Duchess In Love

Duchess In Love By Eloisa James

Publisher’s Description:

A DUKE IN RETREAT

Gina was forced into marriage with the Duke of Girton at an age when she’d have been better off in a schoolroom than a ballroom.  Directly after the ceremony her handsome spouse promptly fled to the continent, leaving the marriage unconsummated and Gina quite indignant.

A LADY IN THE MIDDLE

Now, she is one of the most well-known ladies in London…living on the edge of scandal – desired by many men, but resisting giving herself to anyone.

A DUCHESS IN LOVE

Finally, Camden, the Duke of Girton, has returned home, to discover that his naïve bride has blossomed into the toast of the ton.  Which leaves Cam in the most uncomfortable position of discovering that he has the bad manners to be falling in love – with his own wife!

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Given Ms. James love for using multiple points of view, the story jumps a lot, and it can be a struggle to keep track of all of the details.  However, none of this led to any grave missteps in conflicting details or missed concepts.

Sex – 4

The sex scenes range from the sensual and steamy to the downright fun and endearing.  Where most authors in this genre shy away from playfulness in bedroom scenes, Ms. James shows no such reservations and “dives” right in. *Pun intended for those who have read the story*

Language – 4

There are a few random words let loose by the hero and a couple of the other male characters, but none that left lasting impressions.

Storyline – 5

There are really three stories twisting around each other in this book.  Two of the stories are so closely intertwined they could simply be the same story with four characters.  The third story is a charming side story that really makes you want to stand up and cheer in the end.

Historical Accuracy – 4

Ms. James is a slave to historical accuracy (unless she intentionally sheds it for creative reasons), so I will mention a fun fact here.  While I could not find a reference to a “Finkler” in my research of fishing, I did find a reference to The Art of Angling by Richard Brookes (1790) that would have been the foremost authority to the budding popularity of fly fishing at the time.

Overall – 4

This was a very fun book to read.  The characters were complex and every time you think you had one of them pinned down, they would do or say something that completely bucked your perception.  I found myself enjoying the multiple plotlines, despite my usual preference to simplicity of story, and kept wanting to hear more and more about one character or another.  This approach really helps you develop a bond with the characters.    

Rant:

I still don’t understand the point of the pig in the inn.  It just didn’t make sense to me.

Rave:

I loved so much about the bath scene I couldn’t even begin to pin point my favorite element.  It was all lovely.