25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unexpected Treat!!!, January 1, 2011
This review is from: Wedding of the Season: Abandoned at the Altar (Mass Market Paperback)
I pre-ordered this book after I read the rave reviews it received from RR. I'm so glad I did! It appears that the negative ratings and reviews below are written by people who did not finish the book, which was a huge mistake! The characters are well developed, the plot is unpredictable and fast paced, and the romance is really great! I go through historical romance novels like kleenex, and I rarely review the books I've purchased on amazon, but I was very dismayed by the couple of negative reviews I read. This book is great! I've read books that I just couldn't finish, and believe me this book is not one of them. I love that the book is set in the 1900's, because I rarely find any historical romance novels that take place after around 1860. The time period and setting of the book make it pleasantly original. I also greatly enjoyed the batter and sexual tension from the two main characters that starts right from the beginning. So many books depict characters' dislike for one another turn into love; however, this book involves two characters already in-love with each other trying to convince themselves they hate the other. The book still contains all of the fun mushy stuff that makes a great romance novel- including a very satisfying ending!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An intelligent and realistic historical romance set in an interesting, modern time, January 2, 2011
Based on the (quite horrible) cover and blurb I was expecting Wedding of the Season to be a regency romance, well imagine my shock when in the scene where the heroine is introduced to us she's driving a car and wearing trousers! Yes, I warn you: make no mistakes this historical romance is set in the beginning of the 20th century, around 1904: Beatrix is a modern young woman of 25: she wears trousers, drives a car and shock: she has even smoked a couple of cigarettes!
I don't think I've ever read a historical romance novel set around this time: it was either regency or World War historicals for me. It was an interesting epoque and if you want to imagine the athmosphere of the novel and what to expect, I would say picture an episode of Hercule Poirot (played by David Suchet): the women's independence and rebellion against the conservative roles and the whole "holidaying at a summer house with friends" reminded me of that.
What sets Wedding of the Season apart from the other historical romances I have read so far (besides the timeframe) is how realistic the difficulties and obstacles were: Will is an adventure seeking duke: he has dreamt of ancient civilisations since he was a boy and he's right where he always wanted to be: on an excavation in Egypt, he is passionate about archeology, history and discovery. Meanwhile Beatrix likes her life the way her ancestors have lived theirs: she wants to stay in England, get married and raise her children in the countryside where she grew up. Tradition, history and responsibility are important to her and this is where and how she wants to live her life. It seems their two dreams cannot be reconciled and I was amazed at the realistic description and approach Laura Lee Guhrke took when presenting their dilemma in detail through the novel.
Wedding of the Season is not the usual fairy tale historical romance where the alpha male scoundrel/gentleman hero sweeps the heroine off her feet (literally) and they live happily ever after. In this book the problems are realistic and the doubts and concerns of the hero and the heroine are real: one can easily understand both point of view and see that they want two very different things from life. (Although their camaraderie, love and friendship and all their memories from their shared childhood made this realisation even more bittersweet.)
I was looking forward to the ending of the novel with bated breath because I was curious to see how Laura Lee Guhrke would resolve souch a dilemma (since it is a historical romance I had no doubts there would be a happy ending): I was hoping that after portraying such a modern and progressive heroine she wouldn't ruin everything with having Beatrix abandon her idea of happiness and the life she wanted and sacrifice everything just to join Will on his way to realising his dreams. And I have to say overall I'm happy with the way she ended the story.
Verdict: Wedding of the Season is an intelligent and realistic historical romance set in an interesting time: at the dawn of women awakening to their freedom and claiming their independence. If you are tired of classical regency historicals or if you just want something else, try Wedding of the Season.
Plot: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
Cover: 4/10 (this cover not only does not give a good idea about what the story is about, it downright misleads the reader. This is not a regency romance but a more modern historical romance set at the beginning of the 20th century. And I just hate that blue and rose together, it looks ughly..ugh.)
The Abandoned at the Altar series:
Book #1 Wedding of the Season
Book#2 Scandal of the Year
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I read the whole entire book and I liked it, December 29, 2010
This review is from: Wedding of the Season: Abandoned at the Altar (Mass Market Paperback)
I usually don't leave reviews for books, but many of my book purchases are based on the reviews that are posted. Unlike the previous reviewer, I actually read this book-not just the first 130 pages and the last chapter-and really enjoyed it.
Will and Beatrix have loved each other since childhood and were engaged to be married. Will has always been interested in archeology, so when he is offered a chance to go on an archeological expedition weeks before his wedding, he jumps at the chance assuming that Beatrix will be thrilled to join him. Beatrix, who has been raised by an overbearing father, craves excitement and adventure, but fears following through. She gives Will an ultimatum-stay in England or the marriage is off. Will is hurt that Beatrix would force him to stay even though she knows that it is his lifelong dream to make an archeological discovery. They both say hurtful things to each other and Will leaves for Egypt.
Six years later, Beatrix is engaged to someone else and Will returns to England to seek financing for his archeological dig since he has used up all of his inheritance searching for King Tut's Tomb. He and Beatrix re-connect and find that the love is still there, but the obstacles that kept them apart six years ago are still issues that are keeping them apart now. Are they older and wiser to overcome these challenges and take advantage of their second chance at love?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Yes, the heroine was jilted. And yes, the hero didn't quite suffer long enough for jilting her, but he did still love her-never stopped loving her and they did come to a satisfying compromise in the end. I definitely recommend this book. Please do not be discouraged by the other review and give this book a chance!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
