Book 3 of the Essex Sisters. Imogen is a widow who has decided to enjoy her independence. Rafe, the Duke of Holbrook and Imogen's former guardian, is an alcoholic who must dry out to help his newly-found but illegitimate brother, Gabe, and niece, Mary. Though Imogen thinks to make Gabe her conquest, it is Rafe's eye that she becomes concerned about. Not nearly up to James' usual standards with blah characters, boring settings and a rather bare plot. ( )

I was really looking forward to The Taming of the Duke because Imogen and Rafe are some of my favorite characters of the series. They had such personality, with their flaws and their foibles that could be equally endearing and frustrating. Unfortunately, when they're brought together for their romance in this third installment of the Essex Sisters series, things didn't work out so well for me. Rafe discovers and embraces his long lost, illegitimate half-brother Gabe, who brings with him his own illegitimate daughter and a request to help out his baby's mama, an actress, by putting on a play in which she, Loretta Hawes, will star and thus be launched into her brilliant acting career. Sounds a bit convoluted/contrived? Well, it is. Even worse is the game of disguise that Rafe plays with Imogen, who thinks she's embarking on an affair with Gabe (when it's really Rafe in a mustache.)

Rafe's transformation from pickled duke (he's an alcoholic, or the 19th century equivalent of one) to virile hero seemed too swift and easy for me. (I know this is supposed to be light and fun, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be believable too.) I liked the idea of a hero who is less than physically spectacular. Many references are made to Rafe's dissolute, debauched ways in the previous books and, wonder of wonders, his body actually reflects his lifestyle! There are plenty of heroines out there who are plump but I had yet to come across a hero with a bit of a gut. But for reasons that are a little foggy to me, Rafe, preparatory to becoming the star in his own romance, suddenly decides to stop drinking. His gut disappears, and he rediscovers his sexual prowess by becoming Imogen's "demon lover." It seemed a bit of a cop out to me. I'm not saying that I wish he'd stayed drunk - far from it. I just wish that, along with giving up the drink, he could have stayed the lovable, slovenly Rafe I'd gotten to know in the other books, rather than become the cardboard cut out who plays the love of his life for a fool.

Imogen herself wasn't so bad. It’s a delight to find her breaking the mold in successfully pursuing an affair without any intention of marriage. She's no longer crazy in love or crazy with grief in this book, but neither does she have the same fire and humor of the previous books. Though some of her antics here really are great as she lets loose and works towards getting over Draven and just being herself.

The romance comprises Rafe's plan of trapping Imogen into marriage by making her so delirious with lust that she won't be able to say no to him once she finds out he's Rafe and not Gabe. Did all the character and integrity drain out of Rafe along with the alcohol? His terror that he's not good enough for her didn't help me view his deception any more kindly. Imogen and Rafe just didn't seem to click, mostly because this disguise plot got in the way. Their relationship was very unbalanced and sketchily drawn, especially when ***spoiler alert*** Imogen reveals she knew it was Rafe all along, and doesn't demur in the slightest. I can’t believe she let him get away with it that easily. ***end spoiler*** Just as the silly charade is dispensed with, the story is over and the happily ever after is upon us. I felt cheated, to say the least.

There's the usual host of secondary characters and a side romance with Gabe and Gillian Pythian-Adams, which never caught my interest. So overall, I was disappointed in The Taming of the Duke. After all the build up for Imogen, a wonderful creation by Eloisa James, this story fell dismally flat and definitely wasn't as good as the first two books in this series.

P.S. not a fan of the creepy cover at all!!! ( )

This is the 3rd book in the series about the Essex sisters. This is the story of Imogen, a beautiful if willfull you woman. She has been in love with Lord Maitland,since she first saw him, and manages to get him to marry her, but tragically he is killed in a horse race after only two weeks of marriage. Imogen, again comes ( against her Wishes)under the watch ful eye of her former guardian the Duke of Holbrook. The Duke being a drunkard is frquently mocked and critised by Imogen, they are a quarrelsome pair. The story unfolds and reveals what is under this quarreling. This is one of the more interesting of the three books I have read to date.

Can't like either hero or heroine. They deserve each other. Story is quite lacking. ( )

The first 2 books in this series had some resonance. I even went and reread Catallus. This has some good jokes but both the leads are a tad icky. And I hate this cover. The hero is supposed to be an overweight alcoholic. With a six-pack! ( )