A Kiss from the Rose

Every little girl wants to play with the fairies at the bottom of the garden…

Kayleigh’s life has not been easy since the tragic death of her parents. She could easily escape reality with the pleasant memories of her mother as she tends her much-loved rose garden, if not for the bitterness of her brother, Matthew. Over the past six months, he has turned to alcohol and slowly begun to vent his pain on his sister, verbally abusing her if she does not follow his whims.

On a rare night outing to a local bar, her friend Angela urges Kayleigh to approach a handsome stranger seated with his friend. The tall, dark well-built man soon comes to her assistance when Matthew decides that she should be at home. After a scuffle in the carpark, Matthew leaves with the sulks and Kayleigh meets the man that she had admired from afar. Diarmuid McNamara is just too good to be true; not only is he devastatingly drop-dead gorgeous, his manners are impeccable and he kisses like a prince from a fairy-tale. Kayleigh’s Irish grandfather had filled her head with stories of the fae folk when she was a child, so maybe it is wishful thinking that she imagines this handsome stranger is her prince. Sadly the reality is that he is sure to leave, and Kayleigh knows that he would take her broken heart with him.

Yet she cannot help but to kiss him, and his kisses leave her breathless. She seems to have the same effect on Diarmuid, who is struggling not to lose control. Both are jolted back to earth as her drunken foul-mouthed brother comes out of the house. Kayleigh foolishly promises to meet Diarmuid the next night, even though she knows she will be unable to resist his many charms. Diarmuid’s fate depends on the love of this mortal woman. If she does not willingly return the love of the Rose Prince of AAran and follow him back of her own free will, he must surrender his life for his people.

This tender romantic story will have readers sighing at Diarmuid’s romantic gestures, and helplessly falling in love alongside Kayleigh. Samantha Reynolds’ fae fantasy world is quite believable, the quaintly old-fashioned and well-mannered Diarmuid reminiscent of a past fairy-tale era when a handsome prince was every little girl’s romantic dream. The fae men are deliciously appealing, even when in their real form, based on flowers. Diarmuid is a true romantic hero and is willing to die for his love and his people. Kayleigh feels that she is not worthy of his love and must come to accept just how important she is in his life. The erotic moments are sweetly decadent and fulfilling. This is a highly emotional tale and readers are sure to feel all of the love and despair of the couple. A highly recommended erotic fairy tale!

Reviewed by: Naomi