A Duke of Her Own audiobook

I came to this book from one that I found incredibly boring. So straight from the beginning I found our heroine very interesting. The book starts with a spunky dialogue between two sisters about the looks and dress of our heroine (one of the sisters) and it is not flattering. She is described as someone who doesn't care about her looks because her heart has been broken so she is not at all interested in attracting anyone. I honestly can't think of a time I've read that in romance. Plus it is not done in this melodramatic way but pretty straightforward. It made heroine look modern and real to me. I didn't read any previous books from this series so I didn't know anything about Villiers and therefore he strikes me as cold and uninteresting. So when I got to about 20% of the book and they kept on going about the outfits I become impatient. But as soon as our MCs start interacting, the story goes on fire! They are so good together. Eleanor (they make fun of her name all the time) is not your traditional heroine. Still half in love with a man who rejected her and at the same time someone who is fully aware of her sexuality and desire. She is not perfect and that's why I loved her. The story continues to go on and the plot thickens. They both have “other options” when it comes to marriage and both consider them on a very rational basis. And there we have the tension between the heart and desire and rationality. That was very romantic to me. Although some might say it didn't quite fit but I get what the author was trying to create. I enjoyed it. I went into it thinking this is going to be an easy read that I will be able to put down and just read for a few minutes before bed but oh no, I stayed up till 2 am when I had to be up at 4:30 am.

Love and illegitimate kidsLeopold and Eleanor gave a solid love story despite their varied past issues. Eleanor lost her love to another woman and vowed that she would not be runner up to another man that she gave herself. That’s precisely what she does when she gets involved with the Duke Leopold.Leopold had children so marriage had to take into account his illegitimate offspring as well as his station as a Duke. I loved Eleanor’s spirit. She definitely wasn’t conventional though she understood how the ton’s rules worked. Her pet dog added some chuckles for me as well as Leopold’s children. There was complexity to this love story.

Pretttty good! I love her characters, I really do. She makes all the tropes fresh with wit and humanity. Definitely a fan and was happy to see Villers in a more "humane" role, he's had quite the arc throughout these books. I enjoyed the ride!

** spoiler alert ** I read this book last year, just plucked it out of the Desperate Duchesses series because why not?! Romance books should be able to be read as standalones amiright?! Villiers did not do it for me last year. Arrogant, all these bastard kids, and really stupid to not see how Lisette was wrong for him and his kids. Reading the book now after five books of backstory? I. Loved. It. I loved it! I came into this book loving my arrogant duke and seeing his heart of stone melt for Eleanor was the BEST! I could see how she was a perfect fit for him from the beginning because I already knew this dude. Villiers is an unlikeable cold duke with six bastard children that requires some backstory. I loved that the man who is all about chess doesn’t even realize Eleanor plays until he’s already in love with her. I love how he begs. I love that Eleanor makes him beg. I even love Oyster. I also think reading it the second time I was better prepared for the love triangles that happen in this story. I hate love triangles, but knowing full well they were coming had me much more content this time around. Okay…but WTF, Damon???? I need a novella or a paragraph explaining why Damon had an affair with Lisette. Why. Why. Whyyyyyyyyyy. It also explains why Damon never told his wife (what’s her name? I can’t remember) even after he said he would. Dude is probably super ashamed that he took advantage of someone who is clearly “cracked” Now I like Damon less even though I liked him!

Oh my god, this book. So many feels. I don't want to say too much and spoil, but this is a true gem. Eleanor is awesome, confident, headstrong, smart, just one of my favorite HR heroines EVER. And Leopold... at first he's so cold and reserved, almost aloof, but then he shows his true face and it's so freaking intense and hot. Don't get me wrong, there were some things that had me thinking like really, tho? and I hated that he was blind to how amazing Eleanor is for his family, how long it took him to realize that, but I still enjoyed this so much. And that speech, when Eleanor says she deserves better gave me so much satisfaction. Yeah, girl, you totally do.(view spoiler)[On a side note, had Lisette done something like that to my dog, fuck propriety, I would cut that bitch and toss her against a wall. See how she likes it. It doesn't even matter that the dog was no worse for wear afterward and that she's afraid of dogs. If you harm my pet you.are.dead. (hide spoiler)]

I loved this book, especially Villiers's children. So adorable! I think my favorite thing about Eloisa James is how every character, even the small ones, even the nasty ones, feels like a person with their own point of view and their own complete life, even if we only get to see the edges of it. This book had a fabulous cast, and I loved Eleanor and her insecurities. When she told Villiers she deserved more I cheered!

I loved the Duke of Villiers and admired his commitment to finally become a father to his six illegitimate children and enjoyed the strong, sensible Eleanor, who's still carrying a flame for her first love who dumped her for another woman.

This was a lovely end to the Desperate Duchesses series. Some of the books in this series have been misses for me, but this one was a hit. The plot is unusual and may not be to everyone's taste - the lofty Duke of Villiers is looking for a mother to his six illegitimate children (yeah, I know!), and is choosing between two equally lofty daughters of Dukes - the beautiful, but shrill and unstable Lisette, and the underestimated, but sensual Eleanor. Given Villier's caustic wit in the previous books, there were quite a few funny bits of dialogue. The story wrapped up neatly at the end with a lovely epilogue, and I am a sucker for a good epilogue. :)

Finally Leopold's story .. ooohh Leo how the mighty have fallen 😊

Love EJ.

** spoiler alert ** So when I read the book summary I was under the impression that Lisette was the heroine. So I instantly had my guard up against liking Eleanor which I did and even though I did not like Lisette I kept thinking it was a bug trick or twist and she would turn out marvelous. Well I was so unhappy about half way through I went back and read some more spoiler reviews and I quickly understand how I had misinterpreted the book summary. However it is very difficult to switch your loyalty half way through a book so it was still a challenge, but by the end I am in agreement it was a good book. One I would have enjoyed far more if I had realized the heroine on the front In. Ha ha

MY FIRST HISTORICAL ROMANCE WAS SOOO GOOD! Wow i am thrilled and beaming! I loved this book with all of my heart! it was so wholesome and sweet and ahh i’m so obsessed! This love triangle had me HOOKED! you would never see a plot like this in a regular romance book and I think that’s what’s so great with historical romances! You get more options on where the story can go! I’m so happy that leopold chose the woman that he did. The kid content was soooo cute ahh i was hooked the entire time. There were points in this book where i truly did not know who he was going to pick. I also love how Eleanor found out her worth. That was so exciting and it makes me so happy!

My first read of A Duke of Her Own I gave it a 3-stars. However, I had the opportunity to listen to this story again and loved it even better. You have to hand it to Leopold who has taken accountability of his illegitimate offspring and finding a wife to help him raise them.A delightful read and I enjoyed Susan Duerdan's narration of this book.