When the Duke Returns [Mass Market Paperback]

Eloisa James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 2008

The Duchess of Cosway yearns for a man she has never met . . . her husband.

Married by proxy as a child, Lady Isidore has spent years fending off lecherous men in every European court while waiting to meet her husband. She's determined to accept him, no matter how unattractive the duke turns out to be. When she finally lures Simeon Jermyn back to London, his dark handsomeness puts Isidore's worst fears to rest—until disaster strikes.

The duke demands an annulment.

Forsaking his adventuresome past, Simeon has returned to London ready to embrace the life of a proper duke, only to find that his supposed wife is too ravishing, too headstrong, and too sensual to be the docile duchess he has in mind. But Isidore will not give up her claim to the title—or him—without a fight.

She will do whatever it takes to capture Simeon's heart, even if it means sacrificing her virtue. After all, a consummated marriage cannot be annulled.

Yet in forcing Simeon into a delicious surrender, will Isidore risk not only her dignity—but her heart?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Eleven years after their wedding by proxy, Lady Isidore, Duchess of Cosway, finally meets her husband, Simeon Jermyn, Duke of Cosway. Simeon had left England for a life of adventure and travel in the Middle East and India. Now he has returned and intends to “claim” his wife. Isidore had hoped for a genuine marriage, but Simeon is nothing like what she expected. Not only does her surprisingly sexy husband have the audacity to comment on her lack of domestic skills but he seems more than willing to give Isidore an annulment if she wishes to end their marriage. But Isidore isn’t about to give up on her dreams of a life together, and she is willing to fight anyone, including Simeon, to see them fulfilled. James puts a clever spin on a classic romantic plot in the latest scintillating installment in her superbly entertaining Georgian-era Desperate Duchesses series, once again beguiling readers with wonderfully original characters, wickedly witty writing, and lusciously sexy romance. --John Charles

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!

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061245607
• ISBN-13: 978-0061245602
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,304 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

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bravo! Immensely Entertaining 4.5 Stars, November 26, 2008

By 

R. Phillips (MS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When the Duke Returns (Mass Market Paperback)

I will start out by saying this was so much an improvement over the last book in this series I can't believe it includes many of the same cast of characters. The conversations in this one were much more clever and more meaningful. It was just written much better and this is definitely a recommended read.

The hero and heroine in this story have been married by proxy for many years while the hero (the Duke of Cosway) is traveling abroad. The heroine is 23 years old and is tired of being a married virgin so she forces the return of her husband, who turns out to be a virgin as well. He has found peace in his life (after a tumultuous childhood)and does everything he can to avoid any form of chaos. This includes abstaining from sexual encounters, even with his wife for the time. They go back and forth in determining whether they are meant to be together and whether they should stay married or should follow through with an annulment. There are moments that are a bit silly, but the strength of the book overall outweighs them. The eccentric hero and the impulsive heroine are charming in their attempts to learn how to properly love one another. I would have liked to have seen a little more of the growth of the emotional love between the two but it was still pleasurable.

Very enjoyable in the book as well is the interplay between the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont. I enjoyed their interactions and found them as entertaining as those between the hero and heroine. I can't wait to read their story and Villers' as well (This Duchess of Mine, out in May, 2009 and A Duke of Her Own out in July, 2009). It definitely leaves you wanting more.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing and entertaining story, December 6, 2008

By 

Jennifer Kydd (Antioch, TN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When the Duke Returns (Mass Market Paperback)

I read another review from a reader stating that James's "Desperate Duchesses" series improves with each book. I think she finally hit her peak with this one. It really was the perfect historical romance with a hot blooded Italian and an eccentric, reluctant duke who runs about the countryside in short trousers (oh, the scandal!).

I loved that our heroine, Lady Isidore, was completely unwilling to compromise her beliefs, opinions, and ideas because a man and--more specifically--her husband told her to do so. At every turn, she frustrated and irritated our hero, Simeon. My suspicion was that he was frustrated because what he loved most about her turned his life upside down. Feisty, beautiful, and incredibly bright, Isidore was a woman before her time. And she's a little bit of what every woman strives to be.

Simeon, on the other hand, is intelligent, thoughtful, and stubborn to a fault. He has his own ideas about this proxy marriage of his and feels that Isidore should bend to that will even if she doesn't agree with it. He spent years traveling abroad and gathering up unique experiences like a bouquet of flowers and yet knows little of the ways of the world.

What I loved most about this particular novel is that it was unusual in that very early in the book, we discover that not only is Isidore a virgin (of course) but that Simeon is also a virgin. I've read tons of romance novels over the years, and this is the first one that identified the hero as a virgin...and he's proud of it! What a refreshing change! Isidore is shocked and actually assumes that something must be wrong with Simeon. But it's revealed later on that he had several very good reasons for maintaining his own innocence.

I truly loved this story and loved it even more as it progressed. Definitely one of James's best!

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read - this is a real treat - end to end!!, November 25, 2008

By 

Cindy "Always Reading!" (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When the Duke Returns (Mass Market Paperback)

Every once in a while one of my favorite authors writes a perfect book. This is one such book! The story is romantic, funny, and quick paced. Each chapter brings more to the characters. I read the book the same day I received it from Amazon and it was over way too quickly.

I wanted more of this fabulous heroine and hero. I loved that she wasn't the same old same old English lady. She's a hot blooded Italian and she's more than a match for this adventurer hero.

Go to the author's website if you want an excerpt from the book.

I read on average 20-25 romances a month and this is by far the best in a long while. I wish it had been published in hard back! But its a keeper next to my other favorite Eloisa James novels.