And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke

There is something about a good romance novel that lingers, that stays with you well after you have put your book down, a sense of hope and lightheartedness. And Then He Kissed Her (book one of the Girl-Bachelor Series) is one of those books.

Emma Dove is a girl-bachelor; the 1890’s equivalent of a working, single girl of today, she works hard, is very efficient and professional; and has a secret yearning to become a published author. In fact, that desire is what keeps her working for the handsome and devilish Viscount Marlowe – London’s leading publisher – she hopes that one day he’ll find her manuscripts worthy of publishing. So she keeps Marlowe’s life running smoothly and every now and then submits a new manuscript for publishing.

Harry, for all that he’s Lord Marlowe, hasn’t lead a charmed life. With a bad marriage, which ended in a scandalous divorce some years prior, Harry turned to his own wits to make fortune and take care of the many females of his family (three sisters, his mother and grandmother). Now he’s a successful publisher and leads his life just the way he likes it: without any regard for society’s rules. In part is his lack of regard for society’s rules what keeps him turning down Emma’s books as she likes to write about etiquette, a subject he finds boring and unprofitable.

When on the day of her thirtieth birthday Emma realizes that Harry is never going to publish her books, she is hit with an epiphany and decides to take her life into her own hands, quitting her steady job and taking her book to Harry’s rival, Lord Barringer, and convincing him to publish her. But Harry wants Emma back, his life without her is chaos and he'll do whatever it takes to get her back, engaging in a battle of wits and romance. Lots of true romance.

And The He Kissed also has something that is very hard to find in romance these days: tension - at first just tension born out of two different personalities which then turns into sexual tension - and it makes for one amazing read.

There is also a large cast of supporting characters – Harry’s family, Emma’s friends from the boarding house where she lives, her landlady, etc. – who enrich the story and the lives of Emma and Harry.

This book is a true delight, a rare jewel: Funny, well written, charming and romantic in the true sense of the word. This one is a Must Read

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