The Ugly Duchess

Starred review from July 16, 2012
James’s fourth fairy tale–inspired Regency romance (after The Duke Is Mine) puts an enchanting twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling.” James Ryburn, earl of Islay, is forced by his father, the duke of Ashbrook, to marry his best friend, the sweet but notoriously unattractive Theodora Saxby, so her dowry can cover Ashbrook’s gambling debts. When Theo overhears her new husband arguing with his father and realizes all they wanted was her money, she demands that Islay leave her—and leave England. For almost seven years, Theo doesn’t know whether her husband is dead or alive, and she runs her life to suit herself. When Islay returns to England, he is a very different man, and Theo must decide whether to let him into her heart and disrupt her carefully ordered solitary existence. James’s patented clever dialogue and complex characters make the unusual situation completely believable from setup to denouement.

September 15, 2012
Though they love each other, a young heiress feels betrayed by her husband soon after the wedding and throws him out, sending them each on journeys of discovery that will impact their future in astonishing and potentially insurmountable ways. When the duke of Ashbrook convinces his son and heir, James, to cover up a crime by marrying the duke's ward, the less-than-beautiful Theodora Saxby, they are all surprised by how well the match goes over. Until Theo learns the truth--that James doesn't love her, but married her only for her dowry and to shelter the nobleman from censure. Except that isn't the truth. James actually does love her, but under the circumstances, she's not willing to listen and throws him out of his house and their marriage. Heartbroken and guilt-ridden, James takes to the high seas on a boat his father owns--and disappears. Seven years later, just as the House of Lords is prepared to declare James dead and Theo a widow, James shows up in dramatic fashion, and the two must reconnect as their older, worldlier selves and sift through years of distrust, misinformation and the sharp, sniping commentary on their persons and their history. Regency favorite James' charming romantic take on an "Ugly Duckling" storyline offers intense emotional stakes and characters who have headed down unexpected paths which may ultimately stand as obstacles to their shared happiness. Spanning seven years, the story sees James and Theo move from close childhood friends who discover a special connection through marriage to two separately formidable, triumphant characters. But after such starkly disparate paths and some hard-earned emotional equilibrium, can the two manage to find their way back to each other and the wholeness they knew together? James deftly navigates emotionally complex characters and situations with a chronologically long yet fascinating storyline, maintaining interest and clarity in their separate adventures, while managing to intensify the romantic tension through their estrangement. A unique, winning romance that explores universal themes through an uncommon plot and eccentric characters, leading to a hard-won yet satisfying happily-ever-after.

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Starred review from August 1, 2012

A tall, strong-featured heiress with striking potential but no beauty, Theodora Saxby despairs of attracting Lord Geoffrey Trevelyan's attention. When James Ryburn, Earl of Islay, Theo's best friend, complains that his father wants him to wed, the pair hit upon the perfect bargain: a faux courtship that will keep James's scheming father off his back and make Geoffrey jealous. But it is James who ends up jealous as too much alcohol and a compromising kiss result in a wedding and a compelling, unforgettable story of betrayal, heartache, and love. VERDICT Exceptionally well-developed characters evolve with flair. Fast-paced, witty dialog, flawless plotting, exquisite sensuality, and a delectable dusting of humor make James's latest reimagined fairy tale a joyful work of art that is not to be missed. The print version includes a bonus short story that is a little gem. James (This Duke Is Mine) lives in the New York City area. [The Ugly Duchess was chosen as a hot BEA pick. See "From Magick to BBQ & Backlist," LJ 7/12, p. 35.]

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2012
With her looks, wealthy Theodora Saxby knows the only man willing to marry her will be a fortune hunter. Theo therefore sets her matrimonial sights on a fortune hunter of her choosing, Geoffrey Trevelyan, but he has yet to acknowledge her existence. Theo hopes that persuading her best friend in the world, James Ryburn, the Earl of Islay, to pretend to court her will finally push Geoffrey into proposing. But this scheme takes an unexpected (but not unpleasant) turn when James asks for her hand instead. Theo initially manages to convince herself that James truly does love her, until she discovers the painful truth. Leaving her marriage behind, Theo sets about fashioning a new life for herself. This leaves James with the task of convincing Theo that he really does love her and not her money, and that as far as he is concerned, his ugly-duchess wife has always been a swan. James (When Beauty Tamed the Beast, 2011) expertly infuses her latest fairy-tale love story with just the right ratio of tart wit and sensuality to create a hopelessly and hopefully romantic tale that will have James' fans swooning with delight.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)