Tuesday, June 23, 2009
23 June 2009, Tuesday
Having finished Eloisa James's newest book, This Duchess of Mine, all I can say is; Villiers stole the dang book! All I want is to know, What happens to Villiers? Who will he choose? July 28 cannot come fast enough!
Leopold Dautry, the notorious Duke of Villiers, must wed quickly and nobly — and his choices, alas, are few. The Duke of Montague’s daughter, Eleanor, is exquisitely beautiful and fiercely intelligent. Villiers betroths himself to her without further ado.
After all, no other woman really qualifies.
Lisette, the outspoken daughter of the Duke of Gilner, cares nothing for clothing or decorum. She’s engaged to another man, and doesn’t give a fig for status or title. Half the ton believes Lisette mad — and Villiers is inclined to agree.
Torn between logic and passion, between intelligence and the imagination, Villiers finds himself drawn to the very edge of impropriety. But it is not until he’s in a duel to the death, fighting for the reputation of the woman he loves, that Villiers finally realizes that the greatest risk may not be in the dueling field…
But in the bedroom. And the heart.
This delicious review from blogger Book A Week With Jen makes me want the book even more so;
Eleanor Lindel does not have a husband. Given that she's in her early 20s in 1784, she's frightfully close to being called a spinster. She still holds a candle for her teenage love, who was forced to marry another woman to whom he was betrothed at birth (and they actually had sex -- scandal!) She has announced that she will marry no one under the stature of a Duke. Sounds "haughty" Sure is. But it was her way of sending a message to said teenage love, who happens to be a duke.
In strides the Duke of Villiers. He's a rake in every sense of the word, from his dark brooding looks to his six illegitimate children, who he is finding and bringing under his own roof. He needs a mother for them, and he's a duke. And the story rolls from there.
Additionally, another gem from Romantic Times Magazine writes;
It's time for Villiers to wed. He's searched for, and found, his illegitimate children and now needs a woman who will love them. But she must also be his social equal. Eleanor, the Duke of Montague's daughter, is perfect: intelligent, beautiful and passionate. They appear well suited, and their heated kisses convince Villiers she's perfection.
However, when the entire entourage goes to the Duke of Gilner's estate, Villiers meets the duke's fun-loving, capricious, quick-witted daughter Lisette. Suddenly he wonders who will make the better mother -- a woman who plays with his children or the one who teaches them control, gives them direction and disciplines them? It isn't until a former lover appears and Villiers is willing to fight a duel that he knows which woman is meant to be his forever.
My Take:
- Villiers has six illegitimate children (one who is not actually his!) that he is finding and is bringing to live with him. I think five of them are boys and one is a girl - she is the daughter that is not actually his. He has already found the eldest of his sons, Tobias, now he just needs to find the other five.
- Villiers has found and brought to live with him his illegitimate children. Villiers needs a mother for his children, one who will love them, accept such a fact as six illigitmate children, as well as make the ton accept them socially - as Jemma says; only a daughter of the duke can smooth over this social problem.
- Villiers is engaged to Lady Eleanor, daughter of the Duke of Mantague, and Lisette, the supposed "insane" daughter of the Duke of Gilner, is engaged to another man. Villiers is torn between the two ladies. But who will he choose? I'm hoping its Eleanor, but nothing at the moment makes me believe this may be possible.
- Lisette is the mother who will "play" with his children. Eleanor is the woman who will teach "them control, gives them direction and disciplines them." Eleanor sounds like the better choice of a mother *g*
- Lady Eleanor still, we believe, has a soft spot for her old love - a duke.
- Villiers and Eleanor has shared "heated kisses." Villiers isn't so depraved that he will share (heated) kisses with anyone who isn't the heroine... right?
- A "former lover" appears, that causes Villiers to duel for the reputation of the woman he loves. From what I know, Lisette is engaged so this could be referring to her fiancee, or, this could be referring to the appearance of Eleanor's teenage-duke-love who comes back, forcing Villiers to duel for her reputation.
- Villiers becomes involved in duel for the "reputation of the woman he loves"... but who is it that he loves? Could it be Eleanor who's name is besmirched by her past teenage duke-love that Villiers is duelling for? Or is it the "mad" Lisette who is supposedly engaged that he is duelling over?
- From this duel, Villiers knows which woman it is he loves.
- Does any one notice that in the first review by Jen A. Miller, there is no mention of Lisette? At all?
- There is so much evidence pointing towards Eleanor being the chosen wife. But Eloisa is tricky. She tends to surprise us. So my take is that, due to all the references to Eleanor being the heroine in the excerpts posted, it will be Lisette whom Villiers ends up in the end =(
An exclusive excerpt from Eloisa James' official site:
From a conversation between the Duke of Villiers and Lady Eleanor, on a balcony; he wears only a towel.
“You’re not most men,” she said flatly. She did turn to face him, but her eyes stayed on his face rather than dropping lower. There was just a tinge of rosy color in her cheeks. Good.
He widened his stance again, daring her to look down. “You’re right. I’m not like other men,” he said.
Eleanor choked with laughter. “Because your sense of consequence is bigger.”
“And the rest of me too,” he said, wondering if he’d lost his mind. The Duke of Villiers never traded sexual quips on a balcony. He never – ever – flirted.
“That remains to be seen,” Eleanor said saucily.
He bit back a grin. He didn’t smile in the morning. He squinted at the sky. “What time is it, anyway?”
“Don’t look so afraid. I assure you that the sun isn’t made out of green cheese,” she said to him. “I suppose it’s around eight in the morning.”
“Eight!” He shuddered.
“Your Grace!” came a clear voice from the lawn. “Would you like to join us on an excursion?”
Villiers looked cautiously over the balcony. Lisette was the very picture of an English lady. Curls crested on her head like the frothy wave; her eyes shone brightly; she was wearing an enchanting riding habit.
“Hello!” she called, waving her hand at him. “Time to rise and shine, Leopold!”
“Yes, Leopold,” Eleanor said in a low, mocking voice. “Do start to shine, please. I believe I’ve been lucky enough to see you rise.”
“Oh, there's a great deal of me that remains to be seen,” he said silkily, loving their bout of words.
Even though he never engaged in anything as déclassé as a flirtation.
Another exclusive excerpt to be revealed on July 1st.
Right... can you tell that I'm
