#159 ~ Duchess by Night

Duchess By Night by Eloisa James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars





Desperate Duchess Series #Book3


Another in the Duchess series, this time about Harriet, Duchess of Berrow. Her husband, Benjamin had committed suicide after a chess game with the Duke of Villiers and she'd spent a long time in mourning.

At a party given by Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont she decides to be the forlorn widow no longer and persuades the Duke of Villiers to take her to a house party with Isidore, Duchess of Cosway. Only to avoid scandal is going disguised as a young male relative of Villiers (Harry Cope).. What could go wrong?

Lord Strange is well used to unusual happenings at his house parties, but he is used to not questioning his own sexual appetites, therefore when he starts to find the young Harry Cope more than attractive he begins to worry - especially as he has promised the Duke of Villiers to help make a man of young Harry, and therefore has to spend a lot of time with him.

Will his identify be found out?

A 4.5 star read all the way. I really loved it, and the doubt cast in Lord Strange's own mind was really well written and a different angle.


Product Details:

I borrowed a copy from the Library, but if you fancy giving this one a try, you can get a copy of it HERE.


Hugs

Kay

#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

#133 (#69) Kiss Me, Annabel ~ Eloisa James

ISBN: 978-0-06-073210-3

Book 2 in the Essex Girls Series

The sequel to Much Ado About You, which I really enjoyed was finally found lurking in a second-hand book shop in Bexhill of all places.  Totally clean and new copy as well.

This time the story is about Annabel, who meets the Ewan, Earl of Ardmore at a ball.  She is determined not to like the impoverished Scott, not to dance with him, and definitely not to marry him or fall in love.  Her widowed sister Imogen is determined to have an affaire with him.

Then a set of unfortunate circumstances see Annabel on the road to Scotland with him with everybody believing that they are married.  It's not until well into the journey when they are sleeping in the same bed and she's totally addicted a a "kissing game" that she puts two and two together and realises that not only is he very, very rich, but that she has also fallen madly in love.

They are almost married, but does Ewan love her?

A 4 **** Star read.

#62 - Much Ado About You ~ Eloisa James

My 62nd book this year, and realistically the last for 2010 was a new author to me, and what a way to see the year out.

ISBN:  0-00-722948-8

Right off the bat can I just say ................ WHAT A DOOZIE .............. a 5+ Star Read.  I enjoyed every second of it.  Like an up to date Georgette Heyer on speed.  It felt just like reading a story I would be involved in with my best girly girls.

Packed through from start to finish with the most fabulous humour and insight.

Run at a startling speed to the nearest purveyor of fine literature and pick this baby up.

Book 1 in the Essex Sister Series, the story of Tess Essex, eldest of four sisters suddenly faced with a shambolic and mostly drunken guardian (Rafe, Duke of Holbrook) following the death of their beloved, but horse mad Father.

The story kicks off with said Duke displaying to his friends four sets of rocking horses, dolls and other paraphernalia associated with young wards, only to find said wards being ushered into the Nursery .... ranging from 20 odd downwards and beautiful beyond belief.  What can he do with them ........ find a chaperone p.d.q for a start.  Then arrange to marry the oldest one off to one of his friends.

Just when it all looks to be turning out for the best, Tess;s finance gets cold feet and hies off, and she is left with the other friend, one of London's most notorious rakes.

To top it all off, one of the other sisters, Imogen, elopes with a reckless and horse mad young lord, just like their Papa.

I am tracking down the next in the series tomorrow, Kiss me Annabel.

Happy reading.


Kay