Just a Kiss
Authors: Denise Hunter
“Can romance be any more complicated than a bride who doesn't remember running away from her groom? Denise Hunter's take on a woman's attempt to find her way back to happily ever after again is sweetly endearing. Readers will keep turning pages, wanting to know how true love ever went so wrong . . . and if
The Goodbye Bride
gets her chance to say âI do.' ”
âB
ETH
K. V
OGT
, 2015 RITA
FINALIST AND AUTHOR OF
C
RAZY
L
ITTLE
T
HING
C
ALLED
L
OVE
“I've been a long-time fan of Denise Hunter's, and
The Goodbye Bride
has everything I've come to love about her romances: a plucky heroine with lots of backstory, a yummy hero, and a terrific setting. Her fine attention to detail and the emotional punch of the story made me want to reread it immediately. Highly recommended!”
âC
OLLEEN
C
OBLE
,
USA
TODAY
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
M
ERMAID
M
OON
AND THE
H
OPE
B
EACH SERIES
“Denise Hunter has done it once again, placing herself solidly on my must-read list!
The Goodbye Bride
is a tender, thoughtful look at the role memories play in a romance. The clever plot kept me up way past my bedtimeâand happy to be so!”
âD
EBORAH
R
ANEY
,
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE
C
HICORY
I
NN NOVELS
“
The Goodbye Bride
is one heart-stopping, page-turning romance that will leave the pickiest romance reader delighted and asking for just a few more pages.”
âC
ARA
C. P
UTMAN
,
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF
W
HERE
T
REETOPS
G
LISTEN
AND
S
HADOWED BY
G
RACE
“[
Married 'til Monday
] . . . leaves one knowing that love is worth fighting for.”
â
RT B
OOK
R
EVIEWS
, 4-
STAR REVIEW
“Hunter is a master romance storyteller.
Falling Like Snowflakes
is charming and fun with a twist of mystery and intrigue. A story that's sure to endure as a classic reader favorite.”
âR
ACHEL
H
AUCK
,
AUTHOR OF
T
HE
W
EDDING
D
RESS
AND
THE
R
OYAL
W
EDDING SERIES
“A handful of authors dominate my must-read list, and Denise Hunter is right at the top.
Falling Like Snowflakes
is a taut romantic thriller that will warm you to the core.”
âJ
ULIE
L
ESSMAN, AWARD
-
WINNING AUTHOR OF THE
D
AUGHTERS OF
B
OSTON
, W
INDS OF
C
HANGE
,
AND
H
EART OF
S
AN
F
RANCISCO SERIES
“A beautiful storyâpoignant and heartwarming, filled with delightful characters and intense emotion. Chapel Springs is a place anyone would love to call home.”
âR
AE
A
NNE
T
HAYNE
,
N
EW
Y
ORK
T
IMES
BESTSELLING AUTHOR ON
T
HE
W
ISHING
S
EASON
“. . . skillfully combines elements of romance, family stories, and kitchen disasters. Fans of Colleen Coble and Robin Lee Hatcher will enjoy this winter-themed novel.”
â
L
IBRARY
J
OURNAL
ON
T
HE
W
ISHING
S
EASON
“This is an emotional tale of overcoming the fear of loss to love again and God's love, made manifest through people, healing all wounds. The heroine's doubts, fears, and eventual acceptance of the gift God has given her are told in a sympathetic and heartwarming way. The hero's steadfastness is poignantly presented as well.”
â
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
, 4
STARS ON
D
ANCING WITH
F
IREFLIES
“Romance lovers will . . . fall for this gentleman who places his beloved's needs before his own as faith guides him.”
â
B
OOKLIST
ON
D
ANCING WITH
F
IREFLIES
“Hunter's latest Chapel Springs Romance is a lovely story of lost and found, with a heroine struggling to accept that trusting God doesn't make life perfectâwithout loss or sorrowâbut can bring great joy. The hero's love for her and willingness to lose her to save her is quite moving.”
â
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
, 4
STARS ON
B
AREFOOT
S
UMMER
“Jane Austen fans will appreciate the subtle yet delightful Austen vibe that flavors this contemporary cowboy romanceâand not just because
Pride & Prejudice
is protagonist Annie's favorite book.
The Trouble with Cowboys
is a fast, fun, and touching read with the added draw of a first kiss that is sure to make my Top 5 Fictional Kisses of 2012. So saddle up, ladies: We have a winner!”
âUSAT
ODAY.COM
O
THER
N
OVELS BY
D
ENISE
H
UNTER
S
UMMER
H
ARBOR
N
OVELS
Falling Like Snowflakes
The Goodbye Bride
T
HE
C
HAPEL
S
PRINGS
R
OMANCE
S
ERIES
Barefoot Summer
Dancing with Fireflies
The Wishing Season
Married 'til Monday
A December Bride
(novella)
T
HE
B
IG
S
KY
R
OMANCE
S
ERIES
A Cowboy's Touch
The Accidental Bride
The Trouble with Cowboys
N
ANTUCKET
L
OVE
S
TORIES
Driftwood Lane
Seaside Letters
The Convenient Groom
Surrender Bay
Sweetwater Gap
Novellas included in
Smitten
,
Secretly
Smitten
, and
Smitten Book Club
© 2016 by Denise Hunter
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherâexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Publisher's Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 978-0-71802-377-5 (eBook)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hunter, Denise, 1968- author.
Title: Just a kiss / Denise Hunter.
Description: Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, [2016] | Series: A Summer Harbor novel
Identifiers: LCCN 2016013633 | ISBN 9780718023751 (softcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Disabled veterans--Care--Fiction. | Man-woman relationships--Fiction. | Amputees--Fiction. | GSAFD: Christian fiction. | Love stories.
Classification: LCC PS3608.U5925 J87 2016 | DDC 813/.6--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016013633
16 17 18 19 20 RRD 5 4 3 2 1
Dear friend,
I can hardly believe we're at the last book of the Summer Harbor series! Even if you haven't been along for the whole journey, I think you'll enjoy
Just a Kiss
. It's written to stand alone, so you won't feel lost at all.
If you've been following the series, I hope you're eager to find out what happens next. I've been planning Riley and Paige's story since the very beginning of the series, and I can't wait to share it with you. And let's not forget Aunt Trudy and Sheriff Colton! They've been waiting a long time for their happily-ever-after. Will they find it? I'm not telling! You'll have to read and see.
Lastly, friend, I want to say thank you. Thank you for reading my stories. Thank you for telling others about them. And thank you for all the kind notes you send. You make it all worthwhile. I'm ever grateful for your encouragement and support and so honored that you choose to spend a few of your precious hours with me.
Blessings!
Denise