Kiss Me Hello is the second book in this series that I have read. While the characters are the same, each book can be a standalone story. I enjoyed the fact that I did recognize the characters and knew of the background. It made me feel more connected and invested in the outcome of the characters.

I felt this one started just a little slower, but quickly had my attention. I was trying to figure out how a horse shoer could make a single foster mom fall for him. I mean I got that Mack is so hot and steamy, but how did he fit into Sid’s life? I enjoyed reading and watching their feelings develop. The circling around each other was entertaining, but I truly loved how they were able to communicate and discuss their problems. They both knew that they were somewhat in the wrong and were able to work through that and come out trusting each other.

Luis was the perfect foster child. He knew that his life could get pulled out from under him without any warning and seemed always prepared for it. Watching his standoffishness slowly go away and him show his love for Sid and Mack was wonderful. I love when a boy can show his feelings without being gushy or made out to be soft.

Kiss Me Hello is the perfect read for a romantic at heart. I enjoyed it and am anxiously awaiting more in the Sweetest Kisses series.

If you have enjoyed Grace Burrowes’ historical novels wait until you read what she can do with a contemporary romance. Readers of the Sweetest Kisses series will finally find out why Mackenzie Knightly has gone ten years without a date. No, he’s not a closeted gay man, but he does have a dark secret that has robbed him of the trust needed to develop a relationship with a woman.
Mac is a country lawyer who is also a farrier. He’s on his horse-shoeing job when he hears that a new neighbor has discovered large horses on their property that weren’t part of the purchase deal. Mac agrees to look in on the welfare of the horses on his way home and discovers a woman and her foster son have somehow become guardians of two elderly well-known horses but have no idea how to care for farm animals at all.

The horses aren’t the only curve balls that have come at Sidonie. Her life is what would be labeled on social media as “it’s complicated”. Her brother, who was going to be a major part of this farm property flip enterprise has passed away. Not only does that leave Sid woefully unprepared to deal with the property but because his will is tied up in probate court she is also very short of funds just to keep the property that was her dream to financial independence. It also causes problems in her attempt to adopt her teenaged foster son Luis. Complicated is right!
So, we’ve got three people with secrets they are unwilling to share, Mac, Sid, and Luis. Sid and Mac are attracted to each other but blocked by these secrets from letting things progress. Mac can be the knight in shining armor to help Sid and Luis but when Sid finds out who and what Mac is everything grinds to a halt. By that time, Mac is thinking that maybe he can let go of his past and fall for a woman again, so her rejection throws him for a loop.
Sid is accustomed to dealing with lawyers who are not necessarily on her side, through the probate and adoption court processes. The foster care system is full of bureaucrats, red tape barriers, not enough case workers, errors, and seemingly anything that can block placing a teenager in a good home. Therefore, Sid’s experience with lawyers is not good and causes her to transfer those negative prejudices to Mac, and, in fact, causes her to see him as an adversary rather than someone who can rescue her from her troubles.
Mac needs the help of his family and friends to turn Sid’s fortunes around but with her negative attitude against lawyers due to her past experiences she can’t see that there is another side to the profession and that is what the Knightleys represent. Success will not only save the ranch and Luis’s place in Sid’s life but also give Mac and Sid a chance at love.
Characters from the previous two books pop up and their backgrounds are helpful to what Mac and Sid need to accomplish, but enough information is shared in this book that if you haven’t read the other stories you will not be lost. This is an angst-filled love story with hot sex and a plot that will grab your heart from the beginning and not let go until the last page. Right along with the characters in the story I was rooting for this little family to get their chance at happiness. This is a romance novel so the love of Sid and Mac is central to the story, but my favorite character is Luis, who is so smart and full of compassion for his foster mother. Luis has a lot to contribute but hasn’t always had the chance to show what he is made of. He is very protective of Sid and when Mac takes Luis under his wing Luis blossoms into a nurturer as well as a protector.
“Kiss Me Hello” is a long novel, which was a good thing since even at the end I wasn’t ready to let go of the characters and the story. This is a wonderful contemporary romance with a western flavor. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a wonderful contemporary romance with a western flavor and the love of children who are fighting their own battles and need to be loved and cherished.

Sadly, this one was a DNF. I struggled with the book and couldn't get past the third chapter.