In general, society has a lot of rules. In particular, English society at the turn of
the century had more rules than a bicycle wheel had spokes, especially if you were
a woman. And Lady Beatrix, the woman in
Ms. Guhrke’s latest release, Wedding of the Season is ruled by every “now-I’m-supposed- to” in the book. Beatrix wants to marry a Duke, have children,
enjoy the races at Ascot, spend summers on the English seaside, and live among
the proper people in society. Her fiancé, Will, the Duke of Sunderland wants to
excavate antiquities. While each has a different idea of what life is all
about, their love for each other is the stuff romance novels are made of.
However in romance, as in life, we don’t typically take the easy road. That is why Lady Beatrix and the Duke of Sunderland called it quits six years ago when Will received an offer to travel to Egypt to find Tutankhamen’s Tomb. Beatrix had the chance to go with Will, but she couldn’t dream of leaving everything familiar to travel half way around the world to sleep in a tent and bathe in a tin basin in the middle of a dessert; and, Will had no desire to stay in England. He didn’t quite appreciate the responsibilities of his position and wasn’t interested in accepting the obligations of his title. He was an archeologist and this dig was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so he left the woman he loved to pursue his dreams. Choosing between living among their peers within the confines of stuffy English society and traipsing through the ruins a continent away is what called their wedding to halt. Beatrix was devastated, but after six long years of pining for a man who would chose ancient ruins over her, she found a way to move on and found another Duke to marry. In her mind she believed she’d finally found happiness, the life she always wanted, except this life would have no love or passion. But what would that matter? She would be married, have children, and be a proper Duchess. All very English, all very upper crust. No chances taken, no love lost, and no romance. And that suited her just fine, until Will came back from Egypt for a short visit.
Wedding of the Season is an historical romance with a twist; two hearts with two different directions. As a romance reader, I knew there could only be one outcome and I wasn’t sure how the author would get to it, but in fact, the author handles it artfully, with a growth in the characters that is unexpected and rewarding. Ms. Guhrke has created a very lush reading experience. There’s nothing cookie cutter about the Dukes and Duchesses on these pages. Each has a unique personality that is vividly captured in exquisite dialogue and witty repartee. There’s not a lot of long, wordy exposition describing in infinite detail the back story, instead you learn about each character and all that has happened in well crafted dialogue, and it made the reading experience that much more enjoyable.
So, yes, pick this one up – it’s one you’re sure to enjoy.
If your significant other had to
relocate for work, would you pick yourself up and move to another city or
country and leave behind everything you know?
Maria Lokken is an avid romance reader and an award winning television producer
