Just a Kiss (A Summer Harbor Novel Book 3) by Denise Hunter

Book Description:

Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are ruined when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.

Watching the love of his life falling for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.

But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.

Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances he’s adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. He has nightmares and mood swings, and his unwavering independence keeps him from accepting help from anyone, including her. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up the money needed to save it.

As the weeks wear on with the two in such close proximity, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into unchartered territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his corded arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in?

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Beautifully told, heartfelt and captivating; Just a Kiss more than lived up to my expectations!  Which have been building up since Book 1. Hunter does a wonderful job of portraying all that Riley is going through as he returns home; an amputee and with PTSD. His struggles and frustrations, his interactions and relationships are well written and very believable. I have to say, that Hunter found the perfect balance of realism without making the book too heavy.

I found myself completely caught up in the story from the start and with the characters. This was a novel I did not want to put down and I am thrilled to have had the time to read it today. Although this is the 3rd Book in the series, it could be read as a stand alone novel. However, I still believe you will enjoy it more if you read the previous books first. I loved the whole series, and getting to see the characters again in each book as their stories progress.

Just a Kiss, is filled with hope, faith, friendship, love, heartache, forgiveness and all the things that make this a very worthwhile read! Loved it! My only regret is that the series has come to an end!