Every now and then, my favorite authors write some duds. Not complete flops, but ones that leave me feeling vaguely dissatisfied. All throughout the Survivors' Club series--no less than five previous novels with still one more to go--the promise of Imogen's story has teased me. Learning the secret details of her wartime trauma was always a big draw though fans of the series already knew she had witnessed her husband's death while they were prisoners of war. I also wanted to know all about the man strong enough to break through her marble-like facade and bring her back into the living.
I got to know about both, but I had to read a very slow burning and mediocre romance to find them. It wasn't a matter of not liking Imogen and her man Percy; they were solid and immensely likable people who got along and had a relationship that worked. Their romance was just tame and a bit dull. I didn't want tame for Imogen!
Yet, it wasn't until the very last pages where I understood how huge the demon riding her was. Those moments, those mere snippets in comparison to the length of the story, were some of the most heartrending, emotional scenes I've read. They were glorious. The reunion with her fellow Survivors, especially the time where she completely falls apart while they held her was by far the best part of the entire story. Percy shared romantic moments with Imogen at Penderris Hall, too, that were almost as moving. He was a truly good man, that Percy, and just right for her.
However, these select scenes could not carry the majority of the otherwise lukewarm story though the addition of a smuggling subplot (it was set in Cornwall, after all) was interesting and relevant and had an important connection to Imogen's past. Still, I was hoping for something more exciting for her. The sweet insights and details of her wedding day were nice but not enough. Only a Kiss comes up short for me, similar to Ralph's story (Only a Promise, book 5) for slightly different reasons, earning 3.5 stars.
I got to know about both, but I had to read a very slow burning and mediocre romance to find them. It wasn't a matter of not liking Imogen and her man Percy; they were solid and immensely likable people who got along and had a relationship that worked. Their romance was just tame and a bit dull. I didn't want tame for Imogen!
Yet, it wasn't until the very last pages where I understood how huge the demon riding her was. Those moments, those mere snippets in comparison to the length of the story, were some of the most heartrending, emotional scenes I've read. They were glorious. The reunion with her fellow Survivors, especially the time where she completely falls apart while they held her was by far the best part of the entire story. Percy shared romantic moments with Imogen at Penderris Hall, too, that were almost as moving. He was a truly good man, that Percy, and just right for her.
However, these select scenes could not carry the majority of the otherwise lukewarm story though the addition of a smuggling subplot (it was set in Cornwall, after all) was interesting and relevant and had an important connection to Imogen's past. Still, I was hoping for something more exciting for her. The sweet insights and details of her wedding day were nice but not enough. Only a Kiss comes up short for me, similar to Ralph's story (Only a Promise, book 5) for slightly different reasons, earning 3.5 stars.
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