Kiss Me at Christmas: Playful Brides

Valerie Bowman

Oct 2018 · Playful Brides Book 10 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this ebook

“Merry, intelligent, and wholly satisfying.”—USA Today

"Sizzles with sensuality." - Publishers Weekly

“Delicious and suspenseful.” —Kirkus Reviews

A spirited lady facing spinsterhood. A common man with a noble mission. And a surprise that just might be waiting for them under the mistletoe in Kiss Me At Christmas by Valerie Bowman.

Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf abhors Christmas. Carol singing and holiday cheer only remind him of a dark time. When a close friend calls on him for help, Daffin is happy to capitalize on the distraction. But when he learns the lovely Lady Regina is the one in danger, he’s to become bodyguard to the captivating woman...

Regina has one mission: to find a night of passion in the arms of a gentleman. Considered firmly on the shelf, Regina has given up on marriage—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be denied the pleasure married ladies experience. Daffin has long captured her attention...and when a threat calls him to her side, the sparks between them ignite. But how can a hired bodyguard find his way into Regina’s noble heart?

Ratings and reviews

4.5 Stars Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf abhors Christmas. Carol singing and holiday cheer only remind him of a dark time. When a close friend calls on him for help, Daffin is happy to capitalize on the distraction. But when he learns the lovely Lady Regina is the one in danger, he’s to become bodyguard to the captivating woman. Regina has one mission: to find a night of passion in the arms of a gentleman. Considered firmly on the shelf, Regina has given up on marriage—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be denied the pleasure married ladies experience. Daffin has long captured her attention and when a threat calls him to her side, the sparks between them ignite. Another very enjoyable book in the series of which this is the tenth. It could easily be read on its own, the books do feature characters from earlier books & there is always a link. Another well written well paced book that had me hooked from page one. In fact the opening of this book was so entertaining & unusual, a Lady offering herself to the gorgeous Runner & the knots she verbally tied herself in had me chuckling out loud. The characters have plenty of depth, Daffin & Regina are delightful & perfect for each other, their attraction to each other is very apparent but there are obstacles in their way. The road to their HEA wasn’t smooth but it made for a very good read. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

As a fan of Ms. Bowman’s books you probably read “A Duke Like No Other” which is book nine in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series. In that book there are two secondary characters Bow Street Runner, Daffin Oakleaf and niece to a the Duke ,Lady Regina. I loved their flirting and their chemistry in that story and to my pleasant surprise Ms. Bowman made them the central figures in “Kiss Me At Christmas” Lady Regina always wanted to marry for love but approaching her 30th birthday her uncle wants her to marry an Earl she deems “nice” but has no romantic feelings for him. Daffin is a commoner with secrets and feels he is not good enough for Lady Regina though he is attracted to her. There are a number of twists and surprises in this story as well as a mystery to solve. Ms. Bowman’s impeccable writing creates a captivating romance as both Daf and Regina struggle with their feelings and regency society norms. In many regency romances it is the titled gentleman who falls for the commoner. Here the author gives us insight into the reverse as the titled Lady falls in love with the commoner and the reader wonders how her unconventional plot will play out to their HEA. Ms. Bowman is a masterful storyteller and Christmas is a magical time. In that spirit need I say more! You can tell that I loved this story. I never go into specific plot details because I want readers to savor her books. I highly recommend this book and the series. I received an advanced readers copy from the Publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion. It was a pleasure to read and review this book.

One month shy of her thirtieth birthday, Lady Regina Haversham decided to act on her attraction to Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf, whom she had met the previous summer. Regina’s mind is made up: she will have at least one night of passion with a man of her choosing, and that man is Daffin. They had flirted shamelessly that summer, but because of the circumstances and their unequal social statuses, nothing came of it. When it appears that Regina’s life is in danger, Daffin is hired at her bodyguard, will Regina gets what she wants or will Daffin refuse her scandalous offer? Because KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS is a Holiday story, and I like Valerie Bowman’s writing style, I took a chance on the book, in spite of the Regency-virgin-wanting-a-one-night-stand being my least favourite trope. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t and Ms. Bowman does it relatively well. However, I subtracted a full star from my review because of the mention of BDSM. There is NOTHING I detest more (apart from a rape-y hero) than having BDSM flung upon me without any warning. Very early on, in Chapter 4, when Daffin mentions his kink, it’s obvious he’s a dominant, then having a proper Regency virgin giddy at the thought of sex in handcuffs almost spoiled the book for me. It took me a while to feel secure enough to read without all the tension at not looking forward to the sex scenes. Thankfully, the plot is riveting, and I eventually forgot about the looming threat of the kinky stuff. I adored both Daffin and Regina (apart from the blasted handcuffs). They have fascinating backstories, their chemistry is palpable, they exchange wonderfully witty and intelligent banter; they are superb characters. Ms. Bowman’s exquisite descriptive voice make the minutest detail come alive, the dialogues are inspired, and the secondary characters are superb. Other players who are obviously characters from previous instalments of the Playful Brides series are also featured; they are inserted seamlessly in the story, and I didn’t feel lost. I also loved watching Daffin at work as an investigator. The story is impeccably paced, moves along quickly, there’s hardly a dull moment, and it is meticulously crafted; the villain came as a surprise, and it felt realistic. KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS is fabulous book and it would have earned a glowing five-star review, had it not been for the sneaky and unwanted BDSM, as it was my only issue with the book, but for me it’s a very significant one. If you enjoy or don’t mind some kink in a historical romance, you will love this book; at least, you will expect it while I didn’t.

About the author

Valerie Bowman grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her mini-schnauzers, Huckleberry and Violet. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.

Valerie is the author of the Playful Brides series, including The Untamed Earl and Never Trust a Pirate.