Three Weeks with Lady X

Eloisa James is one of those authors who are hit or miss for me. I loved, loved, loved meeting Leopold Dautry, the Duke of Villiers in James’ Desperate Duchesses series and when I heard his illegitimate son, Tobias, was getting a book, I couldn’t resist the temptation to read it! Ah, THREE WEEKS WITH X was everything I wanted! If you’ve never read James’ Desperate Duchesses series it’s not necessary to do so in order to enjoy THREE WEEKS WITH X. There are no spoilers and you can even go back to read Leopold’s story, A DUKE OF HER OWN, and not miss anything since both are good standalones.

We have good characterization and James does a great job letting us spend an equal amount of time with both India and Thorn. India is in a show more unique position in that, she’s a daughter of a Marquess and yet one that is impoverished. Everyone assumes she’s had everything at her feet because of her family, but instead she’s had to make her own in the world. And yet, there are two sides to India. One that is cool and collected and very much the type of lady society expects and then there’s the side that only Thorn gets to know. I won’t go into details because I want you to discover this side of her. As for Thorn, oh boy! He may be one of my favorite James heroes to date! I adored him and the scars of his past. He has a bit of bad boy streak, but not to the extent of his father’s reputation. Thorn has had to struggle with being a bastard in a world where it did matter which side of the blanket you were born. We have a few secondary characters that play an important role including Thorn’s best friend Vander (I’m dying for his story!), a precocious ward, and a dimwit potential fiancée.

What I loved about THREE WEEKS? The banter between India and Thorn. James includes an exchange of letter writing between them and I have to say hands down this was my favorite part! I eagerly looked forward to their letters and unbeknownst to themselves, they did share aspects of their personality during these exchanges. I really enjoyed getting to know them and the sizzling attraction they had for each other was apparent. The real scene stealer was Villiers himself who makes an appearance. He knows where India and Thorn stand before they even do and I laughed with glee at his meddling.

Overall, THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X is just a feel good read! You’ll be sighing, laughing, and fall to pieces as your heartbreaks. While some of the plot is a bit predictable, James gives us a well flushed out story that made me want to restart the novel several times just so it wouldn’t end. I debated with the rating between a four and five and in the end went with a four based on the predictability of a few key scenes. While I understand the way these scenes play out are necessary to advance the plot and make things fall into place, it was easy to figure out the how and why.

If you’re a fan of historical romances or are looking to a new series or author, I highly recommend Eloisa James’ THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X! I’ve been holding out on reading Villiers story (because he’s just so precious to me that I don’t want to be disappointed) and THREE WEEKS made me want to spend more time with him and reread the series from the beginning. show less

Highly recommended. Former Thames River-mudlark turned extremely wealthy entrepreneur Thorn Dautry enlists the help of London's most coveted decorator, Lady Xenobia India, to transform in three weeks the derelict manor house he has just purchased to impress his prospective bride, and more significantly, his prospective mother-in-law. During the hectic remodeling process they discover a commonality of shared childhood traumas as well as a fierce attraction. In spite of a denouement which strains credulity, authentic main and secondary characters, witty repartee and a great story will draw readers into the story.

5 Stars | Hot Steam

Sublime storytelling and provocative, boldly drawn characters set this sharp and sensual romance apart, establishing Three Weeks with Lady X as one of this year’s elite must-read novels. Eloisa James’ exquisite writing treats the reader to an engaging and unforgettable tale- a savory mix of witty charm and insatiable fire that captivates and stirs the soul.

Gruff and luscious Thorn is a spectacular hero- complex, intelligent, unrefined and disarmingly sexy. He is the perfect match for the strong-willed and vivacious India. Their enchanting progression from prickly adversaries, to fragile and flirtatious friends, to fervent and inseparable hearts, is a remarkable and moving adventure. With playful correspondence and show more parring banter, Thorn and India delight and entertain. As ardent lovers- spellbound by feverish and unyielding desires- they simply mesmerize. Their blissful, white-hot encounters never failed to tempt, thrill and utterly satisfy.

I adored this unparalleled and intoxicating romance- tearing through the book, reading late into the night, riveted and relishing every last word.

Complimentary copy courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers LLC in exchange for an honest review. show less

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A charming historical romance, Three Week with Lady X is my first experience reading Eloisa James. Wonderful characters, lively dialogue and a lovely romance kept me turning the pages from start to finish. A well paced story, filled with humor and passion, Three Weeks with Lady X is a reading experience historical readers will undoubtedly enjoy.

An intelligent and independent thinker, Lady Xenobia “India” St. Claire, has been successfully supporting herself since her father passed away. The daughter of a marquess, her skills as a decorator and “arranger” of other people’s lives has made her highly sought after both professionally and show more personally. Deciding it’s time to settle down and marry, not because she’s looking for love but because she wants children, she agrees to take on Thorn Dautry, hopefully her final client, and make him marriage material within three weeks. She never planned on falling in love in the process.

The acknowledged illegitimate son of the Duke of Villiers, Thorn “Tobias” Dautry has more money than he’ll ever need. Determined to marry and have a family of his own, Thorn’s goal is to find a wife who’ll cherish and never abandon him or his children. Carefully making his choice, Thorn settles on Laetitia Rainsford, a nice, beautiful young lady whose fastidious parents turn out to be a challenge. Hiring Lady X to make him a “civilized” gentleman is easy; falling in love with his instructor was not a part of his plan.

The scenes between India and Tobias are full of lively dialogue, biting humor and simmering passion. While both India and Tobias have plans, they can’t deny the emotional and physical heat between them. Ms. James does an excellent job developing both characters as individuals and as a couple. I especially liked their wit and intelligence; they were a perfect match for each other. Starting out as strangers, they become friends and eventually lovers (the letters they send back and forth are priceless).

The secondary characters are also well developed and I especially liked India’s aunt, who raised her since she was 12. I also liked Rose, Tobias’ ward, and enjoyed getting to know their acquaintances. Ms. James does a wonderful job filling in the cast and her descriptions of the “Ton” and society in general were great.

Will India and Tobias realize they’re in love before it’s too late? You’ll have to read Three Weeks with Lady X to find out. I loved it and can’t wait to read more of Ms. James’ work. show less

This is one of the better Regency romances I've read in a while, and one of the very few that's made me laugh out loud here and there, in addition to the usual tear-jerker moments. One thing that bugged me, though, was that there was a heavy side plot about the male lead's intended fiancee, who was in some ways more sympathetic than the heroine. I felt like she deserved her own book and had been kind of unceremoniously jammed in here. The author also plays a bit loose with history, but at least she seems to know that she's taking liberties (and not as many as some). All in all, a very entertaining light read.

Charming and smart with a delightfully slow burn. This is not for the crowd that likes to hurl toward their furious shagging or their HEA. Also, I learned about the history of vulcanized rubber, so that was fun.

Very good book. The differences and similarities in Thorn and India make for an explosive relationship. Thorn is the bastard son of a duke and has made quite a name for himself. His early years were spent on the streets of London, surviving by scouring the Thames for saleable items. He was twelve when his father found him and brought him to live at his home. Since then Thorn has made a fortune with his inventions and manufacturing. He is quite rough around the edges and it rarely bothers him, until he decides it's time to marry. He wants a wife who is sweet, kind, and nurturing, who will concentrate on raising his children. His own mother abandoned him when he was born because she was more interested in her career as a singer. He has show more settled on Laeticia Rainsford, a beautiful young woman who appears to meet all his demands. But she has an obnoxious mother who isn't impressed with him at all, so he plans to do what he can to make a good impression. He has purchased an estate that is in dire need of renovating, even more so than he is himself.

Enter Lady Xenobia India. She is twenty-six years old and has spent the last ten years with her godmother, working as an interior decorator and organizer extraordinaire to the nobility. India's father was a marquess who, with India's mother, was very eccentric. They were so involved with each other that they frequently forgot about India. They were also terrible managers of their estate, and India often found herself hungry and cold. She developed a talent for being able to make something out of nothing, and also keeping homelife as stable as possible. Her parents died in a carriage accident when she was sixteen, leaving her in the care of her godmother. India was convinced that they had left her behind on purpose and were going to travel to the Caribbean without her. Through her work she has earned enough money to provide her own dowry and enable her to pick her own husband. She wants one who will care about her, but also allow her to use her strengths in their future together.

Their initial meeting is quite contentious. He finds India pushy and opinionated, and she thinks he is crude and rude. He challenges her to complete the renovation of his estate in three weeks, and she informs him that he needs just as much work as the house. Underlying it all is a spark of attraction that neither wants to admit. I really enjoyed the banter between them, as two very strong minded people pursue what they want. The letters between them as the renovations progress were fun to read and their in person encounters were great. They also show a growing connection between them. India starts to see a bit of the vulnerable man underneath the arrogance. This makes her want to help him get what he wants, which is the beautiful Lala as his wife. She sees the woman's sweetness as just what Thorn needs to fill in what is missing in his life. Thorn sees India's actions as a way to control her life, protecting her heart from the devastation like what she experienced losing her parents. Working together they build a friendship that shows just how much they have in common.

That friendship also has undertones of attraction. Thorn discovers that India's independence and forthright speech really gets his motor running. He has a very hard time remembering his goal when he's around India. I got a bit ticked at him with the way he would give in to his desire while insisting that it can mean nothing because he's going to marry Lala. His tunnel vision kept him from seeing that she was all wrong for him. India's attraction to Thorn is not what she wants. First, she knows he's going to marry someone else. Second, she can't see him being the type who would let her run things. The more time she spends with him, the more her heart starts getting involved and she has soon fallen for him, even though she knows it is hopeless.

By the time Thorn's prospective bride and her mother arrive, he is torn. His body is focused on India, but his brain keeps telling him to stick with Lala, that she is what he needs. It doesn't matter that his friends and family keep telling him that she isn't. I felt really bad for her at the beginning of the book. She has a truly obnoxious mother that can't say anything nice about her and is horribly snobbish and self righteous. Lala's self esteem is non-existent because of it. There are parts of the story we see from her point of view and discover that she is afraid of Thorn and the idea of taking care of his huge house. She is such a timid, quiet thing that I wondered what would happen when the proposed match fell through. I loved the twist that became part of her story and what a huge difference it made in her life. Seeing her mother get what was coming to her was very satisfying.

The building relationship between Thorn and India finally reaches the point where they give in to their desires. Thorn tries to justify it to himself saying that he's not engaged yet, but the guilt is still there, which tends to make him rather cranky. India realizes that the reason she gave in was that she loves him and that she always will, even though she has no hope that they can be together. There comes a point where several storylines collide and conflicts arise. India tries to help and makes things more complicated. Thorn's friend Vander does the same, showing that he is coming to care for India and wants to help and protect her. Thorn's reaction opens his eyes to what is important, but he has succeeded in driving India away and has to figure out how to fix it. His go big moment is a bit farfetched, but it certainly works for the story.

I loved the addition of the little girl, Rose. As the daughter of one of his best friends, Thorn ends up as her guardian. The complete difference in Thorn when he was dealing with her was wonderful. He was sweet and kind and it showed what a big and loving heart he really had. Rose was quite a unique little girl. Obviously highly intelligent, he upbringing so far had been very unusual and it showed in the things she said and did. I loved seeing her in the epilogue and have great hopes that she'll have her own story one day. show less