Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date of Publication: March 2012
Love can find you when you least expect it . . . Fireworks. That's what innkeeper Rebecca Campbell wants. And no matter how close their friendship, she and her former fiance never shared that. Now, with a broken engagement behind her and a promise she's vowed to keep, Rebecca is determined to make a new life for herself in Emerald Lake. She just never expected sparks to fly this quickly . . .
Coming home and falling for his little brother's girl wasn't Sean Murphy's plan. Rebecca's sweet smile and kind heart make Sean feel at home-something he's never felt before. But a secret lingers between them, and no matter how powerful their attraction, Sean can't give his heart to a woman he can't trust. Or can he? As the days pass, Rebecca and Sean find it harder and harder to deny their desire. And they are in beautiful Emerald Lake, the perfect place for falling in love . . .
With This Kiss is the second book in the Emerald Lake series by Bella Riley. While the story follows some of the same characters from the first book, I really felt like this one could be a stand alone book. Rebecca Campbell runs the Inn with her best friend,Stu, who is now her former fiance. Even though people in town have been speculating left and right about why the wedding was called off, Rebecca stays silent. She decides to hold his secret and let people think what they want. Sean Murphy, not knowing the wedding is off, comes home to a big mess. He is intrigued by Rebecca and is dying to know why his little brother let her get away. What he didn't count on was falling in love with her. Sean is holding a sceret of his own. It is one his mother asked him to keep for her and it has torn him apart for years.
I enjoyed With This Kiss. The story speaks to the dangers of keeping secrets, especially when they are not your secrets to keep. I thought Stu was incredibly selfish in asking Rebecca to keep his secret. Despite the reasons, I would probably have a hard time forgiving him for taking off and leaving me to pick up the pieces...life long friend or not. But, what Sean's mother burdened him was a lot worse. I was glad that Rebecca finally decided to break her promise in the end. It really was the right thing to do and I felt it helped me believe their HEA more.
I enjoyed the glimpse into Sean's grandmother's romance. As in the first book, her story follows along with the main story in the present. There is a life lesson that helps Rebecca and Sean find their way to love. I hope the next book features the third sister and her story.
If you like small town series with endearing characters, definitely give this one a shot. The first book, Home Sweet Home ( Grand Central Publishing, October 2011), is a great book about long lost loves. It's definitely worth a read as well!
1 comment:
+JMJ+
I'm always happy to find a new example of genre fiction that both follows the conventions and explores a greater theme. The destructive power of secrets is a great theme to explore in the context of lifelong friendships and romantic relationships. Thanks for the review! =)
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