Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke

A 19-year-old Phillip wisely stopped the disaster in the making, not through imparting them with wisdom or telling Maria that he wanted to eat her pastries (in a sexual way), but by paying them both off just like the villains in 80% of star-crossed lovers stories. Twelve years before the story takes place, Maria attempted to elope with Phillip's younger brother. To make an incredibly long story appropriately short, Phillip's the self-flagellating type of 'gentleman' who gets a boner for Maria, the daughter of his family's chef, when they're teenagers and ends up bitching at her to deal with his feelz.

Phillip doesn't give a shit as long as he stays waist-deep in fashionable sweaters. Phillip is basically the preppy boyfriend in every 80s movie that ends up royally screwing over the ingenue. She's just trying to sell her pastries or whatever, and Phillip keeps barging in and telling her to go away, like he OWNS THE ENTIRE WORLD or something. Maria is immaterial to this rant because I actually felt sorry for her. If I had to choose one thing that I found interesting about this book, I would probably decide on The Million Ways That Phillip is a Giant Asshat. It may be able to move ant hills, but that's only because the ants would be annoyed by their incessant yammering and leave. Phillip the snobby marquess and Maria the pastry chef. Who are the assholes in this again? Right. I'm confident that Sarah will agree that this Guhrke Buddy Read was as inspiring as a root canal. WARNING: GIFs, spoilers and a grumpy BAVR!

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. Among her publishing credits are twelve historical romances, including her latest, And Then He Kissed Her, now available from Avon Books. 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. Romantic Times has proclaimed her, “One of the most natural voices in historical romance to be found today”. 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. From 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.

Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke