Pleasure for Pleasure (Essex Sisters, book 4)

..but that is because they expect there to be a grand gesture the hero should make to the heroine. In real life there are no grand gestures, yet it can still be as magical and sexy as what we THINK we like about novels. I think people should read this book properly and that the way this book is summed up, is just a fraction of this book. ( I certainly did not expect Garrett to be as fun; does any other romantic hero dress up as a woman?!) There is absoultely no doubt that Garrett and Josie are in love with each from the start and that Garrett is not in TRUE love with Sylvie, just the idea of her mixed in with parts of her. If that makes sense?! I LOVED this book because the truly voluptuous heroine was not later on made to fit into an ideal and that the hero loved HER and she just happens to be plus size, which is also loves about her. And that the hero himself is actually a decent man who finds himself through her, he's actually quite real and not prone to stupid brooding flights of fancy like certain romantic heroes and that he KNOWS unfashionable Josie is beautiful from the start and does not need to "discover" this or doesn't just need to come to some grand conclusion. I don't think Josie is a wallflower or annoyingly insecure as described by some reviews. She is full of life FROM THE START and she IS insecure but as she says herself, in not quite the same words as I use but the meaning is the same,!,she needs to get over this and she knows that. She is a beautifully realised character. I have read so many novels that have similar plots, heroines, heroes etc to this but what makes this STAND OUT is that it is truly romantic. Real but not boring, so beautiful.

Just discovered this author when I read Duchess in Love, I then purchased all four of the Essex sisters novels, it is such a difference when you read the books in order, most enjoy visiting with previous heroes & heroines to find out what has occurred in their lives. I hope that she continues the series with the children grown up. Catherine Coulter's bride series you also can not put down, for readers that enjoyed the Essex sisters.

Every Eloisa James book is a delight, as she has a special talent for adding a touch of magic that makes each story and group of characters become more enchanting as the book before. This last installment in the Essex Sisters series is no different. It lives up to its name Pleasure for Pleasure, page for page. The whole Scottish Sausage storyline kicks off a domino effect of events that are fun, entertaining, and sexy, with a touch of mystery. Josie gets tagged with the name of the Scottish Sausage early in the season by a group of young bucks led by Lord Charles Darlington. It is her "new look" from the modiste Madame Badeau that begins with the special corset contraption that creates the "sausage" look and dresses loaded with seams, created to hide Josie's full figure. The whole family is together for the wedding event of Josie's guardian "Rafe" Raphael Jourdain, the Duke of Holbrook to her sister Imogen. So they meet and try to solve the problem of Josie being ostracized out of the season by this name calling and cuts at recent ton events. The widowed Lady Griselda, family friend, Josie's chaperone, and Earl of Mayne's sister, steps in to help with a plan to flirt with the young Lord Darlington and put him in his place. The flirtation leads to lust, desire, passion and love, with an eventual struggle of the older woman with the younger man relationship. Lord Darlington's chase is sexy and adds extra depth and meaning to the story. Garrett Langham, the Earl of Mayne, the infamous lover of the ton, is now engaged and apparently in love with a french woman Lady Sylvie. Now that his friend Rafe is away on his honeymoon and he considers Josie a friend, he steps in to help Josie through this social and personal crisis. While helping her Garrett comes to realize that he is becoming attracted to this young lady which he feels is breathtaking with her lush figure, beautifully curved laughing mouth, and intelligent eyes. After Garrett's guidance and a new modiste many young men are now attracted to Josie and she becomes a social success. He now feels it is time to push towards his marriage, but soon finds behind the virtuous manner of his Lady Sylvie is a woman who has no passion for him. His engagement and hopes for marriage ends, but when Josie is attacked by one of the young men in Lord Darlington's former group, Garrett comes to her rescue and feels he must save her from social ruin and marries her. Josie, who recognizes her attraction to Garrett agrees with the marriage hoping the attraction, passion and desire will turn into love. They both soon realize they have been attracted to each other for many years, but the age difference and close family relationships were separating their true feelings from coming to the surface. Having the two simultaneous passionate romances of Charles/Giselda and Garrett/Josie evolving together with the side mystery of the popular book everyone in the ton is reading and speculating about "The Earl of Hellgate or Nigh

I must admit that I generally like Eloisa James books. I find that they are more intelligent than the average historical romance and have a sly wit that I enjoy. The other reviewers objected to the fact that Mayne was in love with another woman for much of the book. But I thought James did an excellent job of illustrating why that love foundered. There was charm and admiration, but no real warmth in the relationship. This is the missing element that Josie provides. Instead of catering to Mayne's public persona, she attacks and responds to the man he could be, and the man he wants to be. The warmth between these characters is believable and compelling, way before they fall in love. I also enjoyed the 2ndary romance. The brilliant but bitter Darlington and the wry, sweet Gussie. There were no excuses made for D's vicious behavior and he is justly ashamed. Gussie does not exonerate him, just tells him to clean up his act. Its always a relief to me when the characters don't do anything incredibly stupid in these books. Josie tries to, but she is thwarted by wiser, saner friends. Just like in real life.