From the national bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers, Swear on this Life, and Wish You Were Here comes a powerful story of two people who spend years denying their scientifically-proven chemistry.
Penny spends her afternoons sitting outside a sandwich shop, surrounded by ghosts. Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio—and she was a dancer on the rise. Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably-decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision.
The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering, And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off.
For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection.
Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and the bestselling author of Sweet Thing, Nowhere But Here, After the Rain, Before We Were Strangers, Swear on This Life, and Wish You Were Here. She grew up in Southern California and lives in the San Diego area with her husband and two sons. To learn more, visit ReneeCarlino.
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Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Holy Crap. The angst level in Blind Kiss is red-zone high. The story that unfolds between Gavin and Penny — going back and forth between their one and only blindfolded kiss back in college 14 years ago to present day — is amazeballs.
I can’t recall the last time I felt such anguish for a couple and so badly wanted them to work out their issues! But a 21 year old Penny is too scared to admit her feelings toward Gavin. They are clearly both so in love with one another, but feelings get hurt, miscommunication tears them apart, and a stupid decision on Penny’s part changes any chance that these two have of becoming more than “just the best of friends.”
The journey that these two characters take is a rollercoaster. And Renee Carlino does a fabulous job of making the reader understand why Penny’s husband feels so threatened, and how Gavin’s made the bed he now has to lie in. But the story ends with such a sweet HEA, I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome for these characters that I absolutely fell in love with.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women’s novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com
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