- I was very disappointed in this book from Ms. James! =(
- Started out with too many characters to quick to try and sort.
- And these are NOT the typical characters we love to read from Ms. James. Nothing like the "Essex" sisters we loved and laughed and cried with. This group is very superficial, self-absorbed, and even display some downright sleazy tastes to some extent.
- Roberta & Damon are very unattractive as the main couple until the very last part of the book. Roberta didn't like children and Damon had a bastard son. Roberta would tell him to "shoo, leave her alone" and also threatened to throw his kitten in the river...several times. She was horrid!
- I was much more interested in Duchess Jemma and Beaumont. I wanted to read what more of what happened early on in their marriage to force the separation because it's obvious (and these were the only 2 characters in the book *to* show real feelings for one another) they had the real story!
going.
- Ms. James is one of my favorite authors but this is my least favorite book by her ever. =( It always has to happen sooner or later but this one really surprised me.
- Started out with too many characters to quick to try and sort.
- And these are NOT the typical characters we love to read from Ms. James. Nothing like the "Essex" sisters we loved and laughed and cried with. This group is very superficial, self-absorbed, and even display some downright sleazy tastes to some extent.
- Roberta & Damon are very unattractive as the main couple until the very last part of the book. Roberta didn't like children and Damon had a bastard son. Roberta would tell him to "shoo, leave her alone" and also threatened to throw his kitten in the river...several times. She was horrid!
- I was much more interested in Duchess Jemma and Beaumont. I wanted to read what more of what happened early on in their marriage to force the separation because it's obvious (and these were the only 2 characters in the book *to* show real feelings for one another) they had the real story!
going.
- Ms. James is one of my favorite authors but this is my least favorite book by her ever. =( It always has to happen sooner or later but this one really surprised me.
Helpful Score: 5
I liked it but I also didn't like it. I had a real problem with some of the stupidity of the heroine. She kind of irked me. But, all in all, is was a good book.
Patricia A. (armstrongpaw1) reviewed Desperate Duchesses (Desperate Duchesses, Bk 1) on + 101 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Lady Roberta is SO naive in her vision of a happy marriage that she is laughable. She is also plagued by a father who cares nothing for his, or his families' reputation, almost ruining Robert's chances for marriage to anyone. The Duke she fixes her affections on is a thoroughly unlikable sort who has no feelings for others and cares for nothing except finding a worthy chess partner. The Earl who decides he may be falling for Roberta and plans to save her from herself, starts out as a shallow jokester, whose only redeeming feature is his affection for his bastard son. AND Roberta's sponsor in society has returned to her husband for the first time in 8 years only to give him an heir before he dies. To watch the characters' metamorphasis from self-interested, rather hateful people, into likeable characters...along with the many story lines going on at the same time, kept this book interesting. I do hope James continues with the story of the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont which was one of the side lines of Desperate Duchess.
Helpful Score: 3
Eloisa James is beyond a doubt one of my favorite authors of this genre and this is certainly one of her best. She had me sputtering and snorting through each chapter and all the characters are quite endearing.
She gets better with each new tale. There are a lot of loose threads left dangling in this storyline (which is not nearly as bad as a dangling pizzle, as Master Teddy will assure you) and I can't wait for the next installment.
This one will not be leaving my shelf.
She gets better with each new tale. There are a lot of loose threads left dangling in this storyline (which is not nearly as bad as a dangling pizzle, as Master Teddy will assure you) and I can't wait for the next installment.
This one will not be leaving my shelf.
Helpful Score: 2
This book was very hard to hold my interest. First, Roberta, falls in love with a guy who loves chess to the exclusion of all else. Second, the book spends too much time on Jemma's and Villiers' chess games and some more time on the bad marrage between Jemma and Elijah. By the time the book starts to focus on Roberta and Damon, Damon is already in love with her and you have no idea why. The book never really goes in-depth into Damon's character, except to show he can get a woman pregnant (who never wanted a kid so she dumps the child on Damon) and then be affectionate with the child. I'm making sure this shows up on my 'books I've read' list because I don't want to accidentally read it again (I'm sure to forget this book quickly).
