If His Kiss Is Wicked

If his kiss is Wicked is quite simply splendid! Emma Hathaway, our heroine, has been kidnapped and almost killed by unknown captors but she managed to escape and is now certain that the threat is not over although she is not sure that she is the intended victim of the attack or even if she is not just simply going mad. She contacts our hero, Restell Gardner, a sort of Private Investigator, who helps people in trouble in exchange for favours to be returned when necessary, and he agrees to help her. To say more about the plot is to spoil part of the pleasure of the book - the investigation of the crime is as much as important to the story as the romance between Emma and Restell. I am glad to report that the mystery was not a secondary, contrived storyline that was there only to serve the main plot, i.e. the growing love between the protagonists. Quite the contrary, the mystery and the romance were intertwined in such a wonderful way that at times I didn't know whether I wanted them to carry on investigating or kissing. And talking about kissing (since I can't talk about the mystery without spoiling the outcome): wow. What a love story. Restell is such a wonderful hero. Not your usual Tormented Alpha Male, he is considerate, funny, smart and sweet. Not that I have anything against Tormented Heroes but sometimes it is very refreshing to get a respite. Because he doesn't have issues that need to be dealt with, he can concentrate in helping Emma whilst at the same time being unable not to fall in love with her. She doesn't believe in love - she thinks it is nothing but a passing feeling - but she can't help falling in love with him either, for all of the above qualities, plus did I mention he is hot? Well, he is. The sex scenes are well written and of good taste - although there is one scene that may offend the more sensitive, but for me it was on the right side of erotic. Actually, the whole book is well written. Jo Goodman has a way with words, to be sure, and I found myself going back to sentences, paragraphs and even whole chapters in order to let the writing sink in. This is a top notch book and I highly recommend it. Review Courtesy of thebooksmugglers.blogspot.com

Emma was never raped, but she might as well be a rape victim. She was beaten so brutally that weeks later she still carries the bruises. She is afraid to leave the house. She is afraid of everything! But she doses herself with laudenum and ventures out to hire an investigator to help solve the mystery of her abduction, and protect her and her cousin from further harm. Restell is impressed by Emma's dignity and courage up until she has a little psychological melt-down in his library. Then he doesn't know what to do. He is a man who rarely feels inadequate to handle a situation, but Emma's trauma confounds him. I think that is where his fascination with her begins. Restell is a good hero. He doesn't dither around much. He knows a good thing when he sees it and within weeks he proposes marriage. And Emma is a sensible heroine. She doesn't allow her fears to take over her life, and over time she begins to trust and confide in her handsome husband. It is all very satisfactory. So the characters are good, and the mystery is pretty good too. Even though there were plenty of hints, the full story didn't become clear until right at the end. So I would say it is well done. If you are in the mood for a Regency mystery romance, then this book is a good choice.

This was my first Jo Goodman which led to my glomming on her extensive backlist.I fell in love with the characters, the convincing strong plots in both romance and mystery, and her wonderful writing style which, I thought, worked very well with her subtle art of creating believable characters. I highly recommend this book as one great example of quality historical romance books.

The only thing I did not like - was the title, which I thought did not give the story any justice. This was a wonderful read, the story was very well written and not the typical lite regency romance like the title suggests. The tone of the book had me in that time period, it was so well done, and from the first page to the last, I was enthralled with the characters and story. It kept me twisting and turning, not knowing where it would turn next - Highly recommended, and I feel one of her best.

Emma Halliday visits Restell Gardner after she has been kidnapped and severly beaten. She has heard he is a person to go to for help and she wants answers as to why she was kidnapped. Was it her they were after or her cousin and Anna was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Together Restell and Anna try and find the answers. Along the way Restell works to heal Anna of the trauma she suffered. There is such a richness and depth to Ms. Goodman's writing, it's impossible to rush through this book. Instead one needs to slow down and savor this delightful book. She is a master at putting words together to create those small moments that make you sigh with delight in pure reading enjoyment.