JANUARY 2014 - AudioFile
Rosalyn Landor is excellent at differentiating characters, giving each a distinct voice and accent, and in this humorous romance, she doesn’t disappoint. Lady Sarah Pleinsworth cannot forgive the elusive and handsome Hugh Prentice, who was involved years before in a duel with the Earl of Chatteris, which cost Sarah a possible marriage opportunity. But she still finds herself attracted to Prentice. Landor's delivery is elegant and well acted. She makes each upper-crust British accent distinct and enjoyable. Her portrayals are passionate and enthusiastic, making the clever dialogue fun and giving depth to the characters. A.C.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
09/09/2013
The already well-worked Bridgerton universe (subject of eight books, including On the Way to the Wedding) is attenuated by this novel linking it to Quinn’s Smythe-Smith stories. Lady Sarah Pleinsworth is 21, melodramatic, and tactless, so it’s not really a surprise that she’s on the shelf. Her nemesis is the lame mathematical savant, Lord Hugh Prentice, younger son of an insane, sadistic marquess. Hugh rouses himself from bleak self-recrimination over the long-ago duel that crippled him only to express how he despises Sarah in terms such as “fingernails on slate.” Romance, of course, is inevitable. Quinn’s verbal Punch and Judy performance has lost some of its charm in repetition, and these characters are little but mouthpieces for witty repartee. A last-minute inheritance plot tangled by homosexuality, insanity, suicide, and kidnapping leads to a dramatic denouement, but the conflation of lust and coercion among both the good guys and the bad guys makes it difficult to see how a happy ending is possible for Hugh and Sarah. Agent: Steven Axelrod, Axelrod Agency. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
Quinn brings her signature style and wit to yet another late-Regency romance, with some character favorites fans have met before… Charmingly romantic, with compelling edges of dark conflict and sexual tension.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on The Sum of All Kisses
“The third sparkling book in her Smythe-Smith quartet is quintessential Quinn: witty, whimsical, and wonderfully romantic.” — Booklist on The Sum of All Kisses
“[A] wild romp... There’s witty banter, a colorful cast of characters and enough secrets and scandals to keep the gossip-mongers happy. A great, entertaining read.” — RT Book Reviews on The Sum of All Kisses
“[A]n unstoppable romp that sparkles with enough hilarious situations, over-the-top characters, and laugh-out-loud dialog to keep the chuckles coming long after the book is closed. A lovely tale that is just plain fun!” — Library Journal on The Sum of All Kisses
Booklist on THE SUM OF ALL KISSES
[Q]uintessential Quinn: witty, whimsical, and wonderfully romantic.
RT Book Reviews on THE SUM OF ALL KISSES
[A] wild romp... There’s witty banter, a colorful cast of characters and enough secrets and scandals to keep the gossip-mongers happy. A great, entertaining read.
JANUARY 2014 - AudioFile
Rosalyn Landor is excellent at differentiating characters, giving each a distinct voice and accent, and in this humorous romance, she doesn’t disappoint. Lady Sarah Pleinsworth cannot forgive the elusive and handsome Hugh Prentice, who was involved years before in a duel with the Earl of Chatteris, which cost Sarah a possible marriage opportunity. But she still finds herself attracted to Prentice. Landor's delivery is elegant and well acted. She makes each upper-crust British accent distinct and enjoyable. Her portrayals are passionate and enthusiastic, making the clever dialogue fun and giving depth to the characters. A.C.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2013-10-21
Sarah Pleinsworth and Hugh Prentice have good reasons for disliking each other, so neither expects the attraction that springs up when they're forced to spend time together; however, there are a wealth of secrets and obstacles they must overcome to win happiness. Sarah has nursed her antipathy toward Hugh for years. After all, he wrenched her family apart one horrible night when he forced her cousin into a duel that ultimately sent him into hiding. Now, Daniel is back, apparently due to some secretive dealings on Hugh's part, but that doesn't mean Sarah should like him. Daniel is getting married, and his fiancee, Honoria, asks Sarah to keep Hugh company during the reception, since Hugh's leg was injured during the duel, and he is now lame. To her extreme consternation, the more time she spends with Hugh, the more she likes him, and as the couple--not to mention most of London's ton--moves from Daniel's wedding to another wedding of mutual friends, Sarah and Hugh find themselves moving from rapprochement to affection to love. However, there is much more to the story of Daniel's flight after the duel, and dark shadows from that time will reappear once it becomes clear Sarah and Hugh may be headed for a match. Quinn brings her signature style and wit to yet another late-Regency romance, with some character favorites fans have met before in both the highly popular Smythe-Smith and Bridgerton series. Hugh's mathematical brilliance combined with a self-imposed wariness toward his companions make for an enigmatic hero. Sarah's and Hugh's overcoming of their mutual dislike as they open up to one another is a winsome choice that makes perfect sense for the relationship arc and works well for the storyline, especially once they face Hugh's dark past and the specter that threatens their happiness and Daniel's life. Charmingly romantic, with compelling edges of dark conflict and sexual tension.
