Pleasure for Pleasure

Essex Sisters, Book 4

By: Eloisa James

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

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 fiancee.

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

©2006, 2011 Eloisa James (P)2011 HarperCollinsPublishers

Such a wonderful series!

Love the novels - love the narrator - love the characters! This is my second time through, and I've no doubt I'll be listening again.

I enjoyed this sweet romance.

I enjoyed this! Was a bit difficult at beginning to keep up with who was who so many characters introduced so quickly but they were soon well developed. As always Susan does an excellent job of narration!

One of my favorite historic romance novels! One of the best!

This book is wonderful and horrifying and magical and hilarious. I’ve listened to it twice and often stop other books to spend time thinking about the story. After the first three books of the series (which I did enjoy), I was starting to think of James’s plots as long and complicated and dramatic. This story was also long and complicated and dramatic, but PERFECTLY so. I’ve listened to the audio of over a hundred historical romance novels, and this one sticks with me. Well done Ms. James!

Love laughter and WONDERFUL!

I have always loved Eloise James as a writer, but this is the first book I’ve ever read of hers that I have cried, cried and cried with absolute joy at the end Best read in years!

A strange mix of sweet and annoying

The sweet Josie wedges herself into a corset to make herself fit into the dresses that all the other girls wear. By doing this, she only makes herself look bigger. That is the beginning of this very sweet story. I enjoyed it MOSTLY, but there were a few things that I just could not quite stomach. I Loved the Hero. He is sweet and finds himself falling for a girl who needs his support. The problem is, he is engaged to be married and professes his love for his fiancée every other page. Then suddenly, he kisses Josie and starts to fall for her. Sounds like a lukewarm love affair. Not my idea of a steadfast hero, but it does explain itself in the book and gets all tied up with a bow. That is alright. The other problem I have is that the Heroine seems smart and charming, but then gets winey and petulant. I had a harder time warming up to her. That surprised me because she is a chubby heroine and I totally relate to that. I thought I would love her, but she is so weak and needy that I almost don't like her. She does find her wings and in the end there is a wonderful HEA but to be honest, the last 1/2 of the book is far far better than the first 1/2. If you choose this book (and it really is not a bad choice) just hang out because it does get quite good in the end. I recommend it.