Book Review: She's No Princess by Laura Lee Guhrke

At First Sight: Sir Ian Moore has dedicated his life to the diplomatic corps of the British Government, and is known as a most proper gentleman. He enjoys his job and the international politic intrigues he gets to be a part of, so he's quite put out when he's given orders to return to England and deal with Miss Lucia Valenti barely a fortnight after he had been assigned to Anatolia.

Lucia has been shuffled about all her life between houses of relatives, schools and convents, never with a place to call home. Being the illegitimate daughter of a Prince and a famous courtesan, Lucia is beautiful and vivacious and really good at getting herself into scrapes. 

After one last scrape - that involves her younger half-sister, the Prince's legitimate daughter - Lucia is sent off to England, to be placed in the care of Sir Ian Moore, and he's charged with his most complicated diplomatic mission to date: to find Lucia a proper, boring husband. 

But that's easier said that done as Lucia isn't ready to just go along and be married off. And, as much as Ian would like to see her as a spoiled, irritating beauty, the more he gets to know Lucia, the more he realizes that couldn't be farther from the truth, that Lucia's bold, saucy exterior hides a very vulnerable heart. 

And Lucia can't help to feel attracted to Ian, who is good and honorable and at times so stuffy that she just wants to muss him up and make him liven up a little. 

Second Glance: She's no Princess is the fourth in a loosely connected series, usually known as the Guilty Series, but it can be read perfectly well on it's own, and I gotta say that it's one of my favorite books by Laura Lee Guhrke. I keep going back to it year after year for a re-read, because I just enjoy it so much. 

Lucia and Ian are two wonderful characters and I so enjoy watching them fall in love time and again. They definitely have the whole opposites attract thing going on. And, different as they are, Ian and Lucia are two very decent people to their core. 

The cast of secondary characters is nice and remains unobtrusive to the main couple -though you do get a few updates on the characters of previous books, like the Duke of Tremore and Ian's brother Dylan - and I like that, because the focus remains on these two. 

Bottom Line: She's no Princess is a great story of opposites attracting, it's fun to read and makes you spend a really good time. Perfect to read one afternoon and to just get lost in a story that will leave you with warm fuzzies afterward. 

Favorite Quote: "Sometimes, Englishman, I don't understand you. I love you, but I do not always understand you." - Lucia

Book Review: Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke

At First Sight: Julia, Lady Yardley survived 12 years of a hellish marriege, gaining he freedom by tangling into an affair with Aidan Carr, Duke of Trathen; which forced her husband to divorce her. Months later, and once her divorce is final, Julia is ready to re-enter society, she knows she's notorious but she's trying her best to quiet down the scandals, for the sake of her family as they stood by her through it all. 

Aidan is not happy, his affair with Julia - which he can never quite remember - cost him his second fiance. So now, at 30, he has been jilted twice. And he is also re-entering society, ready to look for a new fiance. But, during his first sojourn into society, he encounters Julia. 

It seems to him he can't scape her. Certainly, in their 13 year long acquittance, he has never been able to forget her. Everything about her so vivid in his mind, much as he wishes that weren't the case. 

Aidan knows that tangling with Julia again might make them the scandal of the year, two years in a row, but he also knows that it might just be worth it.

Second Glance: Julia survived a lot during her marriage and developed quite a thick skin, but Aidan has always had a way to get under it. If she feels anything other than elation about her divorce, is a bit of guilt for the part Aidan played unwillingly. Aidan has a hard time admitting it, but Julia has always been able to get to him. She ruffles him and confuses him in ways he shouldn't like, but he does.

I really liked the chemistry between Aidan and Julia, I could see a bit of it during Wedding of the Season, but in Scandal of the Year this is explored more fully, the book has many flash backs, taking us back to the fateful day when Aidan and Julia met when they were both 17, how they saw each other again 10 years later, still able to recognize each other at a glance but with a world of experience keeping them apart.

I felt the ending was a bit abrupt, but I loved how it was that Julia came to her final choice, the reason why she does what she does, in the end. And I was quite happy about it.

Bottom Line: This is the second book in the Abandoned at the Altar series, and I have to say I liked it more than it's predecessor. There is a lot of chemistry between Aidan and Julia and it was fun to see how they chipped at each other's defenses to get to the core beneath. It's a very enjoyable book and I definitely plan on reading the next (and last) book of the series Trouble at the Wedding (2012)

Favorite Quote:“We all have our weaknesses, petal. Yours is your fine, upstanding character.”-Julia

Book Review: Wedding of the Season by Laura Lee Guhrke

After six years in Egypt, Will Mallory, Duke of Sunderland is finally back in England. His plans are simple: give a couple of speeches regarding his archeological work in Egypt and find a new sponsor for the dig.

But, just a few hours after arriving back to his country home, he comes face to face with Lady Beatrix Danbury, the girl he left behind six years ago just a few weeks before their wedding. 

It took Trix five long years to get over Will, but now she's engaged to another man and ready to be married in a couple of months. Seeing Will again is a complication she doesn't need or want.

But they were childhood sweethearts, loved each other all their lives and live less then 3 miles apart, avoiding each other is hard. Especially when a mutual friend invites them to Torquay for a house party. At Lord Marlowe's seaside home, avoiding the memories of their shared life, not to mention each other, is impossible. 

Wedding of the Season is the first book in the Abandoned at the Altar series by Laura Lee Gurhke and  it was a nice read. I liked both Will and Trix, they were a bit selfish in a way, particularly at the beginning, but they made sense together, and they were funny. And the setting for the story - Torquay for the most part - was delightful. I liked that Will took his work very seriously - once he explained why he was so adamant to return, that his archeological work was really the only thing he knew how to do to earn his living, he made a lot more sense. 

Trix was a very endearing character, I think she embodies a bit of the average person who dreams big but doesn't have the courage to follow such dreams and make them real. A lot of the story is about her finding the courage to do all the things propriety and society restrictions never allowed her to do.

Like I said, I liked the story. But I did have some troubles with it. I felt it a bit too drawn out, like it went in circles a little too much, yet things get resolved very quickly at the end. Contradictory, I know but that's how I felt. Also, very early on I felt more interested on Julia and Aidan (Trix' cousin and  her fiance), rather than in the main couple. Lucky for me, Julia and Aidan are set to be the main characters in the second installment of the series, Scandal of the Year, which comes out later this month (thankfully! because I'm dying to read that one).

Favorite Quote: “Darling, you know I’m already married! As to the rest, I’m mired in debt now that Yardley’s cut off my allowance. But, if you’re willing to be seen by some hapless chambermaid at a third-rate hotel, coming out of my room at three o’clock in the morning, Yardley might be moved to divorce me at last, naming you co-respondent. Then I’d be free to marry someone else who’s disgustingly rich, and I could give you all the money you need.” -Julia

3/4

 

PS - Also loved the little cameos of characters from the Girl Bachelor Series :)

Cover Love #10 - Abandoned at the Altar

If you have read my blog before, you probably know that I'm a HUGE Laura Lee Guhrke fan, and today she finally dropped the announcement about her upcoming books!

She's launching a new series called Abandoned at the Altar and released both the covers and summaries of the first two books.

Wedding of the Season (to be released December 28th, 2010)

Being jilted. It’s awful for a girl.

Especially if your fiancé was also your childhood sweetheart , your prince charming, and the handsome, rakish duke you’d built all your dreams around. Even more awful if he jilted you two weeks before your wedding and took off for Egypt. It would take a girl a long time to get over that sort of humiliation.

But what if six years later, on the eve of your next wedding, he returns and he decides he wants you back? Too bad, you say? But what if he’s as hot, handsome, and rakishly charming as ever? What if his return stirs up all the old passions you thought you’d conquered? What if you find yourself longing for the past and questioning the future? What if you have to spend a whole month at the same house party with him and your new fiancé?

Well, for Lady Beatrix Danbury, that sort of situation is more than awful. It’s impossible. It’s intolerable. It’s a nightmare. But it might also turn out to be her dream come true.

Scandal of the Season (to be released January 25th, 2010)

Being jilted. It’s awful for a guy.

Especially if you’re a duke, and your fiancée left you for that other duke, the one who came back from Egypt just before your wedding. Humiliating, right?

But what if you managed to recover, got engaged to another girl, and then got jilted again, this time because of a notorious woman, a lot of champagne, and a moment of utter stupidity? Well, that’s beyond humiliating. That’s a scandal.

Ah, but what if you manage to put the scandal behind you and begin searching for a new bride, only to have the notorious woman who ruined everything reenter your life? What if she’s as enticing as before? What if just being near her threatens to ruin your marriage prospects and your reputation all over again? For Aidan Carr, Duke of Trathen, the unluckiest man in England when it comes to matrimony, another scandal is the worst thing he can imagine. It might also be the best thing that ever happened to him.

I'm very excited about this series. At first I wasn't a bit sad that the next book from her wasn't a new Girl-Bachelor book but Laura Lee Guhrke is the kind of author I can trust with my heart, so I'm sure this series will be awesome (also, according to Laura's site, the first book is loosely connected to the Girl-Bachelors, as we get to see the couple from An Then He Kissed Her (one of the most awesome books ever!) so that's, like, double the excitement for me!).

Really, if you haven't you need to check out her books, she writes fun but with substance and is amazing with tension between the characters, you can feel their chemistry jumping up the page.

With Seduction in Mind by Laura Lee Guhrke

Is 1896 and Daisy Merrick, Girl-Bachelor, has lost yet another post. This doesn't surprise anyone who knows her as she's forever losing her jobs due to her outspokenness, but this time is different, instead of going home to her sister Lucy - who owns and operates an employment agency - and letting her find her yet another job she dislikes, Daisy decides to instead pursue her dream of becoming a published author. To that effect she seeks out Viscount Marlowe (from And Then He Kissed Her) to ask him to read one of her manuscripts. Marlowe - who's married to one of Daisy's friends - agrees to read one of her manuscripts and also gives her the opportunity to write a review of the Earl of Avermore's new play.

Sebastian Grant, Earl of Avermore was once hailed as one of England's greatest writers, but he hasn't written anything worthwhile in almost a decade, he's almost four years past his last deadline, deep in debt and the play that's about to open in the London stage was sort of a last-ditch attempt to make some money he desperately needs, never mind he wrote the play over three years ago and that he knows it isn't any good.

The day after the opening, Sebastian reads a review by some George Lindsay - a.k.a. Daisy - that shreds his play to bits, since said review was published by one of Marlowe's papers - who happens to be his publisher- Sebastian decides to have a talk with his publisher, since this one review has gotten under his skin. There he meets George/Daisy, and while watching them fight and argue about the review, Marlowe gets a crazy idea that just might work: what if he has Daisy and Sebastian work together as critique/writing partners?

Well, to find out how that works out you must read the book.

If there is one thing I love about this series is that Ms. Guhrke writes about mature, capable women who make their own way in life - even with the limited options they have during the late Victorian era - and aren't waiting to be 'rescued' or sit idly by eating bonbons, this has made me a fan from the start and I love reading each new installment of the series because it feels like I'm visiting with an old friend, Daisy's book was no exception. She's hard working, an optimist and full of love and wonder. Sebastian is moody, a perfectionist and even though he knows he is - or was - talented, he, even at the height of his success, has always been plagued with self doubt. This is a book about writing, about two writers in very different points of their career (Daisy's it's just starting, Sebastian fears his is over) and who approach writing in entirely different ways. At the same time, it is a love story.

There is one thing I didn't like, mostly because it reminded me of something that happened in The Wicked Ways of a Duke (Book 2) toward the end. But I still breezed through this book and enjoyed it a great deal.

Book Gossip (#9)

BOOK GOSSIP #9

Yet more covers - what kind I say? I love them!

This time I bring you the cover for Lisa Kleypas' late September/early October release Tempt me at Twilight (Which I found at Amazon):

Summary according to Amazon:

Poppy Hathaway loves her unconventional family, though she longs for normalcy. Then fate leads to a meeting with Harry Rutledge, an enigmatic hotel owner and inventor with wealth, power, and a dangerous hidden life. When their flirtation compromises her own reputation, Poppy shocks everyone by accepting his proposal—only to find that her new husband offers his passion, but not his trust.
Harry was willing to do anything to win Poppy—except to open his heart. All his life, he has held the world at arm’s length…but the sharp, beguiling Poppy demands to be his wife in every way that matters. Still, as desire grows between them, an enemy lurks in the shadows. Now if Harry wants to keep Poppy by his side, he must forge a true union of body and soul, once and for all...

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And, this is just in! I was checking Laura Lee Guhrke's site and I found the cover for the fourth book in the Girl Bachelor Chronicles: With Seduction in Mind

I'm loving it!

She also posted a new excerpt for With Seduction in Mind, you can check it out at her site

With Seduction in Mind comes out August 25th, 09

Gorgeous covers or what?

Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke

Book Three in the Girl-Bachelor Chronicles

Maria Martingale has a dream: to own her very own patisserie and now, thanks to the good fortune of her best friend Prudence (also known as the Duchess of St. Cyres from The Wicked Ways of a Duke) she's now able to afford her dream. And she has just found the perfect location for the shop. There is only one little problem: Phillip Hawthorne, the Marquess of Kayne lives right next door.

Phillip and Maria go a long way back, to when Maria was seven and Phillip was nine and they were the best of friends. Once, Maria thought Phillip was the one person she could count on to stand next to her and be her friend but 12 years ago - shortly after Maria's father died leaving her alone and scared - Phillip's brother Lawrence (who was also friends with Maria from childhood) offered to marry her. Sad and alone, Maria agreed but their would be elopement was fouled by Phillip, who was against it for more reasons than what he let on.

Then, Phillip broke her heart in a way that had nothing to do with Lawrence's abandonment and now, twelve years later, Maria just isn't willing to let him take her dream away. Well, things quickly fire up! and we are in for a delicious story.

One of the things I LOVE best about Laura Lee Guhrke is the way she creates true tension between her characters, Phillip and Maria are no exception. There is so much there, so much feeling and history, and things that won't stay int he past. I love how Ms Guhrke leaves you with the sense that you really know the characters and the whys of their actions.

I loved this book, I had been looking forward to it since January when The Wicked Ways of a Duke came out and I read the first excerpt for it. And it did not disappoint. And I'm still looking forward to the next Girl Bachelor Chronicle.

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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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