Laura Lee Gurhke

Historical/"Marriage Bed/Every Kiss" Series

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Have you heard the news? The historical is dead and nobody, but nobody, is reading them anymore.

Apparently, they're dated and irrelevant, and don't reflect the desires, goals, and mores of contemporary women readers.

I feel just awful for not telling you sooner.

So just for old times' sake, I'm going to recommend one last historical.

Then I'll get down to the business of featuring only paranormal erotic romances about shape-shifting detective heroines who kick butt and take vampire heroes' names later.

If I'm only going to tell you about one last historical, it's going to be a good one -- light, and funny, and by turns heart-wrenching, divinely sensual, and exceptionally well-written.

It's going to be "She's No Princess," the delightful new romance by Laura Lee Guhrke.

As the illegitimate daughter of an Italian prince and a celebrated courtesan, Lucia Valenti knows how to get attention. She uses her sharp wit and exotic beauty to cause all kinds of mayhem, hoping to gain her father's notice.

When her outlandish behavior goes too far, Lucia's father decides it's time to quell her rebellious spirit with the most dreadful punishment he can devise --

Marriage to an English aristocrat.

Sir Ian Moore is not that man, though he is the exacting British diplomat charged with the task of vetting prospective marriage candidates.

He thinks the assignment is cake, but soon finds his hands full -- with a voluptuous Italian minx determined to "muss him up" a bit.

Guhrke creates such a frustrated, almost operatic sensual tension between the two that when Lucia gets going on the Italianate gestures and body language, poor Ian doesn't stand a chance.

And that's just the way we like it in a "he's got to find a husband for the woman he loves" story line, no?

"She's No Princess" has got those things which make a historical great: country house parties, midnight balls, hot carriage love scenes, and of course, one strapping blacksmith stripped to the waist.

In other words, all the stuff we looked for when we used to read historical romance.

Which is why I chose "She's No Princess" as the last historical I'll feature here at Romance: B(u)y the Book.

Just kidding.

The historical is dead? Long live the historical!

Buy the book.

www.LauraLeeGuhrke.com

Next Week's Review and AuthorView: "Hot Item," by Carly Phillips

Don't miss Carly Phillips' guestblog and blogchat June 20 on www.RomanceByTheBlog.blogspot.com.