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Fairy Tales #4
The Ugly Duchess
How can she dare to imagine he loves her... when all London calls her The Ugly Duchess?
Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion.
Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.
Theo would have given it a lifetime... until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding; it's scandalized by their separation.
Now James faces the battle of his lifetime, convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan.
And Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate, All's Fair in Love — or War.
Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion.
Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.
Theo would have given it a lifetime... until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding; it's scandalized by their separation.
Now James faces the battle of his lifetime, convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan.
And Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate, All's Fair in Love — or War.
334 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
437 people are currently reading
6841 people want to read
About the author
Eloisa James
122 books9,494 followersNew York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,520 reviews
August 29, 2012
I hate writing this review because I'm generally a fan of Eloisa James' works (loved the previous 2 books in the fairy tales series btw), but I didn't like this book. I liked the beginning half until James (the hero) leaves Theo, however afterwards I really disliked the book.
I had no patience for the hero in the least - He was immature in the beginning and an idiot later on. I mildly liked the heroine but I lost respect for her because she didn't seem to have any for herself.
And I know that most historical novels seem to sell the idea that hero can be unfaithful but the heroine had to be pure as the driven snow.But in this case - he lied to her, took her money, didn't man up and stick around (leaving her to face the music - spiteful rumors as well as rebuild his estates from the scratch), was unfaithful to her and let her believe he had died and had no contact with her for 7 years! Suddenly, he remembers how much he couldn't live without her and she's just supposed to let him back in ( And she does that in 2 chapters !!! ).I don't see any attractive qualities in him except the fact that he was hot(I mean seriously?) and the sad part is that the author didn't even make him grovel at her feet.
And the hero continued to feel that he had not done anything wrong, because to quote him "I stopped thinking of you as my spouse some years ago" and "Two days of marriage failed to impress itself upon me. I am fairly certain most men would understand my lapse". No remorse whatsoever!
His argument is that he left her, all his responsibilities and the entire country because she asked him to stay away from her in a fit of anger over being deceived. Not just that he took that as a freebie to screw whoever he liked and claimed he wasn't wrong because she had ended their marriage. Well if he took her upon her word, why did he bother coming back to play the part of a husband. And even if he did , he had to at least give her the option to make her own choices. Ugh , like I said, I hate this hero.
This quote by Theo says it all - "Am I to understand that my anger at being tricked into marriage, the better to disguise the embezzlement of my dowry, became your excuse for committing adultery ?"
Wish she had stuck to this sentiment!
The 2 stars are only for the author's writing and none for the story, characters; even the secondary characters were boring and absent.This is one book where I wished she(Theo) would have found someone else to live happily ever after.
I had no patience for the hero in the least - He was immature in the beginning and an idiot later on. I mildly liked the heroine but I lost respect for her because she didn't seem to have any for herself.
And I know that most historical novels seem to sell the idea that hero can be unfaithful but the heroine had to be pure as the driven snow.But in this case - he lied to her, took her money, didn't man up and stick around (leaving her to face the music - spiteful rumors as well as rebuild his estates from the scratch), was unfaithful to her and let her believe he had died and had no contact with her for 7 years! Suddenly, he remembers how much he couldn't live without her and she's just supposed to let him back in ( And she does that in 2 chapters !!! ).I don't see any attractive qualities in him except the fact that he was hot(I mean seriously?) and the sad part is that the author didn't even make him grovel at her feet.
And the hero continued to feel that he had not done anything wrong, because to quote him "I stopped thinking of you as my spouse some years ago" and "Two days of marriage failed to impress itself upon me. I am fairly certain most men would understand my lapse". No remorse whatsoever!
His argument is that he left her, all his responsibilities and the entire country because she asked him to stay away from her in a fit of anger over being deceived. Not just that he took that as a freebie to screw whoever he liked and claimed he wasn't wrong because she had ended their marriage. Well if he took her upon her word, why did he bother coming back to play the part of a husband. And even if he did , he had to at least give her the option to make her own choices. Ugh , like I said, I hate this hero.
This quote by Theo says it all - "Am I to understand that my anger at being tricked into marriage, the better to disguise the embezzlement of my dowry, became your excuse for committing adultery ?"
Wish she had stuck to this sentiment!
The 2 stars are only for the author's writing and none for the story, characters; even the secondary characters were boring and absent.This is one book where I wished she(Theo) would have found someone else to live happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2013
James Ryburn, Earl of Islay, is informed by his father (a duke) that he has to marry Theodora Saxby, his best friend since they were children. Long ago, Theo's dying father asked the duke to look after Theo and her mother, and she and James have been like siblings ever since.
Seems the duke has the IQ of a radish, and he blew through the entire wealth of the duchy, then embezzled as much of Theo's inheritance as he could lay his hands on. If James isn't the man who marries her, not only will the estates fail, but the duke's crimes will be exposed and the family name and titles will be blackened beyond redemption.
James has two problems with this. First, the idea of boinking his Daisy (that's what he calls her) feels a bit incestuous. And second, well, he is attracted to her (in a creepy older brother sorta way), but she's kinda ugly. From Theo's own perspective, we're told that she looks like a boy. A boy whose mother unfortunately insists on dressing her in pastel frills and pearls. Reading her self- description, I envisioned this:
Anyway, James gets drunk and slobbers all over her at a ball and gets caught in the act. The betrothal is announced and before you know it she gets the appellation "The Ugly Duchess." While the kiss that got them in this fix was nice, the wedding night was kind of
To be fair, James (the hero) was only 20 years old and probably toostupid inexperienced to make the bridal night pleasant (or at least less unpleasant) for Theo. But they get past it, and even start to discover
…at least until James's dad strolls in to find Theo's head in James' lap. A flustered Theo excuses herself but stays just outside the door to eavesdrop as theplonker duke congratulates James for going through with "the plan." And yes, even tho both parties to the conversation know what "plan" he refers to, the duke does lay it all out again in excruciating detail. By wedding the "ugly duchess," James has A) protected his father's misuse of Theo's funds, B) gained access to Theo's entire inheritance, and the added bonus is C) the ugly girl is so grateful that she'll freely provide the "special attention" most gentlemen must pay whores for. As long as the lights are out, who cares what she looks like?
That moment changes everything.
Theo's all
And she tells James (the hero) and his dad to
So everybody goes their separate ways to reinvent themselves.
James reinvents himself as a
Theo sulks awhile, but eventually reinvents herself as a
Turns out that she actually looks more like
(her, not him)
Meanwhile the duke reinvents himself as a
Just when I thought I'd be stuck reading 300+ pages of "loves-me-loves-me-not" angst, James serves up a little side order of
And hey, since his wife told him to go eff himself, he might as well
James, unfortunately, doesn't gain any brain cells while he's away playing pirate and man-candy, so when he decides it's time to sort things out with his Daisy there was a time or two I wanted to tell him to
But the denouement is sweet and pleasing, and the story as a whole was satisfying (a couple tears, and some decent grins). This one gets three stars.
My rating system:
One star-- Blows (skip it)
Two stars--Didn't stink (if it sounds interesting, buy it used)
Three stars--Liked it (recommended—pick it up next time you're looking for a good read)
Four stars--Loved it (make a special trip)
Five stars--Grrrrrowr! (Nuff said)
Seems the duke has the IQ of a radish, and he blew through the entire wealth of the duchy, then embezzled as much of Theo's inheritance as he could lay his hands on. If James isn't the man who marries her, not only will the estates fail, but the duke's crimes will be exposed and the family name and titles will be blackened beyond redemption.
James has two problems with this. First, the idea of boinking his Daisy (that's what he calls her) feels a bit incestuous. And second, well, he is attracted to her (in a creepy older brother sorta way), but she's kinda ugly. From Theo's own perspective, we're told that she looks like a boy. A boy whose mother unfortunately insists on dressing her in pastel frills and pearls. Reading her self- description, I envisioned this:
Anyway, James gets drunk and slobbers all over her at a ball and gets caught in the act. The betrothal is announced and before you know it she gets the appellation "The Ugly Duchess." While the kiss that got them in this fix was nice, the wedding night was kind of
To be fair, James (the hero) was only 20 years old and probably too
…at least until James's dad strolls in to find Theo's head in James' lap. A flustered Theo excuses herself but stays just outside the door to eavesdrop as the
That moment changes everything.
Theo's all
And she tells James (the hero) and his dad to
So everybody goes their separate ways to reinvent themselves.
James reinvents himself as a
Theo sulks awhile, but eventually reinvents herself as a
Turns out that she actually looks more like
(her, not him)
Meanwhile the duke reinvents himself as a
Just when I thought I'd be stuck reading 300+ pages of "loves-me-loves-me-not" angst, James serves up a little side order of
And hey, since his wife told him to go eff himself, he might as well
James, unfortunately, doesn't gain any brain cells while he's away playing pirate and man-candy, so when he decides it's time to sort things out with his Daisy there was a time or two I wanted to tell him to
But the denouement is sweet and pleasing, and the story as a whole was satisfying (a couple tears, and some decent grins). This one gets three stars.
My rating system:
One star-- Blows (skip it)
Two stars--Didn't stink (if it sounds interesting, buy it used)
Three stars--Liked it (recommended—pick it up next time you're looking for a good read)
Four stars--Loved it (make a special trip)
Five stars--Grrrrrowr! (Nuff said)
July 3, 2016
Well, this one was a swing and a miss for me, which is a shame, because Eloisa James is usually a ton of fun.
To be fair, second-chance romances are always hard for me to get behind. I have to see some serious change in the characters in order to really buy that it would work out... otherwise, it just feels like they're signing up to be hurt all over again down the road, never having learned their lesson. They're like addicts deciding to try the pipe one last time.
I liked Theo/Daisy a lot. I liked that, when she discovered that James only married her for her money (that's not a spoiler, it says it on the cover of the book) - - she won me over because she stood up for herself. She didn't collapse into a sobbing mess, though she made it very clear to him that he broke her heart. She didn't try to pretend that she didn't love him; she told him she did, and he threw it away. She threw him out, said she didn't want to see him again. And even better - I loved her for this - she told them that he was her best friend... how could he not know that she would have just given him the damn money, had he asked, because that's what friends DO. Instead, he used her, lied to her, humiliated her.
I applauded. I think that Theo had every right to her heartbreak and anger, and I don't think that she did anything inexcusable.
Then ... the book went downhill.
Like a petulant child, James ran. He didn't try - not for a week, not even for a day - to convince her that though the circumstances of their marriage looked suspicious, he did love her. He didn't try to win her back. He didn't try to soothe her broken heart.
He left.
I, frankly, wanted to kick his ass.
She's dealing with the giant mess he left behind, in addition to <--- I don't know if that's a spoiler or not. *shrug* She retreats, and pulls her shit together, because she's a strong woman. But she is utterly, utterly alone. Heartbreakingly so.
Meanwhile, James is off having the time of his life as a pirate. He's sailing the seas, kicking ass, fucking wenches in every port. Oh, I'm sorry, James had fun, adventure, sex, a best friend and confidante, all while Theo was cleaning up his mess and struggling to keep her shit together all by herself. I honestly can say that I hated him.
Worse was that when he came home, he claimed that the infidelity was justified because she threw him out, and said their marriage was over... I loved when Theo said something to the effect of (I can't ever find quotes now that I have started using a kindle) "So you're saying that, because in my anger and heartbroken state, I told you that our marriage was over... your affairs are my responsibility?" (Found the quote in someone else's review: "Am I to understand that my anger at being tricked into marriage, the better to disguise the embezzlement of my dowry, became your excuse for committing adultery ?" ... man, I wish she had stuck to that sentiment) James was such a selfish asshole. And at this point, I still loved Theo. She was still this amazing strong character who demanded that she deserved to be loved and respected, to be made happy by someone who cared about her. Someone who James was clearly incapable of being.
But then, it seemed to me that Eloisa James had trouble trying to figure out how to reconcile them while maintaining Theo's incredible character. And so, without warning, Theo just folds like a house of cards. No real effort on James's part. Certainly no change in his character - his treatment of Theo is no different in the later chapters of the book than it was in the early chapters. What has James learned? Here's the lesson, as I see it:
Feel free to be a total asshole. Fuck over the one person who loves you most in the world, and then discard her like trash because you can't bear to actually face the consequences of what you have done and, you know, put some effort into trying to make it right. Let her think you're dead for most of a decade. No worries. When you decide to go back, you'll be able to pick up as if nothing ever happened, because the world revolves around your manly cock.
Fuck.
This book pissed me off.
To be fair, second-chance romances are always hard for me to get behind. I have to see some serious change in the characters in order to really buy that it would work out... otherwise, it just feels like they're signing up to be hurt all over again down the road, never having learned their lesson. They're like addicts deciding to try the pipe one last time.
I liked Theo/Daisy a lot. I liked that, when she discovered that James only married her for her money (that's not a spoiler, it says it on the cover of the book) - - she won me over because she stood up for herself. She didn't collapse into a sobbing mess, though she made it very clear to him that he broke her heart. She didn't try to pretend that she didn't love him; she told him she did, and he threw it away. She threw him out, said she didn't want to see him again. And even better - I loved her for this - she told them that he was her best friend... how could he not know that she would have just given him the damn money, had he asked, because that's what friends DO. Instead, he used her, lied to her, humiliated her.
I applauded. I think that Theo had every right to her heartbreak and anger, and I don't think that she did anything inexcusable.
Then ... the book went downhill.
Like a petulant child, James ran. He didn't try - not for a week, not even for a day - to convince her that though the circumstances of their marriage looked suspicious, he did love her. He didn't try to win her back. He didn't try to soothe her broken heart.
He left.
I, frankly, wanted to kick his ass.
She's dealing with the giant mess he left behind, in addition to <--- I don't know if that's a spoiler or not. *shrug* She retreats, and pulls her shit together, because she's a strong woman. But she is utterly, utterly alone. Heartbreakingly so.
Meanwhile, James is off having the time of his life as a pirate. He's sailing the seas, kicking ass, fucking wenches in every port. Oh, I'm sorry, James had fun, adventure, sex, a best friend and confidante, all while Theo was cleaning up his mess and struggling to keep her shit together all by herself. I honestly can say that I hated him.
Worse was that when he came home, he claimed that the infidelity was justified because she threw him out, and said their marriage was over... I loved when Theo said something to the effect of (I can't ever find quotes now that I have started using a kindle) "So you're saying that, because in my anger and heartbroken state, I told you that our marriage was over... your affairs are my responsibility?" (Found the quote in someone else's review: "Am I to understand that my anger at being tricked into marriage, the better to disguise the embezzlement of my dowry, became your excuse for committing adultery ?" ... man, I wish she had stuck to that sentiment) James was such a selfish asshole. And at this point, I still loved Theo. She was still this amazing strong character who demanded that she deserved to be loved and respected, to be made happy by someone who cared about her. Someone who James was clearly incapable of being.
But then, it seemed to me that Eloisa James had trouble trying to figure out how to reconcile them while maintaining Theo's incredible character. And so, without warning, Theo just folds like a house of cards. No real effort on James's part. Certainly no change in his character - his treatment of Theo is no different in the later chapters of the book than it was in the early chapters. What has James learned? Here's the lesson, as I see it:
Feel free to be a total asshole. Fuck over the one person who loves you most in the world, and then discard her like trash because you can't bear to actually face the consequences of what you have done and, you know, put some effort into trying to make it right. Let her think you're dead for most of a decade. No worries. When you decide to go back, you'll be able to pick up as if nothing ever happened, because the world revolves around your manly cock.
Fuck.
This book pissed me off.
February 9, 2022
I really loved this!
What a heartwarming tale about the Ugly Duckling who defies her bullies and becomes the main character in her own romance novel.
I was just getting ready to go on and on about how that this was so much better than Julia Quinn's normal novels!
And then...
Ah, I see now why. Because it's not a Julia Quinn novel, this one was written by Eloisa James.
Yes. That would make a difference.
I went on a Bridgerton bender a while back and ended up with a bad taste in my mouth, so I was kind of excited that this one felt like a great romance novel with a good plot and everything.
Has anyone else ever done that? Eyeballed a book, had a brain fart, and thought you were reading something by a different author?
No. Just me? Ok.
Anyway, it wasn't perfect but it was darn close.
And it is especially well-done for a fairytale retelling set in a romance novel. This could have gone a whole other way and just been a story of an awkward girl growing into a beautiful woman.
But no. Our girl turned into a badass.
Ok. Not quite that much of a badass.
Back it down a notch, jeez.
James had her grow into a strong woman who was stunning in an unconventional way and beautiful to the ones who loved her.
And it takes her a while to get there. I liked that. I also liked that she had to fix herself and thaw out a little to get her HEA.
She wasn't perfect, because no one who had gone through that amount of public ridicule and private pain would have come through it without a wall of armor around them. All of that made her more relatable.
I'm still not sure what to think about James becoming a pirate, though.
Yes. All of a sudden - pirates! The story switches gears and it isn't about London fashion or snarky mean girls, and you've got this argh me matey thing happening which it seems like a bit of an odd fit to the tone of the story so far.
And then her husband-turned-pirate comes home and it just gets even more bananas.
It was like The Ugly Ducking was fucking Treasure Island and in an attempt to have some sort of Island of Dr. Moreau baby.
But the story was solid, so it didn't kill the mood completely. And all that really matters is that those two crazy kids found their way back to each other, right?
Right.
If you like romance and retellings, check this one out.
What a heartwarming tale about the Ugly Duckling who defies her bullies and becomes the main character in her own romance novel.
I was just getting ready to go on and on about how that this was so much better than Julia Quinn's normal novels!
And then...
Ah, I see now why. Because it's not a Julia Quinn novel, this one was written by Eloisa James.
Yes. That would make a difference.
I went on a Bridgerton bender a while back and ended up with a bad taste in my mouth, so I was kind of excited that this one felt like a great romance novel with a good plot and everything.
Has anyone else ever done that? Eyeballed a book, had a brain fart, and thought you were reading something by a different author?
No. Just me? Ok.
Anyway, it wasn't perfect but it was darn close.
And it is especially well-done for a fairytale retelling set in a romance novel. This could have gone a whole other way and just been a story of an awkward girl growing into a beautiful woman.
But no. Our girl turned into a badass.
Ok. Not quite that much of a badass.
Back it down a notch, jeez.
James had her grow into a strong woman who was stunning in an unconventional way and beautiful to the ones who loved her.
And it takes her a while to get there. I liked that. I also liked that she had to fix herself and thaw out a little to get her HEA.
She wasn't perfect, because no one who had gone through that amount of public ridicule and private pain would have come through it without a wall of armor around them. All of that made her more relatable.
I'm still not sure what to think about James becoming a pirate, though.
Yes. All of a sudden - pirates! The story switches gears and it isn't about London fashion or snarky mean girls, and you've got this argh me matey thing happening which it seems like a bit of an odd fit to the tone of the story so far.
And then her husband-turned-pirate comes home and it just gets even more bananas.
It was like The Ugly Ducking was fucking Treasure Island and in an attempt to have some sort of Island of Dr. Moreau baby.
But the story was solid, so it didn't kill the mood completely. And all that really matters is that those two crazy kids found their way back to each other, right?
Right.
If you like romance and retellings, check this one out.
October 4, 2015
Despite having read many historical romances, Eloisa James was an author I had avoided because none of her synopses appealed to me. This one, though, was one I'd been dallying over for some time and finally decided to give it a read.
The Before part of this novel was wonderful. I wanted to yank James out of the first scene and stop him from doing something dumb, and I felt bad for Theo. I liked them both individually and I loved them together because of how well they played off one another.
I was interested to see where it was going. I read the synopsis, so I knew there was going to be a separation. I was confident in James's character and that he wouldn't stray, especially after he not only harped at his father that he wouldn't take any mistresses--that he couldn't do that to Daisy--and this:
...and that enjoyment vanished for me at the end of Chapter 15. Barring extenuating circumstances, infidelity is an absolute deal breaker for me -- especially when the person who ends up being unfaithful is the cause of the rift between the couple in the first place! Up to this point, this had been a three to four star read for me and it immediately dropped to a one. Honestly, this book was dead to me at this point, but I wanted to finish it so I could write a review. I wish I'd known this book had infidelity because I would've saved myself the time and not read it.
At the end of Chapter 15, it's been a mere two years and he cheats on her.
Oh, and spare me that BS about Jack Hawk being a new man and James being "dead." And don't even get me started on the usage of the word "succumbed" because that's some straight up bullshit. I really couldn't care less about how he feels and his guilt. He obviously doesn't care either because he certainly seemed to enjoy Anela.
When it switches over to Theo, she's still thinking about him and worrying about him. So, while she's living away from society (after the papers reported that James ran away from her because she was so ugly) and continuing to worry about him after his abandonment, while also running his estate and getting them out of his father's debts, dealing with his father's death and then her mother's, he's off fucking other women.
Upon James's return to England, the author keeps throwing us scenes in which we should feel bad for Daisy, but then turns around and has Daisy being wooed by and attracted to James...and it makes no sense. I would be pissed as hell if my husband not only let me think he was dead for the better part of a decade, but had been cheating on me for a good part of it and, now upon his return, he seems to feel no guilt or remorse for it. In fact, James justifies his adultery over and over again, both to himself and Theo.
Two days of marriage failed to impress itself on him? Oh, and what about respect for a childhood friend that you deceived into marriage? He keeps saying that their marriage was over to him...but then he keeps calling her his wife and refers to himself as her husband.
I was so glad when Theo said:
She also says something about respecting herself, but obviously she doesn't. She's back in bed with James within two days of his return. After seven years of being tossed aside, it takes all of two days for her forget it. While he did what he wanted for seven years, she worked on remaking herself...and James topples her seven years of work in two days. While James is an asshole because he had no love or respect for her, it's somehow sadder and worse that she, too, never had any of that for herself either.
He justified his adultery by shifting the blame to Theo. She threw him out because he married her under false pretenses and he never once, in those seven years, thought to reaffirm that she really was through with him.
All this goes to show is that he doesn't care that he cheated. When he's speaking to Barry, it only goes to show how unconcerned he is about the fact that he was unfaithful for years.
More than his cheating, it infuriated me how much he just doesn't care that he did it. It's reiterated over and over again in both his words and his actions.
For over half a decade, he did whatever he wanted. He sailed oceans and travelled to far-off places; he cheated and stole and fucked--in comparison to her, he fucked lots --and basically enjoyed his life for the better part of a decade. Theo, on the other hand, is shown to be waiting and worrying for him at home, thinking he was dead. Then, when he came back, she immediately started lusting for him. He had no respect for her and he’s not even sorry he did any of it, gets defensive when it's brought up, and shifts blame to Theo.
This is the man she lusts after?
This man, the one that didn't bother letting her know if he was dead or alive. This man, who cheated on her for years. This man, who shifts blame to her and tries to justify his infidelities.
What annoys me even more, though, is that the infidelities are never really a bone of contention between them. It's brought up, and she asks about illegitimate children, but it's quickly overshadowed by her lust and his cavalier attitude towards it.
This is a romance novel. So, how am I supposed to believe this "love" when, during their seven years of marriage, he spends more time with his mistresses than he ever did or does with his wife? He didn't even try, and that's why this doesn't work for me. Before running off, he should've tried to convince her otherwise. If not then, then before deciding on "killing off" James for Jack, he should've at least tried to see if Theo wanted him back...but he didn't. It'd have been easy for him to track Theo down, but a lot harder to track James. All it took was one fight, after two days of marriage with her, before running off and not coming back for seven years. And, he only came back then because he'd nearly lost his life. That's some powerful love, eh?
His response to finding out his father died wasn't coming back to the wife he'd wronged so thoroughly and then left behind, who also happened to be his childhood mate and best friend, it was to:
Nice to know how deep and powerful their love is.
And honestly, it feels so sexist to me that James was able to be unfaithful during those years, but not Theo. While James had three mistresses for the last half decade, Theo wasn't even allowed one dalliance. Oh, and this little sexist gem right here (about him choosing not to "dock [his] ship in that port":
Yes, because men are allowed to go to as many ports as they please, but not women. They're "too crowded," then.
Ugh...I wish books came with infidelity warnings.
The Before part of this novel was wonderful. I wanted to yank James out of the first scene and stop him from doing something dumb, and I felt bad for Theo. I liked them both individually and I loved them together because of how well they played off one another.
I was interested to see where it was going. I read the synopsis, so I knew there was going to be a separation. I was confident in James's character and that he wouldn't stray, especially after he not only harped at his father that he wouldn't take any mistresses--that he couldn't do that to Daisy--and this:
...and that enjoyment vanished for me at the end of Chapter 15. Barring extenuating circumstances, infidelity is an absolute deal breaker for me -- especially when the person who ends up being unfaithful is the cause of the rift between the couple in the first place! Up to this point, this had been a three to four star read for me and it immediately dropped to a one. Honestly, this book was dead to me at this point, but I wanted to finish it so I could write a review. I wish I'd known this book had infidelity because I would've saved myself the time and not read it.
At the end of Chapter 15, it's been a mere two years and he cheats on her.
Oh, and spare me that BS about Jack Hawk being a new man and James being "dead." And don't even get me started on the usage of the word "succumbed" because that's some straight up bullshit. I really couldn't care less about how he feels and his guilt. He obviously doesn't care either because he certainly seemed to enjoy Anela.
When it switches over to Theo, she's still thinking about him and worrying about him. So, while she's living away from society (after the papers reported that James ran away from her because she was so ugly) and continuing to worry about him after his abandonment, while also running his estate and getting them out of his father's debts, dealing with his father's death and then her mother's, he's off fucking other women.
Upon James's return to England, the author keeps throwing us scenes in which we should feel bad for Daisy, but then turns around and has Daisy being wooed by and attracted to James...and it makes no sense. I would be pissed as hell if my husband not only let me think he was dead for the better part of a decade, but had been cheating on me for a good part of it and, now upon his return, he seems to feel no guilt or remorse for it. In fact, James justifies his adultery over and over again, both to himself and Theo.
Two days of marriage failed to impress itself on him? Oh, and what about respect for a childhood friend that you deceived into marriage? He keeps saying that their marriage was over to him...but then he keeps calling her his wife and refers to himself as her husband.
I was so glad when Theo said:
She also says something about respecting herself, but obviously she doesn't. She's back in bed with James within two days of his return. After seven years of being tossed aside, it takes all of two days for her forget it. While he did what he wanted for seven years, she worked on remaking herself...and James topples her seven years of work in two days. While James is an asshole because he had no love or respect for her, it's somehow sadder and worse that she, too, never had any of that for herself either.
He justified his adultery by shifting the blame to Theo. She threw him out because he married her under false pretenses and he never once, in those seven years, thought to reaffirm that she really was through with him.
All this goes to show is that he doesn't care that he cheated. When he's speaking to Barry, it only goes to show how unconcerned he is about the fact that he was unfaithful for years.
More than his cheating, it infuriated me how much he just doesn't care that he did it. It's reiterated over and over again in both his words and his actions.
For over half a decade, he did whatever he wanted. He sailed oceans and travelled to far-off places; he cheated and stole and fucked--in comparison to her, he fucked lots --and basically enjoyed his life for the better part of a decade. Theo, on the other hand, is shown to be waiting and worrying for him at home, thinking he was dead. Then, when he came back, she immediately started lusting for him. He had no respect for her and he’s not even sorry he did any of it, gets defensive when it's brought up, and shifts blame to Theo.
This is the man she lusts after?
This man, the one that didn't bother letting her know if he was dead or alive. This man, who cheated on her for years. This man, who shifts blame to her and tries to justify his infidelities.
What annoys me even more, though, is that the infidelities are never really a bone of contention between them. It's brought up, and she asks about illegitimate children, but it's quickly overshadowed by her lust and his cavalier attitude towards it.
This is a romance novel. So, how am I supposed to believe this "love" when, during their seven years of marriage, he spends more time with his mistresses than he ever did or does with his wife? He didn't even try, and that's why this doesn't work for me. Before running off, he should've tried to convince her otherwise. If not then, then before deciding on "killing off" James for Jack, he should've at least tried to see if Theo wanted him back...but he didn't. It'd have been easy for him to track Theo down, but a lot harder to track James. All it took was one fight, after two days of marriage with her, before running off and not coming back for seven years. And, he only came back then because he'd nearly lost his life. That's some powerful love, eh?
His response to finding out his father died wasn't coming back to the wife he'd wronged so thoroughly and then left behind, who also happened to be his childhood mate and best friend, it was to:
Nice to know how deep and powerful their love is.
And honestly, it feels so sexist to me that James was able to be unfaithful during those years, but not Theo. While James had three mistresses for the last half decade, Theo wasn't even allowed one dalliance. Oh, and this little sexist gem right here (about him choosing not to "dock [his] ship in that port":
Yes, because men are allowed to go to as many ports as they please, but not women. They're "too crowded," then.
Ugh...I wish books came with infidelity warnings.
March 24, 2013
The Ugly Duchess is yet another wonderful story in Eloisa James’ Fairy Tales series. In all that it is charming, romantic, witty and sweetly sexy, it’s also heartwarming, poignant and a truly beautiful love story.
How can she dare to imagine he loves her…when all London calls her The Ugly Duchess?There’s something so special about Ms. James’ retelling of these classic stories. We read the originals as children and learned valuable lessons, and now, as adults, we can read them and learn those lessons again while being entertained and seduced by the magic and power of love.
Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion.
Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.
Theo would have given it a lifetime…until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding; it's scandalized by their separation.
Now James faces the battle of his lifetime, convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan.
And Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate, All's Fair in Love—or War.
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I adored James who had loved Theo, his Daisy, since childhood. Best friends, companions, confidantes… these are the things enduring relationships are built on, and James and Daisy had that, and more, from the start.
Of course this tale is about recognizing where real beauty is found, and in this scene, one of my favorites of the story, that lesson was beautifully delivered -
“If you ever utter a word about my wife that is less than complimentary, I will not slam you against the wall again. I will instead send you through a window. And not on the ground floor, either.”And so is this story. Though their relationship had its rocky moments, I laughed, sighed and even got weepy a few times. And now, as I sit here thinking back on this charming tale, I can't help but smile for all the Daisies and their James' throughout history who understood that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and as Confucius so insightfully told us, "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
James didn’t wait for an answer; who expects garbage to answer back? Instead, he held out his arm to his wife.
When they turned, they saw that the gallery was now crammed with people.
“My duchess,” James stated, his eyes sweeping the crowd with the air of a man who has ruled the waves. “She is not a swan, because that would imply she had once been an ugly duckling.”
He glanced down at Theo. Her eyes were painted with an exotic tilt at the corners. Her cheekbones were regal and her bottom lip was colored a perfect red that made it more kissable than it already was. Small but lush breasts, skin the color of clear moonlight, rose above a waist the size of a man’s hand.
But none of that mattered compared to the innate kindness in her eyes, the joyful turn of her lip, the wild intelligence with which she greeted every day.
That was beautiful.
And how sad are their lives for all that they miss.
Update: I'm editing this review because I feel I should make note of something that I know can be an issue for some readers, including myself. There is what some might consider adultery in this book, but only in the technical sense of the word.
Minor spoiler:
As I said, adultery is a huge issue for me, as it is for many readers, but at the time I wrote this review, mere hours after finishing the book, I had completely forgotten that it had happened. That's how little impact it had on me. In fact, I don't consider what happened to be adultery at all.
My sincerest 'thank you' to HarperCollins/Avon Publishing for sending me a review copy of this wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!
August 23, 2016
Rating: 2.7 stars
The misconception I had when I'd just been one chapter into this book: 5 stars. I know I'm going to give this 5 stars!
*exhales loudly*
This review can also be read on-
The Dark, Delicious and Dreamtastic.
When I started this book- when I was still on the 'Before' part- out of nowhere I had this thought that startled me into stopping, and then smiling for no reason, before I resumed back to reading.
BEFORE YOU CONTINUE, KNOW THAT THIS REVIEW IS CHOCK FULL OF SPOILERS. SO PROCEED ONLY IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT.
A quiet certainty had snuggled it's way in my heart, that I would give this book a full 5-stars rating. I was loving it, the characters were kickass and funny and so very cute, each page had something new so.. why not?
I felt warmed, all the awesomeness making me feel giddy and excited and I thought to myself that it'd been days since I had as good a read as this- so I promptly ditched all the stuff that I had to do and settled into my favorite seat by the window. Sooner than I would've liked, my expectations and happiness got shadowed by the shock and indignation of the change in story, slowly turning to disbelief and finally condensing on being incensed.
It's simply shocking how the rating fell from 5 stars to a mere 3, isn't it? I wasn't even sure about the 3. As you can see, it's even less than that.
I loved the young Daisy, the girl who was so.. colorful! Colorful- that's the description that I find her personality to be. She was funny, smart, playful, loving, sarcastic, curious, open and so sweet! She was everything, the 24 year-old Daisy or Theo as she liked to be called, was not.
I'm not begrudging Theo her success or even her svelte, but the brittle, narrow-minded lady was a far cry from the young, curious Daisy.
And James, that jackass, don't even get me started on him! He was adorable in the beginning. I loved his uncertainties, his smile and his wit.. his love for Theo, him. I loved him.
And then he turned into an idiot and broke my heart.
How is it not stupid to LEAVE BLOODY ENGLAND FOR 7 YEARS, GIVING NEITHER HIDE NOR HAIR ABOUT HIS WHEREABOUTS TO HIS WIFE- WHO HE SUPPOSEDLY BLOODY LOVED FOR GODS SAKES- AND FAMILY AND THEN RETURN EXPECTING YOUR MARRIAGE TO BE ALRIGHT AGAIN? HOW???
AND DID I MENTION HOW AFTER MAYBE 2 YEARS (OR WAS IT 9 MONTHS? PLEASE EXCUSE MY FAULTY MEMORY, I'M A LITTLE HAZY HERE) HE STARTED SLEEPING AROUND BECAUSE IN HIS EYES THE MARRIAGE WAS OVER. DAISY HAD SAID THE MARRIAGE WAS OVER SO IT WAS OKAY TO SLEEP AROUND.
I MEAN-
I'M JUST-
I don't think the "how" I asked earlier expressed my frustrations, so I ask again: HOW WAS IT NOT STUPID? AND SELFISH? AND STUPID A COUPLE OF MORE TIMES? BLOODY FUCKING HOW?!
Also of course, when James came back his explanation was: Because you said it was over.
Yes. He literally said that, and no that wasn't the moment I threw the book on the floor and screamed like an angry banshee.
“I stopped thinking of you as my spouse some years ago, as I’m sure you did of me.”
And, also:
“Two days of marriage failed to impress itself upon me. I am fairly certain most men would understand my lapse.”
I believe my reaction was somewhere along the lines- *sputtering* OH NO, YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT! ASSHOLE.
In my mind I'd stabbed him a hundred times, alternating between kicking and punching and sometimes, just yelling unintelligibly.
When Theo proposed divorce, when she firmly (or tried to, man, there were so many things that were wrong with her too) said that she wanted a divorce, his reply was:
“The marriage was over. But now I’m back.”
But now I’m back. The utter bastard.
By God, that was the moment I wished I could slap the living daylights out of him. This was the moment when I threw the book on the floor and screamed like an angry banshee.
I just never imagined Eloisa James would disappoint me as much as she did with this book. I know that not all her books end up being my favorites, they're not all awesome.. but still there's something in them that just makes it okay. Even if it ends up being just a nice read, it's still all okay. But this, this was the kind of disappointment that- if I were an overly emotional personal, I would say- just broke my heart.
Maybe I'm being too harsh, too judgmental, but I'd grown too attached to the young, completely AWESOME Daisy and James, grown too in love with their characters of 'Before', that when they separated and turned into idiots, it actually, totally crushed me. I knew there were going to be complications coming up, since James had married Daisy untruthfully, even though he did very much love her.. But the way it exploded into smithereens of convoluted logic just threw me off my balance. And of course, the loss of the awesomeness of the characters just grated.. A LOT.
By the time that the ending rolled out, it was pretty much that James helped dissolve Daisy's repressed anger worth of 7 years by seducing her and continuing the whole hot, torrid seduction for a few pages until later it was time for Epilogue and we finally got a decent ending.
If I ever feel anything like the roiling emotions of despair and heartbreak- that I felt through this book- after a breakup, I'd probably be sitting in some bar, staring into my half-full glass of Jack Daniels and indulging myself in a depressed drunken wonder: How did- When did- Why did it all go so wrong?
The misconception I had when I'd just been one chapter into this book: 5 stars. I know I'm going to give this 5 stars!
*exhales loudly*
This review can also be read on-
The Dark, Delicious and Dreamtastic.
When I started this book- when I was still on the 'Before' part- out of nowhere I had this thought that startled me into stopping, and then smiling for no reason, before I resumed back to reading.
BEFORE YOU CONTINUE, KNOW THAT THIS REVIEW IS CHOCK FULL OF SPOILERS. SO PROCEED ONLY IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT.
A quiet certainty had snuggled it's way in my heart, that I would give this book a full 5-stars rating. I was loving it, the characters were kickass and funny and so very cute, each page had something new so.. why not?
I felt warmed, all the awesomeness making me feel giddy and excited and I thought to myself that it'd been days since I had as good a read as this- so I promptly ditched all the stuff that I had to do and settled into my favorite seat by the window. Sooner than I would've liked, my expectations and happiness got shadowed by the shock and indignation of the change in story, slowly turning to disbelief and finally condensing on being incensed.
It's simply shocking how the rating fell from 5 stars to a mere 3, isn't it? I wasn't even sure about the 3. As you can see, it's even less than that.
I loved the young Daisy, the girl who was so.. colorful! Colorful- that's the description that I find her personality to be. She was funny, smart, playful, loving, sarcastic, curious, open and so sweet! She was everything, the 24 year-old Daisy or Theo as she liked to be called, was not.
I'm not begrudging Theo her success or even her svelte, but the brittle, narrow-minded lady was a far cry from the young, curious Daisy.
And James, that jackass, don't even get me started on him! He was adorable in the beginning. I loved his uncertainties, his smile and his wit.. his love for Theo, him. I loved him.
And then he turned into an idiot and broke my heart.
How is it not stupid to LEAVE BLOODY ENGLAND FOR 7 YEARS, GIVING NEITHER HIDE NOR HAIR ABOUT HIS WHEREABOUTS TO HIS WIFE- WHO HE SUPPOSEDLY BLOODY LOVED FOR GODS SAKES- AND FAMILY AND THEN RETURN EXPECTING YOUR MARRIAGE TO BE ALRIGHT AGAIN? HOW???
AND DID I MENTION HOW AFTER MAYBE 2 YEARS (OR WAS IT 9 MONTHS? PLEASE EXCUSE MY FAULTY MEMORY, I'M A LITTLE HAZY HERE) HE STARTED SLEEPING AROUND BECAUSE IN HIS EYES THE MARRIAGE WAS OVER. DAISY HAD SAID THE MARRIAGE WAS OVER SO IT WAS OKAY TO SLEEP AROUND.
I MEAN-
I'M JUST-
I don't think the "how" I asked earlier expressed my frustrations, so I ask again: HOW WAS IT NOT STUPID? AND SELFISH? AND STUPID A COUPLE OF MORE TIMES? BLOODY FUCKING HOW?!
Also of course, when James came back his explanation was: Because you said it was over.
Yes. He literally said that, and no that wasn't the moment I threw the book on the floor and screamed like an angry banshee.
“I stopped thinking of you as my spouse some years ago, as I’m sure you did of me.”
And, also:
“Two days of marriage failed to impress itself upon me. I am fairly certain most men would understand my lapse.”
I believe my reaction was somewhere along the lines- *sputtering* OH NO, YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT! ASSHOLE.
In my mind I'd stabbed him a hundred times, alternating between kicking and punching and sometimes, just yelling unintelligibly.
When Theo proposed divorce, when she firmly (or tried to, man, there were so many things that were wrong with her too) said that she wanted a divorce, his reply was:
“The marriage was over. But now I’m back.”
But now I’m back. The utter bastard.
By God, that was the moment I wished I could slap the living daylights out of him. This was the moment when I threw the book on the floor and screamed like an angry banshee.
I just never imagined Eloisa James would disappoint me as much as she did with this book. I know that not all her books end up being my favorites, they're not all awesome.. but still there's something in them that just makes it okay. Even if it ends up being just a nice read, it's still all okay. But this, this was the kind of disappointment that- if I were an overly emotional personal, I would say- just broke my heart.
Maybe I'm being too harsh, too judgmental, but I'd grown too attached to the young, completely AWESOME Daisy and James, grown too in love with their characters of 'Before', that when they separated and turned into idiots, it actually, totally crushed me. I knew there were going to be complications coming up, since James had married Daisy untruthfully, even though he did very much love her.. But the way it exploded into smithereens of convoluted logic just threw me off my balance. And of course, the loss of the awesomeness of the characters just grated.. A LOT.
By the time that the ending rolled out, it was pretty much that James helped dissolve Daisy's repressed anger worth of 7 years by seducing her and continuing the whole hot, torrid seduction for a few pages until later it was time for Epilogue and we finally got a decent ending.
If I ever feel anything like the roiling emotions of despair and heartbreak- that I felt through this book- after a breakup, I'd probably be sitting in some bar, staring into my half-full glass of Jack Daniels and indulging myself in a depressed drunken wonder: How did- When did- Why did it all go so wrong?
April 21, 2022
1.2 stars
A DNF @ 168 pages
I can't read anymore!! I just cant.....after one severe fight with his new wife, The Earl becomes a pirate by choose for 7 years. This was just way too out there! I don't think Eloisa James is the author for me
A DNF @ 168 pages
I can't read anymore!! I just cant.....after one severe fight with his new wife, The Earl becomes a pirate by choose for 7 years. This was just way too out there! I don't think Eloisa James is the author for me
December 9, 2015
DNF @ 50%? 40%? Not sure, I'll check it later.
I should have read the reviews before starting this one... in my defense, I was picking between lots of historical romance books and the fairy tale name plus the blurb made me think I'd like this one.
BIG MISTAKE.
What the blurb doesn't tell you (and I am not even bothering with spoiler tags here because I want everyone to know how bad this is!) is that our dashing James is gone for seven years. SEVEN YEARS! During which he conveniently forgets about his marriage vows, while Theo stays in London and works her ass off to get his state out of debt and has zero, ZERO lovers.
And then he comes back and boom! Happy Ending.
I don't even care about them ending up together. But if the author already gave us a seven year gap, couldn't she write that Theodora divorces James, goes away for a few years, has a couple of lovers and makes James work on getting her back?
Of course not.
Fudge this.
I should have read the reviews before starting this one... in my defense, I was picking between lots of historical romance books and the fairy tale name plus the blurb made me think I'd like this one.
BIG MISTAKE.
What the blurb doesn't tell you (and I am not even bothering with spoiler tags here because I want everyone to know how bad this is!) is that our dashing James is gone for seven years. SEVEN YEARS! During which he conveniently forgets about his marriage vows, while Theo stays in London and works her ass off to get his state out of debt and has zero, ZERO lovers.
And then he comes back and boom! Happy Ending.
I don't even care about them ending up together. But if the author already gave us a seven year gap, couldn't she write that Theodora divorces James, goes away for a few years, has a couple of lovers and makes James work on getting her back?
Of course not.
Fudge this.
March 14, 2017
While part of a series, each is its own story so you don't really need any of the others to enjoy each one on its own.
At just under 30% I just can't go on. I love Theo, but James is a complete loss. I hate that he blows up so easily. I hate that he's so irresponsible and can't see past his own desires ("I just want to play outdoors and hate all that book stuff even though I'm smart and totally rocked school and all"). But most of all, I hate that his "love" manifests as him being an emotionally distant jerk. And don't even get me started on "she's my best friend". Friend or lover, he treats her like crap and ignores every chance to be there for her emotionally. And reading the reviews of others it's clear that .
So yeah. James can take his selfish ragey shineola and stuff it. And in my head, Theo builds a fashion empire around doing all the things her mother told her not to do and falls in love with a very handsome actor who adores her and James dies in foreign parts () right after hearing that Theo is the toast of London for her keen fashion sense and dashing, entirely devoted lovers. Which frees Theo up to marry her devoted swain and live happily ever after!
At just under 30% I just can't go on. I love Theo, but James is a complete loss. I hate that he blows up so easily. I hate that he's so irresponsible and can't see past his own desires ("I just want to play outdoors and hate all that book stuff even though I'm smart and totally rocked school and all"). But most of all, I hate that his "love" manifests as him being an emotionally distant jerk. And don't even get me started on "she's my best friend". Friend or lover, he treats her like crap and ignores every chance to be there for her emotionally. And reading the reviews of others it's clear that .
So yeah. James can take his selfish ragey shineola and stuff it. And in my head, Theo builds a fashion empire around doing all the things her mother told her not to do and falls in love with a very handsome actor who adores her and James dies in foreign parts () right after hearing that Theo is the toast of London for her keen fashion sense and dashing, entirely devoted lovers. Which frees Theo up to marry her devoted swain and live happily ever after!
February 18, 2015
3.5 STARS
This is my first book by EJ, but I'm intrigued and will be definitely checking out her other work. Of course this follows HCA's 'The Ugly Duckling'. Theodora ( Theo, as she liked to be called and Daisy, as James liked to call her ), was seen as an unattractive woman or at least according to society's standards of that time. Growing up with James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, Theo learned to accept her lot in life but never let it truly get to her.
But marrying her best friend James under false pretenses changes everything.
Theo thought James loved her and because they were best friends she trusted him. Although I think James should have told Theo and quite possibly avoided several years of heartache, not telling her that he HAD to marry her destroyed all his chances at forgiveness. I do believe James loved Theo but why the man didn't try and fight for her after she found out the truth is beyond me. I get he was ashamed and felt he could never be good enough for Theo, but leaving for 7 years wasn't exactly a point in his favor.
Theo became very rigid and bitter, refusing to take pleasure in anything in life other than dressing well. She was such a different girl at 17 and in love with James, then to be betrayed and left to deal with the cruelty of what people were saying about her, calling her an ugly duckling and inferring the future Duke has escaped because of her utter lack of beauty. Such abhorrent talk would destroy anyone.
I've read that people had a hard time with James .
Even though the main characters were separated for 7 years, the lapse in time didn't encompass most of the book. And when James returned, it took a little time to get Theo to give him a chance, but there was lots of time devoted to their happy and electric reunion. They said things they should have said years ago, misunderstandings were cleared up and old grievances put to rest. I loved how possessive James was, how he refused to let Theo wallow in denial. He more than made up for his absence and proved his love over and over again. The epilogue was long, very beautiful and moving. This wasn't as angsty as it sounded when compared to other books within this trope, Theo was often too cold for my liking but I still really liked it. I'll be checking out other titles by this author.
This is my first book by EJ, but I'm intrigued and will be definitely checking out her other work. Of course this follows HCA's 'The Ugly Duckling'. Theodora ( Theo, as she liked to be called and Daisy, as James liked to call her ), was seen as an unattractive woman or at least according to society's standards of that time. Growing up with James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, Theo learned to accept her lot in life but never let it truly get to her.
But marrying her best friend James under false pretenses changes everything.
Theo thought James loved her and because they were best friends she trusted him. Although I think James should have told Theo and quite possibly avoided several years of heartache, not telling her that he HAD to marry her destroyed all his chances at forgiveness. I do believe James loved Theo but why the man didn't try and fight for her after she found out the truth is beyond me. I get he was ashamed and felt he could never be good enough for Theo, but leaving for 7 years wasn't exactly a point in his favor.
Theo became very rigid and bitter, refusing to take pleasure in anything in life other than dressing well. She was such a different girl at 17 and in love with James, then to be betrayed and left to deal with the cruelty of what people were saying about her, calling her an ugly duckling and inferring the future Duke has escaped because of her utter lack of beauty. Such abhorrent talk would destroy anyone.
I've read that people had a hard time with James .
Even though the main characters were separated for 7 years, the lapse in time didn't encompass most of the book. And when James returned, it took a little time to get Theo to give him a chance, but there was lots of time devoted to their happy and electric reunion. They said things they should have said years ago, misunderstandings were cleared up and old grievances put to rest. I loved how possessive James was, how he refused to let Theo wallow in denial. He more than made up for his absence and proved his love over and over again. The epilogue was long, very beautiful and moving. This wasn't as angsty as it sounded when compared to other books within this trope, Theo was often too cold for my liking but I still really liked it. I'll be checking out other titles by this author.
August 23, 2012
This book pushed my buttons in a bad way. I know many people enjoyed it. Most were able to get over the things that got stuck in my craw. But it did not work for me at all.
I had problems from the very beginning. James and Theodora grew up together. Theo had been taken in as ward of James' father. They were essentially raised as siblings. Unfortunately, Daddy Dearest lost all of his money in bad investments and some of Theo's dowry too. If anyone were to find out, he could go to prison. So he forces James to propose to Theo to hide the crime and legally get his hands her remaining funds. James cares for Theo and knows what he doing is wrong, but he does it anyway.
I thought this dynamic was kind of squicky. Rather quickly, though, James begins to have less than brotherly feelings towards Theo and their marriage is the real deal. Until Theo finds out why he proposed. She is heartbroken and orders him away. James takes her demand seriously, heading to the high seas, where he spends the next seven years as a pirate.
That's right. I said SEVEN YEARS. He leaves her the entire responsibility of running his estate and getting it out from under his father's debts. He leaves her to deal with his father's death alone... and then her own mother's passing as well. Not to mention that she is left to shoulder the cruel moniker of the "Ugly Duchess," she was given by all the newspapers from the day they wed. They had been married only two days before he left her, and her humiliation was heartbreaking.
In her husband's absence, Theo remakes herself. She ends up very successful and the height of fashion. She moved on with her life, but in a very closed-off way. James broke something inside her and what remained was icy and distant. It was just as she was preparing to have him declared dead that James returns. He has decided he wants her back and somehow he thinks he is entitled to it. Despite his lies to get her to marry him. Despite the fact he abandoned her. Despite the mistresses he took while he was gone.
Yes. Mistresses. And he has no problem with the fact that she knows it. He even talks to her about them, about how he considered their marriage over.
This was the point that I was ready to stop reading. I didn't even want them to work it out. I didn't want him to be redeemed. I just wanted to rage. This is not ok. You can't go around shtupping other women in your randy pirate life then come back and say no other man will ever touch your wife. You can't consider your marriage over, yet still consider it valid when it suits you. You can't make me like you again.
Unfortunately, I can't say Theo holds onto her anger quite the same way. To the contrary, one nice bath and a couple of hours naked and all seems forgiven. Let's reiterate the seven years part. And the mistresses part. No. Just no.
Rating: D+
*ARC Provided by Avon
I had problems from the very beginning. James and Theodora grew up together. Theo had been taken in as ward of James' father. They were essentially raised as siblings. Unfortunately, Daddy Dearest lost all of his money in bad investments and some of Theo's dowry too. If anyone were to find out, he could go to prison. So he forces James to propose to Theo to hide the crime and legally get his hands her remaining funds. James cares for Theo and knows what he doing is wrong, but he does it anyway.
I thought this dynamic was kind of squicky. Rather quickly, though, James begins to have less than brotherly feelings towards Theo and their marriage is the real deal. Until Theo finds out why he proposed. She is heartbroken and orders him away. James takes her demand seriously, heading to the high seas, where he spends the next seven years as a pirate.
That's right. I said SEVEN YEARS. He leaves her the entire responsibility of running his estate and getting it out from under his father's debts. He leaves her to deal with his father's death alone... and then her own mother's passing as well. Not to mention that she is left to shoulder the cruel moniker of the "Ugly Duchess," she was given by all the newspapers from the day they wed. They had been married only two days before he left her, and her humiliation was heartbreaking.
In her husband's absence, Theo remakes herself. She ends up very successful and the height of fashion. She moved on with her life, but in a very closed-off way. James broke something inside her and what remained was icy and distant. It was just as she was preparing to have him declared dead that James returns. He has decided he wants her back and somehow he thinks he is entitled to it. Despite his lies to get her to marry him. Despite the fact he abandoned her. Despite the mistresses he took while he was gone.
Yes. Mistresses. And he has no problem with the fact that she knows it. He even talks to her about them, about how he considered their marriage over.
This was the point that I was ready to stop reading. I didn't even want them to work it out. I didn't want him to be redeemed. I just wanted to rage. This is not ok. You can't go around shtupping other women in your randy pirate life then come back and say no other man will ever touch your wife. You can't consider your marriage over, yet still consider it valid when it suits you. You can't make me like you again.
Unfortunately, I can't say Theo holds onto her anger quite the same way. To the contrary, one nice bath and a couple of hours naked and all seems forgiven. Let's reiterate the seven years part. And the mistresses part. No. Just no.
Rating: D+
*ARC Provided by Avon
May 28, 2012
This book broke my heart, in more ways than one.
I wanted, so badly, to love it. In fact, up until a certain part, I was certain I'd be rating it 4.5-5 stars!
Unfortunately, there's so much infidelity that I just couldn't get past it. Yes, he had pretty excuses, but... *queasy*
I LOVED Daisy/Theo. Loved her. And in some ways, I loved James as well. The betrayal early on was absolutely delicious, and up until the point where he dipped his wick in some foreign widow, I was hooked! But the very blatant infidelity, AND the fact he didn't seem to be ashamed about it when recounting it to his wife made me want to vomit, especially when combined with a seven year estrangement.
To be fair, it's very well-written, with well-rounded characters and an intense amount of emotion, but I personally couldn't get past the cheating, even though I easily admit that James did grovel rather prettily there in the end.
Fans of cheating heroes and fairly long estrangements will eat this one up with a spoon, but for me, 3/5. :-/
I wanted, so badly, to love it. In fact, up until a certain part, I was certain I'd be rating it 4.5-5 stars!
Unfortunately, there's so much infidelity that I just couldn't get past it. Yes, he had pretty excuses, but... *queasy*
I LOVED Daisy/Theo. Loved her. And in some ways, I loved James as well. The betrayal early on was absolutely delicious, and up until the point where he dipped his wick in some foreign widow, I was hooked! But the very blatant infidelity, AND the fact he didn't seem to be ashamed about it when recounting it to his wife made me want to vomit, especially when combined with a seven year estrangement.
To be fair, it's very well-written, with well-rounded characters and an intense amount of emotion, but I personally couldn't get past the cheating, even though I easily admit that James did grovel rather prettily there in the end.
Fans of cheating heroes and fairly long estrangements will eat this one up with a spoon, but for me, 3/5. :-/
August 26, 2021
I think Becky's review says it best.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It was sweet then...
I liked it.
I hated it.
I hated her.
I hated him.
Too bad as I had high expectations given the premise and their relationship for the first two days of their marriage. Eloisa James went in a direction I really didn't anticipate or enjoy.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It was sweet then...
I liked it.
I hated it.
I hated her.
I hated him.
Too bad as I had high expectations given the premise and their relationship for the first two days of their marriage. Eloisa James went in a direction I really didn't anticipate or enjoy.
December 3, 2020
After reading beauty tamed the beast, I thought this whole series would be golden but this one WAS SO WEIRD. THE TIMING IS OFF. they're childhood friends and they sort of had feelings for each other. When his father gets himself into debt, he suggests him to marry our heroine despite her being plain looking for her dowry. And then they just do??? And then they love each other??? And thats for half the book but the other half is them falling out and him turning into a pirate for no reason whatever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2017
Who wants a hero who starts off kind but weak-willed and ends up cruel and strong-willed?
March 12, 2018
PART 1 : LOVED it! Witty, charming, fun, sweet, passionate and so heartbreaking.
PART 2 : Everything that made the story and characters enjoyable started to fall apart. I didn't care for Theo's (a.k.a Daisy) 'transformation'. She went from a sweet, goofy, lovable mischievous young girl to an aloof, serious, tightly controlled frigid ice queen. I understood her need to want to take control of her life after separating from James but her strict rules on her fashion style and way of life I found tiring and snobby. She turned into an obsessive compulsive dingbat who would panic if her bed wasn't made up or her sheets weren't properly folded (even during sex come on!). And she thought everything regarding sex was distasteful and shameful, that bothered me to no end because it was such a polar contrast to her younger self who clearly loved making love. And her reasonings to why she hates sex didn't seem genuine. I missed Daisy. I know Eloisa James is a fashion fangirl and loves the high culture of the Regency era and all things delightfully embellished but when the heroine gets carried away describing every detail and nuance in refurbishing a ducal room or how she had a cape cut to suite her ‘edgy’ style it starts to create an artificial tone that isn’t endearing or relatable. I had the same issue in another of her books regarding the fashion mania and once again EJ got carried away in here. There were moments where I really didn’t like the cavalier arrogant tone in Theo’s inner monologues. I especially wasn't a fan of her internal dressing down of her close 'friends' and complete obsession with beauty. I had to keep pausing and ask myself this is the heroine??........Never a good sign. I understood the reason behind the obsession with vanity but there were moments it made her come off like a high-flying hypocritical snob rather than enchanting swan. EJ's heroines are known for their snarkiness and eccentric off-the-bat personalities but she missed her mark completely here with how she characterized Theo. She came off more like a haughty mean girl one too many times for my liking. So while I loved and adored young Theo, it was difficult at times to empathize or even like older Theo. :(
James, the former Earl-turned-pirate-turned-Duke was quite a hero. He started off on the wrong foot and went into a marriage with his ‘Daisy’ under false pretenses but EJ did a good job rationalizing and giving a lot of introspection on James's true feelings and motives. He clearly loved and adored Daisy so I couldn’t hate him or blame him for everything. You have an eccentric heroine who's labeled as 'ugly' by the entire ton which leads to her deep insecurity of herself. The ugly-duckling-turned-swan theme of the story was heartbreaking and sweet. The transformation was more of Theo finding her confidence and learning to dress better and embrace her sharp features. I thought James becoming a pirate was a nice surprising twist. I very much enjoyed that because it was unexpected. It was fun seeing his transformation from a young lanky handsome teen to a huge intimidating swash-buckling pirate.
This book is the perfect example of how EJ can write very angsty romance with a tormented couple. She has it in her and here she mastered it brilliantly. I felt both hero and heroine had a lot of growing up to do and they did but it was a lengthly process and understandably so. There is a lot of self-discovery and self-revelations I just wish EJ didn't spend so much page time keeping the h/hr apart only to come to a rushed abrupt reunion in the end. The ending is what made it lose a star for me. If the ending was a little more realistic and well paced than I would have probably rated this higher. I adored the epilogue but still their overall reunion could have been handled better. It almost came across like the couple were up against a clock and had run out of page time so they needed to hurry. It just screamed 'oh! there are only 20 pages left??! Quick, let's kiss and make up! The End.' Eeeh. Didn't fly with me. I mean you have them sharing ILY’s and Theo miraculously overcoming her personal fears and reservations over marital intimacy in a matter of 2 DAYS after James's return to England. That gave me whiplash and was a little unbelievable. Theo's abrupt turnabout was the most contrived part of all it considering hours earlier she was set on moving out and insisting they separate. Their reunion takes up the last 20% of this book, not even that. They were apart for 7 years I think they deserved a little more time than 2 freaking days to truly re-discover each other and fall in love again.
PART 2 : Everything that made the story and characters enjoyable started to fall apart. I didn't care for Theo's (a.k.a Daisy) 'transformation'. She went from a sweet, goofy, lovable mischievous young girl to an aloof, serious, tightly controlled frigid ice queen. I understood her need to want to take control of her life after separating from James but her strict rules on her fashion style and way of life I found tiring and snobby. She turned into an obsessive compulsive dingbat who would panic if her bed wasn't made up or her sheets weren't properly folded (even during sex come on!). And she thought everything regarding sex was distasteful and shameful, that bothered me to no end because it was such a polar contrast to her younger self who clearly loved making love. And her reasonings to why she hates sex didn't seem genuine. I missed Daisy. I know Eloisa James is a fashion fangirl and loves the high culture of the Regency era and all things delightfully embellished but when the heroine gets carried away describing every detail and nuance in refurbishing a ducal room or how she had a cape cut to suite her ‘edgy’ style it starts to create an artificial tone that isn’t endearing or relatable. I had the same issue in another of her books regarding the fashion mania and once again EJ got carried away in here. There were moments where I really didn’t like the cavalier arrogant tone in Theo’s inner monologues. I especially wasn't a fan of her internal dressing down of her close 'friends' and complete obsession with beauty. I had to keep pausing and ask myself this is the heroine??........Never a good sign. I understood the reason behind the obsession with vanity but there were moments it made her come off like a high-flying hypocritical snob rather than enchanting swan. EJ's heroines are known for their snarkiness and eccentric off-the-bat personalities but she missed her mark completely here with how she characterized Theo. She came off more like a haughty mean girl one too many times for my liking. So while I loved and adored young Theo, it was difficult at times to empathize or even like older Theo. :(
James, the former Earl-turned-pirate-turned-Duke was quite a hero. He started off on the wrong foot and went into a marriage with his ‘Daisy’ under false pretenses but EJ did a good job rationalizing and giving a lot of introspection on James's true feelings and motives. He clearly loved and adored Daisy so I couldn’t hate him or blame him for everything. You have an eccentric heroine who's labeled as 'ugly' by the entire ton which leads to her deep insecurity of herself. The ugly-duckling-turned-swan theme of the story was heartbreaking and sweet. The transformation was more of Theo finding her confidence and learning to dress better and embrace her sharp features. I thought James becoming a pirate was a nice surprising twist. I very much enjoyed that because it was unexpected. It was fun seeing his transformation from a young lanky handsome teen to a huge intimidating swash-buckling pirate.
This book is the perfect example of how EJ can write very angsty romance with a tormented couple. She has it in her and here she mastered it brilliantly. I felt both hero and heroine had a lot of growing up to do and they did but it was a lengthly process and understandably so. There is a lot of self-discovery and self-revelations I just wish EJ didn't spend so much page time keeping the h/hr apart only to come to a rushed abrupt reunion in the end. The ending is what made it lose a star for me. If the ending was a little more realistic and well paced than I would have probably rated this higher. I adored the epilogue but still their overall reunion could have been handled better. It almost came across like the couple were up against a clock and had run out of page time so they needed to hurry. It just screamed 'oh! there are only 20 pages left??! Quick, let's kiss and make up! The End.' Eeeh. Didn't fly with me. I mean you have them sharing ILY’s and Theo miraculously overcoming her personal fears and reservations over marital intimacy in a matter of 2 DAYS after James's return to England. That gave me whiplash and was a little unbelievable. Theo's abrupt turnabout was the most contrived part of all it considering hours earlier she was set on moving out and insisting they separate. Their reunion takes up the last 20% of this book, not even that. They were apart for 7 years I think they deserved a little more time than 2 freaking days to truly re-discover each other and fall in love again.
August 31, 2012
I find myself torn on Eloisa James's books. On the one hand, she writes engaging characters and the stories of her romances are always enjoyable. For me, her biggest weakness comes when it's time to get down to the plot. That, again, was my biggest issue in The Ugly Duchess, which felt like two different books to me. I very much enjoyed the first 60 or so pages with two best friends who are young sort of falling into a marriage. I even enjoyed the fallout that resulted. But then...piracy. I shouldn't complain, as the word pirate is in the last sentence of the blurb. Still, I was a little taken aback by that turn in the story. Then, once Theo and James had separated, the book very much slowed down for me. When they are reunited, everything felt sort of rushed and expected, so the excitement and passion that I picked up from the first portion of the book was lost.
Really, I think my problem was that I'd have preferred the book to be written one of two ways. Either have a prologue of the chapter in which everything falls to pieces (the first sixty pages in retrospect felt like an overlong prologue anyway) and then pick up with James returning and explore two now very different people figuring out that some things never change (which is what the last fifty pages of this book felt like) or eliminate the piracy element and tell the story of two best friends who became something more explore the fallout of a colossal misunderstanding.
There was a turning point in the book for James that, had it been handled differently, might have made the end make more sense. If he'd not chucked all that fabric into the ocean, if he'd hung on to some secret hope even if on the surface he gives up, I would have found the ending more believable. But the idea that a near-death experience would be enough to send him running home when, as he's a pirate, the countless other brushes with death didn't? I don't know.
I had several other problems with the plotting/pacing of this book. First, we start out with James point blank refusing to marry Theo or make her fall in love with him because she sees him as a brother. And then, as he chases her around teasingly, he realizes oops this might be something else. Only...in later chapters he's apparently been noticing her being grownup and suppressing it...then it's lusting after her for years and loving her longer.
Then there were the subplot-like things that were never resolved, particularly with Griffin. The epilogue would have been maybe a good place for that but there was no payoff to the constant mentions of his distant wife. And the Geoffrey moment at the end, though somewhat foreshadowed, seemed like a cheap out.
All of this left me feeling like there hadn't been much planning put into the book. And again, that goes back to failures in the plotting.
I also was sort of put out with Theo for her part in the misunderstanding. James leaves, which makes sense with his honor-bound character of the first sixty pages (as I said, character building isn't Eloisa James's problem) and Theo believing what her father-in-law says makes sense for someone so insecure. But...look at the past two days (which reminds me that I wish they'd been married a wee bit longer before things went to pot) of your marriage, Theo! This is clearly not a man who is 1) unattracted to you or 2) not in love with you. For her to fly off the handle makes sense, but she didn't exactly look for him either and I don't think that whole mess was ever well addressed.
That's my other problem with this book. We're told in the second half of the story that Theo is an ice queen. That she is above everything that has happened with society and the nicknames. But, for all that strength, she still needs James to come to her rescue and declare her beautiful at the end. I'd have liked it very much to see her stand up for herself. Otherwise she felt like the same insecure girl from the beginning. There's nothing wrong with that, true, but it didn't fit with the whole "I control my life" Theo the reader was shown.
There were elements I enjoyed. I rather liked Theo and James, both their pre and post misunderstanding selves. And I thought there was a lot of chemistry in the start of the book. I just wish we hadn't been bogged down with the years of their separation and I wish the ultimate conclusion had been more fitting of two strong characters.
Really, I think my problem was that I'd have preferred the book to be written one of two ways. Either have a prologue of the chapter in which everything falls to pieces (the first sixty pages in retrospect felt like an overlong prologue anyway) and then pick up with James returning and explore two now very different people figuring out that some things never change (which is what the last fifty pages of this book felt like) or eliminate the piracy element and tell the story of two best friends who became something more explore the fallout of a colossal misunderstanding.
There was a turning point in the book for James that, had it been handled differently, might have made the end make more sense. If he'd not chucked all that fabric into the ocean, if he'd hung on to some secret hope even if on the surface he gives up, I would have found the ending more believable. But the idea that a near-death experience would be enough to send him running home when, as he's a pirate, the countless other brushes with death didn't? I don't know.
I had several other problems with the plotting/pacing of this book. First, we start out with James point blank refusing to marry Theo or make her fall in love with him because she sees him as a brother. And then, as he chases her around teasingly, he realizes oops this might be something else. Only...in later chapters he's apparently been noticing her being grownup and suppressing it...then it's lusting after her for years and loving her longer.
Then there were the subplot-like things that were never resolved, particularly with Griffin. The epilogue would have been maybe a good place for that but there was no payoff to the constant mentions of his distant wife. And the Geoffrey moment at the end, though somewhat foreshadowed, seemed like a cheap out.
All of this left me feeling like there hadn't been much planning put into the book. And again, that goes back to failures in the plotting.
I also was sort of put out with Theo for her part in the misunderstanding. James leaves, which makes sense with his honor-bound character of the first sixty pages (as I said, character building isn't Eloisa James's problem) and Theo believing what her father-in-law says makes sense for someone so insecure. But...look at the past two days (which reminds me that I wish they'd been married a wee bit longer before things went to pot) of your marriage, Theo! This is clearly not a man who is 1) unattracted to you or 2) not in love with you. For her to fly off the handle makes sense, but she didn't exactly look for him either and I don't think that whole mess was ever well addressed.
That's my other problem with this book. We're told in the second half of the story that Theo is an ice queen. That she is above everything that has happened with society and the nicknames. But, for all that strength, she still needs James to come to her rescue and declare her beautiful at the end. I'd have liked it very much to see her stand up for herself. Otherwise she felt like the same insecure girl from the beginning. There's nothing wrong with that, true, but it didn't fit with the whole "I control my life" Theo the reader was shown.
There were elements I enjoyed. I rather liked Theo and James, both their pre and post misunderstanding selves. And I thought there was a lot of chemistry in the start of the book. I just wish we hadn't been bogged down with the years of their separation and I wish the ultimate conclusion had been more fitting of two strong characters.
January 16, 2025
After the cute novella about the pirate/privateer Griffin Barry, I wanted to know more about his cousin and companion James, the Duke of Ashford. Unfortunately, the retelling of Andersen's fairytale "The Ugly Duckling" didn't help me to overcome my ambivalent relationship with author Eloisa James.
The book and its three parts (officially it's only 2 parts, for me it's 3) felt completely unbalanced. In part one (about 120 pages), the old duke commands his son James to marry his rich but not very attractive ward, Theodora. Because James and Theodora are like brother and sister – they grow up together –, James strictly denies his father's wish. In the beginning. Then, all of sudden, he feels more for the girl, and passionately kisses her on a musicale. They get caught and marriage is unavoidable. They quickly fall for another. But then, just a few days later, Theodora overhears a humiliating conversation between James and his father that also reveals James' reasons for marrying her, and she throws her husband out of the house. Even this part was just boring. James is pretty much a wimp, and his never-ending musings and guilty conscience were unnerving. And because I'm not very interested in fashion, the details about gowns and pins and accessories were way too much for me.
And it doesn't get any better in the second part (about 50 pages). While James is off to be a captain and later a privateer (together with his cousin Griffin Barry), the "Ugly Duchess" transforms into a very successful businesswoman and also a beautiful swan. Even more lengthy fashion details are presented as Theo becomes a trendsetter in fashion and elegance. Seven years pass in fast motion, showing only glimpses of James' and Theo's lives. At last, James is seriously injured by another pirate and realizes – on the verge of death – that he still loves his wife and wants to go home to her.
Back home, James tries to win his wife back. Part three is about 140 and feels like 50 pages. At most. Everything happens too quick and too easy. The now oh-so-confident duchess is putty in her husband's hands and they finally get their HEA after a few days. Actually, they don't deserve it. Theodora, because she sent him away without a reasonable conversation. James, because he left without a fight and never even tried to contact her.
However. I didn't like the main characters and I didn't buy their sudden love and their easy reunion. Everything lacked depth, instead, there were tons of detailed descriptions of fashion and ceramics, which I didn't enjoy. I didn't like the erratic narrative style either, because it made it impossible for me to immerse myself in the plot and stay interested in the story. Also, I don't want to know details about a hero's sex life with other women. It's okay for me that James had affairs after Theo sent him away and declared their marriage over, but please don't give me details about it.
Even though I didn't like this book very much, I'm going to read the novella about Griffin Barry's son and James Ashford's daughter next.
The book and its three parts (officially it's only 2 parts, for me it's 3) felt completely unbalanced. In part one (about 120 pages), the old duke commands his son James to marry his rich but not very attractive ward, Theodora. Because James and Theodora are like brother and sister – they grow up together –, James strictly denies his father's wish. In the beginning. Then, all of sudden, he feels more for the girl, and passionately kisses her on a musicale. They get caught and marriage is unavoidable. They quickly fall for another. But then, just a few days later, Theodora overhears a humiliating conversation between James and his father that also reveals James' reasons for marrying her, and she throws her husband out of the house. Even this part was just boring. James is pretty much a wimp, and his never-ending musings and guilty conscience were unnerving. And because I'm not very interested in fashion, the details about gowns and pins and accessories were way too much for me.
And it doesn't get any better in the second part (about 50 pages). While James is off to be a captain and later a privateer (together with his cousin Griffin Barry), the "Ugly Duchess" transforms into a very successful businesswoman and also a beautiful swan. Even more lengthy fashion details are presented as Theo becomes a trendsetter in fashion and elegance. Seven years pass in fast motion, showing only glimpses of James' and Theo's lives. At last, James is seriously injured by another pirate and realizes – on the verge of death – that he still loves his wife and wants to go home to her.
Back home, James tries to win his wife back. Part three is about 140 and feels like 50 pages. At most. Everything happens too quick and too easy. The now oh-so-confident duchess is putty in her husband's hands and they finally get their HEA after a few days. Actually, they don't deserve it. Theodora, because she sent him away without a reasonable conversation. James, because he left without a fight and never even tried to contact her.
However. I didn't like the main characters and I didn't buy their sudden love and their easy reunion. Everything lacked depth, instead, there were tons of detailed descriptions of fashion and ceramics, which I didn't enjoy. I didn't like the erratic narrative style either, because it made it impossible for me to immerse myself in the plot and stay interested in the story. Also, I don't want to know details about a hero's sex life with other women. It's okay for me that James had affairs after Theo sent him away and declared their marriage over, but please don't give me details about it.
Even though I didn't like this book very much, I'm going to read the novella about Griffin Barry's son and James Ashford's daughter next.
October 26, 2019
I was given this book by one of my friends who adores this author. Should have started with a different book I think.
2.5/5 stars.
I truly did NOT enjoy this book. While the writing is solid, everything else falls flat.
A trainwreck is more appropriate I think.
We start with James our hero being convinced by his father to marry Theodora, someone he'd grown up with and almost considered his sister. But then a few chapters later he suddenly realizes that she isn't like his sister at all, he defs has the hots for her. Okay sure. I'll brush over that even though it makes no sense.
Apparently later the dufus falls in love with her, but still doesn't tell her why and under what circumstances he agreed to marry her. Considering that he now apparently loved her, and wanted to marry her for more reasons than the nonsensical plot points earlier - he should have just told her and we coud have avoided all this. They're shown to be super close since they were young, and meant to understand each other really well - surely he could have explained this entire shindig and then the book could have been about her learning to trust and love him again. That would have been bearable.
But nope, all aboard the fuck no train it is.
Through this entire melodrama Theodora was at least bearable. Until the moment when she kicked him out after finding out the circumstances of their marraige. She was angry, but that's to be expected. However, she was angry about the most ridiculous thing. What was meant to be angst was just crass.
Cut to seven years later. Don't even ask me why. That was too much brooding on both sides.
There were way, way too many chapters about I don't even know what. I feel asleep at one point.
Finally they meet again and it's just.... weird . I've even forgotten what I wanted them to do when they meet. Some steamy scenes ensue, followed by a lot of dialogue and half assed apologies or whatever, and we have our HEA. It just felt, off. Plain and simple off.
I didn't feel any happiness at having them get together. I was like meh.
Also, I couldn't deal with him cheating. I mean when he left he was screaming about how he loved her and yadda yadda. He came back and spoke of how he's changed but his feelings for her haven't and yet he speaks of taking mistresses because well "he has needs". Not that I didn't expect that but they should have dealt with it better. He spoke of how his desires had dimmed and he had better control, and then instantly spoke of taking mistresses to sate his needs. Where's that control now aye?
Anways, this was a hit and a miss. But I've been told this author is brilliant. So I'll venture into another one of hers soon.
2.5/5 stars.
I truly did NOT enjoy this book. While the writing is solid, everything else falls flat.
A trainwreck is more appropriate I think.
We start with James our hero being convinced by his father to marry Theodora, someone he'd grown up with and almost considered his sister. But then a few chapters later he suddenly realizes that she isn't like his sister at all, he defs has the hots for her. Okay sure. I'll brush over that even though it makes no sense.
Apparently later the dufus falls in love with her, but still doesn't tell her why and under what circumstances he agreed to marry her. Considering that he now apparently loved her, and wanted to marry her for more reasons than the nonsensical plot points earlier - he should have just told her and we coud have avoided all this. They're shown to be super close since they were young, and meant to understand each other really well - surely he could have explained this entire shindig and then the book could have been about her learning to trust and love him again. That would have been bearable.
But nope, all aboard the fuck no train it is.
Through this entire melodrama Theodora was at least bearable. Until the moment when she kicked him out after finding out the circumstances of their marraige. She was angry, but that's to be expected. However, she was angry about the most ridiculous thing. What was meant to be angst was just crass.
Cut to seven years later. Don't even ask me why. That was too much brooding on both sides.
There were way, way too many chapters about I don't even know what. I feel asleep at one point.
Finally they meet again and it's just.... weird . I've even forgotten what I wanted them to do when they meet. Some steamy scenes ensue, followed by a lot of dialogue and half assed apologies or whatever, and we have our HEA. It just felt, off. Plain and simple off.
I didn't feel any happiness at having them get together. I was like meh.
Also, I couldn't deal with him cheating. I mean when he left he was screaming about how he loved her and yadda yadda. He came back and spoke of how he's changed but his feelings for her haven't and yet he speaks of taking mistresses because well "he has needs". Not that I didn't expect that but they should have dealt with it better. He spoke of how his desires had dimmed and he had better control, and then instantly spoke of taking mistresses to sate his needs. Where's that control now aye?
Anways, this was a hit and a miss. But I've been told this author is brilliant. So I'll venture into another one of hers soon.
March 6, 2021
** 1.5 star **
Okay... I never expected this from Eloisa James.
Shall I rant about why I disliked?
◾H and h are childhood friendly and often called themselves as 'siblings' which made the whole love story gross IMO. I've never been a fan of friends to lovers.
◾h is plain and simple in nature and appearance but was always referred as 'ugly' or 'manly looking' which were over the top adjectives.
◾H never really loved h until very very long in the story but like some idiot kept on pretending and literally lying on everyone's face, especially h who behaved like a love sick child.
◾ Both H and h are toooo young to even be throyw in the whole mess created by the H's father. Their age actually made me creep over them as they are too young for the 'ton' and it's tactics, too young for even this storyline.
◾ Most of the time I really hated H. He didn't really know what he wanted. He seemed to act according to the situation. As if circumstances didn't allow him to be himself.
◾h seemed to know H a whole lot of more than anyone (being childhood friends/almost siblings 🙄) but failed to understand him in some most crucial points. Where I personally believe she should have or atleast tried a bit harder to know his problems.
I can't think of anymore points. But I guess that's that.
Okay... I never expected this from Eloisa James.
Shall I rant about why I disliked?
◾H and h are childhood friendly and often called themselves as 'siblings' which made the whole love story gross IMO. I've never been a fan of friends to lovers.
◾h is plain and simple in nature and appearance but was always referred as 'ugly' or 'manly looking' which were over the top adjectives.
◾H never really loved h until very very long in the story but like some idiot kept on pretending and literally lying on everyone's face, especially h who behaved like a love sick child.
◾ Both H and h are toooo young to even be throyw in the whole mess created by the H's father. Their age actually made me creep over them as they are too young for the 'ton' and it's tactics, too young for even this storyline.
◾ Most of the time I really hated H. He didn't really know what he wanted. He seemed to act according to the situation. As if circumstances didn't allow him to be himself.
◾h seemed to know H a whole lot of more than anyone (being childhood friends/almost siblings 🙄) but failed to understand him in some most crucial points. Where I personally believe she should have or atleast tried a bit harder to know his problems.
I can't think of anymore points. But I guess that's that.
December 18, 2012
Buddy read with Karen BookLover 12/16/12
I love Eloisa James, so my opinion may be biased. She's never over the top, and she unapologetically adds content that may or may not be realistic for her preferred Regency time period. But she sure does make me laugh with it! She's never too sexual, but she does write very sensual scenes. For me, she just really writes great ROMANCE stories. Her characters are flawed, they make stupid, stupid, STUPID decisions (James, I'm looking at you), but they are just people.
I know that people had issues with a couple of things about this story, and it's an issue I tend to flip my bitch switch about also. But it honestly didn't bother me to the point that I couldn't forgive. I think both Theo and James were at fault. They both made tremendously stupid mistakes...due to their immaturity and naivete, their stations in life, and the pressures exerted from those that were supposed to support them. My heart just broke for Daisy (James name for Theo). People can be so cruel, and she was the butt of many a joke. She let it turn her bitter, she let her bitterness cloud her judgement, and she let it ruin what could have been a beautiful marriage. She was so blinded by her insecurities that she refused to listen to James, so to me she was very much at fault. Not to say that I don't understand her point of view. I can empathize and criticize all at once! I do the same for James.
James was a young man with little control on the direction of his life. While women of that time period are perceived to be the powerless ones, there were instances such as this in which the men were put into positions just as much out of their control. James simply got stuck between a rock and a hard place. Instead of being honest and explaining himself to Daisy, he hid the partial motive for their marriage and in doing so, destroyed the trust, friendship, and burgeoning love that they had.
This book is a great testimony to just what secrets can do to a relationship. Dishonesty, no matter if the intent is good, is never the best policy.
I love Eloisa James, so my opinion may be biased. She's never over the top, and she unapologetically adds content that may or may not be realistic for her preferred Regency time period. But she sure does make me laugh with it! She's never too sexual, but she does write very sensual scenes. For me, she just really writes great ROMANCE stories. Her characters are flawed, they make stupid, stupid, STUPID decisions (James, I'm looking at you), but they are just people.
I know that people had issues with a couple of things about this story, and it's an issue I tend to flip my bitch switch about also. But it honestly didn't bother me to the point that I couldn't forgive. I think both Theo and James were at fault. They both made tremendously stupid mistakes...due to their immaturity and naivete, their stations in life, and the pressures exerted from those that were supposed to support them. My heart just broke for Daisy (James name for Theo). People can be so cruel, and she was the butt of many a joke. She let it turn her bitter, she let her bitterness cloud her judgement, and she let it ruin what could have been a beautiful marriage. She was so blinded by her insecurities that she refused to listen to James, so to me she was very much at fault. Not to say that I don't understand her point of view. I can empathize and criticize all at once! I do the same for James.
James was a young man with little control on the direction of his life. While women of that time period are perceived to be the powerless ones, there were instances such as this in which the men were put into positions just as much out of their control. James simply got stuck between a rock and a hard place. Instead of being honest and explaining himself to Daisy, he hid the partial motive for their marriage and in doing so, destroyed the trust, friendship, and burgeoning love that they had.
This book is a great testimony to just what secrets can do to a relationship. Dishonesty, no matter if the intent is good, is never the best policy.
December 17, 2019
This was definitely unusual plot structure but I like it a lot. I enjoy the feeling of not knowing where the story is taking me. This book was surprising to the end.
Contrary to the title of the book, I didn’t think this was a retelling in any way of ugly duckling turning into a swan. I though Eloisa James went much deeper into human emotional development then that story line.
This is a romance between two opposites Theo, a responsible, creative, industrious but not so pretty girl and James, beautiful, hot headed, messy, adventurous man.
I liked watching them mature and overcome their issues to eventually come together.
There were few weak spots in motivations of the MCs but I overlooked them because I was interested in where is Eloisa James taking me.
The end of the book was unforgettable. I really appreciated how tricky James had to be. I don’t want to spoil it. For you guys. Give this book a try.
Contrary to the title of the book, I didn’t think this was a retelling in any way of ugly duckling turning into a swan. I though Eloisa James went much deeper into human emotional development then that story line.
This is a romance between two opposites Theo, a responsible, creative, industrious but not so pretty girl and James, beautiful, hot headed, messy, adventurous man.
I liked watching them mature and overcome their issues to eventually come together.
There were few weak spots in motivations of the MCs but I overlooked them because I was interested in where is Eloisa James taking me.
The end of the book was unforgettable. I really appreciated how tricky James had to be. I don’t want to spoil it. For you guys. Give this book a try.
January 26, 2022
Buddy-reading πριγκιπέσσες 🥰
Όπως είπε κ η Μαριλένα γανιάσαμε μέχρι να γυρίσει ο Τζέιμς 😂😂
Όπως είπε κ η Μαριλένα γανιάσαμε μέχρι να γυρίσει ο Τζέιμς 😂😂
March 6, 2018
2.5 stars
When I first started this book I thought the 3.67 average rating was crazy low because I was enjoying the book so much! But then I got to the middle and end and now I think that number is too high. A woman who was so confident despite her acknowledged lack of traditional beauty, turns into a woman who cares too much about fashion and is a complete pushover. A good man who did the wrong thing for the right reasons becomes a complete ass who shows no care for anyone for several years and doesn't apologize nearly enough for any of it. I'm not one of those readers where cheating in a book is an automatic bad rating, but the casual treatment of cheating in this book bothered me.
When I first started this book I thought the 3.67 average rating was crazy low because I was enjoying the book so much! But then I got to the middle and end and now I think that number is too high. A woman who was so confident despite her acknowledged lack of traditional beauty, turns into a woman who cares too much about fashion and is a complete pushover. A good man who did the wrong thing for the right reasons becomes a complete ass who shows no care for anyone for several years and doesn't apologize nearly enough for any of it. I'm not one of those readers where cheating in a book is an automatic bad rating, but the casual treatment of cheating in this book bothered me.
January 17, 2019
Looking back at this book, I dislike it even more. Romance? NO. I mean really, why do they love each other and what is the evidence of this love in his
.....................
In hind sight, I knocked down the stars because I NEVER revisit this story and I STILL don't forgive the cheating cowardly hero! I have absolutely no faith that his first instinct in a time of trouble won't be to hightail it out of there leaving her holding the bag again.
###########
ORIGINAL REVIEW
I read this one a while ago and I must also confess that I have had little luck with this author. Usually her books are a dnf for me, mostly because I don't like the men and the double standard taken to an extreme. This book is a case in point. First he is a coward who runs away rather than stay close and look out for his wife. She tells him to go, but really, should he, especially when what she thinks isn't actually true anymore? Of course they were quite young and tempers prevail over logic at that age, but still... 7 years? Really? So then he comes back and makes up for being a dweeb with no gonads. But in my opinion it was too little too late. But I gave it an extra star for his trying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2012
Usually I love Eloisa James, but this one didn't really do it for me. Didn't love the protagonist, and there was weird pacing stuff happening, like 5 years going by and then 100 pages of things that were continuous at the end...I'm not sure. Love the author but this one just wasn't my fave!
August 18, 2022
Ωραίο ήταν, αλλά μας έβγαλε την ψυχή μέχρι να επιστρέψει πίσω ο Τζέιμς! Είχε το ενδιαφέρον του όμως σαν πλοκή, γιατί δεν ακολουθεί το μοτίβο άλλων παρόμοιων βιβλίων!
January 25, 2022
3,5 αστέρια
March 16, 2018
"The Ugly Duchess" is the story of Theodora and James.
What happens when you mate a spineless wimp hero with a strong heroine? This.
Lets recap the plot
Yes there is witty banter and occasional humor, but I thoroughly DETEST cheating heroes and Theo deserved more.
I loved the cover, and I usually love Eloise books, especially the first few in this series- but this was a MASSIVE disappointment. The detailed conversation of his mistresses with discomforting to read, and the only reason this isnt a 1 star is its a well written book, with a good concept..Sadly the hero was a wuss and couldnt keep his "perrywinkle" in his pants.
However, the epilogue. Beautiful.
UNSAFE
1.5/5
What happens when you mate a spineless wimp hero with a strong heroine? This.
Lets recap the plot
Yes there is witty banter and occasional humor, but I thoroughly DETEST cheating heroes and Theo deserved more.
I loved the cover, and I usually love Eloise books, especially the first few in this series- but this was a MASSIVE disappointment. The detailed conversation of his mistresses with discomforting to read, and the only reason this isnt a 1 star is its a well written book, with a good concept..Sadly the hero was a wuss and couldnt keep his "perrywinkle" in his pants.
However, the epilogue. Beautiful.
UNSAFE
1.5/5
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