Product Description

Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting . . . for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to finally get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all . . .

It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes having a fiancée—all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay—and he does intend to marry her . . . eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas's world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he's not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love . . . with his own fiancée!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18794 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-30
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author

Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. The New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels for Avon Books, she is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

Customer Reviews

Déjà vu?
This is the second book of the Two Dukes of Wyndham Series. However, this can not be described as a sequel as it takes place at the exact same time that the first book did, The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Two Dukes of Wyndham, Book 1).

At first I was a tad confused. It took me a good chapter or two before I realized this wasn't a brief recap, and suddenly Grace is single and Thomas is still a Duke. I have to admit I am not thrilled with the way she decided to write this series. A lot of what I read in this book I had already read in the previous book, albeit occasionally from a different perspective, it was still repetitive information. It also took away a lot of the enjoyment of reading as there were little to no surprises and I already knew how it was going to end. Having read the previous book I knew who the true Duke was, knew how it was discovered, etc.

While the previous book concentrated on the romance between Grace and Jack and his discovery of his family ties. This book concentrates on the same discoveries but from the romantic views of Thomas and Amelia. Two people who have been betrothed since the cradle.

I think it was an interesting idea to try to have two stories in one series, both taking place at the same time... Had the whole Duke thing not been the center of each story, it may have worked. But what was exciting and mysterious in the last story, just proved much too monotonous in this one. Entire scenes are reused from the first book leaving me in a consistent state of déjà vu while reading.

Thomas and Amelia are wonderful leads and their relationship was fresh and new, thank goodness, so this book wasn't a total loss as I enjoyed their romantic part of the tale, immensely. With all that said... I can't help but feel a little cheated as the author chose to only write a half story. Had I not read the first book I probably would have rated this one a lot higher. Instead of making two books out of one story she should have combined them making it one book/one story with two perspectives. Would have made a more compelling tale and would have saved a tree or two in the process. ;)

Cherise Everhard, October 2008

Quinn's earlier works are MUCH better than this!
I'm upset and disappointed that I couldn't even finish the book. If you have read the Lost Duke of Wyndham, then you have already read HALF of Mr. Cavendish, I Presume. The Cavendish book parallels the Lost Duke book so closely, that you are literally re-reading scenes that you already know from the other book! Grant it, there is a different angle to some of it, because there is a different heroine in the new book, but I found myself skimming and skipping several pages just because I didn't see the need to re-read what I had already read.

A part of me wants to finish the book just to see how the story (and this two book series) end, plus the epilogue makes reference to the Bridgertons! But a part of me also wants to know what Quinn and Avon Books were thinking!

Now, I'm not telling anybody to walk away from this author! She is still definitely one of my favorites! But read her earlier works! I loved all her other books. "Everything and the Moon" and "How to Marry a Marquis" being my two personal favorites. Unfortunately, this two book series was definitely the worst of her fare and seemed like a joke compared to the caliber of her earlier works.

An Absolutely Splendid Romance
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!