Secret Desires of a Gentleman
by Laura Lee Guhrke | Romance | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 0061456829 Global Overview for this book
ISBN: 0061456829 Global Overview for this book
1 journaler for this copy...
Received from pbs.
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Product Description
Once Upon a Time . . .
Maria Martingale was going to elope. But Phillip Hawthorne, Marquess of Kayne, put a stop to those plans when he learned his younger brother intended to marry a cook's daughter. Now, twelve years later, Maria discovers that the man who holds her fate in his hands is none other than the haughty gentleman who sent her packing—and he's as handsome and arrogant as ever.
Happily Ever After?
Always the proper gentleman, Phillip will do anything to protect his family from scandal, and when Maria dares to move in right next door, he knows scandal will surely follow. She is as tempting as he remembered . . . and the more he sees her, the harder it is for Phillip to keep his own secret desire for her a secret . . .
______________________________
Product Description
Once Upon a Time . . .
Maria Martingale was going to elope. But Phillip Hawthorne, Marquess of Kayne, put a stop to those plans when he learned his younger brother intended to marry a cook's daughter. Now, twelve years later, Maria discovers that the man who holds her fate in his hands is none other than the haughty gentleman who sent her packing—and he's as handsome and arrogant as ever.
Happily Ever After?
Always the proper gentleman, Phillip will do anything to protect his family from scandal, and when Maria dares to move in right next door, he knows scandal will surely follow. She is as tempting as he remembered . . . and the more he sees her, the harder it is for Phillip to keep his own secret desire for her a secret . . .
Overall I enjoyed this book. It's got its share of flaws but is still much better than the last book in the series.
Between the hero and heroine of this book, I found myself liking Phillip much better tha Maria. He may have seemed like a snob, but all his objections about a union between Maria and him or his brother are valid and in keeping with the times. In comparison, Maria's complete disregard of the social gap or her utter unawareness of it seemed very unreal and conceited. I found it ironic and contradictory that the author chose to write a series about girl-bachelors - independent women in trade whose merit lies not in their birth but in their intelligence and character - and yet still found it necessary to pair them all up with rich aristocrats. And if the author insists on such pairings, why fail to explore the social ramifications? It's a little hard for me to believe the society would have so readily accepted both Prudence's and Emma's matches. This series has so much potential to be so much more complex and richer. It's a pity that the author chose to make it into romance-lite. I would love it if one of the next books in the series featured a boy-next-door hero - someone who's actually worth less than the price of a small island.
As for the story, the biggest flaw is that the central romance wasn't developed enough. We find out early on that Phillip was in love with Maria, and has been for years, but Maria remained clueless and it wasn't until the book is two thirds over that she exhibited any kind of feeling towards him at all. I didn't get the feeling that she thought much about him at all prior to his big declaration, and even afterwards it still felt pretty one-sided.
Still, this was an entertaining and quick read and I would definitely check out other books in the series if given the chance.
Between the hero and heroine of this book, I found myself liking Phillip much better tha Maria. He may have seemed like a snob, but all his objections about a union between Maria and him or his brother are valid and in keeping with the times. In comparison, Maria's complete disregard of the social gap or her utter unawareness of it seemed very unreal and conceited. I found it ironic and contradictory that the author chose to write a series about girl-bachelors - independent women in trade whose merit lies not in their birth but in their intelligence and character - and yet still found it necessary to pair them all up with rich aristocrats. And if the author insists on such pairings, why fail to explore the social ramifications? It's a little hard for me to believe the society would have so readily accepted both Prudence's and Emma's matches. This series has so much potential to be so much more complex and richer. It's a pity that the author chose to make it into romance-lite. I would love it if one of the next books in the series featured a boy-next-door hero - someone who's actually worth less than the price of a small island.
As for the story, the biggest flaw is that the central romance wasn't developed enough. We find out early on that Phillip was in love with Maria, and has been for years, but Maria remained clueless and it wasn't until the book is two thirds over that she exhibited any kind of feeling towards him at all. I didn't get the feeling that she thought much about him at all prior to his big declaration, and even afterwards it still felt pretty one-sided.
Still, this was an entertaining and quick read and I would definitely check out other books in the series if given the chance.
