The Sum of All Kisses

Written by Julia Quinn
Review by Amy Watkin

It’s early 19th-century London, and Lord Hugh Prentice may have ruined his leg, his friendship with Daniel Smythe-Smith, Earl of Winstead, and the lives of himself and his brother, Freddie, all because of a card game. Lord Hugh has undoubtedly ruined the marriage prospects of Lady Sarah Pleinsworth, and she is not about to let him forget it, even when they are thrown together at a wedding. Readers will appreciate this romance novel for moving beyond the standard love-hate relationship between hero and heroine into true character development, not to mention laugh-out-loud funny moments between Lady Sarah and Lord Hugh, but particularly amongst Lady Sarah’s sisters. Lord Hugh and Lady Sarah prove themselves more than just rescuer and damsel when they come face to face with Lord Hugh’s surprisingly vicious father. Quinn’s characters are not merely fulfilling roles prescribed by the genre; they are vibrant and flawed, endearing and infuriating by turns.