Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet

Review: A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

Posted October 2, 2017 by Holly in Reviews | 3 Comments

Review: A Night Like This by Julia QuinnReviewer: Holly
A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet #2) by Julia Quinn
Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet #2
Also in this series: The Sum of All Kisses, Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet #1)
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: June 7th 2012
Pages: 373
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Anne Wynter’s job as governess to three highborn young ladies can be a challenge – in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith might be in mortal danger, but that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending ...

A Night Like This is book 2 in Julia Quinn’s Smythe-Smith Quartet. Another light read from Quinn. It was enjoyable, but not as much as Just Like Heaven, book one.

This novel overlaps the events at the end of Just Like Heaven. I really loved Daniel. He had a great sense of humor and he was very sweet. Despite the problems he’s facing, he’s always kind and compassionate. I really like the way he was with Anne. She was traumatized by something in her past and didn’t always react well to him, but he always took care with her. Anne was a strong woman who enjoyed her stability and worked hard in her position. She never looked for someone else to rescue her and realized she was in charge of her own future. Their romance was sweet.

As much as I liked the story, it was missing the quintessential Quinn spark. That undefinable thing that makes her novels so easy to fall into. I did laugh out loud several times. Anne’s young charges and their antics had me in stitches.

While A Night Like This was a solid, enjoyable read, it isn’t my favorite from Quinn.

3.75 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars

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Review: Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Posted September 12, 2017 by Holly in Reviews | 2 Comments

Review: Just Like Heaven by Julia QuinnReviewer: Holly
Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet #1) by Julia Quinn
Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet #1
Also in this series: The Sum of All Kisses, A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet #2)
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: June 2011
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 374
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Honoria Smythe-Smith is:

A) a really bad violinist B) still miffed at being nicknamed “Bug” as a child C) not in love with her older brother’s best friend D) all of the above

Marcus Holroyd is:

A) the Earl of Chatteris B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles C) not in love with his best friend’s younger sister D) all of the above

Together they:

A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake B) survive a deadly fever and the world’s worst musical performance C) fall quite desperately in love

It’s Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is . . .

D) all of the above

Just Like Heaven, the Smythe-Smith Quartet, book 1 by Julia Quinn,, is such a fun, witty novel.

This series isn’t as quirky as the Bridgerton series, but there was still a lot of humor. The antics of the main characters, as well as the secondary, made for a quick, fun read.

Daniel, Marcus’s best friend is living in exile out of the country, and he charges Marcus with watching over his younger sister. Marcus takes the duty seriously. All is well until Honoria decides she’s going to do what she needs to do to marry by the end of the Season. She has someone in mind and she isn’t going to let anything get in the way of her snaring him…not even her brother’s annoying best friend. As Marcus chases her around, foiling her plans and being a general pain, they find themselves developing a mutual attraction.

Honoria has a sunny disposition and doesn’t let life get her down. I loved her outlook on life and how determined she is to take her future into her own hands. Marcus isn’t used to having anyone in his life to care for – or who cares about him. Honoria surprised him. Their romance was super sweet. I adored it.

As expected Quinn delivers a fun, fresh romp. This is Quinn at her best.

4.25 out of 5

four-stars

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Review: The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

Posted October 16, 2013 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: The Sum of All Kisses by Julia QuinnReviewer: Holly
The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet #3
Also in this series: Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet #1), A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet #2)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: October 29th 2013
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 384
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

He thinks she's an annoying know-it-all

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, even if Hugh did grow to enjoy her company, it wouldn't matter. A reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now, unable to run, ride, or even waltz, he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her.

She thinks he's just plain mad

Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought three years earlier, the one that forced her cousin into exile, nearly destroying 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 when the pair is 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.

 

It’s been awhile since I read the previous Smythe-Smith book, so I was a bit hazy on the details going into this one. It wasn’t a concern, however. Things were explained in a way that brought me up to speed without bogging the story down.

One night of careless drinking led to events that changed the lives of too many young people – and not for the better. While Hugh was definitely the cause of said events, he’s the one who suffered the most. Not that Lady Sarah Pleinsworth is willing to see things from his side. Her life was ruined – okay, almost ruined – because of his actions and she isn’t going to forgive him for that anytime soon.

When her favorite cousin asks her stand up with Hugh in her wedding, she can’t very well say no. Even if she’d rather impale herself on a sword than spend an extra minute in his company, she made a promise and won’t go back on it. She’s going to fulfill her duty, even if it kills her.

Hugh is extremely sorry that his actions hurt his friend’s family. But he isn’t sure the plight of Lady Sarah is on his head. He has enough sins on his soul to accept the ones she’s claiming are his. Plus, she’s infuriating and dramatic and…quite lovely, though he’s loathe to admit it.

Hugh and Sarah are a very unlikely match. He’s quiet and reserved while she’s overly dramatic and not afraid to voice her opinions. He doesn’t like her and she certainly doesn’t like him..but when they’re thrown together and forced to make the best of the situation, they find each other…tolerable. I really liked their acrimonious relationship and how it moved into a friendship, then more.

The story was sweet and fun. Exactly what I’ve come to expect from Quinn.

4 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars

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