Enchanting Pleasures [Mass Market Paperback]

Eloisa James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2002

People magazine named Eloisa James' novel Midnight Pleasures “Page Turner of the Week” and raved “Romance writing does not get much better than this.” Now the acclaimed author returns with another sumptuous tale of passion and misadventure in Regency England....

Gabrielle Jerningham cherishes the portrait of her betrothed, the perfect Peter Dewland...until she meets his commanding older brother Quill. But it is Peter to whom she has been promised. And how can she possibly transform her voluptuous, outspoken self into the poised gentlewoman Peter requires?

When Gabby’s shocking décolletage plunges to her waist at her first ball, Peter is humiliated. But Quill comes to the rescue, to the peril of his heart. An accident years before has left Quill plagued by headaches--the kind that grows more excruciating with strenuous exercise. Needless to say, this hardly bodes well for siring progeny. But the very sight of Gabby leaves Quill breathless. One forbidden kiss and Quill vows to have her, headaches--and Peter--be damned! But it will take a clever man--and a cleverer woman--to turn the tables on propriety and find their way to true love....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In keeping with the previous installments of James's regency trilogy (Potent Pleasures; Midnight Pleasures), this final volume offers dual romances, charismatic characters, and a healthy dose of humor. Gabrielle Jerningham, aptly nicknamed "Gabby," has left India and her missionary father to marry dapper Peter Dewland, the Viscount Dewland's second son. A true romantic and a consummate storyteller, Gabby fancies herself in love with Peter even though they've never met, and she's dismayed that Peter's imposing older brother, Quill, is the one to greet her upon her arrival in England. Although Quill is pleasantly amused by Gabby's guileless beauty and unpolished manners, Peter is appalled by his "overfleshy" fiancé and her passé wardrobe. Peter's low estimation of Gabby heightens when he escorts her to a soiree and the bodice of her new French gown falls to her waist. To spare Gabby the humiliation of Peter's rejection, Quill pretends to be smitten with her and proposes that she marry him instead. The pair seem well suited until Quill reveals the reason why he is reticent to consummate their marriage: due to a horse-riding injury, whenever Quill performs "rhythmical exercise," he suffers a three-day migraine afterward. Though far-fetched, this turn of events proves to be a lively, entertaining test of their marriage as Gabby visits apothecaries by day and experiments with other remedies at night. A side story involving the East India Company's search for a missing Indian prince provides the narrative with depth and a little political intrigue, and an additional romance between a former marquis and a gossip columnist is a pleasing touch. Once again, James weaves a story as rich in plot as in character.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gabby Jerningham travels from India to London in 1806, dreaming about her fiance, Peter Dewland. Peter, on the other hand, who likes living the life of a bon vivant, is dreading her arrival because his father has forced him into marriage. A second son shouldn't have to marry against his will, but his older brother, Quill, was injured in a riding accident and is considered unfit because of his limp and the severe migraines he gets when he makes love. But circumstances change when Quill meets Gabby. He's instantly attracted to her and her voluptuous figure, which truly repels the effeminate Peter, and Quill decides that he must have her regardless of his brother or his headaches. Peter is happy to terminate his engagement, but Quill must convince Gabby to transfer her affections. James' enjoyable romance includes an interesting subplot about the machinations of the East India Company in the early part of the nineteenth century. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Dell (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440234581
• ISBN-13: 978-0440234586
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Eloisa wrote her first novel after graduating from Harvard, but alas, it was rejected by every possible publisher. After she got an M.Phil. from Oxford, a Ph.D. from Yale, and a job as a Shakespeare professor, she tried again, with much greater success. Currently she teaches Shakespeare in the English Department at Fordham University in New York City. She's also the mother of two children and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, sensual Regency-setting, July 28, 2002

By 

curvynovelsdotinfo "[e-mail]" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enchanting Pleasures (Mass Market Paperback)

Heroine:   plump/voluptuous

   Gabrielle Jerningham is a bride being given away by her father.  Literally.  The old man, who has no love for his awkward and untidy daughter, jumps at the chance to ship her from his palace in India half-way around the world to England, where she'll marry the son of his old chum Viscount Dewlan sight-unseen.  Or nearly so.  Declaring it makes her face look too round, Gabby refuses to send a portrait of herself to her betrothed.  But the viscount sends along a miniature of his younger son Peter, whom he deems his only chance at keeping the family line secure. (Quill, his eldest, was injured in an accident some time before and believes himself unable to father children, since participating in any type of activity involving repetitive motion leaves him plagued with migraines for days afterwards.)

   Gabby, young, alone, and aching for love becomes deeply infatuated with Peter's likeness, imagining him to be a tender and soft-spoken gentleman who will cherish her from they moment they first meet.  But reality breaks her heart when she arrives in England and discovers that he is nothing more than an arrogant fop with minimal interest in the fairer sex, except where the topic of fashion is concerned.

   Quill sees that Gabby is presented with options which could only result in a lifetime of misery:  return to her hateful father in India; marriage to Peter, who is also sure to tear her down every chance he gets; or be saddled with a cripple if he should marry her himself.  The headstrong financial whiz elects to pursue the last course of action: marry the voluptuous Gabby and take her to his bed regardless of the physical consequences he knows he'll suffer.

   Gabby soon falls in love with her handsome fiancé and will risk anything to help heal his malady, even if it means deceiving him.  But is the cure worth the risk of losing the respect of the man she loves? Or even the man himself?
 
      What worked for me:

    Even though the main romance was an enjoyable one to follow, I personally loved the secondary romance, which had more touches of the traditional Regency novel.  I could easily have seen this storyline fleshed out as a fourth installment in the "Pleasures" series.

    Size-wise Gabby is soft and lush in the eyes of Quill, but appears overly-fleshy to his brother Peter.  For myself, I saw her as looking like Kate Winslet might if she added 20 pounds or so.
    
       What didn't work for me:

    Far more naive than other girls her age, Gabby's impetuous behavior was for the most part charming.  Or at least it was until the climax of the story, at which point she just seemed extremely immature by acting out in the same all-or-nothing fashion of Juliet Capulet.
    
Overall:

    A good read for fans of sensual Regency-Setting romances who appreciate excellent writing.  Though it can stand on its own, I think folks owe it to themselves to read the two earlier books of the trilogy first.  I certainly plan on seeking them out myself.

If you liked "Enchanting Pleasures" you might also enjoy "The Last Days of a Rake", "Unmarriageable", "The Accidental Bride", "The Bride and the Beast", "The Fire-Flower", or "Suddenly You".

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an enchanting read, June 10, 2001

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enchanting Pleasures (Hardcover)

"Enchanting Pleasures" is, I think, the best Regency romance novel that Eloisa James has written to date. And while the whole premise of Quill Dewland's illness seems a bit unbelievable to me, the story line and characters are still enjoyable and crisp, and made for riveting reading.

Viscount Dewland owes his good friend Jerningham a large sum of money, and instead of repaying the loan, which he can now do because of his eldest son's, Quill, industriousness, the Viscount has decided that his younger son, Peter, will marry Jerningham daughter, Gabrielle. (Quill quite ineligible because of an accident that makes it difficult and painful for him to perform his martial duties.) Peter is aghast: a fastidious man with firm ideas of what his wife should look and be like, he is appalled at having to marry a woman sight unseen, esp as he has no immediate desire to do so right now. However the Viscount is adamant and quite ill, and so Peter finds himself agreeing to marry Gabrielle in order to placate his father.

Of course Gabrielle Jerningham ('Gabby') is the exact antithesis of Peter's notions of the perfect woman. Gabby is a pretty, plump, warm hearted and clever young woman, whose charming manners and winning ways soon enchants everyone she meets ... except Peter. Peter only sees that his fiance is unpolished and unsophisticated, with dreadful clothes and hair that keeps falling down. Quill however finds Gabby to be absolutely captivating. However there is the small matter of his illness, and even if it were not for that, Gabby is still Peter's fiancee. In the meantime, romantical Gabby, who had fallen in love with Peter's likeness, realises that Peter is quite disappointed with her. She is resolved to try and live up to his expectations in order to win his approval, but is not quite sure of what else to do save dress more elegantly. She is also rather disconcerted to realise that Quill's mere presence seems to thrill her, and the fact that Quill seems to have an appreciation of her intelligence and warmth in a way that Peter does not. Gabby is quite confused at the turn things have taken, when news arrives that the Viscount's illness has taken a turn for the worse; Peter leaves London in order to support his mother, leaving Gabby to spend more time with Quill. What will happen? Will Quill and Gabby realise that they are meant for each other? And what of Peter?

I enjoyed "Enchanting Pleasures" especially because of Gabby Jerningham. She is such a warm hearted, intelligent, charming and straightforward young woman, and I really found myself rooting for her to find her soul mate. There are three subplots to this novel: the Gabby-Peter-Quill subplot, the finding a cure for Quill's illness subplot, and the missing Indian prince subplot. All three subplots are woven together rather well. The missing Indian prince subplot is a rather interesting and informative one, esp if you are interested in a small thumbnail sketch in what was going on in India during the early 19th century, and with the East Indian Company. I found the whole Quill's mysterious illness bit a little far fetched, but then I'm not that well informed on medical matters, and perhaps Quill's illness is probable.

"Enchanted Pleasures" is an enjoyable read. There were several instances when I found myself chuckling out loud: as when Gabby realising that neither brother really listens to her when she speaks, wonders if not really listening is an inherited trait; and when Gabby pretends to be an empty-headed young lady when she is questioned by an East Indian Army official about the missing prince's whereabouts. This is a really fun novel and made for really enchanting reading.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great finale to this wonderful Regency series, June 5, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enchanting Pleasures (Hardcover)

In 1806 London, Viscount Dewland informs his younger child Peter that since his older son Quill is disabled and incapable of having a wife, Peter will marry the daughter of his friend Lord Jerningham. Peter refuses, insisting he will never marry. However, the Viscount turns ill as he explodes with anger because he owes his friend who lent him money without any cause or collateral except friendship. Gabrielle will be coming from India to marry Peter or else. Peter reluctantly agrees due to his father's perilous health, but plans to escape his fate.

After receiving a picture of her fiance, Gabby looks forward to marrying the gorgeous Peter. However, she fears that she will never attain the level of deployment Peter expects from a wife and activities in London soon prove her correct. Then there is also Quill, who sends her heart aflutter every time she sees him. He, in turn, decides he will marry Gabby regardless of his severe headaches or his younger sibling.

As expected from Eloisa James, ENCHANTING PLEASURES lives up to its title as fans of regency romance will receive much pleasure from this enchanting tale. The story line is fresh, but it is the characters who make the tale so crisp. Gabby is an innocent original while the two brothers are the type of male protagonists female readers want in their literature (and in their boudoir). Ms. James is a fabulous talent and her "pleasure" novels continually prove that she is heading to genre greatness.

Harriet Klausner