And Then He Kissed Me (Avon Romance) [Mass Market Paperback]

I know others have loved this book so these remarks are definitely my own opinion. I gave 3 stars because of the flow of the words and the sparkly dialogue. But I had problems staying with the story.

My first problem is with the disguise thing. It was OK if you go for the hooker look My big complaint is the constant bubble gum. It drove me crazy very quickly. It wasn't needed and got in the way of the story. It was like hearing someone use the word "basically" to begin every sentence. Arrgh!

Next, I have a definite problem with h/h meeting and falling into bed shortly. Only to call it for real and everlasting love. 1 1/2 days before sex is pretty much shortly. Lust I can believe in. Not true love.

Editing is sloppy. When Cole's hippie parents arrive, we are told that Joplin re-named herself after her favorite OD'd rock star, Janice. This was corrected to Janis on the next page and not repeated. Then, more toward the end, the twins are mentioned. Huh? I believe the "twins" were triplets. Stuff like that just jerks me right out of any story. No excuse for it. What else do editors have to do but edit?

The whole story takes place in too short a time frame for all that Juliet/Autumn accomplishes. Tending bar at night, nanny to 5 small girls by day. 3 in diapers. And solving everybody's problems while she's at it. Painting Joe's Gas and Bait Shop in her spare time. Having hot sex with Cole whenever. All this in 3-4 days and without breaking a nail or chipping her pink polish. As far as I could tell, she only slept one night in the whole book. Wish I could do that.

I enjoyed the crazy villaness. She was pretty obsessive. Sort of reminded me of Ursula the sea witch in "The Little Mermaid". But she gets a nice comeuppance at the end.

I know there was at least 1 previous book set in Plentiful, Wyoming. I haven't read it. It doesn't really matter as this book stands alone. Even though characters from the previous book are here. And they are characters. Which is as it should be in a small town. Characters help the story move along.

A lot of stuff happens in this book. Too much, I think. The malpractice thing could have been left on the editing floor. It didn't really advance the plot.

I'm glad I read the book but it won't be going on my keeper shelf. But I will read future Berg books.

The book was somewhat entertaining, I guess, but it isn't great. And it definitely isn't one that I'll ever pull out for a second read. The main problem is that there is just way too much going on in the book. Let's see...you've got Juliet "on the run" with a secret identity, Juliet receiving threatening phone calls, Juliet's problem with the tabloids, Juliet's issue with her assistant, Cole's kids, Cole's vet practice, Cole's parents, and THEN you've got to fit the romance part of the story in there. Which basically leaves you with 8 little plots, none of which are developed very well (since there just isn't enough space for all of it). Plus, I think the whole story was supposed to take place in the span of about 2 weeks. The point is, everything in this book happens way too abruptly. Most romance novels are about quick-developing relationships, but there was something that was just too much about this one. The pace felt so unnatural that I was left turning the pages without any real interest in what was going on.

Patti Berg's second book on the town of Plentiful, Wyoming is good for light reading and it is quite enjoyable. I agree with some other reviewers who said she crammed quite a lot of information in this one book and everything seems to have happened within a few days.

There are quite a number of things that are underdeveloped and on hindsight, the book feels like Patti Berg had thrown everything AND the kitchen sink into the story and strung together the ones that stuck.

Juliet, for example, is a former B-grade actress and famous for 7 slasher movies, had the heroine of software game Amazonia modelled after her, is a famous mystery novelist, and can work as a bartender, as well as repaint a gas station and be a nanny to five girls including a set of triplets, after the previous 14 nannies quit. She was also estranged from her dad and could not make amends in time before he died, her tycoon of an ex-husband is in jail for embezzlement and her assistant has been betraying her for years.

Cole, the hero, is a vet, who was brought up by hippie parents and whose sister died leaving five orphaned girls. He is being sued for malpractice after a mare died giving birth to a foal. His parents, who were in Tibet and did not bother to come back when his sister died, want custody of the girls, and his father is currently in his 17th month of keeping silent, part of a five-year pledge not to talk.

I hope you get what I mean when I say she has crammed a lot of details and character developments, mostly unnecessary, in this book. Those things aside, like I said earlier, this is an enjoyable read. I recommend renting or borrowing the book instead of buying it.