Review: Summer Kisses by Melinda Curtis

 

Summer Kisses (A Harmony Valley Novel) by Melinda Curtis
Published: ebook March 8th 2014 by Harlequin Heartwarming
Source: I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Description: Her carefully crafted facade is unraveling...fast

Rebecca MacKenzie's career as a caregiver for the elderly suited her perfectly. Ease their suffering, hop back in the motor home and move on. Caring without commitment. It was ideal for someone trying to outrun her memories...and mistakes. Someone determined to stay detached.

Flynn Harris, her new patient's grandson, is weakening her resolve in every way. His scrutiny, his suspicion--and worst of all, his kisses--are more than distracting. They're dangerous. Because she's teetering on the edge of caring. And revealing her secrets. And...staying.

 
My Review: Becca is a caregiver and in her line of work, she's used to losing those she comes to care for. It's easy for her to work and then move on, but it seems to get harder each time. Not only does she lose friends, but she finds herself in situations, such as honoring a last request, that leave her in trouble. When she ends up in a small town, she finds it harder and harder to stay true to the way she's been living. 

Becca is a very compassionate and resourceful woman. I love the way she was able to charm almost everyone she met--from the very young to the very old. I loved the chemistry between Becca and Flynn--try as they might to deny it, it was there. I loved the house rules that she establishes every time she sees a need, which seems to be often, with Flynn around.

Flynn is a great guy, always willing to give service to those around him. He's very cautious and loyal, almost to a fault, to those he cares for, but he has good reasons. 

I loved the little bits of mystery surrounding some of the characters and the magical way that Edwin, Flynn's grandfather, had about him. I was excited to see that we'll be seeing more of this town and these characters in future books.

Content: a few mild profanities; no violence; mild kissing. Clean!

  

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About the Author:

Although Melinda has lived in Georgia and Texas, she's a California girl at heart. Her earliest memories are of life on an isolated 50-acre sheep ranch in rural Sonoma County, California. Picture rolling hills covered in brown grass, a eucalyptus forest, a long gravel driveway lined with plump sheep and no sidewalks. It was a big deal to drive into town on a one-lane road in a ramshackle, bubble-fendered pickup for an ice cream.

Flash forward to this century. Melinda lives in California's hot central valley with her husband - her basketball playing college sweetheart. With three kids the couple has done the soccer thing, the karate thing, the dance thing, the Little League thing and, of course, the basketball thing.

Melinda writes sweet to medium heat contemporary romances as Melinda Curtis and red hot reads as Mel Curtis. She loves writing romances about women who don't realize how strong they are until a hero comes along to show them, while capturing the wry humorous power struggle of falling in love - because, really, who lets the man have the last word?  

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