Summary (official one :) ):
Supremely sensible Emmaline Dove wishes to share her etiquette expertise with London’s readers, and as secretary to Viscount Marlowe, Emma knows she’s in the perfect position to make her dreams come true. Marlowe might be a rake with a preference for cancan dancers and an aversion to matrimony, but he is also the city’s leading publisher, and Emma is convinced he’s her best chance to see her work in print…until she discovers the lying scoundrel has been rejecting her manuscripts without ever reading a single page!
As a publisher, Harry finds reading etiquette books akin to slow, painful torture. Besides, he can’t believe his proper secretary has the passion to write anything worth reading. Then she has the nerve to call him a liar, and even resigns without notice, leaving his business in uproar and his honor in question. Harry decides it’s time to teach Miss Dove a few things that aren’t proper. But when he kisses her, he discovers that his former secretary has more passion and fire than he ever imagined, for one luscious taste of her lips only leaves him hungry for more…
I must say that the title is hideous, like many cheesy titles that historical romance novels have, but this book really was touching to me on many levels.
What really made me in awe at first is that Miss Dove is none other as just a simple woman. She is turning 30 in first chapters, her life could be said to be wasted yet safe, first she lived with her family that was rigid in rules, basically because of her father, next she lived with her aunt who was basically an epitome of rules and manners, Emma used to follow it all. Later she spent time taking care of her dying aunt and by the time she realized she was still alone and old. She was taught good manners all her life, yet even through this thick layer of rigidity you could see her beating passionate heart. What is really touching is that Emma represents many people who are simply ashamed of what they like and what they want, but they're taught that they're wrong. She probably realized it herself, but continued to live in this suffocation of what is right and what is wrong, the island of her personal safety and her awakening is basically the emotional and physical journey we witness.
On the other hand Harry was once married, he hates rules, but for a reason. His ex-wife was a stunning beauty, but her heart belonged to other. She only complied with the marriage because of her family pressure, but both were unhappy in marriage. They managed to get a divorce, but in those times it was a whole big deal, not to mention it left a stain on his own reputation and his family (mostly concerns his sisters). So thus he hated good manners, because it made people unhappy like this. They may exist but not for the purpose of killing you from the inside. This is the reason he barely could handle the work of Emma and never really read it, but when he read it he still couldn't understand it. Yet he also managed to see after the fight that Emma has a side he never saw before, that tiny glimpse attracted him and made him make a move. Tbh I see it as him wanting to give her the freedom she wanted deep inside.
This is the emotional entanglement of the two. It gives you the idea and depth of their character.
So we start from here. Emma is working for Harry as a secretary, the work she does amounts to a lot of tasks, not to mention that she ended up buying presents not only for his family, but even his lovers. She worked with only one hope, so her work will be published, but before she turned 30 she had no idea that Harry never read her works. Here we can witness what her nature is truly like, she realized in the dialogue that Harry had no idea she was talking about, though it was her speudonym, she wanted to quite, but then thought about money and safety. She went back and forth before deciding to finally buy the peacock feathered fan she saw not once, she might never need it, but it was exotic and she wanted it. The scene where a young lady was buying this fan for a ball finally broke her. She quit, went with her work to another publishing house and changed from books to writing articles. She had her success, while Harry had no idea what to do, the work couldn't be done because the key person - miss Dove - said goodbye and walked away. He wanted to bring her back, but failed and it was the first time they fought and he finally saw what was behind her thick shell. This is what attracted him at first. She was not a beauty he'd usually prefer, she was more lean, she did not spend money on perfumes, she smelled of cleanliness and freshness and almost simplicity. But she had sides to her character that betrayed her inner desires for enjoyment. From her side the distance they had crossed or the things they enjoyed together slowly crossed the line. But she wanted to reach for it, she wanted to enjoy it. What really broke the silence was nothing more than a lecture of manners again, but at this time the inner voice of Emma began to rebel, yes her late aunt's friend saw and Harry kissing, yes she wanted to lecture her as best, but Emma though she's a grown-up woman who knows what she does and she doesn't want to be lectured on these things. The scene at her house that followed almost brought her back to her sheltered world (Harry couldn't understand why Emma kept paying attention what others say or think, especially a woman like proprietress who basically eavsedropped on them, while Emma thought that opinion of others matters for reputation, which broke them up and they fought), but with an epiphany that she doesn't want to waste her time again and again, yes she understands that what she's going to do is wrong, but she still wants to do it, she wants to be in a relationship with Harry, she knows she won't have a name, but she wants it anyway.
They come together and they open up to each other. What I liked about Harry's point of view is his support on how women should be taught intimate things between men and women before the actual act, because it can be simply harmful for women. So both of them became emotionally and physically closer and what Emma was afraid of happening eventually happened - she fell in love. She couldn't do it otherwise. Harry although stayed with his opinion actually changed in details, he also could change her, but she realized she wanted more and if they stayed together it's going to be hard.
There's one touching scene at the end when Harry comes back to their cottage alone and sees an old couple they've seen many times and he manages to ask if they're married and the couple answered him that he's married too, but he doesn't know it yet. Which made Harry realize that he's ready to propose, he's ready to be together and he's not afraid of marrying again. Very happy end for them :D
Tbh I loved that Emma's character is a woman who is older, she's not portrayed as this femme fatale who will be sought after by everyone, she's simply a woman who wants happiness, she yearns love and joy under the pressure of times and good manners. She meets a person opposite to her own habits, but yet they fit perfectly. It's a simple and sincere love without fanfare. Still one of the best books.
Oh yeah, it is only first book in the series, but I don't really care for other books that follow, though they're not bad at all, I'd say they're good, but they never hit me as much as the first one :)
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