Lawson’s review of Duchess by Night by Eloisa James
Historical romance released by Avon 24 Jun 08

For anyone who loves a cross-dressing romance, this is a story you have to read. Following the pattern of Twelfth Night, it follows the story of Harriet, the Duchess of Berrow, at a house party after Christmas at the house of Lord Strange. Lord Strange had been mentioned before in this series when Jemma, the Duchess of Beaumont, bought a chess piece that he had sold. Wit, intelligence and passions abound in the tale and we also get more time with the Duke of Villiers.

The story starts when Isidore, the Duchess of Cosway, plots to have a scandal to bring her husband home. She’s tired of being alone and is ready to have a marriage with her explorer husband who she hasn’t seen in fourteen years. The plan is to go to the scandalous house of Lord Strange with the Duke of Villiers and Harriet. To protect Harriet’s reputation it’s decided she’ll dress as a man and pose as Villier’s nephew Harry Cope.

When the group first meets Lord Strange, however, there’s immediate sparks between Strange and Harry. Harriet is attracted to Strange, and Strange is attracted to Harry. That’s right, even though he takes Harriet at face value as a man, he’s still attracted to him. Which gives him a dilemma, for he’s not a “molly” (a term for a gay man, though I don’t know how old it is or if it’s use anymore), so he sets out to teach Harry how to be a man.

Getting Harriet up near dawn to go riding in the cold, eating very rare steaks for breakfast and fencing put Harriet in close contact with Strange and her attraction grows, though she knows she shouldn’t act on it. A couple of pitfalls and other incidents lead Strange to realizes Harry is really a Harriet, and he jumps Harriet at the end of a particularly vigorous fencing lesson.

Of course the path to true love is not smooth, and both Harriet and Strange, who we find out likes to be called Jem instead, have to realize what they really want and what being who you are really means.

Without smacking you over the head with it and repeating it constantly, James does an excellent job of showing how freeing dressing as a man makes Harriet. Underlying that is the fact that women throughout history were put in a place and asked to stay there. Even though Harriet’s a duchess, she’s expected to behave a certain way and she feels like she’s more herself dressed as a man and doing the things she couldn’t before. Which was great to see and experience that sort of history.

What I really loved, though, was Jem. He’s smart, passionate, open and really loves his daughter. His daughter, Eugenia, hasn’t had a normal sort of upbringing, but she is wildly intelligent for an eight year old. She’s more than precocious, she just seems like someone who as adapted to her circumstances. Jem also shows Harriet that her marriage wasn’t everything she’d believed it was and opens her eyes to more than just experiencing life as a man. Which ends up with some very sexy results, and shows the passion Harriet and Jem have for each other.

The only little qualm I had with any part of the story was Jem’s realizations about his whole life, because it seemed to be placed in the story to provide the conflict. However, he was his own man through the whole book and it’s nothing truly overwhelming and in fact was necessary to show that he, in fact, was his own man and does not concentrate on the past. Jem was someone who I would love to have in my life.

The next in the series follows Isidore and her errant husband, the Duke of Cosway. Eventually the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont will appear again, maybe a little happier, and even the Duke of Villiers could get his own happy ending. At least that’s my hope, for those secondary characters have long arcs through this series that deserve a happy ending as well.

Grade: A-

A Mischievous Charade . . .

Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, is tired of her title and the responsibilities that come along with it. Enough with proper tea parties and elegant balls; what Harriet really wants is to attend an outrageous soiree where she can unleash her wildest whims and desires. But to attend such an event—especially if the event in question is Lord Justinian Strange’s rollicking fete, filled with noble rogues and rotters, risqué ladies and illicit lovers—would be certain scandal. That’s why she must disguise herself . . .

Looking forward to a night of uninhibited pleasure, Lord Strange is shocked to discover that beneath the clothes of a no-good rake is the most beautiful woman in the room. Why is a woman like her risking her reputation at his notorious affair? And can he possibly entice her to stay . . . forever?