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The Ugly Duchess
Summary
"Eloisa James is extraordinary."
-Lisa Kleypas
"Nothing gets me to the bookstore faster than a new novel by Eloisa James."
-Julia Quinn
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James gives the classic Hans Christian Andersen story of "The Ugly Duckling" a wonderful, witty, and delightfully passionate twist. The Ugly Duchess is another fairytale inspired romance from the unparalleled storyteller whose writing, author Teresa Medieros raves, "is truly scrumptious." A sexy and fun historical romance, James's winning tale of a glorious reawakening does not feature ducks and swans-rather it's a charming story of a young woman unaware of her own beauty, suddenly duty-bound to wed the dashing gentleman who has always been her platonic best friend…until now.
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Reviews
I legitimately sobbed reading part of this book. It is horribly painful in a lot of ways, but the story is also achingly beautiful. Honestly, I lean closer to 4.5 stars this time.
I was pretty excited about this as the premise is a big favorite. But, while I liked it well enough, it wasn't a favorite. There was angst but not my usual favorite sort. James and Theo's relationship is complicated and (to be honest) rather inconsistent. And, I just do not like infidelity in my romance. Even though it was pretty forgivable, I just don't really like it.
I felt like it got resolved a little to simply and quickly, and to be honest I disliked both James' and Theo's character developments during their estrangement but I really enjoyed the beginning!
I felt like it got resolved a little to simply and quickly, and to be honest I disliked both James' and Theo's character developments during their estrangement but I really enjoyed the beginning!
Number four in the Fairy Tales series, and I'd say it's the best in the series! I like "Theo", the heroine in the story, a bit more to to normal side where we normal folks can related too, she had her flaws and her quirks just like us all. It also gives us a bit of an insight into this haute ton of the English high society that even when you've become a duchess, life wasn't easy and things were all roses and peach. How would you go about coping and dealing with traumas, and thing like OCD in the 18-19 centuries? How about trust and betrayal? Forced to be self-reliant and independent, doing things on your own and made something good for yourself regardless of what the society thought of you after your marriage seemed crumbled down over night, and your lordly handsome-piratical husband was nowhere to be found for seven years and people said it's time to declare him dead!!
About:Taking place in London in the early 1800's, The Ugly Duchess is a love story about two best friends who get married with love in their hearts, but under false pretences nonetheless.Some of Theodora Saxby's inheritance has been illegally squandered by her ward, the Duke of Ashbrook.After her father died, Theo and her mother were sent to live with her late father's best friend, the Duke, and his family. Her inheritance was trusted to the Duke who spent most of it and put himself in debt. When Theo is of marrying age, the Duke devises a plan to make his only son and heir, James Ryburn, marry her. The twist is that Theo and James having been brought up in the same household since they were children, have grown up as best friends. That friendship has blossomed into more, although the two haven't admitted it to one another yet. James proposes to Theo and he really does love her. He feels guilty about her inheritance and about marrying her without telling her the complete truth. Theo is on cloud nine. She's never been known to be a great beauty but she realizes she loves James and he loves her for her inner beauty. After the wedding, Theo is coined 'The Ugly Duchess' by London society. Soon enough, she overhears the Duke and James arguing and the truth spills out about her inheritance and about James' helping to clean up his father's debt by marrying her.Theo throws him out and the two are separated for seven years, until one day they finally reunite. My thoughts:I liked this heroine. Theo wants to break convention, she doesn't want to dress as her mother has made her to all these years. After she's married, she throws her wedding gown out the window. No more frills and lace for her. Theo knows she's no conventional beauty, but she's got spunk and she's in love. James calls her his 'Daisy'. I like that she reinvents herself and becomes a trend setting fashionista. James is a sweet hero in the beginning of the book. He felt a sense of obligation to this father and didn't want his families reputation ruined, the ton would never forget such a scandal. He does love Theo and is guilt ridden by hiding a secret from her.My first qualm about him is why if they were besties couldn't he just tell her the truth from the start? I guess if James would have been honest from the start, there'd be no love story to tell.I liked the dialogue between these two and as I read I had a smile on my face. I have to say, I enjoyed Part One, more than the second part of the book. Part One is the marriage and their happy start, up until Theo throws him out after she finds out the truth. I did feel that Theo was over reacting just a bit by throwing him out of her life like that. Part Two, spans for a few years after James leaves. He becomes a pirate and tries to forget his Theo and completely reinvent himself. While the two are separated, each grows in their own way until they reunite seven years later. Okay, here's my second qualm about James. Why run off and become a pirate? Why not stay and try to win his Theo back? Midlife crisis? Of course, this is based on a sweet fairy tale, so there is a happy ending eventually. I found the writing flowed smoothly, the characters were interesting and the storyline was cute. The Ugly Duckling is one of my favorite fairy tales and I like that this heroine has inner beauty and that it shines right through. I just wish James' character would have gone in a different direction during the separation. I like heroes in romance novels to stay loyal. I recommend The Ugly Duchess if you are a fan of light, fluffy historical romance and are looking for a nice read to escape into.This is my first time reading Eloisa James and I hope to read this author again. Although I didn't care much for the hero in this book, I was hooked until the very end. Very entertaining.
The Ugly Duchess
3.5 Stars
The first third of the book detailing James and Theo's friendship and growing physical attraction is lively and entertaining. Unfortunately, the second third focusing on their separation and lives apart (James as a pirate and Theo as a fashion diva) is drawn out, tedious and unnecessary. The last third makes a brave attempt at recovering the energy of the beginning but James and Theo's reunion leaves much to be desired.
James is charming and likable despite his questionable acquiescence to his father's demand that he marry his childhood friend for her dowry. Nevertheless, his actions during their long separation he sleeps with other women are a turn off and he never manages to redeem himself completely.
Theo is an engaging heroine and her strength of will in coping with James's betrayal and disappearance is admirable. That said, her preoccupation with her looks, while understandable, becomes tiresome after a while and detracts from her appeal - so you're not the belle of the ball, get over it already!
Eloisa James is a skilled writer and the previous books in this series have provided me with much enjoyment, This time, however, the story and characters simply miss the mark. Better luck next time.
3.5 Stars
The first third of the book detailing James and Theo's friendship and growing physical attraction is lively and entertaining. Unfortunately, the second third focusing on their separation and lives apart (James as a pirate and Theo as a fashion diva) is drawn out, tedious and unnecessary. The last third makes a brave attempt at recovering the energy of the beginning but James and Theo's reunion leaves much to be desired.
James is charming and likable despite his questionable acquiescence to his father's demand that he marry his childhood friend for her dowry. Nevertheless, his actions during their long separation he sleeps with other women are a turn off and he never manages to redeem himself completely.
Theo is an engaging heroine and her strength of will in coping with James's betrayal and disappearance is admirable. That said, her preoccupation with her looks, while understandable, becomes tiresome after a while and detracts from her appeal - so you're not the belle of the ball, get over it already!
Eloisa James is a skilled writer and the previous books in this series have provided me with much enjoyment, This time, however, the story and characters simply miss the mark. Better luck next time.
Loved this romance, a story of a young woman who is regarded as not being very pretty, in fact is often considered the Ugly Duchess, who marries the man she fancies, James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, and finds, the day after, that her husband isn't after her, but her dowry. They argue and he storms off to the sea and she settles to resurrect the fortunes of the Duchy.Seven years later, as he is about to be declared dead, he returns, having adventured as a Privateer on the seas and with a tattoo on his face. He has to woo her, but can he break the shell her disappointment has created.Yes it's pretty predictable but the characters were fun and the story worked for me.There was also a Short Story at the end of the book, Ever After, that was about two people separated for a while who find that their attraction is still strong.
ehh it was ok skipped thru a lot tbh
The Ugly Duchess is about boy who had to marry the girl he cares about because of the mistakes of his father and also about a young girl who in love with a boy who betrays her. While the other quarter-half is about a young girl who became woman who brave the world and a boy who became a pirate who rule the sea.
Basically that was the story of this book. Honestly, this is the second Victorian book in a row that doesn't read like a normal average historical romance. Again, its the sex thing. I don't know why, but this book is quite possibly more explicit than an average historical romance but not so much like Samantha Kane's The Devil's Thief. Most of the time the two character interact was on a bed even after they had several years of separation.
And the book uses too much exposition around the end of the book, it does feel awkward while reading the book after the initial story arc. In fact, the book is more predictable than ever. The only saving grace was when James burst into the parliament to announce that he's alive after all these years.
The story that intended to be an adaptation of the Ugly Duckling doesn't even work well with the storylines. I felt it was written reluctantly without any consideration. Its not just disjointed, its just plain disappointment.
really 2 1/2 stars cuz of some annoyances. the fact they separated after 1 big argument and 1 day of marriage seemed quite silly. then i looked at their ages 17 and 19 and i was like ok. teens are dramatic and don't think things through so ok, i'll give ya that. then after they reunited i was annoyed at how easy it was. but her characters don't annoy me so much that am not going to try another series by her- Essex sisters.
Overall I liked the story a lot and would have liked to give it a higher rating, but the couple is apart for a big part of the book and she takes him back rather quickly, and that pulled the score down for me.
Rating: 7/10
Rating: 7/10
A quick fluffy read but not quite as good as the other two books in this series, A Kiss at Midnight and Once Upon a Tower. Of the three, Kiss at Midnight is the best. While Eloisa James is quite good at witty repartee and engaging comical characterizations, she is not so good at angst.
The moment the story swings towards angst or melodrama, you can almost hear the cheap organ music clanging in the background. And then there are the platitudes...oh dear, me, the platitudes. One almost feels as if they are reading a Sunday sermon or an entry in Dear Abby.
This is the flaw in The Ugly Duchess - a play on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, the Ugly Duckling, with some references to the Taming of the Shrew. The book starts out well enough, but the set-up is a bit awkward. Theo and James are long time friends, having been raised from the nursery together. They are not brother and sister by blood or marriage. Jame's father, the Duke of Ashbrook, took Theo on as ward after his best friend's death. Then years later, due to various gambling debts and risky financial investments, embezzled half her dowry. In desperate straights, the Damn'Fool Duke persuades his only son and heir, James, to woo Theo and marry her. Stating, yes, I know she's ugly as sin, but turn off the lights and you'll be fine. The writer obviously wants you to view the Duke as a complex character, but after that set-up, it is rather hard to see him as much more than a lecherous misogynist and opportunist. Instead of taking a moral high ground, James who has been lusting after his friend Theo (who is three years younger than he) and just turned 17, gets drunk at a party, kisses her roughly, and proposes on the spot. Things start out well enough, except for the fact that the English press decides Theo, stick thin with a tall mannish build and a strong profile, is ugly as sin - because she doesn't reflect the bovine beauty of the day (small round and plump). If she'd only been born in 2013 instead of the 1800s, she'd have been fine. All of Eloisa James heroines are tall, thin, and leggy and considered unattractive or willowly. Which is interesting. It's a bit of a change of pace from most romance novels where they are petite and bosomy.
Unfortunately for Theo, around this time, she overhears a conversation between James and his father - wherein his father relates the whole sordid deal. In short, James proposed and married Theo to save his father and himself from financial ruin. To add insult to injury, the Duke had just walked in on Theo servicing James in a sexual manner. And the Duke being the misogynist that he is feels the need to ridicule the act and call Theo little more than a doxie. The tragedy of it is that James actually is head over heels in love with Theo. But she doesn't believe him and throws both the Duke and his son, her husband, out of the house. As a reader, it's hard not to applaud her actions, even if you already know James side of things.
It all ends well of course, but there's a bit of meandering...and too much time is spent on summarizing James and Theo's separate adventures.
The story is rather interesting and quite funny in places. James's return is amusing. And the Theo chapters, where the writer pokes fun at fashion. Also, James does grow on you. He runs off and becomes a privateer on the high seas. While Theo becomes a sort of 1800s version of Anne Wintoure or The Devil Wears Prada. The sex scenes are better than in Once Upon a Tower, but not as good as Kiss at Midnight.
But overall? I'd skip this one. Felt a bit overwrought after a while and the ending was a let-down.
The moment the story swings towards angst or melodrama, you can almost hear the cheap organ music clanging in the background. And then there are the platitudes...oh dear, me, the platitudes. One almost feels as if they are reading a Sunday sermon or an entry in Dear Abby.
This is the flaw in The Ugly Duchess - a play on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, the Ugly Duckling, with some references to the Taming of the Shrew. The book starts out well enough, but the set-up is a bit awkward. Theo and James are long time friends, having been raised from the nursery together. They are not brother and sister by blood or marriage. Jame's father, the Duke of Ashbrook, took Theo on as ward after his best friend's death. Then years later, due to various gambling debts and risky financial investments, embezzled half her dowry. In desperate straights, the Damn'Fool Duke persuades his only son and heir, James, to woo Theo and marry her. Stating, yes, I know she's ugly as sin, but turn off the lights and you'll be fine. The writer obviously wants you to view the Duke as a complex character, but after that set-up, it is rather hard to see him as much more than a lecherous misogynist and opportunist. Instead of taking a moral high ground, James who has been lusting after his friend Theo (who is three years younger than he) and just turned 17, gets drunk at a party, kisses her roughly, and proposes on the spot. Things start out well enough, except for the fact that the English press decides Theo, stick thin with a tall mannish build and a strong profile, is ugly as sin - because she doesn't reflect the bovine beauty of the day (small round and plump). If she'd only been born in 2013 instead of the 1800s, she'd have been fine. All of Eloisa James heroines are tall, thin, and leggy and considered unattractive or willowly. Which is interesting. It's a bit of a change of pace from most romance novels where they are petite and bosomy.
Unfortunately for Theo, around this time, she overhears a conversation between James and his father - wherein his father relates the whole sordid deal. In short, James proposed and married Theo to save his father and himself from financial ruin. To add insult to injury, the Duke had just walked in on Theo servicing James in a sexual manner. And the Duke being the misogynist that he is feels the need to ridicule the act and call Theo little more than a doxie. The tragedy of it is that James actually is head over heels in love with Theo. But she doesn't believe him and throws both the Duke and his son, her husband, out of the house. As a reader, it's hard not to applaud her actions, even if you already know James side of things.
It all ends well of course, but there's a bit of meandering...and too much time is spent on summarizing James and Theo's separate adventures.
The story is rather interesting and quite funny in places. James's return is amusing. And the Theo chapters, where the writer pokes fun at fashion. Also, James does grow on you. He runs off and becomes a privateer on the high seas. While Theo becomes a sort of 1800s version of Anne Wintoure or The Devil Wears Prada. The sex scenes are better than in Once Upon a Tower, but not as good as Kiss at Midnight.
But overall? I'd skip this one. Felt a bit overwrought after a while and the ending was a let-down.
This was actually the first Eloisa James novel I ever read, and since then I've started going through her backlist and trying to read everything else she's ever had published. Her wit, fantastic character development and plots keep me reading and enjoying.
I love Eloisa James' audio and this is my favourite. I cried and could not sleep till I finished the audio book.
Wonderful, I loved the ending! This would make a nice movie!
Jamie and Theodora, Daisy to Jamie, have been bought up as brother and sister. So when Jamie is ordered by his father to marry Theo, as she prefers to be called, because he’s embezzled some of her inheritance, he is shocked. After they are married things look to be settling down well, until Jamie’s father catches them in a ‘delicate’ situation and reveals all. Hurt and disillusioned, Theo throws Jamie out and he runs away to sea, while Theo, stays home to endure the gossip, that Jamie fled because she was so ugly. Years later Jamie returns. Is it too late for their marriage? A fun swashbuckling romance, which passed the time quickly and enjoyably.
Theodora Saxby is an heiress who has reached the age where she should marry. Unfortunately her looks are very severe and she has the shape of a boy. Her parents loved her greatly, however her father has died and left her and her mother in the control of his best friend The Duke of Ashbrook. All is well until years later when the Duke calls his son into the library and informs him that he must marry Theodora. James is horrified as they have been raised together under the same roof as if they were brother and sister. James is told that his father has run through not only their money but a good portion of Theodora's dowry also (embezzlement). If James marries Theodora the dowry becomes part of the estate and no one will know the money was ever missing. He fights with his father, but finally gives in and agrees with the stipulation that his father turn the estate and all the holding over to him. The story line is fun and the characters are very likably naïve due to youth and inexperience. They definitely do love each other (more than brother and sister) which actually surprises both of them. But during a fight with his father, Theodora overhears how the how and why for the marriage and is totally humiliated. In anger she throws out the Duke and her new husband telling him never to return that the marriage was over. I loved the story and read it all in one day as I really needed to see how it ended. It was a very good read.
The middle got a little far-fetched with the pirate stuff (and I think we know how much I love pirates) but on the whole it was enjoyable. The structure was a little unusual but it worked for the story.
Marriage matches for money are commonplace among the upper class. Except that Theodora Saxby thought she was being married for love and friendship... she grew up with James Ryburn, after all. But only hours after their speedy marriage she learns the truth: James only wanted her dowry. James flees, and suddenly she's the laughingstock of society.Years pass, the duckling turns into a swan, and James returns.... but can he convince his left-behind bride that he really does love her?I like James, but I resisted reading this for quite a while. The plot sounded tired and trite and didn't really appeal. Good thing I changed my mind. Theo's a kick, rigid as she is, and James turns out to be a bright boy after all.
Technically, I should have hated this book. It has two of my most hated pet peeves in it. A lengthy separation between the main characters and adultery. Plus, I found the hero to be a bit pathetic at times, especially in the beginning and the heroine became a bit rigid and cold.
So, having said all that... I actually liked this book. Color me shocked! I think it must be a testament to Eloisa James's writing that I was able to enjoy a book with so many things I normally would hate.
This book is separated into two sections: Before and After. Before is how James and Theo come to be married. I enjoyed this portion quite a bit. It was refreshing to see a hero come into a marriage with extremely limited sexual experience. He and Theo were on pretty even ground. I also really enjoyed the banter between them.
The After portion starts after the moment that Theo realizes James's father pushed him in to marrying her. She sends him away and tells him never to return. And he actually leaves. (Hence why I wasn't a big fan of him.) James ends up becoming a pirate and Theo takes over running his estate... (not very plausible, but I went with it.) What follows is a rather angsty seven years. I honestly didn't see how they would ever work things out and so perhaps that is what made it so nice when they finally did.
In the end it was two extremely imperfect people that made MANY mistakes and somehow found out they were perfect for each other. So despite the fact that I wasn't a wholehearted fan of either of them, I still couldn't help relishing the fact that they found their way back to one another.
So, having said all that... I actually liked this book. Color me shocked! I think it must be a testament to Eloisa James's writing that I was able to enjoy a book with so many things I normally would hate.
This book is separated into two sections: Before and After. Before is how James and Theo come to be married. I enjoyed this portion quite a bit. It was refreshing to see a hero come into a marriage with extremely limited sexual experience. He and Theo were on pretty even ground. I also really enjoyed the banter between them.
The After portion starts after the moment that Theo realizes James's father pushed him in to marrying her. She sends him away and tells him never to return. And he actually leaves. (Hence why I wasn't a big fan of him.) James ends up becoming a pirate and Theo takes over running his estate... (not very plausible, but I went with it.) What follows is a rather angsty seven years. I honestly didn't see how they would ever work things out and so perhaps that is what made it so nice when they finally did.
In the end it was two extremely imperfect people that made MANY mistakes and somehow found out they were perfect for each other. So despite the fact that I wasn't a wholehearted fan of either of them, I still couldn't help relishing the fact that they found their way back to one another.
I loved this book. It is written in two parts, with the first being up through the beginning of their marriage and the second after their separation and reuniting. Theo and James had grown up together as James's father is Theo's guardian. They were friends first and foremost. James has always cared for Theo but when he is ordered to marry her by his father, who has embezzled her dowry, he fears that it will destroy their friendship. Theo doesn't realize that what she feels for him is love until he kisses her for the first time, and then is so happy that they will marry. Everything goes along great until she finds out why James married her. At that point she throws him out of the house and tells him she never wants to see him again. Theo has always had some self esteem problems because she is not pretty. This gets worse when she is called "The Ugly Duchess" by the tabloids. James was in love with Theo from the time he was a teenager but didn't expect to do anything about it quite yet. He was furious with his father who had nearly bankrupted them with his idiotic investments and then his theft of Theo's inheritance. At only twenty years old, he doesn't have the ability to stand up to his father and goes through with the marriage. When it all blows up he is devastated, does as Theo asks and leaves England completely. I loved the way that they were so obviously in love with each other. James never agreed with the opinion that Theo was ugly, he always saw her as beautiful, though he could not convince her of that fact. They also made a perfect pair to plan how to make the estate profitable again. Theo is incredibly intelligent and frightfully organized. James has trouble concentrating on indoor things like accounts and so on (ADD?), but has an incredible ability to relate to people and see what needs to be done on the land.The second half of the book deals with their separation and reuniting. I won't say too much, so I don't give things away. Theo copes with her heartbreak by becoming even more organized and rather rigid. I wanted to shake her at times to wake her up. She has had to grow up rather quickly to deal with the fallout. James's departure also caused some real maturing on his part. He has had to learn to control his own temper and also to be able to do things he avoided before. He finally realizes that he still loves Theo and wants to win her back. The second half deals with his efforts, some of which are funny and some of which are romantic. I loved the man he became and how he won his duchess back.
Loved this book. Great combination of strong heroine, but with her own insecurities, and a crazy, mixed-up hero. Fun, romantic story with lots of drama and misunderstandings. Very fun beach read.
Split in two parts. Not entirely successful.
I took another chance on a historical romance and this one was a delight. The characters of Daisy and Theo were strong and different and their story, while typical in the boy meets girl, boy marries girl under false pretenses,etc. plot, did have enough differences to make for compelling reading.Daisy was not a great beauty - at least to those who didn't really get to know her but she showed them. Theo knew soon after he married her for her money that she WAS the girl for him but didn't know how to tell her. Their time apart was slow reading for the most part but once they got back together the book really started to sing again. Although, one does love a dashing pirate now and then.I've not read any other of Ms. James's books but I am sure they would make for fun, fast reads just as this one did. I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up when I wanted an escape from the modern world and its worries.