They can’t all be of equal quality and the Bridgerton series has at least two classic historical romances, although I change my mind as to which ones they are. Forced to spend time together at house parties for their friends’ weddings, no one is surprised when they end up engaged in under three weeks.ĭespite an overall decline in Quinn’s recent work, I do read every book she publishes and The Sum of All Kisses is by far the best book in the Smythe-Smith series. He caused a scandal several years ago by dueling with her cousin and Sarah feels the resulting imbroglio ruined her matrimonial opportunities. This time up, it’s Sarah Pleinsworth and family acquaintance Hugh Prentice. The Smythe-Smith quartet, as they are called, has an evolving membership and over the course of the novels, members get married off and make good their escape from public humiliation. Quinn’s current Regency series revolves around a family group that puts on an annual concert of consistently awful quality. She is guaranteed to make you laugh and offer at least one truly romantic moment. I use the words deft and witty every time I review one of her books because they are always apropos and Quinn is almost always a light-hearted, satisfying read. If you are interested in trying historical romance, her Bridgerton series provides an excellent gateway. If you are a historical romance fan, you already know who Julia Quinn is. This tells me that while I enjoyed the book, it didn’t make a lasting impression and gives them a thoroughly modern twist.I regret returning The Sum of All Kisses to the library quickly, but I don’t want to buy my own copy. 'Light, pacy and full of feisty heroines' Guardian on the Bridgerton series'Julia Quinn's Bridgerton books take all of the classic tropes we know and love. 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.

She doesn't care that his leg is less than perfect, it's his personality she can't abide.īut forced to spend a week in close company they discover that first impressions are not always reliable. Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought that nearly destroyed her family.īut even if she could find a way to forgive him, it wouldn't matter. 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.īesides, 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. The third book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet, a dazzlingly witty series by the bestselling author of Bridgerton.

The sum of all kisses by julia quinn