Mr. Cavendish, I Presume (Two Dukes of Wyndham, Book 2)

I enjoyed reading both, "Mr. Cavendish, I Presume" and "The Lost Duke of Wyndham". Both books do need to be read together. Yes, the story is the same as the first book and has a few repeat lines, but they each involve different characters. The first book is the story of Jack Audley (the Lost Duke) and Grace. The second book is the story is about poor Thomas, (the deposed Duke) and Amelia. We are able to find out what these characters were up to and thinking while the others were doing whatever they were doing and thinking. I love Julia Quinn's writing. She has a great sense of humor and always has loveable characters, even the cranky old dowager Duchess is endearing. While reading this second book of "The Two Dukes of Wyndham", I had fun rereading sections of the first book which made the whole reading experience even more fun. I don't know who all these readers were that were bored with this book, but I thought it was great literature!

I very much enjoyed both of the books in this series. I love stories where the reader is allowed into the characters' minds and these two books really fit the bill! It has always fascinated me how people can see/hear/read the same thing and have such differing and unique interpretations. These two books explored this phenomena brilliantly. In addition, the whole question of identity was also explored beautifully. I wondered as I read, how would I react to the news that everything that I had predicated my life on was false - how would I feel, what would I do? I thought that Ms. Quinn did a wonderful job of showing us Thomas' emotions in reaction to these questions.

While this book and TLDOW could very well have been done in one volume, I have to say that unlike most of the other reviewers, I enjoyed this book way more. The drama of falling being more interesting than that of rising,and Thomas and Amelia are much more interesting characters than Jack and Grace. I had thought that there would be slightly less overlap between the two than there was, but because I enjoyed these characters so much more than the leads in TLDOW I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

I have read the other reviews on this site and, while not shocked, am disappointed that some readers received this book so poorly. From the beginning, Ms. Quinn let it be known that the Two Dukes of Wyndham were companion books. This is not a structural tactic widely used in romance - a genre where connected books, even those as closely linked as these two, are written sequentially in time - so, I can only guess that it's this unfamiliarity that is making other readers so unhappy. So, knowing this going in? You should ADORE this book. Yes, there are some overlapping scenes, but I found that they were handled with great care. Mr. Cavendish is not, as some reviewers have said, the same book except for two or three chapters. In fact, much of the first half of the book is time spent when Thomas and Amelia were alone - during the mysterious disappearances during the first book. When the scenes do overlap, the reader is seeing it from such a different viewpoint that the whole passage reads completely fresh. And yes, much of the second half is spent in the same movements as the first book, but because Amelia and Thomas are such different characters from Grace and Jack - with their own conflicts, perceptions, and private moments - the story reads as a new and intriguing all the way through. Mr Cavendish, I Presume is, at heart, a classic Quinn novel. Amelia and Thomas are a delightful couple - both going through their own major self-discoveries over the course of the novel, but always staying sympathetic and warm as people. I must say though, as much as I adored Amelia (and I really really did), Thomas was the most intriguing character as I've read in quite awhile - his situation is horribly difficult, as he's facing the possibility of having everything taken away from him (including Amelia), but the way he faces it with humor and unfailing integrity was astounding. Truly a hero for the ages. Add to this JQ's always-witty natural style and a simple depth of emotion that sneaks up on you, leaving you unexpectedly drying your eyes for the last 30 pages, and Mr. Cavendish comes out as a true five star read. Honestly, I have two other highly anticipated romances sitting in my TBR pile, but I have absolutely no desire to open them yet. I'm still lost in the world of Amelia and Thomas and it would be a waste trying to read anything else - nothing can compare! So, if you're a fan of Julia Quinn, or witty, emotionally powerful historical romances in general, you cannot afford to miss either Mr. Cavendish, I Presume or its companion book, The Lost Duke of Wyndham. Try them out and see for yourself!

Apparently I'm in the minority, but I couldn't put this book down. Most readers should know going into it that it's going to be a story told at the same time as The Lost Duke of Wyndham. JQ has not made this a secret from the time she announced she was writing these books (saying from the beginning that they start on the same night) - and even if she hadn't, it should be obvious from the way the first book plays out. I, for one, was very curious about Thomas and Amelia whenever they kept disappearing in the The Lost Duke and was curious to find out what was going on in 'their half of the story' and would've been extremely disappointed in this book if those occasions had just been glossed over. Mr. Cavendish, I Presume starts the book before The Lost Duke takes place and ends three weeks after it ends - it's a very sweet story about a man who is shocked to find himself falling in love with his fiancee and even more shocked to meet a long-lost cousin who may or may not be the true Wyndham heir. I liked this one more than The Lost Duke of Wyndham (but I didn't loathe that one as so many appeared to) - I was happy to read the story that filled in the blanks and I think JQ was very smart to release this one after The Lost Duke, since that one raised many questions. This one provided all the answers and then some. Is it as good as some of her earlier Bridgerton books? No. But I am a big believer in not comparing an author's newest book to a series that it's not related to. Especially if those books happen to be among my very favorites (I would've rated the first four Bridgerton books as 5+ stars) - you're only going to be disappointed if you do that. I read Cavendish in comparison (and in knowing) that it would be the sister story to The Lost Duke of Wyndham and found a very enjoyable book that I finished in less than a day and two characters that deserved the starring roles. Slam me with unhelpful votes if you feel the need to, but for me, JQ is and - for the undetermined future - will remain one of my favorites and an autobuy author for me. I look forward to her next book.