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Prelude to a Kiss #4
The Viscount Risks It All
From the bestselling author of The Duke Can Go to the Devil, comes a new novel about destiny, and taking a risk on a second chance at love…
Gavin Stark, Viscount Derington, learned his lesson when his childhood love was swept off her feet by another man before Dering could declare himself. Ever since, he has lived a life of no regrets—reaching for what he wants while never again allowing himself to lose his heart. If the experience taught him anything, it was never to risk what he wasn’t willing to lose.
Lady Felicity Danby had everything she ever wanted in life until the moment her husband died, turning her world upside down. A year and a half later, she is finally ready to return to Bath to spend the summer visiting family. She finds comfort in her old childhood friend, but is taken off guard when passion begins to simmer between them. She’s already lost everything once—can she possibly risk her heart a second time?
From the Paperback edition.
Gavin Stark, Viscount Derington, learned his lesson when his childhood love was swept off her feet by another man before Dering could declare himself. Ever since, he has lived a life of no regrets—reaching for what he wants while never again allowing himself to lose his heart. If the experience taught him anything, it was never to risk what he wasn’t willing to lose.
Lady Felicity Danby had everything she ever wanted in life until the moment her husband died, turning her world upside down. A year and a half later, she is finally ready to return to Bath to spend the summer visiting family. She finds comfort in her old childhood friend, but is taken off guard when passion begins to simmer between them. She’s already lost everything once—can she possibly risk her heart a second time?
From the Paperback edition.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2016
24 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
January 6, 2016
Thank you to PENGUIN for providing a print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As I was perusing my notes to review The Viscount Risks It All, I noticed they all started with ‘Loved that…’ So I’m forgoing a regular review and instead I’m going to play off one of my favorite 90’s movies and share 8 Things I Love About The Viscount Risks It All:
1. I’ll start with the obvious – the cover. Not only is it absolutely stunning, but the browns, oranges, and yellows are reminiscent of my favorite season, fall! And let’s be honest – sometimes the heroes on the covers of these books aren’t all that attractive, but this one with that jaw line! Mmm!
2. Felicity’s first marriage – this author bucked trend and gave Felicity a very happy first marriage. Instead of fearing a second one because her husband was a bully, she’s afraid she’ll never find that contentment again.
3. Gavin’s pull to Felicity – Gavin tries to resist Felicity and an encore heartbreak, but the pull is simply too overwhelming. Before he knows it, he and his old friend are thick as thieves once again. Which brings me to number…
4. Gavin’s lack of bitterness – while Gavin laments the loss of what he and Felicity could have had if he’d admitted his feelings sooner, there is no bitterness there, only sadness and longing. His longing was so tangible I could feel his hurt while she shared tidbits of her first marriage with him.
5. Felicity’s recent loss – we’re really seeing Felicity as she’s coming into the last stage of her grief – acceptance. It was such an important part of the story and to Felicity moving on that I appreciate the author taking a risk and having Felicity’s loss not be so far in the past.
6. Lord Dering’s Revelation – when he first sees Felicity, all he sees is the newly available woman he’s been in love with for half his life, but it’s not long before he realizes how selfish he’s being and starts to see Felicity as a woman who is still smarting from the loss of her husband. This is when he really steps back and lets their friendship blossom and just ‘be.’ This was such a huge turning point in their relationship!
7. There was no strong-arming in this book – look, I love an alpha hero just as much as the next gal, but sometimes they can get a bit too overwhelming. Gavin was very sensitive to Felicity and what she’d been through, and throughout the entire book, he showed her nothing but kindness and respect.
8. The romance – this story oozed romance. It is the most romantic book I have read in such a long time. Gavin may have been in love with Felicity for years, but seeing her through his eyes as he got to know her all over again and the adoration and admiration he had for her were staggering. It was absolutely beautiful to watch them fall in love. Every kiss, every touch…so sweet and romantic!
As you can see, there was lots to love about The Viscount Risks It All. It’s a must if you’re a fan of historical romance; I know it’s a book I’ll read over and over again!
This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.
As I was perusing my notes to review The Viscount Risks It All, I noticed they all started with ‘Loved that…’ So I’m forgoing a regular review and instead I’m going to play off one of my favorite 90’s movies and share 8 Things I Love About The Viscount Risks It All:
1. I’ll start with the obvious – the cover. Not only is it absolutely stunning, but the browns, oranges, and yellows are reminiscent of my favorite season, fall! And let’s be honest – sometimes the heroes on the covers of these books aren’t all that attractive, but this one with that jaw line! Mmm!
2. Felicity’s first marriage – this author bucked trend and gave Felicity a very happy first marriage. Instead of fearing a second one because her husband was a bully, she’s afraid she’ll never find that contentment again.
3. Gavin’s pull to Felicity – Gavin tries to resist Felicity and an encore heartbreak, but the pull is simply too overwhelming. Before he knows it, he and his old friend are thick as thieves once again. Which brings me to number…
4. Gavin’s lack of bitterness – while Gavin laments the loss of what he and Felicity could have had if he’d admitted his feelings sooner, there is no bitterness there, only sadness and longing. His longing was so tangible I could feel his hurt while she shared tidbits of her first marriage with him.
5. Felicity’s recent loss – we’re really seeing Felicity as she’s coming into the last stage of her grief – acceptance. It was such an important part of the story and to Felicity moving on that I appreciate the author taking a risk and having Felicity’s loss not be so far in the past.
6. Lord Dering’s Revelation – when he first sees Felicity, all he sees is the newly available woman he’s been in love with for half his life, but it’s not long before he realizes how selfish he’s being and starts to see Felicity as a woman who is still smarting from the loss of her husband. This is when he really steps back and lets their friendship blossom and just ‘be.’ This was such a huge turning point in their relationship!
7. There was no strong-arming in this book – look, I love an alpha hero just as much as the next gal, but sometimes they can get a bit too overwhelming. Gavin was very sensitive to Felicity and what she’d been through, and throughout the entire book, he showed her nothing but kindness and respect.
8. The romance – this story oozed romance. It is the most romantic book I have read in such a long time. Gavin may have been in love with Felicity for years, but seeing her through his eyes as he got to know her all over again and the adoration and admiration he had for her were staggering. It was absolutely beautiful to watch them fall in love. Every kiss, every touch…so sweet and romantic!
As you can see, there was lots to love about The Viscount Risks It All. It’s a must if you’re a fan of historical romance; I know it’s a book I’ll read over and over again!
This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.
December 28, 2015
The final book in the series and one I was eager for after encountering the delightful Gavin in the earlier books and wanting him to get his own happy ending. This was a second chance romance involving a pair who knew each other from childhood with Gavin secretly loving Felicity while forced to watch her fall in love with another and now gets his chance again.
This is the fourth book in a series and it is very connected to the earlier books, but yet is written in a way that one could read it out of order if they didn't mind the inclusion of earlier couples. Gavin is a standing character throughout the series, but this story takes up his distant past and brings in a new heroine so it is doable.
The story opens with widow, Lady Felicity, deciding that she needs to come out of deep mourning for her husband and rejoin the world. She and her young son live with her husband's brother and his wife who are going to Bath for the annual music festival. The area of Bath was once Felicity's home and she has stayed away for years so now would be a good time to go back. It will be hard because people will bring up their feelings and sympathy, but it should be alright after a time. Felicity is also eager to see her old childhood friend, Gavin. They were once so close and then after her marriage he pulled away. Maybe they can have a reunion and restore their friendship.
Gavin, Viscount Derrington, fell in love with his childhood friend, Felicity. The night he picked to propose, she informs him that she met a good man by chance, they fell in love, and are now betrothed. Gavin is heartbroken and the only thing he can do is distance himself so he doesn't have to watch the woman he loves be in love and happy with someone else. Now she's back in Bath. He thought time would change his feelings, but the attraction is still there. It guts him to see her grief and having to play the friend with the strong shoulder she can cry on, but he loves her enough to be what she needs him to be. Is this a second chance or is it proof that it was never meant to be?
This was a daring choice for a romance plot or so it felt to me. Unrequited love is a real life possibility, always. Sometimes people fall in love and their love isn't reciprocated. Since this is romantic fiction, Gavin does get his second chance, but there was a part of me that was saddened because even the possibility of unrequited love is crushing to a romantic like myself.
But anywoo, the story was engaging and touching as a result of this pair's backgrounds. I felt for Gavin with his secret love for Felicity and how he sucked it up and chose to keep going instead of crumbling under such disappointment and I also felt for Felicity having lost her husband while they are both young. She was very much in love and his collapse was unexpected. The pressure on her to move on and try again was annoying to me. I was glad her brother in law and his wife were gentle with her even if her own family was pushing her to go out and land another man. Gavin's family pushed him, too, but mostly out of love.
Both characters were appealing and I respected them so much. I wanted them to get together and I liked how it was a gradual thing and not instant. Gavin hesitates because he already got his heart crushed and that hurt while Felicity doesn't even see them as more than good friends for the longest time and the shock of discovering it's something else causes panic and the inevitable withdrawal. Because of the nature of Felicity's situation, this is not a heated and passion-filled story. More on the sweeter side for most of the book before things give way to attraction.
The end came fast and I had a hard time keeping up. At first, I didn't care for that, but then when my emotions caught up I actually did like that the author didn't draw things out after the big conflict. The book had been building things slowly and I got a good look at what they could be like together so I guess I didn't need a drawn out denouement.
So, all in all, I enjoyed this final book in the series. I will miss the setting of romances happening at the Bath Music Festival. I really hope the author might someday write Gavin's brother's stories. They were a fun group. I would recommend the book/series to those who enjoy slightly spicy Historical Romance.
My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fourth book in a series and it is very connected to the earlier books, but yet is written in a way that one could read it out of order if they didn't mind the inclusion of earlier couples. Gavin is a standing character throughout the series, but this story takes up his distant past and brings in a new heroine so it is doable.
The story opens with widow, Lady Felicity, deciding that she needs to come out of deep mourning for her husband and rejoin the world. She and her young son live with her husband's brother and his wife who are going to Bath for the annual music festival. The area of Bath was once Felicity's home and she has stayed away for years so now would be a good time to go back. It will be hard because people will bring up their feelings and sympathy, but it should be alright after a time. Felicity is also eager to see her old childhood friend, Gavin. They were once so close and then after her marriage he pulled away. Maybe they can have a reunion and restore their friendship.
Gavin, Viscount Derrington, fell in love with his childhood friend, Felicity. The night he picked to propose, she informs him that she met a good man by chance, they fell in love, and are now betrothed. Gavin is heartbroken and the only thing he can do is distance himself so he doesn't have to watch the woman he loves be in love and happy with someone else. Now she's back in Bath. He thought time would change his feelings, but the attraction is still there. It guts him to see her grief and having to play the friend with the strong shoulder she can cry on, but he loves her enough to be what she needs him to be. Is this a second chance or is it proof that it was never meant to be?
This was a daring choice for a romance plot or so it felt to me. Unrequited love is a real life possibility, always. Sometimes people fall in love and their love isn't reciprocated. Since this is romantic fiction, Gavin does get his second chance, but there was a part of me that was saddened because even the possibility of unrequited love is crushing to a romantic like myself.
But anywoo, the story was engaging and touching as a result of this pair's backgrounds. I felt for Gavin with his secret love for Felicity and how he sucked it up and chose to keep going instead of crumbling under such disappointment and I also felt for Felicity having lost her husband while they are both young. She was very much in love and his collapse was unexpected. The pressure on her to move on and try again was annoying to me. I was glad her brother in law and his wife were gentle with her even if her own family was pushing her to go out and land another man. Gavin's family pushed him, too, but mostly out of love.
Both characters were appealing and I respected them so much. I wanted them to get together and I liked how it was a gradual thing and not instant. Gavin hesitates because he already got his heart crushed and that hurt while Felicity doesn't even see them as more than good friends for the longest time and the shock of discovering it's something else causes panic and the inevitable withdrawal. Because of the nature of Felicity's situation, this is not a heated and passion-filled story. More on the sweeter side for most of the book before things give way to attraction.
The end came fast and I had a hard time keeping up. At first, I didn't care for that, but then when my emotions caught up I actually did like that the author didn't draw things out after the big conflict. The book had been building things slowly and I got a good look at what they could be like together so I guess I didn't need a drawn out denouement.
So, all in all, I enjoyed this final book in the series. I will miss the setting of romances happening at the Bath Music Festival. I really hope the author might someday write Gavin's brother's stories. They were a fun group. I would recommend the book/series to those who enjoy slightly spicy Historical Romance.
My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2018
3.5 stars!
While I really liked the second part of the book. Dering kinda let me down on the first chapters. I get that he got his heart broken, (who hasn't?) but it wasn't Felicty's fault, since she didn't know about his feelings. I get the avoiding part, but not wanting to see her daughter and other little tidbits made Dering look so selfish, unlike in the first books.
Thankfully he redeemed himself in the second part, but by then the damage was done, hence the rating. While the other heroes in this saga weren't perfect either, and we saw lots of noble idiocy and pride mix in there, I did love their books more than I did this one. Its getting 4 stars though. Even with Dering being a bit of a idiot, compared to some books I've read lately, this one is still waaay better ^^
Lets hope we'll get a new awesome series with Thomas and Dering's brothers as our new heroes. We got awesome ladies in this one, lets give the guys a chance now :33
While I really liked the second part of the book. Dering kinda let me down on the first chapters. I get that he got his heart broken, (who hasn't?) but it wasn't Felicty's fault, since she didn't know about his feelings. I get the avoiding part, but not wanting to see her daughter and other little tidbits made Dering look so selfish, unlike in the first books.
Thankfully he redeemed himself in the second part, but by then the damage was done, hence the rating. While the other heroes in this saga weren't perfect either, and we saw lots of noble idiocy and pride mix in there, I did love their books more than I did this one. Its getting 4 stars though. Even with Dering being a bit of a idiot, compared to some books I've read lately, this one is still waaay better ^^
Lets hope we'll get a new awesome series with Thomas and Dering's brothers as our new heroes. We got awesome ladies in this one, lets give the guys a chance now :33
January 27, 2022
Something was missing in this book. I think it was the way Gavin started off already in love with Felicity from the first, as they were childhood friends. Because he was already in love, there wasn’t really room for any further love development. It would have been better if the author expanded on how much time they spent together when they were young and elaborated on why Gavin fell for her.
I also felt they did not spend enough time together for me to believe that Felicity actually fell back in love with him. The romance development and love between them was missing. The pacing was also slow. I was feeling neutral towards the both of them, the scales maybe tipping over a little to Gavin because he had humor and they both had bantering.
It was a nice book to pass the time but it didn’t enthrall me, had me engrossed in the book or made me want to know what happened next. It was just average.
I also felt they did not spend enough time together for me to believe that Felicity actually fell back in love with him. The romance development and love between them was missing. The pacing was also slow. I was feeling neutral towards the both of them, the scales maybe tipping over a little to Gavin because he had humor and they both had bantering.
It was a nice book to pass the time but it didn’t enthrall me, had me engrossed in the book or made me want to know what happened next. It was just average.
June 26, 2020
Well I’ve been putting off reading this because it was my last Knightley book in the historical realm and the last book in what has been a delightful series. (Knightley is moving into women’s fiction)
This book started a little slow but I think it was more my fault. I was horribly unsympathetic to what the heroine was going through and I kept thinking how could she be so oblivious to the hero’s feelings? But then I started to change my mind and heart. And the book clicked into place. It was quite a journey for both characters and they were surrounded by the people from the previous books. Knightley did a great job capturing the camaraderie between friends and she also did a beautiful job showing the gradual shift of friends to lovers.
For those unfamiliar with Knightley, this is a clean romance but it does have some nice kissing scenes. While this story could stand alone, it’s worth it to
Read the other books in the series.
Overall, I found this to be a great emotional journey. It was refreshing to have a heroine finding a new love after deeply loving her first husband who died too young (it always seems like widowed heroines has terrible husbands first). The pacing was good, the emotional development was excellent, and the ending stuck just the right note.
This book started a little slow but I think it was more my fault. I was horribly unsympathetic to what the heroine was going through and I kept thinking how could she be so oblivious to the hero’s feelings? But then I started to change my mind and heart. And the book clicked into place. It was quite a journey for both characters and they were surrounded by the people from the previous books. Knightley did a great job capturing the camaraderie between friends and she also did a beautiful job showing the gradual shift of friends to lovers.
For those unfamiliar with Knightley, this is a clean romance but it does have some nice kissing scenes. While this story could stand alone, it’s worth it to
Read the other books in the series.
Overall, I found this to be a great emotional journey. It was refreshing to have a heroine finding a new love after deeply loving her first husband who died too young (it always seems like widowed heroines has terrible husbands first). The pacing was good, the emotional development was excellent, and the ending stuck just the right note.
April 18, 2016
I was really looking forward to this book because Dering was such a darling in his previous Prelude appearances and I wanted to read his story. Sadly, this book was a bit of a disappointment, at least the first half of it was.
I tend to love pining heroes and heroines and I know for a fact that Erin Knightley can write that trope well, with The Earl I Adore being a prime example. But I really didn’t like how Dering treated Felicity in the beginning. I understand the pain that unrequited love undoubtedly brings, but it wasn’t her fault that she fell in love and married someone other than him. I’ll admit that Felicity’s obliviousness regarding Dering’s obvious affection for her was grating at times, but how was she to know that what he felt for her went beyond the realms of friendship when he never bothered to tell her? So while I wanted to shake some sense into them both multiple times, the conflict of ‘should he tell her, should he not’ was effective up to a point. I just didn’t like how some of Dering’s internal ire of the situation was directed at Felicity.
However once Dering realized, ‘Hey, I should stop being a selfish prick and give my grieving friend the respect and support she needs and deserves’, the story picked up beautifully. Felicity’s own journey from mourning and loss to learning to live again, all while balancing the responsibilities of motherhood (why wasn’t little Isabella in the story more???) with that of her own personal happiness was so well done in my opinion. And I liked that her love for Dering wasn’t instantaneous but instead progressed naturally, over time. Dering in turn fell in love with the woman Felicity had become, not the girl she had been; this difference and growth was very important.
The appearances from the whole Prelude gang made for wonderful additions and it was so good to hear from all the happy marrieds again. And that epilogue was beyond feels inducing. I hope now that there will be books for Dering’s younger brothers and for Felicity’s brother Thomas at some point in the future.
I tend to love pining heroes and heroines and I know for a fact that Erin Knightley can write that trope well, with The Earl I Adore being a prime example. But I really didn’t like how Dering treated Felicity in the beginning. I understand the pain that unrequited love undoubtedly brings, but it wasn’t her fault that she fell in love and married someone other than him. I’ll admit that Felicity’s obliviousness regarding Dering’s obvious affection for her was grating at times, but how was she to know that what he felt for her went beyond the realms of friendship when he never bothered to tell her? So while I wanted to shake some sense into them both multiple times, the conflict of ‘should he tell her, should he not’ was effective up to a point. I just didn’t like how some of Dering’s internal ire of the situation was directed at Felicity.
However once Dering realized, ‘Hey, I should stop being a selfish prick and give my grieving friend the respect and support she needs and deserves’, the story picked up beautifully. Felicity’s own journey from mourning and loss to learning to live again, all while balancing the responsibilities of motherhood (why wasn’t little Isabella in the story more???) with that of her own personal happiness was so well done in my opinion. And I liked that her love for Dering wasn’t instantaneous but instead progressed naturally, over time. Dering in turn fell in love with the woman Felicity had become, not the girl she had been; this difference and growth was very important.
The appearances from the whole Prelude gang made for wonderful additions and it was so good to hear from all the happy marrieds again. And that epilogue was beyond feels inducing. I hope now that there will be books for Dering’s younger brothers and for Felicity’s brother Thomas at some point in the future.
eventual-reviews
July 20, 201612/22 I'm going in! I'm so excited :D Pre-order is up: http://amzn.to/1Jtadtq
10/9 omg such a gorgeous cover! Can't wait to dive into this one :)
Reviewing for herding cats & burning soup.
10/9 omg such a gorgeous cover! Can't wait to dive into this one :)
Reviewing for herding cats & burning soup.
January 6, 2016
Ms. Knightly brings us an emotional story of unrequited love and the power of friendship that lasts for years. The fourth book in the series tears at your heart as Dering and Felicity meet again after many years of happiness and a recent tragedy, to find love.
Gavin Stark is the Viscount of Derington; he lives in Bath and enjoys surrounding himself with people, the more the merrier. He has never married but was once in love and before he could tell her how he felt she married another, he was devastated. In the ten years since, he has not seen Felicity and each time she visited, he was always conveniently away, that is until now when she accompanies her good friend and sister-in-law Charity to the second annual Summer Serenade in Somerset.
Lady Felicity Danby (Lady Cadgwith) is a widow who has been in mourning for 18 months; she was married for eight years to a man she loved very much but is ready to start living again and feels a return to Bath is a good start. She travels with her daughter Bella who 16 months old, the image of her father who never met her.
She is excited to see Dering again; she has missed her best friend and was hurt when he cut off communication when she married. He unfortunately is not as happy to see her at first, preferring to keep their relationship as it has been, but with the festivities and various circumstances they are thrown together. They start to remember what their friendship meant and begin to treasure it again.
I have read all the books in this series and have enjoyed them for their character development, intriguing plots and the romance. This book brings all the previous couples together with the chance of revisiting the Serenade and catching up with friends and relations, and although this is the fourth book, the author keeps new and returning readers up to date.
I like Felicity, she is relatively happy in her life and was married to her true love and even though he is gone, she has a wonderful daughter, she is not really thinking of marrying again. But I felt so sorry for Dering, I wanted her to see him and immediately realize what she had missed for all those years, unfortunately she did not and I had to be OK with it, or stop reading. Yet the author actually did an exceptional job of keeping my interest and anticipation up for the ending and the HEA, however there were tears.
I loved Dering; he was heartbroken years ago but has put that behind him and treasures his time with friends, many friends. You can tell that this is his way to cope with the loss, filling up all his free time that otherwise would be spent thinking of the past. When he sees Felicity again he believes his feelings are of friendship only; however he realizes he never stopped loving her.
I enjoyed the two together, they pick up their friendship as though time has stood still, competing on the billiards table and at cards, but things have changed and this time he wants her to know how he feels, but oh the heartache as she realizes how long he has loved her. I especially felt for him when she did not want to dance with anyone, marring her last memories of her husband. Although the chemistry between them is apparent, she is not ready for more yet and the tug at your heart is strong.
The pace is quiet as these two renew their friendship and move to deeper feelings. I like how things develop and I enjoyed re-visiting previous characters to see how their lives are progressing and how they find joy in spending time together with friends, including the birthday party for Dering featuring “feats of strength” the men performed to show off. This is a well written historical romance with warmth and heart.
Review at: Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind
Copy from the publisher for an honest review
Gavin Stark is the Viscount of Derington; he lives in Bath and enjoys surrounding himself with people, the more the merrier. He has never married but was once in love and before he could tell her how he felt she married another, he was devastated. In the ten years since, he has not seen Felicity and each time she visited, he was always conveniently away, that is until now when she accompanies her good friend and sister-in-law Charity to the second annual Summer Serenade in Somerset.
Lady Felicity Danby (Lady Cadgwith) is a widow who has been in mourning for 18 months; she was married for eight years to a man she loved very much but is ready to start living again and feels a return to Bath is a good start. She travels with her daughter Bella who 16 months old, the image of her father who never met her.
She is excited to see Dering again; she has missed her best friend and was hurt when he cut off communication when she married. He unfortunately is not as happy to see her at first, preferring to keep their relationship as it has been, but with the festivities and various circumstances they are thrown together. They start to remember what their friendship meant and begin to treasure it again.
I have read all the books in this series and have enjoyed them for their character development, intriguing plots and the romance. This book brings all the previous couples together with the chance of revisiting the Serenade and catching up with friends and relations, and although this is the fourth book, the author keeps new and returning readers up to date.
I like Felicity, she is relatively happy in her life and was married to her true love and even though he is gone, she has a wonderful daughter, she is not really thinking of marrying again. But I felt so sorry for Dering, I wanted her to see him and immediately realize what she had missed for all those years, unfortunately she did not and I had to be OK with it, or stop reading. Yet the author actually did an exceptional job of keeping my interest and anticipation up for the ending and the HEA, however there were tears.
I loved Dering; he was heartbroken years ago but has put that behind him and treasures his time with friends, many friends. You can tell that this is his way to cope with the loss, filling up all his free time that otherwise would be spent thinking of the past. When he sees Felicity again he believes his feelings are of friendship only; however he realizes he never stopped loving her.
I enjoyed the two together, they pick up their friendship as though time has stood still, competing on the billiards table and at cards, but things have changed and this time he wants her to know how he feels, but oh the heartache as she realizes how long he has loved her. I especially felt for him when she did not want to dance with anyone, marring her last memories of her husband. Although the chemistry between them is apparent, she is not ready for more yet and the tug at your heart is strong.
The pace is quiet as these two renew their friendship and move to deeper feelings. I like how things develop and I enjoyed re-visiting previous characters to see how their lives are progressing and how they find joy in spending time together with friends, including the birthday party for Dering featuring “feats of strength” the men performed to show off. This is a well written historical romance with warmth and heart.
Review at: Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind
Copy from the publisher for an honest review
December 22, 2015
Original review located
THE VISCOUNT RISKS IT ALL: Lose Time, Gain Experience
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
Erin Knightley’s THE VISCOUNT RISKS IT ALL is story about how people can learn to find their way back to happiness after tragedy.
When I was much younger, I just fell out of love with someone like a light switch turning off. When I broke up with him, he was really angry (as nasty letters from him showed) and I thought he never really got his life back on track. Perhaps it is some sort of narcissistic tendency, but I always felt somewhat responsible. Later in life my husband and I were tenuous friends with this man, but right now I don’t know where he is. This story reminded me of him and told about the influence one person can have on another and how we all need to treat each other with care.
It has a happier ending than the story of my old relationship.
While this story offers a lot of sexual tension there is no sex, so it is a good choice for someone who prefers clean romance, or as a “mental palate cleanser” between more torrid tomes. It is pretty close to chaste.
Quite a lot of time is spent in developing relationships according to the customs of the time. It offers a lot of detail, and that is fun. I love reading about a time when merely touching a woman’s ungloved hand was “sweet torture.”
It’s hard to imagine how Felicity, with a sick, and then dead, mother and a very cold, unaffectionate father was able to become such a lovely person. And then with her young widowhood, aftre so much trauma, in an area where she had no family, it is easy to understand how she would have become such a recluse. Gavin’s ebullient, fun, party-boy personality is easier to understand, he stuffs unhappy emotions and distance into the short-lived type of interactions. It’s also unusual in the genre as the men are usually “Ugh, the Ton,” and seem, always to dislike parties.
And Gavin, in particular seems very introspective. Felicity, a little less so as her life, has recently become so bleak and easier not to examine. I wonder if that is a function of having less media distraction (or, in fact, NO media distraction).
The book read a little slowly for me, and I attribute it to my recent traveling, and the things I need to do that do not allow me to read; I am listening to books more now than I ever have. It may also be attributable to the lack of sex in the book. Lacking sex, and any real action other than running through the woods, the book did not get my heart pumping and hands turning the pages.
But, it is nicely done.
As these friends work a convoluted route back to each other, it could be easy to dwell on the time they lost and the man she lost, but I think the characters can look on it more as a way to gain life experience so their childhood friendship can develop into something more mature. Both characters experience the tragedy of lost love, which makes finding new love more cherished.
I highly recommend this one!
THE VISCOUNT RISKS IT ALL: Lose Time, Gain Experience
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
Erin Knightley’s THE VISCOUNT RISKS IT ALL is story about how people can learn to find their way back to happiness after tragedy.
When I was much younger, I just fell out of love with someone like a light switch turning off. When I broke up with him, he was really angry (as nasty letters from him showed) and I thought he never really got his life back on track. Perhaps it is some sort of narcissistic tendency, but I always felt somewhat responsible. Later in life my husband and I were tenuous friends with this man, but right now I don’t know where he is. This story reminded me of him and told about the influence one person can have on another and how we all need to treat each other with care.
It has a happier ending than the story of my old relationship.
While this story offers a lot of sexual tension there is no sex, so it is a good choice for someone who prefers clean romance, or as a “mental palate cleanser” between more torrid tomes. It is pretty close to chaste.
Quite a lot of time is spent in developing relationships according to the customs of the time. It offers a lot of detail, and that is fun. I love reading about a time when merely touching a woman’s ungloved hand was “sweet torture.”
It’s hard to imagine how Felicity, with a sick, and then dead, mother and a very cold, unaffectionate father was able to become such a lovely person. And then with her young widowhood, aftre so much trauma, in an area where she had no family, it is easy to understand how she would have become such a recluse. Gavin’s ebullient, fun, party-boy personality is easier to understand, he stuffs unhappy emotions and distance into the short-lived type of interactions. It’s also unusual in the genre as the men are usually “Ugh, the Ton,” and seem, always to dislike parties.
And Gavin, in particular seems very introspective. Felicity, a little less so as her life, has recently become so bleak and easier not to examine. I wonder if that is a function of having less media distraction (or, in fact, NO media distraction).
The book read a little slowly for me, and I attribute it to my recent traveling, and the things I need to do that do not allow me to read; I am listening to books more now than I ever have. It may also be attributable to the lack of sex in the book. Lacking sex, and any real action other than running through the woods, the book did not get my heart pumping and hands turning the pages.
But, it is nicely done.
As these friends work a convoluted route back to each other, it could be easy to dwell on the time they lost and the man she lost, but I think the characters can look on it more as a way to gain life experience so their childhood friendship can develop into something more mature. Both characters experience the tragedy of lost love, which makes finding new love more cherished.
I highly recommend this one!
April 28, 2016
CAUTION MILD SPOILERS
I'm a bit unsure of how to rate this book. On one hand, I enjoyed reading it. The writing was good. I liked the secondary characters. I loved the teasing and banter between the main and secondary characters. You could tell they were having fun in the book and in turn, the reader had fun reading it.
But the one thing I didn't enjoy, and it's a big one for me, was the romance. When I'm reading a romance novel, I want to be left believing in the overwhelming love between the hero and the heroine. I did feel an overwhelming love the heroine had, but it wasn't for the hero, it was for her dead husband.
I felt the romance was kind of pushed on us instead of happening naturally. In one chapter Felicity thinks Gavin is just a good friend, then the next she realizes the big attraction between them. No real build up, just a quick realization.
Then towards the end, two chapters from the last one, Felicity thinks: She cared for Gavin—deeply, in fact—and considered him to be one of her most cherished friends, but what they had wasn’t love. It couldn’t be. She knew what love felt like, and whatever it was between them was nothing like that. Then in the next chapter, he reveals his love, she runs away and the last chapter she realizes she's desperately in love with him. And I just didn't feel it.
I don't doubt she loves Gavin. I just don't think she loves him enough. She doesn't love him with the same passion she loved Ian. Ian is her greatest love, not Gavin. And that's a problem for me.
I loved Gavin. I thought he was great despite a few bumps at the beginning. He loved Felicity with everything he had and she unknowingly broke his heart. It wasn't her fault, she didn't know and you can't help who you fall in love with. But I thought he deserved better, more. He deserved someone to love him with the same intensity he loved Felicity. I found myself wanting him to sail off to India and find his great love.
I'm a bit unsure of how to rate this book. On one hand, I enjoyed reading it. The writing was good. I liked the secondary characters. I loved the teasing and banter between the main and secondary characters. You could tell they were having fun in the book and in turn, the reader had fun reading it.
But the one thing I didn't enjoy, and it's a big one for me, was the romance. When I'm reading a romance novel, I want to be left believing in the overwhelming love between the hero and the heroine. I did feel an overwhelming love the heroine had, but it wasn't for the hero, it was for her dead husband.
I felt the romance was kind of pushed on us instead of happening naturally. In one chapter Felicity thinks Gavin is just a good friend, then the next she realizes the big attraction between them. No real build up, just a quick realization.
Then towards the end, two chapters from the last one, Felicity thinks: She cared for Gavin—deeply, in fact—and considered him to be one of her most cherished friends, but what they had wasn’t love. It couldn’t be. She knew what love felt like, and whatever it was between them was nothing like that. Then in the next chapter, he reveals his love, she runs away and the last chapter she realizes she's desperately in love with him. And I just didn't feel it.
I don't doubt she loves Gavin. I just don't think she loves him enough. She doesn't love him with the same passion she loved Ian. Ian is her greatest love, not Gavin. And that's a problem for me.
I loved Gavin. I thought he was great despite a few bumps at the beginning. He loved Felicity with everything he had and she unknowingly broke his heart. It wasn't her fault, she didn't know and you can't help who you fall in love with. But I thought he deserved better, more. He deserved someone to love him with the same intensity he loved Felicity. I found myself wanting him to sail off to India and find his great love.
Want to read
July 27, 2016No idea what this book is about or who Erin Knightley is
but I appreciate the old school -esque cover
tempted to read it just for that
hopefully these covers are making a comeback
but I appreciate the old school -esque cover
tempted to read it just for that
hopefully these covers are making a comeback
September 20, 2023
After reading all the books in the series, I was really looking forward to reading Gavin's story because he was always such a kind friend to the previous books' Heroes and protective over the previous books' heroines. With his powerful build and staggering height, I felt Gavin would make a perfect Hero for his own story. I was right!
Gavin was very sweet and romantic. I felt sad for him for not having his love for Felicity reciprocated. I completely understood why he kept away from her after she got married. I think the idea of seeing someone you love with all your heart happily married to their loved one would be too painful beyond repair. I loved it that even though all he wanted was to get a second chance at winning Felicity, he didn't push it too hard. He even took a step back and contemplated whether it would be good for him to fall for her again after she inadvertently broke his heart by falling in love with someone else. And once he realised that he was being selfish at trying hard to get her to fall in love with him when he should be trying to help her heal from the grief of losing her husband, he immediately stopped and just focused on being a good friend to her.
I liked it that the author didn't make him fall in love with Felicity's daughter, Isabella, right away. I mean, he was in love with Felicity for half his life and he was badly heartbroken when she married someone else. So the reminder of Felicity's first marriage in the form of her baby daughter was of course a bit difficult for him to simply be happy with. However, when he did eventually come to love the baby, I felt it happened too fast. He only carried her once or twice and already loved her.
I liked Felicity, but I didn't love her as much as I loved Gavin. Though I understood how difficult it was for Felicity to move on from losing her beloved husband, I felt like she loved her late husband way more than she loved Gavin. I wasn't really convinced that she loved Gavin that much even when she publicly declared her love for him at the end. I just felt like she settled for him. Like he was second best and that made me feel bad for Gavin.
I also didn't quite like it that both Gavin and Felicity weren't thinking of marriage between them at all even after sharing kisses. They kept saying "let's enjoy our time together". And I kept thinking "why is it so hard for them to think of marrying each other? It makes perfect sense to me. They're both single and they're best friends, and oh let's not forget how they are so very attracted to each other!!"
All in all, I still enjoyed reading this book. I loved having all the couples from the previous books come back and how they all joked and teased one another during the picnic scene. I also loved the card game scene with Thomas and Hugh losing the game to Felicity and Gavin. It was funny!
Gavin was very sweet and romantic. I felt sad for him for not having his love for Felicity reciprocated. I completely understood why he kept away from her after she got married. I think the idea of seeing someone you love with all your heart happily married to their loved one would be too painful beyond repair. I loved it that even though all he wanted was to get a second chance at winning Felicity, he didn't push it too hard. He even took a step back and contemplated whether it would be good for him to fall for her again after she inadvertently broke his heart by falling in love with someone else. And once he realised that he was being selfish at trying hard to get her to fall in love with him when he should be trying to help her heal from the grief of losing her husband, he immediately stopped and just focused on being a good friend to her.
I liked it that the author didn't make him fall in love with Felicity's daughter, Isabella, right away. I mean, he was in love with Felicity for half his life and he was badly heartbroken when she married someone else. So the reminder of Felicity's first marriage in the form of her baby daughter was of course a bit difficult for him to simply be happy with. However, when he did eventually come to love the baby, I felt it happened too fast. He only carried her once or twice and already loved her.
I liked Felicity, but I didn't love her as much as I loved Gavin. Though I understood how difficult it was for Felicity to move on from losing her beloved husband, I felt like she loved her late husband way more than she loved Gavin. I wasn't really convinced that she loved Gavin that much even when she publicly declared her love for him at the end. I just felt like she settled for him. Like he was second best and that made me feel bad for Gavin.
I also didn't quite like it that both Gavin and Felicity weren't thinking of marriage between them at all even after sharing kisses. They kept saying "let's enjoy our time together". And I kept thinking "why is it so hard for them to think of marrying each other? It makes perfect sense to me. They're both single and they're best friends, and oh let's not forget how they are so very attracted to each other!!"
All in all, I still enjoyed reading this book. I loved having all the couples from the previous books come back and how they all joked and teased one another during the picnic scene. I also loved the card game scene with Thomas and Hugh losing the game to Felicity and Gavin. It was funny!
November 1, 2016
Compared to the last novel that I had read from Knightley, the author, this story was a large improvement and yet I still feel like the romance was not as sturdy as I was hoping for. The romance itself seems to be a common missed trait among historical-romances this year and Knightley is not an exception to the lacking of the romance. However I do want to point that I love the plots that the authors selects for her stories. The plots themselves are always enriched with vibrate details and I usually find quite the adventured buried within the stories.
To focus more on the positives of the book the writing was very good. It was entertaining, flowed easy and maintained my interest. I usually enjoy old friends reuniting from the past and then falling in love with one another. I hadn't witnessed this plot in a historical-romance before now and it was quite refreshing.
As I previously, but briefly mentioned about the romance this story was not as fairy tale-like that I expected it to be. Instead the romance was a little dry. I felt like the romance was pushed onto the reader rather than allowing the chemistry between the characters to flow. So the romance did not work at all for me in this story.
-Copyrights of this review belong to Night Owl Reviews. To read more of my review please click on the link that has been provided.
https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
To focus more on the positives of the book the writing was very good. It was entertaining, flowed easy and maintained my interest. I usually enjoy old friends reuniting from the past and then falling in love with one another. I hadn't witnessed this plot in a historical-romance before now and it was quite refreshing.
As I previously, but briefly mentioned about the romance this story was not as fairy tale-like that I expected it to be. Instead the romance was a little dry. I felt like the romance was pushed onto the reader rather than allowing the chemistry between the characters to flow. So the romance did not work at all for me in this story.
-Copyrights of this review belong to Night Owl Reviews. To read more of my review please click on the link that has been provided.
https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
August 20, 2018
This was a very slow moving tale of Viscount Derington and Felicity, Dowager Duchess of Cadgwith. It took me a while to get through it. I was hoping for some mention and conclusion to the other three previous romances. No babies born to Sophie, Charity, or May yet. Felicity is wracked by guilt of her dead husband's memory and seems devoted to mourning; and Viscount is surprisingly tongue tied all the time but snippy whenver anyone mentions Felicity. The conclusion isn't that interesting and was glad to see the book end.
January 6, 2016
Rating: 3.3
Sensuality: kisses only
Sensuality: kisses only
October 21, 2017
I spent too much of my childhood reading the Harlequin Historicals where they have sex on page 180 of a 275 page book. I didn't realize this was going to be sex-free. Also lots of anachronistic speech and not much action, even, like, social interactions. Kinda meh.
October 12, 2021
Everyone's friend Viscount Derington has only loved one woman and it is his childhood Felicity. Felicity happens to be his friend Charity's new husband's widowed sister-in-law. He hasn't seen her in 10 years but still has feelings for her.
January 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this romance and their journey to discover true love. A great read.
June 18, 2021
Love me a childhood friends to lovers trope plus a baby thrown in. But there were some slow parts and some missing twists in the plotline.
Read
March 10, 20225/16/16
January 5, 2024
⛔️(in notes)
December 12, 2021
Soo much one sided love here once again.... as in the second book of this series...
Which i didnt like (the one sided love) and seemed kinda toxic... and then so many situations and kisses before there was even mutual mariage interest... which would absolutely not be okay in that period... and ruin them both (some more kisses is something i like about erin knightley's books (because it makes the book feel more alive) but here it was just unbelievable... and no more period realistic)
is there to be a book about thomas? plleeeeaase? pretty please?
Which i didnt like (the one sided love) and seemed kinda toxic... and then so many situations and kisses before there was even mutual mariage interest... which would absolutely not be okay in that period... and ruin them both (some more kisses is something i like about erin knightley's books (because it makes the book feel more alive) but here it was just unbelievable... and no more period realistic)
is there to be a book about thomas? plleeeeaase? pretty please?
December 17, 2017
Knightley is as charming as ever. Love this series.
December 31, 2019
TheViscountRisksItAll (Book 4) Jumping back to a character we met in Book 1 of the Prelude to a Kiss Series, we finally learn Felicity’s ending. Gavin is a love-able hero with the classic case of FOMO. Determined to not miss a second chance at love, these two childhood friends find happiness together. 4/5
January 18, 2017
An unrequited love took a decade to come around.
January 7, 2016
http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...
The Viscount Risks it All
Prelude To a Kiss, Book #4
By Erin Knightley
ISBN: 9780451473660
Author Website: www.erinknightley.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Una
Synopsis:
From the bestselling author of The Duke Can Go to the Devil, comes a new novel about destiny, and taking a risk on a second chance at love…
Gavin Stark, Viscount Derington, learned his lesson when his childhood love was swept off her feet by another man before Dering could declare himself. Ever since, he has lived a life of no regrets—reaching for what he wants while never again allowing himself to lose his heart. If the experience taught him anything, it was never to risk what he wasn’t willing to lose.
Lady Felicity Danby had everything she ever wanted in life until the moment her husband died, turning her world upside down. A year and a half later, she is finally ready to return to Bath to spend the summer visiting family. She finds comfort in her old childhood friend, but is taken off guard when passion begins to simmer between them. She’s already lost everything once—can she possibly risk her heart a second time?
Review:
This is a delightful story of two people who were destined to be together in their youth but because of circumstance never connected. Erin Knightley really knows how to engage her reader into historical fiction. Easily you can immerse yourself into the setting and characters.
Felicity comes to Bath still in the throes of Grief after losing her husband .She really hopes to meet up with her old childhood friend Gavin who she spent many happy times with. What she doesn’t know is that Gavin had wanted to marry her in the past and was heartbroken when she chose another. Reluctant to get involved again he tries to distance himself from Felicity however social engagements keep putting them together. As much as he tries he knows he still feels the same about her however now he will have to see if the feelings are mutual.
Felicity is still very young, a mother, and really doesn’t know if she is ready for another relationship. What she does know is that she gets upset every time she thinks she might lose Gavin.
I loved the way the author allowed the two characters to renew their friendship and get it established before introducing the love connection.
The love between Gavin and Felicity was slow to grow but the reader knew that what they had developed would be long lasting. I found it interesting that even with Gavin in her life Felicity did not forget where she came from before and the life she had there.
The story is easy to read and is good material to curl up with as the days become shorter and cooler and I know I will look forward to other historical fiction by Erin Knightley.
The Viscount Risks it All
Prelude To a Kiss, Book #4
By Erin Knightley
ISBN: 9780451473660
Author Website: www.erinknightley.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Una
Synopsis:
From the bestselling author of The Duke Can Go to the Devil, comes a new novel about destiny, and taking a risk on a second chance at love…
Gavin Stark, Viscount Derington, learned his lesson when his childhood love was swept off her feet by another man before Dering could declare himself. Ever since, he has lived a life of no regrets—reaching for what he wants while never again allowing himself to lose his heart. If the experience taught him anything, it was never to risk what he wasn’t willing to lose.
Lady Felicity Danby had everything she ever wanted in life until the moment her husband died, turning her world upside down. A year and a half later, she is finally ready to return to Bath to spend the summer visiting family. She finds comfort in her old childhood friend, but is taken off guard when passion begins to simmer between them. She’s already lost everything once—can she possibly risk her heart a second time?
Review:
This is a delightful story of two people who were destined to be together in their youth but because of circumstance never connected. Erin Knightley really knows how to engage her reader into historical fiction. Easily you can immerse yourself into the setting and characters.
Felicity comes to Bath still in the throes of Grief after losing her husband .She really hopes to meet up with her old childhood friend Gavin who she spent many happy times with. What she doesn’t know is that Gavin had wanted to marry her in the past and was heartbroken when she chose another. Reluctant to get involved again he tries to distance himself from Felicity however social engagements keep putting them together. As much as he tries he knows he still feels the same about her however now he will have to see if the feelings are mutual.
Felicity is still very young, a mother, and really doesn’t know if she is ready for another relationship. What she does know is that she gets upset every time she thinks she might lose Gavin.
I loved the way the author allowed the two characters to renew their friendship and get it established before introducing the love connection.
The love between Gavin and Felicity was slow to grow but the reader knew that what they had developed would be long lasting. I found it interesting that even with Gavin in her life Felicity did not forget where she came from before and the life she had there.
The story is easy to read and is good material to curl up with as the days become shorter and cooler and I know I will look forward to other historical fiction by Erin Knightley.
October 19, 2018
Originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspo...
The Viscount Risks It All was a struggle for me. I was excited to read it because I love Erin Knightley's books, but after reading the excerpt and learning it was about a widow, I wasn't looking as forward to it. I have nothing against widow situations, but I've noticed I don't tend to get into the stories as much. Perhaps its because I struggle to connect with the widow. I can't truly understand what they're going through.
Gavin Stark has been in love with Felicity since he was 15. On the night he finally has the courage to tell her of his feelings, he discovers she's fallen for someone else and is already engaged. Devastated, Gavin learns that he doesn't want to risk heartbreak again. When he sees Felicity again unexpectedly, it brings up a lot of old feelings and he is torn between loving her again and losing her again.
Felicity is struggling the loss of her husband who passed about a year and a half before. She is trying to re-enter society and thinks that the music festival in Bath will be easier than the full on Season. Felicity is excited to see Gavin again after so many years apart and minimal correspondence.
Gavin fights his feelings growing back throughout the festival, but he also can't keep away from his former best friend. She never knew of his old feelings, and is just excited to have her friend back. I couldn't stand the entire situation. I just don't feel like Felicity deserves Gavin. He lodged himself in my heart, and the heartbreak he felt at the beginning and the struggle he goes through the second time, makes me hate her.
Erin Knightley always promises a Happily Ever After and that was pulling me to the end of this book. Though I will worn you it was so long in coming, you'll wonder if it is going to happen. The plot was so much darker than her previous books, but so well written. I really felt like Erin delved deep to try to understand what her characters would truly feel. I honestly think this is her best writing. I just could not stand the content.
I feel like the reasons I disliked this book are just personal preference with story lines. I was needing something a little lighter and brighter, which is what I usually depend on from Erin Knightley. I think this was a story that needed to be told, but it just wasn't for me. It will be the kind of story that will be loved by a select audience that understands these feelings better than me.
**ARC provided by Publisher**
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspo...
The Viscount Risks It All was a struggle for me. I was excited to read it because I love Erin Knightley's books, but after reading the excerpt and learning it was about a widow, I wasn't looking as forward to it. I have nothing against widow situations, but I've noticed I don't tend to get into the stories as much. Perhaps its because I struggle to connect with the widow. I can't truly understand what they're going through.
Gavin Stark has been in love with Felicity since he was 15. On the night he finally has the courage to tell her of his feelings, he discovers she's fallen for someone else and is already engaged. Devastated, Gavin learns that he doesn't want to risk heartbreak again. When he sees Felicity again unexpectedly, it brings up a lot of old feelings and he is torn between loving her again and losing her again.
Felicity is struggling the loss of her husband who passed about a year and a half before. She is trying to re-enter society and thinks that the music festival in Bath will be easier than the full on Season. Felicity is excited to see Gavin again after so many years apart and minimal correspondence.
Gavin fights his feelings growing back throughout the festival, but he also can't keep away from his former best friend. She never knew of his old feelings, and is just excited to have her friend back. I couldn't stand the entire situation. I just don't feel like Felicity deserves Gavin. He lodged himself in my heart, and the heartbreak he felt at the beginning and the struggle he goes through the second time, makes me hate her.
Erin Knightley always promises a Happily Ever After and that was pulling me to the end of this book. Though I will worn you it was so long in coming, you'll wonder if it is going to happen. The plot was so much darker than her previous books, but so well written. I really felt like Erin delved deep to try to understand what her characters would truly feel. I honestly think this is her best writing. I just could not stand the content.
I feel like the reasons I disliked this book are just personal preference with story lines. I was needing something a little lighter and brighter, which is what I usually depend on from Erin Knightley. I think this was a story that needed to be told, but it just wasn't for me. It will be the kind of story that will be loved by a select audience that understands these feelings better than me.
**ARC provided by Publisher**
January 5, 2016
Never have I felt so much for a broken-hearted hero. Gavin and Felicity were childhood best friends; Gavin knew when he was fifteen that he was in love with Felicity, and when they reached the age of twenty, he decided the day had come to propose to Felicity. Unfortunately, it was the same day that she told him she was getting married. Gavin’s heart broke, and so did mine. Ten years later Felicity, a widow for eighteen months, returns to her hometown with her small daughter. Gavin has never forgotten her, and he is stunned speechless when he sees her at a soirée. Although, he wants to get married, he is not looking for love because he’s still hurting.
I will admit to feeling a bit conflicted about this romance until the last thirty or so pages of the book, not because the ending is rushed, but because of the author’s perceptiveness and dedication to authenticity. Ms. Knightley provides a tremendous insight into love lost, whether it be about Felicity, who had deeply loved her husband, or Gavin’s broken heart. The author conveys sentiments and emotions in such a way that I felt Felicity’s melancholy, I felt her emptiness; her heart still has no room for another man, even though she’s making efforts to live again. Gavin, at first, tries to avoid Felicity, but they were such good friends, and he cannot stand to see her so sad; if nothing else, he endeavours to bring her some happiness, to make her smile again. And when Gavin decides to win over Felicity, is where the story becomes positively heart-wrenching, and where the author’s amazing writing skills make this story so different from the norm. I had felt Gavin’s passion for Felicity from the beginning as strongly as her grief, but I could not sense she had come to love Gavin with as much ardour; it was a difficult romance for me, until those very last pages where the author’s masterful and realistic portrayal of true love hit me, and hit me hard. All this without cloying plot twists, but in a subtle, realistic, and brilliant grasp of what real love is.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I will admit to feeling a bit conflicted about this romance until the last thirty or so pages of the book, not because the ending is rushed, but because of the author’s perceptiveness and dedication to authenticity. Ms. Knightley provides a tremendous insight into love lost, whether it be about Felicity, who had deeply loved her husband, or Gavin’s broken heart. The author conveys sentiments and emotions in such a way that I felt Felicity’s melancholy, I felt her emptiness; her heart still has no room for another man, even though she’s making efforts to live again. Gavin, at first, tries to avoid Felicity, but they were such good friends, and he cannot stand to see her so sad; if nothing else, he endeavours to bring her some happiness, to make her smile again. And when Gavin decides to win over Felicity, is where the story becomes positively heart-wrenching, and where the author’s amazing writing skills make this story so different from the norm. I had felt Gavin’s passion for Felicity from the beginning as strongly as her grief, but I could not sense she had come to love Gavin with as much ardour; it was a difficult romance for me, until those very last pages where the author’s masterful and realistic portrayal of true love hit me, and hit me hard. All this without cloying plot twists, but in a subtle, realistic, and brilliant grasp of what real love is.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2016
Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
In the final book in the Prelude to a Kiss series, Erin Knightley explores the idea of a second love, and works her way around a potentially incurable case of Nice Guy in the hero.
Ten years ago, Gavin Stark (a Family Stark that’s got less bad luck and more political acumen than the Winterfell Starks) was about to declare himself to his best friend and object of his affection Lady Felicity, but before he could, she announced her engagement. Now she’s been widowed for a year and a half, and has just come out of mourning, and after ten years of avoiding her, they’re suddenly thrown into each other’s social spheres and have to deal with each other.
Often when either the hero or the heroine has been married before, the marriage was one of convenience, or arranged, or usually not a loving one. Even if it was based on a love match initially, it will often reduce into a troubled marriage before the spare partner dies (for example, Caroline Linden’s A Rake’s Guide to Seduction). In this case, Felicity and Ian were deeply in love and had a good marriage until he died (while she was pregnant with their only child).
Knightley does a lot of emotional tension, but on a scale of 1 to Bertrice Small, there’s no actual sex, and barely any tightening of Gavin’s groin. (She described her books on a panel at RT as being not hot at all, meaning they are very, very clean). The trick is, if you’re not going turn up the heat on the physical tension, you best stick the landing on the emotional. (She does.)
What I like about Knightley is she weaves Serious Business plot threads around a fairly light frame: the music festival and Gavin’s ignored torch. There’s some Interfering Parents that show up and are a bit too easily dispensed with, but mostly this is a fine way to end the series.
- Redheadedgirl
In the final book in the Prelude to a Kiss series, Erin Knightley explores the idea of a second love, and works her way around a potentially incurable case of Nice Guy in the hero.
Ten years ago, Gavin Stark (a Family Stark that’s got less bad luck and more political acumen than the Winterfell Starks) was about to declare himself to his best friend and object of his affection Lady Felicity, but before he could, she announced her engagement. Now she’s been widowed for a year and a half, and has just come out of mourning, and after ten years of avoiding her, they’re suddenly thrown into each other’s social spheres and have to deal with each other.
Often when either the hero or the heroine has been married before, the marriage was one of convenience, or arranged, or usually not a loving one. Even if it was based on a love match initially, it will often reduce into a troubled marriage before the spare partner dies (for example, Caroline Linden’s A Rake’s Guide to Seduction). In this case, Felicity and Ian were deeply in love and had a good marriage until he died (while she was pregnant with their only child).
Knightley does a lot of emotional tension, but on a scale of 1 to Bertrice Small, there’s no actual sex, and barely any tightening of Gavin’s groin. (She described her books on a panel at RT as being not hot at all, meaning they are very, very clean). The trick is, if you’re not going turn up the heat on the physical tension, you best stick the landing on the emotional. (She does.)
What I like about Knightley is she weaves Serious Business plot threads around a fairly light frame: the music festival and Gavin’s ignored torch. There’s some Interfering Parents that show up and are a bit too easily dispensed with, but mostly this is a fine way to end the series.
- Redheadedgirl
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