With This Kiss [Kindle Edition]

Victoria Lynne (Author)

Book Description

With This Kiss — A Romantic Times ‘Top Pick’!

“Ms. Lynne weaves her magic to bring the reader a bit of poignancy along with a sexually charged romance in this very satisfying historical romantic suspense. Find a place for this one on your special shelf.” —Romantic Times

Nominated for Romantic Times “Best Historical Romance”

“A smoldering Victorian era romance.” —Booklist

“The unexpected twists in Ms. Lynne’s newest historical entertain and satisfy.”
—Publisher’s Weekly.

The Beauty:
All eyes feasted on the beautiful flame-haired gambler in London’s most infamous club. But Julia Prentisse was interested only in the rake-turned-recluse whom they now called “The Beast.” She lured him out of the crowded gaming hell to a deserted warehouse, where she made her scandalous offer: If he married her and protected her from her uncle, she would help him capture the arsonist who had ruined his life.

The Beast:
An act of heroism had left Morgan St.James burned, scarred for life, but Julia’s bold gaze lit other fires he had long suppressed. And now this glorious stranger was his bride. But when he tried to claim his husbandly rights, she demanded three months grace—three months to know a stranger’s mind, to touch a stranger’s soul, to go where no woman had ever gone before. Into his heart…

An Interview with Victoria Lynne:

Tell us about Morgan St. James. What motivates him?

Although the events of his past paint Morgan as a brooding outcast, that’s not really a role he shoulders easily. He’s hard and cynical enough to play the part, but that’s not truly who he is. Scarred physically and emotionally, he withdraws into his sheltered estate, away from the busy whirl of London society. Julia slowly draws him out of his shell. Although he resists her at first, he slowly comes to recognize the light she breathes into his dark world.

Julia Prentisse sounds like a bold little spit-fire ~ what motivates her toward Morgan? Why Morgan?

Actually, Julia fell for Morgan the moment she saw him at her coming-out ball in London. (Unfortunately, the attraction wasn’t mutual. He doesn’t remember ever meeting her!) In any event, when Julia realizes she and Morgan can help each other put their lives back on course, she wastes no time contacting ‘The Beast’ with her outrageous proposal.

Please share anything about this story you’d like ~ maybe a difficult scene or character. Someone or something not cooperating…

A pivotal part of the plot is the hunt for the arsonist who is setting London ablaze. It was difficult to get into his skin without making the story too dark. It was important to me that the arsonist be a human character, not just a stereotypical evil villain. I hope I’ve succeeded!

Do you have anything you would like to say to readers?

Yes: Thank you! I am always thinking of readers whenever I sit down to write. I want them to enjoy reading my work as much as I love writing it. And I always love to hear from them- feel free to ‘like’ me on Facebook or contact me through email!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Morgan St. James fears he will die unmarried and without an heir, after his days as a rake are cut short by the arsonist's fire that marred his good looks. Julia Prentisse, a precocious redheaded beauty, thinks he is the answer to her prayers, offering an escape from her uncle's oppressive household and the chance to shape her own destiny. When Julia proposes a marriage of convenienceAand a quest to uncover Lazarus, the mysterious arsonistAMorgan accepts. Together they search London society, both high and low, to uncover the criminal's real identity, exploiting Julia's reputation as a zealous social reformer. Lazarus, it seems, believes her to be an ally in his campaign to cleanse the city of sin. The plot gains momentum when Morgan and Julia set an unsuccessful trap for Lazarus and the tables turn on them. As their backgrounds are developed, the deepening affection between the two becomes charming and believable. Although Lynne's (What Wild Moonlight) secondary characters tend to be one-dimensional, the unexpected twists in her newest historical entertain and satisfy. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Morgan St. James is not considered a beast because of the burns that mar his body but because he had too many servants crammed into too little space and many died in an arsonist's fire. When he meets the fiery-haired beauty Julia Prentisse for what he thinks is an assignation, he is surprised to be offered a marriage proposal. The orphaned daughter of a convicted smuggler, Julia's only escape from marriage to a horrible man picked out by her uncle is to marry someone else, quickly. As the recipient of letters from the arsonist, who calls himself Lazarus, Julia is Morgan's only chance to catch the man responsible for the death of so many. Even though Julia agreed to provide Morgan with an heir, she talks him into waiting until they know each other before consummating their hasty marriage. The sexual tension mounts as they search for the arsonist, who they know is moving within their own social circle. The suspenseful search for the killer adds dimension to this smoldering Victorian era romance. Diana Tixier Herald

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 567 KB
• Print Length: 368 pages
• Publisher: Amazon (July 1, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003UV98E0
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,158 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Victorian Beauty and the Beast romance! September 14, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A strong, intelligent, independent-minded, scandal-touched, reformist heroine needs to avoid some seriously skanky suitors being pressed upon her by her stingy, selfish uncle. Her chosen candidate for a husband: A fire-scarred hunk of a peer, a previous rake, a bit of a snob, but a man in need of a good woman, a man whose fiance dumped him for the hero's best friend after the hero nearly lost his life--and a good portion of his epidermis-- in a fatal blaze. The who-done-it is great fun and the romance certainly satisfies. I only have minor quibbles with some story details, which I won't even bother to list. Trust me: A fun read for lovers of romance, and CERTAINLY for lovers of the Beauty/Beast type story (which *I* am).This is the only book of Ms. Lynne's that I've read, but based on my enjoyment of this romance novel, I shall surely seek more.*Mir*

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh and Rewarding November 17, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

If you've read any of the other reviews, you'd know the basic plot line, so I won't rehash it. I only wanted to let everyone know that this is a really terrific novel. The two characters actually talk to and appreciate each other. None of the ridiculous misunderstandings that are so common in romance literature occur here. Even more refreshing and unusual are the main characters who are not the typical patronizing womanizer and an immature and petulant female. Definitely get your hands on this book.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely and poignant version of 'Beauty and the Beast' October 22, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Morgan St. James was horribly burned in the fire that destroyed his home. Although he had managed to rescue a great many people from the flames, he is burdened with grief over those he couldn't save from their fate. Scarred in body and spirit, he has become accustomed to hearing himself referred to as 'The Beast." Bitterly cyncical, he doesn't even disagree with the appellation. Imagine his surprise when he is sought out by Julia Prentisse, a beautiful woman who wants his scarred hand in matrimony! And he is even more surprised when she tries to convince him that her talents as a journalist can lead him to the arsonist who has set the fires that have destroyed so many lives. The subtext of Lazarus, the mysterious arsonist, is an edgy counterpoint to the love story. With Victorian era England as a backdrop, Victoria Lynne has created a perfectly wonderful retelling of the classic 'Beauty and the Beast' tale.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good story, but the writing needs work August 1, 2011

By Hiding-out-with-my-Kindle

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this story. The characters were likable, the dialogue was good, and the plot and romance between the leads was well-paced and well-developed. The author did a good job describing setting as well.

On the negative side, the manuscript had amateur errors and the writing could have have been significantly tightened. Characters shrugged way too much. A shrug here or there, i.e. 3 or 4 times in the entire book, would have been okay. As it was, this repetitive (I lost count) and unnecessary motion grew distracting very quickly. Most of the time their dialogue was sufficient to convey their indifference.

The wording of many sentences could have been tightened and thoughts/information condensed. Many times, during a paragraph of exposition, I found myself thinking 'okay...I get it' about half way to 2/3 through. The sentences didn't repeat themselves exactly, but the same information could have been conveyed more concisely. There was also 'telling' at times when 'showing' would have been enough. A good editor or critique partner could have caught this. The author obviously has talent. Polished up, this could have been a killer of a novel.

Another thing that grew distracting was the formatting errors with the Kindle version. Sometimes margins would be indented too far for whole pages. In addition to that, the margins were justified on both sides and many words had been hyphenated--words that were obviously, originally at the end of a line. That's fine in print, but on Kindle (where the reader can adjust font size and thus page count) these hyphenated words, more often than not, appear mid-line and are a stumbling block.

**I don't know if Amazon tests the download (or gives the author the option to) before making it available to the general public.... If not, they should.

Anyhow, bottom line, this book is worth your time to read if you can overlook the errors. It's a good, suspenseful wounded hero romance. Read more ›

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this. January 16, 2000

By Linda Pecone

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I could write a long review of this book, but I won't. I will sum it up in as few words as possible. This story contained two extremely likeable characters. The dialogue between them was so entertaining and well worded. I loved every encounter between them. The chemistry between the main characters was all the more exciting due to its realism. Every thing about this novel was real. I loved it, truly I can say it is one of my favorite novels.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect weaving of romance AND mystery July 13, 2011

By SunFlowers

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I don't remember what drew me into picking this book but somehow I got the sample and after reading that I just couldn't help but want to know how it continued.

I'll admit the reviews bothered me. When I see a book with majority 5 star (I'm talking 4/5) I immediately think I won't like it because I know I'm picky. Plus, with Amazon you just don't know. Authors friends review, people I'm sure get some kind of payment or gift for reviewing, etc. But I took a gamble and it played well because the reviews really ARE true! It's really that great of a book.

Color me surprised when I buy it and actually enjoy it. I'm so skeptical about books these days. What starts out good, slowly loses it's momentum and end up just plain awful. Or after a strong start, so so middle and just an up and down the overall view of the story is lackluster at best.

With This Kiss however was really good from beginning to end. One thing that ALWAYS makes for a great read for? A hero and heroine in a historical that get married EARLY in the book! A-freaking-men! Nothing annoys me more than them dancing around feelings of do I, don't I and a never-ending engagement from beginning to end then a choppy epilogue. I MUCH prefer them getting married THEN the back and forth of feelings because regardless, at the end of they day, they're stuck with each other.

Morgan St. James, the Viscount Barlowe is known as "The Beast" and thinks of himself that way too. A a horrific arson at his home left him scarred inside and out due to his attempt to rescue as many people as possible. Too many servants packed into too small a house made him beastly as an employer for not taking care of his servants. As cruel irony goes, Morgan was saved for the most part from the fire.... Though he suffers gruesome scarring all over his back, sides and arms and wrists his face was remarkably sparred. So with the right covering of clothes, his scars remain hidden. But he knows they're there.

On a rare night out, the reclusive Morgan encounters Julia Prentise, a mysteriously beautiful women at a gambling hall. After watching Julia rebuff every man that approaches her, Morgan is baffled when he locks eyes with Julia and she gives him a nod of invitation to approach her. After doing so, Julia shocks him with her proposal. Marriage and giving him an heir in return for information about the arsonist who set his home afire and many other notorious fires around London.

Morgan finds Julia to be beautiful and overwhelmingly interesting. Julia challenges Morgan with her strong nature and quick wit. Julia on the other hand has a few secrets of her own and Morgan never stops to wonder just want made her allow HIM to approach her out of all the men at the gambling hall that night.

Throughout the beginning months of their marriage, Julia and Morgan struggle with the dance of their feelinsg for one another and in catching the mysterious Lazarus, who's obsession with Julia urges him to start as many fires as possible.

I loved the relationship between these two. Julia was a VERY likable heroine and Morgan was very sexy and a hero for the books. It's rare to enjoy both the hero and heroine because usually one of them grates on my nerves but not here. I liked the tit for tat banter between the two of them and watching their relationship grown from strangers attracted to one another to an odd sort of comfortable friendship to lovers.

There's no big explosion of falling in love here. It's very normal really. Just a gradual thing. Not a huge epiphany or overblown ILY type of thing but a culmination of their times together and becoming comfortable with each other.

The mystery around Lazarus keeps you on your toes as a side story. It's kind of confusing because really almost ANYONE other than Morgan could be Lazarus and you'll find yourself thinking that EVERYONE at one point or another is him convincingly then the next chapter will make you think it's someone else. I usually hate romance mystery books because 90% of the time the book is ALL about the mystery and the relationship between the hero and heroine takes a backseat and all of a sudden it's this BIG thing that they all of a sudden fall in love. Not here though. The mystery is evenly woven around the romance. It doesn't take over the book but drives it and the the heroine and hero closer together.

Overall: for $2.99 it's one to pick up. If not for the romance for the clueless mystery of whodunit. I give it 5 stars for a likable hero and heroine and a fast paced mystery that keeps you on your toes.

Take it from one VERY picky reader when I say it's one to pick up. Read more ›

More About the Author

Victoria Lynne is the author of five historical romance novels. She's received two RITA Award nominations, and has consistently earned Romantic Times' "Top Pick" award. Called "A Fabulous Storyteller!" by Rendezvous Magazine, her work consistently draws rave reviews and continues to attract new readers. Ms. Lynne seamlessly blends humor, wit, action, and romance to plunge readers into the giddy thrill of falling in love. Her books have been translated into German, Italian, and Spanish, and are currently available online through Kindle.

Ms. Lynne is working on a new historical romance series, Gentlemen of the Club, which will be available in the fall of 2012. She lives in Vermont with her husband and two children.