I Kissed an Earl (Pennyroyal Green Series)

Just finished this book last night, and it's another winner by Julie Anne Long, IMO. Yes, you have to go along with some plot devices that are pretty unbelievable (like our noble heroine, a young woman, going alone by public coach, accosting a discontented sailor from the ship she wants to smuggle herself on board, bribing him to "let her take his place," being discovered within a day or so (but too far for the ship to go back which would take "days"), etc. Did I care? Well, a little, but I was willing to lock my skepticism in a box because it's been a fairly long time since I've read a pirate book. So, in spite of the childish title, I liked the plot, the hero, the heroine (not quite so much as the hero), the impediment between them, etc. So, if you want a fun read, I recommend this one. It's not the best pirate book I've ever read (that would be "Windflower" by the Curtises), but it's worth the price and the time.

I've read all of the books in this series and I've enjoyed all of them, too (with the exception perhaps of Chase's story, which I felt needed another round of editing and revision). Julie Anne Long is a great writer. Her prose is funny and smart as are her characters, and she crafts a nicely intricate plot. This book is particularly strong because it has a clear, concise conflict: Both Flint and Violet want to find Lyon, Violet's brother who may or may not be a rogue pirate, but whereas Flint wants to capture Lyon, Violet wants to save him. Meanwhile, the two have an intense attraction that grows believably (the potato peeling scene is one of the best sexual tension scenes I've read all year) and rests on mutual respect and grudging affection. Both Flint and Violet are also frightened by love, which can be a cliche in romance novels, but here makes sense because Long takes pains to explain how the characters' past experiences with love (always indirect) have made them wary. In past books Violet has seemed flighty and immature, but in this book she comes into her own. She's smart, clever, and looking for a purpose to her life beyond her popularity among the ton. Flint is a perfect match for her in that he treats her as an equal, despite their different upbringings. And it's clear that despite himself, he longs for a companion and family. My only quibble with this book is that Long is sometimes inconsistent when it comes to POV (she occasionally switches in and out of a character's pov in a way that can be jarring; or she starts a section in a character's head but then abruptly makes offers an outside pov. Example: we're in Violet's pov and then all of a sudden, Long points out the expression on Violet's face, which Violet of course can't see.) and Flint's name (in several paragraphs she refers to him as both Asher and Flint. At a certain point, it made sense for him to just be referred to as Asher). My biggest gripe? That the next book isn't about Lyon and Olivia. She sets their story up beautifully in this book (well, I'm assuming they'll have a shared story, but even if they don't, Long has made me very curious as to how they end up). Overall this is a fun, involving romance with a lot of depth. Grade: A-

I love smart, sexy characters with fast paced plots- and Julie Anne Long is a master at writing those romances. Violet and Asher are great characters -as the back cover proves true---he, the man who once lost everthing and the girl who has everything to lose are bound by a passion that could either end in betrayal...or become everything they ever dreamed. If you haven't read Julie Anne's Like No Other Lover, stop read that one first then come back and enjoy I kissed An Earl even more.

This book was a thorough delight. The writing is top-notch, the plot interesting and fun to read, the characters appealing and well-developed, and the romance grows just the way love is supposed to, slowly and oh-so-romantically. I've been having trouble lately finding romances that appeal to me, because, although I'm no prude, I'm not satisfied with the immediate lust and sex that many books have, where it's hard to see how that lust will ever develop into love. Not so with this book. There's not even an immediate attraction between H and H. So you watch them slowly grow to like and respect each other, admire and trust each other, and, yes, to lust after each other. The love is so easy to see and feel developing. The plot is fun and may be my favorite Julie Anne Long book ever, even better than her first ones published by Warner. (Avon now publishes her books.) Hero Captain Flint of the ship "The Fortuna" is of dubious parentage, definitely not blue-blooded, but he has recently been granted the title Earl of Ardmay by King George IV, the fortune involved with this being contingent upon his capture of the pirate Le Chat of the ship "The Olivia", who has been wreaking havoc on English ships in the past year. Captain Flint's ship has put into port near London and when attending a ball, he meets heroine Violet Redmond. Through conversations and eavesdropping, Violet begins to suspect that the pirate Le Chat may very well be her brother Lyon, who disappeared over a year ago. (If you've been following the Pennyroyal Green series with the families Redmond and Eversea, this fact of his disappearance will be familiar to you.) So Violet stows away aboard Flint's ship when he sets sail to capture the pirate Le Chat. She, of course believing her brother cannot be a thieving and murdering pirate, wants to somehow prove his innocence. From there the adventures ensue. It's a funny, exciting, romantic, sexy tale. Wait till you get to the Potato Incident. Who knew peeling potatoes could be so sexy? I'll say no more. Just read the book. I think it's great.