Reviews

After the Kiss by Joan Johnston

ssejig's review

2.0

All I could remember about this book was that I had read it. Yeah, I had probably blocked it. Way too much beginning and a way too swift end made for a story that started off great but did not end well. Eliza Sheringham is in love with her cousin. But when her other cousin tries to rape her, she has to run away from home. Eliza is on her way to a party when she meets the "Beau of Blackthorne" who is traveling with his twin nieces who rumor has as being his daughters. The two travel to the party together. While Eliza still believes herself to be in love with her cousin, she is majorly attracted to the Beau and the two end up entangled in a scandal. The Beau refuses to marry her and her cousin steps up to the plate, just as she realizes she's not really in love with him. The cousin and the Beau go off to fight in the war, the cousin dies and the Beau comes back hideously deformed. His brother (who was a duke) is purported to have died so he is now in charge of the nieces and Eliza gets herself hired as their nanny. Then, in the last fifty or so pages, his brother returns alive, Eliza makes the Beau realize that he's not really a beast and the twins find out that their father loves them after all. If it had been a longer exposition, would have been a better book. Too bad.

booksuperpower's review

3.0

I read a few reviews of " After the Kiss " by Joan Johnston before I started it myself. I was prepared for the shift in mood the novel took midway through. I was also prepared for the " forced seduction " some of these older titles featured. However, there was one scene that went well beyond that IMO, and prepared or not, it was hard to image forgiveness being that easy. That part does mark a turning point in the book though.
Eliza and Marcus meet under unusual circumstances. Marcus is a notorious rake and Eliza is the innocent cousin of his best friend. But, Marcus compromises Eliza, then refuses to do the honorable thing.
However, war changes everything. Marcus is disfigured and bitter. He is filled with regrets. Eliza agrees to marry Marcus out of financial desperation. But, Marcus will have to deal with his demons before he can really be the husband Eliza deserves.
It's a good story, but it does have a very dark side to it. Take out or tone down that one scene and I would give it a B.