Eloisa James attempts to tell a story in one of the most
unique ways: a serial. WITH THIS KISS is made of three
parts and features Lady Grace, the eldest daughter to the
Duke and Duchess of Ashbrook whom readers will be familiar
with from THE UGLY DUCHESS, the fourth book in James' Fairy
Tales series and also Colin, the eldest adopted son of Sir
Griffin Barry from SEDUCED BY A PIRATE.
James explores the concept of young love between Lady Grace
and Colin. Their families have always been close and
friendly, but as both characters become their own people,
Colin's decision to join the Navy changes things for them.
Lady Grace decides to write to Colin while he is away and
this is where their romance starts, though I found that
Grace put more of herself into the letters than Colin did.
Grace is an admirable character. Though often living in the
shadows of her sister, Lily, Grace doesn't let resentment
build between them. However, that doesn't mean Grace can
gracefully keep her head up when her heart is so heavy with
heartbreak.
Colin is a man turned cynical by the acts of war. The
things he has seen in the Navy have changed him and it is
part of the reason why he can be so callous and so clueless
of Grace's feelings towards him. Like a drug, Grace's
occasional letters to him provide a much needed escape in
his mind and soon he finds himself anticipating the next
letter to arrive.
Though as short as this installment is, James has created
two characters that stand out amongst a sea of faces. Grace
is admirable and deserves so much more than Colin can give
her at this point, but she is so blindingly in love that
she does not care. Colin's character has so much room to
grow and I am eager to see how and when he will finally
open up his eyes and see the gift in front of him.
In the last chapter of WITH THIS KISS, James packs a punch
and it propelled me to frantically grab the next
installment. I needed to know what would happen to them!
Though serials aren't my favorite style of reading books, I
cannot deny the appeal and excitement of one done well.
WITH THIS KISS is a story filled with heartbreak. Let's
hope that James delivers her gentle readers a happily-ever-
after fitting to the fantastic characters she has created
in the installments to come.
Lady Grace Ryburn, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ashbrook, has fallen wildly in love with Colin Barry, a dashing young lieutenant serving his country in the Royal Navy. When he returns home to exuberant celebrations, will he even notice the quiet wallflower he grew up with ... or will he fall for Grace's sparkling, gorgeous sister?
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