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The Magic of His Kiss
"I'm not the first man to kiss you!"
Karn Fellingham had the most appalling opinion of Jemma's sister, so it was rather insulting that he mistook Jemma for Christine.
Still, Jemma thought she could pull her sister out of trouble by taking advantage of his mistake.
She soon wished she'd never undertaken the deception, for she was playing the part of a woman who couldn't resist a handsome, wealthy man -- and Karn was making her pay for it!
Karn Fellingham had the most appalling opinion of Jemma's sister, so it was rather insulting that he mistook Jemma for Christine.
Still, Jemma thought she could pull her sister out of trouble by taking advantage of his mistake.
She soon wished she'd never undertaken the deception, for she was playing the part of a woman who couldn't resist a handsome, wealthy man -- and Karn was making her pay for it!
- GenresHarlequin RomanceRomance
189 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
Jessica Steele
353 books114 followersJessica Steele was born on May 9, 1933 in the elegant Warwickshire town of Royal Leamington Spa. She has two super brothers, Colin and George, and a lovely sister, Elizabeth. She was a delicate child and missed a lot of school. In fact, she left school at aged 14, when she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. At 16, she started work as a junior clerk. In 1967, Jessica married with her husband, Peter and within a very short space of time they had moved from her hometown to the lovely area where they now live. Their house is built into the side of a hill, and has beautiful views over more hills and valleys. Her brothers and her sister are very close and she has plenty of nephews and nieces to make up for the fact that she and her husband have no children of their own. Both she and her husband are more than a little dog-oriented, and their current dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier named Florence. Florence is gorgeous. She loves everybody but, since she is 40 pounds of dynamite and would hurl her boisterous self at everyone she meets - given half a chance - she has to be restrained (as much as possible). She is fun.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 24, 2018
One thing ruined this novel for me: the heroine's inability to see that her older sister Christine, was a marriage wrecking whore who used men for money and was also utterly self serving. I know we all tend to wear rose tinted goggles when it comes to our love for our relatives, but I think most of us are aware of their major flaws ( as they're aware of ours ). But this heroine, Jemma, has an image of Christine as the perfect Mary Sue who has the kindest heart. The author makes it clear that the heroine is given a lot of hints about Christine's greedy and vile nature but Jemma refuses to accept that reality. The heroine tells herself, over and over again, that all the signs are wrong and that Christine is a sweet and good person.
Christine is a plastically fantastic low rent model who abuses the heroine's generosity. Christine is also involved with a young university student called Mark. The rich tycoon H Karn, is Mark's uncle and Christine thinks that Mark has a lot of money too. That's not the case since the H is the one who provides Mark with an allowance. The avaricious Christine, who is about 28 yrs old to Mark's 20, makes Mark buy her expensive jewellery and clothing. The story starts with a visit from the H. Karn thinks that Jemma is Christine and he has come to give her a rude speech about leaving his nephew alone. Apparently, Mark has not been attending his classes regularly and has overdrawn his chequing account. The heroine pretends to be her sister because she has this OTT need to protect the older woman. That was so funny and pathetic because it's like a goldfish trying to shield a piranha.
Jemma creates one disaster after another because she takes a cheque from Karn but fails to tear it up in front his face. The cheque is actually his payment/buy off for her sister ( whom he thinks is the heroine ) to stay away from his nephew. Jemma is just too stupid for words. Why didn't she run after him when he gave her the cheque and make sure she tore it up in front his face ? The idiot tears it up after he leaves so he doesn't believe her when she says she did. The piranha gold digger sister is also a bit peeved ( although she laughs it off as a joke ) that the heroine tore up the cheque. Christine had actually been planning to dump Mark when she realized that he wasn't loaded. What follows is the silliest story line ever !
Jemma deludes herself into thinking that Christine and Mark are in love and will marry, so she continues to pretend to be her sister whenever the H turns up. The H is also unaware that she's not Christine because the latter is a low rent model so she's not that famous and he doesn't actually keep up with chain store fashion catalogs. Most of the novel is set at a country cottage that's a fixer upper and the H punishes Jemma by making her clean it up and cook for him. All of this drama and torture just to save her useless sister's butt. The romantic aspect of the relationship was a bit skeevy because the H thinks he's attracted to a marriage wrecking whore. He thinks that because Christine had been previously involved with a married guy but had dumped him when his wife cut off his spending ! And Jemma still refuses to believe the truth about her sister...
I confess that this wasn't one of Jessica Steele's better romances because the heroine drove me up the wall with her theatrical martyrdom. I also didn't feel the chemistry between the MC's and there was no comeuppance for that wily bitch Christine. There's also a self centered OM who thinks that Jemma should kiss his big toe just because he proposed to her. The role playing part of the story line went on for far too long. That ruined the book for me.
Christine is a plastically fantastic low rent model who abuses the heroine's generosity. Christine is also involved with a young university student called Mark. The rich tycoon H Karn, is Mark's uncle and Christine thinks that Mark has a lot of money too. That's not the case since the H is the one who provides Mark with an allowance. The avaricious Christine, who is about 28 yrs old to Mark's 20, makes Mark buy her expensive jewellery and clothing. The story starts with a visit from the H. Karn thinks that Jemma is Christine and he has come to give her a rude speech about leaving his nephew alone. Apparently, Mark has not been attending his classes regularly and has overdrawn his chequing account. The heroine pretends to be her sister because she has this OTT need to protect the older woman. That was so funny and pathetic because it's like a goldfish trying to shield a piranha.
Jemma creates one disaster after another because she takes a cheque from Karn but fails to tear it up in front his face. The cheque is actually his payment/buy off for her sister ( whom he thinks is the heroine ) to stay away from his nephew. Jemma is just too stupid for words. Why didn't she run after him when he gave her the cheque and make sure she tore it up in front his face ? The idiot tears it up after he leaves so he doesn't believe her when she says she did. The piranha gold digger sister is also a bit peeved ( although she laughs it off as a joke ) that the heroine tore up the cheque. Christine had actually been planning to dump Mark when she realized that he wasn't loaded. What follows is the silliest story line ever !
Jemma deludes herself into thinking that Christine and Mark are in love and will marry, so she continues to pretend to be her sister whenever the H turns up. The H is also unaware that she's not Christine because the latter is a low rent model so she's not that famous and he doesn't actually keep up with chain store fashion catalogs. Most of the novel is set at a country cottage that's a fixer upper and the H punishes Jemma by making her clean it up and cook for him. All of this drama and torture just to save her useless sister's butt. The romantic aspect of the relationship was a bit skeevy because the H thinks he's attracted to a marriage wrecking whore. He thinks that because Christine had been previously involved with a married guy but had dumped him when his wife cut off his spending ! And Jemma still refuses to believe the truth about her sister...
I confess that this wasn't one of Jessica Steele's better romances because the heroine drove me up the wall with her theatrical martyrdom. I also didn't feel the chemistry between the MC's and there was no comeuppance for that wily bitch Christine. There's also a self centered OM who thinks that Jemma should kiss his big toe just because he proposed to her. The role playing part of the story line went on for far too long. That ruined the book for me.
December 2, 2012
Jessica Steele is on auto buy for me, even though she only writes Harlequin Romances and some Hqn Presents. She is now about 80 years old, sad to say.
Steele is a quirky writer, in terms of syntax, grammar, etc. Her sentence construction is ... unusual.
But she is among the best at Hqn in terms of storytelling, dialogue, and sexual tension. Also, her characters make me chuckle sometimes. I love her books, even the ones I only rate three stars are good.
Most of Jessica Steele's books follow a pattern, or formula. The plot goes something like this: Her heroes are always wealthy, world-wise, dashing, and debonaire, like Cary Grant. Her heroines are always beautiful virgins, so no sex (usually) and the wanting always drives the heroes nuts. But usually, the hero starts off on the wrong foot, thinking the gal did something terrible (embezzle, cheat, steal, sleep around, etc), so he is nasty, cold and ruthless. Steele's heroes always endure internal conflict, because they think they are falling in love with a dishonorable woman, a shady character! So they blow hot and cold and generally mess it all up. Ha ha! Later, when they realize how wrong they've been, they sweat it out! Sometimes they grovel - I like a good grovel. :-)
Steele is a quirky writer, in terms of syntax, grammar, etc. Her sentence construction is ... unusual.
But she is among the best at Hqn in terms of storytelling, dialogue, and sexual tension. Also, her characters make me chuckle sometimes. I love her books, even the ones I only rate three stars are good.
Most of Jessica Steele's books follow a pattern, or formula. The plot goes something like this: Her heroes are always wealthy, world-wise, dashing, and debonaire, like Cary Grant. Her heroines are always beautiful virgins, so no sex (usually) and the wanting always drives the heroes nuts. But usually, the hero starts off on the wrong foot, thinking the gal did something terrible (embezzle, cheat, steal, sleep around, etc), so he is nasty, cold and ruthless. Steele's heroes always endure internal conflict, because they think they are falling in love with a dishonorable woman, a shady character! So they blow hot and cold and generally mess it all up. Ha ha! Later, when they realize how wrong they've been, they sweat it out! Sometimes they grovel - I like a good grovel. :-)
June 9, 2024
A little too rapey for me.
I’m a simple soul, and was prepared to enjoy another Jessica Steele formulaic novel where the sanctimonious and self -righteous a-hole hero jumps to a lot of wrong conclusions about the heroine and later has to grovel and eat his words.
But this guy really intended to rape her, and the word “rape” was used to describe what he was intending to do. In his misguided rage he felt rape was an appropriate response. He came to his senses in time, and was sufficiently repentant, but yuk.
I also accept that these Harleys have the heroine “fall in love” out of the blue. Okay, I suspend my disbelief.
I didn’t hate all of it, it followed the fun formula of Steele’s so I wasn’t expecting anything exactly different than what I got. But the whole rapey aspect spoiled it.
I’m a simple soul, and was prepared to enjoy another Jessica Steele formulaic novel where the sanctimonious and self -righteous a-hole hero jumps to a lot of wrong conclusions about the heroine and later has to grovel and eat his words.
But this guy really intended to rape her, and the word “rape” was used to describe what he was intending to do. In his misguided rage he felt rape was an appropriate response. He came to his senses in time, and was sufficiently repentant, but yuk.
I also accept that these Harleys have the heroine “fall in love” out of the blue. Okay, I suspend my disbelief.
I didn’t hate all of it, it followed the fun formula of Steele’s so I wasn’t expecting anything exactly different than what I got. But the whole rapey aspect spoiled it.
November 27, 2018
Another Steele. Heck yeah. It's difficult not to reach for them first when I spy them in the big box of old schools, even though I tell myself I should read the probable-lessers and save these for later.
Easier said.
This book hung well on the basic Steele construction. Big misunderstanding, a hero that's at odds because he's falling for a woman he thinks is damaged/flawed/not trustworthy/&c. A heroine who is loyal to a fault and thus perpetuates (with silence or action) the hero's false presumptions. He wants her like mad & it makes him crazy; she wakes up to wanting from complacent virginity thanks to him and him alone. A preposterous set-up to keep them in proximity while they spar.
The flare-ups in this one ran much hotter and more extreme than some JS. It edges against wow-that's-rapey, but saved from that thanks to the heroine's internal / hero's external and both of their obvious struggles.
The farce goes past credulity. And the heroine might, a time too many, react just that second too late to set him or things or the situation right so it keeps blowing up in her face. But them bolting to the punishment/remote hideaway helps bolster the subterfuge and timeline.
Heroine's faulty loyalty grated in this one and ran very thin. And hero was almost too masterful & quick to anger. But I do love some forced domesticity, and I love an arrogant hero having his preconceptions turned inside-out by a heroine willing to 'get stuck in' and scrub a much neglected cottage clean, and having to admit that to boot.
Their brief, closed confines in the phone box. Interesting moment and interestingly sensual.
I'm pretty sure they'll fight and have great make-up sex for the rest of their relationship. I'm relieved on her behalf she doesn't have to worry about finding a job to maintain the little London bedsit she secured on a wing & a prayer. And now that she finally accepted the truth about her sister, they'll both be a lot happier. She'll probably befriend Mark & play matchmaker with a nice village girl sometime later.
Not the best of hers. Her odd pacing and structure very much in evidence. But so much more in wit, tension, intensity, than many of her old school cohort.
Easier said.
This book hung well on the basic Steele construction. Big misunderstanding, a hero that's at odds because he's falling for a woman he thinks is damaged/flawed/not trustworthy/&c. A heroine who is loyal to a fault and thus perpetuates (with silence or action) the hero's false presumptions. He wants her like mad & it makes him crazy; she wakes up to wanting from complacent virginity thanks to him and him alone. A preposterous set-up to keep them in proximity while they spar.
The flare-ups in this one ran much hotter and more extreme than some JS. It edges against wow-that's-rapey, but saved from that thanks to the heroine's internal / hero's external and both of their obvious struggles.
The farce goes past credulity. And the heroine might, a time too many, react just that second too late to set him or things or the situation right so it keeps blowing up in her face. But them bolting to the punishment/remote hideaway helps bolster the subterfuge and timeline.
Heroine's faulty loyalty grated in this one and ran very thin. And hero was almost too masterful & quick to anger. But I do love some forced domesticity, and I love an arrogant hero having his preconceptions turned inside-out by a heroine willing to 'get stuck in' and scrub a much neglected cottage clean, and having to admit that to boot.
Their brief, closed confines in the phone box. Interesting moment and interestingly sensual.
I'm pretty sure they'll fight and have great make-up sex for the rest of their relationship. I'm relieved on her behalf she doesn't have to worry about finding a job to maintain the little London bedsit she secured on a wing & a prayer. And now that she finally accepted the truth about her sister, they'll both be a lot happier. She'll probably befriend Mark & play matchmaker with a nice village girl sometime later.
Not the best of hers. Her odd pacing and structure very much in evidence. But so much more in wit, tension, intensity, than many of her old school cohort.
November 13, 2020
"I'm not the first man to kiss you!"
Karn Fellingham had the most appalling opinion of Jemma's sister, so it was rather insulting that he mistook Jemma for Christine.
Still, Jemma thought she could pull her sister out of trouble by taking advantage of his mistake.
She soon wished she'd never undertaken the deception, for she was playing the part of a woman who couldn't resist a handsome, wealthy man -- and Karn was making her pay for it!
Karn Fellingham had the most appalling opinion of Jemma's sister, so it was rather insulting that he mistook Jemma for Christine.
Still, Jemma thought she could pull her sister out of trouble by taking advantage of his mistake.
She soon wished she'd never undertaken the deception, for she was playing the part of a woman who couldn't resist a handsome, wealthy man -- and Karn was making her pay for it!
January 21, 2022
Disappointing.
The male protagonist is loathsome. The female is spunky but falls and forgives too easily.
Jemma is outraged when Karn mistakes her for her glamorous sister and offers her money to jilt his nephew.
The male protagonist is loathsome. The female is spunky but falls and forgives too easily.
Jemma is outraged when Karn mistakes her for her glamorous sister and offers her money to jilt his nephew.
March 20, 2025
Rather a nice story of mistaken identity (which I usually love). When the hero (30s) tries to get rid of his nephew's greedy tramp girlfriend (heroine's model sister), but is deceived into thinking the wholesome lovely heroine (21) is the gold-digger. The action moves from London to Cornwall as he makes her help do up a cottage and keep her away from the nephew in exchange for her sister's flat lease. Lots of sexual tension and a huge tantrum from the hero when he realises the truth.
A very nice HEA - this is a great couple.
A very nice HEA - this is a great couple.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews