About the Book:

All she wants is an ordinary life
A cruel past left Hannah Gray with one simple longing—normalcy. Normal ladies ride and waltz without fear. They have safe, normal husbands to give them safe, normal kisses. After years of healing, she’s ready to find “normal” for herself, and Lady Wallingham’s house party is the perfect place to begin. Perfect, that is, except for the cynical wolf-in-rogue’s-clothing whose every hungry glance threatens to crack her armor and pierce her fragile heart.

All he wants is to forget her
Bow Street runner Jonas Hawthorn vowed never to see the cold, haughty Miss Gray again. A year ago, he nearly died trying to protect her, only to be dismissed like a lowly servant. But soon, he’ll have land and servants of his own. He just has to locate an old dowager’s stolen goods, collect his prize, and avoid the beauty who haunts him like a moonlit sky.

All it takes is a single kiss
He never meant to touch her. She never meant to reveal the truth. But once he’s tasted the heat and longing hidden beneath her icy mask, the only mystery this Bow Street man burns to solve is how a roguish wolf might win the elusive Miss Gray for himself.

Click on title below for direct Amazon buy link:                                              A Kiss from a Rogue (Rescued from Ruin Book 10)

My Review:

Hannah Gray is the illegitimate half sister of an earl, and her past has left her scarred and damaged emotionally and physically.  For ten years, she was held captive by a madman who decided that she was to live as his daughter.  Only, he showed his fatherly affection by punishing and slicing Hannah.  Now twenty-three, and living with her brother, Phineas, Hannah still recoils at physical touch.  Phineas’s wife, Eugenia, has befriended Hannah, and has been slowly encouraging her to accept touches and to try to overcome her aversion to human contact.  Hannah would dearly love to have children, and realizes that she has to reconcile herself to marriage and intimacy if she is to achieve her dream.  Eugenia convinces Hannah to attend a house party where several non threatening gentlemen will be present, hoping that one will catch Hannah’s interest.

Jonas Hawthorne is a former soldier, and now works as a Bow Street runner.  He has been offered a lucrative job from Lady Wallingham, one that would provide him with a secure future.  Unfortunately, that means he has to socialize with the guests at Lady W’s house party while he searches for the stolen object so valuable to her.  Jonas is also dismayed to find that one of the guests is Hannah Gray, a lady he met a year ago and can’t get out of his mind.

Jonas was seriously injured while rescuing Hannah, and she rarely left his bedside as she nursed him back to health.  She secretly longed for him, but was unable to overcome her fears, even though she realized he also had feelings for her.  When Jonas was on the mend, she fled, and both of them thought they’d never see each other again.

When none of the gentlemen at the party piques Hannah’s interest, she can’t help but eventually focus her attention on Jonas.  Will she be brave enough to face her fears and risk having a relationship that could give her her heart’s desire?  Can Jonas overcome his own scruples about not being good enough for the sister of an earl?

A KISS FROM A ROGUE is beautifully and skillfully written, slowly revealing the heartfelt desires of two damaged people afraid to love.  Jonas is hardly a rogue – he’s an honest, decent man, who has feelings of unworthiness to have survived while his comrades fell, and certainly undeserving of love.  The longing that Hannah and Jonas feel for each other just pours off the pages.  It’s beautiful to see Hannah finally setting herself free, and to witness hers and Jonas’s love and passion come to fruition.  I haven’t read all of the books in this series, and I didn’t feel lost, as author Elisa Braden included all the information necessary to fill in the backstory.  The other couples were intriguing enough to make me plan on catching up on those stories I’ve missed.  I was captivated while reading this romantic and attention-holding story, and can highly recommend A KISS FROM A ROGUE to those who enjoy a passionate and emotional adventure.    ~Rose