And Then He Kissed Her Reviews

• The perfect example of what a good romance should do

  
  By A22TZUXUKA11SQ on 2007-03-04
  Viscount Harrison Marlowe has caused a scandal among the peers of the realm: first with his divorce from his American wife, second with his decision to go into trade and work as a publisher, and third with his assertions that women should be treated equally to men and, accordingly, his employment of a female secretary. With the editorials he publishes in his newspapers that widely discredit the institution of marriage, and his firm proclamations that he will never wed again, Harry does not seem like the sort of gentleman that a lady would go after. To the contrary, however, the women of the ton see him as a challenge and each believes that she will be the one to finally bring this stray dog to heel.
  
  Miss Emmaline Dove, Harry's female secretary, is usually the one who winds up being the bearer of bad news to the string of mistresses and broken hearts that Harry tends to leave in his wake. She organizes his schedule, runs a good deal of his business, as well as shops for the presents that he will eventually send his lady friends when he no longer requires their company. Though she is a lady in the truest sense of the word, and her propriety is her pride and joy, Emma continues to work for Harry in the hopes that he will eventually publish the line of etiquette books that she writes under the pseudonym of Mrs. Bartleby. When it becomes clear that he will never do so, and that he has in fact never even read her work and instead rejects it without review, Emma quits her position and throws Harry's entire world into a tailspin.
  
  And Then He Kissed Her is one of the best romances I've read this year and had all of the elements that will keep me coming back to more of Guhrke's work. First of all, the novel flowed in an easy-to-read, quick-paced, and well plotted format which is more rare than you would imagine. Everything seemed to happen in a logical order, and even though it was more than 200 pages before Emma and Harry even had their first kiss, the entire wait was fraught with sexual tension and heightened arousal so much that I couldn't wait for them to finally touch each other. Harry and Emma were both well thought out characters who developed over the course of the novel. Emma starts off as a pious, on-the-shelf spinster who puts propriety before her own happiness and is so consumed with keeping up appearances she cannot stop to think about what she wants for her own life. Meeting Harry, and falling in love with him, allows her to let go of the defenses she's erected and to realize that she does deserve happiness, even at the expense of her own reputation. Similarly, though Harry starts off as the worst sort of cad, a man who will send a woman a bracelet when he's done with her and just say good riddance when she wants him back, he eventually becomes the sort of man who would be worthy of a woman of Emma's style and grace. The relationship between these two and the way they teach one another to grow and become better people is a perfect example of what a good romance should do, and the happiness I felt for them and genuine sorrow when the book was over is the exact way that I should feel if a romance novel has done its job.
  
  I picked up And Then He Kissed Me because Julia Quinn recommended it on her web site and, as she's one of my favorite romance authors, I'll usually try anything she gives a stamp of approval. She was right on target in this instance, and I'll definitely add Laura Lee Guhrke to my list of go-to authors in the historical romance genre.
  
  

• One Perfect Heroine

  
  By A3FG0FQHNV2UP2 on 2007-03-17
  I really thought Carla Kelly's "Beau Crusoe" was going to be the best and most original book I read this month, but "And Then He Kissed Her" is a strong contender. Somehow Laura Lee Guhrke has taken a handful of elements I dislike and turned them into something sublime. Her heroine is not an independent lady in the 'I don't need men, oh my goodness I'm in trouble, help me!' mold. She's a real person. She does her best at her job, works toward her goals, lets her mind wander when the boss' girlfriend rattles on, and lives her life. She's in the rut of office routine while dreaming of success as an author. She likes her apartment, she likes her cat, (and so do I, which was shocking enough) she's content. Until realizing how undervalued she is by her employer shakes her loose from her routine. Suddenly, like many of us have, she's reevalutating her choices and making new ones. She's not dissatisfied with herself, she doesn't doubt her capabilities, she realizes she needs to seek employment where she's valued, so she does. There's no grand plan to seduce the boss - she walks away without a backward glance. I love her. When he runs after her with promises of obscene salaries, she chooses self respect and her new employer. When he doubts her abilities, she ignores him. Making me love her even more, she's able to see her own work clearly. She's not spunky or overconfident, she's just assured. She's good at what she does and she knows it. If he never figures that out, it's fine with her. His loss. Did I mention I loved her? You will too.
  
  

• Fantastic surprise

  
  By AR7RBK9OY9F1 on 2007-03-11
  I picked this up on a whim and had no expectations, but it was fabulous!
  
  The book takes place in the 1890s. While there have been some technological advances, such as telephones and trains, women and men remain bound by society's strict dictates.
  
  Viscount Harry Marlowe is an anomaly... he's divorced, prefers running a business to being an idle aristocrat and has a female secretary named Emmaline Dove.
  
  Emma has worked at Harry's publishing company for five years, but she longs to be a writer. After having multiple books rejected by Harry, she discovers that he hasn't actually read a single one. Emma quits in disgust and that's where the book truly begins.
  
  And Then He Kissed Her is a wonderful story. What I think I loved most is that both Emma and Harry have flaws and fears that are not only believable, but also understandable. And they overcome them in ways that ring true. These are almost contemporary characters who happen to live in Victorian times.
  
  If you've never read a book by Laura Lee Guhrke then it's time to start. And if you've never read an historical novel, this one will not let you down.
  
  Highly recommend. Four stars.
  
  

• A great comeback for an author who I had given up on

  
  By A35590VN4M7ZSN on 2007-03-21
  I hadn't intended to buy this book, but funny thing happened on the way to the bookstore and that was I started seeing people talk about how great this book was. I read the excerpt and caved.
  
  What a fool I was to think the best Guhrke days were past. And Then He Kissed Her was fresh, smart, and romantic. It's the type of book that made me love romance so many years ago. In this volume, we see the beauty of awakening; not a woman to her sexuality, although that is part of it, but it is an awakening to self. Emma Dove throws off the mantle of propriety to live life because being alive is only half the game. You have to feel alive too.
  
  Emma Dove is a girl bachelor in Victorian England. For the past five years she has been secretary extraordinaire to Viscount Marlowe who runs through women like Kleenex. She does everything for Marlowe from buying goodbye presents for his various mistresses to making sure the newspaper's schedule is precise. What she really wants to be, though, is a published author. She has written several etiquette books but Marlowe refuses to publish them, believing the subject matter to be duller than dust.
  
  Marlowe is a peer, but a disgraced one. He married when he was a young man and ended up getting a divorce, staining his family's reputation and receiving a denouncement from the Queen. Despite the social stain, Marlowe makes quite a good living as a publishing tycoon. He enjoys thumbing his nose at society which is one of the reasons he hired Emma in the first place.
  
  Emma is a practical woman. She understands that while Marlowe is handsome, he is a selfish man bent on his own pleasures. She put away sighs over him years ago. Marlowe knows that Ms. Dove is nicely formed, but values his secretary too much in order to have designs on her person. Yet when Ms. Dove throws off the shackles of her servitude to embrace life, Marlowe begins to look at her differently.
  
  The book is told in three parts and at the end of each part, I thought to myself, the book is going to falter. When the secretary/employer barriers are removed, there won't be any tension. When the writer/publisher barrier is removed, there won't be any tension. When they become lovers, there won't be any tension. But it never lagged, not once. It moved me from laughter to sadness to joy. I had a goofy smile on my face the entire time I read this book.
  
  

• Wow - so this is what all the other romances are missing ...

  
  By A3D1RYGOR76013 on 2007-05-29
  I've been reading historical romances for, well, lets just leave it at more than a few years. This is the book I have been missing! Wow - I've never read anything by Guhrke before, but picked this one up with its great reviews, and I am so pleased that I did. Many of the reviews that I've found before on Amazon are overly favorable and when I read it, I wonder if I am just missing something.
  
  Do yourself a favor - if you are a former historical romance fan, read this book. It's a joy to find such well developed characters, whose past history pushes them into making decisions that make sense for who they are, and, well .. it's a well done character-driven plot. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did - it was hard to put down.
  
  
  
• Great Book!!
  By A30APUIUZTH9TE on 2007-02-28
  I've always enjoyed Laura Lee Guhrke and this book is no exception. Emma is the dowdy but efficient secretary to Lord Marlowe's publishing company. A spinster who has a touch of Martha Stewart, she keeps submitting her etiquette/how-to manuscripts to the boss (Marlowe) and he keeps rejecting them as uninteresting. She discovers on her last submission that Marlowe has lied about reading her work. She quits and Marlowe realizes he can't run the office without her. He makes an effort to get her back but she refuses because she's had an epiphany....Life is passing her by. There's a lovely scene in a shop where she watches a young girl buy and walk off with the beautiful fan she had been admiring for weeks. The realization she experiences in that shop is a poignant and pivotal event. She decides to take her life in her own hands and reach for what she wants. And what she wants is to write. When she goes to work for Marlowe's biggest competitor and becomes a very popular columnist in the guise of Mrs. Bartleby. He starts out trying to lure her back but ends up falling under her spell. Marlowe takes a little longer to like. He's divorced (yes, divorced!) and has a real distaste for marriage. It's great to watch his transformation. We get a real sense of who he is when he's at home. You see, he lives in a house full of women! The women in
  the family are an excellent spyglass into his true nature.
  
  ***The heroine in this story is just wonderful. She's self supporting and proud. She never feels sorry for herself in the usual way. I loved the fact that she was thirty years old and had a few lines. Both characters are unconventional and thoroughly entertaining!!
  
  
• Virtue may be it's own reward, but to my mind, that's not much of an incentive. - Lord Marlowe
  By A37E6RW5BUX4U0 on 2008-02-27
  After having left the longtime employ as secretary under Lord Marlowe, Emma is now writing under the pseudonym of Mrs. Bartlesby; giving weekly advice on decorum, etiquette and fashionable trends in the newspaper. As a 30 year old spinster in real life, Emma must keep her identity a secret. The only one that knows is her former employer who has recently purchased the newspaper she is writing for.
  
  Having left as his secretary under bad terms, the two struggle to come to some sort of amicable working arrangement. In the midst of working together on this column, what was once a merely professional relationship turns into something quite more. Lord Marlowe is known for his abandonment of rules and propriety and sets out to show Emma that deep down she isn't as prim as her Mrs. Bartlesby.
  
  This book started off rather slow for me and I was a bit bogged down by all the rules and regulations and the repetition of such that Emma spews at the beginning. I found it rather tiresome, actually, and felt the real Emma took far too long emerging. But once the real Emma did show her face, the reading journey picked up it's pace and I found myself enchanted with the innocent Emma with the ever curious mind; she is a bundle of contradictions.
  
  What helped me get through the slow start in the beginning and made the entire read enjoyable, was Marlowe, for sure. He is witty and wicked and luckily recognizes the real Emma before she does, giving us something to look forward to. They compliment each other spectacularly and embark on a wonderful love affair.
  
  Two things that stood out for me in this book was that Emma wasn't classically beautiful or perfect. Time and time again we read in these romances about these flawless beauties and every once in awhile it's nice to read about one who while certainly not ugly, isn't exactly Miss America, either. Another thing I loved was before he seduces her physically, he does so mentally in a scene I thought was as sensuous and erotic as it was romantic.
  
  All in all after a slow start this book picked up the pace and did not let up. I highly enjoyed it and it being my first by the author, it certainly won't be my last.
  
  Cherise Everhard, February 2008
  
  
  
• Disappointing
  By A2KV2E4MGIW5AJ on 2007-07-15
  I won't go into a description of the story' because other reviewers have done this. My disappointment comes from the reviewers and not with the story itself. I read these reviews so I can get an idea if I'll like the book enough to buy it. but no one really gives you a true picture of the story, and of the H/H and of their inter action with each other. I was given the impression this heroine was of a different mind set than other heroine's from other books. after reading the book I found her to be of the same caliber as other heroine from other books. They feel they have to jump into bed with the hero. I am tired of this premise with Historical Romance and thought this book was different and that the Heroine had some back bone and would stand for some integrity for herself, instead of selling her self so cheap. I was disappointed that not one reviewer told the story the way it was really written so I could have made a more informed opinion and would not have bought this book.I know some will say that spoils the story,but that is not true. That's why I stopped reading Harriet K's reviews. Needless to say I was very sorry I bought the book and for wasting my time reading all these misleading reviews.
  
  
• I got teary eyed around 4:43 AM....
  By A1VDV9BSG03NFX on 2007-04-07
  ... then finished the book a little after 5 am. The loss of sleep was well worth it!
  
  This wonderful romantic story is about Harry (Viscount Marlowe), who is a handsome, charming, unconventional and inconsiderate rake, has a preference for dark haired, emotional can-can dancers as mistresses, believed that the sanctity of marriage is equivalent to being in hell and believed in making his own fortune by way of owning several publishing companies. He doesn't much care for what society thought of him or in general. Infact, to prove a point, he hired a female secretary because he believed that a female can make a living in a man's position and he even paid her a salary that is equal to a man's. That secretary was none other than the prim and proper Emmaline (Emma) Dove. Emma, a girl- bachelor and a spinster, surpassed all his expectations. She was the most efficient, reliable and obedient employee he's ever hired. She had his company running like clockwork. She kept track of all occasions and appointments, purchased gifts for his female relatives and even his mistresses which also included parting gifts once he tire of them!
  
  Harry made Emma off limits to him because she was so good at her position as his secretary and truth be told, he found her to be as dry as sand, with no sense of humor, passionless, too even tempered and well, kinda' plain. Emma on the otherhand, found him to be insincere, inconsiderate, an awful scoundrel and just the kind of man that a lady should NOT fall for. Especially when she had to be the one who ended up having to dump Harry's paramours on his behalf. She worked for him for five years only in hopes that one day, he will publish her writings on etiquette. The thing is, he never did. And on her 30th birthday, she discovered that he had never intended to do so. That was her breaking point and decided for once in her life, to abandon her sensibility, and an employer who took her for granted and...quit! Harry refused to accept her resignation because the workplace was just chaotic without her. He had to get her back. Shockingly, his attempts made him the receiving end of a very fiery temper...hers! And well, after five years of having Emma as an employee, he never really knew her at all. And getting to know the real Emma was an intriguing endeavor indeed. One he was oh, so willing to make...
  
  I love, love, love Harry and Emma's story! The main characters were so well written and their backgrounds, described so poignantly, that one can understand why Harry and Emma had such strong beliefs. It's easy to feel for them both. I laughed and I cried and I relished each and every word. I appreciated the fact that the book was about the hero and the heroine and there were no ridiculous subplots to take the focus away from them. It is a true love story devoid of exaggerated misunderstandings that would frustrate a reader like myself. I am not a big fan of prolouges and epilouges, however, I was actually wishing that Ms.Laura Lee Guhrke included both just so I could read more. This book was an absolute pleasure. Infact, I've read and re-read the last chapter 3 times already. And sighed every time...
  
  
• fun late Victorian romance
  By AFVQZQ8PW0L on 2007-03-03
  Lord Harry Marlowe is proud of the quality of his newspaper and the efficiency of his office. However, he ignores the submission of etiquette articles by some uptight author. When his prim and proper secretary Emmaline Dove realizes her employer failed to print her submissions sent in under a pseudonym, she becomes outraged and quits. She plans to give her collective work to Marlowe's rival.
  
  Harry realizes how good Miss Dove was when his office collapses affecting the newspaper he cherishes. He needs her back and decides any tool in his arsenal will suffice especially since he is a highly regarded rake. He decides to teach her to ignore etiquette and return to bring order to chaos with a kiss. What Harry never expected is how much everything changed in his world when he kissed her and her reciprocating makes him believe that he's never been kissed this way before.
  
  This is a fun late Victorian romance starring two likable protagonists who make for a fine reading experience for the sub-genre audience and would be just the novel to bring fans of other eras into the fold. The gender war is at its best as pompous womanizer Harry battles his reticent former secretary with the winner being in charge of the newspaper and their relationship. Laura Lee Guhrke provides a great tale as love complicates the duel.
  
  Harriet Klausner
  
  
  
• Excellent
  By AICUQ98QW0T17 on 2007-03-17
  Just finished it, and I cannot recommend it enough.
  
  Harry is a dream. If you don't fall in love with this witty, charming, vulnerable, loving, responsible and handsome man, you've got a screw loose.
  
  And if you don't want Emma to be your best friend -- you've got TWO screws loose.
  
  'nuff said.
  
  
  
  
• Too predictable, sacrine but witty, cleverly written.
  By AJ7JMS9SH4MVN on 2007-10-11
  Meet Miss Emmaline Dove, secretary and task master, but prim, proper...boring, at least that's the way her employer, the successful publisher Viscomte Harrison Marlow, sees her, and has for the past five years in his employ. In the age of Victorian England, propriety remains to be the rule of law and anything else, considered far too naughty; and that's just the way Harry likes it.
  
  When Emma learns that a book she has been toiling over for five years, a book on manners and proper behavior, is again flippantly rejected by Marlowe, something snaps. Never mind that's she's too sensible and proper, never mind that he's never read more than a paragraph of her work, she up and resigns without notice, initiating series of events that inevitably brings them together. No longer does Harry see his former secretary as placid and unemotional efficient machine, but a woman with more than just talent for writing and a wry passionate personality. Let the unveiling begin...
  
  The writing is clever, the dialogue witty, the characters feisty and fun to read but the substance is non-existent and so easily predictable and sedate that by the end, I was more than slightly disappointed. Don't look for anything more than the superficial tale of man meets woman, discovers each others pain and weakness and, of course, the usual tumble in and out of clothes and emotional barriers. There is very little context to the time frame and only cursory, if not superficial, background descriptions of the characters but somehow that's okay in this book. Little is explored beyond the romance and interaction between the characters but it's consistent by keeping details minimal and contained.
  
  The plot is somewhat unbelievable, a single woman working for male publisher and one who lives alone in Victorian England (and of course, she has a cat, the tell-tell sign of a single white female, alone), and there is little character and emotional development. Although Guhrke does attempt to offer a dynamic change in Emma, from stiff and overly assiduous rule follower to breaking all the rules of etiquette, it had a tendency to weaken the plot, espeically with its more modern flavor. Harry's character was merely a catalyst, and not much else. His determined stand at never getting married due to a bad first marriage is briefly mentioned and abruptly given the 180 in the last chapter.
  
  There are definite problems with the plot and character rendering but for the most part, the writing is good enough to let you pass over those cracks. If you expect more, don't read, but if you just need an easy read and a good laugh, this is perfect. Was it good for one read? Sure. Is it a keeper? Not to me, but to each her own...
  
  
• Buy it now!
  By A1Q2Y6XVGZWMAE on 2007-03-15
  This book is a must-have for historical romance fans! If we had any question about her staying power, Laura Lee Guhrke proves herself for good in this latest, refreshing read.
  
  With just enough smolder and sexual tension, this book keeps you riveted and makes those pages turn. Both characters are an utter delight, completely dynamic and wonderfully original. You'll fall in love with the charming Harry and as for Emma--you'll be cheering her on, all while admiring her spunk and wit.
  
  Double A+ for plot on this one. Guhrke takes us out of the same old Regency setting we've read 1,999 times before and brings us instead to late 19th century England, where Harry is a publisher and Emma an aspiring writer. Both Harry and Emma learn quite a bit about themselves on their journey, and their gradual redefinitions of who they are is masterfully done.
  
  In all, this book is fresh and delightful, and you'll fall in love again every time you read it. Thank heavens there's still a romance writer out there we can count on!
  
  
• Sexy Flawless Romance!
  By A1EJKQD72ZO2AP on 2007-03-30
  The 30 year-old spinster Miss Emmaline Dove is an efficient secretary to the handsome, sexy rogue and successful newspaper and businessman, Viscount Harry Marlowe. She has kept his extremely disorganized life in check, making him appear the most organized nobleman in society. His office and home run flawlessly. She purchases all of his personal gifts for family and mistresses, and even steps in as the role of comforter to those discarded. She takes comfort in her role and her ordered life, continuing to work for him in order to convince him to publish her book of etiquette. He turns down her most recent effort, published under the name of Mrs. Bartleby. When Emma asks for constructive criticism as to why the work was rejected, he responds with, "Who is Mrs. Bartleby?" and she realizes he has never taken the time to read any of her manuscripts. Downhearted and then furious she resigns her position. When she enters a shop to purchase a beautiful peacock fan she has had her eye on for a long time, she discovers a beautiful young debutante is purchasing it. It is then that she realizes how much of her life has passed by while attending to the needs of Viscount Marlowe.
  
  Harry is beside himself! Where is his efficient, unremarkable and uncomplicated Emma? His life and most importantly, his schedule, is a mess. He is running late and missing appointments, documents are missing, and his staff is panicked. When he realizes that Emma has resigned, he is determined to get her back. When he arrives at her flat in order to convince her to return, Emma informs him she will be working for his most severe competition and will be writing her own weekly newspaper etiquette column in the Social Gazette.
  
  Emma's new job is a dream come true. She is an instant success! She no longer has to worry about that rogue Viscount Marlowe, and she has more money than she ever had before. Harry is even more miserable. Not only is his business and personal calendar a wreck, but now he has to spend his breakfast listening to his mother and sisters constantly praise Mrs. Bartleby! Seeing that he cannot lure Emma back as his secretary, he purchases the Social Gazette. Emma is suddenly in constant contact with Harry and is troubled by growing feelings of attraction. Harry is beginning to wonder why Emma is appearing more attractive. Desire and passion build and soon Emma is in the arms of Harry. Harry is in heaven with his Emma. When Emma agrees to become his mistress, he purchases a cottage away from the city where they spend idyllic weekends. But can Emma continue to hide Mrs. Bartleby's true identity and her affair with Harry from her friends? When Harry realizes that he truly loves Emma, can he take the step from lover to husband?
  
  And Then He Kissed Her is Laura Lee Guhrke's best novel to date. It is a well-developed pleasurable read that grabs hold of the reader from the first page to the very end. It is sexy and witty with strong characters throughout. This is a book not to be missed!
  
  
  
• Eh.... okay
  By A2JZGZGR2X5BS7 on 2007-07-21
  I didn't much care for this one. It was okay, I suppose, but the storyline was a little too loose. And the hero goes from not thinking anything at all about the heroine (except that she's a fabulous secretary) to lusting after her... in the span of about two seconds. She hadn't changed her appearance; what made him suddenly just have to have her? Wasn't quite believeable in my opinion.
  
  
• Skip this book
  By A37NTCXLZ73A2A on 2007-10-28
  Sadly, this book doesn't even rate as mediocre in my opinion. Themes which have already been done by maaaaany other authors, and done in better and more interesting ways. The virgin prudish spinster with a secret desire to write... but that's not all that's secret about her! Would you believe that under her prudish spinsterish shell there lies a woman with a passionate nature? Yes! It's true! And would you believe that her former boss, the rake who vows never to wed again, is the one who tap into her hidden passion? And that in the end he discovers he DOES want to marry? Who saw this one coming? Wow! And the spinster has a cat! A cat! Of all the crazy pets you'd expect a spinster to have! To some degree I know it is unfair to mock the predictability and unoriginality and happy ending of this story because to some degree that's why we read these books. But don't we also read them to be enchanted and moved and even to have a few surprises thrown into the formula? I can only attribute the more favorable ratings this book has garnered to increasingly low expectations we as readers have developed. It seemed at one time there were stories with spark and fun in them. You can still find a few authors willing to deliver on that score (Loretta Chase comes to mind), but this author isn't one of them. I wish she had been.
  
  
• A Thouroughly Modern-Old-Fashioned Heroine!!
  By A3KBNGDKM6WAAJ on 2007-03-08
  
  Laura Lee Guhrke does it again!, April 30, 2007
  Reviewer: Romancefan "book goddess" (New York) - See all my reviews
  This lovely and sweet romance was different in that Emma,our heroine, has an independence which you don't find in most romance noves espc. historicals.
  I loved her firey spirit too. The hero was a bit weak in that he wasn't HOT for Emma...but I liked him because he grows to understand what she wants for herself and ends up supporting her! All in all...this was a charming story and I really enjoyed it a lot.
  Laura Lee Guhrke is a wonderful writer compared to some others of this genre! I've read all her novels and they are still on my keeper shelf!
  While it's easy to put a modern sensibility on a character from the 1890's, it's more difficult to put authentic responses to a character true of the time period. Although the sensuality and passion rule the characters decisions, it's not difficult to understand, given the strict choices offered within her society, why the heroine is willing to risk so much. For the female characters especially, ruin is a reality of the time period and passion out of marriage is highly costly of reputation and even potential "freedom". She could be considered "mad" from sensuality and sent to a mental institution. Emma is just such a heroine...or should I say girl-bachelor! She's independent... until the first kiss with her boss and then...at the last part of the book... she begins a torrid sexy affair rather than marry!
  Give yourself a treat and dive into this lush, erotic celebration of great storytelling. This storyline is rare and unique in the world of historicals! ~Happy Reading... RomanceFanReader~
  
  
  
• Ho Hum, I just couldn't care
  By A25NE4ZT5J6SKE on 2007-03-29
  I don't know what I didn't like about this book, but maybe it was the setting (late 1800's). I'm always disappointed when I start a book and see that it is set close to 1900. It just doesn't feel romantic. Anyway, this book sat around half finished while I read several others. I finally gave it away unfinished.
  
  
• Another winner from Ms. Guhrke!
  By A30SGF9B5DCQEF on 2007-04-07
  Ms. Guhrke's wonderfully engaging style tells a captivating story about the rakish, but devastatingly charming publisher, Harry and his seemingly obedient and steadfast secretary Emma. Both characters are well-developed, intelligent and likeable. This is a very believable story about two people struggling within the strict confines of society and their own self-imposed boundaries. The story is well-paced and the writing is consistent throughout. It's a charming, romantic and sexy read without the heavy sugar coating, the over-wrought phrases and flowery prose that is all too prevalent in historical romance. Well done!
  
  
• Can I give this book 5++ stars? I hope so because I just did!
  By A33J2VWP9HXDU9 on 2007-05-05
  I think this is a wonderful book. The actual plot line is mentioned many times in other reviews so if you want to know what it is about you have many opportunities to find that out in other places. I want to give you my assessment of the writing and the characters.
  
  Laura Lee Guhrke has a way of writing that makes it actually easy to read her books. This prose is clear, uncomplicated and easy to understand without making me feel I am being talked down to. It flows, it is realistic. The phrasing of sentences is presented in a normal manner. I could HEAR these people speaking these words aloud to each other. It is very rare to find an author whose words have an almost lyrical ring to them but that is how this author's words sound to me. I just love her style. Therefore, she has passed the first hurdle to capturing my attention. Now I can go on to "meet" the characters.
  
  Emma and Harry are, as so many other reviewers have said, wonderful and easy to like. It was a huge departure for this author to have her two main characters interact with one another for a long period of time without there being any sexual tension between them. Not only was there no sexual tension, there was not even much liking or admiration from a personal standpoint, only from the business side. They each had formed what they thought to be correct opinions of the other, saw no need to change that opinion, and simply dealt with each other on a business footing. Fully half the book is given over to these two people coming to realize they don't know as much about the other as they thought. Emma is wonderful. Shy, a true innocent but with a resolve which could move mountains if they got in her way. Harry had been hurt. I think some reviewers don't give enough credence to how much his divorce had traumatized him. He HAD actually loved Consuelo and her treatment of him formed the basis of his behavior toward all other women from that time on. He couldn't see into the future. He had no idea he was going to fall in love with Emma. Why would we expect him to start off treating her as anything but a secretary?
  
  A wonderful book! I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it. I think Ms Guhrke made the first 200 pages go on a little too long and consequently could not tie up any loose ends for me but I'm not complaining. I will just imagine what happened when Harry introduced Emma to his family as his future wife. I will also assume that Emma was able to help Diana with her wedding plans. I can see how this could be the first in a series of books. Harry had sisters and the sisters had friends. Grist for the author's mill. I can't wait!
  
  
• A Nice Heartfelt Read (B+ Grade)
  By A1AKQ1YUS4BT82 on 2007-03-01
  Guhrke is one of the best authors Avon has to offer and this latest by her is one to recommend. Both the heroine and hero have some angst-fulled history but they work through their inner demons and self worth to realize they are perfect for each other. Also the time period is a few years before the 20th century and not the typical mid 19th century as we are use to reading when it comes to this type of author.
  The romance is fresh and adorable. There is a sensual chocolate eating scene and if you like your characters at a more mature level (the heroine is 30 and the hero is 35) again this story is for you.
  There are a little cliches found but not too many to make you roll your eyes.
  Good sex scenes and interaction made this a winner.
  
  Katiebabs
  
  The Wicked Ways of a Duke
  
  
• Wonderfully romantic
  By A98KBBZ5I03AM on 2007-03-10
  Laura Lee Guhrke has been an "auto-buy" author for me ever since Connor's Way. She never fails to write incredibly romantic and enjoyable books, and And Then He Kissed Her is no exception. Please, Ms. Guhrke, don't go the way of other favorite historical romance writers and start writing contemporaries. We all need wonderful historicals like this one!
  
  
• A Surprising Delight
  By A3KE6TMMH3BG00 on 2007-04-20
  I am surprised by how much I loved this book. Another reviewer already said this, but it's true for me as well: This book contains several elements that I typically don't enjoy in a romance, but those elements are wrapped in one utterly - there's no other word for it - delightful package. The heroine is middle class; I prefer aristocrats in my historical romances. The hero is dead set against marriage; I prefer a hero, especially a historical one, who pursues the heroine for honorable reasons. The story is set in the Victorian era, and I prefer the Regency. (And so on.) And even though I generally prefer darker elements in my romances, this light (in tone, not in substance) story is the most romantic romance I've read in some time. It made me smile, and it had me tearing up. And, considering it does not have a lot of actual sex in it (which these days is often used as filler to add to the page count of a less-than-substantial story), this book contains some of the sexiest foreplay I've ever read.
  
  
• Great Great Book!
  By A2NP7ANX98F28N on 2007-07-19
  This is the first book I read by this author and I have to say it is a solid performance from beginning to end. The book is humourous, original, and romantic. The plot is simple, but believable and entertaining. The characters were realistic. Emma is a superb heroine. And Harry is dashing, charming and lovable.
  The developement of the relationship is highly believeble and very sweet. It doesn't insult the reader with ridiculous twists and turns. Just enough drama to push the characters along, but doesn't take the spotlight from them.
  
  
• And Then He Kissed Her- A Joyfully Recommended Title
  By A320TMDV6KCFU on 2007-07-24
  Girl bachelor and secretary to publisher Viscount Marlowe, Emmaline Dove has a dream beyond buying gifts for her employer's latest paramour. Emma wants to write etiquette books. With more than one attempt refused by Harry, Viscount Marlowe, Emma has hopes that her latest offering will meet his approval. When she discovers that Harry hasn't even read her books before turning them down, including her most recent submission, Emma becomes furious and quits her job.
  
  Harry would prefer being skinned alive to being forced to read etiquette books and he's sure there is no place for them in the marketplace. Astonished that his sedate secretary would leave his employ without notice, Harry finds that he has misjudged Miss Emmaline Dove. Harry soon learns that there are people who enjoy Emma's etiquette lessons after she is hired by a rival publisher. And that's not all he's misjudged. Harry is shocked to discover there is nothing sedate about Emma at all. In fact, in his arms, Emma is passionate, very passionate!
  
  I made the mistake of attempting to read a few pages of And Then He Kissed Her before going to bed. As the sun was beginning to rise, I happily finished this delicious love story. I just loved the starchy Miss Emmaline Dove and the naughty Viscount Marlowe. I loved watching the two fall in love. I loved the time period And Then He Kissed Her is set in. I loved the heat Emma and Harry create. I loved the vivid details of the story, from the description of Emma's flat to Harry and Emma's trip to the chocolatier. I couldn't put this book down!
  
  I found And Then He Kissed Her fresh, entertaining and truly delicious. And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke is a highly recommended read!
  
  Annmarie reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
  
  
• Delightful, witty and warm, We could rave about this for hours.
  By ABTPKE7W1EDSK on 2007-08-08
  It's the late Victorian era and whoever said that women don't have the self-discipline to be part of the workforce is about to be proved spectacularly wrong in the 1st installment of Laura Lee Guhrke's Girl Bachelor series. Emmeline Dove is fairly happy with her life, she's the secretary to Viscount Harry Marlowe, a position of trust and responsibility, the only cloud on her horizon is her inability to get Harry to publish her books on etiquette, well that and the fact that she has to buy presents for his numerous discarded mistresses. For Harry life is a great deal more pleasant, thanks to the super efficient Miss Dove his business runs perfectly smoothly and if he could just get his mother and sisters to stop trying to marry him off again his personal life would be just as good. So when Emma discovers that Harry has been less than honest with her when it comes to evaluating her novels, well, she's had enough and years of buried resentment and repression comes rushing out and before you can blink, she's handed in her notice and gone to work for the enemy. Well!! To say Harry's astounded would be an understatement, and you'll laugh at the lengths he goes to to get this new, outspoken, strangely seductive Emma back. This is a wonderful romance filled with a relationship between two strong characters that aren't afraid to fight for what they feel they deserve.A definite keeper!!
  
  
• Almost had me likng it.
  By A1JV9K2P7SGV16 on 2008-05-18
  A new author to me, I thought I'd try her out. The title caught my attention and the synopsis. It started out so good, with the intelligent, independent and stant-up-for-herself heroine. She saw the hero for what he is, a dissolute, user of women. I was liking how they were becoming friends and discovering things about each other they never knew before. I thought he could be redeemed by her, but no.
  
  When she stoops to the base level and agrees to be his mistress was when I quit liking it. I did not like the hero any longer because he was clearly after only one thing, getting between her legs and would do whatever it took to talk her into it. I SO DO NOT like those themes in a story. Arrogant, sex-craved hero. So, of course, she realizes what she is missing by not having all the sex with him. Forget her morals and ethics she has held for so many years. The fact he didn't respect her morals and beliefs made me dislike him. So, then we get many pages of sex. It appeared that's all they did when they were together. It was not sensual as he did not do it out of love, but only lust. The sex scenes fell flat for the lack of emotional ties.
  
  When she left him, I was happy! Finally, she came to her senses and woke up! Of, course he THEN decides he actually loved her and even wanted to marry her. Right.
  
  This book had so much going for it. Interesting secondary characters. The hero's relationship with his family that showed he did have human feelings. The heroine's standing up for herself (until she gave it up to be his sex partner). It's too bad, it had to take the turn it did.
  
  I'll pass on reading more Guhrkes.
  
  
• Worth the Purchase--but there is a problem....
  By A2OIX4KBD3FVC5 on 2007-04-01
  This is just an excellent, lengthy and well-thought out luxury of a book!
  Wisely, in sacrifice for a good story, some small historical details regarding inventions have been moved out of sync. Additionally, the insertion of a competant, female administrative assistant, doubtfully, would have been met with such acceptance by the overwhelmingly male working class as is our wonderful lead character. However, these are small details when the overall book is so very well written. One problem that cannot be overcome is the male lead! He is a jerk from the start, never significantly changes, allows the female lead to absorb all the significant risks of discovery that would cause pain and disruption (even the potential of eviction from her lovely boardinghouse for genteel ladies!). I kept wishing a brother or anyone more worthy would appear and leave this selfish peer splattered with mud from the carriage wheels that took away our female lead and a more LOVING suitor. Still a good read, but really---I think she could have done better.....
  
  
• I would give it 10 stars if I could!!
  By A3UE9BN90BYN9L on 2007-04-16
  This was a wonderful read. I read it in one sitting and was sorry when it was finished.
  
  
• Great book
  By AV6W3IS7ACHDF on 2007-06-04
  I loved this book a lot--it is a definite keeper. It's fun to read something from the late Victorian period. The hero and heroine were great and very entertaining. I totally agree with all the other fantastic reviews here!!
  
  

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