- 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.

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.

Let's just put it this way - I couldn't bring myself to read the entire book. And I love Eloisa James. This was just not her best effort to date. Too many characters, many of them difficult to like, and some of the story lines were just uncomfortable. I doubt that I will read the rest of the series, so I hope that James gets them published quickly so that we can all move on to things better and more enjoyable.

This was not a favorite of mine. Someone else wrote that you can see the development of the characters from vapid, shallow, and selfish to real people that you like. There is some truth to that. And I could see where a further volume would delve more into their stories - but I don't care to know anymore about them. Roberta and Damon - why does he love her? She appears to dislike kids and he has one...although one can assume it's an act but I don't feel that overwhelming change from her. The Duke and Duchess of Beaumont were interesting...but so damaged and so damaging to each other that I just can't see them being happy. She's written more enjoyable books...check those out first.

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).

I've read 8 books from this author, enough to get acquainted with her writing style. In all cases except one, I was always more interested in the secondary characters than in the main couple. This book is no exception. As somebody already pointed out, the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont are a lot more interesting than all the other characters in this book put together. I hope they get their own book (probably the last in the series). They would be the only reason why I will read the rest of the books in this series.
This book's heroine is one of the silliest I've ever encountered. I don't know why in the world the hero would fall for her. Not that I liked him much anyway. He just seems sexually obsessed with her, and perhaps wanted a mother for his alleged bastard son. The boy is a pretty cute character. I actually felt sorry that he's now stuck with such immature parents.

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.

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.

I lose myself in this book and couldn't put it down.

I was really dissapointed with this book. Not very good, doesn't make you like the main characters. Doesn't spend enough time on the main characters. I feel like she spent to much time making you like the side characters for a sequel.

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I was a bit fearful after reading some of the negative reviews on the PBS site. However, I was quite pleased to find that I loved this story. I read the third book in the series first, which I liked, and wanted to 'catch up' by reading the first two titles.

Others said the hero was shallow, the heroine was an awful person because she didn't like children, there were too many characters, and they couldn't figure out why the hero would fall in love with the heroine.

What I saw was that the hero held his cards close to his chest, not feeling the need to advertise his own worth. He also truly saw the heroine, and didn't require that she be the classic 'Miss America', save-the-world, type of woman. He loved her for who she was, and celebrated every part of her heart, past, and quirky family, not in spite of all that. The heroine thought she didn't like children and was uncomfortable with them, but in truth had little experience with children. To my mind, she became Teddy's mother when he decided his little heart was safe with her. And anyone with kids understands that children are much more perceptive than adults - they can spot a real child-hater miles away.

There were a lot of characters in this book. And, I might have been less forgiving of that had I not first read the third book, which expands on some of these characters. The Beaumont's story is actually unfolding through the series, as far as I can see, which is an interesting aspect of this particular series, almost as if the series as a whole could be one book. I also enjoy all the characters thus far and look forward to reading the rest of the stories!

Book was pretty good once I hit the middle of it. Little bit of a slow start.

back of book:
A marquess's sheltered only daughter, Lady Roberta St. Giles falls in love with a man she glimpses across a crowded ballroom: a duke, a game player of consummate skill, a notorious rakehell who shows no interest in marriage - until he lays eyes on Roberta.
Yet the Earl of Gryffyn knows too well that the price required to gain a coronet is often too high. Damon Reeve, the earl, is determined to protect the exquisite Roberta from chasing after the wrong destiny.
Can Damon entice her into a high-stakes game of his own, even if his heart is likely to be lost in the venture?

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