""A Wonderful Romance""

Holly McBride runs the local inn in the small town of Bethlehem. She is thirty-seven years old and because of a very unhappy young life has vowed never to marry. She has been promiscuous and not ashamed of it. Apparently many men of Bethlehem know her intimately. She is well liked, kind hearted and helps people in need.

Tom Flynn is very successful and has set up a list of goals and accomplishments. Now that he has reached his business goals, at forty years old, he decides to marry. Although he has had many one-night-stands, he is not too sure that he knows very much about love and courtship but he is determined to try. He has known Holly for over a year and sets his sight on her. She has been trying to get him into bed for quite a while but marriage? No way! Holly and Tom have similar backgrounds, both rising above their unhappy childhoods becoming successful; both dating every man/woman in town; both extremely attractive; and both strong willed.

The cover on FIRST KISS is very attractive. It is one of the best covers of the 2000 books in my opinion. FIRST KISS has it all for the romance reader, a wonderful character driven romance, terrific secondary characters and a satisfactory ending. Bree is a very good secondary character. She is Miss Clumsy and trying so hard to please her boss whom she admires so much. Margery, Holly's mother, is just as awful as Holly thinks she is. Not only is she an alcoholic but a cruel mother as well. As always, the people of Bethlehem are people that we would all like to know, especially the mysterious ladies that come to offer advice and help. The handsome Tom is not quite sure how to win over the beautiful and sexy Holly but determined to do so. He uses his expertise in business to figure out how to solve the problem and also gets a little help from a mystery woman. FIRST KISS is a fun and wonderful book all around. Miss Pappano, you did it again.

Reviewed by Marilyn Heyman
Posted November 19, 2001