Review: Just Kiss Me by Rachel Gibson

Reviewer: Rowena
Just Kiss Me by Rachel Gibson
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon
Publication Date: July 26th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
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New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gibson returns with this dazzling love story filled with sizzle, sass, and just a bit of southern charm . . .
"Hello, Ms. Vivian . . . it's been a long time."

And with those words, Vivian Leigh Rochet nearly melted. It's been years since she last saw Harrison Whitley-Shuler. She was a teenager scrubbing houses for a living. He was the gorgeous son of rich parents, not fit for the likes of her.

Vivian had vowed to get out of Charleston, become a big Hollywood star, and stick it to the snooty girls who made her cry.

She got what she wanted—and more—but why does her glamorous life seem so trivial?

Harrison got out too . . . making it all the way to Wall Street, until a heart attack forced him to trade in his cufflinks for a good set of hand tools.

Making furniture soothes his soul, but escaping the Whitley-Shuler heritage is nearly impossible. And now he's come face-to-face with the one who got away. He's not looking for love. He's not even looking for sex . . . so why is resisting her the hardest thing he's ever done?

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by Rachel Gibson and this book was a nice treat after being away for a while.

Vivian Leigh Rochet (pronounced Ro-shay) is back in her hometown of Charleston to bury her mother. She hasn’t been home for at least three years and being back in town to put her mother to rest has put her in total grief mode. She was close to her mother and with her gone, Vivian realizes that she’s got nobody left. She’s all alone in the world and that doesn’t sit well with her.

She grew up in the carriage house across the way from the big house that her mother was a housekeeper at. She grew up cleaning up after Henry (his name was Henry in my ARC) and Spencer Whitley-Shuler and their judgmental and very mean mother, Nonnie. She had dreams to become rich and famous and a big super star actress. She was going to be become famous and come back to town to shove her success in everyone who was ever mean to her’s face. #1 on that list? Henry Whitley-Shuler.

But when she comes back to town to pack up her mother’s belongings, it’s to find a very different Henry from the one she remembers. It’s Henry that becomes her closest confidant and it’s Henry that she turns to for most everything.

Henry has changed a lot in the years that Vivian has known him but Vivian has changed too. Henry remembers the brat she used to be when they were kids. He remembers catching her snooping in his room. He remembers the secret he threatened her to keep. He remembered plenty but he didn’t understand her as a kid. He understands her plenty now. The more time that they spend together, the closer they get and the deeper they both fall.

There are secrets in this book and I’m not a fan of those in my romances. I didn’t like Henry’s secret and I didn’t like Vivian’s secret. I rolled my eyes more than a few times but in the end, I liked the way that these two came together. Vivian’s secret keeping was worse because she kept her secret to spite Henry and I didn’t like that. The way that they worked their issues out made me satisfied with the story and I’m glad that I read it. It’s not my favorite Rachel Gibson but it was still enjoyable. It was one of those slow to build romances that worked for me and despite the secrets, I did end up liking the book anyway.

Grade: 3.75 out of 5

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