CANR
WORK TITLE: Viscount in Love
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.eloisajames.com/
CITY: New York
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: LRC June 2021
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born January 26, 1962, in MN; daughter of Robert and Carol Bly; married Alessandro Vettori (a professor); children: Luca, Anna.
EDUCATION:Attended the University of Virginia; Harvard University, B.A., 1984; Oxford University, M.Phil.; Yale University, Ph.D., 1995.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and educator. Fordham University, New York, NY, associate professor of English literature, director of graduate studies in the English department, head of creative writing program, professor, associate dean of Fordham College, Lincoln Center, 2018-19, head of creative writing program. Guest on television and radio networks, including Cable News Network and National Public Radio.
AWARDS:RITA finalist, Page Turner of the Week, People, 2000, both for Midnight Pleasures; RITA finalist, National Reader’s Choice Awards, Best Long Historical, 2001, Ten Best Romances of 2001, Borders.com, and Ten Best Historical Romances of 2001, Amazon.com, all for Enchanting Pleasures; Best Romances of 2002, Oakland Press, 2002, for Duchess in Love; RITA finalist, Best Historical Romance, 2009, for Duchess by Night; RITA finalist, Best Historical Romance, 2011, for A Kiss at Midnight; Career Achievement for Historical Romance, RT Book Reviews, 2014.
POLITICS: Democrat.WRITINGS
Author of e-books, Storming the Castle: An Original Short Story with Bonus Content, HarperCollins e- books (New York, NY), 2010; A Fool Again: A Novella, HarperCollins e-books (New York, NY), 2011; and Winning the Wallflower: A Novella, HarperCollins e-books (New York, NY), 2011. Contributor to anthologies, including The One That Got Away, Avon (New York, NY), 2004, and Talk of the Ton, Jove Books (New York, NY), 2005. Contributor to periodicals, including New York Times, More, and Romance Writers’ Report. Associate editor of Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England.
SIDELIGHTS
Shakespeare scholar by day, romance writer by night, pseudonymous author Eloisa James (whose real name is Mary Bly) enjoys her double life, as she told Brianna Yamashita in a Publishers Weekly interview. “I like having my two worlds separate,” James noted in her interview. With an undergraduate degree from Harvard and graduate degrees from Oxford and Yale, James is hardly what one imagines as the typical romance writer. While studying in England, James became a fan of the work of Georgette Heyer, and early in her academic career she attempted unsuccessfully to publish a romance novel. However, James went into the profession seriously in the late 1990s as the means of paying off burdensome student loans. “My talent,” she remarked to interviewer Diane Domingo on WritersBreak.com, “is not for the most dignified kind of literature.” However, James concluded: “I’ve come to realize that my talent for romance is a god-given gift, and shouldn’t be taken lightly simply because I’m not writing War and Peace.” With the success of her 1999 debut title, Potent Pleasures, she became a convert to the writing game. As she told Yamashita, the time she was writing her first novel “was a deliriously happy spring.”
Potent Pleasures was, like many of James’s books, inspired by incidents culled in her academic research. Based on the true story of the Earl of Essex, whose 1613 marriage was annulled due to impotency, Potent Pleasures updates the action to the early nineteenth century, and converts the Earl of Essex to the Earl of Sheffield and Downs, Alexander Foakes. In this case, the impotency is a lie that Alexander agrees to so that his Italian wife can gain an annulment and marry a defrocked priest. The other side of the romantic coin is taken by Charlotte Calverstill, whose virginity the Earl had taken several years earlier at a masquerade ball. Now a major painter, Charlotte is reunited with Alex, and all goes well until he discovers that she is not a virgin. He does not know the identity of the girl he deflowered at the ball, and Charlotte does not find the right time to tell him before he assigns her to the damp confines of his Scottish castle. Alex comes to his senses soon enough, and the couple spends some happy time together until jealousy raises its head when Charlotte conceives and the Earl thinks it is his brother’s child. In the end, however, everything turns out happily in this “bright and funny tale,” as a critic for Kirkus Reviews described the novel. A contributor to Publishers Weekly also had praise for the novel, noting: “The depth of characterizations, the steady progression of the plot and the tongue-in-cheek title will attract readers who may just greet James as the next Amanda Quick.” Writing on the Under the Covers website, Harriet Klausner commented that James’s first novel is an “interesting Regency romance that centers on how gossiping scandals can ruin lives.” Similarly, Kathe Robin, reviewing the novel on the RT Book Reviews website, concluded that James is a “vibrant new voice in the genre who brings a slightly different slant to an era we are familiar with.” Finally, Booklist contributor Patty Engelmann felt that the author keeps her readers “intrigued right up to the very last page.”
That several critics should mention the humor in James’s book came as no surprise to James, for the author herself is a fan of “bawdy puns,” as she told Yamashita, such as are found in Shakespeare and Renaissance drama in general. What was more surprising to James was the amount of reader response to anachronisms in the hardcover edition of the book. Such historical goofs as men wearing pajamas or dancing a quadrille before such a dance was introduced were cleaned up for the paperback edition.
James followed up this first success with further adventures in what became the loosely connected “Pleasures Trilogy.” The second book, Midnight Pleasures, follows the fortunes of Alex’s brother, Patrick, and Lady Sophie York, while Enchanting Pleasures deals with the on-again, off-again romance of plucky Gabby Jerningham, fresh from India, and Quill Dewland, oldest son of Viscount Dewland. In the former title, Lady Sophie is set to elope with the Earl of Slaslow, but having injured himself, he sends his best friend, Patrick Foakes, to fetch his bride. Patrick does indeed fetch the beautiful Lady Sophie, but for himself, and this sets off a chain of events that takes the young couple to Turkey where Patrick hopes to persuade the Sultan to aid the British side against Napoleon.
A critic for Kirkus Reviews found this title “sensual for a Regency, and genuinely fun.” A Library Journal reviewer also had praise for the title, dubbing it a “racy romp … that’s sure to seduce.” Similarly, a contributor to Publishers Weekly called it an “engaging story,” and in a People review, Jennifer Wulff lauded Midnight Pleasures as a “steamy, satisfying romp.”
Enchanting Pleasures features many of the same characters from the first two novels, but in this case the challenge to the young heiress, Gabby, is a darkly handsome man who gets terrible migraines after repeated motion, such as horseback riding and sex. In the end Gabby is able to restore Quinn’s equilibrium and ensure an heir for the Dewland estate.
“Delightful heroine, masterful hero, and an ingenious plot,” wrote a contributor to Kirkus Reviews, who further commented that the book is “intelligent, sexy fun.” For Engelmann, writing in Booklist, part of the fun was an “interesting subplot about the machinations of the East India Company in the early part of the nineteenth century.” And a reviewer in Publishers Weekly noted that, as with the other two novels in the trilogy, Enchanting Pleasures “offers dual romances, charismatic characters and a healthy dose of humor.” The same reviewer concluded that “once again, James weaves a story as rich in plot as in character.”
James features a new cast of characters for a further duet of Regency romances that became part of the “Duchess Quartet:” Duchess in Love and Fool for Love. The former title is “fresh and witty,” as well as “high-spirited,” according to a contributor to Publishers Weekly. Revisiting a staple romance plot, the novel focuses on Cam Serrard, a duke who ran away from his child bride, fleeing to Greece. Back in England a dozen years later, he plans to give his long-abandoned and now grown-up bride, Gina, an annulment so that she can marry another. However, soon the two realize they only have eyes for each other. A Publishers Weekly reviewer commended James for “avoiding easy stereotypes” and for providing “frequent laugh-out-loud moments.” Likewise, Harriet Klausner, writing for the Best Reviews website, commented that the audience “will kick back their shoes, relax, and bask in the fun of this well-written historical romance.”
With Fool for Love James pairs a “dandified urbanite and a disabled heiress,” according to a reviewer in Publishers Weekly, “which makes for some frank, funny exchanges.” The dandy in question is Simon Darby, and the lady is Henrietta Maclellan, a beauty whose limp and weakness in the hip keep her from her dream of marriage and children. When she meets Simon, however, she determines to have him, and is aided in her endeavors by Simon’s rather notorious aunt, Esme, who was also in Duchess in Love. A Publishers Weekly contributor concluded that, though Simon is “less compelling” than the male protagonists in James’s other books, “this spry story will seduce readers with its wily wit and distinctive characters.” Klausner, writing for AllReaders.com, felt that this is a “terrific romance that will hook the audience.” Klausner concluded that this “strong historical … will send the audience back to re-read the prequel.”
The next book in the “Duchess Quartet,” is A Wild Pursuit. When Lady Beatrix Lennox is caught in a compromising position with a young man at a ball, she is disowned by her father, and it becomes a scandal within the town. Undaunted, she is adopted by her equally scandalous godmother, Arabella, and flourishes under the older woman’s tutelage. When she attends a party at the home of Esme Rawlings, another local woman with scandals of her own, Beatrix encounters Stephen Fairfax-Lacy, the Earl of Spade, a man she decides she wants to marry. Wearied from a career in politics, Stephen thinks he would like a more conservative bride. A prime candidate is Countess Helene Godwin, but he soon finds her attractions dull in comparison to the vivacious Lady Beatrix. Soon, Beatrix and Stephen are caught up in their determined and uninhibited pursuit of love, and each other. “A near perfect read, A Wild Pursuit sparkles with wit and has a cast of delightful characters,” commented Suan Wilson, writing on the Best Reviews website.RT Book Reviews website reviewer Robin called the novel “as intelligent and thought-provoking as it is sexy and humorous.”
In the final “Duchess Quartet” volume, Your Wicked Ways, Helene Godwin reappears, this time as Helene Holland, Countess Godwin, the wife of opera composer Rees Holland. Though the two have been married for ten years, they have lived essentially separate lives since their disastrous wedding night. Now, Helene wants a child, and she is so intent on this goal that she will go outside of her marriage to find a father if she must. For his part, Rees bears the reputation of being a womanizer and a rogue, with numerous mistresses. His latest, according to rumor, is a talented singer. Rees is not interested in divorce and, when he realizes Helene’s determination to become a mother, proposes a compromise. He will father her child if she moves in for a month to help with his latest composition. His latest mistress, however, must also remain a resident. Little does Helene realize that Rees is interested in the other woman only for her singing talent. As the story unfolds, Rees and Helene begin to rediscover why they were attracted to each other in the first place, and begin to seriously reconsider whether their moribund relationship can be reignited. With this novel, James “solidifies her reputation as a top talent in the crowded field of humorous romances,” commented a Publishers Weekly critic. Robin, again writing for the RT Book Reviews website, concluded that James “has another hit with this smart, sexy, humorous, and poignantly romantic novel.”
James opens her “Essex Sisters” series with Much Ado about You, in which the four Essex sisters—Tess, Imogen, Annabel, and Josephine—each seek marriageable men with the assistance of their unique dowries: a famous racehorse, one owned by each. After their father’s death, the four sisters are taken in by their new guardian, Rafe Jourdain, the Duke of Holbrook. The Duke is kind and well-meaning, but he seems incapable of arranging suitable matches for the sisters. Eldest sister Tess, therefore, takes it upon herself to find husbands for herself and her younger siblings. Encouraged by the attentions of proper gentleman Garret Langham, the Earl of Mayne, Tess thinks she may have found the one for her. Though she is resigned to a stable if dull marriage to Langham, Tess finds it difficult to forget a more brash suitor, Lucius Felton, wealthy but without peerage, who fueled her passion with improper but oh-so-stimulating kisses. Booklist critic John Charles commented: “James’ gift for superb characterization and elegantly sensual, delightfully witty prose create a thoroughly romantic treat.” A Publishers Weekly critic remarked that the book “contains a romance that will induce sighs of satisfaction.”
Kiss Me, Annabel finds Annabel Essex searching for her own perfect husband. Her search for a proper and wealthy English suitor is derailed when she finds herself falling for an impoverished but strong-willed Scotsman instead. Though Annabel tries to resist her attraction to Ewen, Earl of Ardmore, she finds herself drawn to his wit, intellect, and way with words. The two are soon betrothed and on their way to Scotland to be married. Along the way, their attraction to each other intensifies as secrets are revealed, personalities intertwine, and Annabel realizes there is more to her suitor than literacy and wordplay. A Library Journal reviewer called the novel an “intelligent, beautifully written romance,” while a Publishers Weekly contributor hailed it as being “as smooth, full-bodied, and intoxicating as a fine wine.”
Tragedy strikes in the early married life of Imogen Essex in The Taming of the Duke Totally smitten and dedicated to her husband, Draven Maitland, Imogen foresees a wonderful future for them. However, two weeks after their honeymoon, Draven dies, leaving Imogen a young and bewildered widow. Still under the protection of Rafe Jourdain, Duke of Holbrook, Imogen proves her dedication by helping him through the physical and emotional difficulties of alcohol detoxification. A year after Draven’s death, when she feels ready to move on, Imogen meets Gabe Spenser, Rafe’s illegitimate half-brother. Gabe, a professor of divinity at Cambridge, is as darkly handsome as his half-brother, but is not as demanding. At a play hosted by Rafe at his estate, Imogen decides that it is time to get to know the rakish Gabe a lot better. However, she is astonished to discover that it is not Gabe she is interested in but her longtime guardian, Rafe. Romance blossoms even as the duo struggle with the implications of a relationship between guardian and ward. A reviewer on the Paperback Reader website called the novel “deftly rendered fiction, intelligent and agile, full of pathos without trumped up dramatics.” Charles, in another Booklist review, concluded that James’s “writing is graceful and witty, her plot delightfully clever, and her characterization … is nothing less than brilliant.”
James puns on another Shakespeare play, Measure for Measure, in the final volume of the “Essex Sisters” series, Pleasure for Pleasure. This installment features Josephine Essex, who is put on the marriage market. Josephine has a quick wit but is also somewhat unfashionably plump. Nicknamed the “Scottish Sausage,” she finds that her prospects for marriage do not look good. But Josephine, or Josie, is not one to accept fate. Instead, she takes matters into her own hands, taking lessons in flirtation and seduction from none other than the Earl of Mayne, who is the subject of gossip and scandal. With the right dressmaker and mind set, Josie soon discovers that she is much more appealing than she ever thought. Soon eligible bachelors are swarming, much to her surprise and that of the Earl of Mayne, who is by now deeply attracted to the young woman. “Engaging humor and steamy romance give this captivating regency a fine polish,” noted a Publishers Weekly reviewer.Library Journal contributor Kristin Ramsdell also had praise for this novel, dubbing it a “topnotch comedy of misaligned lovers from a master of the craft.” And Charles, writing again in Booklist, termed this a “splendidly satisfying conclusion to [James’s] marvelous Essex sisters quartet.”
James inaugurates her “Desperate Duchesses” series with the 2007 work, Desperate Duchesses. James sets her novel in Georgian England and features the beautiful and willful young Roberta St. Giles, who has her mind set on marrying the Duke of Villiers, a great fan of chess. She finds help in this quest in a distant cousin, Jemma, the Duchess of Beaumont, who has a plan to bring the two together via a series of chess matches. Things do not necessarily go according to plan, however, when Jemma’s handsome brother, Damon Reeves, comes onto the scene and falls in love with Roberta. A Publishers Weekly reviewer termed this a “colorful, spirited romance that will leave readers desperate for a sequel.” Similarly, Charles, writing in Booklist, felt the work is a “gracefully written, lusciously sensual, delectably witty, and exquisitely romantic historical romance.”
In An Affair before Christmas, James spins a tale of love rekindled. Four years earlier, Perdiat “Poppy” Selby and the Duke of Fletcher met and fell in love during Christmas in Paris. Now, though they are the toast of London, the spark has gone out of the marriage, and Poppy fears her husband is about to take a mistress. She leaves to visit Jemma, the Duchess of Beaumont, who has her own problems with paramours, including the Duke of Villiers. Meanwhile, Fletcher schemes to win his wife back and renew their passion. “James’s latest foray into Georgian romance suffers not a single dull moment,” noted a Publishers Weekly reviewer, who also found the work “entertaining and exciting throughout.” Booklist contributor Charles also had a high assessment of this work, praising the author’s “wicked wit,” and further noting that “the resplendent combination of [James’s] exquisitely nuanced characters and lushly sensual romance is sublime.”
Harriet, the Duchess of Berrow, is a the center of the third installment in the “Desperate Duchesses” series. Harriet has been a widow for two years and figures that is time for her to have some fun. Thus she goes with her friend Isidore, the Duchess of Cosway, to one of the racy house parties of Lord Justinian Strange, disguised as a young man named Harry. Strange takes the young “man” under his wing, teaching him the manly ways, and Harriet is amazed to find herself attracted to her host. Charles, writing again in Booklist, dubbed this a “lusciously sexy and wickedly witty tale of disguise, deception, and desire.” Likewise, a Publishers Weekly reviewer felt that “James delights with seduction, surprise and humor on every page.”
When the Duke Returns features Isidore, who appeared in Duchess by Night. Here Isidore and her husband by proxy, Simeon Jermyn, Duke of Cosway, are finally united, eleven years after their wedding. Simeon has been living and finding pleasure in the Middle East and India, and now that he is back in England, Isidore hopes that they can form a real union. But initially she is thwarted in these desires by a man who seems indifferent to her charms at best. But Isidore determines not to have her marital dreams derailed in this novel typified, as Booklist reviewer Charles noted, by “wonderfully original characters, wickedly witty writing, and lusciously sexy romance.” Mary Benn, writing on the Romance Reader website, lauded James’s “impeccable style,” and found this novel “a pleasure to recommend.”
Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont, is featured in This Duchess of Mine. Married at too early an age to Elijah, the Duke of Beaumont, Jemma has lived on her own for a number of years after discovering her womanizing husband in flagrante with a mistress. Now, years later, when Elijah has a fainting spell in Parliament, he begins to fear for his health and worries that he does not have an heir. He summons Jemma, but before they can get back together, they need to determine what mistakes they made in the beginning of their marriage so that they do not make the same ones again. A contributor on the Medieval Bookworm website termed this novel at once “beautiful and heartbreaking,” and went on to note that the author’s “intelligence and education really shows with stunning prose that stands out in the genre.” Similar praise was offered by a Joyfully Reviewed website writer who called This Duchess of Mine “a wonderfully romantic, engaging tale that was a pure joy to read.”
In A Duke of Her Own, the Duke of Villiers finally takes the spotlight. Often seen as a secondary character in other books in the series, he is now at the center of the action as he seeks someone to help raise his six illegitimate children. That someone might be Eleanor, daughter of the Duke of Montague, who has vowed never to marry any other than a duke. The problem is, Eleanor’s first choice married another woman. Now she wonders if she can actually find true love with Villiers. Helen Hancox, writing on the Curled Up with a Good Book website, noted of this work: “What particularly succeed[s] in A Duke of Her Own is the characterization, the slow way in which we learn about Eleanor and watch her understand the nature of her own feelings for the two dukes in her life.” Reviewing the novel on the Romance Reader website, Cathy Sova also was impressed with this novel, noting: “ A Duke of Her Own is one of the most enjoyable historical romances I’ve read all year. Eloisa James saves the best for last in her ‘Desperate Duchesses’ series, and even if you haven’t read the others in the series, this one comes strongly recommended.”
James added a seventh novel to her long-running “Desperate Duchesses” series in 2014. Three Weeks with Lady X follows the rakish Thorn Dautry as he attempts to remake himself into a marriageable bachelor. Thorn, the bastard progeny of a duke, is known throughout England for his licentious behavior and for his shambling, inhospitable manor. Though he is immensely rich, he is something of an embarrassment to his family and to polite society. At the novel’s beginning he resolves to become a gentleman and to find a respectable wife. He begins studying courtly behavior under the tutelage of the fantastically named and impossibly mannered Xenobia India. She promises to turn the miscreant Thorn into a presentable young man in just three weeks. Thorn quickly finds himself falling for Xenobia. He decides to use Xenobia’s training against her and make her his bride.
Reviewers were unequivocal in their praise for Three Weeks with Lady X, and many commended the author for her spirited, complex characters and her deft handling of knotted plot elements. A reviewer writing in Kirkus Reviews deemed the novel “emotionally rewarding and elegantly written, with textured characters and a captivating plot.” The reviewer added that “this is James at her best.” Similarly, Charles opined that James’s “gift for creating complex, richly layered characters pays off with spectacular dividends” in his Booklist review of Three Weeks with Lady X.
With Four Nights with the Duke, James presents two romantic partners who start off as enemies. Emilia “Mia” Carrington refused Evander “Vander” Brody’s marriage proposal fifteen years ago. Mia hates Vander’s guts, even if he is the Duke of Pindar. Yet, now she needs his title and his money to protect her and her family, and she blackmails Vander into marrying her. Vander goes along with plot, as long as he only has to spend a few nights a year pretending to be her husband. Of course, this setup will soon lead to real romance. Reviews of the novel were largely positive, and Booklist correspondent Charles called it “another brilliantly executed historical romance that splendidly showcases her flair for faultless plotting and flawless character development.” Indeed, a Kirkus Reviews critic advised that James “flexes her powerful romantic storytelling muscles, somehow getting even stronger.” The result is “historical romance at its smart, poignant best.”
A widow and businesswoman, Eugenia Snow is the female protagonist of Seven Minutes in Heaven. Through her business, she meets Theodore “Ward” Reeve and immediately falls for him, despite having had no previous interest in romance after her husband’s death. The feeling is mutual. Their passionate affair turns into a deep, lasting relationship. Writing again in Booklist, Charles commented: “[James’s] flair for crafting unforgettable, richly dimensional characters is the satisfying center of this scrumptious literary confection.” A Kirkus Reviews critic described the volume as “another bright, delightful read from a queen of historical romance.” A reviewer in Publishers Weekly called the book “a fine addition to the series.”
James turns to fairy tales for inspiration in her series “The Happily Ever Afters.” The first installment, A Kiss at Midnight, is a Regency romance that builds on the story of Cinderella and the handsome prince. Miss Katherine Dahry plays the role of the beleaguered Cinders, who manages her deceased father’s estate for her stepmother and rotten stepsister. But her chance for romance comes when her stepsister wants her to act as her stand-in at a ball, where she meets the handsome Gabriel.
“James’s deft touch allows the characters to shine through genuinely witty dialogue and an uncluttered plot,” noted a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Heather Brooks, reviewing the work on the All about Romance website also found this “a worthwhile read with interesting characterizations and witty dialogue.”
When Beauty Tamed the Beast is the second book in the series, this one based on “Beauty and the Beast.” Linnet Thrynne is the belle of London who suddenly falls out of favor when her handsome prince goes back on his betrothal. Gossip has it that she is as scandalous as her mother. Now who will marry her? The solution comes from her aunt who has heard that Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, is looking for a wife. Linnet figures that charming him should be no problem, but in the event this brilliant and cranky doctor proves to be equal to the challenge of Linnet’s obvious charms. Charles, writing in Booklist, felt that in this book “James deftly fashions a fairytale-perfect romance.” A contributor to the Joyfully Reviewed website similarly concluded: “ When Beauty Tamed the Beast is sure to enchant readers from ‘Once upon a time’ until Linnet and Piers reach their happily ever after.”
The third book in the series, The Duke Is Mine, follows the plot line of “The Princess and the Pea.” Twins fall in love with the same man in this “endearing tale,” as a Publishers Weekly reviewer termed it. Georgiana and Olivia have been raised to marry well, nothing beneath a duke. Olivia, the impulsive and more curvaceous of the two girls, is set on the shelf when her intended decides he cannot marry until he distinguishes himself in battle. Meanwhile, slim Georgiana is to meet her intended, Tarquin “Quin” Brook-Chatfield, a widowed duke. The only problem is that Quin finds himself attracted to the wrong sister. The Publishers Weekly reviewer further called this novel a “trifecta of sizzling romance, engaging characters, and an enthralling, quick-moving story.”
In the fourth installment of her well-regarded and unapologetically ribald “The Happily Ever Afters” series, James sets her imaginative eye on the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale of “The Ugly Duckling,” stripping it of its magical qualities and restaging it as one of her trademark historical romances. The novel centers on James and Theodora. The two, though not related by blood, have been reared together since infancy; Theodora is the ward of James’s father. They have developed an admirably mature platonic relationship. This state of affairs is upended when James’s father informs him that he must marry Theo in order to preserve the family’s finances and its faltering aristocratic pretensions. James, who was previously blind to Theo’s beauty, must come to see his best friend—and future lover—in a whole new light. The author throws a number of obstacles in the way of her fragile couple, however, including James’s cruel and boorish father and James’s turn toward privateering.
A Kirkus Reviews contributor called The Ugly Duchess “a unique, winning romance that explores universal themes through an uncommon plot and eccentric characters, leading to a hard-won yet satisfying happily-ever-after.” Other reviewers acknowledged the novel’s many virtues but found that its stretched-out chronology produces a somewhat peculiarly paced narrative. A reviewer writing on the Dear Author website noted: “The pacing of The Ugly Duchess feels uneven at times—the last third of the book takes place over a much shorter period time than I expected it to, given the issues that needed to be resolved.” This reviewer, who for the most part appreciated James’s work, thought the author’s ambition may have marred The Ugly Duchess.
Taking inspiration from the Brothers Grimm, James’s 2013 novel in the “The Happily Ever Afters” series, Once upon a Tower, follows the cool and relentlessly rational Duke of Kinross in his attempts to woo the passionate Edie. The Duke, who sees Edie at a ball, is smitten with her instantly and marries her hastily—too hastily to realize how different the two are. He is an exemplar of reason. She is an unrepentant romantic: a woman who values passion above all else. The two have an unremarkable wedding night, and the couple’s marriage disintegrates just as quickly as it was begun. Edie flees to a secluded tower, intent on escaping her new husband. The Duke of Kinross is not to be denied his bride, however. He resolves to woo her and rebuild their marriage.
Reviewers generally regarded Once upon a Tower as more successful than The Ugly Duchess, though a few grumbled about its bawdy content. A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked: “The dialogue between characters is witty, but there are too many explicit, repetitious bedroom scenes.” This quibble aside, most reviewers thought Once upon a Tower was a complex—yet immensely enjoyable—work of romance fiction. A reviewer writing for the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books website pointed out: “This could have been quite a dark book given the themes: misconceptions of character, failing marriages, fears of sexual inadequacy to name a few. It wasn’t. James writes light, airy romances filled with humor.”
In Wilde in Love, the first book in James’s “Wildes of Lindow Castle” series, a brainy beauty named Wilhelmina “Willa” Ffynche is initially resistant to meeting the popular author, Alaric Wilde. However, at a party, she finds that she is attracted to him. A romance between them develops. A reviewer in Publishers Weekly commented: “Expertly developed characters will draw readers in, and the cliffhanger conclusion is full of promise for future installments.” “ Wilde in Love will hit the literary sweet spot of any romance reader,” asserted Charles in Booklist.
Too Wilde to Wed stars Lord Roland Northbridge “North” Wilde, who moved to America after his fiancee, Miss Diana Belgrave, went missing. Now back in England, he discovers that Diana has become a governess to Godfrey, a toddler and possible son of North. Over time, the attraction between North and Diana rebuilds. Charles, the Booklist reviewer, suggested: “James again elevates historical romance to sublime new heights through the lithe elegance of her writing.” A Kirkus Reviews critic described the volume as “an uneven but ultimately rewarding second-chance romance.”
Parth Sterling, who was raised by the Wilde family after his parents died, is the lead male protagonist in Born to Be Wilde: The Wildes of Lindow Castle. Parth, who is half-Indian, has become a wealthy businessman with a stern demeanor. When his acquaintance, Lavinia Gray, proposes to him, he turns her down. Lavinia needs to find a husband to spare herself and her mother the shame of losing their family’s fortune because of her mother’s opium habit. Though Parth and Lavinia clash initially, they eventually fall in love. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews remarked: “A dull hero and little plot make this book best for readers with knowledge of the first two books in the series who cannot bear to miss any Wilde action.”
In Say No to the Duke, Lady Boadicea “Betsy” Wilde enters her first debutante season and is flocked with suitors. Accepting a proposal from Lord Thaddeus Greywick would be the logical choice, but Betsy cannot stop thinking of Lord Jeremy Roden, a wisecracking layabout with PTSD. As Jeremy gradually cleans up his act, a romance between him and Betsy develops. “By not integrating the romantic plot line and the journey of psychological recovery, this story falls short of its ambitions,” suggested a critic in Publishers Weekly. However, Charles, the Booklist writer, asserted that the story was “buoyed by an abundance of tart wit, lively dialogue, and smoldering sensuality.”
Shy debutant Viola Astley unexpectedly falls for the brash Devin Elstan, Duke of Wynter, in Say Yes to the Duke: The Wildes of Lindow Castle. After they marry, a collaboration between Viola and the handsome Reverend Marlowe causes Devin to become jealous. Eventually, Viola convinces him of her undying devotion. Writing again in Booklist, Charles remarked: “Once again, James expertly calibrates the perfect ratio of exuberant wit to elegant sensuality.” Kathryn Howe, reviewer in Library Journal, described the volume as “another heartfelt, sensuous entry in the Wilde family saga.”
My Last Duchess is a prequel to the “Wildes of Lindow Castle” series. It focuses on Hugo Wilde, Duke of Lindow, who falls for Lady Ophelia Astley. Ophelia resists Hugo’s advances. Hugo, a single father of eight, briefly turns his attentions to finding someone else to marry to help raise his children, but he realizes that Ophelia is his true love when he sees her again. In a review of the volume on the Nerd Daily website, Nathalie DeFelice asserted: “This was such a satisfying read, and even thought it was a little predictable, it is an adorable addition to this series.”
In Wilde Child: Wildes of Lindow Castle, actress Lady Joan Wilde concocts a plan that will allow her to play Hamlet in the celebrated Shakespeare play, but her plan forces her to get help from the uptight bachelor Thaddeus Erskine Shaw. Over time, the two opposites begin to fall for one another. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described the plot as “a story as wild as the heroine’s family name and one that will reward romance fans who want a funny book about an unusual heroine.” Charles, the Booklist reviewer, called the book “another utterly beguiling, effervescently witty, and scintillatingly sensual love story.” Writing on the BookPage website, Amanda Diehl remarked: “James’ writing shines when her characters don’t take themselves too seriously, and the Wilde clan’s infectious energy is the epitome of delightful. Overflowing with tried-and-true romance tropes like opposites attract and secret pining, Wilde Child proves that sometimes there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.”
In her memoir, Paris in Love: A Memoir, James presents an overview of a year spent in Paris. James set up a temporary home with her husband and two daughters, and she details her and her family’s adventures. The book, which grew out of Twitter and Facebook updates during James’s stay in Paris, is presented as small vignettes and snippets. This allows James to cover several topics, connecting her time in Paris to her childhood; commenting on her daughters in a new setting, and reflecting on everything from food to culture and from walks along the Seine to her mother’s death.
Deirdre Donahue noted in USA Today: “ Paris in Love isn’t about going abroad, it’s about making the most of the time we’re given in life.” Molly Born, writing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was also impressed, and she found that “social media are largely to thank for how this book was organized and why many readers, used to constantly scrolling through a daily litany of posts and ideas, will be able to appreciate it. It’s also why she can easily shift between … discrete moments. Some may call it shallow, but for readers who don’t mind an unconventional narrative, it’s a fun read. … The book’s format also lends itself to rich details that otherwise might get lost.” Offering additional applause in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Laurie Hertzel declared: “ Paris in Love is a charming, funny and poignant memoir in which not much happens. … Most of the book springs from her Facebook status updates from that year, and never were there more poetic and vivid updates.”
James sets her historical romance My American Duchess in 1803, and she portrays a young woman who has already broken two engagements. For her third engagement, Merry Pelford has agreed to become Lord Cedric Allardyce’s wife. She knows that breaking another engagement will render her an outcast, and Merry is determined to follow through on the nuptials, even if Cedric is slowly revealing himself to be a bad match. Merry’s resolve begins to falter when she meets Cedric’s brother Octavius Allardyce, the sixth Duke of Trent. Octavious falls for Merry when they first meet, and before he knows she is destined to be his future sister-in-law. The resulting love triangle becomes a complicated web of desire. Merry will be forced to choose between her heart and her reputation. My American Duchess fared well with critics, and a Publishers Weekly reviewer announced: “Though it has a well-trodden conflict, this romance is still gratifying.” Charles, writing once more in Booklist, was even more impressed, and he found that the novel “will have both fans and readers new to James’ impeccably crafted books giddy with delight.” A Kirkus Reviews writer described the book as “a gratifyingly lush, vibrant, and emotional romance.”
Lizzie & Dante is the first novel by James written under her real name, Mary Bly. It follows Lizzie Delford, an American academic, as she travels to visit Elba, Italy after receiving a her stage 3 cancer diagnosis. Along with her best friend, Grey, and his partner, Rohan Das, a famous actor. Lizzie meets single dad and chef Dante while on the beach and is instantly attracted to him. The two fall in love, though Lizzie keeps her health issues from him. She also comes to love his daughter, Etta, who is twelve and who narrates passages in the book. Meanwhile, Lizzie privately discusses discontinuing her cancer treatment with Grey in conversations that become tense. In an interview with Deborah Kalb that appeared on the Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb website, Bly acknowledged the connections between the plot in the book and her own experiences, highlighting the fact that she and her family have regularly vacationed on Elba. She told Kalb: “ Lizzie & Dante has echoes of my life throughout: I’m a Shakespeare professor, married to an Italian, who walked into the same restaurant that Lizzie does.” Criticizing the choice of using a child co-narrator, a Kirkus Reviews critic described the volume as “an emotional journey that’s stunted by the way it’s told.” However, a writer in Publishers Weekly suggested: “Bly handles a delicate subject with aplomb.” “Bly writes with a prosecco-fizzy wit that is simply irresistible,” asserted Charles in Booklist.
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James launched a new romance novel series, “Would-Be Wallflowers,” with How to Be a Wallflower. Set again in Regency times, the story focuses on Cleopatra Lewis, an heiress who does not want to marry. To avoid any unwelcome suitors, she decides to buy an unflattering dress, but at the dress shop she meets the unrefined but charismatic American Jacob Astor Addison. Cleo decides to buy the shop before he can, which leads to them engaging in a contest to see who can design a more appropriate wardrobe for the other. When the two realize they have fallen in love with each other, Cleo has to deal with all the noblemen who want her attention.
Eve Stano, in Library Journal, loved this series starter, writing that the book is full of James’s “signature abundance of banter, humorous situations, and strongwilled characters” that combine for “sizzling sexual tension.” Stano predicted that fans of the “My American Duchess” series would enjoy how James integrates some of that series’s characters into this one. A writer in Kirkus Reviews compared the book to a “comforting cup of tea” that “delivers the humor, charm, and historical richness that James’ readers adore.”
After The Reluctant Countess, James released the third book in the series: Not That Duke. In this installment, Lady Stella Corsham is not only an orphan, but she wears unbecoming clothes, cannot wrangle her long red hair, and even wears glasses (gasp!). Still, she has a slew of suitors who are interested in her dowry. The Duke of Huntington, Silvester Parnell, is not initially one of those, but then he finds himself falling in love.
The reviewer in Publishers Weekly appreciated both the book’s “well-rounded flawed characters” and its “frank approach” to Stella’s sexual desires, which the reviewer called “refreshing.” The writer described the book as “fun” and stated that it “sets itself apart in the depth of its interpersonal complexities.” John Charles, in Booklist, called the book “smartly sexy and sharply witty.” He wrote that it “offers everything fans could hope for.”
James kicked off a new series, “Accidental Brides,” with Viscount in Love, a novel about a grumpy, arrogant viscount (a nobleman below an earl but above a baron) named Dominic who suddenly has to take care of twin orphans. He thinks all is well, however, given that he is betrothed, but then his fiancée elopes with someone else. The viscount quickly proposes to her sister, Torie, who agrees to marry for the sake of the twins. Will the new couple find love after marriage?
“A must-read for fans of historical romance,” wrote Jenn Laskosky in Library Journal. She praised the story for its “carefully crafted” characters and how the plot “takes shape quickly.” A reviewer in Kirkus Reviews was impressed that the heroine at the center of the story is dyslexic and cannot read. They wrote that it “provides depth to a solid Georgian romance.”
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BIOCRIT
BOOKS
James, Eloisa, Paris in Love: A Memoir, Random House (New York, NY), 2012.
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August, 1999, Patty Engelmann, review of Potent Pleasures, p. 2037; May 1, 2001, Patty Engelmann, review of Enchanting Pleasures, p. 1670; December 1, 2004, John Charles, review of Much Ado about You, p. 640; September 15, 2005, Donna Seaman, review of Much Ado about You, p. 44; May 15, 2006, John Charles, review of The Taming of the Duke, p. 34; December 1, 2006, John Charles, review of Pleasure for Pleasure, p. 31; May 15, 2007, John Charles, review of Desperate Duchesses, p. 26; December 1, 2007, John Charles, review of An Affair before Christmas, p. 28; July 1, 2008, John Charles, review of Duchess by Night, p. 45; December 1, 2008, John Charles, review of When the Duke Returns, p. 35; January 1, 2011, John Charles, review of When Beauty Tamed the Beast, p. 59; August 1, 2012, John Charles, review of The Ugly Duchess, p. 40; May 1, 2013, John Charles, review of Once upon a Tower, p. 71; March 1, 2014, John Charles, review of Three Weeks with Lady X, p. 26; March 1, 2015, John Charles, review of Four Nights with the Duke; December 1, 2015, John Charles, review of My American Duchess; December 1, 2016, John Charles, review of Seven Minutes in Heaven, p. 37; September 15, 2017, John Charles, review of Wilde in Love, p. 40; April 1, 2018, John Charles, review of Too Wilde to Wed, p. 58; June 1, 2019, John Charles, review of Say No to the Duke, p. 54; May 1, 2020, John Charles, review of Say Yes to the Duke, p. 26; February 15, 2021, John Charles, review of Wilde Child, p. 35; May 1, 2021, John Charles, review of Lizzie & Dante: A Novel, p. 18; October 15, 2022, John Charles, review of The Reluctant Countess, p. 33; July 1, 2023, John Charles, review of Not That Duke, p. 30.
Journal of English and Germanic Philology, July, 2003, review of Queer Virgins and Virgin Queans on the Early Modern Stage.
Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 1999, review of Potent Pleasures, p. 1073; June 15, 2000, review of Midnight Pleasures, p. 820; April 15, 2001, review of Enchanting Pleasures, p. 523; September 15, 2012, review of The Ugly Duchess; May 1, 2013, review of Once upon a Tower; February 15, 2014, review of Three Weeks with Lady X; January 15, 2015, review of Four Nights with the Duke; November 15, 2015, review of My American Duchess; November 1, 2016, review of Seven Minutes in Heaven; May 15, 2018, review of Too Wilde to Wed; August 1, 2018, review of Born to be Wilde; June 15, 2019, review of Say No to the Duke; February 1, 2021, review of Wilde Child; May 15, 2021, review of Lizzie & Dante; March 1, 2022, review of How to Be a Wallflower; June 1, 2023, review of Not That Duke; June 15, 2024, review of Viscount in Love.
Library Journal, March 1, 2000, review of Midnight Pleasures, p. S5; April 15, 2005, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Talk of the Ton, p. 68; January 1, 2006, review of Kiss Me, Annabel, p. 50; April 15, 2006, Kristin Ramsdell, review of The Taming of the Duke, p. 63; December 1, 2006, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Pleasure for Pleasure, p. 104; March 1, 2012, Bette-Lee Fox, review of Paris in Love, p. 112; June, 2020, Kathryn Howe, review of Say Yes to the Duke, p. 67; March, 2022, Eve Stano, review of How to Be a Wallflower, p. 128; May, 2024, Jenn Laskosky, review of Viscount in Love, p. 86.
People, September 25, 2000, Jennifer Wulff, review of Midnight Pleasures, p. 51.
Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, April 22, 2012, Molly Born, review of Paris in Love.
Publishers Weekly, July 12, 1999, review of Potent Pleasures, p. 76; July 17, 2000, review of Midnight Pleasures, p. 175; May 21, 2001, review of Enchanting Pleasures, p. 81; November 4, 2002, review of Duchess in Love, pp. 68-69; November 4, 2002, Brianna Yamashita, author interview; June 2, 2003, review of Fool for Love, p. 39; February 2, 2004, review of A Wild Pursuit, p. 64; May 8, 2004, review of Your Wicked Ways, p. 56; October 25, 2004, review of The One That Got Away, p. 33; December 20, 2004, review of Much Ado about You, p. 42; April 4, 2005, review of Talk of the Ton, p. 48; October 10, 2005, review of Kiss Me, Annabel, p. 41; February 27, 2006, review of The Taming of the Duke, p. 40; October 9, 2006, review of Pleasure for Pleasure, p. 42; April 30, 2007, review of Desperate Duchesses, p. 144; October 1, 2007, review of An Affair before Christmas, p. 43; May 5, 2008, review of Duchess by Night, p. 50; June 21, 2010, review of A Kiss at Midnight, p. 37; November 29, 2010, review of The Lady Most Likely …: A Novel in Three Parts, p. 35; November 28, 2011, review of The Duke Is Mine; January 23, 2012, review of Paris in Love, p. 154; February 13, 2012, Amy Boaz, review of Paris in Love, p. 44; November 26, 2012, review of The Lady Most Likely: A Novel in Three Parts, p. 35; November 26, 2012, review of The Lady Most Willing …: A Novel in Three Parts; November 16, 2015, review of My American Duchess; November 28, 2016, review of Seven Minutes in Heaven, p. 54; September 11, 2017, review of Wilde in Love; May 13, 2019, review of Say No to the Duke, p. 33; April 19, 2021, review of Lizzie & Dante, p. 56; September 26, 2022, review of The Reluctant Countess, p. 54; May 8, 2023, review of Not That Duke, p. 51.
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), April 1, 2012, Laurie Hertzel, review of Paris in Love.
Time, May 18, 2012, Andrea Sachs, author interview.
USA Today, May 3, 2012, Deirdre Donahue, review of Paris in Love.
Xpress Reviews, December 9, 2011, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Winning the Wallflower: A Novella; October 5, 2012, Kristi Chadwick, review of Seduced by a Pirate; March 15, 2013, Kristin Ramsdell, review of With This Kiss; August 12, 2016, Bette-Lee Fox, review of A Gentleman Never Tells.
ONLINE
All about Romance, http://www.likesbooks.com/ (May 7, 2007), Jennifer Keirans, review of Enchanting Pleasures; Blythe Barnhill, review of Midnight Pleasures; (November 13, 2011), Heather Brooks, review of A Kiss at Midnight.
AllReaders.com, http:/ /www.allreaders.com/ (May 7, 2007), Harriet Klausner, review of Fool for Love.
Best Reviews, http:// thebestreviews.com/ (November 24, 2002), Harriet Klausner, review of Duchess in Love; (February 10, 2004), Harriet Klausner, review of A Wild Pursuit; (February 16, 2004), Suan Wilson, review of A Wild Pursuit; (March 9, 2004), Suan Wilson, review of Your Wicked Ways; (March 15, 2004), Harriet Klausner, review of Your Wicked Ways; (October 18, 2004), Suan Wilson, review of The One That Got Away; (November 21, 2004), Harriet Klausner, review of The One That Got Away; December 23, 2004, Harriet Klausner, review of Much Ado about You; (January 10, 2005), Suan Wilson, review of Much Ado about You; (April 29, 2005), Sharon Galligar Chance, review of Talk of the Ton; (May 3, 2005), Harriet Klausner, review of Talk of the Ton; (November 15, 2005), Harriet Klausner, review of Kiss Me, Annabel; (May 25, 2006), Harriet Klausner, review of The Taming of the Duke; (December 3, 2006), Harriet Klausner, review of Pleasure for Pleasure; (November 13, 2011), review of The One That Got Away.
BookBag, http:// www.thebookbag.co.uk/ (October 1, 2008), Sue Magee, review of An Affair before Christmas; (November 1, 2009), Magda Healey, review of When the Duke Returns;
Book Binge, http:// thebookbinge.com/ (January 7, 2011), review of The Lady Most Likely; (May 19, 2020), review of Say Yes to the Duke.
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (June 1, 2021), Deborah Kalb, author interview.
BookPage, https:// bookpage.com/ (March 30, 2021), Amanda Diehl, review of Wilde Child.
Book Smugglers, http:/ /thebooksmugglers.com/ (November 27, 2008), review of When the Duke Returns; (May 25, 2009), review of This Duchess of Mine.
Curled Up with a Good Book, http://www.curledup.com/ (December 30, 2011), Helen Hancox, review of A Duke of Her Own.
Dear Author, http:// www.dearauthor.com/ (April 3, 2006), review of The Taming of the Duke; (May 30, 2007), review of Desperate Duchesses; (November 26, 2007), review of An Affair before Christmas; (August 18, 2008), review of Duchess by Night; (July 29, 2010), review of A Kiss at Midnight; (February 16, 2011), review of When Beauty Tamed the Beast; (August 29, 2012), review of The Ugly Duchess.
Eloisa James website, https://www.eloisajames.com (July 22, 2024).
Fantastic Fiction, http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ (May 7, 2007), bibliography of Eloisa James.
Fordham University, Department of English, http:/ /www.fordham.edu/ (November 13, 2016), author profile.
Genre Go Round Reviews, http://genregoroundreviews.blogspot.com/ (October 21, 2007), Harriet Klausner, review of An Affair before Christmas.
Good, the Bad, and the Unread, http://goodbadandunread.com/ (December 22, 2010), review of Storming the Castle: An Original Short Story with Bonus Content.
Harlequin Junkie, https://harlequinjunkie.com/ (May 14, 2020), review of Say Yes to the Duke.
Joyfully Reviewed, http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/ (November 13, 2011), reviews of Storming the Castle, The Lady Most Likely …, When Beauty Tamed the Beast, and This Duchess of Mine.
Love Romance Passion, http://www.loveromancepassion.com/ (September 24, 2010), review of A Kiss at Midnight.
Medieval Bookworm, http://medievalbookworm.com/ (April 24, 2009), review of Desperate Duchesses; (May 4, 2009), review of Duchess by Night, (July 10, 2009), review of When the Duke Returns; (August 23, 2009), review of This Duchess of Mine; (September 3, 2009), review of A Duke of Her Own; (July 30, 2010), review of A Kiss at Midnight.
Minneapolis Star Tribune, https://www.startribune.com/ (April 2, 2021), Laurie Hertzel, review of Lizzie & Dante.
Monkey Bear Reviews, http://www.monkeybearreviews.com/ (June 1, 2009), review of This Duchess of Mine; (August 14, 2009), review of A Duke of Her Own.
Mrs. Giggles, http:// www.mrsgiggles.com/ (November 13, 2011), reviews of The Lady Most Likely … , When Beauty Tamed the Beast, and A Duke of Her Own.
Nerd Daily, https:// thenerddaily.com/ (November 1, 2020), Nathalie DeFelice, review of The Last Duchess.
New York Journal of Books, http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/ (December 21, 2010), Lezlie Patterson, review of Storming the Castle; (September 6, 2011), Nancy Herkness, author interview.
Night Owl Romance, http://www.nightowlromance.com/ (February 26, 2011), review of The Lady Most Likely. …
Nights of Passion, http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/ (June 11, 2011), Gerri Brousseau, author interview.
Open Letters Monthly, http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/ (August 6, 2009), Steve Donoghueon, review of This Duchess of Mine.
Paperback Reader, http://www.paperbackreader.net/ (May 7, 2007), review of The Taming of the Duke.
Romance Reader, http:/ /theromancereader.com/ (February 21, 2003), Ann McGuire, review of Enchanting Pleasures; (April 2, 2003), Cathy Sova, review of Duchess in Love; (November 13, 2011), Cathy Sova, review of A Duke of Her Own, and Desperate Duchesses; Nichole Howell, review of When Beauty Tamed the Beast; Mary Benn, reviews of When the Duke Returns and Duchess by Night.
RT Book Reviews, http: //rtbookreviews.com/ (May 7, 2007), Kathe Robin, reviews of Potent Pleasures, Fool for Love, Your Wicked Ways, The Taming of the Duke, Pleasure for Pleasure, Kiss Me, Annabel, Much Ado about You, and A Wild Pursuit; (August 18, 2014), review of Three Weeks with Lady X.
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ (July, 12, 2013), review of Once upon a Tower.
Under the Covers, http://www.underthecovers.com/ (May 7, 2007), Harriet Klausner, review of Potent Pleasures.
WritersBreak.com, http://www.writersbreak.com/ (May 7, 2007), Diane Domingo, author interview.
Yale Alumni Online, https://yalealumnimagazine.com/ (November-December, 2018), Lenore Skenazy, author interview.*
Eloisa James
A pseudonym used by Mary Bly
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.
Genres: Historical Romance
New and upcoming books
July 2024
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Viscount in Love
(Accidental Brides, book 1)April 2025
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Hardly A Gentleman
Series
Pleasures Trilogy
1. Potent Pleasures (1999)
2. Midnight Pleasures (2000)
3. Enchanting Pleasures (2001)
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Duchess in Love
1. Duchess in Love (2002)
2. Fool for Love (2003)
2.5. A Fool Again (2011)
3. A Wild Pursuit (2004)
4. Your Wicked Ways (2004)
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Essex Sisters
1. Much Ado About You (2004)
2. Kiss Me, Annabel (2005)
3. The Taming of the Duke (2006)
4. Pleasure For Pleasure (2006)
Essex Sisters Companion Guide (2016) (with Jody Gayle)
A Gentleman Never Tells (2016)
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Desperate Duchesses
1. Desperate Duchesses (2007)
2. An Affair Before Christmas (2007)
3. Duchess By Night (2008)
4. When the Duke Returns (2008)
5. This Duchess of Mine (2009)
6. A Duke of Her Own (2009)
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Fairy Tales
1. A Kiss at Midnight (2010)
1.5. Storming the Castle (2010)
2. When Beauty Tamed the Beast (2011)
2.5. Winning the Wallflower (2011)
3. The Duke is Mine (2011)
4. The Ugly Duchess (2012)
4.5. Seduced by a Pirate (2012)
4.75. With This Kiss (2013)
5. Once Upon a Tower (2013)
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Lady Most (with Connie Brockway and Julia Quinn)
1. The Lady Most Likely (2010)
2. The Lady Most Willing... (2012)
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Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers
1. Three Weeks With Lady X (2014)
2. Four Nights With the Duke (2015)
3. Seven Minutes in Heaven (2017)
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Wildes of Lindow Castle
0.5. My Last Duchess (2020)
1. Wilde in Love (2017)
2. Too Wilde to Wed (2018)
3. Born to be Wilde (2018)
4. Say No to the Duke (2019)
5. Say Yes to the Duke (2020)
6. Wilde Child (2021)
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Would-Be Wallflowers
1. How to Be a Wallflower (2022)
2. The Reluctant Countess (2022)
3. Not That Duke (2023)
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Seduction
1. Two Dances and a Duke (2023)
2. Two Vows and a Viscount (2023)
3. Two Masquerades and a Major (2023)
4. Two Lies and a Lord (2024)
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Accidental Brides
1. Viscount in Love (2024)
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Novels
My American Duchess (2016)
Hardly A Gentleman (2025)
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Collections
Midsummer Delights (2018)
The Seduction Series: Season 1 & 2 (2022)
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Novellas and Short Stories
To Wed a Rake (2012)
aka A Proper Englishwoman
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Non fiction hide
Paris in Love (2012)
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Omnibus editions hide
The One That Got Away (2004) (with others)
A Wild Pursuit / Your Wicked Ways (2004)
Talk of the Ton (2005) (with Rebecca Hagan Lee and Julia London)
As You Wish (2013)
Mistletoe Christmas (2021) (with others)
Eloisa James
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mary Bly
Born 1962 (age 61–62)
Minnesota, U.S.
Pen name Eloisa James
Occupation Professor, novelist
Period 1999–present
Genre Historical romance, specifically regency romance and Georgian romance
nonfiction
Subject English literature
Spouse Alessandro Vettori
Children 2
Relatives Robert Bly (father)
Carol Bly (mother)
Website
eloisajames.com
Eloisa James is the pen name of Mary Bly (born 1962). She is a tenured Shakespeare professor at Fordham University who also writes best-selling Regency and Georgian romance novels under her pen name. Her novels are published in 30 countries and have sold approximately 7 million copies worldwide. She also wrote a bestselling memoir about the year her family spent in France, Paris in Love.
She is the daughter of poet Robert Bly and short-story author Carol Bly.[1]
Early life and education
Mary Bly was born in Minnesota in 1962, the daughter of Robert Bly, winner of the American Book Award for poetry, and Carol Bly, a short story author. She was the inspiration for her mother's essay "The Maternity Wing, Madison, Minnesota", which was published in the anthology Imagining Home: Writing From the Midwest.[2] Her godfather, James Wright, wrote a poem for her, which he included in his Pulitzer Prize-winning Collected Poems.[3] She has three younger siblings, Bridget, Noah,[2] and Micah.[4]
The Bly family did not own a television but did own more than 5,000 books. Robert often read to his children, exposing them to classics such as Beowulf.[5] Even at a young age, however, Bly was fascinated with romance. Throughout her childhood, she wrote and produced plays, using her siblings as the cast, and charging admission to any adults in the household (poets came often, visiting her father). The plays always ended in a romance, if only because her sister insisted on being a princess. To entertain her siblings during a snowstorm, she once wrote and built a puppet show, complete with lights, that also featured a romance.[6] After discovering the romance novels of Georgette Heyer in her local library, Bly convinced her father to allow her to read one romance novel for each classic novel she read.[2]
After graduating from Harvard University, Bly went on to earn an M.Phil. from Oxford University and a Ph.D. in Renaissance studies from Yale University.[citation needed]
Career
Academia
She is a tenured professor lecturing on William Shakespeare at Fordham University in New York City. She has served as director of graduate studies in the English Department, as well as head of Fordham's Creative Writing Program and, in 2018 and 2019, associate dean of Fordham College, Lincoln Center.[7] She specializes in bawdy puns found in English boys' plays written between 1600-1608.[8] In addition to publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press, she has published an academic article on 17th-century drama in Publications of the Modern Language Association of America.[9]
Romance novelist
While attending the University of Virginia on a humanities fellowship, Bly began writing romance novels. Her second career began when her husband wished to postpone having a second child until they had paid off their student loans. To speed the process, Bly followed her parents' examples and wrote a story to send to a publisher.[2] Two publishers bid for that novel, Potent Pleasures,[10] netting Bly an advance that paid off her student loans in full.[2] As she was at the time an untenured professor about to publish her first academic work,[11] Bly made the decision to publish her fiction books under a pseudonym, Eloisa James, to keep her academic life separate from her fiction writing.[12] She has written 30 novels, 27 of which were New York Times bestsellers. Her books have since been translated into 28 languages and 30 countries[13] and have become hardcover bestsellers in the Netherlands and Spain.
Bly's first three novels, the Pleasures Trilogy, were published in hardcover by Dell, a plan with which Bly did not fully agree. Following the publication of those three novels, she bought out the remainder of her contract and moved to Avon, where her books are now published in mass market paperback format. She believed that marketing her first works as hardcovers was not a truly successful plan and hoped to have more success with the mass-market paperbacks.[14]
The inspiration for her novels comes in part from her academic career, as plays or facts discovered during her academic research often spark ideas for fictional plots.[10] Her novels, which are set in England's Regency period (1811–1820) or Georgian period (1740-1837), often have references to Shakespeare or include pieces of 16th-century poetry or other tidbits she has found while researching her academic papers.[15] As she spends much of her day teaching about or reading early British English, she feels that the language choices she makes in her novels are more authentic.[11] Although Bly has attempted to write a contemporary romance, she chose not to finish the manuscript because of difficulty writing in a contemporary voice.[16]
The characters in Bly's novels often dispense with the typical romance novel stereotypes, with characters that care about religion and a focus on historical accuracy.[17] Her heroines are usually surrounded by very good female friends or sisters. Most of her novels are part of a trilogy or set of four novels that focus on a set of interconnected characters, and explores the relationships between those characters as well as that of the hero and heroine.[18]
In 2018, Apple Books included her novel, Too Wilde to Wed, on its list of 10 Best Books of 2018.[19]
Dual careers
For several years Bly's second career remained a secret, and she disguised herself by wearing contacts instead of her normal glasses when she attended functions as Eloisa James.[5] After her first New York Times bestseller in 2005, Bly realized that her readers liked her writing regardless of its genre, and that by keeping her identity a secret she was implying that she was ashamed of her work and of her readers.[12] At a February 16, 2005, faculty meeting, Bly outed herself to her colleagues, revealing her alter ego and offering copies of her novels to her fellow professors. Once she had officially "come out", she submitted an op-ed to The New York Times defending the romance genre. She was invited to speak at the National Book Festival in 2012.[20]
Bly credits her success in dual careers to being "very, very organized".[18] Lacking the time to write every day, Bly often writes upwards of 20 pages at a time.[21] On her days at home, Bly schedules time to work on both her fiction and her academic works. When possible, she does not work when her children are at home.[18] Bly usually does not teach in the summers, giving her more time to devote to her writing (both academic and fiction).[16]
Personal life
Bly's father and stepmother, Ruth, are very supportive of her romance writing. Carol Bly also supported her daughter, contributing a "nifty crossword puzzle" to the Eloisa James website.[2]
Bly's mother died from ovarian cancer. Collaborating with her publisher, Avon, an imprint of Harper Collins, she became a spokesperson, along with six other Avon Romance authors, in a program named K.I.S.S. and TEAL to increase awareness about the early symptoms of this disease.[22]
Bly is married to Alessandro Vettori, an Italian knight (or cavaliere)[15] who is also a professor of Italian at Rutgers University,[12] whom she met on a blind date while she was at Yale.[17] They have a son and a daughter.[23] The family lives primarily in New York[24] but spends summers in Tuscany visiting Alessandro's mother and sister.[3]
Bibliography
Academic works as Mary Bly
Consuming London: Mapping Plays, Puns, and Tourists in the Early Modern City
Bly, Mary (2000). Queer virgins and virgin queans on the early modern stage. Oxford: Oxford UP. pp. viii+213. ISBN 0-19-818699-1.
Romance novels as Eloisa James
The Wildes of Lindow Castle Series
Wilde family tree: https://www.eloisajames.com/extras/the-wilde-family-tree/
Wilde in Love. Avon. October 2017. ISBN 978-0062389473.
Too Wilde to Wed. Avon. May 2018. ISBN 978-0062692467.
Born to be Wilde. Avon. July 2018. ISBN 978-0062692474.
Say No to the Duke. Avon. June 2019. ISBN 978-0062877826.
My Last Duchess. Avon. October 2020. ISBN 9780063036345
Wilde Child. Avon. March 2021. ISBN 9780062878076
The Pleasures Trilogy
Potent Pleasures. Random House Publishing Group. September 2009 [1999]. ISBN 978-0-440-24563-6.
Midnight Pleasures. Random House Publishing Group. September 2009 [2000]. ISBN 978-0-440-24564-3.
Enchanting Pleasures. Dell. 2002 [2001]. ISBN 0-440-23458-1.
The Duchess in Love Series
Duchess in Love. Avon. 2002. ISBN 978-0-06-050810-4.
Fool For Love. Avon. 2003. ISBN 978-0-06-050811-1.
A Wild Pursuit. Avon. 2004. ISBN 978-0-06-050812-8.
Your Wicked Ways. Avon. 2004. ISBN 978-0-06-056078-2.
The Essex Sisters Series
Essex family tree: https://www.eloisajames.com/extras/essex-sisters-family-tree/
Much Ado About You. Avon. 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-073206-6.
Kiss Me, Annabel. Avon. 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-073210-3.
The Taming of the Duke. Avon. 2006. ISBN 978-0-06-078158-3.
Pleasure for Pleasure. Avon. 2006. ISBN 978-0-06-078192-7.
The Desperate Duchesses Series
Desperate Duchesses. Avon. 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-078193-4.
An Affair Before Christmas. Avon. 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-124554-1.
Duchess by Night. Avon. 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-124557-2.
When the Duke Returns. Avon. 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-124560-2.
This Duchess of Mine. Avon. 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-162682-1.
A Duke of Her Own. Avon. 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-162683-8.
Three Weeks With Lady X. Avon. 2014.
Four Nights With a Duke. Avon. 2015.
Seven Minutes in Heaven. Avon. 2017.
Novellas in Anthologies in collaboration
"A Fool Again". The One That Got Away. with Victoria Alexander, Liz Carlyle and Cathy Maxwell. Harper Collins. 2004. ISBN 0-06-054026-5.
"A Proper Englishwoman". Talk of the Ton. with Rebecca Hagan Lee and Julia London. National Geographic Books. 2005. ISBN 0-425-23051-1.
Lady Most Likely. with Julia Quinn and Connie Brockway. HarperCollins. 2010. ISBN 978-0-06-124782-8.
James, Eloisa (2016). A Gentleman Never Tells. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0062573087.
To Wed a Rake.
The Fairy Tales Series
A Kiss at Midnight. Avon. 2010. ISBN 978-0-06-206052-5.
When Beauty Tamed the Beast. Avon. 2011. ISBN 978-0-06-202127-4.
The Duke is Mine. Avon. 2012. ISBN 978-0-06-202128-1.
The Ugly Duchess. Avon. 2012. ISBN 978-0-06-202173-1.
Once Upon a Tower. Avon. 2013. ISBN 978-0-06-222387-6.
Single novel
My American Duchess. 2016.
Memoir as Eloisa James
Paris in Love. Random House. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4000-6956-9.
A Little Background
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.
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Eloisa... on her double life:
I write novels as Eloisa James and Mary Bly, but when I’m not writing, I'm Professor Bly, who teaches Shakespeare at Fordham. 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.
Eloisa wrote about her double life for The Washington Post in the article: A Shakespearean romance novelist who truly plays many parts. →
Eloisa answering reader questions (left), and accepting the prestigious RITA Award for Best Novella for Seduced by a Pirate. Atlanta, July 2013
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. I've collected many such connections between my life and books on this site, with the Inside Take for each story.
I am very active on social networks, participate in The Eloisa James book club (where hundreds of readers come together online to discuss my books), give interviews several times a year, and love creating special content for readers so as to extend the reading experience for all of my books.
Eloisa... on her childhood:
I grew up on a steady diet of fairy tales, since my father was fascinated by them. When I was a child, he was just breaking into fairy tale analysis, as it were. I have a distinct memory of being challenged to give a psychological explanation of the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. I haven’t the faintest idea what I said; what I do remember is my father saying with real surprise in his voice: “That was brilliant. You’re a natural!”
I rejoiced in having caught his attention, I don’t suppose it will surprise anyone to find that I’m now a professor of English literature, with a penchant for rewriting fairy stories. It's as if I were Gilbert and Sullivan -- born into the family of Bach! My father is Robert Bly, winner of the American Book Award for poetry. When I was in graduate school, he wrote a long analysis of a fairy tale of my childhood, called Iron John. While I am not interested in the kind of cultural analysis my father did in Iron John, I inherited his fascination with the complexity of literary texts. He has always been deeply loving father—but at times he was so caught in a web of words that he didn’t notice the children milling about him. Desperate Duchesses is dedicated to my father, and features the tale of a young woman growing up with an eccentric, dramatic poet for a father!
FAQ: https://eloisajames.com/faq/
James, Eloisa. How To Be a Wallflower. Morrow. (Would-Be Wallflowers, Bk. 1). Apr. 2022.400p. ISBN 9780063139534. pap.
$9.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
To please her estranged grandfather, Cleopatra Lewis agrees to escort him during the London Season, but to avoid a marriage proposal, she is resolved to become a wallflower. While at a local shop for theater costumes, Cleo is offended by an overbearing American and impulsively decides to purchase the business, Quimby's Emporium, out from under him. The wealthy American, Jake Astor Addison, tries to get Quimby's back with a wager: each of them must design and order clothes for the other to wear during the Season. Jake dresses Cleo in gorgeous couture everyone will envy, making her stand out. Meanwhile, Cleo plans to turn Jake into the dandy of the Season, with outrageous frills and colors. Undeterred, the arrogant Jake moves into Cleo's hotel and inserts himself into Cleo's daily life, and it isn't long before he makes up his mind to steal not only Cleo's new business but her heart as well. VERDICT James's ("Desperate Duchesses" series) newest series won't disappoint, with her signature abundance of banter, humorous situations, and strongwilled characters determined to have their way, creating sizzling sexual tension. The author's fans will also enjoy seeing characters from My American Duchess in this series starter.--Eve Stano
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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"How To Be a Wallflower." Library Journal, vol. 147, no. 3, Mar. 2022, p. 128. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A696081804/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8caf872b. Accessed 13 July 2024.
James, Eloisa HOW TO BE A WALLFLOWER Avon/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $9.99 3, 29 ISBN: 978-0-06-313953-4
An heiress who wants to be a wallflower becomes a rival and then love interest of an American businessman.
Miss Cleopatra Lewis grieves for her late mother but does not aspire to be like her. Julia adored theater and would fall in love, and subsequently sleep, with many leading actors. Cleo, on the other hand, is more business-minded and set on maintaining her freedom and power through her ownership of Lewis Commodes, the business she inherited from her father. Cleo has the opportunity to meet her maternal grandfather, a viscount, for the first time, and he wishes to launch her into London society. She heads to Quimby's, a costume emporium, for new clothing and ends up becoming a new investor in the establishment, much to the chagrin of American Jake Astor Addison, who'd intended to purchase the place and relocate it to his country when he returned to marry a biddable, calm woman. After some back and forth, Cleo and Jake agree on a wager of sorts that involves each crafting the wardrobe for the other. Jake quickly realizes he is hopelessly smitten, and his goal shifts from wanting ownership of Quimby's to desiring Cleo as his wife. Lovely descriptions create an evocative setting in this new series opener, although sometimes it's at the expense of propelling the plot. It takes a while to find its groove, but this low-angst, fashion-filled story with amiable leads still delivers the humor, charm, and historical richness that James' readers adore.
Like a comforting cup of tea.
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"James, Eloisa: HOW TO BE A WALLFLOWER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A695027157/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2f446771. Accessed 13 July 2024.
The Reluctant Countess
Eloisa James. Avon, $9.99 mass market (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-313957-2
Scandalous family secrets aren't enough to animate the flimsy second Would-be Wallflowers Regency romance from bestseller James (after How to Be a Wallflower). French Lady Yasmin Regnier, 25, is often the subject of gossip: her mother was Napoleon's mistress and, at 16, she herself was duped into a fake marriage to a fortune hunter. Society cannot completely shun her, however, as her grandfather was a duke. Giles Renwick, British Earl of Lilford, is similarly whispered about, as his mother's promiscuity throws the paternity of Giles and his sister, Lydia, into question. Still, like his peers, Giles keeps Yasmin at a distance--but tor him, it's more out of fear of his intense attraction to her than disdain for her checkered past. No longer able to resist, he proposes marriage, taking Yasmin, who's long believed him to hate her, quite by surprise. As Giles sets out to prove his love, impetuous Lydia works to sabotage the couple. Lydia's strenuous objections to the match feel entirely hypocrirical--her own actions are just as likely to bring scandal as an associarion with Yasmin would--and her mean-spirited antics distract from the romance. The couple has chemistry to spare, making the weak obstacles to their happiness all the more frustrating. The resulting romance misses the mark. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (Nov.)
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"The Reluctant Countess." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 40, 26 Sept. 2022, p. 54. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A721347725/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d5c88137. Accessed 13 July 2024.
The Reluctant Countess. By Eloisa James. Nov. 2022.384p. Avon, paper, $9.99 (9780063139572); e-book, $6.99 (9780063139589).
Yasmin Regnier knows a thing or two about what gossip can do to a lady's reputation. Which is why she tries to offer her hard-earned knowledge to Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford, whose younger sister, Lydia, is in danger of ruining her reputation. The last person on earth Giles would ever accept advice from is Yasmin, a woman who encourages her scandalous reputation with her outre sense of fashion and flirtatious ways. Yet each time Giles actually interacts with Yasmin, he discovers beneath her public facade a genuine woman with whom he might actually enjoy spending time. Yasmin is equally surprised to discover that the all-too-proper Giles could be the one man who can get her to believe in love again. With its enchanting, relatably vulnerable heroine and seemingly starchy yet actually irresistibly sexy hero, not to mention graceful writing kissed with a stellar sense of wit, best-selling James' (How to Be a Wallflower, 2022) latest splendidly sensual addition to her Would-Be-Wallflowers series is pure reading bliss.--John Charles
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Charles, John. "The Reluctant Countess." Booklist, vol. 119, no. 4, 15 Oct. 2022, p. 33. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A732242616/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a70ed240. Accessed 13 July 2024.
Not That Duke
Eloisa James. Avon, $9.99 mass market (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-313962-6
Bestseller James's fun third Would-Be Wallflowers historical romance (after The Reluctant Countess) sets itself apart in the depth of its interpersonal complexities. Orphaned Lady Stella Corsham is decidedly not one of the incomparable beauties of her debut London season. An eccentric intellectual sporting spectacles, ill-suited clothes, and an unruly mop of red hair, she finds herself largely unaccompanied and wholly unimpressed by her prospects. Still, she longs for the love and admiration her fellow debutantes--especially the mysterious belle of every ball, Yasmin--attract. Silvester Parnell, Duke of Huntington, is the season's biggest catch, and his indomitable mother is convinced that Stella is the only match for him, admiring her intelligence and backbone--but Silvester has his sights set on Yasmin. As his mother pushes Silvester and Stella together, the pair come to enjoy matching wits over rousing chess games, yet Silvester still doesn't see Stella as a romanric partner--or so he tells himself. When he thinks he has competition for Stella's affections, however, his own feelings become harder to deny. Though Stella's self-pity grates through the first act, her steadily growing self-confidence is gratifying and her frank approach to her own sexual desires is refreshing. Lovers of historical romance will delight in these well-rounded, flawed characters learning to live their best lives. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (July)
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"Not That Duke." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 19, 8 May 2023, p. 51. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A750326324/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=223ca112. Accessed 13 July 2024.
Not That Duke. By Eloisa James. July 2023. 416p. Avon, paper, $9.99 (9780063139626); e-book (9780063139633).
Stella Corsham doesn't care what her societal peers say about wearing spectacles in public. She would rather see things clearly than be considered fashionable. One thing Stella thought she had plainly discerned was a friendship between herself and Silvester Parnell, duke of Huntington. Then one of Stella's frenemies informs her that Silvester was overheard mocking Stella's bespectacled and befreckled appearance. So, of course, when Silvester suddenly begins courting her, Stella is more than a tad suspicious. After all, how can Stella now believe that a man like Silvester might actually be making passes at a girl in glasses like her? The third smartly sexy and sharply witty addition to James' Would Be Wallflowers series, following The Reluctant Countess (2022), offers everything fans could hope for and expect from this romance genre luminary, including a smartly conceived plot that insightfully and empathetically explores the importance of finding one's place in the world, clever referencing of a sixteenth-century erotic poem, a look at the role gold plays in fiscal policies, and proof of why kittens always make life better. --John Charles
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Charles, John. "Not That Duke." Booklist, vol. 119, no. 21, 1 July 2023, p. 30. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A760091481/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1ae8b6ed. Accessed 13 July 2024.
James, Eloisa NOT THAT DUKE Avon/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $9.99 7, 25 ISBN: 978-0-06-313962-6
An affable, eligible duke thought he knew whom he wanted to marry until he finds himself unexpectedly falling for a bespectacled and bookish lady instead.
The dowager duchess may think Lady Stella Corsham would make a good match for her son, Silvester Parnell, Duke of Huntington, but he's not interested in marrying an opinionated, eccentric woman like his mother. For her part, Stella can't help her attraction to Silvester, but she knows he'd never consider her for a spouse--he's more interested in slender, charming women like Lady Yasmin Régnier. Stella wants someone who would appreciate her intellect, like Giles Renwick, the Earl of Lilford. Still, Stella and Silvester become friends, and Silvester starts to appreciate Stella's appeal. When Yasmin and Giles marry each other, Silvester realizes he wants to marry Stella, but she doesn't want to feel like the second choice. A note at the beginning of the book explains that Part I overlaps with the time frame of The Reluctant Countess (2022), which focused on Yasmin and Giles. It stands on its own, although it might be more appreciated by those already familiar with the characters. Interpersonal relationships are the core of this low-stakes story; drama derives from miscommunications and incorrect assumptions as the characters socialize and attend balls and parties. The characters, particularly Stella and her kitten, are the highlight, but they're let down by a narrative that feels disjointed. Pacing can be sluggish, as some scenes feel overly drawn out or superfluous.
A delightful heroine in a tedious story.
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"James, Eloisa: NOT THAT DUKE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A751050080/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1a2465e9. Accessed 13 July 2024.
*James, Eloisa. Viscount in Love. Avon. (Accidental Brides, Bk. 1). Jul. 2024. 384p. ISBN 9780063347410. pap. $9.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Suddenly a guardian to his twin niece and nephew, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne finds himself in need of a wife, more specifically a nanny. When his fiancee runs off with another man, he has no option but to quickly propose to her sister Torie. Unable to read and mocked by society, Torie has developed a talent for art. She dreams of marrying for love but agrees to marry Dominic for the sake of the twins. While their relationship has passion, they aren't in love, but maybe time, circumstances, and a growing closeness will change that. The first in James's (Not That Duke) new "Accidental Bride" series takes readers on a journey to find love, with a plot that takes shape quickly, even as the dynamic cast of characters are more slowly developed and carefully crafted. The classic miscommunication trope is used effectively to create tension between the protagonists and move the story along, while a surprise revelation comes to light at the end of the novel, which serves to make sense of earlier events. VERDICT James's latest book is a must-read for fans of historical romance.--Jenn Laskosky
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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"Viscount in Love." Library Journal, vol. 149, no. 5, May 2024, p. 86. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A793818862/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=84ddcf0d. Accessed 13 July 2024.
James, Eloisa VISCOUNT IN LOVE Avon/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $9.99 7, 23 ISBN: 9780063347410
An icy viscount melts after he faces a sunny artist.
In just a few months, Dominic, Viscount Kelbourne, has found his regimented world turned on its head. First he's thrust into the role of guardian to his orphaned and charmingly odd niece and nephew and then jilted by a woman he thought would make his perfect viscountess. The solution to both problems would appear to be one Miss Victoria "Torie" Sutton, his neighbor and, unfortunately, the sister of his ex-fiancee. However, as much as Torie has come to adore the viscount's family, not to mention his "burly physique," she's reluctant to be served as her "sister's leftovers" to a man who's her total opposite. Because she's unable to read or do arithmetic, her family has always spoken down to her, and society has loved gossiping about her shortcomings--though they've overlooked her eidetic memory and extraordinary painting ability--so she fears he too won't respect her. Nevertheless, after some steamy conversations in which both admit their attraction, she agrees to the marriage, but that's just the start of a rollercoaster of attraction and frustration for both husband and wife. Although Dom finally comes to realize that Torie isn't his perfect viscountess--she's better--and that what he thought was just lust is actually love--he may have been a bit too imperious for their marriage to be repaired. This first volume in a new series is a return to form for James; though it has uneven moments, the emotions at the heart of the story are compelling enough to help readers get past them. In particular, Torie's dyslexia (not identified as such in the story, but mentioned in an author's note) and her vulnerability to unkind words after a lifetime of thoughtless remarks are sensitively drawn. Dominic is an arrogant nobleman for the ages, and readers who like to see such a hero humbled will enjoy it repeatedly here.
An unusual, dyslexic heroine provides depth to a solid Georgian romance.
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"James, Eloisa: VISCOUNT IN LOVE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A797463142/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6da4e3a6. Accessed 13 July 2024.