After the Kiss

It's very rare that I give out five stars to a book, but this one definitely made it to the five star pile for me. It was that good.

I've heard many times before that romance novels are boring because they are predictable. Let's face it: there's nothing new under the sun. But for me, it's not really the plot devices that make the story...it's how the plot devices are used. In other words it's not necessarily the journey, but how you make the journey, that makes it interesting. Yeah, I've read dozens of books with this same basic plot before. BUT...I haven't read it as it happens to THESE characters. How will THESE characters react? How will THEY solve the problems? How will THEY fall in love? Give me a book that makes me interested in show more those questions, and I'm sold.

From the very beginning, I cared about these characters. My heart went out to Margaret, a poor widow, from the very first paragraphs of the Prologue. I felt a bit of kinship with her in chapter one when she's guiltily indulging in her one great passion: reading. And she's doing it by reading an erotic book, fantasizing about one of the "models". How many of us have done the same with an erotic book and it's cover model? Margaret is a kindred spirit in a way, and I wanted her to find the man who would bring to her all the carnal delights she's read about in "The Journals of Agustin X".

And sure enough, just as we thought she would, she finds him in the form of Michael, an Earl who is quickly losing money, and needs a rich wife to inject some capital into his bank account. Again, it's not a new plot point, but after reading so many books where the hero is wealthy beyond belief, to read one where he's not was refreshing.

You see where the conflict is right away: Michael can't marry a poor widow, and Margaret's personality just can't allow her to be someone's mistress. I won't describe the plot any farther than that, because it's not really necessary. You know how it might unfold, but how will it unfold for these characters? This book compels you to keep turning the pages to find out.

My final point about this book is the one reason that I think I loved it so much: It was one of the most erotic books I've read in a long time. And the best part about that was that it's erotic without being crude. Nowadays, some authors feel that being more and more crude is the only way to keep their readers interested. They could take lessons from Ranney, because, she packed more eroticism into the moments before Michael and Margaret kissed than many authors put into an entire love scene. That, my friends, is good writing, and that is why, for me, this book deserves five stars. show less

In brief, here's what I was looking for & what I got:

- Well written.

- The characters are mature, fully drawn, and likable. Montraine battles with his ordered life and rational nature; he has to set his need for love on the balance with his need for financial security. Margaret is self-contained, self-controlled, and good. She balances her future livelihood and reputation against her present desires. Neither has an easy choice, but they work through it.

- Lots of super awesome sex. I mean, creative, intense, and frequent.

- I love, love, loved the ending.

Ebony Rivers is a happy, carefree college student months away from graduating until she meets Maxhew Kournikovas and her life is turned upside down. Maxhew’s family is part of a mob and while Ebony initially believes he wasn’t directly involved, his actions over time have proven he is as ruthless as his father. Tony Suarez is a cop with a score to settle. His last case ended in disaster. Working undercover to bring down Maxhew and his father will redeem his name on the force. He’s accepted into the family and immediately shown several practices enough to realize that Maxhew’s girlfriend, Ebony, is in way over her head. Ebony has never had such a strong reaction to a man before. While cheating on Maxhew could result in her show more disappearing without a trace, she can’t stem her feelings for Tony. Their affair is soon discovered, as well as Tony’s true identity. Both are captured and tortured to within an inch of their lives. If Tony’s task-force team manages to rescue them and save them from dying, Tony and Ebony will both need to start a new life.

After the Kiss by Violet Williams is a contemporary, interracial romance, featuring a gripping and suspenseful plot. The characters are interesting and multifaceted. Ebony is described as a young and beautiful black woman who gets involved with a white man from a crime family. Maxhew may be in school but seems very out of place there. Ebony begins a relationship that at first seems flattering, but soon turns deadly. She has no way out and is stuck until Tony comes along. Tony is playing a dangerous game trying to infiltrate such a huge organization and while he believes he successfully integrated, it isn’t long before his true identity is discovered. Tense and painful moments follow but all this makes for some fierce page turning as I couldn’t read fast enough to see whether they were going to get out of this dangerous situation. The plot is intricate and the descriptions of events told in a manner that brought them to life. The ending is bitter sweet but realistic. The good guys win in the end, which makes for a satisfying conclusion.

~ Susan for AReCafe show less

I loved this book! It will be added to my absolute favorites list. Margaret and Michael are two tremendously likable characters with a great relationship. The relationship builds slowly, like most real relationships. His slow seduction of her is extremely erotic. I loved the inner turmoil that they both go through. I was riveted to the book from beginning to end.

Others have adored it, but this was just so-so for me.

I was hooked on HR for a very long time - this is my top book