A Kiss to Remember [Mass Market Paperback]

Teresa Medeiros (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2002

AWAKENED BY A KISS

Laura Fairleigh needs a husband. If she is to keep a roof over her siblings’ heads, the prim rector’s daughter must wed by her twenty-first birthday. When she finds a mysterious stranger with the face of an angel and the body of Adonis unconscious in the forest and with no memory of his name or his past, she decides to claim him for her own. Little does she know that her fallen angel is really the devil in disguise.

Sterling Harlow, the notorious rakehell known as the “Devil of Devonbrooke,” awakens to the enchanting kiss of a lovely young woman who informs him he is her long-lost betrothed. With her sun-kissed cheeks and smattering of freckles, she looks every inch the innocent, but her curves possess a woman’s allure. When she assures him he is the perfect gentleman, he wonders if he’s lost his wits as well as his memory. He would have sworn he was not a man to be satisfied with mere kisses—especially from lips as sweet and luscious as Laura’s.As he attempts to uncover the truth before their wedding night, A Kiss To Remember ignites a passion neither of them will ever be able to forget....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Historical romance favorite Medeiros (The Bride and the Beast) once again puts her personal spin on a classic fairy tale, this time lightly adapting Sleeping Beauty by casting a man as the sleeper. Laura Fairleigh, orphaned by her rector father, has been raised by a kind benefactress who leaves her Arden Manor upon her death, provided Laura marry before she turns 21 just three weeks away when the story opens. Laura learns that her benefactress's estranged son, Sterling Harlow, a roguish duke known as the Devil of Devonbrooke, plans to return to claim his home. Laura, determined that Sterling not throw her and her young brother and sister out, literally prays to God for a man. Her prayers are answered when handsome Sterling suffers a bad fall from a horse and she discovers him unconscious. She has no idea who he is. Her kiss wakes him, but he has lost all memory of his identity. Ever resourceful, Laura convinces him they are betrothed. Will Laura get him to the altar before he discovers her deceit? And what will Laura do when she realizes that the man she plans to wed is her sworn enemy? Sweetly tinged with Christian overtones, tartly spiced with bawdy references and sexy love scenes, laced with light humor and populated with a cast of fun characters, this latest not-so-Grimm tale should please Medeiros's sturdy fan base, perhaps winning her a few new converts as well.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Laura Fairleigh needs a husband, and she needs him in three weeks at least if she wants to keep a roof over her family's head. According to the terms of Lady Eleanor's will, Laura has to marry by her 21st birthday in order to inherit the house; otherwise, it will go to the infamous Duke of Devonbrooke, a man not known for his charity. But husbands are hard to come by, especially for penniless, intelligent vicars' daughters. So when fate lays a handsome, unconscious stranger across her path who, when she impulsively kisses him, wakes up with amnesia, Laura does what any desperate woman would do: she claims they are betrothed and sets out to plan the wedding. An intrepid heroine who knows what she wants, an arrogant hero with a past to repair, and a plot built upon deception but laced with sensuality and humor result in an entertaining reversal of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Medeiros (The Bride and the Beast) is a popular writer of historical romances with a humorous touch; she lives in Tennessee, and this is her first hardcover.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553581856
• ISBN-13: 978-0553581850
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Teresa Medeiros wrote her first novel at the age of twenty-one, introducing readers to one of the most beloved and versatile voices in romance fiction. All of her books have been national bestsellers, appearing on the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She currently has over 10 million books in print and is published in over 17 languages. She was chosen one of the "Top Ten Favorite Romance Authors" by Affaire de Coeur magazine and won the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for 'Best Historical Love and Laughter'. She is a seven-time RITA finalist, two-time PRISM winner, and two-time recipient of the Waldenbook Award for bestselling fiction. Teresa lives in Kentucky with her husband and two lovably neurotic cats. Her latest Scottish historical THE DEVIL WEARS PLAID was released in 2010 and her first contemporary women's fiction novel GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART was released in January 2011. You can join her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/teresamedeirosfanpage or follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/teresamedeiros . You can visit her website at http://www.teresamedeiros.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Regency, July 4, 2001

By 

Sheri Melnick (Enola, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Kiss to Remember (Hardcover)

In Regency England, Laura Fairleigh is a young woman solely responsible for the livelihood of herself and her two young siblings, Lottie and George. Lady Eleanor, Laura's guardian, died some months ago and promised Laura that she could stay on at Arden Manor as long as she married before she turned twenty-one.

Having discovered that his mother, Lady Eleanor, had died through a letter from Laura, Sterling Harlow, Duke of Devonbrooke, sends Laura a letter indicating that he wishes her to vacate Arden Manor within the month and take possession of it himself. Cold and unfeeling, Sterling has not seen his mother since he was seven when his father sold him to his uncle in order to pay some gambling debts. Lady Eleanor felt powerless at the time and convinced herself that her only son would be better off as the heir to a dukedom. Though she tried to reconcile with her son years later, he refused to open any of her letters.

On a whim, Sterling decides to ride to Arden Manor sooner than expected. When approaching the property, his horse shies, and he is thrown and knocked unconscious. Laura finds him in the woods and brings him back to Arden Manor. But Sterling has amnesia, and Laura has no idea who he is. In order to retain Arden Manor thereby marrying before her upcoming twenty-first birthday, Laura gives Sterling the name of Nicholas and convinces him that he is her fiancee. 'Nicholas' begins to look forward to his wedding day as he can't deny his attraction for Laura. The feeling is mutual, but will 'Nick' retain his amnesia long enough for the wedding to take place? And...what will Laura do when 'Nick' remembers his past?

Ms. Medeiros has penned a delightful novel with a generous mix of humor and romance. While the attraction between Sterling and Laura sizzles, the supporting characters contribute much to this novel. Dower, Laura's sourfaced worker, and his wife Cookie, loyal to a fault, add a touch of comic relief. And Lottie, Laura's little sister, is constantly getting into mischief in her attempt to remove 'Nick' from the picture. Ms. Medeiros has cleverly included some of Lady Eleanor's last words as parts of a letter to her son begin every chapter. A MAGICAL SUMMER READ.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A prince awakened by a kiss, December 11, 2003

By 

Laura Bellamy (Greensboro, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Kiss to Remember (Mass Market Paperback)

This is my favorite of Teresa Medeiros's books. Her humorous writing style never ceases to entertain me. She has a perfect blend of humor, romance, and sexual tension that I find completely irresistible. And this one tops her others! The characters are likable, the writing is beautiful and sweet, the story itself is highly enjoyable...and of course I'm rather partial to the heroine's name. ;-) Laura Fairleigh is spunky, Sterling the Duke of Devonbrooke is charmingly intense, and all of the quirky characters surrounding them add color unlike any others! I love the way Mederios mixes in another secondary romantic line, with Sterling's cousin Diana and his friend Thane. I think it rounds the story out quite nicely.

Bravo for Teresa Medeiros!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The healing power of love, January 10, 2004

By 

S. Reader "scibarfan" (Franklin, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Kiss to Remember (Mass Market Paperback)

Teresa Medeiros has become one of my favorite romance authors in part because of the vision she repeatedly presents of the transforming power of love. In this tale, a young woman's desire to provide a home for her siblings leads her to concoct a story that will secure their future. Her manipulation of the amnesia-ridden Lord Devonbrooke is a wrong action based on good motives. Bad idea, yeah. But the heroine does mean well and the couple does fall in love. So he acts differently while his memory is impaired; the story evolves to show that under the hurts and abuse of his early life, his character is truly that which the heroine fell in love with, indeed the man he probably would have been if his childhood had been different. Moreover, the truths lie in the heart in this story, not in the external details.

There is emotional depth here, a smattering of well-placed humor, and plenty of romance and passion. Plus Medeiros always-engaging style. Neither the hero nor the heroine is perfect, but the reader comes to believe that they are perfect for each other. And Laura's love for Sterling and his love for her heal the wounds of his past.

Read the chapter headings back to back; they form a whole as well as intros to each chapter. Recognize the cat motif for what it is. Don't let the naysayers keep you from reading this book. Sometimes we all need to believe in fairy tales.