The Ugly Duchess (Fairy Tales, #4) in Ask Eloisa James

Jul 17, 2012 Lisarenee rated it really liked it

Notes: I read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of the book.

Once upon a time there was a young heiress and young Earl who were best friends. They could tell the other anything and everything. Their parents had been best friends, as well, and when Theo's father passed, James' father took Theo and her mother in. They were raised as brother and sister living under the same roof. Then one day James' father, the Duke of Ashbrook, did something that would change everything....

“You’ll have to marry her. I Notes: I read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of the book.

Once upon a time there was a young heiress and young Earl who were best friends. They could tell the other anything and everything. Their parents had been best friends, as well, and when Theo's father passed, James' father took Theo and her mother in. They were raised as brother and sister living under the same roof. Then one day James' father, the Duke of Ashbrook, did something that would change everything....

“You’ll have to marry her. I don’t care if you think of her as a sister: from now on, she’s the Golden Fleece to you.”

James Ryburn, Earl of Islay, and heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, opened his mouth to say something, but a mixture of fury and disbelief choked the words.

His father turned and walked toward the far wall of the library, acting as if he’d said nothing particularly out of the ordinary. “We need her fortune to repair the Staffordshire estate and pay a few debts, or we’re going to lose it all, this townhouse included.”

“What have you done?” James spat the words. A terrible feeling of dread was spreading through his limbs.
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They say secrets have a way of revealing themselves at the most inconvenient moments and that is what James was afraid of when he decided to go through with his father's plans to marry Daisy (aka Theo). So as you can guess that's precisely what happened. But this secret wasn't revealed in a normal way. It was revealed in such an embarrassing and humiliating way that it could scar a person. It also left James and his father packing and Theo's heart breaking in its wake.

James truly cared for Theo and would never wish to do anything to hurt her. At first he refused to give in to his father's plan, but once he realized the extent of what his father had done, he reluctantly gave in. He'd planned to disclose all to Theo eventually, but sometimes things don't work out as planned. Additionally, Theodora Saxby didn't live up to the standard mitigated by the ton for beauty--her face was too angular, her chin too strong and her nose too long. It was for those reasons that shortly after their marriage, the papers declared her 'The Ugly Duchess'. So two days into her marriage she felt betrayed, used, humiliated, ugly and abandoned as she lost not only her husband, but her best friend as well.

This was a great story, but I kept wishing the time between the couple splitting and being reunited was shorter. Seven years is a long time. Additionally, some people may take issue with the fact that while married but separated, one of the two has an affair.

I liked how Theodora and James reinvented themselves during their separation, each growing up a little. Theo became a woman to be admired while James became a pirate and gained a better sense of himself and what he wanted. I believe it was his pirate nature as along with other events that finally made him decide to invade Theo's world and try to plunder the bounty of her heart. Let me just say I loved the way he went about it.

I loved the chemistry between Theo and James. It sizzled and scorched the pages as passion encapsulated the two. Hmm...perhaps I should have used a different metaphor that tied in the pirate theme? How about James shivered Theo's timbers. *smirk* I must say the man had me swooning.

While pirates have been around for a long time in romances I can't help but wonder if this marks the beginning of a new invasion of them into our romances? This is the second or third romance I've recently read with a pirate hero. I'm definitely crossing my fingers.

Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. The book had me hooked from start to finish and left me smiling in its wake. I loved the way Ms. James tied the Ugly Duckling story into this book and made it her own. I loved both James and Theo and wanted to throttle James' father. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
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Sep 03, 2012 Janice rated it it was amazing

Eloisa James hits a home run with this lively and fast paced story. Theo and James have been raised side by side since they could remember. When James' father embezzles Theo's fortune, every relationship in their household is tilted on its axis. The only solution is for James to marry Theo. Society sneers because Theo is no ordinary beauty. Really, in their eyes-an ugly duchess. How could such a handsome man as James marry one such as Theo? Theo quickly finds out that's it not love but economics ...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Lisa Rivera rated it it was ok

I'm not sure what I thought about this book but the fact that I skimmed most of it should tell you something.

It wasn't the cheating that bothered me or the lies. I appreciate good plot twists. It was just... none of it was really well done and the reconcilliation happened SO fast. There was barely any tnesion between our heroine and hero and I just found the story rather implausible.

Of course, there's always a certain amount of suspension of disbelief but this was just... ridiculous.

They were o ...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Eloisa James has delivered another beautifully written story. From the start, I was charmed by Theo (Daisy). She was such a wonderful character, intelligent, witty and capable of overcoming the insults slung her way. Even more, I loved her "Rules" and her competence in handling the duchy. One of my favorite quotes was when she said, "I probably never would have made a very good wife, but I do make a good duke." Priceless!! It was her stern character that made James such a good partner for her. T ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Sara rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, romance

I was disappointed. I've enjoyed some of Eloisa James's other books and this one had excellent reviews. I liked Theo a lot but James never seemed real enough even to like him or dislike him. He just seemed like a crazy combination of things. I know it's a romance but the pirate/privateer section was just too much to believe. Julia Quinn, by contrast, is an author whose heroes are very real and refreshingly ordinary, even-- what makes them heroes is the relationship-- and I guess that's more to m ...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, historical

I loved the first part of this book--it was wonderful how we got to see this young love develop. They were so into each other, like you are at the beginning of a relationship and James captured this perfectly. I was so happy that we were treated to 125+ pages of this--I think maybe I could have read a whole book like that. I don't know, maybe it would get too boring if there is no real conflict in a book, so it probably wouldn't work, but still... Anyway, this book would have gotten 5 stars from ...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Allison rated it liked it

Reading Eloisa James' romance novels are a treat I allow myself after finishing books that are either a challenge to get through, or are emotionally disturbing (We Need to Talk About Kevin). This is the 4th in her "Fairy Tales" series. For me, it is always a quick and enjoyable read. While not my favorite in the series, I always find pleasure in her books. ...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Lori rated it it was amazing

Another amazing book by Eloisa James! I loved the dialogue between Daisy and James, so quick and witty. This is writing at it's best! ...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Kerry Croucier rated it it was amazing

Eloisa James does not disappoint with her latest entry in her Fairy Tale series. A fun read!

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Sep 01, 2012 Donna Jo Atwood rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: england-fiction, romance, pirates, fairy-tale-knock-off, 2012-fall-challenge

I was not as enchanted with this book as I'd hoped to be. It was slow getting started and I got tired of getting hit over the head with the idea that Thea was considered ugly by everyone--I got it the first time--and the second--and the third--after that it was just an irritant.
Still, I liked the fact that both Thea and James were flawed and both had to work at changing their behavior. And I do wonder about Sir Barry's story. ...more

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