Rane Aria

Stolen Kisses was like a train, it took a little for it to really start going, but once it did, it was full steam ahead! As one of SE’s older stories, authors works tend to change over the years, with Stolen Kisses, it had many trademark SE written all over it. Jack Faraday, the Marquis of Dansbury is a rake and proud of it, one whom hides himself behind his bad deeds with a smile and a humorous remark. But one thing Jack is, he’s full of surprises and at ever turn through the book, Jack not only surprises the reader, but you can clearly see how he even surprises himself. I really loved Jack and his ways, and at the start I wonder how SE would make a rake with a score to settle into a likeable hero. It was really no sweat, as you see many of the mysteries Jack hides come into light, and behind his rakehell mask, and man in love and changing for the better. Miss Lilith Benton is a proper miss, looking to redeem her family from the bad graces it fell when her mother ran away with another gentleman, and after she gave the cut to Marquis of Dansbury, she finds herself not only with him hot on her heels but having to deal with a duke and his recent death and that could be linked back to her. Lilith was at times strong, and willing to put her neck out for her family. Lilith was blinded by the love of her family, and didn’t see whom the true monsters were around her. This breaks her heart, but only makes her stronger in the long run, as she starts to see not only herself and how many call her the Ice Queen, but able to see the noble man that Jack is as well. The romance between Jack and Lilith were smoking hot, but kinda slow. The romance took some time to build as Jack wants to get even for the cut Lilith gave him, and Lilith trying to gain a good respectable marriage. Both bring out the best and worse out of each other, there words do sometimes cut, but never with malice. The steam level was high but it was the attraction between the two leads is what really moved and slowed the story along. Adding the wide range of cast and characters, you never knew whom was the good guy and whom truly was the bad guy until later, leading to the mystery around the sudden death of a Duke. This only added to the story, and gave a good reason to keep throwing Jack and Lilith together in a way that didn’t feel forced, but well played out.Overall: I was happy to have picked up this reissue, and while the romance was a little slow on the heat up, I was happy with the end result and really enjoyed reading about Jack and Lil.