#157 (#93) When the Duke Returns ~ Eloisa James

ISBN:  978-0-340-9610-0

5+ star

Simeon  Duke of Cosway has been away exploring the source of the Blue Nile (and other exoctic places) for a very long time.  In the meanwhile he allowed himself to be married by proxy to Lady Isoidore when she was 12 years old.

He's never met her, but decides to return and collect a "stray package" from a houseparty at the notorious Lord Strange's country estate.  That "stray package" is in fact his wife.

He finds a mountain of debts and a huge stink, and having never met his wife it would be expected that they would be hard pressed to make a go of their marriage, let alone anything else.

Kay

#155 (#91) - An Affair Before Christmas ~ Eloisa James

ISBN:  978-0-340-96106-3

Miss Poppy (Perdita) Selby met the man she thought she would love forever one magical Christmas in Paris, the Duke of Fletcher.

He was marvellously handsome, rich and in love with her to apparently.

Unfortunately, nobody had prepared Poppy for the marriage bed, and that is where it all went wrong.

Four years later, having been horribly and publicly rude to Poppy he is determined to take a mistress and she is determined to leave him.

Her mother moves in, she moves out and chaos begins.

Another sparkling and refreshing  5+ star read, with a lot of the other "Desparate Duchesses" characters ..... what happend to Miss Charlotte Tatlock .... I can't wait to find out in the coming books....but if you feel inclined to find out Fletch and Poppy you will need to read this.

Kay

Desparate Duchesses Series ~ Eloisa James

The correct running order is:

Desperate Duchesses - READ
An Affair Before Christmas - READ
When The Duke Returnrs - READ (need to write up)
This Duchess of Mine
A Duke of Her Own

#154 (#90) - Desperate Duchesses ~ Eloisa James

ISBN:  978-0-96103-2

This was a 5+ Star book, such a refreshingly different take and way of telling the story .... I can't express just how much I have enjoyed it.

There a a few character's woven through it, and the various paths that they must thread to find their destinies.

This book features as the main players Lady Roberta St Giles and Damon, Earl of Gryffyn.

Roberta flees her mad father and his mistress, and goes to stay with her 4th cousin Jemma, Duchess of Belmount.  She believes herself madly in love with the Duke of Villiers - a hardened and unprincipled rake - and ask Jemma's help to trap him into marriage.

Jemma's brother. Damon also offers his own brand of help in her Courtship, but will she get or man or find in fact that another suits her better.

Lots of sub-text, chess and sex.  A perfect combination I am happy to report, and I don't even like chess.

Kay