With This Kiss (An Emerald Lake Novel)

by Bella Riley

[Cocktails and Books]

Rebecca Campbell has always found herself drawn to those tall, dark and broody males who wound up breaking her heart. So to save herself from further heartbreak, she agrees to marry her best friend Stu. But when their engagement ends with Rebecca agreeing to keep his secret she wonders if she'll ever find the man right for her.

Sean Murphy has avoided the small Adirondack town he grew up in because he couldn't face the lies and broken trust within his family. But when he returns for his little brother's wedding, he's in for a shock to find out that not only has the wedding been called off but that he has an instant attraction to the woman who runs the Inn.

Rebecca and Sean seem like a very unlikely couple when they first meet at the beginning of the story, but that changes as you see what a calming effect Rebecca has with Sean. While she may lack a filter and blurt out what she's thinking, she helps Sean learn to deal with the emotions that he's shut off but is having trouble controlling now that he's back home. For Rebecca, Sean helps her confidence and proves to her that she does deserve to be loved and cherished.

It was an interesting twist with the drama revolving around Sean and Stu's parents and I enjoyed how Belle Riley demonstrated a lie and broken confidence can do to an entire family.

I enjoyed the quaint little town of Emerald Lake, which brought back fond memories of summers of my youth growing up in Western New York. The essence of the town and how it can change someone's life leaped off the page as Rebecca tried to make a decision about where her life should go. Makes me wish Emerald Lake were real and I could go and visit it's magic.