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Pleasures #2
Midnight Pleasures
In the night, all rules are forgotten....
Eloisa James, the acclaimed author of Potent Pleasures , returns to Regency England with an unforgettable new heroine — a genteel but naughty innocent who gets more than she bargains for when she finally says yes to love.
To her legions of adoring suitors, it comes as quite a shock when Lady Sophie York rejects an offer of marriage from the dashing, rakish Patrick Foakes in favor of amiable but dull Braddon Chatwin. He may be an earl, but it is Patrick's stolen kisses that sear her lips.
When Patrick, in disguise, scales a ladder to retrieve his friend's fiancée, he never expects the elopement to be his own. Neither does Sophie, Braddon, or the rest of the tattling ton . One hasty wedding later, the passionate innocent and the sophisticated rogue play out their own intricate dance as Sophie masters what it takes to keep a man where he belongs. And Patrick learns the ultimate lesson in love.
Eloisa James, the acclaimed author of Potent Pleasures , returns to Regency England with an unforgettable new heroine — a genteel but naughty innocent who gets more than she bargains for when she finally says yes to love.
To her legions of adoring suitors, it comes as quite a shock when Lady Sophie York rejects an offer of marriage from the dashing, rakish Patrick Foakes in favor of amiable but dull Braddon Chatwin. He may be an earl, but it is Patrick's stolen kisses that sear her lips.
When Patrick, in disguise, scales a ladder to retrieve his friend's fiancée, he never expects the elopement to be his own. Neither does Sophie, Braddon, or the rest of the tattling ton . One hasty wedding later, the passionate innocent and the sophisticated rogue play out their own intricate dance as Sophie masters what it takes to keep a man where he belongs. And Patrick learns the ultimate lesson in love.
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
352 people are currently reading
1791 people want to read
About the author
Eloisa James
123 books9,541 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 289 reviews
December 4, 2020
It’s been a long time since I’ve really enjoyed a romance and the characters. The downside is this one takes failure to communicate to epic measures, but I just kept putting that aside….again and again.
When Sophie first appears my eyes crossed as she’s dressed to scandalize and bent on being provocative in Regency England . Ho hum, another special Regency snowflake. Great. That was put to bed pretty quickly as Sophie ended up being a three dimensional, extremely intelligent heroine that hides behind a flirtatious manner that verges on scandalous. She does it for a couple of reasons, fear of a bad marriage and to forget the nightmare her parents’ marriage is and she likes it.
Patrick, the man she loves and twin to the idiot H from Potent Pleasures, is in love with Sophie but either won’t admit it or doesn't get it. He’s an infatuated alpha that apparently is incapable of understanding simple, declarative sentences.
He’s currently peeved as she has rejected his proposal. Sophie is engaged to a hearty oaf and Patrick’s friend. She prefers Braddon because when not if he cheats it won’t break her heart whereas if she were married to Patrick it would. Her parents have a lot to answer for even though they both love her.
Bottom line Sophie and Patrick end up married, and the miscommunications are thick on the ground.
I’m not going to get into all the ways that Sophie and Patrick mess up a good thing, but it’s in part due to some very bad marital advice from Sophie’s mother with the best of intentions and in part because a romance has to have some problems.
I’m waffling and off my Goodreads review game, but in a nutshell I found the two main characters individually and collectively charming if not exasperating at times. I teared up a little a couple of times, wanted to throw my computer more than once and reach through the screen and shake the H and h, but overall loved it.
When Sophie first appears my eyes crossed as she’s dressed to scandalize and bent on being provocative in Regency England . Ho hum, another special Regency snowflake. Great. That was put to bed pretty quickly as Sophie ended up being a three dimensional, extremely intelligent heroine that hides behind a flirtatious manner that verges on scandalous. She does it for a couple of reasons, fear of a bad marriage and to forget the nightmare her parents’ marriage is and she likes it.
Patrick, the man she loves and twin to the idiot H from Potent Pleasures, is in love with Sophie but either won’t admit it or doesn't get it. He’s an infatuated alpha that apparently is incapable of understanding simple, declarative sentences.
He’s currently peeved as she has rejected his proposal. Sophie is engaged to a hearty oaf and Patrick’s friend. She prefers Braddon because when not if he cheats it won’t break her heart whereas if she were married to Patrick it would. Her parents have a lot to answer for even though they both love her.
Bottom line Sophie and Patrick end up married, and the miscommunications are thick on the ground.
I’m not going to get into all the ways that Sophie and Patrick mess up a good thing, but it’s in part due to some very bad marital advice from Sophie’s mother with the best of intentions and in part because a romance has to have some problems.
I’m waffling and off my Goodreads review game, but in a nutshell I found the two main characters individually and collectively charming if not exasperating at times. I teared up a little a couple of times, wanted to throw my computer more than once and reach through the screen and shake the H and h, but overall loved it.
March 14, 2019
Angst and Stupidity
I really hate it when authors take intelligent characters from previous books and turn them into immature bumbling idiots.
And the ending was just too sad and very unnecessary !!
I really hate it when authors take intelligent characters from previous books and turn them into immature bumbling idiots.
And the ending was just too sad and very unnecessary !!
September 19, 2024
“We haven’t talked enough, Sophie. We should have been talking, all those hours when I was walking the streets, sweating at every pore with longing to come back and climb into your bed.”
Page 515
“We’re a pair of idiots, Sophie. Why didn’t we talk?”
Page 525
“You, sir, are not lovable. You are argumentative and you come to ridiculous conclusions. You ignore me and then insist that you were actually thinking about me.” Her voice dropped. “You make me want you in my bed, and then you leave me, without telling me why. You are made into a Duke of the Realm, and forget to tell me about it. I can’t understand the way you think. And I certainly don’t know why I love you so much.”
Page 527
Me neither 🤪
Page 515
“We’re a pair of idiots, Sophie. Why didn’t we talk?”
Page 525
“You, sir, are not lovable. You are argumentative and you come to ridiculous conclusions. You ignore me and then insist that you were actually thinking about me.” Her voice dropped. “You make me want you in my bed, and then you leave me, without telling me why. You are made into a Duke of the Realm, and forget to tell me about it. I can’t understand the way you think. And I certainly don’t know why I love you so much.”
Page 527
Me neither 🤪
October 21, 2010
So when I first started reading, I despised Sophie's betrothed. What a disgusting man he was to plan on marrying Sophie while setting up a mistress with whom he was in love! >:( Ok ok so that's not really fair -- that's EXACTLY what men of the times in that social circle did, but still. Blech.
However, once we got to know him and Madeline a little better, I admit I softened towards him a great deal, even though he was still a big ole chucklehead. The resolution with Madeline was a bit far-fetched, but still sweet.
Sophie's parents also annoyed me. I can't abide adultery, and despite the fact that Sophie hinted that a lot of his "public" dalliances were designed to spark a reaction in his wife, that doesn't change the fact that he still carried on multiple extramarital affairs. It was nice that she (finally) forgave him and let him back in her bed, but adultery is such an automatic squick for me that even that wasn't all that appealing.
To be honest, I found both of those side romances to be more intriguing than that between Patrick and Sophie. Not that there was anything wrong with them, mind you, and I definitely enjoyed the story as a whole, but her pretending to be uneducated so's not to scare him off and acting as though nothing ever bothered her (even though I understand her reasoning given her upbringing) annoyed the pie out of me. And Patrick, I'm sorry man I wouldn't allow my spouse to go off unattended with their ex-fiance for hours at a time without at least asking WTH they were doing.
Even with all that, it was an entertaining read, so 4 Stars :)
However, once we got to know him and Madeline a little better, I admit I softened towards him a great deal, even though he was still a big ole chucklehead. The resolution with Madeline was a bit far-fetched, but still sweet.
Sophie's parents also annoyed me. I can't abide adultery, and despite the fact that Sophie hinted that a lot of his "public" dalliances were designed to spark a reaction in his wife, that doesn't change the fact that he still carried on multiple extramarital affairs. It was nice that she (finally) forgave him and let him back in her bed, but adultery is such an automatic squick for me that even that wasn't all that appealing.
To be honest, I found both of those side romances to be more intriguing than that between Patrick and Sophie. Not that there was anything wrong with them, mind you, and I definitely enjoyed the story as a whole, but her pretending to be uneducated so's not to scare him off and acting as though nothing ever bothered her (even though I understand her reasoning given her upbringing) annoyed the pie out of me. And Patrick, I'm sorry man I wouldn't allow my spouse to go off unattended with their ex-fiance for hours at a time without at least asking WTH they were doing.
Even with all that, it was an entertaining read, so 4 Stars :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2019
This series is a bit of a mess. Or at least the two I’ve read. Nice enough heroines with heroes that just don’t deserve them. Temper tantrums, meanness and lack of communication are not patched over by good hair.
Some of the lines Patrick used early on in their relationship put me in mind of a high school boy. “Come on, babe. Just the tip...” Definitely a bit skeezy and light on the consent.
I wanted something insubstantial after the Novik. Boy did I get it.
Some of the lines Patrick used early on in their relationship put me in mind of a high school boy. “Come on, babe. Just the tip...” Definitely a bit skeezy and light on the consent.
I wanted something insubstantial after the Novik. Boy did I get it.
July 16, 2025
Well-written but a tad too Harlequin romance for me. I believe this was one of her earlier books. However, there are glimpses of being a cut-above author in the next book.in this series.
(reviewed 3/29/14)
(reviewed 3/29/14)
April 30, 2021
The author did an outstanding job showing how much this couple loved each other, but they couldn’t figure it out themselves until the very end. It’s extremely frustrating when there are stupid misunderstandings that play out, but it worked.
When there is such a huge lack of communication between a couple, it’s a hard sell to think this just goes away... Fortunately, this couple has a history and love for each other that is well-developed and displayed - which won me over for the most part.
When there is such a huge lack of communication between a couple, it’s a hard sell to think this just goes away... Fortunately, this couple has a history and love for each other that is well-developed and displayed - which won me over for the most part.
June 4, 2019
I love Eloisa James storylines. She always creates fascinating characters and then places them in impossible situations. She brings them to a satisfying and sometimes surprising conclusion.
October 2, 2018
Volim Aleksa, ali mi je Patrik draži Fouks blizanac. 😍
May 19, 2016
I'm not a fan of this series. There is no chase between the characters. Just sleeping together shockingly fast (although not as bad and unrealistic as the first book) and then they spend the marriage fighting over absolutely nothing and keeping secrets that make no sense. This book was particularly random in that at first you think there is going to be some big drama with Patrick traveling and being an ambassador, but it never even happens. It all just falls flat. Was there really a reason at all to make Patrick a duke? I felt like the story suddenly wrapped up in the last few pages of the book and she jammed every conversation they hadn't had over months into a few paragraphs. Then suddenly their marriage was perfect. Just not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2022
Older Eloisa James comes with more miscommunication and heartbreak than I typically like, but this was still a great read. I’m glad Patrick isn’t the absolute worst like his twin Alex is. The first book in this series is still one of my least favorite books of all time and was annoyed at the comments made throughout this book to remind me of it 🤣
April 26, 2023
This is one of the older EJ and I definitely liked it and preferred it to the most recent ones.
- first of all the story is focused on the main couple and their interactions. EJ is very fond of secondary characters, female friends of the heroine, other couples, other subplots and similar and she often loses her main focus on the couple of characters, recently it happened so much as to be almost impossible to stay centered and interested on their story.
And the same happened in some past books, as in desperate duchesses. Too many stories means no story, IMO.
- the story is very well written and the plot is interesting with a fast pace. Sometimes EJ wastes pages and pages of useless descriptions of scenes that do nothing for the story. Here it doesn’t happen.
- there’s angst. Much angst especially towards the end. I like when there’s angst.
- the hero is besotted with the heroine since the very first pages. He was quite the libertine but as soon as he interacts with the heroine there’s no other woman for him.
- miscommunication and misunderstanding aplenty. The heroine has a father who’s always been unfaithful to her mother and she doesn’t want to love her husband because she thinks all husbands are unfaithful. So she rejects the hero in the beginning because there’s too much passion between them. And she gets engaged with a safe dumb man. The hero compromises her and they get married. Both think their love is unrequited. The heroine accepts him even if thinks he has a mistress. He’s jealous because she meets her ex and thinks she loves him. The worst happens when she gets pregnant and he tells her he doesn’t want children. Because he’s terrified that she can die in childbirth as his mother. Bit of course he doesn’t tell her so she thinks he’s tired of her. Ok, I won’t spoil the end but it was heartbreaking and I cried a river.
I loved both characters because they both have emotional scars and are afraid to love someone and to be hurt.
The hero was the more determined because he decided to force the heroine’s hand a bit. The lack of communication was heavy and could have solved many troubles but we wouldn’t have a book so it was all understandable.
Celibacy was ok. The hero was faithful after dancing and kissing the heroine even when she was engaged to om. Of course she was a virgin.
- first of all the story is focused on the main couple and their interactions. EJ is very fond of secondary characters, female friends of the heroine, other couples, other subplots and similar and she often loses her main focus on the couple of characters, recently it happened so much as to be almost impossible to stay centered and interested on their story.
And the same happened in some past books, as in desperate duchesses. Too many stories means no story, IMO.
- the story is very well written and the plot is interesting with a fast pace. Sometimes EJ wastes pages and pages of useless descriptions of scenes that do nothing for the story. Here it doesn’t happen.
- there’s angst. Much angst especially towards the end. I like when there’s angst.
- the hero is besotted with the heroine since the very first pages. He was quite the libertine but as soon as he interacts with the heroine there’s no other woman for him.
- miscommunication and misunderstanding aplenty. The heroine has a father who’s always been unfaithful to her mother and she doesn’t want to love her husband because she thinks all husbands are unfaithful. So she rejects the hero in the beginning because there’s too much passion between them. And she gets engaged with a safe dumb man. The hero compromises her and they get married. Both think their love is unrequited. The heroine accepts him even if thinks he has a mistress. He’s jealous because she meets her ex and thinks she loves him. The worst happens when she gets pregnant and he tells her he doesn’t want children. Because he’s terrified that she can die in childbirth as his mother. Bit of course he doesn’t tell her so she thinks he’s tired of her. Ok, I won’t spoil the end but it was heartbreaking and I cried a river.
I loved both characters because they both have emotional scars and are afraid to love someone and to be hurt.
The hero was the more determined because he decided to force the heroine’s hand a bit. The lack of communication was heavy and could have solved many troubles but we wouldn’t have a book so it was all understandable.
Celibacy was ok. The hero was faithful after dancing and kissing the heroine even when she was engaged to om. Of course she was a virgin.
April 15, 2013
Didn't love it or even like it all that much by the end. 2.5 stars. The book had a split personality: it's tone, or mood if you will, started out lighthearted with some misunderstanding/false assumptions as H/h end up married to each other; developed into angst-y and all about misunderstandings, suspicions and perverse refusals to say anything, even the most obvious things (and I don't mind misunderstandings if they're not forced and drawn out, but these were); and at last was soap-operatically weepy, with gut-wrenching, tear-jerking upset and its aftermath. I did cry at one point, but I felt whipsawed by confusion. Or worse, a bit manipulated rather than moved.
There were two secondary couples who added some sly romance. But the main H/h sort of fizzled for me.
I did finish all 432 pp. but it was slow-going the last hundred pages or so. For my money, there are better gut-wrenching HRs and better lighthearted HRs and better misunderstanding-based HRs out there.
There were two secondary couples who added some sly romance. But the main H/h sort of fizzled for me.
I did finish all 432 pp. but it was slow-going the last hundred pages or so. For my money, there are better gut-wrenching HRs and better lighthearted HRs and better misunderstanding-based HRs out there.
February 2, 2022
This book is so unique in its treatment of miscarriage and how it affects both potential mothers and fathers. The hero's care of the heroine in the wake of their shared tragedy is both inspiring and heartbreaking.
September 23, 2022
This book read like watching a boring yo-yo game. I could rate it from 1-2-3-4-5 STARS while reading❣️No lies❣️
The HEA couple was unbelievably doing a very convincing yo-yo relationship. Patrick & Sophie went back and forth, up and down, between Steaming Hot Romantic scenes and I-Hate-Your-Guts ~ You Are Liars & Cheaters scenes ~ all through the book! Relentlessly misunderstood each other's actions. Yes! They relentlessly performed such a cliche of "Action speaks louder than words!" They drove me nuts!
However, I decided to ignore the scenes I despised, and focused more on beautiful and romantic scenes instead. So! A final Three Star rating.
The After Word Chapter alone actually erased almost all of the bad scenes! Bravo❣️
Sharing one of the LOL scenes 😅
Bet you'd definitely want to read this book! Haha 😅
The HEA couple was unbelievably doing a very convincing yo-yo relationship. Patrick & Sophie went back and forth, up and down, between Steaming Hot Romantic scenes and I-Hate-Your-Guts ~ You Are Liars & Cheaters scenes ~ all through the book! Relentlessly misunderstood each other's actions. Yes! They relentlessly performed such a cliche of "Action speaks louder than words!" They drove me nuts!
However, I decided to ignore the scenes I despised, and focused more on beautiful and romantic scenes instead. So! A final Three Star rating.
The After Word Chapter alone actually erased almost all of the bad scenes! Bravo❣️
Sharing one of the LOL scenes 😅
“My lord.” Something in Carroll’s tone chilled George’s blood. “The ladder has addressed itself to the window of the young lady’s chamber, my lord.”. . .
“Addressed itself? Why the hell can’t you speak English like the rest of the human race, Carroll?” . . .
"The top of the ladder is leaning into Lady Sophie's bedroom, my lord. And," he added with some satisfaction, "her window is open."
George gaped at him. "Her window is open," he repeated.
"Open." Carroll nodded, almost genially. "It appears that she has eloped, my lord."
"Eloped."
Bet you'd definitely want to read this book! Haha 😅
November 14, 2012
Our heroes are stubborn, obstinate and prejudiced.
Sophie is sure that marrying a rake will lead to heartbreak so she refuses Patrick even though they're caught in a compromising position.
Patrick is sure that the reason Sophie rejected him is his lack of a title.
They're both wrong but it'll take them quite some time to actually figure that out.
Lots of wrong turns make them drift apart until a traumatic and unexpected event helps them get closer and finally talk and sort their issues out.
Apart from Sophie and Patrick, Braddon finds love as well and drags Sophie in one of his crazy schemes in order to get the girl.
Patrick may have needed more time to get there, but towards the end he becomes a great husband and father, a very likable character.
Last in the series comes unlucky Quill's story. Looking forward to it!
Sophie is sure that marrying a rake will lead to heartbreak so she refuses Patrick even though they're caught in a compromising position.
Patrick is sure that the reason Sophie rejected him is his lack of a title.
They're both wrong but it'll take them quite some time to actually figure that out.
Lots of wrong turns make them drift apart until a traumatic and unexpected event helps them get closer and finally talk and sort their issues out.
Apart from Sophie and Patrick, Braddon finds love as well and drags Sophie in one of his crazy schemes in order to get the girl.
Patrick may have needed more time to get there, but towards the end he becomes a great husband and father, a very likable character.
Last in the series comes unlucky Quill's story. Looking forward to it!
April 9, 2009
My second Eloisa James novel. I loved Sophie and I will always have a soft spot for the Foakes Twins! A go to re-read book. Plus, we get Quil! Not as great as the first one, but I'm not complaining.
July 3, 2018
A note on the series: I read this book significantly after reading the first one, and that felt like a mistake. The book starts off assuming you know about the tension between Patrick and Sophie; they've already been caught kissing at a party, he's already proposed, and she's rejected him and hastily gotten engaged to another man. That amount of plot usually takes up at least a third of a typical romance novel. From there, the book quickly establishes that Sophie is gorgeous, flirtatious, often provocatively dressed, and that she rejected Patrick (which, again, I didn't remember from the first book) due to her emotional baggage: her father's chronic infidelity and her mother's resultant bitterness. She's been sobbing for a month since, remembering "the twisting excitement" when she realized Patrick was "stalking" her (?), and their intense attraction. But now she's getting engaged to this guy Braddon, figuring he's too dull to be unfaithful, not knowing that he's in love with his French mistress.
What remains in this book can be a crazy mess. It's so impossibly busy and filled with needless coincidences and silly drama that it becomes overwhelming by the end. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the plotlines in this book: Sophie makes then breaks her engagement to Braddon; Sophie gets trapped in (another) compromising position with Patrick, forcing their marriage; Patrick thinks Sophie loves Braddon, not him; Sophie distrusts Patrick because of his sexual-tiger reputation, which reminds her of her dad, and thinks he's cheating on her (turns out there's a mistaken identity issue with his twin brother Alex); Patrick acts as an ambassador to Turkey but some evil dudes try to put a bomb in the diplomatic gifts (Sophie foils this by knowing many languages, which skill is absolutely never mentioned until 1/3 into the book); Sophie sneaks out to train Braddon's mistress to be a lady so he can pass her off as French royalty and marry her (she turns out to actually be French royalty, in a goofy "Anastasia" twist); Patrick doesn't want to have children because his mom died in childbirth; Sophie gets pregnant and she and Patrick fight over it; Sophie has a stillborn baby and grieves horribly; Sophie's dad stops cheating on her mom and they fall back in love and get pregnant themselves. That's quite a lot for one little book.
There are several very easily-resolved misunderstandings, but the dumbest has to be about Sophie's facility with languages. Patrick finds her reading a language book, praises her, and then doesn't hang out with her for like ten minutes. In "despair," Sophie throws her Turkish grammar book into the ocean (literally) because "her mother was correct about male dislike of bluestockings." Patrick goes out of his way to make it clear that he's impressed by her smarts ("'It's splendid to have such a knowledgeable wife,' he said dreamily."), but she lies and hides things for no apparent reason. Meanwhile he thinks her bizarre behavior is because she's "at that point of the month." Each refuses to say "I love you," thereby causing the other person deep distress. For most of the book, James smoothes over these problems this way: "The craving that had tormented Patrick was assuaged only by hours of wanton play and languorous touches. The despair that had plagued Sophie was soothed by a husband who gorged himself again and again on her body." (My marginalia: "So they just bang all day and everything's fine? What dopes") At the very end of the book, Patrick says: "We're a pair of idiots, Sophie. Why didn't we talk?" Which is basically what I was wondering the whole time.
For the most part, the book is high-energy frivolous fun. But the subplot about Sophie's pregnancy is emphatically not. Its high angst doesn't really fit with the tone of the rest of the book, in part because all the other mysteries and conflicts are so superficial or resolved so happily. Still, it's written so convincingly that I was definitely up at 4am crying over it (though in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm pregnant myself, so calibrate accordingly). First, Sophie reasonably feels upset about her pregnancy because Patrick doesn't appear to want anything to do with it. (He's so stressed out by the possibility of her death in childbirth that he can barely speak to her, but of course this is poorly communicated.) In one scene, she looks at herself in the mirror and feels fat, ugly, and unwanted. Cried during that part. Then Sophie unexpectedly loses the baby at 7 months, which is excruciating to read. She questions what she "did wrong" to "make her baby die"; "She couldn't look at her body now without hating it for its failures, for its inability to provide a good home for her daughter." And Patrick, upon seeing the tiny form of his baby daughter (who Sophie still had to give birth to after she was already dead), tells the baby he loves her and decides they should have more children after all. I'll probably be dehydrated for the rest of my life from all the crying I did over that part of the book.
Some of the language is odd; for example, the word "rackety" is overused (though once might've been too much for me), and she switches between "Damn" and "Damme" rather than just being consistent. This book is a very early effort for James and she doesn't seem to have hit her stride yet. She's still one of my favorites, though, and I'll definitely read the last book in this series.
What remains in this book can be a crazy mess. It's so impossibly busy and filled with needless coincidences and silly drama that it becomes overwhelming by the end. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the plotlines in this book: Sophie makes then breaks her engagement to Braddon; Sophie gets trapped in (another) compromising position with Patrick, forcing their marriage; Patrick thinks Sophie loves Braddon, not him; Sophie distrusts Patrick because of his sexual-tiger reputation, which reminds her of her dad, and thinks he's cheating on her (turns out there's a mistaken identity issue with his twin brother Alex); Patrick acts as an ambassador to Turkey but some evil dudes try to put a bomb in the diplomatic gifts (Sophie foils this by knowing many languages, which skill is absolutely never mentioned until 1/3 into the book); Sophie sneaks out to train Braddon's mistress to be a lady so he can pass her off as French royalty and marry her (she turns out to actually be French royalty, in a goofy "Anastasia" twist); Patrick doesn't want to have children because his mom died in childbirth; Sophie gets pregnant and she and Patrick fight over it; Sophie has a stillborn baby and grieves horribly; Sophie's dad stops cheating on her mom and they fall back in love and get pregnant themselves. That's quite a lot for one little book.
There are several very easily-resolved misunderstandings, but the dumbest has to be about Sophie's facility with languages. Patrick finds her reading a language book, praises her, and then doesn't hang out with her for like ten minutes. In "despair," Sophie throws her Turkish grammar book into the ocean (literally) because "her mother was correct about male dislike of bluestockings." Patrick goes out of his way to make it clear that he's impressed by her smarts ("'It's splendid to have such a knowledgeable wife,' he said dreamily."), but she lies and hides things for no apparent reason. Meanwhile he thinks her bizarre behavior is because she's "at that point of the month." Each refuses to say "I love you," thereby causing the other person deep distress. For most of the book, James smoothes over these problems this way: "The craving that had tormented Patrick was assuaged only by hours of wanton play and languorous touches. The despair that had plagued Sophie was soothed by a husband who gorged himself again and again on her body." (My marginalia: "So they just bang all day and everything's fine? What dopes") At the very end of the book, Patrick says: "We're a pair of idiots, Sophie. Why didn't we talk?" Which is basically what I was wondering the whole time.
For the most part, the book is high-energy frivolous fun. But the subplot about Sophie's pregnancy is emphatically not. Its high angst doesn't really fit with the tone of the rest of the book, in part because all the other mysteries and conflicts are so superficial or resolved so happily. Still, it's written so convincingly that I was definitely up at 4am crying over it (though in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm pregnant myself, so calibrate accordingly). First, Sophie reasonably feels upset about her pregnancy because Patrick doesn't appear to want anything to do with it. (He's so stressed out by the possibility of her death in childbirth that he can barely speak to her, but of course this is poorly communicated.) In one scene, she looks at herself in the mirror and feels fat, ugly, and unwanted. Cried during that part. Then Sophie unexpectedly loses the baby at 7 months, which is excruciating to read. She questions what she "did wrong" to "make her baby die"; "She couldn't look at her body now without hating it for its failures, for its inability to provide a good home for her daughter." And Patrick, upon seeing the tiny form of his baby daughter (who Sophie still had to give birth to after she was already dead), tells the baby he loves her and decides they should have more children after all. I'll probably be dehydrated for the rest of my life from all the crying I did over that part of the book.
Some of the language is odd; for example, the word "rackety" is overused (though once might've been too much for me), and she switches between "Damn" and "Damme" rather than just being consistent. This book is a very early effort for James and she doesn't seem to have hit her stride yet. She's still one of my favorites, though, and I'll definitely read the last book in this series.
April 9, 2021
Not sure what to say about this one. I enjoyed it, but it didn't quite flow smoothly. If you like stories with big misunderstandings then this is your book. There were plots and intrigues leading to misunderstandings everywhere. As a matter of fact, the whole romance was formed somewhat on a misunderstanding. The heroine was lovable, but a bit TSTL. The hero was really stuck in his misguided beliefs. It took a while for all the situations to unravel. There was humor and sadness. The whole book was a little confusing.
September 6, 2018
DNF’d 25%
December 19, 2014
I read Potent Pleasures a year ago and was struck by how emotional and passionate the story was. I thoroughly disliked the hero though, but his brother seemed nice enough so I gave his book a try too. However, although the hero WAS better than Alex, his twin, the book wasn't as powerful as the first.
Patrick and Sophia have been caught in a compromising position, but even though he proposed to her, she refused him. Sophia wants a practical marriage, based on friendship rather than the passion she feels for Patrick, since she has seen how passion and jealousy have destroyed her parents. So, she accepts Braddon Chatwin's proposal, who's more like a brother to her. Patrick is stung by the rejection, thinking that Sophia rejected him because he's titless. As things turn out though, Patrick does find himself married to Sophia and he's quite pleased with that, as he couldn't get her out of his mind. Their marriage seems to be a passionate one, but the first cracks appear when the honeymoon is over and they're back to London. Patrick is very jealous of her continuing friendship with Braddon and starts to believe she regrets their hasty marriage so he stays away from her. Sophia, thinks that Patrick is following the steps of her father, continuing the life of a rake now that the honeymoon is over. They're both miserable but everytime they make an effort to sort things out, something happens and they go back to where they started.
I'm one of those readers who enjoy a couple of misunderstandings that keep a couple apart, thus adding angst and passion in the relationship. In this case however, the plot is nothing but misunderstandings that seem ridiculous after a while. I just wanted to grab them by their necks and shake some sense in them. The ending was emotional and sweet however and it's the reason I rated it with 3, rather than 2 stars.
Patrick and Sophia have been caught in a compromising position, but even though he proposed to her, she refused him. Sophia wants a practical marriage, based on friendship rather than the passion she feels for Patrick, since she has seen how passion and jealousy have destroyed her parents. So, she accepts Braddon Chatwin's proposal, who's more like a brother to her. Patrick is stung by the rejection, thinking that Sophia rejected him because he's titless. As things turn out though, Patrick does find himself married to Sophia and he's quite pleased with that, as he couldn't get her out of his mind. Their marriage seems to be a passionate one, but the first cracks appear when the honeymoon is over and they're back to London. Patrick is very jealous of her continuing friendship with Braddon and starts to believe she regrets their hasty marriage so he stays away from her. Sophia, thinks that Patrick is following the steps of her father, continuing the life of a rake now that the honeymoon is over. They're both miserable but everytime they make an effort to sort things out, something happens and they go back to where they started.
I'm one of those readers who enjoy a couple of misunderstandings that keep a couple apart, thus adding angst and passion in the relationship. In this case however, the plot is nothing but misunderstandings that seem ridiculous after a while. I just wanted to grab them by their necks and shake some sense in them. The ending was emotional and sweet however and it's the reason I rated it with 3, rather than 2 stars.
February 21, 2015
I liked this one-- not as much as the first one in the series but it was enjoyable. I have a love/hate thing for this narrator. She is GREAT with the characters emotions and dialogue. She can switch back and forth seamlessly from a yelling chick to a subdued Dude and then back to narrator voice. I am so annoyed with complaints that narrators shouldn't act out the books but just read them. I think if they got their wish, they'd admit that they are wrong with those statements. What I hate about this narrator (and I consider "hate" a very strong word), is the affectation she has in drawing out long "e" sounds at the end of sentences. For instance, "He told her, lovingleeeeeeeeee", "She held him tightleeeeeeee", "...and he said so, suprisingleeeeeeee", "he gave her all the moneyeeeeeee". See what I mean? This was almost every other sentence and very distracting. I couldn't help but take myself out of the story and wonder if the narrator has any friends if she talks this way in real life. I almost hate to mention this because her narration was so good otherwise-- above and beyond good-- but it's almost as bad as listening to a teenager say, "like" a gazillion times in conversation which is just unbearable to me. With that being said, I never got used to that affectation and I was constantly forcing myself to look past it, but I did so because otherwise, she was phenomenal!
January 1, 2015
While this was certainly not the worst novel that I have read, I did find that it was a tad listless and aimless, far too much to really offer anything of substance to even review.
The relationship between Sophie and Patrick was incredibly repetative and as the main plot in the novel it needed an extra something to keep it interesting. There was an infernal instance on the hero and his heroine not communicating, however I found that this long passed the line of being an obstacle in their great romance and instead became a frustrating and repetative annoyance. They were both incredibly angry but they never just blurted out any of their issues or feelings? How many times did Sophie mention the black-haired mistress and Patrick just never responded at all, not even a "What are you jolly well talking about love?!!"
Overall I did read the whole novel, but at times I was more than tempted to stop.
The relationship between Sophie and Patrick was incredibly repetative and as the main plot in the novel it needed an extra something to keep it interesting. There was an infernal instance on the hero and his heroine not communicating, however I found that this long passed the line of being an obstacle in their great romance and instead became a frustrating and repetative annoyance. They were both incredibly angry but they never just blurted out any of their issues or feelings? How many times did Sophie mention the black-haired mistress and Patrick just never responded at all, not even a "What are you jolly well talking about love?!!"
Overall I did read the whole novel, but at times I was more than tempted to stop.
February 14, 2015
Deceptively Intercepted
Author missed a better title. Mine needs tweaking. One trip up a ladder to take Sophie's virginity doesn't constitute midnight pleasures it was only once.
However, this book was filled with half wit behaviour. You have to read it to understand the why communication is of the utmost importance in relationships never take anything at face value and always do your homework. I can't reiterate how effective checking one's facts are to keeping a person from jumping to conclusions.
Bladdon and Patrick were ripe for hilarity. I don't know the author personally but I am guessing she has a sense of humor and could have gone on an on with Bladdon schemes. I am thankful she reigned in.
Sophie and Patrick reduced me to tears. Thank you Lady Eloisa for healing them and keeping their love alive. Ella should have been named "Eloisa" I wonder how many would have caught that? Alexander? Wow that blew me away. Sophie having a brother at her age. Again, "James Alexander George."
Just saying. Nice long read with a smart heroine with weak communication skills. I disliked that part.
Author missed a better title. Mine needs tweaking. One trip up a ladder to take Sophie's virginity doesn't constitute midnight pleasures it was only once.
However, this book was filled with half wit behaviour. You have to read it to understand the why communication is of the utmost importance in relationships never take anything at face value and always do your homework. I can't reiterate how effective checking one's facts are to keeping a person from jumping to conclusions.
Bladdon and Patrick were ripe for hilarity. I don't know the author personally but I am guessing she has a sense of humor and could have gone on an on with Bladdon schemes. I am thankful she reigned in.
Sophie and Patrick reduced me to tears. Thank you Lady Eloisa for healing them and keeping their love alive. Ella should have been named "Eloisa" I wonder how many would have caught that? Alexander? Wow that blew me away. Sophie having a brother at her age. Again, "James Alexander George."
Just saying. Nice long read with a smart heroine with weak communication skills. I disliked that part.
September 17, 2012
Read the first fifty or so pages and saw the same theme that annoyed me in book one approaching (husband thinks wife is in love with another man, jealously, bitterness and anger ensures) and couldn't do it again. Skimmed the end. Ending was cute and so was the beginning, just couldn't read the middle.
May 11, 2012
Sophie likes Patrick and doesn't want to and becomes engaged to his friend, etc. etc. Bad. These characters acted under no system of human reasoning currently known to me, so I can only categorize this as some kind of speculative fiction, and it was not good.
August 12, 2021
This was a difficult book to review.
I finished the book alright, however, ended with a mixed feeling.
I wanted to love this book, the plot was interesting.
However, there was not much bite after reading 1/3 of the book.
There was no angst. Nothing to pull the reader to continue reading.
I finished the book alright, however, ended with a mixed feeling.
I wanted to love this book, the plot was interesting.
However, there was not much bite after reading 1/3 of the book.
There was no angst. Nothing to pull the reader to continue reading.
March 14, 2022
This is perhaps one of my favorite books by Eloisa James. It still contains erotic scenes, which is her style of writing. However this book truly pulls at my heart stings!
I love the strong, caring Sophie, and the swoon worthy Patrick. While they certainly had moments of stupidity, and I wished so much that they could just see what they were doing wrong, I completely understood their thoughts and feelings though, especially after the traumas they faced and went through in their childhood.
Then the loss they go through together, that ultimately brings them together truly broke my heart, and I literally bawled at the heartbreak and complete suffering they both went through. I love that they learn that openness, and honesty is always the best course to take.
I love the strong, caring Sophie, and the swoon worthy Patrick. While they certainly had moments of stupidity, and I wished so much that they could just see what they were doing wrong, I completely understood their thoughts and feelings though, especially after the traumas they faced and went through in their childhood.
Then the loss they go through together, that ultimately brings them together truly broke my heart, and I literally bawled at the heartbreak and complete suffering they both went through. I love that they learn that openness, and honesty is always the best course to take.
May 3, 2021
Malo sam odugovlačila sa čitanjem ove knjige, ali me je napokon opet uhvatila istorijska romantika...
Dopada mi se knjiga - radnja je zanimljiva od samog početka, čini mi se da sam sve emocije ispoljila dok sam je čitala, od smeha do suza, a kraj mi je posebno drag.
"Kad otkuca ponoć" je nastavak knjige "Moć žudnje". Mogu da se čitaju i jedna bez druge s tim što su likovi isti (u prvom delu se radi o Aleksu i Šarlot, a u drugom o Šarlotinoj najboljoj drugarici Sofi i Aleksovom bratu blizancu Patriku) i prepliću se.
Dopada mi se knjiga - radnja je zanimljiva od samog početka, čini mi se da sam sve emocije ispoljila dok sam je čitala, od smeha do suza, a kraj mi je posebno drag.
"Kad otkuca ponoć" je nastavak knjige "Moć žudnje". Mogu da se čitaju i jedna bez druge s tim što su likovi isti (u prvom delu se radi o Aleksu i Šarlot, a u drugom o Šarlotinoj najboljoj drugarici Sofi i Aleksovom bratu blizancu Patriku) i prepliću se.
October 9, 2021
All the not talking, miscommunication, misunderstandings got repetitive and tiresome. Patrick was especially irritating. There are also storylines from the first book regarding Sophie that were not picked up here like what happened to Charlotte’s painting of her.
I did like the narrator and the black moment late in the book.
I did like the narrator and the black moment late in the book.
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