From the Publisher
Romance writing does not get much better than this.” — People
“Eloisa James writes with a captivating blend of charm, style, and grace that never fails to leave the reader sighing and smiling and falling in love. Her style is exquisite, her prose pure magic. Nothing gets me to a bookstore faster than a new novel by Eloisa James.” — Julia Quinn
“Eloisa James is extraordinary. With her sensuous and elegant style, inventive plotting and warm, human characters, she makes every book a treasure. A novel by Eloisa is a delicious treat that shouldn’t be missed. A wonderfully original voice in romance fiction!” — New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleyps
“Clever plotting and equally clever dialog make Thorn and India’s story a page-turning winner.” — New York Journal of Books
“Smart heroines, sensual heroes, witty repartee and a penchant for delicious romance have made James a fan favorite…Readers will be hooked from beginning to end.” — RT Book Reviews (top pick)
“James’ seventh Desperate Duchesses historical (after A Duke of her Own) is her most enticing work to date, replete with sizzling romance and riveting characters….James’ wonderful cast and effortless plotting make this a delicious romance to be savored again and again.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Emotionally rewarding and elegantly written, with textured characters and a captivating plot, this is James at her best” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“her gift for creating complex, richly layered characters pays off with spectacular dividends in her latest scintillating and exquisitely written historical novel, a romantic tour de force. — Booklist (starred review)
“Eloisa is also a brilliant writer [...] readers will be enthralled by Lady X and Thorn Dautry as soon as they meet these two willful, formidable characters. — USA Today, Happily Ever After
“Sharp, smart protagonists, dazzling in everything but love, eventually sort things out in this witty, deliciously sexy charmer that reprises some favorite characters from James’s “Desperate Duchesses” series and leaves the door open for more tales of Villiers’s kids.” — Library Journal (starred review)
USA Today
Eloisa is also a brilliant writer [...] readers will be enthralled by Lady X and Thorn Dautry as soon as they meet these two willful, formidable characters.
Julia Quinn
Eloisa James writes with a captivating blend of charm, style, and grace that never fails to leave the reader sighing and smiling and falling in love. Her style is exquisite, her prose pure magic. Nothing gets me to a bookstore faster than a new novel by Eloisa James.
People
Romance writing does not get much better than this.
Booklist (starred review)
her gift for creating complex, richly layered characters pays off with spectacular dividends in her latest scintillating and exquisitely written historical novel, a romantic tour de force.
New York Journal of Books
Clever plotting and equally clever dialog make Thorn and India’s story a page-turning winner.
RT Book Reviews (top pick)
Smart heroines, sensual heroes, witty repartee and a penchant for delicious romance have made James a fan favorite…Readers will be hooked from beginning to end.
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleyps
Eloisa James is extraordinary. With her sensuous and elegant style, inventive plotting and warm, human characters, she makes every book a treasure. A novel by Eloisa is a delicious treat that shouldn’t be missed. A wonderfully original voice in romance fiction!
USA Today
Eloisa is also a brilliant writer [...] readers will be enthralled by Lady X and Thorn Dautry as soon as they meet these two willful, formidable characters.
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2014-02-06
When Lady Xenobia is hired to restyle Thorn Dautry's country estate in order to help him win a perfect bride, they are both loath to admit they've met their perfect matches. The illegitimate yet beloved son of the Duke of Villiers, Thorn Dautry has made his own successful way in the world through his cleverness and entrepreneurial spirit. Rich beyond imagining, Thorn is now turning his energy toward finding a wife. He has his eyes on Laetitia Rainsford, a quiet beauty with a harridan for a mother. The Rainsfords are short on cash, and Laetitia's father is holding out for a huge dowry, despite Lady Rainsford's disdain for the illegitimate, untitled Dautry. Thorn buys a country estate previously owned by a debauched lord, and he must completely refurbish the buildings and land before inviting his family and the Rainsfords to a house party that he hopes will end in an engagement. On the advice of his stepmother, Thorn hires Lady Xenobia—known to her friends as India—to manage the overwhelming project, and she executes every detail with grace and elegance. India is the daughter of a marquess, and Thorn knows she is above his reach, so he at first tries to ignore their flaming attraction, then gives in to it but clings to the idea of biddable, easygoing Laetitia as an appropriate bride. India and Thorn each have deep-seated insecurities and strong personalities, and their secretive courtship is intense and explosive. They are clearly perfect for each other but blinded by their own uncertainty and society's expectations. Star romance author James revisits her best-selling Desperate Duchesses series with this compelling and passionate book. India and Thorn (aka Tobias, first met This Duchess of Mine (2009) as a youth) are complex, intriguing and endearing, and their romance enchants. Secondary characters enhance the emotional stakes, and fans will enjoy another peek at popular hero Villiers and his wife, Eleanor. Emotionally rewarding and elegantly written, with textured characters and a captivating plot, this is James at her best.
