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The Kissing Bough
At a Christmas party at Nicholas's country estate in celebration of his new fiance+a7e, Jane Ramsey finds her suspicions confirmed when Nicholas becomes jealous of her perfunctory romance with his friend Pelham.
Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
18 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Joan Smith
360 books155 followersJoan Smith is a graduate of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and the Ontario College of Education. She has taught French and English in high school and English in college. When she began writing, her interest in Jane Austen and Lord Byron led to her first choice of genre, the Regency, which she especially liked for its wit and humor.
Her favorite travel destination is England, where she researches her books. Her hobbies are gardening, painting, sculpture and reading. She is married and has three children. A prolific writer, she is currently working on Regencies and various mysteries at her home in Georgetown, Ontario.
She is also known as Jennie Gallant
Her favorite travel destination is England, where she researches her books. Her hobbies are gardening, painting, sculpture and reading. She is married and has three children. A prolific writer, she is currently working on Regencies and various mysteries at her home in Georgetown, Ontario.
She is also known as Jennie Gallant
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 9, 2025
Possibly only a three star in some ways, but I was in the mood to overlook its flaws and just enjoy the romp. Nothing special, in a lot of ways, but a good comfort read.
Here’s the premise: It’s almost Christmas, and Colonel Nick Morgan is returning from the wars to his uncle’s home. His uncle is elderly, frail and a bit gaga, and Nick is his heir presumptive. Soon he’ll inherit, so what he needs is a wife, right? And who better than his childhood friend, the rather lovely Jane Ramsey. The ladies of the house are confident that’s what he’ll do. Jane herself isn’t so sure. Even so, it’s a shock when Nick turns up with a very lovely and very immature future wife on his arm. Aurelia is the daughter of a brewer, very rich, very spoilt, very town-bred and entirely unsuitable for country boy Nick.
At first, he makes allowances for her and assumes they’ll learn to accommodate each other’s wishes, but when her vulgar relatives arrive, and he sees Jane being the focus of attention from two other men, he begins to realise he’s made a dreadful mistake. The way he contrives to escape his now unwanted betrothal with his honour intact (because a gentleman does not jilt a lady) is certainly creative, and I’m not going to spoil the surprise by saying anything about it. In fact, this is just about the only surprise in the entire book, since everything else is telegraphed in very large letters. There are also a fair sprinkling of anachronisms and the like - Aurelia is called a fiancee throughout, for instance, a term not in use at this time.
Despite all of this, the book is a lot of fun, Nick’s little plan is clever and there are some very entertaining characters, like the slightly potty uncle, the vulgar relations and the indolent friend who half-heartedly courts Jane. An enjoyable if not outstanding read. Four stars.
Here’s the premise: It’s almost Christmas, and Colonel Nick Morgan is returning from the wars to his uncle’s home. His uncle is elderly, frail and a bit gaga, and Nick is his heir presumptive. Soon he’ll inherit, so what he needs is a wife, right? And who better than his childhood friend, the rather lovely Jane Ramsey. The ladies of the house are confident that’s what he’ll do. Jane herself isn’t so sure. Even so, it’s a shock when Nick turns up with a very lovely and very immature future wife on his arm. Aurelia is the daughter of a brewer, very rich, very spoilt, very town-bred and entirely unsuitable for country boy Nick.
At first, he makes allowances for her and assumes they’ll learn to accommodate each other’s wishes, but when her vulgar relatives arrive, and he sees Jane being the focus of attention from two other men, he begins to realise he’s made a dreadful mistake. The way he contrives to escape his now unwanted betrothal with his honour intact (because a gentleman does not jilt a lady) is certainly creative, and I’m not going to spoil the surprise by saying anything about it. In fact, this is just about the only surprise in the entire book, since everything else is telegraphed in very large letters. There are also a fair sprinkling of anachronisms and the like - Aurelia is called a fiancee throughout, for instance, a term not in use at this time.
Despite all of this, the book is a lot of fun, Nick’s little plan is clever and there are some very entertaining characters, like the slightly potty uncle, the vulgar relations and the indolent friend who half-heartedly courts Jane. An enjoyable if not outstanding read. Four stars.
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October 9, 2010I read this one right after reading one that was far better written, and so I was a little let down by it. But at any other time, I'd probably think it was fine. A solider comes back from Spain, and proposes to a woman he barely knows. Once back on his estate, he realizes he doesn't want to marry her, but wants to marry his childhood friend that lives next door. Of course, his childhood friend would like nothing better, but can't bring herself to participate in the hijinks required to extricate him from his folly. (I occasionally get verbose after reading.)
November 28, 2022
This is a pretty simple and quick story. Nicholas returns from the war and his family and friends think he'll propose to Jane but he comes back home with a fiancée that he met only recently. The rest of the story is how he realizes that his fiancée is wrong for him and Jane is the right one.
The story is pleasant enough but it had no substance. I can usually enjoy Joan Smith's witticisms, clever dialogue, and eccentric secondary characters even in her less than great stories, but it was really lacking in this one. I also have issues with stories that go from a protagonist quickly falling in love with someone only to then discover that it was not really love and they love someone else. It makes the character seem fickle, and I question if they actually know their own feelings, even for the "right person". I also usually find that another love interest is better for the other person than the hero or heroine of the story. The only reason this didn't happen here is because the other two possible romantic interests for the heroine were less than ideal, although I still thought them more interesting than the hero. Another reason why this story was not that great is that I felt that more time was spent on the fiancée and her gauche family than on the main couple.
This is more like a 2.5 stars, between "it was okay" and "liked it". If you're looking for an inoffensive story that won't elicit too many emotions (positive or negative), this would be a good one.
The story is pleasant enough but it had no substance. I can usually enjoy Joan Smith's witticisms, clever dialogue, and eccentric secondary characters even in her less than great stories, but it was really lacking in this one. I also have issues with stories that go from a protagonist quickly falling in love with someone only to then discover that it was not really love and they love someone else. It makes the character seem fickle, and I question if they actually know their own feelings, even for the "right person". I also usually find that another love interest is better for the other person than the hero or heroine of the story. The only reason this didn't happen here is because the other two possible romantic interests for the heroine were less than ideal, although I still thought them more interesting than the hero. Another reason why this story was not that great is that I felt that more time was spent on the fiancée and her gauche family than on the main couple.
This is more like a 2.5 stars, between "it was okay" and "liked it". If you're looking for an inoffensive story that won't elicit too many emotions (positive or negative), this would be a good one.
March 31, 2020
This is a good Regency romance by Joan Smith. No strange writing and the end, although anticipated, is quite in keeping with the plot.
Nick Morgan returns to England after serving with Wellington and wants only to go home. He meets Aurelia by chance, falls in love, and gets engaged. But he did not reckon with Aurelia's taste and all her relatives telling him what to do, nor did he remember the girl he left at home, Jane. Now what is he going to do?
Nick Morgan returns to England after serving with Wellington and wants only to go home. He meets Aurelia by chance, falls in love, and gets engaged. But he did not reckon with Aurelia's taste and all her relatives telling him what to do, nor did he remember the girl he left at home, Jane. Now what is he going to do?
January 10, 2020
3 1/2 stars
February 21, 2021
Classic Regency romance with nice twists.
July 6, 2016
I'm thinning my library so I have to re-read some old favorites to see if they're worth keeping. Joan Smith has authored several of my favorites so I looked forward to re-reading this one, too.
It's probably been a decade since I last read this book. It's light. It's charming. It's fun. it's a no-brainer. It's everything I expect in a Regency Romance.
However, I've grown as a reader since 1996 when I bought this new. I didn't find this one as much fun as I found some of Joan Smith's other titles. I'll be putting this on the maybe shelf.
It's probably been a decade since I last read this book. It's light. It's charming. It's fun. it's a no-brainer. It's everything I expect in a Regency Romance.
However, I've grown as a reader since 1996 when I bought this new. I didn't find this one as much fun as I found some of Joan Smith's other titles. I'll be putting this on the maybe shelf.
January 24, 2009
Decent Regency. Jane is the rather proper "old" friend who has to graciously accept Lord Nicholas Goderich fiancee into the neighborhood. The daughter of the rich cit may not quite make the grade in this romance.
July 6, 2021
Jane, red hair, green eyes, wants Nick, Clareview heir home for Xmas after 3 years as soldier, but he brings gauche brewery bride Aurelia 18, who attracts Sir William. Typos: 17.18 .December IS December 17.19 .paid IS paid 18.5 roast. IS roost.
March 3, 2015
cute story. fast read.
January 31, 2016
When her old childhood sweetheart returns home everyone expects him to propose marriage. Unfortunately, he's made another choice.
Typical story. Characters not terribly appealing.
Typical story. Characters not terribly appealing.
October 27, 2021
Well written, well defined characters, moderately complex. A good read.
January 2, 2021
3+ Maybe not quite 4 stars, but a light, clean regency read, exactly what I needed. In the vein of Georgette Heyer.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews