One more kiss

Mary Blayney, the acclaimed author of Courtesan's Kiss, returns to the Pennistan family with this new historical romancethe delectable story of a free-spirited beauty with no interest in marriage who gets more than she bargained for when a seductive kiss leads to the possibility of love.

Dispatched by their ambitious father to snag a titled husband, Beatrice Brent and her twin sister, Cecilia, attend a house party with an array of eligible gentlemen.

Defiantly ignoring her father's wishes, Beatrice flirts shamelessly with Lord Jessup Pennistan, a gamer with scandal in his pastand the one man her father has warned her against.

But when flirting goes too far, Beatrice suddenly finds herself engaged and, worse, estranged from her family.

Though convinced that her fiance's wicked ways will bring nothing but heartache, Beatrice is powerless against Jess's masterful seduction and the anticipated delights of the marriage bed.

A gambling man who has lost more than his family is willing to forgive him for, Jess quickly realizes that compromising Beatrice was the best mistake he ever made.

But to keep her he must right the wrongs of the past, reclaim his lost fortunes, and place the boldest wager of his life.

For now he has everything to win . . . and everything to lose.Praise for One More Kiss ';One More Kiss sets itself squarely in Pride and Prejudice territory, both in sentiment and conclusion, with Beatrice and Cecilia playing the parts of Elizabeth and Jane Bennett.

The book is light in tone and surprisingly literate in execution.

One section has the characters delving into the nature and societal underpinnings of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in a manner worthy of literary fiction rather than a mass market romance; another passage skews off into a discussion on the genius of Rembrandt's sketches.

Dialogue is more witty than suggestive, characters more chaste than reckless. . . . One More Kiss is a delightful combination of social comedy, slight mystery, and sweet romance.

It's a thoroughly charming novel, well worth a read.'New York Journal of Books ';Delectable . . . a fun, marriage-minded . . . Regency romp that showcases Blayney's knowledge of the era.

One More Kiss is a charming double love story.'RT Book Reviews ';What a fun romance.

Oh, the sparks that fly between Lord Jesse and Beatrice are so hot it is surprising that the pages do not sizzle. . . . This story is witty, amusing, steamy and romantic.'Night Owl RomanceFrom the Paperback edition.