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This Duchess Of Mine (2009)

by Eloisa James(Favorite Author)

3.88 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0061626821 (ISBN13: 9780061626821)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Avon

series

Desperate Duchesses

review 1: I didn't enjoy this one as much because the relationship between the duke and duchess Belmont has been an ongoing subplot since the first book so I just couldn't find it as exciting since it had been so long drawn out. Also it probably doesn't help since I have read so many of these in a row. As much as I love this series I think I will take a break before I pick up the next book so is not to spoil myself.
review 2: Eloisa James This Duchess of MineJune 2-June 3I feel quite disappointed with this book. Gemma seemed so interesting in her previous appearances but when it came time to read her story, it just fell flat. I can't pin point why exactly but overall, I felt like it wasn't enough. The pace was too slow, the issues too repetitive, and the characters just ... moredid not live up to their reputation. I felt really sad for Gemma and Elijah but it was just too unrealistic. They say they cared for each other but their actions speak otherwise. After catching Elijah fucking his mistress in his office, Gemma flee to France. Elijah, feeling guilty, let her go. Meanwhile, Gemma languished in France waiting for Elijah to fetch her. It was a sad event . I just could not like Elijah despite his various good works and revisionist account of that event. Everything that came after to mend his character seemed too forced and insincere. Although it was a relief to know that Elijah stayed celibate after the event, it was just too convenient. Apparently, Gemma had two lovers, which was also unrealistic. Everything about the novel felt too forced and disconnected. It should have worked but did not. Elijah seems like a fine person but it felt way too forced for him to have stayed celibate. Apparently, he eschewed the company of women after Gemma. Additionally, he felt sated with Gemma that morning but continued on with his mistress the next. If he is so noble, then why not stick with his wife? I get that it is a common practice to keep a mistress but the main character of Elijah is nobility. It just did not mesh together. Also, he apparently loved his mistress but when he speaks about her trade, he seemed to downplay it. Why not stick to one story? If you loved her fine. If you didn’t, that’s also fine but stop saying it is what it is and at the same time isn’t. It’s just so frustrating. He was just so inconsistent. It was really unbelievable for me to believe that after all those years, he carried a torch for Gemma after being married for two weeks. Gemma. I liked her in previous books. She seemed to have a depth to her. I very much disliked her in this book. She seemed all over the place. She seemed shallow. I think it was cringe-worthy when her character was reduced to this woman who pined for her husband all these years. It seemed like a disservice to her, which is a shame. She seemed very strong in previous books as she gave advices. When it came time to her story, she just felt dumbed down. There was way too much focus on chess. I get it, you guys are master players but I can’t help but dislike Gemma for her frivolities. All she seemed to do is wear pretty dresses and attend balls. I disliked her shallow nature and the fact that her intelligence is denigrated as her desire to match wits with her husband. It is a shame because I was looking forward to Gemma’s story and it just did not live up to my expectations. I think if I were to describe the book, it is a long and tedious courtship. After spending many years apart, you’d think they would have built a life of their own. After being reunited, Gemma’s world became concentrated on the fact that the duke of Beaumont does not leave notes when he stays out for work. It just left a very bad picture. Anyways, in this book, they undergo a sort of courtship where Gemma takes him to places but refuses to sleep with him. When they finally do, I could not care less. I don’t get what the rationale was with Elijah being courted. This book was just full of shallow activities even more so when we are taken to Elijah’s word of social justice. Gemma feels bad about being frivolous, I feel bad reading about her frivolity. There were too many things that just did not work out. It did not feel charming to read about Gemma’s coy games. It did not feel natural to read about Elijah caring about Gemma. Villier’s story butted in way too much in this book. This is definitely a light and shallow read.I suppose this book was doomed from the beginning for me. I don’t like reading about cheating and there is just no going back. At least, it has to be written very well for the damages to be repaired. As a reader, the event seems very recent but in the book, the event is years past. Gemma might be over it, I don’t think she is since it still hurts, but I definitely am not. I think that betrayal overshadowed whatever happened in the book and Elijah and Gemma just glossed over it. Everything feel forced about this novel, which was really a shame. less

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