REVIEW: ‘This Duchess of Mine’ (2009) by Eloisa James

This Duchess of Mine is the fifth book in the Desperate Duchesses sextet. It features the highly-anticipated Jemma and Elijah story, and does so with aplomb. Eloisa James’s books do not stand alone, especially this one. Much of Jemma and Elijah’s backstory was explored in previous installments, so I would not recommend reading this book without having read the first four in the series.

Jemma and her husband Elijah, the Duke of Beaumont, have been unhappily married for years. Jemma fled to France early in their marriage after discovering his infidelity. She married for love and was devastated by his betrayal. Elijah, on the other hand, married out of ducal duty and had an entirely different interpretation of how their marriage would function.

Many years later, Jemma reluctantly returned to London and to her husband, but only to fulfill her duty as duchess: to produce an heir. A brilliant chess player, Jemma engaged in parallel chess competitions with her husband and with his former friend, the Duke of Villiers. Although much flirtation occurred between Jemma and Villiers, Jemma opted to stay with her husband. In When the Duke Returns, Jemma threw off the final match with Villiers, which would have required her to have an affair with him had she lost.

By the beginning of This Duchess of Mine, Jemma and Elijah have already declared their love for one another and their determination to make their marriage work. The internal tension in this book derives from Elijah’s potentially fatal heart condition and the desperate search for a cure. His father died at the age of 34 from a similar complaint and he feels his own days are numbered, hence the necessity to secure the succession. I found the historical medical details fascinating, and the solution to Elijah’s problem was credible.

There is a secondary storyline concerning the Duke of Villiers and the search for his missing illegitimate children. I wasn’t convinced by the Duke of Villiers in previous books but he comes into his own in this one. His story arc will conclude in the sixth and final book of the series, A Duke of Her Own.

This Duchess of Mine is more melancholy in tone than is usual with Eloisa James’s novels, although there is the prerequisite happy ending. As we’ve come to expect from this author, the book is exquisitely written and a cut above other light historical romances. She particularly excels at writing scenes. Even her weaker books have been worth reading because of this.

My criticism of some of her books lies in the overabundance of secondary characters, all of whom vie for attention and steal the spotlight from the main couple. This Duchess of Mine has less of an ensemble cast feel to it as it’s the penultimate entry in the series and most of the other story arcs have been resolved. The only significant secondary character is the Duke of Villiers, plus comic relief from two minor characters, the Duke of Corbin, and Jemma’s nemesis, the Marquise de Perthuis.

One aspect of the book which I found tedious was the chess scenes. For fans of the game, I’m sure they were an enchanting novelty. For someone who has neither great knowledge nor particular interest in chess, there were too many of them. I ended up skimming until the rest of the story resumed.

Overall, This Duchess of Mine was an entertaining read. It’s my second favourite entry in the series so far. Readers have been clamouring for Jemma and Elijah’s book since the series began, and Eloisa James certainly delivered.      Grade: B

Also Reviewed:

A Duke of Her Own (2009) by Eloisa James (Book 6 in the Desperate Duchesses series)

Tagged as: B Reviews, Desperate Duchesses Series, Eloisa James, Historical Romance