Kissing the Maid of Honor by Robin Bielman

Kissing the Maid of Honor by Robin Bielman
Published: May 13, 2013 by Entangled Bliss
Source: e-galley from publisher

Kissing her best friend's brother never felt so right…

Sela Sullivan is resolved to be the best maid of honor ever, even if it means tolerating the best man. Insufferable, too-handsome Luke Watters is not only the guy who humiliated her at a kissing booth in high school, but he also happens to be her best friend’s older brother. Positive he’s the same arrogant jock, Sela vows to focus on her duties and steer clear of the frustrating—and frustratingly tempting—Luke.

As a world-renowned extreme-sports photographer, Luke is used to undertaking life-risking adventures. But risking his heart for the beautiful Sela Sullivan, who clearly still hates him for his rejection all those years ago? He didn’t see that coming. Sela inspires a passion he’s never known, and the more time they spend together, the more he craves her. But can he prove to the maid of honor he’s become a man of honor? [goodreads]

I have a soft spot for adult contemporaries that involve characters who once shared a romantic past, but never quite took off, and eventually leads to a whole lot of tension that makes for great reading!  In this particular story we are introduced to Sela and Luke, two people who definitely have a past that has not been easily forgotten by the other.  Sela is the maid of honor to her best friend, who also happens to be Luke's sister.  Once upon a time, Sela had her heart broken by Luke.  Blame it on the insecurities of being a teenager, Luke made a dumb mistake, and in turn left Sela embarrassed and unable to forgive him.

Flash forward several years and Sela and Luke are thrust back into each others lives as they prepare for the wedding of someone they both dearly love.  Immediately there is tension between these two.  As the reader you quickly realize that Sela's embarrassment from all those years ago hasn't gone away, but you also see that time has been good to Luke, and he's also grown and matured.  I knew these two shared something special, but there were a few obstacles they needed to get past before finding that right time.

I loved the setting of this ocean side town in the Pacific northwest, completing the backdrop with it's small town charm and quirky characters.  With all the wedding planning going on, I felt wrapped up in the chaos just as Sela and all the other bridesmaid did, too.  There was reprieve in the quieter moments shared between Sela and Luke though.  What could have been assumed as just a physical attraction to one another, eased into a much deeper connection, that went beyond just heated kisses and missed opportunities.

I first became a fan of Robin Bielman's work when I read & reviewed Yours at Midnight earlier this year.  Once again, she's satisfied my craving for a fresh, engaging, romantic story that goes deeper than just the surface.  This particular book is perfect for an afternoon escape, filled with believable characters, a heartwarming story, and an ending to satisfy your contemporary taste.

Yours at Midnight Blog Tour + Giveaway!

As part of the Yours at Midnight by Robin Bielman blog tour, hosted by Entangled - I am super excited to share my review of the book, as well as a guest post from the author about new year resolutions.  Be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post for a chance to win a $50 gift card of the winner's choice to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Book Depository (for international entries). The winner will be announced at the end of the tour! Check out the rest of the blog tour stops here.

Yours at Midnight by Robin Bielman
Published: December 18, 2012 by Entangled Publishing
Received: Purchased e-book from B&N

Lyric Whetsone only had eyes for Quinn Sobel's brother Oliver, until a car crash took Oliver's life on New Year's Eve. Then, a moment of shared grief between Quinn and Lyric became something more impassioned, something that frightened Quinn so much he ran from Lyric's bed and her life, disappearing for four long years.

Now Quinn's back for another New Year's Eve, struggling for closure, desperate to leave his grief in the past and make amends with the girl of his dreams.

But Lyric has a secret--one that could drive Quinn from her life forever. Will Quinn run away from the love and acceptance he's always wanted...or will he claim his New Year's kiss and make her his at midnight? [goodreads]

Starting off the new year with this book was the perfect choice!  Since this story is set just after Christmas, and right before New Years, it was a no brainer when it came time to choose which book I should begin the new year with.  If you're looking for something short and sweet with a heck of a lot of passion, I highly recommend picking up this adult contemporary romance.  It has just the right amount of balance between a dramatic story and something light and un-put-downable. 

Lyric lives in the guest house on her parent's property.  She's the youngest of four siblings, and the only one who is not married.  This story is a true representation of how everyone follows a different path, and they are not all meant to lead to the same places.  Her family grew up next door to Oliver and Quinn's family, two twin brothers who were always a constant in Lyric's life.  One being the guy she adored and the other who adored her.  Four years ago, a tragic accident occurred, leaving Quinn in grief and turning to Lyric and her bed.  But the passion did not linger long.  He fled before the two of them could make sense of what happened between them.

With New Year's Eve coming upon them, Lyric and Quinn are thrown back into each other's lives.  With Lyric harboring a secret she can't hide much longer, and Quinn seeking forgiveness from those he pushed away, this story packed one dramatic punch after another!  I instantly felt connected to these characters and felt their true feelings seeping off the pages.  The passion was intense, and the physical connection these two shared four years ago definitely did not sizzle out.  My only complaint: I wanted MORE!  The story is kept short and sweet, and though I was very happy with the ending, I still found myself wanting to see what else was in store for Lyric and Quinn.

Robin Bielman writes with intensity that keeps the pages turning, yet there's a bit of softness that allows you to take comfort in the characters and see their story unfold.  I will definitely be reading more by this author!

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Author Robin Bielman has stopped by the blog today to share with us some of her new year resolutions.  Since the book is set around one year ending and another beginning, I thought this would be an awesome topic to discuss.

Hi everyone! Happy New Year! Thanks so much for having me on GReads!, Ginger. I’m so happy to be here to talk about resolutions.

Today happens to be my birthday and so I thought I’d combine wishes with resolutions because when it comes right down to it, we all wish to keep our resolutions, right? But oh, how hard it is—at least for me. I always start out with the best intentions. And in my head, I am so going to kick resolution butt. But thinking and doing are two very different things. I mean, come on, who can resist a cookie or cupcake if it’s right in front of you? Not me!

I did make a resolution list this year and included doable things like have more date nights with my hubby, occasionally wear something besides my sweats and travel to new places. But here are a few more to add to the list…

I wish/resolve to work on my willpower. See mention of cupcakes above.  I cannot turn a cupcake down. Just can’t. But I’m going to work on that. Not today, though. Today I get to eat whatever I want. It’s the birthday rule.

I wish/resolve not to sweat the small stuff. The laundry isn’t done? I’ll get to it before we run out of socks or underwear. Can’t find that coupon I put in that special place so I wouldn’t forget where it was? It’s okay. I didn’t really need to buy any more unnecessary crap at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Son didn’t do as well as I’d like on his test? There will be more tests and I’m thankful he’s happy and healthy and stays out of trouble. Oh, and all those slowpokes driving in front of me lately? I’m going to take a deep breath and enjoy the ride rather than stress about being a minute late.

I wish/resolve to let things go. By this I mean to forgive myself for things I may have said or done in the past that I’m not happy about. It’s so easy to hang on to regrets, but doing that doesn’t do any good. It doesn’t let us move forward. We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. I have this in common with my characters from Yours At Midnight. Forgiveness is crucial to letting go of negative emotions and once my hero and heroine forgive themselves and each other, happiness abounds. ~sigh~

I have to say just typing these wishes/resolutions has got me feeling pretty good and optimistic about 2013. Twenty Thirteen. Wow. It’s crazy how time flies. So tell me, what wishes and/or resolutions have you got for this year?

You can find Robin online here:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

To purchase the ebook go here:
Entangled Publishing

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