Review: About That Kiss – Jill Shalvis

*I received a free copy of About That Kiss from Avon via Edelweiss. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *

When love drives you crazy . . .
When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with unique finder-and-fixer skills that can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.
the best thing to do . . .
No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.
… is enjoy the ride.
As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.

About That Kiss brought out the feels. You know how it is when you pick up a book, and it feels like you’re hanging out with your best friends? Living through their struggles and their good times right there with them? Shalvis does that to me. With every book she writes – no matter if there are characters I’ve already met or if they are completely new to me.

Story:

About That Kiss has a very slow-burning romance, all the friendships, and a very good mystery. I loved getting to know Joe Malone better, and Kylie was the perfect match for him. With her unconventional profession as a wood worker, she managed to see through his tough exterior and find a heart hidden away.

As always, hanging out with my friends in Heartbreaker Bay was a treat. About That Kiss included all the characters from prior books – even if some were just mentioned in passing. The mystery with Kylie’s stolen wood penguin worked really well. And I loved how stubborn Kylie was about being a part of the investigation.

As Joe and Kylie got to know each other better, their chemistry kept building. Kylie didn’t want only a part of Joe, though, and when push came to shove, she put herself first. That is a thing we don’t see in heroines too often, and it made About That Kiss even better in my opinion.

With both action and sweet moments, the overall story and plot made my toes curl in pleasure. The character development was really well done, and I have two new friends in the Bay area now 😉

Characters:

Kylie grew up with her grandfather, and learned to work with wood under his care. Making a profession out of it, and being really good at it just made her an even more interesting character. With a strong mind, and a good sense of self worth, I would love to hang out with Kylie one day.

Joe appeared to be a total alpha macho man at first. However, he was not unable to see things from Kylie’s perspective, and he learned from his mistakes. While he wanted to protect her, he also understood the importance of her needs and feelings.

Writing style :

About That Kiss is written in third person point of view, but still closely from either Joe’s or Kylie’s perspective. The many dialogues brought both the characters and the story to life.

Feels :

My feels were all invested in this story. I got my romance, all the hope, a lot of suspense, some sadness, a tad of anger, and also the friendship I enjoy in this series.

On the best of days, he made her feel things she liked to shove deep, deep down, because going there with him would be like jumping out of a plane – thrilling, exciting… and then certain dismemberment and death.

Kylie, the fashion outcast, was in jeans, a Golden State Warriors sweatshirt, and some residual wood shavings. The fact that she had more clothes to sleep in than to go out in said a lot about her.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 18 Contemporary Romance
• 18 COYER Winter
• 2018 NetGalley and Edelweiss Challenge
• 2018 New Release Challenge

About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.

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