EVERY LITTLE KISS - Kendra Leigh Castle
Harvest Cove , Book 2
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-451-46759-1
March 2015
Contemporary Romance

Harvest Cove - Present Day

In the small New England town of Harvest Cove, gossip is a favorite pastime, and one of the favorite topics is the odd Henry family.  After Emma Henry's father died, the town had plenty to say about her mother, Andi, a transplant to the town, and Emma's younger sister Sam's attempts to fit in only made her miserable.  Emma decided she was never going to give anyone a reason to gossip about her, and set out to become the most boring person in town.  But on the night of Sam's bachelorette party, Emma has a little too much to drink and becomes the life of the party.  Her night ends with an off-duty police officer driving her home and holding her hair while she's ill. 

Suddenly, men she doesn't remember meeting are texting her for dates, and the whole town is talking about her: the song she performed at the bar (complete with video on YouTube so everyone can enjoy), her wild night with the new police officer, and streaking through town at midnight with another local (didn't actually happen, but it makes for a fun story).  She would love to go back to being boring, orderly Emma but, in a way, this serves as a wake-up call for how alone she really is in her life.  Along with making a few new friends, Emma also keeps running into the sexy officer who helped her out that night, and she realizes there's something else she's been missing out on.

Army veteran Seth Anderson left behind his job as a police officer in Jacksonville, Florida and moved to Harvest Cove to find some peace.  He's only been here six months and hasn't made too many friends yet, but he's definitely noticed Emma Henry.  Though a relationship is the last thing he's ready for, Seth can't help but want to spend time with Emma, and he understands her need to keep a distance from others.  And then one little kiss changes everything.

Emma has spent most of her life avoiding gossip, people, and most important, being hurt, but in EVERY LITTLE KISS she finds out that some risks are worth it.  She's watched as her younger sister forgave and then fell in love with the man who hurt her once before, but Emma still wasn't willing to take a chance on stepping outside of her well-ordered world.  Yet when disaster strikes in the form of an embarrassing video, and Emma's world doesn't crumble around her, she starts to wonder if maybe she's been playing it too safe.  Dating Seth is a huge risk in Emma's mind, but the more she gets to know him, the more she's willing to try.  Seth has his own reasons for his solitude, and though he's not sure he's emotionally ready for a relationship yet, Emma is impossible to resist.  While there is definitely chemistry between Emma and Seth, it's not only lust that brings them together, and it's all the other little things that make them such a good couple. 

The second book in the Harvest Cove series gives readers a chance to see how things are going with Sam and Jake (from FOR THE LONGEST TIME) as well as learning more about the romance between Sam and Emma's mother, Andi, and local business owner, Jasper.  However, EVERY LITTLE KISS focuses pretty much on Emma and Seth, so if you haven't read the first book, you won't be lost.  Likeable characters and a charming romance make EVERY LITTLE KISS a book you won't want to miss.

Jennifer Bishop