Most helpful customer reviews
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but not one of S.K's better books, Jun 23 2004
By A Customer
The story was fine, but it was too choppy and didn't go from one thought or subject to the next very smoothly. And like so many other S.K. novels, this one was almost more about learning how to mountain-climb than a love story.Also, the appearance of characters (the men) from other S.K. books have yet to stand out enough to make me want to rush out and buy that story. I find I do it because of who the author is. I will grab any S.K. book I see, even though I'm sometimes disappointed. In this particular case, Sir Aedan MacBride (Waking the Princess) was an outstanding character, but you'd never get that from his appearance in this book. I just happened to have read that one first.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful from beginning to end!, Jan 12 2004
By A Customer
KISSING THE COUNTESS has a very special corner of my heart taken. What solace for myself and my mom while we care for my very ill sister.
We both agree it was a favorite of Susan King's work (we're both big fans) with a hero to die for (and Catriona almost does by the end, bless her heart!). Mom cautions though, that it's NOT a book you can go to bed with saying, "one more chapter and I'll turn off the light and get to sleep!" Catronia was so interesting, both in her physical type and complexity. Her ties to her roots, the land, and her foregone concluded fate as a Plain Girl provided much inner conflict and much to love in her brave and generous nature. And I never thought Evan less strong for his own struggles with survivor's guilt and his own less-than-perfect family ties. Wow, did KISSING THE COUNTESS get me longing for the Highlands and mountain climbing, even without the quest for the book's fairy crystal. Supporting characters like the heroine's brother and Mother Flora lept off the page. Sexy and evocative use of dress and cultural mores! The English class system along with some casual racism made the story full of painless history as well as a beautiful romance between opposites. Thanks so much to Susan King for all the joy she brought to my mom and me at this very trying time for our family. This wonderful author is the fairy crystal to us.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
engaging, fast read, Nov 29 2003
By A Customer
I loved KISSING THE COUNTESS, which reads faster than some of King's previous novels. The plot is strong and straightforward, without a lot of unnecessary complications, and the characters are dynamic, real, and engaging. Catriona, the Highland minister's daughter who is dedicating her life to the welfare of her beloved Highlands, and Evan, the Highland-born, Lowland-raised earl who is not sure what he should do with his inherited property, quickly endeared themselves to me. The author includes some very interesting detail about an unusual subject, mountain climbing in Victorian times. You can feel the cold winds on your face, you can feel the effort it takes to climb a true Highland mountain, and you feel the reward of the beauty and grandeur when the top is reached. Very exciting and unusual in a romance. The characters, as always in a King novel, seemed very real to me, with very real emotions and reactions. Take any King hero or heroine, and you will find a friend you wish you had for yourself. These people are hard to leave at the end of the story, and I find myself thinking about them long afterward. For me, that is the hallmark of a good romance.
Susan King is one of the best. WHile I prefer her medievals, that may just be me, I have very much enjoyed her Victorian series too, and I eagerly look forward to anything she writes.
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