Megan B. (musicmeg) reviewed The Ugly Duchess (Happily Ever After..., Bk 4) on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This book is separated in 2 parts. The first part builds the story of youth and love. The second part shows how the love ages and changes over time. Harping family, loving family, pirates, and love- what more can a hopeless romantic ask for? What I especially loved about this book is the ending came to a conclusion I didn't roll my eyes at or cringe at. Some times these types of stories have endings that are too cheesy for me. Not the case here, and I loved the story the more for it!
Lizz D. (ladyd2206) -
Helpful Score: 3
This is another great Eloisa James gem. This is part of her fairy tale series, where she takes classic fairy tails, and retells them in Recency Romance. This one, as suggested by the title, was for the Ugly Duckling.
Theodora, or Theo to most everyone, and Daisy, to her closest companion James, recently debuted in the ton. She is not the most beautiful of girls, though neither her mother nor James seems to notice. She is doing what every young debutante in the ton is supposed to be: looking for a husband.
James Ryburn recently learned that his father not only overspent their entire fortune and estate, but also embezzled much of Theo's dowry. James' father's solution? James must marry Theo.
When Theo and James get married, the ton is scandalized. When they separate, they're even more so. Will James and Theo realize what they had before it's too late? And will the ton ever realize that Theo is so much more than The Ugly Duchess?
This book was not quite as great as the other two I've read in this series, and the reason I say that, is that the book is divided into two parts. Part one is leading up to the separation, and part two is after. I kept waiting in part one for the separation to happen so that we could really get into the romance.
Part two was amazing. I love a good woman scorned story, and I also love the man trying to win her back. This had both of those things. I just wished we had less of part one, and more of part two. In the end, this was a great read, and any Eloisa James fans need to pick this up. Anyone not an Eloisa James fan would still enjoy a great whimsical historical romance.
Theodora, or Theo to most everyone, and Daisy, to her closest companion James, recently debuted in the ton. She is not the most beautiful of girls, though neither her mother nor James seems to notice. She is doing what every young debutante in the ton is supposed to be: looking for a husband.
James Ryburn recently learned that his father not only overspent their entire fortune and estate, but also embezzled much of Theo's dowry. James' father's solution? James must marry Theo.
When Theo and James get married, the ton is scandalized. When they separate, they're even more so. Will James and Theo realize what they had before it's too late? And will the ton ever realize that Theo is so much more than The Ugly Duchess?
This book was not quite as great as the other two I've read in this series, and the reason I say that, is that the book is divided into two parts. Part one is leading up to the separation, and part two is after. I kept waiting in part one for the separation to happen so that we could really get into the romance.
Part two was amazing. I love a good woman scorned story, and I also love the man trying to win her back. This had both of those things. I just wished we had less of part one, and more of part two. In the end, this was a great read, and any Eloisa James fans need to pick this up. Anyone not an Eloisa James fan would still enjoy a great whimsical historical romance.
Darlina H. (book-crazy-62) -
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoyed this books! Theo/Daisy was such a fun character, loved to watch her grow into a woman. James/Jack watching him grow into a man was sweet & no matter how hard he tried to forget his Daisy it wasn't happening. Really happy that the ending wasn't the same old "Happy Ever After" it told of their marriage as one we all can relate to - happiness, fights, children & compromise...
Aimee M. (aimeerachel2121) reviewed The Ugly Duchess (Happily Ever After..., Bk 4) on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I was slightly disappointed in this story. There was not enough character development between the two main characters. The story moved to fast then got boringly slow. Then ended on a way too happy note when I felt there was no connection. Not my cup of tea however my family loved the story.
Arm
Arm
Regina (virgosun) reviewed The Ugly Duchess (Happily Ever After..., Bk 4) on + 886 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very romantic tale, especially the latter part after their reunion. But I don't like reading about a hero's infidelity (even more so when SHE remains celibate) and long-term separations in my romances; they quickly become frustrating. At the beginning, James and Theo were so young, so I get that the separation allowed them to mature. Yet despite those elements, I loved their relationship. Still worth the read at 3.5 stars.
Joan W. (justreadingabook) reviewed The Ugly Duchess (Happily Ever After..., Bk 4) on + 1711 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Hum, this one just didn't do it for me. They were teenagers and I guess that is what kept sticking in my head. I liked the story but didn't think the situation needed to be so severe after one fight. Just a different story.
Robin M. (robinmy) -
Helpful Score: 1
The Ton was stunned when James Ryburn, the heir to the Duke of Ashbrook, proposed to Theodora Saxby, his childhood friend. Theo was thought to be homely and no one understood what James saw in her. But only two days into their marriage, Theo finds out that James was forced to marry her to gain her dowry and cover up his father's crimes. Feeling ugly and unloved, Theo kicks him out of the house and out of her life. Years pass and both Theo and James have changed. When James returns to London, he is determined to win back his wife's heart.
I had a hard time with this story. The first 100 pages were interesting and moved quickly. The next 100 was the big separation where Theo runs the estate while James becomes a pirate. Most of it dragged. The last portion of the book just didn't work form me at all. James comes back and tries to win over Theo when she wants a divorce. His answer to the whole problem was sex fixes everything. My rating for this book is 2.5 Stars. I'm hoping the short story about James' fellow pirate is better than this one.
I had a hard time with this story. The first 100 pages were interesting and moved quickly. The next 100 was the big separation where Theo runs the estate while James becomes a pirate. Most of it dragged. The last portion of the book just didn't work form me at all. James comes back and tries to win over Theo when she wants a divorce. His answer to the whole problem was sex fixes everything. My rating for this book is 2.5 Stars. I'm hoping the short story about James' fellow pirate is better than this one.
Jessica B. (jesifer) reviewed The Ugly Duchess (Happily Ever After..., Bk 4) on + 31 more book reviews
Wow, I really had a different response to this book. I could hardly read it. I skimmed most of the middle section. It infuriated me when the husband returned and didn't get it why she might be so PO. I usually like EJ but this story did NOT work for me. I will happily be trading it.
I really disliked this book. It struck a cord in me that I could NOT get past. He was a jerk and she turned into a bitch. Didn't work for me at all.
The author, Eloisa James, decided to turn some of Hans Christian Andersen's old tales into Regency fare (see series listings below).
Theodora, a less than beautiful young woman searching for a husband, asks her best friend to take her to a couple of parties and let it drop that she has a large dowry. James does so and then he proceeds to ask Theo to marry him. After two days of marriage, Theo learns the truth; James was helping his father evade the truth that the father had liberally dipped into her dowry while trying to make up for some poor investments he'd made earlier. Theo told James that the marriage was over and told him to leave England. James became a privateer on the seas.
The opening chapters of the book were real page-turners. About the middle, things got really slow. As far as I was concerned, it never picked up again. The best thing I can say about the book is that I finished it. However, I have no interest in reading anything else by this author.
Fairy Tales Series
1. A Kiss at Midnight (2010)
1.5. Storming the Castle (2010)
2. When Beauty Tamed the Beast (2011)
2.5. Winning the Wallflower (2011)
3. The Duke is Mine (2011)
** 4. The Ugly Duchess (2012)
4.5. Seduced by a Pirate (2012)
4.75. With This Kiss (2013)
5. Once Upon a Tower (2013)
Theodora, a less than beautiful young woman searching for a husband, asks her best friend to take her to a couple of parties and let it drop that she has a large dowry. James does so and then he proceeds to ask Theo to marry him. After two days of marriage, Theo learns the truth; James was helping his father evade the truth that the father had liberally dipped into her dowry while trying to make up for some poor investments he'd made earlier. Theo told James that the marriage was over and told him to leave England. James became a privateer on the seas.
The opening chapters of the book were real page-turners. About the middle, things got really slow. As far as I was concerned, it never picked up again. The best thing I can say about the book is that I finished it. However, I have no interest in reading anything else by this author.
Fairy Tales Series
1. A Kiss at Midnight (2010)
1.5. Storming the Castle (2010)
2. When Beauty Tamed the Beast (2011)
2.5. Winning the Wallflower (2011)
3. The Duke is Mine (2011)
** 4. The Ugly Duchess (2012)
4.5. Seduced by a Pirate (2012)
4.75. With This Kiss (2013)
5. Once Upon a Tower (2013)
