How to marry a Marquis - Julia Quinn

Book review: 6/10
Published in:English
Binding:Mass Market Paperback
Pages:384
Date:1999-04-01
ASIN/ISBN:0380800810
Publisher:Avon



Product Description:

Setting: Regency England

Sensuality: 8

Elizabeth Hotchkiss needs to marry a wealthy man, and fast. The oldest child of four well-bred orphans, she's managed to keep the wolf from their door for years, but she's running out of options. The only marriage prospect in sight is her landlord, Squire Nevins, but his lecherous gaze makes Elizabeth's skin crawl. So when she discovers the book How to Marry A Marquis in her employer's library, she impulsively stuffs it into her reticule and takes it home. Encouraged by her insistent sister, Elizabeth reluctantly agrees to learn the book's rules well enough to catch a monied husband. But first, she must find a man to practice her wiles on. Enter James Sidwell, the Marquis of Riverdale. Posing as the new estate manager per his beloved Aunt Danbury's instructions, he just happens to arrive at the Danbury estate on the very day that Elizabeth discovers the book. Is it too coincidental that James's Aunt Danbury needs his assistance in catching a blackmailer at the precise moment that Elizabeth needs a guinea pig? Perhaps, but neither Elizabeth nor James have reason to suspect that they're being lovingly maneuvered.

James begins to search for a blackmailer, and Elizabeth is high on his list of suspects. While purposely spending time with her to explore her guilt or innocence, however, he's irresistibly drawn to her beauty and kindness as well as her practicality and sharp tongue. And when he learns that she's practicing to entice a husband, he can't resist offering to tutor her in courtship. Before long, the two realize their growing feelings for each other. But the course of true love never did run smoothly, and the lovers encounter a few obstacles along the way. Will the evil Squire Nevins easily give up his designs on Elizabeth and her sisters? What about the nefarious blackmailer? And how will Elizabeth react if she discovers that James is not who he pretends to be?

*****

This was a very hilarious book...once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. it was an emotional rollercoaster.

The way the book showed up to Elizabeth after she had decided that she needed to get marry was brilliant. Neither Elizabeth or James realized what was really behind the blackmail and why James aunt, Mrs Danbury was acting so strangely.

Although this book was not one of my favourites by Julia Quinn, it was delightful story. It really made me laugh a lot. And Ms Danbury is a unique character, very eccentric and hiliariously sarcastic. I loved the fact that Ms. Quinn added her in books about the Bridgerton family.

Award: " Vale a pena acompanhar este blog"

I would like to thanks WhiteLady for giving me this award. You were very kind :)

These are the rules:

1- Show the image
2- Link the Blog to the one that gave you the award
3- Choose 15 blogs to offer the award e notify them once you do it.

Well, this time I'm not going to write any blog names because I want to dedicate this award to all the blogs in the "Friends and other worlds" category :)

Marley & Me - John Grogan

Book review: 9/10
Published version: Portuguese
Binding: Paperback
Pages:320

Product Description:

The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life.

John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.

Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good—Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, ""Don't hesitate to use these.""

And yet Marley's heart was pure. Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley shared the couple's joy at their first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over the miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans...

******

This book was lent by a good friend of mine, who thought that I, being a dogs person, would enjoy reading it. Well, she wasn't wrong... I absolutely loved it!! I laughed and cried with all the "accidents" that Marley caused. He was a very special dog.

This story was not only about Marley. It was also about a family, of the way they had grown together and how they go through everything together. It was a joy reading it. It was like a rollercoaster of emotions.

It was a hilarious and touching story. After reading it I called my dog and gave him a big hug...

And then he kissed her - Laura Lee Guhrke

Book review: 5/10
Published in:English
Binding:Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 384
Date:1990-05-01
ASIN/ISBN:0671670069
Publisher:Pocket



Product Description:

Emmaline Dove has been the perfect secretary for publisher Harrison Marlowe. Keeping the rakish viscount's professional and personal lives running smoothly is challenging, but Emma hopes that, some day, working for Harry will lead to getting her own book published. But so far Harry has rejected Emma's literary efforts, claiming "etiquette books don't sell." When Emma discovers Harrison didn't even bother reading her work, she snaps. Resigning her position, Emma sets out to find someone who will appreciate both her and her writing.

******

After having read "Guilty Pleasures" I was a bit anxious to start reading this one.

The starts starts with our heroine, Emma Dove resigning her post of secretary of the drop-dead-gougeous publisher Harry Marlowe. She decided to do so because he wasn't willing to publish any of her books. So, she went to ask to one of his competitors for a post in his journal. As soon as she start writing everyone started to comment and follow her advises.

Then, Harry bought his competitor newspaper... Emma and Harry thought that it would be difficult working together because of Harry's opinion about her kind of work. But as they started to get along, Harry discovered that Emma was the only woman that could make him happy.

Having read her previously books, to me, this one didn't looked to be as breathtaking as the others. It was a very simple story of two people who had knon eacther for years but after some life changes they had began to feel more than a friendship for each other.

Guilty Pleasures - Laura Lee Guhrke

Book review: 9/10

Published in:English
Binding:Mass Market Paperback
Pages:384
Date:2004-01
ASIN/ISBN:0060541741
Publisher:Avon

Product Description:

Every woman has her Guilty Pleasures ...

For prim and shy Daphne Wade, the sweetest guiltypleasure of all is secretly watching her employer, the Duke of Tremore, as he works the excavation site on his English estate. Anthony hired Daphne to restore the priceless treasures he has been digging up, but it's hard for a woman to keep her mind on her work when her devastatingly handsome employer keeps taking his shirt off. He doesn't know she's alive, but who could blame her for falling hopelessly in love with him anyway?

Anthony thinks that his capable employee knows all there is to know about antiquities, but when his sister decides to turn the plain young woman in gold-rimmed glasses into an enticing beauty, he declares the task to be impossible. Daphne is devastated when she overhears ... and determined to prove him wrong. Now a vibrant and delectable Daphne has emerged from her shell, and the tables are turned. Will Anthony see that the woman of his dreams has been right there all along?

******

This is second book by Ms. Guhrke that I read and I absolutly loved it. It's a fascinating, well written love story.

After our heroine, Daphne got her heart broken by Anthony, she decides that it's time to move on. So, she tells him that she wants to resign because she doesn't want to continue to work for him simply by the fact that she doesn't like him...

But Anthony isn't willing to let his best employee go away so he begins his campaign to charm her and make wanting to continue to work for him.

While doing it, he starts to see her as a beautiful woman. Being captivated by her, he starts to court her in a very original way, by using the language of flowers. This is a very intereting subject and it was wonderful to see how it all ended. This is definitely a book to keep .

Two Little Lies - Liz Carlyle

Book review: 7/10

Published in:English
Binding:Mass Market Paperback
Pages:384
Date:2005-12-27
ASIN/ISBN:0743496116
Publisher:Pocket Star

Product Description:

Once, he spurned the woman he loved. The Earl of Wynwood was far too reckless to handle a sophisticated woman like Viviana Alessandri. And the beautiful opera singer was far too famous to make a suitable wife for Wynwood.

Twice, she wagered with her heart. Crushed by Wynwood's refusal to marry, Viviana offered her hand to another, a wealthy count. But fate has a way of playing with lovers' hearts -- and passion has a way of setting them on fire.

Two little lies tore them apart. But now, at a gala affair celebrating Wynwood's recent betrothal, Viviana will get one last chance to win back his love...again...and again.

********

This was the first book by Liz Carlyle that I read and I must confess that it exceeded my expectations...

This is the second story of a trilogy right after One Little Sin. In this book we have Quin, the Earl of Wynwood and Viviana Alessandri, an Italian opera singer. After a painfull end of their love affair due to the fact that Quin didn't wanted to marry with her, Viviana Alessandri return to Italy to be with her father and to marry with someone else. Because of Quin's rejection she didn't told him that she was carrying his child and she married with another man. But her husband was a cruel and brutal man. Viviana wasn't happy with him. After his death, she decides to go back to England to help her father her father to help create a new opera. And of course she meets Quin again.

9 years later the passion they feel for each other is still there, although they try to denied it, and something even more powerful than a mere attraction blowms. In my opinion this is a very enjoyable, emotional,breathtaking book.