Six Favorite 2019 Kissing Books

Authors read, too! And we read a lot. Well. I do. And I read a LOT of "kissing books." What's a kissing book, you ask? It's a book in which two people fall in love, and eventually they lock lips! 
​(Click on the covers to go to the Amazon Kindle *page!)

Here are the SIX Kissing Books I've enjoyed the most (so far) this year!

A Proper Scandal
by Esther Hatch

Grace has to marry if she wants to save herself from unwanted advances. All she needs is to trick the right man to take her to the altar.

This book made me want to do a better job writing my kissing scenes. Apart from being a simply delightful read (I literally laughed out loud several times due to the heroine's quick wit), I enjoyed Esther's storytelling ability. You really feel for her heroine's plight - but it's NOT your typical "marry, or else" plot. If I could only suggest one romance this year, it would be this one. 

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Emma the Matchmaker
by Rachel John

She knows a match when she sees one, but she's clueless about her own heart.

I adored this modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. It's a really difficult story to tell in a way that has you loving Emma rather than wringing your hands at her inept handling of the people around her. This is a beautiful love story and the chemistry between Emma and the Knightley character is so perfect that I just kept yelling at the book, "KISS ALREADY!" 

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Healing Hearts
by Sarah M. Eden

A Mail-Order Bride mix-up brings a nurse to Savage Wells, and the doctor's heart will never be the same. 

I was fortunate enough to WIN a review copy of this book by my FAVORITE author. I devoured this book in a single day, neglecting all other duties. I love a good mail-order bride story, especially when everything goes wrong. In this one, Miriam thinks she's coming to fill the position of nurse, not the position of wife! Gideon is pretty shocked when the woman he hoped to marry runs out on him - but it's not the first time this has happened. At least she agrees to take the nursing position he offers. But why does he get the feeling she's hiding something? 

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Spinster and Spice
by Rebecca Connolly

Soft-spoken, and eager to please, Izzy is still a spinster. Izzy also has a secret that only one person knows, and that one person may hold the key to its success. 
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If you love Regency romance, you should be reading Rebecca Connolly. That's all there is to it. She's a master of the genre, a wizard of witty banter, and absolutely someone who inspired me to go into writing in the genre myself. 

​Plus, she writes REALLY great kissing scenes. 

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Miss Adeline's Match
by Joanna Barker

Miss Adeline Hayes is the perfect lady’s companion: pleasant, conversational, and unceasingly proper. But when it comes to love, she might be her own worst enemy.

I was privileged to be one of Joanna's critique partners while she wrote this book. It's absolutely masterful, the way she illustrates Adeline's character. You can see all the mistakes the heroine makes, and I certainly connected to her desperation to preserve herself and her family, even at the expense of her friend and the man she's come to love. And yes. There's a kiss. ;-) 

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Beneath an Italian Sky
by Stacy Henrie

A love match turns into a lonely marriage. Will Clare and Emmett reconcile their differences before it's too late? 

I loved this story. It's the second in the series but can be read as a stand-alone. I actually listened to the audiobook, completely enthralled with Clare and Emmett. The story is set in Italy, during and after a terrible earthquake. Through strength of character, and this married couple must help others survive, and possibly rekindle their love. I'm not usually a fan of the "we're already married and have been for a long time" romances, but this one was SO good, and the thing keeping this couple apart was believable and poignant. I enjoyed every minute of this book - but the kisses, of course, most of all!

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So there you have it! My favorite kissing books for the FIRST HALF of 2019. I'll let you know what else I find in December. ;-) What are your favorite kissing books? Leave me a comment if you have any reading suggestions! I'm especially looking for books written in 2019!

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