Guilty Pleasures (Guilty #1) by Laura Lee Guhrke

For prim and shy Daphne Wade, the sweetest guilty pleasure of all is secretly watching her employer, the Duke of Tremore, as he works the excavation site on his English estate. Anthony hired Daphne to restore the priceless treasures he has been digging up, but it's hard for a woman to keep her mind on her work when her devastatingly handsome employer keeps taking his shirt off. He doesn't know she's alive, but who could blame her for falling hopelessly in love with him anyway?

Anthony thinks that his capable employee knows all there is to know about antiquities, but when his sister decides to turn the plain young woman in gold-rimmed glasses into an enticing beauty, he declares the task to be impossible. Daphne is devasted when she overhears...and determined to prove him wrong. Now a vibrant and delectable Daphne has emerged from her shell, and the tables are turned. Will Anthony see that the woman of his dreams has been there all along?

Four Solid Stars

“I will not be any man’s duty.”

I always have a difficult time picking out a Historical Romance. I’m very particular, hence why I haven’t read as many as I would like. Plus I have to be in the mood for one and at this time, I was determined to read one.

The reason why I picked this out was because I LOVE stories that involve the spinster-type heroines; the wallflowers, if I may. I love rooting for the underdogs. These heroines are the ones that always seem to surprise the Heroes. Daphne is definitely one these heroines.

She’s been in love Anthony, the Duke of Tremore, since she first laid eyes on him. But a lot of elements stand in the way of her fantasy. One - She is the Duke’s employee. Though her grandfather is a Baron, he hasn’t openly acknowledged her in society. Two - Her looks. She’s not considered a classical beauty, especially when she hides herself in spectacles and dull clothing, but underneath all that does lie a very pretty woman. Three – The Duke doesn’t even truly see her.

When Daphne overhears what Anthony really thinks of her, her heart shatters, but she is determined to move forward. With the help of Anthony’s sister she gets the opportunity to finally be free and take what life has to offer her. With the restraint from loving Anthony losing its hold, she starts to slowly transform into someone the Duke can no longer ignore.

“Men have no character when it comes to women. Love turns us into complete idiots or dishonorable villains. Usually both.”

This was such a fun read and when I got to the end, I smiling like a loon. The pace of the story was a bit slow at times, but it consistently held my interest. The bantering between Daphne and Anthony were my favorite parts. When Daphne finds her voice and starts to let Anthony have it (along with his reactions to them) was priceless. There was mild to a moderate amount of heat for those of you wondering. But before I leave, one thing this story desperately needed was an epilogue. I just wanted a little more Anthony and Daphne.