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Essex Sisters #1
Much Ado About You
When you're the oldest daughter, you don't get to have any fun!
Witty, orphaned Tess Essex faces her duty: marry well and marry quickly, so she can arrange matches for her three sisters -- beautiful Annabel, romantic Imogen and practical Josie. After all, right now they're under the rather awkward guardianship of the perpetually tipsy Duke of Holbrook. But just when she begins to think that all might end well, one of her sisters bolts with a horse-mad young lord, and her own fiancé just plain runs away.
Which leaves Tess contemplating marriage to the sort of man she wishes to avoid -- one of London's most infamous rakes. Lucius Felton is a rogue whose own mother considers him irredeemable! He's delicious, Annabel points out. And he's rich, Josie notes. But although Tess finally consents to marry him, it may be for the worst reason of all. Absurd as she knows it to be, she may have fallen utterly in love . . .
Witty, orphaned Tess Essex faces her duty: marry well and marry quickly, so she can arrange matches for her three sisters -- beautiful Annabel, romantic Imogen and practical Josie. After all, right now they're under the rather awkward guardianship of the perpetually tipsy Duke of Holbrook. But just when she begins to think that all might end well, one of her sisters bolts with a horse-mad young lord, and her own fiancé just plain runs away.
Which leaves Tess contemplating marriage to the sort of man she wishes to avoid -- one of London's most infamous rakes. Lucius Felton is a rogue whose own mother considers him irredeemable! He's delicious, Annabel points out. And he's rich, Josie notes. But although Tess finally consents to marry him, it may be for the worst reason of all. Absurd as she knows it to be, she may have fallen utterly in love . . .
391 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2004
About the author
Eloisa James
118 books9,222 followersNew 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.
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 682 reviews
May 25, 2017
3.5 cute stars
I really enjoyed this book and all the characters that got introduced in this book except for Imogen. I couldn't stand Imogen. I thought she was selfish, childish and a all around naive airhead. Mrs. Eloisa James has her work cut out for her to get me change my mind on Imogen when I get to her book. The main couple of this book Tess and Lucius were both very likable. I enjoyed their relationship. Lucius reminded me a little of Mr Darcy of Pride and Prejudice. But all that being said there was just something about the way things were worded at times that would throw me off it was weird. Other than that I really liked this book and the set up for the series. I am looking forward to the other books in this series.
I really enjoyed this book and all the characters that got introduced in this book except for Imogen. I couldn't stand Imogen. I thought she was selfish, childish and a all around naive airhead. Mrs. Eloisa James has her work cut out for her to get me change my mind on Imogen when I get to her book. The main couple of this book Tess and Lucius were both very likable. I enjoyed their relationship. Lucius reminded me a little of Mr Darcy of Pride and Prejudice. But all that being said there was just something about the way things were worded at times that would throw me off it was weird. Other than that I really liked this book and the set up for the series. I am looking forward to the other books in this series.
August 14, 2020
Another of those instances where I wrote quite a good review (even if I say so myself!), but because I tried to do some update on that ghastly GR App on the phone (I cannot tell you how much I loathe it) it's just gone. :(
OK, so it wasn't exactly Shakespeare or Hardy, but I did work with it. :(((((
OK, so it wasn't exactly Shakespeare or Hardy, but I did work with it. :(((((
March 7, 2021
This is definitely not going to be for everyone, but I think I enjoyed it so much because I listened to the audiobook. When this first started, I had no idea who the heroine or hero were going to be. Then, three hours in, I still had no idea who the hero would be (we had three potential suitors). I did really love how Tess was super close to her sisters and how they were all trying to find themselves husbands. The duke was a really fun character and it was sweet that he was their guardian and was trying to help them find the right husbands. A lot of the characters, even the girls, have a background in horse racing and training, and I loved how that was part of the story. I don't read too any historical that have to do with horses, so that was a nice change. The romance took a long time to develop and, to me, the first kiss kind of came out of nowhere. The relationship and tru feelings didn't really connect for me until well into this book, which is why I can only give this four stars. But I am really excited for the next book in this series to watch another Essex sister fall in love!
August 30, 2018
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I buddy read this with Karishma and it was a very satisfying read, reminding me in terms of style of authors such as Meredith Duran, or Lisa Kleypas circa her Gamblers duology. MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU, which is apparently inspired by Little Women according to the author's note, is about a family of sisters who are the daughters of an impoverished lord who spent all of his money on horses. Now all of them are basically penniless, with only racehorses as their dowries. One of the chief complaints of this series is that there are too many characters, but that was what I loved about it. Tess, the main and eldest sister, is so strong and good, and reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Bennett, whereas the youngest sister, Josie, who is nerdy and a bit of a prude, reminded me of Mary. The middle sisters, Annabel and Imogene, are a lot like Kitty and Lydia, respectively, and since Lydia was my least favorite Bennett, it's certainly no shocker that Imogene was my least favorite here - only she is much, much worse than Lydia ever was, in my opinion.
Raised in Scotland and utterly without the fanciful trappings that make women into ladies, the girls find themselves at the mercy of their late-father's acquaintances, particularly Rafe, their new guardian, who is definitely a high-functioning alcoholic. When he first hears of his new charges, he thinks that they're actually children, and they actually walk into the nursery while it's still in the process of being decorated (lol). Tess finds herself engaged before she knows it, but is more attracted to the rakish and brooding Lucius than she is to her husband-to-be, the Earl of Mayne.
I loved the romance between Lucius and Tess. He's the perfect blend of kind and brooding, and a lot like Mr. Darcy. He even saves Imogene from certain ruin the same way Darcy did Lydia - and all for Tess, too. How romantic and kind! Imogene, on the other hand, was the WORST. Lydia was annoying because she was so immature, but Imogene completely blows Lydia Bennett out of the water with her selfishness. I could not believe how she treated Tess at the end of the book, or how Annabel gaslighted Tess into thinking that such abusive behavior was okay. I'm sorry, but you are not allowed to treat your family as emotional whipping boys and girls when you can't deal with your own mistakes in life. That's not how this works, and that's not how anything works. Take several seats.
Apart from that, I loved every second of this romance novel, from the frothy writing, to the snippy humor, to the wide and lovable cast of characters (minus Imogene), to the requisite carriage tupping, to the romance. I don't know why I haven't read anything by this author sooner, but I clearly need to rectify that mistake!
3.5 to 4 stars
December 9, 2019
¡Qué libro más lindo! Para mí, lo mejor del #RetoRita de este año. Me gustó absolutamente todo, partiendo por el estilo cuidado y sugerente de la autora. Cada una de las escenas de la pareja principal rebosa de sensualidad, pero en entornos y situaciones que les dan un cariz único; creo que la “noche de bodas” de esta pareja es una de las más bonitas que he leído. ¡Y qué decir del final! creo que pocas veces he visto un giro así en un libro de romántica, que permite comprender la naturaleza de un personaje que la autora, intencionalmente supongo, mantuvo oculta durante gran parte de la lectura.
Al ser el libro introductorio de una serie, se ocupan muchas páginas contextualizando la trama y los personajes. Pero el estilo de Eloísa James hace que un argumento que no es excesivamente original en el género, nos conquiste con la camaradería de estas cuatro hermanas, tan diferentes entre sí, pero que a la vez se complementan tan bien y que desde ya se advierte cómo irán envolviendo en sus lazos familiares a su adorable tutor. Creo que tengo tantas ganas de conocer las historias individuales de las demás hermanas en sus respectivas entregas, como de saber cómo seguirán avanzando todos los personajes en conjunto.
Lo recomiendo muchísimo.
Reto Rita 3.o (diciembre)
Al ser el libro introductorio de una serie, se ocupan muchas páginas contextualizando la trama y los personajes. Pero el estilo de Eloísa James hace que un argumento que no es excesivamente original en el género, nos conquiste con la camaradería de estas cuatro hermanas, tan diferentes entre sí, pero que a la vez se complementan tan bien y que desde ya se advierte cómo irán envolviendo en sus lazos familiares a su adorable tutor. Creo que tengo tantas ganas de conocer las historias individuales de las demás hermanas en sus respectivas entregas, como de saber cómo seguirán avanzando todos los personajes en conjunto.
Lo recomiendo muchísimo.
Reto Rita 3.o (diciembre)
March 5, 2017
This one had everything you want in a Historical Romance. There were so many times that I felt a little flavor of Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice, but really no feeling of the book's namesake, Much Ado About Nothing. They do quote the play a few times, but I didn't feel there was a storyline connection. And, that's fine with me.
not a "happy ending" kinda guy
So, we have four sisters whose father recently died. He was a major horse-guy.
um, no. Not like that.
He owns horses, bets on horses, and even gave his daughters to one of his horsey friends to be their guardian after he dies. This guardian expects little children, but gets a bunch of young women who are of age to get married. His job just became a whole lot more complicated.
Welcome to parenthood!
Luckily, the guardian has a bunch of his horsey friends coming to stay with him because of a horse event nearby.
Not that kind of event.. Thank goodness!
So, the girls are basically choosing who they want. We get to know them all a little bit, but the focus of the story is on the eldest, Tess. Tess agrees to marry one guy, but she really wants another one. And, she does get married. I won't tell you if she marries the safe, nice guy or the rakish brooding one. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.
The book was fun and cute. I liked Tess and her "mystery" husband a lot. However, one of the younger sisters, Imogen, was kind of a jerk. I do like that the sisters weren't all perfect and loving to each other like the saints in some of the other HR books who seem to have no basis in reality. I don't have a sister, but still... siblings squabble.
I would recommend this book to HR lovers. And, horse lovers. You read a lot of horsey stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
not a "happy ending" kinda guy
So, we have four sisters whose father recently died. He was a major horse-guy.
um, no. Not like that.
He owns horses, bets on horses, and even gave his daughters to one of his horsey friends to be their guardian after he dies. This guardian expects little children, but gets a bunch of young women who are of age to get married. His job just became a whole lot more complicated.
Welcome to parenthood!
Luckily, the guardian has a bunch of his horsey friends coming to stay with him because of a horse event nearby.
Not that kind of event.. Thank goodness!
So, the girls are basically choosing who they want. We get to know them all a little bit, but the focus of the story is on the eldest, Tess. Tess agrees to marry one guy, but she really wants another one. And, she does get married. I won't tell you if she marries the safe, nice guy or the rakish brooding one. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.
The book was fun and cute. I liked Tess and her "mystery" husband a lot. However, one of the younger sisters, Imogen, was kind of a jerk. I do like that the sisters weren't all perfect and loving to each other like the saints in some of the other HR books who seem to have no basis in reality. I don't have a sister, but still... siblings squabble.
I would recommend this book to HR lovers. And, horse lovers. You read a lot of horsey stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
September 23, 2021
No había leído nada de Eloísa James y, gracias al #RetoRita3 #RitaJames, he descubierto a una autora con una pluma muy cuidada y cuyas tramas me parecen muy bien escritas, con unos diálogos ágiles e inteligentes. Este libro es el primero de una serie, que la misma autora define como una mezcla entre Sexo en Nueva York y Mujercitas (pues las protagonistas son 4 hermanas) y en el que encontramos referencias y guiños a Sentido y sensibilidad y Orgullo y prejuicio de Jane Austen.
Además de presentarnos a las hermanas Essex y a los personajes que van a formar parte de su entorno -entre los que destacan: para bien, su tutor, el duque de Holbrook, y, para mal, Imogen, la tercera de las hermanas-, no en vano se trata de un libro introductorio, en esta primera entrega se narra la historia de Tess, la hermana mayor. Como sucedía en la época, el futuro de las cuatro hermanas depende de que la primera se case bien. Así, vemos cómo Tess se debate entre dos pretendientes, el que debería querer y al que desea en realidad: Lucius, una especie de Sr. Darcy con el que al final compartirá mucho más que un matrimonio de conveniencia. ¡Qué maravilla de noche de bodas, señora James! Por no hablar del día en las carreras...
Estoy deseando conocer la historia del resto de estas hermanas escocesas.
Además de presentarnos a las hermanas Essex y a los personajes que van a formar parte de su entorno -entre los que destacan: para bien, su tutor, el duque de Holbrook, y, para mal, Imogen, la tercera de las hermanas-, no en vano se trata de un libro introductorio, en esta primera entrega se narra la historia de Tess, la hermana mayor. Como sucedía en la época, el futuro de las cuatro hermanas depende de que la primera se case bien. Así, vemos cómo Tess se debate entre dos pretendientes, el que debería querer y al que desea en realidad: Lucius, una especie de Sr. Darcy con el que al final compartirá mucho más que un matrimonio de conveniencia. ¡Qué maravilla de noche de bodas, señora James! Por no hablar del día en las carreras...
Estoy deseando conocer la historia del resto de estas hermanas escocesas.
January 20, 2014
This was a very fun Regency romance. Tess and her three sisters find themselves orphaned and thrown into the wardship of a kind, though indolent Duke. The obvious solution is that one of them should marry well, quickly, so that the others can be presented under her auspices. Tess, being the oldest, feels this responsibility keenly and begins looking about her for suitable candidates. Naturally, their guardian's friends are first up for consideration.
The book's scope is pretty limited, really, because you mostly get Rafe (the guardian) and a couple of his friends plus a few neighbors. From that limited cast, James serves up a great story of developing love and respect and scheming and compatibility.
I loved Tess as a heroine, and you really can't not fall for Lucius, with his solid strength, reserve, and ultimately deeply-seated passion. He's the quiet guy with enough of a past to be vulnerable and enough success to be confident and that's a potent combination.
A note about Steamy: A handful of long, explicit sex scenes that build to an ultimately loving relationship. I like how good James is in using the explicit sex as a marker or motivator for the deeper emotions her characters develop. It's a strength in the last couple of her books I've read and I hope it's a regular pattern for her work.
The book's scope is pretty limited, really, because you mostly get Rafe (the guardian) and a couple of his friends plus a few neighbors. From that limited cast, James serves up a great story of developing love and respect and scheming and compatibility.
I loved Tess as a heroine, and you really can't not fall for Lucius, with his solid strength, reserve, and ultimately deeply-seated passion. He's the quiet guy with enough of a past to be vulnerable and enough success to be confident and that's a potent combination.
A note about Steamy: A handful of long, explicit sex scenes that build to an ultimately loving relationship. I like how good James is in using the explicit sex as a marker or motivator for the deeper emotions her characters develop. It's a strength in the last couple of her books I've read and I hope it's a regular pattern for her work.
December 13, 2019
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2019/...
me ha gustado mucho.
Recomiendo no leer las sinopsis de los siguientes, pues desde el principio la autora plantea dos posibles parejas y el que no será el elegido aquí, protagoniza su propia historia. Así que aviso de posible spoiler
El tema está muy bien llevado y me ha mantenido en vilo hasta la primera parte de la novela, el que quería que se quedara con ella y el que tenía más números. Y se ha quedado con el que yo quería: Fiesta loca!!!!
Es de esos protagonistas fríos por fuera pero amorosos por dentro, un encanto. Ains, ya sabéis que me encantan estos estirados protagonistas y este lo tiene todo, pero un corazón enorme
Es el primero de la serie y, naturalmente, demasiadas páginas están dedicadas a plantear la situación y presentarnos otros personajes, eso le resta espacio para desarrollar más la historia principal ( y le ha restado 1 estrella)
Es una novela plagada de dialogos, por lo tanto, de lectura muy ágil, la crítica al género maasculino está presente en más de una ocasión, y todos los personajes representan una virtud o defecto social, eso me gusta mucho. Aunque no ha tenido espacio para desarrollar todo lo que me hubiera gustado
Seguramente seguiré con la serie, aunque será ya el año que viene y veo que no tiene tan buenas opiniones
Una autora que me ha gustado, mejor que la novela anterior que había leído de ella, un estilo sobrio y tradicional ;) pero con escenas hot... erotismo sin ser implicito. A veces ese erotismo es mucho más efectivo.
me ha gustado mucho.
Recomiendo no leer las sinopsis de los siguientes, pues desde el principio la autora plantea dos posibles parejas y el que no será el elegido aquí, protagoniza su propia historia. Así que aviso de posible spoiler
El tema está muy bien llevado y me ha mantenido en vilo hasta la primera parte de la novela, el que quería que se quedara con ella y el que tenía más números. Y se ha quedado con el que yo quería: Fiesta loca!!!!
Es de esos protagonistas fríos por fuera pero amorosos por dentro, un encanto. Ains, ya sabéis que me encantan estos estirados protagonistas y este lo tiene todo, pero un corazón enorme
Es el primero de la serie y, naturalmente, demasiadas páginas están dedicadas a plantear la situación y presentarnos otros personajes, eso le resta espacio para desarrollar más la historia principal ( y le ha restado 1 estrella)
Es una novela plagada de dialogos, por lo tanto, de lectura muy ágil, la crítica al género maasculino está presente en más de una ocasión, y todos los personajes representan una virtud o defecto social, eso me gusta mucho. Aunque no ha tenido espacio para desarrollar todo lo que me hubiera gustado
Seguramente seguiré con la serie, aunque será ya el año que viene y veo que no tiene tan buenas opiniones
Una autora que me ha gustado, mejor que la novela anterior que había leído de ella, un estilo sobrio y tradicional ;) pero con escenas hot... erotismo sin ser implicito. A veces ese erotismo es mucho más efectivo.
October 11, 2019
4 Estrellas para éste libro, que me ha sorprendido muy gratamente. Quizás al terminarlo me arrepiento de no haber leído antes a Eloisa James, pues me he dado cuenta de que me estoy perdiendo a una gran autora.
“Los maridos también se enamoran” es el primer libro del cuarteto de las hermanas Essex. Solo por esto ya podemos darnos cuenta de que Louisa May Alcott y sus “Mujercitas” han sido claves para la inspiración de la autora. Pese a ello, la historia no tiene mucho que ver con ellas, aunque Eloisa James se ha inspirado tanto en ésta autora, como en Jane Austen.
¿De qué va ésta serie? Las hermanas Essex acaban de quedarse huérfanas. Como hijas de un vizconde escocés arruinado, no las queda mucho más que las exiguas ropas que llevan, y como dote, un caballo de carreras. El padre de las chicas era un hombre obsesionado con los caballos de carreras, perdió más que ganó en las mismas y su obsesión fue lo que acabó con él. Pero a su muerte, hizo quizás lo único bueno que podía hacer por sus hijas, nombró tutor de las chicas a su amigo el duque de Holbrook.
Rafe, el duque de Holbrook, es un hombre tan obsesionado por las carreras como el padre de las chicas, también es un borrachín encantador, que no desea casarse, ni está preparado para ser el tutor de cuatro niñas. Cuando las “niñas” llegan, Rafe se sorprende de que son unas jóvenes, alguna de ellas incluso ha pasado la edad casadera, y la menor, que aún debe estar encerrada en el aula.
¿Qué debe hacer Rafe con las cuatro chicas a su cargo? Pues como sus amigos, el conde de Mayne y Lucius Felton le aconsejan, casarlas, y casarlas bien. Las cuatro son hermosas, y aunque no poseen aparentemente nada, sus valiosos caballos serán suficientes para tentar a cualquier marido obsesionado con las carreras.
Y así es como conocemos a las cuatro hermanas Essex, Tess, la mayor y heroína de ésta historia, la pragmática Annabel, la vehemente Imogen, y la pequeña Josie. En ésta serie tenemos las historias de éstas cuatro hermanas, y la relación que las une, como son mejores amigas, como discuten y se cuentan confidencias, e incluso a veces como se quieren y como se odian.
Parece que el futuro de las cuatro, reside en que la mayor se case bien. Tess sabe de la responsabilidad que ha caído sobre ella, pues encontrar un buen marido puede ser una seguridad para el mercado matrimonial de sus hermanas; así que los amigos de su tutor bien podrían servir para ello. ¿Debería Tess elegir al conde de Mayne? Tiene un título respetable, es atractivo, pero algo aburrido, mientras que el simple señor Lucius Felton es tan atractivo como el otro, nada en dinero y le hace a Tess que le tiemblen las piernas cada vez que está en su presencia.
Como podemos adivinar, sí, ésta es la historia de Tess y Lucius. Lucius pertenece a la nobleza venida a menos, y ha hecho su fortuna en el comercio, motivo por el que sus aristocráticos padres rompieron toda relación con él. Lucius tiene una vida respetable y no desea casarse, por lo menos hasta que conoce a Tess y su mundo se tambalea de tal manera, que entre las románticas del género no podemos dejar de compararlo con los actos que el señor Darcy hace por Lizzy Bennet en “Orgullo y Prejuicio”. No es que Lucius sea un dechado de virtudes, pero si un protagonista masculino que poco a poco entra en el corazoncito de toda lectora de romántica.
Pero esto no será todo, entre medias tendremos mucho de caballos, carreras, otro romance por en medio, y sobre todo las diatribas y discusiones de las hermanas. Anabelle desea casarse con un marido rico para que no la falte de nada, como sí ocurrió en su anterior vida; la dulce Imogen desea casarse con el joven amigo de su padre Draven Maitland, un joven tan descerebrado como el padre de las chicas, y que resulta es el vecino más inmediato de su tutor; en cuanto a la pequeña Josie, solo tiene quince años y su destino era encontrarle una institutriz para que por lo menos una de ellas reciba la educación adecuada.
De modo que éstas son las hermanas Essex, y con una pluma elocuente, Eloisa James nos presenta ésta serie, que me da, puede ser de las mejores que lea del g��nero. “Los maridos también se enamoran” me ha sorprendido y me ha gustado mucho y estoy deseando conocer el resto de historias de las otras hermanas.
“Los maridos también se enamoran” es el primer libro del cuarteto de las hermanas Essex. Solo por esto ya podemos darnos cuenta de que Louisa May Alcott y sus “Mujercitas” han sido claves para la inspiración de la autora. Pese a ello, la historia no tiene mucho que ver con ellas, aunque Eloisa James se ha inspirado tanto en ésta autora, como en Jane Austen.
¿De qué va ésta serie? Las hermanas Essex acaban de quedarse huérfanas. Como hijas de un vizconde escocés arruinado, no las queda mucho más que las exiguas ropas que llevan, y como dote, un caballo de carreras. El padre de las chicas era un hombre obsesionado con los caballos de carreras, perdió más que ganó en las mismas y su obsesión fue lo que acabó con él. Pero a su muerte, hizo quizás lo único bueno que podía hacer por sus hijas, nombró tutor de las chicas a su amigo el duque de Holbrook.
Rafe, el duque de Holbrook, es un hombre tan obsesionado por las carreras como el padre de las chicas, también es un borrachín encantador, que no desea casarse, ni está preparado para ser el tutor de cuatro niñas. Cuando las “niñas” llegan, Rafe se sorprende de que son unas jóvenes, alguna de ellas incluso ha pasado la edad casadera, y la menor, que aún debe estar encerrada en el aula.
¿Qué debe hacer Rafe con las cuatro chicas a su cargo? Pues como sus amigos, el conde de Mayne y Lucius Felton le aconsejan, casarlas, y casarlas bien. Las cuatro son hermosas, y aunque no poseen aparentemente nada, sus valiosos caballos serán suficientes para tentar a cualquier marido obsesionado con las carreras.
Y así es como conocemos a las cuatro hermanas Essex, Tess, la mayor y heroína de ésta historia, la pragmática Annabel, la vehemente Imogen, y la pequeña Josie. En ésta serie tenemos las historias de éstas cuatro hermanas, y la relación que las une, como son mejores amigas, como discuten y se cuentan confidencias, e incluso a veces como se quieren y como se odian.
Parece que el futuro de las cuatro, reside en que la mayor se case bien. Tess sabe de la responsabilidad que ha caído sobre ella, pues encontrar un buen marido puede ser una seguridad para el mercado matrimonial de sus hermanas; así que los amigos de su tutor bien podrían servir para ello. ¿Debería Tess elegir al conde de Mayne? Tiene un título respetable, es atractivo, pero algo aburrido, mientras que el simple señor Lucius Felton es tan atractivo como el otro, nada en dinero y le hace a Tess que le tiemblen las piernas cada vez que está en su presencia.
Como podemos adivinar, sí, ésta es la historia de Tess y Lucius. Lucius pertenece a la nobleza venida a menos, y ha hecho su fortuna en el comercio, motivo por el que sus aristocráticos padres rompieron toda relación con él. Lucius tiene una vida respetable y no desea casarse, por lo menos hasta que conoce a Tess y su mundo se tambalea de tal manera, que entre las románticas del género no podemos dejar de compararlo con los actos que el señor Darcy hace por Lizzy Bennet en “Orgullo y Prejuicio”. No es que Lucius sea un dechado de virtudes, pero si un protagonista masculino que poco a poco entra en el corazoncito de toda lectora de romántica.
Pero esto no será todo, entre medias tendremos mucho de caballos, carreras, otro romance por en medio, y sobre todo las diatribas y discusiones de las hermanas. Anabelle desea casarse con un marido rico para que no la falte de nada, como sí ocurrió en su anterior vida; la dulce Imogen desea casarse con el joven amigo de su padre Draven Maitland, un joven tan descerebrado como el padre de las chicas, y que resulta es el vecino más inmediato de su tutor; en cuanto a la pequeña Josie, solo tiene quince años y su destino era encontrarle una institutriz para que por lo menos una de ellas reciba la educación adecuada.
De modo que éstas son las hermanas Essex, y con una pluma elocuente, Eloisa James nos presenta ésta serie, que me da, puede ser de las mejores que lea del g��nero. “Los maridos también se enamoran” me ha sorprendido y me ha gustado mucho y estoy deseando conocer el resto de historias de las otras hermanas.
August 13, 2020
This is a book I've read over so many times entirely because I love revisiting the scenes between Tess and Lucius. Their romance is a masterclass in emotional subtlety. Every weighted glance, every unspoken word, means so much. And as their relationship progresses and Lucius begins to express himself more and more, and to allow himself to love and be loved, WOW. Just wow.
I'm an absolute sucker for a romance with a sensible, loving heroine and a strong, silent hero (especially when that hero's solemn facade masks an untapped reservoir of deep emotion), and this book has that and so much more. One of my absolute faves!
I'm an absolute sucker for a romance with a sensible, loving heroine and a strong, silent hero (especially when that hero's solemn facade masks an untapped reservoir of deep emotion), and this book has that and so much more. One of my absolute faves!
April 19, 2024
Review from 2013
First of all, I have to take my hat off to Susan Duerden for pulling off something which, to my mind, would have been quite a daunting task. In Much Ado About You, there are four (possibly five) principal female characters and four principal male characters as well as various servants and other secondary characters. She managed to voice them all reasonably distinctly and clearly. Almost all those eight principals will appear in the other three entries to the series too, so I imagine a lot of thought had to go into keeping the voices consistent across all the books, although I have yet to listen to any of the others.
As this isthe first in the Essex Sisters quartet, it has to set the scene. With the death of their horse-mad father, four girls have been left in the guardianship of Rafe, Duke of Holbrook. He has never met them and, in fact, wasn’t all that close to their father, agreeing to his request that he undertake their care on his demise as a matter of honour rather than any expression of friendship. Rafe is expecting girls young enough to want to play with toys and is naturally surprised when four young ladies arrive, aged twenty-two (Tess, the eldest) to fifteen (Josie).
Here is the first of Ms. Duerden’s herculean tasks – to enable the listener to differentiate between four female characters who are quite close in age. But she makes it sound easy. Tess is given a slightly deep tone with a soft edge that fits her character perfectly. As the eldest, she is the caretaker, and has clearly become accustomed to adapting herself to the others’ needs. Annabel, the next in age, is the beauty of the family and is determined to make a spectacular marriage so that she can find good husbands for all her sisters. Her voice has an undercurrent of good humor, the tone slightly sharper than her older sister’s. Imogen’s voice has a much harder edge to it – she can be rather a hard character to like at times while Josie is still in the schoolroom and clearly has a well-developed sense of irony. If anything, the voices are easier to differentiate when all the girls are in a scene together. When it’s just one or two of them, it sometimes took me a second or two to figure out who was speaking as there were fewer other female voices around for comparison.
Having young ladies of marriageable age under his roof means Rafe needs to find a chaperone quickly, and as a stop-gap, Lady Clarice Maitland who lives not far from Holbrook, comes to stay for a few days before other arrangements can be made. Lady Clarise is clearly interested in becoming the Duchess of Holbrook, but Rafe is not similarly inclined – in fact he’s rather a shambles of a man, unkempt and almost perpetually drunk or on the verge of it, which makes him seem much older than his thirty-six years. He’s also kind and honorable and concerned about doing his duty for the girls, firing them off successfully into society once their mourning period is over (I developed rather a soft spot for him during the course of the book!).
We meet Rafe and his good friend, the Earl of Mayne, at the start of the book, and as with the ladies, it’s easy to tell which of the men is speaking. Rafe’s voice is low and husky while Mayne’s is slightly higher pitched with a sharper edge. By the time the other two male principals are introduced – Lucius Felton and Drevan Maitland – the listener should be familiar enough with the first two men’s voices so as not to confuse them with either of the others. Ms. Duerden has opted to make Lucius the lowest pitched of the male voices with a slight huskiness that made him sound rather sexy. ;-)
This first story belongs to the oldest sister, so we follow Tess’s path to love and happiness, which, fortunately for her, isn’t overly strewn with obstacles. Not long after arriving at Rafe’s estate, Mayne – a rakish bachelor who is currently suffering the pangs of rejection by a society beauty – offers for Tess, partly because her dowry is one Something Wanton, widely held to be the finest racehorse in the country. Not knowing Mayne’s precipitate proposal has been prompted by his desire to acquire the horse, she nonetheless accepts him. He’s an earl, he’s rich, he’s handsome, and she likes him. By marrying him, she will be able to help her sisters to make good matches of their own.
But Rafe’s friend, Lucius Felton, has become rather taken with Tess too, and although he had not thought to take a wife (believing himself to be too cold-hearted to be capable of love), he finds himself rather put out when he discovers she has accepted Mayne’s offer. However, on the evening before his wedding, Mayne gets some unsettling news that leads to jilting Tess.
Unlike his friends Holbrook and Mayne, Lucius is not titled, but like them, he is immensely wealthy. A highly successful financier, his money smacks of “trade” and the word in society is that his parents have disowned him as a result.
Tess is more than halfway in love with Lucius when she marries him, but finds him a little stuffy. He’s great in bed (naturally – he’s a romantic hero!) but out of it, he’s reserved and very correct. Tess starts to wish he would show a little more emotion. She also wants to reconcile him with his parents.
The second romance featured in this first book is that of Imogen and Draven Maitland – young, handsome, but dependent on his mother for his income and just as horse-mad as the girls’ father. Maitland is actually betrothed to another but Imogen is determined to have him.
I found Much Ado About You to be an enjoyable audio experience, even though there were times I felt it was a little insubstantial. Some of that is due to the fact that it’s the first in a series and there was much groundwork to be laid, and some because there were, at times, too many characters “on stage”.
There was also a balance to be struck between the romance and the relationships between the sisters, which again, had to be established for future stories. Even though this is ostensibly Tess’ book, the path to her HEA was actually fairly straightforward, with no real conflict or any obstacles to be surmounted along the way. Had that not been the case, there would have been less time to explore the sibling relationships and vice versa. On the whole, the balance was the right one, even if personally, I’d have liked a little more depth to the romance.
First of all, I have to take my hat off to Susan Duerden for pulling off something which, to my mind, would have been quite a daunting task. In Much Ado About You, there are four (possibly five) principal female characters and four principal male characters as well as various servants and other secondary characters. She managed to voice them all reasonably distinctly and clearly. Almost all those eight principals will appear in the other three entries to the series too, so I imagine a lot of thought had to go into keeping the voices consistent across all the books, although I have yet to listen to any of the others.
As this isthe first in the Essex Sisters quartet, it has to set the scene. With the death of their horse-mad father, four girls have been left in the guardianship of Rafe, Duke of Holbrook. He has never met them and, in fact, wasn’t all that close to their father, agreeing to his request that he undertake their care on his demise as a matter of honour rather than any expression of friendship. Rafe is expecting girls young enough to want to play with toys and is naturally surprised when four young ladies arrive, aged twenty-two (Tess, the eldest) to fifteen (Josie).
Here is the first of Ms. Duerden’s herculean tasks – to enable the listener to differentiate between four female characters who are quite close in age. But she makes it sound easy. Tess is given a slightly deep tone with a soft edge that fits her character perfectly. As the eldest, she is the caretaker, and has clearly become accustomed to adapting herself to the others’ needs. Annabel, the next in age, is the beauty of the family and is determined to make a spectacular marriage so that she can find good husbands for all her sisters. Her voice has an undercurrent of good humor, the tone slightly sharper than her older sister’s. Imogen’s voice has a much harder edge to it – she can be rather a hard character to like at times while Josie is still in the schoolroom and clearly has a well-developed sense of irony. If anything, the voices are easier to differentiate when all the girls are in a scene together. When it’s just one or two of them, it sometimes took me a second or two to figure out who was speaking as there were fewer other female voices around for comparison.
Having young ladies of marriageable age under his roof means Rafe needs to find a chaperone quickly, and as a stop-gap, Lady Clarice Maitland who lives not far from Holbrook, comes to stay for a few days before other arrangements can be made. Lady Clarise is clearly interested in becoming the Duchess of Holbrook, but Rafe is not similarly inclined – in fact he’s rather a shambles of a man, unkempt and almost perpetually drunk or on the verge of it, which makes him seem much older than his thirty-six years. He’s also kind and honorable and concerned about doing his duty for the girls, firing them off successfully into society once their mourning period is over (I developed rather a soft spot for him during the course of the book!).
We meet Rafe and his good friend, the Earl of Mayne, at the start of the book, and as with the ladies, it’s easy to tell which of the men is speaking. Rafe’s voice is low and husky while Mayne’s is slightly higher pitched with a sharper edge. By the time the other two male principals are introduced – Lucius Felton and Drevan Maitland – the listener should be familiar enough with the first two men’s voices so as not to confuse them with either of the others. Ms. Duerden has opted to make Lucius the lowest pitched of the male voices with a slight huskiness that made him sound rather sexy. ;-)
This first story belongs to the oldest sister, so we follow Tess’s path to love and happiness, which, fortunately for her, isn’t overly strewn with obstacles. Not long after arriving at Rafe’s estate, Mayne – a rakish bachelor who is currently suffering the pangs of rejection by a society beauty – offers for Tess, partly because her dowry is one Something Wanton, widely held to be the finest racehorse in the country. Not knowing Mayne’s precipitate proposal has been prompted by his desire to acquire the horse, she nonetheless accepts him. He’s an earl, he’s rich, he’s handsome, and she likes him. By marrying him, she will be able to help her sisters to make good matches of their own.
But Rafe’s friend, Lucius Felton, has become rather taken with Tess too, and although he had not thought to take a wife (believing himself to be too cold-hearted to be capable of love), he finds himself rather put out when he discovers she has accepted Mayne’s offer. However, on the evening before his wedding, Mayne gets some unsettling news that leads to jilting Tess.
Unlike his friends Holbrook and Mayne, Lucius is not titled, but like them, he is immensely wealthy. A highly successful financier, his money smacks of “trade” and the word in society is that his parents have disowned him as a result.
Tess is more than halfway in love with Lucius when she marries him, but finds him a little stuffy. He’s great in bed (naturally – he’s a romantic hero!) but out of it, he’s reserved and very correct. Tess starts to wish he would show a little more emotion. She also wants to reconcile him with his parents.
The second romance featured in this first book is that of Imogen and Draven Maitland – young, handsome, but dependent on his mother for his income and just as horse-mad as the girls’ father. Maitland is actually betrothed to another but Imogen is determined to have him.
I found Much Ado About You to be an enjoyable audio experience, even though there were times I felt it was a little insubstantial. Some of that is due to the fact that it’s the first in a series and there was much groundwork to be laid, and some because there were, at times, too many characters “on stage”.
There was also a balance to be struck between the romance and the relationships between the sisters, which again, had to be established for future stories. Even though this is ostensibly Tess’ book, the path to her HEA was actually fairly straightforward, with no real conflict or any obstacles to be surmounted along the way. Had that not been the case, there would have been less time to explore the sibling relationships and vice versa. On the whole, the balance was the right one, even if personally, I’d have liked a little more depth to the romance.
August 19, 2018
Reading with Nenia
Good beginning- boring 100 pages - then slowly better till a good but somwhow unsatisfying ending.
I would have loved this book if so much time wasn't spent on the sisters.
I liked the parts with the Lucius, Tess and Rafe.
Not so much the other sisters especially Imogen. I completely disliked her and want to cross out her lines in black.
I may still read the other books but don't want to read Imogen's book although she ends up with and I really want to read his book.
Good beginning- boring 100 pages - then slowly better till a good but somwhow unsatisfying ending.
I would have loved this book if so much time wasn't spent on the sisters.
I liked the parts with the Lucius, Tess and Rafe.
Not so much the other sisters especially Imogen. I completely disliked her and want to cross out her lines in black.
I may still read the other books but don't want to read Imogen's book although she ends up with and I really want to read his book.
December 9, 2010
I enjoyed this one. It had some touches which made it more enjoyable than most, although the plot was somewhat predictable.
Things I liked:
- The four sisters are like real sisters. They love each other, but also drive each other nuts, argue, sulk, bitch and complain a bit. This is soo much better than all those romances where sisters just love each other and think the the sun shines out of each other's #@!*. Nope. Sorry. I've never met sisters who are like that. There's always tension there, and this book captures it well
- The sisters are an integral part of the story, but the main romance isn't lost in all the side-stories. I'm still trying to figure out how the author accomplished this, but it's probably because..
- It was well-written, although I got the impression the author could have been a bit more expansive in the language used. It was clear and there was minimal repetition of words (a pet-peeve of mine, using the same word over and over again).
- The hero is great. He's quiet, strong, gorgeous, but I got the impression I never get to completely know him, and I do like a bit of mystery about him
- Not everything is resolved, although the pieces which are not resolved are not particularly important. I find it a bit off-putting when everything is wrapped up neatly at the end. The only thing I really care about being resolved is the HEA
- The introduction of the secondary characters, aside from the sisters, is great. It's not clear up-front who the heroine will end up with, and I absolutely loved that ambiguity. It made for a much more entertaining read, and, at a time when an aristocratic woman's lot in life was to essentially marry, probably more realistic.
- I loved Rafe. Paunchy, a bit of a drinker, but essentially a wonderful human being. I can't wait for him to find true love.
Things I didn't much like:
- The heroine was a bit irritating. Yes, I get that she felt she raised her sisters and was in-charge, but it would have actually been a bit more interesting to make her the irresponsible oldest sibling (yes, they do exist). It just felt a bit formulaic.
- She interfered with the hero's family, and I felt she should have been made the see the error of her ways more clearly. I wouldn't have wanted to see her exactly "punished", but the hero didn't even lose his cool and she effectively interfered when she was clearly told to keep her nose out. I just don't think she should have got away with that.
- All the sisters are described as "beautiful". This is a minor peeve in the bigger scale of things, but it does annoy me. Can't just one of them being Miss, or Lady, Average rather than paragons of exceptional beauty. Gets a bit wearing, to be honest.
So, overall, nice story, nice background, well-written, providing a really great introduction to the rest of the series, without overwhelming with lists of physical attributes for the entire cast.
4 stars.
Things I liked:
- The four sisters are like real sisters. They love each other, but also drive each other nuts, argue, sulk, bitch and complain a bit. This is soo much better than all those romances where sisters just love each other and think the the sun shines out of each other's #@!*. Nope. Sorry. I've never met sisters who are like that. There's always tension there, and this book captures it well
- The sisters are an integral part of the story, but the main romance isn't lost in all the side-stories. I'm still trying to figure out how the author accomplished this, but it's probably because..
- It was well-written, although I got the impression the author could have been a bit more expansive in the language used. It was clear and there was minimal repetition of words (a pet-peeve of mine, using the same word over and over again).
- The hero is great. He's quiet, strong, gorgeous, but I got the impression I never get to completely know him, and I do like a bit of mystery about him
- Not everything is resolved, although the pieces which are not resolved are not particularly important. I find it a bit off-putting when everything is wrapped up neatly at the end. The only thing I really care about being resolved is the HEA
- The introduction of the secondary characters, aside from the sisters, is great. It's not clear up-front who the heroine will end up with, and I absolutely loved that ambiguity. It made for a much more entertaining read, and, at a time when an aristocratic woman's lot in life was to essentially marry, probably more realistic.
- I loved Rafe. Paunchy, a bit of a drinker, but essentially a wonderful human being. I can't wait for him to find true love.
Things I didn't much like:
- The heroine was a bit irritating. Yes, I get that she felt she raised her sisters and was in-charge, but it would have actually been a bit more interesting to make her the irresponsible oldest sibling (yes, they do exist). It just felt a bit formulaic.
- She interfered with the hero's family, and I felt she should have been made the see the error of her ways more clearly. I wouldn't have wanted to see her exactly "punished", but the hero didn't even lose his cool and she effectively interfered when she was clearly told to keep her nose out. I just don't think she should have got away with that.
- All the sisters are described as "beautiful". This is a minor peeve in the bigger scale of things, but it does annoy me. Can't just one of them being Miss, or Lady, Average rather than paragons of exceptional beauty. Gets a bit wearing, to be honest.
So, overall, nice story, nice background, well-written, providing a really great introduction to the rest of the series, without overwhelming with lists of physical attributes for the entire cast.
4 stars.
September 9, 2022
Oh Eloisa James I keep coming back to you because you are so much fun to read.
For about 30 percent of the book I was expecting the duke of Holbrook to be our hero so when the first kiss with someone else came and went I didn’t think much of it. But when another character proposed and she accepted I was completely lost. I had to look up on Goodreads who the hero was otherwise I would be waiting till the end of the book for the Duke to come to a scratch.
After I set my expectations correctly, the story became more romantic.
Otherwise it was a good book and got me immediately interested in stories of other 3 sisters. So here I am starting on the second in the series.
I think Eloisa James sprinkled some kind of magic dust on this series because even though I had different books on my TBR I simply must know about all sisters and their suitors. Especially about Josie and Mayne.
For about 30 percent of the book I was expecting the duke of Holbrook to be our hero so when the first kiss with someone else came and went I didn’t think much of it. But when another character proposed and she accepted I was completely lost. I had to look up on Goodreads who the hero was otherwise I would be waiting till the end of the book for the Duke to come to a scratch.
After I set my expectations correctly, the story became more romantic.
Otherwise it was a good book and got me immediately interested in stories of other 3 sisters. So here I am starting on the second in the series.
I think Eloisa James sprinkled some kind of magic dust on this series because even though I had different books on my TBR I simply must know about all sisters and their suitors. Especially about Josie and Mayne.
January 14, 2014
I have not had time to write any reviews as of late but I had to on this book. Let me just say, I read this book from this author because they were promoted by an author I enjoy a great deal, but from now on I will only be enjoying that authors books and not taking their reccomendations because this book killed me...SLOWLY!! I made absolutely no connections with the characters and the ones I found a semi conncection were not even the main two. She was setting up her series and instead of making everyone the side note or just simply introduce future characters she really premeirs them and barely introduces Lucius and Tess. It was horrid and you really dont get a good glimpse of Lucius until the end and then BAM, it is over. This book left no impression on me other than to never read this authors books again. I can not even give examples because nothing flowed well enough to grasp anything. I did not even enjoy the writing style. One moment I am reading from the perspective of Tess (Heroine) and main character then suddenly from Rafe's perspective (not the hero in THIS book), then to Annabel (NOT the Heroine in THIS book), then to Lucius briefly (hero in THIS book), and then quickly over to Imogen (NOT the main heroine in THIS book)...I think you can catch my drift. If it had been a case where the writing style was tolerable and there was humor but lacked character development then I would have rated this a 3 and been done with it, but alas, I was not that fortunate. Waste of my time, and I can't even rate negative stars so I have to give this book a 1 star.
January 12, 2021
actual rating: 3.5 stars
alright, i was looking forward to the romance between tess and lucius in much ado about you but felt like their relationship was rushed especially nearer to the end. it felt like a story about all the essex sisters and with an extra spotlight on imogen who irritated me to no end with her selfishness and romanticism. while i understand why time and effort was used to set the foundation of imogen's naivety and romantic ideologies, i would have wanted more of tess and lucius. despite that, i still enjoyed my time reading about the essex sisters. they are a unique bunch of girls who were raised by a neglectful father that seemed to love horses more than his daughters when he was alive.
alright, i was looking forward to the romance between tess and lucius in much ado about you but felt like their relationship was rushed especially nearer to the end. it felt like a story about all the essex sisters and with an extra spotlight on imogen who irritated me to no end with her selfishness and romanticism. while i understand why time and effort was used to set the foundation of imogen's naivety and romantic ideologies, i would have wanted more of tess and lucius. despite that, i still enjoyed my time reading about the essex sisters. they are a unique bunch of girls who were raised by a neglectful father that seemed to love horses more than his daughters when he was alive.
September 13, 2021
My first Eloisa James book! I don’t know why it took so long 🤷♀️. Loved the premise of this series. Really really loved the sisters and the guardian. The hero kind of got lost in the story & I didn’t get to know him too well, which is why this didn’t get five stars. Can’t wait to continue on with the books.
December 7, 2019
Al ser una serie sobre 4 hermanas, buena parte de la historia es más introductoria, así que en esta primea parte iremos conociendo como es cada una e ellas, preparándonos para las siguientes historias, al inicio vemos como al morir el padre, las 4 hermanas nacidas y criadas en Escocia, llegan a vivir a casa de su tutor el Duque Rafe Holbrook en Inglaterra, el cual se está preparando para recibir a 4 niñas, sorprendiéndose al ver que todas son ya señoritas casaderas, avocándose a la tarea de conseguir marido para cada una, por lo tanto una vez que la historia se centra en el romance de amor de Tess (hermana mayor) y Lucius, es que llegamos a disfrutar un poco mas, ambos me han gustado mucho y tienen un química excelente, aunque me hubiera gustado que se desarrolle un poco más al personaje de Lucius. Le doy 3.5 y con esta historia termino mi reto #Rita3.0 #RitaJames
July 17, 2010
Mmmm, it was okay. Sort of bland, honestly. There didn't actually seem to be any major central conflict in this book. And the secondary characters were all largely flat and 2 dimensional... with Annabel being the only *possible* exception (and that's really a stretch, honestly). I know this series carries on and follows each of the sisters as they fall in love, but I am so uninterested in the sisters that I don't imagine I will read the others. Maybe Annabel's book. But frankly, I find Imogen (sister #3) to be pretty loathsome, so the only Imogen book I would be interested in reading is one in which Tess pushes her off a cliff - she's vile, immature, insensitive, self-absorbed and an all-around brat that her family coddles to an insufferable degree.
Ah well. I shall keep peeking around the genre, see if I can find something as exciting and funny as Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake.
Ah well. I shall keep peeking around the genre, see if I can find something as exciting and funny as Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake.
Read
April 5, 2022Dnf 34%
I persevered for longer than I normally would because I enjoyed how upbeat and witty this was, but there were several sisters and several suitors, all of whom were called by their names in one scene, then by their titles a moment later, or even just some part of their title and all behaving in a similar way. I had only a vague grasp of who was who, and who other characters were referring to and so that meant I struggled to follow what was going on.
It was too much like hard work for a light read, sorry.
Available on ku.
I persevered for longer than I normally would because I enjoyed how upbeat and witty this was, but there were several sisters and several suitors, all of whom were called by their names in one scene, then by their titles a moment later, or even just some part of their title and all behaving in a similar way. I had only a vague grasp of who was who, and who other characters were referring to and so that meant I struggled to follow what was going on.
It was too much like hard work for a light read, sorry.
Available on ku.
December 20, 2022
4,5 stars
September 3, 2016
Series opener, each book featuring one of four orphaned Scottish sisters: Teresa (Tess), the eldest at age 25, Annabel, 22, Imogen, 20, and Josephine (Josie), only 15. This is Tess's book. The last half is top notch, beginning with her marriage to Lucius.
Susan Duerdan narrated this audiobook. Great job!! And a British accent is suitable for this riff on Much Ado About Nothing (it reminded me more of Alcott's Little Women -- an old fave). Also, horses play a big role in Much Ado, bringing to mind the fabulous Regency romance A London Season, and some great Western romances: Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold and Mustang Wild.
I had already read Much Ado, so it was easy enough to follow the audio version. The story is good, but slow at times, and Imogen and Draven got FAR too much press for secondary characters — and annoying ones at that.
Funny and sweet scene at the beginning in the nursery at Duke Holbrook's country estate. Rafe (the innebriated duke) and the Earl of Mayne are playing with rocking horses and toy soldiers. Then the children arrive.
Our hero joins the scene at the very end of chapter five. The hero. Lucius Felton. Yummy. Just yummy. Hungry for love, but not aware of it. A somewhat dark hero, self-contained, über-rich, and oozing with sex appeal. Tess Essex was perfect for him, with her subtle wit, her horse whispering, and her "lush mouth with a beauty mark that a courtesan would covet" (LOL, loved hearing Lucius's thoughts). I adored this couple, and felt the sexual tension build from the first meeting, at the dinner table. Lucius was so afraid of emotion but was bowled over by Tess. And hawt! That scene at the race track, in the old Roman ruin, at the...! (I wanted more scenes with this couple, and fewer with Imogen and Draven.)
I love Rafe, too. A wonderfully unique secondary character. He meets his match in The Taming of the Duke.
And young Josie is a kick. Her sequel is book 4, Pleasure for Pleasure.
The misleading synopsis says "Lucius Felton is a rogue whose own mother considers him irredeemable." No, he's not a big bad rogue. His mother is the one with the problem. Those scenarios were nicely sketched. I felt for Lucius and wanted to kick his father for letting his mother carry on so unkindly to her own son.
The author makes frequent allusions to Shakespearean plays, but her efforts were *mostly* wasted on me. I only have a nodding acquaintance with the bard. Sorry, Ms James! ;)
Susan Duerdan narrated this audiobook. Great job!! And a British accent is suitable for this riff on Much Ado About Nothing (it reminded me more of Alcott's Little Women -- an old fave). Also, horses play a big role in Much Ado, bringing to mind the fabulous Regency romance A London Season, and some great Western romances: Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold and Mustang Wild.
I had already read Much Ado, so it was easy enough to follow the audio version. The story is good, but slow at times, and Imogen and Draven got FAR too much press for secondary characters — and annoying ones at that.
Funny and sweet scene at the beginning in the nursery at Duke Holbrook's country estate. Rafe (the innebriated duke) and the Earl of Mayne are playing with rocking horses and toy soldiers. Then the children arrive.
Our hero joins the scene at the very end of chapter five. The hero. Lucius Felton. Yummy. Just yummy. Hungry for love, but not aware of it. A somewhat dark hero, self-contained, über-rich, and oozing with sex appeal. Tess Essex was perfect for him, with her subtle wit, her horse whispering, and her "lush mouth with a beauty mark that a courtesan would covet" (LOL, loved hearing Lucius's thoughts). I adored this couple, and felt the sexual tension build from the first meeting, at the dinner table. Lucius was so afraid of emotion but was bowled over by Tess. And hawt! That scene at the race track, in the old Roman ruin, at the...! (I wanted more scenes with this couple, and fewer with Imogen and Draven.)
I love Rafe, too. A wonderfully unique secondary character. He meets his match in The Taming of the Duke.
And young Josie is a kick. Her sequel is book 4, Pleasure for Pleasure.
The misleading synopsis says "Lucius Felton is a rogue whose own mother considers him irredeemable." No, he's not a big bad rogue. His mother is the one with the problem. Those scenarios were nicely sketched. I felt for Lucius and wanted to kick his father for letting his mother carry on so unkindly to her own son.
The author makes frequent allusions to Shakespearean plays, but her efforts were *mostly* wasted on me. I only have a nodding acquaintance with the bard. Sorry, Ms James! ;)
February 10, 2020
Too many competing storylines.
Cue the frantic circus of rejiggering and readjusting requirements.
I'll give James credit, she writes characters with real personality flaws, whether avarice, lust, vitriol or dimness they are truly that. And yes, while I read romance for unrealistic adventures having some grounding can make it more entertaining. Unfortunately, I forgot why I am not a fan of James' work and stopped after a few, many years back. It's not the writing--it's very good. It's the ensemble format of the romance. I like a romance that focuses on a single relationship and while I like to be introduced to other characters so I can look forward to their stories, I detest--detest-- multiple interleaved storylines.
Rafe was probably my favorite character, but that's because I identified with him the most.
I think I prefer James' married couple romances more.
"I'm not used to the responsibility of being a guardian. There can't be a worse guardian in all Christendom than I!"Tiny bit of hyperbole, but Rafe is correct. Even so, there's something rather charming in his dissipated character. A man who cares for naught but horses and brandy, nonetheless, lives up to his duty to take on the responsibility of four female charges. The nursery is perfect, overdone and no expense spared and his conclusion that sharing leads to resentment is an interesting insight into his own character. Of course, when three of four charges are old enough to be in society--the apple cart is upended.
Cue the frantic circus of rejiggering and readjusting requirements.
"I shall count on you and your new husband to buy me hundreds of gowns, all made of tissue silk, if you please, with bodices low enough to allure the most tired rake."
"A tired rake?" Tess said, grinning at her sister. "Now there's a lovely choice for a husband."
I'll give James credit, she writes characters with real personality flaws, whether avarice, lust, vitriol or dimness they are truly that. And yes, while I read romance for unrealistic adventures having some grounding can make it more entertaining. Unfortunately, I forgot why I am not a fan of James' work and stopped after a few, many years back. It's not the writing--it's very good. It's the ensemble format of the romance. I like a romance that focuses on a single relationship and while I like to be introduced to other characters so I can look forward to their stories, I detest--detest-- multiple interleaved storylines.
Rafe was probably my favorite character, but that's because I identified with him the most.
"Rafe wandered around pouring doses of brandy into any unguarded teacup he found."All I can say is that the man is a comfort in crisis situations.
I think I prefer James' married couple romances more.
August 11, 2013
If I could've called it, this book would've been titled Something Wanton. You'll see why in a bit.
The Essex sisters are orphans. Their mother died years ago, and their father, an avid horseman, took a fall and died a rather more lingering death. His madness for horse racing has left the young ladies penniless—their only dowry is his stable—each of them has a prize-winning Thoroughbred as her portion.
And their guardian is Rafe, the Duke of Holbrook, who agreed to take them on in exchange for (what else) a prize horse. Rafe is a dedicated bachelor, as are his friends, Garrett, Earl of Mayne (Mane, get it?), and Lucius Fenton (a mere mister, but bloody rich). They're all also quite fond of horses and racing. But their passion for horseflesh doesn't hold a candle to that of Lord Draven Maitland, whose lands adjoin Rafe's.
When Rafe's friends learn about the girls' dowries, Garrett immediately decides to court Tessa, the oldest sister, whose dowry is a horse he's always coveted—Something Wanton. Now, don't you think that'd be a great title for the book—a lot more grabby than Much Ado? Just sayin'.
Anyhoo, marrying Garrett would solve a lot of problems. His widowed sister, Grissie, has agreed to chaperone the girls, and she has the connections to bring them out. Marrying Mayne would give them the means to dress well and make good come-outs. And he's handsome enough, even if his effusive flattery leaves Tessa a bit cold.
The problem is Lucius. See, he doesn't flatter. He just grabs her every so often and tickles her uvula (not what you're thinking!) with his tongue. The first time, he offered marriage, but his reluctance was so obvious that Tessa told him to stubble it. Problem is, he keeps doing it (snogging her, that is). Then he tells her she's better off with Garrett. She's kind of getting whiplash, but she's put off enough by his apparent emotional disinterest, that she accepts Garrett's proposal.
Then her younger sister (whose book I may not want to read because she is such a shallow, selfish, vindictive snot) goes and elopes. She's always had the hots for Lord Maitland (he of the horse fetish, and she doesn't care who she stomps on to get him. He would probably choose her (since he can't marry a horse), but his mommy has threatened to stop funding his stable if he doesn't marry the woman she's chosen for him (she, poor thing, was also extorted into the union). He isn't exactly the Mr. Wonderful Imogen thinks he is, but she refuses to listen to anyone who might be wiser, smarter, more experienced, and generally more mentally sound than she is. Anyway, the elopement and the scandal caused by it might completely destroy any chance their other two sisters have on the marriage market if Tessa doesn't marry Garrett and sweep the girls off to London and away from Imogen immediately.
If you missed the fact that Garrett is marrying her for a horse, you're not alone. Tessa doesn't seem to get it either. Then again, she's not exactly marrying for love, is she?
Long story short, all's well that ends well—except that the relationships between the sisters are forever changed by events late in the book. And that's when I really decided that I hated Imogen—I pretty much disliked her all along and kept waiting for someone to smack some sense into her, but by the end, I really kind of wanted to see one of those ubiquitous horses kick her in the head.
There are a lot of loose ends left untied in this one—I assume they'll be knotted off in the following books. On the whole, this is a solid 3. I like James's more recent books much, much better, but these are OK.
The Essex sisters are orphans. Their mother died years ago, and their father, an avid horseman, took a fall and died a rather more lingering death. His madness for horse racing has left the young ladies penniless—their only dowry is his stable—each of them has a prize-winning Thoroughbred as her portion.
And their guardian is Rafe, the Duke of Holbrook, who agreed to take them on in exchange for (what else) a prize horse. Rafe is a dedicated bachelor, as are his friends, Garrett, Earl of Mayne (Mane, get it?), and Lucius Fenton (a mere mister, but bloody rich). They're all also quite fond of horses and racing. But their passion for horseflesh doesn't hold a candle to that of Lord Draven Maitland, whose lands adjoin Rafe's.
When Rafe's friends learn about the girls' dowries, Garrett immediately decides to court Tessa, the oldest sister, whose dowry is a horse he's always coveted—Something Wanton. Now, don't you think that'd be a great title for the book—a lot more grabby than Much Ado? Just sayin'.
Anyhoo, marrying Garrett would solve a lot of problems. His widowed sister, Grissie, has agreed to chaperone the girls, and she has the connections to bring them out. Marrying Mayne would give them the means to dress well and make good come-outs. And he's handsome enough, even if his effusive flattery leaves Tessa a bit cold.
The problem is Lucius. See, he doesn't flatter. He just grabs her every so often and tickles her uvula (not what you're thinking!) with his tongue. The first time, he offered marriage, but his reluctance was so obvious that Tessa told him to stubble it. Problem is, he keeps doing it (snogging her, that is). Then he tells her she's better off with Garrett. She's kind of getting whiplash, but she's put off enough by his apparent emotional disinterest, that she accepts Garrett's proposal.
Then her younger sister (whose book I may not want to read because she is such a shallow, selfish, vindictive snot) goes and elopes. She's always had the hots for Lord Maitland (he of the horse fetish, and she doesn't care who she stomps on to get him. He would probably choose her (since he can't marry a horse), but his mommy has threatened to stop funding his stable if he doesn't marry the woman she's chosen for him (she, poor thing, was also extorted into the union). He isn't exactly the Mr. Wonderful Imogen thinks he is, but she refuses to listen to anyone who might be wiser, smarter, more experienced, and generally more mentally sound than she is. Anyway, the elopement and the scandal caused by it might completely destroy any chance their other two sisters have on the marriage market if Tessa doesn't marry Garrett and sweep the girls off to London and away from Imogen immediately.
If you missed the fact that Garrett is marrying her for a horse, you're not alone. Tessa doesn't seem to get it either. Then again, she's not exactly marrying for love, is she?
Long story short, all's well that ends well—except that the relationships between the sisters are forever changed by events late in the book. And that's when I really decided that I hated Imogen—I pretty much disliked her all along and kept waiting for someone to smack some sense into her, but by the end, I really kind of wanted to see one of those ubiquitous horses kick her in the head.
There are a lot of loose ends left untied in this one—I assume they'll be knotted off in the following books. On the whole, this is a solid 3. I like James's more recent books much, much better, but these are OK.
November 19, 2017
When Lucius Felton walks into Tess Essex's life she is falling for him even before she understands what's happening. I was falling for him a bit myself too, and not just because he was filthy rich (well maybe a little bit).
December 13, 2019
Animada por las buenas críticas leídas por aquí , me puse con esta historia que no ha sido para mi....
Muerta de aburrimiento y leyendo sin leer, he terminado el libro deseando que acabara porque no he visto ni química entre la pareja protagonista , ni chispa entre los secundarios ( y hay muchos) pero si mucho de copia a mi adorada “ Orgullo y prejuicio”... salvando mucho las comparaciones de la gran obra de Jane Austen...
Una pena porque iba con muchas expectativas con este libro que se quedó en nada ....
Muerta de aburrimiento y leyendo sin leer, he terminado el libro deseando que acabara porque no he visto ni química entre la pareja protagonista , ni chispa entre los secundarios ( y hay muchos) pero si mucho de copia a mi adorada “ Orgullo y prejuicio”... salvando mucho las comparaciones de la gran obra de Jane Austen...
Una pena porque iba con muchas expectativas con este libro que se quedó en nada ....
December 27, 2019
3/5
Me ha gustado pero no me ha encantado. Creo que es una presentación de los demás libros de la serie que creo que me leeré.
No me había leído nada de la autora y reconozco que me ha gustado bastante su forma de escribir, los diálogos son bastante buenos.
Es una lectura entretenida
Me ha gustado pero no me ha encantado. Creo que es una presentación de los demás libros de la serie que creo que me leeré.
No me había leído nada de la autora y reconozco que me ha gustado bastante su forma de escribir, los diálogos son bastante buenos.
Es una lectura entretenida
June 10, 2020
Look, I DEVOURED books for the first two months of quarantine. I was eating them up. But then a few weeks ago I absolutely hit a wall and couldn't bring myself to pick up a book. I strongly suspect it had a lot to do with the amount of time I spent digesting the increasingly depressing, horrifying and tragic events and further daily proof of the racism in this country in addition to the decreased energy from quarantine anyway. (I'm American, for anyone disconnected from the news lately.) I spent many hours every day scrolling through every viral tweet, article, report and stat set until I either exhausted myself or spent the night with insomnia and my mind racing.
That's where this book came in. I picked it up awhile ago at the used bookstore for like $1, and I was awake at 3 am, and desperately reached out for this thing. And well... turns out this is escapism is exactly what I needed. I read not only this one, but the next three over the next few days each night when I was struggling to sleep.
It's not great. It is EXTREMELY up and down in quality over the course of the series. Some characters are great one book and then totally changed for plot convenience later- same with villains. People often seem to just *tell* each other how they're feeling and then.... that's how they end up feeling. There are some laugh out loud jokes that work super well, and I loved some of the Shakespeare references (this author is a teacher of Shakespeare)- but at the same time there are some wildly overwritten and unconvincing sections. The first book is the most overall ok. The second book has some great actually sexy/fun sections with Annabel and her dude. The third one is ridiculous except for the illegitimate brother storyline which I liked. The fourth one is super wish fulfillment-y in a way I found distracting for most of it- and it didn't turn to getting the protagonists together until way too late.
But overall this was an easy distraction that really really helped me during a stressful week. It gets two stars just for that. I won't read again, but I'm grateful for the series being there for us.
That's where this book came in. I picked it up awhile ago at the used bookstore for like $1, and I was awake at 3 am, and desperately reached out for this thing. And well... turns out this is escapism is exactly what I needed. I read not only this one, but the next three over the next few days each night when I was struggling to sleep.
It's not great. It is EXTREMELY up and down in quality over the course of the series. Some characters are great one book and then totally changed for plot convenience later- same with villains. People often seem to just *tell* each other how they're feeling and then.... that's how they end up feeling. There are some laugh out loud jokes that work super well, and I loved some of the Shakespeare references (this author is a teacher of Shakespeare)- but at the same time there are some wildly overwritten and unconvincing sections. The first book is the most overall ok. The second book has some great actually sexy/fun sections with Annabel and her dude. The third one is ridiculous except for the illegitimate brother storyline which I liked. The fourth one is super wish fulfillment-y in a way I found distracting for most of it- and it didn't turn to getting the protagonists together until way too late.
But overall this was an easy distraction that really really helped me during a stressful week. It gets two stars just for that. I won't read again, but I'm grateful for the series being there for us.
December 17, 2019
#RitaJames #RetoRita3
Sé que estas dos estrellas son muy injustas pero voy a explicar por qué. Sobretodo porque es una autora que me gusta.
Esta historia es la primera de la serie de las hermanas Essex. Y es una serie para ser leída estrictamente en orden. No sólo porque cada libro cuenta la historia de cada una de las hermanas sino porque los personajes masculinos, secundarios y experiencias de vida de cada hermana atraviesan la serie y cambian su importancia. Y algunos conflictos se terminan de resolver en otros libros.
Yo había leído la 3 (me gustó) y 4 (no me gustó). Y ambas constituyen un spoiler fenomenal de este primer libro. Aclaro que cuando leí esos libros entendí todo porque explican lo que pasó antes.
En general, no me molestan los spoilers. Pero, en este caso, por ser un libro de presentación de las hermanas, se cuentan cosas que ya sabía. Toda la primera mitad del libro. Sumando a que ya sabía quién se iba a quedar con quién. Lógico.
Esto me generó una especie de aburrimiento.
Recién hacia la mitad se desarrolla bien la historia de Tess. Pero, para peor, este personaje no me convenció. No se si por el hecho de ser la hermana mayor y la más responsable, acepta todo lo que se le presenta: casarse o no, con este, con otro, besarse, la opinión de las hermanas, etc.
Rebeldía: cero.
Digamos que las cosas le salieron bien de casualidad. Gracias a un maromo maravilloso.
Cosas que quedan sin resolver... ah cierto, es una serie.
Varias escenas hot aunque la mayoría bastante sugeridas.
Pero me planto acá. Por los comentarios que leí, a pesar de que el segundo es la historia de Anabelle, sigue el protagonismo de Imogen que se lleva los tres primeros libros. En definitiva.
Respecto a la injusticia de la que hablé al principio, creo que mi opinión hubiera sido otra si no hubiera leído las posteriores.
Recomiendo la página de la autora que, de cada novela, nos cuenta extras, errores e incluso de alguna tiene un epílogo alternativo:
https://www.eloisajames.com
Sé que estas dos estrellas son muy injustas pero voy a explicar por qué. Sobretodo porque es una autora que me gusta.
Esta historia es la primera de la serie de las hermanas Essex. Y es una serie para ser leída estrictamente en orden. No sólo porque cada libro cuenta la historia de cada una de las hermanas sino porque los personajes masculinos, secundarios y experiencias de vida de cada hermana atraviesan la serie y cambian su importancia. Y algunos conflictos se terminan de resolver en otros libros.
Yo había leído la 3 (me gustó) y 4 (no me gustó). Y ambas constituyen un spoiler fenomenal de este primer libro. Aclaro que cuando leí esos libros entendí todo porque explican lo que pasó antes.
En general, no me molestan los spoilers. Pero, en este caso, por ser un libro de presentación de las hermanas, se cuentan cosas que ya sabía. Toda la primera mitad del libro. Sumando a que ya sabía quién se iba a quedar con quién. Lógico.
Esto me generó una especie de aburrimiento.
Recién hacia la mitad se desarrolla bien la historia de Tess. Pero, para peor, este personaje no me convenció. No se si por el hecho de ser la hermana mayor y la más responsable, acepta todo lo que se le presenta: casarse o no, con este, con otro, besarse, la opinión de las hermanas, etc.
Rebeldía: cero.
Digamos que las cosas le salieron bien de casualidad. Gracias a un maromo maravilloso.
Cosas que quedan sin resolver... ah cierto, es una serie.
Varias escenas hot aunque la mayoría bastante sugeridas.
Pero me planto acá. Por los comentarios que leí, a pesar de que el segundo es la historia de Anabelle, sigue el protagonismo de Imogen que se lleva los tres primeros libros. En definitiva.
Respecto a la injusticia de la que hablé al principio, creo que mi opinión hubiera sido otra si no hubiera leído las posteriores.
Recomiendo la página de la autora que, de cada novela, nos cuenta extras, errores e incluso de alguna tiene un epílogo alternativo:
https://www.eloisajames.com
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