by Jill Shalvis
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #5
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Heat Level:
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 by Jill Shalvis is the fifth novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series. Once again Shalvis transported me to this quaint little community providing the perfect escape from the winter blues. Kylie and Joe’s story was fun, and it was delightful seeing these sexy, and stubborn characters tumble.
I love a couple who sizzle with chemistry and irritate the heck out of each other! The results are delicious banter, searing kisses, and eventually fiery passion. A missing Penguin, has Kylie seeking Joe’s investigative skills and this stubborn woman insists on tagging along.
I loved how strong both characters were in About That Kiss. They both come from difficult upbrings but Kylie is sweet and Joe was just adorkable. He has some hangs up, but he is the kind of guy you want in your court. He made my panties melt with his reaction to small dogs and his dedication to family. Shalvis writes strong, confident heroines who tackle things head on and don’t settle. It is one of the things I like most about this author. Kylie is strong, stubborn and a survivalist.
The combination of heat and heart was well balanced. I enjoyed this couple immensely from the wicked banter to the buildup. The romance was off the charts and I loved their sizzling chemistry. I could just see Joe give a half-devilish smile and see Kylie turn red while wicked thoughts danced in her head. Shalvis did an excellent job of sharing their stories, introducing their families and allowing the relationship to develop.
About A Kiss delivers a good mystery with some suspenseful moments as we deal with both Joe’s career and the case of the missing penguin. Growing pains and suspense kept the drama low and the author gave us plenty of heartwarming moments to endear us to this couple. We get updates from previous couples and hints of brewing attractions. I myself want to move to Heartbreaker Bay and befriend all these characters.
While About That Kiss works completely as a standalone, I recommend starting from the beginning. The friendships in this series are well worth it.
Jill Shalvis transported me to this quaint little community providing the perfect escape from the winter blues with About That Kiss. #mustread #smalltown #hot #newrelease Share on X
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
stacey
yes i have i love them
Tracy Shafer
I have not, but have read other Jill Shalvis books.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I’ve fallen a little behind on this series, but I really like it. Looking forward to this one!
Catherine Ojalvo
I love Jill Shavis!This is wonderful series!I loved the review ann’t wait to read the book!Thanks for the chance to win it!
Ada
I absolutely love Jill and this series, all her books are a must-read for me!
Mallory
I love this series and can’t wait to dive into the newest one. Great review, Kim!
Bookworm
This one sounds very good, I’ve added it to my wishlist. I like the sound of mystery and suspense with romance mixed in. Great post!
Danielle Chapman
I just finished reading this… Yep, it was yummy! 🙂
Cyn
I love that they irritate the heck out of each other too! Such a cute story and good suspense. Glad you liked this, too! Great review, Kim!
Dianne Casey
I have not read any of this series yet. Sounds like a great series.
Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook
Oh my gosh, the balance between heat and heart was just perfect. I loved this one soo much! I feel like this series just gets better and better.
Anita H.
Ooh, I can’t wait to catch up on the this series, Jill has always been a favorite of mine ever since I found her Lucky Harbor books. I’ve read the first two so far, Sweet Little Lies and The Trouble With Mistletoe so far,
Kimberly @ Turning the Pages
This one sounds damn near perfect, the characters sound well rounded and I like a balanced mystery romance,
Sam@WLABB
Yes! You nailed in that sentence — “The combination of heat and heart was well balanced.” That is exactly what I love about Shalvis books in general. Great review!
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
I have this coming up on my list and I can’t wait! I love Jill Shalvis and I’ve really enjoyed this series – or what I’ve read of it so far. I love that it’s low drama and I’m intrigued by the decent mystery.
Angela Adams
“The results are delicious banter, searing kisses, and eventually fiery passion.” — the ingredients of a good read! Thanks for the post.
Kristin @ Addicted to HEA
I liked this one, too but I got kind of annoyed by Kylie wanting to always go with Joe on his stake-outs. I must not have been in “fun” mood or something, because really, Ms. Shalvis doesn’t write a bad book 🙂 I loved the point you made about Joe and Kylie’s little dog (whose name I can’t remember right now). That WAS so cute!! Great review!!
Blodeuedd
I have not read Shalvis in years :/
Diane Sallans
I haven’t read the Heartbreaker Bay books yet, but I loved Jill’s Lucky Harbor series.
Danielle Hammelef
I haven’t read this series yet, but I am going to put it on my wish list. I love swoony romance as long as it also is between a couple with a caring relationship. From your review, I don’t want to miss out on the fun banter either.
Jenea's Book Obsession
Oh how I would love to read this entire series!!! I have one of the books too. This some sounds winderful.
Debbie Haupt
Great review Kim, low drama is a definite yes for me and Shalvis is an author I need to read more of.
Nadene
I skimmed your review as I plan to begin reading this today. I have high expectations for this one.☺
RO
I totally adore Jill Shalvis, and am behind on her series. Every book she writes is pretty amazing! I know you’re not feeling well Kim, but hang in there! Hugs…RO
Nick
YES! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one as much as I did, Kim. Shalvis is just nailing with it this series. I thought the mystery aspect was fun, but the romance! *SWOONS*