“Merry, intelligent, and wholly satisfying.”–USA Today “Sizzles with sensuality.” – Publishers Weekly “Delicious and suspenseful.” –Kirkus Reviews 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 … 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?
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Sparks fly like you’ve never read before with these two. I couldn’t put it down from the start with her plan and the meeting in his office. No one could deny what was between them and wanted them to be happy. The passion between them just kept building as time went on. The added mystery of who was trying to kill Regina does not disappoint and I thought I had it figured out twice and was completely wrong. I absolutely loved how her family was especially her grandmother. No one cared about his past and it brought them closer. I laughed at the ending when the women set in on her uncle.
Regina is tired of not being able to make her decisions and she was going to make one big one before her birthday. She was not an ordinary girl hid from danger, she took it on and didn’t let fear take over. I loved how she got him to open up and didn’t even blink at the news story about him.
Daffin has a tragic reason for hating Christmas, but he will do anything for his friends that are like family. Just when I thought I had him figured out something else about him would surprise me. He has something special about him that captures you and makes you want to know him. I could just picture him when he said: “Please give me a reason to pull this trigger.” when he crashed into that room.
This is the first time a blonde hero has become a favorite. This is one of those where you can picture everything.
Copy provided for an honest and voluntary review
Today, we have Kiss Me At Christmas, which is featuring our favorite Bow Street Runner, Daffin Oakleaf. Now in this story we learn all sorts of juicy details about his life. Don’t worry all his secrets aren’t reveal right away, he’s like a safe when it comes to his life. We’ve seen Daffin in previous books. He has been quite a big help, and Valerie figured he needed his own happy ending. Seriously, the man doesn’t like Christmas. Again, we learn his reasoning in the story.
Now in the last book we saw Daffin flirt with a certain Lady Regina who happens to be cousin to his good friend. There was some serious flirting in A Duke Like No Other, but nothing serious. Anyway, Regina is approaching her 30th year of life, and her Great Uncle would like to see her married and secured. Gotta love when you have an edict to marry. Anyway, the guy she’s kind encourage to marry is not one of her top picks. If she had her way, she would rather be single. I wouldn’t blame her meeting that pompous jerk I would want to stay single. She comes up with this bright idea to give her virginity to someone she has some interest in, which happens to be Daffin. Let me say that was probably the most awkward situation in her life. It only gets more awkward when she needs Daffin’s help, because her life is in danger. The awkwardness gets a little better.
Anyway, Regina’s life is in danger, and it’s Daffin to the rescue. Valerie always has pretty good banter between her characters, so it’s always fun to watch her characters fall madly in love. Yes, you will find there are little hiccups here and there with there romance, but it makes all so much fun to read. We get a little hints about the road ahead for the Duke of Huntley. Overall, Valerie brings another fun read to her Playful Brides books in Kiss Me At Christmas. Have a little holiday fun with Daffin and Regina.
Copy provided by author.
A bruised heart and a raging libido make for an enchanting Christmas. Bowman puts the temptation back in romance with these two lonely hearts. Kiss Me at Christmas brings the heart full circle with a meeting of souls. Regina and Daffin are in a class all their own. Between arranged marriages, social prejudice and hidden danger, the odds are slim to none that love can win, but Christmas is the season of miracles. When the hearts involved anything is possible. An intriguing dance of charming emotion.
As a fan of Ms. Bowman’s books you probably read “A Duke Like No Other” which is book nine in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series. In that book there are two secondary characters Bow Street Runner, Daffin Oakleaf and niece to a the Duke ,Lady Regina. I loved their flirting and their chemistry in that story and to my pleasant surprise Ms. Bowman made them the central figures in “Kiss Me At Christmas” Lady Regina always wanted to marry for love but approaching her 30th birthday her uncle wants her to marry an Earl she deems “nice” but has no romantic feelings for him. Daffin is a commoner with secrets and feels he is not good enough for Lady Regina though he is attracted to her. There are a number of twists and surprises in this story as well as a mystery to solve. Ms. Bowman’s impeccable writing creates a captivating romance as both Daf and Regina struggle with their feelings and regency society norms. In many regency romances it is the titled gentleman who falls for the commoner. Here the author gives us insight into the reverse as the titled Lady falls in love with the commoner and the reader wonders how her unconventional plot will play out to their HEA. Ms. Bowman is a masterful storyteller and Christmas is a magical time. In that spirit need I say more! You can tell that I loved this story. I never go into specific plot details because I want readers to savor her books. I highly recommend this book and the series.
I received an advanced readers copy from the Publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion. It was a pleasure to read and review this book.
We met Lady Regina Haversham in A Duke Like No Other….she is Mark Grimaldi’s cousin. During Mark’s story, Regina was very attracted to Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf. So much so that she decides that she wants to lose her virginity to some one of her choosing before her 30th birthday when she will be forced to marry the Earl of Dryden. Of course Daffin turns her down even though he is attracted to her.
Skip forward and it appears that someone is out to harm Lady Regina so Mark calls on his good friend Daffin asking if he would be Regina’s bodyguard while he is out of town. Daffin reluctantly agrees even though this means he will be staying under the same roof as Regina…..now the sparks can ignite!
While trying to figure out who is after Regina, Daffin and Regina spend a lot of time together making their chemistry combustible! Just as things heat up, all hell breaks loose. Now they just need a Christmastide miracle to get these two love shy people to open up their eyes and see what is right in front of them. When all the dust settles, Daffin and Regina will finally get their happy ending!
I loved these two characters. They both had such sad events happen in their childhood which had left both of them fairly jaded. Together they brought out the best in each other. Overall I really loved this story!
“I know this is a big mistake. No, it’s not a mistake. I know what I want and I want to lose my virginity to Daffin Oakleaf.” Lady Regina Haversham’s thoughts are swirling crazily in her head as she exits her uncle’s coach outside of The Bow Street Runners offices. She is about to turn thirty and her beloved uncle, the ailing Duke of Colchester wants to see her settled so is pressing her to accept the proposal of marriage from the Earl of Dryden. But Regina doesn’t love the Earl of Dryden and he doesn’t care for her beyond the land her dowry would bring him. Regina met the Bow Street Runner, Daffin Oakleaf the previous summer and greatly enjoyed their flirtation and time together. Too bad they are not of the same social standing. Regina is a very independent young lady and feels she must enjoy her independence while she can. Thus the plan to lose her virginity to someone she likes and admires. Too bad Daffin turns her down. How embarrassing! Unfortunately she won’t be able to avoid him much in the future as he is great friends with her cousin Marquess Mark Grimaldi and his wife Nicole.The meeting becomes unavoidable when the Marquess hires Daffin to protect his wife Nicole and Regina after a series of suspicious accidents occur. Will having Daffin as a bodyguard with daily interaction make a diffenerce in their affection for each other? What about these suspicious accidents? Readers will enjoy learning the answers in this fun Christmas romance when they pick up this book. I know I sure did.
Kiss Me at Christmas
by Valerie Bowman
An enjoyable read! .
Lady Regina Haversham wants to fall in love, if she’s to marry, but time is running out she’s not a young debutante she’s a woman on the shelf as she approaches her 30th birthday, her uncle is forcing her into mariage.
But things get shady when someone seems to be a threat to her.
Her cousin Mark hires his friend Daffin Oakleaf who’s a Bow Street Runner to investigate who is threatening her, sparks fly between her and Daffin.
Who is trying to hurt Regina and why?
Daffin is intrigued with Regina he can’t seem to keep his distance, he knows that engaging his emotions on the case is dangerous. He’s in danger of losing more than just this case and the more time he spends with Regina, he realizes the attraction is mutual.
Well written with plenty of intrigue and mystery keep you turning the pages. Plenty of chemistry keep the heat turned up a notch. I loved the mystery aspect, kept me second guessing on who was the villain. Just when I thought I knew there’s twist thrown into the mix, that throws you off. Fans of regency romances will definitely enjoy this story.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.
This book was just a delightful read, with Lady Regina and her Bow Street runner an unlikely yet lovely couple — they deserved to be happy, even though getting there was not simple. From Lady Regina’s proposal that they spend the night together (she wanted a night of passion before a dull marriage) to his stern refusal, these were two people who were in love and did not know it yet. Their discovery of feelings that both buried was done beautifully and believably. The series also brings back characters we know and love, giving us the comfortable feeling of checking back in with dear friends. A winner. (I received a NetGalley eARC for this book. Opinions are mine.)
This was a well-written, entertaining historical romance. Regina is required to marry, but she wants one night of passion first. Then danger threatens her family and her cousin calls in his friend, Bow Street runner Daffin to help protect his wife and Regina. Sparks fly between Regina and Daffin, but Daffin is determined to keep Regina safe no matter what it costs him. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.
When I saw this was book 10 in the Playful Brides series and I hadn’t read books 1-9, I worried I would not enjoy this one and would be totally lost. I am so glad to say that was not the case at all! Though apparently there were many people in the previous books who made an appearance here, it in no way affected my enjoyment of this installment. It actually makes me want to read all the previous books, most of which I have in my TBR pile.
I knew I was going to enjoy this book after reading the first paragraph. It was a hoot and made my laugh out loud. Regina and Daffin met in a previous book and flirted, so they weren’t unknown to each other. Daffin was a renowned Bow Street Runner, and Regina was the niece of a duke. Never the twain shall meet in Regency England, but Regina wasn’t the usual Regency miss. She was being forced to marry into the peerage to a man she didn’t particularly like, and wanted to make the decision as to whom to give her virginity. And she wanted to give it to Daffin.
Daffin turned her down, even though he liked her. However, when it appeared someone was trying to hurt or kill Regina, Daffin vowed to keep her safe. Here is where things really started to get moving. I loved the relationship between the two of our leads, and their romance was sweet and hot. Daffin and his tongue and handcuffs…~sigh~ Regina was a strong, brave woman and Daffin was the ultimate protector. It was an exciting, fun story with a little bit of heartbreak thrown in. The Christmas theme in the book will add enjoyment to your holiday reading.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. I received no compensation for reading it, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
“Kiss Me at Christmas” by Valerie Bowman
I really enjoyed this read. So glad I was gifted an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an early read. I couldn’t help falling just a bit in love with Daffin and Regina as they worked their way through the clues to solve the mysteries. The mysteries of who was under attack and the why.
What do you do when the unattainable woman throws herself at you?
Daffin has a problem – a beautiful, headstrong, frustrating problem named Regina. She’s the niece of a duke and is facing an arranged marriage, and would prefer to enjoy the last of her independence with the man of her choosing – Daffin, a Bow Street Runner considered entirely unsuitable by her uncle.
But first, they have to find out who’s trying to kill her. Regina’s cousin, Mark, hires his best friend, Daffin, to protect Regina while investigating the threat. Working so closely together, Regina and Daffin discover that they share a connection, a chemistry strong enough to defy convention and family expectations.
This book was instantly captivating, with suspense and drama interspersed with delightful charm and heartfelt emotion. Daffin is the historical equivalent of a modern-day military-trained private investigator, proving that hot alpha heroes can be found throughout history. Regina may be bound by society’s rules and customs, but she’s determined to live her own life on her own terms. These two are so terrific together, sharing a deep emotional intimacy that provides a foundation for their future together.
I truly enjoyed every part of this book, from Daffin’s tragic history to Regina’s well-meaning family. It’s a book that will transport the reader back in time, providing the escapism that one can only find in great books. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
ARC was given to me by Netgalley and publisher. My review is given voluntary, all opinions on this review are mine alone.
Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman.
I looooved this story, from the first page it captured me, and from there the story just got better.
I felt like I was back to 1818 Lady Regina wanted a husband that she ” was in love with ” but at almost 30 years old that hadn’t happened yet.
Her uncle wanted her to marry an Earl that was a neighbor, an aristocratic with lands that was next to the Dukes a perfect match for her.
Regina didn’t agree, she didn’t like or love this neighboring Earl.
Daffin was a famous Bow street Runner, he had gained fame by catching and sending to the gaol many villains including the one that murdered his mom. Regina was really taken with Daffin & his handcuffs 😉 he likes her black hair, beautiful eyes, and witty mind, but he felt none deserving of her.
Lots of sparks fly whenever they’re together.
Lady Regina was a fiesty heroine determined to get her way on things…I wanted to be her….LOL
This was a nice Christmas story puts you in the holiday mood, with their family all together, funny at times, of course in between was some bad people, hot sex Regency style, and the secondary characters were awesome.
We do have some serious moments that made the book special.
This book is part of a series, but I felt it can be read as a standalone. There is other characters in this book that you know had their own books, but it didn’t seem to take away from this story.
This was my 1st book I read by Valerie Bowman, let me tell you, she now got a new FAN – I want to go back and read the rest of the series, and future books……I love Historical/Regency romances I always go back to them.
I am not a lover of Christmas stories and was not sure what to expect with this story but I loved it. It had adventure, mystery, action, suspense and romance. I enjoyed the interaction between all the characters. They were well developed and worked together beautifully. Having not read the books before, I now want to go back and read them and the one to follow as the setup has me intrigued. It was a quick and easy page turner. There was a couple of sex scenes and this reviewer skipped them as always but it did not affect my enjoyment of the book. I received this as an ARC and will be reading more from this author.
**3.5 Stars**
In the wake of her approaching 30 year birthday, Lady Regina Haversham has embraced her spinsterhood. But her dying uncle has come to a different conclusion and has arranged a marriage for his niece. His love for her has driven him to make sure she will be cared for after he has passed on. Regina knows she must honor her uncle’s wishes, but she has a wish of her own…one that involves one very sexy Bow Street Runner, Daffin Oakleaf.
Daffin Oakleaf has had a time of it lately with the press making his case solving sound like he is a hero. Forever being hounded by young ladies, and curiosity seekers, Daffin is not completely surprised to see the cousin of his best friends, Lady Regina, knocking on his door. He is, however, more than surprised to hear her offer of him becoming her lover before she enters into an arranged marriage. Regina’s indecent proposal leaves Daffin both bewildered but also aroused and contemplating “what if?”.
Kiss Me at Christmas is an enjoyable holiday set theme. I did feel that the plot of the mysterious murder attempts to be a bit weak, and took away from the romance building between Regina and Daffin. Overall, Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman is a well written, sweet romantic historical read that I would recommend. While this is part of the Playful Brides series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel.
*Received an ARC copy via NetGalley for honest review*
I love stories set at Christmas and this one just warmed my heart. Lady Regina is set to become engaged to a man, who she has not choice but to wed. Why is that? Unfortunately it often happened during these times. She decides that even if she has to marry, she will do what she wants before all her decisions are taken away. Her focus turns to Daffin, a renowned bow street runner, who she knows and has flirted with in the previous book in this series. So she goes and offers herself to him because yes, she is a little in love. But what can he say? He is from a totally different class than Regina!
This was a delightful story and I fell in love with these two characters. Truly meant for each other, this was entertaining from beginning to end. The descriptions and detail were inspired and although this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. But don’t miss out on the other great stories!!
4.5 Stars
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.
Another very enjoyable book in the series of which this is the tenth. It could easily be read on its own, the books do feature characters from earlier books & there is always a link. Another well written well paced book that had me hooked from page one. In fact the opening of this book was so entertaining & unusual, a Lady offering herself to the gorgeous Runner & the knots she verbally tied herself in had me chuckling out loud. The characters have plenty of depth, Daffin & Regina are delightful & perfect for each other, their attraction to each other is very apparent but there are obstacles in their way. The road to their HEA wasn’t smooth but it made for a very good read.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Kiss Me at Christmas (Playful Brides, #10) by Valerie Bowman … Another hit by Valerie… I have read this whole series and love each one … thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. This is Daffin (famous Bow Street Runner) and Lady Regina’s (Granddaughter of a Duke) story. They are both orphaned at a young age.. She love Christmas he does not… this story has it all..so many laughs, tears of all kinds, adventure, some terror and violence, a strong hero and heroine, a parrot spy, steamy sex, lots of old friends and a very HEA. I hope there is book #11 ..there is a Duke who still needs a bride.
Though this read okay as a standalone, because so many of the characters were introduced in previous books in the series, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I’d read the previous books first. There were so many references to events and people that appeared in previous books; even though they were explained to an extent, I think truly connecting with the characters was difficult because their backstory wasn’t established in this volume. That being said, I did enjoy the characters and the plot was unique and I think I’m willing to commit to starting from the first book and working my way through the series so that I can reevaluate my feelings about this one. I loved that the women played an active role in ways that are not common in historical romance. This was my first Valerie Bowman book, but I don’t think it will be my last! 3 out of 5 wine glasses.
One month shy of her thirtieth birthday, Lady Regina Haversham decided to act on her attraction to Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf, whom she had met the previous summer. Regina’s mind is made up: she will have at least one night of passion with a man of her choosing, and that man is Daffin. They had flirted shamelessly that summer, but because of the circumstances and their unequal social statuses, nothing came of it. When it appears that Regina’s life is in danger, Daffin is hired at her bodyguard, will Regina gets what she wants or will Daffin refuse her scandalous offer?
Because KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS is a Holiday story, and I like Valerie Bowman’s writing style, I took a chance on the book, in spite of the Regency-virgin-wanting-a-one-night-stand being my least favourite trope. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t and Ms. Bowman does it relatively well. However, I subtracted a full star from my review because of the mention of BDSM. There is NOTHING I detest more (apart from a rape-y hero) than having BDSM flung upon me without any warning. Very early on, in Chapter 4, when Daffin mentions his kink, it’s obvious he’s a dominant, then having a proper Regency virgin giddy at the thought of sex in handcuffs almost spoiled the book for me. It took me a while to feel secure enough to read without all the tension at not looking forward to the sex scenes. Thankfully, the plot is riveting, and I eventually forgot about the looming threat of the kinky stuff.
I adored both Daffin and Regina (apart from the blasted handcuffs). They have fascinating backstories, their chemistry is palpable, they exchange wonderfully witty and intelligent banter; they are superb characters. Ms. Bowman’s exquisite descriptive voice make the minutest detail come alive, the dialogues are inspired, and the secondary characters are superb. Other players who are obviously characters from previous instalments of the Playful Brides series are also featured; they are inserted seamlessly in the story, and I didn’t feel lost. I also loved watching Daffin at work as an investigator. The story is impeccably paced, moves along quickly, there’s hardly a dull moment, and it is meticulously crafted; the villain came as a surprise, and it felt realistic.
KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS is fabulous book and it would have earned a glowing five-star review, had it not been for the sneaky and unwanted BDSM, as it was my only issue with the book, but for me it’s a very significant one. If you enjoy or don’t mind some kink in a historical romance, you will love this book; at least, you will expect it while I didn’t.