USA Today bestselling author Juliet Spenser brings you more contemporary romance set in the small town of Bliss Harbor, where love and laughter are just around the corner… Enjoy three romantic romps in this collection of Bliss Harbor In KISS ME AGAIN, a high school teacher writes naughty love stories just for fun, and she’ll do anything to get her secret stories back when her notebook falls into the hands of the sexy, fun-loving guy who loves to tease her. In WARM WINTER KISSES, a bed and breakfast manager is determined to avoid her feelings for her best friend, a hunky detective, but there’s no avoiding the heat between them when a blizzard strands them alone together. In THEN WE KISSED, a curvy, no-nonsense baker wakes up with regrets over a night with the sexy soldier who stole her heart, but a mix-up sends her straight back into his arms.This collection is 40,000 words or about 150 pages.
Juliet lives in upstate New York, where she writes fun contemporary romances and fast-paced romantic thrillers. She's currently hard at work on the next book in the Bliss Harbor series, or at least she will be again if she can stop soaking up as much sun as possible before the next eight-month long winter sets in.
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I feel like I should start out by saying... If you're looking for some hot, sweaty lovin', this is not it. Go somewhere else. Cute and cuddly? Crack this baby open! :)
KISS ME AGAIN
Why do I read short stories when I just complain at the end about wanting more?! I aggravate myself..
This was cute and quick. Something you could pick up and finish while you're waiting for your doctor's appointment. But like I said... I WANT MORE
WARM WINTER KISSES
I think this is the only one that didn't have it's own book on goodreads.. I like to review all box set book separately but I couldn't do that with this one. Oh well.
I thought it moved a little too quickly. I want some background on a friends to lovers story. I got none of that in this one. It was good but was not great. I like background info.. It wasn't long enough to give me that connection with the characters.
Again, this is a quick read. Something to read while in the doctor's office or on the toilet (not that I ever do that... That's weird..........) Anyways... It's quick and easy and cute.
THEN WE KISSED
Not 100% sure how I feel like this one... It was a little crazy. Little funny. Little fast.
I like it. But I was also a little bored. Pretty predictable. But still cute.
Like the other two, it was quick and easy to read. I just need more to a story to REALLY enjoy it.
Then We Kissed brought down the entire rating... It was a four star read but now it's a three.
This book includes three really nice short stories; all written by the same author. They are all books in Ms. Spenser's Bliss Harbor series. The first story is book 1.5; the last is book 3.5. I haven't been able to figure out where in the series the third story fits in, but... Anyway, I thoroughly liked all three stories; each story is super short, and revolves around a couple who already have a connection that is established prior to the beginning of the story, so you don't get to see the initial connection between them, but each makes for a very satisfying read. I very much enjoyed Ms. Spenser's writing style, and IMO, she did a truly nice job of creating the couples in each story.
KISS ME AGAIN
The first story in the set, this book is about two high school teachers who have known each other since childhood. To say that Rachel and Tyler have been friends since childhood would be a bit of an exaggeration. LOL Tyler delighted in tormenting Rachel in middle and high school; think of the boy who keeps pulling a little girl's pigtails because he likes her. LOL In any event, now that they are adults, Tyler and Rachel both teach at the same High School they once attended...and nothing's changed. Tyler still delights in tormenting Rachel!
As aggravating as Rachel finds Tyler, she can't help but notice how attractive he is. He; however, seems to have no use for her other than as a source of amusement...at least that's what Rachel thinks. All that changes when Rachel loses her notebook and discovers, to her horror, that Tyler has gotten a hold of it. Her notebook is where the prim and proper Rachel writes all her "naughty" romance stories. If Tyler gets wind of the contents he'll never let her live it down. LOL When Rachel makes a move to retrieve her book, things come to a head between her and Tyler, and some truths about their feelings for one another are revealed.
I enjoyed the story very much, but I have to say that I thought too much time was spent on Rachel's harebrained plan to get her book back from Tyler without his knowing. IMO, that time would have been better spent focusing on the relationship between the two. That being said, this aspect of the story did add an element of fun, which gave me a few chuckles. FYI this is a clean romance. There is sex, but no details; it pretty much fades to black. Happy reading!
WARM WINTER KISSES
This second story is about a couple, Hannah and Liam, who are best friends. Hannah moved to Bliss Harbor shortly after her divorce. There she met Liam, who was also recently divorced. Neither was looking for a romance, but felt very comfortable with one another. Now three years later, they are best friends. When Liam goes on a date with another woman, however, Hannah comes to the unpleasant realization that she has fallen in love with Liam. Desperate not to jeopardize their friendship, Hannah has been doing her best to hide her newfound feelings from Liam. But when the two get stuck together in a snowstorm, all bets are off.
I liked this story just about as much as I did the first one. Because the story is so short you don't get to see any of the developing feelings between the couple. When the story begins the two are already in love with one another; although Hannah is completely in the dark about Liam's feelings for her. When they get stuck at the bed and breakfast when Hannah works, Liam makes his move...Even though I didn't get to see any of the background relationship between the two, the snippet provided in this story made for a very satisfying read.
THEN WE KISSED
This third and final story is just as good as the first two...it's actually my favorite of the three. Almost two years earlier, Charlotte and Bradley met when he took baking classes from her. The two became friends, and eventually Charlotte fell in love with Brad; a fact that she never shared with Bradley. However, when Bradley received orders of deployment, he broke Charlotte's hear when he rejected her offer to keep in touch while he was away. Now nine months later, Brad is back, and Charlotte is determined to avoid him at all costs. But fate has something else in mind for the couple, and the two end up sharing a drunken night of passion. Actually when the story begins, Charlotte is just waking up from their night together. LOL From there the story quickly progresses to the HEA.
This story was particularly sweet, I thought. I was especially touched by Bradley's vulnerability. When I discovered why he rejected Charlotte's offer to write to him while he was away, my heart wrenched for him. I also found his explanation to be completely believable. Maybe it's because I have a brother who is an Army officer, and who has been deployed many times, but I felt a real connection to Bradley.
All these stories are great. Each is a perfect length for bedtime reading, or perhaps while waiting at an appointment. They are all also "clean" romances. Sex is included in all the stories, but no details is provided...they fade to black. I also found it intriguing that Winnie and Brian, the couple from the first book in the Bliss Harbor series, Wherever You Are, make an appearance in all three books in this collection. It's a nice touch for readers who enjoyed that couple's story because you get to see them at various points in their relationship. In the last story, THEN WE KISSED, Winnie and Brian finally get married. Happy reading!
The first book is very cheeeezy. A little on the dumb blond side. The second book was much better. Based on miscommunication and not verbalising but worth the read.
I’ve never read any of Spenser’s Bliss Harbor books, but I really liked these three little novellas. I don’t think that it would be that big a deal if you started here too, because I didn’t really have any problems keeping up. I do think there were a few references that I missed out on but nothing too big.
The characters in all three shorts were very detailed for such a short number of pages. You quickly get a feel for each of them and what motivates them. In each, Spenser pretty much focused on just those characters, which makes sense given the small time to make a story with a punch, but that gives her plenty of opportunity to fully embrace those people.
There is a theme running between them – one of feelings unspoken and avoided – and it’s interesting to see how each of these stories has a different take on it. Spenser makes sure that each couple makes it their own and she does it quite well. We are given the story exclusively from the heroine’s point of view, and even though I usually like to get both perspectives, it makes sense given the idea that the guy’s feelings are unknown to her. We get the reveal as she does, which is very satisfying.
If you are looking for a fast read, perfect for when you just have a little time to yourself, Blissful Kisses is an absolutely perfect choice. With engaging characters and appealing plots, these three shorts are sure to please. And now I’m totally going to have to check out everything else I can find about the lovely people in Bliss Harbor.
I LOVE ANTHOLOGIES. Nothing is worse (in my book - pun intended) than reading a story, getting all involved in the lives of the characters (main and secondary) and then never finding out what happens after the "happily ever after". So, this collection of short stories by Juliet Spenser was right up my alley. My only "complaint" was that the stories were too short and a lot of the backstory was missing. But, for a commute to/from work read, this book was perfect.
There is something inherently special about a "first kiss" and in each of these three stories, the action centers around that very special event. This book is perfect for every romantic, who at heart, believes in the power of love.
I was excited to read this compilation of novellas that had an excellent rating. Since reading them I am a bit perplexed by the very high ratings. I liked them, yes, but in my opinion they were not the 4 and 5 star quality reads I was expecting. Although they were sweet there was not much story depth and substance which is a common occurrence in novellas because of the length.
I found them to be a short, pleasant distraction for a quick afternoon break and I would recommend them as long as you are aware they are short stories with minimal depth.
These were short moment-in-time type stories about couples that already knew each other and the moment their relationship changed to something "more". Each story was good. Entertaining. Maybe a little outlandish. But very quick, so it wasn't possible to really get to know the characters.
The author's use of the word "anyways" was super annoying to me (pet peeve). But, this was free and a good introduction to an author I'd never read before. I may pick up additional books authored by Juliet Spenser in the future.
When I first saw the collection I almost skipped by it because I usually like long involved novels. What a mistake that would have been. Such sweet and FUNNY books. I was in the car with my husband and I laughed out loud so many times..HE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY...If you pass by this collection you will definitely miss out.
Exactly what a collection of short stories should be. I really liked each of these, but I wanted a full book. Yes, each story was centered around a specific event that made the couple realize they were in love, but I wanted more back story, more of them falling in love. I guess short stories aren't for me because, while these were great, I just felt unfulfilled.
I personally loved reading the Bliss Harbour shorts, sooo much so that I read them all separate in one day. Juliet Spenser knows how to input just the right amount of comedy and romance into her books to keep you reading until all hours of the morning.
3 forgettable short stories. I'd already forgotten the 1st & 2nd story while reading the 3rd. This is a decent author. Too bad she "fades out" (rather than writes) sex scenes and sells herself short writing short stories.
I bought this on a whim and for a quick easy read this was perfect. After reading this 3 novella I was hooked and had to go back and get her other books. I love the witty banter between the characters. I must say Winnie is my favorite so far.
Short sweet and so funny. Here are three lighthearted novellas that may keep you believing in happily ever after's and will definitely leave you smiling.
I thought all three of these stories were really cute. I think I related to Hannah the best but I loved all three women. And the men. Wow all three were so sweet. Loved them all