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Guilty #4
She's No Princess
A Royal Pain...
The illegitimate daughter of a prince and a notorious courtesan, Lucia has been confined to schools and convents for most of her life. But that hasn't stopped her from causing one scandal after another. Exasperated, her royal father decides that his exquisite hellion of a daughter must be married immediately. And Sir Ian Moore, Britain's most proper diplomat, is the perfect man to choose her a groom.
Diplomacy, not matchmaker, is Ian's forte, but he vows to get Lucia married off as soon as possible so that he may return to his real duties. Yet, despite an abundance of very eager, worthwhile candidates, none is a match for Lucia's spirit and fire. And the more time Ian spends with the infuriating beauty, the more reluctant he is to marry her off. Could it be that he has already found Lucia the perfect husband...and it is Ian himself?
The illegitimate daughter of a prince and a notorious courtesan, Lucia has been confined to schools and convents for most of her life. But that hasn't stopped her from causing one scandal after another. Exasperated, her royal father decides that his exquisite hellion of a daughter must be married immediately. And Sir Ian Moore, Britain's most proper diplomat, is the perfect man to choose her a groom.
Diplomacy, not matchmaker, is Ian's forte, but he vows to get Lucia married off as soon as possible so that he may return to his real duties. Yet, despite an abundance of very eager, worthwhile candidates, none is a match for Lucia's spirit and fire. And the more time Ian spends with the infuriating beauty, the more reluctant he is to marry her off. Could it be that he has already found Lucia the perfect husband...and it is Ian himself?
371 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 30, 2006
74 people are currently reading
1739 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lee Guhrke
39 books1,812 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 220 reviews
October 18, 2014
70% of this book was basically a simmering buildup of sexual tension - which i LOVED.
There was a lot of this:
And I was like:
Then, HALLELUJIA!
But then Ian was like:
Which meant a lot of this:
And a lot of this for all parties - me as well:
But then something's gotta give, and oh boy, when it did...
But whoever said the journey to HEA was smooth - there was more of this:
But this time Ian got his head on straight so there was a lot of this:
And finally...
Dear Ian and Lucia:
There was a lot of this:
And I was like:
Then, HALLELUJIA!
But then Ian was like:
Which meant a lot of this:
And a lot of this for all parties - me as well:
But then something's gotta give, and oh boy, when it did...
But whoever said the journey to HEA was smooth - there was more of this:
But this time Ian got his head on straight so there was a lot of this:
And finally...
Dear Ian and Lucia:
March 6, 2024
ME GUSTÓ MUCHO!!!
Un romance histórico muy al estilo de mi querida Laura Lee Guhrke.
Este es el cuarto de la serie que lo tenía aplazado por años y para mi sorpresa es mi segundo favorito nada supera al primer libro.
Lucia es la hija bastarda y rebelde del príncipe de Italia y debido a su último escándalo, deciden enviarla a Inglaterra a contraer matrimonio con un respetable inglés de preferencia que sea un noble con alto rango y así poder restaurar su reputación y de paso tenerla controlada.
-
El trabajo cae en manos de Ian un embajador y diplomático ingles en el que el príncipe confía, él no está muy contento con ser matchmaker, su deber es conseguir los candidatos y elegir el marido perfecto, ¿el problema? Lucia ella quiere un matrimonio por amor y sólo tiene 6 semanas para lograrlo es casi imposible.
Hubo mucha tensión sexual entre Ian y Lucia, ella es una coqueta es guapa y atrae a los hombres y ella lo sabe y lo usa a su favor, trata de ponerlo en práctica con Ian pero él tiene bastante control, pero llegan a un punto en que ya no pueden huir de su atracción.
Fue un libro bonito al principio no me estaba encantando, pero llegó un punto en que ya no lo pude soltar, pero como siempre me pasa con esta autora me hizo falta el epilogo.
Un romance histórico muy al estilo de mi querida Laura Lee Guhrke.
Este es el cuarto de la serie que lo tenía aplazado por años y para mi sorpresa es mi segundo favorito nada supera al primer libro.
Lucia es la hija bastarda y rebelde del príncipe de Italia y debido a su último escándalo, deciden enviarla a Inglaterra a contraer matrimonio con un respetable inglés de preferencia que sea un noble con alto rango y así poder restaurar su reputación y de paso tenerla controlada.
-
El trabajo cae en manos de Ian un embajador y diplomático ingles en el que el príncipe confía, él no está muy contento con ser matchmaker, su deber es conseguir los candidatos y elegir el marido perfecto, ¿el problema? Lucia ella quiere un matrimonio por amor y sólo tiene 6 semanas para lograrlo es casi imposible.
Hubo mucha tensión sexual entre Ian y Lucia, ella es una coqueta es guapa y atrae a los hombres y ella lo sabe y lo usa a su favor, trata de ponerlo en práctica con Ian pero él tiene bastante control, pero llegan a un punto en que ya no pueden huir de su atracción.
Fue un libro bonito al principio no me estaba encantando, pero llegó un punto en que ya no lo pude soltar, pero como siempre me pasa con esta autora me hizo falta el epilogo.
April 7, 2024
The sad story of a romance that could have stolen the throne but decided it’d rather be a peasant
↬ Hi, guys, it’s good to be back :)
Lucia is the bastard daughter of an Italian prince, which means she can rot in a convent and nobody will bat an eye, but if she decides to run away and kiss a blacksmith it’s a matter of state.
Seeing her daughter’s reputation won’t survive another one of her adventures, his father asks the Crown’s most brilliant diplomat, Sir Ian Moore, to find her a husband. But Lucia is not the kind of girl who lets herself be bullied into a marriage she hasn’t chosen and soon she’s using all her charms to convince Ian to let her choose. Only that he seems immune to her, and she’s the one falling for a guy she cannot have…
Reading this book felt like making a cookie with the best ingredients only to forget to put it in the oven. The romance started high: a passionate heroine ready to carve her own path into happiness, the ice-cold diplomat who seems to be the only one able to keep up with her. There was a scene of them playing chess while trying to verbally check mate the other that gave me all the feelings. All men but Ian were puppets in Lucia’s hands, so it made sense why she wanted him. If only the hero felt the same way.
I’m the biggest fan of dual-POV but Ian’s POV seemed more fitting for an erotica book. He wanted her like an animal, which was fine at all that, but I wanted him to love her like a man. Everything was about Lucia’s curves, Lucia’s mouth and his desire to tear apart her clothes. The change of mind was way too sudden and didn’t move me even a tiny bit. You cannot expect me to believe he loved her just because some words exchanged at the end.
My other problem was their first time. I’m stepping into light spoilers territory so stop reading here if you’d like to go completely blind.
While Lucia spent the whole book charming Ian, it didn’t excuse Ian’s poor behavior when she finally succeeded. I hate when people try to justify men’s actions by saying ‘they can’t help themselves’, as if their desire is some kind of drug that makes them unable to act properly. As Grace (secondary character) pointed out: 'he is thirty-five, he knew what he was getting into'. This is a personal preference, but I want the hero to take care of the heroine, to try to make her first time less painful and to restrain themselves if it’s needed for once. I have no interest in animals.
Talking about animals, if the scene with the dog-if you know, you know-was supposed to show that Ian cared, it completely missed the mark for me. I disliked him even more.
Anyway, it may seem like I hated the book, but I really didn’t. I’m just angry at it for the wasted potential and how one-sided the romance felt. Still, everything was amazing and I was enjoying it very much until the author decided that one scene was enough to show their chemistry and spent the rest of the book focusing on lust and childish manipulation games.
*Rating: 2.5/5
↬ Hi, guys, it’s good to be back :)
Lucia is the bastard daughter of an Italian prince, which means she can rot in a convent and nobody will bat an eye, but if she decides to run away and kiss a blacksmith it’s a matter of state.
Seeing her daughter’s reputation won’t survive another one of her adventures, his father asks the Crown’s most brilliant diplomat, Sir Ian Moore, to find her a husband. But Lucia is not the kind of girl who lets herself be bullied into a marriage she hasn’t chosen and soon she’s using all her charms to convince Ian to let her choose. Only that he seems immune to her, and she’s the one falling for a guy she cannot have…
Reading this book felt like making a cookie with the best ingredients only to forget to put it in the oven. The romance started high: a passionate heroine ready to carve her own path into happiness, the ice-cold diplomat who seems to be the only one able to keep up with her. There was a scene of them playing chess while trying to verbally check mate the other that gave me all the feelings. All men but Ian were puppets in Lucia’s hands, so it made sense why she wanted him. If only the hero felt the same way.
I’m the biggest fan of dual-POV but Ian’s POV seemed more fitting for an erotica book. He wanted her like an animal, which was fine at all that, but I wanted him to love her like a man. Everything was about Lucia’s curves, Lucia’s mouth and his desire to tear apart her clothes. The change of mind was way too sudden and didn’t move me even a tiny bit. You cannot expect me to believe he loved her just because some words exchanged at the end.
My other problem was their first time. I’m stepping into light spoilers territory so stop reading here if you’d like to go completely blind.
While Lucia spent the whole book charming Ian, it didn’t excuse Ian’s poor behavior when she finally succeeded. I hate when people try to justify men’s actions by saying ‘they can’t help themselves’, as if their desire is some kind of drug that makes them unable to act properly. As Grace (secondary character) pointed out: 'he is thirty-five, he knew what he was getting into'. This is a personal preference, but I want the hero to take care of the heroine, to try to make her first time less painful and to restrain themselves if it’s needed for once. I have no interest in animals.
Talking about animals, if the scene with the dog-if you know, you know-was supposed to show that Ian cared, it completely missed the mark for me. I disliked him even more.
Anyway, it may seem like I hated the book, but I really didn’t. I’m just angry at it for the wasted potential and how one-sided the romance felt. Still, everything was amazing and I was enjoying it very much until the author decided that one scene was enough to show their chemistry and spent the rest of the book focusing on lust and childish manipulation games.
*Rating: 2.5/5
May 7, 2021
She’s No Princess is the last book in the Guilty series by Laura Lee Guhrke.
I really liked this one! I thought both characters were well written, and I had no problem imagining the attraction. Lucia Valenti is the illegitimate daughter of a prince and famous courtesan. Her father is fed up with her being a bad influence on his legitimate daughter. The prince gets Britain to send in it’s best diplomat to get her married and off his hands. Enter the diplomat, Ian Moore.
In my opinion, Lucia is not a bad influence. The Dad is an asshole.
She’s intelligent, independent and would be considered a feminist back in the 1800s. She wants to make her own life choices and I loved this character. She's a super passionate Italian woman who loves life.
It took some time for me to like Ian Moore. He was too stuffy, repressed and perfect. He’s extremely good looking and the perfect gentleman. I wanted to mess up his hair as well Lucia!! Which she did on multiple occasions. I loved that part.
Lucia gets under this guys skin and becomes his sunlight, happiness and enjoyment in life. Ian brings focus, discipline and maturity to Lucia. The attraction in this book is intense and hot as well.
This was a great way to end the series with having two opposite personalities fall in love and bring out the best in each other. Well done Guhrke!!
I really liked this one! I thought both characters were well written, and I had no problem imagining the attraction. Lucia Valenti is the illegitimate daughter of a prince and famous courtesan. Her father is fed up with her being a bad influence on his legitimate daughter. The prince gets Britain to send in it’s best diplomat to get her married and off his hands. Enter the diplomat, Ian Moore.
In my opinion, Lucia is not a bad influence. The Dad is an asshole.
She’s intelligent, independent and would be considered a feminist back in the 1800s. She wants to make her own life choices and I loved this character. She's a super passionate Italian woman who loves life.
It took some time for me to like Ian Moore. He was too stuffy, repressed and perfect. He’s extremely good looking and the perfect gentleman. I wanted to mess up his hair as well Lucia!! Which she did on multiple occasions. I loved that part.
Lucia gets under this guys skin and becomes his sunlight, happiness and enjoyment in life. Ian brings focus, discipline and maturity to Lucia. The attraction in this book is intense and hot as well.
This was a great way to end the series with having two opposite personalities fall in love and bring out the best in each other. Well done Guhrke!!
December 3, 2025
Mmmokay, but that ending ♡
Most of this book is just fine.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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Most of this book is just fine.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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August 20, 2014
5 stars – Historical Romance
I loved it! What a fun, sexy battle of wills between a headstrong, passionate, fiery Italian princess who’s the illegitimate daughter of a prince and a courtesan and a stuffy, proper English ambassador charged with using his diplomatic skills to find her a suitable, titled husband to keep her out of trouble. But can upstanding Sir Ian Moore keep his hands of luscious Lucia long enough to play matchmaker?
I loved it! What a fun, sexy battle of wills between a headstrong, passionate, fiery Italian princess who’s the illegitimate daughter of a prince and a courtesan and a stuffy, proper English ambassador charged with using his diplomatic skills to find her a suitable, titled husband to keep her out of trouble. But can upstanding Sir Ian Moore keep his hands of luscious Lucia long enough to play matchmaker?
September 26, 2020
El prota, Ian Moore, es un sol y me ha enamorado totalmente jejejje, y aunque es una historia sencilla, me ha enganchado desde el principio y me ha encantado
Un libro estupendo
10/10
Lo he vuelto a releer y si antes me gusto y esta vez mucho mas. Me gusta el tira y afloja de Ian y Lucia, me gusta que el sea serio y recto y ella todo lo contrario. Magnifica lectura
Un libro estupendo
10/10
Lo he vuelto a releer y si antes me gusto y esta vez mucho mas. Me gusta el tira y afloja de Ian y Lucia, me gusta que el sea serio y recto y ella todo lo contrario. Magnifica lectura
May 3, 2015
What an enjoyable read. Lucia was so funny, I loved her and I loved how she took Ian out of his comfort zone. I just wish we could have gotten an epilogue, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed.
June 24, 2019
The first few words that appear in the description of the book (A Royal Pain...) actually describe it really well.
As I read through the first few chapters of She's No Princess I was convinced it would end up on my ‘favourite books’ shelf, but the more I read, the more disappointed I became. The story had a lot of potential. We had a flirty, scandalous, rebellious illegitimate daughter of a Prince set on marrying for love, a prim and proper, dead serious diplomat encharged with the task of finding her the perfect aristocratic husband among the English ton, and the battle of their wills as they both fight against their growing attraction for each other. What could possibly go wrong? ...Well, apparently a lot. In the end, the whole story just fell flat. There weren’t enough elements to convince me that this was, in fact, a love story. I feel this might be a recurring issue in novels that have a devastatingly handsome Hero or heroine as the protagonist, as that is mainly what the author focuses on. I was never truly convinced that the H & h actually loved each other, and I never really warmed up to them. Here’s why:
* Apart from the fact that Ian was constantly admiring Lucia’s voluptuous body, dark eyes and cherry lips, he never truly admired anything else about her. He generally just found her very annoying, as did I.
* Lucia was always trying to get her way with Ian by flaunting about her womanly charms. She literally had no other strategies, and it got very old very quickly. I like my heroines with a bit more brains and witt than that, thank you very much.
* I’ve always felt that for love to feel genuine, there also needs to be a feeling of friendship between two people, and the only time Ian and Lucia were remotely friendly towards each other was when they were both drunk or when they were trying to manipulate each other. Even when you're dealing with antagonist protagonists, this element needs to be there, even if its hidden and only hinted at. I saw no real sign of it here.
* Ian was so cold and rude to her sometimes, it made me dislike him.
* Lucia was so immature and stubborn, I also disliked her for it. It wasn’t her rebelliousness I had a problem with, it was her lack of sense and selfish and manipulative nature.
* The whole scene with the whore and the dog.
* The sex that finally led up to their marriage.
Of course, the author tries to convince us that in the end they actually did love each other, and that Ian preferred his married life and rejected his old life, but I just couldn’t buy it. To me, this was all just a recipe for a disastrous marriage and a miserable life together. They were both so wrong and so horrible, I had no respect for them whatsoever. Just ugh!
The only good things I can say about this book are that it managed to somehow keep me entertained enough to actually finish it, and that it had a good and interesting start to it, but that’s about it.
I’ve enjoyed several of Laura Lee’s books before, and I consider her among my favourite authors, so I don’t like giving this one a bad review, but there were just so many elements I disliked, I couldn’t give it a higher rating.
As I read through the first few chapters of She's No Princess I was convinced it would end up on my ‘favourite books’ shelf, but the more I read, the more disappointed I became. The story had a lot of potential. We had a flirty, scandalous, rebellious illegitimate daughter of a Prince set on marrying for love, a prim and proper, dead serious diplomat encharged with the task of finding her the perfect aristocratic husband among the English ton, and the battle of their wills as they both fight against their growing attraction for each other. What could possibly go wrong? ...Well, apparently a lot. In the end, the whole story just fell flat. There weren’t enough elements to convince me that this was, in fact, a love story. I feel this might be a recurring issue in novels that have a devastatingly handsome Hero or heroine as the protagonist, as that is mainly what the author focuses on. I was never truly convinced that the H & h actually loved each other, and I never really warmed up to them. Here’s why:
* Apart from the fact that Ian was constantly admiring Lucia’s voluptuous body, dark eyes and cherry lips, he never truly admired anything else about her. He generally just found her very annoying, as did I.
* Lucia was always trying to get her way with Ian by flaunting about her womanly charms. She literally had no other strategies, and it got very old very quickly. I like my heroines with a bit more brains and witt than that, thank you very much.
* I’ve always felt that for love to feel genuine, there also needs to be a feeling of friendship between two people, and the only time Ian and Lucia were remotely friendly towards each other was when they were both drunk or when they were trying to manipulate each other. Even when you're dealing with antagonist protagonists, this element needs to be there, even if its hidden and only hinted at. I saw no real sign of it here.
* Ian was so cold and rude to her sometimes, it made me dislike him.
* Lucia was so immature and stubborn, I also disliked her for it. It wasn’t her rebelliousness I had a problem with, it was her lack of sense and selfish and manipulative nature.
* The whole scene with the whore and the dog.
* The sex that finally led up to their marriage.
Of course, the author tries to convince us that in the end they actually did love each other, and that Ian preferred his married life and rejected his old life, but I just couldn’t buy it. To me, this was all just a recipe for a disastrous marriage and a miserable life together. They were both so wrong and so horrible, I had no respect for them whatsoever. Just ugh!
The only good things I can say about this book are that it managed to somehow keep me entertained enough to actually finish it, and that it had a good and interesting start to it, but that’s about it.
I’ve enjoyed several of Laura Lee’s books before, and I consider her among my favourite authors, so I don’t like giving this one a bad review, but there were just so many elements I disliked, I couldn’t give it a higher rating.
January 20, 2024
Lucia Vivant es la hija ilegítima de un príncipe y una conocida cortesana, rebelde desde muy pequeña, no quiere vivir tras los muros de palacio y tampoco obedecer a su padre. Escándalo tras escándalo, su padre decide contratar a Ian Moore para que le concierte un buen matrimonio y alejarla de la provocación. Ian Moore, un importante diplomático, quiere resolver el asunto rápidamente y seguir con su labor; lo que no espera es que esa joven lo tiente de múltiples maneras.
No me acordaba de que aún no había terminado de leer los libros y me faltaba “Casi una princesa” para concluir la serie “Guilty”.
Lucia Vivant es la hija de una cortesana y un príncipe, su juventud la ha pasado de un sitio a otro, rebelándose constantemente de un padre ausente y que ahora quiere librarse de ella y de sus continuos escándalos buscándole un matrimonio conveniente. Así que se entera de que su padre ha contratado a Sir Ian Moore, un correcto y competente diplomático que se encargará de escoger a su futuro marido. Lucia no quiere una vida en palacio y menos aún que le busquen pareja, y hará todo lo posible por acabar con los planes de su padre y vivir libremente y, si quiere junto a su madre, nadie más que ella escogerá a su futuro marido.
Su próximo movimiento es frustrar los planes de Ian y quizás tentarlo.
Al inicio del relato se presenta a una Lucia rebelde y descarada que presentíamos que iba a ser algo insoportable, pero fueron más los prejuicios, puesto que Lucia es todo un personaje que nos dará momentos muy divertidos y nos encantará su picardía.
Ian Moore es un reputado diplomático, su trabajo le apasiona y sabe que es el mejor en ello, por eso el príncipe confía en el futuro de su hija y le encarga... sigue en: https://oceanodelibros.blogspot.com/2...
No me acordaba de que aún no había terminado de leer los libros y me faltaba “Casi una princesa” para concluir la serie “Guilty”.
Lucia Vivant es la hija de una cortesana y un príncipe, su juventud la ha pasado de un sitio a otro, rebelándose constantemente de un padre ausente y que ahora quiere librarse de ella y de sus continuos escándalos buscándole un matrimonio conveniente. Así que se entera de que su padre ha contratado a Sir Ian Moore, un correcto y competente diplomático que se encargará de escoger a su futuro marido. Lucia no quiere una vida en palacio y menos aún que le busquen pareja, y hará todo lo posible por acabar con los planes de su padre y vivir libremente y, si quiere junto a su madre, nadie más que ella escogerá a su futuro marido.
Su próximo movimiento es frustrar los planes de Ian y quizás tentarlo.
Al inicio del relato se presenta a una Lucia rebelde y descarada que presentíamos que iba a ser algo insoportable, pero fueron más los prejuicios, puesto que Lucia es todo un personaje que nos dará momentos muy divertidos y nos encantará su picardía.
Ian Moore es un reputado diplomático, su trabajo le apasiona y sabe que es el mejor en ello, por eso el príncipe confía en el futuro de su hija y le encarga... sigue en: https://oceanodelibros.blogspot.com/2...
January 6, 2023
Loved h!
December 19, 2017
A nice book! While I loved the first in the series, I just liked this one!
Comparing them, I think the author wanted to show us how strong the heroines in both books were, but while in the Guilty Pleasures she made a dead center, here she missed it.
Lucia is portraited as a spoilt, but a bastrard and unacknowledged daughter of an Italian prince. And she is all that. She's wild, she runs away to do thing forbidden to women - she smokes, she flirts...
But to me she always seemed like a sad little girl who wanted her mommy and daddy to just love her.
And for the most of the book she behaves like that.
Now I'm sorely disappointed in the whole English male part of the Ton for all the males here, starting from the hero, are absolutely IDIOTS!!!
A girl manages without any problem to lead them by their noses. She bats her lashes and they're ready to brawl. She smiles and they profess undying love.... OTT much!
The hero was like that too. At first he thinks she'll be meak and obedient if he behaves like an ass and orders her around, but when she aswers accordingly he's bewildered. And thet's it: after that he doesn't see anything else but her curves, seductive smiles, etc....
But, I don't honestly know why, I liked it all the same! I suppose I read it like a hilarious parody of a romance novel. The writing helped also and therefore it deserves 3,5 stars rounded to 4!
Comparing them, I think the author wanted to show us how strong the heroines in both books were, but while in the Guilty Pleasures she made a dead center, here she missed it.
Lucia is portraited as a spoilt, but a bastrard and unacknowledged daughter of an Italian prince. And she is all that. She's wild, she runs away to do thing forbidden to women - she smokes, she flirts...
But to me she always seemed like a sad little girl who wanted her mommy and daddy to just love her.
And for the most of the book she behaves like that.
Now I'm sorely disappointed in the whole English male part of the Ton for all the males here, starting from the hero, are absolutely IDIOTS!!!
A girl manages without any problem to lead them by their noses. She bats her lashes and they're ready to brawl. She smiles and they profess undying love.... OTT much!
The hero was like that too. At first he thinks she'll be meak and obedient if he behaves like an ass and orders her around, but when she aswers accordingly he's bewildered. And thet's it: after that he doesn't see anything else but her curves, seductive smiles, etc....
But, I don't honestly know why, I liked it all the same! I suppose I read it like a hilarious parody of a romance novel. The writing helped also and therefore it deserves 3,5 stars rounded to 4!
March 28, 2011
This is just the sort of book this author does extremely well. It's not the most original plot (serious, intelligent man meets his match in feisty, passionate woman), but I could not put it down until I was done. The dialogue, the passion, involving previous characters from the series to just the right extent, was all done extremely well. I even love the choice of words - there's modern-day words in there, which I highly doubt would ever be used in this era, but they just work brilliantly.
Also, the sexy bits are really just that - smolderingly sexy, but they don't dominate, and they are used sparingly.
Ah! Every time I read one of these books I'm reminded why this author is one of my few auto-buys.
Also, the sexy bits are really just that - smolderingly sexy, but they don't dominate, and they are used sparingly.
Ah! Every time I read one of these books I'm reminded why this author is one of my few auto-buys.
July 22, 2022
No but this book started out wonderfully and then plummeted halfway through...
Somehow the hero,a 35 year old man,got over losing his diplomacy job he's worked his whole life on quickly.He does mope around a little bit but that's about it.
The heroine is a careless chit who managed to trap the hero into a marriage by pressuring him to have sex with her so she's no longer a virgin...
I don't even want to get started on the first time they did it because it felt rape-like.
There was no romantic aspect to their relationship.Sure there was sexual tension and all that jazz from the beginning but other than that there were no true genuine feelings.I mean truly how did they end up falling in love?The heroine falls in love first with him too and I sat there thinking when did she acquire these feelings?I mean based on what?It felt like the story had some holes in it unfullfilled.
The heroine then feels bad for what happened eventhough she hadn't realised when she pushed his limits to a breaking point that he would lose his job so she tries convincing her father to reassign him as ambassador.However,he was already offered a parliament job and he realises that it's better suited for him because he can stay in the country and have a dozen of kids with his wife.The end.
Somehow the hero,a 35 year old man,got over losing his diplomacy job he's worked his whole life on quickly.He does mope around a little bit but that's about it.
The heroine is a careless chit who managed to trap the hero into a marriage by pressuring him to have sex with her so she's no longer a virgin...
I don't even want to get started on the first time they did it because it felt rape-like.
There was no romantic aspect to their relationship.Sure there was sexual tension and all that jazz from the beginning but other than that there were no true genuine feelings.I mean truly how did they end up falling in love?The heroine falls in love first with him too and I sat there thinking when did she acquire these feelings?I mean based on what?It felt like the story had some holes in it unfullfilled.
The heroine then feels bad for what happened eventhough she hadn't realised when she pushed his limits to a breaking point that he would lose his job so she tries convincing her father to reassign him as ambassador.However,he was already offered a parliament job and he realises that it's better suited for him because he can stay in the country and have a dozen of kids with his wife.The end.
March 21, 2021
The blurb sounded promising but the book was boring and the heroine insufferable.
I don't remember the last time I've read a genre romance book that tempted me to use the word "bimbo" to describe the heroine. She's shallow, vain, manipulative, and completely lacks intelligence or personality. Her interests are limited to buying more low-cut gowns to display her apparently impressive boobs, her goals are limited to getting more compliments, and sexual drive substitutes for thoughts and decision making.
To her, books are just an excuse to go to the library to stalk and accost men, any non-flirtatious/sexual conversations are boring and nerdy (e.g. the derogatory description of the biology enthusiast). When her father tries to arrange a marriage for Lucia, her only fear is that the husband may turn out boring in bed, and pays no mind to implications for any other aspects of her life or freedom. I wanted to shake a heroine and scream "You are more than just a vagina Lucia!"
The hero was a decent dude, and I pitied him for being constantly manipulated, bullied, guilt-tripped, and provoked by the heroine. She repeatedly made unwelcome sexual advances and became hysterical, gradually driving Ian out of balance, until he was stunned long enough to be trapped into marriage. He consoled himself with the thought that sleeping with her will be pleasant at least. But what a poor consolation, and the charm of which will wear off so fast. She ruined his career and reputation, destroyed his life basically. I really feel for Ian getting stuck with such a woman for a wife.
The heroine and her family are supposed to have an Italian accent. For some reason, the audiobook narrator sounded exactly like Laura Benanti's parody of Melania Trump when doing the accent. So for half the book that irritated and distracted me:
I don't remember the last time I've read a genre romance book that tempted me to use the word "bimbo" to describe the heroine. She's shallow, vain, manipulative, and completely lacks intelligence or personality. Her interests are limited to buying more low-cut gowns to display her apparently impressive boobs, her goals are limited to getting more compliments, and sexual drive substitutes for thoughts and decision making.
To her, books are just an excuse to go to the library to stalk and accost men, any non-flirtatious/sexual conversations are boring and nerdy (e.g. the derogatory description of the biology enthusiast). When her father tries to arrange a marriage for Lucia, her only fear is that the husband may turn out boring in bed, and pays no mind to implications for any other aspects of her life or freedom. I wanted to shake a heroine and scream "You are more than just a vagina Lucia!"
The hero was a decent dude, and I pitied him for being constantly manipulated, bullied, guilt-tripped, and provoked by the heroine. She repeatedly made unwelcome sexual advances and became hysterical, gradually driving Ian out of balance, until he was stunned long enough to be trapped into marriage. He consoled himself with the thought that sleeping with her will be pleasant at least. But what a poor consolation, and the charm of which will wear off so fast. She ruined his career and reputation, destroyed his life basically. I really feel for Ian getting stuck with such a woman for a wife.
The heroine and her family are supposed to have an Italian accent. For some reason, the audiobook narrator sounded exactly like Laura Benanti's parody of Melania Trump when doing the accent. So for half the book that irritated and distracted me:
June 4, 2020
This book was okay but not nearly as good as other Laura Lee Guhrke books I’ve read. I did not find the heroine’s character very likable, so I did not find it believable when the hero fell so completely in love with her he risked, and ultimately gave up everything for her.
July 13, 2020
I remember reading She's No Princess when it first came out and it definitely holds up. It's light on the plot but who cares when the couple works?
Lucia, bastard daughter of an Italian prince, wants to marry for love but Ian, the English diplomat responsible for securing Lucia's marriage, is like, How does an English peer who is Catholic with no debt sound? You can fall in love with that, right?
I mention their nationality because this is a big talking point throughout the story, just as is the fact that Lucia is no princess (ok I get it!). Lucia is a *passionate* Italian woman while Ian is *stuffy* Englishman with something stuffed up his butt. It's very reductive but the physical chemistry between the two of them is hot, and there's also a lot of sweetness between the pair. There's only like 1-2 NSFW scenes but the build-up simmers. I love Lucia and I LOVED Lucia and Ian together. They worked off each other so well. Lucia did the most silliest things and Ian would play his poker face even though he was soo bothered. Loved it.
I've only read this and I believe Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke. I'm feeling like if I go back through some of her earlier works, there may be some gems!
Lucia, bastard daughter of an Italian prince, wants to marry for love but Ian, the English diplomat responsible for securing Lucia's marriage, is like, How does an English peer who is Catholic with no debt sound? You can fall in love with that, right?
I mention their nationality because this is a big talking point throughout the story, just as is the fact that Lucia is no princess (ok I get it!). Lucia is a *passionate* Italian woman while Ian is *stuffy* Englishman with something stuffed up his butt. It's very reductive but the physical chemistry between the two of them is hot, and there's also a lot of sweetness between the pair. There's only like 1-2 NSFW scenes but the build-up simmers. I love Lucia and I LOVED Lucia and Ian together. They worked off each other so well. Lucia did the most silliest things and Ian would play his poker face even though he was soo bothered. Loved it.
I've only read this and I believe Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke. I'm feeling like if I go back through some of her earlier works, there may be some gems!
July 10, 2022
Una de enaguas entretenida. Tenemos a Lucía, la hija bastarda del soberano de un principado italiano. Es una mujer joven, convencida de que la vida sin amor no merece la pena. Su padre quiere que sir Ian Moore, discreto diplomático británico, le arregle un buen matrimonio de conveniencia. Lucía se rebela, no es que quiera nada rompedor, solo que su esposo y padre de sus hijos la quiera, ya ves tú. El planteamiento es un poco enemies to lovers. Ian y Lucia chocan porque él tiene una misión que cumplir, y ella se resiste con uñas y dientes. En una relectura entendí todavía mejor a los personajes. Cada uno tiene sus razones. Creo que aprecio más el romanticismo intenso de esos momentos en los que, cada uno de los protagonistas, acaba haciendo lo que no quiere, hasta la humillación, por amor al otro.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
December 24, 2025
I must say this author knows how to write sexual tension. I felt it through the pages, and the buildup was also very well done.
Ian was introduced earlier in the series, and I was quite sceptical about his book. I didn’t have a good impression of him, and it felt like his story was unnecessary. Turns out, I was completely wrong. His book was handled so well, and it ended up being amazing.
Lucia’s character was also quite strong. Even though she is introduced as an “improper” girl, her desires and wishes reflect what we now recognise as feminism. I really loved her free-spirited nature.
pre-read~I feel like she'll ragebait him to the next level to get under his nerves.
Ian was introduced earlier in the series, and I was quite sceptical about his book. I didn’t have a good impression of him, and it felt like his story was unnecessary. Turns out, I was completely wrong. His book was handled so well, and it ended up being amazing.
Lucia’s character was also quite strong. Even though she is introduced as an “improper” girl, her desires and wishes reflect what we now recognise as feminism. I really loved her free-spirited nature.
pre-read~I feel like she'll ragebait him to the next level to get under his nerves.
February 19, 2017
This is my second book by Laura Lee Guhrke, and both books were the only ones I read in their separate series XD
The idea of the books itself was interesting, but I noticed that it wasn't what happened exactly. In the summary of the book this was mentioned:
The illegitimate daughter of a prince and a notorious courtesan, Lucia has been confined to schools and convents for most of her life. But that hasn't stopped her from causing one scandal after another. Exasperated, her royal father decides that his exquisite hellion of a daughter must be married immediately. And Sir Ian Moore, Britain's most proper diplomat, is the perfect man to choose her a groom.
Diplomacy, not matchmaker, is Ian's forte, but he vows to get Lucia married off as soon as possible so that he may return to his real duties. Yet, despite an abundance of very eager, worthwhile candidates, none is a match for Lucia's spirit and fire. And the more time Ian spends with the infuriating beauty, the more reluctant he is to marry her off. Could it be that he has already found Lucia the perfect husband...and it is Ian himself?
But I noticed that there wasn't much mention of him thinking that he would fit her, the closest ting to it, was the slight flaws and sarcastic comment he made in his inner mind regrading her other suitors.
I hated how people just judged Lucia by her looks, or history or her parentage, ok she was a flirt but that doesn't make her a slut. For many moments in the book I hated the hero, because he just kept mentioning that shes a flirt and a tease, like she just throws herself at any man.
I liked the part that came after the marriage, and the scene with her dad, I'm not saying hes forgiving, but it was obvious he either valued and respected her pride even if she loathed him or that the idea of a daughter of his was kneeling on the ground. But still it was nice and interesting.
Overall, *thumbs side-ways*
The idea of the books itself was interesting, but I noticed that it wasn't what happened exactly. In the summary of the book this was mentioned:
The illegitimate daughter of a prince and a notorious courtesan, Lucia has been confined to schools and convents for most of her life. But that hasn't stopped her from causing one scandal after another. Exasperated, her royal father decides that his exquisite hellion of a daughter must be married immediately. And Sir Ian Moore, Britain's most proper diplomat, is the perfect man to choose her a groom.
Diplomacy, not matchmaker, is Ian's forte, but he vows to get Lucia married off as soon as possible so that he may return to his real duties. Yet, despite an abundance of very eager, worthwhile candidates, none is a match for Lucia's spirit and fire. And the more time Ian spends with the infuriating beauty, the more reluctant he is to marry her off. Could it be that he has already found Lucia the perfect husband...and it is Ian himself?
But I noticed that there wasn't much mention of him thinking that he would fit her, the closest ting to it, was the slight flaws and sarcastic comment he made in his inner mind regrading her other suitors.
I hated how people just judged Lucia by her looks, or history or her parentage, ok she was a flirt but that doesn't make her a slut. For many moments in the book I hated the hero, because he just kept mentioning that shes a flirt and a tease, like she just throws herself at any man.
I liked the part that came after the marriage, and the scene with her dad, I'm not saying hes forgiving, but it was obvious he either valued and respected her pride even if she loathed him or that the idea of a daughter of his was kneeling on the ground. But still it was nice and interesting.
Overall, *thumbs side-ways*
October 7, 2020
Aww, what sweet, happy ending.
January 6, 2025
War fun 👍🏻 nichts krasses
(Er war mir bisschen zu mindlessly horny tho und sie manchmal bisschen dumm, aber es spielt 1800 oder so also valid)
(Er war mir bisschen zu mindlessly horny tho und sie manchmal bisschen dumm, aber es spielt 1800 oder so also valid)
August 14, 2014
That was really really cute. Guhrke is a stalwart historical romance novelist that usually always delivers a sound romance novel even if it borders on very predictable. Some of the delicious troupes that are presented in this novel are....
1. The foreign, Spirited heroine - Lucia
2. The Beta hero with alpha tendencies- Sir Ian
3. Matchmaker
4. Compromised Lady
As the seasoned romance novel readers I know you all to be, with those troupes I'm sure you've figured out the brunt of the novel. Anywho, WHAT I LOVED
The novel has stellar plot development that only come from a seasoned romance writer such as Guhrke. Minimal holes, a good balance of appropriate history and character interaction, and good amount of sexual tension. Although Lucia is a bit of a helion, she's rational. Her wants are understandable and due to Guhrke's writing you really start to feel like she is as italian as the author says.
That being said, the book isn't up to par with some of the new historical romance styles that are ever so enchanting. I'm talking about the amazing blend of Humor, Wit, and well placed sexual tension paired with the more liberated and opinionated romance heroine that authors such as Tessa Dare and Eloisa James are putting out. Not to mention the steam is just...paltry.
All criticisms aside, it would be a splendid book to read for someone who needs a quick read.
April 26, 2021
2.5 stars. There were some really good parts of this book and other parts that made me want to quit reading. I felt like, for the most part, the first 75% was moving along swimmingly well. The story was interesting and I kept waiting for the hero to finally make his move. Unfortunately for me, he ended up being a total flop. He and the heroine had a heated make-out session with some fondling thrown in for good taste....and when he comes to his senses, he freaks out and heads directly for a prostitute on a street corner. He is about to fuck her on the street, pretending that she’s the heroine, and only stops himself because he sees two dogs going at it and feels disgusted with himself. Unfortunately, his deficiencies don’t stop there and he continues to make terrible decisions until almost the end. I wanted to slap some sense into him for the last 25%. The heroine also made mistakes, but considering his age in comparison to hers (at least a 10 year age gap) he should have been able to make better decisions.
Safety is questionable because of above scene... and we never find out if he did ever go to OW, since he talked about it, but it wasn’t clarified (which I hated). Heroine was a virgin.
Safety is questionable because of above scene... and we never find out if he did ever go to OW, since he talked about it, but it wasn’t clarified (which I hated). Heroine was a virgin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2015
primera vez que leo a Guhrke y debo decir que no ha sido una mala experiencia.
la historia gira en torno a Lucia, la hija bastarda del príncipe, que recibe el ultimatum de tener que buscar marido en menos de 6 meses. para conseguir alcanzar el objetivo de su padre, debe seguir las órdenes de Ian, un embajador, que lo único que desea es deshacerse de ese trabajo cuanto antes.
como es habitual en estas novelas la tensión entre los protagonistas es algo que se ve palpable desde el primer momento. él es el típico inglés estirado, que sigue todas las normas, y ella es una mujer a la que le gusta vivir aventuras. esto les hace chocar y, aunque no lo admitan, buscar la compañía del otro.
su relación, y cómo iba creciendo el deseo entre ambos, me ha gustado. quizás lo que no me ha convencido ha sido el final (que sí, era absolutamente predecible, pero me hubiera gustado que fuera otro; uno en el que ella no hubiera tenido que jugar con Ian).
aún así, la autora me ha gustado lo bastante como para que quiera volver a leerla en un futuro cercano.
la historia gira en torno a Lucia, la hija bastarda del príncipe, que recibe el ultimatum de tener que buscar marido en menos de 6 meses. para conseguir alcanzar el objetivo de su padre, debe seguir las órdenes de Ian, un embajador, que lo único que desea es deshacerse de ese trabajo cuanto antes.
como es habitual en estas novelas la tensión entre los protagonistas es algo que se ve palpable desde el primer momento. él es el típico inglés estirado, que sigue todas las normas, y ella es una mujer a la que le gusta vivir aventuras. esto les hace chocar y, aunque no lo admitan, buscar la compañía del otro.
su relación, y cómo iba creciendo el deseo entre ambos, me ha gustado. quizás lo que no me ha convencido ha sido el final (que sí, era absolutamente predecible, pero me hubiera gustado que fuera otro; uno en el que ella no hubiera tenido que jugar con Ian).
aún así, la autora me ha gustado lo bastante como para que quiera volver a leerla en un futuro cercano.
April 17, 2015
Ian Moore 
pero Lucia 
, no pude simpatizar con ella en ningún momento, me parece demasiado inmadura, manipuladora y egocéntrica
pero Lucia , no pude simpatizar con ella en ningún momento, me parece demasiado inmadura, manipuladora y egocéntrica 
January 2, 2011
The buildup was almost terrific, I really got into these characters and even cried at one point! The capitulation by him was just too easy. I expected moody, angry brooding for months with lots of sexual tension, arguments with hot make up sex and him eventually coming around to her. You'd think he wouldn't give in so easily to being lovey dovey all's ok after his career got dumped and him publicly disgraced by what she did! It would have gotten a 5 if it was a bit more realistic after the marriage.
July 23, 2022
Me ha encantado, no había leído nada de esta autora y me ha fascinado.
Es de esas lecturas agradables que crea adicción y que siempre te dejan con una sonrisa en la boca, cargada de situaciones dulces y muchas emociones.
Los personajes son el día y la noche. Lucía es impulsiva, alocada y buscavidas.
Ian es controlado, comedido, recto y muy autoritario. Cóctel explosivo, os lo aseguro.
Por último añadir que me gustó tanto por la realidad de los hechos, es decir que la trama tiene un desarrollo coherente y creíble.
Es de esas lecturas agradables que crea adicción y que siempre te dejan con una sonrisa en la boca, cargada de situaciones dulces y muchas emociones.
Los personajes son el día y la noche. Lucía es impulsiva, alocada y buscavidas.
Ian es controlado, comedido, recto y muy autoritario. Cóctel explosivo, os lo aseguro.
Por último añadir que me gustó tanto por la realidad de los hechos, es decir que la trama tiene un desarrollo coherente y creíble.
November 13, 2016
3.5 stars
June 28, 2021
Rating: **3.8 stars**
Venturing into Historical romance after a long time and this one managed to live up to the expectations. This was a classic case of opposites attracting each other with the the ML being staid, buttoned up and a realist and the FL wild, passionate and an optimist.
The plot, setting and the characters were well panned out. The leads were attracted to each other since the beginning but the author did not jump the gun and immediately started giving us secret closet kisses or accidental touches causing zinging sensations. Despite the sexual tension in each meeting the focus was more on the leads development and understanding towards each other despite their differences.
The leads banter was the highlight of the story. I liked the FL a lot she was gutsy and determined, she knew her worth and wanted nothing less than love and the ML despite his aloof and strict demeanour never judged the FL and stood by her.
Luce, he thought, the Italian word for light. And she was. That was what always drew him to her, kept him turning toward her again and again, the way a plant in a window insisted on turning toward the sun. He needed her, needed her so much he'd been willing to throw away everything else that had ever mattered to him. That was a frightening thing, for never in his whole life had he needed anyone.
My only problem was the sudden domesticity after their wedding with all the wrong circumstances that had transpired between them before, it just did not add up. Considering the author had kept the pace prior to the wedding so well I felt a tad disappointed with the sudden confession. Still all in all a pleasant read.
Venturing into Historical romance after a long time and this one managed to live up to the expectations. This was a classic case of opposites attracting each other with the the ML being staid, buttoned up and a realist and the FL wild, passionate and an optimist.
The plot, setting and the characters were well panned out. The leads were attracted to each other since the beginning but the author did not jump the gun and immediately started giving us secret closet kisses or accidental touches causing zinging sensations. Despite the sexual tension in each meeting the focus was more on the leads development and understanding towards each other despite their differences.
The leads banter was the highlight of the story. I liked the FL a lot she was gutsy and determined, she knew her worth and wanted nothing less than love and the ML despite his aloof and strict demeanour never judged the FL and stood by her.
Luce, he thought, the Italian word for light. And she was. That was what always drew him to her, kept him turning toward her again and again, the way a plant in a window insisted on turning toward the sun. He needed her, needed her so much he'd been willing to throw away everything else that had ever mattered to him. That was a frightening thing, for never in his whole life had he needed anyone.
My only problem was the sudden domesticity after their wedding with all the wrong circumstances that had transpired between them before, it just did not add up. Considering the author had kept the pace prior to the wedding so well I felt a tad disappointed with the sudden confession. Still all in all a pleasant read.
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