Review: His Kiss by Jolyse Barnett (Summer in New York #2)

Note: This ARC was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jeremy Engel's lost control of his life after his fiancée ended their engagement and he suffered numerous injuries from a motorcycle accident right after what she did. Jeremy went on to become an alcoholic, but after two years, decided it was time to get his life back on track. He's been sober for almost four years and has become a bestselling author. Still, he hides his success behind a pseudonym and hasn't invited anyone, not even his family, to his home. But when he meets a beautiful stranger on the beach, his world changes.

Elizabeth Desmond has lived a privileged life but she's not afraid of putting in the work necessary to make her new business a success. Meeting the gorgeous and tatted bad boy along the beach makes her want to take a break from being the good girl and when they meet again in Lake Placid, they believe it could very well be fate. However, he's got a past that's made him hesitant to believe in happily-ever-after and Elizabeth wants to show him that what they have is worth believing in and that it's more than meant to be.

His Kiss by Jolyse Barnett is the second story in the multi-authored Summer in New York series from Tule Publishing. Fans of the Christmas in New York series will remember Jeremy Engel, younger brother of Jade Engel and close friend of Ben Stephens from the third book, A Light in the Window, and I'm glad he finally gets his story told here. Both he and Elizabeth Desmond have had their struggles--he with alcohol addiction and she with an eating disorder--but Jeremy can't help but focus on the most glaring thing that makes them different: their family backgrounds. Jeremy has already experienced what it's like to be with a girl who grew up with a family that had money and with Elizabeth coming from a very rich family of her own, Jeremy is afraid that he won't be considered good enough to be with someone like her.

These two lead characters definitely had their challenges in the book but I was pleasantly surprised with the route the story took a time or two because it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. I'm the kind of reader who appreciates those unexpected moments so definite kudos to the author for those. It was also nice to have Jade and Ben in prominent supporting roles as well as appearances from the rest of the characters from the original series, though Kara Larsen and Reid Bennett, the lead characters from the first book of this spin-off series, weren't around. This was a touching story about finding love, discovering hope, and seeking redemption and that when we find that missing piece that fits perfectly in our lives, fighting to keep what you have will be more than worth it in the end. His Kiss gets four stars out of five. ♥

Release Date: 07 July 2015

Date Read: 04 July 2015

Learn more about Jolyse Barnett here.

Purchase links for His Kiss will be added as soon as they're available. ♥

Check out my four-starred review for A Light in the Window.