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The Fifth Kiss cover art

The Fifth Kiss

By: Elizabeth Mansfield
Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
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Summary

Award-winning author Elizabeth Mansfield presents the captivating tale of a fiercely independent woman who learns a shocking secret that leads to a startling lesson in love Olivia Matthews may be unversed in the ways of love, but her eyes don't deceive her.

Her sister's husband Miles Strickland, seventh Earl of Langley, is a scoundrel. Olivia just caught him in the arms of another woman. When she dares to confront him, the blackguard has the gall to accuse her of blackmail.

Determined to expose his unfaithfulness, Olivia leaves London to visit her sister in the English countryside, where her world is overturned. Suddenly, she is trying to rein in her rambunctious niece and nephew, fending off the amorous attentions of two suitors... and falling in love with the very nobleman she had vowed to hate forever.

©1981 Paula Schwartz; This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc. (P)2015 Audible Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: Romance

What listeners say about The Fifth Kiss

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story, Excellent Narration

If you could sum up The Fifth Kiss in three words, what would they be?

A good regency romance

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator does a great job with all these characters but if I have to choose I'd say I liked Olivia the main character because she develops as the story goes along and you go from an initial opinion of her character to another as she grows. I also loved the exchanges the two Aunts have, funny.

What does Ruth Urquhart bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I think the characterisation is brilliant, it was like listening to a radio play and her voice as the narrator is pleasant to listen to.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

both.

Any additional comments?

This is a great regency period story with author and narrator bringing to life beautifully the setting, period and the many characters. Ruth has a great voice for this piece. The characters were all well defined and the narration easy and pleasant to listen too. It's been very relaxing to spend my Sunday in this era with these characters. Well done.

1 person found this helpful

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Bones of a good story

If this had been written more delicately then it could have made a lovely story. Unfortunately the actions of the hero and the little interaction between hero and heroine (that was needed to have made the romance more believable) make it a disappointment.

The narration exacerbated the above as the characters sounded petulant and angry throughout the entire book, and often the pronunciation was incorrect.

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Enjoyable, different story

A different story that caused me to check on marital law in the Regency period. I didn't quite like the narrator's interpretation of the hero and mispronunciation of some words.

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  • DrCollins
  • 04-11-21

The "Hero" cheats, neglects, threatens beatings.

The first part of the story, the author firmly established the brother-in-law hero as a neglectful, cheating, abusive, angry villian, then tried to establish that he had good reason for it so he was really a good guy, That did NOT work. She also established the heroine as an intelligent, independent woman which distinguished her from her older sister, and then changed her into a passive and rather stupid victim of potential domestic violence, merely a colorless substitute for her dead sister. Not my idea of a happy ending. Having read and liked most of Elizabeth Mansfield's other books, I thought the previous reviews might be wrong. They were not. I really hated this book.

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  • Amy Gevas
  • 02-11-20

Fine. 🤷

Ok enough if you've nothing else- hope you like the word "nonplussed" and a speedy reader.

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  • 🌿🌸Susynne🌸🌿
  • 08-07-20

The fifth kiss

Well, I really enjoyed this! I shed a few tears (admittedly the thing I um.... avoid. Why are there no funny books around?) and practically listened in one sitting! It was well written, and well narrated. A truly agreeable regency romance, my favorite!

The heat factor on this one didn’t even motivate the thermometer, a cool clean romance. It didn’t matter.

I totally find it creditworthy!