Kiss Me Hello

January 12, 2015
Burrowes concludes her contemporary Sweetest Kisses trilogy (after The First Kiss) with the spotlight on MacKenzie, managing partner of the family law firm that connects the three books. Mac is a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom and office, but in his personal life he is reserved and practically celibate. As in the earlier novels, the hero meets a strong-willed woman and immediately falls head over heels, despite little to no encouragement or reciprocation from her. Mac’s instant attachment is to Sidonie, the beautiful woman who now lives in his childhood home with her foster son. He aggressively pursues her and helps her with the torturous demands of foster parenthood, keeping his livelihood a secret after Sid reveals her loathing of lawyers. The characters have an uncanny ability to derive layers upon layers of understanding from a simple look, and the plot follows a familiar trajectory. The story introduces some new characters with intriguing histories and ties together some loose ends in the series, but it is far from compelling. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Literary Agency.

January 15, 2015
When a lone-wolf criminal defense attorney who moonlights as a farrier meets a single foster mother and her troubled but compelling charge, he surprises himself by engaging in their struggles-even when she resists his help.For years, MacKenzie Knightley has kept to himself, avoiding human entanglements as much as possible, so when he meets Sidonie Lindstrom and her foster son, Luis, he's surprised to feel an immediate connection. But Sid and Luis are wary of their new rural life, especially when Sid's money becomes unexpectedly tied up in red tape, endangering Luis' foster status. Sid is a city girl grieving the death of her brother, trying to nurture a teen with his own issues and navigate unexpected financial stresses, so Mac's help and attention are welcome yet disconcerting. Sid is wary of lawyers, and Mac takes his sweet time in letting her know he is one. Meanwhile, as Mac becomes more entwined with Sid and Luis, he finds his other relationships strengthening, including those with his community and his family. And the more Sid tangles with local social services, especially a narrow-minded case worker, the more Mac strengthens his emotional arsenal, surprising all of them in the process. Burrowes has moved elegantly into contemporary romance with her Sweetest Kisses series and continues her penchant for mining intense situations beyond the love story. Her exploration of the mind-numbing bureaucracy of the foster care system lends an interesting and thought-provoking layer to the story while setting up the backbone of the emotional network Sid and Mac must create to save themselves. Sweet, sexy, eloquent and poignant, with a social-justice dimension.

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Starred review from February 15, 2015

Appalled to find a pair of huge draft horses on the property she and her foster son just moved to, prickly Sidonie Lindstrom is surprised and a tad grateful when drop-dead-gorgeous farrier MacKenzie Knightley shows up to take things in hand--and annoyed to learn that the horses may well be hers. But Mac is much more than he seems, and when he neglects to tell lawyer-hating Sid he's a practicing attorney as well as a horseshoer, he sets the stage for a major rift in their budding relationship. Exciting, attractive main characters, clever banter, and lively action keep the story on track, while the frustrating machinations of a by-the-book social worker add a mean-spirited touch. VERDICT With insight, humor, and heart, Burrowes wraps up her first contemporary trilogy as she melts the long-standing reserve and secret insecurities of the eldest Knightley brother and the fierce wariness of a determined foster mom. Burrowes lives in rural Maryland.

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