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เดซี่ เดฟโรซ์ คนสวยผู้เอาแน่ไม่ได้พบตัวเองตกอยู่ในการลงโทษนี้ได้อย่างไร เธอจะต้องเลือกเอาระหว่างการเข้าคุกกับการแต่งงานกับชายลึกลับที่บิดาของเธอเลือกให้ แต่อเล็กซ์ มาร์คอฟผู้รูปหล่อแต่ไร้อารมณ์ขันไม่ได้คิดจะเล่นบทเจ้าบ่าวผู้รักใคร่ต่อแม่สาวหน้าโง่เอาแต่ใจตัวเองผู้มีรสนิยมสูงส่ง เขาลากเดซี่ซึ่งควบคุมยากจากชีวิตในเมืองของเธอและเริ่มต้นปราบเธอให้เชื่อง
เว้นเสียแต่ว่ามันไม่ง่ายดังที่เขาคิด ชายซึ่งไม่มีวิญญาณคนนี้ได้พบหญิงสาวที่ไม่มีอะไรนอกจากหัวใจ คำปฏิญาณที่เอ่ยออกไปอย่างเร่งรีบจะแตกสลายหรือไม่...หรือจะมอบคำสัญญาแห่งรักชั่วนิรันดร์ให้แก่เขาและเธอ
เว้นเสียแต่ว่ามันไม่ง่ายดังที่เขาคิด ชายซึ่งไม่มีวิญญาณคนนี้ได้พบหญิงสาวที่ไม่มีอะไรนอกจากหัวใจ คำปฏิญาณที่เอ่ยออกไปอย่างเร่งรีบจะแตกสลายหรือไม่...หรือจะมอบคำสัญญาแห่งรักชั่วนิรันดร์ให้แก่เขาและเธอ
645 pages
First published February 1, 1996
1110 people are currently reading
40132 people want to read
About the author
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
47 books15.8k followersSUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS
Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.
In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.
You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.
https://www.facebook.com/SusanElizabe...
https://www.instagram.com/SEPauthor/
http://susanelizabethphillips.com/
Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.
In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.
You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.
https://www.facebook.com/SusanElizabe...
https://www.instagram.com/SEPauthor/
http://susanelizabethphillips.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,191 reviews
September 29, 2021
Why did it take me so long to read this?
Just kidding, I know exactly why.
Because, quite bluntly, I hate the circus. HATE it. Since, you know, human exploitation and rampant animal abuse, among other things. But you came here for a review on this wonderful book, not to hear me rant about the circus. So I put that tangent, which generally outlines some TMI thoughts about the circus, at the end of this review (for those interested).
But I digress.
For the above reason, I typically skirt away from any books related to the circus, so I avoided picking this up for many years. That said, this book always kept coming up in my feed, recommendations, and various lists of tropes in which I am heavily interested.
Add to that an amazon birthday gift card and...
Aside from a few tough moments for me regarding the abuse to the elephants and tiger, I just really loved this book.
In fact, the feelings I had while reading this were reminiscent of those I had during my "golden age" of reading AKA the adult romance book binge that was basically age 12-22 for me.
This thing was like a warm blanket of so many of my favorite things and it just reminded me of all the reasons romance books will always be my favorite.
Alex was my favorite type of male lead: the hot grumpy asshole with a mysterious background and an enigmatic charm...and Daisy reminded me of a classic Julie Garwood heroine, i.e., someone who is overly sweet and guileless and comes across as a bit of an annoying airhead.
And I am ALWAYS a sucker for a good marriage of convenience.
Add to that some solid groveling?
Anyway, I loved this book and it is firmly going on my top-reads-I-shall-re-read-always shelf.
That is the end of my actual "review." Here is the aforementioned tangent about the circus and my dislike of it:
Quite honestly, I am passionate about very few things in life. But at the top is animal abuse and neglect. Nothing withers my soul or enrages me faster than seeing or hearing about animals in distress. For those reasons, I am very conflicted about the zoo, I refuse to go to Sea World, and I loathe the circus.
Now, I am fully aware that some animals have "better" lives or are loved and truly cared for in some of these environments; however, historically, the circus has long been cited as a source of extreme animal neglect/abuse and severe exploitation of marginalized groups. HERE is an very interesting and well articulated video on the subject of the circus and human exploitation from one of my favorite YouTubers for those interested.
Just kidding, I know exactly why.
Because, quite bluntly, I hate the circus. HATE it. Since, you know, human exploitation and rampant animal abuse, among other things. But you came here for a review on this wonderful book, not to hear me rant about the circus. So I put that tangent, which generally outlines some TMI thoughts about the circus, at the end of this review (for those interested).
But I digress.
For the above reason, I typically skirt away from any books related to the circus, so I avoided picking this up for many years. That said, this book always kept coming up in my feed, recommendations, and various lists of tropes in which I am heavily interested.
Add to that an amazon birthday gift card and...
Aside from a few tough moments for me regarding the abuse to the elephants and tiger, I just really loved this book.
In fact, the feelings I had while reading this were reminiscent of those I had during my "golden age" of reading AKA the adult romance book binge that was basically age 12-22 for me.
This thing was like a warm blanket of so many of my favorite things and it just reminded me of all the reasons romance books will always be my favorite.
Alex was my favorite type of male lead: the hot grumpy asshole with a mysterious background and an enigmatic charm...and Daisy reminded me of a classic Julie Garwood heroine, i.e., someone who is overly sweet and guileless and comes across as a bit of an annoying airhead.
And I am ALWAYS a sucker for a good marriage of convenience.
Add to that some solid groveling?
Anyway, I loved this book and it is firmly going on my top-reads-I-shall-re-read-always shelf.
That is the end of my actual "review." Here is the aforementioned tangent about the circus and my dislike of it:
Quite honestly, I am passionate about very few things in life. But at the top is animal abuse and neglect. Nothing withers my soul or enrages me faster than seeing or hearing about animals in distress. For those reasons, I am very conflicted about the zoo, I refuse to go to Sea World, and I loathe the circus.
Now, I am fully aware that some animals have "better" lives or are loved and truly cared for in some of these environments; however, historically, the circus has long been cited as a source of extreme animal neglect/abuse and severe exploitation of marginalized groups. HERE is an very interesting and well articulated video on the subject of the circus and human exploitation from one of my favorite YouTubers for those interested.
August 27, 2013
5,000 CIRCUS STARS!!!!!!
You HAVE to read this book!!! Please. I’m begging you, fellow readers.
This is not your typical story. This is not your typical book. This is a story that you have never read….trust me. It is anything BUT typical.
The story begins with an arranged marriage. No, it’s not set in the medieval times. It’s a modern arranged marriage. Say what?! I know. It seems off-putting at first. But we quickly get to know Alex and Daisy, and the reason for the arranged marriage takes an approved back seat for a while.
This story is set at the circus. Yes, I said the circus. Weird?? Absolutely not. Mainly because SEP is a genius. Alex is a trained expert with bull whips. Yep, it’s gets dirty real fast, ladies. No, he doesn’t actually whip her (for those of you who are afraid of reads that are too dark, although I wouldn’t mind a little whipping, heeheehee), but the promise of whipping is there. The sexual chemistry and witty dialogue are off the charts.
We can do this easy, or we can do it rough. Either way, I'm going to win. You decide how it'll be.
My Alex:
Alex. Alex. Alex. I would die for him. What a fantastic character. He was abused by the whip when he was a boy. He believes he is literally incapable of love. He is mysterious because he doesn’t reveal much about himself to Daisy. He purposefully tries to push her away because he doesn’t want her to fall in love with him. He doesn’t even want her to get comfortable, so he puts her through hell, expecting her to give up. I love LOVE/HATE relationships! They make the best sex!!!!
My Daisy:
But I don't love you, Daisy, and you can't begin to know how sorry I am about that because if I could choose anyone in this world to love, it'd be you.
Even though Alex is trying to make Daisy give up, she won’t. She is stubborn and strong. Daisy is all heart. She might have a spoiled side, but when she loves, she loves with everything she’s got. She forms an attachment to the circus animals, and to say that the attachment is endearing would be an understatement. The way SEP writes these animals captivated me.
Like the circus animals, she was held captive against her will, and, like them, her keeper had all the power.
She was in a warm elephant cave. She pressed her cheek to his scratchy, gunnysack body just between his legs and heard the strong thud of his sweet, mischievous heart. She knew she should move, but even though she was resting beneath a ton of baby elephant, she had never felt safer. As she sat there, she thought of Alex and wished he were small enough to fit where she was, right beneath Tater's heart.
SEP has a talent for writing a complete, no-page-unturned, no-character-left-behind story. She always includes a full story of the B characters, and I always love it. She gives everyone an HEA. Here are a couple of the B characters that I loved.
Sheba is the circus owner. She is hard-headed, stubborn, prideful….a bitch. She cares for the circus and the people in the circus with everything she’s got…except for Daisy, which makes it interesting. I can’t help but love her.
My Sheba:
Heather is a teenage girl caught in the middle of growing up. She is trying to earn the love of her father by trying her best to be a good circus performer. She plays a key role in the story, and forms an attachment to Daisy.
My Heather:
Note to Susan:
Dear Susan,
Cheers. Cheers to this book. Cheers this story. Cheers these characters. Cheers to YOU.
This book is officially in my top 3 favorites SEP books.
This is a must-read. This is a re-read. Read it.
You HAVE to read this book!!! Please. I’m begging you, fellow readers.
This is not your typical story. This is not your typical book. This is a story that you have never read….trust me. It is anything BUT typical.
The story begins with an arranged marriage. No, it’s not set in the medieval times. It’s a modern arranged marriage. Say what?! I know. It seems off-putting at first. But we quickly get to know Alex and Daisy, and the reason for the arranged marriage takes an approved back seat for a while.
This story is set at the circus. Yes, I said the circus. Weird?? Absolutely not. Mainly because SEP is a genius. Alex is a trained expert with bull whips. Yep, it’s gets dirty real fast, ladies. No, he doesn’t actually whip her (for those of you who are afraid of reads that are too dark, although I wouldn’t mind a little whipping, heeheehee), but the promise of whipping is there. The sexual chemistry and witty dialogue are off the charts.
We can do this easy, or we can do it rough. Either way, I'm going to win. You decide how it'll be.
My Alex:
Alex. Alex. Alex. I would die for him. What a fantastic character. He was abused by the whip when he was a boy. He believes he is literally incapable of love. He is mysterious because he doesn’t reveal much about himself to Daisy. He purposefully tries to push her away because he doesn’t want her to fall in love with him. He doesn’t even want her to get comfortable, so he puts her through hell, expecting her to give up. I love LOVE/HATE relationships! They make the best sex!!!!
My Daisy:
But I don't love you, Daisy, and you can't begin to know how sorry I am about that because if I could choose anyone in this world to love, it'd be you.
Even though Alex is trying to make Daisy give up, she won’t. She is stubborn and strong. Daisy is all heart. She might have a spoiled side, but when she loves, she loves with everything she’s got. She forms an attachment to the circus animals, and to say that the attachment is endearing would be an understatement. The way SEP writes these animals captivated me.
Like the circus animals, she was held captive against her will, and, like them, her keeper had all the power.
She was in a warm elephant cave. She pressed her cheek to his scratchy, gunnysack body just between his legs and heard the strong thud of his sweet, mischievous heart. She knew she should move, but even though she was resting beneath a ton of baby elephant, she had never felt safer. As she sat there, she thought of Alex and wished he were small enough to fit where she was, right beneath Tater's heart.
SEP has a talent for writing a complete, no-page-unturned, no-character-left-behind story. She always includes a full story of the B characters, and I always love it. She gives everyone an HEA. Here are a couple of the B characters that I loved.
Sheba is the circus owner. She is hard-headed, stubborn, prideful….a bitch. She cares for the circus and the people in the circus with everything she’s got…except for Daisy, which makes it interesting. I can’t help but love her.
My Sheba:
Heather is a teenage girl caught in the middle of growing up. She is trying to earn the love of her father by trying her best to be a good circus performer. She plays a key role in the story, and forms an attachment to Daisy.
My Heather:
Note to Susan:
Dear Susan,
Cheers. Cheers to this book. Cheers this story. Cheers these characters. Cheers to YOU.
This book is officially in my top 3 favorites SEP books.
This is a must-read. This is a re-read. Read it.
February 12, 2026
I despise this man to the extent that I wish a tiger would devour him, especially since there was a tiger in the story.
I want him to be eaten by a pod of orcas, even though they have never harmed a human in the wild. If there were ever a person to make orcas ditch their 'no killing humans' rule, it would definitely be this asshole.
I want him to travel to Australia, particularly New South Wales, and get eaten by a great white shark while snorkeling.
I want him to move to 55 West 81st Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side and get murdered by Patrick Bateman with an axe.
I want him to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico, visit the desert, and unexpectedly encounter Walter White while he's 'cooking.'
I want him to be locked in a room and forced to listen to Justin Timberlake songs on repeat.
I'm convinced that Susan Elizabeth Phillips wasn't herself when she wrote this book because this doesn't feel like the SEP I know and love. No one writes enemies-to-lovers quite like she does, and when I pick up one of her books, I expect certain elements: great banter, strong chemistry, well-developed characters, and a satisfying ending. I also expect heroes who are complex and even a little bit flawed. I don’t expect heroes who are cruel and abusive.
It pains me to give this book a low rating because the author wrote my favorite book of all time, Call Me Irresistible. Words can't express how much I love that book. I've read it more than any other, and I adore the characters so much that I feel like they're my friends.
While both Call Me Irresistible and Kiss an Angel feature heroines who are down on their luck and face the disapproval of those around them, including their love interests, the writing styles of the two novels are vastly different. The heroine in Call Me Irresistible stands up for herself and doesn’t take BS from anyone, whereas the heroine in Kiss an Angel is a complete doormat.
Most importantly, the hero in Call Me Irresistible truly lives up to the title. He is not only handsome but also genuinely cares about people and aims to make the world a better place. In contrast, the main character in Kiss an Angel is an asshole; he has the personality of wallpaper and the emotional intelligence of a fish.
SPOILERS
I don't think I've ever felt as sorry for a heroine in a romance novel as I did for Daisy. She is treated terribly by everyone; nobody respects her. Her father, stepmother, and new husband all act as if she is an imbecile. Daisy is manipulated into entering an arranged marriage, and her new husband, Alex, treats her like a foolish child.
Speaking of arranged marriages, I often wonder why female authors have a fascination with this concept. I've never understood the trend of romanticizing arranged marriages in romance novels. I wonder why this particular plot device has gained such popularity over the years. The sad reality is that the practice of forcing young girls into arranged marriages still exists in many parts of the world. If romance authors were aware of what these girls endure, perhaps they would reconsider romanticizing this topic.
Daisy's new husband, Alex, threatens her with a whip. Yes, you read that correctly - she is genuinely scared of him and his whip. I know I evoked Christian Grey flashbacks, and for that, I am sorry. But if I have to be haunted by Christian Grey for the rest of my life, then so do you. It's only fair that we suffer together. In this scenario, the whip is not used for any strange sexual purposes. No, it's much worse than that. Alex works in a traveling circus, which is why he has it. I've tried to write this with a straight face, but I can't help but find the entire storyline ridiculous. What was SEP thinking?
Additionally, I must mention that I don't like circuses - they creep me out, especially those that involve animals, which this particular circus does. As I pointed out earlier in this review, there is a tiger in the story, and I will never forgive SEP for not having Alex get mauled by it in the end. If that had happened, I would have given this book five stars.
Did I mention Alex sexually assaults Daisy?
He begins to touch her without consent, and although she stiffens, he fails to stop. He proceeds to have sex with her while she lies there passively. The most troubling aspect is that Alex is aware of his wrongdoing. In his thoughts, he likens himself to a rapist and is unable to look himself in the eye while he shaves that morning.
If he recognized it was wrong, why did he go through with it? Should I feel sympathy for him? Poor Alex, who assaulted his wife but is now filled with regret. This is why I've stopped reading romance; I can't stand these so-called heroes. The brooding, tortured types who are merely 'misunderstood.' Spare me. You're not tortured, you're not enigmatic, you're not a bad boy; you're simply an asshole.
It gets worse. He inflicts serious harm on her once more, claiming it was an 'accident' and expressing remorse. Daisy finally stands up for herself and leaves him. Unfortunately, this isn't the conclusion, as it's a romance novel; he tracks her down, apologizes (if you can call it that), and she forgives him. To make matters worse, she discovers she's pregnant with his child. I despise this ending. I loathe that she carries this asshole's child and returns to him.
This ending frustrates me so much that I've decided to create my own. Daisy learns that the pregnancy was a false alarm, tells Alex he has a small dick, hires Saul Goodman to represent her, and files for divorce. She moves to Brazil, hooks up with a hot Brazilian, and discovers what good sex feels like (you won't convince me Alex is good in bed, sorry SEP). And she never sets foot in a circus again.
The end.
I want him to be eaten by a pod of orcas, even though they have never harmed a human in the wild. If there were ever a person to make orcas ditch their 'no killing humans' rule, it would definitely be this asshole.
I want him to travel to Australia, particularly New South Wales, and get eaten by a great white shark while snorkeling.
I want him to move to 55 West 81st Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side and get murdered by Patrick Bateman with an axe.
I want him to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico, visit the desert, and unexpectedly encounter Walter White while he's 'cooking.'
I want him to be locked in a room and forced to listen to Justin Timberlake songs on repeat.
I'm convinced that Susan Elizabeth Phillips wasn't herself when she wrote this book because this doesn't feel like the SEP I know and love. No one writes enemies-to-lovers quite like she does, and when I pick up one of her books, I expect certain elements: great banter, strong chemistry, well-developed characters, and a satisfying ending. I also expect heroes who are complex and even a little bit flawed. I don’t expect heroes who are cruel and abusive.
It pains me to give this book a low rating because the author wrote my favorite book of all time, Call Me Irresistible. Words can't express how much I love that book. I've read it more than any other, and I adore the characters so much that I feel like they're my friends.
While both Call Me Irresistible and Kiss an Angel feature heroines who are down on their luck and face the disapproval of those around them, including their love interests, the writing styles of the two novels are vastly different. The heroine in Call Me Irresistible stands up for herself and doesn’t take BS from anyone, whereas the heroine in Kiss an Angel is a complete doormat.
Most importantly, the hero in Call Me Irresistible truly lives up to the title. He is not only handsome but also genuinely cares about people and aims to make the world a better place. In contrast, the main character in Kiss an Angel is an asshole; he has the personality of wallpaper and the emotional intelligence of a fish.
SPOILERS
I don't think I've ever felt as sorry for a heroine in a romance novel as I did for Daisy. She is treated terribly by everyone; nobody respects her. Her father, stepmother, and new husband all act as if she is an imbecile. Daisy is manipulated into entering an arranged marriage, and her new husband, Alex, treats her like a foolish child.
Speaking of arranged marriages, I often wonder why female authors have a fascination with this concept. I've never understood the trend of romanticizing arranged marriages in romance novels. I wonder why this particular plot device has gained such popularity over the years. The sad reality is that the practice of forcing young girls into arranged marriages still exists in many parts of the world. If romance authors were aware of what these girls endure, perhaps they would reconsider romanticizing this topic.
Daisy's new husband, Alex, threatens her with a whip. Yes, you read that correctly - she is genuinely scared of him and his whip. I know I evoked Christian Grey flashbacks, and for that, I am sorry. But if I have to be haunted by Christian Grey for the rest of my life, then so do you. It's only fair that we suffer together. In this scenario, the whip is not used for any strange sexual purposes. No, it's much worse than that. Alex works in a traveling circus, which is why he has it. I've tried to write this with a straight face, but I can't help but find the entire storyline ridiculous. What was SEP thinking?
Additionally, I must mention that I don't like circuses - they creep me out, especially those that involve animals, which this particular circus does. As I pointed out earlier in this review, there is a tiger in the story, and I will never forgive SEP for not having Alex get mauled by it in the end. If that had happened, I would have given this book five stars.
Did I mention Alex sexually assaults Daisy?
He begins to touch her without consent, and although she stiffens, he fails to stop. He proceeds to have sex with her while she lies there passively. The most troubling aspect is that Alex is aware of his wrongdoing. In his thoughts, he likens himself to a rapist and is unable to look himself in the eye while he shaves that morning.
If he recognized it was wrong, why did he go through with it? Should I feel sympathy for him? Poor Alex, who assaulted his wife but is now filled with regret. This is why I've stopped reading romance; I can't stand these so-called heroes. The brooding, tortured types who are merely 'misunderstood.' Spare me. You're not tortured, you're not enigmatic, you're not a bad boy; you're simply an asshole.
It gets worse. He inflicts serious harm on her once more, claiming it was an 'accident' and expressing remorse. Daisy finally stands up for herself and leaves him. Unfortunately, this isn't the conclusion, as it's a romance novel; he tracks her down, apologizes (if you can call it that), and she forgives him. To make matters worse, she discovers she's pregnant with his child. I despise this ending. I loathe that she carries this asshole's child and returns to him.
This ending frustrates me so much that I've decided to create my own. Daisy learns that the pregnancy was a false alarm, tells Alex he has a small dick, hires Saul Goodman to represent her, and files for divorce. She moves to Brazil, hooks up with a hot Brazilian, and discovers what good sex feels like (you won't convince me Alex is good in bed, sorry SEP). And she never sets foot in a circus again.
The end.
April 19, 2018
Do you know that feeling when you have just finished a book you adored but you just can't figure out how to express that on your review? Well that's exactly what happened to me but I'll do my best to try to explain it to you all.
This was my favorite book from this author, I even liked it more than the Chicago stars series and I already had adored that one, I gave 5 stars to most of the books in it. But it was so different this time. I couldn't put the book down, that's how FREAKING amazing it was for me. I loved this book so much. I even cried like a baby with it. My heart felt like it would break into a million pieces more than once, while some other times I felt like I would go crazy for feeling so happy about fictional characters, lol, but seriously I totally connected with them.
In this book we get to meet Alex, our sexy Russian hero. He was so lost and suffering so much through life without even realizing it. He had been abused by his uncle as a child (by being knocked down and brutalized) and was sure he just wasn't able to love anyone or anything. It's not like he had not tried, he had, but he thought he could never get to love someone, that he was broken inside. It was so heartbreaking to see how he could not accept so many great things that started to happen to him but at the same time it was so emotional to see him accepting them at the end. He was the best part of the book IMHO. The rest of the characters were amazing as well. So be ready for a great ride with this book because you'll experience tons of emotions in just a couple of hundred of pages,lol.
I just can't understand how this author keeps surprising me this way. I'm so obsessed with her right now! Its like every new book I read from her is even better than the last one. I never thought I would like Contemporary romance but I know I do now. Can't wait to read another book from this author, I just can't get enough.
This was my favorite book from this author, I even liked it more than the Chicago stars series and I already had adored that one, I gave 5 stars to most of the books in it. But it was so different this time. I couldn't put the book down, that's how FREAKING amazing it was for me. I loved this book so much. I even cried like a baby with it. My heart felt like it would break into a million pieces more than once, while some other times I felt like I would go crazy for feeling so happy about fictional characters, lol, but seriously I totally connected with them.
In this book we get to meet Alex, our sexy Russian hero. He was so lost and suffering so much through life without even realizing it. He had been abused by his uncle as a child (by being knocked down and brutalized) and was sure he just wasn't able to love anyone or anything. It's not like he had not tried, he had, but he thought he could never get to love someone, that he was broken inside. It was so heartbreaking to see how he could not accept so many great things that started to happen to him but at the same time it was so emotional to see him accepting them at the end. He was the best part of the book IMHO. The rest of the characters were amazing as well. So be ready for a great ride with this book because you'll experience tons of emotions in just a couple of hundred of pages,lol.
I just can't understand how this author keeps surprising me this way. I'm so obsessed with her right now! Its like every new book I read from her is even better than the last one. I never thought I would like Contemporary romance but I know I do now. Can't wait to read another book from this author, I just can't get enough.
February 21, 2020
This book was not my cuppa.
I didn't like the hero, he was a real as*hole for me and the heroine was kind of a doormat, so I didn't like her much, either. Their marriage was based on something unbelievable for me. And there wasn't enough groveling at all... Little to none!
My 2 points go to the scenes with Sinjun, the tiger and Tater, the elephant, as I fell in love with these two animals :)
I didn't like the hero, he was a real as*hole for me and the heroine was kind of a doormat, so I didn't like her much, either. Their marriage was based on something unbelievable for me. And there wasn't enough groveling at all... Little to none!
My 2 points go to the scenes with Sinjun, the tiger and Tater, the elephant, as I fell in love with these two animals :)
July 29, 2018
5 stars!!
Kiss an Angel was my first book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and after reading it, I'll definitely be reading more! I adored this story!
Daisy Devreaux and Alex Marcov are to be wed... it's not common to have arranged marriages in the US in this day and age, but Daisy has gotten herself into a pickle and marrying Alex is the only solution she sees. She doesn't know what she's gotten herself into, though... Daisy is used to the privileged life. But things have changed for her. She thinks by marrying Alex, she'll be able to live her life as status quo. Having no idea Alex is part of the circus. Yes, you read the right. The circus.
I, for one, am not a fan of circuses. And the only reason for that is the way they treat animals and cage ones that aren't meant to be caged. That is one thing I absolutely loved about Daisy. She had so much compassion for the animals. I loved the bond she developed with them, especially Sinjun and Tater. At first I was worried I wouldn't care for Daisy as she seemed a bit vapid at first, but I ended up loving her completely. Alex was another story.
It really took some time for Alex to grow on me. He is the asshole of all assholes sometimes. I didn't know if he'd be able to redeem himself, but he definitely did. I grew to love him by the end as well. Daisy and Alex really do seem like an unlikely pair, but for some reason, they make the perfect match.
Kiss an Angel was funny, sexy, sweet, and an all around good love story. My only criticism is that I listened to the audio book and was not a fan of the narration. The narrator sounded much too old to voice Daisy. As much as I love audio books, I'll listen to a sample before purchasing another by this author.
Kiss an Angel was my first book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and after reading it, I'll definitely be reading more! I adored this story!
Daisy Devreaux and Alex Marcov are to be wed... it's not common to have arranged marriages in the US in this day and age, but Daisy has gotten herself into a pickle and marrying Alex is the only solution she sees. She doesn't know what she's gotten herself into, though... Daisy is used to the privileged life. But things have changed for her. She thinks by marrying Alex, she'll be able to live her life as status quo. Having no idea Alex is part of the circus. Yes, you read the right. The circus.
I, for one, am not a fan of circuses. And the only reason for that is the way they treat animals and cage ones that aren't meant to be caged. That is one thing I absolutely loved about Daisy. She had so much compassion for the animals. I loved the bond she developed with them, especially Sinjun and Tater. At first I was worried I wouldn't care for Daisy as she seemed a bit vapid at first, but I ended up loving her completely. Alex was another story.
We can do this easy, or we can do it rough. Either way, I'm going to win. You decide how it'll be.
It really took some time for Alex to grow on me. He is the asshole of all assholes sometimes. I didn't know if he'd be able to redeem himself, but he definitely did. I grew to love him by the end as well. Daisy and Alex really do seem like an unlikely pair, but for some reason, they make the perfect match.
Kiss an Angel was funny, sexy, sweet, and an all around good love story. My only criticism is that I listened to the audio book and was not a fan of the narration. The narrator sounded much too old to voice Daisy. As much as I love audio books, I'll listen to a sample before purchasing another by this author.
May 13, 2023
3rd Read, Nov. 2021 — 5 Stars
2nd Read, Oct. 2021 — 4.5 Stars
1st Read, Aug. 2020 — 4.25 Stars
We love a man who knows what he wants and go after it, but do you know what I love more?
The sight of grumpy jerkface Alex Markov . . .
↠ getting his heart all twisted up for a woman he realizes too late he’s fallen for; and,
↠ begging on his knees with his ass handed to him because he’s just got schooled on l o v e.
Essentially the story involves:
✓ a temporary arranged marriage;
✓ two people who couldn’t be more opposite;
✓ a beautiful love story with sprinkles of drama;
✓ some great character development;
✓ lots of hairy (big and small) animals; and,
✓ a circus.
You see, Alex is a proud man, cold and aloof. He has preconcieved notions about his wife and doesn’t trust her more than he does a porcupine not to prick you with its sharp quills. He’s awful to her, and he’d be all—
Or . . .
So, obviously I wasn’t happy he bossed Daisy around, made her do stunts for the carnival, and just being a real bastard. However, on the inside I was also egging him on, like “Yes, you keep treating her like rubbish and let’s see how you feel when you lose her!”
And boy did he SUFFER.
I wish there were MORE chapters of him grovelling cause that part was just priceless but also like made me melt. 💗
Best not forget that the real MVP here is Daisy Devreaux.
Vulnerable and insecure, but instead of annoying, it makes her relatable. She’d stand up for herself, let herself fall in love and deal with the consequences, walk away but not without fighting for her marriage first.
I have my grievances when it comes to Sheba the ex (like, I don’t need a flashback of her and Alex f*cking or her and Heather’s dad getting it on in the present or her sabotaging the marriage), but ultimately I appreciate how all of the Sheba related drama were resolved.
This was just so wholesome, heart wrenching but also LOL funny and endearing. I loved the circus setting, adored the relationship Daisy developed with the animals and just the overall dynamics among the circus people.
The book is mostly about Alex and Daisy, but character growth extends to the side characters as well. Kiss an Angel was published before I was even born, and yet the story and the charm it carries is timeless.
(Read as an Audiobook)
2nd Read, Oct. 2021 — 4.5 Stars
1st Read, Aug. 2020 — 4.25 Stars
We love a man who knows what he wants and go after it, but do you know what I love more?
The sight of grumpy jerkface Alex Markov . . .
↠ getting his heart all twisted up for a woman he realizes too late he’s fallen for; and,
↠ begging on his knees with his ass handed to him because he’s just got schooled on l o v e.
Essentially the story involves:
✓ a temporary arranged marriage;
✓ two people who couldn’t be more opposite;
✓ a beautiful love story with sprinkles of drama;
✓ some great character development;
✓ lots of hairy (big and small) animals; and,
✓ a circus.
You see, Alex is a proud man, cold and aloof. He has preconcieved notions about his wife and doesn’t trust her more than he does a porcupine not to prick you with its sharp quills. He’s awful to her, and he’d be all—
“I’m not going to fall in love with you, sweetheart. It’s just not going to happen. I care about you, but I don’t love you.”
Or . . .
“But I don’t love you, Daisy, and you can’t begin to know how sorry I am about that because if I could choose anyone in this world to love it’d be you.”
So, obviously I wasn’t happy he bossed Daisy around, made her do stunts for the carnival, and just being a real bastard. However, on the inside I was also egging him on, like “Yes, you keep treating her like rubbish and let’s see how you feel when you lose her!”
And boy did he SUFFER.
“I don’t love you anymore,” she whispered. “I don’t love you at all.” His throat closed. “It’s all right, sweetheart. I love you enough for both of us.”
I wish there were MORE chapters of him grovelling cause that part was just priceless but also like made me melt. 💗
“I love you, Daisy. I love you so much I hurt.”
Best not forget that the real MVP here is Daisy Devreaux.
His fists clenched at his sides. “Damn it! Where’s your pride?”
“Pride? It’s in my heart, of course.”
“You’re letting me demean you!”
She smiled. “You can’t do that. I can only demean myself.”
Vulnerable and insecure, but instead of annoying, it makes her relatable. She’d stand up for herself, let herself fall in love and deal with the consequences, walk away but not without fighting for her marriage first.
I have my grievances when it comes to Sheba the ex (like, I don’t need a flashback of her and Alex f*cking or her and Heather’s dad getting it on in the present or her sabotaging the marriage), but ultimately I appreciate how all of the Sheba related drama were resolved.
Daisy’s thoughts after getting tiger back to his cage: That every living being was part of every other living being. That all were part of God. Bound by love. Put on earth to care for one another.
This was just so wholesome, heart wrenching but also LOL funny and endearing. I loved the circus setting, adored the relationship Daisy developed with the animals and just the overall dynamics among the circus people.
The book is mostly about Alex and Daisy, but character growth extends to the side characters as well. Kiss an Angel was published before I was even born, and yet the story and the charm it carries is timeless.
(Read as an Audiobook)
February 20, 2019
4.5 Stars
More than 31,000 ratings and almost 1,900 reviews. What can I possibly say more? Except that I LOVED IT!!!
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment:: 4.5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 5/5
Hero: 3/5
Heroine: 4/5
Secondary characters: 5/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 3.5/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 4/5
Depth of the book: 5/5
POV: multiple, 3rd person
Triggers:
Books with similar theme: Hearts of Fire (Hearts, #2) by L.H. Cosway, The Traveling Man (Traveling, #1) by Jane Harvey-Berrick
More than 31,000 ratings and almost 1,900 reviews. What can I possibly say more? Except that I LOVED IT!!!
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment:: 4.5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 5/5
Hero: 3/5
Heroine: 4/5
Secondary characters: 5/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 3.5/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 4/5
Depth of the book: 5/5
POV: multiple, 3rd person
Triggers:
Books with similar theme: Hearts of Fire (Hearts, #2) by L.H. Cosway, The Traveling Man (Traveling, #1) by Jane Harvey-Berrick
January 30, 2022
2.5 stars
SEP has written some of my favourite romance books so I had little doubt that this wasn’t gonna be a winner. I was so sure that I bought the paperback as well as the ebook (impulse buys never turn out ok for me, I should have learned that by now)
When I read the synopsis and the reviews I was anxiously preparing for all that delicious angst and the epic grovel - those are the two main reasons I picked this up - BUT as it turns out, this didn’t do it for me. AT ALL - the stars are only for the animals and for Daisy pulling a disappearing act (which I had hoped would have lasted longer)
I may be in the minority here but I can’t for the life of me find a redeeming quality in Alex (the H). He made snap judgements about people and then acted like the moral authority dealing out punishments he sees appropriate for any transgressions. Daisy never stood a chance as he already made his mind up about her being an feather headed, spoiled, superficial being. Since the first time he laid eyes on her he already categorised her as the kind of woman who has little value for a man like him but could be used for a good time when the need arises.
I absolutely hated that the plot followed the trajectory of Daisy trying to prove herself to this absolute asshat. (I don’t know which side of TikTok you guys are on but if you ever came across those “alpha male” podcast - I can easily imagine Alex being on one - but make it classier - because he is after all a high value man) Anyway, as I said, I hated that the author kept trying to make it so that Daisy would take on every possible task to show that she is more than what he judged her to be. He calls her stupid more times than I can count and ignores her feelings in regards to absolutely everything that he puts her through. We get crumbs here and there of how he oh-so-magnanimously does the bare minimum such as bringing her a hat for the sun lmaoo - indeed he cares so much - someone give this man an award. He humiliated and alienated her from anyone around her but sure, making her dinner when she was dead on her feet and giving her sunblock more than makes up for it.
Daisy deserved better - so much better - because I feel like Alex will always be someone who holds himself superior. All his words at the end (and his grovel which was so freaking underwhelming) meant very little to me especially when he reasons that he was gonna take advantage of the fact that Daisy has a big heart and he will exploit that to get her to stay with him.
I didn’t care for the side characters either. Sheba needed to act her age and her interactions with Daisy only made me hate Alex more because again he failed in establishing boundaries. He was so good at putting people in their places but then he let Sheba dictate what and how Daisy does stuff when Daisy specifically said some things made her uncomfortable (such as the skimpy outfits or the other dangerous acts) He let his ex girlfriend humiliate and coerce his wife into actions she wasn’t comfortable with. In my opinion, Alex and Sheba would have made the perfect couple.
The saving grace came from reading about Daisy with the various animals she cares for. I loved the connection they had. Everything else including the circus set up was either problematic or boring for me.
SEP has written some of my favourite romance books so I had little doubt that this wasn’t gonna be a winner. I was so sure that I bought the paperback as well as the ebook (impulse buys never turn out ok for me, I should have learned that by now)
When I read the synopsis and the reviews I was anxiously preparing for all that delicious angst and the epic grovel - those are the two main reasons I picked this up - BUT as it turns out, this didn’t do it for me. AT ALL - the stars are only for the animals and for Daisy pulling a disappearing act (which I had hoped would have lasted longer)
I may be in the minority here but I can’t for the life of me find a redeeming quality in Alex (the H). He made snap judgements about people and then acted like the moral authority dealing out punishments he sees appropriate for any transgressions. Daisy never stood a chance as he already made his mind up about her being an feather headed, spoiled, superficial being. Since the first time he laid eyes on her he already categorised her as the kind of woman who has little value for a man like him but could be used for a good time when the need arises.
I absolutely hated that the plot followed the trajectory of Daisy trying to prove herself to this absolute asshat. (I don’t know which side of TikTok you guys are on but if you ever came across those “alpha male” podcast - I can easily imagine Alex being on one - but make it classier - because he is after all a high value man) Anyway, as I said, I hated that the author kept trying to make it so that Daisy would take on every possible task to show that she is more than what he judged her to be. He calls her stupid more times than I can count and ignores her feelings in regards to absolutely everything that he puts her through. We get crumbs here and there of how he oh-so-magnanimously does the bare minimum such as bringing her a hat for the sun lmaoo - indeed he cares so much - someone give this man an award. He humiliated and alienated her from anyone around her but sure, making her dinner when she was dead on her feet and giving her sunblock more than makes up for it.
Daisy deserved better - so much better - because I feel like Alex will always be someone who holds himself superior. All his words at the end (and his grovel which was so freaking underwhelming) meant very little to me especially when he reasons that he was gonna take advantage of the fact that Daisy has a big heart and he will exploit that to get her to stay with him.
I didn’t care for the side characters either. Sheba needed to act her age and her interactions with Daisy only made me hate Alex more because again he failed in establishing boundaries. He was so good at putting people in their places but then he let Sheba dictate what and how Daisy does stuff when Daisy specifically said some things made her uncomfortable (such as the skimpy outfits or the other dangerous acts) He let his ex girlfriend humiliate and coerce his wife into actions she wasn’t comfortable with. In my opinion, Alex and Sheba would have made the perfect couple.
The saving grace came from reading about Daisy with the various animals she cares for. I loved the connection they had. Everything else including the circus set up was either problematic or boring for me.
January 20, 2020
4.25 Stars (Originally Read - 6/22/2018)
4.25 Stars (Re-Read -1/20/2020)
Overall Opinion: Wow! This was so much better than I thought it'd be! I know I might be giving too much away here -- but I think keeping the circus aspect of this book a secret is a poor choice! I might've picked this up sooner if I had known what all we experienced with that! It's an older book, but it really didn't feel all that dated tbh -- maybe the clothing descriptions, but that's about it. I came across this again when I asked GR friends and followers what their favorite re-read books are, and I can totally understand where this would come in! I think it's going on my favorites shelf and will probably be a re-read again farther down the line. Why not 5 Stars then, you ask? The sexual chemistry felt lacking. It wasn't fade-to-black or anything, but I felt like the scenes could've been better. I'm also a greedy, greedy girl and I like my epilogues! This one was alright. I didn't hate it or anything, but I definitely think it could've been a lot better! So with the epilogue/ending (.5 points) and the sexual chemistry (.25 points), I'm going with a 4.25 star rating.
*Re-Read Update: I don't have much to add to my original review. I enjoyed this as a re-read but was still let down my the sexual chemistry and the ending. Otherwise, I still found it a great read! It'll probably be one that I re-read again down the line too, as it just is that fun 🤗
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Daisy and Alex's story. Daisy finds herself forced to marry a man of her father's choosing or face jail time. Alex is a mysterious older man that is up for the job for at least the 6 months she is required to stay married before getting her inheritance. Daisy is shocked when Alex swoops her up to get on a plane that takes her to Florida where they join the traveling circus he works for. There is a lot of big adjustments Daisy has to make to fit in with this new lifestyle and with her new husband, and Alex is also consistently shocked that Daisy isn't the spoiled and dumb socialite that he had pegged her to be. There are a lot of ups and downs, some funny moments, some sexy times, and some sad moments...and they get a HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Daisy and Alex in 3rd person narrative. It did have some parts that focused on side characters as well.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I ate this up and read it super fast! I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 4 stars. Alex. I liked him. I felt bad for his past, but I did want him to communicate a little better with Daisy at times.
h rating: 5 stars. Daisy. I loved her! She was a mess and a lot lost when we first meet her. Her upbringing and family relationships were sad, but I appreciated the woman she became despite it all.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I teared up a few times, but I never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Alright. They have some alright tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. I do think this could've been a little bit more steamy tbh. Their sexual chemistry just fell a little flat for me for some reason.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This is my biggest issue with the book. It gives us a small (days?) jump ahead epilogue with some of their HEA, but I definitely wanted more! How about them with their children later in life?! That would've been awesome. I am still calling this a HEA though.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
4.25 Stars (Re-Read -1/20/2020)
Overall Opinion: Wow! This was so much better than I thought it'd be! I know I might be giving too much away here -- but I think keeping the circus aspect of this book a secret is a poor choice! I might've picked this up sooner if I had known what all we experienced with that! It's an older book, but it really didn't feel all that dated tbh -- maybe the clothing descriptions, but that's about it. I came across this again when I asked GR friends and followers what their favorite re-read books are, and I can totally understand where this would come in! I think it's going on my favorites shelf and will probably be a re-read again farther down the line. Why not 5 Stars then, you ask? The sexual chemistry felt lacking. It wasn't fade-to-black or anything, but I felt like the scenes could've been better. I'm also a greedy, greedy girl and I like my epilogues! This one was alright. I didn't hate it or anything, but I definitely think it could've been a lot better! So with the epilogue/ending (.5 points) and the sexual chemistry (.25 points), I'm going with a 4.25 star rating.
*Re-Read Update: I don't have much to add to my original review. I enjoyed this as a re-read but was still let down my the sexual chemistry and the ending. Otherwise, I still found it a great read! It'll probably be one that I re-read again down the line too, as it just is that fun 🤗
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Daisy and Alex's story. Daisy finds herself forced to marry a man of her father's choosing or face jail time. Alex is a mysterious older man that is up for the job for at least the 6 months she is required to stay married before getting her inheritance. Daisy is shocked when Alex swoops her up to get on a plane that takes her to Florida where they join the traveling circus he works for. There is a lot of big adjustments Daisy has to make to fit in with this new lifestyle and with her new husband, and Alex is also consistently shocked that Daisy isn't the spoiled and dumb socialite that he had pegged her to be. There are a lot of ups and downs, some funny moments, some sexy times, and some sad moments...and they get a HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Daisy and Alex in 3rd person narrative. It did have some parts that focused on side characters as well.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I ate this up and read it super fast! I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 4 stars. Alex. I liked him. I felt bad for his past, but I did want him to communicate a little better with Daisy at times.
h rating: 5 stars. Daisy. I loved her! She was a mess and a lot lost when we first meet her. Her upbringing and family relationships were sad, but I appreciated the woman she became despite it all.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I teared up a few times, but I never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Alright. They have some alright tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. I do think this could've been a little bit more steamy tbh. Their sexual chemistry just fell a little flat for me for some reason.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This is my biggest issue with the book. It gives us a small (days?) jump ahead epilogue with some of their HEA, but I definitely wanted more! How about them with their children later in life?! That would've been awesome. I am still calling this a HEA though.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
January 27, 2016
OMG...I cant even...This love story just blew me away.....
"I don't love you anymore,Alex."
"It's alright sweetheart.I love you enough for the both of us."
KISS AN ANGEL is a beautiful love story that revolves around two broken & loney souls,both vulnerable and lost in their own ways...
Honestly speaking,this book surprised me in more ways than one.I mean with its chic-lite cover,and the book's subtle summary.I had no clue,how emotional this book would really turn out to be.
The characters in the book seemed so individually strong and memorable in their own right.I couldn't help but admire the way Ms.Phillips built a plot around such diverse characters instead of concentrating on just the two main leads.
I found daisy and (the tiger) sinjun's relationship to be so the most touching.The way she relates to the beast calming & loving him while making way for her own self-discovery was just so complexly written.I adored it !
Pride had kept her running when love had betrayed her.
Yes..It's true.THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY..LIKE A LOT... especially towards the end.The sad misunderstandings that Alex and Daisy go through...seriously,I was a mess.
RECOMMENDATION :This book has permanently earned a place on my favorites shelf. I would highly recommended this book to anybody wanting a good emotional read if they have a LOT of spare time that day because trust me.You would want to finish this in one solid reading.
Seriously a great book, completely deserves to be read, at least once.
"I don't love you anymore,Alex."
"It's alright sweetheart.I love you enough for the both of us."
KISS AN ANGEL is a beautiful love story that revolves around two broken & loney souls,both vulnerable and lost in their own ways...
Honestly speaking,this book surprised me in more ways than one.I mean with its chic-lite cover,and the book's subtle summary.I had no clue,how emotional this book would really turn out to be.
The characters in the book seemed so individually strong and memorable in their own right.I couldn't help but admire the way Ms.Phillips built a plot around such diverse characters instead of concentrating on just the two main leads.
I found daisy and (the tiger) sinjun's relationship to be so the most touching.The way she relates to the beast calming & loving him while making way for her own self-discovery was just so complexly written.I adored it !
Pride had kept her running when love had betrayed her.
Yes..It's true.THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY..LIKE A LOT... especially towards the end.The sad misunderstandings that Alex and Daisy go through...seriously,I was a mess.
RECOMMENDATION :This book has permanently earned a place on my favorites shelf. I would highly recommended this book to anybody wanting a good emotional read if they have a LOT of spare time that day because trust me.You would want to finish this in one solid reading.
Seriously a great book, completely deserves to be read, at least once.
July 17, 2018
5 BILLION ZILLION GAJILLIONTY STARS
I have NO idea how I missed this book by one of my all time favorite authors, considering I've practically read her entire backlist. But I did. And I've been kicking myself for days for taking this long to do it. Because this book? THIS BOOK WAS MAGICAL! It is hands down my favorite contemporary romance, not only from this author, but period. Yes. It was THAT good. Actually, no. It wasn't just good. It was brilliant. It was enchanting, sigh inducing, heartwarming, funny, swoony, PERFECTION.
If you love the arranged marriage trope, you will LOVE the story of Alex and Daisy. Put against a rock and a hard place, Daisy agrees to her father's choice of husband, even if she's only meets him the day of her wedding. Alex has his own reasons for agreeing to the arrangement, but he's keeping a tight lid on those.
Suddenly sweet and somewhat sheltered Daisy that's used to globe trotting and dining with celebrities with her flighty and selfish past model mother, finds herself thrust into circus life, with a husband that's determined to prove to her that she can't hack it. Put to the test on just how much of the ordinary life she can endure, Daisy soon finds that there's something almost magical about the circus, and more than meets the eye to her husband.
Daisy was the sweetest, most endearing heroine I've ever read. I loved all of her vulnerabilities and insecurities. I loved her soft sort of strength and the way she finds herself in a place she last expected.
Alex was an outright bastard to her. Yet there was something so intriguing about him. I couldn't get enough of him. I wanted to hate him for his treatment of Daisy, but then reading about her method of dealing with him gave me too many laughs to care.
I loved the way that Daisy's sweet nature eventually began to win over everyone around her. I loved the incredible cast of quirky and unique secondary characters. My absolute favorite part had to be the animals, though.
This book was simply EVERYTHING. It was phenomenal, unputdownable, page-turner, smile-inducer. It had THE MOST DELICIOUS GROVEL I have ever read. It had the swooniest romance. It had the quirkiest humor. IT WAS EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING! An absolute must read! My favorite book of the year and hands down my favorite SEP book to date!
Find me on:
I take thee... to be my awful wedded husband”
I have NO idea how I missed this book by one of my all time favorite authors, considering I've practically read her entire backlist. But I did. And I've been kicking myself for days for taking this long to do it. Because this book? THIS BOOK WAS MAGICAL! It is hands down my favorite contemporary romance, not only from this author, but period. Yes. It was THAT good. Actually, no. It wasn't just good. It was brilliant. It was enchanting, sigh inducing, heartwarming, funny, swoony, PERFECTION.
“Pride? It's in my heart, of course.”
“You're letting me demean you!”
She smiled. “You can't do that. I can only demean myself.”
If you love the arranged marriage trope, you will LOVE the story of Alex and Daisy. Put against a rock and a hard place, Daisy agrees to her father's choice of husband, even if she's only meets him the day of her wedding. Alex has his own reasons for agreeing to the arrangement, but he's keeping a tight lid on those.
Suddenly sweet and somewhat sheltered Daisy that's used to globe trotting and dining with celebrities with her flighty and selfish past model mother, finds herself thrust into circus life, with a husband that's determined to prove to her that she can't hack it. Put to the test on just how much of the ordinary life she can endure, Daisy soon finds that there's something almost magical about the circus, and more than meets the eye to her husband.
Daisy was the sweetest, most endearing heroine I've ever read. I loved all of her vulnerabilities and insecurities. I loved her soft sort of strength and the way she finds herself in a place she last expected.
Alex was an outright bastard to her. Yet there was something so intriguing about him. I couldn't get enough of him. I wanted to hate him for his treatment of Daisy, but then reading about her method of dealing with him gave me too many laughs to care.
I loved the way that Daisy's sweet nature eventually began to win over everyone around her. I loved the incredible cast of quirky and unique secondary characters. My absolute favorite part had to be the animals, though.
This book was simply EVERYTHING. It was phenomenal, unputdownable, page-turner, smile-inducer. It had THE MOST DELICIOUS GROVEL I have ever read. It had the swooniest romance. It had the quirkiest humor. IT WAS EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING! An absolute must read! My favorite book of the year and hands down my favorite SEP book to date!
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August 13, 2024
I still cant fully decide how I feel about this book. First, i want to say that when i first started this book i thought that its not what i expected because of that cover, i thought that it really needed a change because it was quite good, BUT than i found out that this book definitely doesn't need a different cover, it is exactly what you can see in that picture - stupid naive pathetic little girl who lets people walk over her through the whole freakin book.
She was manipulated so often i was pulling my hair out. Literally.
It starts when our heroine Daisy is forced to marry this circus asshole Alex.
The plot is very simple.
Naive and Dickhead get married.
Naive hopes that D will fall in love with her.
Dickhead tells N that he isnt capable of love.
Dickhead humiliates N all the time so of course she falls in love with him.
Dickhead remindes N that he cant love her.
Dickhead humiliates N again.
Naive loves D even more.
Its 80% of book.
Dickhead is still being dickhead.
Naive finally founds her backbone and runs!
Dickhead goes after her and what the f does she do? She freakin comes back to him!
And they live their HEA.
What is even worse? After all, you expect "hero" to grovel. He didnt, not even a little bit. I cant even express how angry i was after i finished this.
It was one of those books where i wished so much for the heroine to leave, find someone normal, fall in love and live with this OM happily ever after. And for hero to watch it all and be miserable for the rest of his life.
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for book where:
- heroine is embarrassed and humiliated the whole book
- heroine is pathetic doormat
- hero who is such an asshole that you will need absolutely new shelf for him
- hero who continues flirting with OWs
- dumb OW drama
- hero who doesnt grovel after being dickhead 80% of book
SAFETY:
She was manipulated so often i was pulling my hair out. Literally.
It starts when our heroine Daisy is forced to marry this circus asshole Alex.
The plot is very simple.
Naive and Dickhead get married.
Naive hopes that D will fall in love with her.
Dickhead tells N that he isnt capable of love.
Dickhead humiliates N all the time so of course she falls in love with him.
Dickhead remindes N that he cant love her.
Dickhead humiliates N again.
Naive loves D even more.
Its 80% of book.
Dickhead is still being dickhead.
Naive finally founds her backbone and runs!
Dickhead goes after her and what the f does she do? She freakin comes back to him!
And they live their HEA.
What is even worse? After all, you expect "hero" to grovel. He didnt, not even a little bit. I cant even express how angry i was after i finished this.
It was one of those books where i wished so much for the heroine to leave, find someone normal, fall in love and live with this OM happily ever after. And for hero to watch it all and be miserable for the rest of his life.
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for book where:
- heroine is embarrassed and humiliated the whole book
- heroine is pathetic doormat
- hero who is such an asshole that you will need absolutely new shelf for him
- hero who continues flirting with OWs
- dumb OW drama
- hero who doesnt grovel after being dickhead 80% of book
SAFETY:
January 24, 2024
So the romance was between Daisy and Alex or Daisy and the tiger? Or was it with that baby elephant? Honest to God, this girl had better relationship with her assorted animal crew than her husband.
Too much drama with the ex for my liking, but this sure was entertaining. SEP's writing was top-notch as always.
Too much drama with the ex for my liking, but this sure was entertaining. SEP's writing was top-notch as always.
August 31, 2022
No se cuantas veces he releído este libro... simplemente me sigue encantando cada vez que lo hago, me sigue emocionando y enamorando en los momentos mas sentimentales, lo amo!
Es mi libro favorito y espero que eso no cambie...
Diría que Besar a un ángel ha sido un cóctel de sensaciones para mí. Me ha hecho reír, emocionarme (la mayor parte del tiempo), suspirar totalmente embelesada por esas escenas tan preciosas llenas de amor y por esos dos protagonistas tan inolvidables. Él, Alex, es muy duro, serio y esta lleno de secretos, con un pasado oscuro que lo ha convertido en el hombre que es hoy día, un hombre que no ha conocido ni el amor ni el cariño. Ella, Daisy, una joven mimada, aparentemente superficial y caprichosa, que tampoco ha conocido el amor de primera mano, pero que en realidad esconde un corazón demasiado grande, dulce y sensible.
La relación entre ellos es fascinante. Resulta muy divertido y atrapante de leer cuando los protagonistas que comienzan llevándose muy mal y se odian prácticamente (fue mi primer enemies to lovers(? y grumpy/sunshine trope), para luego ver como cada uno saca lo mejor del otro y el amor va surgiendo muy lentamente.
Algo que me encantó de esta pareja es la química que va naciendo entre ellos: las escenas románticas están cargadas de erotismo y sensualidad. Son muy apasionados y hacen algunos juegos y travesuras que te tienen pegada a las páginas mientras ríes con sus ocurrencias (Daisy me mataba de risa). Adoré a estos dos personajes, la lengua filosa que tienen ambos, su carácter y los momentos entre ellos que son pura explosión.
Es una historia de amor preciosa, con partes bien dramáticas, dolorosas y emotivas así como otras que te hacen morir de risa, muy divertidas y geniales. Su historia de amor surge poco a poco y concluye de la mejor manera posible. Un final precioso que le hace justicia a ambos y que claramente se merecen al haber pasado por tantos momentos dolorosos, los cuales son los culpables de haberme pasado casi toda la lectura con la lagrimilla en el ojo (aunque también tengo que decir que en alguna ocasión ha sido de alegría).
Cuando un libro me llega tantísimo como es el caso, me es difícil expresarlo. Y es que Besar a un ángel ha sido un cúmulo de situaciones que me han fascinado. Para mí es novedoso el ambiente que rodea al mundo circense, la trama en general, las situaciones que se dan a lo largo de la historia (unas tan preciosas y otras tan dolorosas y tristes)... En fin, todo lo que rodea a Alex y Daisy, me ha maravillado por completo. Es una historia que merece ser leída, tan demasiado emotiva y romántica que se hace memorable.
Es mi libro favorito y espero que eso no cambie...
Diría que Besar a un ángel ha sido un cóctel de sensaciones para mí. Me ha hecho reír, emocionarme (la mayor parte del tiempo), suspirar totalmente embelesada por esas escenas tan preciosas llenas de amor y por esos dos protagonistas tan inolvidables. Él, Alex, es muy duro, serio y esta lleno de secretos, con un pasado oscuro que lo ha convertido en el hombre que es hoy día, un hombre que no ha conocido ni el amor ni el cariño. Ella, Daisy, una joven mimada, aparentemente superficial y caprichosa, que tampoco ha conocido el amor de primera mano, pero que en realidad esconde un corazón demasiado grande, dulce y sensible.
La relación entre ellos es fascinante. Resulta muy divertido y atrapante de leer cuando los protagonistas que comienzan llevándose muy mal y se odian prácticamente (fue mi primer enemies to lovers(? y grumpy/sunshine trope), para luego ver como cada uno saca lo mejor del otro y el amor va surgiendo muy lentamente.
Algo que me encantó de esta pareja es la química que va naciendo entre ellos: las escenas románticas están cargadas de erotismo y sensualidad. Son muy apasionados y hacen algunos juegos y travesuras que te tienen pegada a las páginas mientras ríes con sus ocurrencias (Daisy me mataba de risa). Adoré a estos dos personajes, la lengua filosa que tienen ambos, su carácter y los momentos entre ellos que son pura explosión.
Es una historia de amor preciosa, con partes bien dramáticas, dolorosas y emotivas así como otras que te hacen morir de risa, muy divertidas y geniales. Su historia de amor surge poco a poco y concluye de la mejor manera posible. Un final precioso que le hace justicia a ambos y que claramente se merecen al haber pasado por tantos momentos dolorosos, los cuales son los culpables de haberme pasado casi toda la lectura con la lagrimilla en el ojo (aunque también tengo que decir que en alguna ocasión ha sido de alegría).
Cuando un libro me llega tantísimo como es el caso, me es difícil expresarlo. Y es que Besar a un ángel ha sido un cúmulo de situaciones que me han fascinado. Para mí es novedoso el ambiente que rodea al mundo circense, la trama en general, las situaciones que se dan a lo largo de la historia (unas tan preciosas y otras tan dolorosas y tristes)... En fin, todo lo que rodea a Alex y Daisy, me ha maravillado por completo. Es una historia que merece ser leída, tan demasiado emotiva y romántica que se hace memorable.
January 18, 2021
4.5 stars
I’ve had this one and I’ve been wanting to read it since forever and I’m glad I finally picked it up. It was just so fun and so unique in its own way. I’m a sucker for the marriage of convenience trope and this one was so adorable. This book takes place in a circus which is another thing I’ve never saw on a romance. The setting was perfect with many adorable animals and many nice side characters that added a lot to the story.
I loved both the main characters so much. They both showed major slow and steady growth and I enjoyed seeing both of their character development. I loved everything about this book. The dialogue was hilarious and full of cute banter. And the grovel! The freakin grovel!! That’s the grovel I want and need in my romances!! This book was so amazing and endearing. I found myself stuck reading it in one setting. It was so entertaining and I couldn’t help but have that permanent silly grin on my face.
Song recommendation:
Like that by Bea Miller
Waiting game by BANKS
Tolerate it by Taylor swift
I’ve had this one and I’ve been wanting to read it since forever and I’m glad I finally picked it up. It was just so fun and so unique in its own way. I’m a sucker for the marriage of convenience trope and this one was so adorable. This book takes place in a circus which is another thing I’ve never saw on a romance. The setting was perfect with many adorable animals and many nice side characters that added a lot to the story.
I loved both the main characters so much. They both showed major slow and steady growth and I enjoyed seeing both of their character development. I loved everything about this book. The dialogue was hilarious and full of cute banter. And the grovel! The freakin grovel!! That’s the grovel I want and need in my romances!! This book was so amazing and endearing. I found myself stuck reading it in one setting. It was so entertaining and I couldn’t help but have that permanent silly grin on my face.
Song recommendation:
Like that by Bea Miller
Waiting game by BANKS
Tolerate it by Taylor swift
June 19, 2018
RELECTURA: 19/06/2018
Está claro que adoro este libro, y cada vez que lo leo amo aún mas a todos los personajes (humanos y no humanos jejeje) Es el libro que me saca de mis crisis y que siempre siempre me hace disfrutar y suspirar como la primera vez.
PD: en realidad, este libro es el que mas veces me he leído, aunque ponga que es la segunda, diría que voy por la 5 jajajaja
------------
RELECTURA: 01/02/2017
No importa las veces que lea este libro (ya perdí la cuenta) pero siempre consigue enamorarme y hacerme disfrutar de esta preciosa historia. Es mi libro comodín, cuando entro en crisis lectora siempre es SEP la que me ayuda a salir de ello. Y Besar a un ángel es una adorabilidad de libro jeje
¡LEEDLO SI NO LO HABÉIS HECHO AÚN!
Está claro que adoro este libro, y cada vez que lo leo amo aún mas a todos los personajes (humanos y no humanos jejeje) Es el libro que me saca de mis crisis y que siempre siempre me hace disfrutar y suspirar como la primera vez.
PD: en realidad, este libro es el que mas veces me he leído, aunque ponga que es la segunda, diría que voy por la 5 jajajaja
------------
RELECTURA: 01/02/2017
No importa las veces que lea este libro (ya perdí la cuenta) pero siempre consigue enamorarme y hacerme disfrutar de esta preciosa historia. Es mi libro comodín, cuando entro en crisis lectora siempre es SEP la que me ayuda a salir de ello. Y Besar a un ángel es una adorabilidad de libro jeje
¡LEEDLO SI NO LO HABÉIS HECHO AÚN!
March 8, 2015
5 STARS
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Seriously.. I’m speechless.. LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!!!!
It’s official! I am hopelessly in love with Susan Elizabeth Phillips! What a wonderful and endearing story this was. I was glued to the pages from start to finish with a stupid silly grin on my face the whole time. In fact, I can’t help smiling now as I’m writing this review. Just thinking back over the story, makes me want to pick the book up and start in all over again.
The characters were absolutely fantastic. The dialogue was gritty and romantic with oodles of sexual tension. The supporting characters were just as well developed, even the animals in the circus had me laughing at times and on the edge of my seat at others. The story was so creative and well laid out. I loved everything about it.
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Theodosia Devreaux (Daisy) is a 26 year old girl with a huge dilemma. She has gotten herself into so much debt that she’s facing jail time. Her wealthy father has offered to help, but has some very unusual demands. She must marry a man her father has chosen for her, and not only does she have to live with him and do as he says, she must stay married for 6 months in order to collect her trust fund.
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The bridegroom, Alexander Markov… seems just as unhappy about the arrangement as she does. He may be tall, dark and handsome beyond her wildest dreams… but he’s also angry, brooding and completely incapable of love. And worst of all, he’s determined to show this spoiled little cream puff a long hard lesson in hard living.
“I take thee... to be my awful wedded husband”
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So immediately following this poor excuse for a wedding, Daisy is dragged from her Manhattan lifestyle off to a broken down traveling circus where her new husband is determined to tame her to his ways.
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“I’m not going to fall in love with you, sweetheart. It’s just not going to happen. I care about you, but I don’t love you.”
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Daisy is completely out of her element. She is immediately treated like an outsider by all of the circus staff, she is terrified of animals, and has discovered that her scary new husband is an expert with bull whips… and he’s not above threatening her with retaliation if she defy’s him.
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Oh, and to top it all off… Daisy soon finds that her Alex has quite the reputation with women. And upon finding him married, they quickly turn their backs on her, making her the pariah of the circus.
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But, Daisy isn’t going to let this defeat her. She is determined to see this commitment through. And finding a few cracks in his angry facade, Daisy soon finds herself feeling empathy for Alex. Empathy that soon starts feeling something like love.
“His fists clenched at his sides. 'Damn it! Where's your pride?'
'Pride? It's in my heart, of course.'
'You're letting me demean you!'
She smiled. 'You can't do that. I can only demean myself.”
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Although, even as she offers him her heart, he completely shuts her out, until she is finally convinced that he will never love her.
“I don't love you anymore", she whispered. "I don't love you at all." His throat closed. "It's all right, sweetheart. I love you enough for both of us.”
I just cannot say enough about this book. I LOVED Daisy!!! She was sweet and loving, but also spunky and stubborn. She was put in a horrible situation and instead of giving up and falling to despair, she turned out to be a beacon of light that brought life back into the circus. Not only did she prove to herself that she was made of tougher stuff, she also inspired everyone around her, including the man that was determined to break her.
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“You shouldn’t dare a person who doesn’t have anything left to lose.”
And Alex… well here is a guy you will not soon forget. A real top-rank ass with an ego that was bigger than the big-top tent. A real alpha maniac, who thought quite a lot of himself, while showing little regard for the fairer sex… especially empty-headed, spoiled brat socialites that took advantage of their family’s fortune.
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“I can’t resist you,” he said quietly. “You know that, don’t you? And I’m tired of pretending I can.” His expression grew more troubled. “But I don’t love you, Daisy, and you can’t begin to know how sorry I am about that because if I could chose anyone in this world to love, it’d be you.”
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But it didn’t take long for Daisy to start melting the ice surrounding Alex Markov’s heart.
And while he felt himself damaged and incapable of love, Alex soon found he was finding it harder and harder to stay away from girl he thought was beyond help.
She wasn’t holding anything back. Not one thing. She was offering herself without reservations: heart, body, and soul. How could anyone be so self-destructive? He pulled himself back together. If she wasn’t going to guard herself, he’d do the job for her.
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“I love you, Daisy. I love you so much I hurt.”
This is such a delightful story. And the circus setting made it that much more endearing. The animals themselves played their parts to perfection, and in doing so, helped Daisy find her way in life. These new relationships were so touching, it will make your hear ache with joy.
![]()
While they kissed, Tater dusted both of them with hay, just as if he thought the stuff was rice.
I highly recommend this book!!! And a big thank you to Ingela and Mo who recommended it to me. ❤︎
Seriously.. I’m speechless.. LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!!!!
It’s official! I am hopelessly in love with Susan Elizabeth Phillips! What a wonderful and endearing story this was. I was glued to the pages from start to finish with a stupid silly grin on my face the whole time. In fact, I can’t help smiling now as I’m writing this review. Just thinking back over the story, makes me want to pick the book up and start in all over again.
The characters were absolutely fantastic. The dialogue was gritty and romantic with oodles of sexual tension. The supporting characters were just as well developed, even the animals in the circus had me laughing at times and on the edge of my seat at others. The story was so creative and well laid out. I loved everything about it.
Theodosia Devreaux (Daisy) is a 26 year old girl with a huge dilemma. She has gotten herself into so much debt that she’s facing jail time. Her wealthy father has offered to help, but has some very unusual demands. She must marry a man her father has chosen for her, and not only does she have to live with him and do as he says, she must stay married for 6 months in order to collect her trust fund.
The bridegroom, Alexander Markov… seems just as unhappy about the arrangement as she does. He may be tall, dark and handsome beyond her wildest dreams… but he’s also angry, brooding and completely incapable of love. And worst of all, he’s determined to show this spoiled little cream puff a long hard lesson in hard living.
“I take thee... to be my awful wedded husband”
So immediately following this poor excuse for a wedding, Daisy is dragged from her Manhattan lifestyle off to a broken down traveling circus where her new husband is determined to tame her to his ways.
“I’m not going to fall in love with you, sweetheart. It’s just not going to happen. I care about you, but I don’t love you.”
Daisy is completely out of her element. She is immediately treated like an outsider by all of the circus staff, she is terrified of animals, and has discovered that her scary new husband is an expert with bull whips… and he’s not above threatening her with retaliation if she defy’s him.
Oh, and to top it all off… Daisy soon finds that her Alex has quite the reputation with women. And upon finding him married, they quickly turn their backs on her, making her the pariah of the circus.
But, Daisy isn’t going to let this defeat her. She is determined to see this commitment through. And finding a few cracks in his angry facade, Daisy soon finds herself feeling empathy for Alex. Empathy that soon starts feeling something like love.
“His fists clenched at his sides. 'Damn it! Where's your pride?'
'Pride? It's in my heart, of course.'
'You're letting me demean you!'
She smiled. 'You can't do that. I can only demean myself.”
Although, even as she offers him her heart, he completely shuts her out, until she is finally convinced that he will never love her.
“I don't love you anymore", she whispered. "I don't love you at all." His throat closed. "It's all right, sweetheart. I love you enough for both of us.”
I just cannot say enough about this book. I LOVED Daisy!!! She was sweet and loving, but also spunky and stubborn. She was put in a horrible situation and instead of giving up and falling to despair, she turned out to be a beacon of light that brought life back into the circus. Not only did she prove to herself that she was made of tougher stuff, she also inspired everyone around her, including the man that was determined to break her.
“You shouldn’t dare a person who doesn’t have anything left to lose.”
And Alex… well here is a guy you will not soon forget. A real top-rank ass with an ego that was bigger than the big-top tent. A real alpha maniac, who thought quite a lot of himself, while showing little regard for the fairer sex… especially empty-headed, spoiled brat socialites that took advantage of their family’s fortune.
“I can’t resist you,” he said quietly. “You know that, don’t you? And I’m tired of pretending I can.” His expression grew more troubled. “But I don’t love you, Daisy, and you can’t begin to know how sorry I am about that because if I could chose anyone in this world to love, it’d be you.”
But it didn’t take long for Daisy to start melting the ice surrounding Alex Markov’s heart.
And while he felt himself damaged and incapable of love, Alex soon found he was finding it harder and harder to stay away from girl he thought was beyond help.
She wasn’t holding anything back. Not one thing. She was offering herself without reservations: heart, body, and soul. How could anyone be so self-destructive? He pulled himself back together. If she wasn’t going to guard herself, he’d do the job for her.
“I love you, Daisy. I love you so much I hurt.”
This is such a delightful story. And the circus setting made it that much more endearing. The animals themselves played their parts to perfection, and in doing so, helped Daisy find her way in life. These new relationships were so touching, it will make your hear ache with joy.
While they kissed, Tater dusted both of them with hay, just as if he thought the stuff was rice.
I highly recommend this book!!! And a big thank you to Ingela and Mo who recommended it to me. ❤︎
November 22, 2015
5 beautiful, brilliant stars!
“Don't dare a person who has nothing else left to lose.”
It's official! I'm hooked! I'm the newest SEPPIE Fan Girl!
I loved this story! Alex and Daisy are all kinds of amazing. I laughed, I sobbed, I sighed, I fanned myself...
My only problem with the story is that it ended.
Thank you to my lovely friends whose ravings made read this author. What do I read next???
October 11, 2023
daisy is the biggest doormat i’ve ever seen. she was good at the beginning but then she lost her backbone. i don’t respect her. and the telepathic connection she has with the tiger is so ??? apparently they see each others souls and can talk to each other? i dont understand. i liked the tiger tho he was cool. the tiger and the elephant are the best part of the book.
alex made me uncomfortable. he threatens her with a whip for fun. he makes her cigarettes somehow explode to stop her from smoking. i still don’t understand how he does this. his character development was poorly done imo. grovelling? where? also the smut made me uncomfortable. and him calling her ‘angel face’….ew.
i didn’t really feel any chemistry between daisy and alex. the angst was not there, the tension was nonexistent. i also don’t care for either of their characters. their motivations make no sense to me. daisy should’ve left when he gave her the opportunity tbh she would’ve been better off.
the book is set in a circus which i’ve never read before. it was different, but also i didn’t care much about it. after 2/3 the book just went so downhill. the third act was absolutely terrible. the side characters were mostly annoying. i actually liked heather, but i don’t understand why the epilogue was in her pov that made no sense to me.
alex made me uncomfortable. he threatens her with a whip for fun. he makes her cigarettes somehow explode to stop her from smoking. i still don’t understand how he does this. his character development was poorly done imo. grovelling? where? also the smut made me uncomfortable. and him calling her ‘angel face’….ew.
i didn’t really feel any chemistry between daisy and alex. the angst was not there, the tension was nonexistent. i also don’t care for either of their characters. their motivations make no sense to me. daisy should’ve left when he gave her the opportunity tbh she would’ve been better off.
the book is set in a circus which i’ve never read before. it was different, but also i didn’t care much about it. after 2/3 the book just went so downhill. the third act was absolutely terrible. the side characters were mostly annoying. i actually liked heather, but i don’t understand why the epilogue was in her pov that made no sense to me.
December 14, 2016
It's not long, about few months, since I've luckily discovered SEP's books and after having enjoyed, more or less, all the other eight I've read so far, I can safely say that with Kiss an Angel I've found my first and only big disappointment. I am aware this is a rather widely beloved classic of the genre and of her backlist, and I can even see why to a certain extent, but I guess I'll have to take my turn at "unpopular opinion time" in this case. There are copious great reviews already covering both ends of the scale, so I won't delve into the plot and details and just explain why this story really didn't work for me.
Despite being a vintage release (1996), the narrative style was crisp and engaging as ever, the dialogues infused with humour and, like the lovely Heaven, Texas and Lady Be Good, written around the same years, the book didn't feel dated at all in that regard. My gripes stem from elsewhere, namely the over-the-top storyline and, even more so, the romance between the leads, Daisy Devreaux and Alex Markov.
In fact, I couldn't stand Alex, right from the beginning to the very end.
There, I said it.
When encountering such exceptionally good writing, I usually tend to have more patience with overdone characterisations and circumstances, but this time the outlandish premise set in motion by Daisy's hateful father and the hero's retrograde attitude were just too much to pass. Alex belongs to an old-school bodice ripper, possibly taking place no later than the 18th Century (hey, some of those Victorian guys could be very forward-thinking compared to our hero here!), but in a contemporary context his arrogant behaviour toward a woman who has done him absolutely no wrong to boot, felt so irritating and off-putting as to ruin my whole reading experience. His troubled past is no excuse and till the very last page he acted as if he knew what was best for Daisy in a selfish and dramatic attempt to clean his conscience instead.
As for Daisy, while spending entire portions of the book alternatively being overwhelmed by him or justifying his actions, she crossed the line between "accommodating" and "doormat" one time too many, and her naively cheerful disposition more often than not seemed like passivity covered by a thick layer of forced optimism, a type of heroine I'm totally incapable to relate to.
At the end she sounded so drained and resigned, like anybody would if put through the emotional wringer by an uncaring partner, that letting the self-important windbag have his way and shut up and be done with it started to look like an option. Not my idea of romance at all.
The itinerant circus setting was well-portrayed and original, but even the secondary characters were mostly exaggerated stereotypes, like Sheba, the "strong" woman of the situation, and the quasi-preternatural connection Daisy develops with some animals further detracted from my enjoyment, since I usually don't care for unexpected paranormal abilities popping up to show a character's specialness in what is initially presented as a realistic background, especially when contemporary.
If I don't regret having read this book, for the always delicious writing, the fast moving plot and a little bit for having finally slaked my curiosity, I can't see myself picking it up ever again, nor would I recommend beginning one's acquaintance with SEP's oeuvre from here. At the risk of repeating myself always bringing him up as an absolute paragon, Heath, the hero from her irresistible Match Me If You Can, is worth ten Alex Markovs (and maybe some more).
January 11, 2015
Doy gracias a Dios por habernos dado a SEP y que esta nos haya regalado este libro.
No sé las veces que lo habré releído, pero siempre me emociona y conquista en las mismas partes.
“-Esta noche no, Daisy. Te necesito.”
Es un libro maravilloso, con una historia de amor que a las románticas como yo las hace sufrir hasta el final. Alex y Daisy te enganchan a sus páginas, y hacen que te enamores del circo en el que viven, junto con todos los animales que hay allí dentro.
Daisy es toda inocencia, dulzura y amor. Es generosa, valiente y siempre intenta ver el lado bueno de las cosas. Es romántica hasta la médula, y siente un cariño hacia los animales enorme. Es tan diferente a Alex, que por eso es perfecta para él.
Alex es terco, dominante y muy orgulloso. Intenta ser siempre justo, adaptarse a lo que le rodea, y trabaja muy duro. La vida no ha sido justa para él, y por eso rehúye de todo lo que tenga que ver con flores y corazones, por miedo a que le haga daño. Y es por ese miedo, que ha creado una coraza a su alrededor, y no deja que nadie se acerque a él.
“-Calla, amor. Cállate y deja que te ame.”
Daisy, poco a poco, va rompiendo esa coraza, y termina metiéndose bajo la piel de Alex.
Pero como toda historia buena de amor, también nos harán de sufrir.
“—Ya no te amo —susurró ella. —No te amo en absoluto.
A él se le puso un nudo en la garganta.
—No importa, cariño. Yo tengo amor suficiente por los dos.”
Dadle una oportunidad, no os arrepentiréis.
No sé las veces que lo habré releído, pero siempre me emociona y conquista en las mismas partes.
“-Esta noche no, Daisy. Te necesito.”
Es un libro maravilloso, con una historia de amor que a las románticas como yo las hace sufrir hasta el final. Alex y Daisy te enganchan a sus páginas, y hacen que te enamores del circo en el que viven, junto con todos los animales que hay allí dentro.
Daisy es toda inocencia, dulzura y amor. Es generosa, valiente y siempre intenta ver el lado bueno de las cosas. Es romántica hasta la médula, y siente un cariño hacia los animales enorme. Es tan diferente a Alex, que por eso es perfecta para él.
Alex es terco, dominante y muy orgulloso. Intenta ser siempre justo, adaptarse a lo que le rodea, y trabaja muy duro. La vida no ha sido justa para él, y por eso rehúye de todo lo que tenga que ver con flores y corazones, por miedo a que le haga daño. Y es por ese miedo, que ha creado una coraza a su alrededor, y no deja que nadie se acerque a él.
“-Calla, amor. Cállate y deja que te ame.”
Daisy, poco a poco, va rompiendo esa coraza, y termina metiéndose bajo la piel de Alex.
Pero como toda historia buena de amor, también nos harán de sufrir.
“—Ya no te amo —susurró ella. —No te amo en absoluto.
A él se le puso un nudo en la garganta.
—No importa, cariño. Yo tengo amor suficiente por los dos.”
Dadle una oportunidad, no os arrepentiréis.
July 5, 2016
Fucking loved it. Loved it. Alex is a jerk, a fucking major jerk. But ... yes, his childhood was shitty. Let's give him some space.
Daisy, Daisy, Daisy. I love you.
Tater. I love you too.
Sheba. You are a bit of cunt.
My expectations are so high for the new SEP book due out in August. I sure hope it lives up to my expectations.
Daisy, Daisy, Daisy. I love you.
Tater. I love you too.
Sheba. You are a bit of cunt.
“But I don't love you, Daisy, and you can't begin to know how sorry I am about that because if I could chose anyone in this world to love, it'd be you.”
My expectations are so high for the new SEP book due out in August. I sure hope it lives up to my expectations.
July 4, 2023
Me ha gustado mucho. Entiendo por qué aparece, en buen puesto, en todos los listados de las mejores novelas románticas. Quedo muy agradecida a las amigas de Twitter, lectoras con bagaje en el género, que me la recomendaron.
La trama es de las buenas. No es una historia simple. Los protagonistas lo tienen complicado. Parten con todo en contra, pero saben superarse y salir airosos. Tanto Daisy como Alex son personajes en tonos de gris. La evolución que experimentan se palpa en cada capítulo.
Me ha gustado todo en este libro, la pareja protagonista, la historia de amor en sí, la ambientación y sobre todo los diálogos.
El final feliz, como no puede ser de otra manera. Te deja en paz y con el corazón calentito.
Recomendable.
La trama es de las buenas. No es una historia simple. Los protagonistas lo tienen complicado. Parten con todo en contra, pero saben superarse y salir airosos. Tanto Daisy como Alex son personajes en tonos de gris. La evolución que experimentan se palpa en cada capítulo.
Me ha gustado todo en este libro, la pareja protagonista, la historia de amor en sí, la ambientación y sobre todo los diálogos.
El final feliz, como no puede ser de otra manera. Te deja en paz y con el corazón calentito.
Recomendable.
August 28, 2018
*** 5 Adksldkdl💕❤😍 STARS***
Reto 2018: Una relectura
AMO ESTE LIBROOOO!!! 💕❤Sin duda es el mejor libro de SEP y uno de mis favoritos de la vida, tenía miedo de hacer esta relectura porque hay veces que un libro te gusta tanto que cuando lo vuelves a leer no es lo mismo y tienes que bajarle la calificación y me hubiera dolido en el alma. Gracias a Dios no sucedió eso me gustó igual o más que la primera vez y la segunda. No tan así pero casi..👇👇
Este libro tiene uno de los inicios más divertidos y enganchables de todos los tiempos a Daisy en plena boda al citar sus votos se le olvida del nombre de su futuro marido, a mí todavía me da mucha risa. 😂😂 Todo el libro es bastante divertido pero también es uno de los libros más tiernos dulces y bonitos que he leído sin llegar a ser empalagoso y que me ha causado tantos sentimientos aun con una historia tan simple y sencilla. Deberían de salir más libros como estos.👌👌
Daisy es una de mis protagonistas favoritas Ever🙌 a simple vista es una chica de 26 años sin oficio ni beneficio que se ha dedicado a derrochar su fortuna que le dejó su mamá y por lo tanto está en la quiebra; superficial, mimada frívola, más sin embargo es una de las chicas más dulces, empáticas y sensibles con principios morales bien forjados y con mucha inseguridad. Tiene un gran crecimiento a lo largo de la historia.
Alex AAAAAAH!! Empezó siendo un desgraciado cruel y frío y a lo largo de la historia también tiene muchos momentos siendo un perro, pero es un hombre que cuando lo llegas a conocer enamora. Es un sexy ruso, hábil con el látigo con un pasado tormentoso. Al final Alex me encantó 😍😍
Mi personaje favorito a parte de los protas es Sinjun,😍🐯 por si no lo sabían yo AMO a los tigres y daría todo por poder abrazar a un tigre pero daría más para que ya no estén en peligro de extinción y ya no sean casadosno puedo evitar que salga mi bióloga interior y si me dan más cuerda me puedo echar un rollo de las consecuencias de su desaparición haha
El ambiente donde se desarrolla la historia es en el circo. A pesar de que la historia es de los años 90´s cuando los animales no estaban prohibidos en los circos, la autora retrato muy bien la crueldad con la que son tratados y el ambiente en tan mal estado en que se encuentran. Hizo concientizar que los animales no pertenecen ahí no está en su naturaleza estar encerrados y Lo animales no son nuestro entretenimiento Bravo SEP👏👏
Una maravillosa historia con personajes increíbles que tuvieron una gran evolución principales como secundarios con diálogos divertidos y originales y desarrollado en un ambiente tan peculiar como es el circo una historia que merece ser leída una y mil veces😉😆👍
Reto 2018: Una relectura
—Ya no te amo —susurró ella. —No te amo en absoluto.
A él se le puso un nudo en la garganta.
—No importa, cariño. Yo tengo amor suficiente por los dos.
AMO ESTE LIBROOOO!!! 💕❤Sin duda es el mejor libro de SEP y uno de mis favoritos de la vida, tenía miedo de hacer esta relectura porque hay veces que un libro te gusta tanto que cuando lo vuelves a leer no es lo mismo y tienes que bajarle la calificación y me hubiera dolido en el alma. Gracias a Dios no sucedió eso me gustó igual o más que la primera vez y la segunda. No tan así pero casi..👇👇
Este libro tiene uno de los inicios más divertidos y enganchables de todos los tiempos a Daisy en plena boda al citar sus votos se le olvida del nombre de su futuro marido, a mí todavía me da mucha risa. 😂😂 Todo el libro es bastante divertido pero también es uno de los libros más tiernos dulces y bonitos que he leído sin llegar a ser empalagoso y que me ha causado tantos sentimientos aun con una historia tan simple y sencilla. Deberían de salir más libros como estos.👌👌
Daisy es una de mis protagonistas favoritas Ever🙌 a simple vista es una chica de 26 años sin oficio ni beneficio que se ha dedicado a derrochar su fortuna que le dejó su mamá y por lo tanto está en la quiebra; superficial, mimada frívola, más sin embargo es una de las chicas más dulces, empáticas y sensibles con principios morales bien forjados y con mucha inseguridad. Tiene un gran crecimiento a lo largo de la historia.
Alex AAAAAAH!! Empezó siendo un desgraciado cruel y frío y a lo largo de la historia también tiene muchos momentos siendo un perro, pero es un hombre que cuando lo llegas a conocer enamora. Es un sexy ruso, hábil con el látigo con un pasado tormentoso. Al final Alex me encantó 😍😍
Mi personaje favorito a parte de los protas es Sinjun,😍🐯 por si no lo sabían yo AMO a los tigres y daría todo por poder abrazar a un tigre pero daría más para que ya no estén en peligro de extinción y ya no sean casados
Esa magnífica bestia no debía ser ejecutada sólo por seguir los instintos de su especie. Sinjun no había hecho nada malo, salvo actuar como un tigre. A las personas sólo las encerraban cuando delinquían. A él lo habían arrebatado de su hábitat natural, lo habían encerrado en una jaula diminuta y lo habían obligado a vivir bajo la mirada de sus enemigos.
El ambiente donde se desarrolla la historia es en el circo. A pesar de que la historia es de los años 90´s cuando los animales no estaban prohibidos en los circos, la autora retrato muy bien la crueldad con la que son tratados y el ambiente en tan mal estado en que se encuentran. Hizo concientizar que los animales no pertenecen ahí no está en su naturaleza estar encerrados y Lo animales no son nuestro entretenimiento Bravo SEP👏👏
Una maravillosa historia con personajes increíbles que tuvieron una gran evolución principales como secundarios con diálogos divertidos y originales y desarrollado en un ambiente tan peculiar como es el circo una historia que merece ser leída una y mil veces😉😆👍
March 4, 2013
Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance
4 1/2 Fun time Stars!! I didn't just love this book; I'm in love with it!!
Admittedly when I started to read this I thought this was not going to work for me. Boy was I ever wrong!!! Even with the over-the-top unrealistic circumstances that surrounded the characters, this book STOLE MY HEART!! Daisy, oh my goodness, talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve, she did everything… everything out of love!! She was one of the sweetest, kindest, most determined heroines I've ever had the good fortune to come across! I adored her, and just thinking about her now just warms my heart.
Thrown into circumstances she's totally unprepared for, Daisy makes the best of the situation. She finds herself married to the cold-hearted, yet devastatingly handsome Alexander Markov. He throws every obstacle he can at her, but she is determined, keeps her chin up and pushes through. I was fascinated by her, she was delightful! I did not like Alex at first, but as Daisy works her magic and he starts to come around, she falls for him and so did I. Alex was carrying around some heavy baggage and he built a fortress around himself and his heart, but Daisy is so damn irresistible that his walls begin to crumble ever so slowly. He puts up a great front, but the reader can feel how much he cares for this woman who shares his bed and his life. The deal for the marriage calls for 6 months, but how can he ever let her go?! Her father and step-mother, I don’t even want to talk about them, they’re not worth the effort…BLECH!
Hear that crack?!?! It’s my heart breaking in half and it wasn’t the only thing cracking and well…you’ll just have to read it and see for yourself!! OMG…even now it all just takes my breath away, my heart pounds and I’m anxious all over again. It was a defining moment in the book and I can’t say any more than that!
The ending took me totally off guard. I never expected it to play out the way it did. It was such a pleasant surprise, my jaw just dropped to the floor and it took a while for me to lift it up and put it back in place. I read the last 12% of this book over and over…I had a hard time putting this one away.
So many amazing characters that took front and center, but the two that stole the show were Sinjun and Tater! Their special relationship with Daisy, well it was just that…SPECIAL! However unrealistic it was, it worked in a big way.
So much fun, SEP outdid herself with this one. This book stirred every emotion in me…it was head-spinning! The dialogue was amazing; I was captivated by the story and charmed by all the characters, especially Daisy and Alex. The passion they shared felt real and they had amazing chemistry. SEP does intimate very well. The book was not lacking for heat, that’s for sure.
Kiss An Angel is now a comfort read on my shelf; I can pull this out anytime and know that it will leave me feeling good, and that’s saying something!!! I can’t recommend this book enough!
May 30, 2017
5 Tu, yo y el circo STARS
Según mi perfil de Goodreas tengo 431 libros pendientes por leer. Y cada día la lista aumenta más y más. Lo bueno de esto es que nunca me quedo sin material de lectura, al terminar de leer un libro ya tengo en frente otro. Lo negativo es, que en entre tantos libros algunos títulos quedan en el fondo, o simplemente olvidados. Como es el caso de este libro.
A primera vista la portada y título del libro me parecieron aburridos, así que lo empecé a leer solamente para saber de qué trataba ya que ni siquiera recuerdo cómo fue que llego a mi biblioteca electrónica.
Grata fue mi sorpresa, al encontrarme fascinada con la historia desde la primera página. Pocas veces me ha pasado esto, desde las primeras lineas en las que la protagonista está diciendo sus votos matrimoniales y olvida el nombre del hombre con el que se esta casando, yo ya me encontraba enganchada.
Theodosia (Daisy), la protagonista me enamoro su personalidad y además me identifique mucho con su necedad, errores y temor por los animales.
Alex, OMG es uno de esos protagonistas que te enamoran por completo, es atractivo, de descendencia Rusa y con una gran habilidad con el látigo.
No diré mucho de lo que trata, porque lo que más disfrute fue lo inesperado, el no saber hacia dónde se dirigía la historia.
Lo mejor del libro es que se desarrolla en un Circo. Y como es contado en tercera persona, la autora nos muestra mucho de cómo es la vida en este ambiente.
Un libro muy recomendable de Amor, romántico pero no cliché empalagoso. Es simplemente lindo y fácil de leer. Ame este libro por completo, esta fue mi cara todo el tiempo mientras lo leia.
Según mi perfil de Goodreas tengo 431 libros pendientes por leer. Y cada día la lista aumenta más y más. Lo bueno de esto es que nunca me quedo sin material de lectura, al terminar de leer un libro ya tengo en frente otro. Lo negativo es, que en entre tantos libros algunos títulos quedan en el fondo, o simplemente olvidados. Como es el caso de este libro.
A primera vista la portada y título del libro me parecieron aburridos, así que lo empecé a leer solamente para saber de qué trataba ya que ni siquiera recuerdo cómo fue que llego a mi biblioteca electrónica.
Grata fue mi sorpresa, al encontrarme fascinada con la historia desde la primera página. Pocas veces me ha pasado esto, desde las primeras lineas en las que la protagonista está diciendo sus votos matrimoniales y olvida el nombre del hombre con el que se esta casando, yo ya me encontraba enganchada.
Theodosia (Daisy), la protagonista me enamoro su personalidad y además me identifique mucho con su necedad, errores y temor por los animales.
Alex, OMG es uno de esos protagonistas que te enamoran por completo, es atractivo, de descendencia Rusa y con una gran habilidad con el látigo.
No diré mucho de lo que trata, porque lo que más disfrute fue lo inesperado, el no saber hacia dónde se dirigía la historia.
Lo mejor del libro es que se desarrolla en un Circo. Y como es contado en tercera persona, la autora nos muestra mucho de cómo es la vida en este ambiente.
Un libro muy recomendable de Amor, romántico pero no cliché empalagoso. Es simplemente lindo y fácil de leer. Ame este libro por completo, esta fue mi cara todo el tiempo mientras lo leia.
March 17, 2021
4 stars
A lil character introduction that will most likely make zero sense...
Daisy:
- 26 years old
- her real name is Theodosia, which is honestly some other level hippy type shit
- daughter to an emotionally manipulative mother and an asshole father
- product of an affair
- scared of animals
- virgin
- optimist
Alex:
- Mid-thirties?
- A cossack
- a circus manager AND a professor?? Miss Phillips u really snapped with this one🤒
- kinda sexist, kinda old fashioned, kinda a Russian cowboy (But who's complaining)
- Thinks our heroine is an airhead bimbo
- Likes to light shit on fire
- Got that "I'm a broody bitch with a tragic past" vibe
- Carries a whip for scientific purposes
Sheba:
- Alex's ex
- Super talented of course
- Jealous
- hotheaded
- Kinda savage ain't gonna lie
- spiteful
- caring when she doesn't wish you dead
- mother hen
- a redhead (which really should tell you all you need to know)
This book was seriously bizarre...Miss Phillips was in a headspace of her own when she got to writing this.
Daisy has grown up privileged and pampered, however her life was far from perfect. Having to live with a father that thinks the absolute worst of her and an emotionally manipulative mother made Daisy rebel. And rebel she did, in the most unrebellious way possible. She decided to stay a virgin till marriage because her mother always had a revolving door of suitors. In Daisy's mind, sex and vows were sacred and she was determined to not stray from her beliefs. Even in her fake marriage to the cold and stoic Alex Markov.
Daisy's dickhead father was the one behind their marriage. In my opinion, that man is a lunatic. At first, we are under the pretence that he did that to punish Daisy for some stupid shit she did after her mother's death. Which was freaking weird to begin with but I just ignored it cause....gotta make em marry somehow am I right? It is an arranged marriage romance after all.
BUT THEN we find out that Alex IS THE DESCENDANT OF THE ROMANOVS. Daisy's dad (Who's a Petroff, and they apparently worked for Romanovs or whatnot) is obsessed with Russian history, so he wanted them to get married and have little royal babies.
So let me get this straight...
Alex is a college professor who works in a circus as well as being the direct descendant of the Russian monarchy.....Oh and he's rich too for whatever the fuck reason.
But you know what? It worked. I don't know how Susan Phillips thought of this and managed to actually execute it well.
The romance was slow-burn, the couple was perfect for each other. Alex had his prejudices about our heroine and I'm delighted to say they were all proved wrong. Where he thought she was a stupid, lazy, money spending bimbo, she turned out to be a stubborn, hard-working and smart ray of sunshine. I'll be lying though if I say she didn't annoy me a time or two, but that's mostly because optimists irritate me.
Just realised I sound like the female embodiment of every broody hero I've read.
the sex scenes didn't necessarily have me excited but they were actually interesting for a change. I loved the power shifts between h & H. Daisy had the chance to be dominant over Alex, and I was genuinely surprised at how much I was into it. Plus they had fun role-playing scenes that were really effortless and pretty entertaining.
One thing that this author also writes really well is the side characters. She always has the "villains" of the story be portrayed in the most humanising way. They are real, misunderstood and flawed and they are human. By the end you can't help but love those very same characters you couldn't stand at first. Sheba bby I'm talking to you. To be fair though, I had a soft spot for Sheba from the very beginning. I really felt for her, because as much it pains me to admit, I'd be a little spiteful too if the man I was completely in love with got married, after telling me he will NEVER get married to anyone.
Now onto the real love story of this book:
Sinjun and Daisy.
Watching Daisy, a girl that was scared of a tiny yapping dog form an intense connection with a bloody tiger was the subplot I never knew I needed. And not just Sinjun but the baby elephant and the gorilla too. Daisy seemed to find the saddest, most difficult and broodiest animals in the circus to form an unbreakable bond with, mainly because they reminded her so much of herself and partially Alex.
I will admit though, this book didn't at all ease my hate for zoos and circuses. Watching animals in cages has never been my idea of fun, so reading about them wasn't much either. Daisy eased it for me though, she truly loved those animals and did everything she could to take proper care of them.
Susan Phillips you really never disappoint do you? Only in the cover department but I'll blame the 90s for those.
A lil character introduction that will most likely make zero sense...
Daisy:
- 26 years old
- her real name is Theodosia, which is honestly some other level hippy type shit
- daughter to an emotionally manipulative mother and an asshole father
- product of an affair
- scared of animals
- virgin
- optimist
Alex:
- Mid-thirties?
- A cossack
- a circus manager AND a professor?? Miss Phillips u really snapped with this one🤒
- kinda sexist, kinda old fashioned, kinda a Russian cowboy (But who's complaining)
- Thinks our heroine is an airhead bimbo
- Likes to light shit on fire
- Got that "I'm a broody bitch with a tragic past" vibe
- Carries a whip for scientific purposes
Sheba:
- Alex's ex
- Super talented of course
- Jealous
- hotheaded
- Kinda savage ain't gonna lie
- spiteful
- caring when she doesn't wish you dead
- mother hen
- a redhead (which really should tell you all you need to know)
This book was seriously bizarre...Miss Phillips was in a headspace of her own when she got to writing this.
Daisy has grown up privileged and pampered, however her life was far from perfect. Having to live with a father that thinks the absolute worst of her and an emotionally manipulative mother made Daisy rebel. And rebel she did, in the most unrebellious way possible. She decided to stay a virgin till marriage because her mother always had a revolving door of suitors. In Daisy's mind, sex and vows were sacred and she was determined to not stray from her beliefs. Even in her fake marriage to the cold and stoic Alex Markov.
Daisy's dickhead father was the one behind their marriage. In my opinion, that man is a lunatic. At first, we are under the pretence that he did that to punish Daisy for some stupid shit she did after her mother's death. Which was freaking weird to begin with but I just ignored it cause....gotta make em marry somehow am I right? It is an arranged marriage romance after all.
BUT THEN we find out that Alex IS THE DESCENDANT OF THE ROMANOVS. Daisy's dad (Who's a Petroff, and they apparently worked for Romanovs or whatnot) is obsessed with Russian history, so he wanted them to get married and have little royal babies.
So let me get this straight...
Alex is a college professor who works in a circus as well as being the direct descendant of the Russian monarchy.....Oh and he's rich too for whatever the fuck reason.
But you know what? It worked. I don't know how Susan Phillips thought of this and managed to actually execute it well.
The romance was slow-burn, the couple was perfect for each other. Alex had his prejudices about our heroine and I'm delighted to say they were all proved wrong. Where he thought she was a stupid, lazy, money spending bimbo, she turned out to be a stubborn, hard-working and smart ray of sunshine. I'll be lying though if I say she didn't annoy me a time or two, but that's mostly because optimists irritate me.
Just realised I sound like the female embodiment of every broody hero I've read.
the sex scenes didn't necessarily have me excited but they were actually interesting for a change. I loved the power shifts between h & H. Daisy had the chance to be dominant over Alex, and I was genuinely surprised at how much I was into it. Plus they had fun role-playing scenes that were really effortless and pretty entertaining.
One thing that this author also writes really well is the side characters. She always has the "villains" of the story be portrayed in the most humanising way. They are real, misunderstood and flawed and they are human. By the end you can't help but love those very same characters you couldn't stand at first. Sheba bby I'm talking to you. To be fair though, I had a soft spot for Sheba from the very beginning. I really felt for her, because as much it pains me to admit, I'd be a little spiteful too if the man I was completely in love with got married, after telling me he will NEVER get married to anyone.
Now onto the real love story of this book:
Sinjun and Daisy.
Watching Daisy, a girl that was scared of a tiny yapping dog form an intense connection with a bloody tiger was the subplot I never knew I needed. And not just Sinjun but the baby elephant and the gorilla too. Daisy seemed to find the saddest, most difficult and broodiest animals in the circus to form an unbreakable bond with, mainly because they reminded her so much of herself and partially Alex.
I will admit though, this book didn't at all ease my hate for zoos and circuses. Watching animals in cages has never been my idea of fun, so reading about them wasn't much either. Daisy eased it for me though, she truly loved those animals and did everything she could to take proper care of them.
Susan Phillips you really never disappoint do you? Only in the cover department but I'll blame the 90s for those.
February 14, 2026
This book was written in 1996 and it was fun to read. I had several goodreads friends post enjoyable reviews and I looked forward to sampling this book. I seldom read modern romances (if it takes place in current times, it is a spy or police story). I started it and questioned if I would like the characters as the h is too much of a Pollyanna and the H is a jerk. Add to that it takes place in a circus, and I thought this is never going to work. BUT IT DID. I enjoyed it all. There is a light thread of magic and faith that is gently woven throughout the book. There is a Russian Cossack theme that added to book clubs bingo
August 8, 2018
4.5 stars!
My first SEP novel and it was oh soooo good!!!! Normally contemporary romance novels from the 90's aren't really my thing, but this was compared to The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders so I had to read it.
Kiss An Angel is the story of Daisy who gets roped into an arranged marriage to a man who seems to despise her. Alex works for a traveling circus and seems to find a lot of pleasure in assigning Daisy to tasks which would humiliate her. As time goes by, sparks fly between the two and they give in to their attraction. But Alex will never love anyone, and he makes it clear he will never love Daisy.
This book started out a bit rough for me, I almost threw in the towel and I pushed on. I'm so glad I did because after 20% or so I was unable to put down this book. Then 70% hit and it was angsty AF so of course I was vomiting happy rainbows out of my mouth. I'm such an angst whore, I swear. I really liked Daisy and Alex, I liked them even more together. Another highlight for me was the relationships developed with the circus animals because I am a giant softy for animals.
I cannot wait to discover more by SEP!
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
My first SEP novel and it was oh soooo good!!!! Normally contemporary romance novels from the 90's aren't really my thing, but this was compared to The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders so I had to read it.
Kiss An Angel is the story of Daisy who gets roped into an arranged marriage to a man who seems to despise her. Alex works for a traveling circus and seems to find a lot of pleasure in assigning Daisy to tasks which would humiliate her. As time goes by, sparks fly between the two and they give in to their attraction. But Alex will never love anyone, and he makes it clear he will never love Daisy.
This book started out a bit rough for me, I almost threw in the towel and I pushed on. I'm so glad I did because after 20% or so I was unable to put down this book. Then 70% hit and it was angsty AF so of course I was vomiting happy rainbows out of my mouth. I'm such an angst whore, I swear. I really liked Daisy and Alex, I liked them even more together. Another highlight for me was the relationships developed with the circus animals because I am a giant softy for animals.
I cannot wait to discover more by SEP!
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
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