October 26, 2013

Advance Review: The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

Title: The Sum of All Kisses (Smythe-Smith Quartet #3)
Author: Julia Quinn
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Book Depository
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

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.

I am a huge fan of Julia Quinn and was really excited to hear that she was putting out another book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet. This is the third book in the series but you don’t need to read the previous books for this one to make sense. There is definitely some history between Daniel and Hugh, but Quinn does a great job of getting readers up to speed quickly.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Sarah at the beginning of the book. She’s been holding a grudge against Hugh for a very long time. Even though her family has forgiven Hugh, she refuses to let go of her resentment. My first impression of her was one of a very selfish, frivolous girl. But this book is about seeing past those first impressions and I soon found myself getting to know the real Sarah – a woman who is kind, brave and loyal. She is able to see good even when things look their darkest.

Hugh is a wonderfully complex character. He can’t forgive himself for his long ago mistake. I felt for him as I watched him struggling to come to terms with his injury. These two are as opposite in attitude and outlook as two people can be but they really balance each other. I loved watching them evolve from being enemies to friends and finally to lovers. I loved how Sarah brought Hugh out of his shell and treated him like a real person, one who is not defined by his injury. They really complemented each other well and brought out the best in each other.

The book was not quite as steamy as what I expected from a Julia Quinn novel. Not to say that there were no sexy scenes, but I am used to them happening a little earlier in the story. It was just something very small that I noticed but did not detract from the story. My very favorite scene happens near the end of the book when Sarah and Hugh are in bed and she is ministering to his leg. It’s one of the sweetest and most romantic scenes I have ever read.

Julia Quinn has done it again and delivered a wonderfully written romance that is sweet, emotional, funny and often unexpected. I fell in love with Sarah and Hugh and I think you will, too.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.