HOW TO LOSE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS is Book two in Laura Lee Guhrke's An American Heiress in London series. This is the first book by Laura Lee Guhrke that I've read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The marriage between Stuart, the Duke of Margrave and Edie begins as a marriage of convenience. I've read and enjoyed many romances with this plot, but this one is slightly unusual. Usually it's the man who proposes and then disappears for sometimes years at a stretch. In this instance it's Edie who proposes the scheme to Stuart with the stipulation that he go away and not come back after she pays off his debts. The story has a series of flashbacks to describe how they first met and other important scenes that take place before the start of the book.

The basic story is that Stuart returns home after five years spent in Africa with plans to convince his wife to have a real marriage. I instantly fell for Stuart and he became one of my top favorite heroes. Some characters say that he is a changed man after he returns home, and is not quite as charming as he once was. I disagree. After reading this book, I think he is as charming as he ever was, just more introspective. I love how Laura Lee Guhrke creates a romantic atmosphere and allows a window into the minds of the main characters to understand what they're feeling. I thought it was great that Stuart was able to realize that he and Edie were both wounded -- him from his lion attack and her by her rapist -- and needed to heal and perhaps help each other to heal. I love the idea of fate or destiny and how it is explored in this book. There is a feeling of magic about the hero and heroine coming together. Edie and Stuart are both two wonderfully fleshed out characters that go through a lot of different emotions in this story.

I loved the ending how things got resolved. The epilogue puts the cherry on the sundae. This may be my first book by Laura Lee Guhrke, but after reading HOW TO LOSE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS, I know that it will not be my last.

Book Summary

From USA Today bestselling author Laura Lee Guhrke comes the story of a bargain, a marriage of convenience . . . and the chance for love to last a lifetime

They had a deal . . .

From the moment she met the devil-may-care Duke of Margrave, Edie knew he could change her life. And when he agreed to her outrageous proposal of a marriage of convenience, she was transformed from ruined American heiress to English duchess. Five years later, she's delighted with their arrangement, especially since her husband is living on another continent.

But deals are made to be broken . . .

By marrying an heiress, Stuart was able to pay his family's enormous debts, and Edie's terms that he leave England forever seemed a small price to pay. But when a brush with death impels him home, he decides it's time for a real marriage with his luscious American bride, and he proposes a bold new bargain: ten days to win her willing kiss. But is ten days enough to win her heart?

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