Say No to the Duke by Eloisa James (Book Review)
SAY NO TO THE DUKE by Eloisa James
The Wildes of Lindow Castle #4
Could she possibly refuse a duke’s hand—in favor of a sardonic, sinful rake?
Lady Betsy Wilde’s first season was triumphant by any measure, and a duke has proposed—but before marriage, she longs for one last adventure.
No gentleman would agree to her scandalous plan—but Lord Jeremy Roden is no gentleman. He offers a wager. If she wins a billiards game, he’ll provide the breeches.
If he wins…she is his, for one wild night.
But what happens when Jeremy realizes that one night will never be enough? In the most important battle of his life, he’ll have to convince Betsy to say no to the duke.
Book Excerpt
They moved toward each other as if they were following the steps of a very slow, very grand country dance. One that was danced by kings and queens and countryfolk alike.
When they were beside each other, she squared her shoulders and met his eyes. “I decided to come to you. I hope that is all right.”
“I do believe that you are the bravest woman I’ve ever met,” he replied.
He couldn’t have said anything better; Betsy felt herself begin to glow. “I haven’t been brave to this point, but I have made up my mind to change. I outlawed being nervous, but now I need to outlaw being afraid.” She hesitated. “I have chosen courage, and now I choose happiness.”
“I love you as you are,” he whispered, and then his mouth came down on hers.
Her breath caught in her throat because their tongues met as if they kissed every day, every night. He tasted right, which sent a shiver through her whole body, and pushed her against him gently, the way a pebble might roll up a beach when the tide comes in.
One doesn’t fight the tide.
Mass Market, 384 Pages
Publishing imprint: Avon Books | HarperCollins
Publication Date: June 25th 2019
Book Review
ELOISA JAMES
Say No to the Duke
The Wildes of Lindow Castle
Lady Boadicea Wilde “Betsy” is a fascinating character, precisely because she is not what you would expect. Society thinks her sweet and ladylike, which is exactly the persona she spent her youth and young adulthood perfecting, but in truth, she’s only wearing a mask to protect herself from the reproaches of her mother’s reputation. She fears becoming the woman she hears the others whisper about, and she refuses to give them even the tiniest inkling that the two might share something in common, particularly their passionate nature. Yet, when she shares a late-night game of billiards with Lord Jeremy Roden, she finds herself experiencing the very thing she’s feared to feel…passion.
I adored this book, you guys. Betsy was so determined not to give into her desires with Jeremy—or any man, which made such a lovely contrast to Jeremy’s delight at finally feeling like a man again. Like someone who hasn’t been half-dead inside since the war and hasn’t been denying himself the chance to be happy, and whole.
“Jeremy looked down into her laughing, naughty eyes and felt the world shaking around him and settling into a different shape.”
From Say No to the Duke by Eloisa James
These two characters were so well-developed, smart and witty and utterly charming, yet also filled with personal guilt, grief, and shame. I loved that they both had something that haunted them. To truly heal them, they had to find that missing piece of themselves, as well as the courage to accept the very things they swore they never would, which wasn’t easy, but made for a fun and massively enjoyable read.
Brilliant, well-written, and incredibly entertaining, Say No to the Duke by Eloisa James is a must read for historical romance fans, and particularly for those like me who have also fallen in love with the Wildes and their chosen paramours. But don’t worry, if you haven’t yet discovered the Wildes of Lindow Castle, the books can be read—and enjoyed! —as standalones.
Category: Adult | Genre: Historical Romance
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Author ELOISA JAMES
Eloisa James is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author and professor of English literature, who lives with her family in New York, but can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. She is the mother of two and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.