The First Kiss is the newest installment in Grace Burrowes' delightful Sweetest Kisses series starring the Knightley brothers. In this outing, youngest brother James falls for Vera Waltham, but will issues from their respective pasts prevent them from finding their happily ever after?

Vera is a very successful and extremely talented concert pianist and single mom. Currently on a much needed hiatus after her second marriage ended in a tempestuous divorce, she and her eight year old daughter Twyla are now living a somewhat isolated life in the Maryland countryside. When someone begins harassing her, Vera is frightened, angry and quite certain her ex is behind the threats she has been receiving. Despite her fear, she fiercely guards her newly discovered independence and she rebuffs James' offers of assistance. But James proves to be very stubborn and the two strike up a unlikely friendship that takes an unexpectedly romantic turn.

James is charming, light-hearted and very flirtatious. He is also quite popular with the ladies, but he never gets serious with any of his flings. However his one night stands have lost their luster recently and he has become more focused on his career. James is instantly drawn to Vera but he also respects her need for space. Their meeting coincides with his growing dissatisfaction with his life and his attempt to discover the source of this frustration leads to surprising introspection on his part. An impulsive decision provides an unexpected connection with Vera that allows their friendship to deepen.

Their transition from friends to lovers is leisurely and this gives both James and Vera the opportunity to get to know one another. More importantly, this slow approach also allows them to reflect on their pasts and gives them the time to work through their respective issues. For the first time in her life, Vera is with a man who puts her before her career and James' perceptive comments helps her figure out what direction she wants to take professionally. The unexpected romance with Vera gives James some much needed insight into his troubled relationship with his mother and the correlation this has to his superficial relationships with women.

The First Kiss is a well-written novel with a very charming well-developed cast of characters. Although the storyline is engaging and interesting, the overall pacing is a little slow until about the halfway point. The suspense aspect is quite intriguing and it is virtually impossible to guess the perpetrator's identity. Once again Grace Burrowes brings readers another fabulous romance with plenty of depth, realistic issues and tremendous character growth. It is another highly satisfying love story that is sure to please readers and leave them eager for the next installment in the Sweetest Kisses series.
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I adore Grace Burrowes's Historical Romances, but the contemporaries just aren't sparking for me. They're sweet, but the prevalence of creepy, scary, abusive men from the heroines' pasts is just ugh. Yes, it's refreshing for the women to be the relationship-shy parties, but there must be other circumstances under which a woman would become leery of trusting a man with her heart. You know, like a good old-fashioned break-up by voice mail (or text). Not that the complete a$$holes in these women's pasts are the only things not working for me, but they're one of the largest issues. I just...I don't know...I wanted to swoon over these like I do over Burrowes's Historicals and it's not happening and sigh. ( )

With this new series, Burrowes has proved that she can write contemporary romances as well as Regencies and Victorians.

Vera is a talented pianist and a single mom dealing with the aftermath of a messy divorce. James, her nearsest neighbor, is a lawyer and CPA, whose little black book includes most of the single women in the county. Their attraction is immediate, but both of them have histories and uncertainties to overcome. Plus Vera has a stalker, possibly her ex-husband.

A charming romance. ( )