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Eloisa James

When the Duke Returns (Desperate Duchesses, 4) Mass Market Paperback – November 25, 2008

by Eloisa James (Author)

807 ratings

Book 4 of 9: Desperate Duchesses

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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?

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Avon
Publication date

November 25, 2008
Dimensions

4.19 x 0.96 x 6.75 inches
ISBN-10

0061245607
ISBN-13

978-0061245602
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*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 a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author and professor of English literature, who lives with her family in New York, but can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. She is the mother of two and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight. Visit her at www.eloisajames.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon; First Edition (November 25, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061245607
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061245602
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 0.96 x 6.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #271,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,867 in Holiday Fiction (Books)
- #4,347 in Holiday Romance (Books)
- #5,872 in Regency Romances

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807 ratings

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Eloisa James

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Eloisa James is a New York Times bestselling author and professor of English literature who lives with her family in New York, but can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. She is the mother of two and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.

For info about books, visit www.eloisajames.com and sign up for her Five Fabulous Things newsletter. Or ask a question on Facebook (where Eloisa spends entirely too much time): https://www.facebook.com/eloisajames

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

817 global ratings

5 star		61%
4 star		26%
3 star		9%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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Amazon Customer

Poor Villiers…

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 7, 2022

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I love Desperate Duchess series. When The Duke Returns is a fun book with interesting characters. Simeon is annoying at times with his middle way stuff but the situations were fun and the supporting cast was excellent. Also, Jemma needs to stop putting Leopold through so much. That poor man… Simeon’s mother was awful. Perhaps she was the one suffering from a brain fever. That’s the only reason I could think for her staying in a house that stunk so pervasively of sewage. Not to mention speaking so horribly to her oldest son, and justifying her husband’s indiscretions. Sounds like his dad was a real piece of work. The blacksmiths story damn near broke me. I’d be more than pissed at the Duke too. I loved this one a lot. Truly recommend.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 21, 2022

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As usual, Eloisa James delivers a wonderful story with passion, missteps, humor, and the kind of ending I like. As a relatively new Eloisa fan, I’m just catching up on her books. This series has bern a delightful find.

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Sheila M

Married Couple Finding Out What Marriage Is

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 14, 2015

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"He's a virgin."

THE STORY: Lady Isidore Del'Fino has been the Duchess of Cosway for eleven years and hasn't laid eyes on her husband. Married by proxy at the age of twelve, Isidore has been impatiently waiting for her husband to reappear from his travels to Asia and Africa. Having finally managed to lure him back, Isidore is shocked to find out that her husband is a virgin and intends on waiting until they have a "real" wedding to consummate their marriage. Isidore has waited long enough and intends on getting on with her marriage. Simeon Jermyn, Duke of Cosway returns to England finding a sexy, vivacious woman instead of the docile woman he was expecting. He is now not sure if he wants to be married to a woman who challenges his peace and calm.

OPINION: There was much I loved about his book. I adored Simeon and how he thinks that he must keep control of everything. I loved how Isidore challenges his ordered life with her vibrant sometimes chaotic ways. This is a novel about marriage and partnership and accepting one another. My favorite part is how Simeon argues that they both need to change in the marriage for it to be successful, but what ultimately makes their marriage work is acceptance of who they are -- not change.

WORTH MENTIONING: I was emotionally engaged especially with the Beaumont/Villiers triangle.

FINAL DECISION: I loved this story because it was different from the others in the series. The story of two virgins who have been married for over a decade was intriguing and sweet.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WHEN THE DUKE RETURNS is the fourth book in the Desperate Duchesses series. The book can be read as a standalone although readers must be aware that there are two other ongoing stories involving the Beaumonts and the Duke of Villiers that have been going on since the beginning of the series and continues here. Those stories are only briefly recapped.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

4 people found this helpful

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Bravo! Immensely Entertaining 4.5 Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 27, 2008

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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.

19 people found this helpful

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Fs

2 stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 26, 2022

Verified Purchase

Eloisa James is on my love/hate list. I recently finished Three Weeks with Lady X and gave it 5 stars. This book was a struggle to finish. Two different stories were combined which distracted from the main story. The Jemma/Elijah chapters were confusing and did not belong in this book. I found the characters in this book lackluster. The virgin 30 year old man was far fetched and strange. I do not recommend this book. This is far from her best story.

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Alison10

I Struggled A Bit

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 21, 2020

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I struggled a bit with this book, which is unusual for those by Eloise James. My favourite character was Sebastian, the strange Duke, returned from many years travelling in the East. I warmed more to Isidore as the story progressed, but I didn't feel very attracted to the era or the supporting cast.

The story was about what happened when the Duke returned, after thirteen years away, to meet the girl he had married by proxy. She, of course, was now twenty-three and totally frustrated that her husband had never bothered to return to England to visit her during this time.

If you are a fan of Eloisa James, I am sure you will not wish to miss this book. If you are not already a reader of Ms James' books, I would suggest that there are very many other books by her that you should start off with.

One person found this helpful

CJ

Light-hearted, witty and fun.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 15, 2008

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this book. It's a well written tale about Isidore and Simeon, the Duke and Duchess of Cosway: "Married by proxy as a child, Lady Isidore has spent years fending off lecherous suitors while longing for her husband, Simeon Jermyn, the Duke of Cosway, to return." A light hearted story about what happens when a passionate, head-strong and beautiful woman collides with her calm, dispassionate (on the surface) and in-control husband. A lot of the story takes place on his country estate, which has been sadly neglected. There is lots of choice detail about Georgian plumbing! I didn't find it hugely emotionally intense but their developing relationship was well described and there is some good, snappy dialogue.

I can't help it though, I confess that in all the books so far I have been distracted by the parts featuring Jemma Beaumont and her husband Elijah. It is very tantalising - I want to read their story and because of the way it's been set up I'm guessing theirs will be one of the darkest books of the series. I'm also looking forward to finding out what happens to the Duke of Villiers.

I do like how Eloisa James writes and "When the Duke Returns" is definitely better than the last two in this series.

10 people found this helpful

Tigerlily101

Very Very Disappointed.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 21, 2009

Verified Purchase

I am a big fan of Ms James and have all her books. I am very very disappointed with this long-awaited new Duchess book. Without repeating what other reviews already written about the story outline, I will go straight to the problem: there is no "romance" in this "romance" novel. No chemistry, barely any interactions between H/H. It reads like a build-out to the next book in the Duchess series. I think like so many romance authors (no names here) who have written many books and series in a short period of time (due to publishers' demands?), Ms James needs a writing holdiay to recharge her battery.

4 people found this helpful

hayley loader

FAB!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

A GREAT BOOK FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS, THIS IS PART OF THE DESPERATE DUCHESSES SET.

THE BOOK ARRIVED THE DAY AFTER ORDERING (WITH PRIME DELIVERY) AND CAME WELL PACKAGED.
THE CHARACTERS MAINLY ALL FEATURE IN THE SET, BUT EACH BOOK CAN BE READ AS STANDALONE BOOKS. THE STORY IS VERY ENTERTAINING, WITH A PLOT THAT KEEPS YOU ENGROSSED FROM BEGINNING TO END. THE CHARACTERS ARE INTERESTING AND I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND THE REST OF THE SET!

Olly99

Still good, but not as gripping as the others

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

I have read all 6 in this series and this was the slowest of them all. Still good, but not as gripping as the others. However if you are reading them in order (as you should) do not miss this one out, as it contains details/facts you will find usedul/necessary in future books. On the plus side it does liven up during the second half.

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