---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #82289 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 400 pages

Publishers Weekly
`If Shakespeare had written an 18th-century romantic comedy, it might look something like this . . . colourful, spirited romance that will leave readers desperate for a sequel'

Review
'So full of dashing cads in breeches that it's guaranteed to get me hot under the collar . . . Bravo for Eloisa' (Fiona Walker on Much Ado About Nothing )

'Romance writing does not get much better than this.' (People Magazine on Eloisa James )

'I found myself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar' (USA Today on Eloisa James )

'Great fun. I couldn't put it down!'

(Daisy Waugh on Much Ado About Nothing )

'Hurrah! Romance is back in fashion. No grisly body count, no lurking serial killer. The only four-letter word is love. Choc-full of romantic heroes that would give Darcy a run for his money. Sheer joy from beginning to end.'

(Carole Matthews on Much Ado About You )

'If Shakespeare had written an 18^th-century romantic comedy, it might look something like this . . . colourful, spirited romance that will leave readers desperate for a sequel'

(Publishers Weekly )

---

Customer Reviews

Entertaining stuff
Eloisa James writes very well and wittily. I recommend this story if you like good and entertaining writing. The plot is reasonably predictable with quirky bits. Girl falls for wrong man, Mr Right tries to show her the error of her ways and eventually they end up together when she finds out that the superficial attraction of her first crush is nothing in comparison to the real lurve and friendship she finds with the right man. Its well done and its fun. You can see the other relationships set up for the rest of the series in the course of the book.

Witty and entertaining
Like the Duchesses trilogy this new trilogy has a pivitol couple who look as though they will be central to all four books; presumably their problems only being resolved in the last book. This series is set in the time period of George III, 1780's.

Here we have Jemma, the Duchess of Beaumont and her husband who have been estranged for eight years. Betrothed at an early age, Jemma and Elijah wed when she is about twenty and he is twenty five. Unfortunately, upon getting married Elijah doesn't bother to dismiss his mistress and Jemma walks in on the pair in action, as it were, very soon after her marriage.
Shocked, hurt and angry, Jemma leaves for Paris where she lives for the next eight years living a fairly decandent life style and having affairs of her own, largely in order to spite her husband. She returns to London when Beaumont, a senior parliamnetary minister, collapses while delivering a speech in Westminster. Beaumont is 33 and his father died of a heart defect when he was 34 years of age. So Beaumont feels that time is creeping up on him and he needs an heir. Jemma is willing to do her duty but needs time to get used to the idea of being intimate with her husband again. Underneath, she is still hurt and angry with him and their relationship is like a fencing match.

Beaumont is somewhat self-righteous and up-tight and there is the man/woman double standard thing going on of it's okay for him to have mistresses, but not for her to have admirers/lovers. The one thing he can't have in his position in parliament, is a breadth of scandal. Unfortunately for him the antics of his wife in Paris are well known in England. Jemma adds to this by inviting her brother, Damon the Earl of Gryffen, and his six year old illegitimate son, to stay with her at Beaumont house. She also brings with her her French secretary Caro, who is an expert at arranging novel events for the Duchess. The latest one is a gold painted, pearl encrusted naked woman with a mechanical peacocks tail in her bum, as the centre piece for a welcome home ball that Jemma is planning. There you have the pivitol theme which from the reviews of James's next book in the series, I guess will run through them all, as Jemma is a friend of all the duchesses who will appear in the next books.

Then you have the central couple, or trio, in this first book. Lady Roberta St.Giles, Lord Gryffen and the Duke of Villiers. Lady Roberta is the daughter of the poet Marquess of Wharton and Malmesbury. The Marquess, who is very flamoyant, writes dreadful poetry, and loves his only child with a desparation which constantly embarrasses her. Bursting into tears in public and falling on his knees and declaring his love for her; taking his mistress, Mrs Grope, to balls and other events thrown by the local gentry and insisting that Roberta has her dresses made by the incompetent village dressmaker, so that she, the dressmaker, can feed her children. The last straw comes when attending a local ball, Roberta is not asked to dance because the local gentry are incensed at her father bringing his "strumpet" along. However, at this ball Roberta spots a lavishly dressed gentleman, the notorious rakehell the Duke of Villiers, who later mistakes her for a maid, due to her dreadful dress. He appears to be nothing like her father in character, is not a poet, would never burst into tears in public and declare his love for her and has a controlled 'don't give a damn' attitude. She decides that he is just the husband for her and decides to persue him to London.

Roberta manages to persuade her reluctant father to allow her to go to London to stay with her distant cousin Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont. So there you have the link between the two. Jemma agrees to be Roberta's patroness for the Season; although both she and her brother Damon are dismayed to find out who Jemma believes she is in love with. Damon is instantly attracted to Roberta and wants her for himself, so is determined that she will not throw herself away on the degenerant Villiers.

Chess was apparently very popular during the Georgian period and thoughout the book you have a chess match taking place between Jemma, the best woman chess player and Villiers the best chess player in England, who hopes to get her into bed and another chess match between Jemma and her husband.

The book is very witty in the best James style and extremely enjoyable.

A glimpse of your new family
I absolutely adore Eloisa James' books. This one is the first in the duchess series, followed by An Affair before Christmas, Duchess By Night, When the Duke returns and This Duchess of Mine. The last in the series is A Duke of Her Own (2009)

Eloisa's duchess series is like having your very special family on the bookshelf, mainly centered around the famouus duchess Jemma. With great love and humourous care Eloisa makes the plots of the books develop around her and her husband, the duke of Beaumont, and their friends - including the duchesses in the following books.

The plots of the books is a wonderful merry-go-round involving a ring of girlfriend duchesses and their trouble with love. In Desperate Duchesses we meet Roberta, who is desperate for escaping the country and her rather excentric father who writes poems. She already have a notorius duke in sight: The duke of Villiers, Jemmas new chess friend - and the one duke that has set out to seduce Jemma, despite her marriage with Beaumont. Roberta is hopelessly in love with Villiers - but is not aware that Jemma's brother have taken a like to her instead... The book is all about the deliciuos Roberta going from admiration of Villiers and to slowly accept that what you want isn't always the same as what you need...

I can't wait to read the last book in the series where the famous, notorius Villiers gets what he deserves when he looks for a bride to take care of seven(!) offpspring children in "A duke of her own". Throughout the books Villiers goes from a cynical rake to a grown man with a conscience. I'm sure it will be an absolutely delicious end to the duchess stories!