In the final book in the Prelude to a Kiss series, Erin Knightley explores the idea of a second love, and works her way around a potentially incurable case of Nice Guy in the hero.
Ten years ago, Gavin Stark (a Family Stark that’s got less bad luck and more political acumen than the Winterfell Starks) was about to declare himself to his best friend and object of his affection Lady Felicity, but before he could, she announced her engagement. Now she’s been widowed for a year and a half, and has just come out of mourning, and after ten years of avoiding her, they’re suddenly thrown into each other’s social spheres and have to deal with each other.
Often when either the hero or the heroine has been married before, the marriage was one of convenience, or arranged, or usually not a loving one. Even if it was based on a love match initially, it will often reduce into a troubled marriage before the spare partner dies (for example, Caroline Linden’s A Rake’s Guide to Seduction). In this case, Felicity and Ian were deeply in love and had a good marriage until he died (while she was pregnant with their only child).
As Felicity rejoins the world, she goes through what seems like a rather realistic phase of “is it disrespectful to the memory of my husband if I continue to live my life?” One of my best friends was widowed very young, and I watched her go through this. It was quite some time before she turned the corner and figured out how her life worked again. While perhaps Felicity’s mourning is softened (this is romance, after all), it’s never treated as something inconsequential.
There’s also how everyone reacts to her once she rejoins society. Well-meaning people who don’t know what to say, and all the things society tells you to say don’t help.
Gavin was seriously in danger of being a Nice Guy when Felicity told him she was engaged, he quietly peaced out (without telling her why) and never saw her, and only wrote occasionally. He didn’t want to torture himself with what he couldn’t have, so it wasn’t like he was waiting for her marriage to end so he could swoop in. He did decide that since he lost out on Felicity by waiting too long to declare himself (never mind that they were both 19 at the time), that he wouldn’t wait on things again.
When they meet again, he’s like, “fuck I still have a lot of feelings for this woman” and he sort of thinks that maybe he could start something, but after a few conversations where Felicity thanks him for FRIENDSHIP and “thank you for being my FRIEND” and “Ugh, I’m not looking for a HUSBAND” he pulls back until she’s actually ready.
I think Knightley did a great job of letting him veer towards that line and then see where he was going and why that was kind of a dick move. She also let Felicity have a lot of complicated feelings about her relationship with Gavin and about how her daughter fits into it while Gavin gets his own complicated feelings about the kiddo. The kiddo has no uncomplicated feelings, as they are all 14-month-old feelings and they are out loud, like “My mama is The ACTUAL WORST because she won’t let me walk in the street when I want to.” Seriously, there’s a fantastic tantrum scene.
I’ve only read the first Prelude to a Kiss book, The Baron Next Door, and the setting for the series is around a music festival in Bath. You may remember that I adore Bath (seriously, the breakfast I had in the Pump Room was the best breakfast of my LIFE) and I love books set there. It’s so beautiful, and charming, and people were SO FRIENDLY (I’d been in London for 3 weeks, and Londoners don’t talk to anyone, so it was weird to suddenly be in deep discussion with people who were like “Oh, where in the States are you from?” and suddenly we were great friends).
I really love Bath, is what I’m saying. I love books that take me back there.
Knightley does a lot of emotional tension, but on a scale of 1 to Bertrice Small, there’s no actual sex, and barely any tightening of Gavin’s groin. (She described her books on a panel at RT as being not hot at all, meaning they are very, very clean). The trick is, if you’re not going turn up the heat on the physical tension, you best stick the landing on the emotional. (She does.)
What I like about Knightley is she weaves Serious Business plot threads around a fairly light frame: the music festival and Gavin’s ignored torch. There’s some Interfering Parents that show up and are a bit too easily dispensed with, but mostly this is a fine way to end the series.
This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!
RHG, is it necessary to read the Prelude to a Kiss books in order? This one looks great, but I’m not sure I want to add (yet another) series to my reading list.
I must say, I really like that cover. For one, OMG both protagonists on the cover are fully clothed! *gasp!*
But for another, the color scheme is very striking in an autumnal sort of way. I love the combination of her dark orange gown, the browns he’s wearing, and the green grass behind them.
Also, a storyline involving music! I smell potential catnip here.
There was a teaser for this in the last book and I’ve been waiting to read this. I’m not sure how I feel about the hero so I’m looking forward to finding out more.
I enjoy this author so much. I remember the first time I read the Baron next door not realizing there were no sexy times in the story until the end. And I was so happy with the story I didn’t care.
Thanks. Thanks. I hadn’t known this was about to be released and have bought it immediately. I agree with Angela Highland (2) about the cover colours. They are rich and enticing. And I also agree about Bath.
> Often when either the hero or the heroine has been married before, the marriage was one of convenience, or arranged, or usually not a loving one. Even if it was based on a love match initially, it will often reduce into a troubled marriage before the spare partner dies (for example, Caroline Linden’s A Rake’s Guide to Seduction). In this case, Felicity and Ian were deeply in love and had a good marriage until he died (while she was pregnant with their only child).
Yes yes. Loretta Chase’s Lord Perfect also dodges this, since the heroine really liked her ex husband even though they were basically disowned. Although I have liked it when romances do develop the earlier relationship and how it affected who the characters are (like in Lisa Kleypas’ Blue Eyed Devil).
I think the Nice Guy syndrome is why I’m so skeptical of those decade long romances, especially when it comes with the hero pushing the heroine’s personal boundaries.
“The trick is, if you’re not going turn up the heat on the physical tension, you best stick the landing on the emotional. (She does)”
Oh yes, Knightley does. AND a former marriage that was loving and caring?
Another book to go on the wishlist.
BTW, could we maybe have a rec thread for “dead spouse was a good person, and character isn’t against marriage”?
I can only recall Chase’s “Lord Perfect”, Krahn’s “Make Me Yours” and Linden’s “One Night in London”.
@ Maite – I also was thinking of When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn. Great review and discussion!
I loved The Baron Next Door and was another one who didn’t miss those sexy times at 50% of the book. I’ve added The Viscount Risks it All to my TBR list as it has my second chance story catnip.
@Maite Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt has a hero with a happy first marriage. I loved this book and especially liked that the first marriage wasn’t casually tossed away.