Secret Desires of a Gentleman

This is another great novel in the author's "bachelor girl" series. The heroine is a bit unconventional in that she makes her living as a chef who starts up her own bakery--unfortunately next door to the man who broke her heart by ending the engagement between her and his younger brother many years ago. Lots of emotional angst on both sides as we learn that the hero has secretly loved the heroine for years and the differences in their stations in life threaten to keep them apart. Very steamhy love scenes. Great read! Definitely recommended reading.

I found myself reading into the night and they sneaking away in the morning to finish it...Maria (daughter of Marquess of Kayne head Chief) opens a pastry shop next door to 2 of her old childhood friends who happen to be peers , one (Lawrence) that she almost married years ago and the other (Phillip the Marquess of Kayne) who gave her money to go away. Phillip and Maria have a lot of unfinished business - and it's SOOOO much fun to watch/read - ENJOY! If you enjoy this genre I would also suggest; Never Dare a Duke (Avon Romantic Treasure), Seduced at Midnight (Berkley Sensation), The Rogue and the Rival (Berkley Sensation) and The Wicked Ways of a Duke.

This is currently my favorite book. The ending was not at all rushed. There was a slow, steady build as the Author revealed one layer after another to Philip's feelings and subsequent actions toward Maria. It was almost a mental disrobing- and so much the hotter for the slow burn! He never feels she is beneath him as a person, he is simply reflecting the ideals common to the aristocracy of that time-their stations in life are inferior and responsibility to his title supercedes his own happiness. Since he is not a judgemental or narrow-minded person, he eventually learns that by upholding the standards he's had drummed into him (and harshly, according to several scenes) as a child, he has created his own prison. I think for a person to flout that kind of deeply ingrained social norm would take quite a bit of courage and love, and in the end he displays that in spades, giving the HEA so much more heart and depth. Not to mention HEAT! You can practically feel his longing and desire for a woman who embodies everything he's ever loved and been taught he should not want. I loved Maria, too. I didn't find her jarringly "modern". It was a changing time, and the whole concept of the series is this new breed of Girl Bachelors.My goodness, women's suffrege and equal rights wasn't an idea that sprang fully-formed from the brow of Gloria Steinham in 1967! I think her free spirit and his gravid strength were a perfect compliment. Loved, loved, loved it!

When I saw this book in a store last week, I thought it looked like a really fun book. Phillip Hawthorne, the supremely stuffy, arrogant marquess and Maria, the lowly daughter of the family's chef. Twelve years ago, she would have married Phillip's brother, Lawrence, if an appalled Phillip hadn't intervened by threatening to cut off his brother's income and paying her to go away. Now, it so happens, unbeknownst to all of them, Maria rents a bakery right next door to the townhouse occupied by the two brothers, and sets up shop. When the brothers learn of this, Lawrence is ecstatic but Phillip is far from amused. I wondered how LLG could possibly bring Phillip and Maria together, when Phillip was such a truly abominable jerk to her and thought himself so above her, but Maria is a spunky, likeable heroine who knows exactly how to handle the holier-than-thou marquess. This is my first LLG book and I'm looking forward to reading more. Don't miss this fun, romantic read!

This romance doesn't get the due it deserves! The characters are wonderful and the story is very romantic. It reminded me of Pride and Prejudice. Also, it was refreshing to see a female protagonist in a romance novel who is such a feminist. Give this book a chance - you'll be glad you did.