Four Nights with the Duke: A Desperate Duchesses novel: a marriage of convenience between Mia and the Duke of Pindar, and a seduction that could win her heart

“I wouldn’t marry a single one of you . . . even if I were desperate! Even if you were the only men left in all England!” THE STORY: At fifteen years of age, Emilia (“Mia”) Gwendolyn Carrington fell in love with Evander Septimus Brody, the future Duke of Pinder. When a love poem that Mia wrote Vander became public, Mia was humiliated by Vander and his friends reactions. Mia swore that she wouldn’t marry Vander if he were the last man in England. Thirteen years later, Mia is desperate and decides to blackmail Vander into marriage. Vander agrees to submit to the marriage, but decrees that he will only spend four nights a year in bed with his wife – and only when she begs. What Vander doesn’t know is that Mia has a secret as to why she wants marriage to Vander and it doesn’t have anything to do with wanting to spend her life with Vander. What Vander doesn’t expect is that he might be the one begging for the four nights. OPINION: Warning! Spoilers included: FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE begins with utter heartbreak for Mia. She is a woman who ultimately doesn’t believe that she will find her happy ending because of her looks. Vander’s rejection of her when she was fifteen creates a deep scar for Mia. While she insists that she will never forgive Vander, the truth is that she obviously still loves him years later. She doesn’t really plan on having a real marriage with Vander because she doesn’t’ believe herself worthy. She is merely desperate to protect her young nephew. Mia is a strong woman who has been heartbroken again and again. She is willing to sacrifice herself for her nephew’s benefit. I loved her as a heroine. Strong, determined and yet vulnerable. I immediately connected with her vulnerable and I smiled and her nerve and determination to not hurt Vander even as she blackmails him. Vander is wonderful. I loved him in THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X and is he is adorably clueless in this book. While he is blackmailed into marriage, one gets the sense that he doesn’t fight that hard. He is offered a way out by his friends, but instead he marries Mia. He mistakenly believes that she wants to marry him because she loves him so much (not knowing about her nephew) and is dumbfounded when he realizes that he is mistaken. Arrogant and yet adorably sweet. Vander is a hero that just makes me sigh in appreciation. The best parts of his character are demonstrated through his relationship with Mia’s nephew. I loved how immediately accepting and fatherly he is with the nephew. The relationship between Mia and Vander is sweet and romantic and at times funny and tragic. Several times Mia and Vander almost got together and then were torn apart by their fears. This book demonstrates how precious their relationship is because so many times they could have been torn apart. By the end of this book, Vander is determined to be self-sacrificing but then realizes that he wants Mia no matter what. He wants her enough to fight for her and no one has ever fought for Mia before. The writing in this book is lively and clever and deeply emotional. James has a wonderful ability to make her characters complicated and witty but not foolish. The book has numerous “Easter eggs” of references to cultural touchstones that readers can tease out and appreciate if they want but the book is accessible if a reader wants to concentrate only on the story told. In the same manner, James sprinkles references to prior characters and books that will please fans but do not exclude new readers. This is a book that I loved reading the first time and am sure that I am going to read again and again. WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of THREE WEEKS OF LADY X and A DUKE OF HER OWN will be pleased to see appearances by the main characters from those books. FINAL DECISION: I loved this book. Deeply emotional, funny and complicated, FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE is the story of two people who were always meant for one another and had a long road to find one another. CONNECTED BOOKS: FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE is the eighth book in the Desperate Duchesses series and the second book in the sub-series Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers. This book can be read as a standalone without missing anything from previous books in the series. Vander, however, appears in THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X and reading that book will give readers the most complete view of Vander. STAR RATING: I give FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE 4.5 stars.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this read by Eloisa James. I have always been a fan of her novels, but was recently disappointed by the conclusion of the Essex Sisters series, Pleasure for Pleasure. However, with this story, Ms. James had definitely redeemed herself. The main characters, Mia and Vander, are extremely well-written and well-developed. They are both complex enough to add some intrigue to the plot, but you as the reader still feel like you understand their motivations. Our heroine Mia is caught between a rock and a hard place, forced to marry so that she can retain guardianship of her nephew and avoid handing him over to her truly mad and terrifying uncle. She has suffered so much loss when we meet her after the prologue (the deaths of her father, brother, and sister in law, and her jilting at the altar by a man she believed that she loved), but she is still strong and determined to make the best out her situation, for the sake of her nephew. Ms. James presents us with a complex and certainly flawed heroine, but ultimately one who is relatable and redeemable. The hero of the story, Vander, has also suffered loss and holds an intense grudge against his own mother and Mia's father, for their affair that dragged his family name through the mud. He is extremely reluctant to go along with Mia's marriage plan, but it soon becomes clear that his feelings for her are pretty much the exact opposite of the hatred he assumed he had. As a reader of this genre for many years, I love when the main characters have some animosity or dislike between them, I think it makes for a more interesting love story and better character development. Ms. James does that very well here, we really see them both transition from hatred (or what they thought was hatred) to love over the course of the story. The only minor flaw was the theme throughout the book that Mia was mad at Vander for not "respecting" her. Her basis of this is that, because he is so attracted to her and wants to have sex with her, he must think of her as a prostitute and not his wife, hence the disrespect. She claims they do things in the bedroom that are not what normal couples do (this doesn't really pan out for the reader, the love scenes are intense and passionate, but certainly not anything abnormal). This got to be a bit tedious and annoying, since it dragged on until almost the very end. I wish the author had not had such a heavy hand with that theme, but that is truly the only criticism i have for this story. Other than that, I do highly recommend this story!

Picture a 15-year-old girl, Mia, who has developed early, having her bosom referred to as cabbages by a rotten boy to a group of other boys. Then, having her private poem about her young love read aloud and snickered at by the rotter. And her 15-year-old love, Vander, was in the crowd and had his own insecurities. They both suffer from the scandal of their parents' decades long adulterous affair. This all had the effect of Mia retiring from society and wearing ruffles up to her neck, while Vander scorned society, generally ignored the social graces, and made his life with his horses and a tiny group of friends. His childhood had really done a number on him. This is a complex story with complex characters. I think this is one of the best thought-out stories I've read. Every event happened at just the right time. The secondary characters were delightful ~ I loved Chuffy and little Charlie. We were also briefly visited by the Duke of Villiers and we had a couple of visits with India and Thorn from Three Weeks With Lady X (Desperate Duchesses Book 7) . And, of course, we're treated to wit and humor throughout. I thought it hilarious that Vander, arrogant alpha male, refused to read Mia's explanatory letter, thus missing her reason for her actions, and he had to scrabble to figure it out. Talk about frustration! and a blow to his manly pride. lol We saw what a good man Vander truly was in his kind, sensitive dealings with young Charlie and his generous treatment of Chuffy, his uncle. At the same time, we saw Mia as a prominent author whose notes and re-writes began each chapter. These ended, by the way, at exactly the right time...just as serious tension was developing. Again, perfect timing. Too, the pacing was perfect ~ nary a draggy moment. I've seen criticisms of the sex scenes being gratuitous. I absolutely disagree. They were integral to the plot, in my opinion. Also the coarse language. There was little of it, but it was there, and that usually makes me stop reading. It was essential when used here, though. We're not talking about a polished nobleman, we're dealing with a man who has lived away from the social scene and has a very hard time expressing his emotions. Grand book, well worth the wait! The grand finale was to die for ~sigh~. I can wholeheartedly recommend this extremely well-written novel. I'm looking forward to the next in this series. I bemoan the wait, but I'd rather see it done right than in a hurry. Enjoy your reading! :)

I read this as an ARC but loved it and Pre-Ordered it when I finished it. The Desperate Duchesses book eight, Four Nights with the Duke by Eloisa James. I love Eloisa James; she is an eloquent and beautiful writer who tells an intelligent and witty story all the while steaming up your glasses. It was a fun read without anything overly dramatic and devastating happening to the H/h. Mia is a great curvy heroine, she is a published author with a devoted following the only problem is that she must marry in order to keep her nephew, Charles, out of the wicked clutches of Charles’ uncle from his Mother’s side of the family. She had a fiancé but he jilted her and now she chooses to do something drastic. Vander has always said he would marry for love because of his childhood experience with his parents; that is until Mia appears back in his life. Mia’s father and Vander’s mother had an illicit affair in plain view of everyone. Vander hated his mother and Mia’s father for it. Mia accepted it because she knew they were in love. Mia in her youth was in love with Vander but one poorly written poem that fell in to the hands of Vander and Mia was embarrassed and vowed never to love Vander again; that all changes when Mia blackmails him into marriage. Mia wrote it all out what she expects of Vander and why she is doing what she is, but Vander still assuming she is in love with him and is blackmailing him because that’s the only way she can get him to marry him writes out stipulations of his own, without reading hers, only giving her four nights a year in his bed. Vander is shocked to find out that she only wanted to be married to him for six months and then get it annulled. Vander disagrees simply stating marriage is forever, he quickly takes his new charge and treats the boy with the clubbed foot like a normal little boy. Vander also takes the news that Mia is a famous author like it’s no big deal. He also deals with the wicked Uncle who just wanted Charlie for his inheritance. Vander also decides that he will make Mia fall in love with him even though Mia is determined not to. I loved this book, Vander and Mia are great characters and I love the added in notations from Mia on her WIP it almost coincides perfectly with her and Vander’s story. It can be read as a standalone but is a much better experience if you have read the whole series, or at least the last book Three Weeks with Lady X.

After meeting Vander in THREE WEEKS, I was very much looking forward to his book. His potential as a romantic hero diminished for me in the first couple chapters; however, I carried on because Eloisa's writing is always great and the story still carried. Mia, while a little "weak" for a heroine, was at least consistent, likable, and was someone I rooted for. Vander was more complicated. When he was in scenes with Mia, in Mia's POV, he was more than a jerk. He was like Uber-Jerk. Again, that's what a romance is about, growth, so I kept waiting for him to get less jerky. But he didn't. Right up to the end, he was just saying horrific things to her; and in the end, he apologizes, but for me, by then it was too little too late. I honestly didn't really want these two together in the end. I thought Mia could have done better and saved herself the hassle. Now when Vander was in his POV, he was much more likable; and the reader could understand his jerkiness and where it came from. There were some scenes where you really liked Vander. But then in the next scene he'd revert back to his previous behavior, not learning from his previous mistakes and honestly being cruel to Mia far longer than warranted. As one of the characters pointed out, if Vander didn't want to be married to her, he wouldn't be. Great, but he acts like he had no choice and is Uber-Jerky about it. It got a little tiresome for me. There'd be a lovely love-scene, and then he'd be an ass. I know you can't get a divorce in this time period, but if I had been Mia, I would have. Gladly. Other than the hero, all the other characters were delightful and fun to read. There was still Eloisa's sly humor and great writing. It's a quick read--I read very fast (though I found it easy to put the book down because I didn't find Vander overly pleasant.) However, Eloisa's "okay" books blow many other author's books out of the water. I think anyone would enjoy reading the story, but I'm not sure if it's a universal "desert island keeper" for ALL her readership.

The good: I won't recap the book as others have done. Four Nights is filled with amazing characters, and is a wonderful story. I am a fan of her writing, and Eloisa James is an automatic pre-order for me. I can count on her to deliver a rich story full of detail, emotion, and smart dialogue. Mia and Vander are hard to put down, I read the book in one sitting. The bad: This may not bother anyone else, but it is a huge pet peeve for me! I hate when the "F-word" is used in historical romances. Seeing it once bugs me, but it is used several times throughout. It takes me right out of the story and it saddens me because I felt it was unnecessary. Sadly, I think it is a trend that is becoming more popular, and it ticks me off. Overall: It is a great read, one I will remember. If not for the bad language, I would have given 5 stars ( and I am stingy with those!) but I just couldn't this time. If that doesn't bother you, then GET THIS BOOK!

Eloisa James does it again. She does an outstanding job of keeping you entertained from start to finish. I have all her books and love each and everyone of them. She is the leading author in historical romance. This story is about a heroine named Mia who when she was 15 and in madly in love with the hero Vander overheard make comments about her. His friends find a poem from her written about him and start harassing him about it. She thinks he is going to stand up for her but what she hears breaks her heart. His comment is "There isn't a fellow in this house who would bother speaking to that dumpy little thing. The only reason she was invited was that my mother brought along her lover, who dragged along his daughter. She is a charity case, that's what she is." She comes out of her hiding place saying she would never marry anyone in that house ever. Years later she is desperate to marry because of her brother's will, she blackmails Vander into marrying her so she can keep her nephew Charlie. You feel the desperation the heroine goes through to keep her nephew. I also wanted to hit Vander for the hurtful things he says to the heroine throughout this book. The emotions and heartache this heroine goes through will make you want to weep. She is so vulnerable and insecure of the way she looks. Eloisa James does an excellent job of making you want nothing but a happy ending for this heroine. The heroine is beautiful from the inside out. Now Vander the hero has a lot to make up for. He is egotistical and really rough around the edges. He grew up with a father who was crazy and a mother who cheated on his father. He has a lot of hatred for the heroine's father because of the affair his mother and him had together. He marries the heroine but makes a contract that she can only have 4 nights a year with him because he thinks she is still madly in love with him. The side characters also are entertaining like Chummy the drunkard uncle who you don't really is drunk or faking it. Charlie the nephew who brings the two main characters together. The fiancé Reeves who jilted Mia at her wedding or did he? Charlie's detestable uncle who is the villain in the story. I couldn't wait for Mia to get her knight in shining armor and to be shown she was beautiful. Can Vander redeem himself with Mia or will he be to late? Will she go back to her fiancé Reeves? Which one is her knight in shining armor and the love of her life? This story stayed with me long after I finished it. I can't wait for the next book in this series! Anything Eloisa James writes is always a one click buy.

Four Nights with the Duke is a wonderful historical romance, full of well-developed characters, humor, and romance. Mia is a wonderful character full of contradictions. Insecure about her physical appearance, she uses her alter-ego to write romances about heroines that look as she expects everyone believes is the perfect beauty. On the other hand, she is strong and determined when it comes to things that are important to her. Vander has spent his life fighting, and is happy not to be in society. He has a temper that has him speaking first, and apologizing later. Both Mia and Vander have lived their lives under the scandal of their parents' long-term affair, but have vastly different views of it. When a poem 15-year old Mia wrote about her youthful love for Vander lands in his hands, and she hears their interpretation and views of her, she declares her love dead and speaks the famous last words: "not if you were the last man on Earth." Thirteen years later, Mia realizes marriage to Vander is her only option, but only intends a quick, "in name only" union to secure her nephews future. Black-mailed into accepting her proposal, Vander puts his own conditions on the marriage, but sees the merit in a forever arrangement. The misunderstandings abound. Vander having to deal with his feelings for Mia and his misconceptions of the past when it comes to his parents. Mia has to stand up for herself and realize that her perceptions have also been shaped by her life. It is fun watching these two work through things and figure their relationship out. What makes it even more fun are the secondary characters: Chuffy, Charlie and Jafeer, and the reappearance of some old friends. I had been looking forward to this story, and it did not disappoint. I spent a lot of time giggling over the antics and also enjoyed the look at the process of a romance writer, especially in the 1800s.

Loved this novel. Characters are wonderful and story is enchanting . Totally enjoyable. Recommend it to all regency romantic fans.

I really enjoyed this book (and the previous one) - a lot more than the early Duchess books - maybe because it focusses on one couple rather than several. Well written and interesting with excellent romance scenes that are quite steamy. I adored Uncle Chuffy the most out of all the secondary characters and I liked the epilogue. Sad to say I have four more EJ books to go before I have caught up reading her entire back list. Then I'll have to wait for each new book as it comes out. SIGH...

Firstly can I just say I love the cover of Four Nights With The Duke, the lace detailing on the dress, the old-fashioned wallpaper and the soft lighting just tick all the right boxes for me! Anyway enough about the gorgeous cover and on with the actual book. I loved it! As usual in an Eloisa James novel it contain a fair few references to William Shakespeare, which as an English Literature graduate I personally found interesting and enjoyable. The character of Uncle Chuffy (who is probably one of my favourite secondary character EVER) is particularly found of sprouting Shakespeare, and throughout the wedding of Mia and Vander he chooses to quote Twelfth Night to hilarious effect. I also loved the character of Mia, she was so courageous and brave when it came to defending and protecting others and yet so vulnerable and self-doubting when it came to her own self worth. I particularly loved her career as a Romance writer, and how Eloisa James worked it into the plot, her character and Vander and Mia’s relationship. Mia’s writing and her Lucibella novels were a fundamental part of her character. Her writing and the transformation it underwent throughout the course of Four Nights With The Duke showed her changing opinions on love, self-acceptance and the concept of ‘ideal’ feminine beauty. Whereas at the start of novel Mia idolises her heroines thin, blond, blue-eyed appearance towards the end of novel her feelings are undergoing a transformation. This isn’t Mia, or Eloisa James, criticising women who are thin, but rather it shows Mia is starting to accept and appreciate her own body shape. Whereas before she viewed her sizeable breasts as an embarrassment, ugly and misshapen, this clipping from Mia’s latest novel demonstrates her changing mindset. Of course this change towards body positivity is partly because of Vander’s love and lust of Mia. He makes Mia feel desirable and feminine, and allows her to see herself that way. This, however, was only one of the reasons I loved Vander. It was also his obvious love and support of Mia, how caring he was towards Charlie, how he indulged and respected his drunk uncle and ultimately how he forgave both his parents. Vander isn’t a perfect hero, he has a temper and often says hurtful things that he doesn’t really mean in the heat of an argument. He won’t coddle those he loves but instead tries to make them stronger and more resilient to face the outside world. Yet Vander has his pride, one that is rooted in the tragic story of his parents relationship. Therefore rather than fighting for Mia he instead lets her go. I’ll be honest that scene nearly broke me. He loves her. She loves him. Yet he’s letting her go?! He’s letting her walk out of his life with another man. Clearly Vander needs to take some inspiration from a Lucibella hero! Luckily for us he does, but I’ll let you discover that delightful tale all for yourself.

Publicação: 2015 Indicação: AAR 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Outra excelente recomendação do site AAR, FNWTD é leve, super divertido, romântico e emocionante. Mais um romance que irá para a minha coleção de favoritos. A autora acerta em cheio: excelente prosa, trama inteligente, ágil e divertida, momentos mágicos de romance e humor, um excelente time de personagens secundários que, embora pequeno, surge nos momentos certos para impulsionar a estória adiante. A trama se desenrola em um curto espaço de tempo, é centrada nos protagonistas, Vander e Mia, e no desenvolvimento do seu relacionamento afetivo e não peca em nenhum momento. Diversão garantida e romance na medida certa. Adorei e recomendo aos fãs do gênero.

Eloisa Jame ist eine meiner LieblingsautorInnen Die Story ist wie alles in diesem Genre an den Haaren herbeigezogen abe alle in Allem: gekonntes Easy Entertainment. Ich hebe es genossen und in einem Rutsch durchgelesen!