This Perfect Kiss

THIS PERFECT KISS is a perfect read for those who love witty, wonderful romance. The characters are quirky, charismatic, and just plain fun, and the situtations they find themselves in are equally fun. Further, there's a wonderful secondary plot entailing the hero's 4-year-old aunt that simply warms the heart. THIS PERFECT KISS really is a book not to be missed--a perfect Valentine's Day treat as yummy as chocolate, but not nearly as fattening!

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for fun, romance, and emotion. Jilly's business is vintage clothes. Rory's is software, the Senate, and a legendary acting family. His ward is someone Jilly desperately wants to get close to. Meeting Rory throws her for a loop though. Meeting Jilly ('sexcandy') at a time when he is trying to keep his reputation spotless really flusters Rory. There is also a wonderful secondary romance. Rory's ward is a delight too. All these elements come together to form a very special book. I highly recommend THIS PERFECT KISS.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this sexy romantic comedy. So much of what is being published these days in romantic comedy is 'fluff'. Well, this book is definately not fluff; the emotional element grounds the humor, which, to me, makes it all the more effective.I predict that Ridgway is going to be one of the greats in the genre, if she continues writing books like this.

Atherton, California software millionaire Rory Kincaid avoids scandal as if it is E-bola after observing the disreputable role models of his father and grandfather. Between the two older Kincaids, there were eleven known marriages while at thirty-two, Rory has stayed single. Still, the tabloids would love a hint of scandal associated with Rory. With the recent death of his grandfather, Rory becomes guardian of his four-year-old aunt.Rory decides to clean out the family Caidwater mansion by ridding it of old costumes. He hires Jilly Skye, a vintage clothing dealer, to sell the items. However, Jilly arrives in a low cut dress that reveals her "ahems". Immediately attracted to the woman and not just her two puppies, Rory kisses Jilly, which could end his run as the Blue Party's candidate for US Senator.At times amusing and at other times poignant, THIS PERFECT KISS works because the charcaters and their emotional baggage seem genuine. The story line is fun as Rory struggles with his growing need for Jilly vs. his political ambitions vs. his fear of sharing the genes of his sires. Christie Ridgeway writes an amusing but semi-serious drama that hinges on whether love can help two individuals overcome childhood trauma.Harriet Klausner

I always find it exciting to be swept away by a book I didn't expect much from, and this "forced engagement" romance didn't look promising in the year 2001. But author Christy Ridgway's THIS PERFECT KISS turned out to be the perfect book to kick off a new year of romance reading, and provided not one but two romances to savor. Millionaire Rory Kincaid will be running for the Senate and has worked his entire life to separate himself from the scandals surrounding his parents and grandparents. Jilly Skye was raised by a grandmother whose daughter was nothing but a scandal; Jilly does not know that love can exist without pain and coercion. When the two meet and are forced into an engagement in order to prevent a new scandal from sullying the Kincaid name, the attraction threatens both Jilly and Rory down to the core.THIS PERFECT KISS is an intense read. Both Jilly and Rory are fully-fleshed characters filled with internal contradictions. Rory's four year old...Aunt, who acts as catalyst to the story, both for Jilly and Rory and the secondary romance that develops between two other characters, brings both humor and pathos to the book. I don't grant Desert Isle Keeper status very often - lately only once or twice a year - and this book was on the cusp. It settled on the B+ rather than the A- side because, as good as the story eventually became, it took just a little too long to fully engage me. Still, for readers looking for strong characters, terrific chemistry, and a strong balance between lighter and darker elements, I strongly recommend THIS PERFECT KISS.TTFN, Laurie Likes Books Publisher, All About Romance