Much Ado About You

Essex Sisters, Book 1

By: Eloisa James

Narrated by: Susan Duerden

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

When you're the oldest daughter, you don't get to have any fun!

Witty, orphaned Tess Essex faces her duty: marry well and marry quickly, so she can arrange matches for her three sisters - beautiful Annabel, romantic Imogen, and practical Josie. After all, right now they're under the rather awkward guardianship of the perpetually tipsy Duke of Holbrook. But just when she begins to think that all might end well, one of her sisters bolts with a horse-mad young lord, and her own fiancé just plain runs away.

Which leaves Tess contemplating marriage to the sort of man she wishes to avoid - one of London's most infamous rakes. Lucius Felton is a rogue whose own mother considers him irredeemable! He's delicious, Annabel points out. And he's rich, Josie notes. But although Tess finally consents to marry him, it may be for the worst reason of all. Absurd as she knows it to be, she may have fallen utterly in love....

©2005 Eloisa James (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

Well-named with lovely characters!

A great deal of this story is simply introduction to the series and the characters. The plot bounces around and seems to ramble, but that works well with the title and its inspiration. My love for the characters and romance of the story almost earned it 5 stars. They truly are wonderful characters, and you’ll want to spend more time with them. It won’t work as a stand-alone novel though.

Little Women Meets Much Ado and Mustang Wild

Superb narration. Flawless. Decent story -- the first of a series, each featuring one of four orphaned Scottish sisters and riffing a Shakespearean play. This one, alluding to Much Ado About Nothing, is witty, sweet, funny, and explicitly smexy, but the pace is slow at times. Starts getting good after the half-way point. Totally loved the hero, Lucius, and his horse-whispering wife, Tess. Not crazy about the moonstruck sister, Imogen. Wish the author had reduced her role in the story.

Loving the Essex sisters

The author brings the story to life. This talented narrator brings each character to life.

Good

Not great. Susan Duerden is ok but not the best narrator. The story was good. Not my favorite Eloisa James.

A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED

Any additional comments?

I found this book to drag somewhat. There were so many characters and sisters and suitors and their mothers that I could not tell who was with who. With all of these people involved in this story, you would think there would be some romance a little steamier than a stolen kiss... maybe it's just me but I like my romance novels a little steamier than this one...sorry!

LOVED IT!!

EJ does it again! This book was excellent! You will feel all the feels! Never has a HR moved me to literal tears. The bond between the Essex sisters is beautiful. The narration was a little odd in the beginning, the whispery male characters in particular, but as the story starts to move along it all makes more sense. I cannot wait to listen to the rest of the series.!!

Hard to get past the performance of Susan Duerdon

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Could have been much better except for the reader. Sounded like a computer generated
voice- kind of creepy and expressionless.

Would you be willing to try another book from Eloisa James? Why or why not?

Will not read another book read by Susan Duerdon

Would you be willing to try another one of Susan Duerden’s performances?

No.

Any additional comments?

Really hard to get past the narrator. Think she spoiled the book.

Characters left dangling

Narration was excellent, story was very good for the most part. For instance the guardian was introduced and it appeared that he would have a well developed role. He didn’t and remained a background character. At least 3 other characters suffered the same fate. Initially they appeared at critical times in the story and the reader was given the impression that they would be important to the storyline and they just languished instead occasionally being mentioned. I believe this is the first book in a series so perhaps their stories will be woven into the next book in the series.
Given all the above I would recommend, with some reservations, this book.

Chaotic yet swoony

Too many points of view. Took me forever to latch onto who the MC’s were. I was also sad that these 4 Scotswomen had no Scottish accent at all. I did enjoy the romance between Tess and Felton though. I was relieved when they married. I was confused however as to why he felt he couldn’t be the husband she deserved. He kept referencing that he was incapable of love. There was no reason or evidence to support that.

Loved it!

Susan (narrator) did a wonderful job of expressing the characters emotions and voices. I have not liked all of Susan's narrations finding her singsong in the past annoying. However she has improved and her dramatization of the dialogue is superb.
The character development in this book was excellent. Each character had a personality that was recognizable and had depth. The story was creative, with sensuous and romantic love scenes that were not gratuitous but effective in developing the romance. The dialogue was natural and witty and one scene particularly poignant and realistic. Thank you Eloisa for a wonderful novel!