The Pleasure of Your Kiss
Pocket, Dec 27 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9781439157893
In 1834, Clarinda Cardew sails from England to marry her fiancé Lord Dravenwood, Max Burke in spite of the fact her future brother-in-law Captain Ashton Burke was her first love who deserted her for a fortune. However, Corsair pirates attacked her ship and sold her to a sultan in El Jadida. No ransom has been asked by the sultan. Max rescues his wastrel brother from certain death for cuckolding a powerful sultan. In return he asks Ash to rescue his fiancée Clarinda offering an exorbitant reward, the girl who tormented Ash as a child and he loved as a young adult.
Ash and his sidekick Luca rescue the sultan Zin al-Farouk from assassins. He recognizes the sultan as Frankie from his Eton days. Farouk takes the pair into his palace where his Uncle Tarik shows his disdain for the foreigners. Upon first sight, Ash knows he still wants Clarinda. She on the other hand asks her beloved Farouk why he allows rogues in his home.
The Pleasure of Your Kiss is an entertaining nineteenth century historical romance with an offbeat setting as no one will look at cucumbers in the same way. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Ash realizes who he is to rescue and never slows as the pair fall in love while on a desert adventure. Although much of the support cast is stereotyped and readers will know who the enemy is, fans will appreciate Teresa Medeiros’ sensational second chance romance.
Harriet Klausner
