Just a Kiss by Denise Hunter

Now that The Goodbye Bride has been made into a Hallmark movie, my hopes are super high for a movie inspired by Just a Kiss by Denise Hunter. This series is one of my enduring favorites!

about the book

Just a Kiss by Denise Hunter

Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are derailed when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.

Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.

But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.

Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances Riley is adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it.

As the weeks wear on, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into uncharted territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in?

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my thoughts

I love this story!!! “Friends falling in love” stories are some of my favorites! We already know from previous books in the series (The Goodbye Bride) that Riley is head over heels for his childhood friend, Paige and she has no clue. Now, as much as I wanted to shake Riley for not speaking openly and honestly with Paige, I do understand his reluctance.

Once her best friend is finally back home, Paige just wants to be there for him like he has always been there for her. I love her compassionate and nurturing personality. Paige is willing to bend over backward to help Riley regain his mobility and find healing. Unfortunately, battle wounds are seldom just skin deep and soldiers are known to put up emotional walls to keep everyone out.

Another heartwarming romance that is hard to put down, courtesy of the Callahan brothers and the ladies who love them!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

about the author

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including The Convenient Groom and A December Bride, which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking good coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband have raised three boys and are rapidly approaching an empty nest.

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