With the exception of the Pleasures trilogy, I’ve read all of her novels. I’ve enjoyed some more than others. The ones I remember particularly liking are Duchess in Love and Much Ado About You, both of which are the first books in their respective series. I also liked the one about the estranged married couple, Rees and Helene, although I felt it suffered from an overabundance of secondary characters. I think it’s called Your Wicked Ways.

Eloisa James writes beautiful prose but my criticism of many of her books has been the ensemble cast. I know some readers love this but I want enough attention to be devoted to the main couple for me to feel that it’s truly their book. The last three titles in the Desperate Duchesses series have focused more on the main couple and I hope this trend continues in her future romances. The next one she’s working on is a stand alone, so I think it’s safe to assume it will do so.

Just curious, which other EJ books have worked well for you, Sarah?

@Lusty Reader There are six children in total – five biological and one adopted. I know it makes him sound like a total skank. Not to give anything from previous books away, but Villiers decides to do the right thing by them following a life-altering event, hence their presence in this book. Despite liking Villiers throughout the series, I was reluctant to pick up A Duke of Her Own because I thought the storyline with the children would never work. Somehow, it does.

Every time I read the word “rake” in a historical romance, I have to consciously stop myself from dwelling on thoughts of venereal disease and a slew of illegitimate children!

If you haven’t enjoyed any elements of Eloisa James’s writing in the past, or if you dislike farce, this book probably isn’t for you.

Meghan :

This reflects my feelings on the series exactly! I quite liked Desperate Duchesses but despaired of An Affair Before Christmas (far too many characters, all vying for attention). The third book was an improvement and I really enjoyed the last three titles in the series. Perhaps I should amend my post to include all their titles.