And Then He Kissed Her (Mass Market Paperback)

by Laura Lee Guhrke (Author)
Key Phrases: peacock fan, typewriting machine, dispatch case, Miss Dove, Social Gazette, Lord Marlowe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
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. RITA Award-winning Guhrke crafts a sparkling and deliciously fun romantic battle of wits in the first in a new Victorian series, and it is an irresistible, laughter-laced treat. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

An expert in etiquette, Emma takes her pristine reputation most seriously.

But the devilish Lord Marlowe is determined to prove that some rules of proper behavior are made to be broken . . .

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006114360X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061143601
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #181,272 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect example of what a good romance should do, March 4, 2007

By	K. Hinton "avid reader" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Perfect Heroine, March 16, 2007

By	E. A. Montgomery (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too predictable, saccharine but witty, cleverly written., October 10, 2007

By	Victoria J. Knoll "(aka Aegis Nod)" (Where I hang my hat.) - See all my reviews

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...