And Then He Kissed Me
White Pine #2
Kim Amos
ISBN13: 9781455557493
Author’s Website: http://www.kimamoswrites.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Synopsis:
PLAYING WITH FIRE…
Five years ago, Audrey Tanner flung caution to the wind and herself into the arms of an emerald-eyed bad boy biker she met at the White Pine Asparagus Festival. Two blissful weeks together convinced her that Kieran Callaghan was The One-until The One blew town without a word, leaving her brokenhearted. Now, starting a new job at the new Harley Davidson showroom, Audrey is floored to meet her new boss: Kieran. He’s still hot as hell, but she won’t fall for his sexy smile again. This time, she’s calling the shots.
…OR PLAYING FOR KEEPS?
Kieran never thought he’d return to White Pine, Minnesota, much less see Audrey again. Gorgeous and smart as ever, she’s just as irresistible as he remembered. She still doesn’t know why he had to leave-or that he’s missed her every day since. But he can’t deny he wants more than the no-strings fling Audrey proposes. As things between them heat up, Kieran must choose between the secret he’s sworn to keep and the woman he never stopped loving…
Review:
Right from the cover of And Then he Kissed Me I knew (okay…I had high hopes) that I would enjoy this book. I must say, I was most definitely NOT disappointed. I had a wonderful time escaping into the world of White Pine, Minnesota. Though I must say…I was definitely annoyed with Kieran in the prologue! Really dude….show more class than a Post-It Note…and during the White Pine Asparagus Festival! Luckily, he redeemed himself…… eventually
I certainly had great sympathy for Audrey when she lost her job as a P.E. teacher at the local high school as a result of cut-backs and then had to apply for a sales position in the Harley-Davidson dealership to make ends meet. However, a smile did cross my face when the position that she got was actually as a person showing off the Harley’s scantily clothed as opposed to a sales person as she had hoped. Oops 🙂 And isn’t her lucky really bad, when her new boss is Kieran…the guy who walked out on her, breaking her heart five years ago….and whom she has not gotten over.
Early on Audrey is feeling a bit sorry for herself, as evidenced by this quote when she is with the Knots and Bolts crew:
“Audrey felt a small twinge of jealousy as she studied her friend’s laughing green eyes, her radiant smile, and the sparkling ring on her left hand. She tried ignoring it, but the splinter of emotion just buried itself deeper: this feeling that Audrey had lived in White Pine her whole life, played by all the rules, and hadn’t found love, but Willa had managed to swoop in, find a guy, and start a business in a matter of months.”
One can certainly get into Audrey’s ongoing feelings for Kieran right from the start when she catches herself daydreaming at work:
“…Audrey swore she could almost see the outline of his rock-solid abs through the cotton material. She licked her lips distractedly, thinking about lifting the shirt from the waist of his jeans and sliding her hands underneath, running her palms over his ridges, the heat from his skin warming her through and through.”
I loved the following quote…showing the strength of character that Audrey has “You hurt me, yes. But break me? Never.”
Kieran, in the prologue is your basic Harley riding bad boy…..hot looking and not wanting any permanent attachments. Kieran and Audrey had two great weeks, but then Kieran got cold feet…at least that is what we are lead to believe in the beginning. Interesting enough, that storyline is definitely much deeper than just cold-feet. It was in fact a bit twisted. We get a hint of Kieran when one day he is also musing at the dealership:
“He tried to picture the diploma on his office wall, the glowing reviews he’d received from his own managers in the past, and the ever-growing numbers on the calendar marking his time in recovery.”
At that point in time, I realized there was more to Kieran than the bad boy persona. I was intrigued and hooked…could not put the book down!
I would say for the most part…it was in true romantic style…and therefore somewhat predictable…but comfortable. What set this apart from other books in this genre was the depth of the secondary stories. Betrayal of a sister all in the name of trying to protect her sibling. All I say to that is …..When will people learn…honesty is always the best policy. The reasoning behind the dishonesty of Audrey’s sister is complicated and better left for the reader to discover.
I also really enjoyed the sub storyline of Audrey helping a former student (Alexis) with her overly possessive and domineering boyfriend, Hunter. It added depth and suspense! Enough said on this…except it was gripping.
This was a great second chance romance with much depth. I am additionally intrigued by asparagus beer 🙂 As well, I really enjoyed that characters from the first book were also in this book, so the community and people seems familiar to me. I eagerly await to read One More Kiss (White Pine 2.5) and Every Little Kiss (White Pine 3.0).
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
