Desipite the fact that this book was an ode to miscommunication, I really enjoyed it. The banter between the main couple kept me turning the pages.

Tropes: forced marriage, miscommunication

Content: 3 kisses (no more), attempted murder, abusive guardian

4 Stars ( )

Following an attempt to get away from a title pursuing lady, Lord Cavratt makes the unfortunate mistake of kissing a woman in the garden of an inn and her uncle forces them to marry against both of their wishes. While awaiting annulment, Crispin enters what turns out to be a traumatized lady into Society, which leads to a number of surprises. While the couple grows closer, the confusing and complicated situation escalates into a life-threatening confrontation.

The Kiss of a Stranger is the prequel to The Jonquil Brothers Series by Sarah M. Eden, published by Covenant Communication Inc. The story is set in London 1814 and focuses on Crispin Handle, Lord Cavratt who makes the unfortunate mistake of kissing a maid in the garden of an inn, only the maid turns out to be Miss Catherine Thorndale, whose abusive uncle pushes for an immediate marriage so he can throw her out. An annulment would leave both Catherines’s and Crispin’s reputations in shatters. The whole thing seems a confusing mess with the looming threat of her abusive uncle.

Main character Crispin Handle, Lord Cavratt seems a kind person, if somewhat inexperienced with women. I felt he continuously dropped the ball in his relationship with Catherine. Fortunately he stepped up as the plot progressed.

I felt heart wrenchingly sorry for secondary character Catherine Adelaide Thorndale. She has musical talent and hidden personal resources. When life becomes quieter I am very pleased to see she thrives. She is my favorite character of this story.

I find it jaw dropping how Sarah M. Eden manages to keep the light hearted writing I enjoy so much in place. The signature funny and bantering dialogue I love is included.

The least favorite part of this story I felt were everything to do with uncle Thorndale.
As much as I hated his character I must admit he added a great dramatic effect to the story. I was surprised by the extreme anger and violence which made me suspect he was suffering from some kind of mental disorder.

My favorite part of the story was the romance between Catherine and Cirpin. I felt it quite amusing how he spent such a long time in complete denial of his feelings for her. I enjoyed the verbal fencing conducted in private, which made them get to know each other better and become closer.

Conclusion: The Kiss of a Stranger is the heart wrenching story of a sudden and mistaken kiss, an unwanted marriage and an unexpected closeness and love developing in the midst of violence and threat.
I would recommend The Kiss of a Stranger to anyone, particularly fans of Sarah M. Eden or readers of historical fiction. Similar authors to explore might be Julianne Donaldson or Esther Hatch. All opinions in this review are my own.

Rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: interesting plot, great villainous character, fabulous writing, ( )

Both the heroine and the hero were weak. The story line was horribly flat. ( )

**Possible spoilers**

The book synopsis doesn't clearly explain the situation (hey, it's not supposed to), but the twist it leaves out had me chuckling through the book's beginning.
Ms. Eden has a tendency to write (at least, in the books I've read so far) about persons who've crossed the line into genuine insanity. Oh, not the main characters, just characters with ability to profoundly impact (and/or bruise) the main characters. That being said, I was more than a little disappointed that it took Crispin so long to realize he needed to do something beyond promising he would do something. I'll chalk that up to character development, though.
I was even more surprised at how easily Catherine transitioned. I can't say my upbringing had any similarity to hers at all, but I still found that a little hard to believe. As an author, I can completely understand needing to move the story along and glossing over something in the process (or just not wanting to delve into an area I can't claim to understand). Nevertheless, that aspect of the story didn't quite ring true to me. ( )

It isn't often that I disagree with my good friend Caz, but I did not enjoy this book five stars' worth as she did. I liked the hero and heroine, but just felt that their failure to communicate went on too damn long! Just one or two forthright conversations would have made things much smoother for them -- but then I guess it would have made for a much shorter book. I do think the author did a marvelous job portraying a woman who had been mentally and physically abused for years and who just couldn't quite understand or believe that she was now safe. My heart went out to her.

3.5 stars. ( )