I will say that the premise of the story is interesting, and that the characters are witty and clever. The problem is the fact that at times the dialogue is not the best. Also the chemistry that is illustrated between the characters is non existent.

The author I think chose to try something new in this book and for me it did not work.

I don't want to spoil the story for others who wish to read it other then to say--your typical romance novel has a very attractive, masculine hero--in this story you have a hero near to 30 years old who is a virgin...I didn't get any alpha male vibes in this character--I did not understand his celibacy tendencies other then he did not want to give his 'future bride' any STDS upon marriage. Please-- this was not romantic!

I did not care for the heroine either- I will leave it at that.

It was just wrong-- this one was not, 'my cup of tea'.

This book was not worth the effort it took to make myself finish it. If I pay for it, I am determined to finish it and it took some doing in order to do so. If it has not been 2 degrees outside, I would not have read it. The plot (was there one?) made no sense, the hero unbelievable and it went on far to long.

I really enjoy this author and her books. I like how she intertwines characters from one book to the other. Reading the Essex sister books was very entertaining. They got me hooked to this author. Thanks Eloisa James for your fun and witty stories with just the right amount of eroticism.

I don't want to give away to much of the book. I will say that the premise of the story is interesting, and that the characters are witty and clever. The problem is the fact that at times the dialogue is not the best. Also the chemistry that is illustrated between the characters is non existent.

The author I think chose to try something new in this book and for me it did not work.

I don't want to spoil the story for others who wish to read it other then to say--your typical romance novel has a very attractive, masculine hero--in this story you have a hero near to 30 years old who is a virgin...I didn't get any alpha male vibes in this character--I did not understand his celibacy tendencies other then he did not want to give his 'future bride' any STDS upon marriage. Please-- this was not romantic!

I did not care for the heroine either- I will leave it at that.

It was just wrong-- this one was not, 'my cup of tea'.

This book was not worth the effort it took to make myself finish it. If I pay for it, I am determined to finish it and it took some doing in order to do so. If it has not been 2 degrees outside, I would not have read it. The plot (was there one?) made no sense, the hero unbelievable and it went on far to long.

I bought this book as either a Christmas or Birthday book for my Mom. The only reason I bought it was b/c it and the other book I bought were the only ones I knew my mom didn't have (I've bought her duplicate books before).

Anyway, if this book isn't the most boring one I've ever read, it's definitely close. I'm surprised I even managed to read as much as I did before finally tossing it over my shoulder onto the floor. Half the time I couldn't even remember who the main male in the book was supposed to be. I didn't find Tess or her sister's charming, or whatever his name was, or even the rest of them. This book was an utter waste of my time and money and the only reason I gave it a star was b/c the store wouldn't let me leave it blank.

This book is SERIOUSLY lacking. Its not written well, which can usually be overcome with an interesting and gripping story. However, the story was all over the place. We are given little glimpses of other stories and wonder what it has to do with the present book. The plot is ridiculous, it did not allow me to love the characters as I should have. Yes, Isidore is a great but the story between the two is not very gripping. And the minor characters, like his mother, jemma, etc ugh, this is just a very frustrating book. I love historical romance, but I prefer Johanna Lindsey or Stephanie Laurens.

I don't mind series books-what I do mind is different storylines for the series running throughout the book. Write a story -tell THAT story!!!
Why write Jemma's book? Half this book was her storyline. I found this book boring, with no character development. This whole series has been that way. I definitely recommend her other series which aren't as bad.

Reading this book gave me the impression that Eloisa James had done extensive research on 18th century plumbing, and wanted to make the most out of that knowledge. Page after page is devoted to discussion of the disgusting, malodorous water closets. At one point our intrepid hero, the duke, is too repulsed to hit a man covered with poo and so he instead delivers him a roundhouse kick to the face. One of several roundhouse kicks to the face the duke uses to take down bad guys. I actually had to read that part aloud to my husband, so he too could partake in the ridiculousness. This is not a book I would recommend.

I haven't bought a romance novel in a while because...well the last few I have bought were horrible and I decided to save my cash and re-read all my favorites. Anyway, I liked the idea of a Duke coming home to a "bride" he's never met and it seemed the basis for a really good book but what a disappointment. I never really read the book after the first couple chapters. I just skipped around trying to figure out who was who and really, have you ever met a man who was a thirty year old virgin who wasn't a big time loser???? That was when I really stopped reading it. Oh well, I'll take it to the used book store and get another romance that will hopefully be alot better and cheaper!!!