With This Kiss by Marianne Evans

Story: 8
Presentation: 7
Total: 15
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Contemporary
To Purchase

Blurb: ‘So, Bella, do you still like the way snowflakes feel when they touch your skin?’


Many Christmases ago, a stolen kiss beneath a snowy sky sealed their fate. Now, will love be enough?

Jonathan Santini heads a preeminent labor law practice in New York. He’s driven by passion - unrelenting in his pursuit of two things: A better life through labor law, and Isabella Alfano. But the Santinis possess a somewhat checkered family history - one that puts Jonathan on the outside of Isabella’s branch of the Alfano clan.

Bella’s tangled emotions can’t stop what she feels for the bad-boy turned good. Taking over her grandma’s deli brings them together again, and the chemistry is electric. But the obstacle of family honor isn’t the only thing in their way. A jealous colleague at Jonathan’s firm is bent on revenge - revenge that puts Isabella’s store into legal peril…


Review: A really cute story that aside from a few issues with the editing and a MAJOR time line confusion was really good. The story starts “Ten Years Ago” and Bella is 17. Then goes to “Present Day” so I assume she is 27…right? The reference to Present Day makes me assume that I am reading a story taking place NOW. BUT near the end of the story, Bella’s mom makes reference to something that happened when Bella was 10 or 11 and then says that was during the 60’s…….Huh? It threw me for a loop and caused me to stop reading and go back to the beginning of the story to make sure that I wasn’t reading it wrong. I spent about 15 minutes checking things throughout the story to make sure that I hadn’t missed something…THEN I got back to reading.

This one had a slight Romeo and Juliet feel to it but ended on a much better note :) I really liked it. Jon and Bella are great together, no doubt and I am thrilled that everything worked out with only a couple of bumps along the way. Nothing major, a good dash of family and lasting love made this story a really great holiday read :)