Having read the other two books in the Worthington series, I was so pleased to see that Ms. Quinn has stepped up her game with this book. Lady Louisa Vivers is a strong-willed young woman determined to marry for love. When her eye catches sight of Duke Gideon Rothwell, she knows he's the man for her. Rothwell would like nothing better than to marry for love, but first he must clean up the mess left by his father who unfortunately suffered from dementia in his last years. With Rothwell in Canada, the old duke was bilked out of a fortune especially by his former mistress, Mrs. Petrie. With the estate in serious financial straits, it was up to Rothwell to try and get some of the money back. However, his resolve not to marry until the estate is financially stable again dissolves into the air when he meets Louisa.

Ms. Quinn is a talented author and I was happy to see that she kept the tension up throughout the book. I had found with her previous books in the series, that the situation to overcome was too quickly resolved in a few paragraphs. That is not the case with this story. Louisa is a fantastic character-definitely not the "usual" well-bred lady. I loved seeing that. She knew what she wanted and had no problems going after it. Rothwell's pride nearly cost him everything. Would he learn to trust the woman he loved or would he be stubborn and lose her?

This story was delightful and fans of Regency romance will enjoy it. Recommended.

What can I say but WOW! What a great historical romance. loved it all!

A sweet regency romance that brings back some favorite characters and engages with new main characters and their struggles.

Lady Louisa is one of my favorite heroines of all time. She is not too proud or stubborn, but she is determined to be a partner and an equal to her husband. While that might not be a Regency-era norm, certainly there are strong women in every era, and she is one. Her beloved, a duke who returns to find his finances and family in a mess, also is a great hero. Gideon tends to keep problems a bit close to the chest — not telling Lady Louisa the extent of his difficulties certainly causes a crisis — but his reasons are understandable, especially with the tendency of the ton to maintain appearances at all costs. I loved the "proposal" scene (Worthingtons should never go out into a garden or on the terrace) and the lead-up to the wedding. Ella Quinn's historical notes, about couples and their ability to be alone together during a betrothal, were quite interesting, too. This is a wonderful family story -- it was great to see Matt and Grace again, as well as Lady Louisa's mother, who did get her HEA (although she still is not the best judge of men). All in all, an engaging read with two characters you would enjoy having over for tea. (Thanks for the advance reader copy; opinions are my own.)

This is a great series and “It started with a kiss” is the third in the series about the Worthingtons. The story of Louisa and Gideon, the Duke of Rothwell was very romantic. I loved the instant attraction between the two and it was made all the more believable as Gideon’s friendship with Louisa’s brother, makes him all the more likeable. Gideon is an honourable man, torn between his attraction to Louisa but trying to reply the many debts incurred by his father. What makes this novel interesting is that Gideon is hiding his father’s dementia and affair from Louisa, leading to confusion between the couple. Quinn kept me enthralled by the twists and turns.

I received a free copy of this novel from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow at the beginning but it picked up the pace around the halfway point and then it was a sprint to the finish.

Louisa and Gideon have an instant attraction, but unfortunately Gideon is not in a position to court her at this time. Louisa is sure that Gideon is the "one" and won't give up her chance at happiness.

Gideon has many problems. He has just returned from Canada to find that his father has passed and has left the dukedom in disarray. His father suffered from dementia and left his family and reverted to his wild youth - gambling and keeping a greedy mistress. Gideon is working to reverse the damage but he conceals his father's actions from Louisa. He begins to believe that he can have a future with Louisa and then his cousin Bentley drops a bombshell on him.

Bentley believes he is in love with Louisa and wants Gideon to help him woo her. Gideon loves his cousin and as much as he wants Louisa, he feels she would be better with Bentley. When Louisa hears this she is having none of it. She wants Gideon and Bentley will never do for her.

I found Louisa to be an incredibly resourceful woman. She is perfect for Gideon - too bad he has too much pride to accept her help.

When these two ended up engaged and Louisa realizes the extend of Gideon's financial problems, she offers to release him. But Gideon can't let her go and even though he won't tell her about the problems his father has caused, he is sure he can make this marriage work.

The poor delusional man! Gideon and Louisa have a lot to overcome before they finally get their HEA - but what a ride!

I would definitely recommend this book and I think this book could be read as a stand alone title even though it is part of a series. It is well written, has some steamy scenes, great secondary characters and a great ending.

Ella Quinn writes the most enjoyable Regencies. Her characters and secondary characters are delightful, and her novels have actual plots as well as a HEA. The pages just fly by. We always buy her for our library.

I have read the first two novels of the Worthingtons and this novel did not disappoint. You do not need to read the previous novels before reading this one, but some of the characters from the previous novels are in this one. I enjoyed the author's writing and the plot as well as the romance. The characters are both strong and I enjoyed the interactions between the two.
Gideon, the Duke of Rothwell, returns to England from being in Canada after the death of his father. He returns to his estates to discover several things missing and many debts. He discovers his father had dementia and has a mistress, whom he seems to still be paying for a year after his father's death.
Lady Louisa Vivers believes in love, after seeing her brother and friend fall in love and have a good marriage. She wants love for herself, but no suitor has made her heart jump. When Louisa and Gideon first see each other in the park, both have feelings that this person is possible the one. When they meet again, their attraction to each other grows as well as those sparks they have as they continuously meet. They cannot stop thinking about each other.
Gideon does not want a wife until he can get his estate in order. When his cousin tells him of his interest in Louisa, Gideon does not want to hurt his cousin and will step aside. He does not want people to think he is marrying her for money because he truly loves her. Louisa has other plans though and will not let Gideon go so easily. Gideon wants Louisa to be his duchess and they go through a few bumps in the road, and eventually will marry. However, Gideon is still keeping secrets and his father's mistress and debts from Louisa. A marriage is based on trust and when Louisa finds out about things from others, she is deeply hurt and feels betrayed. Will Gideon confess to his father's mistakes and make things right with Louisa before those who wish to hurt them are successful? Will Louisa be able to forgive Gideon and understand why did hid the truth from her? Will their love be able to save them?

It started with a book, it does not disappoint. Ms Quinn has done it again loved it👍🏼😀

I just love the Worthingtons, and I am truly looking forward to hearing the stories of all the younger siblings in time.
This story of Louisa and Gideon was magical, I love the feisty personality that Louisa had and how it matched perfectly with Gideon's temperament
It was obvious early on that Louisa would get to the truth and put her stamp on the whole situation as her whole character screamed of being the one in charge but I was surprised at how it all unfolded
In a short space of time through this series this author has become a firm favourite of mine in this genre and I'm hoping for many more books to follow this family's journey through each seasons festivities.

Amazon reviews to follow on release date