Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman

Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publish Date:  October 30, 2018
Synopsis: A spirited lady facing spinsterhood. A common man with a noble mission. And a surprise that just might be waiting for them under the mistletoe in Kiss Me At Christmas by Valerie Bowman.

Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf abhors Christmas. Carol singing and holiday cheer only remind him of a dark time. When a close friend calls on him for help, Daffin is happy to capitalize on the distraction. But when he learns the lovely Lady Regina is the one in danger, he’s to become bodyguard to the captivating woman…

Regina has one mission: to find a night of passion in the arms of a gentleman. Considered firmly on the shelf, Regina has given up on marriage—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be denied the pleasure married ladies experience. Daffin has long captured her attention…and when a threat calls him to her side, the sparks between them ignite. But how can a hired bodyguard find his way into Regina’s noble heart?

I am on a huge historical romance kick. As we near the holidays, there is something about reading love during this time period that makes my heart warm. And Valerie Bowman’s latest, Kiss Me at Christmas is an exceptional example of that warm love.

I haven’t read the Playful Bride series since the first two books: The Unexpected Duchess and The Accidental Countess. Before I began reading Kiss Me at Christmas, I couldn’t remember much of this world, (older brain) but I did remember the characters, the writing style, and the feeling that I enjoyed it.

Lady Regina’s time for finding true love, and now her uncle has set a match. But before the year of freedom is over, she wants to approach a man of her choosing to ignite the sparks for a once-in-a-lifetime, and a one-night-only, deal. She has chosen her champion of this passionate night, and it’s none other than Bow Street Runner, Daffin Oakleaf.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lady Regina! She is such a fun character, all with romanticized ideas of true love. Given her upbringing and her past, I yearn for her passions and desires. But beyond that, I love how she views Daffin. The one scene that made me fall in love with this story is her indecent, and very awkward, proposal! Daffin is a good and stable character. He is a good balance of stoic and enigmatic, but he goes well with Regina.

This was not exactly an opposites attract trope, but more fitting as a friends-to-lovers trope. Their relationship is fun and flirty. I also appreciate seeing past characters in this book, even for brief moments at a time.

This world is filled with action, spies, mystery, intrigue, with lovely romance. The overall world stayed true to the theme of the other books in this series. And while there are hints of the previous characters of the series,  there was a very specific goal evident in this story.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, and I want to read more in this world. Did I just buy all the other books in this series? I sure did.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Paperbacks for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.