Just One Kiss

This novel is definitely one of Samantha James' best. Having been thrilled with "Gabriel's Bride", and a little disappointed with "One Moonlit Night" and "My Lord Conqueror", I approached this novel with some trepidation. However, my fears were largely unfounded. This book delivers, not only in terms of the plot, but also in the development of the characters. Morgan and Elizabeth are wonderfully memorable together (especially the scene in which she bids him leave for New York), yet James' still makes the reader feel almost sorry for Nathaniel, the dastardly reprobate of the story. I did not want to put this book down, and was certainly sorry to have come to the end of it. I would definitely put this book up as a keeper - it's a real toecurler.

There was a small controversy over this book when it first came out because according to some, the hero (like most of them do) mistreats the heroine throughout the entire book and it's only at the end when he briefly redeems himself. For me, I didn't see this as that big of a problem; yes, Morgan was undeniably pig-headed; the Big Misunderstanding could have been avoided if only the main characters had communicated... However, I liked Morgan; I have a soft spot for these brooding alpha males (well, when they're well-written; and Just One Kiss does falls into that category despite some of the quibbles I had.) Overall, this is a good book to pass the day with; nothing spectacular, but if you do like Ms. James' style I would suggest One Moonlit Night, another book of hers that I liked better.

This was a good book. I really enjoyed it