New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Wildes series with a prequel about the Wilde children's parents, Hugo, Duke of Lindow, and Ophelia, Lady Astley.
MY LAST DUCHESS by ELOISA JAMES
Series: The Wildes of Lindlow Castle #0.5
Publication date: October 27, 2020
Published by: Avon Romance
Genre: historical romance
SYNOPSIS
Every Duke needs a Duchess...
Hugo Wilde, the Duke of Lindow, has a drafty castle, eight naughty children—and no wife. Ophelia, Lady Astley, has a fine house, one well-behaved daughter—and no husband.
Hugo takes one look at Ophelia and loses his heart, but she doesn’t want more children or a castle. She takes one look at him and heads for her carriage.
Desperate to find a duchess, Hugo identifies an appropriate lady to woo. Yet when he meets Ophelia again, the duke realizes that he will marry her, or no one.
Now he faces the greatest challenge of his life.
He must convince Ophelia that their blazing sensuality, his exquisite castle, and his eight charming children add up to a match made in heaven.
When duke finds his duchess, can he win her heart?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. 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." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
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My Last Duchess by Eloisa JamesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
“We have a choice in every moment of life,”he said, his voice brushing her body.“I choose to spend every possible one of them with you, Phee.”
Hugo is a widower and recent divorcé with eight children in need of a proper mother. His last wife Yvette ran off after a scandalous affair and abandoned the family leaving him floundering. I've always had the deepest respect for Hugo, but now after reading his story and stepping into his perspective, you really see how deep his love goes for all of his children. He always puts them first above all else and makes their happiness and well being his #1 priority. After being betrayed horribly by his wife, his only goal is to find a new wife (which he really has no personal desire to attain) in order for his kids to have stability in their lives again. Not only does he show them all the love that they deserve, he treats them all equally. Even though he shares no blood with his ward Parth, and possibly Joan who is suspected to be fathered by another, no one is made to feel less. Naturally, if he's forced to marry again after his last disastrous marriage, he would look for a woman more maternal. A woman like Lady Ophelia Astley.
You, his soul said. You too.It was the same feeling he had hadafter each newborn child was presented to him:the moment in which the world adjustedso that his heart could recognize one of his tribe.One of his beloveds.
Ophelia is a recent widow with a young daughter whom she's intensely devoted to. Her marriage had been civil, pleasant, and probably more than a little boring. While mutual respect and friendship is more than a lot of aristocratic wives achieve in their marriages, passion and romance is certainly rare. Her marital relationship was satisfactory, but now she happily focuses all of her time and attention to Viola.
Most women were not expected to take a hands-on approach to raising their children at that time. Nannies and other caregivers did the messy day to day work involved while they enjoy their freedom to socialize with the ton. Ophelia shuns the societal norm and revels in motherhood which I found to be really refreshing. So many historical romances feature feminist themes with heroines who want no part of marriage or children. They're brave, brash, and rare creatures of the time who want a career or the freedom to pursue other interests. Don't get me wrong, these are enjoyable. But sometimes it's nice to read an old fashioned romance that celebrates motherhood and the value that a mother has in her children's lives. When Ophelia steps into the Wilde childrens' lives, she gives them a home life that helps them grow into the wonderful adults we see later.
It's essentially a case of love at first sight when the two of them meet at a ball. At least for Hugo, that is. From the moment he sets eyes on her, he starts to believe he's capable of having the love he found with his first wife Marie once again.
His life had jerked to a halt with Marie’s death.In the years since, he took care of the estate,went through the motions of being married to Yvette,tried to be the best father he could to the children.But now, unexpectedly, strangely,with no more than the sight of a tantalizing woman . . .His heart was thumping in a rhythm he’d forgotten.
One of my favorite things about the Wildes is Hugo's amazing sister, Lady Knowe. She's smart, sassy, and hilariously keeps her brother and the rest of the family in line. I really enjoyed seeing her interact with the family again, and laughing over the witty dialogue. She knows her brother better than anyone else, and sometimes she has to give him a little nudge of encouragement in the right direction. The direction is heart is pleading with him to go.
“Don’t tell me again that you made up your mind for herthat she’d be better off without you.You have moments when I think the titlehas addled your brains, and this is one of them.Your job is to grovel at her feetand beg her for marriage.Do you hear me?”
The children were just delightful as always, and the romance warmed my heart as I watched it take root and bloom. If you're a fan of the series, but hadn't decided if you want to read the parents' prequel, don't hesitate! It was such a light, fast, and sweet read that gave me the best historical romance feels.
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