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BOOK
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From Merrimon Book Reviews
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The Secret Life of Lady Gabriella
by Liz Fielding
A lady, a klutz, a housekeeper and a
romance novelist all in one heroine!
The Secret Life of Lady
Gabriella is a tender romance at its best with just the right
mixture of depth and humor. This romance delights on every page. The
heroine and hero could not be more perfect.
Accident-prone house cleaner and aspiring romance novelist Ellie March
receives rejection after rejection. When she house sits for an academic
philologist at the request of his sister (and unknown to him, of
course), inspiration and calamity strike. Now known as Lady Gabriella
March, Ellie writes for Milady magazine as the perfect domestic
aristocrat using the grand house as her inspiration. When Dr. Benedict
Faulkner returns unexpectedly from his research, the trouble begins.
Can she keep her secret identity, maintain her writing career and
prevent an accident or two as well? When her heart is exposed in the
process, will Ellie choose practicality over long held dreams?
The plot is tight yet maintains the suspense and reader's pleasure. The
characterization of both primary and even secondary characters is
strong and memorable. By making the heroine a struggling romance
author, Liz Fielding opens this romance beyond just a tender romance.
The play with the stereotypical romance novel is a scream and
priceless. Throughout the novel, her imagery consistently creates a
world both vibrantly realistic and sensuously experienced. The reader
easily imagines in sight, sound and smell the scenes of the gardens,
the meals and even the accidents. The ending was just enough of a
surprise to satisfy but at the same time carefully prepared by the
author to ring true to the characters.
The Secret Life of Lady
Gabriella is the perfect read for any reader who desires
something a little different yet tender. Liz Fielding hits the perfect
chord in this romance --- a lighthearted yet deep tenderness, complete
with humorous zany complications. Not all of us can aspire to a Martha
Stewart level of domestic perfection externally, but for those of us
who will never succeed at this goal, this house cleaning heroine and
her professor stole this reader's heart.
Publisher: Harlequin
Romance (May 2007)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
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