Contemp. Review: With This Kiss (Emerald Lake Novel) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "With This Kiss" the 2nd book in her Emerald Lake series by Bella Riley.

Product Description

Love can find you when you least expect it . . .

Fireworks. That's what innkeeper Rebecca Campbell wants. And no matter how close their friendship, she and her former fiancé never shared that. Now, with a broken engagement behind her and a promise she's vowed to keep, Rebecca is determined to make a new life for herself in Emerald Lake. She just never expected sparks to fly this quickly . . .

Coming home and falling for his little brother's girl wasn't Sean Murphy's plan. Rebecca's sweet smile and kind heart make Sean feel at home-something he's never felt before. But a secret lingers between them, and no matter how powerful their attraction, Sean can't give his heart to a woman he can't trust. Or can he?

As the days pass, Rebecca and Sean find it harder and harder to deny their desire. And they are in beautiful Emerald Lake, the perfect place for falling in love . . .

About the Author

Bella Riley has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then nonfiction books, but as soon as she started her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Since selling her first book in 2003 (under the name Bella Andre), Bella has written more than twenty "empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly). Her books have been translated into German, Thai, Japanese, and Ukrainian, and two of her bestselling books have been Cosmopolitan Red Hot Reads. When she's not behind her computer, you can find her reading, hiking, knitting, or lunching with her favorite romance-writing friends. Bella and her fabulous husband and children divide their time between Northern California and a ninety-year-old lakefront log cabin in New York's Adirondack Mountains.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Forever; Original edition (March 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446584223
ISBN-13: 978-0446584227

My Review:

In the last two weeks Rebecca's life has been turned upside down.  She has ended her engagement to fiance Stu Murphy because she wants true love like her best friend Andi and Nate and then he up and runs off leaving her to take care of the Inn.  Rebecca decides to keep his secret and everyone blames her for making Stu run off except for her Knitting Group.  Then she discovers the Stu and Sean's parents marriage is in trouble.

Then on the wedding eve of  Andi Powell and Nate Duncan Stu's older brother Sean arrives home in time for his wedding angry after being away for twenty years after what he witnessing something that broke his heart when he was just fourteen.  He never expected to be so attracted to his brother's fiancee and Rebecca feels the same.  They both try to deny their attraction to each other but as they spend more time with each other they finally can't deny how they feel and give in.

I really enjoyed how the story slowly built up and the depth of the characters was well explored.  Really enjoyed learning how maple syrupping was done in the northeast.

I really felt for Sean with the secret he has keep for that long and I don't blame him for the way he acts.  Rebecca annoyed me with her actions and the way she would get angry with Sean and blame him for everything.

3/5

Thanks Hachette Book Group for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Other books in series:

1.   Home Sweet Home