Customer Reviews

The Duke Is Mine

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Olivia Lytton is caught between two men, both suffering from serious psychological problems.

She was betrothed as a child to Rupert, Marquess of Montsurrey, who was severely injured during his traumatic birth, leaving him with the intellect of a charming and earnest 11 year old boy. Rupert has been drilled to present an adult appearance, writes poetry, and volunteers for the British army, but marriage to him will compel Olivia to function as his caregiver and estate administrator.

Her secret love, Tarquin, Duke of Sconce, is a handsome, brilliant mathematician, who has already lost one wife and a child due to his inability to read other peoples' emotions correctly, predict their emotional reactions accurately or express his own emotions. An isolated mathematical genius with almost no friends, Tarquin's life is managed for him by his overbearing widowed mother, who wants to marry him off to Olivia's extremely proper bluestocking sister.

An alert modern reader will quickly grasp that Olivia is facing a lifetime coping with either an intellectually disabled spouse or a spouse with Asperger's Syndrome.

Olivia herself is atypical of Regency heroines, describing herself as fat, loud and fond of risque jokes. Not your standard Regency romance novel lead characters, to put it mildly. Part of the allure of the novel is wondering how the author can produce a HEA ending from these unpromising elements.

Despite the tough medical problems of the male leads, the plot is surprisingly humorous and filled with genuinely romantic sexual episodes. If you are interested in a Regency romance that takes parts of the genre's conventions and stands them on their heads, you'll like this novel.

I gave it four stars instead of five stars because I felt that the novel took too many liberties -- during the last third of the book -- with the actual history of the Napoleonic wars and the British army's real life behavior. But if you are not a strict history buff, such liberties will not be a problem.

I am now rereading the novel, after a first reading where I rushed through it. I am savoring it at leisure.

Grasp your "disbelief" with both hands. Stuff it in a shoebox. Use a roll of duct tape to secure the lid. Place the box in the back of a closet. Now you are ready to read this book.

The story is rather like a blueberry muffin. There are good bits here and there, amid the bland parts, and there are occasional air pockets. The characters and dialog are sometimes too cute for their own good. The conversations are filled with 21st century phrases (a reference to "wardrobe malfunction," for instance, brings to mind Janet Jackson rather than ladies of the 1800s). Lapses in logic pop up -- for instance, the very micro-managing mother of the two sisters has devoted her entire life to getting her girls married off to dukes, but when the younger has a chance to achieve this goal, mother stays home and sends the girl off with her unconventional, rowdy sister?

The plot is a re-imagining of the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea," although only a few elements of that story appear and seem thrown in as an afterthought with little to do with the story. Most of the book is entertaining, until the plot seems to veer off the reality chart completely at the end.

Readers who enjoy stories with as much realism as a fairy tale will love this book. There is some amusing conversation, as well as an abundance of batty characters. Such readers will find this tale a good way to spend a chilly winter evening, but I'll hold out for an eclair of a book rather than a blueberry muffin.

Olivia has been engaged to The Duke of Canterwick since birth. While Rupert is off winning glory for his family in the war against France, she falls in love with the Duke of Sconce, who is supposed to be considering Olivia's sister for marriage. Sounds like a typical cast of characters? Think again.

Rupert, the future Duke of Canterwick, has been brain-damaged since birth, and while he has a sweet disposition, he has the maturity of a twelve year old boy. Olivia is mostly resigned to her fate- which is to produce an heir, be the care taker of her mentally incompetent husband, and to run his estate. That is, until she meets Quin, the Duke of Sconce, who is allowing his mother to choose a bride for him. The two sisters come for a visit (or interview) and the dowager Duchess of Sconce loves Georgina, and hates Olivia- which shouldn't matter really, since Olivia is engaged to another Duke. Georgina thinks Quin could be her handsome prince- unfortuantely so does Olivia.

This very little not to like about this book. The characters are beautifully written. I couldn't help but like Olivia's hapless fiance, his forthright father, her dutiful sister, and willful future mother-in-law. Olivia herself was lovable and believable, and Quin's character was revealed in more depth throughout the story- the reader gets to know him gradually as Olivia does. The dialogue was well done and at times laugh-out-loud funny. The story even took an adventurous turn towards the end.

The romance between Olivia and Quin was beautifully written- there was just the right amount of tension between them. There is usually some sort of device in romantic novels keeping the hero and heroine apart- in this case it was a particularly believable one. Olivia didn't want to be in love with her sister's beau- I can't imagine anything worse. The whole book was very compelling and enjoyable- I read it in one sitting because I simply didn't want to put it down.

This is a rare romance novel that I will keep to read again- highly recommended.

At times poignant, at times laugh-out-loud hilarious this is Eloisa James at her playful best. The voluptuous heroine, Olivia, with her penchant for limericks and bawdy jokes is the perfect foil for the serious-minded, yummy mathematician, Tarquin. I especially loved how Quin broke down Olivia's defenses about her body, helping her see how much he appreciated her curves. And how Olivia helped him come to terms with his past. Intertwined with the romance was a colorful cast of characters, including a flea-bitten dog named, Lucy, a musical young fellow with a flair for fashion, and a sweetly innocent marquess determined to find glory on the battlefield. Charming, sexy, and just plain fun.

I loved this book. The characters were very believable and not cardboard archetypes. What's more, their motivations and the way they handled the various things they came across rang very true to me. I loved the characters to pieces. Olivia is one of my new favorite romantic heroines. Between her less-than-willowy body and somewhat vulgar sense of humor, and her inherent goodness and obvious love for her family, I found myself rooting her on rather than rolling my eyes as I do with some heroines. I also can't say enough good things about Rupert, he is truly the best part and reminds the reader in a non-preachy way that ALL people have value. So many times I shy away from the two-protagonist books, they bother me. But I am really glad I took a chance on this one, mostly because I love all of Eloisa James' books and knew she would do a good job with it. Any book that can make me laugh out loud AND cry gets my vote. It gut-bustingly funny in parts, with some really clever wordplay. Highly recommended!

I adored this book! I disagree with those who say you have to suspend your disbelief to read it because is there anything more "unbelievable" than real life? It's those whimsical touches in Ms. James' books that make them seem the most real to me. It makes me feel as if I was watching real people from that time period interact and fall in love. Olivia is one of those bold and witty plus-sized heroines who refuses to fit into the perfect mold no matter how hard society tries to cram her into it. I found myself falling in love with Tarquin right along with her. Isn't that everyone's dream? That we'll meet that perfect someone who will think we're beautiful just as we are? I spent a blissful few hours reading this one and enjoyed escaping the dreary winter world with this cast of charming characters. If you like your romance intelligent, funny, tender AND sexy, I'd highly recommend this book!

Eloisa James is one of my favourite novelists of this genre. I don't think I've ever read a book by her that disappoints and The Duke is Mine is no different. I love that her characters are unique and quirky and so unlike other heroes and heroines in the genre. Again, this book is full of said characters.

I am not going to go into details about the story, as other reviewers have done so, except to say Lucy was darling, Rupert was wonderful and I'm glad got a prominent and well-deserved part in the book. I adored Quin and Olivia and their relationship and I pretty much liked the secondary characters because they were presented as three-dimensional and not just good v. evil.

I liked that the author dealt with some serious psychological and mental syndromes, which are usually taboo in romance novels unless it's PTSD that a hero suffers due to his war experiences. I love the fact that Ms. James was able to flesh these characters and their challenges with these syndromes out and discuss it with sensitivity. I love that people appreciate pets and treat them as a member of the family. I'm a bit of a pet lover myself, especially dogs, and anytime a pet is fleshed out as precious as Lucy, I am very appreciative. There were also sadder parts to the book and I felt myself emotionally drawn in, which is a true testament to the writing skill of Eloisa James.

As other reviewers, the only down side I saw to the book was the taking of the liberty of history, and I am a bit of a history buff, but other than that I really have nothing but good things to say about the book.

I would actually give this book a 4.5 out of 5, but with this rating system I can only rate it as a 4. I applaud Ms. James on another excellent novel and I do believe she's a unique and shining voice amongst romance novelists.

The Duke is Mine is a book with many facets. Loosely based on the Princess and the Pea, the heroine, Olivia, has been engaged for years to the intellectually challenged Rupert. Olivia's mother, who is constantly quoting the Duchess of Scone, would marry Olivia to a warthog if it were a Duke. Olivia's sister, Georgina, is in the mix to become engaged to Tarquin, the Duke of Scone and son of the know- it- all Duchess. Olivia accompanies her sister on a visit to the Scone estate and when Olivia and Tarquin meet the sparks fly.
There are several interesting aspects to this book. I was impressed with how Ms. James handled Rupert's condition. His portrayal was sympathetic, even when we knew Olivia's betrothal was not what she wanted. Rupert's father was also done very well. He and Olivia's mother were schemers but the Duke was all concern for his son and the future of the family and one felt sorry for him and his suffering over the son who would never measure up.
This is a romance novel so it is never a surprise how it will end, but what is in doubt is how the eventual resolution will be handled. The story was masterfully played out in this case. I would have felt bad if anyone was left with a broken heart but that didn't happen. All of the protagonists were treated with dignity and it made the story so much more enjoyable. This book has it all-romance, pathos, snarky dialogue, steamy love scenes, action sequences, and all of it is wrapped up in a great story. I have not read the earlier books in the series but I plan to now that I have read this one.

Olivia Lytton has been betrothed since before she was born to the also yet unborn son of a duke, Rupert. Thanks to a promise made between her father and Ruperts father when they were friends in Eton, she has been 'duchified' since she was a child, along with her twin sister Georgiana. Olivia knows all the proper rules and etiquette but it is just not her personality. Olivia is bawdy, sarcastic, and far too witty to truly be contained in a perfect duchess box. But as she was born seven minutes earlier than Georgiana, who is exactly what one looks for in a duchess, she has accepted her fate to marry the five years younger Rupert. Olivia knows she will bear the marriage to the much simpler Rupert as she plans to dower Georgiana right away so her perfect, beautiful sister can find her true happiness. As the betrothal papers are signed, as Rupert is finally eighteen, and scandalous promises are made by Ruperts father, one of the funniest scenes in this book happens. As Rupert heads to war to achieve the glory he so desires, Georgiana is invited to the home of Tarquin Brook Chatfield, Duke of Sconce by his mother as a potential new wife for Tarquin. Georgiana, with Olivia at her side, heads to his home with hope alight in her heart.

After his disastrous and heartbreaking first marriage, Quin knows it is his duty to remarry and he is more than willing to turn the process of choosing a wife over to his mother. She invites out two prospective women and is intent of putting them through a series of tests. It becomes clear quickly that Georgiana is the obvious choice but his mother continues on with her tests and in the process, asks Quin to entertain Olivia who is not in the running being betrothed already and totally unsuitable. The slight problem with that is Quin is quite attracted to Olivia but knows it can never be but the more time they spend together sparring and trading wits she slowly uncovers Quins hurtful past and together their hearts know they belong together. But the road to happiness has quite a few hurdles to overcome including Rupert, Georgiana, Quins mother and even Olivias belief that she is not good enough.

This is a fun, quirky, delightful retelling of the fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. I adored the beginning, it had me laughing quite a bit. Olivia is smart, sassy, and unconventional but honest, fierce, and protective at the same time and it was a delight to meet her. Quin is a bit proud and stuffy but he suffered a great loss and Olivia is the perfect balm for his heart and she, along with some words from Rupert, makes him complete again. I am sure there will be a bit of discussion about the situation that Quin and Olivia find themselves in. She is engaged to Rupert who is off at war and Georgiana thinks that Quin will be the perfect husband. But, I have to say in my opinion, Eloisa James handled the delicate situation well and the resulting actions are something that I could believe happening. I do not want to say to much because I don't want to give away to much of the storyline and I want you to be able to judge for yourself, but I believe fans will be happy with the situations. And then we get to the ending and it ties it all up perfectly. I was wondering how a pile of mattresses would fit in with this story but Eloisa James found a perfect solution so fairy tale fans will be pleased. Overall, a true delight that will make you laugh out loud. sigh, and root for this couple. 4 1/2 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. In places it is laugh out loud funny. In others the writing soars and is wonderful. In a couple places it falls on its behind in coarse crass puerile bits that were just disgusting. Then it picks itself up again and carries on much better. I mostly liked the heroine and hero and most of the other characters as well. Bless her for sparing us the too common drivel of secrets that cannot be shared or a character who has a phobia against saying, "I love you". None of that nonsense here and thank goodness. She does seem to have a problem writing mothers who are not dismaying. This is a cliche I could do without and so could all the other mothers of grown children out here. The heroine is plump, good for the author. Most women are some degree of plump and most men prefer them that way, as does the hero in this story. :-) A well-upholstered saddle, as my husband would purr. Overall it was a fun read that now and then soars and is well-worth the cost in money and time to read it.