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Abandoned at the altar . . .
Lady Beatrix Danbury had always known she would marry William Mallory. She'd loved him forever and she'd never doubted he loved her, too. But when she made him choose between their life together or his lifelong dream, Will chose the latter . . . and left two weeks before their wedding.
Return of the duke . . .
Will has no illusions that Beatrix would welcome him back with open arms, but six years did not dim his love or desire for her. The only problem is, she's about to marry someone else. Someone safe and predictable . . . the complete opposite of Will. But can he stop the wedding of the season and win Beatrix back, or is it just too late?
From Eloisa James's "READING ROMANCE" column on The Barnes & Noble Review
One of my ex-boyfriends is in love. He called Christmas Day to say that he's never been so happy (and in case you're wondering whether that touch of insensitivity was characteristic -- it was). An on-line program managed to find a woman whose ambitions, background, job, and habits match his precisely. After one date, they were a couple, and, after one month, they were sharing a front door: "We speak the same language," he purred. But not all relationships arrive with an easy click or two of the computer keys. According to the novels in this column, the best relationships might be hard-won, those in which partners find each other (at least initially) incomprehensible.
Robin Kaye's Yours for the Taking puts an urban twist on a classic tale of marriage-for-convenience: Ben Walsh needs a wife or he'll lose his inheritance, and Gina Reyez could really use the money he offers. She's not worried about intimacy issues, because it's patently obvious that Ben is gay: he's incredibly well-dressed, owns an art gallery, cooks like a dream, and decorated his own apartment. Gina, on the other hand, is a fierce Latina businesswoman who wears five-inch heels and lots of red lipstick. He grew up in a loving family; her mother was a sex worker and her father was an abusive drug addict. They don't have class, education, or gender in common -- and even after Gina figures out that her gaydar has malfunctioned, their inability to understand each other almost leads to heartbreak. Yours for the Takingis a treat to read, and a sweet, funny way to start the New Year.
Laura Lee Guhrke's Wedding of the Season puts together a hero and heroine matched by class, but little else. Lady Beatrix Danbury was betrothed to William Mallory, the Duke of Sunderland, but a few days before the wedding, Will jilted his fiancèe, broke her heart, and left on an archaeological dig. He did his best to impress Beatrix with the allure of King Tutankhamen's tomb, which for her remained merely "clay pots and cylinder seals." Six year later, Beatrix is on the verge of marrying another duke when Will reappears in England. But they still have no way to talk to each other: she thinks the life of an archaeologist is madness; he thinks the life of a duke is meaningless. Beatrix puts her finger on the main problem: "To be married -- happily, at least -- two people have to want the same things, share the same view of their life." When Beatrix and Will finally find a way to bridge the chasm between Egypt and England, between a dig and the Ascot, the relief is delicious. Happiness between two people who have to learn each other's language is hard won and, I would argue, all the more joyful for the turmoil that precedes it.
The hero and heroine of Vicki Lewis Thompson's A Werewolf in Manhattan would never be paired by a respectable matchmaker. Aidan Wallace wears an $800,000 watch, and Emma Gavin takes the subway to save fossil fuel. But this couple is separated by more than class: they have physiology against them as well. Emma is a bestselling writer of paranormal romances about werewolves -- and Aidan is the son of a rich and powerful werewolf pack leader. Add in the fact that sexual tension makes Aiden sprout hair on his hands (and other places), plus a rogue werewolf threatening to tell Emma the truth, and A Werewolf in Manhattan spins into a delicious fantasy about a woman and a werewolf with absolutely nothing in common. Thomas's hilarious story pops with funny references to big white teeth, fur overcoats, and possible puppies. But in the midst of all that laughter, this tale of people from utterly different worlds -- and gene pools -- is fascinating.
Ava Gray's Skin Heat poses a similar type of problem to that of Gina and her werewolf, but with a darker edge. Zeke Noble has escaped from a secret medical facility where he was the subject of reckless and immoral experiments. Once free, he discovers he can no longer read, and words come to him slowly. On the good side, he's much stronger, can hear a whisper miles away, and feels unnervingly able to understand and to connect to animals. Geneva Harper also has an instinctive connection to animals -- but no more than any other vet. She's the daughter of a mill owner, who grew up in luxury and fought for the right to have a career. Zeke is the child of a drunk, whose mother committed suicide; as a boy he mowed Geneva's family lawn. More importantly, perhaps, she's normal and he -- isn't. When things go awry, their perspectives are worlds apart. But when Zeke tells Geneva that he "cares so much I don't have the words," it's a deeply romantic declaration of love between people whom no one would believe had a chance at happiness.
Christina Henry's Black Wings brings together the most antithetical pair of all: an angel (albeit an earthly one) and a devil. Madeline Black is an agent of death, which means that she gets a white envelope every Friday giving her a list of souls that she's supposed to convince to enter "the Door." Maddie narrates her adventures with jaunty wit: to her, death is "just another bureaucracy." She takes a break from filing to rent her downstairs apartment to "a handsome devil," according to her pet gargoyle. As it turns out, Gabriel Angeloscuro is indeed a devil (not to mention gorgeous). Maddie not only doesn't understand him or his motives for moving into her house, but she soon finds that she herself is manifesting some baffling powers. Christina Henry takes the situation in which a man and woman don't understand each other a step further by broadening the areas of potential misunderstanding to heaven and its opposite.
Match.com and its brethren promise that their computer programs will find the perfect person, leading to meaningful, deep, and long-term relationships. And maybe that's true. But these novels tempt one to leap in at the deep end: to believe that people who have nothing in common, and can't understand each other's motives, ambitions or actions, can fall in love -- and that love so hard won will be hard kept.
This is the first book in the "Abandoned at the Altar" Series by Laura Lee Gurkhe. Lady Beatrix Danbury and William Mallory, Duke of Sunderland were engaged to be married when he got the opportunity to join Howard Carter's expedition to excavate for Tutankhamen's tomb. She let him go and he went! Six years later, she has had adventures with her cousin Julia ( like learning to drive) and is now engaged to Aiden Carr, Duke of Trathen. William comes back and their love story begins again.
What I liked about this book was that even though the plot is a tried and true one, Ms. Gurkhe did not make the path to romance an easy one. William and Beatrix have not resolved the core issues between them; his travels and her needing a secure home space and traditions. Throw in the fact that Aidan is a nice guy, if a bit stuffy, and it gets complicated. Both of the main characters need to look inside themselves and decide what is really important to them and how to make their relationship work.
The subplots with Julia and her unhappy marriage, Aidan, and Beatrix's cousin Paul who is dealing with marriage issues of his own make look forward to the next book in the series- Scandal of the Year -due out January 25, 2011.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LASR_Reviews
Posted December 17, 2010
Will Lady Beatrix Danbury marry safe and predictable Aidan Carr or will she will follow her heart and marry the adventurous and passionate William Mallory?
Childhood friends and sweethearts Beatrix "Trix" Danbury and William "Will" Mallory broke off their engagement so Will could pursue his dream of discovering King Tut's tomb. Six years later, Will has returned to England from Egypt to secure financial backing to continue his search for King Tut, and Trix is now engaged to Aidan Carr. When Will and Trix find themselves spending a month at the same house party, they discover the love between them still exists but so do the differences that tore them apart years before.
Wedding of the Season is a fun-filled novel that takes Trix on a journey of self-discovery. Her deep love of her father and her desire to live a traditional life contributed to her inability to marry Will and move to Egypt. Following her father's death, Trix and her cousin Julia embark on a madcap journey that involves learning to drive a motorcar, skinny dipping in the moonlight and dancing the can-can. Her engagement to the proper and dignified Aidan lacks passion and excitement, but Trix easily overlooks that in her quest for a conventional marriage.
It does not take long for Will to realize that he is still in love with Trix but he is not going to give up his quest for King Tut's tomb. He cleverly devises a plan to spend time with Trix and bring some much needed adventure to her life, and hopefully along the way, force her to fall in love with him again.
Well rounded, engaging characters and snappy, humorous dialogue keep Wedding of the Season moving at a rapid pace. Laura Lee Guhrke is a gifted story teller, and fans of her novels will love this delightful new series.
Originally Posted at The Long and Short of It Romance Reviews
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.In 1895, the wedding between childhood sweethearts Lady Beatrix and Lord William is called off when he has a chance to join an archeological dig in Egypt. He asks his fiancée to come with him, but she says no. He leaves without her; humiliating her, his family and angering her family.
Six years later Will is back in England riding a horse when he sees a woman driving a roadster. The horse bolts and kicks Will in the knee. Trix has no sympathy for her former fiancé, who insists he came home to attend her wedding to prim and proper Aidan Carr. He actually came home to borrow money for the dig as they are close to finding Tut's tomb. Trix goes to see Will to ask why he is home. They argue as he says she lied to him about her interest in archeology while she accuses him of abandonment. Will's best friend Paul suggests he ask Marlowe the publisher. Will goes to Pixy Cove to Visit Marlowe though he knows Trix and Aidan will be there too on a holiday. At Pixy Cove, Trix enters her favorite area Phoebe's Cave when Will arrives. He insists she does not love Aidan. He decides to prove she loves him by kissing her as Julie, Paul and Aidan arrive.
The lead couple is a fun pairing of opposites with a history. The support cast is strong especially Trix's fiancée and her best friend. Although the story line unfairly makes the cautious Trix the guilty party in their break up and a late twist back at the dig seems off kilter though it forces issues, readers will want to attend the Wedding of the Season as wedding planner Laura Lee Guhrke provides an entertaining late Victorian romance.
Harriet Klausner
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 3, 2012
A very sweet story! A must buy!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JimmieWoo
Posted February 28, 2011
I bought the Nook copy of this and it only downloaded the prologue and the first letter of each chapter. It's a shame, I really liked the first book in the series but I'm not going to pay for an electronic copy plus a hard copy just to read a "trashy romance novel."
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Howdyholly
Posted February 25, 2011
This book was full of fun and you could feel the love and raw emotion along the pages The love story is grand and the romance is passionate. I highly recommend this book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AAR
Posted November 16, 2010
WEDDING OF THE SEASON by Laura Lee Guhrke is a delightful historical romance set in 1900 England. It is the first in Abandoned at the Altar. It is well written with depth,details,fast paced,with twists and turns. It has passion, archeology,sweet sensuality, adventure, romance, forgiveness, trust, courage, responsibilities, and motorcars. The heroine, Beatrice, is beautiful, predictable,intelligent, charming, raised to be a Lady, has been in love with the hero,Will, since childhood, was engaged to him. Their engagement was broken when Will chose his lifetime dream of finding King Tut's tome in Egypt over Beatrice's dream of family and children in England. Will, handsome, adventurous, an archaeologist, a Duke, in love with Beatrice since childhood, believed she wanted the same thing as he with adventure and a love of archeology. But when she refuses to leave England,and her father to follow him to Egypt that dream is lost until he returns some six years later. Her father and his are dead, Beatrice is engaged to someone else.Although, they try to refuse their feelings for each other, it doesn't take long for Will to realize all may not be lost after all. He has returned to England to find additional funding for his dig in Egypt.Beatrice's fiancee is no love match,but based on respect, and mutual companionship. When Will and Beatrice are found in each other's embrace, the fiancee breaks off the engagement. What is left is a passion between Will and Beatrice. Will is determined to win Beatrice's heart again. But time is not on their side. For Will will have to leave England for Egypt sooner than he had expected. Beatrice still refuses to marry him or go to Egypt with him. Will the heart win over the brain? or will Beatrice be left behind again by Will? Love can conquer all if truly given the chance. This is a story of love from childhood through adulthood, the many sacrifices, hurts and longing. Will one man give up his dream of finding King Tut's tomb and Archeology in order to live his life with his one true love? and Will one woman give up her dream of a family of her own, her love of her country, and the land for the adventure of following her heart and her one true love?In order to find out you MUST read this book for it will capture your heart. I would recommend this book especially if you enjoy history, true love, passion and adventure. This book was received for the purpose of review from Net Galley and details can be found at Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins and My Book Addiction and More.
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Overview
Abandoned at the altar . . .
Lady Beatrix Danbury had always known she would marry William Mallory. She'd loved him forever and she'd never doubted he loved her, too. But when she made him choose between their life together or his lifelong dream, Will chose the latter . . . and left two weeks before their wedding.
Return of the duke . . .
Will has no illusions that Beatrix would welcome him back with open ...