Prelude to Heaven (Harper Monogram) [Paperback]

Laura Lee Guhrke (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harper Monogram | Publication Date: January 1994

After she escapes from her domineering and volatile husband, Tess Ridgeway flees to the southern coast of France where she finds solace and true love in the arms of reclusive painter Alexandre Dumond. Original.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Harpercollins (Mm) (January 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061081663
• ISBN-13: 978-0061081668
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,288,281 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times Bestselling author 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. The author of many historical romances, Laura has received many literary awards, including romance fiction's highest honor, the Rita Award. When she's not writing, Laura spends her time skiing down the slopes and wakeboarding across the lakes of her beautiful home state of Idaho. She loves hearing from readers, and you may write to her by visiting her website: www.lauraleeguhrke.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This well-written regency is a winner!, May 8, 2006

By 

Gemma "bookworm" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prelude to Heaven (Harper Monogram) (Paperback)

From the back cover:

Flight to freedom...

While life with her volatile husband had always been nearly unbearable for Tess Ridgeway, it was not until the well-being of her unborn child was at stake that she found the courage to fight back.

Terrified, Tess fled to the southern coast of France, where she collapsed in the garden of reclusive painter Alexandre Dumond. Tormented by demons of his own, the strikingly handsome Alexandre tenderly nursed Tess back to health. In each other's arms, they found a haven, safe from the horrors of the past...until the nightmares returned, more threatening than ever before.

And my review:

This book was absolutely wonderful! Stories of women escaping abusive relationships are a dime a dozen, yet this is one that can stand out from the pack. Both the hero and heroine were wonderful, fully rounded and loveable characters. I was cheering for them almost right from the start.

The author has a wondefully engaging and easy-to-read writing style that has a lovely flow. Her words paint vivid pictures in the reader's mind without getting bogged down in the details or becoming overly wordy.

One thing I really liked about this book was that the characters were drawn together by more compelling reasons than lust. That is so rare in romance writing these days. Yes, they were physically attracted to one another, but their sexual attraction was an added bonus to their love, not the sole reason for it. You could clearly see why they should love each other, and it wasn't because they just couldn't keep their hands off one another.

I also liked that there was none of the "I love you but for some stupid reason I'm going to pretend that I hate you" in this book. They admitted their love when it was realized. The reasons keeping them apart were much more compelling that just stupid pride. Again, this is a rare treat for the picky reader.

This book had laugh out loud moments, as well as ones that brought me to tears. I loved the heros and hated the villans. I was drawn back to the world of France and of Regency England. The book was obviously well-researched, and the historical detail was woven into the background of the story, so that I never felt like I was reading a history textbook.

I don't give out my praise lightly (see my other reviews if you don't believe me). I am a very hard sell, but I very highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of romance. It's a keeper.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay . . ., April 8, 2007

By 

Kimberly "Kimi" (Jonesborough, TN, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prelude to Heaven (Harper Monogram) (Paperback)

I thought this book was alright, nothing overly exciting. The story was pretty well thought out and fairly enjoyable. I guess my biggest complaint is with the hero of the story. I mean, how thick can you get? He had so many signs staring him right in the face and he still couldn't figure it out. I think I just like it much more if the hero is intelligent enough to see the things that are happening right in front of him. Other than that, which happened throughout the book, it was an okay read.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring, Boring, Boring, December 23, 2007

By 

V. Bratcher "vjbratcher" (Webster, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Prelude to Heaven (Harper Monogram) (Paperback)

I'm sorry, but I could not get into this book at all! The plot was interesting and I wanted to see what the author would do with it. I just wish she had done more with it. The hero and heroine were drab and unexciting and everything they did together was unbelievable. I love a good angst ridden hero but this one just wasn't written well at all. It's unfortunate that I spent so much on this book since it's out of print and hard to find. I'm going to give up on her back list and just stick with her new releases.