Rating: 
Summary: Very good
Review: I admit that in the beginning I could not understand how the hero could possible fall for Nichola. She was tedious, naive, and ill-mannered. Boy, did I grow to like her! She grew so much throughout the story. Lord Brian was equally complex as the tormented hero. He was so large and strong and compelling, and yet so unwilling to accept his affliction. The pacing of the story was a bit uneven. It would move along nicely and then slow down. Also the additional characters were rather flat. The scandalous Countess, the society matron, the harridan mother(Nichola's), the concerned brother, they could have been more developed. I did like Lord Wallingford though, he was really quite sweet and made me laugh. Lord Brian and Nichola were great characters and belonged with each other. Good thing they found each other isn't it! KCS
Rating: 
Summary: be careful when describing your hero!
Review: I just finished How To Kiss A Hero and I really had to work to do that. I just couldn't get the first image I had of the hero out of my mind and, believe me, it wasn't an image I wanted to have etched there permanently. I think an author has to be careful when describing her characters to her audience. In this case, she was describing Brian Boru as this huge man sitting in a chair ordering people to get things for him and all I could think of was JABBA the HUTT in Star Wars. She made him sound so enormous and being barely able to move. And it sounded like he was about eighty-five years old. I really had trouble seeing him as a romantic lead. I know he suffered for his country and all, but come on, it's a romance. After all, it was just one knee wasn't it. Surely he didn't have to hobble like he did. As for Nichola, she was horrendous. She was just plain flighty and stupid. Wanting to be a soldier. And talk about easy. THis was a very advanced for its time school for girls. Like I said, I really had to push to finish this book. I'm not even going to donate this one to the library. I will try to unload it at my yard sale.
Rating: 
Summary: The Truest, Funniest Romance I've Read In Years!
Review: If you're looking for a romp of a romance that turns every rule in the book on end, you've got to try this one! I read it after a friend strongly recommended it, and I loved it from start to finish. Great dialogue, tender and touching love scenes, and a very humorous plot involving a girls' "finishing school" that is anything but. Nichola is both strong and vulnerable, and Lord Brian Boru is one hot hero bad knee or not...). I highly, highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: For a newcomer to romane, she writes like a veteran .
Review: In 1811, Countess Christiane d'Oliveri returns to England after being abroad for twenty years. She meets her best friend Mrs. Evelyn Treadwell. Envious mothers throughout the nation have placed Evelyn on a pedestal because her daughter Vanessa married so above her station. Evelyn is unhappy with the match because Vanessa has turned into another society matron. Evelyn blames herself as she taught Vanessa to flirt instead of preparing her for life. When Christiane suggests they take advantage of Evelyn's reputation by opening up a school to teach young ladies about real life, Evelyn agrees. Thus, Mrs. Evelyn Treadwell's Academy for Young Ladies opens. Nicola Hainesworth is a tomboy whose desperate mother sends her packing to the Treadwell School. Surprisingly, Nicola enjoys the place, especially when Christiane provides her with fencing lessons. Her fencing skills quickly become superior to her instructor, so the school hires crippled war hero Lord Brian Boruo to further her skills. As they fence with swords, Nicola and Brian also duel with their hearts. He relishes her passion to fence. His feelings quickly turns to love. She reciprocates his emotion. Though, the honorable Brian would never foster a cripple like himself on a member of the Ton, he never factored in that Nicola always flaunted the rules. She also has been trained to live life to the fullest, and that means Brian. HOW TO KISS A HERO is an interesting Regency romance due to the secondary characters. While Nicola and Brian are a charming duo, the story line humorously centers on high society's strict rules. Sandy Hingston is heading to the top of the sub-genre, as readers will demand new novels starring Nicola's roommates set in the "School for Scandal. " Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Subtle and semi-solid
Review: Ms. Hingston's book "How to Kiss a Hero" starts off-kilter. Its kind of like expecting a two-step but there's an extra 'beat' in the beginning that can throw the reader off. My initial thought was "what's going on here? Have I missed something? Was the book published missing a couple of pages? But take the time to get beyond that. This book has good timing and I could not get over how subtle her key points were made regarding Nick (the heroine) and thanked the author, in my mind, for not bludgeoning me with the points she wanted to get across in writing this book. That said, there were a few parts that need to be noted: The transition to the love scenes were stark. One moment they were across the room, the next moment she was in his lap and they were...well,...and then it was over, and then the story went on. It seemed like Ms. Hinston had given all her talented skill to the rest of the book while this part was rushed and not fleshed out enough to satisfy. It is because of that gloss over that I gave it a semi-solid rating. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Great characters distinguish this Regency romance
Review: Nichola Hainesworth is eighteen years old and about to be married off by her formidable mother, the Baroness. Nichola, however, has no intention of entering the "marriage market". She realizes that a girl like her, taller than most and only attractive, rather than beautiful, would not exactly be "sought after" by eligible bachelors. Most importantly, Nichola is too intelligent to subject herself to one of the loveless marriages which are so common among her peers. Instead, Nichola wishes to do something important and useful with her life. A true tomboy, she plans to follow the example of her older brothers, and run off to join England's army and fight Napoleon. However, the Baroness Hainesworth has other ideas for her only daughter. She wishes Nichola to marry, and to marry well. To that end, the Baroness enrolls Nichola in Mrs. Treadwell's Academy for Young Ladies. What the Baroness does not know is that while Mrs. Treadwell's does indeed teach young ladies the "gentle arts", it also strives to help them discover their true selves by allowing them to pursue other subjects not usually taught to young ladies. Some of the students find fulfillment in the sciences, and some in literature. The athletic Nichola develops a passion for fencing. Soon, Nichola's skill surpasses that of her fencing instructor, the scandalous Countess d'Oliveri, who is Mrs. Treadwell's silent partner in the Academy. Enter Lord Brian Boru. Nichola first encounters Lord Boru at a ball, where she spies the imposing Scotsman lounging indolently in a chair, ordering servants to perform the most mean tasks for him. He is exactly what Nichola despises in the ton, and she wastes no time in letting Lord Boru know what she thinks of him. To her mortification, Nichola later learns that the reason for Lord Boru's lethargy is not laziness, but a crippling war wound. She attempts to apologize at a later meeting with him but is rebuffed, perhaps because Lord Boru dislikes himself as much as Nichola does. Nichola is surprised when Lord Boru, who is a friend of the Countess, appears at the Academy as her new fencing instructor. However, she is intrigued by his considerable fencing skill, and as time goes on, intrigued by the man. As their lessons continue, Nichola and Lord Boru fall in love... The two lead characters in this book were enchanting. Nichola and Lord Boru are real people - attractive, passionate, emotional, and even have some flaws. I loved that they weren't the usual perfect gods and goddesses that some leads in romance novels can be. Also, I enjoyed the way their love affair helped them to change and grow. In one touching scene, Nichola looks in a mirror after a lesson with Lord Boru, and for the first time, sees herself as a beautiful woman. And it is truly gratifying to see the way that Lord Boru regains his self respect, through his relationship with Nichola. I have two small quibbles with the book. Although the story was original and interesting up to the commencement of Nichola and Lord Boru's love affair, it ventured into usual Regency fare after that (apparently a lot of women were kidnapped during this era). Also, the narrative was jumpy in some spots, and I had to re-read a few scenes to figure out exactly what was happening (even during a major love scene!). With these qualifications, I enjoyed the book and will definitely buy Ms. Hingston's next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Great characters distinguish this Regency romance
Review: Nichola Hainesworth is eighteen years old and about to be married off by her formidable mother, the Baroness. Nichola, however, has no intention of entering the "marriage market". She realizes that a girl like her, taller than most and only attractive, rather than beautiful, would not exactly be "sought after" by eligible bachelors. Most importantly, Nichola is too intelligent to subject herself to one of the loveless marriages which are so common among her peers. Instead, Nichola wishes to do something important and useful with her life. A true tomboy, she plans to follow the example of her older brothers, and run off to join England's army and fight Napoleon. However, the Baroness Hainesworth has other ideas for her only daughter. She wishes Nichola to marry, and to marry well. To that end, the Baroness enrolls Nichola in Mrs. Treadwell's Academy for Young Ladies. What the Baroness does not know is that while Mrs. Treadwell's does indeed teach young ladies the "gentle arts", it also strives to help them discover their true selves by allowing them to pursue other subjects not usually taught to young ladies. Some of the students find fulfillment in the sciences, and some in literature. The athletic Nichola develops a passion for fencing. Soon, Nichola's skill surpasses that of her fencing instructor, the scandalous Countess d'Oliveri, who is Mrs. Treadwell's silent partner in the Academy. Enter Lord Brian Boru. Nichola first encounters Lord Boru at a ball, where she spies the imposing Scotsman lounging indolently in a chair, ordering servants to perform the most mean tasks for him. He is exactly what Nichola despises in the ton, and she wastes no time in letting Lord Boru know what she thinks of him. To her mortification, Nichola later learns that the reason for Lord Boru's lethargy is not laziness, but a crippling war wound. She attempts to apologize at a later meeting with him but is rebuffed, perhaps because Lord Boru dislikes himself as much as Nichola does. Nichola is surprised when Lord Boru, who is a friend of the Countess, appears at the Academy as her new fencing instructor. However, she is intrigued by his considerable fencing skill, and as time goes on, intrigued by the man. As their lessons continue, Nichola and Lord Boru fall in love... The two lead characters in this book were enchanting. Nichola and Lord Boru are real people - attractive, passionate, emotional, and even have some flaws. I loved that they weren't the usual perfect gods and goddesses that some leads in romance novels can be. Also, I enjoyed the way their love affair helped them to change and grow. In one touching scene, Nichola looks in a mirror after a lesson with Lord Boru, and for the first time, sees herself as a beautiful woman. And it is truly gratifying to see the way that Lord Boru regains his self respect, through his relationship with Nichola. I have two small quibbles with the book. Although the story was original and interesting up to the commencement of Nichola and Lord Boru's love affair, it ventured into usual Regency fare after that (apparently a lot of women were kidnapped during this era). Also, the narrative was jumpy in some spots, and I had to re-read a few scenes to figure out exactly what was happening (even during a major love scene!). With these qualifications, I enjoyed the book and will definitely buy Ms. Hingston's next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Great Leads!
Review: Nicola must learn how to become a lady. Her mother sends her to Treadwell School. Nicola doesn't plan to stay. However, fencing lessons with an owner of the school, and then with Lord Brian Boru, changes her plans. Nicola is an unusually entertaining heroine. Is she the 'ugly duckling' whom turns into a 'swan'...or just a beauty in the eyes of Lord Brian and her other suitor. Lord Brian's crippled knee was often forgotten, by me, due do his incredible magnetism. He definitely is a 'tortured hero', but one whose self pity never takes away from his 'hero' qualities. The scenes between Nicola and Brian develop gradually from antagonism, into mutual admiration, into incredibly sexy scenes. Other inhabitants from the school, as well as Nicola's family, Brian's aide, are entertaining secondary characters. This was not a 'keeper' due to some unlikely scenes in the book. The ending was particularly weak, for me, due to a kidnapping along with the arrival of Nicola's twin, and her mother's reappearance. However, it was well worth my time and money. Ms. Kingson's prose, just flows....
Rating:
Summary: A breath of fresh air to regency romance.
Review: Romancing the Celtic Soul says... Ms Hingston's delightful tale, HOW TO KISS A HERO, is sure to add a breath of fresh air to the current offerings in Regency period historicals. I was delighted to see how well developed the cast of characters were for a Regency. Readers will clamor for more tales from the School for Scandal as Gwen, and Elizabeth must have there own stories. In like fashion, readers will want to know if there is a hero for the sullen but waspish Lady Katherine as well. Although the story takes place entirely in England, there are many delightful references to Scotland. Lady Meagan Boru is a wonderful comic addition, butlers beware! Even the dour Scottish valet adds an element of suspense that will catch the readers by surprise. Ms. Hingston has proven time and again, with her unique talent at creating well developed stories, that the Regency period need not be boring nor predictable to be fun. HOW TO KISS A HERO is much more than a tale of an ugly duckling's transformation as she teaches her hero about courage with a special love sure to make him whole again, much to the delight of readers.
Rating:
Summary: A breath of fresh air to regency romance.
Review: Romancing the Celtic Soul says... Ms Hingston's delightful tale, HOW TO KISS A HERO, is sure to add a breath of fresh air to the current offerings in Regency period historicals. I was delighted to see how well developed the cast of characters were for a Regency. Readers will clamor for more tales from the School for Scandal as Gwen, and Elizabeth must have there own stories. In like fashion, readers will want to know if there is a hero for the sullen but waspish Lady Katherine as well. Although the story takes place entirely in England, there are many delightful references to Scotland. Lady Meagan Boru is a wonderful comic addition, butlers beware! Even the dour Scottish valet adds an element of suspense that will catch the readers by surprise. Ms. Hingston has proven time and again, with her unique talent at creating well developed stories, that the Regency period need not be boring nor predictable to be fun. HOW TO KISS A HERO is much more than a tale of an ugly duckling's transformation as she teaches her hero about courage with a special love sure to make him whole again, much to the delight of readers.
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