By: Eloisa James
Releasing
January 26, 2016
Avon
Avon
Blurb
The
arrogant Duke of Trent intends to marry a well-bred Englishwoman. The last
woman he would ever consider marrying is the adventuresome Merry Pelford— an
American heiress who has infamously jilted two fiancés.
But
after one provocative encounter with the captivating Merry, Trent desires her
more than any woman he has ever met. He is determined to have her as his wife,
no matter what it takes. And Trent is a man who always gets what he wants.
The
problem is, Merry is already betrothed, and the former runaway bride has vowed
to make it all the way to the altar. As honor clashes with irresistible
passion, Trent realizes the stakes are higher than anyone could have imagined.
In his battle to save Merry and win her heart, one thing becomes clear:
All
is fair in love and war.
I love Eloisa James! She is a master. Even when I don't like the story I have to like the book because it is well written and beautiful. This book I loved! I love the concept of Americans dealing with the stuffy British Ton, especially just twenty-five our so years after the War of Independence. I can see how this book screamed at Eloisa James to be more than just a novella. The full length novel is a wonderful and emotional story.
Merry is quick to love, and Trent is determined to marry Merry. But therein lies the problem, Merry has jilted two fiancees already and unless she wants to be an old maid she must marry soon, she has vowed her next engagement will be her last. But the more time she spends with her fiance the less she likes him and the more she falls in love with Trent. They meet quite accidentally not knowing who they were never properly introducing themselves, but one unconventional conversation and that's all it took. Trent was convinced he would marry her, even after he found out she was already engaged and tried to tell himself any American would do, his mind and libido kept going back to Merry. Even Merry was trying to take her mind off of Trent, spending more time with her fiance and making herself love him, but then there was George. Of course the adorable bull dog puppy was only the beginning it got so bad that Merry finally coincided she could not marry the man. She would go home and plan her gardens and die an old maid. But Trent had other ideas.
It really was an adorable book. Trent and Merry were very well written. And as always with Eloisa James books I laughed, I cried and I felt completely satisfied at the end of the book.
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English ladies never spoke to strangers, so he probably expected her to cower like a chambermaid. In that case, she would disappoint him. No American flinched before an Englishman, noble or otherwise.
Head high, she met his eyes straight on, and sure enough, a distinct flash of surprise crossed his face. “Please forgive me for disturbing you, sir,” she said, curtsying. “I mistook you for one of my countrymen.”
She could scarcely believe she’d felt pity for the man, because now she had the impression that she was sharing a small space with a large predator. She fell back a step with the aim of returning the ballroom, but he moved forward and blocked her flight.
“There are a great many Americans in London this season, are there not?” he asked.
Goodness sakes, the man was ferocious looking. It was difficult to imagine who would have had the nerve to affront him; in comparison, her combative former fiancé Bertie Pike was as placid as a cow.
He had made her so rattled that she spoke before she thought. “According to The Times, there are at least three times as many Americans in London as there were a decade ago.”
Her former governess, Miss Fairfax, had always said that no man wished to be thought ignorant, but Merry was certain that this man wouldn’t give a damn—because he was absolutely confident about what he did know.
Sure enough, he merely cocked an eyebrow and asked, “Did The Times offer an explanation for the swell in your numbers?”
“It did not. But did you know that Americans often study in your Inns of Court? Five men who signed our Declaration of Independence were educated at the Middle Temple.”
She nearly clapped a hand over her mouth. She had gone from inappropriate to objectionable; American independence was hardly a subject about which English aristocrats were enthusiastic.
She dropped a hasty curtsy. “If you’ll excuse me, sir, I shall go fetch my next dance partner.”
Laughter gleamed in his dark eyes. “If I might offer you some advice, no English gentleman wishes to be ‘fetched.’”
His evident amusement eased her nervousness. “My experience of London is not great, yet I have already discovered that there are any number of English gentlemen eager to be ‘fetched,’” she said, giving him a wide smile before she remembered that young ladies weren’t supposed to do more than demurely curl their lips.
“I surmise that you are referring to gentlemen who seek to enrich themselves by marrying a woman in possession of a fortune. Are there no adventurers of that kind in America?”
His tone made it clear that he was not a fortune-hunter. Merry had grown tired of gentlemen subtly informing her that they were willing to overlook her “unfortunate” nationality.
“Certainly there are,” she said. “But at home they aren’t so condescending. Here they act as if they’re doing one a favor, whereas to my mind the truth is quite the reverse.”
“You make a good point,” he conceded.
“Though I’m not being entirely fair. English gentlemen have titles for sale, and even my cousins—who are Cabots and quite powerful in their own right—don’t have anything attached to their name that directs people to bow and scrape before them.”
“I gather you are not inclined to bow and scrape before a titled gentleman?”
He didn’t seem in the least critical, which was a relief. “I am not. I prefer to judge a man on his accomplishments and character. If you have a title yourself, sir, I apologize for being so direct.”
He smiled, which she took to mean that he was untitled. “Have you met many peers…any dukes, for example?”
“I have met the Duke of Villiers, and just last evening, the Prince of Wales.” Merry lowered her voice to a whisper. “To be frank, each seemed to feel that his titles made him as special as a five-legged calf. Though, to be fair, the duke might expect reverence on the basis of his coat alone.”
His bark of laughter appeared to surprise him as much as it did her. “Now if you will excuse me, sir, I must return to the ballroom.” Merry was fairly certain that Cedric had no concerns about her faithfulness, but there was no reason to cause a scandal by being caught in a tête-à-tête.
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A New York Times bestselling author, Eloisa James is a professor of English
literature who lives with her family in New York, but who can sometimes be
found in Paris or Italy. (Her husband is an honest to goodness Italian knight!)
Eloisa’s website offers short stories, extra chapters, and even a guide to
shopping in Florence. Visit her at www.eloisajames.com.
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Lovely review! Thank you for hosting MY AMERICAN DUCHESS today!
ReplyDeleteCrystal, Tasty Book Tours