Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke

My only complaint is that the character, voice, and mannerisms of the Maria in Wicked Ways of a Dukedidn’t quite match up with those of this book, though that isn’t exactly a flaw in the story. I thought her epiphany at the end was wonderful.

She has a strong sense of self and a lot of determination and, though she is a bit stubborn at times, her hesitations are understandable. However, his initial reaction to Maria – that she is set on seducing his brother into marriage – is never fully reconciled with his character later on, nor is it ever resolved, fading instead into the background. My favorite parts of the story were the time the author spends in his head. He feels very much bound by society’s dictates and a gentleman’s honor, so he says and does things that seem priggish or hardheaded, but his struggles also make him incredibly real and sympathetic. Guhrke does a wonderful job of slowly revealing his feelings, deepening his character, and revealing the truth behind his motivations and feelings. I fell in love with Phillip reading this story. The strength of this book is in the characters. In doing so, Phillip is brought again and again into her presence and he is reminded anew of his long-buried attraction and affection for Maria – one that he always reined in because they were not of the same class. So Phillip does his best to keep them apart, even as the brother seems eager to rekindle his friendship with Maria. Phillip is concerned that Maria is once again after his brother, a young man who is about to become engaged to a wealthy heiress with good connections. She’s never forgiven him for his snobbery then, and it’s clear he still is the same when he tries to evict her from the shop. Maria’s father worked for his family for years, and they grew up together – until he became marquess, ended their friendship, and forcibly prevented Maria’s elopement with Phillip’s younger brother twelve years earlier. However, she soon learns that her neighbor and landlord is Phillip, Marquess of Kayne. The accomplished pastry chef is overjoyed when she finds a clean, modern shop in Mayfair to rent. Cyres, Maria Martingale is achieving a lifelong goal with the opening of her own patisserie.

With help from her good friend the Duchess of St. Like many other readers, I loved the first two, but this one may be the best yet. However, my luck turned when I picked Secret Diaries of a Gentleman, the third in Laura Lee Guhrke’s popular Girl Bachelors series. Three of the five books I last reviewed were Ds, with more mediocre stories in between.

I’ve had a string of bad reading luck lately.

Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke