Reading order · 6 books · 2007 to 2009 · Set in London
Desperate Duchesses Books in Order
The Desperate Duchesses books are witty Georgian romances set among the London aristocracy, centred on Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont, a brilliant chess player who has come home from Paris, and her friends.
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Series facts
- Books
- 6
- Published
- 2007 to 2009
- First book
- Desperate Duchesses
- Latest
- A Duke of Her Own (2009)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Desperate Duchesses book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
6 books · Set in London
- 1Desperate Duchesses2007With Roberta St GilesLady Roberta St Giles comes to London determined to marry the Duke of Villiers, and asks the chess-playing Duchess of Beaumont to help her win him.Buy on Amazon
- 2An Affair Before Christmas2007With Poppy, Duchess of FletcherPoppy, Duchess of Fletcher, married young and happily, finds her marriage in trouble when her husband wants more than she knows how to give.Buy on Amazon
- 3Duchess by Night2008With Harriet, Duchess of BerrowHarriet, a young widowed Duchess of Berrow, disguises herself as a man to attend a scandalous house party.Buy on Amazon
- 4When the Duke Returns2008With Isidore, Duchess of CoswayIsidore, Duchess of Cosway, was married by proxy to a duke who has been exploring Africa for years.Buy on Amazon
- 5This Duchess of Mine2009With Jemma, Duchess of BeaumontJemma, Duchess of Beaumont, sets out to win back her own husband, the reserved politician Elijah, who has a secret that may cut their time together short.Buy on Amazon
- 6A Duke of Her Own2009With Leopold, Duke of VilliersThe Duke of Villiers sets out to find a wife who will be a mother to his children, and is torn between the beautiful Lady Eleanor and the unconventional Lady Lisette.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read the books in order, starting with Desperate Duchesses. Jemma’s own story with her husband runs through several books.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Jemma, Duchess of Beaumont | Leopold, Duke of Villiers | Roberta St Giles | Poppy, Duchess of Fletcher | Harriet, Duchess of Berrow | Isidore, Duchess of Cosway | Elijah, Duke of Beaumont |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Desperate Duchesses | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor | |||
| 2 An Affair Before Christmas | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor | |||
| 3 Duchess by Night | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor | |||
| 4 When the Duke Returns | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor | |||
| 5 This Duchess of Mine | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ||||
| 6 A Duke of Her Own | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor |
Characters in the Desperate Duchesses books
7 characters from Eloisa James’s chart, with the number of Desperate Duchesses books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Jemma, Duchess of BeaumontChess-playing duchess | 6 | Desperate Duchesses 2007 |
| Leopold, Duke of VilliersJemma's chess opponent | 6 | Desperate Duchesses 2007 |
| Roberta St GilesPoet's daughter | 1 | Desperate Duchesses 2007 |
| Poppy, Duchess of FletcherUnhappy young duchess | 1 | An Affair Before Christmas 2007 |
| Harriet, Duchess of BerrowWidow who goes in disguise | 1 | Duchess by Night 2008 |
| Isidore, Duchess of CoswayBride waiting for her husband | 1 | When the Duke Returns 2008 |
| Elijah, Duke of BeaumontJemma's politician husband | 6 | Desperate Duchesses 2007 |