One Kiss from You (Switching Places, 2) [Hardcover]

Christina Dodd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2003

The Barnes & Noble Review In the sequel to Scandalous Again, New York Times-bestselling author Christina Dodd serves up a charming Regency-style Cinderella story, laced with deception, intrigue, one vendetta, and a few murders. The real focus is on the unexpected and highly charged romance that blooms from a forced engagement between a handsome, rich, and arrogant American and timid young Eleanor, who is masquerading as her cousin the duchess of Magnus. As Remington Knight resolves to bend his new fiancée to his will (shades of The Taming of the Shrew are evident), Eleanor's gentle demeanor undermines his attitude and his hidden thirst for revenge, and Eleanor in turn gains confidence in her new role. What will happen to their marriage when he finds out she is not a duchess after all? As the many tangled subplots unfold, and Eleanor and Remington dodge cudgels, pistols, and relatives, Dodd delivers on her stated preference for highly romantic stories with super-virile, smart heroes, and even wittier and smarter heroines. Ginger Curwen

Product Details

• Hardcover: 358 pages
• Publisher: Avon (2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739438565
• ISBN-13: 978-0739438565
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,677,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chat with Christina via Facebook and Twitter, and even better, join her mailing list to have her news delivered right to your inbox! http://christinadodd.com/lists/?p=subscribe

Readers become writers, and Christina Dodd has always been a reader. She reads everything, but because she loves humor, she likes romance best.

A woman wants things like world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants things like a Craftsman router with attachments, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will miraculously make his bald spot disappear. So when Christina's first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to quit work and write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?

Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before her first novel, CANDLE IN THE WINDOW, was published. In the twenty-two years since, her novels have been translated into 25 languages, won Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards and been called the year's best by Library Journal. Christina Dodd herself has been a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle (11/18/05, # 13 Down: Romance Novelist named Christina.) Publishers Weekly praises her style that 'showcases Dodd's easy, addictive charm and steamy storytelling.'

Christina's 2011 releases include TAKEN BY THE PRINCE, #9 in the Governess Brides series, and in the tradition of Nora Roberts, a new romantic suspense series starting with SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA and REVENGE AT BELLA TERRA.

Christina Dodd is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The sequel that outdid the original, November 29, 2003

By 

Jenna Leigh "Jenn" (Louisiana, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Kiss From You (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a wonderful book. I loved every single line. Eleanor is a quiet, shy spinster that looks almost exactly like Madeline who is the heroine from the first book. Eleanor is Madeline's traveling companion. Their looks are almost all they have in common however. At least at first. Eleanor meets Remington Knight, the man that won Madeline in a card game from her father. From their first meeting she is fascinated by him and he by her. She soon comes into her own as she must emulate her more bold cousin. Her mantra throughout the book is "what would Madeline do?" Until at last she can stand on her own and do exactly like she wants. The drunken scene I found particulary hilarious, with Eleanor telling about one of the duo's more interesting adventures. Remington's reactions are sweet and funny and as it leads to a very steamy love scene, I liked it alot. There is a villian(there always is in the best stories)but this one doesn't show up too often. But,Ms. Dodd does good romance.. and good action as well. I love all her stories, even the ones that aren't from the Governess Bride Series. (hint, hint) She is also a very nice lady, that cares about her fans and it shows as she gives readers exactly what they want.. MORE!!!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a good read, October 29, 2003

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Kiss From You (Mass Market Paperback)

"One Kiss From You" is a sequel to "Scandalous Again," and faithfully chronicles the adventures of Miss Eleanor de Lacy as she reluctantly agrees to impersonate her cousin, Madeline, the Duchess of Magnus.

In a fit of madness, the Duke of Magnus had wagered his daughter's (Madeline, the future Duchess of Magnus) hand in marriage as a stake while gambling. He lost, and subsequently, Madeline found herself engaged to be married to Remington Knight, a rich American. Magdeline, however, was not someone to sit idly by while others decide her fate. And she persuades her gentle cousin, Eleanor (who also acts as her companion), to pretend to be her and to go to London in order to meet Remington Knight, while she tries to figure a way out of her predicament.

While Eleanor is reluctant to take part in so foolhardy an enterprise, loyalty to her cousin who took her in when she so desperately needed a home and a friend, makes her agree to the risky plan. But Eleanor is not at all sure if she can pull off this masquerade: Magdeline is flamboyant, autocratic and incredibly courageous -- everything Eleanor is not. And when she finds that she's perilously attracted to this brash and commanding American, Eleanor knows that she's sunk. For all she think about is what it would be like if Remington were really her's. But Remington seems obsessed with the notion of being married to the future duchess. And what Remington's reaction will be when he discovers that he's been wooing the wrong woman, Eleanor dare not contemplate...

On the whole I found "One Kiss From You" to be a slightly more interesting read that "Scandalous Again." The story was a compelling one about revenge and murder, with two rather interesting characters at the center of it all. Remington Knight proved to be the rather typical Dodd romance hero -- likable but annoyingly arrogant and sure of himself (and reading about how him becomes fascinated and enthralled by Eleanor was a lot of fun); while in Eleanor we were provided with a heroine that was not quite the usual fare -- Eleanor initially seemed to quiet, timid yet courageous and honourable. But as the novel progressed, so too did Eleanor's character blossom, and she became more sure of herself and her capabilities -- and watching this happen was incredibly satisfying. The plot, however, did not unfold all that quickly but the somewhat sedate pacing did allow for the attraction that develops between Remington and Eleanor to establish "legs" (in fact some of the interaction between Remington and Eleanor were fairly scotching!). If I had one criticism (aside from my usual complaint about the usuage of twentieth century phrases and terms), it was that for a novel that centered around one man's need for revenge, that part of the plot was never really properly developed. All in all, "One Kiss From You" was a rather enjoyable read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars delightful amusing Regency tale of vengeance going awry, November 6, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Kiss From You (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1806 reticent Eleanor de Lacy impersonates her more outgoing cousin the Duchess of Magnus out of love for her relative, but wonders the price once she meets the target of this masquerade. Eleanor was to buy time for Madeline to straighten out this mess caused by her father agreeing to an engagement with a wealthy barbaric colonial.

Eleanor and the duchess' fiancé Remington Knight are both shocked by the attraction to one another and more so by how different their image is from the reality. As the Duchess works to free herself from this unwanted engagement, Eleanor and Remington becomes better acquainted until they fall in love. However, she is masquerading as her cousin while he has a hidden agenda of revenge that when either surfaces will destroy the key trust element of their budding relationship.

Regency romance readers will take great pleasure with Christina Dodd's latest trading places tale. The story line is fast-paced and action-packed, but the key is the extended cast that makes the "family feud" seem genuine and even more important fresh as the sub-genre has had enough feuds to eradicate the Ton. The loving couples provide the right romantic spin especially when Eleanor and Remington exchange words and he "faints" out of love for her. Ms. Dodd is at her best with this delightful amusing tale of vengeance going awry.

Harriet Klausner