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A Valentine's Kiss
This Valentine's day Imogen is going to meet the man of her dreams, if only she can discover who he is At a gloriously over-the-top house party in the balmy South of France, trainee chef Imogen finds herself playing blind man's buff with a host of impossibly handsome men, when one of them kisses her. It's the most perfect kiss she's ever experienced in her short—and frankly, to date romantically disappointing—life. But by the time she recovers her wits sufficiently to remove her blindfold, her mystery kisser has disappeared. Could her Prince Charming be one of her fellow-chefs, Dimitri or Bastien? Both are clearly interested in her. But there are also enigmatic Latino hunk Enzo, good-times-guy DJ Cheyenne, aristocratic Amaury, and the American visitors—Archer and Everett. So many men, so little time. Imogen can't just keep kissing men until she finds the right one—can she?
435 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 3, 2018
Who could have guessed my feelings towards the book after 7 years would change. Gosh!
The review is on my blog. Please do avoid the spoilers section, if you haven't read or planning to read.
A Valentine's Kiss Book Review
The review is on my blog. Please do avoid the spoilers section, if you haven't read or planning to read.
A Valentine's Kiss Book Review
January 24, 2011
Imogen is feeling a bit trapped looking after her brothers and sisters at home in England, so when she is offered the chance to go and live in France and work as a trainee chef, she grabs it with both hands. She soon finds herself settling in in France, making brand new friends and enjoying life again. But when her American friend Bunny throws a lavish party and the guests all play Blind Man’s Buff, Imogen gets kissed and she can’t believe that it’s the best kiss she’s ever had. The only problem is that Imogen has no idea exactly which man kissed her. With the help of her friends, she’s determined to find her mystery kisser, and sets out to eliminate the men she knows one by one. Which man is Imogen’s mystery kisser, and has she found more than a dream career in France?
A Valentine’s Kiss is author Lucie Hart’s debut fiction novel, and certainly sets to be poised as the chick lit title for Valentine’s Day this year. It’s gorgeous purple cover and romantic title certainly pave the way for its target audience, and I was looking forward to a romantic and fun read. I have to say it looks like the sort of book I would seek out in a shop, but I couldn’t help but feel once I had finished it that I was pleased it was over rather than being sad it was over, and it isn’t often I feel like that about a book. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the book but I just found it hard-going at times and somewhat of a struggle, but the basis was there for a good story.
The lead character is Imogen. I can’t say I really overly warmed to her and maybe that is where my lukewarm feelings for the book come in. Imogen is clearly stifled at home – she loves to cook yet her and siblings survive on cereal and school meals because their mother never cooks for them after her husband left her. Call me old-fashioned but I can’t say I agreed with that so I perhaps started the book off on the wrong foot! Despite this, Imogen goes over to her neighbour Di’s to cook lovely cakes and meals, and when Di offers her the chance to go and live and work in France near her own sister Daphne, Imogen jumps at the chance. The move happens rather quickly and easily, and it doesn’t seem Imogen is at all bothered to leave her family, another fact which bothered me somewhat!
Once Imogen moves to France, we get introduced to a whole host of interesting characters. Bunny is Imogen’s American friend, and one I really liked in the book. She is funny, sweet and adds a real humour to the book with her weird dead chicken sculptures, and she certainly lit up the scenes she was in. There is also Daphne, Imogen’s confidante, another character I liked a lot because the relationship between her and Imogen was well written and enjoyable. I wasn’t keen on the chef’s in the Monsieur Bordin’s kitchen – Dimitri and Bastien, despite supposedly being very different, mingled together too much for me and I found it difficult at times to follow which was which. Faustina, another French woman, was a good character but I felt she blended in to the background a bit much and a lot more could have been made out of her, she is a great character. The best one for me was the American Mitch, who Imogen rents a room from – he’s hilarious, so so funny and I love the fact he owns a quaint little book shop!
Hart has clearly done her research when it comes to French cooking and French cuisine. She writes with ease about the different techniques used by Imogen and the other chefs in the book, and describes some wonderful dishes, and all of the ingredients, and I think this part of the book was lovely to read, I could definitely imagine all this lovely food Imogen was cooking! The restaurant which Imogen works at is fictional, but I can see how Hart has drawn on real life chefs when she writes the character of Monsieur Bordin who owns the restaurant. Hart does make life in France seem quite idyllic, Imogen seems to fall into somewhere perfect to live very quickly and she’s given a chance to cook much more quickly than I imagine you would ever be in real life.
Overall, this was a pleasant enough read and some of the characters are really good and well written, but there were things about it that did drag it down a bit for me. I found it hard work to read some of the scenes, there was a lot of description and I felt sometimes it got a big too bogged down for me and I found myself skipping over certain parts because I was losing interest a bit. The French cooking aspect of the book was a joy to read, but strangely I found the main plot of Imogen’s mystery kisser a bit boring and I found myself not actually caring that much about who it was! Imogen seemed to be a bit obsessed with it, and I found the whole thing a little bit silly. However, the rest of the book was good, it was interesting to read a book set in France, and there are definitely parts which make the book worth a go.
A Valentine’s Kiss is author Lucie Hart’s debut fiction novel, and certainly sets to be poised as the chick lit title for Valentine’s Day this year. It’s gorgeous purple cover and romantic title certainly pave the way for its target audience, and I was looking forward to a romantic and fun read. I have to say it looks like the sort of book I would seek out in a shop, but I couldn’t help but feel once I had finished it that I was pleased it was over rather than being sad it was over, and it isn’t often I feel like that about a book. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the book but I just found it hard-going at times and somewhat of a struggle, but the basis was there for a good story.
The lead character is Imogen. I can’t say I really overly warmed to her and maybe that is where my lukewarm feelings for the book come in. Imogen is clearly stifled at home – she loves to cook yet her and siblings survive on cereal and school meals because their mother never cooks for them after her husband left her. Call me old-fashioned but I can’t say I agreed with that so I perhaps started the book off on the wrong foot! Despite this, Imogen goes over to her neighbour Di’s to cook lovely cakes and meals, and when Di offers her the chance to go and live and work in France near her own sister Daphne, Imogen jumps at the chance. The move happens rather quickly and easily, and it doesn’t seem Imogen is at all bothered to leave her family, another fact which bothered me somewhat!
Once Imogen moves to France, we get introduced to a whole host of interesting characters. Bunny is Imogen’s American friend, and one I really liked in the book. She is funny, sweet and adds a real humour to the book with her weird dead chicken sculptures, and she certainly lit up the scenes she was in. There is also Daphne, Imogen’s confidante, another character I liked a lot because the relationship between her and Imogen was well written and enjoyable. I wasn’t keen on the chef’s in the Monsieur Bordin’s kitchen – Dimitri and Bastien, despite supposedly being very different, mingled together too much for me and I found it difficult at times to follow which was which. Faustina, another French woman, was a good character but I felt she blended in to the background a bit much and a lot more could have been made out of her, she is a great character. The best one for me was the American Mitch, who Imogen rents a room from – he’s hilarious, so so funny and I love the fact he owns a quaint little book shop!
Hart has clearly done her research when it comes to French cooking and French cuisine. She writes with ease about the different techniques used by Imogen and the other chefs in the book, and describes some wonderful dishes, and all of the ingredients, and I think this part of the book was lovely to read, I could definitely imagine all this lovely food Imogen was cooking! The restaurant which Imogen works at is fictional, but I can see how Hart has drawn on real life chefs when she writes the character of Monsieur Bordin who owns the restaurant. Hart does make life in France seem quite idyllic, Imogen seems to fall into somewhere perfect to live very quickly and she’s given a chance to cook much more quickly than I imagine you would ever be in real life.
Overall, this was a pleasant enough read and some of the characters are really good and well written, but there were things about it that did drag it down a bit for me. I found it hard work to read some of the scenes, there was a lot of description and I felt sometimes it got a big too bogged down for me and I found myself skipping over certain parts because I was losing interest a bit. The French cooking aspect of the book was a joy to read, but strangely I found the main plot of Imogen’s mystery kisser a bit boring and I found myself not actually caring that much about who it was! Imogen seemed to be a bit obsessed with it, and I found the whole thing a little bit silly. However, the rest of the book was good, it was interesting to read a book set in France, and there are definitely parts which make the book worth a go.
May 28, 2011
Imogen is a young girl who's lost in the middle of her family. She's the odd one out, physically and mentally. She's used as unpaid help for her brothers and sisters. Her mother Elsa Peach, is an artist who values creativity above all things. And she hates cooking. Elsa hasn't cooked since the day her husband walked out on her, so Imogen has hidden her affinity for cooking and food from her. Imogen is given the chance to go to France and cook, and she takes it.
Shy Imogen is trying hard to prove herself and finds herself suddenly being pursued by two handsome men she works with. She's unsure what to do, when she experiences an amazing kiss playing Blind Man's Bluff at a party. The kiss awakens something in Imogen she's never felt before. And so she's off trying to figure out who her new secret admirer is.
I liked seeing Imogen grow as a person. She went from being this really introverted, shy, unassuming person to someone who had self confidence. I also liked Imogen's varied friends and how they also had their own parts to play in the story. They added some humor. The best part was that it wasn't easy trying to figure out who had kissed Imogen. There were a lot of candidates, and I had my favorites. Lucie Hart did a great job of describing the French seaside. It sounds like a slice of Heaven!
This is Lucie Hart's debut book, and I am looking forward to reading more by her!
Shy Imogen is trying hard to prove herself and finds herself suddenly being pursued by two handsome men she works with. She's unsure what to do, when she experiences an amazing kiss playing Blind Man's Bluff at a party. The kiss awakens something in Imogen she's never felt before. And so she's off trying to figure out who her new secret admirer is.
I liked seeing Imogen grow as a person. She went from being this really introverted, shy, unassuming person to someone who had self confidence. I also liked Imogen's varied friends and how they also had their own parts to play in the story. They added some humor. The best part was that it wasn't easy trying to figure out who had kissed Imogen. There were a lot of candidates, and I had my favorites. Lucie Hart did a great job of describing the French seaside. It sounds like a slice of Heaven!
This is Lucie Hart's debut book, and I am looking forward to reading more by her!
August 13, 2017
The book, I guess, does deserve all 5 stars ... or at least 4. The reason I'm opting to give 3 is that it wasn't really my cup of tea.
Too many recipes n descriptions of dishes. Too much suspense ... when I could guess the solution just half-way through the mystery.
Most importantly, I couldn't understand why the heroine had to have such an antique name - Imogen! Reading it as frequently as I had to wasn't fun either.
But I guess there may be people out there who may like or, even love, the romantic suspense of the book. Well, these are my opinions. You can form your own. :)
Too many recipes n descriptions of dishes. Too much suspense ... when I could guess the solution just half-way through the mystery.
Most importantly, I couldn't understand why the heroine had to have such an antique name - Imogen! Reading it as frequently as I had to wasn't fun either.
But I guess there may be people out there who may like or, even love, the romantic suspense of the book. Well, these are my opinions. You can form your own. :)
March 6, 2019
Wow this book was fantastic,
June 17, 2018
As I had this in my to read pile, what better time of year to read it than the week leading up to Valentine’s Day?
Imogen has always looked after her family even though she is the typical square peg in a round hole. They’re all feckless and she has far more in common with Di, her elderly neighbour. Imogen has a love of cooking and Di’s sister is living in France, so she sets Imogen up with a job.
The idea of working in France, in a new location and with fabulous descriptions and cranky chefs was delightful. I quickly became bored though when the focus was on fanciable blokes rather than Bœuf Bourguignon, macarons or mille-feuilles. At a party, Imogen is kissed by a guy whilst playing Blind Man’s Buff and spends the remainder of the book looking at all the chaps she knows and trying to work out who it is. There is actually a key question at the centre of the book – is it possible to fall in love with someone you don’t know? It was an interesting idea but I’d say not, based on a kiss and nothing else!
I liked bits of this book but not enough to read again or recommend. Just not my thing. 2.75.
Imogen has always looked after her family even though she is the typical square peg in a round hole. They’re all feckless and she has far more in common with Di, her elderly neighbour. Imogen has a love of cooking and Di’s sister is living in France, so she sets Imogen up with a job.
The idea of working in France, in a new location and with fabulous descriptions and cranky chefs was delightful. I quickly became bored though when the focus was on fanciable blokes rather than Bœuf Bourguignon, macarons or mille-feuilles. At a party, Imogen is kissed by a guy whilst playing Blind Man’s Buff and spends the remainder of the book looking at all the chaps she knows and trying to work out who it is. There is actually a key question at the centre of the book – is it possible to fall in love with someone you don’t know? It was an interesting idea but I’d say not, based on a kiss and nothing else!
I liked bits of this book but not enough to read again or recommend. Just not my thing. 2.75.
April 3, 2012
There are times when the story shows great promise but as it goes on, the hunt for the mystery man becomes more and more frustrating, and when their identity is revealed, it feels like a disappointment. The mystery man hardly factors in the story and the author hasn't really depicted him well as a character that as a reader, I was indifferent to him being revealed as the mystery of the man. Also, whilst I respect Imogen's new found freedom, her frequent urge to strip off whenever near the water is bizarre, and the way she connects love with physical desire doesn't make sense. She only knows this man through their physical connection and nothing much about the man himself, which is quite insensible.
http://chocolatedigestivebiscuit.blog...
http://chocolatedigestivebiscuit.blog...
May 18, 2013
This is more a journey of self-discovery than a romance, but the romantic elements (the whodunit portion of the novel) are what kept me turning the pages.
I love stories in which a repressed, taken-for-granted heroine discovers her true potential, so of course I loved this story.
There were times when I felt the story lagged, but I read it all in one sitting, which can't be bad!
With a de-light-ful cast of secondary characters, numerous references to my favourite author (Georgette Heyer) and some of my all time favourite books, as well as appealing to all the senses, inspiring me with its colours, tastes and scents, this book had a great deal to recommend it.
And since Lucie Hart also supplied happy endings all round, leaving me a very satisfied reader, I'll definitely be looking out for more of her books.
I love stories in which a repressed, taken-for-granted heroine discovers her true potential, so of course I loved this story.
There were times when I felt the story lagged, but I read it all in one sitting, which can't be bad!
With a de-light-ful cast of secondary characters, numerous references to my favourite author (Georgette Heyer) and some of my all time favourite books, as well as appealing to all the senses, inspiring me with its colours, tastes and scents, this book had a great deal to recommend it.
And since Lucie Hart also supplied happy endings all round, leaving me a very satisfied reader, I'll definitely be looking out for more of her books.
April 26, 2012
I loved this book. It is a chick-lit, but a clever one.
It's not your usual girl meets boy and at the end kiss and make up.
Imogen leaves her demanding sibling in London and moves to southern France to start working as a kitchen assistant to pursue her dream of becoming a chef.
She meets all sorts of new friends and at a party whilst playing Blind Man's Bluff she is kissed - but it's a kiss that she can't forget.
The game than starts as she tries to find the man that swept her of her feet with that one kiss.
Great story that made me smile throughout the book and I am so glad I picked this up. There are a couple of paintings mentioned in the book and I just wish one of them was used on the cover as the existing cover makes this book look cheap.
It's not your usual girl meets boy and at the end kiss and make up.
Imogen leaves her demanding sibling in London and moves to southern France to start working as a kitchen assistant to pursue her dream of becoming a chef.
She meets all sorts of new friends and at a party whilst playing Blind Man's Bluff she is kissed - but it's a kiss that she can't forget.
The game than starts as she tries to find the man that swept her of her feet with that one kiss.
Great story that made me smile throughout the book and I am so glad I picked this up. There are a couple of paintings mentioned in the book and I just wish one of them was used on the cover as the existing cover makes this book look cheap.
May 24, 2012
I got this from the library, and it's now on my Kindle wish list.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.It has friendship,food,the French Riviera and a host of well crafted and lovable characters.
The heroine Imogen is strong yet sweet,and there are a fine collection of gorgeous men, from whom she has to try to identify who kissed her on Valentines Day.
She and we don't find out who he is until the end,and the puzzle keeps you eagerly turning the pages.
The ending is deliciously satisfying. Each of the protagonists get the man/woman of his/her dreams, and Imogen has learned to love and value herself.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.It has friendship,food,the French Riviera and a host of well crafted and lovable characters.
The heroine Imogen is strong yet sweet,and there are a fine collection of gorgeous men, from whom she has to try to identify who kissed her on Valentines Day.
She and we don't find out who he is until the end,and the puzzle keeps you eagerly turning the pages.
The ending is deliciously satisfying. Each of the protagonists get the man/woman of his/her dreams, and Imogen has learned to love and value herself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2015
Amazingly romantic and not to mention a perfect book full of mystery and funny mischief, not to mention the well use of the French language. The characters are pretty much fitting and even if there were some unexpected events, it brought a bunch of pleasant surprises for me. The romance is a bunch of messed up questions and the mystery has put me at the edge of the seat.
The only complaint I have is the summary. If the summary had not mention any names of the possible bachelors, the mystery could've stay a mystery until the revelation.
Other than that, I have nothing wrong with the book and I hope to read books as interesting as this one.
The only complaint I have is the summary. If the summary had not mention any names of the possible bachelors, the mystery could've stay a mystery until the revelation.
Other than that, I have nothing wrong with the book and I hope to read books as interesting as this one.
September 27, 2011
I quite enjoyed this book. It was fun to read how Imogen changed through the book and how she eventually solved who the mystery kisser was. I was disappointed thought that it took a long time before the kiss even happened, and then it was pretty obvious (at least for me) who it was! I wished she'd been more doubtful about him. After all, he did sound like a stalker... a crazy talker. Apart from that I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, especially the heroine, and the plot too.
October 9, 2012
I loved the setting of this book - it made France so romantic. It was a wonderful twist on romance - romance mixed with a who-dunnit but not about murder - the heroine has to work out who gave her the kiss that changed her life. A great read.
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February 20, 2011Really enjoyed this book -
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October 8, 2011Really enjoyed this read, thank you so much for the book :)
January 27, 2011
A great story - Ideal Holiday /Beach reading.
I really enjoyed this and would recommend it.
I really enjoyed this and would recommend it.
February 11, 2011
I loved this book, from start to finish, would recomend.
March 23, 2011
this is the book I won from Goodreads....
The main character is a born romantic!!
If you love chuck lit ,you'll love the book
The main character is a born romantic!!
If you love chuck lit ,you'll love the book
July 20, 2012
was a fun novel to read. loved the way the author portrayed the characters.
January 27, 2013
nice smooth girly novel
June 8, 2013
Pleasant read, think the ending could have been a bit longer but a good read on a summers day
September 30, 2013
really did enjoy this book...but...did find it very slow in places and kept thinking a bit more oomf please!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews