EPUB á MOBI Guilty Pleasures î 9780060541743 FREE

MOBI Guilty Pleasures

EPUB á MOBI Guilty Pleasures î 9780060541743 FREE Ë ❴Read❵ ➲ Guilty Pleasures Author Laura Lee Guhrke – Dcmdirect.co.uk For prim and shy Daphne Wade the sweetest guilty pleasure of all is secretly watching her employer the Duke of Tre as he works the excavation site on his English estate AnthoLd rimmed glasses into an enticing beauty he declares the task to be impossible Daphne is devasted when she overhearsand determined to prove him wrong Now a vibrant and delectable Daphne has emerged from her shell and the tables are turned Will Anthony see that the woman of his dreams has been there all alon This book had the honour of being the recipient of the Romantic Times Award for Best European Historical Romance of 2004 It was also the first book I read by Laura Lee Guhrke and it established her as a firm favourite of mine and over the years I have read and loved many of her booksI adore Daphne because it is easier to relate to someone who is plain wears spectacles and by the standards of the time is firmly on the shelf at the age of twenty four She had an unconventional upbringing having lived and worked abroad all her life assisting her father Sir Henry Wade one of the foremost Roman antiuarians in the world on his excavations After her father dies suddenly she is left all alone unwanted by her mother’s family in England and virtually penniless Her decision to travel to England and take her father’s place shows real courage and I also love her response when Anthony uestions her suitability for the position I am the daughter of Sir Henry Wade and he was the best I was trained by him and now that he is gone there is no one ualified for this post than IAnthony is arrogant inconsiderate selfish and in typical ducal fashion expects to be obeyed without uestion and whenever he wants anything particularly difficult or unreasonable done he can be persuasively charming His cynical attitude to love and marriage does not sit well with his sister Viola but Anthony is adamant that he intends to marry someone who will make no emotional demands on himI did admire him for the sympathetic way he treats his estate workers who are unable to pay their rent and for his determination that the museum should be for everyone not just the wealthyIt wasn’t hard to believe that a uiet shy young woman like Daphne who had spent all her life around excavations without any social interactions would develop an infatuation for someone like Anthony I really felt her heartbreak when she hears his derogatory comments but I admired the way she refuses to wallow in self pity She has always tried to please other people first her father and then Anthony but now she is determined to decide her own future and enjoy life with encouragement from Anthony’s sister Viola who has offered to introduce Daphne into societyExpecting everyone to cow tow to his every command I enjoyed seeing Anthony’s outraged reaction when Daphne tells him she is resigning and his usual coolness and self possession totally deserts him And I love the way she stands up to him and is not afraid to speak her mind “You may be a duke but you are not the sun around which the world revolves In fact you are uite the opposite for you are the most selfish man I have I have ever known”Now Anthony must find a way to persuade Daphne to stay long enough to finish his project It was fun watching the various bargains Anthony contrives to gain extra time from Daphne – verbal duels midnight dances kisses – and the camaraderie that develops between them as they dance flirt and laugh together seems so believable Their witty repartee was enjoyable too “Contrary to certain reports I have been known to be kind on occasion” Laugh lines appeared at the corners of his eyes though he did not smile “But I confess I am not being kind just now”“Yes I know and it is not going to work”He tried to look innocent “What is not going to work?”“This blatant attempt to trick me into staying with charm and—and other such tactics”“I know you are far too intelligent to be fooled by charm or trickery Miss Wade Can we not just say I am using the only weapon I have?”“”Persuasion?”“Temptation If I can tempt you with the fruits of my garden of Eden you might stay”I applaud Ms Guhrke for not transforming Daphne into some ravishing beauty She remains the same person she always was but Anthony begins to see the real Daphne beneath the drab clothes tight bun and spectacles – a woman who is intelligent funny tender hearted and passionateIt is clear that the circumstances surrounding Anthony’s father’s death and having to shoulder the burden of ducal duties at such a tender age have had a profound effect on him and have clearly shaped him into the man he has become Having seen first hand the tragic conseuences of love he has always been master of his emotions never letting his heart rule his head until Daphne comes into his life I love how he uses the language of flowers to court her his determination not to give up and how he finally opens up his heart to DaphneThere is such a charmimg ending which left me with a lovely warm glow “What does a duchess do exactly?”He took a step toward her “Love the duke Love him with all the passion she hides within her love him each and every day of her life”MY VERDICT I still love this book as much as I did the first time of reading it A delightful entertaining and romantic love story which I can highly recommend Guilty series click on the book covers for details This review was first posted on the Rakes and Rascals blog