Laura Lee Guhrke, The Marriage Bed

The Marriage Bed

Laura Lee Guhrke

Avon, Jul 2005, $5.99, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0060774738

In 1833, Lord John and Lady Viola Hammond remain the talk of the Town as they continue to remain estranged for eight years with no heir, but he never cared because his solid best friend cousin Percy is next in line. That changes when John receives a letter from John's widow Constance that he died along with their son. Grieving for his loss, John needs an heir because he will not allow the estate to be destroyed by his next in line, a wastrel.

John visits Viola, informing her of the deaths and that he expects them to share a conjugal bed once he returns from the funeral. Viola says she will not sleep with him; John says he is within his legal right and she will or else he will take her to the House of Commons where even her ducal brother knows he will win.

Following the funeral, John returns to London to get Viola. He admits that he wed her for her money, but liked her. She asks for more time and they begin seeing one another for he courts his wife who he is beginning to fall in love with while she always loved him.

The strong lead couple and fine support cast including a former mistress with his child make for a delightfully sweet historical romance. The storyline is well written staying within the battle of the sexes as no major threat to either John or Viola occurs except what they have done to themselves. Thus suspense readers should look elsewhere, but fans of a fine gender war tale will want to peruse this pleasant 1830s love story between two estranged likable people.

Harriet Klausner