The Duke of Huntington has no interest in an eccentric redhead who frowns at him over her spectacles...until he realizes that she is the only possible duchess for him. A new enemies-to-lovers romance by New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James.
NOT THAT DUKE by ELOISA JAMES
Series: Would-Be Wallflowers #3
Publication date: July 25, 2023
Published by: Avon
Genre: historical romance
SYNOPSIS
Bespeckled and freckled, Lady Stella Corsham at least has a dowry that has attracted a crowd of fortune-hunting suitors--which definitely doesn't include the sinfully handsome Silvester Parnell, Duke of Huntington, who laughingly calls her "Specs" as he chases after elegant rivals.
And then--
The worst happens. Marriage.
To the duke. To a man marrying her for all the wrong reasons.
How can Silvester possibly convince Stella that he's fallen in love with the quirky woman he married? Especially after she laughingly announces that she's in love--but not with that duke.
Not with her husband.
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Praise for Not That Duke:
“Eloisa James writes with a captivating blend of charm, style, and grace that never fails to leave the reader sighing and smiling and falling in love. Her style is exquisite, her prose pure magic. Nothing gets me to a bookstore faster than a new novel by Eloisa James.” — Julia Quinn
“Bestseller James’s fun third Would-Be Wallflowers historical romance (after The Reluctant Countess) sets itself apart in the depth of its interpersonal complexities. Lovers of historical romance will delight in these well-rounded, flawed characters learning to live their best lives.” — Publishers Weekly
“This enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance uses humor to show how a match that looks perfect on paper may be no match at all when it comes to chemistry… a compelling and delightful read. Enjoy this light and humorous historical romance.” — Library Journal
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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REVIEW
Not That Duke by Eloisa JamesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Title: Not That Duke
Series: Would-Be Wallflowers #3
Author: Eloisa James
Release date: July 25, 2023
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: historical romance
I was really looking forward to reading this installment in the Would-Be Wallflowers series. I have a weakness for reading nerdy, hyper intelligent heroines, and Lady Stella fit that description to a T. No proper wallflower series is complete without a "bluestocking" heroine-it's well known that they were seen as an oddity and undesirable for the time. Not only is Stella well read, she is basically as blind as a bat which forces her to wear eyeglasses. Another strike against her. Strike three and four are her unconventional freckles and body type. The ideal beauty of the time was willowy thin and delicate. Stella was sturdy, curvy, and accident-prone due to her eyesight. Unlike many other wallflower characters I've read, she isn't that distressed about not fitting in. It does give her poor self-confidence, but she isn't all that desperate to change people's minds about her.
Gentlemen entered ballrooms looking fora woman to adore. To worship. Stella didn’t qualify.
Stella accepts people's unfair opinions of her stoically, most of all her aunt, Mrs. Thyme. I must say, that woman get on my nerves quite a bit. While her intentions were good, and I wouldn't go so far as to say that she was being intentionally cruel, she spent all her time trying to "fix" Stella's "negative" traits so she could help her find a husband. She was constantly harping on her about trying to hide/minimize her freckles, to avoid activities that could bring out her clutziness, and to keep her intelligence tucked away like it was a dirty secret. It felt like every character trait and physical trait was something she disapproved of and she didn't let Stella forget it. Is it really any wonder that the poor girl felt that she would only be chosen to marry for her dowry and was doomed to a love-less union?
Many men had an eye on her dowry, but as far asshe could see, not a single one of them had designs on her virtue.They were looking for lovable women. Stella would be the firstto admit that she failed on that front. She was too awkward,too outspoken, too argumentative. Too peculiar. Too much hair.Not to mention the spectacles.
I didn't hate Mrs. Thyme, but let's just say she wasn't my favorite person. I mean, I didn't even get into her absolute feverish panic about men and their animal "appetites" that threatened every respectable woman's fragile reputation. She literally thought that being alone with a woman next to a bed would instantly turn them into savage beasts with no control over their baser instincts. Good grief, the woman should have kept a solid supply of smelling salts on her at all times to counteract her frequent hysterics.
In her own way, Mrs. Thyme loved her. Unfortunately,“in her own way” was the only way anyoneever loved Stella: as second choice, second best.
In Part One, pretty much the whole first half is a rehash of the love quadrangle from the previous book, albeit from different POVs of course. If you haven't read The Reluctant Countess it centers around Giles and Yasmin. So many of the events involving these four characters are shown once again. Lord Silvester (the hero) is infatuated with Yasmin and is in a love triangle with her and Giles. Giles fights his feelings for Yasmin, but secretly wants her and the two men are very competitive for her affections. Stella is somewhat of an outsider in this scenario, though she ends up being courted by Giles for a time while secretly being attracted to Silvester. What I didn't like about the first half was seeing Stella be treated as a consolation prize by both men and made to feel inferior because of it. If the two love interests have zero romantic interactions in the first half and he is in fact heavily pursuing another woman, that takes away from the romance building. We are told that they are friends and have intellectual chats rather than shown. There is nothing concrete, no hint of developing feelings on his part aside from a brief passionate encounter between them. It was a tad disappointing and then eventually jarring when Silvester suddenly came to the realization in the beginning of Part Two that he wants Stella. This is after he was rejected by Yasmin, of course.
Silvester was resisting thinking of Stella as a romantic partner for so long mostly because she reminded him of his own quirky mother. His mother is an engineer and has awkward social behavior that made him embarrassed and uncomfortable growing up. He wanted a wife that would fit in more, and take more care with social niceties and manners. Silvester has constructed a facade around himself in order to blend in well with others rather than rock the boat. So when his mother gives him her hearty approval of Stella as his future bride, he runs far in the other direction. It was actually sweet to see the interactions between his mother and Stella because they were so alike. The whole lake scene with Merry, Stella, and the Duchess of Huntington was fantastic.
When Silvester finally set his mind on Stella and pursued her things picked up. He does have his work set out for him in convincing her that even though she was his second choice, she was the best choice. There was some residual jealousy and hurt feelings, but he's more than ready to make her feel wanted beyond their very healthy physical relationship. The two of them are certainly not lacking chemistry and passion, that's for sure.
Overall, I wish there would have been more romance development between the two main characters, as it made the first half pretty slow for me. I thought they made a cute couple once the other two characters were out of the picture, but I ended up feeling as if I needed a bit more. Still, it was a very well-researched book with lots of interesting historical details. The author never disappoints in that area, that's for sure. I also appreciated all of the quirky characters and seeing Stella find the love that she never thought she would have as well as flourishing in her new role as a duchess. I'm looking forward to seeing what story Eloisa James has to offer next.
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