Desperate Duchesses

Desperate Duchesses #1

by Eloisa James

"Welcome to a world of reckless sensuality and glittering sophistication...of dangerously handsome gentlemen and young ladies longing to gain a title . . . of games played for high stakes, including--on occasion--a lady's virtue."

A marquess's sheltered only daughter, Lady Roberta St. Giles falls in love with a man she glimpses across a crowded ballroom: a duke, a game player of consummate skill, a notorious rakehell who shows no interest in marriage--until he lays eyes on Roberta.

Yet the Earl of Gryffyn knows too well that the price required to gain a coronet is often too high. Damon Reeve, the earl, is determined to protect the exquisite Roberta from chasing after the wrong destiny.

Can Damon entice her into a high-stakes game of his own, even if his heart is likely to be lost in the venture?

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Regency

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 29, 2007

About the author

New 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.

Reviews

[chan ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

despite the gorgeous stepback, this book wasn't a success for me

this is definitely the most unique historical i've ever read so it kind of pains me to rate it low... but i just don't think it accomplished what it set out to do.

the story is told from multiple POVs and has sort of a Gossip Girl meets Pride and Prejudice feel. you've got a wise duchess who has been neglected by her husband, taking in a distant cousin who is looking to marry a sensible man. and then you've got the many men in their lives: the brother, the husband, the fiancé, the lover. set in the 1700s with LOTS of chess playing and overall machinations, the story sets itself up to be interesting. and in some ways it was... it just wasn't successful as a romance.

really my biggest complaint was the lack of payoff. you've got 2 separate relationships you think are going to happen. one never does and is never suitably resolved. and the other... was lame? there was lots of lackluster canoodling and sex but never anything to get us invested in the relationship.

ultimately i just don't think this book knew what it wanted to be. i appreciate what eloisa james does in the historical space. i think she focuses on time periods that aren't usually focused upon and i think she writes pretty sophisticated non rom-com stuff. this just didn't hit the mark.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure about this one.
It wasn't unreadable, but it is definitely not one of my favorite Elosia James novels. There are too many points of view, and too many different story lines going on at the same time.
I didn't feel connected to any of them in particular.
I guess this story is about Roberta and Damon, but I couldn't really muster up enough emotion to care.

Roberta was a bit of an idiot, but I probably could have forgiven her of that if she had been crazy about Damon's son, Teddy.
I understand not all women immediately love children. Hell, I couldn't stand kids until I had my own.
Believe me, I get it.
Still, I was surprised that there was never really a 'his child has captured my heart!' moment that I assumed would happen.
She just seemed to become less repulsed by him as time went by. It was especially strange because Damon was such a wonderful father.
He seemed to love Teddy with every fiber of his being, so why would he want some woman who didn't really seem to like his kid? Even beyond that, I couldn't see what the attraction to Roberta was for Damon.
However, I did enjoy When the Duke Returns, and I would like to find out who Teddy's mother is, so I doubt that this is the last of Desperate Duchesses series that I'll read.

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

1. I hate chess. #sorrynotsorry
2. This reminded me of MANSFIELD PARK, and not in a good way. It wasn't quite as sordid, but it was close.
3. Too many (unresolved) plot lines.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is a chessboard.

There is a freedom of the Georgian period, utter absence of bourgeois attitudes of propriety, ridiculous morality born out of class distinction, that is compelling to read. James does beautiful characters in the style of Dangerous Liaisons as the first book in this series begins.



I shall obfuscate the precise relationships in this book so as to avoid spoiling it. Safe to say that this is a game and persons are being moved around, alliances made, revenge sought, and shocking behaviors by our present standards engaged in. The beauty in the story is the game. Not the real chess games being played, but the metaphorical ones. And it is the chess masters who are in charge.

This fun, flirtatious, and reminds me of a perfect cocktail party where everyone is at their peak--witty and charming with double or triple entendres and innuendoes flawlessly delivered. It's sexy, like listening to Mozart. That said, there are things that might not appeal to all readers. It is written such that five different storylines are intertwined, and while one of the threads is tied off by the end the others are left incomplete. Readers will have to continue on with the series to find out the resolutions to characters who have peaked their interest.

I enjoy James' writing a great deal; I had just forgotten how much. It is seamless, well-researched, and entertaining. This is a romance by contemporary standards, so an HEA is requisite and readers will not be disappointed, merely taken on a diverting amusement ride. I shall continue on with the series because there are certain devilish characters herein that charm me.

Favorite quote: It was true that he hated—if momentarily—every person who beat him at a game of chess, but to have that person be a woman who seemed supremely insouciant about his offer to take her to bed was infuriating.

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trashy fun! Love it! Corsets!

[Fangirl Musings · Rating 2 out of 5]

Roberta wants Villiers, Villiers wants Jemma badly but she, Jemma, who is also the sister to Damon, and he, Damon, wants Roberta while she, Roberta, only wants Villiers, though Villiers, remember, only wants Jemma, while she, Jemma, is estranged in marital hell with her husband, Elijah, who he, Elijah, pulled Ass-Hat-Number-Four by cheating on her, Jemma, years ago but who she, Jemma, still loves, but who he, Elijah, was also once friends with Villiers, who he, Villiers, only wants Jemma, and not Roberta, but who Damon, the brother to her, Jemma, does. Got that? Yeah.

To say that Eliosa wasn’t channeling Shakespeare in this novel would be the lie of the century. Without question, this book is a sort of homage to the concept of the divine comedy/tragedy. Considering the fact that the book opens with an insta-love connection, whereupon Roberta meets Villiers (the pseudo-bad-guy-but-not-really character) for the first time in November of 1780, and immediately decides she must marry him, my first thought was...”Romeo and Juliette, anyone?” After this wiz-bang meeting, comprising of the prologue, the book dashes off to the next scene. Well, sort of dashes, considering such takes place with the beginning of Chapter One, which starts in April 1783…nearly three years later! And, frankly, that's only the start of my problems to this book.

Here it is, my Biggest Issue of All the Issues in This Issue-y Book; no direct emotion exists on page with Roberta or Damon. While there is lust peppered throughout between the two lead characters, at no point did I feel as though they were emotionally connected. This becomes exemplified on page 333, whereupon not only is the ending of the novel coming to arise, but the two characters have had a plethora of interaction and boinking. During the “river boat” initial climax scene, Roberta makes a half-hearted attempt to learn about her lover. This is even stated by her,

‘“What do you do all day?” she asked impulsively. She wanted to know everything about him: what he ate for breakfast, and what he named his mare, and where he met his friends.’

Less than half a page passes, and this story thread is immediately dropped! One or two sentences of Damon talking about himself arises, and despite previously telling herself she was interested in learning about her lover, Damon calls Roberta out on being bored with his reply! (Of which, she totally was.) And then…you guessed it…more boinking.

I think my second problem is more of an explanation of why the emotional connection between Roberta and Damon was nonexistent in this novel. Throughout the course of the story, Eloisa ping-pongs between Roberta’s POV with Damon and life and all that jazz, and the telling of the chess game and interplay between Jemma and Villiers. Even though Eloisa does a brilliant job at meshing these two stories together in a believable way, I still feel that, despite such masterful story-telling, this turned out to be a big hindrance to this as a romance. The emotional aspects of the novel went unmet, I feel, because so much time was spent developing the dynamic and plot-drive of Jemma and Villiers, there was almost no time for the emotions of the leading couple to ferment. As a direct result of this limited time, the only way to transmit the relationship of Roberta and Damon was via lust and sex.

While it’s true lust and outward attraction are an integral part of love, they are not the key motivators. Lust is physical while romantic love is emotional, and one can’t experience romantic love until identity of the significant other is learned or, at the very least, broached. Such knowledge doesn’t have to be all encompassing, either. Even just learning the basics about personalities, interests, hobbies, or passions would have been sufficient for me to buy into the romance being real between these two people. Hell, even just the character’s learning or broaching ONE of these subjects about the other would have been nicely believable. Ironically, this is even as much as stated by Jemma on page 369 during the dueling scene at the end of the novel. When Jemma tells Roberta that Damon does indeed play chess, Roberta states she had no clue, to which Jemma promptly replies, "Have you talked of nothing, all this time you spent in bed together?" And, most appallingly, Roberta admits just that!

Along the same lines of thought, specifically the lack of basic identity sharing/learning causing the lack of emotion on page, arrives the issues I had with the actual characters in this story. As said before, I did find all the characters of Desperate Duchesses believable, somewhat enjoyable to one degree or another, and, most importantly, three dimensional. Eliosa took an interesting route by creating characters that were, in many respects, unlikeable, un-relatable, or just plain boring. I say “interesting” because I’m willing to submit that Roberta and Damon were, in fact, naturally boring. As in life, some individuals are fascinating, some are not, so I’m not of the opinion this was sloppy or lazy writing on the author’s part. But, still, the two most important people of the book, Roberta and Damon, were unquestionably the most uninteresting characters I’ve ever read before, in my entire life. As boring and cardboard as Damon was, Roberta was as dislikable and irritating. Damon had no personality to speak of whatsoever, while Roberta came off as being air-headed in decisions she made, with Damon making no decisions, except to get an erection every time Roberta was within grabbing distance. I would say that Eloisa utilized the “tell rather than show” method for detailing Damon’s attributes, but the sad reality is that such didn’t even occur. At no point was the reader given any hints into just who Damon was, so focused on the Chess-playing-Jemma-Villiers-Elijah-Harriet reality that was the book. Again, I’m more inclined to believe this was deliberate. Still, intentional or no, it was, fundamentally, very disappointing.

As unimpressive as the two lead characters were, the total antithesis was the reality for the secondary characters. I hate the use of this term with this particular book, however, because the way in which the novel was constructed made it seem as though Jemma and Villiers and Elijah were the lead characters, with the romance-carrying Roberta and Damon shoved to the back burner. I could be wrong, but aside from feeling as though Jemma and Villiers attained more page-time than the romantic couple, so too did they hog the market on personality. For as dull and uninteresting as Roberta was, Jemma was as equally extravagant, personable, funny, passionate, and logical. For as void and lackluster as Damon was, Villiers was equally full of life, expression, opinion, and thought. Elijah, the husband, was equally impressive as an interesting guy, impassioned with politics, socially minded for the people, and very much career and responsibility driven. And, yet, the author makes it very clear that huge personality defects exist in all three of these people.

Villiers is irresponsible, having fathered many bastards, some uncared for and unloved. He is a reckless and self-absorbed man, though thankfully not without his own moral code, skewed though it might be. He is very much an onion that is revealed slowly over the chapters of the book, predominately within the scenes between he and Jemma. Jemma, likewise, is flawed, being almost calculating in her scheming, primarily through her internal manipulation of managing the Harriet-Benjamin-revenge aspect with Villiers, and her marriage. (Though, blessedly this is done more as a backdrop than as enacted in any actual ploy.) She is entirely self-possessed, and one could argue materialistic. Her almost, and occasionally quite deliberate, flaunt of society’s rules has marked her not just as eccentric, but almost as nearly socially taboo. And, yet, she too is not a completely dislikeable character, for though she deliberately challenges and manipulates both her situation, and her husband, she is not without reasons. Having caught her husband philandering soon after her marriage, her abandonment of him in London, and her subsequent eight-year hiatus, and thus scorned feelings and actions, lend her creditability and relateability. Elijah, likewise, in many respects contains obvious flaws, such as his inexcusable actions of the past, and seemingly unapologetic attitude for his past transgressions. Interestingly, he, too, seems redeemable since he depicts himself as not malicious, not self-possessed, and not unbending, but rather as a man of his time. And yet, still, after all that, the above book-people held far more interest and likability for me than the two nothings of characters Roberta and Damon!

Still another big, BIG issue I had with Desperate Duchesses was of all the unresolved issues within this story! First, there’s the fact that Eloisa makes a significant effort to paint the character of Villiers, and his role in the story. With as much time as this author put into this pivotal character, one would think there would be at least a marginal resolution to his storyline in this book. I understand not wrapping up everything in a neat, tidy bow, but some resolution, at least as far as his influence in the book is concerned, should be resolved!

The issue of Teddy’s parentage goes completely afar in left field, as well, never once being resolved. In truth, Eloisa makes almost a small production over the identity of Teddy’s mother, plugging in a seemingly foreshadowing element. When asked who the mother is, Damon cryptically replies, “I promised never to tell.” Along with not resolving this issue, at all, never once referencing it again even, the author also never once touched on the realistic complexity that A) Roberta doesn’t like kids, but wants to hitch her bus to a dude who’s got a kid, and B) the dramatic undertow of being with a man who previously had a child with an unknown woman. While this concept might be common and acceptable in our time, such an act would have been marginally more dramatic during the time in which this novel was written. Not to mention, while it’s not unusual today, dialogue still exists about past lovers, the parents of children not the mother, and emotion about previous relationships being resolved or unresolved. This. Never. Happened! Even ignoring this fact, and the fact that Roberta will now take over the role of mother to Teddy, despite not liking children, she’s preggers at the end of the book! Two big kids-are-here issues that go completely unresolved!

And, what’s more frustrating, there exists even additional aspects to the book which go unanswered! Another issue is the importance, necessity, and even logic, or lack thereof, in including the random appearance of the character Charlotte, and why her perspective was even vital to the novel to begin with? Granted, while this character was only briefly on scene, and only point of appearance being to develop a spontaneous crush on Elijah, I still fail to understand why the author brought her into the book, unless she’s to be series bait. So too might have been Selina and Mrs. Grope, and even Villiers perhaps? But, no, apparently not, because none of the subsequent books in this series that I examined contain any of the characters mentioned in this novel. None of these characters’ appearance made any sense, and all of their stories went unresolved. Adding this to the fact that the huge dynamic, that was almost the entire book, among Elijah, Jemma, and Villiers, as well as the bad-marriage-but-things-are-lookin’-up aspect to Jemma and Elijah, that all went unresolved and dropped hotter than a supernova, and I’m left wondering…what the crap did I just read?!

The subsequence problems I had with the novel were miniscule in comparison, but still viable as being problematic for me. I struggled greatly with the fact that Eloisa, in the early stages of the book, made a big production out of the fact that Damon and Roberta were related. While I understand, very logically, in fact, the need for this plot device, what with Roberta requiring some other believable means of staying within the Beaumont house aside from Jemma’s eccentricity, I still found its overuse annoying. Many instances, Eloisa uses the kinship of the hero and heroine as a way of an ice-breaker, mostly driven by Damon. Many times throughout the book, Damon would constantly reaffirm the family reality between himself and Roberta, so as to bring Roberta into a more comfortable mindset when dealing with intimate subjects or, even more disturbing, in one instance, even intimacy! During a heavy make-out session, the hero actually reaffirms comfort during some smooching with the ‘it’s okay, we’re family’ shtick! This was big-time difficult for me, truly. It’s one thing to utilize family dynamics, even thin ones, to establish logic in an historical romance, especially one set in Georgian England. I can handle that, because when considering the small numbers in the society of that era with their emphasis on bloodlines, I historically comprehend that plot device. I do, however, find it seriously disgusting, too much so, for my modern mind to be reminded of the loose family connection during a physical scene! Even more so, for that to be a driving force, of sorts, for said scene! Big, huge honkin’ no-no.

Another tiny problem I had was Eloisa’s choice to bring in so many different perspectives, all the while without ever mending every POV into the story. There’s Roberta’s, which makes sense. There’s Damon’s, which makes sense. There’s Villiers, which makes decent sense. There’s Jemma’s, which makes decent sense. There’s Elijah’s, which makes less sense, but okay. There’s Charlotte (the chick who liked/danced/had a crush on Elijah…remember?) which made even LESS sense! And then, there was the fact that Eloisa would briefly remove herself from perspective entirely, operating as her own narrative. This was predominately done in the river-boat-climax scene, where no perspective was utilized to tell the events of Damon and Roberta’s boat lagging behind the others. Here Roberta’s father yells that his daughter must have been abducted, and Eloisa actually says, on page 340;

‘”My daughter!” he roared. “She’s been abducted!” Now you may think that there was nothing but cows to hear the marquess’s howl of parental distress, but in fact, he was lucky.’

That is a literal quote from the book, and though it’s infantile, that one little “you” drove me nearly bonkers with nerd-rage! Grammatically it might be fine, since Eloisa was operating in the narrative and outside of character perspective, but holy-Budda’s-belly, from a reader point of view, it was like finding a hair in my waffle! The reasons are obvious, and the rage is genuine.

Despite some of the epic book-hate spewing forth, I did find quite a number of things about this novel that were very enjoyable. Over all, despite its problems, I did actually enjoy the plot of the story. Such enjoyment, though, probably had more to do with the style of writing as opposed to the actual sequence of events within the story. I enjoyed the flow of the story, how one event, for the most part, was integral to the story as a whole. While there were scenes in the book that felt forced or ham-fisted, such as the river boat scene towards the end of the story, overall, I felt the book’s actions were real. The scenes between Jemma and Villiers, even the lust and physical obsession Roberta and Damon, and the subsequent actions of their story all felt as though it were actually happening. The detail was never so sparse that I couldn’t visualize what was happening around me, but not so drenched into the story that I was ever denied my use of imagination. I very much enjoyed the language of the writing, and how genuine to the era the dialogue and internal monologues felt.

In addition to the enjoyable technical aspects to the book, little gems were thrown in that were quite pleasant, too. Aside from learning that Chess was an extremely popular hobby among the ton in Georgian era, I too learned that purposeful lisping was considered in vogue, and a mark of high class quality. Fashion, too, was subtly woven into the (forgive the pun) fabric of the story, most especially with Villiers obsessive sense of outlandish fashionable colors, and Jemma’s style. Lastly, I so truly appreciated the direction Eloisa adopted in regards to depicting children in her romance. Not only was Roberta not obsessed with children, marginally fearing them and even disliking them, but likewise was Teddy, Damon’s bastard, never depicted as the classically cheesy Adorable Munchkin. Not only were these two elements refreshing to see, but they actually succeeded in bringing a degree of realism into the novel.

When proofreading this review, it dawned on me that, fundamentally, I had far more complaining than praise for this book, and yet I stand this book at a two star rating. Surprisingly, if any book can prove that an author can run in direct contrast to a reader’s personal taste and still manage to entertain, this one proves just that. Even though I cringed at many major and minor aspects of this book, even though there were characters that drove me up the wall, even though many aspects of the story remained unresolved at the conclusion, I still enjoyed the story. I was interested in how the novel would resolve itself, I was invested in the characters, even the ones that bored me, and I cared enough to truly want to arrive at the happily ever after.

Eloisa did a marvelous job in creating a diverse cast of characters that succeeded in keeping the story fresh. At no point did the pacing ever diminish, never once did a scene drag unnecessarily or boringly, and at the end of the day, I did not walk away from this book in book-rage. While I now officially realize Eloisa James’ style isn’t to my particular taste, I accept that she knows her history, and she does a marvelous job at painting a fictional landscape which pleases me to have been a part of, truly.

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes! Lots!

(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and the Tartans facebook group.)

Should I read in order?
This is book 1, but yes, make sure you start here! Don’t be like me – don’t grab a book in the middle of the series and be super confused!

Basic plot
This series has multiple storylines interwoven throughout the books. Jemma, Villiers, and Elijah all have plenty of page time, but the 'main' characters here are Lady Roberta St. Giles and Damon Reeve, the Earl of Gryffyn. Roberta has decided she’s in love with Villiers, and with Jemma’s help, plans to marry him. Damon knows she belongs with him instead.

Give this a try if you want:
-1783 time period with all the Georgian fun – wigs, heels and fashion is well noted!
- Mid steam – I believe there’s 2 full scenes, a few kisses and touches, and a few foreplay/fade to black scenes
- Hero loves first and chases the heroine
- You enjoy lots of characters and other characters having their stories built over the course of the book
- Lots of chess!
- Hero is 29, heroine is 21

My thoughts:
I tried a book or 2 from this series years ago and, well, I just hated it! I didn’t know what was going on, there were so many characters and I was lost. I told myself I would someday come back to it, with book 1 and with an open mind. I do not like lots of viewpoints other than the hero and heroine (or a main couple at least), so I purposefully set that aside knowing that’s what was happening here.

And, I found I absolutely adored Damon and Roberta’s love story. Just loved it! Damon was so fun. He was playful and naughty and funny and light hearted and had just the right amount of that lusty possessiveness I adore. He wants Roberta, chases her, he fights for her, convinces her, woos her. And well, I love him. He made my heart pitter patter and it never does that anymore! He made me feel those butterflies.

Roberta I enjoyed, though I so in love with Damon, I was irritated her head wasn’t turned away from Villiers faster. I loved her relationship with Jemma (Is it just me or are girl relationships lacking in romance? I loved it here!) and her father. Her father was a character you can’t forget – I thought I would really dislike him after the beginning scenes but there was a lot of sweetness with their relationship (as well as struggles – it was just real! The love with the flaws.)

Roberta and Damon are actually distantly related. I wanted to point this out because I know it can skeeve some people out - Roberta’s mother was their great-aunt’s second cousin’s child. It is mentioned a few times in the story about them being ‘cousins’ but I thought it was hilariously done, and had no issue with the extremely distant relation.

I really enjoyed the humor in this book. I laughed out loud at quite a few parts and found myself smiling throughout. But, I also found myself bored at parts and eager to get back to Damon and Roberta – and it really feels like they only get a half story here. There is a lot of page time setting up for Elijah and Villiers and Jemma, as well as other characters that will make future appearances. I can’t say I enjoy it, but I’m trying to appreciate it for what it’s worth with the character depth of future books. But I did feel like Roberta and more so Damon needed a bit more character depth.

I actually really loved the earlier Georgian time period – the obsession with chess, the house parties, the CLOTHES! I do love the way James actually takes the time to describe what people are wearing. I’ve noticed it before with her Wildes series, but especially here and it was just fun! The wigs don’t bother me, the heels don’t bother me – I just found this time period absolutely lovely and different (I have been reading endless regency, so it is a welcome change!)

I am wanting to continue with the series. I know I have read book 2 but I definitely think I will be able to see it in a new light after reading this first. (I remember Villiers moaning about life and recovering from a wound that I had no idea where he got it or who he was and he wasn’t the hero of this book so why did I care??? I get it now :P )

When I knew my heart was already gone to Damon


“An intelligent gentleman always removes his wig for a true kiss.”
She knew she was out of her depth; she knew it. He tossed his wig on a chair, and suddenly his hair swung forward, all bronzed brown and shining.
“So, kiss me,” he commanded.

Content Warnings:

suicide (from a gambling loss)
duel with injuries

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Pg 179 – kiss
Pg 198 – brief note of a kiss
Pg 267 – kisses and light touches
Pg 285 – kisses, light breast play
Pg 386 – first sex scene – relatively bad sex – good foreplay with the strip dominos, he orgasms, she doesn’t and isn’t pleased with the experience
Pg 414 – a glorious make up sex scene – mini blowjob (incomplete) for him, oral for her followed by missionary
Pg 460 – beginnings of a sex scene that fades to black and picks back up afterwards
Pg 516 – an implied fade to black scene
Total pages 520 (I had a large print version)

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

At around mid-story I'm giving this one up. We jump into so many perspectives and I can't find any I actually like. Roberta is closest to sympathetic, but even she is mostly just pathetic (as opposed to actively off-putting). Her crush on Villiers is absurd and it's made worse knowing that he isn't even the real love interest. All the other friend circle/duchesses are kind of vile, too. I mean, Jemma is a calculating monster getting revenge for an old hurt and the others aren't far behind her in selfish stupidity.

Also, chess and sex? Yeah, I'm not buying that byplay at all. And it's worse that every single relationship revolves, at least partially, around chess. Also, chess and sword mastery? Not linked by anything except, apparently, social status. Just saying...

[Hannah B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

✨He kissed her like a BROTHER?✨

The very end was cute but seriously what the FUCK we barely got to know the actual main couple and they barely got to know each other. This book revolves around other people, other POVs, and chess. Roberta is in love with Villiers from the beginning and that made zero sense. She was like w o w I’m gonna marry him and then proceeded to rhapsodize on and on about her love. We got like one I love you from her actual love interest? I don’t even remember her declaration. We got so few POV chapters from Gryffyn.

My fav is that Eloisa didn’t make the fact that they were cousins my least favorite part 😌 what the shit was with the duel at the end? It made z e r o sense and was only included because Eloisa wanted an arc for Villiers. Plot twist he really never got better. He was fine in a few books but his book was disappointing.

I can’t imagine reading this book first in the series and being like “ah yes I loved all of those characters let me continue and buy/read more of these books” like no fuck that start with book three and read book four and tbh you can skip five and six and I’ll let you know about seven and the rest. I can’t imagine even being kind enough to give the next book a try (from what I’ve heard that book is also a hot mess too).

This book had very very few likable characters. I didn’t even like Roberta, she was a charming mix of rude and clueless. The narrator sounded like a Shakespearean ghost whenever she did a male voice. I would’ve enjoyed at least Gryffyn more if I’d have just read the book because I couldn’t take his words seriously when he sounds like Nearly Headless Nick. The Georgian shit felt especially ugly here. Villiers can shove those face patches up his ass. Are they supposed to be beauty marks?

The sex was minimal, but of course we were treated to a signature Eloisa James Awkward Deflowering Moment. Seriously it was not hot here and nothing that came after it made up for that scene. This book felt endless. It was so confusing. I really cannot recommend this book at all I’m so confused how it got published in that disheveled state. Literally so confused. I know the other books also had more of a POV scope than just the main couple but this one was extremely troubling.

⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶🌶🌶/5

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Ms. James.. you certainly know how to make a girl want to stay up all night reading your entire series! As the first installment in Ms. James' "Desperate Duchesses" series, Desperate Duchesses managed to introduce most of the characters we will be seeing in the coming books, and still have time to fully develop a romance that was so sweet I will be grinning about it for days.

Roberta is, to be honest, a bit of a brat. She feels that her father is unfair to her and that because of him she will never ever marry! So she decides to take matters into her own hands - she even picks the man she will marry. He is a Duke, the Duke of Villiers, one of the most notorious bachelors in London. Notorious for his ruthless skill at chess as well as for his dalliances with young ladies - even marriageable young ladies!

Damon, the Earl of Gryffyn, knows that Villiers isn't the man for Roberta - because he himself is, of course! Now if only he could prove that to her... of course, Ms. James specifically chose the Georgian time period because of the blatant debauchery, so it's no surprise when Damon decides the only way to persuade Roberta is to seduce her until she surrenders to him.


****Some spoilers may lie ahead... ye be warned****

It's difficult to get all of the wonderful detail of this story into a brief synopsis. The main romance is a beautiful story. Roberta really grows up over the course of the story and Damon learns an important lesson about having to fight for what you want. But the true joy in this novel is seeing the future storylines coming into play. Ms. James is clearly weaving these stories together very intricately, building them on top of each other - structuring them, actually, rather like the chess game that Villiers and the Duchess of Beaumont play for many chapters.

I adored Damon's son, Teddy. We see Roberta gradually accept him as the adorable rascal he is. We can tell she will be a good mother to him, despite her internal insistence that she would be terrible mother material. She is clearly good with Teddy, and even slightly critical of the way Damon speaks to him.

The only issue I had was with the dissolution of Roberta's engagement to Villiers. It happened too quickly, too eagerly almost. But I feel that it was somewhat redeemed by the following scenes with Villiers and some of his chess-mates. I also liked that we could see Villers' regret at some of his behavior, and hints at his reformation in the last book in the series, A Duke of Her Own, which is coming out this year. In the meantime, there is a slew of other characters that will continue to delight and intrigue me for the next four books before that one!

[Milica's Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ni sama ne mogu da verujem da dajem nekoj Eloisinoj knjizi dve zvezdice, ali to je jedino fer sa obzirom da sam bila na ivici da dam samo jednu, jer me je većim delom sve u njoj iritiralo. Kao da Eloisa nije pisala ovu knjigu...

[Ezi Chinny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Laurie (barksbooks)]

This book is hurting my head. I usually enjoy this author but there are way too many characters coming at me and I simply can’t work this hard to keep up because I’m tired. I’ll pick up another from the tbr instead.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit lost with the number of POVs and characters. The way the book is structured didn't help either.
When I finally realized that the main couple is Roberta and Damon, I also realized that the time spent with Villiers/Beaumont/jemma was too much. I was confused for about 70% of the book about which couple to root for, honestly. 
Roberta is meh. I liked Damon a lot, but he's Roberta's distant cousin, so idk..

I'll probably read Villiers's book next, as he was the character I was most curious about. Who doesn't like a cold, detached duke ready to be swept off his feet?

[Andree · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those Eloisa James novels that doens't quite work for me. In fact, I would say my favourite part about it is how it sets up the rest of the series. I do like how this series structured, and I generally find the world and the characters engaging. They are in this as well, but the main couple never quite clicks for me.

I liked reading how Eliot and Jemma are set up, but to be honest, I think you can read book 2 and get the same information. Realistically, there's nothing in this that you don't get from book 2. You get to meet Villiers pre-accident, but you can fill in those blanks.

I like Roberta, and I like Damon, but I didn't quite invest in them as a couple. This is one of those cases where James isn't quite explicit enough in developing the relationship arc, and while sometimes the fuzzy approach works for me, it doesn't here. There's not enough to them They're both lovely. His son is charming. I can see how they would work for each other, but honestly, at the end of this it felt like most of their journey was based on sexual attraction, and very little else. I just wanted more to their story.

Also, I want to know exactly what Roberta saw in Villiers. And why Villiers suddently decided to be essentially the worst at the end of this.

Oh, and Roberta's father and his epic poetry read as tedious, rather than charming. I'm sick of parental figures in fiction who are basically living in a world divorced from reality, but because they're so good-intentioned, they get a free pass. It grated, is all I'm saying.

Basically, this never quite came together for me. I like books 2 and 3 in the series better.

[Esra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sonunda seriye devam etmeye karar verdiğim için re-read yapıyorum. Kaç yıl olmuş okuyalı, hiçbir şey hatırlamıyorum.
Hadi bakalım.

Kitabın asıl kahramanları dışında neredeyse herkesi okuduk. Doğru düzgün bir konusunun olduğundan bile emin değilim. Sadece satranç, evlenmek isteyen bir kız, şiirle kafayı bozmuş olan bir baba ve başkasına aşık kıza tutulan bir adam vardı. Bence hiçbirinin birbiriyle bir bağlantısı da yoktu ya neyse...
Off. Fenalık geçirecektim okurken. Serinin devamı da böyle değildir umarım. Zira Elijah ve Jemma'yı merak ediyorum. Evliliklerini bu saatten sonra nasıl kurtaracaklar acaba?

[Veromika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading update

I read the book because I finally feel like I'm at the end of the lane of good romantic novels. Anything new I pick up is just abominable.

Look don't ask me why I love this book. God knows it isn't the most well-written, or the most unique or that captivating. I just love Gryffin and Roberta, I do. They are the definition of 'stupidly falling in love and being complete idiots together.' We really don't get much glimpse into what Gryffin is thinking, but the little we do I adore.

This time around, I just skipped the part of the secondary characters and that was half the book. Hated that. But even going through pages and pages of chess, Jemma, her husband, her potential lover, her husband's potential lover won't make me give the book less stars cause like I said I illogically inexplicably love Roberta and Gryffin.

And yes, I am cringing hard over my 20-year-old self-reviewing the book below. Won't be deleting it cause it provides a good humbling experience.

----x----

First Read - 2015

5 delicious Stars...!!

I absolutely adored the book..!! It was sweet, funny, quirky, and so very romantic. I usually don't like Eloisa James' style. She writes a lot about the secondary characters. I feel she gives less space to the hero and heroine.. But I love Jemma and Elijah in this one.. I can't wait to read their story..!!

And I can't stop gushing about Damon..!! He was perfect. I fell in love with him from the first scene. I so want to be kissed by him thoroughly..!! And I just loved how he and Roberta fell in love. It was soo sweet and magical..

Truly one of the best historical I have read in a long time..!! A must read for all historical fans...!!

[Insh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know that this is roberta's and damon's book...
But it feels like more attention is paid to jemma and elijah, even though their story is in the 5th book....

😕😕😕

Im so confused that i cant seem to enjoy the story....



Okay new update:

The ending was enjoyable....especially because it was focused on roberta and damon!!!!

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating romantic Georgian romp made so by the game of chess being an organising theme, interesting female leads, and an eccentric poet for a father, and of course—a duel.

[Bambi Unbridled · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desperate Duchesses is a unique historical romance in that it follows several different storylines rather than the typical single hero/heroine. It reads somewhat like a historical soap opera and while discombobulated at times, it was good fun.

Our main heroine is Lady Roberta St. Giles, a country chit who has been living with her poet father, known as the Mad Marquess, and his courtesan mistress. Roberta longs for a life of her own, but her father is holding her back. When she sees the Duke of Villier at a country ball one night, she falls in love at first sight. Desperate for the Duke, Roberta absconds to London to the home the Duchess of Beaumont, a distant relation, in the hopes that she can experience a season and win the Duke.

The Duchess of Beaumont appears to be the leader of our desperate duchesses. With marital problems of her own, she decides seeing to Roberta's come out and winning of the duke is the perfect distraction for her tedious time in London. The Duchess of Beaumont is quite scandalous to the extreme displeasure of her ducal husband, who is constantly trying to prevent her from ruining his political career.

The Duke of Villier is a snobbish rogue, esteeming the game of chess above all else. He has proved himself a scoundrel by seducing wantons and innocents alike, and leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. By all accounts, the Duke of Villier was not a good person, yet Roberta remained infatuated with him. I didn't get the attraction personally and wanted to shake some sense into Roberta.

Damon Reeve, Earl of Gryffyn is brother to the Duchess of Beaumont. He is residing at the Beaumont estate with his illegitimate son, Teddy. Despite raising his bastard son, Damon is quite the catch and many gels on the marriage mart would like to catch him in their net. Unfortunately Damon has little interest in these girls. He was a devoted father to Teddy, who was an fun little scamp. I felt the story was lacking w/ regard to Damon's character because we never got his POV. I would have loved to know his motivations and thoughts on the goings on around the Beaumont house. I am also dying to know the identity of Teddy's mother! I have my suspicions but the question was not answered in this book.

The romance was slow to build due to Roberta's fixation on the Duke of Villier. While flirtations abound and some covert kisses were shared, Roberta remained blind to Damon's charm and interest. Damon, on the other hand, pursued Roberta doggedly and enjoyed the chase.

This is not a Regency romance, it takes place in the later Eighteenth Century, where morals were more lax. Adultery was abundant and expected. It was not unheard of for married men and women alike to have lovers. So adultery ran rampant all over this story. I didn't care for it and it made me think less of the characters. As we were introduced to so many people in this book and saw so much distasteful behavior, I'm not sure how I will feel about them when it comes time for their own story. But I enjoy Eloisa's writing so I'm sure she will find a way to redeem those that can be redeemed.

4 stars / 3 flames. Full review posted at Bambi Unbridled.

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars I'm glad I started this series with Book 1 because I suspect I might be lost otherwise. In addition to giving us Roberta St. Giles' romance, this novel sets up the ensemble cast and a host of plotlines that look like they will wind throughout the entire series.

The book starts as young Roberta flees her father's home to stay with relatives in London. Her eccentric poet father's antics have largely destroyed the few marriage prospects she had, and in addition to being mortified, Roberta just strikes me as someone who wants to have a life.

Once in London, Roberta pretty much just shows up at the home of her cousin, a duchess. At this point, there are all kinds of outrageous plot points and over-the-top antics that lead to Roberta being installed in the ducal residence. It was amusing enough, so I pretty much just rolled with it. In hindsight, I'm glad I did because the resulting story was great fun.

At first, the primary romance didn't strike me as all that enthralling. Roberta is frankly kind of a twit, and she's hung up on a duke whom she met only once. It's obvious to everyone but her that they are ill-suited and that he's kind of a jackass besides, but love at first sight... Luckily for us all, her hostess' brother Damon, the Earl of Gryffyn is utterly mad about Roberta. It takes a while for that relationship to get going, but their first sex scenes from the awkward to the..um...more satisfying were well done.

And then there is all the chess. As it turns out, much of the cast in this novel is absolutely mad about chess and the story turns on several chess matches being played throughout the course of the story. I'm not even a fan of chess, but the author somehow makes it riveting in this book. This novel is great fun, and I was sorry to see it end.

[Mariana · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book never got better. It was bad from start to finish. If not for a great narrator and the fact that I only listened to it on my morning and evening commutes, I would have not finished this book.

I will definitely be taking a break from this series if not putting it down altogether.

[romancelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun!!!

Fun storyline, great characters (although Roberta can be kind of dumb), witty dialogue and lots of laughter!! I enjoyed it so much!!

I especially loved Teddy SO MUCH! He was adorable!

The only reason I am not giving this 5 stars is because I wish the author did not focus so much on Jemma and Beaumont. I mean, their time will come. Let Damon and Roberta shine for now.

[Monique Takens · Rating 3 out of 5]

To much chess , to little romance .

[Liz F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. That about sums it up! It wasn't knock-me-down-amazing and it wasn't horrible at all. It was just fine. I think that you could tell that this was the first book in a series; the author had to introduce so many characters here in the first book that it was maybe a little confusing at first. Maybe that's the difference between a good writer and a not-so-good writer? In just a short time, I knew who was who and how they related to everyone else...for the most part. My only major complaint about this book is THE CHESS!! Now, I'm no history buff so I don't know HOW popular chess was during this time in England's history. But I CAN tell you that chess was a central theme to this book. And I'm not really interested in chess. So that was a little difficult for me to get through.

What I really liked about this book is its unpredictability with the characters! Many times, you can tell at the beginning of a book who you're supposed to like, who you're supposed to hate and who the love interest will be. If there are two love interests, you are given little hints along the way as to who you should be rooting for. In "Desperate Duchesses", I had no idea who I should hate and who I should love! I wasn't absolutely sure who our heroine would end up with! Its so great to be surprised occasionally! Specifically, I wasn't sure if I should like or dislike Roberta's distant cousin, Jemma. Let me give you an overview...

Roberta, our heroine, lives with her dad and his scandalous live-in girlfriend (she's a former actress - gasp!). Her father is a poet and is a very dramatic man. He's also very loving and kind so you can see why Roberta loves her father but desperately wants to go to London to get away from him. See, his dramatics have become legend thanks to a London paper/flyer/cartoon that depicts Roberta as having a uni-brow and a hunchback because she's an heiress and unmarried...so far. And of course, Roberta is beautiful! The first hint of a problem arises when Roberta, at a party or a ball, runs smack into the Duke of Villiers, a champion chess player and notorious rake. Well, notorious for not falling into marriage anyways. It is at this moment that Roberta falls madly in love with the Duke and hi-jinks ensue. Anyways, off she goes to London to prevail upon a distant cousin, the extremely fashionable and popular Jemma, to help Roberta have her "come out" to society so that Roberta may ensnare the Duke of Villiers. Jemma agrees and hatches a plan to match her indomitable chess skills again Villiers so that he can get to know Roberta whenever he comes to play Jenna at chess. But what's that? Jemma's brother, Damon, Earl of Gryffyn, comes to town with his son? TROUBLE! And he's not married? SCANDAL! And going to live with Jemma while the unmarried Roberta is in residence!? UNBELIEVABLE!!

Roberta and Damon have great chemistry and are very funny with each other. This book had lots and lots of laughs. The characters are rich and well thought out. I wish there was more back story on Villiers but maybe that comes out in another book in the series. Often times, having a child thrown into the story knocks the story out of balance but in this book, Damon's son is seamlessly added in. In fact, Damon's son is responsible for some, if not many, of the laughs due to the fact that Roberta is not too fond of children and has no idea how to deal with him.

Again, some characters, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to like or not. Jemma is the main one. I'm pretty sure, by the end, that we're supposed to like her but its touch and go for a while in the middle there. Jemma has a difficult relationship with her husband, the Duke of Beaumont. Especially since she found him with his mistress in his office one day shortly after they were married. She fled to Paris for a few years and at the start of this book, she has just returned. I really hope the author gets into their relationship in another book because I was fascinated by the two of them.

Anyways, this was a good book; a funny romance. I don't think that readers new to the historical romance genre will be disappointed. Historical romance fans "from way back" may find the story a little boring. Maybe. But with all the fun that the characters are having, I can't imagine that readers wouldn't have a little fun, too.

[Angela Hates Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was tedious. So many different POVs, so many side stories, and chess. So. Much. Chess. When Jemma declares that they’ll play chess one move a day I about screamed. GREAT. CAUSE THE BOOK WAS ALREADY MOVING AT A GLACIAL PACE WHY NOT ADD ONE MOVE OVER TEN DAYS?!

This book was half love story of Roberta and Damon and half build up of Jemma and Elijah. And to my utter horror, Jemma and Elijah aren’t even the next book. They’re not the next NEXT book. They aren’t the next next NEXT BOOK!! WTF kind of build up torture is this?!

Granted all the books have been out for years, but that is not the point! I gave up half of this book for these two and I need some dang closure! I don’t want it three books from now?! I like series that sprinkle in some foreshadowing of other characters, but seriously, this book is almost completely over taken by those two. Get your own dang book, Beaumonts! 25% in and I still wasn’t clear who the hero was. Then it was Roberta’s 7th cousin?! Gah! I needed waaaaaay more time with this dude and less jokes about them being family to feel good about this, guys. But that time was sucked away by Jemma and Elijah’s angst.

I’m completely frustrated with this book because of all the energy and time that was devoted to a couple that don’t get a HEA in this book. Yay for Roberta and Damon, but WTF ABOUT THESE FEUDING PEOPLE?! This book was completely overshadowed by them and I’m left feeling super annoyed!!

However, I will say I randomly read Villier’s book last year not realizing it was in the middle of a series and didn’t love it. I’m assuming that I’d like it much more now if I’d not just plucked it out of thin air. That man needed some background and I see myself rereading that book to give it the justice it deserves.

I’m already exhausted and I’m only one book into this series. I may skip ahead to Jemma and Elijah’s book for my own sanity.

[TheMadHatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that a friend recommended and has appeared near the top of every "historical romance" list I have seen in recent times.

It is set in 1780 in England and surrounds a series of duchesses. At the end of the book in the notes section, James makes reference to some of her colleagues who assisted and also some classical book references that inspired parts of her story. I googled her background and was intrigued to read that she is a tenured professor in English Literature. Yeah! Another bright woman who gives the romance genre clout and removes that taint that is attached to romance (even though it outsells everything). Maybe I just like her because she justifies my trashy reading habits:

Interested Friend: "What are you reading?"
Me (Hiding cover of book): "I am reading a book by a tenured professor in English Lit". Take that reading snobs :-P

This book was okay. It was light and fluffy and all a little silly in parts. I don't really think I like the genre of historical romance overly though, with Diana Gabaldon's Outlander being my exception to that rule. All too prim and proper. I kept waiting for someone to drop the f bomb.....it didn't happen. But there was the token duel that was fought in defense of some young ladies honor.....

This was an easy read and made the game of chess damn sexy. I will pick up the other books in the series down the track as my library just happens to stock them :-). Wow...I guess I am cheap as well as trashy.....

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book! I loved the characters, manners, storyline, fashions, everything. Ms. James has a way of writing dialogue in that I felt I was there listening, rather than reading about the conversations.

I was cheering for Damon all the way. Determined to get his girl, but a gentleman all the way.

I like the way the story was open-ended for more adventures about the characters involved. I certainly hope that Villiers has his own book and I look forward to the woman who will finally steal his heart.

All in all, this was a quality read for me and I'm anxiously looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this! I mean, yes, I certainly could've done without Roberta being "in love" with Villiers, but the actual romance was SO MUCH FUN. And I liked the kid!

And the book does that interesting things James sometimes does, where much of it isn't focused on the romance at all. It's about the women and the world and stories that will be told in later books. I like it!

(I am NOT liking the second book. Enough so that I feel compelled to mention it here!!!)

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was very cute and sweet. However, I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Roberta and Damion or really any of the characters. And the whole kissing cousins thing was gross even though they were distant cousins. No thanks.
I think the most fascinating characters in this book was Elijah and Jemma. I look forward to their book but I hope there is less chess and more banter.
Overall, it was just ok. Im going to read the rest in this series bc I think they get better as they go along.