Okay you guys know the problems I had THE UGLY DUCHESS and how it would have helped if the main characters weren't married to kind of smooth my ruffled feathers? This book (which chronologically and publishing wise came before THE UGLY DUCHESS) proves me point. Amongst other things.

Olivia is engaged to Rupert (reluctantly), who is her opposite in every way. She'd really be more of his caretaker if they were married, as he's mentally more of a child. Initially Olivia reacts the same way anyone who doesn't know the whole story would react--why am I marrying this louse? You can be damn sure his family wasn't going to let the fact he's mentally handicapped become fodder for society's gossipmongers so how else do you expect a young woman to react? Her stance changes once she learns the truth and she becomes his biggest supporter and champion.

Quin meanwhile lost his son because his first wife was a Capital B, so he's understandably wary of everyone. He's considered a coldhearted bastard because he couldn't cry at his son's funeral (though again, this is a case of everyone (in society) needs to shut the frell up because if you don't know the whole story about WHY he's so coldhearted don't go spouting vicious rumors like he didn't love his son) and is initially irritated by Olivia.

They meet because he needs a suitable wife (cause don't you know, he's a Duke so he needs a heir, never mind his feelings on the matter) and he figures Olivia's sister Georgiana is perfect as she's amiable, reasonably intelligent and not likely to make his life chaotic (or kill his kid). Unfortunately his heart is like 'OLIVIA' and unlike most historical romance heroes (or any genre of romance hero) he figures it out frist and goes out of his way to prove it to her.

Olivia was pretty much everything I ever wanted in a romance heroine and then some. Yes she's sarcastic, prone to singing inappropriate songs and speaking her mind. She's not perfect, she doesn't claim to be perfect and if she was perfect? I don't think her engagement to Rupert would have worked. Assuming Quin never came into the picture, she would have been content as Rupert's wife. She cared about him, understood him to a certain extent and more importantly didn't judge him for what he couldn't help. She encouraged him in other ways and while she'd never have the marriage most folk wanted, she'd be free to be herself.

It wouldn't have been a bad ending, but this is a romance and romances require Happily Ever Afters and thus did Olivia get hers without being the B who broke Rupert's heart. It was pretty contrived and sappy-dappy when her and Quin finally end up together, but Eloisa doesn't cut Rupert short. Rupert is a hero, a real hero and Olivia doesn't let anyone forget that fact.
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This book portrayed the fascinating story of a man and woman falling into lust and then into genuine, heartfelt love. At first, I had trouble buying into the romance between Olivia and Quin. The biggest problem was that Olivia showed a disgusting lack of self-control around him. He was her sister's intended, and she shamelessly flirted with him. To be fair, her marriage prospects weren't very promising, so her acting out her frustration made sense.

When they decided to marry, I was surprised by the suddenness of the decision. I thought they were falling in love but neither the couple nor I was ready for a solid commitment. It felt rushed and made the obstacles seem insignificant. If the story had ended there, it would've been trite crap. Luckily, there were a hundred pages to go. By the end of the book, there was a great pay off, and I fully believed in their love. On top of that, Olivia learned to love herself, which is the most important love of all.

While I enjoyed journey, the thing that annoyed me the most was the road to love was a bit too smooth. The obstacles and other suitors for both the hero and heroine are conveniently disposed of, in a manner of speaking. I wanted Olivia and Quin to grapple with the consequences of their love more and really prove their commitment. Instead, they were a little too lucky in their circumstances.

The story dragged a little at the beginning and could've used a little more depth. Even with these drawbacks, The Duke Is Mine was still a sweet and exciting story! ( )

My least favourite of this series so far. ( )

I enjoyed this more than I expected. The hurdles to their relationship were legitimate and not some silly contrivance, and their attraction hit the ground running and developed into a true appreciation for the other that was fun to watch. The hero, especially, really endeared himself to me. My main issue against it was actually the last portion of the book. Things had resolved themselves pretty satisfactorily and then it felt like a whole new 'action adventure side story' was tacked onto the end for drama's sake (everything between hearing of bad news and it's resolution felt like something from an entirely different book to me). It could very well be the most meaningful part to some people, but it felt out of place and unnecessary, and of a lesser quality of storytelling (maybe trying to shoehorn in the mattress/pea theme?). Still, it wasn't enough to ruin the story or anything. I enjoyed the characters and the other 85% or so that I'm still giving it 4 stars. ( )

I really enjoyed the heroine in this novel. I really enjoyed the hero. Once again, I was underwhelmed by the first bit of the novel until the story got going. I was not sure how I felt about the story itself most of the time because I'm not a fan of relationship triangles. I kind of felt like James painted herself into a corner with the set up. And then the last few chapters came off as a forced to fit the theme of the series, and I'm not sure I agree with how several outcomes went down in the end. Not a bad book, but closer to 3.5 stars than 4. ( )