Great story tha is even written by a duchess
937901
My five year old loves this book, especially since it was written by a duchess.  Great photos that are fun to look at and inspire imagination.
3434253
I recently read a post on Facebook that mentioned this book and thought, that looks interesting. I downloaded through KU and started reading. I was pleasantly surprised to find I had read the story over a year ago and it was even better the second time around.

The book starts right after Darcy delivers his letter the Elizabeth. From there the story deviates from canon with a truly vile Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine, a cunning Charlotte, a Valkyrie like Jane, an I'm not afraid to show emotion Darcy, an ever charming Colonel Fitzwilliam, a stronger Anne, and a handsome original character thrown in.

While the story revolves around Elizabeth, the story focuses much more on Jane, Charlotte, the Colonel and the OC. Overall a fun and interesting "what if" version.
4249763
What a charming story of how Anne comes into her own. And I especially love how much Lady Catherine changed. These two really do care for and love each other. I truly enjoyed it!
4107251
If the cover doesn't draw you in, the story sure will. Queen of Someday takes advantage of history and real people in this tale of a young, smart, and strong girl from Prussia who later becomes Catherine the Great, the ruler of Russia. That's what history tells us, but this is the imagined tale of Sophia from Prussia by author Sherry Ficklin making you feel what Sophia does as she navigates the treacherous waters of the Russian court. I love the way the main character, Sophia, has such strength of character. Although she is young and naive in regards to relationships, she also is resilient and she learns fast. If you are familiar with history,you kind of know the outcome of the story, but you will love this story and Sophia as you see the moments unfold before her. Sherry Ficklin has steadily been moving up my favorite author list and you should read this book.
542139
I had read all the other Duchess books before I got to this first one. It's interesting to see how everything started and how characters that you are really rooting for in later books were not so sympathetic to start with.
3471661
Great story without the royal court setting,  I will read this again one day just to recall all the history and events. As I have said before, I have read almost all her books and this is one I put at the top. You start reading and cannot stop.
2698447
Juliette has been nicknamed the Duchess of Dalliance by the Prince. She, along with two of her friends, are courtesans that are very popular and much sought out by the cream of the ton. Juliette's name has been linked in the "scandal sheets" with William, the sixth Duke of Pelham. He is very disciplined with a high regard for propriety and honors his title and family line. William  is in the process of becoming bethrothed to a woman, Elizabeth, who will bring honor and property to William and his holdings. It is a very advantageous match with little or no emotion involved.

Elizabeth and her parents are at a ball which William is also attending. William and Elizabeth's betrothal will be no surprise to the ball's other attendees who expect an announcement to be made. Juliette and her friends are also attending and have made a grand entrance. Juliette realizes that William is also in attendance and approaches him for an introduction... and the fun begins.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love a hero who isn't 'perfect' and William proved to be quite imperfect... although he did try to be a perfect Duke. Juliette is a strong heroine who falls hard for her hero. There were times when I laughed out loud at their antics and times when I was sure that there would be no 'happy ever after' for them. The story line steadily developed with action, intrigue, and some surprises throughout the book. I look forward to reading the next books in this delighful new series.
3628152
So, American heiresses marrying English nobles is kinda the latest trend in HR. Most are enjoyable but forgettable. But Eloisa James is not just any HR author - she is, IMH and expert O, one of the very best. I'm happy to say that My American Duchess lives up to what I've come to expect from EJ.

Merry Pelford's mother was English, but her father was thoroughly American, an inventor and statesman. Merry feels he could have become president some day if he hadn't died too early. Her mother is also dead, so her aunt and uncle have taken her in and have treated her like a beloved daughter.

Merry, unfortunately, has unwisely become engaged on two occasions, each time soon realizing that she had made a mistake. So she has a reputation as a jilt, hence her aunt and uncle have brought her to London to leave behind this rather unsavory past. She has been courted by Cedric Allardyce, the younger of twin sons of the deceased Duke of Trent. Cedric is, therefore, merely a lord while his older twin is the Duke. Cedric has romantically wooed Merry and in the opening pages, he proposes to Merry at a charity ball, whilst quoting Shakespeare, which Merry does not identify (as an American, she hasn't been force-fed Shakespeare since infancy). Merry is impressed with Cedric's romantic gestures and so she agrees to become Lady Cedric Allardyce.

But Merry has just met someone who intrigued her - a man very different from Cedric. Much larger, dressed very plainly and all in black, and who talked to her as the intelligent woman she is. Later that evening she learns he is the Duke of Trent, her new fiance's twin.

As for Trent, he can't stop thinking about Merry either. And as the days go by and Merry begins to see through Cedric's gallant facade, she realizes she has done it again; she has affianced herself to the wrong man. But she can't possibly jilt another man, so she decides she must keep her promise and make the best of her marriage. And she does. In spite of wanting to run away with every footstep down the aisle of St. Paul's, she forces herself to join hands with her very-soon-to-be-husband, say her vows before God and this company and raise her face for his kiss. But instead of Cedric, she finds herself facing Trent.

There are so many romance tropes in this book, yet EJ turns the expected onto its head over and over and the result is a fresh, funny, tender story. I love the groom swap. I love the dog rescue. I love the pineapple fiasco. I love the amnesia bit. I love pretty much everything about this book, including the teaser about a redemption of Cedric (EJ commented here on GR that she may write a follow-up novella about one character, which I'm assuming would be about Cedric).
3639789
Life for the Bennet sisters in the quiet rural County of Hertfordshire, England, is all set to change dramatically. A rich, single gentleman has arrived at Netherfield Park. Mrs Bennet is delighted. Surely one of her daughters will make Mr Bingley a good wife? After all, she does have five of them for him to choose from.

Elizabeth though has other ideas and marriage isn't one of them. Elizabeth has been seeing Charlotte romantically for quite sometime. It's only when Charlotte decides to marry Mr Collins, that Elizabeth must re-think her options. It's not that Elizabeth doesn't have choices. Men do ask for her hand in marriage, but not all women feel desire towards men, nor do all men feel desire towards women. There are some who prefer the company of their own sex. What will Elizabeth decide to do? Will Elizabeth ever find another to love?

First of all I'll start by saying I haven't read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, so I have nothing to compare this version with. I have no idea how much of the text is Kate Christie's and how much is Jane Austen's. I have seen the film version though, so I do know the original story. In my opinion, this book is as true to the original story as possible.

This is a wonderfully refreshing and cleverly written new take on a much loved classic. I think Kate chose exactly the right characters to write in as gay. She didn't make the story all about the gay characters, which simply wouldn't have sounded right. The dialogue is written in the style of the time the original book was written.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though I've never been too fond of reading the classics, I much prefer the film versions. I've always found reading them hard going, if only they were all re-written with Kate's skill, I may have enjoyed reading them more.

I would love to see this version of Pride and Prejudice made in to a film or even a TV drama.

Well done Kate on what must have been a very difficult and time consuming task to get spot on.
3838015
Kate Daltry's life changed drastically when her father died and left everything to her stepmother who didn't think it necessary to do more than provide her shelter. She's now 23 and needs to pretend to be her stepsister Victoria and accompany her fiance to visit his uncle, a Prince from the mythical principality called Marburg. He needs to approve the betrothal before Victoria can marry. Never mind that they look nothing alike.

This fresh approach to a timeless fairy tale was utterly delightful. Kate is witty, smart and resolute. Gabriel is equal parts "charming" and interesting, not your typical idle prince in the least. Though stepmother Mariana is the classic witch with a "b", not all others in this story fit the stereotypes of the classic. There are just enough twists on the tale to keep things lively and the surrounding characters almost eclipse the main ones but fall short of this, just enough. They are delightful and there is witty dialogue throughout to set a formidable pace.

If you think this is just another spin on an timeworn story, think again. The writing is superb and the characterizations so well done you'll want a separate story for at least three of the secondary roles. The romance is seductive with Gabriel and Kate having more than the ball to get to know one another and develop a relationship. I also lost count of the laugh out loud moments.

The story is a real treat and I'm looking forward to reading the other fairy tales in the series and discovering the new spins on the old stories. Nicely done.
3284865
I just finished&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Winning-the-Wallflower-A-Novella/dp/B00655KHQG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Winning the Wallflower: A Novella</a>&nbsp;and loved it, just as I love all of Eloisa's books.  It is great to see Lucy wake up to herself and see her potential with assistance from Cyrus in a roundabout way and decide she is worth loving and demands it.  She also in the process "wakes" Cyrus up from his almost mindless pursuit of goals.  It is a short and sweet story and I really hated to see it end.  I was surprised by how fast it was over at 49%, like others noted.  All of the "fairytales" were great and I can't wait to read Olivia and Rupert's story! If you haven't done so yet, check the Duchesses series.  It's pure Eloisa, need I say more?
257790
Lord Geoffrey Fitzroy leads a charmed life as second son of the Duke of Breconridge. He doesnt have to worry about the responsibilities his older brother has to deal with so he can concentrate on his pursuits and the ladies. When he goes to another ball brimming with all the eligible ladies, he finds himself captivated by the mysterious Serena Carew. A beauty with a regal bearing and is considered the catch of the season. But Serena is determined to stay single and alone until Geoffrey captures her heart and she finds herself wedded and bedded. But Serena has a secret that could destroy her world. Can she trust her new husband enough with it or will it destroy the happiness that is beginning to bloom between her and Geoffrey?

I really enjoyed this book a lot. Ms. Bradford delivers a different take on historical romance with a heroine who has secrets and is exotic besides the London ladies. The writing was tight, story flowed smoothly and I found myself rooting for Serena and Geoffrey after the first chapter was done. The bookstore scene left me rooting for these two to find happiness with one another.  The author did a great job in capturing the memories of Serenas life in India and as it was such an exotic place during the regency time, it made the story quite intriguing even more. Those scenes had me flipping the pages quickly as I devoured them. They were quite interesting and made Serena all the more interesting as a character. The characters were quite wonderfully well written and I highly enjoyed them. Geoffrey and Serena were perfect for one another.

Lord Geoffrey was rakish, charming and determined to not get married. Except when he spies Serena, well life has a way of throwing a wrench into your plans and boy does Serena do that to Geoffrey. She is a woman who just calls to Geoffreys heart and he cant stay away from her. She is a woman with a secret that could destroy her and she plans to live a solitary life. But forces are afoot and someone is going to make Serena pay but they don't anticipate Geoffrey or his devotion to her. I love these two together. You got the devil may care rake, the haughty heroine and a romance that transcends the pages. I loved how the author just lets these two shine-warts and all. The one aspect I had issues with was Serena not having any faith whatsoever in Geoffrey that when her secret did come out she ran away from him instead of standing up to him and everyone. I think that was the issue that had me making this not a higher rating.

A SINFUL DECEPTION is a wonderful read that you can get lost in. It is a stand alone book so it was easy to follow some scenes with older brother who was in Book one, A Wicked Pursuit. I truly enjoyed this latest book from the author and look forward to seeing where she goes with this series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement
1900157
I enjoyed reading The Duchess War book 1. It has a very good plot with plenty of suspense and intrigue. Along with romance all in one.
The Duchess War is a fascinating story of a young girl misunderstood, a do-gooder Duke, a witch of a mother and 6 other events going on all at once. I enjoyed reading this book 1. I believe it is suitable for anyone age 16-100.
613878
Flipping convention on its ear, Megan Frampton gives us a woman that inherits a ducal title, a woman who is wholly unprepared for dealing with the social aspects of the title. Genevieve is very clever, in fact, shes more than perfectly well-equipped to handle the business side of things, it is just the social end that she is completely (blissfully) unprepared for.  See, its never really your title that gets you through the tonne, and Genevieve has a solid one, but the navigation of the pitfalls in society and the gatherings. And the fact that a titled female, without the protection of a husband or being a widow and things get interesting.  Fortunately for Genevieve, she has her Aunt Sophia to rely on.

Knowing her nieces predicament, her aunt is more than willing to provide help, in the form of her steward, Archibald Salisbury, third son of a Viscount, most recently out of the army, and well-versed in both how not to run a large estate (from the poor examples of his family) and the social pitfalls and expectations.  Hes horrified at the prospect of building a proper Duchess, but being bidden by Sophia to make this work, he is off to work with and for the new Duchess.

The interplay between these two is clever: class differences, plain spoken Genevieve against the rather cultured Archie, and the undeniable attraction between the two makes for a fun read.  There is a bit of repetition that bandies about the class differences, and while it does serve to reinforce what was important to the aristocracy at the time, the moments often served to separate the two, despite their obvious attraction.  She is determined to make people recognize her as a Duchess, and not with whispers and denigration: hes determined to complete the task assigned to him, and go back to his quiet and fulfilling life as a steward.

Fun and light, even with the many changes both experience through the story, Genevieves growth and quick wit impress Archie, her willingness to speak plainly to his desires, and her refusal to take the easy route to acceptance strike at his heart, and make the story come alive.  A wonderful series of twists, turns and a few shocking moments keep readers engaged and enjoying this story, a wonderful installment in the series.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
482334
I really enjoyed The Duchess of Bristol. I laughed and cried along with Diana and often said "Good for you girl!!" I anxiously await the next book from the Anne Odom.
4075146
The Reluctant Duchess is the second in author Roseanna M. Whites Ladies of the Manor series, and I had really high hopes for this one.  I enjoyed the first, but this one is my favorite.  Why?  Because of the hero Brice, the Duke of Nottingham thats why.  He played a prominent role in book one and he was my favorite character, even though the first book was not focused on him.  This second one is and I couldn't have been more pleased.  Brice and Lady Rowena Kinnaird are wed under not very ideal circumstances, each carrying some pretty big secrets into their marriage.  Not only do they have to work on their marriage as complete strangers, but they are also buffeted on all sides by undesirable characters and a few hidden enemies.  There may also be a curse as well, and I think that particular story plot was very well done.  I enjoyed watching their eventual friendship grow and ultimately become a pure love.  This was a sweet enduring story about true love overcoming even the most unbearable of circumstances.  There was so much good in this story.  If you enjoyed the first, The Lost Duchess, you will want to continue into the next chapter and read how Brice gets his happily ever after.  I look forward to reading about Brices sister next.  I received a copy for an honest review from Bethany House Publishers and the opinions are my own.
862992
The story of The Lady of Willow Grove Hall is enchanting, and a story of loss. Oddly enough, the losses are not overwhelmingly sad, perhaps because you rush through them so quickly to get to the real meat of the story. It takes a few chapters to figure out how Willow Grove Hall comes into play, but I got there in less than a couple hours. Barely wanted to sleep or put this book down. Ms. Ladd, the author, paints a vivid picture of a beautiful young woman who is a twin. The main character is born into a middle class life style with an over-protective seemingly uncaring drunk for a father. Due to some poorly laid decisions, she loses everything she once knew and is thrown into another world. A slightly higher class lifestyle that offers her a chance at something more. Something she'd originally wanted but gave up on, but not in the way you might initially have thought.

The book twists and turns to land the young Miss Faire, now in her twenties, at Willowgrove Hall. This is where the meat of the story really begins. Don't worry other than laying out a few simple details I have not ruined anything for you. There is a rivalry to come, a handsome gentleman with his own secrets (who has his own tale throughout the book), and Miss Faire's family to get to know and answer multiple questions (that I will not answer for you, you must read the book).

Book Reactions

I've thoroughly enjoyed the story of the Lady of Willowgrove Hall by Sara E. Ladd. I recommend it with 5 stars for the story. I can't tell you about the audio performance because I read a free BookLook Blogger e-book advanced copy of the book. However, this is only one book in a series by Ms. Ladd so expect more reviews on this series very soon. I love historical romance novels and this one has an innocent quality to it. Lately, many of the stories I've read or listened to from this genre have been very predictable. Most stories I've read have been only about woman and men who where born as aristocrats, this story gives you a picture of another viewpoint. A viewpoint, in my opinion, of a woman who keeps one too many secrets.

I write a lot of *honest* book reviews on my blog desaraeveit dot com and audible, goodreads, and shelfari.