Customer Reviews

Perfect Kisses

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4 star:		(3)
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Another anthology bites the dust. This was supposed to be "three sizzling stories about the art of seduction". With gorgeous cover (is that guy hot or what!) and the three tempting blurbs on the back, I happily plunked down my $15. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations.

In Johnson's School for Scandal we have a heroine who tries to keep the shameless rake away from his latest target -her sister. Instead she becomes seduced and they fall in love. In my opinion the heroine succumbs rather easily. I would have rather seen a longer seduction. And the love scenes are rather run of the mill. I didn't get any indication that the hero believed that the making love to the heroine was any better than with all the other women he had (isn't it supposed to be?). So I really didn't buy the fact that he was in love with her and just decided to marry her. Not enough character development and bogged down with mediocre love scenes.

Day's Mischief and the Marquess is the best of the bunch. Thrown together by an meddling grandmother and aunt, the hero and heroine set out to prove that they are ill-matched. Well it's really the heroine who sets out to prove this because she thinks that although she loves the hero, she can't possibly marry him because she is a ruined woman. She loves him too much to taint his title. A very sensual read. Plenty of good love scenes and well fleshed out characters. The only thing I didn't buy is how the Marquess went about trying to restore the heroine's reputation -too far fetched. I don't think she really could live down the scandal she caused years earlier.

In Mack's The Ruby Kiss we have a heroine who recently came to London from India for the sole purpose of finding a husband now that her father has died and she is alone in the world. Her guardian is a rakehell that was good friends with her father. She finds sapphires and rubies that were sewn into one of her corsets and sets about finding the answers to the mystery surrounding them. If the hero wants them, then he's going to have to take them literally off of her to get them. I thought that was going to be a highly erotic love story. Nope. Boring beyond belief. The mystery is really not that exciting and too much time is spent in that direction and not enough on building sexual tension. And the love scenes? There weren't ANY! Just some teasers and they were vague at best. Disappointing.

Not one of the better anthologies. Day's is the only one I recommend. And I'm not sure that that's worth the $15.

The saving grace to this book which contains three separate stories by three separate authors is the 2nd story "Michief and the Marquise" by Sylvia Day. The story was well told, interesting and the chemistry between Justin and Spohie was bittersweet, highly sexual--and simply proves that an erotic story doesn't have to be all sex and no love. In this story the love manipulates the sex and vice versa. The cost of this book allow is acceptable to me because this story was so wonderful..
I give that story ***** (5) Stars!

"School for Scandal" by Susan Johnson. Another well told story, but more based on sex than on love...James is a rake--and Claire hopes to save her little sister from him--only to find she has attracted his determined attaction--and manage to find that she is even weaker than her sister in her ability to tell him no.....
I Rated this one *** (3) stars. It was entertaining, but I found it rather hard to accept that James could fall so hopeless in love with Clarie given how jaded he was said to be--and he did so after having sex with her on two separate occassions--Believablity for me would be that he's an idiot and thinks with the little head--not the big one.....

The 3rd story isn't worth the paper it appeared on. The Ruby Kiss" by Noelle Mack--was a boring, narrative of what the story was about--with very little interaction between Carlyle and Susannah. She remembers, then he remembers--and how the first kiss happens doesn't flow with what is happened in the story--just like the sex seemed tossed in as well...skip this irritating story as the only thing I liked about it was that it was very short. I only give this * (1) star....enough said.

SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL

James, Viscount Ormond is a notorious womanizer and loves to defy convention. Since he is so charming he can get away with practically everything, even compromising young girls. School mistress Claire Russell has a thing or two to say about that when Ormond sets his sights on her younger sister. Attending one of his parties, Claire plans to read him the riot act when she realizes that her anger has subsided and in its place is desire.

When Ormond proposes a solution to Claire's request, she knows in her heart that it is wrong, but she can't help how she feels. Willing to risk scandal and her good name, Claire agrees to Ormond's proposal not knowing that the fire burning inside her heart will only burn brighter.

MISCHIEF AND THE MARQUESS

Justin's matchmaking mother and Sophie's matchmaking grandmother have decided that Justin and Sophie are perfect for each other. With the matchmakers planning to draw the two together at Justin's country home, Justin does his best to get far away from their scheming. However, with one look at Sophie, Justin realizes that she is as beautiful and wonderful as she was years ago when she threw him over for one of his friends. While he never voiced his attraction to her so long ago, her past rejection doesn't hurt any less.

Lady Sophie Milton-Riley remembers Justin, the Marquess of Fontaine, very fondly. Years ago, he was an unattainable desire that burned in her soul, and she knew she would never experience being a part of his life. Sophie is in for the surprise of her life because with one kiss Justin has decided that Sophie will be his.

THE RUBY KISS

After the death of her father, Susannah Fowler returns to London to find a husband. Her guardian, bad boy Carlyle Jameson, wants what Susannah is hiding; a corset full of stolen jewels. Susannah is not giving up her unmentionable with a fight, or maybe a kiss or two. Realizing that Carlyle might be the one responsible for the gems' theft, Susannah finds herself in a dilemma - while she is watching Carlyle, someone is watching her.

Usually when reading an anthology, I find that I like one or two of the novellas, and then there is usually one that I do not care for. That was not the case with PERFECT KISSES. Each story was written in such a way as to entice readers and draw them in.

SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL focuses on Ormond's feelings for Claire evolving into something he has never before experienced. I loved watching this rake and seducer of women become putty in Claire's hands. MISCHIEF AND THE MARQUESS, in true Sylvia Day style, enthralled me completely. I had to know why Justin and Sophie didn't want to be together. I adored how Ms. Day wrote the characters. Thoroughly stubborn though highly intelligent, they fight their attraction because of unfounded fear. Sophie's view of Justin being the ultimate dream made me sit back and breathe deeply; especially when her dream comes true. THE RUBY KISS brings historical romance and suspense together is such a way that I went back and reread it again just for good measure.

All in all, I enjoyed reading PERFECT KISSES very much. Each author's contribution to this anthology was well-written, enticing, and steamy. What more could a romance reader want?

School for Scandal by Susan Johnson

James Bell, Viscount Ormond, is a known rake, a seducer of women known throughout the ton. Now, he's set his sights on Claire Russell's sister, and she doesn't intend for that to happen. She goes to a party at his house, intent on breaking them apart, but when Ormond and schoolteacher Claire meet, sparks fly. Something neither of them expected.

School for Scandal has an intriguing plot and delves beautifully into the ton of Victorian society. I was prepared not to like Ormond, but I just couldn't help myself. He wormed his way into my heart, as he did with Claire. School for Scandal is a hot, tempting story that will delight readers.


Mischief and the Marquess by Sylvia Day

Lady Sophie Milton-Riley and Justin, the Marquess of Fontaine, are childhood friends. They have no desire to marry, despite the fact that their mothers are trying to push them together.

Sophie, who is "quite ruined," tells Justin that they must find a way to let their mothers know that marriage is not possible, but things don't quite turn out that way. After they are convinced of their love for one another, Justin must find a way to restore Sophie's place in society, so they can live happily ever after.

I absolutely loved Mischief and the Marquess. Both Sophie and Justin were fun characters who made me laugh. They were perfect together and I loved watching them discover it. This story is a keeper to be reread again.


The Ruby Kiss by Noelle Mack

Susannah Fowler has come to England from India, where she was raised in the maharajah's palace, after the death of her father, a jeweler. Susannah is a free-spirited, quick-witted woman who is used to the laid-back world of the palace, not the stuffy, closed-in world of London.

Carlyle Jameson, a servant of the Queen, promised Susannah's father he'd bring her back to England. He knows that Susannah, unbeknownst to herself, has a corset full of stolen jewels. He needs to retrieve them from her and return them to the person who hid them. He doesn't expect to be so attracted to her, or to have a shadowy figure following her, trying to get the jewels for another party.

The Ruby Kiss is a sweet tale full of intrigue and discovery. I loved Susannah's strong spirit and the way Carlyle worked to make things right. They were perfect together.

Perfect Kisses is a great anthology, featuring three very different historical stories that are sure to please readers of historical fiction. It is definitely a book for the keeper shelf.

Amelia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This book contains the following three stories.

4 stars for SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL by Susan Johnson.
Interesting and entertaining. A rich, handsome rake is reformed by his feelings for a spinster school teacher. The actions James took during the first couple of days after meeting Claire were a little unbelievable, but I still enjoyed the story.

Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: three. Setting: 1829 London. Copyright: 2007. Genre: historical romance.

For a list of my reviews of other Susan Johnson books, see my 3 star review of "Hot Property" posted 9/30/08.


3 stars for MISCHIEF AND THE MARQUESS by Sylvia Day.
The characters and storyline were not interesting enough to make me care about them. The story was ok, but not enough to buy the book. Justin and Sophia knew each other as teens but never followed their feelings. Later, she has a child out of wedlock. She and Justin reconnect and realize they love each other, but she won't be with him because she feels her scandalous past will hurt him.

Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: six. Setting: 1817 Northamptonshire. Copyright: 2007. Genre: regency romance.

For a listing of my reviews of other Sylvia Day books, see my 5 star review of "The Stranger I Married" posted on 1/19/07.


2 stars for THE RUBY KISS by Noelle Mack.
The plot was odd, stolen gems from a maharaja in India, who let the thief keep part of the gems but wanted the diamonds returned. I also couldn't get into the characters. It was odd that Carlyle would pleasure Susannah but not allow his own physical pleasure for some time.

Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: two. Setting: 1856 London. Copyright: 2007. Genre: historical romance.

"Regency Kisses" is a collection of three historical romances of the more earthy variety.





The first story, "School for Scandal", appears at first to be very similar to Georgette Heyer's "Devil's Cub" where the sensible older sister tries to rescue the flighty younger sister from the dishonourable attentions of a rake. However this story has far more of a modern undertone - the rake, Viscount Ormond, persuades Claire the older sister to become his mistress in payment for him helping the younger sister, Harriet, to make a good match. Rather unbelievably, Claire agrees almost instantly and throws herself into the sexual relationship with surprising gusto. Ormond has slightly more to him than just the sex-crazed rake but his history with women was so appalling that I couldn't really like him; I also found it hard to believe that two examples of 'love at first sight' happened in this story in the same evening and that marriages resulted from both within 3 days.





The author's understanding of the historical period was a little patchy in places and there were a number of americanisms that stood out - one example being people having cream in their cup of tea, not milk. The terminology used for body parts and sex was also rather too earthy, using swearwords in some cases, even between lovers, and I found that rather unpleasant. In some ways this felt like a modern story of sexually liberated people being squeezed, and not quite fitting, into the English Regency era. The happy ever after was, for me, not entirely convincing as I wasn't sure this rake was reformed and that there was enough between Ormond and Claire upon which to build a future. This story wasn't very romantic, it was more transactional, and it didn't inspire me to read more by this author.





The second story, "Mischief and the Marquess" by Sylvia Day, follows the meeting after many years of childhood friends. The Marquess of Fontaine had a youthful love for his neighbour, Lady Sophie Milton-Riley, who was a bit of a tearaway, always getting herself into scrapes. She thought the Marquess was a stuffy young man who disapproved of her. She married Lord Langley and had a son, Thomas. After Langley died her grandmother and the Marquess's mother conspire to bring the two together again in the hopes that they can rekindle some passion.





There is passion in this story but the Marquess and Sophie can't have a smooth relationship because she is considered ruined by the world. Apparently this is because she has a bastard child but I'm not quite sure how Thomas can be classed as a bastard when she was married to his father and, as far as I can gather from the text, they were married before Thomas was born (I think the father died before the child was born, but he was his child). Anyway, apparently this means that she isn't a suitable woman for the marquess but he can't bear to just have her as a mistress so he works to find a way to restore her to society.





The main focus of the story is the relationship between James, the marquess, and Sophie and it's largely through sex that we learn about it. They seem to have a lot of sex and then fortunately all the problems slough away. It's not badly written and I liked the way that the differences between the natures of the two people caused misunderstandings when they were younger but overall the story is a bit thin, Sophie's rehabilitation seems to happen remarkably easily, and I'm not entirely sure of the perceived morality of their behaviour. It's a pleasant read but more focus on the plot and less on the sex might have served it better.





The third story is "The Ruby Kiss" by Noelle Mack and in it we meet Susannah Fowler, daughter of a gem trader whose entire life has been spent in India. Following the death of her father she has returned to Victorian England to find a husband with Carlyle Jameson, her father's friend, as her guardian. However she soon discovers that one of her corsets is full of sapphires and rubies and suspects Carlyle of stealing them from the Maharajah. When she discovers someone is watching her she confronts Carlyle but things aren't necessarily as they seem and her quest for freedom in this new life may not be as easy or as desirable as she hopes. There's less sex in this story than the other two and more sensuality but I found the plot in this story, as in the others, rather too thin to provide proper enjoyment.





Short stories often have disadvantages and these are apparent in these three stories. Characterisation is thin on the ground, most of the action appears to happen in the bedroom and the plots are very thin. These stories are enjoyable enough for a light read but they aren't ultimately very satisfying.





Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007

"School for Scandal" by Susan Johnson. In 1829 Viscount James Bell is well known amongst the Ton as a rake so when he targets her sister, Claire Russell decides to intervene; James just switches his seduction target.

"Mischief and the Marquess" by Sylvia Day. In 1817, their respective mothers strongly believe that Justin and Sophie are a perfect match; they disagree. The couple decides to prove they are right, but the more they affirm their theory that they are total opposites, the more they want to continue to demonstrate with kisses how wrong their mamas are.

"Ruby Kiss" by Noelle Mack. In 1856 Carlyle Jameson knows that Susannah Fowler has hidden the stolen jewels in her corset. He assumes one kiss will lead to removing the corset from her body and subsequently the jewels. However, one kiss leads to another and another, etc.

The two Regency and one Victorian novellas are fun tales of seduction, but just who is seducing whom makes for an entertaining well written collection of historical romances.

Harriet Klausner