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His Every Kiss is the story of Dylan Moore and Grace Cheval. Dylan is a famous composer, and Grace is a violinist who loves his work. They meet when Dylan enters Charing Cross Palladium with the intent to kill himself. He hasn’t been able to hear the music in his mind ever since he fell from his horse and hit his head on a rock. All he hears constantly is noise, grinding headache inducing sounds. He has hidden his problem from almost everyone, except his doctor and trustworthy valet.
Grace Cheval sees that Dylan is about to shoot himself, and begins to play some of his music on her violin. She informs him that as the charwoman, she would have to clean up the mess if he were to shoot himself, and requests that he refrain. Once she realizes he is not going to kill himself, she vanishes from his life.
Five years later, Dylan and Grace meet again. Dylan has become a dissolute
rake, pursuing alcohol and women with equal fervor. Grace, now the widow
of a famous painter has no desire to become the Muse of another artistic
man. Dylan has been searching for Grace ever since their encounter in
the Palladium. Only around her was he able to hear music instead of the
noise in his head.
A young daughter he never knew he had is dumped on his doorstep after
the death of her mother. She is unmanageable, and he starts looking for
a governess. And he believes the perfect one is Grace. Grace is close to
being thrown out of her boarding house because she has no more money for
rent. Dylan makes her an offer she can’t refuse. But his conditions of
employment are maddening to her. Dylan demands that Grace sit with him
so that he can compose music every evening. She reluctantly agrees, but
is worried about her deep attraction to him.
Watching the story unfold was a pleasure. The information about music composition and performance was well researched, and presented in a manner that was accessible as well as interesting. It was integral to the plot, and I found the information fascinating, as it explained many of the motivations and fears of the characters. All of the characters were three dimensional, and contributed to the story. Isabel could have been a stereotype, but ended up a very sympathetic character. These people made sense; the conflicts were unique to this book. I could not put the book down once I started it. Laura Lee Guhrke has a unique voice among romance writers, and I look forward to reading more from her.
Reviewed by Nancy Riggins-Hume
for The Road to Romance
February 16, 2005
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