One Kiss Alone Review

Another wonderful read from Nichole Van! I loved everything about Allie and Ethan’s romance.

This is a secret identity, historical romance between Allegra (Allie) and Ethan.

I loved Allie’s character. The way she’s appalled by any emotional reaction Ethan pulls out of her is hilarious, and I could easily relate to how it threw her off from her previous notions of how untrustworthy people are. The way she uses sarcasm as a shield when she’s angry was so relatable, and I completely understood how she had no desire to feel hopeful about love, even when a part of her still yearns for exactly that. I love how she’s drawn to Ethan’s warm personality, and how quickly she recognizes that he understands her better than anyone else. I appreciated how at the same time, she battled with her cynical side, trying to feel nothing at all so no one could hurt her ever again, and telling herself to not trust anyone because it only leads to disappointment. Even when Ethan gives her every reason to believe he’s a genuinely good person, it’s still understandably difficult for her to accept that she can trust him when all she knows from people is that they’ll hurt you and leave you. Seeing her yearn for a life she doesn’t believe she can have broke my heart, and seeing her find her sense of belonging with Ethan and his family put it back together again.

I loved getting to know Ethan better in this book. I empathized with how he felt as though he had to make his family happy at the cost of his own happiness, and how lonely that can be on someone. It made me so happy when he saw those same struggles of loneliness with Allie when no one else did, or didn’t care that she was unhappy. I loved how he wanted her more than anything in the world, but didn’t confuse love with desire. He remains ever the gentleman, and is very clear with Allie that if he has her, he wants all of her: mind, body, and soul. He gives her the freedom to be herself and let down her guard, and makes it clear that he loves everything about her, even the things she’s been shamed for by her family. He’s so attuned to her, and wants nothing more than to provide her the love she’s been denied, regardless of how it may affect his own well-being. But he also respects her, and abides by her wishes, even when he doesn’t necessarily agree with them.

I loved this addition to the Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next💕

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