Laura Lee Guhrke: Secret Desires of a Gentleman

Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke
Published by Harper Collins on October 6, 2009
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / American, Fiction / Romance / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Victorian
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
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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 . . .

Victorian “working class women” series about women in trade and the peers who love them.

Having just finished The Secret Desires of A Gentleman, I have to say that I enjoyed this series as a refreshing deviation from the norm.

Secret Desires is the familiar Sabrina story about two brothers and the woman caught in the middle.  Although not sticking religiously to this plot (as other books I have read did), the story is comfortable enough to sink right into.

The emotional conflict is strong, the scenes good, and the characters interesting.  Where Guhrke really shines, though, is in the dialogue.  Conversations from the characters jump off the page and you can almost hear them laughing, arguing, loving…

The ending was a little disappointing, if only because I was hoping for less of Disney woman-sacrificing-her-own-dreams-for-love ending.  But generally, hist-ro devotees will find this a well written Victorian love story.