Hero Whitby wants only to continue her studies and become a doctor like her Father. She has endured too much to ever trust any man as her husband. That is until she meets Alexander Sterne. Beaten and left for dead, Alex is brought to her father for care. After seeing to him for 3 days, Hero cannot deny that she is drawn to him. During his time with Hero and her father, Alex recognizes the terrible situation that exists in their area and vows to help. Will Hero's compassion be enough to heal them both? Read and find out!!!

Smugglers, murder, memory loss, and love. Lots of things going on in this story- be sure to keep up. A well told Historical Romance.

Hero is considered on the shelf and as such is living with her doctor father in his place in Cornwall. She wants to be a doctor herself and has learned almost everything she needs to know from her father. She’s woken up one night by locals who found a beaten man by the side of the road. He is completely built, and Hero can’t help from noticing how beautiful his body is (how unprofessional, Hero!).

The man eventually wakes up and doesn’t remember his past. When he returned from the war he had pretty bad PTSD so that might be a good thing. He eventually remembers and figures out that he is the third son of a duke and was arriving in Cornwall incognito. He was to check the books of the land steward of his very own holdings. Because the land steward isn’t on the up and up, they attacked the “bookkeeper” and left him for dead.

The land steward turned out to be a very bad guy and was threatening to evict people from the land if they didn’t help him with his smuggling ring – this included part of Hero’s family.

I liked this story. I found the whole smuggling/land steward/amnesia story really worked for me. I thought that Counts did a great job with all of that. She wrote a story that kept my attention and I wanted to keep reading.

Unfortunately I didn’t feel as strongly about the romance in the story. While I liked both Hero and Alex, I wasn’t feeling it between them. Hero knew Alex by reputation, since he’d never actually been to that particular holding since he’d inherited it. She knew the owner was a drunkard and a rake, and thought him the lowest of lows. When she found out that Alex was the owner, she was pissed. Of course, Alex had lied to her, but still, she should have listened when he’d said he’d changed.

In the end I found the book to be satisfying, but not as satisfying as I thought it would be at the beginning. I was disappointed that the second half of the book wasn’t as good as the first half. I still think it’s worth reading if you like smuggling stories.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Hero has worked along her physician father for several years and has learned through his tutelage how to heal. When a beaten and broken man is brought to them, after being left for dead, Hero takes over most of his care. When the man comes to after several days, he doesn't remember who he is so they call him Adam. Over time, he remembers that he is Lord Alexander Sterne and the lord of the Abbey in this small town in the English countryside.

Alexander is a seasoned soldier who suffers from nightmares from the battles and the men he lost and the horrors of war. Hero has her own nightmares that weigh heavily on her mind, also. The more time Alexander spends with Hero, the more he wants to be with her, maybe forever. Hero is skittish, though, and he realizes that maybe someone has hurt her and he wants nothing more to make the hurt go away. But, he is lying about not remembering who he is in order to get intel on his corrupt and evil land steward. Will Hero ever be able to forgive him when the truth comes out or will his lies destroy what could be between them?

I enjoyed the development of the characters in this book. There was some sex, although not terribly graphic. Their story is more about their budding relationship and their relationship with others in the community. There is smuggling, bullies and a lot of intrigue going on.

I was given an arc copy of this book by netgalley and I offer my review willingly.

Set in Cornwell during difficult times for the lower classes, this historical gem centers around Hero, who has good reason to be bitter but instead is a well-loved assistant to her father, Dr Whitby. When a handsome man is brought to them after being badly beaten, she restores him to health. Although he has lost his memory, he knows he is a soldier and suffers from nightmares. The two help each other to heal and open their minds to new possibilities, especially love.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in the Once upon a Bride series. I enjoyed the story a great deal and just couldn’t put it down. I loved it a great deal but Hero towards the end was a little annoying. I hope that the next one is a good read as well.

A well written historical read, “It Only Takes a Kiss” is a sweet romance that encompasses multiple themes. Among the most notable is PTSD for both genders.

Every character is well written with the female lead being both strong and intelligent and a dynamic male lead. While readers may come for the romance, it is the characters and story that truly shine in this story. In fact, the romance is the least interesting aspect of the novel, almost as if it’s an afterthought to the plot. While the story is entertaining, it is also an easy novel to set down and return to.

Overall, “It Only Takes a Kiss” is an entertaining novel that is skillfully written with noteworthy characters.

This is my first book by Wilma Counts. I enjoyed it and found it to be a fun story. I will definitely read more by her. But though I enjoyed the book, it really didn't grab me by the throat; I was able to put it down and walk away for periods of time.

I really liked that Alex was formerly a military officer who fought at Waterloo. Being from a military family (Semper Fi!), I always enjoy that type of hero. Alex suffered from PTSD due to his military service. This made him an interesting character to me. I also liked Hero a great deal. She, too, seemed to suffer from PTSD due to a severe trauma as a girl. She assisted her father in his medical practice in a time when that was an unacceptable thing for a woman to do. She was a very strong heroine. I thought Alex's brutal attack, his amnesia and the smuggling storyline were extremely interesting.

The romance of Alex and Hero, though, fell a little flat for me. Though they were very sweet together, I really didn't feel the heat. Also, the way Alex responded to Hero when she found out his secret rather irked me. You lied to her, man...you don't have the right to be offended! It was still a nice romance in spite of that. I am looking forward to going back and reading the first book I missed in the series.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

It Only Takes a Kiss by Wilma Counts was a wonderful story with lots of action. This story has attempted murder, memory loss, smugglers, bad stewards, female doctors, love and so much more. It was hard to put down. I look forward to reading more from this author.

It Only Takes a Kiss by Wilma Counts is book Two in the Once Upon a Bride Series. This is the story of Alexander Sterne and Hero Whitby. I have read the previous book, but feel this can be a standalone book.
Hero has taken to helping her father who is a Doctor and building her knowledge of his field. Hero had a troubling encounter with the aristocrats has settled into this life she has now. But when a badly beaten man is in need of care it brings out some feelings in Hero. Alexander was a soldier in Wellington's army and the third son of Duke of Thornleigh. But he was set-upon, robbed and badly beaten which has left him with amnesia. But he is quickly getting the reality of his settings and that there is something special about Hero.
I have really enjoyed this series so far and was happy that this book just added to that feeling.

While I do feel as though there were times when the pace of this story slowed to a crawl, and there were other times when details were added that were wholly unnecessary, on the whole, I very much enjoyed it. I liked that Hero was not only encouraged to help her father in the medical field, but respected all the more for it. I loved how strong-willed and independent she came across. This was truly a woman who was in charge of her own life, and who knew her own mind.

I feel similarly about Alex. He has been through the horrors of war, still in face relives them in his dreams, but even then he is determined to do what is right to help others. Once he learns how dire things are on his estate, he jumps in with both feet to see they are fixed (or least on the path of being fixed).

Their romance was an interesting one. On one hand I can understand Alex's reasons for some of the things he did, but it was because he didn't share those reasons that I can also understand why Hero reacted the way she did. There was a lot of drama and angst between these two that could have been resolved had they both not been so bloody stubborn.

All in all, I do think this story will be enjoyed by those who enjoy historical romances with strong characters, and intriguing story-lines. I would read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Hero is an usual woman for this period, in that she plays a very active part in her father’s medical duties. This brings her in contact with Alex. Alex is the duke’s younger son and owns a property near Hero’s home. There are various misunderstandings, a delightful imp called Annabelle and treacherous smugglers and a villain, as well as romance. I enjoyed the strong sense of family and looking out for each other’s well-being. This was an engaging read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There are some pretty deep themes underlying this excellently written Regency romance; the hero is a soldier returned from war, and though he’s the wealthy third son of a duke with the world at his feet, some fairly major PTSD has him lost and floundering, like so many who came back both in those days and the current time, he finds it difficult to fit back into the world he once knew.

Given a ‘mission’ to look over discrepancies in the accounts of a Cornish estate he inherited which he has never visited, Alex decides to head to Cornwall incognito - but not incognito enough. Attacked just before arrival, he is seriously wounded and suffers amnesia. Ending up in the care of the local doctor and his very competent daughter-assistant Hero, he soon finds there is more to this innocent-seeming Cornish village than meets the eye. With the local economy in tatters due to a corrupt steward’s embezzlement, many men are forced into the smuggling trade just to keep food on the table.

Alex has to wrestle with the moral dilemma of who deserves punishment and who deserves help, all the while falling madly in love with Hero, who is a delightful heroine years ahead of her time. Basically trained as her father’s apprentice, she is as competent a doctor as anyone could wish, but barred forever from recognition because of her gender. Seeking her own place in the world, it’s obvious to the reader that she and Alex will make a wonderful match, but of course there are a lot of obstacles to clear out of the way first.

Britain in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars was a country trying to find her way, with wealthy absentee landlords oblivious to the needs of their tenants, returning soldiers desperate for work, the Luddites fighting the rise of mechanisation and much more. The author cleverly weaves all this into her story, showing the empathy of the two (wealthy) protagonists by making them care about those around them and seek to improve the lot of the many rather than just the few. This is a really good, enjoyable read with a lovely romance atop a richly layered, thoroughly researched backdrop. Five stars.

As always, this is a fair and honest review in exchange for this ARC. Misconceptions, a temporary memory lapse, a heroine with a past fraught with distrust and a hero who must make things right. Well told story with a bit of heat but not salacious.

Best friends since their schooldays, Henrietta, Harriet, and Hero are wise and witty young ladies, embarking on the sometimes bumpy road to happily-ever-after, each in her own brilliant way . . .

Hero Whitby her passion to be a doctor, working alongside her father, a respected physician. But when a badly beaten stranger is carried in to his practice, he’s been robbed and left for dead, Alexander Sterne, third son of Duke of Thornleigh has no memory of his past as a soldier in Wellington’s army—or as a carousing playboy. But as he becomes aware of his surroundings and the plight of the locals, Alex realizes only he can break the corrupt hold of an evil land steward. And when Hero’s tender kiss awakens him from sleep and restores his identity he knows that he must regain not only his strength but a newfound .them both.
This is the second of the three H’s stories but can easily be read on its own. Another well written engrossing read that I really enjoyed. It was well paced & had amnesia, secrets, smuggling, an evil steward as well as romance. Alex & Hero are very likeable, they are thrown together when Alex is beaten, they become friends but secrets threaten to separate them until they realise what truly matters. I'm looking forward to Harriet’s story

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

It's a shame to say, but I didn't enjoy this book at all. I loved the previous book and was looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, there were a few things that went wrong that lead to me not recommending it.

One, it didn't have enough development of the romance. I felt like the reader was told they liked each other but wasn't shown. There was nothing to indicate Hero and Adam were becoming closer, they just all of a sudden were kissing. A lot of time kept passing by in the story, where they would be together for over a week, but that passage of time was just glossed over. One minute you're in the present, and then ten days have gone by. What happened during those ten days?

Two, the history of sexual trauma. This is a really sensitive subject and needs to be handled well when brought up in a romance novel. Hero was assaulted as a teenager, but the way it's addressed in the book doesn't do a great job of conveying the gravity of what happened to her. It was horrible, but she seems to be relatively calm after telling Adam about it. That's just not how it would go in reality. If you have been raped and not told anyone about it for years, the first time you do is not going to be smooth. And you're certainly not going to be right as rain after telling someone. It just seemed odd and made me feel it wasn't well researched.

I definitely won't write off this author - I still like her. It's just this book that is not one I enjoyed.

It Only Takes a Kiss, book two of Once Upon a Bride series by Wilma Counts, is a good story. Most definitely worth a read. Three and a half stars.

I was totally engaged with 'It Only Takes a Kiss' until I was derailed with the sexual content. With no spoilers, it just didn't ring true, and that was disconcerting in an otherwise lovely Regency story. There are great villains, suspense, humor, likable characters and great location descriptions. I was on a Georgette Heyer vibe high and was disappointed with the direction it went. If you can skip over this problem I think you will enjoy the book.

I received a free copy from Netgalley exchange for an honest review. This book was okay I felt like it dragged in places and went on a little long but I did like the main characters Hero and Alex. Alex is returning home after being at War and is finally visiting the estate that has been left alone for 8 years since his uncle passed. Alex is met with an accident and that's where Hero meets him acting as his doctor.

Wilma Counts is a reliable author for me, someone I count on to bring to life a different time and period with an engaging love story and interesting people. In It Only Takes a Kiss she manages to make realistic a young lady's interest in medicine and make fresh again the story of a not-so-aristocratic woman's love for an aristocratic wastrel. Hero is just a wonderful heroine, someone who is brave, kind and unwilling to waste her life on fashion and fribbles. Instead, she helps her father in the surgery -- and as he grows frailer, takes over -- and makes something of her life. Her care for the injured Alexander Sterne (known as Adam because of memory loss for much of the story) is touching, with interesting bits about Regency-era medicine thrown in for good measure. There's some meat to this story. We see again how rare it is for women to have choices, and how a sister in a house after a brother marries -- even a wonderful brother -- is left spinning her wheels. Hero's betrayal by Alexander -- he doesn't tell her his real identity -- is well-told and induces a tear or two. Yet Counts does not let the misunderstanding linger or become overly bitter. This is the best kind of escape reading, with characters who become friends, fall in love and (we trust) live happily ever after. (I received an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions mine.)