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A review by chroniclesofabookreader
About That Kiss: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel by Jill Shalvis
4.0
About That Kiss was a sweet, sultry romance with a love story between an unlikely couple. As my first Jill Shalvis book, I enjoyed the balance between character and relationship buildup, and how there was just the right amount of tension in both as the story progressed. Shalvis captured Kylie's personality well and brought her out of the shell she'd been in, and made her strong for doing it not just for love but for her own self. Anyone who is an old soul like her will find a sense of belonging with that character, and it was something that was palpably felt. Her connection with Joe felt untouched and pivotal, something that built wonderfully as they spent more time together.
With the perfect amount of fun mixed in, About That Kiss was an enjoyable novel from beginning to end. Shalvis' writing was easy to get into and effective in bringing the reader into the story of not just these two characters but past and future characters from the series, too. Even though I started the series with this book, I never felt like something was missing or that it wasn't possible to jump in at any point. With low angst and the perfect amount of butterflies given, anyone who opens this book will fall for it from the first page.
As a side note: There's a line in the book about 'PTSD-proofing' a house. I understand wanting to make your characters' issues seem real, but this line was offensive and a bit ignorant. You can't proof a house from a disorder, any disorder (and for that matter, you can't proof a house from getting PTSD). You can safe-proof a house from someone who has self-harming tendencies, but that is in no way 'PTSD-proofing.' I'm sure the author didn't mean any offense, but as someone with that disorder, I would recommend being a bit more careful in how something is worded.
**Received an early copy from the Publisher; this had no bearing on my opinions**
With the perfect amount of fun mixed in, About That Kiss was an enjoyable novel from beginning to end. Shalvis' writing was easy to get into and effective in bringing the reader into the story of not just these two characters but past and future characters from the series, too. Even though I started the series with this book, I never felt like something was missing or that it wasn't possible to jump in at any point. With low angst and the perfect amount of butterflies given, anyone who opens this book will fall for it from the first page.
As a side note: There's a line in the book about 'PTSD-proofing' a house. I understand wanting to make your characters' issues seem real, but this line was offensive and a bit ignorant. You can't proof a house from a disorder, any disorder (and for that matter, you can't proof a house from getting PTSD). You can safe-proof a house from someone who has self-harming tendencies, but that is in no way 'PTSD-proofing.' I'm sure the author didn't mean any offense, but as someone with that disorder, I would recommend being a bit more careful in how something is worded.
**Received an early copy from the Publisher; this had no bearing on my opinions**