Fool for Love [Hardcover]

Eloisa James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2003

The Woman

Lady Henrietta Maclellan longs for the romantic swirl of a London season. But as a rusticating country maiden, she has always kept her sensuous nature firmly under wraps -- until she meets Simon Darby. Simon makes her want to whisper promises late at night, exchange kisses on a balcony, receive illicit love notes. So Henrietta lets her imagination soar and writes...

The Letter

A very steamy love letter that becomes shockingly public. Everyone supposes that he has written it to her, but the truth hardly matters in the face of the scandal to come if they don't marry at once. But nothing has quite prepared Henrietta for the pure sensuality of...

The Man

Simon has vowed he will never turn himself into a fool over a woman. So, while debutantes swoon as he disdainfully strides past the lovely ladies of the ton, he ignores them all...until Henrietta. Could it be possible that he has been the foolish one all along?

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eschewing the formulas and character types found in many romances, this pert Regency pairs a dandified urbanite and a disabled heiress, which makes for some frank, funny exchanges. No one could accuse the lace-loving Simon Darby of being an alpha male cliche. His penchant for modish clothing and fine filigree has led Londoners to label him an "exquisite," but his dashing good looks don't impress Lady Henrietta Maclellan... much. A beauty with a slight limp and a refreshingly forthright manner, Henrietta longs for marriage and children, but believes her weak hip precludes her from both. When she meets Simon and the two youngsters under his care, however, Henrietta vows to seize what she wants even if it means stirring up a scandal. Her partner in crime is the lovably flawed Esme Rawlings, who appears in James's previous book, Duchess in Love. Together, the two trap Simon into marrying Henrietta, but once they're wed, they must deal with the tricky problem of consummating their union without conceiving a child-no easy feat considering the times. Meanwhile, Esme deals with guilt over her husband's death and the arrival of an old flame. At times, Esme's plight threatens to eclipse Henrietta's, but both story lines are intriguing in their own right. Though Simon is less compelling than the heroes from James's previous books, this spry story will seduce readers with its wily wit and distinctive characters.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

Eloisa James is the author of twenty award-winning romances. She’s also a professor of English literature, teaching in New York City, where she lives with her family. With two jobs, two cats, two children, and only one husband, she spends most of her time making lists of things to do—letters from readers are a great escape!

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: San Val (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417700947
• ISBN-13: 978-1417700943
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,045,403 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

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 Stars Could have been better . . ., September 13, 2003

By 

baltimore0502 "Hon!" (BALTIMORE, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fool for Love (Mass Market Paperback)

A sequel of sorts to DUCHESS IN LOVE, in that we follow Lady Esme Rawlings to the country where she is staying for the duration of her pregnancy. For those who read DiL, you'll recall that Esme wanted to have a child and coaxed her estranged husband into spending the night with her to achieve it. But not before an unexpected but much longed for sexual encounter with Sebastian, Marquis Bonnington the night before. What Esme did not know was that her husband had a weak heart resulting in his death that night and now a guilt-ridden Esme is not sure who is the father of her child. She has to believe that it's her husband's for inheritance sake but her heart may yearn for something else.

But one person who is suspicious is her nephew by marriage (and her late husband's heir) Simon Darby. Simon has two young stepsisters to provide for and has always fully expected to inherit. Now he is resolved to visit his aunt to see what's what. While there he meets the intriguing Lady Henrietta Maclellan who just happens to be a beautiful, intelligent and wealthy heiress. Hmmm, perhaps he should look for a wealthy wife in case Esme's child is a son!

Henrietta was born with the same lame hip as her mother who died in childbirth. As a result, she has been advised never to marry and certain never to attempt to have children as it could kill her as it did her mother. But she longs for children and when she meets Simon Darby and his two motherless sisters, she sees the family she's always wanted. Simon and Henrietta are attracted to one another and decide to marry only to have her mother tell Simon about Henrietta's condition and that marital relations are out of the question. A disappointed Simon withdraws his offer and plans to return to London. But Esme is not so easily daunted by Henrietta's situation (there are ways to prevent pregnancy afterall) and together they scheme to trap Simon into marriage. She'll get the husband and children she wants and he'll get the fortune he'll need. What could be better? Well, it turns out that Simon does not really need her fortune, but agrees to marry her anyway. Does this mean that he has feelings for her - and she for him? It seems a distinct possibility!

But that's where problems come into the story. In the beginning, we are lead to believe that Simon needs her money, but we find out that he's actually quite wealthy. And why would she not want to consult a London physician about her condition when her longing for a family is so strong? And if Simon had wanted to marry her so badly, why did he not think of using sheaths before he is trapped into marrying her? And the Esme/Sebastian storyline is not exactly resolved; leading me to wonder if they will be seen in yet another book that may just reunited estranged Helene and Rees, Lord and Lady Godwin.

While I enjoyed the relationship between Simon and Henrietta, Esme and Sebastian's reunion and the wit the author is famous for, there are also flaws that keep me from a higher rating. Fans of the series, however, may well overlook such inconsistencies and wait eagerly for the next installment. A flawed but still enjoyable read.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but it didn't end?, October 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fool for Love (Mass Market Paperback)

I really like Eloisa James' writing. Each of heroes and heroines has a distinct personality and the love stories are really amazing! However, the plot was totally unresolved. The whole book builds up to what will happen to the secondary character, Esme Rawlings, and then there's nothing. We don't know what happens to her, and what happens to her affects the lives of the main characters as part of the suspense during the first half of the book is whether she will have a girl or a boy or twins, etc., and whether or not the main characters will inherit a title and have little cousins. What is that? Did she die? Did she get married/? 3/4 of the book talks about this woman, and then we don't know what happens to her! This book would have been a five-star book, if only it had ended or we were given some clue that there would be a sequel (as in "to be continued"). We are made to care about Esme all throughout the book and then she just drops off the face of the earth (or the pages). The main characters, Simon and Henrietta, were totally likeable. It's a nice change for a romance novel not to have people who are constantly fighting or a hero who is bad-tempered and surly. Anyone who has ever been married knows that there is nothing sexy about a crabby husband! So for that, bravo!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Captivating Novel for Eloisa James!, August 22, 2003

By 

AvidReader (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fool for Love (Mass Market Paperback)

I was very excited to run out and purchase this book after finishing Duchess In Love. James creates strong characters by giving the reader glimpses into parts of them that most writers overlook, leaving their characters flat and devoid of personality or likeability. Not so with Eloisa James - you will LOVE ALL her character, even the secondary ones! One of my favorite parts of this book and Duchess in Love are the characters of Esme and Sebastian. They are the underlying current in both books that will leave you hungry for the next novel. Some would say they they steal the show, but I think all of her characters have a storyline that everyone wants to know the ending of. It's just that she leaves us hanging on for the next book for any more information... isn't that what season cliff hangers are all about?!?!?!

I won't give away any details about the books plot, but i HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to anyone interestd in Regency Period romance. If you don't read this one or her others, you are missing probably some of the best books on the market in this genre.