Eloisa James: Seven minutes in heaven

Eloisa James kirjoittaa historiallisia viihderomaaneja omaperäisellä otteella, ja romaaneissa on huumorin ja romantiikan lisäksi synkempiä ja syvällisempiä sävyjä, mistä sopii mainioksi esimerkiksi teos Seven minutes in heaven (Piatkus, 2017; ISBN 978-0-349-41134-7).



Itsepäinen mies etsii sukulaislapsille kotiopettajaa ja saa päähänsä että vain yksi henkilö sopii tähän tehtävään. Eikä aikaakaan kun kaksi vahvatahtoista ihmistä ottaa toisistaan mittaa keinoja kaihtamatta.

All of Eugenia Snowe’s problems start when Edward Reeve, an arrogant bastard son of an earl, bursts into her registry office. He wants a governess and he wants her. She gives him the governess he demands, but she refuses to give herself. No question that Eugenia enjoys crossing wits with the brilliant inventor, but she will never tarnish her reputation with an affaire, particularly with a man who doesn’t realize she’s a lady!

She holds her ground - until he kidnaps her. Ward will stop at nothing to convince Eugenia that they’re meant to be together. He promises her heaven. She gives him seven minutes.

Eloisa James: Much ado about you jne.

Eloisa Jamesin romaanisarjaan Essex sisters kuuluu neljä romaania, joissa sisarusparvi etsii itselleen aviopuolisoa 1800-luvun Englannissa. Romaaneissa sattuu ja tapahtuu, ja köyhyydestä kukin omalla tavallaan eroon pyrkivät sisarukset joutuvat miettimään mitä oikein elämältä haluavat.

Much ado about you (Avon, 2005; ISBN 978-0-06-073206-6)

Witty, orphaned Tess Essex faces her duty: marry well and marry quickly, so she can arrange matches for her three sisters -- beautiful Annabel, romantic Imogen and practical Josie. After all, right now they're under the rather awkward guardianship of the perpetually tipsy Duke of Holbrook. But just when she begins to think that all might end well, one of her sisters bolts with a horse-mad young lord, and her own fiancé just plain runs away.

Which leaves Tess contemplating marriage to the sort of man she wishes to avoid -- one of London's most infamous rakes. Lucius Felton is a rogue whose own mother considers him irredeemable! He's delicious, Annabel points out. And he's rich, Josie notes. But although Tess finally consents to marry him, it may be for the worst reason of all. Absurd as she knows it to be, she may have fallen utterly in love.

Kiss me, Annabel (Avon Books, 2005; ISBN 978-0-06-073210-3)

The rules of marriage ... according to Miss Annabel Essex

A husband must be:

Rich.

Make that very rich. She's had enough of leaky roofs and thread-worn clothing.

English.

London is the center of the civilized world, and Annabel has a passion for silk and hot water.

Amiable.

Good-looking would be nice, but not necessary. Same for intelligent.

Isn't she lucky? She's found just the man! And her chosen spouse is nothing like the impoverished Scottish Earl of Ardmore, who has nothing but his gorgeous eyes, his brain — and his kisses — to recommend him.

So what cruel twist of fate put her in a carriage on her way to Scotland with just that impoverished earl and all the world thinking they're man and wife? Sleeping in the same bed? Not to mention the game of words started by the earl — in which the prize is a kiss. And the forfeit...

Well. They are almost married, after all!

The taming of the duke (Avon, 2011; ISBN 978-0-06-078158-3)

Imogen, Lady Maitland, has decided to dance on the wild side. After all, she's in the delicious position of being able to take a lover. A discreet male who knows just when to leave in the morning.

But Lady Maitland is still under the watchful eye of her former guardian, the wildly untamed Rafe, the Duke of Holbrook. He believes she is still in need of a "watchdog." She laughs at the idea that someone so insufferably lazy and devoted to drink can demand that she behave with propriety.

It's Rafe's long-lost brother, a man who looks precisely like the duke but with none of his degenerate edge, who interests Imogen. To Imogen, he's the shadow duke ... the man who really should hold the title. But when Imogen agrees to accompany Gabe to a masquerade...whose masked eyes watch her with that intense look of desire? Who exactly is she dancing with? The duke or the shadow duke? Rafe ... or Gabe?

Pleasure for pleasure (Avon Books, 2006; ISBN 978-0-06-078192-7)

Fueled by the knowledge that notoriety is better than failure, witty, unconventional Josie does what no proper young lady should -- she challenges fate. She discards her corset and flirts outrageously. She attends the horse races and allows an arrogant rakehell to whisk her behind the stables for a surreptitious kiss ... and is caught!

She doesn't want to marry the young hellion -- but who's to help? Her chaperone keeps disappearing for mysterious appointments; her guardian is on his wedding trip; and his friend the Earl of Mayne is too busy staring into the eyes of his exquisite French fiance.

Can a marriage forced by stuffy convention and unwilling desire become the match of the season?

Eloisa James: When beauty tamed the beast jne.

Eloisa Jamesin viihderomaanisarjassa viitataan satuihin, niin kaunottareen ja hirviöön kuin patjojen alla olevaan herneeseenkin. Romaaneissa on kevyttä huumoria, ja jonkin verran myös syvällisempää pohdintaa siitä mitä elämässä pitää tavoitella.

When beauty tamed the beast (Avon, 2011; ISBN 978-0-06-202127-4)

Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty ... Naturally, she's betrothed to a Beast.

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman.

Linnet is not just any woman.

She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.

Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.

If she decides to be very wicked indeed ... what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?

The duke is mine (Piatkus, 2012; ISBN 978-0-7499-5602-8)

Destiny will be decided between the sheets in this all-new tale of The Princess and the Pea.

For Olivia Lytton, betrothal to the Duke of Canterwick — hardly a Prince Charming — feels more like a curse than a happily-ever-after. At least his noble status will help her sister, Georgiana, secure an engagement with the brooding, handsome Tarquin, Duke of Sconce, a perfect match for her in every way ... every way but one. Tarquin has in love with Olivia.

Quin never puts passion before reason. And reason says that Georgiana is his ideal bride. But the sensual, fiery, strong-willed Olivia ignites an unknown longing in him — a desire they are both powerless to resist. When a scandalous affair begins, they risk losing everything — Olivia's engagement, her sister's friendship, and their own fragile love. Only one thing can save them — and it awaits in the bedroom, where a magnificent mattress holds life-changing answers to the greatest romantic riddle of all.

The ugly duchess (Piatkus, 2012; ISBN 978-0-7499-5672-1)

How can she dare to imagine he loves her... when all London calls her The Ugly Duchess?

Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion.

Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.

Theo would have given it a lifetime... until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding; it's scandalized by their separation.

Now James faces the battle of his lifetime, convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan.

And Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate, All's Fair in Love — or War.

Once upon a tower (Piatkus, 2013; ISBN 978-0-7499-5946-3)

As an extremely wealthy laird, Gowan Stoughton, Duke of Kinross, can have any of the maidens at the ball he attends. The only problem is they are all English and Gowan is not so certain they are suitable. He is accustomed to the hard-working lasses from his Highlands, not these dainty noblewomen who spend their days drinking tea or some other such nonsense. But then he makes the acquaintance of Lady Edith Gilchrist. Utterly bewitched by the emerald-eyed beauty with lush golden locks, he knows he must have her.

"Edie" had the misfortune of being dreadfully ill at her debut ball and barely remembers what Gowan looks like. Even worse, she accepted his proposal the following day. Edie's only true passion is playing music—until Gowan writes a scandalous letter and stirs the most irresistible desire. Yet when they marry, Edie realizes her husband needs a lesson and locks herself in a tower. Somehow Gowan must find a way to enter the tower and convince his new bride that she belongs in his arms.

Eloisa James: This duchess of mine jne.

Eloisa Jamesin Desperate Duchesses -kirjasarjassa on kahdeksan romaania, joissa kaikissa toistetaan samantyylistä juonta, mutta omaperäisyyttäkin piisaa. Kirjailijan oikea nimi on Mary Bly, ja ammatiltaan hän on englannin kielen professori, mikä antanee jonkinlaista katu-uskottavuutta viihdekirjallisuuden tuottamiseenkin.



This duchess of mine (Avon, 2009; ISBN 978-0-06-162682-1)

Wedding bells celebrating the arranged marriage between the lovely Duchess of Beaumont and her staid, imperturbable duke had scarcely fallen silent when a shocking discovery sent Jemma running from the ducal mansion. For the next nine years she cavorted abroad, creating one delicious scandal after another (if one is to believe the rumors).

Elijah, Duke of Beaumont, did believe those rumors.

But the handsome duke needs an heir, so he summons his seductive wife home. Jemma laughs at Elijah's cool eyes and icy heart—but to her secret shock, she doesn't share his feelings. In fact, she wants the impossible: her husband's heart at her feet.

But what manner of seduction will make a man fall desperately in love ... with his own wife?

A duke of her own (Avon Books, 2009; ISBN 978-0-06-162683-8)

Leopold Dautry, the notorious Duke of Villiers, must wed quickly and nobly—and his choices, alas, are few. The Duke of Montague's daughter, Eleanor, is exquisitely beautiful and fiercely intelligent. Villiers betroths himself to her without further ado.

After all, no other woman really qualifies. Lisette, the outspoken daughter of the Duke of Gilner, cares nothing for clothing or decorum. She's engaged to another man, and doesn't give a fig for status or title. Half the ton believes Lisette mad—and Villiers is inclined to agree.

Torn between logic and passion, between intelligence and imagination, Villiers finds himself drawn to the very edge of impropriety. But it is not until he's in a duel to the death, fighting for the reputation of the woman he loves, that Villiers finally realizes that the greatest risk may not be in the dueling field...

But in the bedroom. And the heart.

Three weeks with Lady X (Piatkus, 2014; ISBN 978-0-7499-5947-0)

Having made a fortune, Thorn Dautry, the powerful bastard son of a duke, decides that he needs a wife. But to marry a lady, Thorn must acquire a gleaming, civilized façade, the specialty of Lady Xenobia India. Exquisite, head-strong, and independent, India vows to make Thorn marriageable in just three weeks. But neither Thorn nor India anticipate the forbidden passion that explodes between them.

Four nights with the duke (Piatkus, 2015; ISBN 978-0-7499-5948-7)

As a young girl, Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington told the annoying future Duke of Pindar that she would marry any man in the world before him - so years later she is horrified to realize that she has nowhere else to turn. Evander Septimus Brody has his own reasons for agreeing to Mia's audacious proposal, but there's one thing he won't give his inconvenient wife: himself. Instead, he offers Mia a devil's bargain ... he will spend four nights a year with her.

Julia Quinn, Eloisa James ja Connie Brockway: The lady most likely ja The lady most willing

Julia Quinn, Eloisa James ja Connie Brockway ovat kirjoittaneet yhdessä kaksi romaania, joista kummassakin etsitään kilvalla puolisoa, ja romaanien lopussa on monet häät tiedossa ja lapsiakin tulossa. Tarinat ovat sujuvia, mutta saman reseptin toistaminen useaan kertaan tuntuu puisevalta jo yhdenkin romaanin sisällä, kahdesta puhumattakaan.

The lady most likely... - a novel in three parts (Avon, 2011; ISBN 978-0-06-124782-8)

Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife—so his sister hands him a list of the very best young ladies on the market. And then, because he refuses to tear himself away from the stables where he trains Arabian racehorses, she invites all those ladies to a house party, along with some other bachelors, of course. So who will Hugh choose? The Botticelli-esque, enchanting Gwendolyn? The outspoken, delightful Katherine? If he doesn't work fast, he'll lose those ladies to his closest friends, and then where will he look for a wife? Perhaps, just perhaps, toward a lady who's not on a market at all, and would require a great deal of persuading.

The lady most willing... (Piatkus, 2013; ISBN 978-0-7499-5781-0)

During their annual Christmas pilgrimage to Scotland to visit their aged uncle in his decrepit castle, the Comte de Rocheforte and his cousin, Earl of Oakley, are presented with unique gifts: their uncle has raided an English lord's Christmas party and kidnapped four lovely would-be brides for his heirs to choose from ...as well as one very angry duke, Lord Bretton. As snow isolates the castle, and as hours grow into days, the most honourable intentions give away to temptations as surprising as they are irresistible.

Eloisa James: The duke is mine

Eloisa James lainaa Todellinen prinsessa -sadun juonta, kertomusta prisessasta ja patjojen väliin piilotetusta herneestä, eikä lopputulos ihan mahdottoman muotopuoli ole: The duke is mine (Piatkus, 2012; ISBN 978-0-7499-5602-8).



Kirjailija on ripotellut romaaninsa täyteen muualta poimittuja ideoita ja juonenkäänteitä, alkaen kaksostytöistä jotka ovat menossa naimisiin, kilpakosijoista, ja monenlaisesta juonittelusta jossa reissataan paikasta toiseen, vankityrmäänkin saakka.

Tarquin, the powerful Duke of Sconce, knows perfectly well that the decorous and fashionably slender Georgiana Lytton will make him a proper duchess. So why can't he stop thinking about her twin sister, the curvy, headstrong, and altogether unconventional Olivia? Not only is Olivia betrothed to another man, but their improper, albeit intoxicating, flirtation makes her unsuitability all the more clear.

Determined to make a perfect match, he methodically cuts Olivia from his thoughts, allowing logic and duty to triumph over passion…Until, in his darkest hour, Quin begins to question whether perfection has anything to do with love.

To win Olivia's hand he would have to give up all the beliefs he holds most dear, and surrender heart, body and soul…

Unless it's already too late.