Dear Lady Truelove . . . I have fallen in love, truly and completely in love, for the first time. The man whom I hold in such passionate regard, however, is not of my station. He is a painter, a brilliant artist. Needless to say, my family would not approve . . .Henry, Duke of Torquil, wouldn’t be caught reading the wildly popular “Dear Lady Truelove” column, but when its advice causes his mother … advice causes his mother to embark on a scandalous elopement, an outraged Henry decides the author of this tripe must be stopped before she can ruin any more lives. Though Lady Truelove’s identity is a closely guarded secret, Henry has reason to suspect the publisher of the notorious column, beautiful and provoking Irene Deverill, is also its author.
For Irene, it’s easy to advise others to surrender to passion, but when she meets the Duke of Torquil, she soon learns that passion comes at a price. When one impulsive, spur-of-the-moment kiss pulls her into a scorching affair with Henry, it could destroy her beloved newspaper, her career, and her independence. But in the duke’s arms, surrender is so, so sweet . . .
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This was the first of Guhrke’s books that I read and I was addicted from the get-go. I listened to the Audible version. Loved Carolyn Morris’ narration. This story kept me hooked from the first sound-byte. I loved the characters, loved their by-play, and admired Irene for her gumption. Recommend.
Another brilliant tale sure to satisfy every historical romance reader!
“The Truth About Love and Dukes” Dear Lady Truelove by Laura Lee Guhrke
NH state lib audio book download.. narrator: Carolyn Morris duration: 10:14:17
A good story… with a bit of a different twist. It was worth the wait to borrow/download a copy of this story. As I really enjoyed my time with Carolyn Morris while she read this story to me…. A good story.. I borrowed/downloaded my copy from my state library … I do love my library.
The Truth About Love And Dukes by Laura lee Guhrke is a beautifully told story that completely captivated me. I really enjoyed the storyline, it was fascinating. The story was incredibly descriptive. The deeper intricacies of society and how they behaved was explained in a way that was easy to understand. I sometimes find myself lost, but not this time, it was very well done. The story was perfectly paced, engaging and fun! There was lots of humour and emotion that had me grinning from ear to ear and shedding tears. The characters were great and Henry is hands down a winner for being one of the most desirable hero’s. Absolutely swoon worthy! Irene is fantastic… intelligent, strong, independent and I couldn’t help but love her too!
Irene is a woman ahead of her time. With a father who clearly has no competence to run the family business and enjoys drinking more than he should, a brother lost in the world and a younger sister to care for, the task of being the family provider fell on her shoulders. With innumerable debts and the risk of poverty knocking on the door, her chance comes in the form of the family newspaper, a traditional business that, with a renewed, feminine touches and a successful column signed by Lady Truelove, enables her to be able to pay the bills . But being a woman, having a profession and still being single, does not make Irene well-regarded in society. When giving advice to a reader, she does not even imagine that she will make a powerful enemy.
Henry Cavanaugh, the Duke of Torquil, is not a man to provoke. His life that is already a bit stuffed with drama, has just gained new problems, with great potential for scandal. The name of his family can be gossiped at any moment unless he can prevent this madness. Upon discovering the person in charge of the problem in his hands, Henry will show how powerful a surname’s weight can be.
And in this dangerous game between nobility and plebs, moods will be exalted, limits will be tested, prejudices will be exposed and rethought, and a battle between the sexes will be waged. A powerful man with traditional thoughts, whose duty to his family, title, and settlers made him give up his individual self. A woman who is not afraid to impose herself, who does not accept the rules and peculiarities of society, who longs to be free and independent and does not wish to become a “property” of a future husband. And luck is on.
I was surprised by the reading. Despite its a period romance, the tone of the narrative is more dense, the characters are very well written. Irene is a suffragist, a young girl different from the innocent and romantic types so common in these genres. For the sake of her family, she did not let herself down and decided to fight with the weapons she had. It is a character without a filter, who speaks her mind, without weighing the consequences. Her love for her sister is what drives the plot, all she accepts was for Clara to have better opportunities. She has her moments of pure stubbornness, some choices and attitudes made me want to put a little sense into the girl. But even these flaws make the character real.
Henry was a pleasantly surprised. The duke so restrained and cold showed that the mask that shows the world is quite different from the man he is. Irene was able to make the dormant fire re-burn. Although he has a privileged life, his position comes at a price, and Henry has paid dearly.
Romance is present. The couple exudes sexual tension between the pages. At each meeting between these two, expect many fights, many arguments, much stubbornness, a lot of self-control and some stolen kisses. Two characters so different, with different ideas, tastes and expectations, who have discovered that attraction is something powerful, that desire is not always connected with common sense and when they surrender their passion they will be able to discover that everything they knew until now was wrong. As far as love is concerned, the only truth is that even feminists fall in love. Just like the dukes.
I love this author’s books and this was a good one! The dialogue was witty and entertaining and the characters were totally likeable.
Great read
A Guhrke book is always enjoyable but this time not as much. The duke was so uptight and rigid, it got a little tiring reading about it. Irene, the love interest, was an atypical historical novel female and could be living in the present day.