The Widow's Kiss and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more

Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$3.09 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Kindle Edition
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
The Widow's Kiss
 
 
Start reading The Widow's Kiss on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Widow's Kiss [Hardcover]

Jane Feather (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition --  
Hardcover --  
Paperback --  
Mass Market Paperback $6.99  
Audio, Cassette --  
Unknown Binding --  
Audible Audio Edition, Unabridged $29.95 or Free with Audible 30-day free trial

Book Description

January 2, 2001
Jane Feather has won legions of fans with her irresistible romances that deftly blend mystery and intrigue with exquisitely passionate romance.

Now the New York Times-bestselling author of The Least Likely Bride has penned another seductive tale, the unforgettable story of a beautiful noblewoman who has lost four husbands under mysterious circumstances, and the man who is sent to find out if she is an unlucky victim of fate -- or a black widow whose abundant charms hide a heart of ice....

As a lone and wealthy widow in Henry VIII's kingdom, Lady Guinevere Mallory knew that she was in a precarious position. But she never imagined that when danger arrived, it would be in the form of Hugh of Beaucaire, a man with the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. A man of such power and determination that when he rode up to Mallory Hall, intent on claiming a vast tract of her land, Guinevere couldn't suppress a frisson of fear ... or deny a shiver of anticipation.

A seasoned soldier, Hugh had seen his share of battle and known his share of women. But nothing had prepared him for the reality of Guinevere -- a woman so elegant and alluring, with luminous eyes and hair the color of palest wheat. And when she smiled her damnable smile, so filled with invitation, Hugh found himself confused, aroused, and infuriated. For he suspected that the widow had committed the blackest of crimes.

How else could a woman of eight and twenty have been so unfortunate as to bury four wealthy husbands? How else could she have managed to persuade each of them to sign a marriage contract she herself had drawn up -- documents that ensured she would inherit everything they owned upon their deaths?

As Guinevere stalls for time, Hugh begins to investigate her mysterious and tarnished past. Yet even as they try to fathom each other's motives, temptation explodes into a consuming passion, clouding their minds to the coming peril.

Whatever Hugh uncovers, he must escort Guinevere to London to face the king and the terrifying and ruthless power of the Lord Privy Seal. And if Guinevere is indeed charged with murder, Hugh knows there's only one way he can save her -- by taking the risk that he will become the next victim of the widow's kiss....

Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Setting: England 1537

Sensuality: 7

Beautiful, brilliant, and sophisticated, Lady Guinevere Mallory is only 28 but has buried four wealthy husbands. When seasoned soldier Hugh of Beaucaire contests her ownership of a parcel of land, he brings Guinevere's rich estates to the attention of financially needy King Henry VIII, setting in motion events that threaten her status and her life. Traveling to her estate on the King's orders to investigate her fourth husband's death, Hugh expects to find a woman who has earned the label "The Black Widow." Instead, he discovers a lady whose elegance, quick wit, and warmth threaten to make him her next willing victim.

Despite the danger that Hugh poses to her family and holdings, Guinevere finds herself drawn to the handsome soldier but knows she dare not give in to the attraction nor can she allow herself to trust him. In the end, perhaps only Hugh has the power to save her from Henry and Thomas Cromwell's scheme to claim her wealth and destroy her family. Cromwell is not a man who gives up easily, and family members may die if Hugh doesn't learn to trust in Guinevere in time to save them.

Jane Feather has a fine hand for detail in colorful 1530's costuming and the minutiae of life in Henry VIII's England. That vivid scene setting combined with the political scheming and terror instilled by Thomas Cromwell, the equal balance of strength, intelligence, and wariness in hero and heroine, and the warm charm of secondary characters all add up to an excellent historical novel well worth reading.--Lois Faye Dyer

From Publishers Weekly

At age 28, beautiful Lady Guinevere Mallory has been widowed four times, and each bereavement has brought her more land and more wealth. Is she a murderess, a sorceress or simply a clever, though unlucky, woman? Set during the reign of Henry VIII and his dreaded minion, Thomas Cromwell, Feather's (The Least Likely Bride) latest historical romance is rich in detail and rife with intrigue. Lord Hugh of Beaucaire, himself a widower, believes his young son Robin has a legal right to some of the lands left to Lady Guinevere in the four marriage contracts she apparently wrote herself. He seeks the king's aid to secure his son's rights, and Cromwell, the king's Lord Privy Seal, encourages his investigation of Lady Guinevere. Lord Hugh does not know that the Privy Seal has plans of his own for the widow's riches. Hugh's stay on her estates gives him both reason to believe he may be right and reason to hope he is not, for he falls in love with Guinevere and her two daughters. He learns that two of her husbands apparently met their ends naturally, but discrepancies in her servants' stories about the most recent death require him to take her to London, where her saucy tongue sends her to the Tower. Will Lord Hugh save Lady Guinevere, and if he marries her, can he ever trust her? Typical of Feather's novels, the story succeeds as romantic fiction, with fine characterizations, sound historical background and an effective evocation of the precarious times when a king's favor or disfavor meant life or death. Striking cover art, romantic yet dignified, will draw in readers. (Jan. 9)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam Books; 1st edition (January 2, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0553801813
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553801811
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,455,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An unforgettable romance, January 2, 2001
This review is from: The Widow's Kiss (Hardcover)
By 1537, King Henry learns that twenty-eight-year-old Lady Guinevere Mallory has been a widow four times, an excessive amount of husbands buried. However, what concerns His Highness is the legal marriage contracts have made her the prime owner of most of the wealth in the Derbyshire area. Wondering if he has a black widow among his aristocracy and worried that one person owns so much property, the monarch assigns Hugh of Beauclaire to investigate. Hugh informs King Henry that he has a personal interest in a piece of property that Mallory owns which he claims should be his.

When Hugh meets Guinevere, he is stunned by her beauty and even more shocked by how brilliant the woman is. Worse to Hugh in spite of his belief she is a deadly killer; he is very attracted to the woman. Guinevere tries to protect her own heart because she knows Hugh wants to hand her head over to Henry. As the duo fight the growing love between them, their mistrust of one another grows proportionally.

WIDOW'S KISS is a wonderful historical romance that succeeds because the characters seem genuine. The lead protagonists provide conflict, as neither trusts the love that is emanating from the other. Guinevere's daughters add a young energy that makes life even more complex and difficult for Hugh. The King and his key advisor provide a historical point of reference as well as added intrigue, tension, and mistrust. Although the climax is featherweight, sub-genre fans will relish this fabulous novel that proves Jane Feather is a heavyweight author.

Harriet Klausner

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Irritating, July 12, 2001
By 
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Widow's Kiss (Hardcover)
Ms. Feather is a terrific author who writes stories that are well researched, full of intrigue and romance, history and engaging characters.

Except that each book that I have read she seems to have to include one character who is guaranteed to drive you to distraction with irritating characteristics. In this story it is the 8 or 9 year old daughter Pippa who positively cannot shut up. Pippa piped, Pippa fluted, Pippa trumpeted or screeched or shrilled, etc. etc. The Pippa dialog is so often and so aggravating that I found myself skipping whole paragraphs when she used the name Pippa. This is not good for one loses the continuity of the story.

On a positive note, I did enjoy the history of 16th Century England during the mercurial, hugely obese and clever Henry VIII reign and all his poor wives who could not seem to provide him with a male heir. I would have enjoyed more information on the Star Chamber and Thomas Cromwell who was a terrible villian according to recorded history.

Ms. Feather has a real penchant for strong, nurturing, rough edged males as her heros. Well so do I. However, once again she has given us a heroine who is drop dead gorgeous, hugely flawed, conniving and quite difficult to feel much sympathy for in the story line. It was nice that she made the Lady Guinevere an intelligent and learned woman despite her obstinancy and intransiegence.

All in all, the story is interesting and Ms. Feather is becoming more elegant and refined with each book. I very much appreciate her breaking from the mold of most of the other romance writers who seem to need to refer to the male anatomy in cutesy or military language, ie: swords, etc. She uses the correct biological term which adds a great amount of intellectual credibility as a writer.

She remains on my list of writers who are closing the gap in skill as great as the incomparable Guy Gavriel Kay.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars The Widow's Kiss, January 15, 2001
By 
tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Widow's Kiss (Hardcover)
"The Widow's Kiss" is more a novel of romantic intrigue than it is a mystery -- for some reason several bookstores I visited over the weekend had this book in the mystery section. So if you a big historical mystery addict, be forewarned that there is very little mystery in this novel at all. However, the book does score very high on the suspense/intrigue level.

The plot of "The Widow's Kiss" centers around a land dispute. Hugh of Beaucaire believes that a vast tract of land should rightfully be his son's; the Lady Guinevere Mallory however disputes his claim and refuses to give up the land. So Hugh decides to tweak the interest of the King of England (Henry VIII), and that of the Privy Seal (Thomas Cromwell), by insinuating that the Lady Guinevere may have killed off all her previous husbands (4 in all) in order to inherit their wealth. The Privy Seal sends off Hugh to investigate. Right from the very beginnning however Hugh is drawn to the Lady Guinevere, as she is to him. However he does not fully trust her. But by the time Hugh finally decides that he doesn't really care if Guinevere murdered her latest husband or not, it is too late: he has set in motion events he can do nothing about; for now the Privy Seal is involved and he wants Guinevere's wealth for the Crown.

The second half of the book, where Guinevere has to defend herself to the King and the Privy Seal is brilliant and realistic. The tension is palpable and electric. You can actually sense the very real danger that the Lady Guinevere is facing and her complete isolation from everyone she cares about or who could help. Both the King and the Privy Seal are painted in appropriate menacing terms. The feeling of attraction that Hugh and Guinevere feel for each other even while they do not fully trust each other is believeable as well. So why did I give this book a 3 star rating? Because of the rushed last few chapters which gave the book a slightly of centre feel. This is a historical romance, so I understand that one cannot expect twentieth century sensibilities; however I do wish that there had been an added chapter or even a few extra pages where Hugh castigates himself a little bit more for his treatment of Guinevere -- this would have made the book more satisfying for me, and I do believe it would have centred the book a bit more. Jane Feather is a wonderful writer; "Valentine"; "Vixen" & "The Accidental Bride" are a few of her books that I enjoy rereading every now and then. And I enjoyed "The Widow's Kiss" as well except for the pacing that was a little off.

"The Widow's Kiss" is on the whole a good read, esp at the intrigue level. The rushed ending is a little disconcerting but does not detract form the overall enjoyment of the book. All in all, a good read.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence:
The woman stood by the open window, the soft breeze stirring the folds of her blue silk hood as it hung down her back. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tiring woman, torch men, torch man, packhorse bridge
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jane Feather, Lord Hugh, Privy Seal, Lady Guinevere, Hugh of Beaucaire, Magister Howard, Master Crowder, Lady Mallory, Stephen Mallory, Lord Mallory, Jack Stedman, Mallory Hall, Master Milton, Mistress Tilly, Thomas Cromwell, Star Chamber, Roger Needham, Lord Cromwell, Master Newberry, Hampton Court, Bishop Gardiner, Master Robin, Boy Robin, Guinevere Mallory, Lord Hadlow
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

Citations (learn more)

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject