When they are discovered in a compromising position at the Prince Regent’s musicale, James blurts out a proposal, and before you know it, they are married.

Theo is starting to look at James in a different light, too. She has her eye on a matrimonial prospect – an acid-tongued young man whom she thinks she could impress with her wit, if only he’d notice her.Īs it turns out, before James can even get very far in the “make Theo fall in love with him” plan, the lines between what he’s doing out of duty and what he wants are blurred. They end up having the opposite effect, and thus Theo is a bit of a reluctant wallflower during her first season in London. Her mother’s frilly, girlish choices – whites and pinks replete with lace and flounces – are intended to make Theo look more feminine. She has strong features – dramatic cheekbones and an aggressive chin – and she is just sure that she would look much better were she allowed to dress herself. Theo is less than lovely, and in fact is often said to look mannish. Meanwhile, Theo is chafing at the restraints that keep her under her well-meaning mother’s thumb. But his father forces his hand the news that the estate is in such dire straits might not be enough to make James capitulate, but the prospect of his father going on trial for embezzling his ward’s inheritance is. He hates both the idea of hurting her and the inevitable end of their friendship. James just knows that Theo will discover the truth and be devastated.

He is furious not only at having to marry against his own wishes, but with his father’s insistence that he must make Theo fall in love with him she cannot know that it’s her dowry he’s really after. James has an understandably rocky relationship with his father, whose irresponsibility has long been apparent. When she is 17 and he 19, his spendthrift father informs him that he must marry Theo not only has the Duke of Ashbrook run his own finances into the ground with bad investments, but he’s, um, “borrowed” some of Theo’s money in the mistaken belief that he could make it back and replace it before anyone knew it was gone. Our hero and heroine, James and Theodora (called Daisy by James though she herself prefers Theo) have been raised together practically from the nursery (she’s his father’s ward) and are in many ways best friends. When I saw that The Ugly Duchess was available for review, though, the plot blurb drew me in immediately.

Last year I read and really enjoyed your book When Beauty Tamed the Beast, yet for some reason I haven’t gotten around to diving into your extensive backlist yet. Jennie B+ Reviews Fairy-Tales / friends-to-lovers / privateer / Ugly Duckling 10 Comments AugREVIEW: The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James

The ugly duchess by eloisa james