Rating: 
Summary: A Failing Grade
Review: Historical inaccuracy abounds when Lady Charlotte Daicheston and the Earl of Sheffield and Downes fall in lust. This book is filled with historical details -- most of which seemed to have been included without any regard to their appropriateness. Hence we are treated to time anomolies, such as the cameo appearance of the "formidable Lady Jersey" (page 32) when she was still a child. She may have been a formidable child, but she wasn't Lady Jersey or a "patron of Almack's" yet. At the same ball, guests danced the quadrille (page 33) nearly two decades before its introduction in England. And why did this wealthy duke's daughter have her London debut in August, two months after the customary end of the London season in June? Then there is the repeated misuse of titles, an incredible lapse for a book about British nobility. The younger son of Viscount Dewland CANNOT be Lord Dewland sans the death of his father and older brother (page 160-164). With each error, I found myself pulled out of the period, and consequently, the story. One could argue that the book showcases style over substance. The style problems begin on page 1 when the school mistress hisses "Julia!" How does one hiss a word whose only consonants are 'j' and 'l'? Then there are the pedantic comments inserted into the narrative, provoking in me an impolite urge to hiss "Duh." Furthermore, I found that the constant jumping from the thoughts of one character to another quickly became tiresome. I didn't need to read the mind of Charlotte's sister, Charlotte's maid, Charlotte's suitor, Charlotte's father, Charlotte's mother, Charlotte's family's butler, Charlotte's friend, Charlotte's friend's mother, Charlotte's friend's father, etc. This is not a joke, but it did become something of a game to count the number of characters whose thoughts were included. (I counted 21.) Style is subjective, and I probably wouldn't have even noticed if I'd been involved enough with the characters to care what happened to them. Instead, I give Alex a Jerk Award. His boorish behavior turned me against him so thoroughly that even his concern for his daughter and later regret for his abominable treatment of Charlotte couldn't reverse my opinion. Readers ignorant of the time period or who do not care about accuracy may find something to like in this book. James includes some clever lines, and the plot had great potential. However, as a longtime reader of Regency-period novels, I found the problems too much to overcome.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing.
Review: I'd heard so much buzz about Potent Pleasures that I thought it must be absolutely wonderful, and the setting is one I know and enjoy. Unfortunately, the plot was contrived and overwrought, the historical details inaccurate, and the hero unheroic. :::sigh::: So much for paying so much for a hardcover I thought I was certain to love. I'll be more wary next time.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly researched and even worse writing
Review: This book is highly awaited and proves to be a very big disappointment. The Regency genre is rich with compelling plots and exciting heros and heroines - but this is an exception.There are very obvious historical and other inaccuracies such as Lady Jersey, who was a patroness of Almacks being only 12 years old in 1798; the waltz not being in Kent, England at that time; the title of a brother or son of an Earl not being a "Lord". You would think a Phd in English Literature would do better research. Far worse than this is the plot which has the hero either making love to or verbally abusing his wife. His penchant for thinking his brother has been involved with his wife (and forgiving him but not his wife) and not bothering to investigate at all whether any of the gossip is true. I know that historical romance may have a bit of misunderstanding in it - but this level goes way beyond what is acceptable. I find it hard to believe that this sort of immature plotting is acceptable to readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful! A sparkling new voice!!
Review: I picked up Potent Pleasures and read it in one night--I didn't put the book down for a second! How wonderful to have found such a talented new author and a book that is so charming and entertaining! Bravo, Eloisa!
Rating:
Summary: A rare find that makes the reader laugh, cry and sigh.
Review: Potent Pleasures by Eloisa James is one of those few books that will keep the reader up until 3:30 a.m. It has light-hearted humor, pathos, a gut-wrenching scene that will make even the most unemotional person cry, and finally it has redemption through true love. It is everything a reader wants in a romance and delivers it with style. A new star of historical romance has arrived.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story.
Review: Read a past review here and had to respond. One, I found Potent Pleasures utterly charming, so much so I didn't have time to look at the punctuation. Second, editors change a lot of the author's work so don't blame a writer for colons. Eloisa James did a marvelous job, especially since this is her debut. Kudos Eloisa! Hope there is more to come.
Rating:
Summary: What a delightfully wicked Regency romance!
Review: "Potent Pleasures"--what a potent title for such a pleasureful read! It was such a refreshing change to read a Regency-era historical romance that starts out such a sensuous bang. And the joy ride continues from chapter one on. I hope there will be a sequel starring Alex's brother...can't wait for more.
Rating:
Summary: Potent Pleasures has terrific plot! Things happen!
Review: Most romances are full of she felt this, she felt that, he felt this, he felt that--well, not this one. In this one we are right there and the characters do things, make decisions, take chances, take hold of their lives actively. It is wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: A WONDERFUL, DELIGHTFUL REGENCY ROMANCE
Review: I just finished reading Potent Pleasures. I just loved it! I loved the writing style, the plot, the characters and especially its ending! I hope Eloisa has lots more romances in store for us, because I'm going to buy every one of them. Too bad I can't give her six stars, because I would!!!
Rating:
Summary: Riddled with historical innacuracies!
Review: This book was so poorly written I don't quite know where to begin. Since the author is a PHD in English, I suppose I'll begin there. The text is chock full of unnecessary colons, semi-colons, and exclamation points. At one point the heroine sees her mother's (the duchess), carriage arriving to pick her up from finishing school and she notes that the footmen are all 'in livery!'. I would think that it would be more remarkable if they were not in livery. The fact that they are in livery would not be a surprise to Charlotte. Colons and semicolons are even used in the dialogue, where it would have been far more appropriate to use dashes or dots. There are also a couple of dangling participles with unintentionally humorous results. "Gasping, her eyes stared up into the dark leaves." is one that is particularly bad. Here is a description of Charlotte (taken from the book). 'Just now the rage was for blondes: blondes with curly locks and blue eyes, but Charlotte had jet-black hair, her mama thought despairingly. She did have green eyes, but her skin was so white -- not a drop of color. True, with some coaxing her hair formed perfect ringlets, and her skin was creamy, but she was no pertly sweet debutante. Her eyebrows arched like question marks over eyes as green as the ocean on a cloudy day. In fact, her whole face was pointed like a question mark: Her chin formed a delicate triangle that simply led back to her eyes and those flying eyebrows.' Her face was pointed like a question mark? Also, all through the book we hear about her flying eyebrows, and the hero's flying eyebrows (yes, he has them too) and the hero's daughter's flying eyebrows. Their eyebrows fly up in surprise too! A lot! And then there is the problem of the plot being based on a misunderstanding that could have been cleared up with one sentence. "I was the girl you made love to at the Hooker's ball." Instead, the hero won't let the heroine explain, and he behaves so terribly I was surprised that she didn't shoot him rather than take him back. He called her a whore on more than one occasion. Regency fans will want to avoid this book at all costs. The year is 1799, yet at the ball they are dancing the waltz, which had not been invented yet, and wouldn't be for at least another 10 years. In another passage, the hero is wearing pajamas. A nightshirt would be the appropriate bed attire for the time, since pajamas would not be worn for at least a hundred years. Also, there is the problem of innapropriate dialogue for the time. At one point the heroine says, 'thanks' and a paragraph later, 'Forget about it'. She sounded vaguely like the Italian mobster Regency Lady. I could list more problems, but I hope you get the idea.
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