First Kiss

Rating:
Summary: Wishes Come True
Review: Continuing the Bethlehem Series, Marilyn Pappano gives us another emotion packed story with FIRST KISS. Inn Keeper, Holly McBride makes a wish on someone's birthday and when it comes ture, she's met the match and man of her life. Tom Flynn has accomplished all the goals he's set until he decides to marry Holly McBride, Bethlehem's confirmed Single-Woman-For-Life. Tom loves a challenge and he's found it with Holly. FIRST KISS is more than a simple love story because love isn't simple and relationships ARE complicated. What makes FIRST KISS so special to me is that Marilyn Pappano has added the twists and turns that mirror real life--some of it beautiful and some not so pretty. I want this mega-series to continue because I love how all the characters keep growing and changing. Who's next to fall in love, Marilyn?

Rating:
Summary: Multimillionaire Bachelor Meets town Tramp
Review: FIRST KISS by Marilyn Pappano

FIRST KISS is the second book that I have read in this series of books by Marilyn Pappano. The general theme that ties these novels together is that they take place in the small town of Bethlehem, New York, where everyone knows everyone. In this novel, Multimillionaire Tom Flynn meets the gorgeous and successful Holly McBride, who also is known by the town to have a tarnished reputation.

Tom has just turned 40, and he's achieved most of the goals on his "to do" list, including becoming a multi-millionaire. The only two goals left to reach are "get married" and "fall in love". When he sees Holly at his small private birthday gathering with best friends Ross and Maggie, he decides that Holly is going to be the one. Now, if only Holly will cooperate.

Holly's philosophy has always been love them and leave them. Never getting closer to a man than a healthy sexual relationship, she has dated and bedded nearly every man in town. Tom has been one man that has eluded her, and she has an itch to get him into bed too. Unfortunately, she soon finds out that Tom wants more than just sex, and she is not very pleased with this turn of events.

As Tom and Holly do their little dance of love and enticement, the rest of the town watches in anticipation. In the meantime, Holly is dealing with her restaurant business and a new girl that she's hired out of pity, Bree. Bree is more than any employer can handle, but Holly keeps her on for some reason. Holly also is dealing with an alcoholic mother who keeps reappearing into her life at the wrong moments. Both of them, though, agree - there is something about Bree that they can't quite make out, and they wonder if they have met her before.

FIRST KISS was yet another enjoyable romance by Marilyn Pappano. Her style is reminiscent of the series by Debbie Macomber, where each novel continues on with the stories of the people living in this particular town. However, where Macomber's novels failed to spark anything in me, the Pappano novels I highly recommend. They each are self-contained, but can be even more enjoyable if read in chronological order, so as to slowly get to know the people of Bethlehem, New York and the ties that bind them to each other. I have not been following this advice; nevertheless, the books are just as enjoyable read out of order as they are in order. Thumbs up for FIRST KISS!

Rating:
Summary: Multimillionaire Bachelor Meets town Tramp
Review: FIRST KISS by Marilyn Pappano

FIRST KISS is the second book that I have read in this series of books by Marilyn Pappano. The general theme that ties these novels together is that they take place in the small town of Bethlehem, New York, where everyone knows everyone. In this novel, Multimillionaire Tom Flynn meets the gorgeous and successful Holly McBride, who also is known by the town to have a tarnished reputation.

Tom has just turned 40, and he's achieved most of the goals on his "to do" list, including becoming a multi-millionaire. The only two goals left to reach are "get married" and "fall in love". When he sees Holly at his small private birthday gathering with best friends Ross and Maggie, he decides that Holly is going to be the one. Now, if only Holly will cooperate.

Holly's philosophy has always been love them and leave them. Never getting closer to a man than a healthy sexual relationship, she has dated and bedded nearly every man in town. Tom has been one man that has eluded her, and she has an itch to get him into bed too. Unfortunately, she soon finds out that Tom wants more than just sex, and she is not very pleased with this turn of events.

As Tom and Holly do their little dance of love and enticement, the rest of the town watches in anticipation. In the meantime, Holly is dealing with her restaurant business and a new girl that she's hired out of pity, Bree. Bree is more than any employer can handle, but Holly keeps her on for some reason. Holly also is dealing with an alcoholic mother who keeps reappearing into her life at the wrong moments. Both of them, though, agree - there is something about Bree that they can't quite make out, and they wonder if they have met her before.

FIRST KISS was yet another enjoyable romance by Marilyn Pappano. Her style is reminiscent of the series by Debbie Macomber, where each novel continues on with the stories of the people living in this particular town. However, where Macomber's novels failed to spark anything in me, the Pappano novels I highly recommend. They each are self-contained, but can be even more enjoyable if read in chronological order, so as to slowly get to know the people of Bethlehem, New York and the ties that bind them to each other. I have not been following this advice; nevertheless, the books are just as enjoyable read out of order as they are in order. Thumbs up for FIRST KISS!

Rating:
Summary: The Magic Continues
Review: For anyone who has read the previous Bethlehem books, the wonderful storytelling of Marilyn Pappano continues in one of the best books in the series. Holly & Tom at first seem to be a good match for superficial reasons, but Tom soon discovers their compatibility goes far beyond that. Holly, however, isn't convinced! Watch the sparks fly as Tom tries to court Bethlehem's most eligible-and-completely-happy-with-that-fact bachelorette. I loved this book & have already gotten a friend of mine hooked on the series.

Rating:
Summary: The Magic Continues
Review: For anyone who has read the previous Bethlehem books, the wonderful storytelling of Marilyn Pappano continues in one of the best books in the series. Holly & Tom at first seem to be a good match for superficial reasons, but Tom soon discovers their compatibility goes far beyond that. Holly, however, isn't convinced! Watch the sparks fly as Tom tries to court Bethlehem's most eligible-and-completely-happy-with-that-fact bachelorette. I loved this book & have already gotten a friend of mine hooked on the series.

Rating:
Summary: The Magic Continues
Review: For anyone who has read the previous Bethlehem books, the wonderful storytelling of Marilyn Pappano continues in one of the best books in the series. Holly & Tom at first seem to be a good match for superficial reasons, but Tom soon discovers their compatibility goes far beyond that. Holly, however, isn't convinced! Watch the sparks fly as Tom tries to court Bethlehem's most eligible-and-completely-happy-with-that-fact bachelorette. I loved this book & have already gotten a friend of mine hooked on the series.

Rating:
Summary: Pappano just gets better
Review: From the first page when I fell in love with hero, Tom Flynn, Pappano pulled me into the story so full of real characters and excellent settings, that I wanted to live in Bethlehem too! Holly McBride is a spunky, fleshed out heroine with a perfect mixture of neuroses and normalcy to make her a perfect addition to the sleepy little town Marilyn created. I can't wait for more.

Rating:
Summary: Magical love story
Review: I always like a touch of magic with my love stories. Love is a magical feeling and this book delivers nicely. It does help to have read some of Marilyn Pappano's earlier series, otherwise you may find that the character identification moves too quickly in the beginning (particularly for the secondary characters). I take away one star for this issue. The lack of story depth lost it one more star. However, having said that, I enjoyed this book as a nice simple lift from everyday life. A bit of mind candy for a trying day.

Many of us know someone who has sacrificed their personal life for their work or who believes that marriage will never be for them again. Here is a chance to meet two people who learn how to make up for lost time. With a quick wish, Holly gets more than she bargains for in Tom. A quick fun read, a great beach, bathtub or any other time for "relaxing without stress" book.

Rating:
Summary: Magical love story
Review: I always like a touch of magic with my love stories. Love is a magical feeling and this book delivers nicely. It does help to have read some of Marilyn Pappano's earlier series, otherwise you may find that the character identification moves too quickly in the beginning (particularly for the secondary characters). I take away one star for this issue. The lack of story depth lost it one more star. However, having said that, I enjoyed this book as a nice simple lift from everyday life. A bit of mind candy for a trying day.

Many of us know someone who has sacrificed their personal life for their work or who believes that marriage will never be for them again. Here is a chance to meet two people who learn how to make up for lost time. With a quick wish, Holly gets more than she bargains for in Tom. A quick fun read, a great beach, bathtub or any other time for "relaxing without stress" book.

Rating:
Summary: Don't know what all the fuss was about.
Review: I bought this book on recommendation of a Romance Review site that I frequent. It got 5 stars. I personally didn't see what all the fuss was about. Maybe if I had read all the other books in the "series" I would have felt a better kinship to the characters and would have seen that Gloria and Sophy were out of this world. I couldn't understand how total strangers could get away with butting into people's lives the way they seemed to. Frankly I didn't really like either Holly or Tom. They didn't seem very sympathetic and both had a lot of self-pity. They didn't generate any kind of chemistry and I thought the real chemistry would have been between Tom and Sophy. She was different from every other girl he's ever known. The only differnce between Holly and the others was the color of her hair. I found myself skipping over the parts with Tom and Holly and wanting to get more involved in Margery's character which seemed to be the one of greater depth.

Like I said, maybe if you read the earlier books in the series and get acquainted with the residents of Bethlehem this book would be a better read. At this juncture though, I wouldn't recommend it.