Kiss Me at Christmas is a good fit for readers looking for a historical romance with a focus on a bodyguard protecting a woman he grows to care for.

Perfectly charming and heartwarming characters. Just enough heat! Interesting plot that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. Enjoyed every minute of it!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

I liked this book a lot! I liked how it was also a mystery like the one before it. I did like Regina's awkwardness around Daphin throughout the book as he was solving who was stalking her throughout the story.

Lady Regina Haversham has a problem. She is almost 30 years old, still unwed, and wants to lose her virginity before her birthday. She also knows the perfect candidate to help her with her problem.

Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf is becoming legendary. He has successfully solved cases and continues to get great results. When Lady Regina comes to him with a proposal, he respectfully declines. However, there seems to be more at play.

Lady Regina has been having near misses in her carriage on the way home. Her cousin Nicole is terrified that more is afoot. It's time to hire a bodyguard. Who better than Daffin?!

Together they must determine who was after Regina and stop them before she is seriously hurt or killed.

This bodyguard, slow burn, mystery novel have you guessing who done it until the end. The hero has several secrets that he is keeping. Only time will tell if they will prevent a happily ever after.

There is great steam in the book that slowly rises as our hero and heroine get closer.

This book is well written and a continuing part of a series. You do not need to have read other parts of the series in order to enjoy this book. It is a true standalone.

Engaging and enjoyable Christmas themed romance, with a mystery to solve. I'm a sucker for historical romances that have spies or bow street runners so yay, that's what I got here with Daffin being hired to protect Lady Regina as someone seems to be out to harm her. Figuring out who and why takes most of the story and involves some interesting twists and turns. Daffin and Regina share a mutual attraction and even though Daffin doesn't think he's of a high enough station to be with Regina for the long term, she has other ideas. Warm characters, a little action and adventure and enjoyable romances make this series worth the read.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story.The side characters were such an integral part of this story as well. This is the love story i needed to read at this time. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you

GREAT HERO! Loved that this was a Bow Street Runner. Enjoyed the mystery that encased the story. Liked the heroine but loved the hero. This author always produces good, interesting stories. This was no exception.

I do enjoy a Bow Street Runner with a heart of gold and an Aristocrat who doesn't care.

"Kiss Me at Christmas" was just a fun read. Within the first chapter, the gauntlet tossed; Lady Regina comes to the Bow Street Office to ask Daffin Oakley to sleep with her (take her virginity) before she becomes engaged. They worked with others in a past book, and the flirting and a connection was obvious. She wants one night with someone of her choosing. Daffin is intrigued but turns her down.

But Regina is in danger, and the family calls upon Daffin to protect the family during Christmas. Tempting fate and his self-control, he moves into the family home while protecting and fighting his desires to pursue Regina.

Regina wants Daffin to give in to his urges; she wants to give in to her desires while attempting to ignore the older neighbor next door that wants to marry her for her family land.

Recommend. It's not a Christmas Romance, but a Romance that happens to be around Christmas, if that makes sense.

I received an ARC from St. Martins and Netgalley for an honest review.

I mean, it's a Valerie Bowman book. How could you do anything but love it?? If you need the perfect swoony read for Christmas, then this is the one for you.

Bowman writes the tale of a virgin wallflower out to pop her cherry with the Bow Street Runner she met in a previous book and asks him to to the deed before two events can occur: she turns thirty and she becomes engaged to a neighboring lord who she finds...inoffensive-ish.

This being the first book I've ever read by Bowman, I can't say if this book is a stand out for her or more of the same her fans can enjoy. I can only say she did enough for me to decidedly say I liked it and will be interested in looking at her others.

Regina Havensham is approaching thirty and on her uncle's request, has agreed to marry the man of his choice.
However before that happens, she wants to enjoy one night with a man of her choosing. The man she chooses is Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf. But when Regina offers herself to himself (rather clumsily), Daffin turns her down.
Daffin does found Regina attractive however she is the cousin of one of his closest friends and a noble lady. When he turns her down, he does it with her honor in his mind.
But when it becomes clear that someone is after Regina, Daffin is hired as her bodyguard.
Sparks fly between the two of them again and it becomes harder to deny the chemistry that is so obvious between them.
I devoured this book in a matter of hours and loved every single second. Regina and Daffin have a clear connection and I rooted for them since page one.
This was a fun, captivating read that I definitely recommend for the festive season.

Kiss Me at Christmas is the tenth book in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series. Really, after so many books in the series, some of the ones in the middle started to get a bit similar and don’t really stand out from each other. But, like the previous book, Kiss Me at Christmas does seem fresh and it’s a perfectly wonderful light read. If you love this series, you’ll enjoy the latest installment.

This book centers around two side characters from the previous book (A Duke Like No Other), Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf and Lady Regina Haversham. Regina is the cousin of Nicole, the heroine from A Duke Like No Other and Daffin is the best friend of Mark, the hero in that book.

Kiss Me at Christmas begins shortly before Lady’s Regina’s 30th birthday and she decides that her present to herself will be to sleep with a man – namely Daffin Oakleaf. Her “proposal” is, expectedly, pretty bumbling (she offers to pay him) and he turns her down, though he is very attracted to her. One of Regina’s reasons behind her approach of Daffin is that her uncle is pressing her to accept a marriage proposal from the Earl of Dryden – who just wants land that comes as part of her dowry. Regina isn’t fighting against it too hard, but did want her first lover to be her own choice.

Immediately after her disastrous meeting with Daffin, Regina’s carriage is almost hit by another carriage and it soon becomes clear that someone means her harm. Daffin arrives to act as her bodyguard.

Their relationship really started in the previous book and continues to build in this story in a really sweet and nice way. This is a great read, especially during the holidays.

I received a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Daffin and Regina's story was one story I had been looking forward to! and it did not disappoint. Was a great Christmas story!

Not a day goes by where the famous Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf isn’t hailed by the newspapers for his courage and talent for sniffing out criminals. But it seems that the famous runner is also hiding something - a past that may just be as mysterious as the cases he solves.

Lady Regina has held a torch for the handsome runner for as long as she has known him. And when she finds herself in danger , there is no one she trusts more with her life than Daffin. And although there is no one she wants more than him, it seems that Daffin is determined to keep his distance from the gentle lady, believing that he isn’t good enough for her. But with her heart set firmly on the runner, will Lady Regina be able to keep her distance firmly professional?

The heart wants what the heart wants and your heart will melt while reading this story of what at first seems to be an impossible love story. But with a mysterious and secret past- things are definitely more than what they seem ;mans maybe dreams can come true ;)

I adored this book. It’s apparently the tenth full length novel in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone. Bowman does all the things I love about historical romance-laugh out loud humor, witty banter, spunky heroines, dashing heroes, and no weird euphemisms for anatomy. This is my first novel by Bowman and now I must get my hands on the rest of this series as I’m sure that they contain the origin stories of many of the couples I met in this book and I can’t wait to get their stories.

This is the tenth book in the series but can be read as a stand alone if you like. A well written love story. Being a Christmas novel is just a bonus in my book. I liked the characters and felt like they were becoming my friends. Would recommend!

Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman is part of the Playful Brides series. I thought the first part of the book was a bit slow and hard to get into, the the action happened and I could not put it down. I'm glad I stuck with it and kept reading.

Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf is very successful at what he does. Due to his background, he is not fond of the Christmas season. I don't blame him! He is hired to guard his good friends wife and cousin.

Lady Regina is about to turn 30 and is firmly on the shelf. She does not want to to remain a virgin by the time she is 30, and sets out to find someone to relieve her of that. Daffin just happens to be the one she wants to give her virginity to.

Except for the slowness at the start, I enjoyed the book. There were certainly some twists and quite unexpected turns. I enjoyed the journey to HEA and recommend this book.

I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and publisher and my review is voluntarily given.

Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman
Subgenre: Regency historical romance
Release date: 30 Oct 2018
Publisher: St Martin’s Paperbacks
Format: ebook and print
Length: 299 pages
RRP: $6.28 (ebook); $15.99 (print)
Who is the target of the assassin? It is something that the famed Bow Street Runner needs to find out.
Daffin Oakleaf is a famed Bow Street Runner. He solves cases and catches his prey. He is the subject of new stories, and is being stalked by the newspaper man who wants to write about Daffin’s exploits. Daffin is visited by Regina for a job that he’d like to do but it somewhat compromises his principles. He tries to keep his background to himself but as in all good stories, his background does come out, in spectacular fashion. But Daffin has to keep his wits about him as he tries to keep Regina safe.
Lady Regina Haversham is approaching thirty years of age. She wants love. She wants to love her husband, and for him to love her, and doesn’t want to make a choice based on what her uncle wants. And he wants her to marry the Earl of Dryden. She willingly offers her virginity to Oakleaf as they had a small flirtation previously. He refuses. He is then within her sphere when there are several attempts on her life. The trick is to figure out why she is the target. Then Regina is kidnapped. Naturally there is a resolution to get the HEA and there is lots of angst before then. The journey to the HEA does have some funny moments as Daffin finally gets his girl.
I really loved this story. The heroine is slightly older and has some of the flexibility to do what she wants which is something that may not have happened at the time, but it adds to the story for the reader. The one scene that I did like was when Regina was able to put her intelligence into practice and escape all by herself!
reviewed by Heather

I read this book some time ago and do not remember how I felt during reading it. I would not be able to give it a proper review. I did give this book 5 stars on GoodReads.

I had a couple issues with this book. The first, is when the protagonist equates her passion and feelings for the main male of what a "prostitute" must experience with the men who pay to have sex. Very incongruous to what history says about women selling themselves as a last resort to stay alive during the time this book was written.
Second, after a kidnapping and the threat of death how likely are you to want to be handcuffed? Especially when you still have scabs from your kidnappets restraints!
PTSD?!