Rate this book

Kisses, She Wrote: A Christmas Romance (2013)

by Katharine Ashe(Favorite Author)

3.87 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0062229893 (ISBN13: 9780062229892)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Avon Impulse

review 1: I discovered a few months ago that I really enjoy Katharine Ashe's prose, and this relatively short novella was no exception. I found Kisses, She Wrote a sweet, sneakily smart and engaging holiday story. As a novella/short story fan, I felt the length was ideal: not so long that the characters' conflicts and conversations start to feel tiresomely repetitive and drawn out (a complaint I have about far too many of those 400 page romance novels these days!), yet still long and substantive enough to make me feel it was a worthwhile, satisfying read. The hero and heroine are connected to the H and h featured in Ashe's I Married the Duke, though you certainly don't have to have read that novel to appreciate this one.I truly loved the heroine, which is definitely not a given for ... moreme! Jacqueline is endearingly shy, smart, candid and quietly self-aware, yet with more spirit and courage than one may initially assume. I also appreciated that there wasn't a painfully drawn out, overly explicit sex scene that so many novellas seem contractually obligated to include, though I realize that for some fellow romance fans that will be considered more of a drawback than an asset :) Please rest assured, though, that there IS chemistry and sensuality!My one complaint is more about my own subjective preferences than the objective quality of this book: I just happen to be extraordinarily weary of the debauched rakes we find in so very, very, VERY many romance novels. To Ashe's credit, she does a fairly convincing job of showing how our alleged hero 'reforms,' due in large part to getting to know the heroine and reading her touchingly candid journal. But I'm the oddball romance fan who finds heroes who have merrily slept with every pulse-having woman in England and who spend their lives "partying" to be unappealing rather than sexy. Personally, I wish romances had fewer Regency era frat boys and more men of high intellect, compassion and substance, but that's just me ;) Even after getting to witness the hero's (semi-)reformation, I found myself thinking that our extremely kind, keenly intelligent heroine deserved better and even wondered how she could ever fully trust him.If you like rakish heroes more than I do, though (and, to be fair, most romance readers do!), I highly recommend this enjoyable, well-written and very reasonably priced novella. Happy holidays!
review 2: I would say this was more like 3.5 stars. Also, it says a Christmas romance, but that theme is so sparse, you could really read this novella any time. I will admit, I read this novella in one sitting. It did suck me in...Katherine Ashe has a good storytelling style that flows well. With that said, I did not finish this story sighing with happiness. For some reason, even though I was into the story while I was reading, when I finished, I was not content. Upon reflection of the characters, the diary of the princess was kind of creepy and pathetic ( but maybe I just don't understand because I was never a diary writer myself), and I never fully bought into the transformation of the hero (but maybe it's because I rarely ever do). My favorite part of the story was the poem; I thought it was a fun change of pace and a nice addition to the story. My least favorite was some of the cruder language that was thrown in from the hero's POV that did not endear him to me. Regardless of how true to life the language is, I never like to read the words on the pages of my romances.All in all, I think I would still recommend the story. It was a quick read and the way the poetry was tied in was fun. For people that love the diary premise, you would really like this, but for those who don't well then, you won't be as impressed (most of the attraction and tension is built using the diary). Sadly, the language has become an issue in many of the newer romances so this is not alone. I hope it is not a trend that continues.Long story short: 3.5 stars; fun poetry; dirty diary; fast paced story; not very memorable characters. less

Download links for: Kisses, She Wrote: A Christmas Romance

Advertising