An Affair Before Christmas

Starred review from October 1, 2007
Entertaining and exciting throughout, there's enough seduction, laughter and surprises in the second Desperate Duchesses installment to satisfy even the most demanding fans of historical fiction. In the spring of 1783, four years after they married for love, irreconcilable differences in the bedroom have left the duke of Fletcher desperate for a mistress and Poppy, his wife, certain that “Fletch” no longer cares for her. Poppy was brought up by the ruthless and unwittingly hilarious Lady Flora, who believes that all men should take mistresses to relieve their wives of unpleasant marital duties, so she can hardly help her distaste for intimacy. When she discovers Fletch's plans for infidelity, she leaves him and moves in with the vivacious and sexy Jemma, duchess of Beaumont, who educates her in the merits of independent living. Meanwhile, Fletch contrives a plan to win her back. To round out a wonderfully busy and well-delivered plot, Jemma's likely paramour, the duke of Villiers, has developed an unlikely affection for the plain, brash spinster Miss Charlotte Tatlock, rumored to be another duke's mistress. With a menagerie of charming, unconventional characters and a great sense of fun, James's latest foray into Georgian romance suffers not a single dull moment.

October 15, 2007
Disillusioned with her increasingly strained marriage, Poppy, the young Duchess of Fletcher, leaves her equally frustrated and mystified husband and moves in with Jemma, the notorious Duchess of Beaumont. Naïveté, a mother's poisonous influence, and lack of communication are at the root of Poppy's problems, and Jemma and her sophisticated companions are just the ones to helpmaybe. An intelligent, sometimes insecure heroine, an admirable, loving hero, and a host of truly fascinating supporting characters make this a holiday tale to remember. Poppy's story is certainly the focus here, yet there are a number of other relationships that James is nurturing that readers will ultimately want to see resolved. Continuing the series begun with "Desperate Duchesses", this multilayered volume delivers a refreshingly frank (think women's hairstyles and the attendant cleanliness issues), totally delightful glimpse into the bawdy Georgian era that preceded relatively buttoned-down periods. New York-area James is a rising star among historical romance writers.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2007
Perdita ?Poppy? Selby fell in love with the Duke of Fletcher in Paris at Christmas, and their fairy-tale romance quickly led to marriage. Now, four years later, Poppy is almost certain her husband, Fletch, has fallen out of love with her when heflirts scandalouslywith the beautiful, and rumored to always beavailable, Louise Neville. At first Poppy is furious at Fletch, but then she begins to wonder if it isn?t her own fault for allowing her title-mad mother topush her into marrying Fletch in the first place. Deciding that their marriage needs a cooling-off period, Poppy retreats to the home of her friend Jemma, the Duchess of Beaumont, leaving Fletch determined towin back his wayward wife. The second in James? beguiling Georgian-era Duchess series is richly imbued with James? wicked wit, and once again, the resplendent combination of her exquisitely nuanced characters and lushly sensual romance issublime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)