begentile's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
fiadhnd's review against another edition
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers. I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**
Audio (Anna Fields)
4
Summary: After getting into debt, socialite Daisy enters a temporary arranged marriage with circus performer (and maybe more) Alex Markov organized by her father. Despite the challenges of her new circumstances and their initial antagonism, Daisy eventually finds her place, and they find love.
Stats: CR, M/F, stand alone, open door
Notes: The weakest part of this book comes in towards the end, which was quite disappointing. I really enjoyed the main story, but once the wild plots started getting thrown in, the story lost my interest a bit. So much of that just made no sense and was totally unnecessary. I did find the tone funny and entertaining for the most part, though it shows its age in a lot of places - there’s a decent bit of kinkshaming and the animal abuse was a bit hard to read (even though it was recognised as abuse some of the time).
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
Audio (Anna Fields)
4
Summary: After getting into debt, socialite Daisy enters a temporary arranged marriage with circus performer (and maybe more) Alex Markov organized by her father. Despite the challenges of her new circumstances and their initial antagonism, Daisy eventually finds her place, and they find love.
Stats: CR, M/F, stand alone, open door
Notes: The weakest part of this book comes in towards the end, which was quite disappointing. I really enjoyed the main story, but once the wild plots started getting thrown in, the story lost my interest a bit. So much of that just made no sense and was totally unnecessary. I did find the tone funny and entertaining for the most part, though it shows its age in a lot of places - there’s a decent bit of kinkshaming and the animal abuse was a bit hard to read (even though it was recognised as abuse some of the time).
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
Spoiler
Death of parent (fire, accident), arranged marriage, critical parents, cigarette/tobacco use, alcohol, debt, grief, animals in captivity (circus), infidelity in past relationship (mother seduced FMC’s former partner), mention of suicide attempt (mother), use of “sexual perversion” to describe kink, brief mention of child abuse (physical, sexual?, of the MMC), a little bit of “crazy talk”, a few jokes about DV/IPV, a few references to religion, a joke about personality disorders, FMC throws something at the mmc out of anger, general manhandling, a joke about STDs, a lot of flirty waitresses, mention of dope, underage sex (mmc was 16 when an adult woman has him touch/kiss her breasts and touches his penis causing him to ejaculate - described on page), use of painful compliance with animals (shocks, bill hooks), light switch power play, honour bondage, birth control confusion, use of gypsy/hooker, mentions of assassination (including children) in Russian Revolution, animal attack, Firearms,a very little bit of doctor/medical play (more as a joke than a kink), pregnancy, a side character kicks a chair out from under his teenager and drags her by her arm (while angry), slut shaming of side character by side character, semi-public royalty role play, slave/tsar/tsarina role play, mmc demands FMC terminate a pregnancy, negative talk about abortion, mmc accidentally injures FMC, birth control tampering (by side character, of FMC’s medication), mmc threatens fmc’s job to manipulate her, reference to mmc having sex with FMC while she is passive/reluctant (but not refusing consent), a fair bit of OW drama, mention of big cat hunting, age gap (34/26)laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Kiss an Angel
4.5 Stars
Forced to marry the devastatingly handsome yet cold and humorless Alex Markov, Daisy Devereaux does what she does best - gives it her all. Flighty, featherbrained Daisy is the last woman Alex thought he would be attracted to, but Daisy's incredible heart and passion for life soon have him questioning his long held belief that love is for fools. Do such stark opposites have a chance at a future together?
Susan Elizabeth Philips is rapidly becoming my favorite new author. Her characters and events come alive on the page despite the often ridiculous circumstances and scenarios.
Alex starts out as a complete alpha jerk who treats Daisy abominably with every intention of driving her away. But his cold hearted facade gradually melts as Daisy weaves her guileless web of charm and affection around him. Their chemistry is tangible and their romance both sweet and sexy.
The secondary characters are well-developed from the spiteful teenager with a crush on Alex to the manipulative circus owner bent on revenge.
The circus setting is quite original and scenes from The Greatest Show on Earth kept running through my mind while reading. The inclusion of animal characters, while adding another layer of charm, also raises question regarding the ethics of keeping wild animals in captivity for human entertainment.
In sum, Kiss an Angel is a fantastic opposites attract romance for fans who adore a good grovel from their heroes.
4.5 Stars
Forced to marry the devastatingly handsome yet cold and humorless Alex Markov, Daisy Devereaux does what she does best - gives it her all. Flighty, featherbrained Daisy is the last woman Alex thought he would be attracted to, but Daisy's incredible heart and passion for life soon have him questioning his long held belief that love is for fools. Do such stark opposites have a chance at a future together?
Susan Elizabeth Philips is rapidly becoming my favorite new author. Her characters and events come alive on the page despite the often ridiculous circumstances and scenarios.
Alex starts out as a complete alpha jerk who treats Daisy abominably with every intention of driving her away. But his cold hearted facade gradually melts as Daisy weaves her guileless web of charm and affection around him. Their chemistry is tangible and their romance both sweet and sexy.
The secondary characters are well-developed from the spiteful teenager with a crush on Alex to the manipulative circus owner bent on revenge.
The circus setting is quite original and scenes from The Greatest Show on Earth kept running through my mind while reading. The inclusion of animal characters, while adding another layer of charm, also raises question regarding the ethics of keeping wild animals in captivity for human entertainment.
In sum, Kiss an Angel is a fantastic opposites attract romance for fans who adore a good grovel from their heroes.
dishak's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
ah i loved it
auroraisobessed's review against another edition
3.75
entire things a spoiler
What I liked
- the writing style was interesting sometimes
> ugh but i skipped through that entire chapter on the old circus witch making out w heathers dad thing.
What I didn't love
- Wasnt enough hurt / comfort for my liking. I wanted him to find out abt the money n GROVEL and say sorry and idk the fact that she was over it and not holding a grudge pissed me off. This entire relationship has been built off of her back so far its always her doing stuff for him (her leaving to go to the circus, her doing the whip trick and her not being mad when he switched it up on her at the last minute ON STAGE, her being so good with the tiger) what has he done? he's so mean to her sometimes idk it feels like too little too late. like the way this author described those miserable weeks of her being the pariah made me actually really sad and i really really wanted her to cry or make a bit more of a deal abt it.
- thats like my issue, hes so fucking MEAN. what the fuck do you mean he keeps flirting with waitresses and refuses to tell you anything? fucking stop it.
- the whole heather money thing had a undertone of "look the rich spoilt girl has risen above and taken the high road" but like i havent taken the high road and I needed an apology with her fucking acknowledging that she was miserable..
genuinely that man does not like his fucking wife.
ALSO you're fucking kidding me she can talk to animals? what the actual fuck no she cant what do you mean she hangs out with a sabertooth tiger. it reeks of "well the rich spoilt girl cant do anything else to help but she has to have something that makes her really special to alex, so she can talk to animals" like absolutely fucking not.
What I liked
- the writing style was interesting sometimes
> ugh but i skipped through that entire chapter on the old circus witch making out w heathers dad thing.
What I didn't love
- Wasnt enough hurt / comfort for my liking. I wanted him to find out abt the money n GROVEL and say sorry and idk the fact that she was over it and not holding a grudge pissed me off. This entire relationship has been built off of her back so far its always her doing stuff for him (her leaving to go to the circus, her doing the whip trick and her not being mad when he switched it up on her at the last minute ON STAGE, her being so good with the tiger) what has he done? he's so mean to her sometimes idk it feels like too little too late. like the way this author described those miserable weeks of her being the pariah made me actually really sad and i really really wanted her to cry or make a bit more of a deal abt it.
- thats like my issue, hes so fucking MEAN. what the fuck do you mean he keeps flirting with waitresses and refuses to tell you anything? fucking stop it.
- the whole heather money thing had a undertone of "look the rich spoilt girl has risen above and taken the high road" but like i havent taken the high road and I needed an apology with her fucking acknowledging that she was miserable..
genuinely that man does not like his fucking wife.
ALSO you're fucking kidding me she can talk to animals? what the actual fuck no she cant what do you mean she hangs out with a sabertooth tiger. it reeks of "well the rich spoilt girl cant do anything else to help but she has to have something that makes her really special to alex, so she can talk to animals" like absolutely fucking not.
diaryofthebookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
Daisy Devreaux grew up with her mother ex model carrier now devoted party girl. When her mother suddenly dies, Daisy is left with a large row of creditors. Daisy's estranged father agrees to help her and pay the debts but on one condition:
"It was high time she grew up, he told her, and if she wanted to stay out of jail, she was going to put an end to her extravagance and do as he said."
And first thing her father demands? That Daisy marries Alexander Markov and stays married for at least six months. Without money, any formal education or friends, Daisy desperately accepts and theshow book begins...
The last thing I read before this book was [b:The Tragedy Paper|13628178|The Tragedy Paper|Elizabeth LaBan|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340195568s/13628178.jpg|19234396], so I was in desperate need of something light, funny and romantic. I remembered [a:Susan Elizabeth Phillips|41313|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1351268280p2/41313.jpg] as a writer who usually has that type of books and she fulfilled all my expectations with [b:Kiss an Angel|73086|Kiss an Angel|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309115033s/73086.jpg|1040905].
Daisy's naturally optimistic nature was like a ray of sunshine piercing even the darkest clouds and I liked her sense of humor, especially when she was teasing her dark and serious husband.
Other characters that really brightened my day were animals. They were just so cute and I wanted to be there to pet them and play with them. Special mentions goes to cute baby elephant Tater.
[image source]
The thing that bothered me about Daisy was her pseudo-psychic connection with the tiger. It felt weird, was not explained enough and I think it would be better if that part was totally left out from the book.
Another thing that was over-the-top was how big prude Daisy is. [a:Susan Elizabeth Phillips|41313|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1351268280p2/41313.jpg] did a good job explaining why, but still, she felt so out-of-this-world with that logic. I agreed with her husband:
"How could anyone in this day and age think that way?"
Still, this book has much more things that recommend it then bad aspects. So if you like sweet romance story with a nice build-up, cute animals, array of well developed secondary characters, try [b:Kiss an Angel|73086|Kiss an Angel|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309115033s/73086.jpg|1040905], you probably will not be disappointed.
"It was high time she grew up, he told her, and if she wanted to stay out of jail, she was going to put an end to her extravagance and do as he said."
And first thing her father demands? That Daisy marries Alexander Markov and stays married for at least six months. Without money, any formal education or friends, Daisy desperately accepts and the
The last thing I read before this book was [b:The Tragedy Paper|13628178|The Tragedy Paper|Elizabeth LaBan|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340195568s/13628178.jpg|19234396], so I was in desperate need of something light, funny and romantic. I remembered [a:Susan Elizabeth Phillips|41313|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1351268280p2/41313.jpg] as a writer who usually has that type of books and she fulfilled all my expectations with [b:Kiss an Angel|73086|Kiss an Angel|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309115033s/73086.jpg|1040905].
Daisy's naturally optimistic nature was like a ray of sunshine piercing even the darkest clouds and I liked her sense of humor, especially when she was teasing her dark and serious husband.
Other characters that really brightened my day were animals. They were just so cute and I wanted to be there to pet them and play with them. Special mentions goes to cute baby elephant Tater.
[image source]
The thing that bothered me about Daisy was her pseudo-psychic connection with the tiger. It felt weird, was not explained enough and I think it would be better if that part was totally left out from the book.
Another thing that was over-the-top was how big prude Daisy is. [a:Susan Elizabeth Phillips|41313|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1351268280p2/41313.jpg] did a good job explaining why, but still, she felt so out-of-this-world with that logic. I agreed with her husband:
"How could anyone in this day and age think that way?"
Still, this book has much more things that recommend it then bad aspects. So if you like sweet romance story with a nice build-up, cute animals, array of well developed secondary characters, try [b:Kiss an Angel|73086|Kiss an Angel|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309115033s/73086.jpg|1040905], you probably will not be disappointed.
loverofromance's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5
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.
First Line
Daisy Devreauyx had forgotten her bridegroom's name...
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….
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.
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.
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!
Favorite Quote(s)
Don’t dare a person who has nothing else left to lose.”
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.
We can do this easy, or we can do it rough. Either way, I’m going to win. You decide how it’ll be.
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.
“I don’t love you anymore,Alex.”
“It’s alright sweetheart.I love you enough for the both of us.”
“I love you, Daisy. I love you so much I hurt.”
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Character Types: Russian Hero, Favorite Heroines
Themes: Love of Animals, Lots of Laughs, Heart/Emotional
Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Grumpy Sunshine, Opposites Attract
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict
Song This Book Inspires
Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Narrators:
Anna Fields
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5
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.
First Line
Daisy Devreauyx had forgotten her bridegroom's name...
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….
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.
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.
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!
Favorite Quote(s)
Don’t dare a person who has nothing else left to lose.”
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.
We can do this easy, or we can do it rough. Either way, I’m going to win. You decide how it’ll be.
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.
“I don’t love you anymore,Alex.”
“It’s alright sweetheart.I love you enough for the both of us.”
“I love you, Daisy. I love you so much I hurt.”
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Character Types: Russian Hero, Favorite Heroines
Themes: Love of Animals, Lots of Laughs, Heart/Emotional
Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Grumpy Sunshine, Opposites Attract
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict
Song This Book Inspires
Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Narrators:
Anna Fields
fritopie's review against another edition
Too much dub-con, sexual coercion, such as "if you really loved me you would..."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Death of parent