“Sexy, sweet, and thoroughly satisfying.”—LAUREN LAYNE, New York Times bestselling author She’s one kiss away from finding Mr. Right!Rena Jackson is ready. She’s worked her tail off to open up her own hair salon, and she’s almost ready to quit her job at the dive bar. Rena’s also a diehard romantic, and she’s had her eye on Axel Heller for a while. He’s got that tall-brooding-and-handsome thing … on Axel Heller for a while. He’s got that tall-brooding-and-handsome thing going big-time. Problem is, he’s got that buttoned-up Germanic ice man thing going as well. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Rena’s about ready to give up on Axel and find some other Mr. Right.
At six foot six, Axel knows he intimidates most people. He’s been crushing on the gorgeous waitress for months. But the muscled mechanic is no romantic, and his heart is buried so deep, he has no idea how to show Rena what he feels. He knows he’s way out of his depth and she’s slipping away. So, he makes one crazy, desperate play…
“I bet you a kiss you can’t resist me.”
Game on.
Praise for New York Times and USA Today bestseller Marie Harte:
“Blends humor, heart, and heat to deliver a top of the charts performance.”—Night Owl Romance, 5/5 Stars, Top Pick! for Zero to Sixty
“A blazing hot, emotionally intense love story…from an author on the rise.”—Kirkus Reviews for A Sure Thing
“Funny, addicting, and full of hot sex scenes.”—Booklist for How to Handle a Heartbreaker
“Another exceptionally red-hot romance by Marie Harte with a strong yet sweet hero!”—Fresh Fiction for Just the Thing
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Love Marie Harte books. Glad that Rena and Axl got their happy ending. They deserve the love they give to each other.
I enjoyed Rena and Axel’s love story in The Kissing Game by Marie Harte. Rena Jackson has been searching for Mr. Right with little success. After working in a dive bar for years she is ready to open her own hair salon but will miss seeing Axel Heller. Mechanic Axel has that tall, brooding, handsome thing going for him but is also a buttoned-up Germanic who doesn’t talk much. At six foot six, Axel is intimidating to most people. He has had a crush on the beautiful Rena for months but not being romantic he has no idea how to approach her. He has no idea to show Rena what he feels and is afraid she’s slipping out of his reach. With Valentine’s Day approaching, Axel makes a crazy, desperate attempt to get his chance with Rena. He corners her away from the crowd and says “I bet you a kiss you can’t resist me.” May the games begin!!
I liked these two. Axel might have been quiet and brooding but when he had something to say you wanted to listen. Whether owning his own garage, house, or Rena, Axel knew what he wanted and went after it. Now he had to prove to Rena, by Valentine’s Day, that he deserved of her love; despite making lots of mistakes. Rena needed to relax her unrealistic expectations of love, learned through reading her romance novels. She also needed to open her eyes and realize how hard Axel was trying and how much he wanted to protect; especially from the skinheads harassing her and causing damage to her salon.
Ms. Harte wrote a wonderful, funny and sexy story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with sexual chemistry, humor, and endearing characters giving Axel a chance to prove he truly loved Rena and that they a happy ever after future together. I highly recommend The Kissing Game to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Incredibly fun and absolutely hilarious! I laughed and giggled the whole way through and I’m not exaggerating at all. “Marie Harte” knows what her readers want and always delivers a exceptionally red-hot romance for her readers to fall in love with. Their is no wonder why she’s one of my top five favourite authors for all time! Her books ate magical! Hands down one of the best rom-com’s I have read by this amazing, talented and spectacular author and definitely in the top 10 all time rom-com’s I’ve ever read. Easily a five-star-plus rating for “The Kissing Game”! This is a book that is not to be missed and I guarantee you that your going to fall in love with and what to read it all over again and again in the future. Happy reading!!
Harte entertains readers by flirting with their hearts. The Kissing Game makes a little bit naughty feel so very nice with a tempting sense of humor and a couple of saucy main characters. Rena is a firecracker. She knows her mind and speaks her heart refusing to hold anything back. Axel is an alpha that has a short fuse and a soft heart. The Kissing Game packs a slow burn with long lasting results.
The Kissing Game by Marie Harte is a rough and tumble kind of story. The characters are blue collar, hard working, hard partying and hard living people. Bar fights in the parking lot, not to sticky bar floor go hand in hand in this story with honest work ethic that would made anyone proud to have.
Rena Jackson is starting on making her dream of owning her own business come true. Axel Heller already has done that but understands exactly her. The is a shy big man and tired of waiting on him to make a move woman story. It is an interesting story. looking at life different from my own. The blending of family, race and backgrounds is a reminder that these do not really need to define a person or who they love.
I did find that the cover did not match my perception of the characters in this book. The cover looks like flirty chic-lit. While this is a contemporary romance this is not a fluffy, cotton candy kind of story.
3.5 Stars
An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’ve been following along with these families and friends for a while now. I’m the kind of reader who loves when characters constantly show up in book after book, so I can easily say that I really enjoyed seeing everyone again.
I’ve gotten to know both Rena and Axel as side characters. I’m always amazed how different a side character from a previous book can be once they become a main character. Axel was a very good surprise. I adored him in this book.
You get a lot of Axel’s pov. The way he feels about Rena was something that just melted me into a puddle. The fact that he is this big, Viking-like guy who doesn’t talk that much and can come off a bit scary, could show that shy, crush-like personality just slayed me. I loved him.
The problem with me loving Axel so much, is that I really wanted to knock Rena in the head. A lot. All I can say is if I had this Viking God courting me, I would die a happy woman. Despite wanting to shake Rena a few times, I did truly enjoy this book and seeing all my favorite side characters again.
Finally we get Heller and Rena’s story from The Body Shop Bad Boys series! All of Marie’s fans have been begging her for this story and she finally found the time to bring it to us! It was SO worth the wait and you can tell it’s been simmering for a while in her talented writer brain. It is laugh out loud good at times and Marie can sure write dark brooding hunky heroes. Axel is so much a guardian protector type hero with a teddy bear heart. These guys are my favorite type of hero and Marie writes them so well. Then she wove humor into this story with the tight community of friends and family and I just couldn’t put the book down. More, I want more!
Axel Heller is a 6 foot 6 inch German who looks like he stepped off a Viking romance book cover. He’s the owner of an auto body and paint shop that we met in Marie’s previous Body Shop Bad Boys series. He and Dell’s garage share auto painter savant Lou Cortez between their shops. Axel recently lost his mother and has been going back and forth between Seattle and Germany settling her estate. His father Jannik Heller and look alike older brother Maksim run Autoteile, a million dollar car & parts business in Germany & the US Northwest. Axel has little to do with them as his dad is abusive and Maksim is his father’s heir. Axel came to the US when his mother left to get away from Jannik.
Rena Jackson is a bartender at Ray’s Bar that we met in the series. She’s finally opened her hair salon and is quitting the bar. Lou’s sister Stella works with her. Axel has been in love with her since he first saw her over a year ago but won’t talk to her as he’s afraid he’ll mess it up. He’s been keeping everyone away from dating Rena and everyone knows he’s staked his claim. Rena is looking at her 35th birthday and is tired of being alone and wants romance in her life like she reads about in her books. She’s put word out she’s ready to start dating again. Heller finally gets up the nerve to ask her out for a date before he looses her. Rena works hard to get Axel to open up to her so she can see who he is. Their chemistry is off the charts. Axel is afraid to fully open up to his feelings because he has anger issues that can rage out of control just like his dad. I loved seeing how Rena got to Axel so he reached for help.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story is sweet, romantic with a touch of humor and a bit of the serious side of life. These characters have all made appearances in the other books in this series so, we are familiar with them. That, for me makes it more enjoyable to read. I love seeing how the characters continue on after their own stories. Rena and Axel are the focus here and I just love Axel. He is so sweet, a little naive because of cultural differences and his honesty is romantic. His Valentine quest is priceless, adorable and completely romantic so, it bothered me that Rena didn’t fully understand the gestures. Her whining of being single only irrated me more because here is Axel trying to be worthy of her and she seems to keep shooting him down. For a woman who claims she is a romance novel enthusiast, she should understand and recognize what Axel motivation is. My other issue with Rena is that she tries to control her happy ending with Axel and I found it to be a bit lackluster for someone who is all about romance. Oh well, it’s a happy ending none the less.
To lightly address the serious side of this book…the topic of interracial relationships, white supremacy and racism is, in my opinion, done with sensativity and understanding appropriate for a romance novel. It is addressed, not ignored and of course not only do the starring couple get a happy ending but, the villians in the story get their deserved ending as well. Don’t dismiss this book. It is full of love, laughs, some tears and well worth your time.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
The Kissing Game by Marie Harte a five-star read that will find wunderbar. This started and I nearly DNF’d I would have given it a two star at most, but it got so good. I adored Rena Minerva Jackson and the strength of fight she has, she took some time to warm to but honestly once I did, I would fight the world for her, much like the Viking Ice-man. Axel Heller is that Ice-man, and I can see why some people have issues around him, he is an enigma in himself, but as you read into him and try to get deeper into his story you see hints of him, he doesn’t warm for a long time, so its difficult to fall for him for a long time. Bu once you do, you will be wishing for your own Viking. This does have some issues to the story, and not all of it makes sense, I almost felt that this was part of a series and I hadn’t read the previous stories, but there is a good story if you just go with it and keep up you will have a good story in the end.
YAY…. at last we got Alex & Rena’s story!! The Kissing Game was a great read.
I was over the moon when Marie Harte let us know their story was being written! This pair have been circling each other for books…. and I honestly wasn’t sure anything would happen with them, but I’m delighted that they finally got there….
Axel Heller, now I know the blurb says he’s ‘tall, dark and handsome’ and yeah, we are aware he’s a big blond Viking of a man, but I’m taking the ‘dark’ as alluding to the fact that he’s a hulking, brooding, giant who most folk can’t get a read on and who would most likely pound faces for fun – if it didn’t get him into trouble and put his freedom and business in jeopardy….. if only Rena didn’t keep seeing this side of him!!! The thing is, there is a lot more to our leading man than he lets people see, his concern now is that maybe he’s left things a little too late to convince Rena to give him a chance.
Rena Jackson, she’s a hard working sweetheart who friends, family and most of those she comes into contact with love (there’s part of the story that goes into that and sadly, it’s pretty relevant in these times we live in). Even though a bit of a smitten-kitten for the big, quiet German who watches her like prey, she’s about to throw in the towel where Axel is concerned….. how long does a girl have to wait for a guy to talk to her and maybe ask her out? Add to that the small matter of her finally getting her own hair salon up and running and her focus being on that and you can understand her hesitance in getting involved with Axel.
I loved that fact that Axel is all in when he sees the slightest hint of a chance from Rena, even if his gifts are interesting yeah, lets go with that!!) and his idea of romance is nothing like that of the heroes in his lady loves books.
There was humour, some angst, action, heat and steam all rolled into this story. We catch up with some of the guys and gals from previous series/books and I have to admit that I’ve got my fingers crossed that maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a further tale or two around the other guys in Axel’s body shop at some point in the future.
3 Stars
I’ve read several of the McCauley Brothers and Body Shop Bad Boys and was eagerly awaiting Rena and Axel’s story. Whilst it didn’t disappoint exactly, it also didn’t live up to my expectations.
Whilst I found Axel to be kind of awkward, stoic and gruff, he was also quite likeable with his cluelessness. He has a huge hear and means well, even when he gets thing very wrong and is loyal and protective.
I’ve loved Rena in previous books, she always came across as kind, caring and sassy. But unfortunately, I found her to be quite entitled and immature in her thinking and her desire to have a love story that was romance book worthy was a tad unrealistic when added with her other expectations.
A sweet, yet kind of dramatic and awkward romance I struggled to understand the non-traditional cover that screamed romantic comedy and I didn’t find very much humor in this title at all.
Whilst not my favorite of Marie Harte’s work I will be eagerly awaiting future releases.
Despite what it may say I really don’t think this book is a stand alone. It is part of Marie Harte’s McCauley Universe which basically includes The Donnigan’s, The Body Shop Bad Boys, and Veteran Movers. In my opinion if you’ve read at least one of the Body Shop Bad Boys series, The Only Thing, and What to Do With a Bad Boy (which is Del’s book and I love it) I think you can read it without getting lost in the secondary characters. Rena and Axel have been on the sidelines for a while now, a year in there time several books our time, and they have been interested in each other but for reasons of his own Axel hasn’t made a move.
It’s been six months since Axel’s mother died and the New Year just happened and with Valentines along with her uncles wedding around the corner Rena has decided Axel is never going to make his move and she, a hopeless romantic, is ready to find her forever person. When Axel hears that Rena is going to start actively searching for a boyfriend and a commitment he finally gets shaken out of his low self esteem long enough to ask her out, well she says no. And so the bet.
Two dates is all Axel has to convince her to take him seriously and after two dates she agrees to give him until Valentines and then she’ll make up her mind. Axel planned it all from a gift everyday, no matter how weird the gift might be, and nights out and nights in. Axel is adorkable when it comes to dating. Unfortunately Rena who has finally achieved her dream of owning her own salon is faced with a bunch of racist dummkopfs but she has all her friends to help out including, what I hope is hero baiting, a bunch of hunky firemen. (please tell me they are going to get there own series) Axel is also dealing with a bunch of stuff, his father and his brother are going to be visiting and all of Axel’s insecurities of why he took so long to ask Rena out are exposed and it just might be the downfall of their relationship.
Overall, it was a good read. My only real issue was the cover, it’s a cute cover just not for this book. I don’t think the cover matches the book at all. When I see illustrated covers like this I think Rom-Com, chick-lit type stuff and this book just isn’t that. Yes there is humor in this romance but Marie Harte always deals with more the angst of internal struggle and people overcoming whatever is holding them back from embracing their HEA, the humor just lightens it up a bit.
The cover caught my eye and the blurb sounds fun, but overall The Kissing Game just left me confused.
Perhaps if you’d read Marie Harte before and had any idea what series The Kissing Game because it is not a stand-alone as advertised is connected to you wouldn’t struggle with the slew of characters tossed at you from page one.
It felt like Harte tried to do too much and then none of it came together well. Too many characters (for a stand-alone I’m not going to know I need to have read a series (or two?) to understand the characters in this one book) and too many plot lines that just didn’t develop well or come together. The best part of the book were the stray cat and dog. Other than that I was just skimming and hoping the story would get better.
Unfortunately, The Kissing Game was a miss for me.
1.5 stars
Bit of a sad let down with this unbalanced relationship. This didn’t promise what I hoped for.
Axel was trying so hard but it’s like Rena didn’t really know what she truly wanted.
Axel was dealing with so much family hassle, sadness about his mother’s death and childhood trauma, I was surprised he was as balanced as he was.
Yes, he kept fighting but he never started a fight. Loved that he was not willing to stand back from idiots.
He also tried his best to give Rena the romance he was told she needed. He just wasn’t very good at choosing gifts. LOL.
Unfortunately, I really wanted to slap Rena upside the head for most of the book.
She is not her mother and if she wants a healthy relationship with a man, she needs to stop acting like her. The fact she had a great guy in Axel and she kept looking for faults was one example.
Her wavering attitude and her lack of support of Axel annoyed me.
She didn’t care for him when he was hurt or gave him a shoulder to lean on. She never once apologised to Axel but kept walking away.
The fact everyone kept saying Rena was a real romance junky made me laugh.
She did nothing romantic for Axel until right at the end. Even big, clueless guys need to know they are appreciated too.
Rena actually gave him a time ultimatum after he told her about his and his mother’s abusive hell. WTH!
Axel’s interactions with a pregnant Del were entertaining and made me smile. At other times he was so sweet, the pregnant stray cat, the abandoned dog and even Rena’s selfish mother.
Nice spending time with all the others from the various series’ and the rest of the story away from the two H’s was entertaining.
This is my honest opinion of this book.
I enjoyed the book, however I have a lot of reviews that readers were not happy about the secondary characters, and yes this is written as a standalone however we do have a lot of again the secondary characters were characters of previous book, and since I read those and enjoyed those I liked touching base with them. We have Rena which I remembered here from Donavan’s book and was wondering when she would get hers and she finally got. Rena is a romance reader and lover of the genre so she dreams of her happily ever after, and she finally gets her chance with Axel who has been crushing on her for a while. They are little rough, a little problem with communication but give them a chance..
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
Axel ingenuously negotiates the pitfalls of wooing his Valentine
This book has its pluses and minuses, but overall I really liked German hero Axel and his awkward attempts to win Rena’s affection. His pre-Valentine’s Day courtship campaign, a type of “Twelve Days of Christmas” gift giving in the weeks before Valentine’s Day, included some trite, some kitschy, and some wildly risque presents and I was looking forward to each day’s unwrapping. Axel starts out the glowering strong and silent, brooding muscleman but I liked his transformation as the story progresses. Aah, kids and animals really do know who the good ones are! And, yes, their romantic encounters include some serious heat. This romance, despite its bumps, has an upbeat vibe, mostly thanks to Axel’s enthusiastic and ingenuous moves to please Rena.
I also liked the subplot involving Rena’s relationship with her mother. I did not feel Axel’s backstory with his father and brother was quite as successful.
On the less positive side, there are a passel of characters and pre-established relationships that were difficult to keep straight since I had not read about any of them previously. For me, the sheer number detracted from my ability to focus on Axel and Rena. And the whole turf war thing did not quite work for me.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
3.5 stars–THE KISSING GAME by Marie Harte is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic, romance series focusing on auto body shop owner Axel Heller, and hair stylist / shop owner Rena Jackson. THE KISSING GAME is connected to the author’s McCauley Brothers, and Body Shop Bad Boys series with the inclusion of several characters crossing over for familiarity and history.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Rena and Axel) THE KISSING GAME follows auto body shop owner Axel Heller, and hair stylist / shop owner Rena Jackson. Rena Jackson is a romantic at heart wanting her own happily ever after but there are no available prospects on the horizon, yet the one man that makes her heart flutter, is the one man who struggles in the romance department. Now that she is opening her own beauty salon, Rena has decided to step out on her own, but Axel is hoping to be the man by her side. When their mutual friends place bets on the demise of their building relationship, quiet but determined Axel must step up his romance game in an effort to win the girl of his dreams. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Axel and Rena, and the potential fall-out as Axel struggles with sins of the past.
Axel Heller, of German/Bavarian descent, battles between head and heart knowing his temper could be the destruction of everything he loves but when Rena, a woman of color, is threatened Axel finds himself on the offensive to protect the woman he loves. Rena Jackson’s dreams have come true with the opening of her own beauty salon but threats of violence, and a disruption to her shop find Rena negatively focusing on Axel’s need to protect more than the threats against her life.
Meanwhile the Heller family dynamics will come into play as Axel struggles to move on from the past. From a dysfunctional and abusive family, Axel doesn’t want a repeat of everything that happened when he was a young boy, and in this Axel battles with his own self-doubt.
The relationship between Rena and Axel is a sort of-friends to lovers that has been building for several months. Rena has no idea why Axel has not asked her out, while Axel struggles right from the start. Rena is a woman who likes to read romance books, and Axel is determined to woo the woman who has stolen his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic, language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters, most of whom were introduced in the author’s McCauley Brothers, and Body Shop Bad Boys series. If THE KISSING GAME is part of one of the aforementioned series, I am hoping the author makes a connection one way or the other.
THE KISSING GAME is a story of family, friendships, racism and love. The cover screams romantic comedy but I have to question the choice and direction as there is limited humor throughout the story; as well as the blurb that proclaims our hero to be tall, dark and handsome, who is definitely not dark but Viking blonde-perhaps the darkness is the demons that creep up from the past. The premise is interesting; the characters are animated; the romance struggles with preconceived notions and ideas of romance and love.
First off, the red cover with the dancing people doesn’t fit the story at all. This is a steamy, sexy romance that deals with things like racism and anger management; it’s not some chick lit, easy, light romance. It is a sweet story with some fun times, but the cover is just too saccharine. Also, this book is set in/near Seattle, but the author should’ve just made up a city because the Seattle in this book is very little like Seattle in real life. I’ve lived in Seattle forever, so that was bothering me as I read.
Axel, a German, owns a car body shop and has had a big crush on Rena for about a year. Apparently, he’s a really scary looking guy that others want to fight for some reason, so people are constantly being weird around him. Rena, a black woman, is ready to open her own salon and she’s also had a crush on Axel for a long time. She’s a romance fanatic; which became really annoying at times, and has issues with her mom. They start dating, but insecurities from both parties, racists, and some antics from their friends cause some issues for the new couple.
Loved the passion between Rena and Axel. Love how much he supports her and knows right away that she’s the one. Axel has a difficult past, so he’s dealing with a lot but he is so sweet and loving with Rena. I’m back and forth on Rena, she felt too needy for my liking and overly emotional at times, but she has a good heart. She was pissed at Axel for not asking her out, but when he does, she’s rude to him. Still loved their connection though.
This story features lots of characters from some of the author’s past series; some I’ve read and some I haven’t, so you may want to start with those other books but it’s not absolutely necessary. This story does stand on its own. It’s fun to see what some of the other characters are up to, but it was a bit much. Also, there were times that they were kind of jerks to the new couple.
Overall, an entertaining read with a sweet romance.
Once I read the blurb for this book I was quite excited to read it. However, I’m sorry to say that after I did I was left unsatisfied. In my opinion there were many things in this book didn’t mesh with what you would expect/lead to believe or simply really didn’t make sense. This was a new to me author so I have no point of reference for comparison to her other works, so maybe this book is just an anomaly or it could just be my own personal preferences. All the cuteness, charm and sizzling chemistry I had anticipated never materialized. I thought that as a whole the book was basically bland and a lot of the story felt forced. I pushed through to finish it but it was a chore. So while this wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read it certainly wasn’t the best either.
I have to admit, I read this book in December, exactly a month ago but wasn’t exactly feeling the need to review. So on that note, I must say I don’t remember the book that much and apparently I didn’t make many notes.
Buuuuuut…
I do remember two things.
One was that the hero was German. I don’t know how German turned American do sound but I feel like the portrait of them in this book was very stereotypical. I just felt like the author used ”Ja?” (Yes?) in every sentence, insinuating this is how people from Germany talk. Maybe they do, who knows, I just find it annoying. Like maybe the author wanted to sound the hero German but in turn, she overused this word and make me wish Axel was anything but German. Anytime he said ”Ja?”, I was thinking of some cliché German character.
(*I now used the word German six times in the past paragraph, imagine seeing the same word on almost every page.)
The second thing was that the heroine’s mother had some problems in relationships in the past. One time, after she meets Axel, she was so upset over something and I remember Axel putting her in her lap. I know he is a good guy but this in any context just sound disturbing and wrong. He did it in front of the heroine, by the way, and she didn’t think much of it. I would understand anyone but the ”mother-in-law”. That… that’s just a no-no.
After reading some reviews on Goodreads to refresh my memory, I also have to mention Axel’s gifts to romance Rena. The thought was cute but some were just so cringe-worthy that I really didn’t know where he got them…or why he thought it would be cute. If he looked twice at what he purchased or asked on some advice from his friends I’m sure he would get the right ones since he didn’t know how to woo a woman.
First read by this author. I expected a lot more from the book but was a little disappointed. Although I’m rating it as 3.5 stars it feels more like 3. It had the potential to be a great book but the author didn’t develop some aspects and the result is a mediocre book for me.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.