The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words shy or retiring, she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, a reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her.

Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought that nearly destroyed her family. But even if she could find a way to forgive him, it wouldn't matter. She doesn't care that his leg is less than perfect, it's his personality she can't abide. But forced to spend a week in close company they discover that first impressions are not always reliable. And when one kiss leads to two, three, and four, the mathematician may lose count, and the lady may, for the first time, find herself speechless ...

*****

Enchanting, Delightful, Passionate...

The Sum of All Kisses is the sum of all things I love in historical romance! It’s romantic, witty, passionate, charming… it’s a story that had me smiling and sighing from the very start, and kept me there right to the very end!

I don’t know how else to explain it except to say there was something endearing about the gruff, bitter, Hugh Prentice. Even when he was being an utter ass, even when his self-deprecation was at it’s peak, I wanted to cuddle him and love him and make him all better. And even when Sarah was being a stubborn ninny, I wanted to cuddle her… okay, that’s a lie. I wanted to smack some sense into the silly chit’s head and shout, “Can’t you see he’s hurting? Can’t you see he needs you??” Thankfully, she figured that out on her own without the need of violence on my part. Close call, that.

Julia Quinn has such a gift for writing about family and close friends. Story after story, she pulls me in, makes me care, and keeps me coming back for more.

My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. Truly, it was a pleasure!