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The Comeback Kiss
Sometimes love just won't go away. — ALL IT TAKES IS ONE LITTLE KISS... — In order to keep custody of her teenage sister, Tessa Scuderi told a small (okay, big) lie to the people of Lucy's Lake, Vermont, about what really happened ten years ago when Dermot Finnegan took off with her virginity, her car, and the town bell. It had been working, too, until she found her old car parked in front of her house, keys in the ignition, and a telltale red hair stuck to the headrest.
TO TOTALLY SCREW EVERYTHING UP.
All Finn wanted to do was return the stupid car and get going. But he stopped to save a burning pet shop (big mistake), ended up kissing Tessa behind the drugstore (big mistake, but worth it), and discovered that Tessa's been building him up as some kind of town hero all these years (gonna have to puzzle that out). Now Finn has to find out who's behind a string of mysterious fires and deal with the heat between him and Tessa. Hey, one more kiss can't hurt -- or can it?
TO TOTALLY SCREW EVERYTHING UP.
All Finn wanted to do was return the stupid car and get going. But he stopped to save a burning pet shop (big mistake), ended up kissing Tessa behind the drugstore (big mistake, but worth it), and discovered that Tessa's been building him up as some kind of town hero all these years (gonna have to puzzle that out). Now Finn has to find out who's behind a string of mysterious fires and deal with the heat between him and Tessa. Hey, one more kiss can't hurt -- or can it?
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 20, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 23, 2009
Eleven years ago Tessa Scuderi's best friend breaks her heart when he takes her virginity and her prized Volkswagon Thing and skips town. That same night her mother dies while fleeing from a suspicious fire. Tessa fights for custody of her younger sister, Izzy, and decides to clean up her act by righting all of the wrongs that she and Finn committed (ie. stealing the town bell).
Guilt gets the best of red-headed, bad-boy (and exotic bird thief), Dermot "Finn" Finnegan. Planning to secretly return Tessa's VW Thing, Finn sneaks back into town and leaves the car parked in Tessa's driveway. His plans to escape are ruined, however, when he saves a burning pet shop, becomes the town hero and ends up passionately kissing Tessa in an alley. Sparks fly.
The reviews for this one call it "funny and emotional" which it is - to a point. I think the author tried to tackle too many issues at once and the mystery was lousy. But the secondary characters were delightful and the dialogue was terrific as usual.
If you want to try any of Lani Diane Rich's books, I wouldn't recommend starting with this one. Start with A Little Ray of Sunshine.
Guilt gets the best of red-headed, bad-boy (and exotic bird thief), Dermot "Finn" Finnegan. Planning to secretly return Tessa's VW Thing, Finn sneaks back into town and leaves the car parked in Tessa's driveway. His plans to escape are ruined, however, when he saves a burning pet shop, becomes the town hero and ends up passionately kissing Tessa in an alley. Sparks fly.
The reviews for this one call it "funny and emotional" which it is - to a point. I think the author tried to tackle too many issues at once and the mystery was lousy. But the secondary characters were delightful and the dialogue was terrific as usual.
If you want to try any of Lani Diane Rich's books, I wouldn't recommend starting with this one. Start with A Little Ray of Sunshine.
April 5, 2022
2.5 stars 🌟
December 20, 2014
2 ½ stars. Plot was incomplete and not well thought out. Relationship not interesting enough.
I chuckled several times in the first chapter. Then for much of the story, I was bored. Finn loves Tessa but feels she deserves someone better, so he plans to leave her. And he tells her that. She tells him she loves him, but he can’t say it back. She’s distressed. This is their relationship through most of the book.
There is a happy romantic ending, but the book feels more like chick lit than romance – partly because we don’t see the couple meet and grow to like each other. We are told Finn left her ten years ago. They each have been sad and lonely being apart. The story begins when Finn returns to Tessa’s town. We don’t see much relationship because Finn stays away from her for most of the story.
The main mystery is who set some fires. Two women have suspicions but they don’t tell anyone and keep it secret. Keeping the secret did not make sense. At the end the bad guy is discovered, but there is a huge hole. We don’t know why the bad guy did things. The bad guy also forced a second person to do something bad. That was not explained and did not make sense. Why would the second person do the bad thing? Why didn’t the second person report the bad guy to someone? Bottom line, the plot was not well thought out.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Tessa, plus some chapters in 3rd person. Kindle count length: 5,040 (336 pages). Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: one brief scene. Setting: current day Lucy’s Lake, Vermont. Copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Lani Diane Rich books.
5 stars. Time Off for Good Behavior (you must do the audiobook, the narrator Hillary Hawkins really makes it)
4 ½ stars. Wish You Were Here
4 ½ stars. The Fortune Quilt
3 stars. Crazy in Love
3 stars. Maybe Baby
2 ½ stars. The Comeback Kiss
2 stars. A Little Ray of Sunshine (too sad, teary moments, womens fiction)
2 stars. Ex And The Single Girl
I chuckled several times in the first chapter. Then for much of the story, I was bored. Finn loves Tessa but feels she deserves someone better, so he plans to leave her. And he tells her that. She tells him she loves him, but he can’t say it back. She’s distressed. This is their relationship through most of the book.
There is a happy romantic ending, but the book feels more like chick lit than romance – partly because we don’t see the couple meet and grow to like each other. We are told Finn left her ten years ago. They each have been sad and lonely being apart. The story begins when Finn returns to Tessa’s town. We don’t see much relationship because Finn stays away from her for most of the story.
The main mystery is who set some fires. Two women have suspicions but they don’t tell anyone and keep it secret. Keeping the secret did not make sense. At the end the bad guy is discovered, but there is a huge hole. We don’t know why the bad guy did things. The bad guy also forced a second person to do something bad. That was not explained and did not make sense. Why would the second person do the bad thing? Why didn’t the second person report the bad guy to someone? Bottom line, the plot was not well thought out.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Tessa, plus some chapters in 3rd person. Kindle count length: 5,040 (336 pages). Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: one brief scene. Setting: current day Lucy’s Lake, Vermont. Copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Lani Diane Rich books.
5 stars. Time Off for Good Behavior (you must do the audiobook, the narrator Hillary Hawkins really makes it)
4 ½ stars. Wish You Were Here
4 ½ stars. The Fortune Quilt
3 stars. Crazy in Love
3 stars. Maybe Baby
2 ½ stars. The Comeback Kiss
2 stars. A Little Ray of Sunshine (too sad, teary moments, womens fiction)
2 stars. Ex And The Single Girl
December 31, 2013
Cute, and some lovely touches, but nothing like as good as A Little Ray of Sunshine, which was my first (and so far, favourite) book by Lani Diane Rich.
August 11, 2025
I enjoyed the plot, and the culprit was a complete surprise. Parts of the story were a little far-fetched, and there was too much foul language for my liking.
April 22, 2013
Original post from One More Page
I discovered Lani Diane Rich back around 2008, when I was searching for writers who published their NaNoWriMo novels. I managed to get copies of her books and loved it, but they were always so hard to find that I sort of gave up on completing her entire backlist. I have very fond memories of reading The Fortune Quilt, and wishing that I could write something so funny and still so real like that. So now that I am actually in a romance writing class (long story, will talk about it next time), I decided to stock up on books in the genre. I stumbled into Lani Diane Rich again, and was very happy to finally get another one of her books.
Tessa Scuderi knew it's wrong to lie, but if it's a lie that would make her keep custody of her younger sister, then she would stick by it. Especially when it also means that she would forget about her best friend and first love, Dermot Finnegan, who had left with her car, her virginity and the town bell after their last escapade. But when she finds her old car parked in front of her house, Tessa realizes that Finn is back, and her life is turned upside down again.
Reading The Comeback Kiss reminds me of my reading experiences with Sarah Addison Allen and Kristan Higgins. There's the small town charm with lots of really fun secondary characters, just like Sarah Addison Allen's novels, and then there's the laugh-out-loud scenes and swoony romance of a Kristan Higgins novel. The Comeback Kiss is a fun read, and it's comforting because it's fluffy, but not too fluffy that it's almost just brain candy. This isn't just another romance novel, but it had real emotions, and real complications of past choices and repercussions of the characters' actions.
I think the best part of this book is how Finn and Tessa were portrayed, especially with their friendship. Their love story is one that is borne out of years of friendship, and it made sense how they both knew each other so well that they were not just lovers (complicated lovers, but still) but also best friends. One of my favorite passages in the book describes just that:
The friendship angle gives their relationship more credibility, and it was fun reading their interactions and how Finn saw himself and how Tessa saw Finn and how he saw her. Ah, it had just the right amount of mush, and it was realistic enough to know that love isn't always rainbows and butterflies, even if you know each other very well.
While there's nothing really completely new with the story as far as the romance goes, I think The Comeback Kiss is still a completely enjoyable book. It put me in the proper writing/outlining state of mind when I finished reading it, enough to submit one assignment for my romance writing class. :)
I discovered Lani Diane Rich back around 2008, when I was searching for writers who published their NaNoWriMo novels. I managed to get copies of her books and loved it, but they were always so hard to find that I sort of gave up on completing her entire backlist. I have very fond memories of reading The Fortune Quilt, and wishing that I could write something so funny and still so real like that. So now that I am actually in a romance writing class (long story, will talk about it next time), I decided to stock up on books in the genre. I stumbled into Lani Diane Rich again, and was very happy to finally get another one of her books.
Tessa Scuderi knew it's wrong to lie, but if it's a lie that would make her keep custody of her younger sister, then she would stick by it. Especially when it also means that she would forget about her best friend and first love, Dermot Finnegan, who had left with her car, her virginity and the town bell after their last escapade. But when she finds her old car parked in front of her house, Tessa realizes that Finn is back, and her life is turned upside down again.
Reading The Comeback Kiss reminds me of my reading experiences with Sarah Addison Allen and Kristan Higgins. There's the small town charm with lots of really fun secondary characters, just like Sarah Addison Allen's novels, and then there's the laugh-out-loud scenes and swoony romance of a Kristan Higgins novel. The Comeback Kiss is a fun read, and it's comforting because it's fluffy, but not too fluffy that it's almost just brain candy. This isn't just another romance novel, but it had real emotions, and real complications of past choices and repercussions of the characters' actions.
I think the best part of this book is how Finn and Tessa were portrayed, especially with their friendship. Their love story is one that is borne out of years of friendship, and it made sense how they both knew each other so well that they were not just lovers (complicated lovers, but still) but also best friends. One of my favorite passages in the book describes just that:
...Finn yelled, "I gots Tootsie Rolls!" from the sidewalk where he stood watching. Tessa froze in her spot, staring at him, transfixed...The next day, Finn stole a bag of Tootsie Rolls from the corner market and went to Tessa's house, where he found out that she was four years old and that her favorite color was yellow. They'd been friends ever since.
The friendship angle gives their relationship more credibility, and it was fun reading their interactions and how Finn saw himself and how Tessa saw Finn and how he saw her. Ah, it had just the right amount of mush, and it was realistic enough to know that love isn't always rainbows and butterflies, even if you know each other very well.
While there's nothing really completely new with the story as far as the romance goes, I think The Comeback Kiss is still a completely enjoyable book. It put me in the proper writing/outlining state of mind when I finished reading it, enough to submit one assignment for my romance writing class. :)
November 4, 2007
Years ago Tessa was an adventurous high school girl with aspirations of going to art school, and in love with Finn, the town bad boy. Then one day everything fell apart. It all started with her joining Finn in a prank of stealing the town bell. Then Tessa gave up her virginity to Finn, and her car, a Volkswagen with hand-painted daisies on it. Finn promised to come back with the car, and together they were going to drive off into the sunset. But Finn never showed up, and that night there was a fire and a car accident that killed Tessa’s mother.
Now, ten years later, Tessa is responsible for her teenaged sister Izzy, who has already been taken away by social services once. Tessa had to fight to get her sister back, which included making up stories about Finn, so nobody would condemn her for her one-time association with him. Even now Tessa constantly feels the threat of losing Izzy, so she is extremely careful in how she lives her life and has put all her dreams on hold. Then all of a sudden, her car reappears right outside her door and Tessa realizes Finn is back in town. Moments later there is another fire and Tessa knows to follow trouble in order to find Finn. Although their reunion is rocky they instantly feel the same chemistry that they felt so long ago, and in an instant they are sharing a passionate kiss.
However, after the kiss is over there are questions left to be answered. What was Finn’s involvement with the two fires which marked his exit and re-entrance back into town? How will Tessa manage to cover all the lies she has told about Finn now that he is back? And will Tessa, Finn, and Izzy manage to find love, safety, and happiness despite their lack of faith in the world?
The Comeback Kiss tackles many serious issues, like the death of a parent and being betrayed by those we love. Yet it always keeps its comic tone and a quick pace packed with suspense. The characters are all very likeable despite their many flaws, and the snappy dialogue between them is fun and well done. The small Vermont town where the story takes place offers a cozy and intriguing setting which will make you wish for winter. But most of all, the chemistry between Finn and Tessa jumps off the page and will leave you wanting more.
Lani Dianne Rich has written a story about second chance and becoming reconnected with “the one who got away.” If you love a good romance with colorful characters and an active plot, then this is the book is for you.
Now, ten years later, Tessa is responsible for her teenaged sister Izzy, who has already been taken away by social services once. Tessa had to fight to get her sister back, which included making up stories about Finn, so nobody would condemn her for her one-time association with him. Even now Tessa constantly feels the threat of losing Izzy, so she is extremely careful in how she lives her life and has put all her dreams on hold. Then all of a sudden, her car reappears right outside her door and Tessa realizes Finn is back in town. Moments later there is another fire and Tessa knows to follow trouble in order to find Finn. Although their reunion is rocky they instantly feel the same chemistry that they felt so long ago, and in an instant they are sharing a passionate kiss.
However, after the kiss is over there are questions left to be answered. What was Finn’s involvement with the two fires which marked his exit and re-entrance back into town? How will Tessa manage to cover all the lies she has told about Finn now that he is back? And will Tessa, Finn, and Izzy manage to find love, safety, and happiness despite their lack of faith in the world?
The Comeback Kiss tackles many serious issues, like the death of a parent and being betrayed by those we love. Yet it always keeps its comic tone and a quick pace packed with suspense. The characters are all very likeable despite their many flaws, and the snappy dialogue between them is fun and well done. The small Vermont town where the story takes place offers a cozy and intriguing setting which will make you wish for winter. But most of all, the chemistry between Finn and Tessa jumps off the page and will leave you wanting more.
Lani Dianne Rich has written a story about second chance and becoming reconnected with “the one who got away.” If you love a good romance with colorful characters and an active plot, then this is the book is for you.
January 12, 2012
2.5 stars
Finn first appeared in Maybe Baby and he was an interesting enough character that I wanted to know his story. Plus I'm a sucker for second chances kind of story.
Truthfully, I don't feel like the story flows nicely. Plus the whole "I'm leaving you and stealing your car because you're better off without me" from Finn 10 years ago is totally not convincing enough. It's a stupid kind of thing that Tessa should first slaps Finn for doing it before she forgives him. The mystery of the fire is also a bit weak, and even until the very end, I don't understand WHY. Also what is with Finn and his reluctance to meet his uncle, Max? I also don't get that -- and whether it is fully resolved.
However, character wise, they're pretty engaging. I enjoy knowing Tessa and his fiery little sister, Izzy. The opening scene alone gives props to Izzy. Then Babs, Dana's mother, from "Maybe Baby" also adds the merriment. I wish there's secondary story for Finn's brother, Joe, though.
Finn first appeared in Maybe Baby and he was an interesting enough character that I wanted to know his story. Plus I'm a sucker for second chances kind of story.
Truthfully, I don't feel like the story flows nicely. Plus the whole "I'm leaving you and stealing your car because you're better off without me" from Finn 10 years ago is totally not convincing enough. It's a stupid kind of thing that Tessa should first slaps Finn for doing it before she forgives him. The mystery of the fire is also a bit weak, and even until the very end, I don't understand WHY. Also what is with Finn and his reluctance to meet his uncle, Max? I also don't get that -- and whether it is fully resolved.
However, character wise, they're pretty engaging. I enjoy knowing Tessa and his fiery little sister, Izzy. The opening scene alone gives props to Izzy. Then Babs, Dana's mother, from "Maybe Baby" also adds the merriment. I wish there's secondary story for Finn's brother, Joe, though.
October 28, 2012
A typical romance novel, set in a small town in Vermont. Ten years ago, Tessa and Finn were in love with each other, and their mischievous pranks were legendary. As soon as they graduated, Finn, terrified by the strength of his attraction to Tessa, ran away. Since then, he’s led a less than stellar life, while Tessa’s was a blameless existence, as she raised her younger sister Izzy after their mother’s death. Now, Finn returns to town, and his and Tessa’s love is reignited, as if the intervening ten years didn’t matter. And he is still terrified.
The lovers must overcome many obstacles on their way to the happily ever after. Besides Finn’s incomprehensible terror of commitment and Tessa’s string of lies, there are also a wicked social worker who threatens to take Izzy away from Tessa, a mysterious arsonist, and Finn’s disapproving relatives. But of course, love triumphs in the end.
Despite the banality of the tale, the writing is very good, the pacing fast, and the characters 3-dimensional and flawed.
Enjoyable.
The lovers must overcome many obstacles on their way to the happily ever after. Besides Finn’s incomprehensible terror of commitment and Tessa’s string of lies, there are also a wicked social worker who threatens to take Izzy away from Tessa, a mysterious arsonist, and Finn’s disapproving relatives. But of course, love triumphs in the end.
Despite the banality of the tale, the writing is very good, the pacing fast, and the characters 3-dimensional and flawed.
Enjoyable.
February 26, 2016
To be fair, I didn't get far in this book so take my rating with that in mind. What I really didn't like about it? The characters. They left a bad taste in my mouth that I couldn't look past so I had to stop wasting my time. The dude was an unapologetic thief who can't do the clearly right thing without thinking of how to steal/benefit from it. And for some reason, the Chick is a complete doormat who built up a story exonerating the man who done her so wrong all those years ago. Now, I'm sure there was a reason, but I didn't like either of these characters enough to try to find it. I just know that there are horrible characters out there that I just love to hate or love despite the hate but these two were not them.
Kindle Unlimited so a free try for any interested.
Kindle Unlimited so a free try for any interested.
September 20, 2012
This book has Lifetime/Hallmark movie written all over it! It was a cute story about second chances. It's a very light and easy read. And surprisingly has a bit of mystery added too it.
Now having said that, there were somethings that could have been worked out better. I think the reasoning behind Finn leaving. Could have been better, had more depth. And as far the mystery goes, I felt it needed more explaination of why it all took place. It seemed more like a filler just to get the characters to interact rather than an actual storyline/plot.
But all in all it was a good read. I'll recommend this for those who want something easy and light.
Now having said that, there were somethings that could have been worked out better. I think the reasoning behind Finn leaving. Could have been better, had more depth. And as far the mystery goes, I felt it needed more explaination of why it all took place. It seemed more like a filler just to get the characters to interact rather than an actual storyline/plot.
But all in all it was a good read. I'll recommend this for those who want something easy and light.
August 9, 2016
Tessa's indecisiveness over Finn was really confusing. She wants him. She doesn't. She wants him. She doesn't.
Same goes with Finn's inability to make up his mind. He wants to stay because of Tessa. He needs to leave for Tessa.
It was obvious they still love each other, but their individual stubbornness blinded them from seeing that they could fight the odds together.
The subplot about the mysterious fires failed to sustain interest, even if there was a surprising twist in the end, because halfway through the book, the suspect was revealed.
Tessa's inability to let go of the past is quite understandable. I can't say the same for Finn.
Same goes with Finn's inability to make up his mind. He wants to stay because of Tessa. He needs to leave for Tessa.
It was obvious they still love each other, but their individual stubbornness blinded them from seeing that they could fight the odds together.
The subplot about the mysterious fires failed to sustain interest, even if there was a surprising twist in the end, because halfway through the book, the suspect was revealed.
Tessa's inability to let go of the past is quite understandable. I can't say the same for Finn.
August 10, 2019
Read this on kindle. It was probably a good 3 and a half. I enjoyed the mystery bit more than the romance, but liked the characters - it would be interesting to visit this small town again and meet some of them in different circumstances - maybe a story about Jo the volunteer fire officer ...? I love Jennifer Crusie novels and hoped this would be in a similar vein: it sort of is, but I didn’t get invested in the same way somehow. But I might try another one by Rich sometime.
September 30, 2012
Pretty short book. Its something to read to pass time but nothing that makes you have to continue reading because its so interesting. Its a cute little story between Tessa & Finn where you're rooting for Finn to win her back. The story lags and the last chapter gets a little interesting then just ends. It wasn't written very well.
February 20, 2014
Her first love returns after 10 years of her covering up for his bad behavior. He thinks he is making a quick stop by to right his last wrong in his childhood small town. When he finds the love he left behind facing a series of very difficult life circumstances he decided he can't let her down again. A love affair that began as teens reunites and the happily ever after comes.
March 19, 2018
I love this book because it’s listed as romance in my library system, but it’s more about family and history and community. The storyline of this story was so good, and I loved that there was really only one romantic interest, instead of someone swooping in and trying to throw off the main character.
October 20, 2021
So I found this on my kindle during a reorganization and wasn't ready for a heavy read on a plane, and this was great for that purpose. The story quality is intermittent - I believe the chemistry between the two main characters but the mystery and the backstory should definitely have been fleshed out more.
July 20, 2013
The comeback kiss is fast paced and adorable. I liked Finn as a side character in Maybe Baby. He had so much spice he jumped right off the page. I was excited to read his book and a little be nervous that I would like him as well as a protagonist but he was a wonderful hero.
August 31, 2008
This chick book is okay but the writing didn't pull me in, grab my mind and keep going. Moves kind of slow.
January 26, 2010
A romance... I'm not used to reading them, but it was good.
March 1, 2010
Not as good as the "ex and the single girl" but oh well. It was cute.
November 27, 2010
Die Liebesgeschichte kommt hier wirklich sehr kurz. Von Chemie zwischen Tessa und Finn ist nicht sehr viel zu spüren.
June 7, 2011
Nice light romance with some amusing parts.
April 1, 2012
3/5 (C)
August 3, 2013
To me it was all over the place with too many things that weren't explained where they should have been.
September 7, 2013
3.5 Light fun with whip-smart dialogue; definitely worth reading more by this author.
January 2, 2014
Meh. Probably my least favorite of her books that I've read, so far.
Time Off for Good Behavior and A Little Ray of Sunshine are my faves.
Just saying.
December 18, 2016
3.5 stars
I liked the idea of this, but not quite as much as Lani's other books. It had one love story rather than the usual two or three.
I liked the idea of this, but not quite as much as Lani's other books. It had one love story rather than the usual two or three.
July 24, 2020
First book by this author. It was ok. Silly in some places. I liked the story line
April 21, 2022
This book has quite a few funny smiley places. It's written well and I didn't find any errors grammatical or typographical. It is a very light light mystery. I enjoyed it but for me it's not a keeper. It's not a book I would reread.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews