Customer Reviews

The Fifth Kiss

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a cut above the average Regency romance. Olivia and her brother-in-law don't get on, though they try to tolerate each other for the sake of Clara, Olivia's sister and Miles' wife; mainly they avoid each other. Olivia is a 'bluestocking' with no understanding of Polite Society or relationships between men and women; she certainly does not understand the physical problems between Miles and Olivia which have led Miles to take a mistress. Thus her condemnation of Miles' behaviour makes it much harder, after Clara's death, for them to accept that they need each other's help and comfort. The way in which Olivia eventually helps Miles to come to an understanding with his children is, in the end, the key to their understanding of each other.

Elizabeth Mansfield's writing is sensitive and reflective as she pictures for her readers the coming to sexual awareness of a young woman who, even more than most in her time, has been sheltered from knowledge of male-female relationships. A number of the arguments between Olivia and Miles are very funny, although others - as they are intended - are saddening as the two of them contrive to drive each other further away by their mutual misunderstanding and pride.

Recommended; I certainly intend to keep and re-read my copy.

I loved it. It's one of those romances that, by the end, you're dying for the couple to see that they love each other! I won't spoil it for you, but there's all the romance you want in this one and a few laughs, too.

This is a very touching story, different from the run-of-the-mill Regency romance. The theme is original and refreshing and the characters have depth and human feelings and qualities. I was moved to tears by Miles Strickland's unutterable sorrow and grief at his wife's deathbed.Elizabeth Mansfield has skilfully written a heartwarming tale not only full of poignancy but charm.

I have to admit that this book was more romance novel than novel with romance, and I prefer the latter, but I did enjoy it, nevertheless, due to the author's tremendous story telling, plot, and character development. The author demonstrates so much insight into relationships between sisters, between husbands & wives, covers the transformation of someone with high principles but very little real world experience, the different perspectives of men and women toward home life and child rearing, and yet weaves an enjoyable story, some romance, challenges of real life, along with detailed descriptions of personalities---really well done!

This novel starts with 2 people who dislike each other intensely...and of course over time the intensity is maintained but the dislike changes into something else.

Elizabeth Mansfield has written a very charming book, with a few twists and turns, and gives her characters more depth than usually found in regency novels. She has drawn 3 main characters, 2 sisters and a husband, all of whom have admirable traits as well as character flaws...as we all do.

I liked that the main character of the story, an unmarried young woman who is interested in ideas and who does not follow the usual social mores of being a shy, retiring female--I liked that this character is shown to be enearing but certainly not perfect. As much as we may like her for the qualities that would make her appealing to us in 2010, her qualities do have their down side, which Ms. Mansfield demonstrates clearly: she can be tactless at times, she jumps to conclusions, she meddles, and she is a bit of a know it all. Frequently regency authors seem to infer criticism of regency manners, especially as that time defined the "proper" role of women and thus authors create a main character sympathetic to the reader, someone who has qualities that would be admired in today's world (inquisitiveness, intellectual curiosity), but not at all admired in females during the regency. Thus we read the novel and think "hooray" for the main character because we like her based on our own standards of what is "proper"--and who, after all, admires someone who is the ideal regency woman: concerned only with appearances, wishing to appear unintelligent, with simpering flirtatious mannerisms, and a lack of connection with the real world? I found it refreshing to have a heroine who is not perfect, but who very much wants to be...and who wants others to be, as well!

Another thing that sets this novel apart is the equisitely crafted manner in which she expresses the main character's love for her nieces and nephews and her yearning to create a happy environment for them, providing guidance that she herself barely knows how to provide, while also trying to understand her own and others grieving process. That all being said,this is a regency romance, so you know there is going to be a happy ending, despite the twists and turns.