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An American Heiress in London #2
Un pacto audaz
Tenían un acuerdo…
Desde el momento en el que conoció al temerario duque de Margrave, Edie supo que su vida podía cambiar. Y cuando él aceptó su extraña propuesta de matrimonio de conveniencia, Edie pasó de ser una heredera americana con problemas a convertirse en una duquesa inglesa. Cinco años después, seguía encantada con aquel arreglo, especialmente, porque su marido vivía en otro continente.
Pero los acuerdos están hechos para romperse…
Al casarse con una heredera, Stuart pudo afrontar las cuantiosas deudas de su familia. Los términos establecidos por Edie, que le obligaban a abandonar Inglaterra para siempre, le parecieron un pequeño precio a pagar. Pero, cuando las circunstancias le forzaron a regresar a su país, decidió que ya era hora de disfrutar de un verdadero matrimonio con la atractiva mujer que tenía como esposa y le propuso un trato nuevo y audaz: diez días para conseguir que deseara besarle. ¿Pero bastarían diez días para ganar su corazón?
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2014
195 people are currently reading
2684 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lee Guhrke
42 books1,813 followersFrom the publication of her very first historical romance, Laura Lee Guhrke has received numerous honors and critical acclaim for her novels and her writing style. She has been honored with the most prestigious award of romance fiction, the Romance Writers of America Rita Award, and she has received additional awards from Romantic Times and All About Romance. Romantic Times has proclaimed her, “One of the most natural voices in historical romance to be found today”. Her books routinely hit the USA Today Bestseller List, and Guilty Pleasures has been honored with the Romantic Times Award for Best European Historical Romance of 2004. Among her publishing credits are twelve historical romances, including her latest, And Then He Kissed Her, now available from Avon Books.
Laura is currently hard at work on her thirteenth historical romance for Avon Books. She has also written articles for various publications, including the Romance Writers Report, The British Weekly , and the Irish-American Press.
Laura is currently hard at work on her thirteenth historical romance for Avon Books. She has also written articles for various publications, including the Romance Writers Report, The British Weekly , and the Irish-American Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 463 reviews
August 11, 2017
Creo que todos coincidimos en que cada vez que comenzamos un libro del género romántico (sobre todo histórico), tenemos un 100% de certeza respecto de cómo acabará. La gracia de estas lecturas está en el desarrollo, el argumento, los conflictos, los personajes y las situaciones que nos llevarán hacia aquel anhelado desenlace.
Inevitablemente las fórmulas se van acabando, por lo que una y otra vez nos vamos encontrando con los mismos clichés. Pero a veces… sólo a veces… se tiene la suerte de descubrir novelas del género con un trasfondo tan único y original, como es el caso de Un Pacto Audaz. La verdad, es muy poco lo que se puede decir sin revelar los secretos de este libro (que además, la sinopsis no deja entrever para nada), pero, sin duda, te deja los sentimientos a flor de piel.
Muy recomendable.
Inevitablemente las fórmulas se van acabando, por lo que una y otra vez nos vamos encontrando con los mismos clichés. Pero a veces… sólo a veces… se tiene la suerte de descubrir novelas del género con un trasfondo tan único y original, como es el caso de Un Pacto Audaz. La verdad, es muy poco lo que se puede decir sin revelar los secretos de este libro (que además, la sinopsis no deja entrever para nada), pero, sin duda, te deja los sentimientos a flor de piel.
Muy recomendable.
December 13, 2025
4⭐
Relectura disfrutada. Quizás no le he dado mayor nota porque el romance, a parte de esa seducción que protagoniza toda la novela, me ha parecido cogida con pinzas. Qué le enamora a él y qué le enamora a ella.... parece que, al final, fue un instalove. Y eso no lo compro
Me ha gustado.
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2016/...
Este sí que tiene el sello de la autora, aunque sorprende con un transfondo que me ha gustado mucho, sobre todo, porque me ha parecido una actitud muy coherente. Y no, no voy a decir de qué estoy hablando porque sería hacer un gran spoiler.
Solo diré que al leer la primera entrega de la serie me había hecho una idea muy equivocada de esta protagonista.
Quizás es una historia que no tiene gran cosa, realmente es una novela que transcurre sin grandes sobresaltos ni grandes giros, más de sentimientos y, sobre todo, de superaciones y conquistas.
Pero la he disfrutado mucho
Relectura disfrutada. Quizás no le he dado mayor nota porque el romance, a parte de esa seducción que protagoniza toda la novela, me ha parecido cogida con pinzas. Qué le enamora a él y qué le enamora a ella.... parece que, al final, fue un instalove. Y eso no lo compro
Me ha gustado.
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2016/...
Este sí que tiene el sello de la autora, aunque sorprende con un transfondo que me ha gustado mucho, sobre todo, porque me ha parecido una actitud muy coherente. Y no, no voy a decir de qué estoy hablando porque sería hacer un gran spoiler.
Solo diré que al leer la primera entrega de la serie me había hecho una idea muy equivocada de esta protagonista.
Quizás es una historia que no tiene gran cosa, realmente es una novela que transcurre sin grandes sobresaltos ni grandes giros, más de sentimientos y, sobre todo, de superaciones y conquistas.
Pero la he disfrutado mucho
November 20, 2015
4.5 lovely, sexy, joy filled stars!
Description...
From USA Today bestselling author Laura Lee Guhrke comes the story of a bargain, a marriage of convenience . . . and the chance for love to last a lifetimeMy review...
They had a deal . . .
From the moment she met the devil-may-care Duke of Margrave, Edie knew he could change her life. And when he agreed to her outrageous proposal of a marriage of convenience, she was transformed from ruined American heiress to English duchess. Five years later, she's delighted with their arrangement, especially since her husband is living on another continent.
But deals are made to be broken . . .
By marrying an heiress, Stuart was able to pay his family's enormous debts, and Edie's terms that he leave England forever seemed a small price to pay. But when a brush with death impels him home, he decides it's time for a real marriage with his luscious American bride, and he proposes a bold new bargain: ten days to win her willing kiss. But is ten days enough to win her heart?
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days took me by surprise! I was expecting a fun, mildly angsty, historical romance novel, but instead I got a delightful, deeply romantic, passionate and poignant love story. I sighed, I laughed, I fought back the tears... I adored every word!!!
Stuart and Edie have earned a place on my Top Couples shelf, a shelf that hasn't been added to in a long time. That should tell you something about their happily ever after... It's a beautiful thing.
An eARC was provided by Avon Books via Edelweiss and in return I'm giving them an honest review.
December 2, 2014
4.5 stars – Oh, Such Sweet Serendipity!
Ruined American heiress Edie Jewell flees to England hoping to find a suitable aristocratic husband. She knows exactly what she wants or - to be more precise - what she doesn’t want in a marriage. Edie’s almost out of time. She’s desperate. Returning to New York would be unbearable. Her matchmaker has been unsuccessful. What Edie wants in a husband seems impossible to find. Then, across a crowded ballroom, she sees her way out of hell.
Adventure-seeking Stuart is a duke. He’s penniless too. (It’s kismet!) The Duke of Margrave possesses reckless good looks and charm aplenty. Weighted down by debt and spendthrift relatives - desperately longing to continue his travels in Africa - he responsibly carries out his role as duke. Stuart dutifully attends a ball; unfortunately, it’s a dull event. Until,across a crowded ballroom, he sees the most intriguing girl he’s ever met.
Then, Stuart and Edie marry. They go their separate ways. He goes to Africa. Edie becomes the perfect duchess, lonely and safe. Five years and a lion attack later is where fate reunites them and their love story begins.
If you’ve ever felt that zing, lightning strike, or spark when meeting someone special – if you can remember what the clothes that person wore or the music that was playing in the background or the specific thoughts and feelings they invoked in you - you’ll adore the way this story’s hero engages his heroine. Stuart sees Edie’s beauty. He needs her love. He shares himself willingly. Don’t assume the title ”How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days” indicates a light romantic historical. Developing a memorable romantic couple is primary. The ‘ten days’ is not the timeframe of the book, so be at ease that nothing is forced in the characters or plot.
From across a crowded ballroom, Stuart sees Edie and she’s imprinted on his soul. Oh, Stuart! That all men should have a way with words. The fortress around Edie’s heart never stood a chance against him. Stuart is sensitive, but he also possesses a quick wit, keen intellect, strong will, and steadfast heart. Edie’s issues stemming from events of the oft-mentioned 'Saratoga' resolves in a very rewarding manner. Stuart helps her move forward. Edie gets her power back. Vulnerable revelations and sensual imagery mark the beginning of Stuart’s bid to win his wife’s love and respect. Happenstance leads two good people to find something valuable they deeply needed when they were not looking for it. Their meeting of the eyes was definitely a serendipitous moment.
”How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days” is a poignant historical romance and another beautifully crafted book by Laura Lee Guhrke. It’s a delicious seduction of the senses and an endearing love story. (Keep some tissues handy!) It was such a rewarding read that one can only hope that Ms. Guhrke continues the American Heiress in London series; perhaps, matchmaking other ‘Eton men.’
ARC courtesy of Avon (HarperCollins) via Edelweiss
Ruined American heiress Edie Jewell flees to England hoping to find a suitable aristocratic husband. She knows exactly what she wants or - to be more precise - what she doesn’t want in a marriage. Edie’s almost out of time. She’s desperate. Returning to New York would be unbearable. Her matchmaker has been unsuccessful. What Edie wants in a husband seems impossible to find. Then, across a crowded ballroom, she sees her way out of hell.
Adventure-seeking Stuart is a duke. He’s penniless too. (It’s kismet!) The Duke of Margrave possesses reckless good looks and charm aplenty. Weighted down by debt and spendthrift relatives - desperately longing to continue his travels in Africa - he responsibly carries out his role as duke. Stuart dutifully attends a ball; unfortunately, it’s a dull event. Until,across a crowded ballroom, he sees the most intriguing girl he’s ever met.
Then, Stuart and Edie marry. They go their separate ways. He goes to Africa. Edie becomes the perfect duchess, lonely and safe. Five years and a lion attack later is where fate reunites them and their love story begins.
If you’ve ever felt that zing, lightning strike, or spark when meeting someone special – if you can remember what the clothes that person wore or the music that was playing in the background or the specific thoughts and feelings they invoked in you - you’ll adore the way this story’s hero engages his heroine. Stuart sees Edie’s beauty. He needs her love. He shares himself willingly. Don’t assume the title ”How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days” indicates a light romantic historical. Developing a memorable romantic couple is primary. The ‘ten days’ is not the timeframe of the book, so be at ease that nothing is forced in the characters or plot.
From across a crowded ballroom, Stuart sees Edie and she’s imprinted on his soul. Oh, Stuart! That all men should have a way with words. The fortress around Edie’s heart never stood a chance against him. Stuart is sensitive, but he also possesses a quick wit, keen intellect, strong will, and steadfast heart. Edie’s issues stemming from events of the oft-mentioned 'Saratoga' resolves in a very rewarding manner. Stuart helps her move forward. Edie gets her power back. Vulnerable revelations and sensual imagery mark the beginning of Stuart’s bid to win his wife’s love and respect. Happenstance leads two good people to find something valuable they deeply needed when they were not looking for it. Their meeting of the eyes was definitely a serendipitous moment.
”How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days” is a poignant historical romance and another beautifully crafted book by Laura Lee Guhrke. It’s a delicious seduction of the senses and an endearing love story. (Keep some tissues handy!) It was such a rewarding read that one can only hope that Ms. Guhrke continues the American Heiress in London series; perhaps, matchmaking other ‘Eton men.’
ARC courtesy of Avon (HarperCollins) via Edelweiss
September 4, 2019
On Kindle sale Sep 4th 2019 for USD 1.99
It's a great thing, when you start reading a book and without noticing a few hours later you're at 70% on your Kindle wondering what happened. And the only reason you did not read it all they way through in one sitting is because you have to eat.
Solid writing and story telling, lovely characters, romantic, a little sad and dark, it's a slow burn, but it totally works.
It's a great thing, when you start reading a book and without noticing a few hours later you're at 70% on your Kindle wondering what happened. And the only reason you did not read it all they way through in one sitting is because you have to eat.
Solid writing and story telling, lovely characters, romantic, a little sad and dark, it's a slow burn, but it totally works.
September 6, 2023
Read: 8/20/23
Read Step. BOTM group read. The book is about the h doing everything in her power not to be around her husband. The H wants a real marriage now. Too bad the h is guarding a secret about her past.
It got frustrating and annoying all of her excuses. Even her spoiled brat sister got on my nerves. If these two had had an actual confession, the story would have been resolved. There was love there 🥰
I rooted for the H and prayed he fell for someone else, but it's not in the stars.
This was someone between okay and good!
Read Step. BOTM group read. The book is about the h doing everything in her power not to be around her husband. The H wants a real marriage now. Too bad the h is guarding a secret about her past.
It got frustrating and annoying all of her excuses. Even her spoiled brat sister got on my nerves. If these two had had an actual confession, the story would have been resolved. There was love there 🥰
I rooted for the H and prayed he fell for someone else, but it's not in the stars.
This was someone between okay and good!
November 29, 2018
Por si no les ha quedado claro ando en el mood Guhrke.
Este es el segundo libro de la serie herederas americanas y tiene como protagonistas a Edie y Stuart Duques de Margrave.
Su matrimonio es uno por conveniencia él necesitaba dinero para salvar las propiedades de su familia y ella necesitaba recuperar su honor pero sobre todo no quería volver a Nueva York donde su reputación está por los suelos, ella le propone un trata a este famoso y libertino Duque ella pagará todas sus deudas con su dote y mantendrá a toda su familia a cambio que le de independencia y él se vaya del país como tanto quiere y que no vuelva nunca.
Así pasan cinco años pero como todo acuerdo con el tiempo siempre cambian.
El Duque de Margrave ha regresado gracias a un incidente en África que lo ha hecho reflexionar. Stuart quiere estar en casa y conquistar a su esposa y ahora sí no la dejará que lo aleje.
Tiene 10 días para convencerla de que él es el hombre que la puede hacer feliz y que siempre la amará peo la tiene muy difícil.
Stuart es uno de los protagonistas más lindos que he leído, tierno y amoroso me sorprendió mucho porque pensé que sería el típico libertino que cambia por amor y así pero no porque él en realidad es así todo lindo y tiene una paciencia infinita.
A pesar de que ha sufrido no permite que eso lo controle al contrario lo hace actuar mejor.
Edie al principio no me estaba agradando pero conforme se fue abriendo y evolucionando a lo largo de la historia llegó a ser una gran protagonista, lo que le pasó fue algo terrible que la marcó e hizo que no creyera en el amor.
Es una historia bastante bonita, sentimental con momentos dolorosos pero sobre todo llena de amor.
Este es el segundo libro de la serie herederas americanas y tiene como protagonistas a Edie y Stuart Duques de Margrave.
Su matrimonio es uno por conveniencia él necesitaba dinero para salvar las propiedades de su familia y ella necesitaba recuperar su honor pero sobre todo no quería volver a Nueva York donde su reputación está por los suelos, ella le propone un trata a este famoso y libertino Duque ella pagará todas sus deudas con su dote y mantendrá a toda su familia a cambio que le de independencia y él se vaya del país como tanto quiere y que no vuelva nunca.
Así pasan cinco años pero como todo acuerdo con el tiempo siempre cambian.
El Duque de Margrave ha regresado gracias a un incidente en África que lo ha hecho reflexionar. Stuart quiere estar en casa y conquistar a su esposa y ahora sí no la dejará que lo aleje.
Tiene 10 días para convencerla de que él es el hombre que la puede hacer feliz y que siempre la amará peo la tiene muy difícil.
Stuart es uno de los protagonistas más lindos que he leído, tierno y amoroso me sorprendió mucho porque pensé que sería el típico libertino que cambia por amor y así pero no porque él en realidad es así todo lindo y tiene una paciencia infinita.
A pesar de que ha sufrido no permite que eso lo controle al contrario lo hace actuar mejor.
Edie al principio no me estaba agradando pero conforme se fue abriendo y evolucionando a lo largo de la historia llegó a ser una gran protagonista, lo que le pasó fue algo terrible que la marcó e hizo que no creyera en el amor.
Es una historia bastante bonita, sentimental con momentos dolorosos pero sobre todo llena de amor.
July 6, 2014
review posted on Got Fiction? book blog
3.5
So this review has taken me months to write. This is not a good sign.
First off, the title hints at witty Rom Com fun. There is none. Secondly, this book should include a trigger warning for rape. It doesn’t, but my review does.
TW for rape
I almost DNF’d it because I couldn’t stand the heroine Edie. I feel like even though we know what she went through almost immediately (not in detail, but enough to sympathize), I still couldn’t like her. I found her mean, cold and unnecessarily harsh. In my original review:
"3.5
I'll admit I didn't like the heroine Edie at first, even though I knew what she was going through.
I will also admit that I'm glad I finished it because about halfway through I changed my mind :)”
I said about halfway through I changed my mind, because Edie warmed up. A lot of why this review was hard for me to write, si that I feel Edie basically became a different person halfway through. I guess it’s personal growth for the character, but to be honest, I just felt like I had a different heroine halfway through. She could have still been distant to the hero without being mean or rude. She could have still made her points without being a jerk. I genuinely didn’t like Edie.
If the entire book could have featured the second-half Edie, I would have devoured it. I would have rated it a 5. But that first half Edie was just not relatable nor was she likeable.
Quick summary:
Edie was ruined in New York and even though her father is stinkin’ rich, he wasn’t part of the Knickerbocker set. Of course, the jerk who did the “ruining” (ie raping) went on his merry way of ruining the ladies of New York.
Edie goes to London to marry to clear her name. She sees a gorgeous man at a ball who she knows needs money and she proposes. Her one condition is that he goes back to Africa and never returns. She gets to manage his estates (he doesn’t want to, he wants to be free), and she gets the title and respectability. Stuart gets the money and gets to bail on all that dreaded responsibility. She says that she’ll consummate the marriage, but reeeeeaaaaallllyyyy doesn’t want to. He’s all “I get to run off to adventure! Wheee!”
But about 5 years later, he’s almost killed by a lion attack, and he realizes that he really likes his wife and he’d like to go back and start a family with her.
Yeah.
He comes home and Edie literally runs from him. She takes one look at him and runs to her carriage, telling her driver not to wait for his grace. Right.
Of course Stuart follows, it’s his home too after all.
This is where he makes the bargain. Give me 10 days, you’ll kiss me and we’ll live happily ever after ,but if you don’t, I’ll leave, divorce you, etc.
Of course she’s so traumatized still so she doesn’t even want to try to like him. Once she realizes she does like him, she is even more determined to win. Even though she wants him, she can’t imagine ever enjoying sex. So her solution is for them to separate. Of course.
The ending for Edie and Stuart was good, the ending for the villain was a cop out.
I loved the Edie who softened up a bit and relaxed. I just don’t understand why she was so giving and compassionate to her younger sister and every single person, but when she was around Stuart she was just a horrible person. The 2 Edies didn’t fit. I feel like we have 2 separate heroines.
Now, many others have given this 5 shining stars, so this could be me, but there are a lot of 1 stars too. I guess either you love it or hate it. I just happened to do both.
***ARC courtesy of Avon Addicts
3.5
So this review has taken me months to write. This is not a good sign.
First off, the title hints at witty Rom Com fun. There is none. Secondly, this book should include a trigger warning for rape. It doesn’t, but my review does.
TW for rape
I almost DNF’d it because I couldn’t stand the heroine Edie. I feel like even though we know what she went through almost immediately (not in detail, but enough to sympathize), I still couldn’t like her. I found her mean, cold and unnecessarily harsh. In my original review:
"3.5
I'll admit I didn't like the heroine Edie at first, even though I knew what she was going through.
I will also admit that I'm glad I finished it because about halfway through I changed my mind :)”
I said about halfway through I changed my mind, because Edie warmed up. A lot of why this review was hard for me to write, si that I feel Edie basically became a different person halfway through. I guess it’s personal growth for the character, but to be honest, I just felt like I had a different heroine halfway through. She could have still been distant to the hero without being mean or rude. She could have still made her points without being a jerk. I genuinely didn’t like Edie.
If the entire book could have featured the second-half Edie, I would have devoured it. I would have rated it a 5. But that first half Edie was just not relatable nor was she likeable.
Quick summary:
Edie was ruined in New York and even though her father is stinkin’ rich, he wasn’t part of the Knickerbocker set. Of course, the jerk who did the “ruining” (ie raping) went on his merry way of ruining the ladies of New York.
Edie goes to London to marry to clear her name. She sees a gorgeous man at a ball who she knows needs money and she proposes. Her one condition is that he goes back to Africa and never returns. She gets to manage his estates (he doesn’t want to, he wants to be free), and she gets the title and respectability. Stuart gets the money and gets to bail on all that dreaded responsibility. She says that she’ll consummate the marriage, but reeeeeaaaaallllyyyy doesn’t want to. He’s all “I get to run off to adventure! Wheee!”
But about 5 years later, he’s almost killed by a lion attack, and he realizes that he really likes his wife and he’d like to go back and start a family with her.
Yeah.
He comes home and Edie literally runs from him. She takes one look at him and runs to her carriage, telling her driver not to wait for his grace. Right.
Of course Stuart follows, it’s his home too after all.
This is where he makes the bargain. Give me 10 days, you’ll kiss me and we’ll live happily ever after ,but if you don’t, I’ll leave, divorce you, etc.
Of course she’s so traumatized still so she doesn’t even want to try to like him. Once she realizes she does like him, she is even more determined to win. Even though she wants him, she can’t imagine ever enjoying sex. So her solution is for them to separate. Of course.
The ending for Edie and Stuart was good, the ending for the villain was a cop out.
I loved the Edie who softened up a bit and relaxed. I just don’t understand why she was so giving and compassionate to her younger sister and every single person, but when she was around Stuart she was just a horrible person. The 2 Edies didn’t fit. I feel like we have 2 separate heroines.
Now, many others have given this 5 shining stars, so this could be me, but there are a lot of 1 stars too. I guess either you love it or hate it. I just happened to do both.
***ARC courtesy of Avon Addicts
September 25, 2020
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days is a book that is intended to be an uplifting story about how victims of sex assault can go on to have happy, meaningful romantic relationships. It’s a lovely story when viewed from high altitudes. And perhaps in 2014, this book’s main goal—to uplift a sector of women who are have been historically cast aside—would have overwritten its flaws.
Unfortunately for Laura Lee Guhrke, the year is now 2020, and certain parts of this book haven’t aged well at all. Spoiler: I’m talking about our “hero”—Stuart, the Duke of Margrave.
The backstory here is that Stuart was once an impoverished duke, and Edie was once a fabulously wealthy American heiress who was socially ruined after her longtime crush sexually assaulted her and then refused to marry her. Edie needed to be respectable; Stuart needed money. They marry and agree to live separately, all is fine and dandy.
But five years after their marriage, Stuart comes back from Africa (where he’s been engaging in typical colonialist bullshit) with a new outlook on life after a near-death experience. He wants Edie back. Poor, traumatized Edie, who thinks her assault was her own fault, does not want Stuart.
Romance stuff happens, blah blah blah.
Obviously, a major red flag here is that we have a duke who’s spent the past five years tromping around East Africa like it’s his private playground. To be fair, Guhrke attempts to characterize Stuart’s adventures as mostly benign—cartography, wildlife research, etc. Which is…fine, I guess. But then once Edie threatens to cut his allowance if he insists on moving in with her, we’re treated to this little chestnut:
Oh, of course! Just casually toss in that you own some fucking gold and diamond mines wherein native Africans are being forced to toil in dangerous conditions with meager pay! No problem, no problem at all. I love how Guhrke doesn’t even expect readers to take issue with this little factoid—that’s how deeply ingrained imperialism and racism are in historical romance. Readers are just meant to take this as a given. Fuck that.
But wait, there’s more!
At some point, Edie asks Stuart if he’s slept with other women over the course of their estrangement. Fair question! And honestly, nobody would have begrudged Stuart some human companionship, considering he was married in name only; even Edie admits this. However, let’s listen to how Stuart answers his wife’s question:
DON’T WORRY, EDIE! He didn’t have sex with those disgusting, syphilitic Black women in Kenya! Just the…French prostitutes, who meant nothing to him? So much “cleaner” and “safer”!
Like…I’m sorry, but WHAT? Do only Black people have syphilis now? Is that a historical thing? (Narrator: it is not.) Also…you fucking racist pisshead, nobody asked you WHO you slept with, just IF you slept with anybody. Why go into this long, apologetic monologue about avoiding the “nasty” African women in the first place, and distinguishing between lovers/mistresses/courtesans? Why is this relevant?
Answer: RAAAAACISM.
Fuck that.
And then moving on from obvious racial issues (which are horrible enough), let’s discuss how Stuart treats Edie in light of her status as a sexual assault survivor. He repeatedly assures her that he’s not like that other guy, that he’d never hurt her, that he’ll stop whenever she needs him to, etc. Nice words! I approve.
Except, the first time they have sex, Stuart’s so fucking absorbed by how wonderful her vagina feels that he can’t even take a quick second to check on his wife—who is having a panic attack because she’s just been triggered into reliving her sexual assault! Nice. AND THEN, Guhrke makes it clear that Stuart was not to blame for Edie’s bad sexual experience in this instance, because she didn’t verbally say the word “stop.” (Might I note that she was literally having a panic attack? That’s rather an unreasonable burden to put on Edie, in my humble opinion. )
Excuse me?
Pretty sure that if I’m having sex with somebody and they suddenly go stiff as a board and stop making “I’m enjoying this” noises, I’ll stop for a minute to make sure they’re still feeling the vibe. It’s common decency! Why was Stuart so absorbed in his own pleasure that he couldn’t even be bothered to check in on Edie—especially after all of his protestations of “not all men” and “but I’m different”? What is with the straights and their “once sex gets started, my animal urges kick in and nothing can stop me until my orgasm clears the fogs of lust” narrative???
So then we get to the Grand Gesture in How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days. It’s basically Edie apologizing for having a panic attack during sex? And then apologizing to Stuart for making him feel bad by telling him about her sexual assault in the first place? (To be fair to Stuart, he does tell her she has no need to apologize for his reaction to hearing her trauma, but still. Guhrke went there.) WHAT THE DAMN FUCK.
No. No. No.
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Unfortunately for Laura Lee Guhrke, the year is now 2020, and certain parts of this book haven’t aged well at all. Spoiler: I’m talking about our “hero”—Stuart, the Duke of Margrave.
The backstory here is that Stuart was once an impoverished duke, and Edie was once a fabulously wealthy American heiress who was socially ruined after her longtime crush sexually assaulted her and then refused to marry her. Edie needed to be respectable; Stuart needed money. They marry and agree to live separately, all is fine and dandy.
But five years after their marriage, Stuart comes back from Africa (where he’s been engaging in typical colonialist bullshit) with a new outlook on life after a near-death experience. He wants Edie back. Poor, traumatized Edie, who thinks her assault was her own fault, does not want Stuart.
Romance stuff happens, blah blah blah.
Obviously, a major red flag here is that we have a duke who’s spent the past five years tromping around East Africa like it’s his private playground. To be fair, Guhrke attempts to characterize Stuart’s adventures as mostly benign—cartography, wildlife research, etc. Which is…fine, I guess. But then once Edie threatens to cut his allowance if he insists on moving in with her, we’re treated to this little chestnut:
“I don’t care about the money.”
“You cared once.” She lifted her head, defiance in her eyes. “You might care again if I cut you off.”
“No, Edie, I wouldn’t, because for me, money isn’t the point. And besides, I’ve invested all the income you’ve already provided me and did rather a fine job of it, if I do say so myself. I managed to buy into some very profitable gold mines in East Africa, as well as some diamond mines, shale fields, and railways. All are paying healthy dividends.”
Oh, of course! Just casually toss in that you own some fucking gold and diamond mines wherein native Africans are being forced to toil in dangerous conditions with meager pay! No problem, no problem at all. I love how Guhrke doesn’t even expect readers to take issue with this little factoid—that’s how deeply ingrained imperialism and racism are in historical romance. Readers are just meant to take this as a given. Fuck that.
But wait, there’s more!
At some point, Edie asks Stuart if he’s slept with other women over the course of their estrangement. Fair question! And honestly, nobody would have begrudged Stuart some human companionship, considering he was married in name only; even Edie admits this. However, let’s listen to how Stuart answers his wife’s question:
“No, Edie, I didn’t have any women in Africa. That’s not to say I was celibate,” he added at once to make things clear. “I wasn’t. I had women, yes. But not in Africa. That’s because—” He broke off, suddenly feeling deuced awkward, but he’d promised her the truth. “Syphilis is very common. I didn’t want to catch it.”
Pink washed into her cheeks. “Oh.”
“It was usually easier to avoid feminine company altogether, but when things got desparate, I’d go to Paris.”
“So you had a lover in Paris, then?” …
“No, Edie, no. No lovers, no mistresses, nothing of that kind. Only courtesans I knew, and none of them meant anything to me.”
DON’T WORRY, EDIE! He didn’t have sex with those disgusting, syphilitic Black women in Kenya! Just the…French prostitutes, who meant nothing to him? So much “cleaner” and “safer”!
Like…I’m sorry, but WHAT? Do only Black people have syphilis now? Is that a historical thing? (Narrator: it is not.) Also…you fucking racist pisshead, nobody asked you WHO you slept with, just IF you slept with anybody. Why go into this long, apologetic monologue about avoiding the “nasty” African women in the first place, and distinguishing between lovers/mistresses/courtesans? Why is this relevant?
Answer: RAAAAACISM.
Fuck that.
And then moving on from obvious racial issues (which are horrible enough), let’s discuss how Stuart treats Edie in light of her status as a sexual assault survivor. He repeatedly assures her that he’s not like that other guy, that he’d never hurt her, that he’ll stop whenever she needs him to, etc. Nice words! I approve.
Except, the first time they have sex, Stuart’s so fucking absorbed by how wonderful her vagina feels that he can’t even take a quick second to check on his wife—who is having a panic attack because she’s just been triggered into reliving her sexual assault! Nice. AND THEN, Guhrke makes it clear that Stuart was not to blame for Edie’s bad sexual experience in this instance, because she didn’t verbally say the word “stop.” (Might I note that she was literally having a panic attack? That’s rather an unreasonable burden to put on Edie, in my humble opinion. )
Excuse me?
Pretty sure that if I’m having sex with somebody and they suddenly go stiff as a board and stop making “I’m enjoying this” noises, I’ll stop for a minute to make sure they’re still feeling the vibe. It’s common decency! Why was Stuart so absorbed in his own pleasure that he couldn’t even be bothered to check in on Edie—especially after all of his protestations of “not all men” and “but I’m different”? What is with the straights and their “once sex gets started, my animal urges kick in and nothing can stop me until my orgasm clears the fogs of lust” narrative???
So then we get to the Grand Gesture in How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days. It’s basically Edie apologizing for having a panic attack during sex? And then apologizing to Stuart for making him feel bad by telling him about her sexual assault in the first place? (To be fair to Stuart, he does tell her she has no need to apologize for his reaction to hearing her trauma, but still. Guhrke went there.) WHAT THE DAMN FUCK.
No. No. No.
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September 16, 2016
Me ha encantado, mucho más que la primera entrega de esta serie. Diez días para conseguir que ella desee besarle (no es spoiler, lo pone en la sinopsis). Para mí, se han reducido a cuatro en la lectura porque no podía soltar el libro. Si no le doy 5 estrellas es porque he leído alguna novela mejor de esta misma autora y porque creo que al protagonista masculino le falta un poco de la viveza que suelen tener los galanes de Guhrke. El romanticismo y la sensualidad que destila la historia sí están en su línea, igual que los secundarios y la fluidez en la narración y diálogos. Una novela que nos habla indirectamente de la lucha por superar los miedos, de los escudos con que los protegemos y la tenacidad con que los mantenemos en alto hasta que el amor consigue traspasarlos. Muy recomendable.
December 18, 2017
¡POR FAVOR!
Pero ¿cómo hace esta autora, para crear hombres de la talla de Stuart?
Hay reseñas mejores que las mías sobre este libro, por lo que solo diré que este libro es para mí la perseverancia, el respeto, y las palabras que dice Stuart
Que manera de conquistar y enamorar a una mujer con las palabras. Siempre las acertadas. Siempre palabras de aliento. Palabras que te llegan, te hacen suspirar, llorar, reir, amar a este hombre.
Edie, por supuesto, es la mejor contrincante para él. Pero la pobre no tiene nada que hacer, tiene la partida de ajedrez perdida. Porque ante Stuart y sus palabras, no puede luchar.
Stuart, yo juego contigo al ajedrez, damos paseos cuándo quieras y te doy todos los masajes que me pidas.
Pero ¿cómo hace esta autora, para crear hombres de la talla de Stuart?
Hay reseñas mejores que las mías sobre este libro, por lo que solo diré que este libro es para mí la perseverancia, el respeto, y las palabras que dice Stuart
Que manera de conquistar y enamorar a una mujer con las palabras. Siempre las acertadas. Siempre palabras de aliento. Palabras que te llegan, te hacen suspirar, llorar, reir, amar a este hombre.
Edie, por supuesto, es la mejor contrincante para él. Pero la pobre no tiene nada que hacer, tiene la partida de ajedrez perdida. Porque ante Stuart y sus palabras, no puede luchar.
Stuart, yo juego contigo al ajedrez, damos paseos cuándo quieras y te doy todos los masajes que me pidas.
September 18, 2022
⭐⭐
2 stars.
➕ What I liked :
Tall heroine.
➖ What I disliked:
Sensitive issues are written/handled in a rather tactless and thoughtless way. (sexual assault/rape, colonialism/imperialism, suicide etc.)
Slow-paced and sad/boring.
2 stars.
➕ What I liked :
Tall heroine.
➖ What I disliked:
Sensitive issues are written/handled in a rather tactless and thoughtless way. (sexual assault/rape, colonialism/imperialism, suicide etc.)
Slow-paced and sad/boring.
June 25, 2017
I can't believe I read book 2 before 3, but I am trying to read all of
Guhrke' s books, and the library didn't have book 1. This was almost a sad book because Edie, an American heiress who had a bad experience (do not want to give any spoilers) decided to come to England and find an impoverished aristocrat to marry. She saw the Duke of Margrave at a ball, and immediately proposed. She made a deal, knowing he wanted to explore Africa. She would revive his estates with her money, if he would go away forever. So off he went. However, forever is a long time. So, after facing death, he returns home after five years, and begins to court his wife. We of course learn of her ruin and his lifeless upbringing, and how they solve their problems is of course the fun part of the book. There is a particularly satisfying ending. I will be looking for the other books in this series.
Guhrke' s books, and the library didn't have book 1. This was almost a sad book because Edie, an American heiress who had a bad experience (do not want to give any spoilers) decided to come to England and find an impoverished aristocrat to marry. She saw the Duke of Margrave at a ball, and immediately proposed. She made a deal, knowing he wanted to explore Africa. She would revive his estates with her money, if he would go away forever. So off he went. However, forever is a long time. So, after facing death, he returns home after five years, and begins to court his wife. We of course learn of her ruin and his lifeless upbringing, and how they solve their problems is of course the fun part of the book. There is a particularly satisfying ending. I will be looking for the other books in this series.
February 22, 2016
I chose this book as one of the Best of 2014 at Romantic Historical Reviews.
* * * * *
Laura Lee Guhrke, one of my favorite historical romance authors, cleverly reworks the marriage of convenience trope in this funny, touching romance.
Yes, the Earl of Margrave must marry quickly to stave off bankruptcy, but his American heiress, Edie Jewell, has her own reasons for rushing into marriage. Her father is forcing her to return to New York, where she is a social pariah after being compromised and not married by the man involved.
It is Edie, not Stuart, who proposes. It is Edie, not Stuart, who insists that the marriage not be consummated. It is Edie, not Stuart, who sets the terms of the marriage. She will pay all of Stuart's debts, provide him with a generous income, support his impecunious relatives, and manage his estates. All that Stuart has to do is leave England and never come back. This condition sounds dire, but since Stuart has spent many years in Africa and wants only to return there forever, he accepts immediately.
Five years pass. Edie is quite happy with her estates, her charitable causes, and with raising her younger sister. Stuart enjoys his life in Africa but he suffers a serious injury and returns to England. He has had second thoughts about their arrangement, so he visits Edie to propose that they try to build a life together.
Stuart is quite a sympathetic character. We like him, so when Edie adamantly refuses to even consider being a real wife to him, she comes across as cold and unreasonably selfish. Stuart intuitively realizes that Edie's refusal has nothing to do with him, but rather stems from some trauma in her past. He sets out to find the reason and to woo her, but he has only ten days, as Edie has demanded a legal separation and booked passage back to America.
Stuart must be the most patient and understanding romantic hero I've ever read, as he tenderly, but determinedly, tries to help heal Edie's wounds. It is a lovely love story, and nothing feels contrived or trite. This is definitely Guhrke's best book since my favorite, And Then He Kissed Her. I highly recommend them both.
* * * * *
Laura Lee Guhrke, one of my favorite historical romance authors, cleverly reworks the marriage of convenience trope in this funny, touching romance.
Yes, the Earl of Margrave must marry quickly to stave off bankruptcy, but his American heiress, Edie Jewell, has her own reasons for rushing into marriage. Her father is forcing her to return to New York, where she is a social pariah after being compromised and not married by the man involved.
It is Edie, not Stuart, who proposes. It is Edie, not Stuart, who insists that the marriage not be consummated. It is Edie, not Stuart, who sets the terms of the marriage. She will pay all of Stuart's debts, provide him with a generous income, support his impecunious relatives, and manage his estates. All that Stuart has to do is leave England and never come back. This condition sounds dire, but since Stuart has spent many years in Africa and wants only to return there forever, he accepts immediately.
Five years pass. Edie is quite happy with her estates, her charitable causes, and with raising her younger sister. Stuart enjoys his life in Africa but he suffers a serious injury and returns to England. He has had second thoughts about their arrangement, so he visits Edie to propose that they try to build a life together.
Stuart is quite a sympathetic character. We like him, so when Edie adamantly refuses to even consider being a real wife to him, she comes across as cold and unreasonably selfish. Stuart intuitively realizes that Edie's refusal has nothing to do with him, but rather stems from some trauma in her past. He sets out to find the reason and to woo her, but he has only ten days, as Edie has demanded a legal separation and booked passage back to America.
Stuart must be the most patient and understanding romantic hero I've ever read, as he tenderly, but determinedly, tries to help heal Edie's wounds. It is a lovely love story, and nothing feels contrived or trite. This is definitely Guhrke's best book since my favorite, And Then He Kissed Her. I highly recommend them both.
June 23, 2017
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days
3.5 Stars
After a brush with death in Africa, Stuart Kendrick, Duke of Margrave, regrets the marriage of convenience he entered into with Edie Jewell and returns home to reclaim him wife. Unfortunately, Edie has enjoyed her five years of freedom from wedded bliss and has no intention of succumbing to her husband's skillful seduction … or so she thinks…
While Edie's fears and reservations regarding marriage are understandable given the circumstances, the fact that she is not as forthright with Stuart as he is with her makes it difficult to empathize with her. Moreover, her passivity in the relationship and her preference for running away rather than facing her fears make her less than appealing.
In contrast, Stuart's unreserved acceptance, caring consideration and determination to win Edie back (not to mention his fury and desire for vengeance on her behalf) make him a particularly engaging hero.
The romance is well written with just the right balance of chemistry, drama and humor. Edie's sister, Joanna, is charmingly precocious and her obvious attempts at matchmaking are entertaining. The ending is quite satisfying, but it would have been even better if Edie had .
All in all, a sweet second chances romance and the irresistible hero makes up for the less likable heroine.
3.5 Stars
After a brush with death in Africa, Stuart Kendrick, Duke of Margrave, regrets the marriage of convenience he entered into with Edie Jewell and returns home to reclaim him wife. Unfortunately, Edie has enjoyed her five years of freedom from wedded bliss and has no intention of succumbing to her husband's skillful seduction … or so she thinks…
While Edie's fears and reservations regarding marriage are understandable given the circumstances, the fact that she is not as forthright with Stuart as he is with her makes it difficult to empathize with her. Moreover, her passivity in the relationship and her preference for running away rather than facing her fears make her less than appealing.
In contrast, Stuart's unreserved acceptance, caring consideration and determination to win Edie back (not to mention his fury and desire for vengeance on her behalf) make him a particularly engaging hero.
The romance is well written with just the right balance of chemistry, drama and humor. Edie's sister, Joanna, is charmingly precocious and her obvious attempts at matchmaking are entertaining. The ending is quite satisfying, but it would have been even better if Edie had .
All in all, a sweet second chances romance and the irresistible hero makes up for the less likable heroine.
April 7, 2016
At last I could finish it. And I confess that I skipped some part of it for the sake of not make it DNF.
I should admit that author's writing style is very well and story development was handled very good. Problem is that I couldn't like heroine much. I could completely understand her reluctant to make a real marriage or her fear, insecurities. Yet, there was a man who almost died violently and there was not another solution for him other than to return his home. Her attitude towards hero's situation broke my enthusiasm, willingness to read their story.
In short, although I like writing and all other technical things, I couldn't get involve with story or had so good time which is the why I read romance continuously.
I should admit that author's writing style is very well and story development was handled very good. Problem is that I couldn't like heroine much. I could completely understand her reluctant to make a real marriage or her fear, insecurities. Yet, there was a man who almost died violently and there was not another solution for him other than to return his home. Her attitude towards hero's situation broke my enthusiasm, willingness to read their story.
In short, although I like writing and all other technical things, I couldn't get involve with story or had so good time which is the why I read romance continuously.
April 17, 2014
Stuart made a arrangement with Edie, to leave England once they married and her fortune paid his family's debts and that he would never return. So its been five years, and Stuart has been in Africa, but when a lioness attacks him and he almost dies, there is one face that kept him alive, his wife Edie. So he has a new purpose in life, to return to England and win her heart. Edie left America to escape a scandal that was forced on her, and when she first saw Stuart she knew he was the way to get her independence, but knew she could never be intimate with him. Its been five years, and she has managed all of his estates, and dealt with his distant relatives, and trying to send her younger sister to school. Then he shows up right in front of her, and she can't believe that her husband is in England, when she didn't expect to ever see him again. Stuart knows he has a battle to win with Edie, and he forms a agreement with her, if he can get her to kiss him in ten days then she will stay in England and be his wife, but if he can't get her to kiss him then he will sign separation forms. So Stuart begins a slow seduction of his wife, wanting to coax her into opening to him, to trust him with a secret that he knows she is hiding, and make her believe that he loves her and will anything to keep her in his life, the battle is on!!
How To Lose A Duke In Ten Days is the second book in the latest series by Laura Lee Gurhke. For some reason I don't think I have read the first book, which is strange considering how much I adore this author, I will read anything she writes. Ever since I read "Marriage Bed" I was fascinated with this author, and I have enjoyed every book she has written, so its not surprise I fell in love with Stuart and Edie. Before I had a chance to read this, I read some fantastic reviews on this story, and I was very excited to start it. This is a story that is one of my favorite set ups in regency romance. A injured hero, needing reconciliation with his wife, and a slow seduction--oh boy, did I love these two. Edie is stubborn and almost leaves England before really talking with Stuart, she is a fighter, and wants her independence and freedom, and at first you think she seems a bit high handed and eccentric. Who runs from a handsome scoundrel of a husband that wants her body and soul right? When you realize the secret that Edie has kept secret, and to herself, you start to understand her in a different light. Stuart is a delectable hero of this story. I just loved him from the beginning, you see how much he is willing to do to gain Edie's trust. He is a bit injured, and I loved how he handles his injury, and the way he forms a bond with Edie, and their chemistry is slow but strong and it was a very stimulating experience seeing these two come together.
There was so many beautiful and tender scenes that wrung my emotions, and I did need a tissue or two. The steam level in this book is under "warm", passionate but not over kill and I felt like it the whipping cream on the most tasty treat. What really got to me was the growth of their relationship emotionally. Especially the later half of the story, I could barely keep a grip on my emotions, I was all over the place. When these two start to develop a trusting relationship, and desire flares, that is when things get heated and highly involved and what a variety of spices and flavors of passion and love. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a tender love story, endearing characters, and rich in emotion and drama...A DELIGHTFUL TREAT TO WARM YOU ALL OVER!!!
How To Lose A Duke In Ten Days is the second book in the latest series by Laura Lee Gurhke. For some reason I don't think I have read the first book, which is strange considering how much I adore this author, I will read anything she writes. Ever since I read "Marriage Bed" I was fascinated with this author, and I have enjoyed every book she has written, so its not surprise I fell in love with Stuart and Edie. Before I had a chance to read this, I read some fantastic reviews on this story, and I was very excited to start it. This is a story that is one of my favorite set ups in regency romance. A injured hero, needing reconciliation with his wife, and a slow seduction--oh boy, did I love these two. Edie is stubborn and almost leaves England before really talking with Stuart, she is a fighter, and wants her independence and freedom, and at first you think she seems a bit high handed and eccentric. Who runs from a handsome scoundrel of a husband that wants her body and soul right? When you realize the secret that Edie has kept secret, and to herself, you start to understand her in a different light. Stuart is a delectable hero of this story. I just loved him from the beginning, you see how much he is willing to do to gain Edie's trust. He is a bit injured, and I loved how he handles his injury, and the way he forms a bond with Edie, and their chemistry is slow but strong and it was a very stimulating experience seeing these two come together.
There was so many beautiful and tender scenes that wrung my emotions, and I did need a tissue or two. The steam level in this book is under "warm", passionate but not over kill and I felt like it the whipping cream on the most tasty treat. What really got to me was the growth of their relationship emotionally. Especially the later half of the story, I could barely keep a grip on my emotions, I was all over the place. When these two start to develop a trusting relationship, and desire flares, that is when things get heated and highly involved and what a variety of spices and flavors of passion and love. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a tender love story, endearing characters, and rich in emotion and drama...A DELIGHTFUL TREAT TO WARM YOU ALL OVER!!!
October 20, 2017
Solid 3.5, rounded up to 4 for the nice romance aspect.
This turned out to be lovely story.
What I liked:
-No OW drama
-hero was actually a very sensitive, decent man (despite the African hunter rubbish that I hate)
-heroine was a kind, courageous, intelligent woman who managed estates competently
-The sweet and sexy way the hero went about seducing his wife, helping her to get past the nasty event that happened in America
What I didn't like so much:
-that the hero had hunted elephants etc in Africa (poetic justice that he was mauled by a lioness)
-that the heroine's obvious competence in managing a number of estates for 5 years ALONE was never acknowledged by the hero, except in a lukewarm way-he noted (to himself- never actually told HER) that she had done "quite a good job" (damned with faint praise, much?)
-that the hero was financially dependent on the heroine, her money had saved his almost bankrupt Duchy, yet everyone deferred to him (even the staff, although he had been in absentia for 5 years)
-could not stand the little sister Joanna- total pain.
So a few "feminist" issues for me, but I still enjoyed the book. The writing was good, the Americanisms (by the English characters- didn't mind them by the Americans, of course!) were relatively few and it was a sweetly sexy read.
Will definitely be reading more by this author.
This turned out to be lovely story.
What I liked:
-No OW drama
-hero was actually a very sensitive, decent man (despite the African hunter rubbish that I hate)
-heroine was a kind, courageous, intelligent woman who managed estates competently
-The sweet and sexy way the hero went about seducing his wife, helping her to get past the nasty event that happened in America
What I didn't like so much:
-that the hero had hunted elephants etc in Africa (poetic justice that he was mauled by a lioness)
-that the heroine's obvious competence in managing a number of estates for 5 years ALONE was never acknowledged by the hero, except in a lukewarm way-he noted (to himself- never actually told HER) that she had done "quite a good job" (damned with faint praise, much?)
-that the hero was financially dependent on the heroine, her money had saved his almost bankrupt Duchy, yet everyone deferred to him (even the staff, although he had been in absentia for 5 years)
-could not stand the little sister Joanna- total pain.
So a few "feminist" issues for me, but I still enjoyed the book. The writing was good, the Americanisms (by the English characters- didn't mind them by the Americans, of course!) were relatively few and it was a sweetly sexy read.
Will definitely be reading more by this author.
July 25, 2016
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars.
First things first. Other than in the title, this book bears no relation whatsoever to the movie How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, so please don’t let the title deter you from reading this well-told, poignant and romantic story! This is the second book in Ms Guhrke’s American Heiress in London series, and features one of the secondary characters from book one, Edie, Duchess of Margrave, a lady who is quite happy about the fact that her husband left England a month after their marriage and looks set to remain in absentia for the foreseeable future.
At nineteen, Edie Jewell is one of a number of astoundingly rich American heiresses to have come to London in search of a husband. But her time is running out. If she can’t secure a match within the next three days, her father will be returning to New York and she will have no choice but to accompany him, something she is absolutely does not want to do. Returning home will mean facing gossip and worse still, the man responsible for her ruin – and she is becoming increasingly desperate.
The handsome, young Duke of Margrave has a reputation as a bit of a ladies’ man and is already making himself a name as an explorer as a result of his travels in Africa. He has recently inherited an empty title – his estates are so encumbered by the debts run up by his father and grandfather that he is practically bankrupt, and all he wants to do is leave it all behind and return to the life he has begun making for himself in Africa.
Edie knows this is her last chance to do what she came to England for, and boldly makes Margrave an offer. If he marries her, she will pay all his family’s debts, manage his estates, deal with his scrounging relatives and provide him with a generous income for the rest of his life, but only on condition that he leaves England and never comes back. The duke is, not unsurprisingly, rather taken aback at the idea of striking such an odd bargain, but having already decided to return to Africa, and having made sure she understands that once done, their marriage cannot be undone, he agrees.
But life has a way of altering the best laid of plans, and Edie is horrified when, after an absence of five years, Margrave returns to England, telling her that he wants to make a life with her. He gives his reasons eloquently and poignantly, but Edie is unmoved and refuses him outright, telling him she has no interest in a real marriage or having a family. She enjoys her independence and her life is full with managing the Margrave estates, looking after her sister, and her various charitable activities, all of which she will have to give up because she cannot stomach the idea of living with her husband. She panics, runs off to London to seek legal advice and books tickets for herself and her younger sister on the next ship to New York, which leaves in eleven days’ time.
While Margrave – Stuart – is aware that his sudden appearance and his request that he and Edie reconcile have come as a shock to her, he is surprised at the desperation he senses in her to have nothing to do with him, and sets out to find out why. He also persuades her to give him – to give them a chance – if he can get her to kiss him (i.e, initiate a kiss rather than respond to one) within the next ten days, she will abandon her request for a legal separation and will live with him as his wife. Seeing as she has absolutely no intention or desire to allow Margrave into her life, Edie thinks she may as well agree, because she knows there is no way he will be able to change her mind.
Stuart has already realised that he has taken on a task of Herculean proportions and that all the avenues he might normally have taken in order to woo a lady will all be dead ends when it comes to his wife. Instead, he decides to try to cement a friendship between them, hoping that perhaps he will be able to find a way to spark the passion he senses she is firmly keeping in check.
At first, Edie comes across as pig-headed and cold. She refuses to hear any of what Stuart is telling her or to see that he’s actually a kind, considerate man because she’s so completely focused on her own wants. But it’s not that simple. The man responsible for the nineteen-year-old Edie’s ruin didn’t merely destroy her reputation, he violated her. So it’s no wonder she is so resistant to the idea of living with a man. Fortunately, it doesn’t take Stuart too long to work out the reasons behind Edie’s fear of intimacy. Naturally he’s horrified and angry; but to Edie’s surprise, his rage is all on her behalf.
I admit that I’m always a little wary when I read a book in which one of the protagonists has suffered sexual trauma, because I’m never sure how realistic the author’s solution is going to be, and I don’t like it when serious issues are glossed over. Fortunately, I don’t think that happens here. I’m not an expert and certainly wouldn’t presume to say that what happens in one book is more realistic than what happens in another, but Ms Guhrke has definitely treated the subject with sensitivity.
The writing flows really well and the characterisation of both leads is excellent. Stuart is a terrific hero – not an alpha, not a beta, but with the best characteristics of each: self-confidence combined with sensitivity. The near-fatal injury he suffers in Africa forces him to re-evaluate his life, and while his emotional scars may not run as deep as Edie’s, he is in need of healing, too. But even so, and although he only has ten days in which to convince Edie that they should stay together, he doesn’t try to rush things, and focuses on what Edie needs rather than his own desires. I really liked the glimpses we were given of the month they spent together after their wedding, when it was clear – to the reader, if not to Edie – that Stuart was already more than half-way in love with the woman he’d married.
I enjoyed How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days very much indeed. The romance is well developed, with the protagonists forging a deep emotional connection and coming to a better understanding of each other. Stuart’s unhurried seduction is rather delicious; Ms Guhrke infuses even the slightest touch with a simmering sensuality which she never overplays, and while there are a couple of sex scenes towards the end of the book, just as much – if not more – importance is placed on the power of words, emotion and, best of all, romance.
First things first. Other than in the title, this book bears no relation whatsoever to the movie How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, so please don’t let the title deter you from reading this well-told, poignant and romantic story! This is the second book in Ms Guhrke’s American Heiress in London series, and features one of the secondary characters from book one, Edie, Duchess of Margrave, a lady who is quite happy about the fact that her husband left England a month after their marriage and looks set to remain in absentia for the foreseeable future.
At nineteen, Edie Jewell is one of a number of astoundingly rich American heiresses to have come to London in search of a husband. But her time is running out. If she can’t secure a match within the next three days, her father will be returning to New York and she will have no choice but to accompany him, something she is absolutely does not want to do. Returning home will mean facing gossip and worse still, the man responsible for her ruin – and she is becoming increasingly desperate.
The handsome, young Duke of Margrave has a reputation as a bit of a ladies’ man and is already making himself a name as an explorer as a result of his travels in Africa. He has recently inherited an empty title – his estates are so encumbered by the debts run up by his father and grandfather that he is practically bankrupt, and all he wants to do is leave it all behind and return to the life he has begun making for himself in Africa.
Edie knows this is her last chance to do what she came to England for, and boldly makes Margrave an offer. If he marries her, she will pay all his family’s debts, manage his estates, deal with his scrounging relatives and provide him with a generous income for the rest of his life, but only on condition that he leaves England and never comes back. The duke is, not unsurprisingly, rather taken aback at the idea of striking such an odd bargain, but having already decided to return to Africa, and having made sure she understands that once done, their marriage cannot be undone, he agrees.
But life has a way of altering the best laid of plans, and Edie is horrified when, after an absence of five years, Margrave returns to England, telling her that he wants to make a life with her. He gives his reasons eloquently and poignantly, but Edie is unmoved and refuses him outright, telling him she has no interest in a real marriage or having a family. She enjoys her independence and her life is full with managing the Margrave estates, looking after her sister, and her various charitable activities, all of which she will have to give up because she cannot stomach the idea of living with her husband. She panics, runs off to London to seek legal advice and books tickets for herself and her younger sister on the next ship to New York, which leaves in eleven days’ time.
While Margrave – Stuart – is aware that his sudden appearance and his request that he and Edie reconcile have come as a shock to her, he is surprised at the desperation he senses in her to have nothing to do with him, and sets out to find out why. He also persuades her to give him – to give them a chance – if he can get her to kiss him (i.e, initiate a kiss rather than respond to one) within the next ten days, she will abandon her request for a legal separation and will live with him as his wife. Seeing as she has absolutely no intention or desire to allow Margrave into her life, Edie thinks she may as well agree, because she knows there is no way he will be able to change her mind.
Stuart has already realised that he has taken on a task of Herculean proportions and that all the avenues he might normally have taken in order to woo a lady will all be dead ends when it comes to his wife. Instead, he decides to try to cement a friendship between them, hoping that perhaps he will be able to find a way to spark the passion he senses she is firmly keeping in check.
At first, Edie comes across as pig-headed and cold. She refuses to hear any of what Stuart is telling her or to see that he’s actually a kind, considerate man because she’s so completely focused on her own wants. But it’s not that simple. The man responsible for the nineteen-year-old Edie’s ruin didn’t merely destroy her reputation, he violated her. So it’s no wonder she is so resistant to the idea of living with a man. Fortunately, it doesn’t take Stuart too long to work out the reasons behind Edie’s fear of intimacy. Naturally he’s horrified and angry; but to Edie’s surprise, his rage is all on her behalf.
I admit that I’m always a little wary when I read a book in which one of the protagonists has suffered sexual trauma, because I’m never sure how realistic the author’s solution is going to be, and I don’t like it when serious issues are glossed over. Fortunately, I don’t think that happens here. I’m not an expert and certainly wouldn’t presume to say that what happens in one book is more realistic than what happens in another, but Ms Guhrke has definitely treated the subject with sensitivity.
The writing flows really well and the characterisation of both leads is excellent. Stuart is a terrific hero – not an alpha, not a beta, but with the best characteristics of each: self-confidence combined with sensitivity. The near-fatal injury he suffers in Africa forces him to re-evaluate his life, and while his emotional scars may not run as deep as Edie’s, he is in need of healing, too. But even so, and although he only has ten days in which to convince Edie that they should stay together, he doesn’t try to rush things, and focuses on what Edie needs rather than his own desires. I really liked the glimpses we were given of the month they spent together after their wedding, when it was clear – to the reader, if not to Edie – that Stuart was already more than half-way in love with the woman he’d married.
I enjoyed How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days very much indeed. The romance is well developed, with the protagonists forging a deep emotional connection and coming to a better understanding of each other. Stuart’s unhurried seduction is rather delicious; Ms Guhrke infuses even the slightest touch with a simmering sensuality which she never overplays, and while there are a couple of sex scenes towards the end of the book, just as much – if not more – importance is placed on the power of words, emotion and, best of all, romance.
December 16, 2015
Five years ago, Edie Jewell married Stuart (I seriously don't think he has a last time), the Duke of Margrave and they made a deal: in exchange for buckets of money, Stuart would vacate to Africa and never return. Except then he gets half eaten by a lion and decides he'd rather have a real marriage. Except will he be able to melt his cold-as-ice duchess before she leaves him in TEN DAYS??? (See, I tied in the title.)
1. I won't fault Guhrke for the mismatch between the title and the tone: I have a feeling that could be the publisher's doing, perhaps?
2. I should note immediately that I am going to be speaking from a place of great ignorance for much of this review. In addition, my response to this book--and the book itself--can't be discussed in great detail without a trigger warning [trigger warning: rape]
Now onto completely superficial notes:
3. That ending chapter felt like it came from a different ball game. None of the story beats seemed to build to Stuart, tearily offering to release Edie while Edie broadly declaimed her love. Don't get me wrong--I could see glimmers of that setup in the preceding chapters, but overall there was too large a gap to bridge the two.
4. One of Edie's big concerns about having Stuart back in England was that he would overrule her in management of the estates. This was never addressed again and it bothered me.
5. I really enjoyed the fact that this was set in England ~1889 and it felt like it. Mentions of Africa, shirtwaists, trains: it had some of the same feeling Brockway's novels have, where the world feels larger than the ducal estate and London. Characters can flee their houses and be in a different place in a matter of hours because locomotion; journals and magazines were reporting on the big, wide world; things were happening that made the universe a complex, vital place and Guhrke captured those horizons very well, in my opinion.
6. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars,
1. I won't fault Guhrke for the mismatch between the title and the tone: I have a feeling that could be the publisher's doing, perhaps?
2. I should note immediately that I am going to be speaking from a place of great ignorance for much of this review. In addition, my response to this book--and the book itself--can't be discussed in great detail without a trigger warning [trigger warning: rape]
Now onto completely superficial notes:
3. That ending chapter felt like it came from a different ball game. None of the story beats seemed to build to Stuart, tearily offering to release Edie while Edie broadly declaimed her love. Don't get me wrong--I could see glimmers of that setup in the preceding chapters, but overall there was too large a gap to bridge the two.
4. One of Edie's big concerns about having Stuart back in England was that he would overrule her in management of the estates. This was never addressed again and it bothered me.
5. I really enjoyed the fact that this was set in England ~1889 and it felt like it. Mentions of Africa, shirtwaists, trains: it had some of the same feeling Brockway's novels have, where the world feels larger than the ducal estate and London. Characters can flee their houses and be in a different place in a matter of hours because locomotion; journals and magazines were reporting on the big, wide world; things were happening that made the universe a complex, vital place and Guhrke captured those horizons very well, in my opinion.
6. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars,
February 23, 2016
AUDIO REVIEW
As a fan of Laura Lee Guhrke, I judged this book as her best since the marvelous And Then He Kissed Her. The audio version, narrated by Susan Ericksen, was fine, but I didn't feel that the narrator really added anything to the reading experience. Her voices for the hero and heroine were too similar for my ears.
It still burns me that LLG's most recent books are all coming out simultaneously in print/digital/audio , but there is still no audio of And Then He Kissed Her, which is her most popular title by far.
As a fan of Laura Lee Guhrke, I judged this book as her best since the marvelous And Then He Kissed Her. The audio version, narrated by Susan Ericksen, was fine, but I didn't feel that the narrator really added anything to the reading experience. Her voices for the hero and heroine were too similar for my ears.
It still burns me that LLG's most recent books are all coming out simultaneously in print/digital/audio , but there is still no audio of And Then He Kissed Her, which is her most popular title by far.
November 24, 2016
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars. This was a first for me by this author and I really loved it. What a great find and only because friend, Carol Cork, recommended it; I would normally by-pass a book with such a silly title! But this is a lovely story, with memorable characters, beautifully written and covering serious issues still relevant today.
I listened to the audio version narrated by Susan Ericksen and didn't think I'd enjoy it as I'm a bit stuck in my ways and have my favourites, but she did a fab job. I especially think she captured the, younger, 15 year old sister expertly. I shan't be put off in future when I see this narrator's name.
I listened to the audio version narrated by Susan Ericksen and didn't think I'd enjoy it as I'm a bit stuck in my ways and have my favourites, but she did a fab job. I especially think she captured the, younger, 15 year old sister expertly. I shan't be put off in future when I see this narrator's name.
January 2, 2025
4.5 stars
Arc provided by Avon through Edelweiss
TW: mentions of rape
Having read the first book in this series, I was eagerly anticipating Edie and Stuart, the Duke and Duchess of Malgrave's story.
The duchess who had won her freedom by making a pact with her future husband, had definitely caught my interest. The deal: She would save him and his family from bankruptcy with her dowry, she would become a Duchess, and after that, both of them would follow their own paths.
Pretty straightforward, right?
Now, what do you think would happen if the Duke had a change of heart?
What if _ after five years gone _ he decided that he wanted a true marriage?
Stuart, the Duke of Malgrave doesn't see the problem with wanting to have a proper marriage.
He's an amiable chap, not bad looking, _the lioness didn't chew any vital part of his body _ and one can say that he may even have fallen in love with Edie at first sight...
The problem being, Edie wasn't interested in romance or in letting herself fall in love when she met Stuart. Let me correct that: She still isn't interested in marriage or children... even though she may be attracted to her husband.
The title is somewhat misleading. This is not a funny, silly and light story. On the contrary.
Edie has very strong reasons to want to protect her heart and her body.
She was raped a couple of years back. As a result, her reputation ended up ruined, therefore her father trying to marry her _ an american heiress _ into an English title.
I must say that I felt that the author approached this subject in a very careful way, and even knowing Edie's story, I kept hoping for these two people to find a way to make a relationship work. No matter how much time it took.
I appreciated the fact that the author "waited" five years to let Stuart return... Just like I appreciated that Edie got to be the master of her own house, and of her own world, allowing her to develop her self esteem and her personality.
We get a little insight into what must have been a thorough source of conflict between the English way (the old way, the correct way) and the American way, with Edie's and her butler small "bickeries".
Also, as has been the case in the latest author's works, this story seems to have taken place towards the end of the nineteenth century.
As a reader I can't help feeling that this opens up a whole new role of possibilities story-wise.
In this one we get to know how annulment and the possibility of divorce was seen. What was needed in order to get it... unfortunately almost a miracle, but it existed.
This romance wouldn't have worked out if the trauma Edie suffered had been neglected story wise.
It wasn't, which allowed for a much stronger story.
Stuart is a calm person, but a determined one, and even though I had my doubts regarding the bet these two made (there my four star... and the reason for the title) I think the way the author dealt with this matter was as good as possible, taking into consideration that this is a romance novel.
This means that this felt as real as possible in a novel that would have to finish with a HEA.
Bottom Line: Despite some slower parts _ due to the theme and what was happening _ and the fact that I wouldn't mind if a certain scene had been even more delayed _ and even though the outcome felt very realistic _ this is a very solid story, developed around a sensitive theme, and that as such deserves the respect dealt by the author.
Definitely recommended.
Arc provided by Avon through Edelweiss
TW: mentions of rape
Having read the first book in this series, I was eagerly anticipating Edie and Stuart, the Duke and Duchess of Malgrave's story.
The duchess who had won her freedom by making a pact with her future husband, had definitely caught my interest. The deal: She would save him and his family from bankruptcy with her dowry, she would become a Duchess, and after that, both of them would follow their own paths.
Pretty straightforward, right?
Now, what do you think would happen if the Duke had a change of heart?
What if _ after five years gone _ he decided that he wanted a true marriage?
Stuart, the Duke of Malgrave doesn't see the problem with wanting to have a proper marriage.
He's an amiable chap, not bad looking, _the lioness didn't chew any vital part of his body _ and one can say that he may even have fallen in love with Edie at first sight...
The problem being, Edie wasn't interested in romance or in letting herself fall in love when she met Stuart. Let me correct that: She still isn't interested in marriage or children... even though she may be attracted to her husband.
The title is somewhat misleading. This is not a funny, silly and light story. On the contrary.
Edie has very strong reasons to want to protect her heart and her body.
She was raped a couple of years back. As a result, her reputation ended up ruined, therefore her father trying to marry her _ an american heiress _ into an English title.
I must say that I felt that the author approached this subject in a very careful way, and even knowing Edie's story, I kept hoping for these two people to find a way to make a relationship work. No matter how much time it took.
I appreciated the fact that the author "waited" five years to let Stuart return... Just like I appreciated that Edie got to be the master of her own house, and of her own world, allowing her to develop her self esteem and her personality.
We get a little insight into what must have been a thorough source of conflict between the English way (the old way, the correct way) and the American way, with Edie's and her butler small "bickeries".
Also, as has been the case in the latest author's works, this story seems to have taken place towards the end of the nineteenth century.
As a reader I can't help feeling that this opens up a whole new role of possibilities story-wise.
In this one we get to know how annulment and the possibility of divorce was seen. What was needed in order to get it... unfortunately almost a miracle, but it existed.
This romance wouldn't have worked out if the trauma Edie suffered had been neglected story wise.
It wasn't, which allowed for a much stronger story.
Stuart is a calm person, but a determined one, and even though I had my doubts regarding the bet these two made (there my four star... and the reason for the title) I think the way the author dealt with this matter was as good as possible, taking into consideration that this is a romance novel.
This means that this felt as real as possible in a novel that would have to finish with a HEA.
Bottom Line: Despite some slower parts _ due to the theme and what was happening _ and the fact that I wouldn't mind if a certain scene had been even more delayed _ and even though the outcome felt very realistic _ this is a very solid story, developed around a sensitive theme, and that as such deserves the respect dealt by the author.
Definitely recommended.
November 12, 2017
Qué libro más bonito, si señor. Jamás me imaginé lo que había detrás de toda la historia. Stuart me ha encantado y Edie, qué decir de Edie! Creo que comienzo a conocer a esta autora y le gustan los finales precipitados!! Jajaja Pero, bueno, ojalá todos los males fueran solo eso. De momento, esta serie, para los amantes de histórica, muy recomendable.
October 26, 2017
Realized this was a re-read after the 3rd chapter and brought back memories for me.
What worked for me was his persistence in winning his wife back as helping her overcome her bad experience in the States.
Was a lovely story and I enjoyed it the first time via audi. Like Ms Guhrke novels and look forward to finishing the series.
4-stars
What worked for me was his persistence in winning his wife back as helping her overcome her bad experience in the States.
Was a lovely story and I enjoyed it the first time via audi. Like Ms Guhrke novels and look forward to finishing the series.
4-stars
December 13, 2013
That was so, SO good.
A hero-in-pursuit, a skittish heroine, and slow seduction -- my favorites!
A very solid 4.5/5 Stars
A hero-in-pursuit, a skittish heroine, and slow seduction -- my favorites!
A very solid 4.5/5 Stars
July 26, 2024
Review from 2015
B for narration /B+ for content.
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days, the second book in Laura Lee Guhrke’s An American Heiress in London series, tells the story of a young woman who needs to marry quickly, but who doesn’t want a man in her life. Ever.
Edie Jewell is just nineteen, and is one of a number of immensely rich American heiresses searching the British aristocracy for a suitable husband. Unfortunately, she hasn’t met with success and she has only three more days before her she will have to return to New York with her father. Edie is desperate to stay in England because of the gossip she will face at home – and because she will have to face the man who ruined her.
The handsome young Duke of Margrave has only recently come into his title, but the debts run up by his father and grandfather mean that he is practically bankrupt. He wants nothing more than to leave it all behind and return to the life he has begun making for himself in Africa.
Knowing this, Edie makes Margrave – Stuart – an offer. If he marries her, she will pay all his family’s debts, manage his estates, deal with his scrounging relatives and provide him with a generous income for the rest of his life, but only on condition that he leaves England and never comes back. Stuart is surprised at both the offer and conditions, but having already decided to return to Africa, and having made sure Edie understands that once done, their marriage cannot be undone, he agrees.
But life has a way of altering the best laid of plans, and Edie is horrified when, after an absence of five years, and following a near-fatal injury, Margrave returns to England, and tells her that he wants to make a life with her. He gives his reasons eloquently and poignantly, but Edie is unmoved and refuses him outright, telling him she has no interest in a real marriage or having a family.
Margrave knows that his sudden reappearance must have come as a shock to Edie, but he doesn’t understand her desperation to have nothing to do with him and wants to find out why. He asks her to give them a chance – and proposes a deal. They will spend the next ten days together (ten days because Edie has booked passage to New York, sailing on the eleventh day) and if Stuart is unable to persuade Edie to kiss him within that time – that’s to initiate a kiss rather than respond to one – he will accede to her request for a legal separation. Having absolutely no intention of allowing him into her life, Edie is confident of the outcome and agrees.
Stuart knows he has taken on a Herculean task and that all the things he might normally have done to woo a lady will not work with Edie. Instead of attempting to seduce her, he decides to try to cement a friendship between them, hoping that he might also find a way to find a way to spark the passion he senses she is firmly keeping in check.
At first, Edie comes across as pig-headed and cold. She refuses to hear any of what Stuart is telling her or to see that he’s actually a kind, considerate man because she’s so completely focused on her own wants. Fortunately for her, it doesn’t take Stuart too long to put two-and-two together and to work out the reasons behind his wife’s fear of intimacy; the man who ruined her didn’t merely destroy her reputation, he raped her. I admit that I’m always a little wary of stories in which one of the protagonists has suffered sexual trauma, because I’m never sure how realistic the author’s solution is going to be. All I can say about it here is that Ms Guhrke’s resolution is certainly not outside the bounds of possibility, and she handles the subject in a sensitive manner.
The characterisation of both leads is excellent. Stuart is a terrific hero – not an alpha, not a beta, but with the best characteristics of each; self-confidence combined with sensitivity. He knows his time with Edie is limited and is determined to make every minute count, but even so, he doesn’t try to rush things, and focuses on what Edie needs rather than his own desires.
Susan Ericksen is a good choice of narrator for this series, as she’s an American who is capable of utilising and sustaining a British accent fairly consistently and who is able to switch between the two with a reasonable amount of ease. She’s a very experienced and talented vocal actress, and one of the things I enjoy about her narrations is the way in which she really brings out the emotions behind the story; sometimes she can go a little over the top, but for the most part, her performance here is consistent with the emotional content of the book.
But it took me a while to warm up to her characterisations of the two principals. Ms Ericksen’s voice sits naturally in the mezzo-soprano/alto range, meaning that performing male characters in a lower register isn’t a strain for her. Yet here, she has opted to differentiate between Stuart and Edie almost entirely by accent and performs them both in more or less the same register throughout, which I found a little disappointing. That said, however, as the story progresses, and Stuart and Edie begin to interact more, I started to hear the subtle differences she injects into her interpretations, and the emotional nuances beneath the words. Given that Stuart and Edie are at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum for a large part of the story, Ms Ericksen’s method of differentiation – through accent and expression – actually works well and by the end of the book, my earlier disappointment had disappeared.
The secondary characters – servants, lawyers, Edie’s sister and her governess – are all well characterised and easily identifiable. Another point in Ms Ericksen’s favour is that she’s someone who carries those aforementioned emotional subtleties into the narrative portions of the story, rather than confining them to the dialogue, which happens to be a personal preference in a narrator.
All in all, How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days is a well-written and touching love-story; and in spite of my early reservations about the narration, it’s an audiobook I’d certainly recommend to others.
B for narration /B+ for content.
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days, the second book in Laura Lee Guhrke’s An American Heiress in London series, tells the story of a young woman who needs to marry quickly, but who doesn’t want a man in her life. Ever.
Edie Jewell is just nineteen, and is one of a number of immensely rich American heiresses searching the British aristocracy for a suitable husband. Unfortunately, she hasn’t met with success and she has only three more days before her she will have to return to New York with her father. Edie is desperate to stay in England because of the gossip she will face at home – and because she will have to face the man who ruined her.
The handsome young Duke of Margrave has only recently come into his title, but the debts run up by his father and grandfather mean that he is practically bankrupt. He wants nothing more than to leave it all behind and return to the life he has begun making for himself in Africa.
Knowing this, Edie makes Margrave – Stuart – an offer. If he marries her, she will pay all his family’s debts, manage his estates, deal with his scrounging relatives and provide him with a generous income for the rest of his life, but only on condition that he leaves England and never comes back. Stuart is surprised at both the offer and conditions, but having already decided to return to Africa, and having made sure Edie understands that once done, their marriage cannot be undone, he agrees.
But life has a way of altering the best laid of plans, and Edie is horrified when, after an absence of five years, and following a near-fatal injury, Margrave returns to England, and tells her that he wants to make a life with her. He gives his reasons eloquently and poignantly, but Edie is unmoved and refuses him outright, telling him she has no interest in a real marriage or having a family.
Margrave knows that his sudden reappearance must have come as a shock to Edie, but he doesn’t understand her desperation to have nothing to do with him and wants to find out why. He asks her to give them a chance – and proposes a deal. They will spend the next ten days together (ten days because Edie has booked passage to New York, sailing on the eleventh day) and if Stuart is unable to persuade Edie to kiss him within that time – that’s to initiate a kiss rather than respond to one – he will accede to her request for a legal separation. Having absolutely no intention of allowing him into her life, Edie is confident of the outcome and agrees.
Stuart knows he has taken on a Herculean task and that all the things he might normally have done to woo a lady will not work with Edie. Instead of attempting to seduce her, he decides to try to cement a friendship between them, hoping that he might also find a way to find a way to spark the passion he senses she is firmly keeping in check.
At first, Edie comes across as pig-headed and cold. She refuses to hear any of what Stuart is telling her or to see that he’s actually a kind, considerate man because she’s so completely focused on her own wants. Fortunately for her, it doesn’t take Stuart too long to put two-and-two together and to work out the reasons behind his wife’s fear of intimacy; the man who ruined her didn’t merely destroy her reputation, he raped her. I admit that I’m always a little wary of stories in which one of the protagonists has suffered sexual trauma, because I’m never sure how realistic the author’s solution is going to be. All I can say about it here is that Ms Guhrke’s resolution is certainly not outside the bounds of possibility, and she handles the subject in a sensitive manner.
The characterisation of both leads is excellent. Stuart is a terrific hero – not an alpha, not a beta, but with the best characteristics of each; self-confidence combined with sensitivity. He knows his time with Edie is limited and is determined to make every minute count, but even so, he doesn’t try to rush things, and focuses on what Edie needs rather than his own desires.
Susan Ericksen is a good choice of narrator for this series, as she’s an American who is capable of utilising and sustaining a British accent fairly consistently and who is able to switch between the two with a reasonable amount of ease. She’s a very experienced and talented vocal actress, and one of the things I enjoy about her narrations is the way in which she really brings out the emotions behind the story; sometimes she can go a little over the top, but for the most part, her performance here is consistent with the emotional content of the book.
But it took me a while to warm up to her characterisations of the two principals. Ms Ericksen’s voice sits naturally in the mezzo-soprano/alto range, meaning that performing male characters in a lower register isn’t a strain for her. Yet here, she has opted to differentiate between Stuart and Edie almost entirely by accent and performs them both in more or less the same register throughout, which I found a little disappointing. That said, however, as the story progresses, and Stuart and Edie begin to interact more, I started to hear the subtle differences she injects into her interpretations, and the emotional nuances beneath the words. Given that Stuart and Edie are at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum for a large part of the story, Ms Ericksen’s method of differentiation – through accent and expression – actually works well and by the end of the book, my earlier disappointment had disappeared.
The secondary characters – servants, lawyers, Edie’s sister and her governess – are all well characterised and easily identifiable. Another point in Ms Ericksen’s favour is that she’s someone who carries those aforementioned emotional subtleties into the narrative portions of the story, rather than confining them to the dialogue, which happens to be a personal preference in a narrator.
All in all, How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days is a well-written and touching love-story; and in spite of my early reservations about the narration, it’s an audiobook I’d certainly recommend to others.
September 6, 2023
| HRBC | 2023 | September |
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