Customer Reviews

After the Kiss (Avon Romantic Treasures)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After the Kiss was such a splendid book! It is my second Karen Ranney book and much better than the previous one. This is a great romance story between two very likable characters. Both the hero and heroine are unique for romance writing and realistically portrayed.

Michael Hawthorne, Earl of Montraine, is your typical, very attractive, self-confident and sexy historical English hero. He hates attending events of the Season or any such formal party or ball. His similarities to the typical hero end there. He is actually looking for a wife. It's not that he likes the idea of marriage so much - rather - he accepts it as fate and knows his future bride will have to be a rich heiress. His family is in need of funds after his father's poor handling of their estates and his mother's tremendous overspending.

Margaret Esterly had been widowed several years earlier when a fire killed her husband and destroyed their home and bookstore. She has few funds to provide for her existence and lives the life of a poor woman. She has no ties to nobility and has no desire to even know anyone of that class. Margaret has in her possession three books that her husband had stored in their strong box prior to the devastating fire. Margaret had only been able to take the strong box with her as she barely escaped death. Now most of the money is gone and she must sell one of these valuable books.

These three books are a set of highly sensual journals and she locates a list of possible buyers her husband had left in one of the journals. She arranges the sale of the first journal and travels to London to deliver it. When Margaret arrives at the home of the buyer, she sees that he is hosting a masquerade ball. After she completes the sale, she creeps into a garden to get a glimpse of the ball. While catching that peek of a masquerade ball in all its grandeur, the hero, Michael, spots Margaret and the two share an interesting interlude while dancing in the garden. Within a few moments of their meeting, Margaret flees to her hired hack and proceeds home. Behind her, Michael is left desiring her company and cannot forget her. He is determined to find her and claim that kiss she had almost given him prior to the interruption that had made her run away.

Michael is basically a genius at mathematics and breaking codes. Although he is an earl, rank is of little importance to him. Most of his friends are not even members of the ton. He doesn't even require a wife that is a part of London society. However, he is viewed as a very serious man that is not overly friendly. In fact, his persistent look of brooding scares the ladies a little although they remain very attracted to him. His near obsession of Margaret really rankles him. He is used to a very structured life and is very self disciplined. His logical pursuit of a wife has become a necessity. But Margaret has a way of making him illogical. Margaret, in turn, is very drawn to Michael but does not believe they will ever have a relationship. Although Michael wants her for his mistress, she flatly refuses and will not consider any of his arguments.

The tale of Michael and Margaret is a fascinating one. Michael does tend to be dominating and Margaret leans to sugariness but both are very balanced characters and mature. This is a book about their romance. Although there is the usual villain in the background, the author spends little time on the suspense or secondary characters. We are treated with page after page of great interaction between the two. That is definitely the way I most love romance writing. We are allowed time to see their relationship grow and there are no silly misunderstandings. The leads communicate truthfully with one another and genuinely like each other's company. There are some good sensual scenes that rate a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).

There are not that many books that come so close to my idea of perfection in romance writing but this one does. Although After the Kiss is not one of my all time favorite books, it still has a definite place on my keeper shelf. I know I will enjoy reading this book more than once. And that is about the best thing I can say about any book.

Karen Ranney has created the perfect hero in Michael Hawthorne, Earl of Montraine. Margaret Esterly, a young woman widowed and poverty stricken following a fire which destroyed her bookstore, has managed to save only three volumes of rare erotica. She must sell them to survive. While bringing the first of them to a wealthy earl, she and Montraine meet accidentally. Amidst their love story lurks a mystery. The writing is intelligent and lyrical, the love scenes lushly erotic, the mystery deftly woven through the plot. A wonderful, can't put it down read.

Karen Ranney has carefully sculpted a gentle love story about two lonely souls who are destined for each other. I have read all of Ms. Ranney's books and this is the best by far. Margaret, a woman widowed by a violent fire, seeks to enrich her meager living by selling a rare book of erotic to a titled gentleman. In the process, she meets a stranger - a lonely man who believes he must mary an heiress to save his family's fortune.

The characters are well drawn - even the secondary ones. The main characters are both lovable and real. There is a sense of sweet sexuality that pervades the book, even while the hero and heroine are getting to know each other and overcoming the problems in their relationship.

If you are a fan of Christina Dodd, Stephanie Laurens or Julia Quinn, I highly recommend this book. It is a sweet and satisfying read.

You will fall in love with Karen Ranney!

I loved "After The Kiss", just by the fact that this love story focused singularly and intensely on Margaret Esterly and Michael Hawthorne's relationship. There were no secondary romances to steal the scenes and no quirky side characters to distract you. Okay, so there is a great villain, but that just added shine to the gem that this book was. Their love story is like a diamond solitaire shining brightly and the supporting mystery plot (surround a certain memoir book) was the gold band that held the diamond up.

This is my third book by Karen Ranney and something about her writing draws me back everytime. Maybe it's her intense style, writing packed with so much emotion. Or her usage of short sentences that makes her passages lyrical if not poetic. Or it's the characters themselves. Margaret, a widow, without very much means of survival. Who's only chance to get any financial means is to sell the mysterious books that survived the deadly fire that killed her husband. And there is Michael Hawthorne, Earl of Montraine, who is drawn to this mysterious widow. Their love, as passionate as it is, is also very complicated.

I can't say that I liked the abrupt ending, but at least the lengthiness of the epilogue made up for the lack of other. "After the Kiss" is not only absorbing but also very interesting. Ms. Ranney never fails to incorporate rare historical facts in her stories. And her characters are most of the time, way ahead of their contemporaries. And this time, it's the mystic cryptography and Michael's mathematical engine. Great novel Ms. Ranney!

I average about four full-length novels a week. Needless to say, it's been quite a while since I've read a book this good. Thus the ruby vs. rock comparison in my title. (this book is a gem compared to the other "rocks" that I've read for the last few months) I'm stumped as to why this book is not being raved about while other less books are. I've never sighed so much over a book in quite some time.

I am so in love with the hero that it's overwhelming. Heck, HE overwhelms me with his passion and his hunger for our heroine. After he saw her, it's as if no other woman existed for him. <Sigh> He was so honest about his feelings for her. <Sigh> I've never been so jealous of a fictional heroine before! Karen Ranney did more than just tell me about it and describe it. She made me feel it. She delivered it down here in my gut. Yes, she delivers a good mystery & yada yada yada. But what really impressed me about this intelligent book is the breath-taking sexual tension that is so erotically charged and so intense at times that I was left quite breathless.

Karen Ranney is to writing what Vincent Van Gogh is to Art. She really is a rare find and I am patting myself on the back for having picked this book up. Before Ranney, I never thought I'd find another author that could come close to Judith Ivory's (aka Judy Cuevas) sensual and lush masterpieces. Now I see why Ms. Ivory wrote an introduction for this book. Both deliver the goods on sexual tension and multi-dimensional characters that I care deeply about. But for those of you who MUST have action and mystery with your romance, Ranney's After the Kiss will be a better fix for you than Ivory.

I bought this book after reading other reviews on this page & now that I've finished it, I have to say: they were right on target.

In brief, here's what I was looking for & what I got:

- Well written.

- The characters are mature, fully drawn, and likable. Montraine battles with his ordered life and rational nature; he has to set his need for love on the balance with his need for financial security. Margaret is self-contained, self-controlled, and good. She balances her future livelihood and reputation against her present desires. Neither has an easy choice, but they work through it.

- Lots of super awesome sex. I mean, creative, intense, and frequent.

- I love, love, loved the ending.

AFTER THE KISS is a beautifully written romance novel. All the impoverished widow, Margaret Esterly, intends to do is to sell three erotic journals left by her late husband. All Michael Hawthorne, Earl of Montraine intends to do is to marry an heiress so that his mother and sisters may continue to live in the exorbitant manner to which they've been accustomed. Margaret and Michael meet quite briefly and unexpectedly, only to find they can't stop thinking of each other. They meet again, due to Michael's persistence. Then there's the kiss. This story is about the passion and adventure that happens AFTER THE KISS. This is one of those rare books you might want to read a second time.

This is the first book I have read by Karen Ranney and was very pleasantly surprised. It was a little different than a lot of historical romances where the hero and the heroine don't get a long for 3/4 of the book. Michael liked Margaret from the very beginning and treated her with such tenderness, as she did him. I loved the scene with the blue ribbon! I also enjoyed their conversations where they just got to know each other and what the other thought about things and what they liked. They were so interested in each other and it was a very enjoyable read. I have since been on Amazon looking for some of her other books to read. I will add her to my list of favorite authors like Julia London and Julia Quinn and watch for her new releases also. Read the book. You won't be disappointed.

This romance is a bit outside the common. It is set just after the Regency, but with the hero a most unusual war hero - a Code Master. There is a code to be broken in the story -- the code is the mystery of Margaret, a woman who is the puzzle wrapped in an engima. (A word of warning - the reader should not, as I did, waste time trying to break a code in the passages that begin each chapter - the code appears off stage, as it were.)

The mystery is not in who the villain is, but what he did. If the incredibly sensual love scenes had not kept me reading, I would surely have kept turning the pages to discover what treason had been done.

I purchased this book yesterday evening at 7:00 at night and finished it at 3:00 am this morning. Oh My... am I impressed! Have you ever read a book that is so captivating and sensuous it makes your toes curl.... and the hero and the heroine haven't even kissed? This is one of those rare finds that come along once in a while. I have not been this enthralled with a hero and a heroine since Judith back in the day, Deveroux, Garwood, or an early Howard. I LOVED Micheal. And hurray for Ranney to be one of those writers who actually write a strong heroine. This is my first Ranney and I have already ordered her backlist. I am not going to go in depth in the plot because others will surely do this but let me tell you the high points.

I like serious heroes with something of import on their minds. Micheal was definitely this and more. He understood his desire, accepted it, and worked toward achieving his goal of attaining and retaining Margaret. Margaret, good for her, also took a chance and embraced her desire. I like the way that Ranney brought them together. Totally believable. I also appreciated the fact that Micheal did not try to "fight" his desire. He was upfront ablout his obligations to his family and wanted her matter what. Even if it meant choosing between heritage and the expectations of his family and his love for Margaret.

If you have never read Ranney, then please,this IS a book to cherish. As I said before, it took me back to classic romance.