Customer Reviews

She's No Princess (Avon Romantic Treasure)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm always looking for books that are well written and that have something out of the ordinary to offer. When I find one, quite often it's written by Laura Lee Guhrke. This is just such a one.

Lucia is the passionate, unruly and illegitimate daughter of an Italian Ruler. Sir Ian Moore, the brother of Dylan, who we met in His Every Kiss, is the diplomat who is assigned to marry her off to a British peer who meets all her father's stipulations, none of which Sir Ian qualifies for. She wants to marry for love, he just wants her married so he can go back to his regular duties. Thus begins the battle of wills.

Ms. Guhrke is an excellant writer. The plot, while not being completely new, is not exactly run of the mill, but either way it doesn't matter because it's the characters that make the book. I was extremely happy to see Dylan Moore and his wife Grace again and Isabel is growing up to be a handful. But Lucia is the one to watch for. I wasn't sure I'd like her right at the beginning, but she is fascinating to watch and learn about. A truly different type of heroine. Very Italian, passionate, practical, manipulating, headstrong, loving, caring, all these things are Lucia and more. You really can't put her in a box. We met Sir Ian in His Every Kiss and he is still the stuffy, upright, uptight, oh so perfect diplomat that he's always been. It's a lot of fun to see him drawing closer and closer to a meltdown as Lucia and he engage in a battle of wits. I might have wished that he'd broken down a little sooner, but the way it's played out is so very realistic that I can't really wish for any of it to be played differently. I really can see Lucia driving him mad for the rest of his life... and him loving every minute of it.

A truly great book that had me going back to read it again as soon as I had finished it. That says it all.

Lucia, the illegitimate daughter of an Italian prince, thrives on astonishing and irritating her father. The last straw is when she sneaks out of her father's palace with her legitimate younger sister for a secret night at a carnival. Guards from the palace find them and Lucia is banished from the palace to live with obscure cousins. Not liking that, she escapes and goes to London to live with her courtesan mother. Lucia's father hears of this and in order to keep his younger daughter's engagement to an upstanding family intact, Lucia must be married off and quickly without scandal. Trusting very few, the prince calls on the one man that he trusts in England to help him arrange a not so royal wedding, Sir Ian Moore.

Ian Moore can't believe his ears. What is the prince of Bolgheri thinking? He is a diplomat, not a matchmaker! He has negotiated treaties and ended skirmishes with his diplomacy and now he is being reduced to babysitter. Ian reluctantly agrees to the assignment with the hope that he can see Lucia married in six weeks. The plan is noble, until he meets her. Instantly upon making her acquaintance, Ian fights his attraction because he knows that it is not proper. Now he just has to tell his heart.

Lucia fights the man that her father has chosen to find her a groom. She gives nothing and makes life difficult at best. That is, until she gets to know him and then she finds him honorable, attractive, and things get complicated. Lucia has six weeks. Six weeks to make him love her because if he doesn't, then she will have to marry someone else.

She's No Princess by Laura Lee Guhrke is a remarkable read. I laughed, cried, and became heartsick at the emotions it invoked. While Ian's intentions were honorable, I could sense his pain and in turn, She's No Princess became difficult to read. Not because the story wasn't well written, it was. I was amazed at the emotions it dragged out of me while reading it. I thought it a most wonderful story and would recommend this book to anyone!

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I gave this book 3 stars because of the writing. She's No Princess had the kind of heroine I dislike most--the spoiled little girl who wants her way and won't take no for an answer. I waited a long time to read this book, picked it up at a used book store, and will return it to said store. It was okay--only because Laura G. can't write a bad book. But, the attitude of the heroine kept this from being a keeper.

This is my first book by Ms. Guhrke, but I always like trying out new romance novelists. This plot line consists of a wild, head-strong illegitimate daughter of an Italian prince needing a husband as her father is tired of her misbehavior. A British Diplomat must find a British Peer for her to wed. She doesn't like any of her choices, and yes, this diplomat, Ian, turns out to be just the man for her.

I couldn't get too involved with this novel for several reasons. First, Lucia, the illegitimate daughter, is irritating (as has been mentioned in prior reviews). She is whiney and not terribly likable. I never got why Ian was attracted to her, other than the fact that she is beautiful. Second, the built up to the story climax is very subtle and somewhat tedious. The climax is also very mild, making for a rather flat story. For me, there was too much fluff at the beginning about finding a husband, and not enough focus on developing their relationship. Then when they get together, I was left feeling somewhat cheated. My last complaint was rather minor. This story is theoretically set in the early 19th century, but there was very little focus on developing the story within the historical and cultural context.

So, I've outlined the parts that bugged me, but it is a fair story, and a quick read. It would not make my all-time favorite romance novel list, but I don't regret having read it or bought it.

I read this book in one sitting. The coupling of the stuffy, straight laced Ian and the fiery, passionate Lucia was brilliant. I loved how Lucia flirted with him to crack his perfect exterior and his inner turmoil to remain immune to her charms.

"She's No Princess" is packed with hot tension, hero jealousy, strong emotions, and hilarious banter.

This one is a definite keeper. I loved it.

Prince Cesare of Bolgheri has had enough with the inappropriate behavior of his illegitimate offspring, whom he recently brought to his palace, though he blames all on her mother a courtesan. Sending Lucia to schools for troubled ladies and convents have only led to scandals and her being tossed out. At the end of his rope he decides his adult daughter needs a spouse to keep her in line; if nothing else Lucia would be someone else's royal pain in the butt.

Prince Cesare chooses highly regarded English diplomat, perfectly mannered Sir Ian Moore to find his devilish daughter a husband. Ian wants nothing to do with this impossible assignment as he knows of Lucia's hellcat ways and not just by reputation, but His Highness gives him no choice in the matter. Ian sets a goal to get Lucia off his hands by marrying her to off to some fool aristocrat. Candidates line up as Lucia is pretty, energetic, and wealthy. However, none in Ian's mind matches her élan for life except for one sleeper aspirant; Ian has fallen in love with the exasperating fireball and Lucia reciprocates those feelings though she recognizes that the prim and proper Englishman is her total opposite.

SHE'S NO PRINCESS is a lighthearted historical romance starring two 180 degrees diverse individuals who make a strong case that opposites attract. The amusing story line is fun to read as Ian has his hands filled with the unpredictable Lucia whether it is chess, billiards, or kisses. Regency romance readers will appreciate Laura Lee Guhrke's fine tale.

Harriet Klausner

Thats what I would call this book but then I guess no one would buy it. Lucia was a annoying, irritating, conceited, spoiled brat. She manipulates Ian throughout the whole book to get what she wants. She flirts, uses her looks (and she's not the least bit ashamed of it) to get what she wants. She was not worthy in the least of Sir Ian. Poor man! He is the only reason I kept reading this book, and being able to read about Grace and Dylan. Lucia has no redeaming qualities and she seems to only get worse throughout the whole story till the end when she realizes that maybe she has not been completely fair to Ian.

Her last two books this and The Mariage Bed have been poor books for me but if your looking for a good one by this author
try "Guilty Pleasures" - great book, great characters, great passion.

She's No Princess left me feeling good after finishing it, though I was honestly on tenterhooks while in the midst of the book. Even though I really liked the hero and heroine individually, and I was rooting for them the whole time, I had my reservations about them as a couple, concerns that weren't really appeased until the last few pages. Lucia Valenti is the bastard child of a courtesan and a prince of Italy, and even though she seemed stereotypical in terms of her fiery Italian temperament, the author was able to bring her spirit and personality to life so well that I accepted the depiction without complaint. She's such a fun character, a breath of fresh air really. She's aware of her feminine charms, has no scruples about using them, and enjoys herself while she's at it. Being illegitimate, she's never been officially recognized by her father, who's a stranger to her and has shunted her from school to school, to convents across Europe in an effort to keep her out of trouble and prevent (unsuccessfully) her numerous acts of rebellion. I really liked the prologue, which put me in mind of Roman Holliday with a bit of a twist - it shows Lucia sneaking out to a carnival only to have her younger, legitimate half-sister interrupt her in the act of escape and beg to come along. The sisters' interaction gave Lucia a lot more depth and so my interest in her story was snagged instantly.

In reaction to this latest scandal, her father gives her his last name and demands that she marry a British peer to get her off his hands. Sir Ian Moore, a successful British diplomat, is assigned the job of making this marriage happen, though he's less than thrilled to be taken away from negotiating peace treaties in Greece. Lucia, for her part, balks at the very idea of being forced into marriage. Ian is Lucia's opposite in every way. Most romance heroes are control freaks, but Ian has them all beat. He has very clear notions of his duty, his honor, and he sticks to these exacting standards, even when he really really doesn't want to. Though he hides his struggles very well, the author lets us glimpse how human he really is. His icy demeanor and prolonged resistance to Lucia create a ton of chemistry and tension between them, and when he finally can't help himself, things heat up considerably. Lucia's demand to marry for love (and only love!!!) can be a tedious refrain, but her interactions with Ian are still interesting, fun, and heartfelt.

Even though Ian's loss of control was much anticipated, I can't say, however, that I was all that pleased with the direction the book chose to go once Ian gives in to his passion for Lucia. After certain events transpire that shall remain undisclosed (don't want to spoil anything) I was upset that Lucia was made to feel guilty, that she was so undermined and powerless in the face of British society, her father's demands, and Ian's implacable resolve. But at the same time I didn't hate Ian for the way he was either. And one can easily argue, from another perspective, that he was wronged by her. Whichever way you look at it, he couldn't get beyond himself, his duty, and what he considered his failure of that lofty ideal, while she gave up too much of herself in loving him more than he seemed to love her. For a long while it seemed that Ian and Lucia were just too different from each other, and both were suffering from it. The less than jovial circumstances that finally bring them together seemed like the only way that Ian could be extracted from a lifestyle that kept him busy but in no way happy. Unfortunately, these circumstances create a significant rift between the hero and heroine, if there wasn't enough between them already. I hope I'm not giving anything away when I say it all works out for them in the end, though. Call me complacent, but I was relieved and more than happy to accept their happily ever after when it was finally handed to me on a silver platter. For Ian and Lucia I'm willing to suspend my disbelief.

I read tons of novels (guilty as charged), so I'm quite jaded by overused plots and such, but I found this novel quite refreshing with an emotional Italian heroine, handsome strong hero, and quite a bit of humor throughout. I loved the contrast of wild passionate unrestrained heroine vs. stuffy uptight Englishman who try to outwit each other and watching the sparks fly. The characters were very well developed and Laura Guhrke is an excellent writer. I'm sold on her from now on! (I've since picked up the rest of the series). But I think this one is my favorite. Although the heroine is quite spoiled and arguably overly indulged/pampered, her driving the uptight diplomat crazy is quite hilarious. And her willingness to sacrifice all in the end, is the stuff of romance. I think that is what ultimately I enjoyed most about the novel, how romantic it is (read: romantic not cheesy). A lot writers today have overdone plots with the requisite love scenes, but not enough romance. This novel really feels like you've spent an afternoon eating bon bons, treated yourself to brand new perfume, lying on a featherbed. I found it sumptuous and utterly delightful. Enjoy.

She is trouble with a capital "T" and he is just too diplomatic for words.
I just loved this book. It kept me reading for hours and I didn't want to put it down. An Italian beauty and a handsome Englishman make this one terrific read. He THINKS he has the upper hand in this relationship, but this story is a battle of wills. The book is funny and the characters are just made for each other. You will truly enjoy this book.