Rating: 
Summary: CHARMING AND ENCHANTING!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this charming novel. The writing style is lovely, lyrical, and I felt as if I were placed back in time. Charlotte is a wonderful heroine and Alex is a delicious hero. The dialogue was witty and I laughed outloud many times. And I cried my eyes out at the climax. Ms. James has written a beautiful debut and I eagerly await her next book. Kudos to you, Eloisa!
Rating: 
Summary: Too sappy! Too stupid!
Review: This book was silly, stupid, unbelievable and way too SAPPY for my taste. It was also very predictable. I thought the characters acted more like teenagers than adults. Don't waste your money. If you still want to read this book go to the library.
Rating:
Summary: horribly historically inaccurate!
Review: I hope Ms. James editor at Delacorte reads this review, because she should never have put this novel into hardcover with the many many historical inaccuracies populating this book. Here are just a few. There were no "hookers" during the time period -- Cyprians yes, hookers no. No one waltzed until after the Congress of Vienna. No one wore pajamas, and there were no male fashion designers until Charles Worth. The heroine's sister couldn't have made it from America to England in time for the wedding -- two months just wouldn't have cut it. And I'm sure the wedding would have taken place in St. George's in Hanover Square, not Westminster Abbey (they were peers not royalty). The heroine also wouldn't have worn pantaloons and her brother-in-law would not have been called Lord whatever, he would have been an Honorable. There were a lot of other "bloopers," and I can't get over how sloppily it was all put together. A few things can slip by, but this was just terrible. Oh and for real idiocy, we were informed that the mother of the heroine was 41, yet later we were told she had been married 30 years. Who the heck copy-edited this book?
Rating: 
Summary: Simply Silly
Review: Like Lizzy's youngest sister in Pride & Prejudice, Potent Pleasures is simply silly. It does a disservice to the genre and the many talented Regency writers who have lovingly created well-written and historically accurate stories. The plot is illogical and the characters unlikable. Enough said about such a silly book.
Rating:
Summary: Potent Pleasures is a joy from start to finish!
Review: As a 91-year-old, life-long romance reader, I was enchanted by all the pleasures of Eloisa James' first novel. From the whimsical account of Charlotte's experience in finishing school, to the heart-wrenching child-birth scene, James' novel moved me to both laughter and tears. As a nonagenarian feminist, I was quite happy to encounter a heroine who was talented, witty and self-confident--not the simpering, doting females of many other romance novels. James has a masterful touch with witty dialogue, along with a delicious ability to evoke all the textures and nuances of the age. I found Potent Pleasures to be both imminently entertaining and ridiculously readable!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Potent Pleasures is a grave disappointment when compared to the well-written, historically accurate stories lovingly created by hard-working regency authors who know their stuff. Unfortunately, the story plot is illogical, the characters unlikable, the writing trite.
Rating:
Summary: A fun page-turner
Review: I read this book in one weekend! It was too much fun to put down. James take a tried and true format, and makes it seem fresh. I can't wait for her next book.
Rating:
Summary: A great surprise!
Review: I really fell in love with Potent Pleasures, even though I usually do not like regency as much as contempory love stories. I was greatly surprised, and was saddened when the book ended. I could not believe that this was her first book, and am patiently waiting for her second (HOPEFULLY about Patrick!)
Rating:
Summary: Sigh... contrived and dull with a dumb hero
Review: This is a book that really needed a good editor and didn't get one. There are so many obvious historical mistakes that I wondered why they chose this time period if they weren't going to research it. But I guess it's the hero who bothers me the most. Why would he persist in disbelieving both his brother and his wife? It makes him seem so dumb and mean. But otherwise, I guess, there'd be no conflict. I also wonder at the aristocratic, sheltered heroine, who for no reason abandons a lifetime's and culture's strictures to have sex with a man she doesn't know and has never even spoken to. That never seemed realistic to me, but then, neither did a "Hooker's ball" deep in the country that a curate (an assistant minister) would take two innocent and very high-born girls to. I think maybe the book just isn't meant to have any realism-- more just a fantasy-- so maybe it's not fair to expect plausible characterization and plotting. I do think that maybe readers new to the genre might enjoy this, but experienced Regency readers might steer clear if accuracy and a period "feel" are important. There are some nice touches in the prose style, and the heroine does show some signs of spirit and maturity occasionally.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Romance Novel of the Year!
Review: I loved Potent Pleasures! Charlotte is one of the most engaging heroines to come along in a great while. The plot is a refreshing change from the normal regency romance, and the various sub-plots enhance the immersive quality of this book. Potent Pleasures is a great read--don't expect to get much sleep until you turn that last page. I hope James has another book coming out soon!
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