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Widows Club #2
The Kiss
Penrose, Cornwall—September 20th—To Do:
—invite the Dowager Duchess and the other ladies in the club to stay
—prepare for Quinn's arrival
—pretend you haven't loved him . . . forever
He had once been her cherished childhood companion, and then the man she lusted for in secret, but Georgiana Wilde hasn't seen recently widowed Quinn Fortesque since the day he married another woman and shattered her heart. Then fate intervenes and brings the man she dreams about each night back to her . . .
Returning to the estate on family business, Quinn would like nothing more than to turn the land over to Georgiana and leave the memories of his former life behind. But then the brooding marquis finds himself under the spell of the beauty he once left behind. With her barely concealed passions, Georgiana melts his coolly guarded heart. Suddenly his well-ordered world is in danger of crashing down. And it all began with just one kiss . . .
—invite the Dowager Duchess and the other ladies in the club to stay
—prepare for Quinn's arrival
—pretend you haven't loved him . . . forever
He had once been her cherished childhood companion, and then the man she lusted for in secret, but Georgiana Wilde hasn't seen recently widowed Quinn Fortesque since the day he married another woman and shattered her heart. Then fate intervenes and brings the man she dreams about each night back to her . . .
Returning to the estate on family business, Quinn would like nothing more than to turn the land over to Georgiana and leave the memories of his former life behind. But then the brooding marquis finds himself under the spell of the beauty he once left behind. With her barely concealed passions, Georgiana melts his coolly guarded heart. Suddenly his well-ordered world is in danger of crashing down. And it all began with just one kiss . . .
371 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
32 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
About the author
Sophia Nash
17 books269 followersSophia Nash’s novels have won almost two dozen national awards including the prestigious RITA Award and two spots on the American Library Association's “Top Ten Romances of the Year.” Sophia was born in Switzerland, raised in France and the United States, but says her heart resides in Regency England. Her ancestor, an infamous French admiral who traded epic cannon fire with the British Royal Navy, is surely turning in his grave. Before pursuing her long held dream of writing Historicals, Sophia was an award winning television producer for CBS, a congressional speechwriter, and a nonprofit CEO.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 2, 2009
This should have been called "The Pining."
Nash is not a bad writer. Although she pulls some bizarre modern references out every once in a while. At one point a character refers to "cats and dogs living together." Nobody could read that line and not hear Bill Murray's delivery. It's a very bad choice. There were other moments where I felt the language was jarringly anachronistic.
But I can live with that. It's the pining that drives me nuts. You can start with pining and build from there, but you can't just pine through the entire novel. No. It just doesn't work. At one point the heroine thinks how she's in a rut. I'd been thinking that through the previous 80% of the book. And the hero's no better. Pining away for something he ... Just. Can't. Have. It takes a heck of a misunderstanding to keep all that pining going through a whole book, but I guess they're so busing pining they can't be bothered to actually talk to each other with any degree of honesty.
The template Nash uses (based on two novels in the series and one short) is the hero and heroine caring for one another early on, denying themselves for some contrived reason, indulging, then denying themselves some more, then indulging again (or coming close), and then denying themselves, and then, right before the end of the book, coming together for real. It's not my fave template. I prefer the couple to have a few chapters of being together, so we can actually see how the hea is working out -- I assume there will be danger or some outside obstacle -- but what I really don't like is couple not knowing how the other feels until the end. Even the epilogues don't work for these things because they don't fill in enough. For me, anyway.
But now look at me starting the next one in the series anyway. Nash has made me curious about how this one character's HEA is going to work out. Since we saw the post-HEA couple in the short, I feel like I've gotta know. And I'm hoping that, now that my expectations have been sufficiently lowered, maybe I'll really like it.
Nash is not a bad writer. Although she pulls some bizarre modern references out every once in a while. At one point a character refers to "cats and dogs living together." Nobody could read that line and not hear Bill Murray's delivery. It's a very bad choice. There were other moments where I felt the language was jarringly anachronistic.
But I can live with that. It's the pining that drives me nuts. You can start with pining and build from there, but you can't just pine through the entire novel. No. It just doesn't work. At one point the heroine thinks how she's in a rut. I'd been thinking that through the previous 80% of the book. And the hero's no better. Pining away for something he ... Just. Can't. Have. It takes a heck of a misunderstanding to keep all that pining going through a whole book, but I guess they're so busing pining they can't be bothered to actually talk to each other with any degree of honesty.
The template Nash uses (based on two novels in the series and one short) is the hero and heroine caring for one another early on, denying themselves for some contrived reason, indulging, then denying themselves some more, then indulging again (or coming close), and then denying themselves, and then, right before the end of the book, coming together for real. It's not my fave template. I prefer the couple to have a few chapters of being together, so we can actually see how the hea is working out -- I assume there will be danger or some outside obstacle -- but what I really don't like is couple not knowing how the other feels until the end. Even the epilogues don't work for these things because they don't fill in enough. For me, anyway.
But now look at me starting the next one in the series anyway. Nash has made me curious about how this one character's HEA is going to work out. Since we saw the post-HEA couple in the short, I feel like I've gotta know. And I'm hoping that, now that my expectations have been sufficiently lowered, maybe I'll really like it.
November 24, 2010
Overall I'd give the book 2.5 stars, but on the Goodreads rating system I'd round down to 2 stars. The main redeeming factor of the book was its ending, which I found sweet and endearing. The final resolution to the Big Misunderstanding was fairly heartwarming, and if the entire book had been like the final 50 pages I would have given The Kiss between 4 and 5 stars. Alas, that is not the case.
Most of the book really grated on my nerves. The characters themselves were extremely annoying. I can't name a single character from the book I would want to meet in real life. Most the time their actions didn't make sense or didn't jive with how they were described. Quinn is supposed to be a diplomat- never once do we see him be diplomatic, in the present or in flashbacks of his past. In fact, his past seems pretty irrelevant except that we are told his dead wife was bad. Other than that we don't know anything about their marriage or why he married her in the first place. Definitely a plot device. And Luc, the "hero" from the first book in the series, spends most of the time strutting around acting like an ass. Not going to read that book... Though this is generally not a pet peeve of mine, everyone's actions were blatantly out of place for the time period.
I am glad I pushed through to finish the book, because the cute ending justified picking it up in the first place, but I would not generally recommend this book.
Most of the book really grated on my nerves. The characters themselves were extremely annoying. I can't name a single character from the book I would want to meet in real life. Most the time their actions didn't make sense or didn't jive with how they were described. Quinn is supposed to be a diplomat- never once do we see him be diplomatic, in the present or in flashbacks of his past. In fact, his past seems pretty irrelevant except that we are told his dead wife was bad. Other than that we don't know anything about their marriage or why he married her in the first place. Definitely a plot device. And Luc, the "hero" from the first book in the series, spends most of the time strutting around acting like an ass. Not going to read that book... Though this is generally not a pet peeve of mine, everyone's actions were blatantly out of place for the time period.
I am glad I pushed through to finish the book, because the cute ending justified picking it up in the first place, but I would not generally recommend this book.
August 11, 2015
"Am I blue, am I blue
Ain't these tears in my eyes telling you
Am I blue, you'd be too
If each plan with your man done fell through"
After rereading The Kiss by Sophia Nash, all I can think of was that I must have been in the mood for boo-hooing in 2008. A-g-o-n-y. When I read The Kiss in 2008 I gave it a very high mark; however, I have found that it now contains one of my least favorite tropes: "I love you but I cannot marry you." Oh, the pain.
The characters in this book were so full of moaning, groaning, poor me, that I really wanted to scream at the pity party that was going on. Someone send in the clowns, oh wait, I don't like clowns either. Someone send in the Marx brothers.
Georgina was the steward's daughter, and her best friends when she was growing up were Anthony, the future Marquis of Ellesmore, and his cousin Quinn. These three did everything together, they were the bestest of friends and had many adventures. However, there was a dark side to their friendship, or should I say a many-faceted emotionally-layered side to their friendship. Georgina loves Quinn, Anthony loves Georgina and is jealous of Quinn. Quinn thinks of Georgina as a dear friend. Somehow during one of the threesome's many adventures, Georgina is seriously injured - she is crippled or her leg is twisted or something. Anyway, she limps. Quinn takes the blame, even though we find out later it was really Anthony who was at fault. Because Quinn is blamed for Georgina's injury he is banished, goes off to war, falls in love, marries and in so doing breaks Georgina's heart. Boo-hoo. Somehow, Anthony talks Georgina into marrying him and on their wedding night dies from an overdose of some kind of drug - after the marriage has been consummated - or so Georgina thinks.
Well, the villain of this piece is Anthony's mother - a Disney villainess if ever there was one. I could see those black tentacles just slithering around her. So, she forces Quinn to go out to the country estate to evict Georgina from Anthony's home. She doesn't believe Georgina and Anthony were really married. Just so you know, Quinn is now the Marquis of Ellesmore, his wife is conveniently dead and he has a nine year old daughter. Well, Quinn has never been overly fond of Anthony's mother so his intention is never to kick Georgina out, just to see what is going on.
When Quinn arrives not only does he find Georgina but a bevy of other widows ensconced at the estate. These women are members of the Widow's Club and all have books of their own. After reading The Kiss, I probably won't go back and read the others because I was just too irritated by the poor-me-I-can't-marry-you-because-I-love-you routine - although I can go to bed with you, not use any protection and then turn you down over and over and over again when you propose. This trope is used too much now and I grow weary of it.
The other problem I had with this story was I wasn't sure what was up with Quinn. Spoiler - while everyone believes he was really really in love with his wife, it is revealed that while that may have been true in the beginning of their marriage, it didn't take long for his feelings toward his wife to cool. It is revealed later in the book that she betrayed him with his cousin Anthony and that his daughter probably isn't biologically his. So, his feelings for his wife have gone down the tubes, to say nothing of his feelings for Anthony. When he is confronted again with his longtime friend Georgina he is also confronted with all kinds of warring feelings - guilt, love, friendship, passion. For me, Quinn was toooo much of a cool customer. It took him too long to admit any of his more tender feelings for Georgina. And then there's Grace.
Grace is one of the widows. She also happens to have had her feelings stepped on in the previous book when she fell for the hero of that book. Now, supposedly she is Georgina's friend. However, she reminds me of a frenemy. First of all, she came across to me as a pretty bland woman who has a hidden sharp tongue. Most everything she said to Georgina had some kind of a gibe attached to it - something like "oh what a lovely yellow dress, yellows not your color is it?" She didn't say that, but she could have. Anyway, she has her eyes set on Quinn. She does question Georgina over Georgina's feelings for Quinn - but anyone with half a brain could see that Georgina and Quinn were in love with each other. But Grace disregards these signals and slithers into Quinn's life. I found her to be a pretty shallow character and could feel no sympathy for her when Quinn and Georgina finally made their feelings for each other known. I also have to question Quinn's ability to maneuver swiftly from one woman to another. His motto is "when one woman turns you down, take up with another."
In the end, The Kiss didn't live up to my recollections - the poor-me-I-love-you-too-much-to-marry-you was irritating. There was too much boo-hooing and angst. This was actually quite a depressing book.
Ain't these tears in my eyes telling you
Am I blue, you'd be too
If each plan with your man done fell through"
After rereading The Kiss by Sophia Nash, all I can think of was that I must have been in the mood for boo-hooing in 2008. A-g-o-n-y. When I read The Kiss in 2008 I gave it a very high mark; however, I have found that it now contains one of my least favorite tropes: "I love you but I cannot marry you." Oh, the pain.
The characters in this book were so full of moaning, groaning, poor me, that I really wanted to scream at the pity party that was going on. Someone send in the clowns, oh wait, I don't like clowns either. Someone send in the Marx brothers.
Georgina was the steward's daughter, and her best friends when she was growing up were Anthony, the future Marquis of Ellesmore, and his cousin Quinn. These three did everything together, they were the bestest of friends and had many adventures. However, there was a dark side to their friendship, or should I say a many-faceted emotionally-layered side to their friendship. Georgina loves Quinn, Anthony loves Georgina and is jealous of Quinn. Quinn thinks of Georgina as a dear friend. Somehow during one of the threesome's many adventures, Georgina is seriously injured - she is crippled or her leg is twisted or something. Anyway, she limps. Quinn takes the blame, even though we find out later it was really Anthony who was at fault. Because Quinn is blamed for Georgina's injury he is banished, goes off to war, falls in love, marries and in so doing breaks Georgina's heart. Boo-hoo. Somehow, Anthony talks Georgina into marrying him and on their wedding night dies from an overdose of some kind of drug - after the marriage has been consummated - or so Georgina thinks.
Well, the villain of this piece is Anthony's mother - a Disney villainess if ever there was one. I could see those black tentacles just slithering around her. So, she forces Quinn to go out to the country estate to evict Georgina from Anthony's home. She doesn't believe Georgina and Anthony were really married. Just so you know, Quinn is now the Marquis of Ellesmore, his wife is conveniently dead and he has a nine year old daughter. Well, Quinn has never been overly fond of Anthony's mother so his intention is never to kick Georgina out, just to see what is going on.
When Quinn arrives not only does he find Georgina but a bevy of other widows ensconced at the estate. These women are members of the Widow's Club and all have books of their own. After reading The Kiss, I probably won't go back and read the others because I was just too irritated by the poor-me-I-can't-marry-you-because-I-love-you routine - although I can go to bed with you, not use any protection and then turn you down over and over and over again when you propose. This trope is used too much now and I grow weary of it.
The other problem I had with this story was I wasn't sure what was up with Quinn. Spoiler - while everyone believes he was really really in love with his wife, it is revealed that while that may have been true in the beginning of their marriage, it didn't take long for his feelings toward his wife to cool. It is revealed later in the book that she betrayed him with his cousin Anthony and that his daughter probably isn't biologically his. So, his feelings for his wife have gone down the tubes, to say nothing of his feelings for Anthony. When he is confronted again with his longtime friend Georgina he is also confronted with all kinds of warring feelings - guilt, love, friendship, passion. For me, Quinn was toooo much of a cool customer. It took him too long to admit any of his more tender feelings for Georgina. And then there's Grace.
Grace is one of the widows. She also happens to have had her feelings stepped on in the previous book when she fell for the hero of that book. Now, supposedly she is Georgina's friend. However, she reminds me of a frenemy. First of all, she came across to me as a pretty bland woman who has a hidden sharp tongue. Most everything she said to Georgina had some kind of a gibe attached to it - something like "oh what a lovely yellow dress, yellows not your color is it?" She didn't say that, but she could have. Anyway, she has her eyes set on Quinn. She does question Georgina over Georgina's feelings for Quinn - but anyone with half a brain could see that Georgina and Quinn were in love with each other. But Grace disregards these signals and slithers into Quinn's life. I found her to be a pretty shallow character and could feel no sympathy for her when Quinn and Georgina finally made their feelings for each other known. I also have to question Quinn's ability to maneuver swiftly from one woman to another. His motto is "when one woman turns you down, take up with another."
In the end, The Kiss didn't live up to my recollections - the poor-me-I-love-you-too-much-to-marry-you was irritating. There was too much boo-hooing and angst. This was actually quite a depressing book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2013
The plot was ok but failed to grab me. The story leaked unreal moments like the hero's daughter demanding the h/h kiss and them finding it impossible not to comply...what? And what's wrong with Lady Grace that she latches on to a man she clearly knows is the love of her close friend's life? What sensible person (and Grace has been depicted as being a sensible sort) would want to get caught in an unrequited lovers tangle espcially when she herself has just emerged from a similar situation herself? As for Quinn, thought he lacked backbone and forthrightness in his relatiuonships with Grace and Georgiana plus behaved dishonourably. Georgiana on the other hand seemed to have a latent masochistic streak. All in all, will certainly never read this book again.
February 14, 2009
A sweet story. Very heavy on the angst though; in fact, I'd say nearly two thirds of the narrative is pure angst-ridden misunderstandings. How much time and paper could have been saved if one of these characters had an inch of sense in them to set things straight? Thrown in also are some rather vile characters, although I'm sure they don't mean to be vile, bless their barely bereaved hearts.
It probably would have benefited the story to have some sort of flashback chapter/s because I was pretty confused at certain points, like why Quinn had a grudge against Anthony, or how Georgiana's leg got the way it was. Much of it was explained in greater detail towards the end, which sort of defeats the point.
Overall, I was interested enough to manage finishing the book which is more than I can say for others...
It probably would have benefited the story to have some sort of flashback chapter/s because I was pretty confused at certain points, like why Quinn had a grudge against Anthony, or how Georgiana's leg got the way it was. Much of it was explained in greater detail towards the end, which sort of defeats the point.
Overall, I was interested enough to manage finishing the book which is more than I can say for others...
October 3, 2008
Majorly dissapointed, as there are plenty of great reviews on this book. I got to just over 100 pages, but the main characters were just too silly for me to relate too, and the plot was just too unreal to sink into. The hero's daughter had a stuborn streak that was over-the-top - including when she insists on 'the kiss' as it was totally eye-rolling dialog. Plus we are suppose to believe that the heroine actually prefers working herself to exhaution, getting blisters, working the pigsty, ruining her clothing when she has a title and an estate to run, and plenty of help if only she would just accept it?????? And she is head-over-hills in love with a man she hasn't seen for 15 fricken years?! If this was a comedy I might buy it, but its not a comedy. Argh. couldn't finish. DNF.
September 6, 2016
This is the story of Georgiana and Quinn. Like the previous book in the series, Georgiana is a tortured heroine. Quinn has his issues also but not as much. Unfortunately this results in copious amounts of self-pity dialogue while she tries to figure out the best path. Not enough to stop my reading but enough that I took a pause to decide whether the HEA was going to be worth it. I kept reading because the characters are so well formed and the secondary characters are strong as well. However, by the time I finished, I was anxious for the next in the series. I think the main reason I struggled is my difficulty buying into "friendship to lovers with long term unrequited love thrown in" as a theme.
November 13, 2021
Good read.
April 22, 2018
Dit boek is in het Nederlands vertaald verschenen : Onderdrukt verlangen - Candlelight Historische roman 788 .
Wat een leuke serie is dit ! Al de hoofdpersonen uit het 1e deel hebben ook weer een rol in dit deel zonder het paar wat nu de hoofdrol heeft te overschaduwen . Ik verheug me op de delen 3 en 4 .
Wat een leuke serie is dit ! Al de hoofdpersonen uit het 1e deel hebben ook weer een rol in dit deel zonder het paar wat nu de hoofdrol heeft te overschaduwen . Ik verheug me op de delen 3 en 4 .
August 23, 2013
Okay story - except for the now cliche (and my pet peeve for historical romance) situation where the hero asks the heroine to marry him (twice!!) but she refuses because she loves him. Yup. She's loved him for most of her life but refuses to marry him because she is certain he doesn't love her. Yeah, those three little words become more important than reaching for her lifelong dream. At twenty-seven, she should be over girlish fantasies.
So those refusals kill the angst (if he'd never asked, I might have felt sorry for her). She's miserable without him, jealous that he's interested in marrying one of her dear friends, and can't wait to get away.
Yah know, if she was uncertain about her feelings (hadn't had mad passionate sex and all that), I could understand the refusal. But with marriage, he offers her everything a woman of her time in history could ask for (financial security, the chance to make a family of her own, social position, his name as protection, to stay in the home she loves, passionate sex, and his friendship for a lifetime).
Romantic love in marriage wasn't considered important at the beginning of the relationship, since the philosophy then was that love bloomed over time. This is where writers have turned the historicals into sudo-historicals, giving heroines contemporary values while wearing period-piece clothing.
The hero is pretty much typical for the genre. No interesting quirks or habits or the like. He's tall dark and handsome and shuns his emotions.
I liked the side stories and supporting characters. I don't recall if I read any other books in this series but it is obviously one of several with scenes/time to get to know the widows in the widows club.
So those refusals kill the angst (if he'd never asked, I might have felt sorry for her). She's miserable without him, jealous that he's interested in marrying one of her dear friends, and can't wait to get away.
Yah know, if she was uncertain about her feelings (hadn't had mad passionate sex and all that), I could understand the refusal. But with marriage, he offers her everything a woman of her time in history could ask for (financial security, the chance to make a family of her own, social position, his name as protection, to stay in the home she loves, passionate sex, and his friendship for a lifetime).
Romantic love in marriage wasn't considered important at the beginning of the relationship, since the philosophy then was that love bloomed over time. This is where writers have turned the historicals into sudo-historicals, giving heroines contemporary values while wearing period-piece clothing.
The hero is pretty much typical for the genre. No interesting quirks or habits or the like. He's tall dark and handsome and shuns his emotions.
I liked the side stories and supporting characters. I don't recall if I read any other books in this series but it is obviously one of several with scenes/time to get to know the widows in the widows club.
December 11, 2010
3.5 stars for this one. I usually round up but this is definitely more a 3 than a 4.
I enjoyed it, but at times it seemed like it was being written by two authors. A lot of the inner dialogue seemed to be silly and (dare I say it) trite. But then just as I would be ready to give up on it, the dialogue between characters would catch my interest and it would hook me back in. I liked both h and h, but I just didn't seem to be totally invested in their HEA. I really liked Quinn but I just felt his character was a bit 2 dimensional and I never got a real sense of him. The explanation for his antagonism towards his cousin came in bits and pieces and too late in the story for me to relate or feel his angst. Which is a shame because I think he could have been fantastic. I think that is the problem with this book.... it could have been fantastic but simply wasn't.
Having said that I still read it to the end and enjoyed the ending more than I would have thought. I would class it as a very light read.
I enjoyed it, but at times it seemed like it was being written by two authors. A lot of the inner dialogue seemed to be silly and (dare I say it) trite. But then just as I would be ready to give up on it, the dialogue between characters would catch my interest and it would hook me back in. I liked both h and h, but I just didn't seem to be totally invested in their HEA. I really liked Quinn but I just felt his character was a bit 2 dimensional and I never got a real sense of him. The explanation for his antagonism towards his cousin came in bits and pieces and too late in the story for me to relate or feel his angst. Which is a shame because I think he could have been fantastic. I think that is the problem with this book.... it could have been fantastic but simply wasn't.
Having said that I still read it to the end and enjoyed the ending more than I would have thought. I would class it as a very light read.
May 30, 2015
When you look and read the reviews of the readers, they're pretty low. It's discouraging. The thought of not reading it came to mind. But well, I took the risk. I mean I avoided the first book many times already but when I finallly took the chance to read it, it turned out good. And I love myself more when I finished reading this book. One word. Heartbreaking. Very heartbreaking. My heart went out to Georgiana everytime she ached with pain because of the hero. I really felt the longing and ache she felt with him like I was the one bearing them. I think that's what made this book very dear to me. When you read a book and you felt connected with characters, that would be the most important thing a book could get from its readers. It made the characters real when the readers felt the way they feel. I think I'll never forget this book especially Quinn and Georgiana. It was far better than the first one. I really hope that the readers would felt the impact that I felt from this book.
December 26, 2008
Georgiana Wilde marries Anthony Ellesmere, but on their wedding night he dies on top of her. She now must run the estate herself. Quinn Fortesque, a cousin, returns to claim the estate. Anthony's mother wants Quinn to run off Georgiana, but Quinn has other ideas. She, Anthony, and Quinn had been childhood friends. Georgiana always loved Quinn, but he never knew that. She has a deformed leg from an accident. Quinn took the blame for the accident although it was Anthony's fault. Thus begins the relationship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2016
Brava, Ms Nash. It is practically impossible to be original in the genre you have chosen but you managed to make your books amazingly fresh and compelling. What I liked about them is the following:
1. the main character is not a beauty ( what a relief);
2. the girl usually has faced a trauma in her life (an injury, some abuse) but she is a survivor;
3. good sense of humor;
4. it is easy to identify yourself with the herione.
I would be glad to read your new books.
1. the main character is not a beauty ( what a relief);
2. the girl usually has faced a trauma in her life (an injury, some abuse) but she is a survivor;
3. good sense of humor;
4. it is easy to identify yourself with the herione.
I would be glad to read your new books.
June 18, 2019
Ridiculous. Misunderstanding keeps lovers apart for 15 years. Heroine pines. Hero doesn't. Heroine's best friend pursues hero. Hero pursues heroine's "sister of the heart." Yeah, with friends like that, right. What kind of friend pursues a man whom she knows has been the unrequited love of her friend for 15 years. Bitch.
July 28, 2011
I think this is the first time I've ever had one of these where the groom keels over on his bride on their wedding night, let alone on the prologue. I am, however, a complete sucker for 'girl next door' stories, so I quite liked it.
April 14, 2008
Excelent book. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for the next in the series to come out.
May 30, 2009
Enjoyed this book, but it took too long for Georgiana and Quinn to commit to their love for each other.
August 12, 2009
A surprisingly literate bodice-ripper
May 17, 2014
I Loved it !! like I loved the first book . Im really enjoying this series !!! I cant wait to read book three !!! :)
July 14, 2012
Farleigh really steals the show in this book!
December 2, 2017
I’m willing to suspend reality in romance because you know at the end of the day it’s still fiction. But one of my pet peeves in any books, films, or shows, is when internal logic is flawed. This was, simply put, a story steeped in anachronism. Oh, by the way, this should been entitled as “The Pine” or “The Pining” (take whichever you prefer lol).
I can’t believe the heroine still pined for the hero for 15 years even without seeing or having communication with him during those same long years he went away. And I just could not feel their friendship or the hero’s love for the heroine no matter how cute the ending was. They spent so little time with each other throughout the book. The writer should have made them reunite as long lost friends and rebuild their camaraderie and from there let the romance bloom. Ugh, seriously, all the angst and drama are easily avoidable if there’s only honest and open communication. I hate stupid misunderstandings and presumptions.
I can’t believe the heroine still pined for the hero for 15 years even without seeing or having communication with him during those same long years he went away. And I just could not feel their friendship or the hero’s love for the heroine no matter how cute the ending was. They spent so little time with each other throughout the book. The writer should have made them reunite as long lost friends and rebuild their camaraderie and from there let the romance bloom. Ugh, seriously, all the angst and drama are easily avoidable if there’s only honest and open communication. I hate stupid misunderstandings and presumptions.
January 7, 2022
4 stars
I can see the dislike in this book because how lengthy it is for the main characters to get her together. I’m overlooking that though, because I loved Georgianna and Quinn together. I understand why she can’t tell him her feelings because she married his cousin first. She also had underlying problems and other issues hindering their relationships. It all felt more realistic.
I really really enjoyed the beginning quarter of the book, but between 40-80% of the book it was kind of redundant. She keeps making a list of the same stuff? Also steam level, 1/5– for sure. If you like steam, this isn’t for you.
One thing I hated that it took so long for Quinn to tell her that he loved her, like omg Quinn get over yourself.
Something I would have liked happened which would have changed the whole book around is if she did get pregnant. I would have loved to see the story line after that.
I can see the dislike in this book because how lengthy it is for the main characters to get her together. I’m overlooking that though, because I loved Georgianna and Quinn together. I understand why she can’t tell him her feelings because she married his cousin first. She also had underlying problems and other issues hindering their relationships. It all felt more realistic.
I really really enjoyed the beginning quarter of the book, but between 40-80% of the book it was kind of redundant. She keeps making a list of the same stuff? Also steam level, 1/5– for sure. If you like steam, this isn’t for you.
One thing I hated that it took so long for Quinn to tell her that he loved her, like omg Quinn get over yourself.
Something I would have liked happened which would have changed the whole book around is if she did get pregnant. I would have loved to see the story line after that.
June 4, 2018
Poor Grace, jilted twice. Her book is next. Nash certainly knows how to write clueless men! First Luc and now Quinn. The women they love right in front of them yet they court Grace. Maybe the women are just as stupid, turning down marriage with the men they love because the men don't love them, which they clearly do!! Of course then we wouldn't have the books. There are some good things though, Cornwall as the setting , for instance. And seeing the same characters turn up, as well as some funny scenes throughout both books so far. So enough of the review, on to Grace's book.
April 16, 2025
I can’t understand the half hearted reviews of this series. They are bit angsty but the stories are good. Ok I wish the couple had more time together as a couple- waiting past 90% for the Penny to drop is hard going.
My main gripe at the moment is how Ata cannot fulfil the role of ‘wise old granny.’ She’s an idiot and in particular cannot recognise ‘love’ even if it hits her in the face. Dont listen to her ladies!!!!!!
My main gripe at the moment is how Ata cannot fulfil the role of ‘wise old granny.’ She’s an idiot and in particular cannot recognise ‘love’ even if it hits her in the face. Dont listen to her ladies!!!!!!
July 24, 2017
Quit halfway through. Found the misunderstandings annoying. Couldn't stand the hero's brat of a child. So unrealistic for the time, or even today for that matter.
January 31, 2018
This was tedious. Each one pining for the other, both thinking that the other one didn't love them. And it goes like this until the last TWO pages of the book. I like angst, but I'm not a masochist.
February 13, 2018
More like 2.5. Was too long.
October 14, 2021
Great read
Enjoyed the first book of the series in Audible. This installment was even better. Excited to read Grace’s happily ever after in the next story.
Enjoyed the first book of the series in Audible. This installment was even better. Excited to read Grace’s happily ever after in the next story.
April 16, 2015
Oscillated between three and four stars here. But whatever, went with three (goodreads please give us the half stars). Character stubbornness and irritating love triangles aside... It gave me 'the feels' and it was nice to see a heroine with actual scars she was self conscious about. Quinn, and Georgiana particularly, were nice. The kid was cute. Oh and Quinn's take on fatherhood was absolutely adorable. I probably wouldn't have liked him but for his interaction with his daughter.
Flaws- Set up for the book's namesake kiss was really a tad dumb and unrealistic. Would have much preferred it to be due to actual attraction.
I wanted to feel sorry for Grace but honestly I couldn't figure what she was thinking trying to insert herself when she knew factually her friend was once in love with the guy and they had history together. Didn't really seem like a classy move. Her actions and even her (snide seeming) permission asking conversations with Georgiana made them seem more frenemies than anything. Aside from any personal matter or leftover feelings between Georgiana and Quinn, clearly anyone could see they had some stuff to work out regarding the title and hand over of power, Georgiana's future and her losing her place of residence, so I don't see how Grace thought her chasing Quinn at that point could have done anything but muddy already confused waters, especially since she claimed to be doing it all for a partnership of convenience and not from irrepressible feelings.
I dislike stories where the hero spends most of his free time with another woman who needs to somehow be gotten rid of by the end for the cliche happy ending. Ah well. Georgiana kept us busy.
Flaws- Set up for the book's namesake kiss was really a tad dumb and unrealistic. Would have much preferred it to be due to actual attraction.
I wanted to feel sorry for Grace but honestly I couldn't figure what she was thinking trying to insert herself when she knew factually her friend was once in love with the guy and they had history together. Didn't really seem like a classy move. Her actions and even her (snide seeming) permission asking conversations with Georgiana made them seem more frenemies than anything. Aside from any personal matter or leftover feelings between Georgiana and Quinn, clearly anyone could see they had some stuff to work out regarding the title and hand over of power, Georgiana's future and her losing her place of residence, so I don't see how Grace thought her chasing Quinn at that point could have done anything but muddy already confused waters, especially since she claimed to be doing it all for a partnership of convenience and not from irrepressible feelings.
I dislike stories where the hero spends most of his free time with another woman who needs to somehow be gotten rid of by the end for the cliche happy ending. Ah well. Georgiana kept us busy.
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