31 Kisses

by Chautona Havig

When one plus one equals thirty-one…

It happens every day.
Guy meets grandpa–and girl.
Guy knocks grandpa off ladder
Guy kisses girl to make it “all better.”
Every day.
For a month.
Just your normal, average, all-American romance…

Meet Chessie and Carson. She goes “all out” for Christmas (and every other holiday including Columbus Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Flag Day); he doesn’t own a single thing that could be considered decorative–unless you count the stickers he stuck to his dresser back when he was three.

Neither of them have ever had a serious relationship; both are opposed to frivolous expressions of affection. How on earth did they get tangled up in a “kiss-a-day-during-December” pact?

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Christian Fiction, Christian, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

256 pages, ebook

First published November 12, 2012

About the author

**fingers skittle across the keyboard. Stop. Eyelids blink over the top**

Oh, was this bio day? Oops! I forgot. I was lost in my latest manuscript. Umm... bio. Yeah.

Hi! I’m Chautona Havig. (for those who care, that’s Shuh-TONE-uh HAVE-ig). Yeah. Just work with me here. I should have used a pseudonym, but when you grow up with a name like Chautona, it kind of sticks.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10: 23–25

Those aren’t just words on a page for me–they’re why I write. I write to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ. The stories I create are to make people laugh, cry, question, consider.

They’re for you.

When the world screams for hope, I try to point you to the true Source of hope–Jesus.

Sometimes life in the church no longer seems a refuge from the pain of a self-serving world around us, but through my stories, I try to point you to the only Refuge that can truly help–the Father’s Everlasting Arms.

And sometimes we just need an escape from the monotony, the emptiness we see around us. We need joy, laughter–what I like to call “just the write escape.”

Christian fiction without apology or pretense–lived, not preached.
What does that even mean?
It means I care–about you. About your walk with Jesus. I care about the words you put before your eyes, the mental pictures those words conjure. It’s difficult to express just how much I love my brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s difficult to share just how much I love you.

But I do.

And I write for you. I sit in my little house in California’s Mojave Desert and I write to show you why one sister believes one thing, why a brother believes another. I write to show you how some Christians handle trials or triumphs–for you. So when you’re faced with something–good or bad, it doesn’t matter–maybe it’ll spark a memory. Maybe that memory will smolder until you pull out your Bible and see what the Lord said about it–about His great love for you. For YOU!

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll share that love with another hurting, confused, or blessed-with-more-than-she-knows-what-to-do-with soul.

I just happen to think that’s the most blessed giving anyone could hope to receive.

Reviews

[Lonzine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and Tart and Oh So Lovely

I love the way it all came together. It begins with a loving grandfather (affectionately known as Gumpy) seeking the right man for his granddaughter. It continues with holiday decor traditions, Hershey Kisses (and Hugs) and an unconventional pact to explore possibilities by sharing one Kiss and a kiss per day for the 31 days of December. No sex, fondling, groping or any such thing. Just a kiss for a Kiss. Sound implausible?

Not when the writer is Chautona Havig. It works because Chessie and Carson actually talk...to one another, themselves, family and to God. And they listen to the same. And no one in this story is perfect; which is why I gave it five stars. It was just a lovely peek at one of the ways a couple might meet and grow to like and love.

Some might call it unrealistic, but I think it's full of hope for something special and unique. Why is the only acceptable Christian romance expected to be predictable and formulaic?

I don't think Godly romance is that prosaic or anemic. The love story between Christ and His Bride is fraught with plot twists and turns. But we have great expectation of a happily ever after.

[Abigail Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review:
Genre: Humor, Christmas, and Christian fiction.
My Rating: 4 stars.
Recommendation: 16 up because of romance.
My Favorite Character/s: Grumpy and his love of his granddaughter. His first impressions of Carson are the best, and I didn’t mind reading the POV of an older character since he was kinda cute. I don’t believe he would care for being called cute, but he was!
My thoughts: These thoughts are before my reread, so please bear with me. I read this book about a year ago, I think? I’m not too sure when I read it the first time, but I loved it, just like I love almost all of the books Chautona Havig has written.
After reread:
This is one of the funniest books, it has the best humor that had me laughing almost the whole time. And I forgot how good this book was, there are some things that make the book better for an older audience which is the reason for the 16 up suggestion.
My favorite quote: (I had to share my favorite quote!)
He grinned at her. “I call it like I wish I’d seen it. So, how was your first kiss?”

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my "guilty pleasures" this time of year is sweet, gentle, Christmas love stories, and this one fit the bill. It was humorous (I found myself chuckling often at the dialogue and plot turns) and was uplifting rather than upsetting. I find that the older I get, the less I want anything "upsetting" in my discretionary time. Chessie was a bit unusual in her filter-less outspokenness, but she quickly grew on me. Even if not in real life, it is a relief not to wonder about someone's unspoken messages, or ulterior motives. Carson was a little more conventional, but comforting in his singular lack of pride or angst, and his sincere appreciation of Chessie's quirks. And Gumpy was a funny sidekick. I enjoyed it...it was a good travel read.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. WORD!! How have I survived THIS LONG without reading a single thing by Chautona Havig?!! I seriously stayed up until 3AM because I could not put this book down long enough to get essentially needed sleep the night before Christmas! It was just that good!

Now that I've come down from my gushing pedestal, let me tell you what I loved... :)

I loved the heroine, Chessie - she is spunky, opinionated, outspoken, yet tenderhearted. She has the sweetest relationship with her grandfather (known as Gumpy), and is passionate about all of their holiday traditions especially Christmas and something known as the Kiss-a-bell. Whenever someone grabs a Hershey's Kiss from the Kiss-a-bell and hands it to someone else, the recipient is obligated to provide the giver with a kiss. This makes things quite interesting when Carson enters the picture, and feels obligated to help Chessie complete all the Christmas decorations since Gumpy is laid up with a broken ankle (that Carson caused)!

I loved their daily kissing tradition thanks to the Kiss-a-bell! They set the ground rules early on, and never let themselves get carried away. Their sweet relationship grew in spite of the kissing - that was just a great bonus!

Gumpy is a hoot! Even though he is not a believer, he does not speak badly of other Christians, especially Chessie. Chessie, in return, continually shows the love of Christ to Gumpy. His matchmaking schemes add to his charm, too - I loved him so much!

So as you can see, there is a LOT to love about this charming story, and my overuse of exclamation points is my attempt at emphasizing how much fun it was to read! As far as Christmas stories go, it has a permanent space on my favorites shelf. Rom-com fans will love the banter between Chessie and Carson, and all their little quirks that make their story unique. I have no idea if there are any books featuring any of the secondary characters, but I definitely intend to find out because there's more than one character who deserves their own story, too.

Above all, I seriously cannot wait to read my next Chautona Havig book!

[Kate Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I was in the mood for absolute fluff (and I was curious how the author would handle the concept ;) ), and I stayed because of the absolutely vibrant characters.

Chessie was like no other character I’ve encountered in a book, and I liked it. Once in awhile she embarrassed me with her bluntness (particularly when it involved discussion of bodily fluids), but it was neat to see that trait portrayed. Also, I think it was cool how she recognized that it was kinda a double-edged sword and was aware when she’d hurt someone. ;) Her grandfather was hilarious, and even though he didn’t share her beliefs, it was obvious he loved her very much.

The whole first scene in the grocery store was probably my favorite. I love those little moments of shopping comradery in real life, and I could picture this one so well. XD

Now, obviously from the title, the theme of this book is kissing. Except not. Except kinda. While I’m personally uncomfortable with the concept, I loved how Chessie and Carson were a little weirded out about it, discussed it a lot too, and actually grew to know each other better through those conversations. And everything was pretty chaste. ;) I also appreciated the storyline with Carson’s mom, because even though I absolutely hated her position the author dragged me kicking and screaming to understand the character and her struggle with God, and I liked how it turned out. ;)

Just a note, there are mentions of bodily functions, discussions of attraction and the appropriate time for things related to it, and some semi-described kissing. Also, Chessie knows a family who lost their baby to SIDS and are being investigated by CPS.

Best quotes: She rolled her eyes and then jerked her head at Gumpy. “He likes to pretend he hates kids and kittens. It’s not true. He just hates kittens.”

“If a guy doesn’t meet a girl and get together by the end of the book, they just wasted my time.”

Altogether, this was a fun read. ;)

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't care for this book at all! I couldn't see the chemistry between the couple at all, and was often bored throughout the book. I had to force myself to finish it, because not even the cute grandpa character could save this story! I will be avoiding this author in the future.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The beginning and middle were really good for me, then the ending sort of dragged on. It is a cute premise for a story. Girl & boy meet, they have a spontaneous kiss, then decide to spend the next 31 days of December getting to know eachother, while sharing 1 kiss a day, no more.

Most of the kisses I thought lacked something to be desired. And I think she should have ended the book on the 31st with a proposal, but she carried it on a bit too long I think.

Overall a really cute and clean story, one that I probably wont read again but I didn't feel like it was a waste of my time.

[Natalie Gleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story, realistic characters, and Christmas kisses! I had a really good time reading this book. First time to try this author, but I have several of her books on my Kindle and am now eager to read the rest. These characters were so fun and relatable, I didn't want the book to end.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:

She says what she thinks
Meets him in grocery store
It starts with one kiss

I loved this story
Clean, innocent Christian love
It warmed up my heart

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

This is mostly a reader problem not a book problem, I think, though I could see other readers I know being put off for the same reasons.

First off, let me be clear that as contemporary romances go, this is sweet and readable, it just happens to be a genre that I rarely get along with well.

Let me also be clear that I knew there would be kissing it this book, and that the characters were probably going to make life and relationship choices about when to kiss that I wouldn't make myself, and I was okay with that.

The part that really weirded me out was when the characters started doing this theological/philosophical shuffle of "Well, I wasn't going to kiss anyone before I found my one true love for sure, but... in this case I want to." I don't know, somehow it just makes the whole thing weirder that they've thought about it that much and then just kind of throw the whole idea of waiting to kiss out the window for a near stranger.

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed practically everyone of this author’s that I’ve read, I have to say it isn’t my favourite. I don’t believe that kissing is a good thing on which to base a relationship between a man and a woman. To me, physical involvement in any form needs to wait until marriage. I also did not like the fact that he went into her bedroom while she was asleep, and another time she went to his bedroom while he was asleep. That’s not quite avoiding the appearance of evil. Otherwise, this is a very sweet story and a fun easy read. I loved the relationship Chessie had with her grandfather, and liked watching her learn to like Carson more. I also loved the appearance of people from other books. It’s always fun to see them show up.

[Fiction Aficionado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novella! Chautona Havig definitely doesn’t write your run-of-the-mill romances, and this one is no exception. Some I’ve enjoyed more than others. But of the ones I’ve read so far, I can say without a doubt that this is my favourite. Chessie and Carson are so stinkin’ cute together—and Chessie’s lack of filter is part of that charm—and I didn’t even mind that most of the 31 kisses were implied rather than written. It was everything about the way these two were together and the way their relationship developed that was sweet. In fact, I would go so far as to say to have written in rather than implying most of the kisses would have spoilt it.

If you’re after a sweet Christmas romance that’s a little different, I’d definitely give this one a try!

[Marylin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a real delight to read. Even tho I'm not sure I'd want my girls to do something like this, it was fun to read about. Chautona has done it again! I have grown to love any book she writes. Now I can't wait to see if there will be anymore books with Chessie and Carson or maybe one with Gunnar.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the quirky, Christian, romantic comedy.

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.5 or 3.75. This book is slow but that is okay. Two slightly awkward people brought together through a quirky grandpa. I suspect she may have Asperger's syndrome or just be OCD but he is just the man to see the beauty in her and bring it out. Together they are each better than either of them apart.

I like that the religion is obvious throughout their lives but this is not a preachy or sermonizing story like many are. They just make it obvious they both are active in their church, have a living faith and live it in their daily lives. Some books make a point of a specific church body holding up their form of worship as superior as any other. Those books are offensive. This book is not that way.

The romance, the story line and the religious aspects are handled gently and subtlety. I will read more by this author and absolutely recommend this book.

[Priscila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unconventional, fun, interesting, romantic.

Those are just a few words that popped in my mind when trying to describe Chessie and Carson's story. It's really unique in its concept but that doesn't take away from the author's ability to deliver a really good story that gave me all the feels.

I found this story interesting due to two things: first, that you get to experience a story that actually follows up the MCs lives day to day for a whole month(!); but also, because it answers the question "how does she pull off the fact of describing 31 kisses?" (by focusing on the feelings, of course!). You can find that endearing or you can get used to it ;) In my case, this writing style grew on me and I ended up finding it refreshing. A well-written, clean, recommended read.

[Heather Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has such a unique premise. 31 days. 31 kisses. A guy she barely knows. I know others would wonder at this girl's common sense, not to mention the state of her faith, but I don't see it that way. The author does well in showing her struggle with the situation. And though there may be those out there who saved kisses for marriage (or at least very committed relationships), I know there are as many if not more who were a little less careful with their kisses (for good or bad). The character's struggle makes her relatable. And I love the grandpa. He's such a fun character. 31 Kisses is an entertaining, light story. Plus, there's chocolate. So, that makes it a sweet story as well.

[Hannah Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute, though do I recommend this way of getting to know someone? Probably not, but at the same time it was cute. And for those wondering, yes there was lots of kisses in this book (chocolate and otherwise) but they were pretty chaste and nondescriptive. They didn't take up pages and pages of time. It stayed focused more on the actual relationship. Carson was great, and Chessie was refreshing. I'm totally a fan of blunt characters. Gumpy was delightful. And Carson's relationship with his siblings was great!

Overall, a fun and light Christmas romance with Christian themes.

[Teresa Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kisses - Chocolate and Otherwise!

I love traditions, and this one offers many fun ones. From meeting in the grocery store, to helping out because Gumpy got hurt. The month flows by quickly. Chessie isn't your "normal" heroine, but she is perfect. Patty reminds me of a few mothers of sons I have known. Over all, I loved the book!

[Amber Dawn]

Christmas Romance

This was to awkward to completely enjoy. part of the time I wondered if I was reading a middle grade book geared toward romance. Add in the religious aspect that was just enough to be annoying because it didn't add anything to the story but sound preachy and I couldn't enjoy it.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful Christmas romance book! I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline. It was a sweet romance between two adult Christians. I loved the realness of the situations and the whole 31 kisses premise.

[Rachel Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

This book did not disappoint. As always the story speaks to me and leaves me wanting to read what happens next. I like that characters from other series are also part of this story. Would read again.

[Cathy Bickerstaff]

A cool read for a hot summer

A nice, clean Christmas romance,enjoyed in summer's heat, does tend to take your mind off the heat.
It was quirky and not predictable, except the boy does get the girl.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story set around Christmas. Interesting characters and story line. I found myself laughing throughout the book. The grandfather is quite a character and I enjoyed seeing how the romance developed between the two main characters.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The 31 day kiss premise - the main plotline - was my least favorite part of the story, but about halfway through December I realized the three main characters had really grown on me, and I was willing to overlook the complete implausibility of it. Sweet, funny, and cute.

[Rebekah Morris]

DNF
Just not my kind of book. Didn't really care for the characters, and I wasn't interested in reading about two people who kissed every single day. I'm sure there was more to the story than that, but I decided to go read something I was more interested in.

[Florence S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Story of Young Love

Boy meets girl. Her grandfather loves him but his mom doesn't love her at first. But the God that bought them together gets them trough.

[Lynda Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

Loved the tradition that these two started. I enjoy Chautona Havig's books. This was very entertaining. I definitely recommend this book.

[Anna :)]

Wow. not my thing.
Capital characters by Mrs Chautona but um a lot of kissing... I'll just take the chocolate. XD

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet romance...

Just a happy story that charms the reader with truth sayings, twisted words & simplicity. Made me want to speak truth or my thoughts more freely.