She's No Princess by Laura Lee Guhrke

Sir Ian Moore is the older brother of Dylan (whom we met in His Every Kiss) but they cannot be the more opposite. Dylan was always the carefree, artistic type while Ian always strived to meet his father's expectations. He is a diplomat and the career suits him because he never lets his emotions show, he always does what is right and his honor is unquestionable... until he meets Lucia.

Lucia Valenti, not only is the illegitimate daughter of a prince, but also is the daughter of one of the most notorious courtesans in London. She had been unacknowledged by her father for most of her life, although he did school her, but when she is caught with a blacksmith at her school, she is sent off to a convent where not even the nuns could keep her down. Now she embroiled her younger sister in scandal and her father has had enough! He sends her to Ian, so that he can get her married off.

Lucia will not marry for anything other than love and schemes her way into having Ian agree to let her choose her own husband among the list of men he has approved. Ian has no clue as to what is coming over him as he keeps letting Lucia get her way. He is tempted beyond belief and his wall of indifference just keeps getting chipped away by the rebellious Italian!

I loved seeing Ian get all ruffled and out of shape. Guhrke has great talent in painting a picture of the scenes she is describing and I could clearly see Ian all polished and stiff, getting his hair tosseled by Lucia. The book really drew you in from the start but I could not say the ending left you sighing. I felt as if it ended too abruptly.

I feel as if the book was misleading at the end when it came to Ian's feelings about his career. He tells Lucia something at the end that was just not indicated by his actions and his thoughts at the end of the book. It seemed as if the author was in a rush to end the tale with a pretty pink bow. I would have also like to see more interaction between Ian and Lucia, since every time they did spend time together it was a storm waiting to happen.

Grade: B-