Wit and Sin

My review cross-posted from Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-reviews/kiss-me-again-by-dee-tenorio

Kira Weston waited for years for her ex-sort-of-fiancé, Ethan Rourke, to open his heart for her. Now that he’s out of her life, she’s determined to move on. Except that she can’t seem to forget Ethan. When Ethan calls her claiming he needs her help to deflect his boss’s sexual harassment, Kira isn’t sure this isn’t some ploy of his to win her back. As things turn out, it mostly is, but Kira’s not quite ready to walk away from Ethan – again. So she decides she’ll use the opportunity to teach him a lesson. If Ethan wants her help to stave off his sexual predator boss, he’ll have to do more than pretend they’re back together. He’ll have to pay attention to her like he never did when they dated. The only problem is, rather than helping her get over Ethan, Kira’s plan makes her want to try and break down the walls around his heart once more. Will she succeed? Or will Kira and Ethan’s second chance at love turn into a second round of heartbreak?

Love isn’t always easy and Dee Tenorio doesn’t shy away from that in Kiss Me Again. Ms. Tenorio takes two basically likeable people and puts them in a realistic, difficult situation. Ethan’s past has left him closed off emotionally, and his reticence to open about his past has nothing to do with any lack of trust in Kira and everything to do with feeling like he needs that distance to be his defense mechanism. Kira, in turn, isn’t unreasonable in her wants. She gives her heart to Ethan but doesn’t feel loved in return. Yet she’s not perfect; she misses signs that he gives her that he does, in fact, care.

Sensuality and enjoyable banter bring heat and levity to Kiss Me Again, keeping it from being dragged down by heartache. With some added humor thanks to scenes with Ethan’s wonderfully delightful best friend and Kiss Me Again moves at a swift pace. Yet for all its laughter and sex appeal, what stuck with me the most about Kiss Me Again was how the multiple problems Ethan and Kira face (not just with each other) rang true. The obstacles both had to overcome were ones I could see the average person facing, making me, the reader, feel more connected to the story.

Ms. Tenorio has written many books I’ve loved and the only downside to reading Kiss Me Again is that I have one less book in her backlist to glom up. Still, I don’t regret crossing Kiss Me Again off my list. Humor, heartbreak, and personal growth have never blended so well as they do in Kiss Me Again and I finished Ethan and Kira’s story a well-satisfied reader.