His Wicked Kiss
Gaelen Foley
ISBN# 0345480104
Ballantine Books, May 2006, 434 pp
Historical Romance-Regency
$6.99 (US) $9.99 (CDN)

Reviewed by Laurel
May 2006

Eden Farraday dreams of a life in London filled with balls; social calls, finding happiness, marriage and children. Instead she is deep within the jungle where she has been for years with her father braving the wild elements, snakes and other dangerous animals. Her father is a well-known doctor turned scientist researching for cures in medicine. When word comes that her father's funding has been cut she is filled with the hope that soon she may be returning back home to London. However her father tells her that they will be continuing on with their studies regardless and if she wants to get married she could always marry Connor his assistant. Frustrated and infuriated with her father she seeks solitude perched high up in the treetops. She soon spots a ship and discovers that these people speak English and could carry news of her beloved homeland. The Captain Lord Jack Knight, is a man as mysterious as he is good looking, Eden is swept away by Jack's swarthy good looks and come hither charm. When he refuses to help her get back to London, she decides to stow away on his ship. One way or another, Eden was getting out of this Jungle and back into London Society.

Lord Jack Knight left England behind 20 years ago when his "bastard birth" was the height of gossip. To his other brothers who embraced the scandal and was accepted by Society, Jack could not shake the distaste and shame that brand left him with. Instead he has travelled the world and become one of the most successful shipping magnets, with a fleet of ships at his command. Rumoured to be a pirate he loves the sea and loves to fight on the side of the right no matter the means. He is performing a secret mission into England that could cost him his life if he is caught. Although he is instantly smitten with Eden and her charms, he turns down her pleas to help her return back to England. Leaving her in the Jungle, Jack heads out into the open sea. Two weeks into the passage, Jack discovers he has a stow away aboard his ship and is not surprised to see that it is Eden. He is in shock actually, at her determination, her pride and her stunning beauty. Jack decides she is the woman for him and sets about making Eden Farraday his wife.

His Wicked Kiss is everything that I expected it to be. Not much has been known about Jack Knight in Gaelen Foley's Knight Miscellany series. The author over the years has kept her character Jack elusive with brief mentioning here and there. There was an air of speculation about his character and finally the speculation is ended. Jack is a character that will weave his way into your heart. His charm and sensuality is very empowering while he struggled with his perceived sins of his past and broken love. Eden was just the character to bring Jack out of shell and re-enter back into London Society and reunited with his family. She was an amazing character and I bonded with her in the opening chapters of the novel. She was refreshing in every sense of the word and brought about many smirks and chuckles as I was reading away.

His Wicked Kiss is a delightful novel; I was swept away with the passion, the setting, and the characters. It's a richly rewarding novel for any Gaelen Foley fan that like me sat and waited patiently for this day to come.