Just One Kiss (Very Irresistible Bachelors, #2)

Sweet And Steamy! Ryker And Heather’s Journey Is An Intelligent Prince Charming Story With A Single Mom Twist. Another Captivating Book About The Winchester Family.

This book is the second in a New York-based series about the Winchester family. It is Ryker Winchester and Heather Prescott’s story. It is absolutely a stand-alone; however, fans will appreciate learning more about this close-knit family by reading the series in order.

In the first book, much was learned about the downfall of the Winchester family and their Caldwell cousin. That extra insight adds depth to the second book, as Ryker, like his cousin Hunter, is shaped by his past. It makes Ryker’s leap from irresistible bachelor to commitment-ready beau all the more real.

From the first book, powerful and headstrong Hunter Caldwell, thirty-two, owned one of the largest real estate development companies in country. The Caldwell name was famous in New York. While Hunter’s professional success and generous charitable efforts defined him as a powerhouse to be reckoned with, many remembered his late father’s success and subsequent failure in real estate development, quietly sneering about parallels and gleefully anticipating Hunter’s downfall. Hunter was driven by the desire to avoid the downward spiral that destroyed his family and hoped to restore the family’s good name.

Hunter’s life had changed at age fourteen when his father died and his mother returned to her native England. Hunter didn’t want to leave America – the country he called home since the tender age of four – and it worked out that he earned a scholarship at a private boarding school. Hunter’s Winchester cousins experienced a similar downfall at the same time, which resulted in their father abandoning the family and eventually remarrying, leaving the children scarred. Months after Hunter began at his boarding school, his Aunt Amelia relocated to the same area, along with his four cousins, and he felt the warmth of family again as they pulled him into their family circle. Amelia, his maternal aunt, became a second mother to him and his cousins felt like siblings. They became an important part of his life.

In this book, thirty year old Ryker Winchester is the laid back Winchester brother. He is smart, loyal, fun, and hard-working – and nicknamed the Flirt. Director at The Pearman Fund by day and playing guitar at Northern Lights by night from time to time, he is equally comfortable in a custom suit or a leather jacket and jeans. Ryker is great at compartmentalizing, which aided his meteoric rise to Director of a big venture capital firm. The outlet for all that concentration and pressure is performing on stage and collecting guitars. All his extra time goes to his family, and he is always there to help out when needed. Ryker is fiercely protective of them, and they all appreciate what their mom went through to raise four children on her own. Which is why Ryker has no tolerance for men that don’t respect women. Ryker hasn’t ever had a serious relationship himself – his relationships are casual – but he is honest and honorable. He expected that he, his brother Cole, and Hunter would be eternal bachelors, but Hunter just got married to Josie and things are changing.

Heather Prescott, twenty-eight, was looking forward to finally taking her relationship with Gerald to the next level and hoping that things were finally turning around for her in the relationship department. After two years, she and Gerald signed a lease together and he was about to move in with her and her seven year old daughter, Avery. Her pregnancy just just out of college had been a challenge when the father promptly dumped her, but she had proudly managed to provide for herself and Avery while building a career in journalism at a national newspaper, The New York Reports. When Gerald returned to town and asked to meet at a bar called Northern Lights, Heather hadn’t anticipated that her life was about to change.

Ryker and Heather’s insane chemistry surprises both of them as they quickly become consumed with one another. But what makes their story so special is little Avery who grew up to believe that dads go away. She reminds Ryker of himself, and they share a love story of sorts themselves. Ryker and Heather face work, competition, and family challenges which threaten their budding relationship, but the couple earns a darling but brief HEA.

Ryker and Heather’s journey is an intelligent Prince Charming story with a single mom twist. A realistic romance, there is no wild drama for shock effect. Mature characters and sincere intentions result in a steamy feel good story about the loving Winchester family. Ryker’s journey is rewarding to read as he has the opportunity to learn from his past and show the strength of his character. Heather, though perfectly independent, learns to trust and open up after an unlucky history.

Ryker and Heather’s flirty Prince Charming story is steamy and sweet. The book is very well-written. The plot is fairly simple but realistic. The characters are well-defined. There is a large cast of characters which appear in the other books of the series. The POV alternates between Ryker and Heather. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

I received a free advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.