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A Duke of Her Own (Desperate Duchesses #6)

by Eloisa James (Goodreads Author), James Griffin (Illustrator)

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 3,119 ratings · 251 reviews

A DUKE MUST CHOOSE WISELY ...

Leopold Dautry, the notorious Duke of Villiers, must wed quickly and nobly --- and his choices, alas, are few. The Duke of Montague's daughter, Eleanor, is exquisitely beautiful and fiercely intelligent. Villiers betroths himself to her without further ado.

After all, no other woman really qualifies. Lisette, the outspoken daughter of the Duke o...more

Paperback, 386 pages

Published July 28th 2009 by Avon

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May 17, 2012 Zumbagirl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dandy, 2012, adorable-child, adorable-dog, caught-in-compromising-situation, forgiveness, friendship, georgian-romance, kindle-own, love-triangle, secrets, sisters, spinster-rake, non-virgin-heroine, starchy-hero-gets-unstarched

Well, I just finished this book and maybe I should take a few days off to think things through. It's made me come to this conclusion: Men are idiots. Completely. Totally. All of them. Especially Villiers. I've read the entire series and really thought I got to know and understand him. But he's not as smart in life as he is at playing chess. Too bad.

All I can say is, Eleanor is a much more patient and forgiving person than I am. She's a great heroine despite the mistakes she's made. She has an i...more Well, I just finished this book and maybe I should take a few days off to think things through. It's made me come to this conclusion: Men are idiots. Completely. Totally. All of them. Especially Villiers. I've read the entire series and really thought I got to know and understand him. But he's not as smart in life as he is at playing chess. Too bad.

All I can say is, Eleanor is a much more patient and forgiving person than I am. She's a great heroine despite the mistakes she's made. She has an intrinsic weakness for men - dukes specifically - and had been in love with her childhood friend Gideon forever, even after he married another. He loved her too, supposedly, but not enough to fight his father's will which arranged his marriage to Ada, a woman he didn't know or love. Eleanor is a kind, generous and loving woman, but unfortunately for her, both Gideon and Villiers don't love her enough. Her sister, Anne, is wonderful and I loved their relationship. Anne always had her back. After Eleanor was dumped by Gideon, she became somewhat matronly and had almost given up on marriage. But Anne helped her to get her groove back, getting her to dress and put on makeup to be more appealing. Villiers is a dandy and takes impeccable care in his appearance. As was learned in previous books, Villiers has been rounding up his illegitimate children - six of them - and so far has three. His oldest son, Tobias, who looks and acts just like him, is a great kid and I loved him in the story. Turns out, Tobias is actually smarter and acutely aware of things that Villiers should realize - which proved to be very annoying because I kept saying to myself, "HOW IN THE WORLD CAN VILLIERS BE SO BLIND!"

So to make things even more annoying, there are two love triangles in this story: Villiers/Eleanor/Lisette and Eleanor/Villiers/Gideon. Lisette and Eleanor are childhood friends and both daughters of dukes. Lisette has a dirty little secret that isn't fully revealed until the end. But even before that, I could not stand her. I lost a lot of respect in Villiers seeing how he made so many foolish decisions. While it was laudable that he wanted to assume responsibility for his children, his desperate quest for a mother for them was rather sad. Once everything "hit the fan," poor Villiers realizes his mistakes (took him long enough) and I actually started crying - mostly crying for poor Eleanor, her dog and Tobias. This is the first Eloisa James book that made me cry so I guess that says something. Then I even started feeling a slight twinge of pity for Villiers. (view spoiler)

He does explain things at the end to Eleanor and he does some pretty heavy duty groveling, though I still needed more. (view spoiler)

As all the dukes are very starchy and think very highly of themselves, Villiers didn't give Eleanor the credit she deserved soon enough. When he saw how she took charge of the situation at the orphanage and the situation involving the kitchen maid/cook, that was enough evidence that she cared very much for his kids and was looking out for their best interests. So she didn't play dolls and sing songs for the little girls. But he could see clear evidence that she got along well with them and was a very good example for them and would love them. Honestly, I think he was attracted to both of them and probably more so to Eleanor, but just didn't see things clearly about Lisette. Maybe her beauty and creativity blinded him.

I was happy when Eleanor decided she still wanted to get married, but not to either of her love interests. I really wanted her to find someone special, who would love her with the same generosity and passion that she gave. When "Mr. Ormston" starts to pursue her, I was thrilled! A new contender, even a total stranger, would be better than the two she just recently left behind. Things played out very nicely from this point. And I love Eleanor's betrothal ring and her betrothal gift!! Again, Eleanor is a very forgiving person, so I totally understand her decision. Maybe it was the right decision. I am not sure and would like to have seen more proof (view spoiler)

As with all of Ms. James' books, I read them very quickly and find them totally engaging - even if I don't necessarily love the book. This one is not my favorite and it could have been so much more considering how much I liked Villiers in the previous books. But I really liked Eleanor, her sister Anne, Tobias, and Oyster, the dog. Glad I finished up the series! (less)

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Jun 02, 2010 kari rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

This book fell very flat for me. It seemed to plod along at a snail's pace until the final few chapters. It started out well, with snappy dialogue, but when they all trooped off to Lisette's country home, the plot s l o w e d way down and it seemd like not much happened, other than the trip to the orphanage.
I didn't like the hero, Leopold. At all. And I didn't like his behavior. At all. Tough for me to want him to end up with the heroine, whom I wasn't all that crazy about either, when I simply...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Letitia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, all-time-favorites, kindle

Rating: A ... Heat: Hot

This was book was... fantastic. And so different from the usual HR. So different.

For starters, the hero has six illegitimate children. And he is no longer content to let them be raised in orphanages or suffer on the streets. So Leopold, the Duke of Villiers, is finding his children, one by one, and bringing them home with him. To be raised properly and eventually introduced into society... Which is why he needs a wife. And not just any wife will do; he needs one who 1) is...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Secara menakjubkan saya mulai suka sama series ini, buku satu bikin saya puyeng karena khas Eloisa yang menyajikan sesuatu yang bener-bener nyata dan gak dongeng. Tapi setelah baca Ugly Duchess (Fairy Tale series) saya mulai mencomoti satu per satu series Duchess ini dannnn saya jatuh cinta sama Leopold. Hahahahha. Eloisa juga keren abissss, aduh gak tahu deh suka bangt sama sikap dia yang kuat dan teguh, walau kesanya bodoh, tapi dia benar-benar mempertahankan cintanya dengan sang 'Duke' yang m...more Secara menakjubkan saya mulai suka sama series ini, buku satu bikin saya puyeng karena khas Eloisa yang menyajikan sesuatu yang bener-bener nyata dan gak dongeng. Tapi setelah baca Ugly Duchess (Fairy Tale series) saya mulai mencomoti satu per satu series Duchess ini dannnn saya jatuh cinta sama Leopold. Hahahahha. Eloisa juga keren abissss, aduh gak tahu deh suka bangt sama sikap dia yang kuat dan teguh, walau kesanya bodoh, tapi dia benar-benar mempertahankan cintanya dengan sang 'Duke' yang membawanya pada 'Duke' nya sendiri.

Leopold yang pernah sekarat karena duel sebelumnya, jadi sadar jikalau dia harus mulai membenahi diri dan semua itu dimulai dengan mengasuh anak-anak haramnya sendiri, daannnn pemirsa ada 6 anak haram di sini. Well walau yang paling menonjol adalah Toby saja, yang notabene fotocopy bokapnya heheh. Nah, di sisi lain Elenor, seorang Lady berusia 23 tahun, anak seorang Duke sudah pernah berikrar dia tak akan menikahi siapapun kecuali dia bergelar Duke, gak masalah dia ompong, bau tanah, dll, yang penting dia Duke. Sekali dengar keliatanya Elenor sombong, ya? Padahal sia itu punya maksud loh, karena dia ingin menunjukkan kesetiaan dia ma Gideon, orang yang dia cintai sejak awal, tapi harus pisah karena surat perjanjian pernikahan yang dibuat ayah Gideon dengan Ada. Inilah yang menjadi saya gak kasih 5 bintang, kesanya Elenor murahan sih ah, kalo sekali make love mah gapap, ini sampai sepuluh kali aaahhh itu kesanya bodoh mah. Ada nih kata kata adik Elenor yang nyengat di hati 'kalo bisa dapat susunya dengan geratis, kenapa beli sapinya' wadoooh kasihan juga si Elenor, tapi gapapa untung ada Duke Leo yang kece gile, hahha. Lebih kece kalo seandainya minus 6 anak haramnya, tapi okelah Allah bilang kamu dapat jodoh yang sesuai denganmu, dan buku ini membuktikan, yang gak perjaka dapet yang gak virgin #realita. Terlepas dari rasa maklum saya sama budaya saat itu, saya tetap menyayangkan beberapa faktanya.

Make outnya Hot bangt hahaha, dua kali saat awal, dan lagi saat di kamar, wiih hot bener, ehhehe, suka sih sama endingnya juga yang gak gantung, khas HR. Tapi khas Eloisa bahasanya suliiiit hahhahaha.

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Mar 18, 2011 Kit★ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: georgian-era, historical, romance, series

I dove immediately into this book after recently finishing Duchess By Night. I've read most of this series out of order, but I have to admit that this is the one I was most anticipating. Villiers is my favorite of all the men in this series, and I couldn't wait for his story. At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Eleanor, especially since her desires seemed to be so focused on Gideon, Duke of Astley. At first, oddly enough, I was sort of liking Lisette better, she seemed good, but then...more

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Jan 29, 2013 ~ames~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read, historical, keepers

Throughout the series, the main couple was always Jemma and her duke, Elijah. But someone drew my interest way more than that couple, and that was Leopold, Duke of Villiers. Talk about your anti-hero. At the beginning of the series, he sets out to seduce Jemma (via a chess game) who was married! So you know right away, this guy is a scallywag. But throughout the series, you get to know him better and when it comes out that his six, yes six, bastard children were not being as well taken care of a...more Throughout the series, the main couple was always Jemma and her duke, Elijah. But someone drew my interest way more than that couple, and that was Leopold, Duke of Villiers. Talk about your anti-hero. At the beginning of the series, he sets out to seduce Jemma (via a chess game) who was married! So you know right away, this guy is a scallywag. But throughout the series, you get to know him better and when it comes out that his six, yes six, bastard children were not being as well taken care of as he had thought, you kind of feel for the guy. Especially when he makes the right choice and tracks them all down. Now in his book, he still has two girls to find and he's looking for a duke's daughter to marry, because who else but the very highest of nobility can raise six illegitimate children and make them respectable?

Now I don't want to give anything away - because looking at the blurb, and reading the book, there are two birds who can become the Duchess of Villiers. Eleanor, in love with another man and Lisette, who seems to have a few loose screws.

First of all, I thought the first half of this book was hilarious. Eleanor's sister says the most outrageous things but she's also very astute and she makes Eleanor realize that she needs to shake things up, that she can't keep pining for a married man. Then there's Tobias, Villiers' oldest son. He takes after his father very much.

Finchley snorted, and Villiers cast him a glance. "There's nothing withered about me," he said, pulling on the rose-colored coat over his sleek, skintight breeches.

"I'm not the one you need to convince of that," Tobias said, plopping down into his chair again. "It's your wife who's going to wonder if you're a molly or not." He turned back to his book.

Villiers felt his lips twitch. No one had ever called him a molly. Or implied he had a limp potato-finger.

Unfortunately, A Duke of Her Own loses some its sparkle in the second half. Not enough to make me stop reading, but there is a change in energy. I was still very much involved in Villiers story and I have no complaints with how things turned out. And really, Eloisa James is such a great writer, that even though the second half was less than the first half, it's still pretty damn good.

A Duke of Her Own gets 4 stars from me. It was a great finish to the Desperate Duchesses series.(less)

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Aug 03, 2009 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

This book would be better titled A Duchess of His Own, as it is really the story of the how Leopold, the Duke of Villiers finally finds love. He has been one of my favorite characters through out the Desperate Duchess series and to finally have a whole book devoted to him is well worth the wait. This is a perfect book for those last days of summer vacation as it is a fast, engaging read. While this is a romance, James does such a wonderful job of adding some meat to the sauce. The characters are...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, historical-fiction, romance, reread

This book is a lot of fun. A lot, a lot, a lot of fun.

Let's start with the fact that our hero has six illegitimate children. And that the heroine's only reaction to that little tidbit is "don't you know how to use birth control?" And that their chemistry is very real and immediate, their banter sweet, and their relationship pretty lovely. The author winds the children into the story very nicely, with Tobias providing the impetus for some of the plot and the twins just being awesome, and all thre...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Carrie Olguin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sixth and final book in this soap opera style romance serie. To fulfill his deatbead vow (from book three of the series) Duke of Villers is seeking the last two of his six bastard children to raise as his own and also a wife who will be ther perfect mother to them. He's determined to marry a duke's daughter (one who won't mind raising six bastard children) because he needs her consequence to help force to ton into accepting his offspring when they come of age.

There are two women who might meet h...more

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Oct 07, 2012 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

A Duke of her own ของเอลอยซา เจมส์

หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่หก และเล่มสุดท้าย (เท่าที่เขียน) ในชุด Desperate Duchesses เรื่องราวความวุ่นวายของเหล่าดยุค และดัชเชสในยุคจอร์เจี้ยน ซึ่งเราคงต้องบอกว่า ไม่จำเป็นต้องอ่านเรียงเล่มกันหรอกนะคะ แต่ถ้าใครอ่านมาตลอดทั้งชุด ก็คงต้องบอกว่า เล่มนี้น่าจะเป็นหนึ่งในเรื่องที่รอคอยกันเลยล่ะ เพราะเป็นเรื่องราวของดยุคแห่งวิลิเยร์ คาแร็คเตอร์ที่มีบทบาทมาตั้งแต่เล่มแรกในชุด

และในเล่มนี้คนอ่านจะได้เห็นการเปลี่ยนแปลงของเขา ซึ่งคงต้องบอกว่า คนแต่งเก่งมาก ๆ ที่เขียนจนคนอ่าน...more

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May 09, 2011 Jessica Weiss rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who love Villiers

Shelves: historical-romance, regency

Couldn't finish it. I was disappointed with who Villiers wound up marrying (I skipped ahead after about 100 pages) as I'd expected him to marry the other one, but I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised. I like Villiers, in spite of his wicked ways and his 6 illegitament children, and was really looking forward to this being a great book. It fell short rather quickly for me. I came to hate Eleanor and was flat out confused by Lisette, the only sane ordinary character in the entire story wa...more

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Apr 17, 2011 willaful rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angsty-goodness, free-to-be-a-family, unusual-heroine, made-me-laugh

The “Desperate Duchesses” series was very up and down for me and this last book was the most up and down of all; one minute I enjoyed it, the next I was bored, the next I wanted to throw it against the wall.

The book starts off with a bang, a dramatic, sensual moment between the Duke of Villiers, who is looking for a mother for his numerous illegitimate children, and Eleanor, a spinster who has never recovered from her first love marrying another woman. This mislead me about how the rest of the b...more The “Desperate Duchesses” series was very up and down for me and this last book was the most up and down of all; one minute I enjoyed it, the next I was bored, the next I wanted to throw it against the wall.

The book starts off with a bang, a dramatic, sensual moment between the Duke of Villiers, who is looking for a mother for his numerous illegitimate children, and Eleanor, a spinster who has never recovered from her first love marrying another woman. This mislead me about how the rest of the book was going to go and I kept thinking of a favorite quote from “The Simpsons”: “when are they going to get to the fireworks factory?!” After a fair bit of tedium -- how odd it seems to me that so many reviewers praise the construction and pacing of this book, talk about different strokes! -- it became clear that this was actually a triangle story rather than a marriage of convenience story. That understanding improved the book, but there was still much up and down til the end, and not just the good kind.

The pluses: Enjoyably bawdy humor. Heartbreaking, touching angst. An smouldering hero matched with a smouldering, intelligent heroine. Interesting themes. All of those kept me reading, even when I was most disliking the book.

And there were times I was disliking it plenty. I normally love stories in which a hero believes he has to choose another woman rather than the heroine, but this one was just messed up. It reminded me somewhat of James’ A Kiss at Midnight, except that Villiers’ behavior is far more caddish and -- even worse -- stupid. (view spoiler) It also reminded me a bit of my favorite Edith Layton book, False Angel, and if you'd like to see a similar theme of a man attracted to a very sensual woman but being misled by another, I highly recommend that story.

By the end, my heart was truly wrung for Eleanor. (view spoiler) And as always, James does wonderful interactions between the hero and heroine -- not just sexual, but through revealing banter and conversation. So, definitely worth reading, and in some ways a better end for the series than I expected.
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Oct 08, 2009 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical

I have never read an Eloisa James book before. My preferred romance category is the contemporary. ButLynne Connolly's Richard and Rose series has whetted my appetite again for historical romance and I had read a pretty good review of this book.

I was pleasantly surprised by it. I do think there were a couple of situations that strained my credibility a bit, but over all this was a really nicely written book with great characters and excellent dialogue.

In this story the hero is a Duke, Villiers, w...more I have never read an Eloisa James book before. My preferred romance category is the contemporary. ButLynne Connolly's Richard and Rose series has whetted my appetite again for historical romance and I had read a pretty good review of this book.

I was pleasantly surprised by it. I do think there were a couple of situations that strained my credibility a bit, but over all this was a really nicely written book with great characters and excellent dialogue.

In this story the hero is a Duke, Villiers, who is out to find a wife -- a daughter of of another Duke will only suffice -- to help him raise his six bastard children. Immediately, right there, I was intrigued by this book. Any book that does not make the hero be a Male Mary Sue (Jerry Sue?) is alright by me. As it just so happens, there are two possibilities. One is Eleanor, whom we meet right away who is herself a bit sullied (LOVED her!) and the other is Lisette who is sequestered in the country and has a host of rumors swirling about her.

Most of the action takes place at the Duke of Gilner's home -- Lisette's home -- where Villiers sets out to visit in order to find the last two of his children at a nearby orphanage. In the backstory, he has always thought his children are being well taken care of but it turns out they've been scattered and in various less than wonderful places thanks to an unscrupulous solicitor. Villiers has found and is taking care of four of his kids but has discovered the last two, twin girls, are in an orphanage. While he is there looking for them, he plans to visit Lisette to see if she is a better wife candidate than Eleanor.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Eleanor's mother decides they must also visit poor Lisette so that she can't have the Duke all to herself. So Eleanor, her mother and Eleanor's sister Anne descend on Lisette as well.

What follows is the story of how a man decides who he wants to marry and for what reasons.

This book was a nice read, filled chock full with excellent characters. Eleanor, Lisette, Anne, Tobias, Astley -- every single character even very minor ones, just jumped off the page. Not one was boring or cookie cutter. James managed to create quite a rich story with a surprising amount of depth and flavor.

I only give it four stars because I really thought Villiers was a little slow on the uptake and it was all to create a plot conflict. I guess if he'd made his choice (his obvious choice) early on, there would have been no story. So the author had to drag it out to make it seem like there was actually real competition between Eleanor and Lisette. But it seems everyone in the book and out of it knew who'd make the better wife. But that is ok because it gives you time to savor the characters and the dialog which really are much stronger than the plot.

I recommend.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Katherine St. Vincent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eloisa-james, historical-romance

Leopold, Duke of Villiers memutuskan untuk mencari istri bagi kelima anak haramnya. Dia bingung untuk menentukan antara Lysette, yang dianggap banyak orang sebagai gadis gila (kalau menurut penafsiran dari yang gw baca, Lysette itu memiliki penyakit AUTIS yang tidak bisa fokus pada hal yang diminatinya) atau Eleanor, gadis yang tidak bisa melupakan cinta pertamanya pada Gideon, Duke of Astley.

Memang agak disayangkan dimana pada awalnya terlihat kebodohan Leopold dimana dia tidak bisa melihat kea...more Leopold, Duke of Villiers memutuskan untuk mencari istri bagi kelima anak haramnya. Dia bingung untuk menentukan antara Lysette, yang dianggap banyak orang sebagai gadis gila (kalau menurut penafsiran dari yang gw baca, Lysette itu memiliki penyakit AUTIS yang tidak bisa fokus pada hal yang diminatinya) atau Eleanor, gadis yang tidak bisa melupakan cinta pertamanya pada Gideon, Duke of Astley.

Memang agak disayangkan dimana pada awalnya terlihat kebodohan Leopold dimana dia tidak bisa melihat keanehan dari diri Lysette, dan malah menganggap bahwa Lysette lebih keibuan dan pantas menjadi ibu anak-anaknya daripada Eleanor, yang dipandang oleh Leopold, lebih sensual dan membuatnya berkeinginan untuk menidurinya daripada menjadikan Eleanor sebagai istrinya. Dan Leopold baru melihat kebenaran bahwa Lysette benar-benar tidak normal setelah kehebohan yang menggemparkan di malam pengumuman pertunangannya dengan Lysette dihadapan orangtua Lysette, dimana Lysette melempar Oyster, anjing kesayangan milik Eleanor hingga nyaris mati hanya karena anjing itu menjilat sandal milik Lysette. Walau Lysette trauma dengan anjing karena pernah digigit oleh induk anjing yang marah karena dia berusaha memisahkan anak anjing yang sedang menyusui pada induknya. Ini sudah bukti bahwa Lysette tidak waras dan selalu menyalahkan pihak lain atas akibat yang dirasakannya.

Kisah cinta Eleanor ini makin diperumit dengan kematian istri Astley yaitu Ada, yang mendorong rasa bersalah Astley untuk segera mungkin mengejar Eleanor dan bermaksud untuk menikahinya. Leopold baru menyadari rasa cemburunya ketika melihat Astley yang mulai gigih untuk memperbaiki masa lalunya dan berniat untuk melamar Eleanor.

Namun Eleanor tidak bodoh. Dia sudah melihat akan melakukan kesalahan kedua kalinya jika dia menerima dan menikahi salah satu dari mereka, dimana Eleanor sudah tidak lagi merasakan cintanya kepada Astley namun tidak bisa mengakui secara terang-terangan bahwa dia mencintai Leopold dimana Leopold sudah memutuskan bahwa Lysette akan lebih baik bagi anak-anaknya karena ketidakpeduliannya terhadap masyarakat sekitarnya.

Oh ya... di buku ini akhirnya terbongkar pula siapa ibu dari Teddy, anak haram dari Earl of Gryffyn. Silakan baca sendiri buku ini walau banyak yang bilang buku ini membosankan, tapi saya bisa memaklumi kebimbangan dilema Villiers dan beruntungnya dia diselamatkan oleh Tobias, anak haramnya, yang jauh lebih bisa "melihat" yang mana yang pantas menjadi ibu mereka semua.(less)

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Jan 05, 2013 Lorraine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have waited a long time to read this book, I adore Villiers and could not wait to see what Ms James was going to do with him in his own book! But for some reason, it left me disappointed hence the four stars and not my usual five stars for her books. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book but it left me wanting more. More of Villiers haughtiness, more of Villiers caustic wit and more of Villiers self belief in himself and himself only, this is what makes his character so utterly captivating. I...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Finally, Leopold's, AKA Villiers, story.

Despite his rather dark introduction to the series, Villiers quickly became a favorite as every story involved him, more or less. I especially enjoyed his transformation from rake to responsible, yet still rakish father and friend. The previous book had his relationship with Jemma and Elijah mature, and in this one, he has taken responsibility for his children and is in search of a bride to be their mother.

Jemma directed him to marry the daughter of a duch...more

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Aug 10, 2009 Sharon Galligar-Chance rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a book reviewer, I read a lot, A LOT, of books. From women’s fiction to mysteries to biographies, I’ve read nearly every genre there is, even science fiction. But my guilty pleasure, when I want to just relax and read something fun …is a good ol’ bodice ripping historical romance. Yep, I want all the steamy, frisky, good-time loving that can be found in the pages of a delightfully indulgent romance novel.
And one of the best authors of the historical romance genre is Eloisa James. In her lates...more As a book reviewer, I read a lot, A LOT, of books. From women’s fiction to mysteries to biographies, I’ve read nearly every genre there is, even science fiction. But my guilty pleasure, when I want to just relax and read something fun …is a good ol’ bodice ripping historical romance. Yep, I want all the steamy, frisky, good-time loving that can be found in the pages of a delightfully indulgent romance novel.
And one of the best authors of the historical romance genre is Eloisa James. In her latest book, “A Duke of Her Own,” James touches on all the points that make a romance a pleasure to read. There is illicit love, virginal maidens, a duel or two and a happy-ever-after ending.
Lady Eleanor has made a vow to herself. She will only marry a duke. And since the duke she loves has married someone else, she despairs of finding another. In steps Leopold, Duke of Villiers – a man with a reputation of lust and ill repute that proceeds him. But he is a Duke, and he has a proposition for Eleanor that might solve a lot of problems for both of them.
And so begins the merry dance of uneasy courtship between Eleanor and Villiers. She feels he must compare her to the only other Duchess available – the looney Lisette who lives in her own fantasy world in the country. Villiers agrees to visit the lovable lass, as he has business in the area as well. But when Eleanor and Villiers find that their visit to the peaceful country is not to be very peaceful at all, the journey seems to have been useful in many different ways, including the two of them falling head over heels for each other, much to the chagrin of others.
James is a delightful storyteller, capturing the very essence of the rigid English society of the time. The inclusion of Villier’s lovable but illegitimate children adds just the right touch of spice to the story, and it’s admirable the way the Duke steps up to claim the children as his own, The antics of the crazy Lizette are hilarious, to a point, and then she is more than slightly sad.
“A Duke of Her Own” is the sixth and final book in the “Desperate Duchesses” series, and it is the perfect ending for a wonderful sequence of books. I can’t wait to see what James comes up with next.

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Jul 09, 2012 Crystie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-on-my-kindle

If I could give this book 4 and a half stars I would. This and the one about Lord Strange are my favorites in the series. Although Villiers was a bit of a slow idiot in this book. I knew that, being a romance, it would end happily and the characters would end up together. However, the suspense on when it would finally happen and when Villiers would finally see Lissette for what she was kept me reading.

It did occur to me, though, that Villiers had 6 children but that we only ever saw/read about...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Nana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, just-because-you-intrigue-me, dragging-afterwards

2.5 cookie bits. It was ok. Could've been way better. Honestly, I forget there are actually earls, viscounts and other titled gentlemen with all the ducal frenzy

Sum:
Eleanor threw herself out to the former love of her life, Gideon but he married some other chit because of some old will his father had.
Broken, she decided she has no plans of marrying.

Insert Leo, who wants a wife to influence on his 6 bastard children, and for him to have an heir of his own. He had two options: Eleanor or Linette (w...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-reads

After the resolution of This Duchess of Mine, another book just seems like a sot to tie up Villiers's storyline, introduced in An Affair Before Christmas as a really distracting side-plot with Charlotte Tatlock (whom we never see again, not even in the extra chapter for this book on James's website). Eleanor makes a nice heroine, but after Jemma she's a little bland. On the minus side for this book, we find out who is the mother of Damon's child (an unresolved plot point from Desperate Duchesses ...more

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Aug 11, 2009 Kim H rated it 3 of 5 stars

A decent and ultimately satisfying wrap to EJ's Desperate Duchesses series, but like the rest of this series (& everything James in general) I found it a little windy. I appreciate the rich detail and strong sense of time & place that EJ puts into her stories, but there are times when I feel like she's talking over my head. IMO, it's tedious to have to stop & think about every subtle nuance of character dialogue and interaction, especially when she's going to rehash all of it two or...more A decent and ultimately satisfying wrap to EJ's Desperate Duchesses series, but like the rest of this series (& everything James in general) I found it a little windy. I appreciate the rich detail and strong sense of time & place that EJ puts into her stories, but there are times when I feel like she's talking over my head. IMO, it's tedious to have to stop & think about every subtle nuance of character dialogue and interaction, especially when she's going to rehash all of it two or three pages later through an internal monologue anyway.
As I generally find to be the case with most everything James writes, there's a little too much "richness" for my personal taste. There are times when I like to try some decadent chocolate variety of cheesecake, but there are also times when plain old cheesecake can be quite sinful enough:P In other words, I think her romances get knocked slightly off center stage by just a little too much detail in setting, costume and secondary characters. James can't seem to write a story that doesn't go off into raptures over the details in a dress or frock coat, or the subtleties of hair powdering, and just how much is too much - and in every character's POV, at that.
I also couldn't help but feel that she rewrote Villiers, to a certain extent. He's a well-established character by this point in the series, a bit of a dandy, but he's a dandy with teeth; probably one of the most intelligent & observant characters she has written to date.
EJ, for reasons apparently known only to her, has seen fit to shave off a few of his by now legendary IQ points and turn him into just another nitwit male who couldn't find his own hiney with both hands and a flashlight.
I suppose it's true enough that it's easier for most men to see the little character flaws in a friend's prospective mate than it is to see them in a woman they are considering marrying, but I really feel like he should have been just a little swifter on the uptake here. He shilly-shallies well into the 11th hour, and has to literally have his face rubbed in the evidence. Not only did I find that out of character for Leopold, it was a bit unromantic, and didn't do much service to the heroine either.
Ultimately though, I did enjoy the story overall. The ending makes up for a lot and the love scenes are steamy. I just wish that James would find her own niche and stop channeling Jane Austen:P She can write a good book without the need to echo the greats of yesteryear, and IMO, the chatty/wordy/windy story is a thing of the past and really ought to remain there. I gave it 3 stars (B-).(less)

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Sep 24, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-owned

The only reason I give this book 4 stars and not 5 is because the beginning was just so horribly boring. I picked it up and as I started reading, but I just couldn't get into it after 10 or so pages, so I started more or less just skimming pages to see if I even wanted to keep going. Then, somewhere around page 50 a passage caught my eye and from that moment I literally could not put the book down. The only problem was that I had started reading it at just after midnight and by was 4am by the t...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jan by: Moss

Shelves: romance, z-2011, historical-romance

Moss had been raving about Eloisa James, so I decided to try her out. I picked up the first of this series, read the sample, encountered Villiers, and decided to jump ahead to the last book. Mostly because the plot of the other books didn't really appeal to me.

Alas. I misunderstood the blurb and believed Lisette was going to be the heroine until we actually met her. So for the first quarter of the book I kept waiting for the heroine to show up. Sigh. Sometimes, I'm slow. Anyway I imagined Villie...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Dara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-winnings, historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So it took me a while to warm up to the characters in this book. I did not like Villiers being so wishy-washy. At some point I was feeling like he was TSTL, hot though he was. Strangely as he was described as not handsome, but more rugged I found that attractive. Ok, maybe it is not strange. I have always like tall dark and ruggedly handsome. Never been an Adonis fan. But I digress.

Elanor was self-centered and rather peevish at first. Slowly but surely she comes out of her shell as she is intera...more

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Sep 03, 2009 Ana T. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: georgian, read-in-2009, e-book

After a few "so so" reads Eloisa James has finally delivered a book that I love. For the whole series of The Desperate Duchesses, Villiers has been a secondary character that intrigued me the most. We have seen him change from a jaded rake only interested in chess to a man decided to take responsibility of his 6 bastard children to the point that he will marry the woman who better fits the role of a mother.

With no clue where to start he follows the advice of dear friends, a former h/h, the Duke...more

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Dec 25, 2011 adventurat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, e-book, fiction, historical, romance

I loved pretty much everything about this book. The heroine Eleanor isn't a breathy, wide-eyed ingenue; the hero (the Duke of Villiers) is neither handsome nor particularly charming, and their situation is far from typical, and I loved every minute I spent with them and their crazy supporting cast. From the heroine's dictatorial mother to her slightly patronizing younger, married sister, to the angelic-looking but weak Duke of Astley, to the completely barking (but not uncharming) Lisette, Elean...more

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May 15, 2012 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this quite a bit, and it was great to finally see Villiers fall for someone, but I am surprised by how formulaic this was.

Right, all romances are formulaic to a degree--you know the two main characters are going to end happy and together, and that there will be obstacles to their love along the way. Sure. But the other books in James's duchess series also include other plot lines, with a thread about the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont (and Villiers, really). This time, it was only Villie...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Endang rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

aku suka novel ini.. lebih dibandingkan 5 novel sebelumnya..
mungkin karena di novel2 sebelumnya selalu ada Duke of Villiers dan itu buat saya penasaran tentang dia.
karakter wanita di novel ini pun sangat "cocok" untuk di masa kini.
padahal sudah mulai bosen dengan novel Eloisa James yg Desperate Duchesses.. untunglah di "paksa" baca mataku ini..
akhirnya terpuaskan.. ha..ha.. (apa maksudnya tuh)

Leopold Daughtry, Duke of Villiers adalah seorang Duke yang agak unik.
memiliki keyakinan dan cara berbed...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd give this one about a 3.5. It's fitting that the last book in the series be the romance of the Duke of Villiers, as he's the character that's benefited from the most development over the course of the series. From the cold, uncaring rake of the first book, to the burning lover of this one, guilt-ridden over the illegitimate children he's ignored their whole lives, Villiers has come a long way. I enjoyed Eleanor's banter, but I found Villiers' waffling over Lisette to be a bit hard to swallow...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Julia rated it 1 of 5 stars

When a book contains characters as frivolous, selfish, and single-minded as Duke Leopold and Lady Eleanor, it's no surprise when it turns out to be a complete dud. I really thought I would like this book, but sadly, I spent the entire novel upset at Leopold's selfish and degrading behavior towards Eleanor (not okay to sleep with someone when you're engaged to someone else....) and Eleanor's stupidity for going along with his insulting advances and utter shallowness (at the onset of the book she...more

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About Eloisa James

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeat...more

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Quotes from A Duke of Her Own

“Yes Leopold," Eleanor said in a low, mocking voice. "Do start to shine, please. I think I saw the rising, but I definitely missed the shining.” — 12 people liked it

“Life does not always gives us the choices that we want” — 11 people liked it

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A Duke of Her Own (Desperate Duchesses #6)

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