Quinn Fortesque and Georgiana Wilde grew up together, along with Quinn’s cousin, Anthony.  After a terrible accident, Quinn is sent away, breaking Georgiana’s heart.

Year’s later, Georgiana marries Anthony, who unexpectedly dies of a heart attack on their wedding night, leaving Georgie’s right to the title of marchioness in dispute.  Quinn returns from a diplomatic journey to Portugal, determined to settle the matter of the title once and for all, and live at the family house.

Quinn wasn’t expecting to feel anything again, not since his trust had been destroyed over and over again.  He was a devoted father and that was all that mattered to him.  But then he sees Georgiana and all his carefully constructed walls begin to tumble down.

The Kiss is the second of the Widow’s Club series, a fun series loosely set around a group of widowed ladies and their leader, Ata.  I have enjoyed both books (the first being A Dangerous Beauty) and look forward to the next.

The Kiss is a sprawling story, with offshoots of plot that come swirling back around.  Georgiana is a wounded beauty, and generally strong-willed, except for where her heart is concerned.  In fact, she is a little too caring, often letting others’ happiness rule her decisions.  Quinn is a bit stiff in some ways, with a wide heart he tries to keep hidden, scared of hurt.  Even the character of Fairleigh, Quinn’s daughter, is fun to read, and not as annoying as precocious child characters can often be.  Every person in The Kiss is a joy to follow as they make their way through the story, and continues Ms. Nash’s ability to write fantastic historical romance.