Regina is approaching her thirtieth birthday and wants nothing more than to take some control over her life before being forced to marry a man she does not love. She decides to lose her virginity to the handsome Daffin Oakleaf, who she so easily connected with a few months prior, is the perfect birthday gift. The only problem is he's a Bow Street Runner and beneath her in social standing, so if anyone found out it would lead to disaster. However, when someone starts to threaten Regina's life, Daffin steps in to protect her and their previous spark reignites. Can Regina and Daffin overcome their social classes to find true love over the Christmas holiday?

KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS is another installment in Valerie Bowman's Playful Brides series. Previous readers of the series will be happy to learn that Bowman has made sure to include other characters from previous stories, but will also be quite pleased with the heroine and hero of KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS. Regina is a wonderful heroine. Older than most romance heroines, she has some maturity due to her age, and her independent nature and loyalty to family are great traits. Her vulnerabilities and mistakes make her a very human character, and readers will easily be able to relate to her. Daffin has easily become one of my favorite heroes from Bowman's novels, and intelligence, determination, and loyalty are easy to see. I like that Bowman puts together two characters from different social classes, and their struggle is believable. The Christmas backdrop adds some magic to the story, and the romance is tender and sensual. There are some great action scenes in KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS and a couple of plot twists will take readers by surprise, and keep them on their toes. KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS has easily become one of my favorite books by Bowman, and romance readers will not want to miss this holiday romance.