Friday, November 8, 2013

The Sum of All Kisses (Review)

*Welcome readers to my stop of The Sum of All Kisses Tour! Underneath you can find my review of this romantic historical!*

*Hosted by: Tasty Book Tours*

(Smythe-Smith Quartet, #3)

Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: October 29th, 2013
Genre(s): Adult Historical Romance

My Review: (4/5 stars*)

The Sum of All Kisses equals another enjoyable romance historical written by Julia Quinn. The way she writes you find yourself instantly amused and prone to laughter. It's not hard to identify with the character's self-loathing and inner turmoil. The fun tone and humor are what I most love about her novels. Though A Night Like This offered more laughs and immediate chemistry between the two main characters, Hugh Prentice and Sarah Pleinsworth's stubborn love made the story. Both of them are repelled by one another until they are given no choice but to get along when they have to attend two upcoming nuptials for their friends and family therefore putting them in close proximity than they care to be.

The prologue recounts the night that changed Hugh Prentice's life when he and his friend Daniel Smythe-Smith, Earl of Winstead, drank too much and played piquet (a card game). The night that Hugh—a known mathematician—accused Daniel of cheating, then challenged him to a duel, lost the draw, sustained an injury to his leg that now makes him walk with a limp, deeming him less a man for it. The drunken mistake cost the two everything - leaving Hugh without a fully functioning limb—making him look weak—and Daniel sentenced by Hugh's father to exile. Years later after Daniel's return Hugh's story begins...

At first I wasn't on board with Hugh and Sarah's relationship because they seemed to have nothing in common apart from their dislike of one another, but as the pages turned I started to see how they worked together. Hugh's self-hate over how inadequate he is due to his injury makes him feel like he's broken, and undeserving. That crushed me. Some scenes really hit the mark and made you feel sad, happy, and all the emotions in between. Sarah whose a bit too dramatic with a strange sense of humor dwells on how Hugh ruined her chances at meeting an eligible husband by missing out on her first season thanks to her cousin Daniel's exilement. They both have pent up issues and take awhile to face them and move forward. When Sarah and Hugh are forced together they get to know the person beneath their previous misconceptions. The romance takes time to get started
—granted, they aren't even friends at firstbut in the meantime the growing chemistry is fun to see unfold. Though it's slowly paced it's worth reading to the end especially if you're a Smythe-Smith Quartet fan.

The Sum of All Kisses will charm, entertain, and sweep you away with many feelings. Though not my favorite of the series, I liked it nonetheless. Julia Quinn's a wonderful romance writer, and I always walk away from her books with contentment.

Synopsis:

Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words shy or retiring, she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, a reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her.

Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought that nearly destroyed her family. But even if she could find a way to forgive him, it wouldn't matter. She doesn't care that his leg is less than perfect, it's his personality she can't abide. But forced to spend a week in close company they discover that first impressions are not always reliable. And when one kiss leads to two, three, and four, the mathematician may lose count, and the lady may, for the first time, find herself speechless ...

New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn's enchanting third novel in the Smythe-Smith quartet is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and tug at your heartstrings in equal measures.

LINKS: GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR | B&N | SHELFARI ! 



3 comments:

  1. I love this author, and I did like the tone of this story, it was sweet and fun. Good review.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Renee! I just started reading Julia Quinn's books, and the Quartet series has made me a fan. I hope to read more of her work in the future because her writing is a lot of fun. I'm in total agreement :)

      Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

      -Seirra

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  2. Thanks for allowing me to take part in the tour :)

    -Seirra

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