When the Marquess Met His Match
An American Heiress in London-Book 1
By Laura Lee Guhrke
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: 10/29/13
In the first of a dazzling new series, USA Today
bestselling author Laura Lee Guhrke introduces London’s most renowned
matchmaker—and a scoundrel intent on seducing his way to the altar.
She’s the matchmaker…
Lady Belinda Featherstone’s job is to guide American heiresses to matrimony, and away from men like Nicholas, Marquess of Trubridge. But the charming, disreputable marquess needs a wealthy bride, and he hires Belinda to help him find one. Her task seems easy: find that scoundrel the sort of wife he so richly deserves. But Nicholas’s hot, searing kiss soon proves her task will be anything but easy.
He’s the perfect match…
Nicholas plans to wed a rich, pretty young darling to restore his fortune, and he’s happy to pay a marriage broker to help him. But one taste of Belinda’s lips and Nicholas’s sensible scheme to marry for money goes awry, and he yearns to show his beautiful matchmaker he’s the perfect match…for her.
My introduction to Laura Lee Guhrke and
her books came back in 2007 when a friend of mine recommended her Girl Bachelor
books to me. There was a lyrical quality to her writing that drew me in
immediately, and I’ve been a LLG fan ever since. Secret Desires of a Gentleman is still one of my all time favorite
romances. With her new An American Heiress in London series, Laura has
introduced us to a whole new cast of characters to fall in love with.
Lady Belinda Feathestone is an American
heiress who married a British aristocrat who made no bones about the fact that
he married her for her money as soon as they wed. Now a widow, Belinda has
found a niche for herself helping other American heiresses navigate British
society and make good matches. Due to her past experience, she is once bitten
and more than twice shy. Belinda is on a mission to protect these young
heiresses from making an unwise match like she did. Therefore, when Nicholas,
the Marquess of Trubridge, an acknowledged rake and fortune hunter, asks her to
help him find a wife and catches the eye of friend and fellow heiress Rosalie
Harlow, she’s determined to stop him at all costs.
I struggled a bit with my feelings for
Belinda. On the one hand, I completely understood why she immediately saw
Nicholas as a foe to be vanquished, and why she would go to such lengths to
stop him. She is driven by her past experience, and wanting to protect her
clients from fortune hunters like her late husband. However, the tactics she
used went a bit too far, in my opinion, and made me lose some sympathy for her.
In addition, Belinda has her emotions so clamped down, and she is so consumed
with maintaining propriety and her reputation, that it made it hard for me to
relate to her. But ultimately, throughout the course of the novel, Belinda lets
down the walls she built up and learns to trust her heart again. I found myself
liking her more and more as she dealt with the scars from her past, and I liked
her true personality emerging. The real Belinda is actually very passionate and
feisty, and very protective of those she cares about. THAT Belinda I relate to
and would want as a friend. The leap of faith Belinda takes to prove her trust
and love for Nicholas truly warmed my heart and made me sigh with happiness.
Nicholas, the Marquess of Trubridge, is
not quite what he seems at first glance. Popular opinion is that he
deliberately thumbs his nose at his father, the Duke of Landsdowne, and lived a
carefree life on the continent, until his father forces his hand to find a
suitable bride. But there’s more to the story. I admired Nicholas wanting to
make something of himself on his own, and I found his fondness for science
interesting. I totally understood Nicholas lashing out at his controlling and
overbearing father by doing everything possible to aggravate him. Despite
Belinda’s initial impressions, Nicholas is caring, loyal, funny, and
trustworthy and has a big heart. In other words, a man who is nothing like her
first husband. I liked and rooted for him right away. He falls head over heels
for Belinda right away, and I related to his frustration with Belinda’s doubts
and reluctance to open up. But his determination to prove himself worthy of
Belinda made me melt and love him even more.
I like battle of the sexes stories, and When the Marquess Met His Match is a
great example. The sparks fly immediately, and Belinda and Nicholas butt heads
the minute they meet. The war they wage with each other was funny and Laura
uses it as a great opportunity to up the tension, conflict, and emotions
between Nicholas and Belinda. The first part of the book reminds me a bit of
Beatrice and Benedict from Shakespeare’s Much Ado when they insult and snipe at
each other, but you know the attraction and lust is boiling underneath. In a good romance novel, the love scenes are
just gratuitous, but they further the story and character development of the
hero and heroine. That is definitely the case with this book. Laura does a
great job of using the love scenes to show the increasing trust and intimacy
between Belinda and Nicholas, and that is one of my favorite aspects of the
book.
When
the Marquess Met His Match is not my favorite Laura Lee Guhrke, but it is still
a very good book. Laura definitely knows how to write a compelling story and
engage the readers’ emotions. Readers who enjoy great writing and battle of the
sexes story will enjoy this book. I am definitely looking forward to her next
American Heiress in London book.
