New Release Book Review (& Excerpt): One Hundred Promises by Kelly Collins

I'm excited to be sharing with you the release of ONE HUNDRED PROMISES by Kelly Collins. 

ONE HUNDRED PROMISES is the fourth standalone in the Aspen Cove series and if you love small-town contemporary romance, you won't want to miss this one!

 

About ONE HUNDRED PROMISES

Join Bestselling Author Kelly Collins on another trip to Aspen Cove where anything is possible when it comes to love...

Aspen Cove, Colorado isn’t on Lydia Nichols’s wish list when she finishes her residency at Denver General Hospital, but life delivered several surprising blows. Her long-time boyfriend, who was also her boss, moved on with a nurse and took Lydia’s job with him. No boyfriend. No job. No options. As a favor to her sister, she arrives in the small mountain town for a temporary job as the clinic doctor. Her first question when she gets there is ‘how fast can I leave?’ That is, until sinfully, sexy Wes Covington comes into the clinic seeking care. With him around Lydia may have found a reason to stay—for now.   

Wes Covington left his demons in Denver. Working for his family’s architectural firm, he was tired of being almost—almost good enough—almost rich enough—almost loveable enough. He abandoned his penthouse, his high-paying position and his Porsche for simple, small-town life. All he wants is to restore his ancestral home and find a good woman who’ll love him for who he is and not what he’s worth. When Wes meets Dr. Lydia Nichols, he likens her to a hellion with a halo. She’s the perfect mix of sassy and sweet, cunning and compassion, but she’ll never be his unless he can convince her to stay. 

Love blooms when the timing is right, but will Lydia surrender her chance at love or can Wes convince her that everything she’ll ever want or need is right in Aspen Cove?   

Find out in One Hundred Promises...

Add ONE HUNDRED PROMISES to your Goodreads TBR here!  

Grab your copy of ONE HUNDRED PROMISES on Amazon today!

   

MY THOUGHTS

ONE HUNDRED PROMISES is a wonderful, feel-good romance set in small town USA. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the writing. I’ll definitely be reading more books by the author.

The book tackles some serious issues but does so with a light touch, so the story is never mired in a pool of angst. This book tackles many life challenges we all face. What do we want? What do we need? How far should we go in pursuit of either? Wes has already taken this journey and he has found both what he wants and needs in Aspen Cove. Aspen Cove is not where Lydia thought she’d end up and she is treating her time there is temporary.

Wes and Lydia’s romance was a pleasure to read. They have fun together, they’re physically dynamite together and they appreciate one another. Even the prospect of Lydia leaving is handled with a refreshing maturity.

There’s a lovely cast of supporting characters that give Aspen Cove its own personality and as much as they add to the story, they never take over; the focus is firmly on Lydia and Wes.

*****

 

EXCERPT

“Did I kiss you?”

She let out a frustrated breath. “Yes, Wes, did you kiss me?”

He appeared to enjoy her discomfort. “Well, as a matter of fact, I did.”

Ba boom, ba boom, ba boom her heart raced until it became boom boom boom boom.

She dropped her breakfast to the plate and buried her face in her hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about.”

The heat of her blush burned her cheeks. She licked her lips, hoping that action would spur a memory. As if she’d taste him. There was nothing. Mad at herself for her lack of control, she lashed out. “Couldn’t have been a good kiss if I don’t remember it.”

“Below par as far as kisses go. You want a memorable kiss, all you have to do is ask.” He reached for the bag of bandages and pulled out the gauze and tape. “Give me a hand?”

“You insult my kisses and now you want help?” Surely the kiss couldn’t have been that bad. How bad could her kiss be?

He moved his hand to the center of the table palm up. “I didn’t insult your kiss.”

She tugged his hand and wrapped the wound with gauze. She might have tugged it a little too tight. Certain she did when he hissed. As much as she wanted him to suffer for his comment, she couldn’t in her right mind torture him, so she loosened the bandage and taped it in place. “You don’t think calling our first kiss subpar is an insult?”

Wes’s laugh filled the air. Even Sarge lifted his head to see what was going on. “Lydia, you asked me to kiss you several times. I refused. Not because I don’t find you attractive. I think you’re stunning.”

“Why did you give in and kiss me?”

He moved his chair so he sat next to her. When he twisted his body, they were close enough for a repeat performance.

“Against my better judgment, I gave in because I couldn’t resist.” He lifted his shoulders and let them drop.

She watched his lips as he spoke—full, lush lips that surely gave memorable kisses. She hated that she couldn’t recall the moment. “Sorry I disappointed you.” Her shoulders tipped forward and her head hung low.

Wes thumbed her chin up, forcing her to look at him. “Lydia, you weren’t a disappointment. We barely brushed lips and honestly you were already passed out when that happened. I told you last night if you really wanted a kiss you needed to ask me for it when you were sober.”

His words worked their way from her head to her heart. “You didn’t want to take advantage of me.” The words came out in soft awe because so many people would have taken what she’d drunkenly offered.

“I’m not that guy.” He let go of her chin and cupped her cheek. “I hear you’re an amazing kisser, Lydia.”

She smiled. “Who told you?”

He leaned forward. “You did,” he whispered across her lips.

“I could do better.” She shifted her body so her knees moved between his thighs. Face to face, their lips were a separated by a breath. “I want to do better.”

“Overachiever?” The hand that had cupped her cheek now cradled her neck.

He was close enough for her to see the gemstone flecks in his eyes. When she inhaled, she breathed in the citrus and spice that mixed with his scent. Lust and need made her dizzy. Her head spun. Unsteady, she palmed his chest for balance. The hard muscle flexed under her hand. Her fingers trailed down his chest to explore every hill and valley of sinew.

She breathed deeply. “Call it what you want, but kiss me.”

Soft and sure, his lips pressed to hers. It wasn’t a frenzied kiss, but a measured moment until she parted her lips to grant him access. He dipped his tongue inside and slid it across her tongue for a languid taste.

Fingers threaded through her hair, he gripped her tight and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Sweet like honey, his mouth moved over hers. His soft, velvet tongue danced across hers. She knew he was a busy man, but he sat there and kissed her like he had all day. When he pulled away, he nipped at her bottom lip until he sucked it into his mouth. Rockets of desire shot like fireworks through her body.

With a pop, he released her lip and sat back. His eyes burned with passion. The kind of passion she had always wanted to see from a lover but never did.

“Now that’s a kiss I’ll remember.”

About KELLY COLLINS

International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again. Kelly lives in Colorado at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her husband of twenty-eight years, their two dogs, and a bird that hates her. She has three amazing children, whom she loves to pieces.

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