Spring has come to Eternity Springs in The First Kiss of Spring, the newest installment in this New York Times bestselling series by Emily March. Life could be a dream… Goal-oriented and gorgeous, Caitlin Timberlake’s dreams took her to the top of the corporate ladder in New York City. Now years later, her goals have changed. She wants to come home to Eternity Springs and build a business and … Eternity Springs and build a business and a family of her own–with the new man in town. So what if sexy mechanic Josh Tarkington wants nothing more than a fling? Caitlin is a patient woman who knows how to work hard and strategize to win what she desires. She desires Josh. Unfortunately, he has other plans.
If only things were different…
Josh craves Caitlin and all she has to offer. However, he is a man with secrets. He has worked hard to overcome his tragic past, but he’s afraid to risk having a future because he knows trouble is never very far away. When a selfless act brings that trouble to his door, he stands to lose everything he cares about–including Caitlin. Will her love and the healing magic of Eternity Springs be enough to save him?
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WOW!!! AMAZING!! I just loved, loved, loved reading this First Kiss of Spring by Emily March. Josh Tarkington is a man with a past who has a target on his back, okay on all parts of him. He seemed to be a magnet for trouble or bad luck. Despite all of that he was the perfect match for Caitlin Timberlake. Caitlin needed someone who not only saw the person she truly is, but needed her caring touch and love. Caitlin returned to Eternity Falls to be closer to family and to open a daycare for the town. Josh came from a famous theatrical family and a childhood spent in movies and television. He hoped a name change, time living in foster care, and getting his life together as an adult would keep his demons and troubles away. It didn’t quite happen that way but with the help of Caitlin and many of the people of Eternity Falls he found the courage needed to beat those demons away and live a normal life. To understand Josh compare him to Drew Barrymore: her life, her family, her addictions or rehab, and her acting career. Ms. March does an excellent job developing a storyline that takes us along the lives of Caitlin and Josh and their path toward falling in love.
I really, really loved reading this book and had trouble putting this book down. Ms. March is an outstanding story teller, drawing me in and not letting go until I read the last page. I highly recommend this book to other readers and can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
This is the first book I have read by Emily March and Eternity Springs sounds like an awesome place to live. Caitlin meets Josh and his handicapped dog on a gondola ride when she had nothing to do in Tellride while waiting for the bride whose wedding she is in. Caitlin likes Josh so she asked him to be her plus one for the wedding and until they are interrupted by seeing her parents who are not supposed to be at that hotel they were well on their way to getting to know each other better. When Caitlin comes home to tell her parents she is moving back they are not happy about it and when she sees Josh he tells her they can be friends with benefits but he will never love or get married. Can Caitlin deal with that and what is going on with her parents? It’s a good thing she has decided to open a daycare right here in town because with all the secrets around her she is going to need the distraction. Caitlin was one tough cookie even though she may have meltdown here and there she is exactly what Josh and her parents need.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
It had been a long time since I had read a book in this series, and decided to give this one a try.
The main characters, are Josh Tarkington and Caitlin Timberlake. They meet when the gondola they were on got stuck, giving them a chance to chat. That encounter makes Caitlin re-think her life. After that meeting, she decides make changes in her life need to be made , and maybe pursue a relationship with Josh. Josh is not only hiding secrets ,but is also dealing with a tragedy that changed him forever.
The story is a bit on the heavy side. Dealing with all sorts of abuse . A reminder that our experiences in life whether as a child or an adult, will affect us for the rest of our lives.
Was it my favorite in the series, no, but was it worth reading, yes.
I was gifted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
I have read a few other titles by this author and she never disappoints her readers. Ms. March has a wonderful way of creating characters and a story line that makes you feel part of the story. I always feel a little sad when I read the last paragraph as I will have to say goodbye.
A wonderful story to take with you on a trip or vacation.
This is the first book that I read by Emily March. I think I found my new favorite author! “The First Kiss of Spring” is the 14th book in the Eternity Springs Series, yet I fell into the story and did not need any other information, other than what was provided to me to enjoy this story fully.
“The First Kiss of Spring” is more than a simple romance story. It borders on the edge of a Women’s Fiction novel in my opinion. The story has a couple plots that are very serious and heart wrenching.
Caitlin Timberlake and Josh Tarkington are immediately attracted to each other when they are in a broken ski gondola when both of them are away from their hometown. By fate, they are reunited later and the sparks between them are still there. The story takes us from their first meeting to when they are finally committed to each other. (It is a romance book, so you know they will be a couple before the book ends, right?) What a journey it is!
Josh has many issues from his childhood, which are still a present cross for him to bare. Caitlin has finally discovered what she wants to do with her life, which brings her to move back home to Eternity Springs, where Josh is living.
This was an amazing story, written so well and was a joy to read and experience. I am so happy that Netgalley.com awarded me an advance reader’s copy of this book. I thank them and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for this wonderful gift of a new author. I will definitely catch up on this series and explore Emily March’s other books.
Do “friends with benefits” arrangements ever work out? No strings or commitments, just an understanding that it will never turn into love. Caitlin & Josh met while they were each on a mini vacation & thought they could have a one night stand & not see each other again. Josh thought Caitlin was from New York & Caitlin wasn’t sure where Josh was from. The chemistry between them seemed intense right from the beginning. When Caitlin moves home to Eternity Springs, it’s a toss up as to who is more surprised since Josh lives there too. Josh lets her know emphatically that he doesn’t do love & isn’t going to get married. Josh has a lot of secrets regarding his past that he doesn’t talk about to anyone. They agree to a friends with benefits relationship. What happens when their family & friends start getting involved? Or when Josh’s past catches up with him?
I love Emily March’s Eternity Springs books. The fictional town has all off the best aspects of small towns but she also includes some of the bad such as the gossips & busy bodies. The cast of characters are similar in each book with updates on their lives incurring but I enjoy this. I feel like each book can be read as a stand alone since each story is self contained within that book. To me, Emily March’s writing reminds me of Debbie Macomber’s. The writing has a warm & emotional feel. The style is very descriptive which enables you to picture the scenes & people in your mind as you read. While the reader knows there will be an HEA at the end, the path the plot takes to get there is twisting & turning in different directions than expected. Ms. March has become one of my favorite “one click” & preorder author’s.
Caitlin Timberlake, could wait to leave her small town for NYC. But after 8 years of working her way to the top to become a successful textile designer, she has a new dream; going home to Eternity Springs and opening a much needed day care center. While attending a wedding in nearby Telluride, she meets gorgeous and charming Josh Tarkington, when they get stuck together on a gondola. When she returns to NYC to finalize her plans, she believes that deep in her heart that Josh is the one.
Josh has lots of secrets. He is foster brother of newly wed Brick Callahan, owner of Stardance Ranch RV Resort. He believes he is cursed by bad luck, including having taken a hit from tornados 4 times. His childhood was so horrible that he will not speak of it to anyone. So when Caitlin returns, he is terrified of the attraction that he feels for her. After he left Tornado Alley, he decided that he would never be responsible for another soul or have any relationship with a woman or child, and tells Caitlin that she deserves better, because he is never going to fall in love again.
So Caitlin agrees to have a friend affair. But when they both realize separately that they have fallen in love, will Josh’s fear keep them apart?
Although this is # 14 in the series, it is the first that I have read. I received an advanced copy from the publisher. Now I need to go back to the begining. I was immediately engaged in the story, the characters are intriguing and the plot enticing. There is also a really funny conversation, when Josh has his epiphany. I do recommend reading the earlier books first, as I was confused by all the character. By #14 in a series, either a town family tree or an index of characters with a short resume would be helpful.
The First Kiss of Spring, by Emily March
is a wonderful book. It is a intense,
& emotional story. It’s about two people who have a chance meeting. The chemistry between them is immediate.
Caitlin is ready to make a change in
her career for the better. She wants to
be near her family.
Joshua, lives in Eternity Springs
He loves his life & new business.
Joshua is surprised to learn Caitlin’s family also live in Eternity Springs.
There are lots of secrets in a this small town. I could not stop, till the end. I really enjoyed reading this book.
A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!!!