Four Nights with the Duke

I’ve read over 6 of her books and this is my favorite one

This book never really picked up any steam for me. It was my least favorite books by this author.

Enjoyed book but did not really like characters. Why do so many books gave to focus on cheating spouses? This one tries to makes acceptable based on circumstances. Vows are meant to be kept. Sermon over.

Loved, loved, loved the book! Vander was swoon worthy and the ending was so great. I found myself laughing out loud. Eloisa is a fav and did not disappoint!

I was sadly disappointed in the latest story by Eloisa James. I usually love her stories and the way she weaves even the secondary characters into our hearts, but Four Nights With the Duke seemed to lack her typical flair for telling a story. There is no chemistry between the main characters at all, no plot development that makes you root for love to win over all. The villain is obvious from the beginning and the story line is implausible. Sadly, the main characters were flat, with no depth or evolution. I find it hard to believe that James didn't flesh out her hero and heroine a bit more and help the reader to fall in love with them. One day the vulgar, self-centered duke is trapped in a forced marriage with an unattractive, aging spinster. Suddenly, the next he is in love with his beautiful wife. No witty banter, no soul searching, no tragic crisis....none of the story builders that would lead up to their transformation. The only redeeming piece of the story is the relationship between Vander and his ward, but even that went underdeveloped. This book had the potential to be a great story, but instead left this reader disappointed at the waste of time and money spent on a book that never quite engaged.

A delicious love story with two characters, Vander and Mia, who are easy to love because of all their foibles. The plot is exciting as you find many surprises throughout this novel. As always, James writes with wit, passion, and depth of character. Do NOT MISS READING THIS WONDERFUL BOOK, it is a joy to read. I am waiting to preorder "Seven Minutes in Heaven"!

If you are looking for an unforgettable romance this is it. I bought the book knowing that this was going to be a good story, but it was actually ten times better than I could have imagined. It had all the right ingredients and then some, to get me glued to the pages from the very beginning. I felt like I was part of the story. I was able to feel Mia's (heroine) despair, sadness, happiness, and passion. I wanted to tell Vanter (hero) to stop being unfair, stop being mean, and to open his eyes and look inside his heart. Their attraction and steamy hot scenes were so intense that I could feel the heat coming off my Kindle! I want to thank Eloisa James for her dedication and great story telling on a 5 star plus story that really touched my heart.

This book was just okay, the love scenes were virtually non-existent.

It’s hard not to like this series or this author, her writing style is polished and detailed, with plenty of information and imagery to fuel the reader’s visualization of the setting and characters. And, you can pick up this series with any of the titles to start: each story is complete in and of itself, although you may meet earlier characters, Eloisa James does give them enough background to understand their connections. In this story, Mia and Vander have long known one another, as her father and his mother were involved in a rather scandalous affair for years. After a devastating embarrassment some 13 years earlier, Mia suddenly reappears in Vander’s life with an outrageous proposition. Their parents died together in a fire in a small country inn: while Vander cut off his mother from his life and his father died in an asylum years ago, he’s never bothered to enter into society, instead concentrating on his stables and horses. With Mia’s return, all of the anger he held for Mia’s father and his mother have returned to focus on her. So a not-quite friends to lovers story with plenty of twists turns and oh so many moments that bring the action to life. Vander is the least ‘societally acceptable’ Duke he can be. His best friend Thom is a bastard and proud of the fact. Vander eschews society in favor of his horses and racing, and has built quite a nice stable. The only benefit he finds in the title is the ability to do what he wants. Rough around the edges, Vander is plain spoken and utterly unused to anyone telling him no. Mia has several secrets: she is a popular romance novelist, with her heroines always being the ‘ideal’ – tall, willowy, blonde and with scads of admirers who go to great lengths to woo them. She is intelligent, headstrong and utterly romantic, despite believing that her diminutive size, curves and green eyes make her utterly unattractive, and she dresses the part with over-large flounces and ruffles to offset the curves she feel make her fat. Underneath all of the insecurities is a woman that is loyal and thoughtful, her determination to protect Charlie from all of life’s unpleasant moments is easy to understand and relate to, if not always the best direction. Together, Vander is busily showing his frustration with Mia, while he wants her body, and expects that their marriage is forever, his ‘but I tell you I care’ moments are poorly phrased and ill-timed, and leaves Mia believing that he doesn’t like or respect her. What’s funniest is these two are relating to one another much like they should have at 15, not as grown people of nearly 30. Their near constant bickering and fighting is partly due to hurt feelings now, and old issues unsettled. They are often funny, as Vander is the one usually putting his foot in his mouth, and is unable to understand his own mistakes. There are many twists and turns, with cameo appearances from Thom and his bride India, but it is the insets from Chuffy, Charlie and the newly arrived Jafeer that add depth to the budding relationship. Chuffy, Vander’s Uncle is a combination of a jolly elf and the feel of Puck from Midsummer Night’s Dream: moments of utter hilarity are mixed with his true ‘fangirl’ moments when he discovers that Mia is the author of his very favorite novels, and he is always quoting from Shakespeare. I loved his fierce protectiveness of those he loved, hidden under the occasional façade of drunkenness and oblivion. Chuffy doesn’t miss much, and every quote and revelation from him is spot on. Charlie is a wonderful little boy: a bit timid at first, but Vander’s ‘real world’ approach to showing him what he can do and new ways to do more rather than what he can’t, with no outward adjustments for his difficulties was wonderful, if a 180 degree difference from Mia’s coddling. In fact, it is Charlie and Mia’s determination to protect and raise him that shows Vander just what a gem she is. So much happens in this story, it’s hard to pick favorites, but like all of James’ novels, I was drawn in and unable to put it down until the final page. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

This is one of those books that you just don't want to put down. I love everything about it, especially the horse :)