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Book Review of The Ugly Duchess (Happily Ever After..., Bk 4)

The Ugly Duchess (Happily Ever After..., Bk 4)
The Ugly Duchess (Happily Ever After..., Bk 4)
Author: Eloisa James
Genre: Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
ladyd2206 avatar reviewed on + 50 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


This is another great Eloisa James gem. This is part of her fairy tale series, where she takes classic fairy tails, and retells them in Recency Romance. This one, as suggested by the title, was for the Ugly Duckling.

Theodora, or Theo to most everyone, and Daisy, to her closest companion James, recently debuted in the ton. She is not the most beautiful of girls, though neither her mother nor James seems to notice. She is doing what every young debutante in the ton is supposed to be: looking for a husband.

James Ryburn recently learned that his father not only overspent their entire fortune and estate, but also embezzled much of Theo's dowry. James' father's solution? James must marry Theo.

When Theo and James get married, the ton is scandalized. When they separate, they're even more so. Will James and Theo realize what they had before it's too late? And will the ton ever realize that Theo is so much more than The Ugly Duchess?

This book was not quite as great as the other two I've read in this series, and the reason I say that, is that the book is divided into two parts. Part one is leading up to the separation, and part two is after. I kept waiting in part one for the separation to happen so that we could really get into the romance.

Part two was amazing. I love a good woman scorned story, and I also love the man trying to win her back. This had both of those things. I just wished we had less of part one, and more of part two. In the end, this was a great read, and any Eloisa James fans need to pick this up. Anyone not an Eloisa James fan would still enjoy a great whimsical historical romance.