Author Override: Laura Lee Guhrke

Author Override is the place where authors take the reins and take you on a journey into their world. Some may allow you into their private writing dens. Others may take you along with them on research trips or interviews. Whatever the case may be, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride because here you’ll get an in-depth look into an author’s musings.

Four times a day? Are they serious?

I love fashion. I drool over Louboutins and Manalos, even though I’m sure no woman (including me) can really walk in them. I read up on the benefits of beauty products, even when I’m not sure exactly what they do. And I love fashionable clothes even though I work at home and almost never get to wear them.

There are many differences between my life and that of the historical romance heroines I write about, but a love of fashion is something we have in common. The same way I pour over each month’s issue of In Style or Glamour, one of my heroines from a hundred years ago would be doing the same with Women’s Weekly or The Lady. The difference, of course, is that I don’t get to live the life that goes with the clothes. My heroines do. They gad about garden parties and go to balls dressed in silks and lace. They go to dressmakers and have clothes made just to suit them. In my latest book, Trouble at the Wedding, my heroine gets to buy two—not one, but two—couture wedding gowns (yeah, she has two weddings—it’s a long story). Every time I write a book or watch an episode of Downton Abbey, I envy the women in those gorgeous Edwardian outfits…at least, until I really start thinking about what wearing that sort of get-up entails.

Corsets? Ouch. Hats attached with hatpins? Ouch. Multiple layers of fabric, even in the summer? Ugh. Nipple rings…wait a second. Nipple rings? Yes, according to Juliet Nicholson’s book, The Perfect Summer, fashionable women of 1911 clamped rings to their nipples “providing a sort of ledge on which the evening gown rested precariously.” I think I’ll pass on those, too, and on face powder made with lead. As for the clothes, I’m not sure I could really love fashion if I had to change outfits four times a day and needed a maid every time I did it. A velvet morning gown for breakfast, followed by tweeds for standing behind the guns, then a tea gown, then an evening gown...it sounds exhausting. In fact, it sounds like the life of today’s fashion model, who spends her days changing her clothes and teetering around on platform Louboutins getting photographed. No, in real life, I’ll keep my yoga pants and cotton tees, and the occasional LBD by Badgley Mischka, and get my fashion vicariously through In Style. That way, the heaviest corset I’ll ever have to wear is a pair of Spanx.

What do you think? Are there any fashions then or now that you think are just ridiculous? Any trends you wish would just die already? Any clothes of the past you think are so beautiful, you wish you could wear them now, even if it means putting on a corset and changing four times a day? Share your fashion opinions and you could win the first two books in my Abandoned at the Altar series, Wedding of the Season and Scandal of the Year.

 

Yes, you read that right! One commenter will win WEDDING OF THE SEASON & SCANDAL OF THE YEAR.

Just leave a comment answering Laura's question.  Be sure to leave your email as well in the comment so we can contact you if you win!

Review: Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke

Trouble at the Wedding

by Laura Lee Guhrke

Abandoned at the Altar #3

American heiress Annabel Wheaton is about to be married, a very respectable marriage to an impoverished Earl, and respect is what she craves. After being rejected and shunned by American Knickerbocker society, viewed as no more then white trash and New Money, she is determined that her little sister and her future childeren won't go through the same humiliating experiences she has had. She isn't in love, she knows it is more of a business contract, but she is content, that is until Christian Du Quesne, Duke of Scarborough, a rake, a gambler and a very handsome man starts explaining the cold reality of an English marriage alliance at the secret urgings of her concerned family, after all, he has the experience having once been a fortune hunter himself.

Another really good book in this series, this time regarding Christian, Duke of Scarborough who was very briefly in Scandal of the Year and we get to meet Annabel, who I also believe was mentioned a few times. They were both great characters, Annabel was another really good heroine, she had gumption and charm and Christian was another gorgeous rake who has the good sense to come to love her. Although I did prefer the previous book Scandal of the Year, I thought this book was very enjoyable, the tension between was created very effectively and the erotic scenes although infrequent (infact there is only a couple) you can feel the thrum of attraction through out the book.

What I didn't like was how quickly the second half of the books goes, in the beginning the relationship between Annabel and Christian is built up at a steady pace. But towards the end of the book, suddenly everything happens at once and before you know it the book ends rather abruptly, again.

But despite what I didn't like about the book, I will definitely be reading the next in this series, although perhaps not my favourite historical romance series, it is nonetheless, well written, with likable characters and a sensual yet sweet romance.

Review: Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke

Scandal of the Year

by Laura Lee Guhrke

Abandoned at the Altar #2

Julia is getting tired, although she has a sophisticated and scandalous reputation it is all just an elaborate facade, what she is is desperate to get of her disastrous marriage. So she decides to gets a divorce the only way she can, by committing adultery. The only regret she has is that she has damaged Aidan Carr's honorable and gentlemanly reputation by manipulating him into a tryst. But now divorced she is heavily in debt, and the only person she can turn to is the man she used so poorly, the very proper Aidan, Duke of Trathen.

I am so glad I carried on reading this series after not being very enthralled with the first book, Wedding of the Season. In this book we get a closer look at Julia, Beatrix's cousin, I really liked her in Wedding of the Season and I am glad I didn't just imagine the tension between her and Aidan, Beatrix's jilted fiance. At first they seem such opposites, Julia has a rebellious devil-may-care attitude, where as Aidan is very serious and always does what is polite and proper, but what was great about this book was that the more you delved in and got to know the characters, the more you could see they weren't just caricatures of a scanalous woman and an honourable man. Julia was complicated and making the best out of a horrendous situation and rather then the callous and carefree image she nurtured she always tried to do the right thing, and Aidan, although honourable and steady to the core also had a little bit of a deliciously wicked side. I think they made a beautiful couple.

As well as having characters that I really liked, you could also really see the chemistry between the two, opposites really did attract in this book. The writing was wonderful, it was poignant and sensual at times and I found the whole book very hard to put down. The only problem I had was that it ended rather quickly I turned the page and was rather expecting something a little more, I think this is the kind of book the could have done with a epilogue.

Although I found this series had a disappointing start, this book is well worth reading, it has memorable characters and a wonderful love story and I hope the books continue to improve with the next in the series Trouble at the Wedding

Favourite Quote

This was the pain of light and beauty and a man's tender kiss. It was the burn in your eyes when you looked into the bright, shining sun, and the pinch in your chest when you saw the first green shoots of springtime and the lump in your throat when you heard the sound of a newborn baby's cry. It was life, life, life.

Review: Wedding of the Season by Laura Lee Guhrke

Wedding of the Season

by Laura Lee Guhrke

Abandoned at the Altar #1

Being jilted two weeks before her first attempt of marriage has left Lady Beatrix Danbury shy of marrying again but she has now found a sensible and reliable man to marry, he doesn't stir her passions as Will, Duke of Sunderland her childhood sweetheart did, but he is dependable. But when Will returns from Egypt her well planned future doesn't begin to look as exciting as she thought. Will has always loved Beatrix but after 6 years of being apart after she refused to come with him to Egypt he thought that would be over, but seeing her has brought all the old feelings back, and this time he is determined not to leave without her.

Although I liked this book, there is one thing that stopped me from really enjoying it. Beatrix. I just didn't understand her and she drove me just a little nuts, I didn't see why she resisted to Will as much as she did, especially when she clearly wanted what he was offering. To me she came across as a little dull and a little priggish. Because of this I didn't feel the connection between Will and Trix and didn't see why Will loved her so much. Will, however, I did like, he was fun, easy going and adventurous. The other characters in the book were also likeable, especially Julia and I look forward to reading about her.

Despite not liking the heroine this was a well written book and LLG writes with real emotion, I can feel Trix's anguish and hurt even if I don't quite understand it. Although, for me, this series hasn't started with a bang, I liked the writing and the other characters enough that I will try out the next book.