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Y’all know I’m a huge Denise Hunter fan, right? Did you see the Hallmark movie made from her book, The Convenient Groom? I didn’t enjoy the movie nearly as much as the book. So, fair warning, read the book. lol. Enough of the commercial. Back to Just a Kiss…

Riley’s just come home from serving in the Marines, minus half of one leg and suffering from PTSD. His best and dearest friend, Paige, can’t wait to help him adjust to life back in the States. Riley’s loved her since high school, but Paige was a little slower to realize her feelings…and his.

I confess I struggled to write this review. Not because the book was bad. Hardly! As with all other Hunter books, I gobbled snatches whenever I could. But I. Did. Not. Like…

Riley.

Gasp! How bad is that? Riley’s the hero, the brave man who served his country, the friend who chose not to reveal his true feelings solely to preserve their lifelong friendship.

At times, I wanted to reach into the book and sit Riley down over a cup of coffee. To warn him that unless he stopped with the surly attitude directed at Paige, he would lose her for good. How could she love this guy?

Maybe Riley would kindly explain that depression does that to a person. That it was like being tossed into a deep, dark prison where pain and sleepless nights are the norm. No wonder Riley acted that way. Paige chose to love him for the hero she knew him to be, and the walls of bitterness and resentment had to crumble eventually. Good thing he finally came around. And so did I. 🙂

The real goodie in this book wasn’t the romance. For me, it was the meaty nuggets to chew on later.

To Ponder

• How I consider myself lacking because of certain physical limitations
• How stubbornness and pride keep me from achieving my full potential
• How I need family and other connections
• How I sometimes fixate so much on what’s wrong, it’s difficult to be grateful for what’s right
• How seasons in my life come around for a reason, a purpose, and I shouldn’t fight them, but learn, grow, evolve.

This might not have been my favorite of Hunter’s books, but I’m so glad I chose to spend a few hours hanging out with Riley and Paige. And I would do it all over again.

Disclaimer: Sending my thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with a free copy of Just a Kiss in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion. Other than the free kindle copy, I was in no way compensated for my review.