Wit and Sin

Recommended Read

My review cross-posted from Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/recommended-reviews/january-2012-recommended-reads/the-duke-is-mine-by-eloisa-james

Olivia Lytton gave up believing in fairy tales at a young age. No Prince Charming is in her future; only the son of the Duke of Canterwick, to whom Olivia has been betrothed for years. Resigned to her fate, Olivia focuses on helping her twin, Georgiana, win a proposal from Tarquin, Duke of Sconce. Olivia knows that Quin is perfect for Georgiana in every way…now if only she didn’t wish she could have him for herself! Olivia’s desire for Quin is matched by his attraction to her, but duty, honor, betrothals, and family stand in the way of any happiness they could have. With nary a godmother in sight, Olivia and Quin will have to work their own magic in order to get their own fairy tale ending.

I love this book! The Duke Is Mine is buoyant, charming, sexy, and just plain fun! Eloisa James has outdone herself in this not-quite-fairy tale romp through Regency England. Quin and Olivia are no picture perfect fairy tale protagonists. Olivia’s curvy, saucy, straightforward, and has a penchant for memorizing limericks. Quin, in turn, is brilliant and almost detached from the rest of the world. He’s capable of great passion, as evidenced by his desire for Olivia. To all outward observers, the two couldn’t be more different. Yet they fit one another like lock and key. I was highly entertained watching Olivia and Quin try to fight the inevitable. They’re both good people and Olivia is engaged to another while Quin knows that he “should” marry a woman like Georgiana, who would make the perfect duchess. Neither Olivia nor Quin want to break their promises or hurt anyone, so the multiple obstacles Ms. James puts in the pair’s path had me eagerly turning the pages of The Duke Is Mine to see how Olivia and Quin would get around them.

The Duke Is Mine is third full-length book in Ms. James’s Fairy Tales series, but like the other books, The Duke Is Mine is a standalone story. The fairy tale Ms. James loosely based The Duke Is Mine on is The Princess and the Pea. Those who have read the fairy tale will see bits and pieces of it in The Duke Is Mine, but Ms. James doesn’t overwhelm the book with references to the tale.

The Duke Is Mine sparkles with energy and good humor from the first page to the last. I was smiling almost the entire time I read Quin and Olivia’s book and I cannot wait to re-read it again and again and again. Ms. James has been one of my favorite authors for years and The Duke Is Mine joins many other books written by her on my keeper shelf. Don’t miss out on this delightful gem of a tale!