I Presume (Two Dukes of Wyndham - Mr. Cavendish

I read this book when it was first released, but have waited until now to add my two cents so my opinion would be well considered, rather than a knee jerk reaction to Quinn's novel. Pure and simple.... I did not like the book. I understood that Mr. Cavendish was the same story as Lost Duke, told from a different point of view, but it just didn't work. We didn't really get another point of view with this story - simply a rehash of Lost Duke, with a little new info added. I know a writer of Ms. Quinn's caliber understands the concept of POV, so I can only assume her editor was not clear on just what should have happened. I have read several books that are familiar stories told from a different point of view that were wonderful (the Ender's Game series, Mr. Darcy's Diary, and Pamela Aidan's Gentleman series to name a few) so I know the concept can work, it just wasn't executed well here. Even though the timeline is the same, the reader was still treated to too much of the previous book's characters, who simply were not that engaging the first time around. The reader was hardly treated to an alternate point of view, simply a Cliff's Notes version of Lost Duke with Thomas standing around (and frankly, Lost Duke was pretty bland - the story really couldn't take being watered down even more).

I realize that Julia Quinn's style is an ever developing thing, and she is not going to crank out novels that are the same format time after time - that would become stale. The style of her last couple of novels, however, has changed in a way that is rather disappointing. The characters think a great deal, rather than speak to each other. One of Quinn's trademarks was witty, sparkling dialog that made for some laugh out loud moments when reading. Now, the characters are rather paper thin, bland and they must be charming because the reader keeps being told how charming they are. They don't actually DO anything charming, the reader just keeps getting told they simply ARE. The reader is being told what the character is thinking, instead of the character acting on their situation or speaking to another character. Frankly, reading about people thinking gets pretty dull.Thomas should have leapt off the page. Instead, the reader was treated to a great deal of introspection (nothing that wasn't offered up in the last book) and the character was simply a yawnfest. He showed very few signs of life until the final pages of the novel, building to the proposal scene.... a proposal scene that was actually rather bland. Apparently the reader was supposed to find the situation romantic because Amelia says it was so.

I like Julia Quinn's work (well, not these last two titles, but other than that, I am a fan), but I am not a sycophant who will proclaim anything with Quinn's name on it to be a masterpiece. Regardless of what new ideas and directions JQ decides to experiment with, there is one constant I hope she will retain, and that is writing characters with actual personalities. Her ability to do so in the past is the reason her books debut on the NY Times Best Sellers list, but the paper thin characterizations of Thomas and Amelia (not to mention Jack and Grace) are the reason the titles drop like a rock on the list once they come out.

I'm still a fan and am hoping for the best with her next title, but this one was a dud.

JQ copied LDW verbatim to this book. I know, I read them side by side. I'm surprised it took so long to release this book, since it was 80% written. JQ is an elegant enough author, she could have handled both stories in one book instead of duping readers into spending time and money re-reading her work under a new book cover. It's unfortunate that she didn't reward her fans with a better read. I haven't even finished the Bridgerton series (I needed a break) and I'm not sure that I will. I don't think authors should be rewarded in sales when they pull this kind of farce on loyal fans.

I know that 57 people have gone before me so nothing I say will be new, but I just had to add my two sentences. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I knew the problems with it, and expected it to be very bad. I hated 'The lost Duke' and I fully expected to hate this book. But I felt far more in tune with Amelia and Thomas, and Quinn seemed to have toned down her manic prose to make the reading a little easier. It had more depth to it than 'Duke' although I must admit it still had a way to go. I would like to give it 3 and a half stars, but have to stick with 3. Hopefully, Quinn will get the message about these last few disastrous books she has written. I am one of many devoted fans who has almost lost the faith.

I am a devoted Julia Quinn fan and so it is regretful that I must rate this book so poorly.

I bought this book as soon as the publisher released it and I have still not finished this book. Since so much time has elapsed, I can now began reading this book anew and won't be so terribly bored with how this book is a rehash of the earlier companion book.

In fact, I couldn't really empathize or sympathize with the main characters as I found them somewhat unlikeable.

To summarize, don't spend a lot of money buying this book. Buy it used or share the cost with a friend.

As some of the reviewers have commented on this book, it was a huge rehashed of the same tale just now told from 2 different perspectives. It was only different occasionally & almost everything was identical which we'd already knew from the 1st book. For me it was a tad worse as i'd just finished The Lost Duke about 2 wks ago & then went straight onto this one so i ended up flipping through almost the whole book except for the written perspectives of Amelia & Thomas which wasn't often enough. I felt cheated both in the context of the story & in the price i paid. I love Julia Quinn's The Bridgerton Family, so was very disappointed with this series as it felt just "luke warm" to me. I wasn't engaged enough. It just didn't work and fell flat of expectation. I've been disappointed with this author's books lately starting with The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever which I wasn't very impressed with and may not buy the sequel to it, and now with these 2 books so i may give her a short break & spend my money elsewhere.

I cannot fathom how there are so many low reviews on this book. After reading The Lost Duke of Wyndham, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one. Lost Duke was just okay for me, and since Mr. Cavendish is a retelling from a different perspective, I worried. But I worried needlessly. This is one of my top 3 favorite JQ novels. I even made my husband read it, and he loved it too. Fast paced and fun, yet gut-wrenching and nail-biting at the same time - I might just have to read it again :)

I agree with most of the other reviewers about how this book was written. While, of course, I wanted to read Thomas and Amelia's story, I didn't think it would take place at the same time as Grace and Jack's and, like others said, we read the same things over and over in this book that we did in the first. I'm guessing JQ did this so that while Amelia would fall in love with him as a duke, would she love him as a mere mister when he was stripped of his title, but I found myself skimming over many of the pages because I already knew what would happen. I think this could have been a much better story if she'd begun after Grace and Jack had married.

I used to love Julia Quinn, but this book is one fat disappointment. In two words: boring and annoying. Mrs.Quinn is good with words, no doubt about it, but there are just two many of them in this story...with no sense behind. After finishing a half of the book, I asked myself: Well, what's happened? NOTHING, was my sincere answer to myself. Characters are walking and talking and all you want is to yell: Come on guys, do some! You can skip a dozen of pages and won't miss anything... Nah, that's not how I like my love story

First I should state I did not read the first book of this duo. And after I read the reviews I was not going to buy it, but I saw it in a local book shop and picked it up with a groan. You can imagine my surprise when I read it and found it to be actually very good. Given the circumstance and situation I found the characters and plot reasonable. Unlike the other J,Quinn books I have read this is not a funny book and tends to be more non the drama side but not dramatic. It reminded me a lot of works by Jane Austin.

I am a fan of Julia Quinn (I have read some of her bridgerton books repeatedly), and so am sorry to say that this book bears all the signs of a book that has been written too quickly for commercial reasons. Particularly for those who have read the - also disappointing - prequel THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM it is not wothwhile to buy this book. 80 % of the confused-identity story overlaps and is no more interesting than the first time, although it unfortunately overshadows the love story of Thomas and Amelia (as it did in the book about Jack and Grace). The conversations between Amelia and Thomas are written in a frustratring (supposedly 'witty') staccato style which tires after the first few pages and Amelia and Thomas' feelings for each other remain somewhat superficial. A huge disappointment!

If you bought Book 1: "The Lost Duke....", then definitely save your money by skipping this one. The author totally insults the reader's intelligence by portraying "Mr Cavendish..." as a sequel but it is nothing more than a re-write of the first book from another character's point of view. That would have been good if she provided more interest and insight into the characters, but she doesn't. I guess Julia was having writer's block and couldn't think of anything else to write. After reading "The Lost Duke..." I was looking forward to finding out what happened to Mr Cavendish. Well save yourself some time and just read the last quarter of the book, if that much. I usaully enjoy Quinn's books so I was genuinely disappointed to have bought this one and to have spent the time to read it.

I am so disappointed. I expected this to begin where book 1, The Lost Duke of Wyndham, ended. That story, now of Thomas, continued, I hoped to read. Instead, this is a lazy regurgitation of an already unexciting story from the perspectives of Thomas and Amelia. Dull! We already know most of the plot! Dialog and scenes re-printed. This is a a surprisingly lazy attempt from one of my all time favorite authors. The two books could have been combined to make, a perhaps, richer stand alone novel.

Oh well.

I agree with reviewers that this book was disappointingly repetetive after reading the first Duke of Wyndham book. I think Quinn's idea of writing the same story from two perspectives was better in theory than in execution.

However, I still gave this four stars because other than the fact that I knew what was going to happen, it was well-written, and I liked both characters. Thomas was a good old-fashioned Regency hero, with just the right amount of charm and reserved control. Ameila seemed very real to me, and you could actually see the relationship between the characters developming.

My real regret is that I wasn't able to read this one first. If not for the the odd "two books and one story" misstep, I probably would have given this five stars.

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume is all right as a light read. Without giving away anything about the plot, there is a huge problem with the money mentioned in the story that makes the last quarter of the book trite. Money that came from Thomas` mother would stay with Thomas.

Mr.Cavendish, I Presume, is similar to every other book Julia Quinn has written. If you like her style, you will like the book. If you read The Lost Duke of Wyndham and were left wanting more, this book fleshes out the intriguing characters that surrounded the first story- IN the first story. If you tire of the story, you may want to turn to another of Ms. Quinn's book. It is an easy uplifting timepiece read. If you want life changing or deep conflict or issues, you might want to peruse Oprah's Book List. For those who live life and have enough going on and appreciate a nice romantic escape- this is a good place to start.

I have read all of Julia Quinn's books and this was definitely the worst one if there has to be one. The majority of this entire book is in the first book, The Lost Duke of Wyndham. I would recommend taking this book out of the library to read it. There are only about 3 or 4 new chapters in this book, the rest are the exact same from the first book. I think Ms Quinn should have expanded her first book and included everything in it.
I loved all her other books but not this one.

I absolutely loved filling in the gaps after reading "The Lost Duke of Wyndham." Some people may have found this continuation to be "too much of the same thing," but I really didn't think it was. I loved knowing what each character was thinking during each scene and I enjoyed getting to know each person with such depth. It was truly like continuing a story that I never wanted to end in the first place, and seeing it with a fresh pair of eyes. I had a great time reading this book. Julia Quinn has never disappointed me with any of her novels and this one is no exception.

I felt sorry for Amelia and Thomas...in my opinion their stories were short changed. I had a wonderful time reading about them but Quinn was more concerned on threading this novel and "The Lost Duke of Wyndham" together that the novel lost most of it's charisma. Quinn found a neat way to put two stories together (both stories took place at the same time, and is basically the same story). You really should read "The Lost Duke of Wyndham" first... I just felt it didn't give us enough, enough of what I can't figure out, and I hate that because this could have been a 5 Star for me.

These were two very good books. You should read them in order. The Lost Duke and Mr. Cavendish. At the beginning of this book I thought I had them in the wrong order but then it all fell into place. Very enjoyable and a surprise at the end.

I skipped through most of this book as it was an exact copy of the first book - word for word - with just a few new paragraphs added. If you want to read it, borrow from a library, not worth the money. I love Julia Quinn, but this book leaves me wondering how it was even published.

Normally, I am a big Julia Quinn fan. I loved her Mr. Bridgerton series and have read all her books. This one is by far, the worst that I have read. I did not realize that it was a supposed to parallel the other book. The backstory was interesting enough but I found the characters boring and annoying. Maybe the first book would've been better but there was no chemistry between the characters. Their relationship seemed rushed as if the the author had to somehow work in the relationship into the last two chapters of the book. So disappointed. Save your money.

Thomas Cavendish, the Duke of Wyndham, has been engaged to Lady Amelia Willoughby since they both were children, babies actually. He has always known his duties and responsibilities since inheriting his title - one of which is Amelia. He knows he is going to marry her but he wants to do it on his own time and on his own terms. However, with the arrival of Jack Audley, Thomas' life turns upside down in more way than one. His most perplexing thought revolves around Amelia because while she is expecting to marry the Duke of Wyndham, she is also expecting the Duke of Wyndham to be him. And, since Jack's arrival, things aren't looking so good in that direction.

Amelia has always known she would marry Thomas, the Duke of Wyndham. She doesn't understand why he is taking his time in setting a date. After all, she isn't getting any younger and if his grandmother is to be believed, she is not getting any prettier either. Amelia knows that Thomas doesn't think about her all that often, if at all. Besides the fact that he has yet to set a wedding date, Amelia has to contend with being on the outside of his life looking in. When his grandmother kidnaps the highwayman that held them up and claims he is a long lost cousin, a cousin that could be the true heir to Wyndham, Amelia's world turns upside down. She might be engaged to the Duke of Wyndham but it is Thomas that she wants.

I often wonder how many times in our history that something like this has happened to an heir or supposed heir or royalty. Thomas never thought he would become a duke, especially since his father was a third son. When he was made the Duke of Wyndham, he accepted his lot and life and went about being the best that he could. And this is where MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME caught my attention the most and held me spellbound. Thomas was thrust out of his norm and suddenly the life that he had lived his entire existence became a lie of mass proportions. Thomas took it in stride and while my heart broke into tiny pieces for what he lost, I had to smile more than once at the attitude and fortitude that Thomas showed in the face of adversity. If I had one thing I didn't like about him it was his ability to hurt Amelia's feelings, or rather, his manner of speaking without thinking. More than once he made her upset and while he didn't mean to, I wanted him to guard his words just a bit more so as to respect her feelings. Amelia's life was turned around just as much as Thomas' and I found her to be a real trouper. She loved Thomas no matter what and that unconditional love is exactly what he needed.

MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME is the second installment of the Two Dukes of Wyndham series. It is, however, completely standalone but I do recommend reading The Lost Duke of Wyndham to get the full effect of this wonderful series. Julia Quinn has written a delightful oftentimes emotional historical romance I couldn't put down. MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME is a must-read for lovers of historical romance. I wildly recommend it! ***Natalie S. for Wild on Books***

I am a huge fan of Julia Quinn but this was by far her worst series book. There were no surprises at all since it followed the first book exactly. I originally thought the idea to have this type of storyline would be interesting but reading the second book, knowing how everything turns out was a huge turnoff. I had hoped she would incorporate a new twist into this one but that never happened. It was truly a disappointment.

I loved THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM, and I really enjoyed the concept of following the story from the perspective of different characters. The repeated scenes from the first book to the second were like old friends to me, as I remembered the thoughts and feelings of Grace and Jack, and now learned what Amelia and Thomas were experiencing at the same time. I thought both books were great.

I rather liked this story. The characters were compatible with each other, the secondary characters were well described, the plot was good, I don't see the problem that everybody else seems to have with this book. I really enjoyed it, and couldn't put it down.

If you read the first book The Two Dukes of Wyndman, there really isn't any point in getting the second. All Julia did was write the same book twice the only difference is its from the other couples perspective. Same goings on, same problems, nothing new. It was rather disappointing. Maybe if the couple was a little more interesting it might have been better. But I was highly disappointed in the second book. She could have combined this story with the first one and left it at at that instead of wasting more paper. First book was good.

If you never read the first book then mayb the novel rates a higher rating but having read the first book it not just scenes are from different view points it is the entire scene dialogue included that is lifted from the previous novel. And its not that both stories are told at the same time that makes it bad. It's that the story is exactly the same. It's like hearing about the same event but from different people. 90% is the same but 10% isn't enough to carry a book. The last chapter or two was new so if you read the first novel skip to end of this novel and you'll have everything you need. A big disappointment from an otherwise reliable author

From the very beginning Julia Quinn announced that Lost Duke and Mr. Cavendish were to be companion books - telling the same story from different POVS. Personally, I think she succeeded.

Knowing that Mr. Cavendish was coming out, I re-read The Lost Duke a couple of days before to refresh my memory a bit. Mr. Cavendish is a superior story. Thomas and Amelia reminded me of JQ's hero and heroines in her pre-Bridgerton books. Their attraction is more believable than Jack's and Grace's.

While I undertand why JQ spent a significant amount of time explaining why Jack didn't want to be a duke, I think that she missed explaining his loss of identity. When it came to Thomas, JQ did a significantly better job. Here was a man who had separate personality traits between the Duke of Wyndham and Thomas Cavendish, and she did it brilliantly.

Amelia. I liked Amelia. She came into her own. Amelia became a real person, other than the Duke of Wyndham's betrothed. I was kind of disappointed to not read her POV in the carriage when she and Grace start swearing. I would have loved to have known what was Amelia's motivation was.

JQ is one of my favorite authors, I can't believe I have to give her one star on this one. As many others have aldready said, this is the EXACT same story as the Lost Duke of Wyndham with a few differences in viewpoint. Over half the dialogue is copied for the previous novel, with not enough variation in context to make the reader feel it is fresh.

To anyone who has read Twilight and Midnight Sun, you know that it is possible to tell the exact same story from 2 different perspectives and make it riveting. Unfortunately JQ did not do that here. Usually I devour her books in a few hours. I had to make myself finish this one - even though I could scan over half the book, considering I'd already read the story.

I feel ripped off. This should have been a short story in an anthology, not a stand alone novel. I miss the JQ of old... Her last 3 novels (at least) have not been up to par with her earlier work. Hopefully she gets back on track with her next book!

After reading TLDOW, I couldn't wait to read Mr. Cavendish, I Presume. Thomas' journey in TLDOW was so fascinating, I was dying to know how he handled being a mere mister. So imagine my surprise when I started reading MCIP and discovered it started at the same time as TLDOW. My first thought was--oh, this must be a prologue. But it wasn't. When scene after scene matched TLDOW, I had to force myself to read to the end.

I thought Amelia and Thomas' story had been well portrayed in TLDOW. We had seen their relationship changing throughout the course of that book, although much of it was "offscreen". While I did enjoy the fleshing out of those missing scenes in MCIP, there weren't enough new scenes to justify this book.

My biggest disappointment was in never seeing how Thomas handled being Mr. Cavendish. Throughout MCIP, we heard how Thomas always loved working in the fields and was very hands-on. I expected this to be rewarded in his new life. Instead, we see NOTHING of Thomas as Mr. Cavendish. We only see--once again--all the steps LEADING to his becoming Mr. Cavendish. This is my biggest complaint.

I WANTED to get to know Mr. Cavendish. I WANTED to see how Mr. Cavendish would woo the woman who was once his fiancee, despite the fact that he no longer had a title or a right to her. I WANTED to see her buck tradition and marry him anyway (well, okay, she does this), but I wanted to know full well what she was giving up to do so. What would her life as the wife of a mister be like? Since we never got to see the life of Mr. Cavendish, I still don't know.

THAT is why I bought the book in the first place--to meet Mr. Cavendish. Since we never truly got to do so, I feel cheated and more than a little disgruntled.

The epilogue was even more of an insult. While I liked it--had in fact been expecting it since the opening pages of the book--the insult is that even here we don't meet Thomas as Mr. Cavendish. Sadly, had the book been more about Mr. Cavendish (and less about the duke), the epilogue would have had been much more meaningful and made a stronger impact.

I'd suggest saving your money. Check the book out of the library, or--if you've already read TLDOW--just read the last couple of chapters of this one. For the most part, that's all that's new.

I wish I could get paid to do what Julia Quinn did - rehash the same plot from my previous book for 90% of this book, then come up with an implausible ending where no one seems to care about what they spent the first 90% caring about, and then add an epilogue that tells my readers nothing about the last five years, but suddenly dumps a title in Thomas' lap with Amelia feeling nothing about the death of the person who brings this about. And everything is right again in the world of the Aristocracy. Bleh. Very lazy effort from a very talented writer. Save your money for a novel that is actually fresh and well written. Maybe next time that will actually be a Julia Quinn novel. Or maybe not.

I love Julia Quinn, but this was simply not her best work.

First off, there is far too much material recycled from the previous book. Conversations were verbatim and it seemed at times, so were descriptions. The feeling of deja-vu drew me out of the story too often, and I was bored.

Even more, the amount of time Thomas and Amelia had together was limited. By the time their relationship finally blossomed, the book was over. The epilogue wasn't even that good, or revealing about the progress the pair had made together. I spent the last five chapters hoping for some new interaction between the two. What interaction there was at the end felt hasty and unreal, and in my opinion was incredibly disappointing and almost laughable to see in print. Thomas and Amelia deserved better.

It was almost as though the author spent too much time focusing on simply making the story parallel to the previous book; romance and indpendent character development were afterthoughts, and I felt cheated. This novel simply lacked the magic I'm used to in Ms. Quinn's work. I've read all her novels several times over, and I will continue to do so...but I can't help being disappointed here.

If you read the The Lost Duke of Wyndham, I would suggest waiting a while before picking up its "sequel." Perhaps then the material will seem more enjoyable.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I just couldn't. I had previously decided that Two Dukes of Wyndham would be the last Julia Quinn book I bought at full price, but I gave into my Julia Quinn weakness and bought this book. I was desperately hoping it would be fantastic or at least decent enough to justify my purchase. Sadly, it doesn't. This is the last Julia Quinn book I'll buy as a new release.

Here are some of the major problems I came across:

1. New material (i.e. events that you did not already read about, at times word for word) does not appear until chapter 20. Granted, in the previous 19 chapters there are some events that have more detail because the viewpoint has changed.

2. With the rehashing of the previous plot, you STILL like Jack Audley better than Thomas.

3. You like Amelia, you do, but you can't help but feel as if you've seen her before and you can't exactly remember why you like her or what makes her so special, but you like her. You know that much. Just don't try and compare her to the heroines of older Julia Quinn books (Daphne, Kate, Eloise, Ellie, and Penelope) because she never quite measures up.

4. You just don't care about the story because you've already read it and it IS EXACTLY the same. Imagine that.

5. One of the most memorable things about the book is the Bridgerton/Lady Whistledown reference at the end of the book, and that is partly because the date seems a bit off. (I cannot confirm that as I do not have Romancing Mr. Bridgerton with me.)

The book is not all bad. There are some enjoyable new moments found in the slight variation on the scenes from Two Dukes and the new bits tacked on. However, I cannot honestly tell you if I truly enjoyed them because they were entertaining, or if I was just so excited to have new material that I made myself enjoy them. Either way, they saved the book from being as bad as The Secret Diaries.

I still love Julia Quinn....I'm just going to stick to the old ones. If you haven't read her, just don't get anything published after To Sir Phillip with Love. They tend to be "okay and miss" after that.

I waited a sufficently long time after reading Lost Duke of Wyndham to pick this one up. Therefore, the first in the series was already very fuzzy in my mind when I began reading Mr. Cavendish. I have to say that I found it very enjoyable. Yes, many scenes were simply rewritten from a different perspective in this book. However, I think this book surpassed the first by leaps and bounds. Amelia and Thomas had amazing chemistry and both were strong characters in their own rights. I would recommend it especially if you haven't read the first book. Skip the first (Lost Duke of Wyndham) and read this one instead.

Fortunately, I didn't read the first book, so this book was all new to me. I liked it very much, in that I don't like alot of sex scenes. It had some mystery that could have been panned out more, like their time in Ireland. No wait and see, no real struggle, about the Dukes.
But I did think it was a sweet easy read, and I will not be reading the other book. I will try the author again, but not the other series title.

I've been a big fan of Julia Quinn's work since her novel, "How to Marry a Marquis". However, Ms. Quinn's more recent works have not been at par compared to her earlier novels (e.g "Bridgerton" series). I'm with the same mind as most reviewers of this novel in that it's basically a retelling of the prior novel, "The Lost Duke of Wyndham". I think if I were to read this novel years later from "The Lost Duke...", I may have enjoyed it more as an alternative revisit to "Lost Duke..." series. I had to force myself to finish the novel in hopes there would be some "surprise" spin. However, the story, including its ending, was a *yawn* since I read "The Lost Duke.." four months before. New readers to Ms. Quinn's work would do better to consider reading her earlier work. I was really disappointed with the entire "Lost Duke.." series.

This is the first review I have felt the need or want to do. I have read all of the Kindle available books of Julia Quinn and I have enjoyed them but--- Do not read this book right after "The Lost Duke"--- it is a rehash of that book until you get to the last two chapters. Both of these characters deserved better. I would have liked to know what sort of childhood Thomas had to mold him instead of the too convenient "my father never loved me he was harsh and unloving which was over and over said in each book. What was the agreement between Jack and Thomas to allow him to marry and provide. What was their life about for the five years after they married. How was their adjustment in society after they married. There was so much more to write about then to rehash an already written book. This was laziness on the part of the author,did she have a contract to provide another book and didn't have time to write it. Stay away from this one or borrow someone else's and just read the last two chapters and the epilogue. That's all you need.

O.K., there are two ways to look at this book. If you've read the first book and if you haven't read the first book(The Lost Duke Of Wyndham). If you have read the first book, your going to find yourself frustrated with this one. Especially if you were really looking forward to reading Thomas and Amelia's story like I was and just finished reading the first book(When I get a sequel, and its been awhile since I read the first one, I read the first book again).Had I known that I would be practically reading the first book "AGAIN" in the second book, albeit from the eyes of the other two main characters in the first book, Amelia and Thomas, I would not have done so(I forgot to read the reviews). Would I have enjoyed this book had I not just read the first book? probably (so wait awhile between books). There were however a couple parts in the book where I felt it might be confusing to someone who had not read the first book, but having just read the first book, I was not able to look at it with "fresh eyes", so I could very well be wrong. Mrs.Quinn should have started this book where the other one left off!!
If you haven't read the first book, I think you might like this one, it's a good story. Not the greatest, but still worth reading. This book is about Thomas Cavendish and Amelia Willoughby but it seems more like it's about Thomas and Jack (from the first book). The love story could have been written better and been alot juicier. For me it's the men that really made this book enjoyable ( as well as in the first one). Thomas and Jack are great characters. Thomas....Everything he is and everything he knows is about to change for him in a way he never would have expected....ever. But he handles himself, I think, rather heroically through it all. Between struggling with the fact that he may lose everything (his home, his place in society, and his Dukedom) to a long lost/unknown cousin, and trying to figure out what he's going to do with his life if he isn't the Duke anymore, he finds himself falling in love with his fiance(they have been engaged since childhood). But it looks as though he may lose her before he even has her, because he may no longer be The Duke of Wyndham and if he is no longer the Duke of Wyndham, they are no longer engaged. His situation would truly test the hardiest of souls, but Thomas passes that test with flying colors. Thomas is quit the hero in my eyes and any woman would be a fool not to love him. He makes you want to put your arms around him and hold him forever.
Then theres Amelia.... Even though Thomas has taken his sweet time to even really get to know her, she lets him into her heart. When she finds herself falling in love with him she never questions her choice to stand behind him and be with him forever....no matter what. Amelia wasn't the greatest character, but Thomas more than makes up for that and so does Jack. In the end.....
the old bitty Grandma whom everone hates (putting it mildly)gets what she deserves, and Thomas is "rewarded" with a wonderfull surprise in the epilogue. He deserves it!!!!!!
So yes, give this book a chance to stand on its own. But if you've read the first one, wait awhile, then read this one.

I enjoyed this but this appears to be the same book at Ms. Quinn's other book, Two Dukes. The characters are better developed than in a lot of these historical novels, the characters don't only dress in period but seem to observe a bit more of the propriety of the times while making the women independent in thought for their time period. And, of course, the romance is actually out of step with the era but we wouldn't enjoy them nearly as much if they only kissed a lady's hand and admired her across the room or if all conversations were entirely appropriate.

I read the reviews (good and bad) and gave Julia one last chance with this book. All I have to say is three strikes and you're out! First the Secret Diaries was a let down, then the Lost Duke failed to enjoy, now Mr. Cavendish.

Thank goodness I was able to borrow a copy and didn't have to pay for this rubbish. I knew going in that the book was going to be a repeat of the first, but I tried it anyway. Good news though, I was able to finish in a couple of hours (being able to skip through most of the book as it was nearly identical to the first).

I found I could not care too much about either character. Both Thomas and Amelia were deadpan in my opinion, no spark, nothing. I even started cheering the grandmother as she was at least feisty (mean, yes, but at least she seemed to live)

Ms. Quinn wrote the first book barely defining Amelia and Thomas, and then expected us to recognize them when they got their own story. WRONG! You can't identify with characters when they have not been fully written.

My suggestion is either read (re-read) her earlier books, my favorite is To Catch an Heiress, or try another author, as this one lost her magic after When He Was Wicked.

I was really looking forward to this book and loved the first book in the series. However, Mr. Cavendish, I Presume was almost like reading the Lost Duke of Windham again. Something I never do. When I finally had a quiet afternoon to sit down and read after waiting months for this book, I was very, very irratated to be reading the exact same words that I had already read in the previous book.

Julis Quinn is on my list of all time favorite authors and in my opinion this book did not in any way show off her talent. I just don't understand and am very confused at the decision to format the sequel in this manner.

I won't reiterate what several other reviewers have said. If this had been released as a $3 or $4 novella, I think that would have silenced a great deal of the criticism. At full paperback price, it just seemed greedy. The ripped off feeling lost the book one star.

In terms of the book itself, I didn't find much of interest in this book. The additional character development didn't feel very significant and, as we know, there wasn't much new in terms of the plot. If the writing had been up to her usual standards, I would have given the book 3 stars (or 4 if it had been really exceptional), but as it was, it didn't deserve more than 2.

This was the first Julia Quinn book I wanted to throw across the room. Always before, I would buy her books without even looking at the story because I knew she would be good for an entertaining read. How wrong I was!!!
I could only get half-way into the book because it read like one of the made up Victorian novels her own heroines would read.
It felt like a sad, pathetic attempt by the author to make some quick cash. "Oh hey, I know! I'll take this background info from this previous novel and I'll totally turn into a new novel!! Egad, I'm such a genius!!! $$$$"

Uh... no dear, not so much....

I cannot believe this book is actually hitting #1 on the NYT Bestseller list! In my opinion, all of Julia Quinn's earlier books deserve to be #1 Bestsellers, but not The Lost Duke of Wyndham or Mr. Cavendish, I Presume.

So please, if you want to read a JQ book, choose an earlier book. Her earlier books are wonderful! Do not read The Lost Duke or Mr. Cavendish. You will be sorely disappointed.

What is happening to my favorite author? Where is she? Because these two books don't even sound like she wrote these! They are so not JQ's usual style and wit.

I am very disappointed.

Usually I am a great fan of Ms. Quinn and her novels. However, I found this one a major disappointment. While I understand she wanted to tell the story from another point of view, would she not have been best served having combined this and "The Lost Duke"? I am hopeful this was just a matter of having to meet a constrictive deadline. Whatever the reason for basically telling the exact same story in two separate books, I hope it is not indicative of things to come.

What? I love Julia Quinn. Bought every book she wrote and I can't tell you how disappointed I was to realize that this book is just a rewrite of the first of the series except from a different character's point of view. Read either the Book One or Book Two and trust me you'll have covered the story. How much better this would have been if she'd simply combined both stories into one book without the repetition and without the extra cost to her fans. Shame on you Julia! Because of this I'll be very careful before I buy her next book.

As much as I enjoyed The Lost Duke of Wyndham and eagerly anticipated this sequel, I am sad to say I was disappointed. As other reviewers have noted, it feels like fully half or more of this book is lifted straight out of the first novel. Julia Quinn is far too talented and prolific an author to have cheated us out of Thomas and Amelia's story as she has done. I felt like I was waiting and waiting for the book to pick up where the other left off and instead got sort of the footnotes to both, in one unsatisfying volume. Bummer. Now, though, I do want Elisabeth and Milly's stories.... And I don't want them intertwined to cheat us of two full novels! :)

I actually liked this book better than the first in the series. The first left me unsatisfied with the story of Amelia and Thomas. I don't think tthere was too much overlap. I actually enjoyed having the ability to witness the same scene from a different perspective.

Don't let the critics diswade you from this book. I thought Julia did a great job of bringing her usual wit and talented writing style to this book.

I loved this style of having two stories so tightly intertwined. I hope that the critics won't stop Julia and other authors from doing it again!

I was really looking forward to the release of this book and finding out what happened to Thomas after the end of the first book. However, after finally realizing, like another reviewer, that what I was reading was NOT a prologue, I was extrememly disappointed and really felt that I had been ripped off. Except for a slight change of perspective, I was reading the first book all over again! I believe that this is the first book that have actually only skimmmed until the last few chapters. Ms. Quinn could easily have combined the two books into one and gotten a wonderful story out of it rather than subjecting loyal fans to this money grab.

I, for one, will go back to letting the library make the purchases rather than waste my hard-earned dollars to buy a book I've already read!

I have to respectfully disagree with the reviewers who have stated that this is the same book as "The Lost Duke of Wyndham." True, it's the same story as the first volume), but told from the perspective of the other two lovers in the story -- Thomas and Amelia. And I'm so thrilled to have this opportunity to get to know Thomas and Amelia better; with focus of the first book on Jack and Grace, the other two seemed a bit two-dimensional.

In "Mr. Cavendish, I Presume" the reader has the opportunity to experience the devastation that Thomas feels when Jack enters the picture, which makes his less-admirable actions in the first book more understandable. Over the course of the plot, you follow Thomas as he transitions though the various stages of loss; better still, you see additional dimensions of Jack, Grace and Amelia not evident in the first book.

There are any number of talented authors who produce hot love scenes, and many who can write funny or suspenseful romantic fiction. But Julia Quinn is the absolute best when it comes to stories of heartwrenching emotion. Through her writing, you experience the full range of love and loss, always beautifully written. I never fail to tear up at some point during her books.

But if you are looking for a lighthearted romp, or a traditional "sequel" where the only glimpse you have of the prior book's characters is a quick encounter at a ball, you should probably steer clear of this book.

All in all, I quite liked this book as an excellent companion piece to "Lost Duke."

This is one of only a handful of books I have ever put aside unfinished. This book along with its predecessor are both as cheesy as the cover photos. I loved Julia Quinn's earlier novels, but have found that instead of her style maturing with age, she appears to be regressing into repetition and cutesy-cutesy phrasing. I actually like the concept of writing the same story from several points of views in several different books, but this series is not holding my interest at all. There is little depth to both the characters and the story. For me, Julia Quinn has become an author whose books I will borrow from the library (hoping she'll get back to her old self), instead of one whose books I buy the first day they are on sale.

This has not been a good month for voracious readers.

I snatched the second installment of Julia Quinn's series, Two Dukes of Wyndham, off the shelf and raced home to start the book. So, imagine my complete disappointment upon finding myself re-reading the SAME STORY!!!

In all fairness to Ms. Quinn, the last chapter is new material. However, I did not care at that point.

So, I have forsworn off purchasing books until I read fellow reviewers, and another favorite author bites the dust.

I was not just disappointed in this book, I was angry that I paid for a book that had been covered - more than half of it - in the prior book. I cannot belive an editor, if not Ms Quinn, would have let this go by without a major re-write. I didn't finish the book - donated it to the library.

Authors that were favorites because of their style and quality of writing, Garwood, Laurens and Quinn to name a few, have become so lax in their work product that their books are not worth buying. I've stopped purchasing Laurens because I'm tired of reading pages and pages of a detailed seduction, with a lame plot-line and minimal dialogue between the charactors.

Is it any wonder that sales are dropping in this genre because people would rather let the library pay for their entertainment - at least you won't lose money when you discover the book stinks.

I expected this book to overlap with The Lost Duke of Wyndham - but I didn't expect 80% of it to be the same! I thought it would overlap a bit, then take off with a new story. Instead, it is the same story as the Lost Duke,
told from different characters' points of view. And, much of it seems like Julia Quinn just cut and pasted from the Lost Duke. Only the last 3 chapters are completely new material.

I give it 3 stars because I suspect if you hadn't read the Lost Duke, it would be a pretty good book. It's a disappointment for anyone who has read the Lost Duke.

The first one in the series was better. This one kind of dragged, and if you read the other one first, like I did, it's a lot of repetition. Still good, I like her writing, but this was one of the slower of her books.

Apparently I'm in the minority, but I couldn't put this book down. Most readers should know going into it that it's going to be a story told at the same time as The Lost Duke of Wyndham. JQ has not made this a secret from the time she announced she was writing these books (saying from the beginning that they start on the same night) - and even if she hadn't, it should be obvious from the way the first book plays out. I, for one, was very curious about Thomas and Amelia whenever they kept disappearing in the The Lost Duke and was curious to find out what was going on in 'their half of the story' and would've been extremely disappointed in this book if those occasions had just been glossed over.

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume starts the book before The Lost Duke takes place and ends three weeks after it ends - it's a very sweet story about a man who is shocked to find himself falling in love with his fiancee and even more shocked to meet a long-lost cousin who may or may not be the true Wyndham heir. I liked this one more than The Lost Duke of Wyndham (but I didn't loathe that one as so many appeared to) - I was happy to read the story that filled in the blanks and I think JQ was very smart to release this one after The Lost Duke, since that one raised many questions. This one provided all the answers and then some.

Is it as good as some of her earlier Bridgerton books? No. But I am a big believer in not comparing an author's newest book to a series that it's not related to. Especially if those books happen to be among my very favorites (I would've rated the first four Bridgerton books as 5+ stars) - you're only going to be disappointed if you do that. I read Cavendish in comparison (and in knowing) that it would be the sister story to The Lost Duke of Wyndham and found a very enjoyable book that I finished in less than a day and two characters that deserved the starring roles.

Slam me with unhelpful votes if you feel the need to, but for me, JQ is and - for the undetermined future - will remain one of my favorites and an autobuy author for me. I look forward to her next book.

I expected this book to overlap with The Lost Duke of Wyndham - but I didn't expect 80% of it to be the same! I thought it would overlap a bit, then take off with a new story. Instead, it is the same story as the Lost Duke,
told from different characters' points of view. And, much of it seems like Julia Quinn just cut and pasted from the Lost Duke. Only the last 3 chapters are completely new material.

I give it 3 stars because I suspect if you hadn't read the Lost Duke, it would be a pretty good book. It's a disappointment for anyone who has read the Lost Duke.

The first one in the series was better. This one kind of dragged, and if you read the other one first, like I did, it's a lot of repetition. Still good, I like her writing, but this was one of the slower of her books.

Apparently I'm in the minority, but I couldn't put this book down. Most readers should know going into it that it's going to be a story told at the same time as The Lost Duke of Wyndham. JQ has not made this a secret from the time she announced she was writing these books (saying from the beginning that they start on the same night) - and even if she hadn't, it should be obvious from the way the first book plays out. I, for one, was very curious about Thomas and Amelia whenever they kept disappearing in the The Lost Duke and was curious to find out what was going on in 'their half of the story' and would've been extremely disappointed in this book if those occasions had just been glossed over.

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume starts the book before The Lost Duke takes place and ends three weeks after it ends - it's a very sweet story about a man who is shocked to find himself falling in love with his fiancee and even more shocked to meet a long-lost cousin who may or may not be the true Wyndham heir. I liked this one more than The Lost Duke of Wyndham (but I didn't loathe that one as so many appeared to) - I was happy to read the story that filled in the blanks and I think JQ was very smart to release this one after The Lost Duke, since that one raised many questions. This one provided all the answers and then some.

Is it as good as some of her earlier Bridgerton books? No. But I am a big believer in not comparing an author's newest book to a series that it's not related to. Especially if those books happen to be among my very favorites (I would've rated the first four Bridgerton books as 5+ stars) - you're only going to be disappointed if you do that. I read Cavendish in comparison (and in knowing) that it would be the sister story to The Lost Duke of Wyndham and found a very enjoyable book that I finished in less than a day and two characters that deserved the starring roles.

Slam me with unhelpful votes if you feel the need to, but for me, JQ is and - for the undetermined future - will remain one of my favorites and an autobuy author for me. I look forward to her next book.

Waste of time and disappointment is far worse than waste of money. Bravo that JQ did all three with this book and the last I will buy. Folks, no good books are out there right now. Save your money, the romance genre has become a cookie cutter factory. No emotion, no personality, and no romance. Go watch the WB it has the same amount of romantic depth.

I have really enjoyed Julia Quinn's books. However, this last one was basically the book prior with little difference. I was really expecting this story to take place after the character lost his title and how he won the girl but it just recanted the same story with different view points. Very disappointing. However, lovely cover picture! I know a man who looks just like the one on the cover! Beautiful.

I am sooo disappointed with this book. Honestly I felt, as did so many other reviewers, that I was cheated. It was a sad, sad, sad, sequel. If I had known that there was going to be NO story I would not have wasted my money. This story could very well have been added to the first book since there was so little that was new that it was a waste of time to read. This is the worst Julia Quinn book that I have read, and I am surprised that she even published it! She is one of my favorite authors but this was a huge letdown.

I knew from the moment I read the excerpt on Julia Quinn's site that this book was going to take the same story, but from a different angle. For all of you who haven't read the book yet, it means that you'll see many familiar scenes from book 1, just told from Thomas or Amelia's point of view instead of Grace's and Jack's. So if that discourages you, then by all means, do not buy the book. However, in my opinion, this book is far better than the first one! It's a shame it had to come out second (if it had been released first instead of "Lost Duke of Wyndham", it would have received better reviews I'm sure).
I personally found the plot a bit more invigorating in this novel. Thomas and Amelia are great, fleshed-out characters and they have a pretty spectacular chemistry between them. In addition, this novel was written better than the first novel, with fewer shorter sentences. The first novel consisted of Quinn simply stating how the characters felt, but in this one, I could actually feel the emotions the characters had. She did a great job of conveying emotions and portraying the characters in this novel! Of course, Julia Quinn's previous works are amazing, and this novel doesn't measure up to them, but it still does a pretty good job!
So there you have it! I personally thought it was a great read, and had it been the first instead of the second in the series, it would have done a better job. However, if you really just cannot stand reading the same scenes, even if they are from a different angle, then subtract two stars from my review and make a judgment call about whether you want to buy the book or not.

Let me start by saying that I love Julia Quinn, it hurts me to have to give this book a one star review, but OMG this is NOT an ORIGINAL work.

I didn't believe the first reviews and decided to buy the book anyway, because come on, it's Julia Quinn, how bad can this book be? There's no way she can write something that I don't like. Man was I wrong! This is an exact copy of the first book except that it includes another 2 POV. I even found myself skipping or skimming through entire parragraphs which I HATE to do, hoping to find something that I hadn't read in the first book.

For this book Ms. Quinn only wrote a couple of original chapters everything else was word for word the same story that I'd already read. She should've made the first book with the 2 stories going on at the same time, even if the book was more expensive. Two love stories in one book are way better than two books with the same story. (Suzanne Brockmann is an expert with this, especially in her Troubleshooters series)

The love scene in this book (because there's only one) seemed rushed, it was like reading, he put his hand here, she put her hand there, etc...Very mechanical and not really romantic, like if Ms. Quinn was thinking I have to finish the book, because I'm running out of material to copy from the other book.

Hope her next book is more original, though next time I'm not going to rush out and buy it.

This book is almost word for word and scene for scene the same as her prior book "The Lost Duke of Wyndham". I felt cheated and could only finish the novel by skipping pages and pages of the book. Certainly not up to the standard I have come to expect from Julia Quinn. If she writes another 'cheater' like this, I will cease to be a fan. This is definately not worth the money -- esp. if you've read the prior book.

This book reminds me of the movie "Vantage Point" where you see the same events from several points of view. I didn't like the movie after the third-forth view, and feel much the same for this book. Because it felt like I had already read the book, I skipped to the part after the "real duke" is revealed. I had hoped that that is where this one would start, but alas, was not to be.

My advice, don't waste your money or time.

I have to agree with several other reviews. I really enjoyed the Lost Duke of Wyndham and was really excited for this book. Unfortunately, it was basically the exact same book as the first but from a different perspective. It was really frustrating to re-read the exact same conversations between Thomas and Grace or between Grace and Amelia or between everyone in the entire book! I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. I had expected a little bit of overlap or back tracking but this was just a waste of money. I really wish I had not bought this book and I was horribly disappointed. I would not recommend that anyone else waste their money.

This was a disappointing romance from Julia Quinn. I loved her Bridgerton series, and even some of her other books were well written.
I thought "The Lost Duke of Wyndham" was okay, but not a favorite, but was willing to read the second part " Mr. Cavendish, I Presume".

It was boring to re-read much of the same action all over again. Even though it was from a different POV, it was just missing something. I think the story between Thomas and Amelia would have been much better if it had picked up after the end of the previous story.

I hope her next books are better, hopefully she will find her creativity again.

Whoa, Nelly, what a waste of paper! This novel is a re-write of another Quinn novel, written from another point of view. The leading lady's predicament could have been interesting except that most of the book was a word-for-word repeat of something I'd already read -- and it wasn't her best work the first time through!

Julia Quinn once again entertained with drama and endearment to her characters. The Libra in me loves the balance of the two Dukes of Wyndham and there unique loves.
Amelia fights to give life to the spunk and personality she has too long been forced to keep hidden; as Grace had in "the Lost Duke"
In a work of pure fiction read for absolute enjoyment, I would have loved to see Thomas receive another Dukedom in addtion to the earldom. After all, in the face of utter chaos, Thomas continued to deny his wants and needs, to follow his conscience, and do what was honest and rightous. Given the opportunity to keep his position, his wealth, and his true love Amelia, who was his by betrothal contract,and would now be Jack's; and when he "knew" all was lost to him by the proof in Jack's hand, he still maintained his personal morals and ethics.
I would like to know why the dowager had sunk to her level of hatred for all. Was she ever redeemed? I do not remember her age, but maybe she could have her own love story. But that is the Libra speaking, I suspect.
Do I need to add I absolutely loved both Dukes of Wyndom.

I've been reading Julia Quinn from the beginning of her career and I enjoyed this experiment of hers, telling the same story from two couples' points of view. While I liked The Lost Duke of Wyndham, I loved Mr.Cavendish,I Presume. Thomas was one of the best Quinn heroes in a while, and his inner-turmoil over the change in his status coupled with his chemistry with Amelia made him darn near irresistible. Their banter was charming and though there was never any question that these two would get their happily-ever-after, I loved following them on their journey. Great read!

I was shocked at how much duplication there was between this book and its predecessor, The Lost Duke of Wyndham. I reread the first book before buying this one, thinking it would refresh my memory as to the story so far. Little did I know that the "story so far" was going to be the same story told again, word for word in many places! The vast majority of the dialog was identical to that of the first book. True, it was seen from a different point-of-view, but since both perspectives were generally in the same room, it was hardly revealing. I can only suppose that there was originally just one book, but someone got greedy and thought they could make some bucks by selling the side story separately. Other than a couple of kissing scenes, the only new story was in the last 50 pages. It would have rounded out the first book nicely, or it could have been a free online bonus, but to sell it as a separate book is a scam. Very disappointing.

I started this book (and The Lost Duke of Wyndham for that matter) knowing that it was telling the same story as TLDOW from a different point of view. Knowing that excited me! This was a brilliant idea. I loved seeing the same scenes from different view points. At no point did I feel like I was reading the same book. Even though I knew what the end was going to bring it was still an incredible read. Seeing Thomas brought to the lowest point in his life was so fresh and such a great twist on the tortured hero. We were able to see him at his worst, see how he dealt with it, see him rise above it. It was so fresh and different. I loved this book and am anxiously awaiting Julia Quinn's next brilliant idea!

It'll come as no surprise to those who read my review of Quinn's last book that my expectations for THIS one were very low. And Quinn still didn't manage to meet them. That's how bad this book was.

In general, I think that this premise is a good premise. I mean, if I happened along a romance novel with this sort of plot, I think I'd be intrigued. I love the whole concept of arranged marriages and the wonderful ways in which romance novelists can bring freshness to the genre.

Quinn, however, fails to deliver anything remotely resembling freshness or even ROMANCE to this plot. It's a train wreck... one that I felt compelled wade through and finish, because I felt like I just couldn't look away.

~~ WARNING: SPOILERS IN REVIEW ~~

The plot is fairly simple: Thomas Cavendish has been either heir to the Duke-dom or a Duke for most of his life. This means that he's used to being lord of the manor, has a lot of responsibilities and is very much secure in his identity. Does he want to travel and does he feel like it's a huge anchor in his life? Sure... but a Duke's gotta do what a Duke's gotta do. And part of that is marrying a fiancé he's had since he was a little boy - and she was just a mere six months old. Amelia (the fiancé) has spent her whole life pretty much just WAITING for him to get around to marrying her. If his identity is "Duke" then her identity is "future Duchess". This being a romance novel (and a fairly predictable one at that) we know what happens: The second they decided they're in love, it turns out that they can't get married. In this case, the fact that Thomas' long lost cousin has shown up - and it turns out that he's more than the likely the Duke - is what causes them problems. Add in the fact that Jack (the real Duke) is in love with Grace (a friend of Amelia's sister and companion to Thomas's grandmother); Amelia is under the impression that Thomas is in love with Grace (as she rightly should be); and Amelia's father wants her to marry the Duke -no matter which man he turns out to be. Well, we know from the beginning that Jack is the Real Duke, so the plot is pretty much focused on Thomas having a breakdown and Amelia wondering what's going on, since no one will tell her anything. And, of course, the two have a few love scenes that are not very sexy or romantic. (I won't even go into the fact that Thomas has more chemistry with Grace and Grace has more chemistry with Thomas, than Jack.)

Basically, this book (and its companion book, "The Lost Duke of Wyndham") seems like an experiment. Like Quinn sat down one day and said, "I'm kind of bored and I'm going to try something new." Both books take place over the course of the same time period; have almost the exact same scenes (from different POVs); have the same characters; and the same conflicts. And they're both written terribly, with cardboard cut-outs for characters, and have pretty much no romance or fun in either of them.

I'm not even sure I'll explain this well, but here it goes: Quinn breaks the story down the middle and only gives you half the story in each book. To find out what Jack/Grace are thinking, you have to read Book 1. To find out what Thomas/Amelia are thinking, you have to read Book 2. The problem is - ALL four of them are boring and annoying, so by the end of it all, you could care less what ANYONE is thinking. Not to mention the fact that she spends so much re-treading scenes you've already read (depending on which one you choose to read first - it doesn't really matter, honestly) that you feel like you're re-reading the book, even though it's first time you've read it. She doesn't add in anything new into Book 2 that she didn't already cover in Book 1. And when she does, it's a bit of a letdown. For example, there is a key scene in which Amelia has to explain to Grace that she has to lie for Amelia. I was annoyed in the first book, because Grace was completely zoned out during Amelia's part of the convo and I wanted to know what Amelia was saying - she was by far more interesting than Grace, anyway. Well, in this book, I found out. And I didn't care. Yes, that's right - I just didn't care, because I pretty much detested Amelia by that point, anyway. She was just as bland and boring as Grace was in the OTHER one.

Which leads me to the characters: I'm not sure how Quinn managed to pull this off, but I was more interested in the OTHER couple in both books. So, as anyone who has read my last book can attest to, I hated Jack/Grace in Book 1. I really liked Thomas/Amelia. In this book, though? Suddenly, Jack/Grace were looking a lot more interesting because Thomas/Amelia were that boring!!!

I'm not sure what made Quinn want to try her hand at this - one of her biggest strengths is her ability to write supporting characters that are full of warmth, humor and personality. By choosing to write these two book as only "half" of one whole book, she actually took away her biggest strength. I've been a fan of Quinn's for years and - until recently - I've cut her slack. I was one of the minority who enjoyed "The Secret Diaries of Miranda..." because I felt that she wrote a good heroine and some excellent supporting characters. I also gave her a huge amount of leeway with "On the Way to the Wedding" because I figured the poor woman was probably all Bridgertoned out by the time she got to Book 7 and she only wrote it because of pressure from the fans. So, even though I thought it was her weakest book, I shrugged it off.

But this? This is just craziness... what was Quinn thinking and will she, PLEASE, stop thinking it? Go back to doing what you do best - write stories about fun heroines and likable heroes. Give us great supporting characters that make us love them so much that we're begging you for a book of their own. Don't just FORCE us to read about them in another book by withholding every ounce of information about them in the current book. If you sketch them properly enough, we'll love them for their own value... and, also, DON'T overlap time-lines. The biggest problem with these two books was that you wrote the same story TWICE. I'm not sure why you wanted to, but readers don't want to read it twice. Especially when it was painful the first time.

In short: I can't recommend either one of these books. Is Quinn still on my auto-buy list? Yes, amazingly enough, she is. Why? Because I'm chalking these two books up to Quinn being bored and wanting to experiment a little.... She failed in her experiment, but I'm not going to hold it against her forever. The sheer number of her good/excellent books outweigh these two TERRIBLE books. Meaning: I'm going to pretend that I never read them or that someone other than Quinn wrote them. However, if Quinn's NEXT book - a stand-alone, I believe - is also this terrible? Then there's no hope.

Personally, I liked this book more than the first. Luckily I read it prior to reading any of the reviews here, a lesson learned a long time ago. Granted, I did not read every review but it seems most of the negativity stems from the fact the book took place at the same time as the first book and quite a few of the events were the same. I am a long-time JQ fan and stay abreast of her news/coming books so I was aware of the format these two books would follow. From the beginning, she made no secret of the fact they were intertwined.

I do not feel cheated, quite the opposite in fact. I love rereading a good book, and that's what this felt like to me. Not only did I get to reread a great story, I got to see it from another perspective and enjoy the story between Thomas and Amelia...both of whom I loved!! I'm just glad JQ didn't do like many authors these days and make their romance a minor story within the first book.

While there were several scenes that were the same, they were made fresh by the new point of view. I don't think there were that many verbatim scenes...and when there were, they were kept short and usually had a different beginning/ending point than the first book's scene.

All in all, I loved this book and thoroughly enjoyed Thomas and Amelia's story...it will be placed firmly on my keeper shelf.

Like many have noted in their reviews thus far, this book was simply a rewrite. It wasn't even a particularly good rewrite. I wish I had read the reviews before buying this book, because the amount of new content in it comes out to about 1 or 2 chapters. Just go to a bookstore, skim to the last 2 chapters, and read how their relationship turns out. Don't bother with the rest of the book.

That's not saying I don't like books that parallel each other like this. Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow is an example of two books I love that does this. But JQ should have known better than to pass off this book as a new one.

It was boring! I was really looking forward to this book thinking it would start off where the previous one ended. I was so disappointed when I bought it and it was the same book from someone else's perspective. Don't buy, if you have to read it, get it from the library for free. Don't waste your money.

I was very disappointed in this book (a first for a Julia Quinn book). Until the last couple of chapters, this was the same book as The Lost Duke of Wyndham; there was really nothing new or different, just the exact same story from a different character's perspective. I was looking for a continuation and fleshing out of the story and obviously didn't find that.

Sorry, but this book doesn't have enough substance on its own. I felt like I was reading the first one again.

JQ has meshed stories before, she did it beautifully in the Bridgerton Books, but this time it was not quite achieved. I feel like I got one book for the price of two.

Disappointed. Seems like I'm reading the same story over again. I was expected the story to continue from where Thomas found out he wasn't the duke. But that didn't happen until last couple of chapters.

I'm upset and disappointed that I couldn't even finish the book. If you have read the Lost Duke of Wyndham, then you have already read HALF of Mr. Cavendish, I Presume. The Cavendish book parallels the Lost Duke book so closely, that you are literally re-reading scenes that you already know from the other book! Grant it, there is a different angle to some of it, because there is a different heroine in the new book, but I found myself skimming and skipping several pages just because I didn't see the need to re-read what I had already read.

A part of me wants to finish the book just to see how the story (and this two book series) end, plus the epilogue makes reference to the Bridgertons! But a part of me also wants to know what Quinn and Avon Books were thinking!

Now, I'm not telling anybody to walk away from this author! She is still definitely one of my favorites! But read her earlier works! I loved all her other books. "Everything and the Moon" and "How to Marry a Marquis" being my two personal favorites. Unfortunately, this two book series was definitely the worst of her fare and seemed like a joke compared to the caliber of her earlier works.

I've always enjoyed all of Julia's works - however, I feel
cheated to have bought this book - I had so looked forward to this second book that I pre-ordered it months ago -then "lo and behold" for three quarters of the book it is just a repeat of book one! someone else on the reviews page expressed it better than I can, but it is soooo disappointing!
Alicia

If I could give this zero stars, I would. It was that bad. The plotline is mediocre. But the writing is downright dreadful. The repetition in this book makes you wonder if the novel ever saw the editor's desk. Almost EVERY conversation is echoed. So if a character says, "I thought you knew" the next character will repeat "You thought I knew?" And this happens on EVERY page. This is one of the only books in my entire life I couldn't finish. I read the first fifty pages, then skipped to the last fifteen and missed NOTHING in between. I actually threw the book in the trash when I was finished. I wouldn't want to subject such poor writing on anyone else. And it turns out, after having read the last fifteen pages, that's the only point in which the main characters are intimate.

This isn't a romance - it's torture.

hey! i did not think this book was as bad as other reviewers have written. While i'll agree its not as good as some of JQ's earlier stuff i didn't think it was the worst either. i liked this story better than the 1st. the characters were much more likeable. also, it was never a secret that the stories would be overlapping so i dont know why some reviewers act shocked by this. i think JQ should get some props for trying something different anyways. there is alot worse books out there to read by other authors if you think JQ is bad. those books will qiuckly remind you how good her books can be.

I feel like I was robbed. I want my money back. I have read every Julia Quinn novel and am shocked that she would disappoint her fans by publishing a sequal to a book that is basically the EXACT same book as the first one. Shame on you Julia!!

I have read the other reviews on this site and, while not shocked, am disappointed that some readers received this book so poorly. From the beginning, Ms. Quinn let it be known that the Two Dukes of Wyndham were companion books. This is not a structural tactic widely used in romance - a genre where connected books, even those as closely linked as these two, are written sequentially in time - so, I can only guess that it's this unfamiliarity that is making other readers so unhappy.

So, knowing this going in? You should ADORE this book.

Yes, there are some overlapping scenes, but I found that they were handled with great care. Mr. Cavendish is not, as some reviewers have said, the same book except for two or three chapters. In fact, much of the first half of the book is time spent when Thomas and Amelia were alone - during the mysterious disappearances during the first book. When the scenes do overlap, the reader is seeing it from such a different viewpoint that the whole passage reads completely fresh. And yes, much of the second half is spent in the same movements as the first book, but because Amelia and Thomas are such different characters from Grace and Jack - with their own conflicts, perceptions, and private moments - the story reads as a new and intriguing all the way through.

Mr Cavendish, I Presume is, at heart, a classic Quinn novel. Amelia and Thomas are a delightful couple - both going through their own major self-discoveries over the course of the novel, but always staying sympathetic and warm as people. I must say though, as much as I adored Amelia (and I really really did), Thomas was the most intriguing character as I've read in quite awhile - his situation is horribly difficult, as he's facing the possibility of having everything taken away from him (including Amelia), but the way he faces it with humor and unfailing integrity was astounding. Truly a hero for the ages.

Add to this JQ's always-witty natural style and a simple depth of emotion that sneaks up on you, leaving you unexpectedly drying your eyes for the last 30 pages, and Mr. Cavendish comes out as a true five star read. Honestly, I have two other highly anticipated romances sitting in my TBR pile, but I have absolutely no desire to open them yet. I'm still lost in the world of Amelia and Thomas and it would be a waste trying to read anything else - nothing can compare!

So, if you're a fan of Julia Quinn, or witty, emotionally powerful historical romances in general, you cannot afford to miss either Mr. Cavendish, I Presume or its companion book, The Lost Duke of Wyndham. Try them out and see for yourself!

I am a great fan of Julia Quinn but, this book SUCKED. I could have copied most everything from the first book. To me, it smacks of laziness.

Really all you need to do is read the last two chapters.

I WISH I had read the reviews before I bought the book.

I was disappointed in this book because it should have been combined with the first book The Lost Duke. It was a rip off and I wish I could get my money back. For the most part I have always enjoyed Julia's books but I will think twice before I buy other.

Lil

I enjoy Julia Quinn but I was disappointed in re-reading entire portions of the "Missing Duke..." Would it have been so hard to write a story with more original content? I will be careful next time Quinn writes a two part story; I don't intend to add my dollars to a repeat again.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it brought back the old Julia Quinn style I loved so well when I read the Bridgerton series. I thought it was an excellent companion to the first book in the two part series.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, I'm sure-- to write two books about two couples dealing with the same events. But frankly, this book felt like the deleted scenes (or different camera angles, perhaps) to The Lost Duke of Wyndham. Reading the first book first meant that this one just seemed monotonous-- which is a real shame because after reading TLDoW I was very excited to read about Thomas in this book (as I found him more interesting than the hero of the first installment.) Unfortunately, where I thought this book was going to take place mostly after the events of TLDoW, it instead takes place simultaneously, giving mostly the exact same scenes as the previous book, simply from a different perspective. Even that seems like it could have been a good idea, but there just wasn't enough variation to make this book interesting-- or to even seem like it stands very well on it's own.

Frankly, the few scenes that take place between Thomas and Amelia only could be read in conjunction with The Lost Duke of Wyndham without the rest of Mr Cavendish, I Presume. This book felt rushed, and the scene where the couple finally realize their feelings for each other felt rushed and tacked on. Julia Quinn can, and has, done much, much better work.

This was a disappointing romance from Julia Quinn. I loved her Bridgerton series, and even some of her other books were well written.
I thought "The Lost Duke of Wyndham" was okay, but not a favorite, but was willing to read the second part " Mr. Cavendish, I Presume".

It was boring to re-read much of the same action all over again. Even though it was from a different POV, it was just missing something. I think the story between Thomas and Amelia would have been much better if it had picked up after the end of the previous story.

I hope her next books are better, hopefully she will find her creativity again.

Disappointed. Seems like I'm reading the same story over again. I was expected the story to continue from where Thomas found out he wasn't the duke. But that didn't happen until last couple of chapters.

If I could give this zero stars, I would. It was that bad. The plotline is mediocre. But the writing is downright dreadful. The repetition in this book makes you wonder if the novel ever saw the editor's desk. Almost EVERY conversation is echoed. So if a character says, "I thought you knew" the next character will repeat "You thought I knew?" And this happens on EVERY page. This is one of the only books in my entire life I couldn't finish. I read the first fifty pages, then skipped to the last fifteen and missed NOTHING in between. I actually threw the book in the trash when I was finished. I wouldn't want to subject such poor writing on anyone else. And it turns out, after having read the last fifteen pages, that's the only point in which the main characters are intimate.

This isn't a romance - it's torture.

hey! i did not think this book was as bad as other reviewers have written. While i'll agree its not as good as some of JQ's earlier stuff i didn't think it was the worst either. i liked this story better than the 1st. the characters were much more likeable. also, it was never a secret that the stories would be overlapping so i dont know why some reviewers act shocked by this. i think JQ should get some props for trying something different anyways. there is alot worse books out there to read by other authors if you think JQ is bad. those books will qiuckly remind you how good her books can be.

To those who were disappointed in the way the book was written, as a simultaneous story to the previous book, I ask - do you not get it? Knowing this going in, I was fascinated by how the story looked from other perspectives. Things that I could only guess about in the first book were expanded in the next. And, since the two couples are different people, they also have different experiences. This is TOUGH to do! Brava, Julia!