Audio Book Review-Kiss An Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

About The Book

Wedding Day

Pretty, flighty Daisy Devreaux can either go to jail or marry the mystery man her father has chosen for her. Arranged marriages don’t happen in the modern world, so how did the irrepressible Daisy find herself in this fix?

Alex Markov, as humorless as he is deadly handsome, has no intention of playing the loving bridegroom to a spoiled little feather-head with champagne tastes. He drags Daisy from her uptown life to a broken down traveling circus and sets out to tame her to his ways.

But this man without a soul has met his match in a woman who’s nothing but heart. Before long, passion will send them flying sky high without a safety net… risking it all in search of a love that will last forever.

Don’t dare a person who has nothing else left to lose.”

My Review

First Impressions

Kiss An Angel is a standalone romantic comedy by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. This is a classic style of a romantic comedy and I had such a blast with this one. I am falling in love with this style of Phillips and how she crafts a romance. Kiss An Angel was recommended to me as I am such a strong fan of the arranged marriage trope so I went into this one with so much excitement. And It was worth it for sure. This book held my heart very early on. It does have some elements in the content of the story that may prove to be challenging for some readers, but I fell so hard for this book and especially the romance that is built within this one here. I really was hooked into Kiss An Angel and was completely different than I expected it to be but it delivered fully and had me laughing so hard all the way through it.

There was a sweetness about her that was as unexpected as it was disturbing because it made her so much more vulnerable than he wanted her to be.

Summary

Kiss an Angel begins with the start of a marriage. Alex Markov is a broody man who doesn’t believe he can ever love. But he makes a deal with Daisy’s father and will be married to Daisy for six months. Daisy finds herself in trouble with the law, her father gets her out of it, but in exchange she will have to marry this dark stranger who doesn’t know how to smile or laugh and is strict in standards of behavior. Daisy knows that she has little choice in this marriage, but wants to make the best of the circumstances that have been dealt to her. For Daisy marriage and sex is sacred and she wants to do her best in this marriage….but marriage to Alex won’t be as easy as she would have imagined. Alex manages a circus and Daisy being his wife, she will now have to work alongside him in the workings of the circus. Daisy is shocked that her marriage will start off this way, she and animals do not get along, and she is cursed when it comes to relating to animals but Daisy starts to find her own strength and connections to these animals who win her heart alongside with their master…Alex Markov. But will the ice around Alex’s heart be able to be melted or will Daisy be in this marriage alone….

We can do this easy, or we can do it rough. Either way, I’m going to win. You decide how it’ll be.

What I Loved

So many things I adored about this book here. Kiss An Angel is a riot of angst and chemistry and delicious humor that just pulls you more and more into the story. I absolutely adored both of these characters. They are the true epitome of grumpy sunshine. And the circus setting was so fascinating. Especially in the viewpoint from the mid 90’s, this was definitely a different time and it had so many nostalgic vibes and this is why I don’t mind reading older contemporaries because it has a view of a time that is so different and refreshing from today. I really enjoyed the way in which these two banter with each other. They have such different expectations and outlooks on life so seeing them find ways to become compatible was entertaining. We also have the conflicts that rise within this story. It was so heartwrenching to see what this heroine has to go through at times. But we see her journey in finding herself and seeing what she is capable of accomplishing. On the surface, she seems flighty, but she has this will of iron, and seeing that be tested was perfection. I loved what we saw her overcome. What I also admired was how she took her vows so seriously and how she views sex was so refreshing from what we see in so many contemporaries these days. And the way in which she is willing to fight for her marriage is inspiring. Then we have our delectable hero, who is hard as stone. He has suffered abuse as a kid, which has shaped him in the hard-hearted man that he is. He cares for others, but it doesn’t always show. We see how slowly Daisy’s personality and courage wins him over and how he has to face up to the demons of his past and find his own will to open himself up to love.

But I don’t love you, Daisy, and you can’t begin to know how sorry I am about that because if I could chose anyone in this world to love, it’d be you.

What I Struggled With

The third act in this book was really tough to swallow. I had a rough time with how the grovel scene was handled. I felt like there should have been more forgiveness portrayed and not stretching out the grovel, as it didn’t need to be stretched out like it was and turned me off a bit. As long as there is change and sincerity in the grovel, it never needs to be stretched out to these proportions.

“I don’t love you anymore,Alex.”
“It’s alright sweetheart.I love you enough for the both of us.”

The Narration

Anna Fields portrays this author’s books perfectly! She really brings out the humor just right and also just handles the vibe and tone of the story just right and delivers the classic feel of the story.

Overall View

Kiss An Angel is a stimulating, heart and humor delivered just right, and a story that is packed with relatable characters, charm and class and delivers a captivating arranged marriage romance to delight in! A DELECTABLE GEM!

“I love you, Daisy. I love you so much I hurt.”

Book Details

Title: Kiss An Angel

Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Format: Audiobook

Source: Hoopla Digital

Length: 11 Hours and 25 Minutes

About the Narrators

Anna Fields was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A scriptwriter for As the World Turns, she is also a successful playwright and stand-up comedian. She now lives in New York City.

Book Links

Amazon| Barnes & Noble| Kobo| Goodreads| LibraryThing| Storygraph| Literal Club| Audible

About The Author

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Susan’s newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women’s fiction/romance novels.

In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.

You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.