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Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers #3
7 λεπτά στον παράδεισο
Τα προβλήματα της Γιουτζίνια Σνόου ξεκινούν όταν ο εφευρέτης Έντουαρντ Ριβ, ο αλαζόνας νόθος γιος ενός κόμη, εισβάλλει στο Πρακτορείο Παιδαγωγών Σνόου. Απαιτεί μια γκουβερνάντα... όμως θέλει και την ίδια τη Γιουτζίνια. Εκείνη του παραχωρεί την παιδαγωγό, αλλά αρνείται σθεναρά να του παραδοθεί.
Δεν υπάρχει αμφιβολία ότι η Γιουτζίνια απολαμβάνει τις πνευματώδεις λογομαχίες της με τον δαιμόνιο εφευρέτη, αλλά δεν πρόκειται ποτέ να κηλιδώσει την υπόληψή της με μια εφήμερη ερωτική σχέση, πόσο μάλλον με έναν άντρα που δεν αντιλαμβάνεται πως είναι μια κυρία!
Και είναι αποφασισμένη να μην ενδώσει παρά την απαγωγή της από τον Έντουαρντ…
Ο Έντουαρντ δεν θα διστάσει μπροστά σε τίποτα προκειμένου να πείσει τη Γιουτζίνια ότι είναι φτιαγμένοι ο ένας για τον άλλο. Της υπόσχεται ότι μαζί θα κατακτήσουν τον παράδεισο.
Και εκείνη αποφασίζει να του παραχωρήσει 7 λεπτά…
Δεν υπάρχει αμφιβολία ότι η Γιουτζίνια απολαμβάνει τις πνευματώδεις λογομαχίες της με τον δαιμόνιο εφευρέτη, αλλά δεν πρόκειται ποτέ να κηλιδώσει την υπόληψή της με μια εφήμερη ερωτική σχέση, πόσο μάλλον με έναν άντρα που δεν αντιλαμβάνεται πως είναι μια κυρία!
Και είναι αποφασισμένη να μην ενδώσει παρά την απαγωγή της από τον Έντουαρντ…
Ο Έντουαρντ δεν θα διστάσει μπροστά σε τίποτα προκειμένου να πείσει τη Γιουτζίνια ότι είναι φτιαγμένοι ο ένας για τον άλλο. Της υπόσχεται ότι μαζί θα κατακτήσουν τον παράδεισο.
Και εκείνη αποφασίζει να του παραχωρήσει 7 λεπτά…
440 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2017
766 people are currently reading
3732 people want to read
About the author
Eloisa James
123 books9,537 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 635 reviews
February 8, 2017
Happy release day!!
Seven Minutes in Heaven is the 9th book in Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses series (Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers #3) and, at times, had me laughing so hard I was in tears. Reading this also had me sighing, tsking, and falling in love with Edward Reeve and Eugenia Snowe, and cheering for their happily ever after.
Brava! An absolutely delightfully entertaining story!
An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.
Seven Minutes in Heaven is the 9th book in Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses series (Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers #3) and, at times, had me laughing so hard I was in tears. Reading this also had me sighing, tsking, and falling in love with Edward Reeve and Eugenia Snowe, and cheering for their happily ever after.
BlurbI just love the way Ms. James’ brings her characters to life, making me love them for all the things they are, and all the things they are not. They are flawed, they are quirky and, sometimes, haven’t the judgment of a gnat… and I love them all the more for it.
All of Eugenia Snowe’s problems start when Edward Reeve, an arrogant bastard son of an earl, bursts into her registry office. He wants a governess and he wants her. She gives him the governess he demands, but she refuses to give herself.
No question that Eugenia enjoys crossing wits with the brilliant inventor, but she will never tarnish her reputation with an affaire, particularly with a man who doesn’t realize she’s a lady!
She holds her ground…until he kidnaps her.
Ward will stop at nothing to convince Eugenia that they’re meant to be together. He promises her heaven.
She gives him seven minutes.
Brava! An absolutely delightfully entertaining story!
An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.
March 21, 2017
I've given this a B- at AAR, but I can't bring myself to give it 4 stars, as it's not a book I would really recommend. So it's staying at three and being an exception to my normal rounding up rule.
Seven Minutes in Heaven is the third in Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchess by the Numbers series which is a kind of Desperate Duchesses TNG – the heroes and heroines featured in these books appeared as children in some of the earlier stories and are now grown up and getting their own. This means that there are some references to characters from and events that took place in both series; I confess that while I’ve read the previous two books in the By the Numbers series (Three Weeks With Lady X and Four Nights With the Duke), I haven’t read all of the Desperate Duchesses books which meant that I was sometimes a bit adrift as to who was related to whom. But for the most part, Seven Minutes works perfectly well as a standalone.
Mrs. Eugenia Snowe has been a widow for some seven years, having lost her young husband in a boating accident. The daughter of a marquess, she now owns and operates a very exclusive agency that supplies governesses to the best families, and even though her social standing has taken a just the tiniest bit of a dip because she engages in ‘trade’, she is nonetheless regarded as a woman of the highest standing and steadiest character throughout society. (I don’t think we’re told why she styles herself ‘Mrs.’ when she is entitled to be called ‘Lady’. Mind you, if she had used her title, there would be no book.)
Eugenia has become very much a ‘dull boy’ over the last few years, rarely taking the time to visit friends and family or attend any of the various society events to which she is regularly invited. She is still not fully over Andrew’s death and even though, as a woman of beauty, brains and fortune, she could have her pick of men, she isn’t ready to remarry. Although, as her best friend and assistant, Susan, points out, as a widow, she doesn’t have to marry a man in order to enjoy one ;) Eugenia liked the physical side of marriage, but has never thought about the possibility of engaging in a discreet affaire… and she probably wouldn’t have done, had not the handsome, overbearing and persistent Mr. Edward Reeve, bastard son of the Earl of Gryffin, barged into her office demanding a replacement governess for his eight and nine year-old half-siblings.
Reeve –or Ward, as he is known to his friends – is in a bind. His own irregular birth has never really bothered or hindered him, but when his half-brother and half-sister are literally dumped on his doorstep following the death of their mother, Ward takes them in and determines to do his best to care for them. But it’s not easy. For one thing, Lizzie and Otis were brought up in a travelling acting troupe and their behaviour is unconventional to say the least; and for another, their mother was the eccentric (widely regarded as mad) Lady Lisette, who ran off with a man half her age. Her mother, the Duchess of Gilner is now set on wresting the guardianship of her grandchildren from Ward, in the face of the wishes of both their parents.
Ward knows the duchess to be a despotic, uncaring woman and is equally determined that the children remain with him – but he needs to show that he can care for them. Otis needs to be prepared to go to Eton, and Lizzie needs to be educated and taught all the things the daughter of a viscount needs to know. The children have obviously not had an easy time of it, and I liked the way in which Ms. James makes the reader aware of that without making anything overly sensational or maudlin. It’s very clear that these are children desperately in need of love, security and normalcy, and that they are going to need careful nurturing for a while until they get used to the fact that they have a permanent place in the world and in their brother’s life.
The replacement governess doesn’t work out either, and Ward is becoming desperate. So he travels to London, determined to ask Eugenia to return to Oxfordshire with him – temporarily – so that she can see the children for herself and spend some time with them in order to better appreciate the task facing him.
According to the book synopsis, Ward ‘kidnaps’ Eugenia, but fortunately, she is quite happy to go with him, making it clear that she is open to the idea of having an affair with him. Their conversation at this point is laden with amusing and steamy double-entendres and sexually-charged banter; but given these two people barely know each other and have really only corresponded up until now, it feels inappropriate – it’s too much too soon.
Much like Mary Poppins, Eugenia is able to see what Lizzie and Otis really need and begins to build a relationship with them – and not like Mary Poppins, does it while she and Ward are engaged in a relationship of another kind. He finds himself thinking about permanence, but dismisses the idea quickly. Because of his illegitimacy and his mother’s terrible reputation, Ward needs to marry well if Otis and Lizzie are going to be able to hold up their heads in society. He needs a wife above reproach, a Lady with a capital ‘L’, one ‘to the manor born’ to ensure that they are received everywhere; and a former governess – Ward seems to be the only person in England who is ignorant of Eugenia’s pedigree – won’t cut the mustard. So he is prepared to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his brother and sister and let Eugenia go at the end of her two week’s stay.
I liked Ward’s protectiveness of them, and Otis and Lizzie themselves are engaging – if a little too precocious to be believable. But the use of this particular device to create the conflict in the romance is so flimsy as to be see-through. We’re to believe that Ward really can’t recognise that Eugenia IS a lady, in spite of the odd spurt of behaviour HE (the model of propriety himself – not!) considers unladylike? We’re to believe that nobody, but NOBODY – the person who suggested he employ a Snowe’s governess for example – remarked upon her social standing, even in passing? Her assistant, Susan, who is the one who tells Ward where to find Eugenia on the day he ‘kidnaps’ her, never mentioned it? There’s living outside of society and there’s living under a rock.
Ms. James writes with her customary elegance and assurance, and there is no question that she is a dab hand with the risqué banter and sexy love scenes. But overall, the book lacks… heart, for want of a better word. Ward is a stereotypically handsome, virile, protective hero with a soft side he doesn’t often show and Eugenia is, well, she’s Practically Perfect in Every Way. It seems there is nothing she cannot do, whether it’s in the bedroom or the kitchen. She is a woman with no flaws and I just couldn’t warm to her.
Seven Minutes in Heaven was an easy read, but ultimately one from which I felt rather disconnected . Neither of the protagonists really came to life or made me want to know them better; and when I finished I found myself equating it with a perfectly polished piece of veneer – a beautiful surface but with nothing substantial underneath.
Seven Minutes in Heaven is the third in Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchess by the Numbers series which is a kind of Desperate Duchesses TNG – the heroes and heroines featured in these books appeared as children in some of the earlier stories and are now grown up and getting their own. This means that there are some references to characters from and events that took place in both series; I confess that while I’ve read the previous two books in the By the Numbers series (Three Weeks With Lady X and Four Nights With the Duke), I haven’t read all of the Desperate Duchesses books which meant that I was sometimes a bit adrift as to who was related to whom. But for the most part, Seven Minutes works perfectly well as a standalone.
Mrs. Eugenia Snowe has been a widow for some seven years, having lost her young husband in a boating accident. The daughter of a marquess, she now owns and operates a very exclusive agency that supplies governesses to the best families, and even though her social standing has taken a just the tiniest bit of a dip because she engages in ‘trade’, she is nonetheless regarded as a woman of the highest standing and steadiest character throughout society. (I don’t think we’re told why she styles herself ‘Mrs.’ when she is entitled to be called ‘Lady’. Mind you, if she had used her title, there would be no book.)
Eugenia has become very much a ‘dull boy’ over the last few years, rarely taking the time to visit friends and family or attend any of the various society events to which she is regularly invited. She is still not fully over Andrew’s death and even though, as a woman of beauty, brains and fortune, she could have her pick of men, she isn’t ready to remarry. Although, as her best friend and assistant, Susan, points out, as a widow, she doesn’t have to marry a man in order to enjoy one ;) Eugenia liked the physical side of marriage, but has never thought about the possibility of engaging in a discreet affaire… and she probably wouldn’t have done, had not the handsome, overbearing and persistent Mr. Edward Reeve, bastard son of the Earl of Gryffin, barged into her office demanding a replacement governess for his eight and nine year-old half-siblings.
Reeve –or Ward, as he is known to his friends – is in a bind. His own irregular birth has never really bothered or hindered him, but when his half-brother and half-sister are literally dumped on his doorstep following the death of their mother, Ward takes them in and determines to do his best to care for them. But it’s not easy. For one thing, Lizzie and Otis were brought up in a travelling acting troupe and their behaviour is unconventional to say the least; and for another, their mother was the eccentric (widely regarded as mad) Lady Lisette, who ran off with a man half her age. Her mother, the Duchess of Gilner is now set on wresting the guardianship of her grandchildren from Ward, in the face of the wishes of both their parents.
Ward knows the duchess to be a despotic, uncaring woman and is equally determined that the children remain with him – but he needs to show that he can care for them. Otis needs to be prepared to go to Eton, and Lizzie needs to be educated and taught all the things the daughter of a viscount needs to know. The children have obviously not had an easy time of it, and I liked the way in which Ms. James makes the reader aware of that without making anything overly sensational or maudlin. It’s very clear that these are children desperately in need of love, security and normalcy, and that they are going to need careful nurturing for a while until they get used to the fact that they have a permanent place in the world and in their brother’s life.
The replacement governess doesn’t work out either, and Ward is becoming desperate. So he travels to London, determined to ask Eugenia to return to Oxfordshire with him – temporarily – so that she can see the children for herself and spend some time with them in order to better appreciate the task facing him.
According to the book synopsis, Ward ‘kidnaps’ Eugenia, but fortunately, she is quite happy to go with him, making it clear that she is open to the idea of having an affair with him. Their conversation at this point is laden with amusing and steamy double-entendres and sexually-charged banter; but given these two people barely know each other and have really only corresponded up until now, it feels inappropriate – it’s too much too soon.
Much like Mary Poppins, Eugenia is able to see what Lizzie and Otis really need and begins to build a relationship with them – and not like Mary Poppins, does it while she and Ward are engaged in a relationship of another kind. He finds himself thinking about permanence, but dismisses the idea quickly. Because of his illegitimacy and his mother’s terrible reputation, Ward needs to marry well if Otis and Lizzie are going to be able to hold up their heads in society. He needs a wife above reproach, a Lady with a capital ‘L’, one ‘to the manor born’ to ensure that they are received everywhere; and a former governess – Ward seems to be the only person in England who is ignorant of Eugenia’s pedigree – won’t cut the mustard. So he is prepared to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his brother and sister and let Eugenia go at the end of her two week’s stay.
I liked Ward’s protectiveness of them, and Otis and Lizzie themselves are engaging – if a little too precocious to be believable. But the use of this particular device to create the conflict in the romance is so flimsy as to be see-through. We’re to believe that Ward really can’t recognise that Eugenia IS a lady, in spite of the odd spurt of behaviour HE (the model of propriety himself – not!) considers unladylike? We’re to believe that nobody, but NOBODY – the person who suggested he employ a Snowe’s governess for example – remarked upon her social standing, even in passing? Her assistant, Susan, who is the one who tells Ward where to find Eugenia on the day he ‘kidnaps’ her, never mentioned it? There’s living outside of society and there’s living under a rock.
Ms. James writes with her customary elegance and assurance, and there is no question that she is a dab hand with the risqué banter and sexy love scenes. But overall, the book lacks… heart, for want of a better word. Ward is a stereotypically handsome, virile, protective hero with a soft side he doesn’t often show and Eugenia is, well, she’s Practically Perfect in Every Way. It seems there is nothing she cannot do, whether it’s in the bedroom or the kitchen. She is a woman with no flaws and I just couldn’t warm to her.
Seven Minutes in Heaven was an easy read, but ultimately one from which I felt rather disconnected . Neither of the protagonists really came to life or made me want to know them better; and when I finished I found myself equating it with a perfectly polished piece of veneer – a beautiful surface but with nothing substantial underneath.
May 23, 2017
I gave this audiobook a B for the story and A- for the narration at AudioGals
I’m a huge fan of Eloisa James’ brand of historical romance. She always manages to infuse witty dialogue and tongue-in-cheek humor in her romances which is sure to bring a smile to my face and have me chuckling while my earbuds are tuned in. I also love the cat and mouse chase that she tends to make the hero and heroine jump through prior to achieving their HEA. Seven Minutes in Heaven is no exception. However, while I was entertained throughout the whole story, I must admit that the plot as a whole requires the listener to suspend belief a bit more than one would hope as the entire story requires one to accept one whopper of a misunderstanding. The narration by Susan Duerden, however, is superb and perfectly brings to life the entertainment factor of this comical, hate turned to love, historical romance. Therefore, provided you’re willing to go with the flow and accept the giant misunderstanding on which the entire story hangs (somewhat like one would do with a treasured TV sitcom), as well as a number of other related convenient facts (like two extremely precocious children who seem to be in an endless amount of trouble), then Seven Minutes in Heaven is definitely worth a listen.
Eugenia Snowe experienced love once. With the unexpected drowning of her first husband, however, she also believes she has lost her ability to ever be in love again. So, she does a rather unconventional thing for a lady of her time (she’s the daughter of a marquess and a widow of a viscount’s heir), she dives head first into a business venture (an exclusive governess agency) and devotes all of her time to her work.
Into this mix enters Edward Reeve (“Ward”), the illegitimate son of an earl. He has a big problem. He desperately wants to win custody of his half-brother and half-sister after his mother’s unexpected death but can’t seem to be able to retain a governess of a suitable character to help his custody battle (particularly given his already somewhat dubious reputation due to the consequences of his birth, not to mention that his mother was known for being an eccentric who ran off with a much younger man – the father of his siblings). Even the highly-coveted governesses of Ms. Snowe’s exclusive agency, who are known for their discretion and professionalism, refuse to stay on after short stints of experiencing the unruly siblings’ behavior (which include such questionable acts as the dissection of animals and constant wearing of a veil). Mr. Reeve being the confident man he is decides to take matters into his own hands. If Ms. Snowe cannot find the right governess for his household, then he’ll just have to convince her to do the job herself, even if he has to kidnap her to get her there. Further complicating matters is the fact that he is strongly attracted to her, and given that she is a widow, and his mistaken belief that, because of her profession and the fact that she goes by “Ms. Snowe”, she is not a lady of the peerage, he believes they can indulge in their mutual attraction without any negative circumstances.
Interestingly, Eugenia too is tempted with her attraction to Ward, particularly due to her rather lonely life for the seven years following her husband’s passing. Thus, aided by her assistant’s encouragement, she becomes willing to see if a dalliance may indeed scratch her itch for Ward, particularly after his offer of giving her “seven minutes of heaven”: one minute for each of the years she has been in mourning for her husband (though one would hope he could give more than seven minutes!). It is amidst this backdrop that Eugenia allows herself to be “kidnapped” by Ward and taken to his household. She figures there would be no harm in indulging in a little bit of fun for at least a short while, at least until they can find Ward a suitable governess. Thus begins Eugenia’s and Ward’s adventures together, where it becomes clear that they are completely matched in the chemistry department and enjoy each other’s company to boot. Moreover, Eugenia’s time in Ward’s household also is beneficial for his siblings, even if she does accomplish her results in very “unladylike” ways, according to Ward. But when the custody battle is taken to its pinnacle, Ward must decide what is more important: his attraction to Eugenia or what he believes may hurt his chances of keeping the guardianship of his siblings.
See the full review at AudioGals
I’m a huge fan of Eloisa James’ brand of historical romance. She always manages to infuse witty dialogue and tongue-in-cheek humor in her romances which is sure to bring a smile to my face and have me chuckling while my earbuds are tuned in. I also love the cat and mouse chase that she tends to make the hero and heroine jump through prior to achieving their HEA. Seven Minutes in Heaven is no exception. However, while I was entertained throughout the whole story, I must admit that the plot as a whole requires the listener to suspend belief a bit more than one would hope as the entire story requires one to accept one whopper of a misunderstanding. The narration by Susan Duerden, however, is superb and perfectly brings to life the entertainment factor of this comical, hate turned to love, historical romance. Therefore, provided you’re willing to go with the flow and accept the giant misunderstanding on which the entire story hangs (somewhat like one would do with a treasured TV sitcom), as well as a number of other related convenient facts (like two extremely precocious children who seem to be in an endless amount of trouble), then Seven Minutes in Heaven is definitely worth a listen.
Eugenia Snowe experienced love once. With the unexpected drowning of her first husband, however, she also believes she has lost her ability to ever be in love again. So, she does a rather unconventional thing for a lady of her time (she’s the daughter of a marquess and a widow of a viscount’s heir), she dives head first into a business venture (an exclusive governess agency) and devotes all of her time to her work.
Into this mix enters Edward Reeve (“Ward”), the illegitimate son of an earl. He has a big problem. He desperately wants to win custody of his half-brother and half-sister after his mother’s unexpected death but can’t seem to be able to retain a governess of a suitable character to help his custody battle (particularly given his already somewhat dubious reputation due to the consequences of his birth, not to mention that his mother was known for being an eccentric who ran off with a much younger man – the father of his siblings). Even the highly-coveted governesses of Ms. Snowe’s exclusive agency, who are known for their discretion and professionalism, refuse to stay on after short stints of experiencing the unruly siblings’ behavior (which include such questionable acts as the dissection of animals and constant wearing of a veil). Mr. Reeve being the confident man he is decides to take matters into his own hands. If Ms. Snowe cannot find the right governess for his household, then he’ll just have to convince her to do the job herself, even if he has to kidnap her to get her there. Further complicating matters is the fact that he is strongly attracted to her, and given that she is a widow, and his mistaken belief that, because of her profession and the fact that she goes by “Ms. Snowe”, she is not a lady of the peerage, he believes they can indulge in their mutual attraction without any negative circumstances.
Interestingly, Eugenia too is tempted with her attraction to Ward, particularly due to her rather lonely life for the seven years following her husband’s passing. Thus, aided by her assistant’s encouragement, she becomes willing to see if a dalliance may indeed scratch her itch for Ward, particularly after his offer of giving her “seven minutes of heaven”: one minute for each of the years she has been in mourning for her husband (though one would hope he could give more than seven minutes!). It is amidst this backdrop that Eugenia allows herself to be “kidnapped” by Ward and taken to his household. She figures there would be no harm in indulging in a little bit of fun for at least a short while, at least until they can find Ward a suitable governess. Thus begins Eugenia’s and Ward’s adventures together, where it becomes clear that they are completely matched in the chemistry department and enjoy each other’s company to boot. Moreover, Eugenia’s time in Ward’s household also is beneficial for his siblings, even if she does accomplish her results in very “unladylike” ways, according to Ward. But when the custody battle is taken to its pinnacle, Ward must decide what is more important: his attraction to Eugenia or what he believes may hurt his chances of keeping the guardianship of his siblings.
See the full review at AudioGals
February 17, 2017
What a pignut.
In the final installment of the Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers, another resourceful heroine joined the lineup of admirable women, who found a way to stretch the boundaries of acceptable roles for noblewomen in Georgian England without losing their place in society. It is just too bad she was paired with such a nincompoop of a hero; I thought she could have done better. Slight spoilers ahead.
A daughter of a marquess and a widow of a viscount's heir, the heroine was a woman of means, but with few acceptable options to occupy her time for rest of her life since she was not ready to marry again. Starting a governess placement agency and turning it into a profitable venture required ingenuity, determination, and strength of character. Since the reputation of the agency depended on the reputation of its owner, the heroine's was above reproach until the hero came along.
For a brilliant scientist and successful entrepreneur, the hero was a bit slower on the uptake than I would have liked. Though not a nobleman - being an illegitimate son of an earl hardly counts - the hero possessed all the regrettable trappings of rank: arrogance, condescension, and hypocrisy. Assuming that the proprietor of a governess placement agency must have been a former governess, he ignored all the evidence to the contrary because it suited his purpose. There were several situations during the story when he could have asked about the heroine's family.
However, his selfish desire to get her into bed overrode all rules of propriety, common sense, and basic decency. Taking advantage of the situation when his half siblings chased away the governess the heroine had placed in his household, was not an act of a gentleman. The cold calculation, with which he handled their affair when he decided the heroine could not make him a suitable wife because she was not highborn, bothered me. I might have been willing to make allowances for the hero's good, albeit misguided intentions to sacrifice his happiness for the sake of his siblings' futures, if not for his willful ignorance about the heroine's antecedents combined with the complete disregard for her feelings. The insulting scene of the break-up was simply the last straw.
To paraphrase the Duke of Villers, the presumptuous halfwit deserved to lose her. For all his soul searching and the grand gestures, he followed her to her father's estate after finally learning who the father was, not before. And while he insisted his love mattered more than her noble connections, I think she would always wonder.
As much as I enjoyed Eloisa James' writing style, the humor, the literary references, and the cameo appearances of the characters from the extended series, I can hardly recommend this book, which made me want to hit the hero in the face - with a shovel - preferably, more than once.
In the final installment of the Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers, another resourceful heroine joined the lineup of admirable women, who found a way to stretch the boundaries of acceptable roles for noblewomen in Georgian England without losing their place in society. It is just too bad she was paired with such a nincompoop of a hero; I thought she could have done better. Slight spoilers ahead.
A daughter of a marquess and a widow of a viscount's heir, the heroine was a woman of means, but with few acceptable options to occupy her time for rest of her life since she was not ready to marry again. Starting a governess placement agency and turning it into a profitable venture required ingenuity, determination, and strength of character. Since the reputation of the agency depended on the reputation of its owner, the heroine's was above reproach until the hero came along.
For a brilliant scientist and successful entrepreneur, the hero was a bit slower on the uptake than I would have liked. Though not a nobleman - being an illegitimate son of an earl hardly counts - the hero possessed all the regrettable trappings of rank: arrogance, condescension, and hypocrisy. Assuming that the proprietor of a governess placement agency must have been a former governess, he ignored all the evidence to the contrary because it suited his purpose. There were several situations during the story when he could have asked about the heroine's family.
However, his selfish desire to get her into bed overrode all rules of propriety, common sense, and basic decency. Taking advantage of the situation when his half siblings chased away the governess the heroine had placed in his household, was not an act of a gentleman. The cold calculation, with which he handled their affair when he decided the heroine could not make him a suitable wife because she was not highborn, bothered me. I might have been willing to make allowances for the hero's good, albeit misguided intentions to sacrifice his happiness for the sake of his siblings' futures, if not for his willful ignorance about the heroine's antecedents combined with the complete disregard for her feelings. The insulting scene of the break-up was simply the last straw.
To paraphrase the Duke of Villers, the presumptuous halfwit deserved to lose her. For all his soul searching and the grand gestures, he followed her to her father's estate after finally learning who the father was, not before. And while he insisted his love mattered more than her noble connections, I think she would always wonder.
As much as I enjoyed Eloisa James' writing style, the humor, the literary references, and the cameo appearances of the characters from the extended series, I can hardly recommend this book, which made me want to hit the hero in the face - with a shovel - preferably, more than once.
September 1, 2022
I JUST WANTED TO LOVE HIS FAT COCK AND THE WAY HE SAID GOOD GIRL BUT THIS BOOK MADE IT SO HARD.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶/5
Pun not intended for once
I rounded up bc I didn’t hate EVERYTHING about it and it was listenable. But still he was such a supreme ass cake to her for SO much of the book. Already a tough sell, Edward wants to marry a respectable wife because he’s both a bastard and new guardian to his young siblings. I generally am wary of the duty and honor thing but here it was exponentially worse because he was such an ASSHOLE about it. He was SO MEAN to Eugenia because he thought she wasn’t of the aristocracy. He blamed her for EVERYTHING and never gave her a chance to speak.
I’m aware Eloisa knew this (sometimes you gotta wonder if authors even do know) because she had Eugenia get mad (righteously) when he came back to her after realizing she was the daughter of a marquess. She was like I SEE you only want me because my blood is acceptable. He was like NoOoooO but I say YES. I appreciate Eloisa dealing with his hypocrisy but it still made me angry.
The sex was hot with what we got, but a few more scenes would’ve been preferred. I was not expecting to hear “fat cock” amongst Eloisa’s preferred “tool” and “rod” talk. The way my eyes popped. He also bent her over a table and called her good girl while feeding herhis fat cock cake (I think it was cake but I was obviously distracted).
No I don’t really recommend this book at all but at least I’m done with the series. I still haven’t read that Christmas one and I feel like I need to just to feel complete. The narrator was as wonderful as ever.
I rounded up because my heart says three stars and my brain says 2.5. I still really liked Eugenia, ₕᵢₛ 𝒻ₐₜ 𝒸ₒ𝒸ₖ, how her father was blazing angry at Edward, and the cute children. I still like Eloisa’s writing even if she makes me want to punch a wall. I do have a question: Why is Villiers likable in every book except his own????
RIP his fat cock 🫡😔
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶/5
Pun not intended for once
I rounded up bc I didn’t hate EVERYTHING about it and it was listenable. But still he was such a supreme ass cake to her for SO much of the book. Already a tough sell, Edward wants to marry a respectable wife because he’s both a bastard and new guardian to his young siblings. I generally am wary of the duty and honor thing but here it was exponentially worse because he was such an ASSHOLE about it. He was SO MEAN to Eugenia because he thought she wasn’t of the aristocracy. He blamed her for EVERYTHING and never gave her a chance to speak.
I’m aware Eloisa knew this (sometimes you gotta wonder if authors even do know) because she had Eugenia get mad (righteously) when he came back to her after realizing she was the daughter of a marquess. She was like I SEE you only want me because my blood is acceptable. He was like NoOoooO but I say YES. I appreciate Eloisa dealing with his hypocrisy but it still made me angry.
The sex was hot with what we got, but a few more scenes would’ve been preferred. I was not expecting to hear “fat cock” amongst Eloisa’s preferred “tool” and “rod” talk. The way my eyes popped. He also bent her over a table and called her good girl while feeding her
No I don’t really recommend this book at all but at least I’m done with the series. I still haven’t read that Christmas one and I feel like I need to just to feel complete. The narrator was as wonderful as ever.
I rounded up because my heart says three stars and my brain says 2.5. I still really liked Eugenia, ₕᵢₛ 𝒻ₐₜ 𝒸ₒ𝒸ₖ, how her father was blazing angry at Edward, and the cute children. I still like Eloisa’s writing even if she makes me want to punch a wall. I do have a question: Why is Villiers likable in every book except his own????
RIP his fat cock 🫡😔
February 7, 2017
ARC from Edelweiss for honest review.
Eugenia our heroine, has been a widow for five years. Eugenia is a savvy business woman who runs a governess registry. She enjoys her work and she is very good at what she does. The ton/establishment aren't too happy with her because she's a "working woman" and they snub her for it. But Eugenia is happy, content and likes her quiet life.
Reeve the hero is an illegitimate son who has worked hard to make a fortune for himself, he's an inventor. He is now guardian to his siblings and he's determined to take excellent care of his half brother and sister. He is looking for a governess to assist in watching over them and their rambunctious ways and only the best will do for him and his siblings. On a side note (this is also prevalent to the story/plot), Reeve has set it in his head that because of his birth he would some day marry up, a noble lady was his goal.
Well as you have guessed Reeve hires Eugenia and the two have some instant sparks and great dialogue. Reeves believes she is a low born governess and doesn't believe that she's from the upper class as she states. The two have a deep love for the children and work together to care for them, which is heartwarming and enjoyable to see unfold. Reeve and Eugenia battle their growing attraction for each other and their is miscommunication that ensues that adds to the drama/conflict as well Reeve's preconceived idea of Eugenia.
This was well written but I did find that the story and pacing didn't really pick up till the 50 percent mark.
Some of the conflict seemed a little contrived and shallow. But the children and the relationship between all the characters made up for it.
Eugenia our heroine, has been a widow for five years. Eugenia is a savvy business woman who runs a governess registry. She enjoys her work and she is very good at what she does. The ton/establishment aren't too happy with her because she's a "working woman" and they snub her for it. But Eugenia is happy, content and likes her quiet life.
Reeve the hero is an illegitimate son who has worked hard to make a fortune for himself, he's an inventor. He is now guardian to his siblings and he's determined to take excellent care of his half brother and sister. He is looking for a governess to assist in watching over them and their rambunctious ways and only the best will do for him and his siblings. On a side note (this is also prevalent to the story/plot), Reeve has set it in his head that because of his birth he would some day marry up, a noble lady was his goal.
Well as you have guessed Reeve hires Eugenia and the two have some instant sparks and great dialogue. Reeves believes she is a low born governess and doesn't believe that she's from the upper class as she states. The two have a deep love for the children and work together to care for them, which is heartwarming and enjoyable to see unfold. Reeve and Eugenia battle their growing attraction for each other and their is miscommunication that ensues that adds to the drama/conflict as well Reeve's preconceived idea of Eugenia.
This was well written but I did find that the story and pacing didn't really pick up till the 50 percent mark.
Some of the conflict seemed a little contrived and shallow. But the children and the relationship between all the characters made up for it.
January 20, 2020
De todos, foi o livro que realmente se "sentiu" fazer parte de uma série.
Todas as personagens dos oito livros anteriores apareceram, com excepção do casal que mais gostei, Damon e Roberta que apenas foram mencionados.
O único senão... No sexto livro era o duque viúvo, neste inverteram os papeis e apareceu uma duquesa viúva como avó.
Mas é uma leitura que vale bem a pena.
Todas as personagens dos oito livros anteriores apareceram, com excepção do casal que mais gostei, Damon e Roberta que apenas foram mencionados.
O único senão... No sexto livro era o duque viúvo, neste inverteram os papeis e apareceu uma duquesa viúva como avó.
Mas é uma leitura que vale bem a pena.
March 15, 2017
Originally posted
HERE
.
I don’t understand the “Desperate Duchesses” name for this series. Nobody is desperate, nor is anybody a duchess!
There is no question that Eloisa James can write beautifully, and that her characterisations (particularly for the child characters) are fantastic. This was my first Eloisa James book, and I will seek out more of her work, but Seven Minutes in Heaven didn’t work that well for me for a number of reasons.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book. On one hand, all I could think after reading the blurb was: Will this fad for governess agency stories EVER end?!
On the other hand, Eloisa James is one of the best-known names in the historical romance genre, and I knew that had to be for a reason. I figured that if anyone was going to manage to interest me in yet another governess agency story, it was probably her.
You never know when starting with a new HR author what end of the spectrum they’ll land on. Light and fluffy? Dark and serious? I found James to be towards the lighter end, but what grounded her work were her more complex characterisations. In fact, the characters I liked the best were the hero’s two much younger half-siblings.
Children in books can be disastrous, or sickly sweet. I thought the various quirks and insights from these two kids made them fascinating, rather than annoying (I know I’m not alone in being wary of “romance novel children”).
Unfortunately, though, there are some standards of behaviour that, when broken in historical romance novels, I can’t overlook. Hero and heroine openly – and frequently! – discuss sex while they are in public places and surrounded by members of the aristocracy. It was a little obscene, and people today wouldn’t have such inappropriate public conversations.
And then when the characters blatantly referenced Fifty Shades of freaking Grey, the magic was broken for me. I don’t want that sort of thing in my books ever, but especially not in historical fiction.
To be honest, by the 30% mark I was a bit bored.
What surprised me a lot was the fact there were so many obvious Americanisms. This is, after all, a prolific author of fiction set in England. For example, it was incredible that neither author nor editor is aware the season after summer is AUTUMN, not “the fall”.
I don’t think this was the best introduction to Eloisa James’ work, and I will try another book. She is clearly a brilliant writer, but this was not the book for me.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
I don’t understand the “Desperate Duchesses” name for this series. Nobody is desperate, nor is anybody a duchess!
There is no question that Eloisa James can write beautifully, and that her characterisations (particularly for the child characters) are fantastic. This was my first Eloisa James book, and I will seek out more of her work, but Seven Minutes in Heaven didn’t work that well for me for a number of reasons.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book. On one hand, all I could think after reading the blurb was: Will this fad for governess agency stories EVER end?!
On the other hand, Eloisa James is one of the best-known names in the historical romance genre, and I knew that had to be for a reason. I figured that if anyone was going to manage to interest me in yet another governess agency story, it was probably her.
You never know when starting with a new HR author what end of the spectrum they’ll land on. Light and fluffy? Dark and serious? I found James to be towards the lighter end, but what grounded her work were her more complex characterisations. In fact, the characters I liked the best were the hero’s two much younger half-siblings.
Children in books can be disastrous, or sickly sweet. I thought the various quirks and insights from these two kids made them fascinating, rather than annoying (I know I’m not alone in being wary of “romance novel children”).
Unfortunately, though, there are some standards of behaviour that, when broken in historical romance novels, I can’t overlook. Hero and heroine openly – and frequently! – discuss sex while they are in public places and surrounded by members of the aristocracy. It was a little obscene, and people today wouldn’t have such inappropriate public conversations.
And then when the characters blatantly referenced Fifty Shades of freaking Grey, the magic was broken for me. I don’t want that sort of thing in my books ever, but especially not in historical fiction.
To be honest, by the 30% mark I was a bit bored.
What surprised me a lot was the fact there were so many obvious Americanisms. This is, after all, a prolific author of fiction set in England. For example, it was incredible that neither author nor editor is aware the season after summer is AUTUMN, not “the fall”.
I don’t think this was the best introduction to Eloisa James’ work, and I will try another book. She is clearly a brilliant writer, but this was not the book for me.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
March 24, 2017
I enjoy Historical romance but am running out of books from my favorite authors - Amanda Quick, Julie Garwood, Lisa Kleypas ... and this worried me. I had two options :
Devour a mountain of chocolate brownies OR look for a new author, this is how I ended up with my first Eloisa James.
I was enchanted and charmed by this book; really, really enjoyed it.
Edward and Eugenia had such a fun relationship. Eugenia was a self made woman, she was a widow and built a reputable governess agency.
Ward had a rough start but he has built a comfortable life for himself. But things get messy when he has to fight to be the Guardian of his half siblings. His sister was obsessed with death, drama and she always wore a veil. His brother was into inventions and economics, attatched to his pet Jarvis. Jarvis was a rat who dressed in splendid outfits for the opera.
The first thing that caught my attention was Eugenia's love for her first husband. Usually the first husband is presented very badly in books, examples : He can be a
1 Conman
2 Cheater
3 Jerkface who conveniently died in an accident
4 Abusive husband turned ex turned murderous stalker
5 Sociopath or psychopath or both
6 Someone who vanishes with all the money leaving our h in a ditch of debt
Maybe this is done so that both you the reader and the h appreciate the present H more and forgive a lot. Basically the function of the ex is to make the new guy look better.
And it puts unnecessary pressure on the h, its a constant reminder that this is her one last, desperate chance to find true love.
But not in Eugenia's case. She was wooed, she was loved and she still hasn't moved on from her first husband. This was a breath of fresh air.
The letters exchanged between Ward and Eugenia cracked me up. The siblings reduced each governess to anxiety or tears. Eugenia loves dessert, Ward adores Eugenia, there's a teashop and a kidnapping.
Ward was so clear when it came to his siblings, I admired that. He's been through so much but there's no bitterness involved, he keeps trying to fix things and gives people the benefit of doubt. Plus he was wicked funny, loved that.
I had stars in my eyes and the possibility of a 5 star read....but....Ward screwed up and I was shocked. Eugenia had a spine of steel, she took a break and moved forward.
This was followed by an epic grovel and I'm not spoiling the rest for you.
Devour a mountain of chocolate brownies OR look for a new author, this is how I ended up with my first Eloisa James.
I was enchanted and charmed by this book; really, really enjoyed it.
Edward and Eugenia had such a fun relationship. Eugenia was a self made woman, she was a widow and built a reputable governess agency.
Ward had a rough start but he has built a comfortable life for himself. But things get messy when he has to fight to be the Guardian of his half siblings. His sister was obsessed with death, drama and she always wore a veil. His brother was into inventions and economics, attatched to his pet Jarvis. Jarvis was a rat who dressed in splendid outfits for the opera.
The first thing that caught my attention was Eugenia's love for her first husband. Usually the first husband is presented very badly in books, examples : He can be a
1 Conman
2 Cheater
3 Jerkface who conveniently died in an accident
4 Abusive husband turned ex turned murderous stalker
5 Sociopath or psychopath or both
6 Someone who vanishes with all the money leaving our h in a ditch of debt
Maybe this is done so that both you the reader and the h appreciate the present H more and forgive a lot. Basically the function of the ex is to make the new guy look better.
And it puts unnecessary pressure on the h, its a constant reminder that this is her one last, desperate chance to find true love.
But not in Eugenia's case. She was wooed, she was loved and she still hasn't moved on from her first husband. This was a breath of fresh air.
The letters exchanged between Ward and Eugenia cracked me up. The siblings reduced each governess to anxiety or tears. Eugenia loves dessert, Ward adores Eugenia, there's a teashop and a kidnapping.
Ward was so clear when it came to his siblings, I admired that. He's been through so much but there's no bitterness involved, he keeps trying to fix things and gives people the benefit of doubt. Plus he was wicked funny, loved that.
I had stars in my eyes and the possibility of a 5 star read....but....Ward screwed up and I was shocked. Eugenia had a spine of steel, she took a break and moved forward.
This was followed by an epic grovel and I'm not spoiling the rest for you.
January 21, 2018
I loved this steamy and QUITE delectable story. Recommend highly, perfect for a Valentines romance read! 💝
August 3, 2021
It's a very good historical romance, and I was definitely in the mood for a story like that. It was exactly what I was looking for.
James has created two main characters who have strong personalities. Thanks to this, there is not only a lot of exciting tension in this story, but also some excellent dialogues. It also creates a remarkable balance in their relationship. They value each other's intelligence and respect each other very much. They are true partners in this relationship. And just as I don't usually like children in my novels, Ward's half-siblings didn't bother me at all. Lizzie seemed a little over the top at times, but most of the time she was okay and not irritating.
Eugenia and Ward's romance is very passionate, and at the same time I had no doubts that they were some sincere feelings involved. Even if initially it's mainly passion. I like that they both very consciously decide on this relationship. They are not blinded by desire.
The whole misunderstanding between the main characters is due to the fact that one of them did not ask the right questions, but drew their own conclusions. This is definitely not a theme that I particularly like. It is very difficult to do it well, that is, without it being stupid and annoying. And although this situation was a bit frustrating for me in this story as well, I think James did it quite skillfully. The actions of the main characters can be well explained and are credible. So are their doubts about the future of this relationship.
Additional points for the author for a joke about Fifty Shades of Gray.
James has created two main characters who have strong personalities. Thanks to this, there is not only a lot of exciting tension in this story, but also some excellent dialogues. It also creates a remarkable balance in their relationship. They value each other's intelligence and respect each other very much. They are true partners in this relationship. And just as I don't usually like children in my novels, Ward's half-siblings didn't bother me at all. Lizzie seemed a little over the top at times, but most of the time she was okay and not irritating.
Eugenia and Ward's romance is very passionate, and at the same time I had no doubts that they were some sincere feelings involved. Even if initially it's mainly passion. I like that they both very consciously decide on this relationship. They are not blinded by desire.
The whole misunderstanding between the main characters is due to the fact that one of them did not ask the right questions, but drew their own conclusions. This is definitely not a theme that I particularly like. It is very difficult to do it well, that is, without it being stupid and annoying. And although this situation was a bit frustrating for me in this story as well, I think James did it quite skillfully. The actions of the main characters can be well explained and are credible. So are their doubts about the future of this relationship.
Additional points for the author for a joke about Fifty Shades of Gray.
February 2, 2018
Reading this also had me sighing, tsking, and falling in love with Edward Reeve and Eugenia Snowe, and cheering for their happily ever after. All of Eugenia Snowe’s problems start when Edward Reeve, an arrogant bastard son of an earl, bursts into her registry office. He wants a governess and he wants her. Edward and Eugenia had such a fun relationship. Edward (Ward) Reeve is a wealthy inventor and the illegitimate son of an Earl. He has recently gained guardianship of his two younger half siblings (Lizzie and Otis) after his mother passed away. Due to the children’s unusual upbringing, they were raised in a traveling theater troupe, Ward needs a governess immediately in order to get their education up to par and prepare them for their entrance into society.
Seven Minutes in Heaven is the 9th book in Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses series (Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers #3) and, at times, had me laughing so hard I was in tears. I’m a huge fan of Eloisa James’ brand of historical romance. She always manages to infuse witty dialogue and tongue-in-cheek humor in her romances which is sure to bring a smile to my face and have me chuckling while my earbuds are tuned in. I also love the cat and mouse chase that she tends to make the hero and heroine jump through prior to achieving their HEA. Seven Minutes in Heaven is no exception. I enjoy Historical romance but am running out of books from my favorite authors - Amanda Quick, Julie Garwood, Lisa Kleypas ... and this worried me. I had two options :
Devour a mountain of chocolate brownies OR look for a new author, this is how I ended up with Eloisa James. I was enchanted and charmed by this book; really, really enjoyed it. Seven Minutes in Heaven is written with Eloisa James’ customary wit and charm. It’s an enchanting book with one major caveat – the main conflict could have been resolved in Chapter One if people just spoke clearly. I’m not a fan of stories that revolve around a misunderstanding. Still, I enjoyed it because the writing is so good and the characters so delightful. Thank Heavens! I am super pumped James used her incredibly vast and beautiful knowledge of english literature in her newest offering. She seems embraced her both her lives to produce an intelligent book that strikes the right chords in my effervescent and romantic heart. Just as a slight warning, this book deals with the deceased ex plot. It's quite refreshing to read a regency with a non-virgin heroine. Thank you, EJ! So far, this one is my favorite of the ...by the Numbers series. There was a great cast of supporting characters as well, so it will be fun to see who is featured in the next book. I read this book's description, and thought this kind of difference perhaps I should give Ms. James another chance and I'm glad I did:) Actually the last three books about the children of H/h from the first six books. Yes interesting:)
Favorite Quote: “Nothing ruins a dinner party like expertise.”
Had she just promised to be indecent with him at a later time…out of the carriage?
His wanton grin confirmed that she had.
“Just a minute,” she said hastily.
“I would wait a lifetime for you, Eugenia.”
Seven Minutes in Heaven is the 9th book in Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses series (Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers #3) and, at times, had me laughing so hard I was in tears. I’m a huge fan of Eloisa James’ brand of historical romance. She always manages to infuse witty dialogue and tongue-in-cheek humor in her romances which is sure to bring a smile to my face and have me chuckling while my earbuds are tuned in. I also love the cat and mouse chase that she tends to make the hero and heroine jump through prior to achieving their HEA. Seven Minutes in Heaven is no exception. I enjoy Historical romance but am running out of books from my favorite authors - Amanda Quick, Julie Garwood, Lisa Kleypas ... and this worried me. I had two options :
Devour a mountain of chocolate brownies OR look for a new author, this is how I ended up with Eloisa James. I was enchanted and charmed by this book; really, really enjoyed it. Seven Minutes in Heaven is written with Eloisa James’ customary wit and charm. It’s an enchanting book with one major caveat – the main conflict could have been resolved in Chapter One if people just spoke clearly. I’m not a fan of stories that revolve around a misunderstanding. Still, I enjoyed it because the writing is so good and the characters so delightful. Thank Heavens! I am super pumped James used her incredibly vast and beautiful knowledge of english literature in her newest offering. She seems embraced her both her lives to produce an intelligent book that strikes the right chords in my effervescent and romantic heart. Just as a slight warning, this book deals with the deceased ex plot. It's quite refreshing to read a regency with a non-virgin heroine. Thank you, EJ! So far, this one is my favorite of the ...by the Numbers series. There was a great cast of supporting characters as well, so it will be fun to see who is featured in the next book. I read this book's description, and thought this kind of difference perhaps I should give Ms. James another chance and I'm glad I did:) Actually the last three books about the children of H/h from the first six books. Yes interesting:)
Favorite Quote: “Nothing ruins a dinner party like expertise.”
Had she just promised to be indecent with him at a later time…out of the carriage?
His wanton grin confirmed that she had.
“Just a minute,” she said hastily.
“I would wait a lifetime for you, Eugenia.”
Want to read
August 16, 2015Holy God, this heroine's last name...LOL
June 26, 2024
Wow this EJ book threw me for a loop. It went on a long time, the H Ward is a beast. Never would’ve guessed from his good guy vibe in the prior book. h Eugenia is too smart for him. I like that this author took a detour from her usual, it gave the characters and story more complexity. And satisfied my desire for a dirrrrty version of my favorite HR stories.
July 26, 2019
4,5/5 αστεράκια.
February 5, 2017
Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Seven Minutes in Heaven is written with Eloisa James’ customary wit and charm. It’s an enchanting book with one major caveat – the main conflict could have been resolved in Chapter One if people just spoke clearly. I’m not a fan of stories that revolve around a misunderstanding. Still, I enjoyed it because the writing is so good and the characters so delightful.
This book is so fun that it took me a week to consider that every single character is dealing with grief. Eugenia was happily married for seven years and deeply grieves her husband. The kids transcend the perils of plot-moppetry because they are fully realized characters with their own emotional lives. They each have their own way of mourning their parents and facing a completely new way of life. Ward mourns for his own childhood and the scorn he faced for being illegitimate.
The book is also very funny. It’s full of banter, and you all know how very much I love banter. The scene with the French letters, a scene I will not even attempt to describe, is laugh-out-loud funny and sexy at the same time. Eugenia is a completely delightful and relatable character with enough common sense to realize that the Big Misunderstanding that Ward has developed is not actually the major issue between them.
I’m willing to forgive a great deal in a man who just wants to protect a couple of orphans from his own miserable childhood. And I hold on to the hope that Eugenia will kick enough sense into Ward over time that they will be happy together. Ward is consistently kind to the children, and despite his strict standards he’s flexible about veils and unorthodox pets. There’s hope for him and Eugenia. That said, I have to admit that I was really rooting for Eugenia in this story, as well as the kids, who I fervently hope will have their own books eventually. Lizzie in particular clearly has a grand career ahead of her.
- Carrie S.
Seven Minutes in Heaven is written with Eloisa James’ customary wit and charm. It’s an enchanting book with one major caveat – the main conflict could have been resolved in Chapter One if people just spoke clearly. I’m not a fan of stories that revolve around a misunderstanding. Still, I enjoyed it because the writing is so good and the characters so delightful.
This book is so fun that it took me a week to consider that every single character is dealing with grief. Eugenia was happily married for seven years and deeply grieves her husband. The kids transcend the perils of plot-moppetry because they are fully realized characters with their own emotional lives. They each have their own way of mourning their parents and facing a completely new way of life. Ward mourns for his own childhood and the scorn he faced for being illegitimate.
The book is also very funny. It’s full of banter, and you all know how very much I love banter. The scene with the French letters, a scene I will not even attempt to describe, is laugh-out-loud funny and sexy at the same time. Eugenia is a completely delightful and relatable character with enough common sense to realize that the Big Misunderstanding that Ward has developed is not actually the major issue between them.
I’m willing to forgive a great deal in a man who just wants to protect a couple of orphans from his own miserable childhood. And I hold on to the hope that Eugenia will kick enough sense into Ward over time that they will be happy together. Ward is consistently kind to the children, and despite his strict standards he’s flexible about veils and unorthodox pets. There’s hope for him and Eugenia. That said, I have to admit that I was really rooting for Eugenia in this story, as well as the kids, who I fervently hope will have their own books eventually. Lizzie in particular clearly has a grand career ahead of her.
- Carrie S.
February 11, 2017
Eloisa James is one my favorite authors - she has a unique style that's engaging, fun and thoroughly enjoyable. Having said that, Seven Minutes in Heaven was not my favorite book of hers - Edward Reeve was an impulsive jackass, who didn't get redeemed in my eyes and I couldn't really connect with Eugenia. I'll 100% get the next book in the series, but this one was not my cup of tea.
February 14, 2025
I loved this book during my second read through!
June 25, 2018
*Review Up*
Not bad, not amazing either.
Overall this was a decent wrap up and extension to the Desperate Duchesses series. I liked seeing all the married couples from previous books with their kids all grown up in this. I usually don't like when series jump ahead so far but this was cute. Seeing my fave DD hero, Jem (Lord Strange) as a protective father figure was such a trip. And seeing Leopold, the Duke of Villiers, still being his snarky, naughty-self was a real treat. He has white hair now! 😱
The fact that both hero and heroine have ties to characters from the original Desperate Duchess books was a very nice twist. I wasn't expecting how much of a tie in. Eugenia is Jem's little girl from Duchess By Night all grown up. And Ward is "Teddy", Damon's illegitimate son from Desperate Duchesses and Lady Lisette's first born all grown up (Lisette was in the Duke of Villiers's book A Duke of Her Own). Still with me? 😅 I started this series yeeeears ago, so for the life of me I don't remember Lord Gryffyn having a son in Book 1. And I certainly can't picture affable Damon hooking up with unstable flighty crazy Lisette. That part to me seemed pushing it a little far. But I appreciated the interesting (albeit horrifying) backstory of Ward, Lizzie and Otis’s scandalous sad parentage. The idea of an unstable woman seducing a 15 year old boy and running off marrying him and having kids sets the stage for all kinds of painful childhood trauma. I actually appreciated this backstory, however eccentric and extreme it may be, because things like this do happen and I could definitely see it happening back then with much more disastrous damaging scandalous fallout.
A few things I found a bit frustrating:
-Ward apparently has Hulk-level capabilities in bulking up quickly. 2 weeks in the clanker apparently honed his body into beefcake material and changed him foreva. HARD LIFE.™ 😐
-The fact that there was no mention of Lisette having an illegitimate son in Leo's book (Leopold was courting to marry her) I find very fishy. Yes Ward's grandmother dropped him off at his father’s house when he was a baby but still….shouldn’t this have been brought up in A Duke of Her Own? Again, my memory is fuzzy on that and maybe it was mentioned. Which brings me to my next point...
-It would have helped greatly if Eloisa James provided a family tree/diagram showing how all the characters are connected with a timeline and including dates. This over-arcing series including the last 3 spinoff books covers 20-ish years and was written over the span of 10 years. This is where I point out that Eloisa circled back to this series after a 5 year hiatus from this particular series to write the last 3 books. So unless you have photographic super sharp memory, you aren't going to remember squat. I certainly didn't. I don't think it's unreasonable to provide a visual aid of how all these characters are connected and related so readers aren't floundering. I'm not even a new reader and details were hazy to me. I felt like I was scrambling to keep up and connect the dots and some things I forgot and couldn't remember. So yeah, a timeline diagram or family tree was very much needed here and would have helped fill in holes. Especially would help new readers who have no knowledge of the previous books so they will have no clue who is related to who. As someone who read all the previous books over the years, the small details and blank gaps drove me to distraction. So much so I had to hunt down reviews for the older books to look for details I couldn't remember. The fact that things like ages were missing in here I found frustrating and a *little* suspect. Some of the important details are very hazy and characters delicately dance around specifics. It just made it seem like a blank hole in the timeline somewhere that Eloisa pounced on and inserted a backstory for her characters here.
-This is more minor but the noticeable flip in script I thought was strange. Eugenia is a grieving widow who very clearly had a loving marriage and was very much satisfied in the bedroom or as she so aptly put it her husband made her "see heaven" when they made love (this was a nice change of pace and more realistic depiction of a widow who for once had a loving satisfying marriage in a HR book). But then.....a handful of pages later she backpeddles saying Andrew *sometimes* satisfied her but not as much as she wanted to. She straight out says they rarely had sex and when they did it was restricted. Which is a direct contrast of what she said earlier on. This wasn't so much as a confession but treated more like the hero already knew it and Eugenia was reminding him. Which was odd and didn't make sense. This read like a mistake.
-And finally.....THIS:
*sigh*
Is Ward a werewolf? A Vampire? Ya'll gotta give me a better excuse for this ridiculous slip up that I'm seeing too much of. Come on now. Another EJ book with eye colors that change like a damn mood ring. 😒😒😒 Really Eloisa? This is the 3rd book by her that this has happened. Please PLEASE for the love of g-d KEEP 👏 YOUR 👏 CHARACTER'S 👏 PHYSICAL 👏 TRAITS 👏 CONSISTENT. Keep it consistent please so I don't have to come on here and yell like a lunatic over a fictional character’s changing eye color. It’s not a good look for me. 😩 Why is eye color so hard to remember? Just...why? I will never understand this. This fires my ass like nothing else because I don’t understand how ANY editor would miss this. But maybe it’s me and my annoying obsession for what characters look like. But once you tell me someone has blue eyes or blue freaking hair? It sticks. If you are writing it, it certainly should stick with you. Just sayin. I just will never understand how things like this get muddled up. And what’s worse, it happened with both Ward and Lizzie in this one. 🙈 Ward’s little sister also goes from having big brown eyes to big bright blue eyes. 😫
I hate trip ups like this so much. It’s distracting AF and so sloppy.
So overall not bad, but not memorable either. I still enjoy Eloisa's writing style, eccentric as it may be in some places she still manages to create beautiful stories. Mistakes aside, her characters carry a lot of depth and weight. Now I just need her to tighten up on the werewolf eyes. 😅
Not bad, not amazing either.
Overall this was a decent wrap up and extension to the Desperate Duchesses series. I liked seeing all the married couples from previous books with their kids all grown up in this. I usually don't like when series jump ahead so far but this was cute. Seeing my fave DD hero, Jem (Lord Strange) as a protective father figure was such a trip. And seeing Leopold, the Duke of Villiers, still being his snarky, naughty-self was a real treat. He has white hair now! 😱
The fact that both hero and heroine have ties to characters from the original Desperate Duchess books was a very nice twist. I wasn't expecting how much of a tie in. Eugenia is Jem's little girl from Duchess By Night all grown up. And Ward is "Teddy", Damon's illegitimate son from Desperate Duchesses and Lady Lisette's first born all grown up (Lisette was in the Duke of Villiers's book A Duke of Her Own). Still with me? 😅 I started this series yeeeears ago, so for the life of me I don't remember Lord Gryffyn having a son in Book 1. And I certainly can't picture affable Damon hooking up with unstable flighty crazy Lisette. That part to me seemed pushing it a little far. But I appreciated the interesting (albeit horrifying) backstory of Ward, Lizzie and Otis’s scandalous sad parentage. The idea of an unstable woman seducing a 15 year old boy and running off marrying him and having kids sets the stage for all kinds of painful childhood trauma. I actually appreciated this backstory, however eccentric and extreme it may be, because things like this do happen and I could definitely see it happening back then with much more disastrous damaging scandalous fallout.
A few things I found a bit frustrating:
-Ward apparently has Hulk-level capabilities in bulking up quickly. 2 weeks in the clanker apparently honed his body into beefcake material and changed him foreva. HARD LIFE.™ 😐
-The fact that there was no mention of Lisette having an illegitimate son in Leo's book (Leopold was courting to marry her) I find very fishy. Yes Ward's grandmother dropped him off at his father’s house when he was a baby but still….shouldn’t this have been brought up in A Duke of Her Own? Again, my memory is fuzzy on that and maybe it was mentioned. Which brings me to my next point...
-It would have helped greatly if Eloisa James provided a family tree/diagram showing how all the characters are connected with a timeline and including dates. This over-arcing series including the last 3 spinoff books covers 20-ish years and was written over the span of 10 years. This is where I point out that Eloisa circled back to this series after a 5 year hiatus from this particular series to write the last 3 books. So unless you have photographic super sharp memory, you aren't going to remember squat. I certainly didn't. I don't think it's unreasonable to provide a visual aid of how all these characters are connected and related so readers aren't floundering. I'm not even a new reader and details were hazy to me. I felt like I was scrambling to keep up and connect the dots and some things I forgot and couldn't remember. So yeah, a timeline diagram or family tree was very much needed here and would have helped fill in holes. Especially would help new readers who have no knowledge of the previous books so they will have no clue who is related to who. As someone who read all the previous books over the years, the small details and blank gaps drove me to distraction. So much so I had to hunt down reviews for the older books to look for details I couldn't remember. The fact that things like ages were missing in here I found frustrating and a *little* suspect. Some of the important details are very hazy and characters delicately dance around specifics. It just made it seem like a blank hole in the timeline somewhere that Eloisa pounced on and inserted a backstory for her characters here.
-This is more minor but the noticeable flip in script I thought was strange. Eugenia is a grieving widow who very clearly had a loving marriage and was very much satisfied in the bedroom or as she so aptly put it her husband made her "see heaven" when they made love (this was a nice change of pace and more realistic depiction of a widow who for once had a loving satisfying marriage in a HR book). But then.....a handful of pages later she backpeddles saying Andrew *sometimes* satisfied her but not as much as she wanted to. She straight out says they rarely had sex and when they did it was restricted. Which is a direct contrast of what she said earlier on. This wasn't so much as a confession but treated more like the hero already knew it and Eugenia was reminding him. Which was odd and didn't make sense. This read like a mistake.
-And finally.....THIS:
*sigh*
Is Ward a werewolf? A Vampire? Ya'll gotta give me a better excuse for this ridiculous slip up that I'm seeing too much of. Come on now. Another EJ book with eye colors that change like a damn mood ring. 😒😒😒 Really Eloisa? This is the 3rd book by her that this has happened. Please PLEASE for the love of g-d KEEP 👏 YOUR 👏 CHARACTER'S 👏 PHYSICAL 👏 TRAITS 👏 CONSISTENT. Keep it consistent please so I don't have to come on here and yell like a lunatic over a fictional character’s changing eye color. It’s not a good look for me. 😩 Why is eye color so hard to remember? Just...why? I will never understand this. This fires my ass like nothing else because I don’t understand how ANY editor would miss this. But maybe it’s me and my annoying obsession for what characters look like. But once you tell me someone has blue eyes or blue freaking hair? It sticks. If you are writing it, it certainly should stick with you. Just sayin. I just will never understand how things like this get muddled up. And what’s worse, it happened with both Ward and Lizzie in this one. 🙈 Ward’s little sister also goes from having big brown eyes to big bright blue eyes. 😫
I hate trip ups like this so much. It’s distracting AF and so sloppy.
So overall not bad, but not memorable either. I still enjoy Eloisa's writing style, eccentric as it may be in some places she still manages to create beautiful stories. Mistakes aside, her characters carry a lot of depth and weight. Now I just need her to tighten up on the werewolf eyes. 😅
July 12, 2018
3,5 - Ho un rapporto incostante con Eloisa James. Spesso ho trovato i suoi libri divertenti nella narrazione, ma piuttosto freddi sotto il punto di vista dell'aspetto romance.
Le sue storie d'amore sono lineari, senza grossi imprevisti, rimangono in sospeso per tutto il libro e poi si risolvono con troppa facilità.
Un po' come accade in questo libro dove, a poche pagine dalla fine, i due sembrano proprio non essere affini e poi... zac... era soltanto frutto di una mera incomprensione (che peraltro non mette in buonissima luce le onorevoli intenzioni di lui...).
Non posso dire che non lo abbia gradito (senza dubbio migliore del secondo volume).
Ci sono scene carine e spassose e il quadretto (fratello maggiore/inventore single e fratellini con tanto di topo) è azzeccato.
Ward è Ward. La sua è un'arroganza piacevole (anche perché è adorabile con gli orfanelli).
Ma, appunto, regge quasi tutto sulle spalle degli aneddoti della bimba con il velo o di Otis/Jarvis e delle loro sfortunate istitutrici.
La storia principale non mi ha emozionato come mi aspetterei in questo genere di letture.
La chiusura buonista e accomodante, poi, scivola sul mieloso.
In sintesi: piaciuto a metà.
Le sue storie d'amore sono lineari, senza grossi imprevisti, rimangono in sospeso per tutto il libro e poi si risolvono con troppa facilità.
Un po' come accade in questo libro dove, a poche pagine dalla fine, i due sembrano proprio non essere affini e poi... zac... era soltanto frutto di una mera incomprensione (che peraltro non mette in buonissima luce le onorevoli intenzioni di lui...).
Non posso dire che non lo abbia gradito (senza dubbio migliore del secondo volume).
Ci sono scene carine e spassose e il quadretto (fratello maggiore/inventore single e fratellini con tanto di topo) è azzeccato.
Ward è Ward. La sua è un'arroganza piacevole (anche perché è adorabile con gli orfanelli).
Ma, appunto, regge quasi tutto sulle spalle degli aneddoti della bimba con il velo o di Otis/Jarvis e delle loro sfortunate istitutrici.
La storia principale non mi ha emozionato come mi aspetterei in questo genere di letture.
La chiusura buonista e accomodante, poi, scivola sul mieloso.
In sintesi: piaciuto a metà.
October 1, 2020
Oh dear. One of the Eloisa James misses for me. The conflict was just not great . . .
It's also one of those books that when the heroine realized she was in love, I just thought "You are???"
I liked the kids! I liked that the heroine loved her first husband and their sex life.
(Sidenote: I remember enjoying both of these characters as children in previous books. I wish this had worked for me!)
Owned physical book 2/2 for the month
Overall owned book 4/5 for the month
It's also one of those books that when the heroine realized she was in love, I just thought "You are???"
I liked the kids! I liked that the heroine loved her first husband and their sex life.
(Sidenote: I remember enjoying both of these characters as children in previous books. I wish this had worked for me!)
Owned physical book 2/2 for the month
Overall owned book 4/5 for the month
January 31, 2023
3-3.5⭐
Πρώτη επαφή με τη συγγραφέα Eloisa James, και μπορώ να πω ότι μου άφησε θετική εντύπωση με τη γραφή της, αν και κάποια σημεία και διαλόγους τα βρήκα λίγο «κάπως».
Μου άρεσε πολύ το ζευγάρι και η χημεία τους, που από την αρχή είναι εμφανής και συμπάθησα πολύ την πρωταγωνίστρια, γιατί μου φάνηκε αρκετά δυναμική και ανεξάρτητη, σε σχέση με την εποχή εκείνη. Συμπάθησα πολύ και τους μικρούς ταραξίες, Λίζι και Ότις, που ήταν ιδιαίτερα και πανέξυπνα παιδάκια.
*Είναι το τρίτο βιβλίο της τριλογίας, Ερωτευμένες Δούκισσες, όμως αποτελούν ξεχωριστές ιστορίες και έτσι διαβάζονται με όποια σειρά θέλετε. Σίγουρα θα διαβάσω και τα υπόλοιπα.
🦊
Ολοκληρωμένη παρουσίαση στο blog μου: www.bookfoxy.wordpress.com
Πρώτη επαφή με τη συγγραφέα Eloisa James, και μπορώ να πω ότι μου άφησε θετική εντύπωση με τη γραφή της, αν και κάποια σημεία και διαλόγους τα βρήκα λίγο «κάπως».
Μου άρεσε πολύ το ζευγάρι και η χημεία τους, που από την αρχή είναι εμφανής και συμπάθησα πολύ την πρωταγωνίστρια, γιατί μου φάνηκε αρκετά δυναμική και ανεξάρτητη, σε σχέση με την εποχή εκείνη. Συμπάθησα πολύ και τους μικρούς ταραξίες, Λίζι και Ότις, που ήταν ιδιαίτερα και πανέξυπνα παιδάκια.
*Είναι το τρίτο βιβλίο της τριλογίας, Ερωτευμένες Δούκισσες, όμως αποτελούν ξεχωριστές ιστορίες και έτσι διαβάζονται με όποια σειρά θέλετε. Σίγουρα θα διαβάσω και τα υπόλοιπα.
🦊
Ολοκληρωμένη παρουσίαση στο blog μου: www.bookfoxy.wordpress.com
June 3, 2020
This is the last book in the Desperate Duchesses Series. This particular trilogy has several of the younger characters who made brief appearances in the Desperate Duchesses Series. Anyway, it was wonderful fun to see several of the "older" characters get involved with the Hero and Heroine in this story. I had my ups and downs with the Series, but this book ended the whole thing on a high.
Eugenia Snowe has been a widow for seven years. Hers was a love match in her very first season and when she tragically lost her husband she threw herself into the Nanny Registry service. Most unseemly for a Lady, but necessary for Eugenia to work through her grief. Enter Edward Reeve the illegitimate son of an earl and a fabulously wealthy inventor. He has just fond himself with the sole responsibility for his two half siblings and has already gone through two Snowe Registry nannys. He is not going to take "no" for an answer when he demands that Eugenia accompany him to his home and get his situation in hand.
Edward has no idea that Mrs. Snowe is a Lady of the Realm. He thinks her to be a well bred commoner and a delectable target for a short term affaire. He must marry a true Lady in order to assure his half siblings will be accepted into society. For the first time since her husband's death Eugenia is attracted to a man and accepts his proposal - to get his unruly half siblings in hand and for an affaire. It's all fun and games until someone falls in love and things are not quite what one thought they were.
Eugenia Snowe has been a widow for seven years. Hers was a love match in her very first season and when she tragically lost her husband she threw herself into the Nanny Registry service. Most unseemly for a Lady, but necessary for Eugenia to work through her grief. Enter Edward Reeve the illegitimate son of an earl and a fabulously wealthy inventor. He has just fond himself with the sole responsibility for his two half siblings and has already gone through two Snowe Registry nannys. He is not going to take "no" for an answer when he demands that Eugenia accompany him to his home and get his situation in hand.
Edward has no idea that Mrs. Snowe is a Lady of the Realm. He thinks her to be a well bred commoner and a delectable target for a short term affaire. He must marry a true Lady in order to assure his half siblings will be accepted into society. For the first time since her husband's death Eugenia is attracted to a man and accepts his proposal - to get his unruly half siblings in hand and for an affaire. It's all fun and games until someone falls in love and things are not quite what one thought they were.
February 6, 2017
I'm fairly certain EJ can rewrite the phone book and I'd be swooning. This story was of Edward ("Ward") and Eugenia, and these two did not disappoint.
Eugenia was one of the strongest Regency heroines I've read in awhile. It is so refreshing to read about a widow who still mourned her husband, who enjoyed him, and who was truly in love with him. I adored seeing the moment when Eugenia decided she was ready to move on; it wasn't something decided in the throes of passion, but a mature decision made by a woman who had clearly grown since her young adult days.
Ward was a well-drawn hero with some great flaws. His cockiness and devil-may-care attitude about everything relating to him made me believe in his confidence, and it was only underscored when he showed how much he truly did care about how society would receive his half brother and sister. His attachment to them was some of the most heartfelt family love I've seen in recent Regencies and I looked forward to when they were all on the page together.
Of course, the pacing and character arcs were flawless, as was the distinct tone of each character. EJ somehow ups her game with each release, and I'm always left with a slightly bigger happy sigh and smile with each of her releases. Brava, Ms. James.
Eugenia was one of the strongest Regency heroines I've read in awhile. It is so refreshing to read about a widow who still mourned her husband, who enjoyed him, and who was truly in love with him. I adored seeing the moment when Eugenia decided she was ready to move on; it wasn't something decided in the throes of passion, but a mature decision made by a woman who had clearly grown since her young adult days.
Ward was a well-drawn hero with some great flaws. His cockiness and devil-may-care attitude about everything relating to him made me believe in his confidence, and it was only underscored when he showed how much he truly did care about how society would receive his half brother and sister. His attachment to them was some of the most heartfelt family love I've seen in recent Regencies and I looked forward to when they were all on the page together.
Of course, the pacing and character arcs were flawless, as was the distinct tone of each character. EJ somehow ups her game with each release, and I'm always left with a slightly bigger happy sigh and smile with each of her releases. Brava, Ms. James.
February 7, 2017
DNF. Insta-lust and a "problem" that could be solved by just talking to each other make for a blah read for me. The whole thing hinges on him not knowing she's a Lady and not just a Mrs. and it's discussed how EVERYONE knows this. I found myself thinking of other books I'd like to read instead too often to finish this. The letters exchanged at the beginning are the reason this gets two stars from me. I could've used a few more pages of that.
February 10, 2017
Thank Heavens! I am super pumped James used her incredibly vast and beautiful knowledge of english literature in her newest offering. She seems embraced her both her lives to produce an intelligent book that strikes the right chords in my effervescent and romantic heart.
Just as a slight warning, this book deals with the deceased ex plot. But it is handled absolutely wonderfully.
My favourite lines from the book coming soon.
Just as a slight warning, this book deals with the deceased ex plot. But it is handled absolutely wonderfully.
My favourite lines from the book coming soon.
February 6, 2017
This book was just So Eloisa James! I totally loved it. And, visiting with one of my very favorite characters, the Duke of Villiers (from "A Duke of Her Own"), was a big treat. Lovely book. ;)
February 15, 2022
Helaas vond ik dit laatste deel maar zozo , dat ligt puur aan hoe Ward zich gedraagt tegenover Eugenia aan het eind van het verhaal .Ik weet niet of ik nog wel met hem samen had willen zijn na zijn gedrag ! De fijne schrijfstijl van E.J. redt dit boek van een 2 sterren rating .
January 9, 2017
Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher
2,5/5
This is the third volume in the Desperate Duchesses by The Numbers series (subsection of Desperate Duchesses series), of which I didn’t read the previous volumes as I often do. Here we meet Reeve who is given custody of his half brother and sister after their mother’s death. He decides to hire a governess to channel them before the hearing asked by their grandmother who contests the custody.
I really liked Eugenia, the heroine. After her husband’s death five years ago, she decided to get a grip on her life and started a governess registry, a renowned establishment she’s managing herself. Because of that some aristocrats look down on her but she doesn’t care, she likes her occupation even if she realizes during the story that it allows her to hide from any social life and to protect herself. She’s really good friend with her assistant who’s not from the same social status, and she had an unusual childhood for a lady, and it does her wrong because when she mentions it in front of the hero he deduces she’s lowborn. I liked her relation with the children or how she tries to harden herself faced with her growing feelings for the hero.
Reeve the hero is an illegitimate son who was raised by his father and made a fortune. He’s determined to do what is best for his half brother and sister, and I liked that he accepts their crazes and their differences. Being illegitimate, he got through his head that he must wed a noble lady, and also that Eugenia is lowborn because she’s working (what a cliché!). Even when she tells him she’s a real lady he doesn’t believe her, he thinks she’s a former governess who moved up in society.
Because of that he tends to talk to her with a lack of courtesy and a boldness he wouldn’t have used otherwise that are odd to read, to the point it took me several chapters to get used to it when I finally told myself I had to consider the novel as tongue in cheek. Likewise for his behavior, he goes so far as to gang up with Eugenia’s assistant to kidnap her when she doesn’t want to leave London to go to his estate. Tough luck, I don’t like stories where the heroine doesn’t want something and everyone joins forces against her “for her own good”. He also acts at one time as a jerk toward the heroine and hurts her, and I liked that she doesn’t give in easily when he comes back to her.
Between them the attraction is instant, but the heroine doesn’t want to yield to it because she thinks a lady, even a widow, shouldn’t have an affair, and she still loves her husband and cherishes his memory. However when she compares both men she is realistic, without belittling one in favor of the other. The hero is quickly decided to have an affair with her even if he doesn’t deem her good enough to marry. The love scenes are well written, sensual and tender, and quite numerous.
As for the secondary characters, we essentially see the butler, an old misogynistic and haughty man, and the children. They’ve been raised by a psychologically unstable mother who turned her back to the polite society to go and live in a traveling theater company. So they’ve had an eccentric education and they have very unusual reactions. The scenes with them are often funny or touching, and they show the hero’s good sides.
All in all I thought it was a pleasant reading in spite of some faults, but I wasn’t hooked. After reading the reviews on the previous volumes I don’t think I’ll read them.
Reviewed by Rinou
Review Copy from the Publisher
2,5/5
This is the third volume in the Desperate Duchesses by The Numbers series (subsection of Desperate Duchesses series), of which I didn’t read the previous volumes as I often do. Here we meet Reeve who is given custody of his half brother and sister after their mother’s death. He decides to hire a governess to channel them before the hearing asked by their grandmother who contests the custody.
I really liked Eugenia, the heroine. After her husband’s death five years ago, she decided to get a grip on her life and started a governess registry, a renowned establishment she’s managing herself. Because of that some aristocrats look down on her but she doesn’t care, she likes her occupation even if she realizes during the story that it allows her to hide from any social life and to protect herself. She’s really good friend with her assistant who’s not from the same social status, and she had an unusual childhood for a lady, and it does her wrong because when she mentions it in front of the hero he deduces she’s lowborn. I liked her relation with the children or how she tries to harden herself faced with her growing feelings for the hero.
Reeve the hero is an illegitimate son who was raised by his father and made a fortune. He’s determined to do what is best for his half brother and sister, and I liked that he accepts their crazes and their differences. Being illegitimate, he got through his head that he must wed a noble lady, and also that Eugenia is lowborn because she’s working (what a cliché!). Even when she tells him she’s a real lady he doesn’t believe her, he thinks she’s a former governess who moved up in society.
Because of that he tends to talk to her with a lack of courtesy and a boldness he wouldn’t have used otherwise that are odd to read, to the point it took me several chapters to get used to it when I finally told myself I had to consider the novel as tongue in cheek. Likewise for his behavior, he goes so far as to gang up with Eugenia’s assistant to kidnap her when she doesn’t want to leave London to go to his estate. Tough luck, I don’t like stories where the heroine doesn’t want something and everyone joins forces against her “for her own good”. He also acts at one time as a jerk toward the heroine and hurts her, and I liked that she doesn’t give in easily when he comes back to her.
Between them the attraction is instant, but the heroine doesn’t want to yield to it because she thinks a lady, even a widow, shouldn’t have an affair, and she still loves her husband and cherishes his memory. However when she compares both men she is realistic, without belittling one in favor of the other. The hero is quickly decided to have an affair with her even if he doesn’t deem her good enough to marry. The love scenes are well written, sensual and tender, and quite numerous.
As for the secondary characters, we essentially see the butler, an old misogynistic and haughty man, and the children. They’ve been raised by a psychologically unstable mother who turned her back to the polite society to go and live in a traveling theater company. So they’ve had an eccentric education and they have very unusual reactions. The scenes with them are often funny or touching, and they show the hero’s good sides.
All in all I thought it was a pleasant reading in spite of some faults, but I wasn’t hooked. After reading the reviews on the previous volumes I don’t think I’ll read them.
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