What do you think?
Rate this book
With This Kiss #2
With This Kiss: Part Two
Lady Grace Ryburn has accepted another man's proposal after the love of her life, Lieutenant Colin Barry, asked for her own sister's hand in marriage.
But when Colin returns home from the wars, injured in body and spirit, will she be able to turn her back and marry another? Or will she throw away every rule her mother taught her and try to seduce a man who has shown no interest in her kisses?
Author's Be sure to read Part One first! You need to know the story of how Grace fell in love with Colin...
But when Colin returns home from the wars, injured in body and spirit, will she be able to turn her back and marry another? Or will she throw away every rule her mother taught her and try to seduce a man who has shown no interest in her kisses?
Author's Be sure to read Part One first! You need to know the story of how Grace fell in love with Colin...
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2013
91 people are currently reading
1176 people want to read
About the author
Eloisa James
123 books9,537 followersNew York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 19, 2015
With This Kiss: Part Two, the second of three parts, is easily as wonderful as the first part, but even better because Grace and Colin's more-than-friends relationship actually starts to develop!
From the cover:As I did with part one, I enjoyed the closeness of the families and their witty banter, but this time we start to see Grace and Colin come together. Fate isn't making things easy for them, but often the best things in life have to be fought for.
Lady Grace Ryburn has accepted another man's proposal after the love of her life, Lieutenant Colin Barry, asked for her own sister's hand in marriage.
But when Colin returns home from the wars, injured in body and spirit, will she be able to turn her back and marry another? Or will she throw away every rule her mother taught her and try to seduce a man who has shown no interest in her kisses?
Oh, how I love this installment! It’s romantic, poignant, sexy… it’s Eloisa James at her finest!
4.5/5 stars
My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of With This Kiss: Part One, Two, and Three, in return for an honest review.
Ms. James created some lovely greeting cards to go along with the books, and here they are:
March 20, 2013
In my review for Part I, I mentioned that I admire Grace's seriousness and clearheadedness.
I TAKE IT BACK. I TAKE IT ALL BACK.
Grace is dumb, dumb, dumb. Rationality and common sense flies out the window in this second installment (I don't get the installment thing, ELoisa James could have published this in a full-length novel, and her readers would have been more than happy to purchase it, a serial novel? Eh).
This is a classic case of nice-guys-finishes-last. Lord John. Poor Lord John. The perfect fiancé got thrown over by a jackass who only realizes his feelings for Grace after mindlessly proposing to her sister. And now he's all gone and blinded himself and so Grace declares SHE WILL HAVE HIM OR NO OTHER. My god, she threw over the perfect Lord John, who is kind, handsome, considerate, admiring, need I go on, for the idiot that is Colin? I don't buy it.
I TAKE IT BACK. I TAKE IT ALL BACK.
Grace is dumb, dumb, dumb. Rationality and common sense flies out the window in this second installment (I don't get the installment thing, ELoisa James could have published this in a full-length novel, and her readers would have been more than happy to purchase it, a serial novel? Eh).
This is a classic case of nice-guys-finishes-last. Lord John. Poor Lord John. The perfect fiancé got thrown over by a jackass who only realizes his feelings for Grace after mindlessly proposing to her sister. And now he's all gone and blinded himself and so Grace declares SHE WILL HAVE HIM OR NO OTHER. My god, she threw over the perfect Lord John, who is kind, handsome, considerate, admiring, need I go on, for the idiot that is Colin? I don't buy it.
March 2, 2025
My Review:
In the second part of "With This Kiss" novella serial series we have moved forward with our heroine, Grace being engaged to a neighbor. He is reliable and a good friend and has wooed her for over a year. But then the man she has loved for years but never returned that love, comes home injured from a cannon blast, being temporarily blind. Seeing Colin back in her life, makes her realize her love that she has for him. And with the assistance of her mother, to keep her father "busy" she takes Colin, drugged, to convince him to marry her.
I actually fell so hard with this novella. I loved the way that this heroine just took control of the situation and is fighting for the man that she loves. This is what I love about a good pining heroine. And the mother taking part in helping her daughter get "ruined" was so hilarious especially with such a protective husband. But I also loved seeing them older and so strong together. I really loved the way that this story ends with the teaser that gets you wanting to pick up the third part and the finale of the trilogy.
In the second part of "With This Kiss" novella serial series we have moved forward with our heroine, Grace being engaged to a neighbor. He is reliable and a good friend and has wooed her for over a year. But then the man she has loved for years but never returned that love, comes home injured from a cannon blast, being temporarily blind. Seeing Colin back in her life, makes her realize her love that she has for him. And with the assistance of her mother, to keep her father "busy" she takes Colin, drugged, to convince him to marry her.
I actually fell so hard with this novella. I loved the way that this heroine just took control of the situation and is fighting for the man that she loves. This is what I love about a good pining heroine. And the mother taking part in helping her daughter get "ruined" was so hilarious especially with such a protective husband. But I also loved seeing them older and so strong together. I really loved the way that this story ends with the teaser that gets you wanting to pick up the third part and the finale of the trilogy.
March 17, 2013
With Colin off at war, Lady Grace is finally moving on in her life. Her friendly correspondence with Colin through letters has waned and now Grace is set to be married to another. In this installment, Colin spends most of it in a drug induced stupor, dreaming of being back home and in the arms of Grace. This is the first time that readers get Colin's feelings for Grace and though I was thankful that Colin finally displays some feelings for her, it also seemed terribly crass with the way it was presented. All lines of decorum are thrown out the window and Colin simply takes what he wants. Though passionate and intense, I wished for more emotion from Colin other than his broodiness. I wished for some more wooing and romance on Colin's part. I wanted to see Colin proving himself that he was worthy.
On the other hand, Lady Grace is a woman that follows her heart. While I can admire that, sometimes I wish she were a little more practical. In my eyes, Colin seemed unworthy of her attentions for all these years and I wanted him to do
Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction
On the other hand, Lady Grace is a woman that follows her heart. While I can admire that, sometimes I wish she were a little more practical. In my eyes, Colin seemed unworthy of her attentions for all these years and I wanted him to do
Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction
March 1, 2013
Picking up where book one left off, Grace has tried to move forward despite her love for Colin. Meanwhile, Colin has been injured in battle, and is decommissioned from the Navy a far richer man, but convalescing from his injuries and the trials of war. Dosed with laudanum, Colin’s dreams are full of Grace, and all of the longing that he never expressed to her.
The first encounter between the injured Colin and Grace is full of a palpable tension, despite the presence of the now-forgotten Lord McIngle, Grace’s fiancé. As is fitting for these rather unconventional families, Grace and Colin soon head out to his family estates, unchaperoned, with the consent of Grace’s mother, the Duchess of Ashbrook.
Still effected by laudanum, Colin is reliving his dreams of making love to Grace, but is it a dream? The morning after brings revelations and confessions, as Colin is able to explain that Grace required the best of him at all times, something he couldn’t give amidst the horrors of war. Meanwhile, Grace is convinced that laudanum was the reason he desired her, not that he loves her.
Told in a series of 3 shorts, these stories neatly fit together to make a satisfying novella and will be especially pleasing for those readers familiar with these families from earlier works by Eloisa James.
I received an eBook copy from the publisher via Eidelweiss for purpose of honest review for the Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
The first encounter between the injured Colin and Grace is full of a palpable tension, despite the presence of the now-forgotten Lord McIngle, Grace’s fiancé. As is fitting for these rather unconventional families, Grace and Colin soon head out to his family estates, unchaperoned, with the consent of Grace’s mother, the Duchess of Ashbrook.
Still effected by laudanum, Colin is reliving his dreams of making love to Grace, but is it a dream? The morning after brings revelations and confessions, as Colin is able to explain that Grace required the best of him at all times, something he couldn’t give amidst the horrors of war. Meanwhile, Grace is convinced that laudanum was the reason he desired her, not that he loves her.
Told in a series of 3 shorts, these stories neatly fit together to make a satisfying novella and will be especially pleasing for those readers familiar with these families from earlier works by Eloisa James.
I received an eBook copy from the publisher via Eidelweiss for purpose of honest review for the Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
March 7, 2013
In this installment of Grace and Colin's story, Colin returns home to England after being injured by cannonball fire. When Grace discovers that he's been injured she immediately jumps to action to be his caretaker and to seduce him.
Grace proved that she knew her own heart and was going to follow what her heart wanted, even if in the end she was hurt. She was determined to care for Colin and was willing to go against her parents wishes to do so, knowing what that would mean for her socially. She knew how she felt about Colin and she needed to take care of him, no matter how he might feel about her.
Poor Colin spent most of this installment in a drug induced stooper, but we get a first hand look at exactly how he feels about Grace. His confusion about the events that led to the coaching inn may have made made things worse with Grace, but her stubbornness in not letting him speak his mind on what his feelings are for her are what really led to the ending of the story.
I'm on pins and needles waiting for Part 3. Grace and Colin are a couple I'm pulling for, if they can get pas their own thoughts and biases. If you haven't done so already, pick up Part I. This is one series that you must read in order and you don't want to miss out on this couple.
Grace proved that she knew her own heart and was going to follow what her heart wanted, even if in the end she was hurt. She was determined to care for Colin and was willing to go against her parents wishes to do so, knowing what that would mean for her socially. She knew how she felt about Colin and she needed to take care of him, no matter how he might feel about her.
Poor Colin spent most of this installment in a drug induced stooper, but we get a first hand look at exactly how he feels about Grace. His confusion about the events that led to the coaching inn may have made made things worse with Grace, but her stubbornness in not letting him speak his mind on what his feelings are for her are what really led to the ending of the story.
I'm on pins and needles waiting for Part 3. Grace and Colin are a couple I'm pulling for, if they can get pas their own thoughts and biases. If you haven't done so already, pick up Part I. This is one series that you must read in order and you don't want to miss out on this couple.
November 28, 2014
I read the first part exactly two weeks ago but didn't quite love it. It was a likable read but nothing special and I started part two only because I was sitting on the train with nothing else to do. And now I am smacking myself on the head for this. With This Kiss: Part Two was way better than I thought. Way, way, way better! And oh my god that ending...
In this part Grace is by now engaged to John because she believes Colin doesn't love her. Until he returns, Grace knows she has to break off her engagement because it isn't fair to John when she has such strong feelings for Colin.
Colin has returned from the war but not without injury, outside and in. He wants to win Grace's love but feels like a broken man. In the meantime Grace has decided to seduce Colin, wether or not she knows if he could ever return her feelings...
Grace is a interesting character. Not like anyone I have ever read about. I don't blame her for accepting John's proposal. He's a good man from the little things I saw from him. I actually quite liked him. But when Colin returns she breaks of the engagement because she doesn't want to lie about her feelings. I love her for doing so. Especially when she just decides to try and seduce Colin. She's such a kind person with a big heart, I hope in the end she gets what she wants. The only negative thing I can say about Grace is that I just wanna slap her when she doesn't believe that Colin loves her, even when he says so. Wake up, girl!
In the first part I didn't really like Colin, but it seems like I've turned the other way with this book because I really do like him now. I felt sad for him when he returned home injured. I was rather shocked about it. I only wished he hadn't acted so cool to Grace in the start but oh well... that changed. Also for most in this story Colin remained in a state of laudanum haze with some pretty steam scenes as result of it. Didn't see that coming at all!
I simply LOVE LOVE LOVE Eloisa James' writing. Historical fiction seems tough the write in my eyes. And she just does it so beautifully. I definitely am going to look for more of her books to read. Especially the ones going before this three With This Kiss books.
In Part One there wasn't much romance. It was more showing how Grace fell in love with Colin but that was it. Now this novella had some steamy scenes. I took me by surprise because I figured it would be clean as the first one. But oh I loved it! That carriage scene was damn hot! Another reason why I love Eloisa's writing. More, please!
The ending was once again really sudden and unexpected. I was pretty much shouting out loud from frustration. How could it end there? And what is going to happen in the final part? I better go find out now...
Overall, With This Kiss: Part Two is a perfect sequel to the first one. The characters, the setting, the romance; it was all perfect from page one to the end. Eloisa James knows how to write damn good historical romance. I loved every minute of reading it, so she definitely gained a new fan with me.
In this part Grace is by now engaged to John because she believes Colin doesn't love her. Until he returns, Grace knows she has to break off her engagement because it isn't fair to John when she has such strong feelings for Colin.
Colin has returned from the war but not without injury, outside and in. He wants to win Grace's love but feels like a broken man. In the meantime Grace has decided to seduce Colin, wether or not she knows if he could ever return her feelings...
Grace is a interesting character. Not like anyone I have ever read about. I don't blame her for accepting John's proposal. He's a good man from the little things I saw from him. I actually quite liked him. But when Colin returns she breaks of the engagement because she doesn't want to lie about her feelings. I love her for doing so. Especially when she just decides to try and seduce Colin. She's such a kind person with a big heart, I hope in the end she gets what she wants. The only negative thing I can say about Grace is that I just wanna slap her when she doesn't believe that Colin loves her, even when he says so. Wake up, girl!
In the first part I didn't really like Colin, but it seems like I've turned the other way with this book because I really do like him now. I felt sad for him when he returned home injured. I was rather shocked about it. I only wished he hadn't acted so cool to Grace in the start but oh well... that changed. Also for most in this story Colin remained in a state of laudanum haze with some pretty steam scenes as result of it. Didn't see that coming at all!
I simply LOVE LOVE LOVE Eloisa James' writing. Historical fiction seems tough the write in my eyes. And she just does it so beautifully. I definitely am going to look for more of her books to read. Especially the ones going before this three With This Kiss books.
In Part One there wasn't much romance. It was more showing how Grace fell in love with Colin but that was it. Now this novella had some steamy scenes. I took me by surprise because I figured it would be clean as the first one. But oh I loved it! That carriage scene was damn hot! Another reason why I love Eloisa's writing. More, please!
The ending was once again really sudden and unexpected. I was pretty much shouting out loud from frustration. How could it end there? And what is going to happen in the final part? I better go find out now...
Overall, With This Kiss: Part Two is a perfect sequel to the first one. The characters, the setting, the romance; it was all perfect from page one to the end. Eloisa James knows how to write damn good historical romance. I loved every minute of reading it, so she definitely gained a new fan with me.
March 19, 2013
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://eloisajames.com/
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Part 2, With This Kiss Serial
Series Best Read In Order: YES, Part Two of a Serialized Double-Length Novella
Steam Level: Steamy
Pet Peeves: Love Triangle, No Happily Ever After, Cliff Hanger Ending
Favorite Tropes: Unrequited Love, Serious Illness or Injury
Even though I was very lucky in that I was able to get my hands on all three installments of this serialized novella at one time, and therefore was not forced to wait the week between publishing dates, I admit that the novelty of the serial format is a lot of fun. Both Part One and Part Two ended at really the perfect time, allowing that particular portion of the story to come to a close, while still leaving the reader wanting more. I would not recommend reading this installment without picking up Part One first — not only was Part One a wonderful installment on its own, but the background of just how Grace fell in love with Colin, and the feelings that developed on both sides of friendship (and possibly a little more?), is imperative to the full understanding of this story. In case you missed it, you can read MY REVIEW OF PART ONE HERE. Remember, this is not a continuance, or a sequel, this is literally the middle part of a double-length novella that has been split into three parts for easier consumption.
Overall, even though it was a fairly short read, this section of the story packed quite a punch. We find out what exactly happened to Colin on the ship that caused him to be sent home from the Royal Navy, and we get to experience a joyously shocking conversation between Grace and her mother that fans of The Ugly Duchess will greatly appreciate.
Add to that a bit of a guilty pleasure in a Big Misunderstanding, and you’ve got a very fun read with just the right amount of naughtiness blended in.
4/5 Stars, and I know readers will be chomping at the bit for Part Three, due out next week.
Expected Release Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://eloisajames.com/
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Part 2, With This Kiss Serial
Series Best Read In Order: YES, Part Two of a Serialized Double-Length Novella
Steam Level: Steamy
Pet Peeves: Love Triangle, No Happily Ever After, Cliff Hanger Ending
Favorite Tropes: Unrequited Love, Serious Illness or Injury
Even though I was very lucky in that I was able to get my hands on all three installments of this serialized novella at one time, and therefore was not forced to wait the week between publishing dates, I admit that the novelty of the serial format is a lot of fun. Both Part One and Part Two ended at really the perfect time, allowing that particular portion of the story to come to a close, while still leaving the reader wanting more. I would not recommend reading this installment without picking up Part One first — not only was Part One a wonderful installment on its own, but the background of just how Grace fell in love with Colin, and the feelings that developed on both sides of friendship (and possibly a little more?), is imperative to the full understanding of this story. In case you missed it, you can read MY REVIEW OF PART ONE HERE. Remember, this is not a continuance, or a sequel, this is literally the middle part of a double-length novella that has been split into three parts for easier consumption.
Overall, even though it was a fairly short read, this section of the story packed quite a punch. We find out what exactly happened to Colin on the ship that caused him to be sent home from the Royal Navy, and we get to experience a joyously shocking conversation between Grace and her mother that fans of The Ugly Duchess will greatly appreciate.
Add to that a bit of a guilty pleasure in a Big Misunderstanding, and you’ve got a very fun read with just the right amount of naughtiness blended in.
4/5 Stars, and I know readers will be chomping at the bit for Part Three, due out next week.
March 30, 2013
Following Part One nicely, Lady Grace has been being courted by Lord McIngle, who has showed interest in her since Part One. She never gave it much thought, but threw herself into making a connection once she found out Colin had asked for her sister’s hand. Lord McIngle asks for her hand and she agrees, becoming engaged. Colin, who is realizing that he made the worst mistake of his life and hasn't received a letter from Grace in weeks, is wondering if he lost her to the Scotsman. Colin winds up getting injured and knows he will never be able to try and right his wrongs half a man. So in his laudanum, he dreams he is finally with Grace in all the ways he wished he could have been.
Discharged and returned to England, he visits the Ashbrook's home first before heading on where Grace sees him. She comes up with a plan, tossing all the rules her mother taught her out the window. One carriage ride and laudanum dream later, Colin is in for the awakening of his life and Lady Grace is convinced that it was the drugs, not love for her that makes her doubt their connection once again.
Holy cow Eloisa!!! It's about time Colin as well. Who would have thought you could pack such a punch with 30 pg installments. Yet, I am eating them up and craving more. The passionate encounter had me going ‘oh my’! I do not envy those who must wait for each installment. I was so happy Lady Grace decided to follow her heart. Sure, she might have broken a heart, but when it's true love, you go after it. Once she saw Colin again injured, she knew she hadn't stopped loving him. The heat and unrequited love burst to flames in the back of the carriage. There might have been some misunderstanding on if it was the drug or love, as well as questions, but now that Colin had her where he wanted her, he was keeping her. James, you engage the readers with this couple. I see all three installments as must reads where one might end you will anxiously want to jump into the next. I can't express how much I adore these short installments, even if I think it is cruel and unusual punishment to those who have to wait for the next one.
Discharged and returned to England, he visits the Ashbrook's home first before heading on where Grace sees him. She comes up with a plan, tossing all the rules her mother taught her out the window. One carriage ride and laudanum dream later, Colin is in for the awakening of his life and Lady Grace is convinced that it was the drugs, not love for her that makes her doubt their connection once again.
Holy cow Eloisa!!! It's about time Colin as well. Who would have thought you could pack such a punch with 30 pg installments. Yet, I am eating them up and craving more. The passionate encounter had me going ‘oh my’! I do not envy those who must wait for each installment. I was so happy Lady Grace decided to follow her heart. Sure, she might have broken a heart, but when it's true love, you go after it. Once she saw Colin again injured, she knew she hadn't stopped loving him. The heat and unrequited love burst to flames in the back of the carriage. There might have been some misunderstanding on if it was the drug or love, as well as questions, but now that Colin had her where he wanted her, he was keeping her. James, you engage the readers with this couple. I see all three installments as must reads where one might end you will anxiously want to jump into the next. I can't express how much I adore these short installments, even if I think it is cruel and unusual punishment to those who have to wait for the next one.
February 15, 2013
You know you are a book nerd when you delay your plans to read a book, especially on Valentines Day! So here and now I confess, I'm obsessed. It was such a pleasant surprise to see this short story available for download today. Of course once I started I couldn't put it down. Ah Grace, she was such a special character! So sweet and giving, but she knew how to fight for herself. During the first third of the story I was very mad at Colin but he redeemed himself in the second and third part. Thank God because I didn't want to be sad today. I just feel sorry for the poor suckers that have to wait to read this story, I'm not sure I would have been able to wait. Also I think it's a bit devious that the publisher is asking a dollar for thirty pages each!
March 19, 2013
This story being broken into parts is killing me!
July 11, 2013
This sort of went off track with that plan to seduce hatched and the whole carriage dream thing ..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2013
Holly: In part one, Grace spent years writing to Colin, building castles in the sky about a relationship that didn’t really exist. She made herself believe she was the only thing keeping him sane at sea, when he couldn’t even be bothered to visit her when he returned to shore.
At the end of part one, she is heartbroken, but determined to move on with her life. She accepts the suit of Lord McIngle and that’s that.
Part two opens with her trying to convince herself she’s happy to be engaged to him. Especially since his home was in Scotland which meant she could nurse her broken heart away from anyone associated with Colin.
Her parents are thrilled for her, thinking Lord McIngle is the perfect man for her to be with. He understands her and indulges her passion for painting. He’s kind, caring and willing to put her needs above his own.
Only Lily, her younger sister, doesn’t believe he’s good enough.
She was the only one who argued with Grace. “He’s not a good choice for you,” she insisted. “He respects you too much.”
“Respect is good,” Grace said, thinking of how Colin slighted her letters. “I want respect.”
“It’s not enough.”
“He loves me!”
“Not the right way.”
Finally Grace turned on her sister in a rage. “Don’t you see, Lily? Must you make me say this aloud? No one will ever love me in the right way, not in that feverish way that men fall in love with you. I’m not that sort of woman!”
Still my heart breaks for Grace. Though her feelings may seem a bit dramatic, the truth is, she isn’t wrong. She isn’t the sort to inspire feelings of passionate love in a man. Lily does, quite often. But Grace is overlooked for her sister.
Rowena: I agree. I felt bad for Grace because like you said, she isn’t wrong. She’s overlooked quite a bit because of Lily. So when Grace settles for Lord McIngle because he never looked at Lily, I hurt for her because that’s a really sucky reason to have for the man you’re going to marry. And yet, that was a reality for Grace. It’s a hard situation to be in and even without Colin in the picture, being overshadowed by Lily was the norm for Grace. It’s all she’s ever known and that can really get a girl down, historical lady or contemporary woman, the feelings are still there and they still hurt.
Holly: As much as I hurt for Grace, I also hurt for Colin. He realized his love for her, yet can do nothing about it. He knows from Lily’s letter that she’s engaged to McIngle and he figures she’s already married to him. Added to that, he’s been injured. Which means he has a lot of time to lie around and pine for Grace.
I was glad to see he finally realized his feelings for her. He knows the real Grace and loves all of her. That’s what she deserves. Of course it’s a bit too late for him to realize it, but it’s hard to be mad at him for that when he was struggling with his own feelings about the war for so long.
Rowena: Colin’s reasons for not wanting to see Grace when he came home (in the first part) were understandable and I agree that it was hard to be mad at him. In this part of the story, I really started to warm up to Colin. I was glad that he started to realize that he had feelings for Grace and that he missed her letters. I loved that he wrote that letter to Lily just so that he can ask her how Grace was doing. It really did suck for him to not be able to do anything about his feelings for Grace, being stuck on the boat the way that he was.
Watching the two of them come together in this book was adorable. I loved seeing them both go after what they want. I thought it was lovely to see the relationship between Grace and her mother again in this part. The amount of love that Grace’s mother had to have to let Grace go through with what she planned on doing had to have been great and I really liked seeing the closeness of a historical family. Usually, mothers aren’t close with their kids in historical but that wasn’t the case in this story. Both of Grace’s parents loved their children and weren’t ashamed to show it. I really enjoyed that part of this one.
And how about that first time in the carriage? Wowzer. What a way to remember her first time.
Holly: I, too, liked seeing them both go after what they want. It was funny that they both wanted the same thing, but were coming at it from two different places. I felt bad for Colin when Grace assumed he thought she was Lily. Poor guy just couldn’t catch a break.
That carriage scene…wowza. I felt bad for both of them afterward. Especially Grace. Poor girl had a rough time of it there at the end.
Grace sank into a chair, and then started straight back onto her feet. It hurt. Her most tender part felt . . . well . . . hurt. How did women put up with this sort of thing?
She went straight back to her first reaction to the act. She had been enjoying it until a certain point. She frowned, realizing what must be the truth. That first part was for her. And the second part was for him. Presumably the second part wouldn’t hurt as much next time, though obviously it would never be as much fun as the preliminaries. She could probably live with that.
I probably shouldn’t have enjoyed the misunderstandings in this part as much as I did. I’m not sure why, but they really had me invested in the story. The drama of it appealed to me. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how everything would be resolved.
Rowena: He really couldn’t catch a break, considering how embarrassed he had to have been when he found out that the carriage ride was not a dream…but total reality.
In this part, we see Colin’s struggles with losing Grace and my heart really went out to him. His self-doubt with being injured and not thinking he deserved Grace, thinking that she deserved far better than the likes of him. It was all so dramatic but I loved it. So very much. I loved the dreams that he had of Grace, the jealousy with her being with McIngle. Oh man, I’m a sucker for this stuff.
I think my favorite part of this one is when Grace finally tells Colin everything. That she loves him, that she’s always loved him and how she can deal with him not loving her in return and all that other good stuff because no matter how hard Colin tries to get a word in edge wise, he can’t.
Everything is out in the open now. Colin knows for sure that Grace loves him but now she’s run away from him and he’s got to get to work on proving his love for her now. *grins*
This was more greatness from the first story and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more because I had the third part ready to go…=)
Holly: I agree. I love that Grace laid it all out for him, then ran. It’s good that he has to work for it a bit. I was super anxious to start Part 3.
Overall grade: 4 out of 5
This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Holly and Rowena.
At the end of part one, she is heartbroken, but determined to move on with her life. She accepts the suit of Lord McIngle and that’s that.
Part two opens with her trying to convince herself she’s happy to be engaged to him. Especially since his home was in Scotland which meant she could nurse her broken heart away from anyone associated with Colin.
Her parents are thrilled for her, thinking Lord McIngle is the perfect man for her to be with. He understands her and indulges her passion for painting. He’s kind, caring and willing to put her needs above his own.
Only Lily, her younger sister, doesn’t believe he’s good enough.
She was the only one who argued with Grace. “He’s not a good choice for you,” she insisted. “He respects you too much.”
“Respect is good,” Grace said, thinking of how Colin slighted her letters. “I want respect.”
“It’s not enough.”
“He loves me!”
“Not the right way.”
Finally Grace turned on her sister in a rage. “Don’t you see, Lily? Must you make me say this aloud? No one will ever love me in the right way, not in that feverish way that men fall in love with you. I’m not that sort of woman!”
Still my heart breaks for Grace. Though her feelings may seem a bit dramatic, the truth is, she isn’t wrong. She isn’t the sort to inspire feelings of passionate love in a man. Lily does, quite often. But Grace is overlooked for her sister.
Rowena: I agree. I felt bad for Grace because like you said, she isn’t wrong. She’s overlooked quite a bit because of Lily. So when Grace settles for Lord McIngle because he never looked at Lily, I hurt for her because that’s a really sucky reason to have for the man you’re going to marry. And yet, that was a reality for Grace. It’s a hard situation to be in and even without Colin in the picture, being overshadowed by Lily was the norm for Grace. It’s all she’s ever known and that can really get a girl down, historical lady or contemporary woman, the feelings are still there and they still hurt.
Holly: As much as I hurt for Grace, I also hurt for Colin. He realized his love for her, yet can do nothing about it. He knows from Lily’s letter that she’s engaged to McIngle and he figures she’s already married to him. Added to that, he’s been injured. Which means he has a lot of time to lie around and pine for Grace.
I was glad to see he finally realized his feelings for her. He knows the real Grace and loves all of her. That’s what she deserves. Of course it’s a bit too late for him to realize it, but it’s hard to be mad at him for that when he was struggling with his own feelings about the war for so long.
Rowena: Colin’s reasons for not wanting to see Grace when he came home (in the first part) were understandable and I agree that it was hard to be mad at him. In this part of the story, I really started to warm up to Colin. I was glad that he started to realize that he had feelings for Grace and that he missed her letters. I loved that he wrote that letter to Lily just so that he can ask her how Grace was doing. It really did suck for him to not be able to do anything about his feelings for Grace, being stuck on the boat the way that he was.
Watching the two of them come together in this book was adorable. I loved seeing them both go after what they want. I thought it was lovely to see the relationship between Grace and her mother again in this part. The amount of love that Grace’s mother had to have to let Grace go through with what she planned on doing had to have been great and I really liked seeing the closeness of a historical family. Usually, mothers aren’t close with their kids in historical but that wasn’t the case in this story. Both of Grace’s parents loved their children and weren’t ashamed to show it. I really enjoyed that part of this one.
And how about that first time in the carriage? Wowzer. What a way to remember her first time.
Holly: I, too, liked seeing them both go after what they want. It was funny that they both wanted the same thing, but were coming at it from two different places. I felt bad for Colin when Grace assumed he thought she was Lily. Poor guy just couldn’t catch a break.
That carriage scene…wowza. I felt bad for both of them afterward. Especially Grace. Poor girl had a rough time of it there at the end.
Grace sank into a chair, and then started straight back onto her feet. It hurt. Her most tender part felt . . . well . . . hurt. How did women put up with this sort of thing?
She went straight back to her first reaction to the act. She had been enjoying it until a certain point. She frowned, realizing what must be the truth. That first part was for her. And the second part was for him. Presumably the second part wouldn’t hurt as much next time, though obviously it would never be as much fun as the preliminaries. She could probably live with that.
I probably shouldn’t have enjoyed the misunderstandings in this part as much as I did. I’m not sure why, but they really had me invested in the story. The drama of it appealed to me. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how everything would be resolved.
Rowena: He really couldn’t catch a break, considering how embarrassed he had to have been when he found out that the carriage ride was not a dream…but total reality.
In this part, we see Colin’s struggles with losing Grace and my heart really went out to him. His self-doubt with being injured and not thinking he deserved Grace, thinking that she deserved far better than the likes of him. It was all so dramatic but I loved it. So very much. I loved the dreams that he had of Grace, the jealousy with her being with McIngle. Oh man, I’m a sucker for this stuff.
I think my favorite part of this one is when Grace finally tells Colin everything. That she loves him, that she’s always loved him and how she can deal with him not loving her in return and all that other good stuff because no matter how hard Colin tries to get a word in edge wise, he can’t.
Everything is out in the open now. Colin knows for sure that Grace loves him but now she’s run away from him and he’s got to get to work on proving his love for her now. *grins*
This was more greatness from the first story and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more because I had the third part ready to go…=)
Holly: I agree. I love that Grace laid it all out for him, then ran. It’s good that he has to work for it a bit. I was super anxious to start Part 3.
Overall grade: 4 out of 5
This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Holly and Rowena.
January 7, 2015
Holly: In part one, Grace spent years writing to Colin, building castles in the sky about a relationship that didn’t really exist. She made herself believe she was the only thing keeping him sane at sea, when he couldn’t even be bothered to visit her when he returned to shore.
At the end of part one, she is heartbroken, but determined to move on with her life. She accepts the suit of Lord McIngle and that’s that.
Part two opens with her trying to convince herself she’s happy to be engaged to him. Especially since his home was in Scotland which meant she could nurse her broken heart away from anyone associated with Colin.
Her parents are thrilled for her, thinking Lord McIngle is the perfect man for her to be with. He understands her and indulges her passion for painting. He’s kind, caring and willing to put her needs above his own.
Only Lily, her younger sister, doesn’t believe he’s good enough.
She was the only one who argued with Grace.
“He’s not a good choice for you,” she insisted. “He respects you too much.”
“Respect is good,” Grace said, thinking of how Colin slighted her letters. “I want respect.”
“It’s not enough.”
“He loves me!”
“Not the right way.”
Finally Grace turned on her sister in a rage. “Don’t you see, Lily? Must you make me say this aloud? No one will ever love me in the right way, not in that feverish way that men fall in love with you. I’m not that sort of woman!”
Still my heart breaks for Grace. Though her feelings may seem a bit dramatic, the truth is, she isn’t wrong. She isn’t the sort to inspire feelings of passionate love in a man. Lily does, quite often. But Grace is overlooked for her sister.
Rowena: I agree. I felt bad for Grace because like you said, she isn’t wrong. She’s overlooked quite a bit because of Lily. So when Grace settles for Lord McIngle because he never looked at Lily, I hurt for her because that’s a really sucky reason to have for the man you’re going to marry. And yet, that was a reality for Grace. It’s a hard situation to be in and even without Colin in the picture, being overshadowed by Lily was the norm for Grace. It’s all she’s ever known and that can really get a girl down, historical lady or contemporary woman, the feelings are still there and they still hurt.
Holly: As much as I hurt for Grace, I also hurt for Colin. He realized his love for her, yet can do nothing about it. He knows from Lily’s letter that she’s engaged to McIngle and he figures she’s already married to him. Added to that, he’s been injured. Which means he has a lot of time to lie around and pine for Grace.
I was glad to see he finally realized his feelings for her. He knows the real Grace and loves all of her. That’s what she deserves. Of course it’s a bit too late for him to realize it, but it’s hard to be mad at him for that when he was struggling with his own feelings about the war for so long.
Rowena: Colin’s reasons for not wanting to see Grace when he came home (in the first part) were understandable and I agree that it was hard to be mad at him. In this part of the story, I really started to warm up to Colin. I was glad that he started to realize that he had feelings for Grace and that he missed her letters. I loved that he wrote that letter to Lily just so that he can ask her how Grace was doing. It really did suck for him to not be able to do anything about his feelings for Grace, being stuck on the boat the way that he was.
Watching the two of them come together in this book was adorable. I loved seeing them both go after what they want. I thought it was lovely to see the relationship between Grace and her mother again in this part. The amount of love that Grace’s mother had to have to let Grace go through with what she planned on doing had to have been great and I really liked seeing the closeness of a historical family. Usually, mothers aren’t close with their kids in historical but that wasn’t the case in this story. Both of Grace’s parents loved their children and weren’t ashamed to show it. I really enjoyed that part of this one.
And how about that first time in the carriage? Wowzer. What a way to remember her first time.
Holly: I, too, liked seeing them both go after what they want. It was funny that they both wanted the same thing, but were coming at it from two different places. I felt bad for Colin when Grace assumed he thought she was Lily. Poor guy just couldn’t catch a break.
That carriage scene…wowza. I felt bad for both of them afterward.
Especially Grace. Poor girl had a rough time of it there at the end.
Grace sank into a chair, and then started straight back onto her feet. It hurt. Her most tender part felt . . . well . . . hurt. How did women put up with this sort of thing?
She went straight back to her first reaction to the act. She had been enjoying it until a certain point. She frowned, realizing what must be the truth. That first part was for her. And the second part was for him. Presumably the second part wouldn’t hurt as much next time, though obviously it would never be as much fun as the preliminaries. She could probably live with that.
I probably shouldn’t have enjoyed the misunderstandings in this part as much as I did. I’m not sure why, but they really had me invested in the story. The drama of it appealed to me. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how everything would be resolved.
Rowena: He really couldn’t catch a break, considering how embarrassed he had to have been when he found out that the carriage ride was not a dream…but total reality.
In this part, we see Colin’s struggles with losing Grace and my heart really went out to him. His self-doubt with being injured and not thinking he deserved Grace, thinking that she deserved far better than the likes of him. It was all so dramatic but I loved it. So very much. I loved the dreams that he had of Grace, the jealousy with her being with McIngle. Oh man, I’m a sucker for this stuff.
I think my favorite part of this one is when Grace finally tells Colin everything. That she loves him, that she’s always loved him and how she can deal with him not loving her in return and all that other good stuff because no matter how hard Colin tries to get a word in edge wise, he can’t.
Everything is out in the open now. Colin knows for sure that Grace loves him but now she’s run away from him and he’s got to get to work on proving his love for her now. *grins*
This was more greatness from the first story and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more because I had the third part ready to go…=)
Holly: I agree. I love that Grace laid it all out for him, then ran. It’s good that he has to work for it a bit. I was super anxious to start Part 3.
Overall grade: 4 out of 5
At the end of part one, she is heartbroken, but determined to move on with her life. She accepts the suit of Lord McIngle and that’s that.
Part two opens with her trying to convince herself she’s happy to be engaged to him. Especially since his home was in Scotland which meant she could nurse her broken heart away from anyone associated with Colin.
Her parents are thrilled for her, thinking Lord McIngle is the perfect man for her to be with. He understands her and indulges her passion for painting. He’s kind, caring and willing to put her needs above his own.
Only Lily, her younger sister, doesn’t believe he’s good enough.
She was the only one who argued with Grace.
“He’s not a good choice for you,” she insisted. “He respects you too much.”
“Respect is good,” Grace said, thinking of how Colin slighted her letters. “I want respect.”
“It’s not enough.”
“He loves me!”
“Not the right way.”
Finally Grace turned on her sister in a rage. “Don’t you see, Lily? Must you make me say this aloud? No one will ever love me in the right way, not in that feverish way that men fall in love with you. I’m not that sort of woman!”
Still my heart breaks for Grace. Though her feelings may seem a bit dramatic, the truth is, she isn’t wrong. She isn’t the sort to inspire feelings of passionate love in a man. Lily does, quite often. But Grace is overlooked for her sister.
Rowena: I agree. I felt bad for Grace because like you said, she isn’t wrong. She’s overlooked quite a bit because of Lily. So when Grace settles for Lord McIngle because he never looked at Lily, I hurt for her because that’s a really sucky reason to have for the man you’re going to marry. And yet, that was a reality for Grace. It’s a hard situation to be in and even without Colin in the picture, being overshadowed by Lily was the norm for Grace. It’s all she’s ever known and that can really get a girl down, historical lady or contemporary woman, the feelings are still there and they still hurt.
Holly: As much as I hurt for Grace, I also hurt for Colin. He realized his love for her, yet can do nothing about it. He knows from Lily’s letter that she’s engaged to McIngle and he figures she’s already married to him. Added to that, he’s been injured. Which means he has a lot of time to lie around and pine for Grace.
I was glad to see he finally realized his feelings for her. He knows the real Grace and loves all of her. That’s what she deserves. Of course it’s a bit too late for him to realize it, but it’s hard to be mad at him for that when he was struggling with his own feelings about the war for so long.
Rowena: Colin’s reasons for not wanting to see Grace when he came home (in the first part) were understandable and I agree that it was hard to be mad at him. In this part of the story, I really started to warm up to Colin. I was glad that he started to realize that he had feelings for Grace and that he missed her letters. I loved that he wrote that letter to Lily just so that he can ask her how Grace was doing. It really did suck for him to not be able to do anything about his feelings for Grace, being stuck on the boat the way that he was.
Watching the two of them come together in this book was adorable. I loved seeing them both go after what they want. I thought it was lovely to see the relationship between Grace and her mother again in this part. The amount of love that Grace’s mother had to have to let Grace go through with what she planned on doing had to have been great and I really liked seeing the closeness of a historical family. Usually, mothers aren’t close with their kids in historical but that wasn’t the case in this story. Both of Grace’s parents loved their children and weren’t ashamed to show it. I really enjoyed that part of this one.
And how about that first time in the carriage? Wowzer. What a way to remember her first time.
Holly: I, too, liked seeing them both go after what they want. It was funny that they both wanted the same thing, but were coming at it from two different places. I felt bad for Colin when Grace assumed he thought she was Lily. Poor guy just couldn’t catch a break.
That carriage scene…wowza. I felt bad for both of them afterward.
Especially Grace. Poor girl had a rough time of it there at the end.
Grace sank into a chair, and then started straight back onto her feet. It hurt. Her most tender part felt . . . well . . . hurt. How did women put up with this sort of thing?
She went straight back to her first reaction to the act. She had been enjoying it until a certain point. She frowned, realizing what must be the truth. That first part was for her. And the second part was for him. Presumably the second part wouldn’t hurt as much next time, though obviously it would never be as much fun as the preliminaries. She could probably live with that.
I probably shouldn’t have enjoyed the misunderstandings in this part as much as I did. I’m not sure why, but they really had me invested in the story. The drama of it appealed to me. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how everything would be resolved.
Rowena: He really couldn’t catch a break, considering how embarrassed he had to have been when he found out that the carriage ride was not a dream…but total reality.
In this part, we see Colin’s struggles with losing Grace and my heart really went out to him. His self-doubt with being injured and not thinking he deserved Grace, thinking that she deserved far better than the likes of him. It was all so dramatic but I loved it. So very much. I loved the dreams that he had of Grace, the jealousy with her being with McIngle. Oh man, I’m a sucker for this stuff.
I think my favorite part of this one is when Grace finally tells Colin everything. That she loves him, that she’s always loved him and how she can deal with him not loving her in return and all that other good stuff because no matter how hard Colin tries to get a word in edge wise, he can’t.
Everything is out in the open now. Colin knows for sure that Grace loves him but now she’s run away from him and he’s got to get to work on proving his love for her now. *grins*
This was more greatness from the first story and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more because I had the third part ready to go…=)
Holly: I agree. I love that Grace laid it all out for him, then ran. It’s good that he has to work for it a bit. I was super anxious to start Part 3.
Overall grade: 4 out of 5
October 16, 2021
I’m going through my read books and better organizing the shelves and I can’t believe I don’t have a review for this one.
What happened was, that I LOVED the first part(book) in this series but in this second part the heroine does something I consider to be sexual assault. I could not get over it or read past that moment. When the hero is passed out she not only kisses him but gets very worked up over it. It was very off putting. I still remember my reaction to it many years after! Too bad because I can see by my review that I really enjoyed the first book!
What happened was, that I LOVED the first part(book) in this series but in this second part the heroine does something I consider to be sexual assault. I could not get over it or read past that moment. When the hero is passed out she not only kisses him but gets very worked up over it. It was very off putting. I still remember my reaction to it many years after! Too bad because I can see by my review that I really enjoyed the first book!
December 26, 2022
Η συνέχεια της ιστορίας είναι λίγο κατώτερη, αλλά θα της χαρίσω το μισό αστεράκι, γιατί μέσα σε σύντομο αφηγηματικό διάστημα καταφέρνει να εξελίξει τους χαρακτήρες της και να μας προσφέρει μια πιο ολοκληρωμένη εικόνα αυτών, πηγαίνοντας τόσο τους ίδιους όσο και την ιστορία τους ένα βήμα παραπέρα. Θα ήθελα ο Colin να είναι λίγο πιο ανοιχτός απέναντι στα συναισθήματά του και να τα εκφράζει με μεγαλύτερη αυτοπεποίθηση, αλλά πάντα υπάρχουν περιθώρια βελτίωσης.
February 15, 2024
Grace and Colin…are meant to be together but will it all work out…He comes home from Navy hurt and Grace is engaged! She wants to nurse him back to health…💕💕 carriage ride with laudanum induced dreams…marriage maybe?. So cute.❤️❤️❤️
March 1, 2013
ORIGINAL POST:
FANGS, WANDS and FAIRY DUST
WITH THIS KISS Parts 1, 2, & 3
A First-Class Trip to Happily Ever After from Eloisa James
WITH THIS KISS Parts One, Two and Three
by Eloisa James
Avon/Harper Collins March 2013
With This Kiss: Part One (3/12/2013)
Lady Grace Ryburn, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ashbrook, has fallen wildly in love with Colin Barry, a dashing young lieutenant serving his country in the Royal Navy. When he returns home to exuberant celebrations, will he even notice the quiet wallflower he grew up with … or will he fall for Grace's sparkling, gorgeous sister?
Author's Note: Lady Grace is the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ashbrook, from The Ugly Duchess, and Colin is the eldest adopted son of Sir Griffin Barry, from Seduced by a Pirate. In its entirety, With This Kiss is a 200-page double-length novella.
With This Kiss: Part Two (3/19/2013)
Lady Grace Ryburn has accepted another man's proposal after the love of her life, Lieutenant Colin Barry, asked for her own sister's hand in marriage.
But when Colin returns home from the wars, injured in body and spirit, will she be able to turn her back and marry another? Or will she throw away every rule her mother taught her and try to seduce a man who has shown no interest in her kisses?
Author's Note: Be sure to read Part One first! You need to know the story of how Grace fell in love with Colin . . .
With This Kiss: Part Three (3/26/2013)
Lieutenant Colin Barry returns from the wars injured in body and spirit, knowing that he has no right to steal Grace from the arms of her fiancé. Yet the same warrior's spirit that won so many battles at sea is prompting him to throw propriety to the winds, imitate his pirate father, and simply take what he most desires!
Author's Note: Don't forget to read Parts One and Two! Reading this installment first would be like eating the icing before you even get it onto a cupcake.
www.harpercollins.com
PLEASE ALLOW ME TO GUSH
I originally intended to read and review these one at a time but they were so short and each piece ended in such a way that I simply had to know immediately what would happen next. Like a box of the most addictive bob-bons, I read them all over a period of three hours and realized I really couldn't stretch out my post on the stories over three days.
This series of novellas is a riff off Eloisa's THE UGLY DUCHESS which was part of her fairy tale inspired series. It's a continuation of the story from SEDUCED BY A PIRATE. On Eloisa's website, this collection of shorts is called AS YOU WISH.
Eloisa is one of my go-to authors when I am feeling a little bored or jaded from the simple fact of reading as much as I do in one book genre. Her romance is like the finest dining in the all you can eat buffet of modern publishing. It always incites my interest and makes me hungry for more.
Eloisa combines often quirky, always different female characters with exciting male characters few straight women would kick out of bed. The secret is that they are rarely able to combine with ease; it seems there is always an obstacle of some sort. Such is the stuff of the romance genre.
But where the use of an an inspiration such as a fairy tale often feels trite or contrived, Eloisa manages to build a wonderful book each time. And, I think it is because she can fully create the entire world originally inspired by the fairy tale. The fairy tale is not the story, it's the skeleton of a more hybrid creation. A series within a series, With This Kiss comes full circle from THE UGLY DUCHESS. The characters from THE UGLY DUCHESS, Theodora and James, have two daughters, one of whom, Lily, is sparkly like champagne and the other, Grace, is rich like a delicious sauterne. The son of the characters in SEDUCED BY A PIRATE have sons the oldest of whom, Colin returns from sea as a war weary hero on leave and is instantly infatuated with the wrong daughter.
Of course, it's entirely possible he'll realize his stupidity far too late. It's not as simple to understand the complexity of a sauterne, but there are few who dislike champagne. Both have their strengths and neither is prettier than the other. But champagne is more universally and readily consumed.
Like most romance novels WITH THIS KISS is not unpredictable in its outcome, but Eloisa is such a great story teller that the ending is not what drives you through the story. Reading Eloisa's books is all about the journey and not the destination. And this trip is in first-class all the way! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Stands alone, but even better with at least SEDUCED BY A PIRATE and at its best with THE UGLY DUCHESS.
This is really a serialized novella which has me wishing wholeheartedly that the book this is no doubt releasing to entice us to, ONCE UPON A TOWER, most cruelly not due out until the end of May (Argh)!
March 28, 2013
Review originally posted on The Book Tart http://thebooktart.com/new-fiction-re...
This is part two of Eloisa James serial novella With This Kiss. This book is putting me through the wringer! I’ve been emotional anyway and the happy and sad, ups and downs of Grace and Colin’s journey made me cry. Real tears! I’m so impressed that in such a short story I really was all wrapped up in these characters lives.
Part Two of this historical romance novella continues the tale of Grace and Colin. She has settled and accepted the proposal of a nice suitor because of a Colin’s foolish actions. Yep. Wanted to shake him for being a dunce! I loved watching them both realize the depths of their feelings and seeing Grace’s creative solution to some obstacles facing them. And Colin… Awww I adored seeing him acknowledge his emotions.
But their difficulties all come down to a lack of communication. Grace’s letters to Colin through the years and his treasuring them but NOT freaking telling her how much she means to him. Then there was the feelings of being unworthy and thoughts that they couldn’t have a future together. And the trauma Colin goes through, ( I don’t want to be spoilery!) Aack! Like I said, I felt like I was going through the emotional wringer, but I’m addicted. I also need to clear my schedule and read more of Eloisa James!
A few of my fav lines:
♥ It was over. He had pissed away the best thing that had ever happened to him — the love of an intelligent, funny, and utterly sweet woman — because he couldn’t see outside his own stupid head.
♥ If the truth be told, she was still in love. She was greedy to be with him, to be next to him…
♥ “What’s the worst that could happen? He will reject me. Again. But at least,” Grace said fiercely, “I will have fought for him. I have to do that, at least.”
♥ Then he kissed her. Gently. The way a man kisses a woman whom he adores and hasn’t seen since he left for sea.
I was in the mood for the drama and romance of Eloisa James’ With This Kiss. I LOVED it all. I was sucked in and on the edge of my seat…. And now we have to wait for part Three! *sigh*
((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
♦ ebook provided for review for my honest opinion.
This is part two of Eloisa James serial novella With This Kiss. This book is putting me through the wringer! I’ve been emotional anyway and the happy and sad, ups and downs of Grace and Colin’s journey made me cry. Real tears! I’m so impressed that in such a short story I really was all wrapped up in these characters lives.
Part Two of this historical romance novella continues the tale of Grace and Colin. She has settled and accepted the proposal of a nice suitor because of a Colin’s foolish actions. Yep. Wanted to shake him for being a dunce! I loved watching them both realize the depths of their feelings and seeing Grace’s creative solution to some obstacles facing them. And Colin… Awww I adored seeing him acknowledge his emotions.
But their difficulties all come down to a lack of communication. Grace’s letters to Colin through the years and his treasuring them but NOT freaking telling her how much she means to him. Then there was the feelings of being unworthy and thoughts that they couldn’t have a future together. And the trauma Colin goes through, ( I don’t want to be spoilery!) Aack! Like I said, I felt like I was going through the emotional wringer, but I’m addicted. I also need to clear my schedule and read more of Eloisa James!
A few of my fav lines:
♥ It was over. He had pissed away the best thing that had ever happened to him — the love of an intelligent, funny, and utterly sweet woman — because he couldn’t see outside his own stupid head.
♥ If the truth be told, she was still in love. She was greedy to be with him, to be next to him…
♥ “What’s the worst that could happen? He will reject me. Again. But at least,” Grace said fiercely, “I will have fought for him. I have to do that, at least.”
♥ Then he kissed her. Gently. The way a man kisses a woman whom he adores and hasn’t seen since he left for sea.
I was in the mood for the drama and romance of Eloisa James’ With This Kiss. I LOVED it all. I was sucked in and on the edge of my seat…. And now we have to wait for part Three! *sigh*
((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
♦ ebook provided for review for my honest opinion.
July 30, 2013
Part Two continues our story with Colin having immediately fallen in love with Grace's younger sister Lily. How horribly heartbreaking! I can hardly imagine how he manages to do such a thing. How could he not realize how much Grace's letters and friendship have meant to him on his naval expeditions? How could he have one wonderful dance with the beautiful and vibrant Lily and forget everything that Grace has done for all those previous years? Like I say ... heartbreaking.
Grace is devastated by learning that Colin has asked if he could marry Lily. Lucky for Grace, her parents aren't ready to allow such a thing, buying some precious time for a HEA to occur. However, Grace tries to put Colin aside and move on with her life. She stops writing.
And finally, in the face of no more letters from Grace, he realizes just how he feels about her. But it's too late. He is on an extended naval mission. Grace is being actively pursued by the sweet and caring John. Will Colin be able to return in time to tell her his true feelings before Grace agrees to marry John? By the end of this book ... well, it seems unlikely.
My thoughts:
This is a great continuation of the story. I was on pins and needles, hoping that Colin could see what he had done, and hoping that he could make the right decision about Grace. Unfortunately he thinks a bit too hard about how to handle his newly recognized feelings, and he makes a move that ultimately hurts Grace terribly, enough to throw her further into the arms of John.
There were some truly touching moments of this part of the story. They were moments that really made my heart ache for Grace and her lost love. I was not as concerned about Colin. He really was obtuse for so much of the story. Still, I want so bad for him to find his way back to Grace and somehow win her heart back.
On to part three ... Four stars!
Grace is devastated by learning that Colin has asked if he could marry Lily. Lucky for Grace, her parents aren't ready to allow such a thing, buying some precious time for a HEA to occur. However, Grace tries to put Colin aside and move on with her life. She stops writing.
And finally, in the face of no more letters from Grace, he realizes just how he feels about her. But it's too late. He is on an extended naval mission. Grace is being actively pursued by the sweet and caring John. Will Colin be able to return in time to tell her his true feelings before Grace agrees to marry John? By the end of this book ... well, it seems unlikely.
My thoughts:
This is a great continuation of the story. I was on pins and needles, hoping that Colin could see what he had done, and hoping that he could make the right decision about Grace. Unfortunately he thinks a bit too hard about how to handle his newly recognized feelings, and he makes a move that ultimately hurts Grace terribly, enough to throw her further into the arms of John.
There were some truly touching moments of this part of the story. They were moments that really made my heart ache for Grace and her lost love. I was not as concerned about Colin. He really was obtuse for so much of the story. Still, I want so bad for him to find his way back to Grace and somehow win her heart back.
On to part three ... Four stars!
March 21, 2013
Yes indeed. Four stars. This is the 2nd part to the novella trilogy, and is perhaps even deserving of five stars, but like a teacher doing report cards in the 1st semester, it's good hold back the grades a little bit to see if even greater highs are reached; you wouldn't want to peak too soon! Also, like most middle episodes in a trilogy (The Empire Strikes Back is a good example) it's obviously going to be more about plot development than about initiating and concluding events.
But, what makes this book even better than other books (of similar ilk) is that there is an interactive element! Eloisa James has created a Facebook book club, and she responds to questions, and addresses questions to the group. She has also written an extra scene to supplement the first part, and is going to write an extra scene for this part, and what that scene is about is up to the club participants. This gives an added dimension to the books in this set that I have never seen or heard of before, and it, in turn, makes the books much more enjoyable.
I aim to be a spoiler-free reviewer, and due to that I can't say much, because nearly anything that can be said gives away the plot. That being said, there is one dream sequence that I think is fantastic, and beautifully written. There are a couple of other episodes that are nearly as good, and definitely more is learned about the inner workings and personality of the primary characters. I love the way that the conversations are written—full of wit and clever dialogue.
Of course, it ends in a cliff-hanger...
So I am eagerly awaiting the final part that comes out next week. I'm sure Eloise James will live up to that 5-star expectation that I'm waiting for.
But, what makes this book even better than other books (of similar ilk) is that there is an interactive element! Eloisa James has created a Facebook book club, and she responds to questions, and addresses questions to the group. She has also written an extra scene to supplement the first part, and is going to write an extra scene for this part, and what that scene is about is up to the club participants. This gives an added dimension to the books in this set that I have never seen or heard of before, and it, in turn, makes the books much more enjoyable.
I aim to be a spoiler-free reviewer, and due to that I can't say much, because nearly anything that can be said gives away the plot. That being said, there is one dream sequence that I think is fantastic, and beautifully written. There are a couple of other episodes that are nearly as good, and definitely more is learned about the inner workings and personality of the primary characters. I love the way that the conversations are written—full of wit and clever dialogue.
Of course, it ends in a cliff-hanger...
So I am eagerly awaiting the final part that comes out next week. I'm sure Eloise James will live up to that 5-star expectation that I'm waiting for.
May 29, 2018
Lady Grace Ryburn knows that the man she loves, Captain Colin Barry, will never love her back. After all, he did ask for her sister’s hand in marriage. Grace is happy to accept a marriage proposal from a kind Scottish lord and she’s determined to focus on her future with her fiancé, rather than dwell on the heartbreak Colin caused. But when Colin is wounded in battle and returns to London, Grace finds it impossible to put him out of her mind. Will Grace turn her back on the rules of propriety she was raised to follow and risk everything to win the heart of a man who’s never seen her as more than a friend?
Grace and Colin’s relationship changes forever in With This Kiss: Part Two. As one might expect, given the title, With This Kiss is a story that should be read in order. This second installment of Colin and Grace’s love story picks up where With This Kiss: Part One left off. Colin’s realization that Grace is the one for him doesn’t mean that things flow smoothly for the pair. Colin’s wounds — both physical and emotional — combined with multiple misunderstandings threaten to destroy both Grace’s plan to win Colin’s heart and his hopes of marrying her. Though it is very much a bridge story, With This Kiss: Part Two doesn’t lack for excitement. Ms. James keeps things moving at a fast pace and neither Colin nor Grace are predictable in the slightest. Ms. James had me on the edge of my seat for the whole of With This Kiss: Part Two, and I finished it wanting to dive right into the final chapter of Colin and Grace’s romance, With This Kiss: Part Three.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
Grace and Colin’s relationship changes forever in With This Kiss: Part Two. As one might expect, given the title, With This Kiss is a story that should be read in order. This second installment of Colin and Grace’s love story picks up where With This Kiss: Part One left off. Colin’s realization that Grace is the one for him doesn’t mean that things flow smoothly for the pair. Colin’s wounds — both physical and emotional — combined with multiple misunderstandings threaten to destroy both Grace’s plan to win Colin’s heart and his hopes of marrying her. Though it is very much a bridge story, With This Kiss: Part Two doesn’t lack for excitement. Ms. James keeps things moving at a fast pace and neither Colin nor Grace are predictable in the slightest. Ms. James had me on the edge of my seat for the whole of With This Kiss: Part Two, and I finished it wanting to dive right into the final chapter of Colin and Grace’s romance, With This Kiss: Part Three.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
March 19, 2013
Originally posted at What I'm Reading
Last week I started With This Kiss (Part One), I finally got my hands on With This Kiss (Part Two). Still on the fence on the serial idea. After reading Part Two, I have to wait a grueling week for the conclusion. BLASTED!
As I said last week, I'm not going to go into detail what the story is about and the same goes with this weeks part. Other than Collin has returned with no sight. Grace is still in love with Collin.
Ugh would be the right word. Seriously, I thought I would be crying, because of this particular line from Grace: "No one will ever love me in the right way, not in that feverish way that men fall in love with you. I'm not the sort of woman!" Alas, I didn't cry through this part of the story. I was more in shocked with what happen. I mean quite a bit happens through this part of the story and I'm really wondering how Colin and Grace are going to end up together.
Overall, I'm still shocked with all that happens in Part Two. Honestly, I'm kind of scared what Part Three will bring. However, I have to keep telling myself everything will be fine. I just need patience. So, prepare yourself for the journey that is in With This Kiss (Part Two). Till next week when we come to the conclusion of With This Kiss (Part Three). I must say I will be bitting my nails till I see the end.
Last week I started With This Kiss (Part One), I finally got my hands on With This Kiss (Part Two). Still on the fence on the serial idea. After reading Part Two, I have to wait a grueling week for the conclusion. BLASTED!
As I said last week, I'm not going to go into detail what the story is about and the same goes with this weeks part. Other than Collin has returned with no sight. Grace is still in love with Collin.
Ugh would be the right word. Seriously, I thought I would be crying, because of this particular line from Grace: "No one will ever love me in the right way, not in that feverish way that men fall in love with you. I'm not the sort of woman!" Alas, I didn't cry through this part of the story. I was more in shocked with what happen. I mean quite a bit happens through this part of the story and I'm really wondering how Colin and Grace are going to end up together.
Overall, I'm still shocked with all that happens in Part Two. Honestly, I'm kind of scared what Part Three will bring. However, I have to keep telling myself everything will be fine. I just need patience. So, prepare yourself for the journey that is in With This Kiss (Part Two). Till next week when we come to the conclusion of With This Kiss (Part Three). I must say I will be bitting my nails till I see the end.
March 21, 2013
When book one ended Colin had been injured and was homeward bound. Grace had accepted another man’s marriage proposal because she was under the impression Colin was in love with her sister Lily.
A cannon ball had exploded in front of Colin and he was blind. He had spent most of the trip back to England sleeping under the influence of laudanum and having erotic dreams involving Grace. Just before reaching England he was awake long enough to realize he did not want to spend the remainder of his life sleeping and refused to take any more laudanum. When he arrived in England his parents were not in London so he planned to spend the night at the Ryburn home. In an effort to provide the best medical care for Colin Grace’s mother summoned a physician who immediately gave Colin a large dose of laudanum and put him back to sleep. Grace talked her mother into letting her take Colin to their country estate to recover. Still in his drugged state he was carried to the coach and in what he believes to be another dream he ravishes Grace.
Colin wakes up and realizes what he has done. He tells Grace they are going to be married because he has “ruined” her. She refuses because she think he is in love with Lily. Can’t wait to read book three!!!!!
A cannon ball had exploded in front of Colin and he was blind. He had spent most of the trip back to England sleeping under the influence of laudanum and having erotic dreams involving Grace. Just before reaching England he was awake long enough to realize he did not want to spend the remainder of his life sleeping and refused to take any more laudanum. When he arrived in England his parents were not in London so he planned to spend the night at the Ryburn home. In an effort to provide the best medical care for Colin Grace’s mother summoned a physician who immediately gave Colin a large dose of laudanum and put him back to sleep. Grace talked her mother into letting her take Colin to their country estate to recover. Still in his drugged state he was carried to the coach and in what he believes to be another dream he ravishes Grace.
Colin wakes up and realizes what he has done. He tells Grace they are going to be married because he has “ruined” her. She refuses because she think he is in love with Lily. Can’t wait to read book three!!!!!
March 24, 2013
The second part of With This Kiss was fabulous!
Grace is engaged to Lord McIngle and is trying to forget all about Colin Barry. But can she?
Ms. James included a conversation between Grace and Lily that sums up Grace's feelings: "Don't you see Lily? Must you make me say it aloud? No one will ever love me in the right way, not that feverish way that men fall in love with you. I'm not that sort of woman!"
The letters between Grace and Colin in Part one of this series interested me. Colin's dreams intriqued me in Part Two.
Colin is blinded in battle and is given laudanum to ease his pain. He dreams of Grace, not Lily. Very sexy dreams of Grace. Grace's letters come alive in his dreams, too.
The conversations between Theo and Grace are both witty & heartwarming. The carriage scene surprised me ! It was well written and I loved Grace's reaction to the event!
I was caught by surprise by the story's ending...but I 'll be waiting up Monday evening to download and read Part Three!
Grace is engaged to Lord McIngle and is trying to forget all about Colin Barry. But can she?
Ms. James included a conversation between Grace and Lily that sums up Grace's feelings: "Don't you see Lily? Must you make me say it aloud? No one will ever love me in the right way, not that feverish way that men fall in love with you. I'm not that sort of woman!"
The letters between Grace and Colin in Part one of this series interested me. Colin's dreams intriqued me in Part Two.
Colin is blinded in battle and is given laudanum to ease his pain. He dreams of Grace, not Lily. Very sexy dreams of Grace. Grace's letters come alive in his dreams, too.
The conversations between Theo and Grace are both witty & heartwarming. The carriage scene surprised me ! It was well written and I loved Grace's reaction to the event!
I was caught by surprise by the story's ending...but I 'll be waiting up Monday evening to download and read Part Three!
March 25, 2013
With This Kiss: Part Two picks up where the first installment left off. Grace, realizing she deserves more, has moved on. Colin, realizing he was an idiot, continues on in the Navy, until he is injured. When he returns home, Grace realizes she can't lie about her feelings and breaks off her engagement. Colin wants to be noble, Grace knows him too well...but.
Again, a fun and quick read. Eloisa James knows how to write and wring the emotion from the reader. Just like with the first,I laughed, I cried....I yelled "No, not yet!" out loud when I turned the page and found it was the end. It was the perfect place to stop, leaving the reader to wonder what is next. Will these two get their acts together at the same time? I love the story and really like revisiting these families and finding how their closeness has influenced the next generation.
I re-read Part One prior to reading this part, so I will do the same in anticipation of Part Three's release on the 26th!
Again, a fun and quick read. Eloisa James knows how to write and wring the emotion from the reader. Just like with the first,I laughed, I cried....I yelled "No, not yet!" out loud when I turned the page and found it was the end. It was the perfect place to stop, leaving the reader to wonder what is next. Will these two get their acts together at the same time? I love the story and really like revisiting these families and finding how their closeness has influenced the next generation.
I re-read Part One prior to reading this part, so I will do the same in anticipation of Part Three's release on the 26th!
March 29, 2013
Part 2 of this serial was more focused on Colin, which was good, whereas the first was more about Grace. In this one, it picks up, quickly answering the last cliff hanger.
With this cliffhanger and the previous, I was glad that I waited until all three were released before reading.
With this cliffhanger and the previous, I was glad that I waited until all three were released before reading.
April 9, 2013
This is a review of all three parts of the novella - cute and fun, I found this a sweet story of Grace's love for Colin since childhood, and his SLOWLY and belated realization of such. Not a lot happens but I found it touching to witness the young, quiet, ladylike girl growing into a young woman, writing to Colin faithfully over his long years at sea in the Royal Navy. Only Grace seems to see the toll it's taking on Colin, the years of death and fighting for his country; the carriage scene between the two is quite passionate and definitely puts their relationship on a more-than-friends footing, and the romance from there on was handled with sexy tenderness (a nice combo!) Recommended for an afternoon of escapism, or recuperating from a never-ending cold, as I was! (Grace and Colin are the children, respectively, of Daisy and James from "The Ugly Duchess" and James' best friend Griffin and Phoebe from the regrettably forgettable novella "Seduced by a Pirate").
October 1, 2014
I found this to be a disappointing middle after the brilliant beginning.
First of all, it moves along too quickly. Second, the plot (what there is of it) is driven by the heroine's refusal to believe the hero when he tells her he loves her. Each time he tries to tell her, she shuts him down. Tiresome.
First of all, it moves along too quickly. Second, the plot (what there is of it) is driven by the heroine's refusal to believe the hero when he tells her he loves her. Each time he tries to tell her, she shuts him down. Tiresome.
February 1, 2022
Yes ,this was a great improvement . However, Eloisa James has written several of my all time HR favourites and this was just not up to the usual level. (Which means I will not be re-reading .)
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews