The Kissing Game

February 10, 2003
Practical jokers looking to hone their skills for April Fools' day should check out this heartwarming and hilarious Regency-era romance. Michaels's effervescent lark draws readers into the wacky world of the Nesbitts, a poor country family that unexpectedly inherits a title and a huge sum of money when a distant relation dies. Despite the family's elevated status, society still looks down on them, but pert, plain-spoken Allegra Nesbitt couldn't care less—until her prankster father, Oxie, hauls the family to London to find her a husband. Convinced the trip is just another one of Oxie's pranks, Allegra vows to turn the tables on him by finding a man who will pretend to be her beau. She chooses the sinfully rich Armand Gauthier, whose enigmatic past and mischievous streak make him a perfect accomplice as well as a potential amour. In return for Armand's cooperation, Allegra agrees to instruct him on the finer points of pranking, but their teasing banter will elicit more laughs than their simple scams. Oxie's pranks, however, quickly land him in trouble and make for a pleasantly unconventional denouement. Though Allegra can talk readers into a stupor at times, the chemistry between her and Armand crackles, and readers will bask in the warmth of their every encounter.

January 1, 2003
Lady Allegra Nesbitt, an iconoclast, is appalled when her father, Oxie, tells her they're going to London to find her a husband, then, when they arrive, they're shunned. Five years earlier when her father inherited the title of earl, her parents went to London to take their place amongst the ton, but Regency society was contemptuous of Oxie's elaborate jokes and her mother's country manners. Now no one welcomes them except their neighbor, Armand Gauthier, a man with a mysterious past and a secret agenda, which seems to be jeopardized when he spots Allegra at the bubbling fountain in front of her house. She intrigues him, and he contrives to meet and help her, knowing how important connections are for entering society, but Allegra is reluctant as she values freedom above social standing. As they delve into each other's lives, they find they have more in common than mere attraction. This is a truly delightful romp with enough plot twists to pay homage to Gilbert and Sullivan.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)