The Sum of All Kisses: Book Review

Rating: ★★★★★/★★★★★

The Sum of All Kisses is the third book in romance writer Julia Quinn's The Smythe-Smith Quartet. From the first (Just Like Heaven) and second novels (A Night Like This), readers learn of the consequences of the infamous duel between Daniel Smythe-Smith, the Earl of Winstead and Lord Hugh Prentice and how it has affected both families. Hugh, the second son of the Marquess of Ramsgate, is severely wounded on the left leg which leaves his father furious and vows to hunt down and kill his opponent. As a result, Daniel had to flee England and did not return until three years later when Hugh managed to stop his father from pursuing his good friend. How did he made it happen? We are now privy to the unfortunate incident as told from Hugh's point of view.

The novel is primarily a love story focusing on Lord Hugh Prentice and Lady Sarah Pleinsworth. Continuing where it left off, a wedding is to be held between Daniel's sister, Honoria and his best friend, Marcus Holroyd, the Earl of Chatteris. All of society's ton has descended upon Fensmore, the ancestral home of Lord Chatteris in Cambridgeshire to witness this momentous occasion. Among them are the Pleinsworth ladies whose eldest daughter, Sarah is the best friend and cousin of Honoria. The still single Lady Sarah longs to get married quickly if only to avoid participating in the annual Smythe-Smith musicale. The only problem is she could not find a suitable marriage prospect and she blames Lord Hugh for it. She and Honoria had to postpone their coming out season for another year until the scandal brought on by the duel died down. Unfortunately for Lady Sarah, that year of 1821 happened to be the most productive season where fourteen eligible gentlemen were engaged to be married. When she accidentally encounters Lord Hugh in one of the soirées, she told him off and never forgives him for what he has done to her family.

When Hugh is invited to grace Lord Chatteris's marriage in a bid to present a cordial picture that all is forgiven and forgotten to quell the rumour mill, Sarah is tasked by the bride to keep him company and make him feel welcome. For Honoria's sake, she has tolerate Hugh for the entire day even though both have a mutual dislike for each other. He can't stand her because she is overly dramatic and given to grand pronouncements which gets on his nerves. But they decide to keep the peace and get on with it. After the ceremony, the party head off to Whipple Hill in Berkshire to attend Daniel's impending nuptials to Anne Wynter, formerly governess to Lady Sarah's younger sisters, Ladies Harriet, Elizabeth and Frances. The four Pleinsworth girls share a carriage ride with Hugh. During a brief stop for lunch at an inn, Sarah toppled down the steps of the carriage and injured her ankle. Hugh blames himself for not catching her from falling which is a reminder that he is less of a man than before.

This accident leaves Sarah unable to attend the two-week festivities leading up to the Daniel's wedding as she is confined to the house. This makes Hugh on equal footing with Sarah and she begins to understand him better after spending some time together. Their romance begins to blossom until Daniel reveals the real reason why Lord Ramsgate called off his pursuit for Daniel's blood. Add in His Lordship's untimely appearance and it is ripe for a confrontation. In the end Hugh and Sarah get their happily ever after ending and all is well in their world.

I really like getting an insight into Hugh's background. His is an unusual tale where he grew up in a dysfunctional family. His father is a tyrant and often bully his mother and elder brother with a chauvinistic attitude. There can be two ways that will impact Hugh's upbringing, either become a tyrant or strive to better than that and I'm delighted he has chosen the latter option. This tells us how he is honourable and regret his past actions which had caused so much pain to himself and his friends. This is why I love his story more than Sarah's. He is a clever, logical and defends Frances when she is upset. Besides I do love an underdog story where he rises up against his father and becomes a better man.

In addition I also like reading about how two people who didn't like each other at first, becomes friends and inadvertently grew to love one another. It gives another dimension to romance stories where love at first sight is a common theme in the genre. Humours are aplenty to be had as provided by the Pleainsworth girls, Hugh, Iris and Daisy Smythe-Smith and even Daniel.

I had an enjoyable time reading this unlikely love story between two protagonists. If you love romance novels, you should give The Sum of All Kisses a try. It is not necessary to read the previous two books prior to reading this novel because it can stand on its own although I suggest reading them first to know the characters that appear in this novel. I am looking forward Julia Quinn's next and final book in the series where Iris Smythe-Smith and a new male character named Richard will take centre stage.