Just when everything should be so clear, Will Tremere, the dashing British exchange student she hasn't seen since eighth grade, re-enters her life. Suddenly, she's in his arms answering his charming invitation for one "celebratory dance" before he leaves for California in the morning.

Her second surprise is not so delightful. Bemused and wondering even more if she's making the right decision in marrying Paul Atherton, she stops at the church and asks for a sign. Her fiancé dallying with the minister's daughter certainly seems to reinforce her intuitive misgivings.

Suddenly things are painfully clear to Tess -- she needs to escape, even if it means defying the will of her controlling stepmother, father and the hundreds of guests showing up. Brooke, the best friend any girl could have, dives into motion. Soon Tess finds herself and her little dog, Toby, packed into a van with her ever-charming crush from the past and heading on the open road for the first real adventure of her lifetime.

Will Tremere never imagined that when he promised his friend Elaine he'd drive 2,000 miles or so to bring her beloved dog, Sugar, home that he'd be granted a chance to rescue the woman he was meant to bond with. Even having that familiar gut instinct that Tess is the one for him, the handsome Brit also knows that Tess needs a chance to grow into her own person -- even if it means she grows away from him. Nonetheless, Will may have to work some fast magic with Brooke, Elaine (and the two dogs) to save Tess from her stalking stepmother and the increasingly violent man she left at the altar. Meanwhile, Brooke and her cousin have a few plans of their own for Paul Atherton.

THE KISS is a delightfully sexy read, bursting with Cinderella-type magic, humor and warmth. Like spring waking from a cold winter's sleep, this book blooms with life. Growing with Tess as she blossoms into the woman she was meant to be is both refreshing and rewarding. And you can't help but laugh as Brooke and company work to serve up a dish of humble pie to those who truly deserve it. Then there's Will -- a character so delightfully British you can hear his accent and fall head over heels in love with him, right along with Tess. A modern-day fairytale with some good old American grit -- this is a sure crowd-pleaser.

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