Rating: Good
Source: Edelweiss
Description: When Jonathan Deverill promised a dying friend he'd be guardian to the man's daughter, he envisioned a girl in pigtails and pinafores, a child he could leave behind in some finishing school. Problem is, his ward is actually a fully-grown, defiant beauty whose longing for romance threatens to make his guardianship a living hell.
New York heiress Marjorie McGann wants a London season and a titled husband who can help her spend the Yankee millions she's inherited, and she thinks her new British guardian is the perfect person to help her find him. But Jonathan has no intention of letting his friend's fortune be squandered. Under his watchful, protective eye, Marjorie finds romance hard to come by...until one fateful night when her own guardian's devastating kisses makes her wonder if the greatest romance of all might be right in front of her.
Genre: Romance - Historical
Why I Picked This Book: I haven't read a historical romance in awhile and Laura Lee Guhrke is one of my favorite historical romance authors!
My Impression: So Guhrke is one of my absolute favorites and several of her books have a permanent place on my reread shelf. Unfortunately this particular book won't be causing those other books to squeeze over. Part of the problem is that this isn't one of my favorite tropes. The protective hero and the adventurous heroine aren't a dynamic that really clicks with me and somehow I just never gained the traction I wanted with book. That isn't to say it was a bad book. Anything by Guhrke is incredibly readable and this was no exception. It just wasn't a standout for me.
The characters are a bit different. Jonathan is far from the typical duke's son and Marjorie has not led a life where entering society every really seemed like an option. I loved that this started out in America and the just how Jonathan and Marjorie's father earned their fortunes. While there was mutual attraction right from the beginning that definitely seemed genuine I had a hard time buying the jump from attraction to love. I liked them both but just didn't quite buy the HEA together.
If this is a trope you enjoy then I think you'll really love this unique take on it. However, if you're like me and this isn't your favorite I'd try some other books by Guhrke first.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! While this wasn't a favorite Guhrke is still an auto-buy author.
Would I Recommend this Book? I would definitely recommend this author for lovers of historical romance but this might not be the book I'd start with. Don't let that this is part of series scare you off though. This series is only tied together very loosely at best and reads as a standalone.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Thank you for an honest review. I'd take the historical and the romance combined bit!
ReplyDeleteI have not read Guhrke yet but I may have a couple of her books on my shelf. I don't know that I have read this trope before but it sounds like an interesting historical romance. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've read any of her books. I just read a few historical romance now and then for a change up. As you say not a bad book but not a trope you like which is fair.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry this one wasn't better, although it sounds like you enjoyed it even despite the flaws. I hope her next book is even better.
ReplyDeleteThe title made me LOL. I can't remember if I've tried her work before; I'll have to check.
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