Review: Thoroughly Kissed by Kristine Grayson

Posted June 12, 2012 by B. in 3.5 stars, Paranormal Romance, Rating B Tags: , , ,

Thoroughly Kissed
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Charming Series #3
ISBN: #978-1402248542
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (384 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
About the book:
Sleeping Beauty has sworn off kissing…
Emma awakens to an entirely different world than the one she lived in a thousand years ago, and although she’s the real Sleeping Beauty, her life is no fairy tale. After parting ways with her supposed Prince Charming, she’s determined to be a normal girl—she hides her magic and swears off kissing strange men.
But her gorgeous boss Michael knows there’s something unusual about Emma, and he thinks she’s as infuriating as she is beautiful. Now Emma needs to teach Michael a lesson, which means mastering her magic. She knows she’s flirting with danger, but after one look at Michael’s perfect lips, all she can think is, “What’s another thousand years…?”
Welcome to the fractious fairy tale world of Kristine Grayson, where the bumpy road to happily ever after is paved with surprises…
What B is talking about:
Embodying the ideal of a “self-made woman,” Emma Lost has a lot to be proud of. In the last ten years she’s published a best-selling book, earned a prestigious professorship at a university, and conquered her fear of modern indoor plumbing. So what if she was in a magical coma for a thousand years, and past experience mandates she avoid kissing any man? She has everything she needs and, most importantly, she’s earned it all on her own.
Michael Found has unhappily cut his sabbatical short and returned to Madison, Wisconsin to assume the position of chairman of the history department. A stickler for details and accuracy, he’s undertaken to remove the newest professor, pop history bestseller and all, from his department’s ranks. The last thing he expects is a fairy tale beauty in need of a guardian knight, who could steal his heart while (literally) turning the world upside down.
Once again, Ms. Grayson has run amok through another fairy tale, or rather, continued her reimagining of the previous one, “Sleeping Beauty.” While she continues to poke fun at mythology and destiny, she also takes a swipe at the arrogance of modified history and those who are guilty of it.
Although Thoroughly Kissed is a bit more serious in overall tone than the previous novel in the series, Utterly Charming, there are still plenty of laughs to be had. The surprise appearance of Emma’s magic causes some highly entertaining chaos, and the dialog surrounding these mishaps had me cackling out loud. The Fates are back, as well, and are again some of my favorite characters in the novel. Emma finds herself in some pretty rotten situations, but her begrudging acceptance of them, and the resulting snarky dialog, makes for some really funny moments.
While I missed the cover-to-cover lightheartedness of the earlier novel, Thoroughly Kissed is a fun and sweet addition to the Charming Series. Michael and Emma are a fun couple, and I enjoyed watching them both antagonize and comfort one another as they journey through their story. Ms. Grayson has again written likable, witty characters, and seems to take a fair amount of pleasure in torturing them on occasion. This is a good, lighter series to have in any romance collection, and even though there’s no way to predict what she may have planned next, I know I’ll be adding it to mine.
Bs Rating:
Liked it – recommend (B+)
 
 
 
 
 
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2 responses to “Review: Thoroughly Kissed by Kristine Grayson

  1. B.

    It really is a fun series! Plus, I really enjoy the spin the author puts on familiar fairy tales. I recommend the whole series if that’s what you’re looking for. Thank you!