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The Duchess Quartet

by Eloisa James

The Duchess Quartet series by Eloisa James has 5 known books (5 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Duchess in Love (2002).

Books
5 known books (4 novels + 1 novella)
Published
5
First published
2002
Status
completed
Last checked

Start here: Duchess in Love (2002) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of Duchess in Love

Duchess in Love (2002)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Duchess in Love

    Novel

    Duchess in Love , at 400 pages the longest book in The Duchess Quartet, opened the series in 2002, centered on the fallout when a duchess's marriage of convenience becomes something more -- and establishing the connected Regency social circle the rest of the series follows.

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  2. Fool for Love

    Novel

    Fool for Love , published in 2003 at 384 pages, is the second entry in the quartet, continuing the same circle of Regency aristocrats introduced in Duchess in Love .

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  3. A Wild Pursuit

    Novel

    A Wild Pursuit , released in 2004 at 336 pages, is the third of James's four original Duchess Quartet novels, following the same interconnected aristocratic circle.

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  4. Your Wicked Ways

    Novel

    Your Wicked Ways , also published in 2004 at 336 pages, closed out the original four-book quartet, before James returned to the same circle seven years later with A Fool Again .

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  5. A Fool Again

    Novella

    A Fool Again , at just 78 pages the shortest book in the set, is a 2011 standalone re-release of a novella James originally contributed to a 2004 multi-author anthology under the title The One That Got Away -- returning to the Duchess Quartet's circle nearly a decade after Your Wicked Ways to close out what is technically a five-book quartet.

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About The Duchess Quartet

The Duchess Quartet follows a circle of Regency aristocrats connected through marriage and friendship, centered on the fallout when a duchess's marriage of convenience becomes something more. Duchess in Love (2002) opens the series, followed by Fool for Love (2003), A Wild Pursuit and Your Wicked Ways (both 2004). A Fool Again, published in 2011 as a standalone re-release of a novella James had originally contributed to a 2004 multi-author anthology under the title The One That Got Away, returned to the same circle nearly a decade later to close out the quartet.

The series established the witty, ensemble-cast structure James would refine across her later Essex Sisters and Desperate Duchesses books -- a tightly connected social circle where each entry's romance reshapes the group's dynamics for the next.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in The Duchess Quartet?

Five, despite the name: Duchess in Love (2002), Fool for Love (2003), A Wild Pursuit (2004), Your Wicked Ways (2004), and A Fool Again (2011).

Why does The Duchess Quartet have five books?

The series was originally a four-book quartet; A Fool Again (2011) returned to the same circle of characters years later as a fifth entry, keeping the original series name.

What is A Fool Again?

A 2011 standalone re-release of a novella James originally contributed to the 2004 multi-author anthology In Praise of Younger Men under the title The One That Got Away.

What order should I read The Duchess Quartet in?

Publication order: Duchess in Love, Fool for Love, A Wild Pursuit, Your Wicked Ways, then A Fool Again.

Is The Duchess Quartet connected to James's other series?

No -- it's a standalone series, unconnected to her later Essex Sisters or Desperate Duchesses books.

Reading order last verified .