Review of When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke

Title/Author: When the Marquess Met His Match (An American Heiress In London #1) by Laura Lee Guhrke
Publisher/Date published: Avon, October 29th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: What happens when a carefree, disreputable, stone-broke bachelor is forced to find a wife in a hurry? He hires a matchmaker, of course. What happens when the matchmaker doesn’t want to help him? Well, that’s when the fun begins...

Nicholas Stirling, Marquess of Trubridge, loves his life just as it is: dissolute, scandalous, and deuced good fun. His father, the Duke of Landsdowne is not amused, and when he cuts off Nicholas’ trust fund, the fun-loving marquess is forced to find an alternate source of income — in other words, he has to marry an heiress.

Every new-money American heiress knows Lady Belinda Featherstone is the key to social acceptance. Once a new-money nobody herself, Belinda discovered first-hand how heartbreaking the game of love and matrimony could be after a reprobate British earl married her for her money. Now a respectable widow, Belinda has become England’s most successful matchmaker, guiding young American heiresses through the hazards of the London season and helping them to find husbands worthy of them. To her mind, the Marquess of Trubridge is nothing but a fortune-hunting scoundrel and she has no intention of allowing him to charm his way into any American girl’s heart, including her own.

Guys, I really enjoyed Laura Lee Guhrke's Trouble at the Wedding, so I was excited to start When the Marquess Met His Match! And I was right to be excited! I do so love me some good historical romance :)

I like that both of the characters here are more mature. There's not a doe-eyed 18 or 20 year old making the 30-something rake fall to his knees and reform his ways. While I do enjoy that sort of plot, I also sometimes roll my eyes at it and it's nice to have the two people in the relationship be more equal. They've both experienced love, or what they thought was love, before. Both have dealt with hard things and it has shaped them. And I like it!

I love that Belinda is so protective of the girls she's trying to match up for marriage! One of them in particular, but she really does want what's best for them and I like a girl who cares about what she does! Her first husband was a douche and it's made her wary of fortune hunters and rakes and I totally get it. And I like that she doesn't fall for the first pretty face that comes along, but wants to really respect a man!

So Nicholas at first appears to be all that Belinda doesn't want. But he's a good guy at heart, he just has to find a way to prove it to her and to himself. I was so rooting for him! He definitely grows as a person throughout the book and I just have a soft spot for good guys! Especially if they're learning how to be their own person and just *SWOON*! I love that he has his nervous-quirks and isn't afraid to own up to them to Belinda!

And there are just sparks! And funny moments! And OMG NOOOOO! moments and there were tears! And then there was the happily ever after that brought a smile to my face and led the way to sweet dreams. So yes, good historical romance right here!

My rating: 4,5 stars