Date published September 2008
ISBN 978-0-06-145682-4
Historical Romance, Series
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn
Maria Martingale once loved someone enough that she was willing to elope….that is until the stuffy Marquis of Kayne, Phillip Hawthorne put a stop to it. Now several years have passed and once again Maria is at the mercy of Phillip Hawthorne. Phillip will do anything it takes to stop scandal from touching his family. He stopped it once before and he never forgot the tempting Maria Martingale in the process. When she moves next door, he finds himself fighting a passion that is ready to explode and he just might find that Maria is the one woman who could make him face that secret desire that hums between them.
This was the first in this series I read from author Laura Lee Guhrke and I found it wonderfully engrossing. Captivating characters, fast paced writing and a very intriguing storyline that will keep the reader humming happily as each page is passed. The only complaint I had was I didn’t read the other books in the series and some of the characters and other incidents that happened in those were mentioned in the SECRET DESIRES OF A GENTLEMAN.
Meet Maria Martingale, a woman who finds herself at the mercy of the arrogant and stuffy Marquis of Kayne, yet again. Once long ago, she thought she would be able to elope with his younger brother but Phillip Hawthorne put a stop to it and the scandal that would surely follow if the deed was done. A strong and evolved character, this reviewer was pleased to see this was a heroine not cowered by a lofty title and sees the man behind the responsibilities he has. It doesn’t mean she can’t tweak his nose every time they meet but Maria never felt such passion before as she duels with words with Phillip. Phillip Hawthorne is a hero that was either making me grind my teeth at his high handedness or sighing as he dueled first with words then with actions against Maria. He was arrogant yet you get a sense of his love for his family and the way things were done properly. Ms. Guhrke made a perfect foil to his character in Maria and these two set the pages on fire with underlying sexual tension and fired up emotions as Phillip and Maria found themselves drawn to each other, even as they fought against it.
I found this was a really good story and I had to look for the others in the series to get a clearer picture of how some secondary characters mentioned got together. It was a well crafted storyline with engaging characters and had deep emotions that caused me to sigh and giggle as Phillip seemed to have met his match in the feisty Maria. Can these two stop bickering long enough to allow the attraction that hums between them to flourish or will the pressure of doing the proper thing cause Phillip to turn away the one woman who is his equal in every way? Read the final book in the Girl-Bachelor Chronicles, SECRET DESIRES OF A GENTLEMAN and see how it all ends as Phillip and Maria find a desire so strong it consumes them in the end. A definite delight and one to add to any reading list this winter; I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
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