---
product_id: 28015405
title: "This Duchess of Mine (Desperate Duchesses, 5) Mass Market Paperback – May 26, 2009"
brand: "eloisa james"
price: "$27.20"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/28015405-this-duchess-of-mine-desperate-duchesses-5-mass-market-paperback
store_origin: US
region: United States of America
---

# This Duchess of Mine (Desperate Duchesses, 5) Mass Market Paperback – May 26, 2009

**Brand:** eloisa james
**Price:** $27.20
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** This Duchess of Mine (Desperate Duchesses, 5) Mass Market Paperback – May 26, 2009 by eloisa james
- **How much does it cost?** $27.20 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Complicated and Sometimes Difficult Book
  

*by S***M on Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2015*

"Life should not be measured by time."THE STORY:  Jemma and Elijah, the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont, married young.  While Jemma was infatuated with her Duke, she was devastated to find her new husband having sex with his mistress just a few weeks after their wedding.  Jemma fled to France where she lived for eight years and had several affairs.  She returned to England at the request of her husband to produce an heir.  A year later (after the events of the prior series books), the two have begun to forge a new relationship.  What Jemma doesn't know, however, is that Elijah wanted her to return because he knows that his heart is giving out and he expects to die soon.OPINION:  For me, the premise of the Beaumonts' story has always been difficult because I don't tend to like stories with adultery involved.  I also believe, however, that if I choose to read a book, I must attempt to accept and understand the characters.  While I never really felt that the excuses Elijah and Jemma have for their adulterous actions were justified, I did feel that their reasons made sense to them and that they, in this book, they attempted to actually get to know one another and build a relationship.There is a misguided attempt by Jemma to give Elijah another woman interested in him.  Luckily that part of the story is short and really highlights that Jemma doesn't really understand her husband.  There is a great amount of strategy and plotting between these two.  Both chess masters, Jemma and Elijah have a tendency to be more strategic than honest.  Chess plays an important part in this story, both in the way that the characters relate to one another and also in a very sexy chess match in bed that has been promised for a long time in the series.For a book that starts somewhat strategic and cold, it quickly becomes deeply emotional as Jemma discovers that her husband is dying.  That information burns away the barriers between these two as they despair about all the time they have lost through their foolish choices.As an aside, there is nothing I love more than a book that can make me cry when I know that there will be a happy ending.WORTH MENTIONING:  The Desperate Duchesses series has been like a soap opera with numerous couples populating each of the books.  After the four previous books all that remains is the Beaumonts (this book's story) and the Duke of Villiers.FINAL DECISION:  Despite the fact that I really dislike stories about couples who have committed adultery, I did love how these two learned to love one another for the first time.CONNECTED BOOKS:  THIS DUCHESS OF MINE is the fifth book in the Desperate Duchesses series.  The story of the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont has been an integral part of the entire series.  I believe this book is best enjoyed as part of the series and not on its own since much of the couple's journey has already occurred by the time this book starts.STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A Match between Masters
  

*by C***N on Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2009*

This is book five of the Desperate Duchesses series and it is Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont, and Elijah's, Duke of Beaumont, story. We were first introduced to these characters in book one, 
  
Desperate Duchesses







  
  
    , at that time Jemma had recently returned from nine years of self-imposed exile in France where she was rumored to have run rampant. Jemma was a beautiful provocateur and she delighted in tweaking the sensibilities of her seemingly stodgy husband.  Elijah, an upstanding member of the House of Lords, had recently experienced a frightening collapse on the floor of the House of Commons. This collapse precipitated his insistence that Jemma return home. It was time for her to settle down and give him an (legitimate) heir.As the series progressed the characters of Jemma and Elijah evolved. We realized that Jemma cultivated her outrageous reputation. We also realized that this reputation might not be entirely deserved. Jemma acted as she did for two reasons: to pay Elijah back in spades for betraying her when they were young newlyweds and to make sure he did not forget her.  Elijah, in turn, was revealed to be a proud man grabbling with making amends to his wife and his own mortality. His public collapse was not his first and not the only sign of his imminent demise. His father died young and Elijah realized his own time was most likely limited. Elijah always seemed to take one step forward and two steps back when he tried to repair relations with his wife.The book begins with Elijah rescuing Jemma from the king's yacht. (See 
  
When the Duke Returns







  
  
     for the details of the prisoners plot and attack on the yacht) The excitement of the rescue brings Jemma and Elijah together but their physical reunion is halted when Jemma witnesses another collapse.  Jemma now realizes that Elijah's collapse in the House of Commons was not a random event. She resolves to heal him and their marriage. In typical Jemma fashion, she decides that she must seduce him away from all other distractions.  As she plots to woo Elijah, she sets up the Marquise de Perthuis, a beautiful young French woman, as a rival for his affections. (Never mind that Elijah has no interest in the Marquis and is more alienated than enticed by her machinations.) Elijah, steady as always, turns the Marquise's interest to his advantage.The relationship between Jemma and Elijah has always resembled a chess match between masters and in this book Ms. James uses the game to great effect. The blindfolded chess match that consummates their relationship is sensual and clever.  There are funny bits in this book and heartrending moments too. At times the plotting of the novel seems off, not so much in a secondary storyline involving the Duke of Villiers, but in the primary storyline. We don't expect the course of true love to run smooth, especially with these two, but sometimes their actions don't seem reasonable. For example - Jemma's seductive schemes seem to come and go and appear a bit improbable given her knowledge of Elijah's illness. The character's prior infidelities are explained and excused as much as is possible, but might taint the story for some.The secondary storyline involving the Duke of Villiers and his illegitimate offspring is compelling and holds great promise. His story will be out in July/August in 
  
A Duke of Her Own







  
  
    All in all an entertaining, if not perfect, romance. (Kind of like the main characters.)The prior books in the Desperate Duchesses series are: 
  
Desperate Duchesses







  
  
    ,
  
An Affair Before Christmas







  
  
    ,
  
Duchess By Night







  
  
    ,
  
When the Duke Returns

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Wonderful, satisfying story
  

*by L***K on Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2015*

Oh my...after reading 
  
Desperate Duchesses (8 Book Series)







  
  
    , I couldn't wait to get to this one and it was all I could have hoped for.  Flawed,immensely attractive and likable characters, Jemma and Elijah had me enchanted throughout their story.  And the epilogue was brilliant!  Particularly in a story such as this, where one of the protagonist's health is tenuous, I *hate* the novel to just abruptly end with an HEA.  It's too incomplete.This kept me satisfied from beginning to end.  Their blindfolded chess game constituted some of the most beautiful and sensual passages I've ever read.I had already read Villiers' story, 
  
A Duke of Her Own (Desperate Duchesses Book 6)







  
  
    , but after this one I reread it and was astonished by how much more the novel gave me the second time around.The writing of this series is quite wonderful.  Nothing hackneyed, the stories are imaginative, fresh and have some depth.  Of this early group, Jemma and Elijah's story is my favorite, followed closely by Villiers'.....but I'm not finished!  Happy is the reader with a gathering of good books at hand. :)Enjoy your reading! :)

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*Last updated: 2026-03-06*