After the Kiss

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary
Review: To say I enjoyed this book doesn't seem an adequate description. What a wonderful story! Margaret is a poor widow who meets Michael while she's spying on a ball. From there their relationship develops. Their one kiss agreement scene was great. I don't want to describe it because I don't want to spoil it but I loved it.

I also loved the relationship between the hero and heroine. They were so good together and I really felt everything they felt. It's been awhile since I was that involved with the feelings of the hero and heroines I've read about. And the way the hero changes or makes changes in his life makes me love him more.

Rating:
Summary: After this book...
Review: You will fall in love with Karen Ranney!

I loved "After The Kiss", just by the fact that this love story focused singularly and intensely on Margaret Esterly and Michael Hawthorne's relationship. There were no secondary romances to steal the scenes and no quirky side characters to distract you. Okay, so there is a great villain, but that just added shine to the gem that this book was. Their love story is like a diamond solitaire shining brightly and the supporting mystery plot (surround a certain memoir book) was the gold band that held the diamond up.

This is my third book by Karen Ranney and something about her writing draws me back everytime. Maybe it's her intense style, writing packed with so much emotion. Or her usage of short sentences that makes her passages lyrical if not poetic. Or it's the characters themselves. Margaret, a widow, without very much means of survival. Who's only chance to get any financial means is to sell the mysterious books that survived the deadly fire that killed her husband. And there is Michael Hawthorne, Earl of Montraine, who is drawn to this mysterious widow. Their love, as passionate as it is, is also very complicated.

I can't say that I liked the abrupt ending, but at least the lengthiness of the epilogue made up for the lack of other. "After the Kiss" is not only absorbing but also very interesting. Ms. Ranney never fails to incorporate rare historical facts in her stories. And her characters are most of the time, way ahead of their contemporaries. And this time, it's the mystic cryptography and Michael's mathematical engine. Great novel Ms. Ranney!

Rating:
Summary: After this book...
Review: You will fall in love with Karen Ranney!

I loved "After The Kiss", just by the fact that this love story focused singularly and intensely on Margaret Esterly and Michael Hawthorne's relationship. There were no secondary romances to steal the scenes and no quirky side characters to distract you. Okay, so there is a great villain, but that just added shine to the gem that this book was. Their love story is like a diamond solitaire shining brightly and the supporting mystery plot (surround a certain memoir book) was the gold band that held the diamond up.

This is my third book by Karen Ranney and something about her writing draws me back everytime. Maybe it's her intense style, writing packed with so much emotion. Or her usage of short sentences that makes her passages lyrical if not poetic. Or it's the characters themselves. Margaret, a widow, without very much means of survival. Who's only chance to get any financial means is to sell the mysterious books that survived the deadly fire that killed her husband. And there is Michael Hawthorne, Earl of Montraine, who is drawn to this mysterious widow. Their love, as passionate as it is, is also very complicated.

I can't say that I liked the abrupt ending, but at least the lengthiness of the epilogue made up for the lack of other. "After the Kiss" is not only absorbing but also very interesting. Ms. Ranney never fails to incorporate rare historical facts in her stories. And her characters are most of the time, way ahead of their contemporaries. And this time, it's the mystic cryptography and Michael's mathematical engine. Great novel Ms. Ranney!