Book Review – One Last Kiss

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Annie Rains, Blushing Bay series, Book Review, One Last Kiss

One Last Kiss

a Blushing Bay novella

by Annie Rains

Acclaimed chef, Abby Sawyer has been offered a chance to host her own cooking show. The catch is that it involves leaving Blushing Bay, North Carolina. There’s nothing left for her in the small coastal town anyway. When she gets locked in her restaurant’s basement with her estranged husband, however, she’s not going anywhere. And she’ll either end up killing or kissing her ex before the night is over. 

Even though they’ve been separated for two years, commercial fisherman Sam Sawyer is devastated when he’s served divorce papers. He refuses to sign until he and Abby have talked. Knowing she’s alone at her restaurant this weekend, he heads over and finds her downstairs in the basement–just before the door slams shut and locks them in. Being trapped in a cellar means there’s nowhere to hide from the secrets they’ve been harboring. Sam is putting everything on the table tonight, including his heart, and hoping to win Abby back for good.

(While I think those that have read this series before will be most invested in the resolution of Abby & Sam’s troubles, this can easily stand on its own.)

In One Last Kiss, Rains beautifully captures how quickly a relationship can sour due to communication issues.  Abby and Sam love each other deeply but have been apart for years.  Both of them reacted emotionally (understandably) to situations and made some assumptions about the others feelings but because they didn’t talk to each other about what was going on things quickly got out of hand.  When they finally clear the air, Rains does a fantastic job of making sure that readers feel for both of them on how things got so bad.

It may be a short read but Rains knows how to pack a punch.  Her characters are very human and deal with life honestly & realistically.  While I would definitely have loved a full length story for these two (publishing issues got in the way), in no way did I feel like I was shorted by getting a novella instead.  While the catalyst to their reunion might have needed to be a little more dramatic, everything afterward was handled with great emotion and the care it deserved for something so important to their futures.

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Spotlight – Stolen Kisses

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Annie Rains, Blushing Bay series, Stolen Kisses

Continuing her awesome new series (after Forbidden Kisses), the delightful Annie Rains brings us the new Sawyer to fall in love!

*****

Stolen Kisses

Blushing Bay, Book 2

by Annie Rains ~ USA Today Bestselling Author

Release Date: October 10^th 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2wxsNnM

Hosted By: The Wit & Wonder Agency

Blurb:

Krista Nelson loves being a pediatric nurse. What she doesn’t love is her demanding boss and stressful workload. Fortunately, Krista knows she can count on a waterfront happy hour every Wednesday with her childhood best friend, Noah Sawyer, the one part of her life she never wants to change. But, like it or not, things are changing – because Krista can’t stop wondering what would happen if she grabbed Noah by the collar and kissed him like it was her job.

Bored of the superficial women he’s been dating, Noah’s putting his love life on hold so he can focus on his family’s high-end fishing business. Sure, there are moments when he’s tempted by Krista’s soft lips and killer smile – but her friendship is too important to Noah. How could he let himself jeopardize everything they share? The trouble is, if he doesn’t take the real risk of opening his heart, Noah might just let the perfect catch get away.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2xxUclW

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2yDfGmy

iBooks: http://apple.co/2kF0bEv

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2yc9krq

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2yEuGki

“I adore the author’s voice, the compelling characters she creates that I want to spend time with, and the heartfelt moments as they fall helplessly in love” ~ Books and Spoons, Amazon Review.

“Stolen Kisses is a sweet romance that will sweep you away. I couldn’t get enough of Krista and Noah’s story. This has to be one of my favorite books that I have read to date!!” ~ Read with Me, Amazon Review.

*****

Excerpt:

“I get it. You have that biological clock thing ticking.”

This made Krista laugh even though she was half past frustrated. “Actually, yes. And, news flash, some men out there have the same thing.”

Noah looked at her, and if she wasn’t mistaken, maybe he felt a pang of sadness, or regret, or . . . “Maybe one day,” he said on a nod.

“One day what?”

“You know, maybe one day I’ll get married, too.”

This was the first time Krista had ever heard him talk of such. “No way.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. It might be nice.”

“I can’t believe my ears right now.”

He looked at her again, his gaze sticking. Was she imagining the heat between them? Was it just her? His gaze dropped to her chest and her head went dizzy with desire and anticipation and . . . “You still wear that silly fishing hook I gave you when we were seven.” He reached out and lifted the charm off her chest, his hand achingly close to her racing heart.

“It’s one of my favorite things,” she said, mouth parched. The space between them was hot as a sauna.

“I caught my first Bass with this hook. That’s why it’s lucky.”

“And why you gave it to me before my surgery. It’s always brought me luck.”

His gaze lifted. “Good luck, I hope.”

“What?” Her head was spinning.

“Good luck and not bad.”

“Oh, right. Yes. I wouldn’t wear it if it brought bad luck.” A small laugh escaped her lips.

Get up, Krista. . . Kiss him, Krista . . . No, she’d kissed him first last time. She wasn’t doing that again. No way, no how . . .

His hand placed the charm back against her chest. He didn’t pull it away, though. Instead, he leaned in closer to her. Without thinking, Krista swallowed and rolled her lips inward to wet them. She was preparing for a kiss that couldn’t possibly happen.

There was no way. They were best friends, that’s all.

Then he reached up, pushed that unruly lock of hair behind her ear, and cupped the back of her neck, offering a gentle tug in his direction. Her body didn’t resist. Their gazes locked, a silent agreement that their lips were going to meet. “Noah,” she said, unsure if any other words would follow. A protest. A confession.

“I’m going to kiss you now, if that’s okay with you.”

She swallowed again, unable to think fast enough. She nodded. “Yes.”

Before she could take a breath, his lips brushed against hers and his hand ran down to her shoulder, holding her in place, grounding her to the moment. She parted her lips for him, allowing him to go deeper . . . because it felt right. This felt right.

And wrong on so many levels.

*****

Author Info:

USA Today Bestselling Author, Annie Rains, is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

Annie’s Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Annie-Rains-1452963021669865/

Join Annie’s Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/476944485847988/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AnnieRains_

Bookbub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/annie-rains

Find me on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13911602.Annie_Rains

Newsletter sign-up link:

http://smarturl.it/annierainsnewsletter

*****

Book Review – Forbidden Kisses

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Annie Rains, Blushing Bay series, Book Review, Forbidden Kisses

Hopefully you are already familiar with the Hero’s Welcome series and are just as thrilled as I am to know that Annie Rains is introducing us to a new group in a new city!

*****

Forbidden Kisses

Blushing Bay #1

by Annie Rains

Releasing April 11, 2017

Loveswept

Blurb:

For years, Jack Sawyer’s family has been running their upscale seafood business like a finely tuned machine. But every machine breaks down eventually, and suddenly Jack needs a new office manager, a new kayak launch, and a new lease on life. Then Grace Donner shows up again. She’s smart, motivated, and perfect for the manager position, but if she’s anything like her mom, she can’t be trusted. And Jack has never been able to trust himself around Grace.

Grace hasn’t seen her former stepbrothers since their parents’ messy divorce, but she never forgot them—especially Jack. She misses being part of the big rambunctious Sawyer clan, and if there’s an opportunity to set things right, she means to do it. But she can’t ignore Jack’s irresistibly kissable lips, or the searing way he looks at her when he thinks she’s not looking. Their chemistry is more explosive than ever. And if the Sawyers can forgive and forget, anything is possible.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32717694-forbidden-kisses

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/196464-blushing-bay

Buy Links:      AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

*****

Excerpt:

Jack reached for a folded blanket beside the cooler and laid it down on the open floor of the boat. “I know it’s not the most comfortable surface for lying back, but I thought we could look at the stars. It’s a favorite pastime of fishermen, you know.”

“Oh yeah?”

He reached for her hand to help her lower to the floor. She held on to his tightly, surprised at how off balanced she felt. Then they lay back together, close enough that they touched. The soft hair on Jack’s arm resting against hers aroused her senses.

Were they really just going to look at the stars?

Yes, it was all very romantic, but so was doing other things under the stars. Things she’d been thinking about since stepping aboard.

Jack pointed up at the sky and started to speak. Grace was tired of talking, though. Tired of resisting what she wanted, and right now all she wanted was Jack.

Unable to help herself, uninhibited by the wine and the romantic environment, she rolled on top of him and crushed her mouth over his.

Judging by the stiff protrusion that met her inner thigh, he wanted her just as much.

“Well, hello there,” he said, smiling against her mouth.

“I’m sorry,” she said, even though she didn’t mean it.

His hand slid down her back and settled on her bottom, pulling her snug against him. “I’m not. I’d decided tonight was for romance only, but I can’t think of anything more romantic than making love to you on this boat.”

White-hot heat tore through her. She was so hot that maybe it was time to start stripping.

As if reading her mind, Jack tugged the hem of her shirt up on her back and then over her head. The rest of her clothes fell away in the wake of his needy hands until she was tipsy and naked on the floor of his pontoon boat—on a boat ride to nowhere in particular, except his body was promising to shoot her to the low-hanging full moon.

*****

Review:

I loved, loved, loved Rains’ Hero’s Welcome series and I was very happy that many of the things that made those books great translated well to a new series.  I enjoyed the relationship that develops between Jack and Grace.  The whole former step-sibling thing isn’t icky at all and I think their friendship from years ago helps to give them a good basis for something new.  The bond among the Sawyers is great and Grace befriends a couple of women that are definitely getting their own story soon.  Characters and connections are a couple of things that Rains does so well – they feel  real and work together in a natural way – and I was thrilled that they show so strongly here.

I did have a couple of issues that were specific to this story (and have nothing at all to what a fantastic storyteller Rains is) – the death of Jack’s friend and the dealings with Grace’s mother.

We know that Chris and Jack were out on a boat fishing together and that he … disappeared, I guess?  Did they actually find a body?  As I understand it Jack doesn’t know when or how he went overboard, that he never heard him cry out or any kind of impact.  Everything is so vague about what happened to Chris that I never really figured it out.  I don’t know if it is intentional and will come into play more later on or if we’re just supposed to make assumptions.  But I really wanted some kind of closure to it  🙂

The other is all tied up with Grace’s mom and how she treated the Sawyer’s all those years ago.  Grace has had years living with her mom and can see that she’s not the woman she was then but the two families have been avoiding each other all this time.  To expect that the guys will just forgive and forget in about two minutes isn’t realistic.  They’ve been nursing their wounds for a while and it is going to take them a bit to get over them, even if Jack is sleeping with Grace.  I see her side of it but I also understand his and it’s not a good situation for either of them so a little patience on everyone’s part is needed.  It adds some extra drama to what is already a pretty troublesome situation.

Like with her other series, there are a lot of secondary characters that help drag you in and keep you turning pages.  I’m definitely looking forward to what comes next for Jack’s brothers.  I’m pretty sure those two are going to have some more hardship to deal with before they can find their own happy ending.

*****

Author Info:

Annie Rains is a USA Today bestselling author who writes small-town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and three children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

$25.00 Amazon eGift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81269/

*****

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