Lawson’s review of The Kiss by Sophia Nash
Historical romance released by Avon 26 Feb 08
The title of this story is meant to reference the sculpture by Rodin, at least according to the back copy of the ARC. Like the famous embrace, The Kiss promises a healthy dose of passion, intrigue and scandal. While the statue gives those things in spades, Nash’s story leaves something to be desired.
The hero and heroine, Georgiana and Quinn, have known each other since childhood. There’s history there, all mixed together with Quinn’s cousin Anthony. All three were close, doing everything together until there’s an accident and Quinn is sent away. He comes back 15 years later after Georgiana has married Anthony. Anthony’s mother is furious with Georgiana’s interference in the estate, etc., and Quinn comes home.
Along with the angst of the present, there’s too much baggage from the past that these characters, even the secondary characters, have to deal with. The accident left Georgiana with less than perfect legs, which she’s overcome and deals with day to day, but it eventually seems nearly pitiful. Quinn was orphaned, taken in by Anthony’s family, then tossed out after the accident. His wife was a spoiled floozy and his daughter isn’t his child.
What more can someone pile on to these characters? How about conniving relatives, overly well-meaning friends, local harpies and some good old fashioned being afraid of love but desperately wanting it. It’s not only Georgiana’s legs that eventually get to be pitiful either. Quinn wants to be overly noble and almost looses his chance on love, like most men do, but by the time it happens all I wanted to do is tell him, “Come to your senses!”
It could have been a romantic story about two people who overcome adversity. Instead the adversity bogs down the rest of the story. What’s left is two people who get through life doing what they can and unfortunately inspiring pity where none is needed.
Grade: D+
Blurb:
He had once been her cherished childhood companion, and then the man she lusted for in secret, but Georgiana Wilde hasn’t seen recently widowed Quinn Fortesque since the day he married another woman and shattered her heart. Then fate intervenes and brings the man she dreams about each night back to her . . . .
Returning to the estate on family business, Quinn would like nothing more than to turn the land over to Georgiana and leave the memories of his former life behind. But then the brooding marquis finds himself under the spell of the beauty he once left behind. With her barely concealed passions, Georgiana melts his coolly guarded heart. Suddenly his well-ordered world is in danger of crashing down. And it all began with just one kiss . . .
Read an excerpt.
