Guhrke, Laura Lee. Wedding of the Season. New York: Avon, 2011.
ISBN-13: 978-0062036711 | $3.99 USD | 389 pages | Historical Romance
Blurb
Abandoned at the altar…
Lady Beatrix Danbury has always known she would marry William Mallory. She’d loved him forever, and she’d never doubted he loved her, too. But when she made him choose between their life together and his lifelong dream, Will chose the latter, and left two weeks before their wedding.
Return of the duke…
Will has no illusions that Beatrix will welcome him back with open arms, but six years has not diminished his love or his desire for her. The only problem is that she’s about to marry someone else. Someone safe and predictable… the complete opposite of Will. But can he stop the wedding of the season and win Beatrix back, or is it just too late?
Review
4 stars
While I’ve read some of Laura Lee Guhrke’s more recent titles, I haven’t had the opportunity to really explore her backlist. Wedding of the Season appealed to me based on the promising premise, and I was immediately drawn in based on the opening, with a mix of letters and gossip columns setting the scene, immediately giving me similar vibes to the Bridgertons, not to mention that the female lead is a Danbury.
I really liked Beatrix, and while I don’t come to historical romances for perfect accuracy, I love how she’s a solid representation of someone caught between the traditional expectations of her society and her more “unconventional” desires. She’s set to marry a proper Duke as the book opens, and he’s very attached to the old ways, even as society is progressing, but she’s more modern in her outlook, including driving a motorcar, something that comes into play a few times in the book. But at the same time, she does also cherish her connection to England and wants domesticity.
Will is the one who had to do a lot of growing in the book, as the crux of the conflict was him putting his need for adventure in Egypt over marrying Beatrix. In his determination to win her back, there are moments where he does overstep, including initiating a kiss that her fiance witnesses, leading to the demise of the engagement. However, he wasn’t insufferable, as he had a lot of charm, and I rooted for him to get his act together.
And I really liked that the romance was about them compromising, and finding a way for both of them to have what they wanted, while being happy together. While I did feel like the Grand Gesture should have been weighted more toward his side than hers, meeting in the middle and discussing things once they’d both made a sacrifice was just as rewarding.
This was a solid read, and I’m excited to read more from the series and Laura Lee Guhrke in the future. I’d recommend this book to readers looking for a fun historical romance with compelling, flawed characters.
Author Bio
Laura Lee Guhrke spent seven years in advertising, had a successful catering business, and managed a construction company before she decided writing novels was more fun. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Laura has penned twenty-nine historical romances. Her books have received many award nominations, and she is a two-time recipient of romance fiction’s highest honor: the Romance Writers of America RITA Award. She lives in the Northwest with her husband, and two diva cats. Laura loves hearing from readers, and you can contact her via her website: www.lauraleeguhrke.com.
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