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Desperate Duchesses #3
Yüreğimdeki Arzu
İHTİRASLARLA DOLU
BİR KÖŞE KAPMACA OYUNU
Berrow Düşesi Harriet, unvanı ve sorumluluklarından son derece sıkılmıştır. Çay partileri ve gösterişli balolardan ziyade, tüm arzularını ve tutkularını açığa çıkaracak bir gece partisine katılmayı istemektedir. Lord Justinian Strange tarafından sıklıkla düzenlenen eğlenceli şölenler ise soylu düzenbazlar, hafifmeşrep kadınlar ve âşıklarla dolup taşmaktadır. Genç kadının bu davetlerden birine katılması, onun için geri dönülemez bir skandala davetiye çıkara- caktır. Ancak Harriet böyle bir geceye katılmak için kimliğini gizlemek zorundadır Ve bunun için binbir türlü oyuna başvuracaktır.
Tek gecelik bir kaçamak arayan Lord Justinian, erkek giysilerinin ardına gizlenen esrarengiz gencin, aslında balonun en güzel kadını olduğu sürpriziyle karşılaşınca şoka girer. Böylesi bir ilişki için, saygın bir kadın neden şöhretini tehlikeye atmıştır? Oyunlarla başlayan kaçamak ilişki, aşka yenik düşecek midir?
BİR KÖŞE KAPMACA OYUNU
Berrow Düşesi Harriet, unvanı ve sorumluluklarından son derece sıkılmıştır. Çay partileri ve gösterişli balolardan ziyade, tüm arzularını ve tutkularını açığa çıkaracak bir gece partisine katılmayı istemektedir. Lord Justinian Strange tarafından sıklıkla düzenlenen eğlenceli şölenler ise soylu düzenbazlar, hafifmeşrep kadınlar ve âşıklarla dolup taşmaktadır. Genç kadının bu davetlerden birine katılması, onun için geri dönülemez bir skandala davetiye çıkara- caktır. Ancak Harriet böyle bir geceye katılmak için kimliğini gizlemek zorundadır Ve bunun için binbir türlü oyuna başvuracaktır.
Tek gecelik bir kaçamak arayan Lord Justinian, erkek giysilerinin ardına gizlenen esrarengiz gencin, aslında balonun en güzel kadını olduğu sürpriziyle karşılaşınca şoka girer. Böylesi bir ilişki için, saygın bir kadın neden şöhretini tehlikeye atmıştır? Oyunlarla başlayan kaçamak ilişki, aşka yenik düşecek midir?
392 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2007
581 people are currently reading
4252 people want to read
About the author
Eloisa James
123 books9,535 followersNew York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 703 reviews
February 29, 2016
This book had many high points and some annoying points but overall it was a descent book. Really sweet characters but at times it was just too lengthy when it didnt need to be. Overall though the storyline was really good. 3.4 stars
August 11, 2009
I thought this one would be a snoozer, Harriet was always pretty yawn-y in the other books, so imagine my surprise when the author took a bunch of cliches (girl dressed as guy anyone?!) and made it sooo good! I really really enjoyed these characters MUCH more than I thought of! Other than a somewhat MEH ending (which actually I think is the only weakness in these books, the endings are always so HEA anti-climactic since they're stand-alone and you know they're gonna end up together). I think this might be one of my favorite ones, I just thought she took a bunch of cliches and made them fresh, yay!
April 10, 2023
2.75 Stars
February 24, 2022
✨”I look really good with no clothes at all!”✨
Crying in the CLUB the first half of this was a little slow but that second half???? I am a puddle. I was gonna do it. I was gonna stick to my guns and give this 4⭐️s because the first half of the book was just slow and a bit tedious for me but that second half blew my unmentionables off. I loved Jem’s daughter and she added an extra layer to the story and I am SO excited for her book!!! I didn’t think we’d get one but the epilogue had me wondering!
The SEX the LOVE the ANGST. I sleep at the feet of Eloisa James. I’m serious the sex in this one took a WHILE but once we got it we got IT. Three long scenes at least and just so much sexual tension and chemistry. I was fizzing over just watching Harriet absolutely vex Jem while she was Harry. The angst and tension of him finding out was just So Good.
UGH I loved both characters and I loved the supporting characters especially Villiers. I loved how Harriet definitely realized that she deserved to be loved and appreciated and made the man work for it. Jem was just so gone for Harriet and it’s okay he was a little dense pound cake at times he’s still a hottie. He was definitely and emotional guy and when it mattered he wasn’t afraid to show it. That second half I just… 🤌🤌🤌 it was giving.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5*/5 🌶🌶🌶.75/5
* I’m thinking to myself that I should rate this 5⭐️s because I’ll definitely come back and reread it so if I do, then I’ll up the rating. The beginning will honestly be skipped by me and I’ll probs jump to 50% upon my potential reread. So if you do read this book, don’t get discouraged!!
Still a bit confused on why her husband unalived himself and it wasn’t handled in the best way because he was often described as foolish for leaving her. I do think Eloisa would treat it differently today.
Crying in the CLUB the first half of this was a little slow but that second half???? I am a puddle. I was gonna do it. I was gonna stick to my guns and give this 4⭐️s because the first half of the book was just slow and a bit tedious for me but that second half blew my unmentionables off. I loved Jem’s daughter and she added an extra layer to the story and I am SO excited for her book!!! I didn’t think we’d get one but the epilogue had me wondering!
The SEX the LOVE the ANGST. I sleep at the feet of Eloisa James. I’m serious the sex in this one took a WHILE but once we got it we got IT. Three long scenes at least and just so much sexual tension and chemistry. I was fizzing over just watching Harriet absolutely vex Jem while she was Harry. The angst and tension of him finding out was just So Good.
UGH I loved both characters and I loved the supporting characters especially Villiers. I loved how Harriet definitely realized that she deserved to be loved and appreciated and made the man work for it. Jem was just so gone for Harriet and it’s okay he was a little dense pound cake at times he’s still a hottie. He was definitely and emotional guy and when it mattered he wasn’t afraid to show it. That second half I just… 🤌🤌🤌 it was giving.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5*/5 🌶🌶🌶.75/5
* I’m thinking to myself that I should rate this 5⭐️s because I’ll definitely come back and reread it so if I do, then I’ll up the rating. The beginning will honestly be skipped by me and I’ll probs jump to 50% upon my potential reread. So if you do read this book, don’t get discouraged!!
Still a bit confused on why her husband unalived himself and it wasn’t handled in the best way because he was often described as foolish for leaving her. I do think Eloisa would treat it differently today.
November 1, 2019
..
Duchess By Night is the third installation of The Desperate Duchesses, focusing on Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, and Lord Strange, who has a house filled with illicit occupants that come and go at will.
Unbeknownst to Lord Strange, a visitor dressed as a young man accompanies the debonair Duke of Villiers.
This series is suitable for
*** MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY ***
DESCRIPTION:
A Mischievous Charade . . .
Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, is tired of her title and the responsibilities that come along with it. Enough with proper tea parties and elegant balls; what Harriet really wants is to attend an outrageous soiree where she can unleash her wildest whims and desires. But to attend such an event—especially if the event in question is Lord Justinian Strange's rollicking fete, filled with noble rogues and rotters, risqué ladies and illicit lovers—would be certain scandal. That's why she must disguise herself . . .
Looking forward to a night of uninhibited pleasure, Lord Strange is shocked to discover that beneath the clothes of a no-good rake is the most beautiful woman in the room. Why is a woman like her risking her reputation at his notorious affair? And can he possibly entice her to stay . . . forever?
EXCERPT:
His lips like a ruby,
His cheeks like a rose,
He tempts all fair maids,
wherever he goes.
According to these verses, women kissed men everywhere and they returned the favor.
That wicked voice combined with the stark intelligence in his eyes . . .
This installation is able to stand on its own and does not require reading all the books in the series to understand the story. Each story in this series is able to stand on its own, has overlapping characters, includes its own H.E.A., which is always a good way to conclude the adventure you have chosen to immerse yourself in. I was very happy with the H.E.A. but most excited with the impressive epilogue.
The H.E.A. leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling in the reader's mind and the epilogue was simply breathtaking. This installation was packed with several developing relationships and the reader would benefit greatly by reading each installation in the series in order to understand the characters and their relationships more fully.
This is NOT a clean series. Those who actually prefer steamy to clean and sweet might not view it as flawed. Due to this aspect, I recommend it with reservations. If you prefer clean and sweet reads, avoid this book. It is not fair to an author when readers provide bad reviews about steamy scenes if they know they are included in advance. I have been guilty of this offense myself. It takes a lot of time and effort for an author to research and write each book. And there are readers who prefer the material included in this one to a clean and wholesome read. However, I actually prefer the latter. This does have steamy sex scenes, so if you like a sex-free book this is not it. If you enjoy steamy reads, jump into this book looking forward to plenty.
However, this installation was packed with several developing relationships and the reader would benefit greatly by reading each installation in the series in order to understand the characters and their relationships more fully.
-----------------------------------------------------
Duchess By Night
(Desperate Duchesses Book 3)
Kindle Edition
by Eloisa James (Author)
Print Length 383
..
Duchess By Night is the third installation of The Desperate Duchesses, focusing on Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, and Lord Strange, who has a house filled with illicit occupants that come and go at will.
Unbeknownst to Lord Strange, a visitor dressed as a young man accompanies the debonair Duke of Villiers.
This series is suitable for
*** MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY ***
DESCRIPTION:
A Mischievous Charade . . .
Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, is tired of her title and the responsibilities that come along with it. Enough with proper tea parties and elegant balls; what Harriet really wants is to attend an outrageous soiree where she can unleash her wildest whims and desires. But to attend such an event—especially if the event in question is Lord Justinian Strange's rollicking fete, filled with noble rogues and rotters, risqué ladies and illicit lovers—would be certain scandal. That's why she must disguise herself . . .
Looking forward to a night of uninhibited pleasure, Lord Strange is shocked to discover that beneath the clothes of a no-good rake is the most beautiful woman in the room. Why is a woman like her risking her reputation at his notorious affair? And can he possibly entice her to stay . . . forever?
EXCERPT:
His lips like a ruby,
His cheeks like a rose,
He tempts all fair maids,
wherever he goes.
According to these verses, women kissed men everywhere and they returned the favor.
That wicked voice combined with the stark intelligence in his eyes . . .
This installation is able to stand on its own and does not require reading all the books in the series to understand the story. Each story in this series is able to stand on its own, has overlapping characters, includes its own H.E.A., which is always a good way to conclude the adventure you have chosen to immerse yourself in. I was very happy with the H.E.A. but most excited with the impressive epilogue.
The H.E.A. leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling in the reader's mind and the epilogue was simply breathtaking. This installation was packed with several developing relationships and the reader would benefit greatly by reading each installation in the series in order to understand the characters and their relationships more fully.
This is NOT a clean series. Those who actually prefer steamy to clean and sweet might not view it as flawed. Due to this aspect, I recommend it with reservations. If you prefer clean and sweet reads, avoid this book. It is not fair to an author when readers provide bad reviews about steamy scenes if they know they are included in advance. I have been guilty of this offense myself. It takes a lot of time and effort for an author to research and write each book. And there are readers who prefer the material included in this one to a clean and wholesome read. However, I actually prefer the latter. This does have steamy sex scenes, so if you like a sex-free book this is not it. If you enjoy steamy reads, jump into this book looking forward to plenty.
However, this installation was packed with several developing relationships and the reader would benefit greatly by reading each installation in the series in order to understand the characters and their relationships more fully.
-----------------------------------------------------
Duchess By Night
(Desperate Duchesses Book 3)
Kindle Edition
by Eloisa James (Author)
Print Length 383
..
December 4, 2018
❤️❤️❤️½
This audiobook was a romantic comedy set in the Ton.
Widower Duchess Harriet Berrow is still coming to grip with her husband’s suicide over his failure as a chess gamer when she decides to aid her friend, another Duchess, in a plan to lure her husband back to London.
The plan involved Harriet dressing up as man named Harry Cope and accompanying her friends to reside at Lord Jem Strange’s estate.
Part of the amusing part of this story was trying to pull off the ruse as well as the inner musings of Lord Jem who found himself attracted to “Lord Cope”. I chuckled often and I enjoyed the personal growth of Jem and Harriet. It made me think of transgendered people in the Ton and the sheer terror it would have been for them. This story wasn’t about that but I thought about it anyway.
Harriet and Jem fit because they challenged each other mentally, academically and they were physically attracted to each other.
It was a fun story
This audiobook was a romantic comedy set in the Ton.
Widower Duchess Harriet Berrow is still coming to grip with her husband’s suicide over his failure as a chess gamer when she decides to aid her friend, another Duchess, in a plan to lure her husband back to London.
The plan involved Harriet dressing up as man named Harry Cope and accompanying her friends to reside at Lord Jem Strange’s estate.
Part of the amusing part of this story was trying to pull off the ruse as well as the inner musings of Lord Jem who found himself attracted to “Lord Cope”. I chuckled often and I enjoyed the personal growth of Jem and Harriet. It made me think of transgendered people in the Ton and the sheer terror it would have been for them. This story wasn’t about that but I thought about it anyway.
Harriet and Jem fit because they challenged each other mentally, academically and they were physically attracted to each other.
It was a fun story
August 7, 2022
I’d give this more of a 3.5 stars. It was good and I liked the story line of “she’s the man”. I think maybe why I’m not loving this series as much as I love the new series is because this is a Georgian time period and maybe that’s just not my thing.
I think I’m more of a regency, wallflowers and ballrooms kind of girl. I’ll finish the series because I have to know what happens with the next two duchesses!
I think I’m more of a regency, wallflowers and ballrooms kind of girl. I’ll finish the series because I have to know what happens with the next two duchesses!
August 10, 2017
Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, is lonely so she dresses as a man to go to a wicked party with her friends. Lord Justinian Strange hosts these wicked parties and mostly ignores everyone. Except the new party-goer who is just distracting. Once he figures out that Harry is a lady suddenly his boners are A-OK. So then there's sex and also feelings because what kind of romance novel would this be without those?
1. This was better than I was expecting, which sets the bar low (where it belongs) and doesn't mean it was great (which it kind of wasn't). But I didn't want to put it down, which means something??
2. The 'undercover' element of Harry's disguise felt kind of ... unnecessary. Why couldn't she go as a woman again? It was just this big unnecessary thing that made the first half of the book feel really...off-kilter.
3. That said, I thought the chemistry between Harry and Jem was pretty engrossing? I was into it?
4. Eugenia was such a monster; I would read her book.
5. I didn't quite follow why Harry decided to turn against Jem's lifestyle. Like, in theory it made sense but on paper she went from enjoying the adventure to suddenly demanding he give it all up. It just needed to be developed a bit better. I also thought the resolution was too easy and underdeveloped.
6. Harry's transformation from country mouse to ... more was almost too lightly handled; I would have liked a bit more. The opening chapters with her dressed as Mother Goose killed me; I was about ready to mark Jemma off as a loss from the unknowing hurts she caused. Ultimately, it was resolved but almost as a secondary thought.
7. I think that's my takeaway from this book: it was interesting but not enough time was given to the things that needed it and too much to Harry's stint as a boy.
1. This was better than I was expecting, which sets the bar low (where it belongs) and doesn't mean it was great (which it kind of wasn't). But I didn't want to put it down, which means something??
2. The 'undercover' element of Harry's disguise felt kind of ... unnecessary. Why couldn't she go as a woman again? It was just this big unnecessary thing that made the first half of the book feel really...off-kilter.
3. That said, I thought the chemistry between Harry and Jem was pretty engrossing? I was into it?
4. Eugenia was such a monster; I would read her book.
5. I didn't quite follow why Harry decided to turn against Jem's lifestyle. Like, in theory it made sense but on paper she went from enjoying the adventure to suddenly demanding he give it all up. It just needed to be developed a bit better. I also thought the resolution was too easy and underdeveloped.
6. Harry's transformation from country mouse to ... more was almost too lightly handled; I would have liked a bit more. The opening chapters with her dressed as Mother Goose killed me; I was about ready to mark Jemma off as a loss from the unknowing hurts she caused. Ultimately, it was resolved but almost as a secondary thought.
7. I think that's my takeaway from this book: it was interesting but not enough time was given to the things that needed it and too much to Harry's stint as a boy.
Read
May 25, 2024DROPPED.
This didn't sound as fun or titillating as I hoped.
I loved the fact that the heroine was all about finding herself and trying new things after being a widow for so long, but I wasn't truly feeling the chemistry between herself and Jem. Was I the only one who felt this wasn't truly romantic or passionate, but rather a bevy of words thrown into the reader's faces? Don't get me wrong, some parts were witty and proved a great conversationalist, but what I wanted to see more was an emotional connection and a great love story.
This wasn't what I expected.
This didn't sound as fun or titillating as I hoped.
I loved the fact that the heroine was all about finding herself and trying new things after being a widow for so long, but I wasn't truly feeling the chemistry between herself and Jem. Was I the only one who felt this wasn't truly romantic or passionate, but rather a bevy of words thrown into the reader's faces? Don't get me wrong, some parts were witty and proved a great conversationalist, but what I wanted to see more was an emotional connection and a great love story.
This wasn't what I expected.
December 19, 2011
Duchess by Night is my second Eloisa James book and I again thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very funny and witty - especially the horseback riding and fencing lessons. I read the first in this series, Desperate Duchesses, and then this one - so I already knew the heroine, Harriet d/b/a Harry in this book. I really felt bad for her as she's a widow, her husband committed suicide, and her life is in limbo - some people blame her for his death, she feels tons of guilt and sadness, and leads a very lonely life. The only thing she really has going for her is she works in the court - and she has her girlfriend, Jemma. (I love Jemma and can't wait to read her story; she reminds me of Gigi from Private Arrangements). Also, Villiers is in this story again and I'm dying to read his story too.
Basically, Harriet needs to find some excitement in her life, do something different and un-duchess like. Her friend, Isidore, who is married, but never met her husband, also wants to do something wild and cause a scandal. So they come up with this idea to go to Lord Strange's house party (he's the hero, also goes by the name of Jem, has an 8-year old daughter, and his wife dies in childbirth), which is basically so scandalous that Isidore hopes it will bring her estranged husband back from his travels abroad so she too can start her life. These poor girls! So Villiers will go with them to the party (even though he's been ill, recovering from dueling incident), but the catch is Harriet is going under the guise of a man - Villiers helps get her outfitted. The story is basically that "Harry" was raised by an overprotective mama in the country and is a little effeminate and needs to be made into a "man" - which somehow the hero winds up helping in this job. It was kind of weird because "Harry" is actually a beautiful male and the hero, Jem, starts being attracted to him/her - it all sounds pretty sordid, believe me, I didn't think it would work out and was wondering if maybe Jem was bisexual. It was strangely exciting and there was great sexual tension, especially on Harriet's part, which also made her feel alive. Her husband was obsessed with chess and mostly ignored her, so this time she spends as a man is very liberating and gives her a whole new outlook on life. One of the things she realizes she needs is a "passion" - she finds it in Jem's little girl and wishes she had a child. She also loves the freedom of wearing breeches and riding horses astride, fencing and taking part in the game that's going on (don't know how to describe it better than that). Loved seeing the interactions between Jem and his daughter, the interactions between Harry/Harriet and the daughter, and how Harry tells Jem he's got to improve his parenting skills and change things up. This man really needed a wife and the little girl really needed a mother.
There was good chemistry between Jem and Harriet - maybe 3 scenes together. So on a hotness scale maybe a PG-13 or a little closer to an R, but not quite.
The only thing I didn't like was how things worked out when Jem found out she was a duchess. Things were left rather abruptly. But, of course, this is romancelandia so there is an HEA. And I loved the epilogue, which brought us about, I guess, 8 or 9 years into their future. Loved it:)
Basically, Harriet needs to find some excitement in her life, do something different and un-duchess like. Her friend, Isidore, who is married, but never met her husband, also wants to do something wild and cause a scandal. So they come up with this idea to go to Lord Strange's house party (he's the hero, also goes by the name of Jem, has an 8-year old daughter, and his wife dies in childbirth), which is basically so scandalous that Isidore hopes it will bring her estranged husband back from his travels abroad so she too can start her life. These poor girls! So Villiers will go with them to the party (even though he's been ill, recovering from dueling incident), but the catch is Harriet is going under the guise of a man - Villiers helps get her outfitted. The story is basically that "Harry" was raised by an overprotective mama in the country and is a little effeminate and needs to be made into a "man" - which somehow the hero winds up helping in this job. It was kind of weird because "Harry" is actually a beautiful male and the hero, Jem, starts being attracted to him/her - it all sounds pretty sordid, believe me, I didn't think it would work out and was wondering if maybe Jem was bisexual. It was strangely exciting and there was great sexual tension, especially on Harriet's part, which also made her feel alive. Her husband was obsessed with chess and mostly ignored her, so this time she spends as a man is very liberating and gives her a whole new outlook on life. One of the things she realizes she needs is a "passion" - she finds it in Jem's little girl and wishes she had a child. She also loves the freedom of wearing breeches and riding horses astride, fencing and taking part in the game that's going on (don't know how to describe it better than that). Loved seeing the interactions between Jem and his daughter, the interactions between Harry/Harriet and the daughter, and how Harry tells Jem he's got to improve his parenting skills and change things up. This man really needed a wife and the little girl really needed a mother.
There was good chemistry between Jem and Harriet - maybe 3 scenes together. So on a hotness scale maybe a PG-13 or a little closer to an R, but not quite.
The only thing I didn't like was how things worked out when Jem found out she was a duchess. Things were left rather abruptly. But, of course, this is romancelandia so there is an HEA. And I loved the epilogue, which brought us about, I guess, 8 or 9 years into their future. Loved it:)
February 18, 2022
How do I remember this book forever and not let it get lost in the melee of random crap my brain considers important?! I can already see myself a year from now looking at this rating and thinking, “Wait…which one is this?” It’s a tragedy that all of the details of this book with fade away over time. This one will require a number of future rereads, I can already tell.
DON’T FORGET THIS BOOK, FUTURE ME! Because this book is freaking AWESOME!
This book has EVERYTHING:
-Heroine being like, “I should cross dress to get some freedom even though I don’t know anything about being a dude!”
-Duchesses being like, “I should do some shady stuff to get my estranged husband home!”
-Hero bringing all the Mulan vibes like, “You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot and you haven't got a clue!”
I loved this book so much. Harriet deserved a HEA so bad and I loved this journey for her. From everything with Villiers, to her finding things she had courage and passion for, her strength and and and the ending 😭😭😭😭 I. Love. Harry.
Almost as much as I love Lord Strange. Good lord, that man. I was cackling at his thoughts and dialogue throughout the book but especially when his early interactions with Harry. He is ripping her constantly and pushing her to be a man and omggggg I loved it so much.
I’ll even throw Villiers into this review cause I love this dude too. I LOVE a good redemption story and him and Harriet are just the best!
I seriously am obsessed with the heroine disguised as a man trope so much but was this my favorite?!?! Omg, Eloisa James is killing me right now with these brilliant books!
DON’T FORGET THIS BOOK, FUTURE ME! Because this book is freaking AWESOME!
This book has EVERYTHING:
-Heroine being like, “I should cross dress to get some freedom even though I don’t know anything about being a dude!”
-Duchesses being like, “I should do some shady stuff to get my estranged husband home!”
-Hero bringing all the Mulan vibes like, “You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot and you haven't got a clue!”
I loved this book so much. Harriet deserved a HEA so bad and I loved this journey for her. From everything with Villiers, to her finding things she had courage and passion for, her strength and and and the ending 😭😭😭😭 I. Love. Harry.
Almost as much as I love Lord Strange. Good lord, that man. I was cackling at his thoughts and dialogue throughout the book but especially when his early interactions with Harry. He is ripping her constantly and pushing her to be a man and omggggg I loved it so much.
I’ll even throw Villiers into this review cause I love this dude too. I LOVE a good redemption story and him and Harriet are just the best!
I seriously am obsessed with the heroine disguised as a man trope so much but was this my favorite?!?! Omg, Eloisa James is killing me right now with these brilliant books!
December 29, 2020
Rounding up from 3.5 stars because this series is weirdly engrossing. As I read the books, I see the flaws, but I still care enough about the characters to keep going and really want to know what happened. So, I mean, win?
I think part of the issue is that this is very much a book that you have to give it it's premise. Lady Isidore wants to court scandal and prompt her absent husband to return home, so she decides to go to Lord Strange's house. Except she needs someone to go with her. So clearly Lady Harriet must also go, but dressed a man. For... reasons.
Look, even characters in this book admit she could have gone dressed as a staid older woman acting as chaperone. The only way the set-up is even remotely credible is if you assume Harriet is provoked by everyone assuming she won't do something so daring, that she decides to show them she can be adventurous and have a little fun, and dressing as a man will let her do so incognito. (I think this might be sort of what the text is going for, but it never really explicitly gets there. Either way, you really need to Just Accept The Premise.)
Once you accept the premise, this is kinda fun. Jem and Harry have all kinds of chemistry (and he has much confusion given he's never felt attraction for a man before). Villiers is sort of excellent in his role of giving Harry advice on how to be a man. Harry fending off the attentions of all the women at the house party is fun, as is Jem teaching Harry how to fence.
Jem's daughter was perhaps a shade too precocious at times, but I generally liked her. And Harry's role in her life is lovely.
I mean, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the plot arc. The reveal has potential consent issues involved - . I like the final conflict, which to me reads as 'while being Harry is a fun adventure from time to time, Harriet wants a more settled life in the longterm than Jem's current lifestyle.' He of course takes this as straight up rejection, because they don't entirely communicate well. And upon self-examination, realizes he doesn't like his current lifestyle either. Unfortunately, a lot of it happens fast, and the subsequent resolution happens even faster.
I generally feel that the character arcs are about 75-80% there, and if they'd been tightened just a bit, this book would have been so much better.
Also, on one hand, I'm glad the reveal happened relatively early (because I dislike the inherent dishonesty in plots like this one), but I was also sort of hoping that Isadore and Harry would leave Strange's midway through the book , his true identity intact (as they plan to do, before other dramatic events cause a change in plan), and then Strange and Harriet would meet back in London, and he would recognize her. I think that would have been a very interesting book.
Can I also just say, I continue to enjoy the supporting cast. Villiers and his general tendency to be unlucky in love, but also to now examine his life is growing on me. I particularly like that, despite being sometimes thoughtless in her comments and actions, Jenna is very much consistently cast as the supportive, understanding friend/shoulder to cry on when one of her friends is in trouble. I like it.
Anyway, bottom line, weirdly readable. I'm a fan.
I think part of the issue is that this is very much a book that you have to give it it's premise. Lady Isidore wants to court scandal and prompt her absent husband to return home, so she decides to go to Lord Strange's house. Except she needs someone to go with her. So clearly Lady Harriet must also go, but dressed a man. For... reasons.
Look, even characters in this book admit she could have gone dressed as a staid older woman acting as chaperone. The only way the set-up is even remotely credible is if you assume Harriet is provoked by everyone assuming she won't do something so daring, that she decides to show them she can be adventurous and have a little fun, and dressing as a man will let her do so incognito. (I think this might be sort of what the text is going for, but it never really explicitly gets there. Either way, you really need to Just Accept The Premise.)
Once you accept the premise, this is kinda fun. Jem and Harry have all kinds of chemistry (and he has much confusion given he's never felt attraction for a man before). Villiers is sort of excellent in his role of giving Harry advice on how to be a man. Harry fending off the attentions of all the women at the house party is fun, as is Jem teaching Harry how to fence.
Jem's daughter was perhaps a shade too precocious at times, but I generally liked her. And Harry's role in her life is lovely.
I mean, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the plot arc. The reveal has potential consent issues involved - . I like the final conflict, which to me reads as 'while being Harry is a fun adventure from time to time, Harriet wants a more settled life in the longterm than Jem's current lifestyle.' He of course takes this as straight up rejection, because they don't entirely communicate well. And upon self-examination, realizes he doesn't like his current lifestyle either. Unfortunately, a lot of it happens fast, and the subsequent resolution happens even faster.
I generally feel that the character arcs are about 75-80% there, and if they'd been tightened just a bit, this book would have been so much better.
Also, on one hand, I'm glad the reveal happened relatively early (because I dislike the inherent dishonesty in plots like this one), but I was also sort of hoping that Isadore and Harry would leave Strange's midway through the book , his true identity intact (as they plan to do, before other dramatic events cause a change in plan), and then Strange and Harriet would meet back in London, and he would recognize her. I think that would have been a very interesting book.
Can I also just say, I continue to enjoy the supporting cast. Villiers and his general tendency to be unlucky in love, but also to now examine his life is growing on me. I particularly like that, despite being sometimes thoughtless in her comments and actions, Jenna is very much consistently cast as the supportive, understanding friend/shoulder to cry on when one of her friends is in trouble. I like it.
Anyway, bottom line, weirdly readable. I'm a fan.
August 21, 2021
3.5 stars.
Pros - EJ (with Mary Balogh) does Georgian settings really well - the debauchery, French influences, and gaudy fashions although we get to see less of the fashions in this book since the heroine is dressed as a young man for much of the story.
- Strange is an interesting, widly debauched MMC.
- Cross dressing is one of my fave HR tropes, but so few authors do it well. This one doesn't hold a candle to Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades, my gold standard for this trope.
Cons- The story isn't as intriguing as Poppy's nor is Harriet as interesting a character.
All in all, not a bad read, but if you're reading this in order, you can probably skip this one and not have it matter as much in the latter books. The series is interconnected with many of the stories happening simultaneously which can make it a little confusing if read out of order.
Pros - EJ (with Mary Balogh) does Georgian settings really well - the debauchery, French influences, and gaudy fashions although we get to see less of the fashions in this book since the heroine is dressed as a young man for much of the story.
- Strange is an interesting, widly debauched MMC.
- Cross dressing is one of my fave HR tropes, but so few authors do it well. This one doesn't hold a candle to Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades, my gold standard for this trope.
Cons- The story isn't as intriguing as Poppy's nor is Harriet as interesting a character.
All in all, not a bad read, but if you're reading this in order, you can probably skip this one and not have it matter as much in the latter books. The series is interconnected with many of the stories happening simultaneously which can make it a little confusing if read out of order.
January 10, 2016
This one took me a while to get into. Despite my love for Alanna, I'm not the biggest fan of romances where the woman disguises herself as a man. There's too much deceit inherent in the premise and too much, "Oh noooo, I'm attracted to a man."
But it did eventually grow on me! I like the relationship and I liked the kid.
I did not really understand the final conflict.
But it did eventually grow on me! I like the relationship and I liked the kid.
I did not really understand the final conflict.
June 3, 2020
This was a struuuuuuggle to read. There was so much I disliked about it, and there were a few bits I liked, but mostly it was boring interspersed with offensive.
November 12, 2017
🎃 Halloween 2017 Reading Challenge 🎃 6/10: A romance with a costume party.
"There's something about you that's just - mine," he said. "Male, female...I'm not so sure it would really have mattered."
Hmm. I’m torn.
As a novel? The writing quality is unquestionable. Humorous, engaging, likable (for the most part) characters.
As a romance? The romance is slooow to develop. Harriet and Jem don’t spend all that much time together in the first half of the book. We also lose Jem’s point-of-view for much of it. I didn’t necessarily mind Harriet masquerading as "Harry" for as long as she did. In fact, I quite enjoyed it. But it altered the characters’ interactions and interplay, probably because James didn’t want to “go there” by exploring Jem’s potential feelings for a man.
As a result, something felt...missing. That opening quote in my review? Great, isn't it? But again, we weren't really privy to Jem's perspective during that time - and Harriet's perspective is not overly focused on romance. I appreciated the supporting cast of characters, but their involvement was a bit more than anticipated. And while I liked the sexy sword-fighting “reveal” scene, I couldn’t fully relate to the urgency or strength of feeling with which they came together. The romance picks up in the last quarter of the book, and what we eventually got was endearing and enjoyable.
I may or may not read Isidore’s book because Simeon and their set-up intrigued me. Jemma’s situation is a big ol’ nope.com for me, though.
All in all, it was a light and lovely read with some highs and dulls.
"There's something about you that's just - mine," he said. "Male, female...I'm not so sure it would really have mattered."
Hmm. I’m torn.
As a novel? The writing quality is unquestionable. Humorous, engaging, likable (for the most part) characters.
As a romance? The romance is slooow to develop. Harriet and Jem don’t spend all that much time together in the first half of the book. We also lose Jem’s point-of-view for much of it. I didn’t necessarily mind Harriet masquerading as "Harry" for as long as she did. In fact, I quite enjoyed it. But it altered the characters’ interactions and interplay, probably because James didn’t want to “go there” by exploring Jem’s potential feelings for a man.
As a result, something felt...missing. That opening quote in my review? Great, isn't it? But again, we weren't really privy to Jem's perspective during that time - and Harriet's perspective is not overly focused on romance. I appreciated the supporting cast of characters, but their involvement was a bit more than anticipated. And while I liked the sexy sword-fighting “reveal” scene, I couldn’t fully relate to the urgency or strength of feeling with which they came together. The romance picks up in the last quarter of the book, and what we eventually got was endearing and enjoyable.
I may or may not read Isidore’s book because Simeon and their set-up intrigued me. Jemma’s situation is a big ol’ nope.com for me, though.
All in all, it was a light and lovely read with some highs and dulls.
July 2, 2022
*4+ Stars*
I really liked this book! One reason was that there were less characters than the previous book and more focused on the single story, with only one main side story. I loved Harriet, her character was delightful to watch evolve through the book. Jem took a while to come around, but he finally did. The epilogue was wonderful - I love a good epilogue! Looking forward to more in the series!
The audio was great! Susan Duerden did a fabulous job!
I really liked this book! One reason was that there were less characters than the previous book and more focused on the single story, with only one main side story. I loved Harriet, her character was delightful to watch evolve through the book. Jem took a while to come around, but he finally did. The epilogue was wonderful - I love a good epilogue! Looking forward to more in the series!
The audio was great! Susan Duerden did a fabulous job!
September 21, 2016
Re-read: September 2016
February 23, 2025
Was enjoying this quite a bit until the last quarter or so. Eloisa James tends to lose me around there.
April 5, 2015
I don’t often read romances but decided to play in a challenge this month on goodreads…a big romance feast during the season of love, Spring, and in particular September.
A little way in, I kept thinking I have heard of these characters and thought I was reading a book I had previously, only to discover I did previously read a book by the author that appears to follow on from this and enjoyed it greatly.
I was drawn into this out of a few I had on hand because of the dedication to Georgette Heyer and the following “I couldn’t get my character into clothing at all without help…”
I was flipping through the pages of this story rather quickly, oddly intrigued, not for the first time about a woman dressing up in men’s clothing, because of the humour the author brought to the narrative. I laughed a few times out loud. Even repeated a couple of lines to my husband. I was held captive until the time the hero admitted he knew the heroines sex, then something fell flat to me once the sex scenes started.
I don’t have any issue with sex scenes in books, and there is really nothing in this book that would cause alarm, but I found myself thinking that I couldn’t see that charisma, or attraction between the characters for me to lose or suspend my belief throughout those sex scenes.
I think (although I don’t care what anyone’s sexual inclination is) my interest in the story waned and had something to do with the hero, not knowing that the heroine was really a woman from the start and fantasying about changing sides, that kind of lost the true romantic element in my mind.
If I am going to read a sex scene, or even guess about one that is held behind closed doors, I want to feel that attraction between the characters prior, that passion build up until I am forced to peek at those love scenes or guess what type of passion is shared, and I kind of didn't feel that build up in this...maybe because of the humour preceding those scenes, but then again isn't sex very often humourous?
Perhaps that is where I became a little disenchanted. I would have imagined that the humour of the first half of the book would have been carried through to the bedroom, but it was chitter and chat and all those movements we all know about.
I wonder after such a brilliant dedication to one of the most famous romance writers, if not the most famous romance writer of all time, if the story might have kept me engaged and enthralled longer if the humour had of stayed till the end and our hero, who is noted as being very intelligent and knowledgeable in the way of women wasn't so silly, dare I say stupid, to believe the plot set up for him.
Although I sensed the whole theatrical plot, perhaps I’m just getting old LOL
Now to be contradictory, after all, attraction and sex is contradictory, despite my not getting the attraction, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend readers of romance to read Eloisa James's books. There is a humour and originality to the way she tells Regency Romance which is endearing.
A little way in, I kept thinking I have heard of these characters and thought I was reading a book I had previously, only to discover I did previously read a book by the author that appears to follow on from this and enjoyed it greatly.
I was drawn into this out of a few I had on hand because of the dedication to Georgette Heyer and the following “I couldn’t get my character into clothing at all without help…”
I was flipping through the pages of this story rather quickly, oddly intrigued, not for the first time about a woman dressing up in men’s clothing, because of the humour the author brought to the narrative. I laughed a few times out loud. Even repeated a couple of lines to my husband. I was held captive until the time the hero admitted he knew the heroines sex, then something fell flat to me once the sex scenes started.
I don’t have any issue with sex scenes in books, and there is really nothing in this book that would cause alarm, but I found myself thinking that I couldn’t see that charisma, or attraction between the characters for me to lose or suspend my belief throughout those sex scenes.
I think (although I don’t care what anyone’s sexual inclination is) my interest in the story waned and had something to do with the hero, not knowing that the heroine was really a woman from the start and fantasying about changing sides, that kind of lost the true romantic element in my mind.
If I am going to read a sex scene, or even guess about one that is held behind closed doors, I want to feel that attraction between the characters prior, that passion build up until I am forced to peek at those love scenes or guess what type of passion is shared, and I kind of didn't feel that build up in this...maybe because of the humour preceding those scenes, but then again isn't sex very often humourous?
Perhaps that is where I became a little disenchanted. I would have imagined that the humour of the first half of the book would have been carried through to the bedroom, but it was chitter and chat and all those movements we all know about.
I wonder after such a brilliant dedication to one of the most famous romance writers, if not the most famous romance writer of all time, if the story might have kept me engaged and enthralled longer if the humour had of stayed till the end and our hero, who is noted as being very intelligent and knowledgeable in the way of women wasn't so silly, dare I say stupid, to believe the plot set up for him.
Although I sensed the whole theatrical plot, perhaps I’m just getting old LOL
Now to be contradictory, after all, attraction and sex is contradictory, despite my not getting the attraction, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend readers of romance to read Eloisa James's books. There is a humour and originality to the way she tells Regency Romance which is endearing.
June 19, 2018
Can a dissolute widower and an upstanding widow find love and happiness with all the Ton watching? Well, yeah, except the Ton isn’t aware of what was happening. I am not a big fan of the switching identities tropes and Harriet’s reasons for doing it aren’t the best. Of course the big reveal sends Tem into a tizzy. The whole plot was rather predictable.
Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, is bored. She is tired of being an upstanding, virtuous, hardworking widow and the scandal of her husband's suicide two years ago is waning. Harriet wants some excitement in her life, but she doesn't really want to loose the good favor of the Ton. Soooo . . ., she decides to attend the ongoing house party at Lord Justinian Strange's country home. The parties are legend among the Ton as risqué, and guaranteed to be anything but boring. But, how does she attend and still maintain her reputation? Harriet enlists the aid of the Duke of Villers and they devise a disguise that is sure to fool everyone.
Lord Strange, Tem to his friends, is the richest man in England and pretty much does as he pleases. His home is filed with intellectuals, theater people, and the movers and shakers of England attend to play The Game. Outwardly, he is a desolate Lord that caters to his own pleasure. The truth is something else altogether. When he sees past Harriet's disguise to the woman underneath, he is smitten by her beauty and intelligence, but Harriet still has a secret, one that could tear them apart forever.
Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, is bored. She is tired of being an upstanding, virtuous, hardworking widow and the scandal of her husband's suicide two years ago is waning. Harriet wants some excitement in her life, but she doesn't really want to loose the good favor of the Ton. Soooo . . ., she decides to attend the ongoing house party at Lord Justinian Strange's country home. The parties are legend among the Ton as risqué, and guaranteed to be anything but boring. But, how does she attend and still maintain her reputation? Harriet enlists the aid of the Duke of Villers and they devise a disguise that is sure to fool everyone.
Lord Strange, Tem to his friends, is the richest man in England and pretty much does as he pleases. His home is filed with intellectuals, theater people, and the movers and shakers of England attend to play The Game. Outwardly, he is a desolate Lord that caters to his own pleasure. The truth is something else altogether. When he sees past Harriet's disguise to the woman underneath, he is smitten by her beauty and intelligence, but Harriet still has a secret, one that could tear them apart forever.
February 16, 2009
Nothing special, but, noteworthy for the genre, at no point made me whack myself in the head with the paperback, or throw it across the room.
(Whack myself in the head = "Why is this character still alive when clearly she is too dumb to live?"
Throw it across the room = "Ew, you got misogyny/patriarchy in my dumb entertainment reading.")
Well, maybe at one point there was some mild head-whackage, but that's practically a pass.
(Whack myself in the head = "Why is this character still alive when clearly she is too dumb to live?"
Throw it across the room = "Ew, you got misogyny/patriarchy in my dumb entertainment reading.")
Well, maybe at one point there was some mild head-whackage, but that's practically a pass.
February 22, 2023
Cross-dressed duchess and
brilliant bad boy bring the feels
in hot Georgian romp.
brilliant bad boy bring the feels
in hot Georgian romp.
July 31, 2023
***spoilers***
The writing here is lively, clever, and breezy. However, I never quite connected to this story or any of the characters except the child, and since neither Strange nor Harriet is being entirely honest about his/her true character or motivations or insecurities for 90% of this book, their “love” has no depth. And that’s a problem for a romance novel.
The gender switch: I have no trouble with the concept of prepubescent children being able to play the opposite gender. I can even buy a woman passing herself off as a man to travel incognito or for brief, distant interactions. But close, day to day interactions with conversation and sport? No. Not buying it, especially when it took Cosway a nanosecond to see through her disguise.
The love: both main characters are role-playing so their attachment seems superficial and their big implosion seems inevitable. What I don’t understand is why Strange is required to grovel when they are both equally culpable. Harriet is devastated that Strange doesn’t love her enough to give up his lifestyle when (a) she has given all appearances of enjoying his lifestyle, (b) she’s never revealed her true nature to him, and (c) SHE is unwilling to give up her lifestyle to be with HIM. To me that makes her as responsible for her heartbreak as he is, although he certainly has some explaining to do about his background.
I found this book less than satisfying, and feel pretty lukewarm about it.
The writing here is lively, clever, and breezy. However, I never quite connected to this story or any of the characters except the child, and since neither Strange nor Harriet is being entirely honest about his/her true character or motivations or insecurities for 90% of this book, their “love” has no depth. And that’s a problem for a romance novel.
The gender switch: I have no trouble with the concept of prepubescent children being able to play the opposite gender. I can even buy a woman passing herself off as a man to travel incognito or for brief, distant interactions. But close, day to day interactions with conversation and sport? No. Not buying it, especially when it took Cosway a nanosecond to see through her disguise.
The love: both main characters are role-playing so their attachment seems superficial and their big implosion seems inevitable. What I don’t understand is why Strange is required to grovel when they are both equally culpable. Harriet is devastated that Strange doesn’t love her enough to give up his lifestyle when (a) she has given all appearances of enjoying his lifestyle, (b) she’s never revealed her true nature to him, and (c) SHE is unwilling to give up her lifestyle to be with HIM. To me that makes her as responsible for her heartbreak as he is, although he certainly has some explaining to do about his background.
I found this book less than satisfying, and feel pretty lukewarm about it.
December 17, 2020
This book is just as vulgar as the title would leave you to believe. I have no idea how it landed in my library holds but after waiting for it for a few months, I figured I might as well shoulder through.
And, frankly, it fell into the pattern of most romance novels. The first half was delightful and the second half terrible. It dragged things out, it made everything ten times more dramatic than it needed to be, and it threw subtlety entirely out the door.
It really is the shame that pseudo-regency romance novels like this always disappoint. They usually have the most entertaining plots that entirely peter out at 60% mark.
And, frankly, it fell into the pattern of most romance novels. The first half was delightful and the second half terrible. It dragged things out, it made everything ten times more dramatic than it needed to be, and it threw subtlety entirely out the door.
It really is the shame that pseudo-regency romance novels like this always disappoint. They usually have the most entertaining plots that entirely peter out at 60% mark.
January 2, 2024
4.5 stars
Would have been perfect if not for the hiccups near the end. Witty and sweet, a nice reintroduction to HRs.
Would have been perfect if not for the hiccups near the end. Witty and sweet, a nice reintroduction to HRs.
Read
July 23, 2021Surprised me—the author’s dedication to the daughter—resisting the usual gothic outcome of father/daughter in the castle was quite unusual. I like that she was banned from quoting famous plays! The storyline is tangential to the main plot (crossdressing protagonist in Mr. Strange’s house of loose morals), but I dug it. First novel I’ve read by this author (and out of order), so I’ll try another. Four stars for this genre, three stars overall.
October 6, 2025
2,5⭐️
Kendimi Rs'ye sokmak istemiyorum ama bu seriden çıkmazsam girecek gibi duruyorum
Kendimi Rs'ye sokmak istemiyorum ama bu seriden çıkmazsam girecek gibi duruyorum
January 13, 2022
duchess by night is my introduction to the desperate duchesses series. i had an enjoyable time reading it and finding out what the main characters are up to. based on the series title, the duchess of berrow is desperate. as a widowed duchess, harriet always was proper and ladylike. she never experienced any sort of passion and never could fulfil her wildest dreams. a disguise as a man is the only way harriet could be rid of the weight of the duchess title.
since society is vastly discriminative in what the ladies and the lords can do, harriet underwent riding and fencing classes while disguised as a man. while doing that, she has to make sure that nobody finds out she's a duchess wearing breeches. watching her navigate society as a man was an interesting experience. she had so much more freedom to do whatever she wanted be it participating in a high stakes game or even speaking her mind about politics.
lord strange has a peculiar reputation because he invites unexpected and unusual people into his house. when a beautiful man arrived at his doorstep, he couldn't help but become curious. jem and harriet have great chemistry. their conflict was obvious due to the difference in lifestyle but was resolved nicely. also, jem's young daughter is pretty amazing, i need her book.
books in the series:
1. desperate duchesses
2. an affair before christmas: ✰✰
3. duchess by night: ✰✰✰
4. when the duke returns: ✰✰✰
5. this duchess of mine
6. a duke of her own: ✰✰✰✰
7. three weeks with lady x
8. four nights with the duke: ✰✰✰✰
9. seven minutes in heaven
since society is vastly discriminative in what the ladies and the lords can do, harriet underwent riding and fencing classes while disguised as a man. while doing that, she has to make sure that nobody finds out she's a duchess wearing breeches. watching her navigate society as a man was an interesting experience. she had so much more freedom to do whatever she wanted be it participating in a high stakes game or even speaking her mind about politics.
lord strange has a peculiar reputation because he invites unexpected and unusual people into his house. when a beautiful man arrived at his doorstep, he couldn't help but become curious. jem and harriet have great chemistry. their conflict was obvious due to the difference in lifestyle but was resolved nicely. also, jem's young daughter is pretty amazing, i need her book.
books in the series:
1. desperate duchesses
2. an affair before christmas: ✰✰
3. duchess by night: ✰✰✰
4. when the duke returns: ✰✰✰
5. this duchess of mine
6. a duke of her own: ✰✰✰✰
7. three weeks with lady x
8. four nights with the duke: ✰✰✰✰
9. seven minutes in heaven
May 5, 2016
I enjoyed Duchess By Night more than An Affair Before Christmas (Book 2), but it still wasn't as good as Desperate Duchesses (Book 1).
Using the cross-dressing trope to get Harriet to find herself again really worked for me, her self-discovery seemed more genuine than Poppy's.
I did think Strange's attraction to Harriett/Harry was a bit, well, strange. His mindset seemed to be something along the lines of "I think this guy is attractive, I must be turning gay in my old age."
I'm also really starting to like Isidore and Villers, looking forward to their books!
Using the cross-dressing trope to get Harriet to find herself again really worked for me, her self-discovery seemed more genuine than Poppy's.
I did think Strange's attraction to Harriett/Harry was a bit, well, strange. His mindset seemed to be something along the lines of "I think this guy is attractive, I must be turning gay in my old age."
I'm also really starting to like Isidore and Villers, looking forward to their books!
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