Heiress Gone Wild

July 15, 2019
The fourth and final Dear Lady Truelove historical (after 2019’s Governess Gone Rogue), set in the last years of the 19th century, sacrifices the heroine’s dreams for the hero’s ambitions, which is unlikely to please 21st-century readers. Jonathan Deverill takes over guardianship of his late business partner’s daughter and learns, to his surprise, that she isn’t a child but a grown woman, Marjorie McGann. Stubborn and driven in her own right, Marjorie defies Jonathan’s insistence that she stay at the New York boarding school where she is employed and instead follows him to London, hoping to find the perfect husband. Though Marjorie’s temper frequently flares, obstinate Jonathan develops a sense of protection for her that warms to affection. Jonathan, however, is overly focused on his ambition, to the detriment of the romance. Marjorie must choose between Jonathan’s manipulation and the confines of her dead-end teaching job, a dilemma that may be historically realistic but makes for unsatisfying fiction. Readers who associate historical romance with escapist wish fulfillment will find this effort disappointing.

July 15, 2019
When a man is named guardian of his best friend's daughter, he's expecting a child, not a gorgeous young woman who's ready to take life by the horns and who'll challenge every attempt to keep her staid and respectable. Englishman Jonathan Deverill didn't even know his American business partner had a daughter, so it comes as a surprise when he names Jonathan the girl's guardian. He's even more stunned to discover that the girl he's visiting at New York's Forsyte Academy is actually a beautiful young woman who's been waiting her whole life for her father to take her away to live a life beyond the school. The fact that he never did, despite a lifetime of promises, makes Marjorie McGann angry and hurt, feelings exacerbated when she learns he's died without ever visiting her, much less ushering her away from her boring, sheltered life. Marjorie is restless, ready to use her hefty inheritance to live an interesting life, get married, and have children. Jonathan infuriates her by telling her he needs to leave her at the school for a few more months while he gets some business settled and prepares a place for her with his family in London. Not interested in waiting one more day, she buys herself a cabin on his ship to England. So begins a battle of wills between two people who are fighting their attraction to each other while trying to do what's best for themselves and each other, knowing their goals are far too different for them to be together. Or are they? Guhrke continues the Deverill family saga with Jonathan's story, which is fun and engaging, though the author does her characters some disservice. At times, Marjorie and Jonathan both furiously resist things that make perfect sense and overemphasize conflict which feels easily solved. Effervescent and appealing despite some missteps.

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October 1, 2019

When Jonathan Deverill's longtime friend died, he shocked Jonathan by revealing he had a daughter at a finishing school and named Jonathan her guardian. After recovering from the surprise of these new circumstances, Jonathan decides to pay the young woman a visit to make sure she is cared for before continuing on his travels from New York to England and then South Africa. Instead of a young girl still pursuing her studies, he meets Marjorie McGann, an intelligent and strong-willed beauty who is longing to leave the only life she has known at the school. Sneaking onto the boat to join Jonathan's voyage to England, Marjorie plans to have a proper Season, find a husband, and embark on a life of her choosing with the money her father set aside for her. Jonathan worries that Marjorie will tarnish her reputation, and a battle of wits begins, with Jonathan trying to keep the promise to his friend and Marjorie fighting him at every turn. Their bickering quickly turns into a battle of desires, as Jonathan and Marjorie must choose what compromises they are willing to make to be happy. VERDICT The latest in Guhrke's "Dear Lady Truelove" series has heat but struggles to show the depth of Jonathan and Marjorie's connection. Still, series fans will tune in, thanks to the endearing characters whose stories continue here.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

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