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My Notorious Aunt #2
Mistaken Kiss
Willa is nearly blind, but she knows trouble when she trips over it.
Willa, the vicar’s little sister knows full well that her prospects are bleak. When she accidentally kisses Alexander Braeburn, her dull predictable world turns upside down. Logic dictates that she should stay away from the handsome Corinthian. He’s the black sheep of their village. But how can she resist? She yearns for one more taste of the most tantalizing excitement she has ever experienced. Just one more, before Willa settles back into her dreary life forever.
Alex is intrigued by the refreshingly forthright Willa. Her genuine character warms his jaded heart and makes him smile. When she naïvely marches into trouble, Alex feels duty bound to rescue her. Is it duty? Or something else that compels him to watch over the vicar’s little sister?
261 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2014
660 people are currently reading
1586 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Baldwin
18 books893 followersGet ready to fall in love with the heartwarming humorous novels of Kathleen Baldwin, a Wall Street Journal, #1 Barnes & Noble, and Amazon bestselling author. Delighting readers around the globe, her stories have been translated into several languages, and more than 650,000 books sold worldwide. Baldwin's unique plots even captured the attention of a Japanese publisher who adapted her Regency Romance, LADY FIASCO, into a manga.
#1 USA Today bestselling author Meg Cabot raves that Kathleen’s A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS is “completely original and totally engrossing.”
The New York Times Book Review called it “enticing from the first sentence.”
Kathleen’s love of adventure isn’t limited to her writing. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert and in the snow, slept beside a mountain lion, and lost an argument with a rattlesnake. Later, she married her very own hero and raised four feisty children.
Kathleen is also an avid reader and adores the wit and humor of Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, and Jane Austen. Her eclectic reading interests range from Frank Herbert to Meg Cabot, and on to the incredibly imaginative tales of Diana Wynne Jones.
News and other fun stuff at: Website, Newsletter,Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
A School for Unusual Girls , was her first historical romance for Young Adults. It is a Junior Library Guild selection, and Texas Librarians gave it the 2016 Spirit of Texas reading program award. Publisher’s Lunch listed it in their 2015 Young Adult BookBuzz. Kansas State NEA Reading Circle gave it a starred review in their 2016 “Best of the Best” for High Schools. Scholastic licensed it for book fairs. The Stranje House series is currently under a renewed film option.
#1 USA Today bestselling author Meg Cabot raves that Kathleen’s A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS is “completely original and totally engrossing.”
The New York Times Book Review called it “enticing from the first sentence.”
Kathleen’s love of adventure isn’t limited to her writing. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert and in the snow, slept beside a mountain lion, and lost an argument with a rattlesnake. Later, she married her very own hero and raised four feisty children.
Kathleen is also an avid reader and adores the wit and humor of Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, and Jane Austen. Her eclectic reading interests range from Frank Herbert to Meg Cabot, and on to the incredibly imaginative tales of Diana Wynne Jones.
News and other fun stuff at: Website, Newsletter,Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
A School for Unusual Girls , was her first historical romance for Young Adults. It is a Junior Library Guild selection, and Texas Librarians gave it the 2016 Spirit of Texas reading program award. Publisher’s Lunch listed it in their 2015 Young Adult BookBuzz. Kansas State NEA Reading Circle gave it a starred review in their 2016 “Best of the Best” for High Schools. Scholastic licensed it for book fairs. The Stranje House series is currently under a renewed film option.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
April 26, 2017
MORE FLUFF!!
I read the third book in this Regency romance series, Cut from the Same Cloth, and enjoyed it enough that I went diving into the dark depths of my Kindle app to find this one. Apparently I downloaded this a year or two ago when it was a Kindle freebie and then completely forgot about it. (I'm sure I'm the only person who does that.) Anyway, I liked this one even better, mostly because it made me laugh out loud several times.
Wilhelmina, who goes by Willa (another good call! Perfectly nice characters seem to be burdened with terrible names in Baldwin's Regency books), is a bluestocking: an intelligent, classically educated and severely nearsighted young woman. Her bachelor brother, the village vicar, and his socially awkward friend Sir Daniel Braeburn decide she needs to get married ... and hey! let's solve the problem with a marriage of convenience to Sir Daniel!
Willa is appalled by the unappealing idea of marrying Sir Daniel, but she considers it and decides to ask him to kiss her to see if maybe there's a hidden spark between them. So she marches out to the garden and (very nearsighted, remember, and her spectacles aren't working very well for her) asks him to kiss her. Which he does, and it's wonderful. Except the man who kissed her was Alex, Sir Daniel's wastrel younger brother.
Willa then insists on Sir Daniel giving her an experimental kiss, which he does (very reluctantly, sheesh, guy!) and it's beyond disappointing. So Willa announces to all and sundry that she's not going to marry ANYONE. Alex is enchanted by the relentlessly logical, determined yet innocent, petite redhead who accosted him in the garden, but has no intention of getting involved with her or any other woman.
In swoops Willa's Aunt Honore, who decides to take Willa to London, refine her looks and manners, and "train her as a companion." The real goal, however, is to capture Alex.
It's a pretty slight plot, and there are a few wince-worthy spelling fails ("Small matter that I cannot swim one wit and might have drowned." and "Alfreda anticipated his need and presented him with the chamber pot, stoically holding it while he wretched." were my favorites). But it still gets the 4 stars for having a really delightful sense of humor.
Recommended for those who like comedic Regency romances. There's some mild innuendo but overall this is a clean read.
I read the third book in this Regency romance series, Cut from the Same Cloth, and enjoyed it enough that I went diving into the dark depths of my Kindle app to find this one. Apparently I downloaded this a year or two ago when it was a Kindle freebie and then completely forgot about it. (I'm sure I'm the only person who does that.) Anyway, I liked this one even better, mostly because it made me laugh out loud several times.
Wilhelmina, who goes by Willa (another good call! Perfectly nice characters seem to be burdened with terrible names in Baldwin's Regency books), is a bluestocking: an intelligent, classically educated and severely nearsighted young woman. Her bachelor brother, the village vicar, and his socially awkward friend Sir Daniel Braeburn decide she needs to get married ... and hey! let's solve the problem with a marriage of convenience to Sir Daniel!
Willa is appalled by the unappealing idea of marrying Sir Daniel, but she considers it and decides to ask him to kiss her to see if maybe there's a hidden spark between them. So she marches out to the garden and (very nearsighted, remember, and her spectacles aren't working very well for her) asks him to kiss her. Which he does, and it's wonderful. Except the man who kissed her was Alex, Sir Daniel's wastrel younger brother.
Willa then insists on Sir Daniel giving her an experimental kiss, which he does (very reluctantly, sheesh, guy!) and it's beyond disappointing. So Willa announces to all and sundry that she's not going to marry ANYONE. Alex is enchanted by the relentlessly logical, determined yet innocent, petite redhead who accosted him in the garden, but has no intention of getting involved with her or any other woman.
In swoops Willa's Aunt Honore, who decides to take Willa to London, refine her looks and manners, and "train her as a companion." The real goal, however, is to capture Alex.
"No, your Alex is a large trout caught on a very slender line. One must reel him in slowly, cautiously." ...Willa can't help but be interested. Various adventures and misadventures ensue, while Aunt Honore weaves her plans and Willa and Alex somehow end up spending more time together than either of them expected. There's a touching scene with Alex and his beloved racehorse giving birth, if you like that kind of thing.
"I'll go with you. On the condition that you must promise not to think of Alex as a fish." The eager glint in her aunt's eyes made Willa hesitate. "Nor a fox you intend to run aground with a pack of hounds. He is quite beyond my aspirations." ...
Honore put her arm around Willa's shoulder and patted her.
"Whatever you say, ma chère. We shall deal with young Braeburn as if he were, not a fish, or a fox, but a noble lion on the African plain." With her free hand, she described the broad flat vista of the African plains.
It's a pretty slight plot, and there are a few wince-worthy spelling fails ("Small matter that I cannot swim one wit and might have drowned." and "Alfreda anticipated his need and presented him with the chamber pot, stoically holding it while he wretched." were my favorites). But it still gets the 4 stars for having a really delightful sense of humor.
Recommended for those who like comedic Regency romances. There's some mild innuendo but overall this is a clean read.
May 16, 2014
This was a very fun lighthearted read, almost reminded me of something by Marcia McClure. I really liked Willa and Alex, so cute together. I thought Willa was a likable character, full of life and wit. Alex was a great leading man, very charming and caring. I especially liked that he thought the term “rake” was offensive, which was very refreshing since so many regency novels try and glorify immoral behavior. Anyway, the story was fun and moved along well. The side characters were all really likable and added some fun elements to the story.
Content: Clean romance, PG.
**Update 05/2014: I just saw that this has been republished and is now available for kindle. Go grab a couple, its a charming regency!
Content: Clean romance, PG.
**Update 05/2014: I just saw that this has been republished and is now available for kindle. Go grab a couple, its a charming regency!
October 1, 2017
Willa is nearly blind, but she knows trouble when she trips over it.
Willa, the vicar’s little sister knows full well that her prospects are bleak. When she accidentally kisses Alexander Braeburn, her dull predictable world turns upside down. Logic dictates that she should stay away from the handsome Corinthian. He’s the black sheep of their village. But how can she resist?
I got Mistaken Kiss for free from Amazon. It's probably one of the best free books I've ever read. I really liked Willa who is practically blind without her glasses and still has a hard time seeing with them on. Willa's brother's best friend Sir Daniel asks her to marry him, out of charity of course since she has no other prospects and her brother is his best friend. Willa is reluctant to agree to this marriage but asks Sir Daniel to kiss her. Only she doesn't realize that she has just asked the wrong man to kiss her. The man she thought was Daniel is in fact his brother Alex. What follows is a delightfully funny story. I especially liked the last chapter. I really liked Willa and Alex and the supporting characters were all good too, although I wanted to slap her brother Jerome for being an insensitive, clueless jerk at times.
This book was just the kind of fluff I needed between my more serious reads. There are companion books to this one and I enjoyed reading those as well, but this one is my favorite of the three. If you like regency romance with some humor you may like this one.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
Willa, the vicar’s little sister knows full well that her prospects are bleak. When she accidentally kisses Alexander Braeburn, her dull predictable world turns upside down. Logic dictates that she should stay away from the handsome Corinthian. He’s the black sheep of their village. But how can she resist?
I got Mistaken Kiss for free from Amazon. It's probably one of the best free books I've ever read. I really liked Willa who is practically blind without her glasses and still has a hard time seeing with them on. Willa's brother's best friend Sir Daniel asks her to marry him, out of charity of course since she has no other prospects and her brother is his best friend. Willa is reluctant to agree to this marriage but asks Sir Daniel to kiss her. Only she doesn't realize that she has just asked the wrong man to kiss her. The man she thought was Daniel is in fact his brother Alex. What follows is a delightfully funny story. I especially liked the last chapter. I really liked Willa and Alex and the supporting characters were all good too, although I wanted to slap her brother Jerome for being an insensitive, clueless jerk at times.
This book was just the kind of fluff I needed between my more serious reads. There are companion books to this one and I enjoyed reading those as well, but this one is my favorite of the three. If you like regency romance with some humor you may like this one.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
November 17, 2015
Willa Linnet has lived with her bachelor brother and his best friend for as long as she can remember studying the classics with them. Willa's brother finally realizes she's full grown, but balks at the expense and discomfort of giving her a Season in London. His best friend, Sir Daniel Braeburn, proposes a solution: he will marry Willa and they will all go on comfortably as they always have. Willa, however, does not find this solution very appealing. She longs for some excitement and romance in her life and she is certain that Sir Daniel is not the one who will provide her with what she wants. She decides that the only way to learn whether she would marry Sir Daniel or not is to kiss him. Willa, very nearsighted, plants a mistaken kiss on a man in the garden whom she believes to be Sir Daniel. The kiss ignites the passion she always knew she had in her, the only problem is she discovers that her passionate kisser is not Sir Daniel at all! Alex Braeburn, mostly asleep, has a delicious dream in which a young lady demands he kiss her. He's happy to fulfill the lady's request but when he wakens, he finds it was not a dream and he has just kissed the rector's younger sister. Alex, being the black sheep of the family, is not considered a suitable companion for Willa, even if he wanted to marry her, which he doesn't. Poor Willa completely lost her heart to the wrong man! She knows she can never marry Sir Daniel. When next Willa and Alex meet, Willa is whisked away to London by the Countess de Alameda, Willa's Aunt Honore. Aunt Honore takes a liking to the girl and sees how attracted Willa is to Alex. She offers Willa the chance to come to London and "hook" Alex (like a fish). Willa wanys to have an adventure and to see Alex again so she reluctantly agrees. Aunt Honore does her best to push Willa at Alex and make the young man jealous. Willa become a big hit among the young gentlemen of the ton but Alex doesn't seem to be one of them. Alex admires the strong-minded young lady but he's determined to think he's not the right man for her.
This is a very light, pleasant read. The plot is entirely comedy of manners with no villains or other adventures. This book is the middle of a trilogy with Lady Fiasco and Cut From the Same Cloth but can be each can be read as a stand-alone.The plot is fairly fast paced. The writing is good - modern but not too modern. The romance is fabulous. I love Willa and Alex together, especially in the middle chapters. There's a tiny bit of danger and a lot of passion. The passion doesn't go beyond feeling physical attraction, intense kissing or touching over clothes. It's technically a clean romance. I liked the plot just as much a second time around as I did the first time but I kept remembering incidents from Lady Fiasco that were crazier. I think I like this one better though.
I love Willa. She may be young but she's not silly (She says she is two-score and eight but then Alex says she's 18. A score is 20 years. If Willa is 18 she is not two-score and eight). She's been educated in classical Greek philosophy and mathematics, is able to work out any problem in her head and considers herself quite logical. The one thing she can't figure out is love. She falls head-over-heels in love and doesn't know what to do about it. Aunt Honore does though. Aunt Honore is crazy in this book but she doesn't provide as many laughs as in Cut From the Same Cloth and she is not as outrageous as in Lady Fiasco. She was very inappropriate in Lady Fiasco and only a bit inappropriate here. Still, I just love her and would gladly read more about her. She could get together with Marion Chesney's characters of the same generation and make for a wonderful farce. I also liked Alfreda. She is a woman who knows what she wants though I fear she will be disillusioned as to what marriage entails and regret her choice. I appreciated the fact Willa made a friend though.
The women fare better than the men in this novel with the exception of Alex. Alex is a swoony sort of hero! He is supposedly the black sheep of his family but we don't really know why. Willa keeps accusing him of being a rake but he says he's not. He doesn't seem to have a mistress at the moment, he visits a gambling hell once and insists he's never been upstairs. His jealousy annoyed me greatly but mostly I was ready to fall in love with him. There are a couple chapters in the middle of the novel involving horses that really made me love Alex. (note for the squeamish: the scene involves blood). He's kind to Willa and kind to animals. Only she can see the real Alex and I just love when he lets his guard down. The one thing I can't understand is why he doesn't want to fall in love with Willa and get married. He's very resistant to the idea of marriage though he never really says why. I also didn't understand how he could be best friends with two such idiots. Harry is sweet in a buffonish, friendish sort of way but not husband material. Tournsby is an awful person by modern standards. If Willa wanted to label him a rake I think she'd be correct. Willa's brother Jerome and his friend Sir Daniel are completely stupid and obtuse. They know nothing about women and don't care about Willa's feelings at all and they just don't know what to do with a woman. Sir Daniel's plan is cheap and downright terrible for poor Willa. Their redeeming factor is they both care about Willa's physical well-being even if they don't understand her mental and emotional state.
I recommend this to those who like screwball comedy Regency romances like Marion Chesney and Barbara Metzger. This one is a little more deeply emotional than screwball but Aunt Honore makes it light and fun.
This is a very light, pleasant read. The plot is entirely comedy of manners with no villains or other adventures. This book is the middle of a trilogy with Lady Fiasco and Cut From the Same Cloth but can be each can be read as a stand-alone.The plot is fairly fast paced. The writing is good - modern but not too modern. The romance is fabulous. I love Willa and Alex together, especially in the middle chapters. There's a tiny bit of danger and a lot of passion. The passion doesn't go beyond feeling physical attraction, intense kissing or touching over clothes. It's technically a clean romance. I liked the plot just as much a second time around as I did the first time but I kept remembering incidents from Lady Fiasco that were crazier. I think I like this one better though.
I love Willa. She may be young but she's not silly (She says she is two-score and eight but then Alex says she's 18. A score is 20 years. If Willa is 18 she is not two-score and eight). She's been educated in classical Greek philosophy and mathematics, is able to work out any problem in her head and considers herself quite logical. The one thing she can't figure out is love. She falls head-over-heels in love and doesn't know what to do about it. Aunt Honore does though. Aunt Honore is crazy in this book but she doesn't provide as many laughs as in Cut From the Same Cloth and she is not as outrageous as in Lady Fiasco. She was very inappropriate in Lady Fiasco and only a bit inappropriate here. Still, I just love her and would gladly read more about her. She could get together with Marion Chesney's characters of the same generation and make for a wonderful farce. I also liked Alfreda. She is a woman who knows what she wants though I fear she will be disillusioned as to what marriage entails and regret her choice. I appreciated the fact Willa made a friend though.
The women fare better than the men in this novel with the exception of Alex. Alex is a swoony sort of hero! He is supposedly the black sheep of his family but we don't really know why. Willa keeps accusing him of being a rake but he says he's not. He doesn't seem to have a mistress at the moment, he visits a gambling hell once and insists he's never been upstairs. His jealousy annoyed me greatly but mostly I was ready to fall in love with him. There are a couple chapters in the middle of the novel involving horses that really made me love Alex. (note for the squeamish: the scene involves blood). He's kind to Willa and kind to animals. Only she can see the real Alex and I just love when he lets his guard down. The one thing I can't understand is why he doesn't want to fall in love with Willa and get married. He's very resistant to the idea of marriage though he never really says why. I also didn't understand how he could be best friends with two such idiots. Harry is sweet in a buffonish, friendish sort of way but not husband material. Tournsby is an awful person by modern standards. If Willa wanted to label him a rake I think she'd be correct. Willa's brother Jerome and his friend Sir Daniel are completely stupid and obtuse. They know nothing about women and don't care about Willa's feelings at all and they just don't know what to do with a woman. Sir Daniel's plan is cheap and downright terrible for poor Willa. Their redeeming factor is they both care about Willa's physical well-being even if they don't understand her mental and emotional state.
I recommend this to those who like screwball comedy Regency romances like Marion Chesney and Barbara Metzger. This one is a little more deeply emotional than screwball but Aunt Honore makes it light and fun.
June 11, 2016
This was a whimsical bit of fluff that is just the thing when you are wanting to get away from it all. The heroine and her crazy aunt are originals, not impressed with dandies or tied to conventions. In fact, the match-making aunt bordered on scandalous. Alex is clearly fascinated by the provincial Willa, but unwilling to admit as much to himself.
Anyone who is severely near-sighted will find this physical flaw of Willa's to be somewhat plausible as a plot device. As someone who is technically "legally blind" without corrected vision, I've often wondered what it would be like to live in the days when lenses weren't quite as sophisticated. Baldwin offers up this scenario with lots of humor.
The third person point of view affords insight into both characters. I especially liked Alex's views because he was enamored and didn't even know it. His protective instincts leaped to the fore, making a hero out of a man who really had no such inclinations. Total fun.
Anyone who is severely near-sighted will find this physical flaw of Willa's to be somewhat plausible as a plot device. As someone who is technically "legally blind" without corrected vision, I've often wondered what it would be like to live in the days when lenses weren't quite as sophisticated. Baldwin offers up this scenario with lots of humor.
The third person point of view affords insight into both characters. I especially liked Alex's views because he was enamored and didn't even know it. His protective instincts leaped to the fore, making a hero out of a man who really had no such inclinations. Total fun.
June 24, 2014
This was my first book since having our newest addition. I have come to realize that with baby #5's arrival there is even less time to read.
I am happy to say however that my drought has ended and this book is adorable! It states that it is a "humorous regency" and it was. There were parts that I was laughing out loud to. I thought the two main characters were so cute and I myself being blind with out the aid of contacts/glasses found the fact that the heroine shared this same imperfection kind of refreshing. Every time she talked about the blur or just seeing colors I chuckled to myself.
This is just a fun read with some great humor involved. I recommend it!
-There are some innuendo's and talk of "cleavage."
I am happy to say however that my drought has ended and this book is adorable! It states that it is a "humorous regency" and it was. There were parts that I was laughing out loud to. I thought the two main characters were so cute and I myself being blind with out the aid of contacts/glasses found the fact that the heroine shared this same imperfection kind of refreshing. Every time she talked about the blur or just seeing colors I chuckled to myself.
This is just a fun read with some great humor involved. I recommend it!
-There are some innuendo's and talk of "cleavage."
January 21, 2015
Wilhemina, also known as Willa, has reached maturity - much to the dismay of her brother Jerome and his best friend Sir Daniel. Sir Daniel offers to marry her so that nothing will upset their threesome. But the idea of life with no romance, no adventure, and no excitement is not what the high-spirited Willa wants!
She can't really see without her glasses so when she takes off her glasses in the garden to kiss Daniel to see if there is any passion there at all, she doesn't realize that she is mistakenly kissing his brother, Alex. After kissing Alex, her life will never be the same!
Enter her Aunt Honore, the Countess de Alameda who fancies herself a matchmaker and certainly knows how to stir up trouble! This was a fun read with very likable characters!
I didn't realize this was part of a series - I will definitely want to check out some more Aunt Honore stories!
Content: Clean, some mild swearing
Source: Amazon.com
She can't really see without her glasses so when she takes off her glasses in the garden to kiss Daniel to see if there is any passion there at all, she doesn't realize that she is mistakenly kissing his brother, Alex. After kissing Alex, her life will never be the same!
Enter her Aunt Honore, the Countess de Alameda who fancies herself a matchmaker and certainly knows how to stir up trouble! This was a fun read with very likable characters!
I didn't realize this was part of a series - I will definitely want to check out some more Aunt Honore stories!
Content: Clean, some mild swearing
Source: Amazon.com
July 7, 2015
My favorite of the three My Notorious Aunt books. Fun, and loved Alex and Willa. Thought they were both pretty funny. Alex’s friends were quite entertaining as well. And of course Aunt Honroe was just as clever as ever getting her match together. Loved the ending from the on.
Moral Note: Talk of rakes, and wanton women, drinking, I don't remember any language, so if there was some it was minor. A somewhat detailed birth of a horse. Talk of a "gaming hell". Talk of and mentioning of women's breasts several times, pointed looks in the direction of, as Willa has a quite ample bosom.
Moral Note: Talk of rakes, and wanton women, drinking, I don't remember any language, so if there was some it was minor. A somewhat detailed birth of a horse. Talk of a "gaming hell". Talk of and mentioning of women's breasts several times, pointed looks in the direction of, as Willa has a quite ample bosom.
March 22, 2017
3,5 stars!
I have been in a book slump when it comes to HRs so I decided to find some that didn't have sex scenes but weren't Christian and I can say this first pick has turned out great!
Our bespectacled red haired heroine is the best part. She hasn't seen much of the world but she knows what she wants or in this case, what she doesn't want. And that is to marry to his brother's bff who is as much of a bore as him hehe. Enter our handsome and supposed gambler/rakehell of a hero and we have a tale of hilarious missunderstandings, lots of kisses, failed duels and even horse birthing. I enjoyed every minute of it!
I don't regret reading this one first even if it was the second book since it seems it's the best one out of the three in this series.
I have been in a book slump when it comes to HRs so I decided to find some that didn't have sex scenes but weren't Christian and I can say this first pick has turned out great!
Our bespectacled red haired heroine is the best part. She hasn't seen much of the world but she knows what she wants or in this case, what she doesn't want. And that is to marry to his brother's bff who is as much of a bore as him hehe. Enter our handsome and supposed gambler/rakehell of a hero and we have a tale of hilarious missunderstandings, lots of kisses, failed duels and even horse birthing. I enjoyed every minute of it!
I don't regret reading this one first even if it was the second book since it seems it's the best one out of the three in this series.
March 25, 2011
I love these "Aunt Honore" books and this one does not fail. Willa and Alex are delightful characters with great chemistry. I love how they seem to not realize as they fall deeper and deeper in love. It's actually one of the more believable versions of this scenario and thus it is delightful. Lady Alameda (or Aunt Honore) is a great character with her schemes and matchmaking. She is a great character through all three books and makes life so much more fun for the other characters. I really enjoyed this sweet story and the wonderful characters. As a note, the side character Alfreda is wonderful.
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September 16, 2015
I followed up "Lady Fiasco" with this novel, although each could be read separately. The heroine is very nearsighted, something I can identify with. She doesn't consider appearances important for herself, but makes assumptions about others due to preconceived notions. Aunt Honore meddles, as usual, which wreaks havoc with her niece. The characters evolve in the course of the story, which is always nice, but there are also some very funny scenes. Best of all, it's "clean" in that there is no explicit sex and events are consistent with the mores of the time. (Not a trashy novel, if that's what you're looking for.) I look forward to reading the next novel about Aunt Honore's relatives.
April 4, 2016
I was so fortunate to get all 3 books in this trilogy as Kindle freebies in Jan-Feb of this year[2015],as I enjoyed them very much-especially the first two books.
Willa and Alex are wonderful characters,and so are the others.
This was such a fun read,and the characters so likeable,that I was sad to see it end.
Highly recommended for Regency Romance fans and those who enjoy Romantic comedies.
Willa and Alex are wonderful characters,and so are the others.
This was such a fun read,and the characters so likeable,that I was sad to see it end.
Highly recommended for Regency Romance fans and those who enjoy Romantic comedies.
July 13, 2015
Cute regency romance where the adorable heroine who has bad vision mistakenly kisses a man she thinks is the one who proposed to her out of duty. She wants to kiss her brother’s friend to see if he has any passion and will be a tolerable husband. But he ends up being the brother of the man she thinks he is…and is a wonderful kisser who she can’t stop thinking about. Very cute story that makes you laugh the whole way through with funny characters and silly situations…and of course, a tender romance.
July 2, 2016
This was a silly regency read. One of those crazy little stories that is supposed to make you laugh. It just gets a little frustrating to me when a story gets crazy like that, but this was not too bad. Willa is a fun character and I liked her she was the best thing about this little book. The feel of the story was more of a lust then love even tho it was kept fairly clean, but geeezzz if they referenced her bust one more time I was going to stop reading. Didn't take me too long to read, a couple hours.
February 5, 2017
Alex is a never-do-well; scapegrace. Willa is a well-educated country miss on her first trip to London. A conniving match-making aunt is a delight as she maneuvers compromising situations. Willa is falling in love with Alex, but can he give up his lifestyle for her?
September 5, 2018
Oh my aching sides.......
I simpky lived this book!
I laughed so much and got the happily ever after ...there were the rofl monents , the serious monents, the wth is she about moments...and in all was a terrific read.
Thank you for the smile still etched on my face!
I simpky lived this book!
I laughed so much and got the happily ever after ...there were the rofl monents , the serious monents, the wth is she about moments...and in all was a terrific read.
Thank you for the smile still etched on my face!
March 12, 2016
Humorous regency!!
May 20, 2016
Cute, light and fun with a bit of emotion. I'll read more of this author.
June 21, 2016
This is a silly, light-hearted book that might also loosly be considered a romance. I enjoyed reading it and following the ludicrous adventures of the characters.
February 19, 2017
As I was reading Mistaken Kiss, not knowing exactly what it's about (I do that a lot...look at an appealing cover and just start reading), it had a feel much like another book I've read in the last couple months. I browsed down my list and realized it's similar (in impression) to Jen Turano's: At Your Request. The main character in both books is Wilhelmina, and the friends of both male and female leads are funny, straight talkers with lots of personality. So I thought maybe it was another book in her series...until I realized it's not the same author at all. And although Ms. Turano's writing style in At Your Request has a Regency Romance feel, it's not. It's Christian Romance. I may be wrong, since I've read so few, but my hunch is that Regency Romances are (for the most part) clean but don't have a Christian theme. This one started out at a vicarage so it had promise, but, yeah, that was about it. It was clean, in that kissing was as far
it went in the physical aspect, but talking about beautiful breasts isn't generally a topic of conversation in Christian books...unless the discussion is about their turkey dinner. ;)
Okay, nuff about that! On to the story...
Wilhelmina is all but blind without her glasses. She's single, eighteen, and the sister of a vicar, and the topic of the current conversation in her presence. Her brother (Jerome) and his best friend (Sir Daniel) are trying to figure out how to marry her off, as her less than satisfactory option is to live her life at the vicarage. Her dowry, being quite modest, will not attract many suitors, and she doesn't have the means to attend the London season.
A less than ideal plan is hatched to marry Sir Daniel.
The next day she decides to do something daring and starts to trek over to Daniel's home to see if kissing him would ignite any sparks that would give her hope for a tolerable marriage to this dull man. I forget why she doesn't have her glasses, but if she had her glasses on at the time there would be no story, so I guess that's the point. Anyway, she comes across a man taking a rest on the property who is so similar to Daniel she assumes it's him and proceeds to tell him of her need to kiss him. She doesn't realize he's asleep, but in his semiconscious state he obliges...like a dream. Turns out it's Daniel's brother Alex, who hasn't visited for many many years because he's apparently an embarrassment to the family. But the pleasure of this kiss is so extreme she cannot imagine kissing Daniel and attaining such satisfaction and desire.
A conversation about why Alex is there prompts her to go to a boxing match he's betting on to stop it. While there she runs into an aunt she hasn't seen since she was little. The aunt, a titled lady, decides to take Wilhelmina under her wing and bring her to London as her "protege".
This begins a series of events (plots hatched by Aunt Alameda) that are so convoluted, intriguing, and funny that I could hardly put the book down.
I gave it 4-stars because it was fairly clean and the writing was just plain fun.
(5-stars are reserved for truly exceptional books that leave me either wanting more, or make me ponder it for days, and recommend it to everyone.)
BTW...The ending was less than satisfying to me, but I suppose it fit. Just.
Meh.
it went in the physical aspect, but talking about beautiful breasts isn't generally a topic of conversation in Christian books...unless the discussion is about their turkey dinner. ;)
Okay, nuff about that! On to the story...
Wilhelmina is all but blind without her glasses. She's single, eighteen, and the sister of a vicar, and the topic of the current conversation in her presence. Her brother (Jerome) and his best friend (Sir Daniel) are trying to figure out how to marry her off, as her less than satisfactory option is to live her life at the vicarage. Her dowry, being quite modest, will not attract many suitors, and she doesn't have the means to attend the London season.
A less than ideal plan is hatched to marry Sir Daniel.
The next day she decides to do something daring and starts to trek over to Daniel's home to see if kissing him would ignite any sparks that would give her hope for a tolerable marriage to this dull man. I forget why she doesn't have her glasses, but if she had her glasses on at the time there would be no story, so I guess that's the point. Anyway, she comes across a man taking a rest on the property who is so similar to Daniel she assumes it's him and proceeds to tell him of her need to kiss him. She doesn't realize he's asleep, but in his semiconscious state he obliges...like a dream. Turns out it's Daniel's brother Alex, who hasn't visited for many many years because he's apparently an embarrassment to the family. But the pleasure of this kiss is so extreme she cannot imagine kissing Daniel and attaining such satisfaction and desire.
A conversation about why Alex is there prompts her to go to a boxing match he's betting on to stop it. While there she runs into an aunt she hasn't seen since she was little. The aunt, a titled lady, decides to take Wilhelmina under her wing and bring her to London as her "protege".
This begins a series of events (plots hatched by Aunt Alameda) that are so convoluted, intriguing, and funny that I could hardly put the book down.
I gave it 4-stars because it was fairly clean and the writing was just plain fun.
(5-stars are reserved for truly exceptional books that leave me either wanting more, or make me ponder it for days, and recommend it to everyone.)
BTW...The ending was less than satisfying to me, but I suppose it fit. Just.
Meh.
August 15, 2017
AudioBook Review:
Stars: Overall 3 Narration 1 Story 4
Initially drawn to this title because of the author’s stated enjoyment of Oscar Wilde, the opportunity to have a new series and a new narrator in one go was too much to resist. Baldwin manages to incorporate humor, a wonderful heroine with her own particular way of looking at the world and clever dialogue to keep the story moving forward.
Willa is an unmarried young woman whose brother (and friends) have decided it is time for her to marry. Not only does Willa come with some complications (her humor, her brains and her tendency to speak her mind) she’s also blind as a bat without her spectacles, and she has yet to convince her brother that a new pair is needed. With the plan afoot, the men have decided that Sir Daniel, a socially-awkward friend of her brother, is the man she is to wed, but she’s got other plans. Demanding a kiss from said man, Willa believes that she can upend the discussion and live without marrying if there is no spark. Unfortunately, there is a spark, but with Daniel’s younger brother, Alex: not the one in the cards at all.
In swoops the Aunt, Honore, who sees an opportunity to ‘train’ Willa as a ladies’ companion, while really working her over in the social graces to see her married. Honore sees Alex as an appropriate and eligible bachelor, Willa did find a spark, and what better way to capture the man than to use her own experience to hook him? Oh the hijinks and laughs in this one were clever and a bit of slapdash as the moments rolled from one to another. A sweet story with plenty of entendre to laugh at: circumstances to enjoy and the growth of Willa and her ability to find humor in almost every situation is wonderful.
Narrated by Beverly A. Crick, another new to me narrator, I have to say that I was disappointed in her performance and suitability for this story. Her pacing was slow and awkward pauses marred the flow. There was no indication that even in the most amusing moments that she was absorbing or even noticing the humor, and her accents (when attempted) were over the top – overacted, irregular and inconsistent. There was little allowance to distinguish different characters or even moderate pace that would indicate an understanding of the natural ebb and flow of conversation. Sadly, the narration did the book a great disservice.
I have added a chapter excerpt from the title for those interested – it is my decided opinion that this is a story that is best read, and readers will find no difficulty taking these out of order.
I received an audiobook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
Stars: Overall 3 Narration 1 Story 4
Initially drawn to this title because of the author’s stated enjoyment of Oscar Wilde, the opportunity to have a new series and a new narrator in one go was too much to resist. Baldwin manages to incorporate humor, a wonderful heroine with her own particular way of looking at the world and clever dialogue to keep the story moving forward.
Willa is an unmarried young woman whose brother (and friends) have decided it is time for her to marry. Not only does Willa come with some complications (her humor, her brains and her tendency to speak her mind) she’s also blind as a bat without her spectacles, and she has yet to convince her brother that a new pair is needed. With the plan afoot, the men have decided that Sir Daniel, a socially-awkward friend of her brother, is the man she is to wed, but she’s got other plans. Demanding a kiss from said man, Willa believes that she can upend the discussion and live without marrying if there is no spark. Unfortunately, there is a spark, but with Daniel’s younger brother, Alex: not the one in the cards at all.
In swoops the Aunt, Honore, who sees an opportunity to ‘train’ Willa as a ladies’ companion, while really working her over in the social graces to see her married. Honore sees Alex as an appropriate and eligible bachelor, Willa did find a spark, and what better way to capture the man than to use her own experience to hook him? Oh the hijinks and laughs in this one were clever and a bit of slapdash as the moments rolled from one to another. A sweet story with plenty of entendre to laugh at: circumstances to enjoy and the growth of Willa and her ability to find humor in almost every situation is wonderful.
Narrated by Beverly A. Crick, another new to me narrator, I have to say that I was disappointed in her performance and suitability for this story. Her pacing was slow and awkward pauses marred the flow. There was no indication that even in the most amusing moments that she was absorbing or even noticing the humor, and her accents (when attempted) were over the top – overacted, irregular and inconsistent. There was little allowance to distinguish different characters or even moderate pace that would indicate an understanding of the natural ebb and flow of conversation. Sadly, the narration did the book a great disservice.
I have added a chapter excerpt from the title for those interested – it is my decided opinion that this is a story that is best read, and readers will find no difficulty taking these out of order.
I received an audiobook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
April 19, 2015
Willa has led a sheltered life. Her elder brother is a vicar. Jerome and his best friend Daniel have basically cared for her all her life. She has been raised to be a crusader for right and good. She has also grown up believing she can say what she thinks.
Jerome and Daniel determine that in order to avoid the expense of providing Willa with a season and all the things that go with it, she will marry Daniel and all things can go on just as they have in the past.
Willa wants to learn about passion, so she plans to kiss Daniel and find out what she feels. Also, it would be good to find if he feels anything at all.
Will removes her spectacles walks through the garden and finds a gentleman she believes to be Daniel. She tells him she wants to kiss him and she tells him why.
The gentleman is agreeable. But, he is not Daniel, he is Daniel's younger brother, Alex.
The story becomes interesting after that.
Willa is a heroine with a wonderfully kind heart. She sees good in everyone and wants to make life better for everyone. She is smart and funny and not nearly as helpless as Alex believes.
Alex is a terrific hero. He wants to be a protector for Willa. When a money hungry young man thinks Willa would be an easy conquest, Alex protects her. He is charming and funny and very gentle as he protects Willa from herself as well as her crazy Aunt.
This is a quick read and the entire book is entertaining. Ms Baldwin's plot takes interesting directions and it keeps the reader wanting to follow each new direction.
The character development is very good. Even though we know Willa's aunt has ulterior motives, she is still a brilliantly funny character. Each secondary character helps the story move forward and all of them add a great deal to the story. Everyone is amusing.
I hope that every reader will find this book as entertaining as I did.
Jerome and Daniel determine that in order to avoid the expense of providing Willa with a season and all the things that go with it, she will marry Daniel and all things can go on just as they have in the past.
Willa wants to learn about passion, so she plans to kiss Daniel and find out what she feels. Also, it would be good to find if he feels anything at all.
Will removes her spectacles walks through the garden and finds a gentleman she believes to be Daniel. She tells him she wants to kiss him and she tells him why.
The gentleman is agreeable. But, he is not Daniel, he is Daniel's younger brother, Alex.
The story becomes interesting after that.
Willa is a heroine with a wonderfully kind heart. She sees good in everyone and wants to make life better for everyone. She is smart and funny and not nearly as helpless as Alex believes.
Alex is a terrific hero. He wants to be a protector for Willa. When a money hungry young man thinks Willa would be an easy conquest, Alex protects her. He is charming and funny and very gentle as he protects Willa from herself as well as her crazy Aunt.
This is a quick read and the entire book is entertaining. Ms Baldwin's plot takes interesting directions and it keeps the reader wanting to follow each new direction.
The character development is very good. Even though we know Willa's aunt has ulterior motives, she is still a brilliantly funny character. Each secondary character helps the story move forward and all of them add a great deal to the story. Everyone is amusing.
I hope that every reader will find this book as entertaining as I did.
May 26, 2016
MISTAKEN KISS, A Humorous Traditional Regency, Book Two of My Notorious Aunt series by Kathleen Baldwin.
Being responsible for his sister’s entrance into society is really more than Jerome Linnet, a country vicar, was prepared for. So turning to his close friend, Sir Daniel Braeburn, the two scholars come up with a logical solution: Sir Daniel can marry her and the two men can continue life without all that unnecessary fanfare. Willa, the intelligent, young lady in question, questions this conclusion and decides to conduct an experiment to see if she and Daniel have any of this romantic chemistry that she has heard so much about. Upon seeing Sir Daniel in the garden, she removes her spectacles to increase her somewhat limited allure and asks him for a kiss. And what a kiss it is! That is until she realizes that she is kissing Alex, Sir Daniel’s brother, a confirmed bachelor and rake who is not looking for marriage.
This is where the irrepressible Lady Alameda (“Aunt Honore”) comes in. Through her machinations Willa gets her opportunity to enter society and is outwardly transformed into the surprise of the season. But only Alex is aware of Willa’s intelligence, warm personality, and ability with animals. Will he allow his attraction to her to overcome his reluctance to pursue her knowing she has marriage in mind?
This is the second in the series of Aunt Honore books which all feature the witty, outrageous Lady Alameda and her schemes to see her nieces and nephews marry well. I have read all three books in the series and recommend them to fans of Georgette Heyer, Oscar Wilde, Erica Ridley, and those who enjoy a witty romantic comedy.
Being responsible for his sister’s entrance into society is really more than Jerome Linnet, a country vicar, was prepared for. So turning to his close friend, Sir Daniel Braeburn, the two scholars come up with a logical solution: Sir Daniel can marry her and the two men can continue life without all that unnecessary fanfare. Willa, the intelligent, young lady in question, questions this conclusion and decides to conduct an experiment to see if she and Daniel have any of this romantic chemistry that she has heard so much about. Upon seeing Sir Daniel in the garden, she removes her spectacles to increase her somewhat limited allure and asks him for a kiss. And what a kiss it is! That is until she realizes that she is kissing Alex, Sir Daniel’s brother, a confirmed bachelor and rake who is not looking for marriage.
This is where the irrepressible Lady Alameda (“Aunt Honore”) comes in. Through her machinations Willa gets her opportunity to enter society and is outwardly transformed into the surprise of the season. But only Alex is aware of Willa’s intelligence, warm personality, and ability with animals. Will he allow his attraction to her to overcome his reluctance to pursue her knowing she has marriage in mind?
This is the second in the series of Aunt Honore books which all feature the witty, outrageous Lady Alameda and her schemes to see her nieces and nephews marry well. I have read all three books in the series and recommend them to fans of Georgette Heyer, Oscar Wilde, Erica Ridley, and those who enjoy a witty romantic comedy.
May 31, 2014
I am really enjoying this series Aunt Honore is at her best again molding Wilhemina a strong willed smart young woman from the country a vicars sister into her protege. When it is decided by Willa's brother Jerome and friend Daniel that she will marry Daniel Willa is not so sure and decides that she needs to kiss Daniel to see if there is any spark but Willa has very bad eyesight and when she discovers 'Daniel' in the gardens without her glasses on and he obliges her with a kiss that is very passionate she is shocked but even more so when she realizes that it is not Daniel but his brother Alex the black sheep of the family. This one will have you smiling throughout the story as Aunt Honore puts Willa in some not so safe positions and Alex comes to the rescue a very enjoyable and fun journey to a HEA loved this one.
April 27, 2015
This is a funny, lighthearted read which is so uncommon for regency! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love Willa, raised by her older brother, a bookish vicar, she's so smart and educated. But without a mother's influence she wears the most awkward clothing. Oh, and she's severely nearsighted, even with glasses, hence mistakenly kissing the wrong man. Alex is also completely likeable, not perfect but not quite the prodigal, except maybe in comparison to his brother. Alex is funny with Willa, and I love the two together. The scheming, slightly eccentric aunt is icing on the cake for this book full of quirky characters. Very entertaining.
July 3, 2015
Loved this book!
I had read this book last year I believe and just reread it. It's a romance with parts of it being so funny I sat in my room and laughed loudly..so much so that my son came in to ask if I was okay. Willa is our heroine who gets a chance to go to London with her very eccentric, match making aunt. Alex is the brother to the old bachelor Daniel that Willa's brother intends to marry Willa off too. But in steps the aunt with plans to fix Willa up with the right one. It's fun and hilarious
I had read this book last year I believe and just reread it. It's a romance with parts of it being so funny I sat in my room and laughed loudly..so much so that my son came in to ask if I was okay. Willa is our heroine who gets a chance to go to London with her very eccentric, match making aunt. Alex is the brother to the old bachelor Daniel that Willa's brother intends to marry Willa off too. But in steps the aunt with plans to fix Willa up with the right one. It's fun and hilarious
June 14, 2018
Willa is nearly blind without her glasses. Her brother decides to have her marry his best friend even though she doesn't want to. Their aunt arrives and takes Willa to London. There two different men decide to make an offer for her thinking that she will be inheriting her aunt's money. Alec meets Willa before she goes to London and their relationship is fun to watch develop.
February 8, 2017
Mischievous
The storyline is rather predictable. Rake meet innocent young woman. Twists and turns along the way. However, I found the minor characters to be hilarious.
The storyline is rather predictable. Rake meet innocent young woman. Twists and turns along the way. However, I found the minor characters to be hilarious.
February 10, 2017
Good read with good humour
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