The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

December 19th, 2013 Kimberly Review 43 Comments

19th Dec
The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
The Sum of All Kisses
by Julia Quinn
Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet #3
Genres: Historical Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star

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, 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. She thinks he's just plain mad...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 ...
New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn's enchanting third novel in the Smythe-Smith quartet is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and tug at your heartstrings in equal measures

I giggled, sighed and thoroughly enjoyed The Sum of All Kisses, the latest installment of the Smythe-Smith Quartet series by Julia Quinn. Unique, quirky characters, wicked banter and meddling souls abound in this warm historical romance. Each of the books can be read as a standalone, but each is worth a read. Mini review: Humorous, romantic and sweet. Quinn swept me up, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

We meet our unlikely hero, Huge Prentice and our outspoken heroine Sarah Pleinsworth in the previous novel. There are two weddings taking place over the course of a few weeks and typical of the period the events are turned into house parties that last for days. Lady Sarah loathes Huge, after all he shot her cousin and it ruined her life. Her cousin has forgiven him, and invited him to the wedding events as a house guest, hoping to assure the ton that all is forgiven. Lady Sarah is asked to entertain and escort Huge during the house parties, and the resulting events are positively delightful.

Quinn has created such lovable characters in this series, from the precocious children who will melt your heart to the snarky, dramatic heroine Sarah. Lady Sarah can be opinionated, and outspoken. When angered or wronged she is force to be reckoned with. I enjoyed seeing her layers peeled back and discovering all of her complexities. We witness her growth and transformation over the course of the novel, and I ended up adoring her. Huge our hero at first glance is an odd duck. He is not handsome in the classical sense, but his green eyes and subtle humor draw you in. He walks with the aid of a cane, as a prior incident has left the muscles damaged in his leg. Huge carries a heavy guilt and this burden suppressed both his charming looks and personality. We see a transformation in him as well. I absolutely loved seeing these two develop a relationship and grow from that interaction. House guests, family, and friends all added to this tale creating tender moments, suspense and humor.

The Sum of All Kisses was a wonderfully paced tale with the most unlikely romance. I love when characters loathe each other, and bicker constantly. The heated conversations are almost as good as the sexual tension. What joy I received when they suddenly are upended when they realize they are attracted to the other. It is positively scrumptious. Huge and Sarah had the most engaging arguments and conversations. At one point, I had tears streaming down my cheeks from giggling. Meddling family particularly Sarah’s siblings and cousins added enjoyment to the tale. Conversations surrounding unicorns of all things will bring laughter and amusement to the reader. The romance developed slowly and felt genuine leaving me with a warm fuzzy feeling. Quinn offers clean romances, with just enough sweet heat to make your toes curl.

Fans of anger to romance tropes, banter and unique characters will enjoy The Sum of All Kisses and the entire Smythe-Smith Quartet series. The fourth and final book is not yet titled, but Quinn is an author I will revisit again and again.

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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43 Responses to “The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn”

  1. Michelle Chew

    Oh Julie Quinn! I simply adore her books. Have yet to pick this one up. Your review made me want to grab the book at the nearest bookstore (which I probably will!). Thanks for sharing!

  2. Book Savvy Babe

    I love Julia Quinn! It’s been awhile since I’ve picked up one of her books, but I do love this series. Glad you enjoyed it, I think I’ll have to bump it up the TBR 🙂 Great review–

    • kimbacaffeinate

      This series has been quite fun Heather..hope you get to read it soon 🙂

  3. Lily B

    Aww another wonderful book by Julia Quinn… eap I am so behind. I have a few of hers. I love bickering between characters in my books. I agree, heated conversations are just as good!

  4. Candace

    I do enjoy the sexual tension and banter, as long as it doesn’t go on TOO long because that can frustrate me as well. This does sound wonderful though!

  5. Christy

    It’s funny how I pretty must never read books like this anymore (not because they aren’t good), yet they tend to be my favorite kind of covers. I think it’s the dresses.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I like the dresses too, one day we shall meet in Vegas and dress to the nines!

  6. Lindy

    Whew! This sounds like a great romance! I love snarky heroines who bicker and banter back and forth with their love interest. This book sounds wonderful. I love that it gave you the warm fuzzes, and sexual tension in a romance is always a must! Excellent Review!!!

  8. anna

    Aw yay! I just read my first of hers this past month and loved it. I have this one sitting on the shelf and can’t wait. I love those odd ball heroes and ones that make me giggle.

  9. Jenea

    I love the romances where they don’t like each other at first. Those are so wonderful to watch grow in to something more.

  10. Heidi

    Yet another author I need to try. I really need a book to make me laugh, and I always adore a romance with a lot of antagonistic banter. Can you read these out of order?

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Yes Heidi, they can all be read out of order, Quinn does an excellent job of filling in the blanks. I haven’t read book one of this series.

  12. Braine Talk Supe

    Yup, only historical romance can make me sigh. The sexual tension in this genre is just amazing, I think it’s because they were so repressed back then so every glance and touch is heightened. Happy holidays, Kimba!

  15. aurian

    Nice review Kimba, I thought most readers were disappointed in this installment, but I am glad you just loved it 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      You made me curious so I took a look – it has a four average on Amazon and Goodreads. I can see where some might find the heroine to be a bit too snarky, but I quite enjoyed it. Thanks Aurian 🙂

  17. Jenny

    “I love when characters loathe each other, and bicker constantly.”

    ME TOO KIM!!! It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Julia Quinn novel, way too long actually, so I think I need to pick this one up for sure. Plus, you’ve completely sold me on the fact that they loathe one another initially, and their interactions had you crying from laughing. CANNOT WAIT!

  20. Mary

    I love when the characters loathe each other, too. The constant bickering until they realize it’s actually flirting and grows into love is awesome. Julia Quinn’s an expert at it, too! Marking this one as to-read!