Egypt, 1815.A reluctant hero.When cash-strapped adventurer Harry Tremayne accepts five thousand pounds to locate Lady Hester Morden in Egypt, he knows he’s in for a rough ride. The headstrong mapmaker has been a source of irritation—and forbidden attraction—for years.A damsel in distress?Lady Hester doesn’t need rescuing. She’s far too busy enjoying her freedom to return to the stuffy confines of … enjoying her freedom to return to the stuffy confines of London. Besides, handsome scoundrel Harry Tremayne is the last man she wants to see; she’s still plagued by the memory of their one, unforgettable kiss.
A deadly curse.
But when Hester discovers a necklace in the sand—one which may or may not be cursed by an ancient Egyptian goddess—the two are thrust into an adventure that takes them from the desert’s seductive heat to the perils of Napoleonic France. Can they ignore their inconvenient attraction long enough to save the world? The answer may just lie in the promise of a single kiss . . .
Praise for K. C. Bateman:
“Scintillating! . . . Intelligent, affable characters make this fast-paced novel shine, especially for fans of clever women and the men who sincerely admire them.” – Publisher’s weekly Starred Review for This Earl Of Mine.
“A new riveting voice for Regency readers! K. C. Bateman is on my auto-buy list.” – Janna MacGregor
“Delicious, witty, and ripping good fun! Bateman’s writing sparkles.” – Laura Lee Guhrke
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Harry is tasked by his Aunt to locate Hester and bring her back home. Hester and Harry have known each other for years and while they may bicker like cats and dogs, underlying their sarcastic barbs and quips is an undeniably, sizzling chemistry I immediately fell in love with.
I thought this story was a wildly entertaining read! Hester and Harry’s banter had a lot to do with my enjoyment, as did the colorful cast of characters. An Egyptian curse, a mad dash through the desert, trying to save the empire from Napoleon’s clutches…I could keep a running list of the adventures these two had, but give the story a whirl and see for yourself what all the fun is about!
Harry Tremayne, the second son of an earl, has been asked to track down Lady Hester Morden, who went to Egypt with her uncle to discover ancient treasures and archaeological ruins. Harry, a former cavalryman who fought against Bonaparte, has known Hester since she was a child and knows she attracts trouble like honey attracts ants. Though they have fought and disagreed with one another for years, Harry loves her and has never revealed his true feelings. She has been enamored with him for years but thinks he is a rogue who would never settle down even if married.
The Promise of a Kiss was a fun read. I enjoyed the witty repartee between the two main characters, the chase after the villain, the mystery involved with an ancient relic, and the sweet, burgeoning romance between Harry and Hester.
Rating: 3.5 to 4.0 stars
FYI heat: very mild, 1 – 1.5.
The Promise of A Kiss was a great story! I could picture the characters in their adventures and couldn’t wait to see what happened next! Lots of near kisses but thwarted again!!! I love friends to lovers especially when they finally succumb to their hearts! This was fun!
I was provided a copy from the author with no strings attached. This is my honest opinion.
A lovely well written tale of Harry sent to Egypt to find Hester who along with her uncle is charting the country. The pair clash at every meeting & have done for years but are attracted to each other which they hide with their verbal sparring. This short story packs a punch great characters, adventure, drama, humour all set to a backdrop of Egypt, France & England at the time of Napoleon’s escape from Elba. I couldn’t put it down & read it in a sitting.
I originaly read this is the Kiss of a Red Scorpion anthology
When indebted second son of an earl Harry Tremayne’s eccentric aunt offers him five thousand pounds to locate a member of the extended family in Egypt and bring her home to London, he can’t refuse. Even if the lady in question turned down his marriage proposal two years ago and he still can’t get the irritating woman out of his head even now.
Lady Hester Morden is enjoying Egypt and finishing her late uncle’s work making a map of the upper part of the country. She’ll return to England in her own good time and she certainly doesn’t need Harry Tremayne, whose kiss still plagues her, to help her in any way.
When Hester uncovers a potentially cursed and very powerful necklace, which is subsequently stolen, she and Harry are drawn on an adventure across the desert and over the Mediterranean to France, where a newly escaped Napoleon is marching to Paris. Through all this traveling it may be impossible for these two to continue ignoring the attraction between them.
This was a quick, fun read. Hester and Harry were at each others’ throats much of the time with each believing the other did not reciprocate their attraction, which was a bit annoying, but thankfully all the adventuring was a good distraction. I was frustrated that it took them so long to be honest with each other, but I’m impressed and amazed that this felt like a slow burn even though it is a novella. The ending was very satisfying after all that waiting and adventuring and I really enjoyed it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story is truly a work of art and very well researched. It’s very adventurous and romantic. Something that I’ll be reading over and over again.
This is a fun and romantic tale of the intrepid map-making Hester and the rogueish ex-soldier Harry as they track an ancient artifact from Egypt to France. The witty banter and teasing between the two barely masks the fact that they are attracted to each other. Can a globe-trotting, independent woman and a cash-strapped second son find a way to work together before they kill each other or get killed in the pursuit of a powerful artifact? It’s a fast-paced adventure that gives you a glimpse of Egyptian tombs, Mediterranean cargo ships, and French villages.
It was fun reading this plot. Harry (bribed by his Aunt) is to go to Egypt to find and retrieve Lady Hester who is an archaeologist of sorts. This was an adventure type read I haven’t read the likes before.
This is my first read by K.C. Bateman and wow, this definitely has some Indiana Jones vibes. K.C. writes this novella as if you’re actually in Egypt 1816. The writing is that good! I’ve heard of her before and am curious to check out more of her work.
Loved these two characters and how Kate Bateman packed so much action and diversity of background into a novella! A great read
A delightful and charming story with just the right touch of adventure. It follows Harry and Hester as they tease and snipe at each other. Both will not admit their true feelings. The story takes you from Egypt to France and eventually to London. Great characters and story.
This was so much fun! We find a head strong heroine exploring Egypt on her own. Hester’s uncle dies while on expedition leaving her on her own, but its no big deal. Then the ever gorgeous Harry is bribed into taking a voyage to find her. Its an exciting adventure through Egypt and France with strong characters that hide their vulnerablity. The story is fast paced with plenty of fun, sweet romance and humor. I have yet to read a book by Ms. Bateman that I didn’t love.
The Promise Of A Kiss
Regency Novella Series Book 1
K. C. Bateman
https://www.facebook.com/kcbatemanauthor/
Release date 10/02/2019
Blurb
Egypt, 1815.
A reluctant hero.
When cash-strapped adventurer Harry Tremayne accepts five thousand pounds to locate Lady Hester Morden in Egypt, he knows he’s in for a rough ride. The headstrong mapmaker has been a source of irritation—and forbidden attraction—for years.
A damsel in distress?
Lady Hester doesn’t need rescuing. She’s far too busy enjoying her freedom to return to the stuffy confines of London. Besides, handsome scoundrel Harry Tremayne is the last man she wants to see; she’s still plagued by the memory of their one, unforgettable kiss.
A deadly curse.
When Hester discovers a necklace in the sand—one which may or may not be cursed by an ancient Egyptian goddess—the two are thrust into an adventure that takes them from the desert’s seductive heat to the perils of Napoleonic France. Can they ignore their inconvenient attraction long enough to save the world? The answer may just lie in the promise of a single kiss . . .
My review
Can they find in themselves to reveal their true feelings when for years they turned around each other never allowing their own sentiments to be known…
This first read by Mrs Kate Bateman is a revelation, I just loved it. And I do know the novella’s format is not an easy one to show someone’s full extend of talent.
Even with my eyes asking for rest, I needed to finish it, I absolutely wanted to know how Hester and Harry would find their way together.
For a short read, it was full of actions and what I love most, witty banters.
Harry and Hester have a love-hate relationship, they are engaged in a battle of wits and quips. When in fact both are in love but too proud or obviously too scared to be rejected.
From the first pages, I was engrossed in their adventures, Harry is a confident male, but also able to let a woman take the lead if it necessary. He is full of ressources, always prepared and rather honest about his goals.
Hester is a pragmatic and independent woman, she flouts conventions, and refuses to let men dictate her every moves. But she accepts too when she needs someone else help. Her stubbornness does not drive her to foolishness.
Both are engaging characters, with a soft side well hidden under their sharp repartees, up to them to determine if holding their feelings secret will keep them warm at night.
So if you look for a fast paced read with two clever and intriguing characters bickering to no end with aplenty of actions, this is yours.
5 stars
I was granted by the author a free copy of this book, then purchased my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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I read this story as part of the anthology Kiss of the Red Scorpion. It was about a necklace throughout time (of course in the shape of a red scorpion). The story has adventure, Egypt, a cartographer, a curse and a kiss. I like when an author writes the heroine as a character who is out of the norm (some other books do this also). The back and forth dialog is fantastic. A great little short story.