ARC Review: One More Kiss by Mary Blayney

What to say about this book? One More Kiss (Pennistan #5) was an unusual read for me and I couldn't quite decide what to make of it. It was interesting, but slow. It was steamy, but not sensual. It just didn't quite fit into any of the usual styles of historical romance that I have read.

Beatrice and Cecilia are twin sisters that have been invited to a country house party hosted by their godmother. The plan is for them to polish their social skills before the upcoming Season. Their wealthy, but non-aristocratic father has ambitions for them to marry well. Bea is a bluestocking with no desire to marry and Ceci is a sweet, but shallow beauty. Bea finds herself attracted to Lord Jessup Pennistan, a gambler with a very questionable history. Jess's friend falls for Ceci. Several sub-plots are entangled as the story continues, including a nasty villain, a murder, a horserace, and several romantic pairings.

I will start by saying that I liked the book. I was interested and never considered not finishing it. However, it was long and slow. The entire story took place at the country house party. There was a lengthy cast of characters and many things happened. I liked that Blayney included a short hero (something you almost never see). It was a bit disconcerting that the characters had a lot of steamy thoughts, but there was very little steamy action. I did not read any of the other Pennistan books in the series. The other characters were mentioned, but their stories were not necessary to this one. When I added up all the pluses and minuses, the book came out right in the middle.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

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