RATING: READ IT {Beth} –

He tasted like chocolate, whipping cream, and the exciting start to a new chapter.

^^ Three things I love right there. Chocolate. Kisses. New chapters.

Something else I love (aside from making these cheesy connections to a quote from the book I'm reviewing…)? Marina Adair’s sweetly charming new small-town series.

It Started with a Kiss (Sequoia Lake Book 1) is just the beginning, and it's a very good one at that—filled as it is with likable characters, playful moments, quirky small-town shops and drinks and people. It was a book I anticipated, one I enjoyed and one that made me a very happy camper. Or if we’re sticking with the theme—a very happy adventurer.

This was a simple and adorable story. Not taxing, not over the top, high on love, low on angst. That's not to say, of course, that there's no drama and no feeling here. The race to the ending was emotional; I loved seeing Ty + Avery in these tense moments, and will even own shedding a couple of tears. And the underlying story of Avery’s need to fulfill wishes and Ty’s need to keep running added just enough tension to the story to keep my attention, even if elements of the story came together a little too quickly and perfectly than I might have otherwise expected.

Despite that (or maybe because of it?!), this book grabbed my attention. Kept my attention. And left me keen for more. More of Ty + Avery, who had a buzzing chemistry and some excellent banter. More of Harris (+ his little girl because SINGLE DADS). More of Liv. Of Grace. Of the lodge. Of the town.

Of this series. I'm already looking forward to solving the comic book mystery and perhaps getting another glimpse of Avery + Ty in their loud, loving future. And I wouldn't mind some more chocolate flavored kisses and exciting new chapters, either.

“I’d rather take the leap and fall than spend the rest of my life looking out windows.”

I loved this book! Absolutely loved it! Avery Adams recently had a kidney transplant and now she wants to live bold. Ty Donovan is part of the search and rescue team. He comes home to Sequoia Lake to help out with his family's business. Both Ty and Avery have tragedy in their pasts. Together they help each other heal.

This is one of my favorite quotes.
"It was amazing. The kind of amazing that happened once in a lifetime, where timing and anticipation, and maybe even the f*cking stars, lined up to create a moment that couldn’t be matched."

You shouldn't miss this book!

I think really does start with a kiss! And a lost tool, a suggestive note written in lipstick...oh, and a flaming pigs ass! That got your attention, didn't it?
Avery and Ty's meet cute is funny and sexy, and they shared a very interesting connection that can either make or break a relationship. For while Avery has dug her roots into Sequoia Lake, Ty is just making a temporary visit to help the lodge his parents own...then he's back at his job of saving those in need. But first, he could use a little saving of his own, and Avery is just the gal for the job.
With great characters, a setting so beautifully describe I could almost smell the outdoors and some serious issues of health and guilt thrown in, there's something for everyone to love in book one of this great news series. Like all Adair's books, she grabs ahold of you on page one and brings you on a sweet and sexy magical ride to a happily ever after!

The story is solid, the characters are nicely developed, the build is gradual and at times a little slow but it doesn't interfere with the overall pace. I went through an array of emotions. Mad at Ty and Avery separately at on point, Happy, Sad, Confused, and at times emotionally drained because I know several people that have had lives much like Avery.

While I enjoyed the story there was something missing for me. I am not sure what it was and will re-read this to see if I can pin point it. I am a fan of Marina and I would give it a try because she writes amazing stories.

This is a great start to a new series. This book made me laugh and shed a few tears. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

It Started With a Kiss is the first book in the new Sequoia Lake series from Marina Adair and I felt like it was a great start to the new series.

Avery Adams was a completely refreshing heroine. Her goal following her kidney transplant is to live out loud and complete all the items in her memory journal in honor or in memory of the many friends and family she has known. I have to believe Avery has always been a strong woman, but following her kidney transplant, she is almost fearless now. I love that Avery had such a great attitude about life and wanted to live it to the fullest. So much so, that when she meets Ty, she totally lives in the moment and kisses him, completing the kiss a stranger page in her memory journal.

Tyson Donovan didn't tell Avery she worked for his parents when they met and it made me chuckle just a bit that he kept that little tidbit from her. Ty and his dad haven't really been close since his brother died in an accident on the mountain while he was with Ty. Honestly, it broke my heart to see Ty and his dad together at times. I could tell Ty wanted to help his dad out, but the tension between them and the distance between them made it hard for them to even be in the same room without fighting. I found Avery understood them both and seemed to help the situation a bit when she was with them together to with each one separately.

Even knowing Ty was only staying at the lodge long enough to get his dad through the inspection, he seemed to find it much easier to be there thanks to Avery. First of all, they had amazing chemistry and it only got stronger the more time they spent together. Ty seemed to get Avery and her need to stretch her wings in a way many others didn't. Yes he wanted to keep her safe and didn't want her to do anything to hurt herself, but he found a way to help her make each page of her memory book come true. Ty also seemed to feel more at home the more time he spent with Avery. Although Ty and Avery were pretty different, I found myself totally falling for them as a couple.

It Started With a Kiss was a sweet, sexy romance filled with redemption, laughter, hope and forgiveness. I loved meeting Avery's and Ty's friends in It Started With a Kiss and can't wait to read more books from this series. I already have a few favorite secondary characters that I really hope get their own books in the future.

Rating: 4 Stars (B)

This book is the first in a new series by Marina Adair. I am a fan of her writing so I was willing to read an advance copy of the book and offer my honest review. I enjoyed the book and am definitely looking forward to more in the series. The book is set in a fictional town of Sequoia Lake and centers on the relationship between Ty and Avery.

As a survivor of kidney disease, Avery has decided to live her life to the fullest. She works as an administrative assistant as the lodge owned and run by Ty’s parents. Ty is a member of an elite search and rescue team and has come home to the lodge to help out his parents. He does not expect to find his father battling dementia, his mother in denial of the severity of his father’s condition and the lodge in serious disrepair.

Avery wants to be a guide to take guests out on hikes and she does everything in her power to prove she is up the challenge… in spite of never having had any kind of training or experience. Ty is intrigued by her tenacity and her free and giving spirit. They both have healing to do and the more time they spend together, the more Ty’s alpha personality and his "need to rescue" tendencies show themselves.

This is a touching story of family ties and of living life to the fullest. It caught my attention from the very beginning and I would recommend it highly.

3.5 stars

There is something about this book. I wish I could pinpoint the exact thing, but something really draws you in, hooks you and doesn't want to let go. I don't know if it is the likable characters, the small town, the imagery the author was able to convey flawlessly, the second chance at life mentality of the heroine, the rescue profession of the hero??? I enjoyed this story a lot. One thing that could have made it better was if the whole lot was beefed up with more...more details, more banter, more scenes. What can I say? I'm a greedy reader.

In It Started With a Kiss by Marina Adair, after sickness and heartbreak, Avery is now living her life to the fullest - and part of that is her job at an adventure lodge. Another big part of that is her 'bucket list', and I think this part of Avery is what warmed me the most. She's living dreams for not only herself, but for others who can't. When she meets Tyson, and checks off part of her list, she has no idea who he is or how much things are going to change. Tyson is back in his home town at the lodge his parents own...a place he's never felt at home in since a tragedy that rocked his family. That tragedy defined so many things in his family's life, and there is a lot of unresolved feelings...hurt, anger, sadness. He's only back for a short time to help turn the business around, and he never expects to meet someone like Avery. But he's not there to stay, she's not leaving, and neither of them are looking for romance. Sometimes things happen when you least expect it though, and moving forward in what direction is now uncertain for both of them...

I really enjoyed It Started With a Kiss. Marina Adair brings so much feeling and life into the plot, making it not only about Avery and Tyson, but those around them too. I liked the family connections and how they are explored in this book. There is no easy fix and Tyson in particular grows so much as the plot progresses. I liked Avery and Tyson as main characters, they both have so much in their backgrounds that brought them to where they are today. I felt like I got to know them, and I felt for them both so much. I really hoped that if they didn't work out as a couple, other aspects of their lives would work out.

I had such a good feeling reading It Started With a Kiss. It is filled with emotional highs and lows, it's believable, and all of the characters are very likeable, each one bringing something special to the plot.

It Started With a Kiss was easy to fall into, and the flowing words, the characters, and the situations kept me there. I'd recommend It Started With a Kiss to any romance reader!

With a kidney transplant behind her, Avery Adams is determined to channel her inner adventurer and explore everything life has to offer. Only problem is, the closest she’s ever come to a real-life adventure was sixth-grade science camp. So to seize the summer in her rustic Sierra Nevada town, she takes a job as a guide at the local adventure lodge. But Avery doesn’t realize her biggest challenge will register at six-plus feet of rugged good looks and alpha-male charm.

As a member of the Sequoia Elite Mountain Rescue team, Tyson Donovan has made a life out of cheating death and rescuing weekend warriors from the treacherous terrain. “The world is my home” is more than just a motto; it’s what scares off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. When his dad’s health lands the family’s adventure lodge in serious danger of going up in flames, he moves home—and quickly remembers why he left. Until he meets Avery, the irresistible new guide who makes him want to stay.

Tyson gives the inexperienced Avery a lesson in romance that her books could never teach her. And with her undeniable spirit for life, Avery shows Tyson the healing power of love. But with one misstep, everything comes crashing down, and they’ll both have to take the biggest leap of all—into the kind of adventure that lasts a lifetime.

I loved this book so much after reading a couple of books this weekend that left a less than stellar taste in my mouth. This book had it...a quirky heroine and a hero who had a true "hero complex' and I liked it!! It had some sex in it but it didn't really detract from the storyline because....guess what? There was an actual storyline in this book! Thank you Jesus but there's a story and plot and not just sex on and sex off!! I recommended this book to my mother and I bought her a copy as soon as I saw the Pre-Order button. I was telling her all about it like they were real people and that is the test of a good book. It's that test that I put all books through. I truly enjoyed this book and fell in love with Avery and Ty. I could have honestly read for another 100 pages and not gotten bored or skipped any of those pages. I loved Harris, Dale and Irene and Avery's friends. She was a great character to have fall in love with Ty. I loved where she wrote on his truck in lipstick "I owe you a screw" and then her lipstick breaks and the whole time he's watching her because she dropped his screwdriver down the drain. She's always doing stuff to surprise him and yet it's not a surprise. He can only play off her mistakes and genuine flightiness. Pick this book up and read it, gift it or keep it...you won't be disappointed.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

Feel Good Hometown Romance complete with real life heart-ship and emotionally charged pasts to overcome. The Author paints a picture with her words of a beautiful small town filled with outdoor adventure and hometown pride. I love the name of their support group "Living for Love" Avery is just so sweet, smart and a survivor just now learning to Live her Life out loud. I just admire her strength and persistence to be as happy as can be no matter what life troughs at her. Ty is so breathtakingly uber alpha hero with a soft side he tries so hard to hide. This couple was so entertaining and fantastically fun to read I could not stop reading. Looking forward to my next visit to Sequoia Lake.

OHHHH MAAAAAAAAAAN! This book, you guys! *swoon* This was the first book in Marina's new series and it was AAAAAMAZING!

Avery has had to be cautious most of her life. She is tired of playing it safe and wants to be daring. She finds that with Ty. Their first meeting is laugh out loud funny and it gets better from there! Ty is a search and rescue guy. His dangerous job saves others. However, there was one person in his life he couldn’t save. Neither Ty nor Avery are looking to date anyone. But due to their jobs, they were sort of tied to each other.

It was hard for Ty to be home and be around his dad. He always felt his dad’s disappointment with him and they couldn’t get along. Avery was hired to help run the office and keep an eye on Dale because things were starting to change. Now that Ty was staying to help the lodge get ready for an inspection, things about his dad started coming to light. Avery was dealing with the loss of friends and learning to live through them and for them. She had been learning what it was she wanted in life, was learning more about herself and she grabbed life by the horns.

I enjoyed the realness of the characters and their situations. There was guilt, sadness, loss, love and hope. Their pasts were at times heartbreaking, but their stories were beautifully written and even made this girl tear up! This book has all the elements for a great book hangover and ALL.THE.FEELS. My heart is struggling to get through the feels and all that this book contained. I LOVED this book and highly recommend it! I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I need it ASAP!

I really enjoyed the story Ms. Adair created. I will admit the first couple of chapters did not reach out and grab me, but I kept reading! It was well worth the effort. The story of Ty and Avery really touched me. Not to give away the story, but just all the trials both have faced and conquered to find their happily ever after! This book had a bit of humor, heat and great characters all around! This is my first book I have read by Marina Adair, but won't be the last!

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Losing her mother at a very young age to kidney disease, Avery Adams, knows heartache. The years her mother waited in the transplant list, to never receive a new kidney, was heartbreaking. Inheriting the same deadly disease, Avery was fortunate to have gotten a transplant. Spending so much time in the hospital, made her stronger and hopeful for living life to the fullest. Now on the one year anniversary of her surgery, Avery wants to start taking adventures and logging them in her journal. Taking a job at the local adventure lodge in the Sierra Mountains, she needs to convince the owner, Dale, that she is healthy and ready to start learning to be a guide for the guests.
Ty Donovan has been a member of the Sequoia Elite Mountain Rescue Team for years. Ever since losing his brother to a raging river, during a mountain trek, Ty rarely comes home anymore. The memories are too much for him to handle. When his father's health lands Ty back to the family adventure lodge, before it goes under, he must decide if coming home for a few weeks is enough time to get all the problems resolved.
The one thing Ty never expected was to meet feisty Avery, and the way she views life and takes it by the horns. The energy she emits is enough to make him view life in a different way and the feelings she evokes are all new to him. What starts out a serious flirting and lots sizzling kisses, makes him want start to think that staying could be a possibility.
This story was about getting second chances in life and appreciating them to the fullest. The characters had such great chemistry that you could feel it thru the pages. I enjoyed this new book from Marina Adair immensely.

It Started With A Kiss is a charming romance between Avery, a girl who has a new lease on life, and Ty, a guy that has been running away from his past. Avery’s life has always been tame because of her illness, but after the success of her kidney transplant she creates a journal for those less fortunate than her and through their dreams finds the answers to her own. Ty has always blamed himself for the death of his younger brother and because of that his relationship with his father suffered. The family business is on the rocks and Ty comes home to help it get back on track and in doing so forgives himself and starts to mend the rocky relationship with his father. Two very complete storylines for the main characters in this book yet Marina Adair deftly intertwines them with a romance that was new, fun, sexy and sweet.

The challenges Avery has faced, being sick for so long and then getting a transplant, gives her a unique outlook on life. She wants to bring happiness to those around her by fulfilling a wish, and by riding on the back of a motorcycle or becoming a princess for a day she is actually learning things about herself and making her own dreams come true. I really loved this character for her joie de vivre in the face of a still uncertain future.

When Avery meets Ty, he can’t help but be charmed by her. She fulfills a wish of a friend by kissing a handsome stranger and she not only fills that wish, but starts Ty on a journey of self discovery and in the process helps him heal past wounds and find a love that is unique and real. In some books I get frustrated when the hero spends too much time trying to overcome his feelings and work through his pain, but Marina Adair found the correct balance and flow to this storyline that kept it fresh and enlightening instead of dark and brooding. Also the romance between these two characters had a ton of chemistry which made it easy to root for the pair of them to find happiness.

This book is a refreshing, funny, sexy story that I think will appeal to all contemporary romance fans and I highly recommend you giving it a try.

"Don't go where life leads - lead in the direction you want to go"

Avery recently had a kidney transplant, and after coming through the other side of surgery and finally being well after her long road of dealing with her kidney disease, she wants to live life to the fullest. Her journal she carries with her as tribute to the friends she has met along the way is her guide to fulfilling the wishes that her friends will never get to fulfill.

Ty has been away from home since tragedy struck when he was a young man. He returns to help his parents sort through some issues they are having with their business and livelihood. Ty immediately runs in to Avery, who is in a slightly compromising position...

This was a very sweet, uplifting read. Marina Adair knows how to write an interesting, thought provoking and entertaining story. I loved Avery and Ty, and the entire town whom I think will be weaved into many more stories to come. I received this book for free for my unbiased review.

Life, love and the power of the human spirit collide in Marina Adair's, It Started With A Kiss. The Sequoia Lake series arrives with a powerful message and heartwarming adventure into unexplored territory. Avery has faced her own mortality and won. Now she wants everyday to be a challenge in conquering her fears and taking risks. Tyson is the biggest risk of her life. He makes her crazy. He pushes her out of her comfort zone while tempting her with his mere presence. Obstacles are meant to be conquered and Tyson and Avery will have to decide if they have the staying power to succeed. Ms. Adair is a favorite of mine because she knows that painful moments make for the most rewarding stories, but she levels the tears with laughs to break the fall.

This first installment of the Sequoia Lake series is one you just won't want to put down. I loved it all! Avery Adams has learned to live life to the fullest in every possible way. Tyson Donovan has come home to help his family and as a result make amends with his father for what happened in the past. This book has everything you could want in a book: humor, great characters, great story, all wrapped up with an HEA. I highly recommend this book, as well as all of Marina's books.

It Started with a Kiss is the first book I've read by Marina Adair and -- it was a little bit of a mixed bag for me. It got off to a very slow start as I felt dropped into the middle of Avery's story just as she was embracing a new lease on life and learning to "live loud". I didn't connect with her right away. I felt like maybe there was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing (which is not unusual for the first book in a new series) and I skimmed my way through a fair portion of the first half of the book.

At that point, however, it picked up for me and I did wind up quite enjoying Avery's personality. While her exuberance grated on me at first, as the story moved along and I felt like I got to know her a little better she became a little less of a YOLO caricature and a little more real to me and I had an appreciation for her great big heart. I also really liked Tyson. I felt like he maybe rolled over and showed his soft underbelly a little to easily, but there was an intensity to their relationship that hooked me and I read the second half book with a lot more attention and excitement.

As a couple - I thought these two worked really well. There was definitely a ton of chemistry - physical and otherwise. They had some incredibly romantic, sweet moments - and some real life challenges that they had to work through. I loved how they interacted with each other. I loved that they didn't play games with each others feelings, and how respectfully they treated each other, even when times got tough. I loved their relationships with the secondary characters and I even loved the heartbreaking secondary storyline with Ty's dad and how beautifully that was wrapped up in the end.

So, it's safe to say that my heart definitely got on board, and I genuinely enjoyed this story - even if it felt a bit uneven to me. I'm curious and interested to see where this new series goes next. There's a lot of potential here and I'm on the hook enough to want to explore it more!

Read from January 17 to 18, 2017

Book Info
Paperback, 265 pages
Expected publication: January 31st 2017 by Montlake Romance
ISBN 1503939685 (ISBN13: 9781503939684)
Edition Language English
Series Sequoia Lake #1
Other Editions (3)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


With a kidney transplant behind her, Avery Adams is determined to channel her inner adventurer and explore everything life has to offer. Only problem is, the closest she’s ever come to a real-life adventure was sixth-grade science camp. So to seize the summer in her rustic Sierra Nevada town, she takes a job as a guide at the local adventure lodge. But Avery doesn’t realize her biggest challenge will register at six-plus feet of rugged good looks and alpha-male charm.

As a member of the Sequoia Elite Mountain Rescue team, Tyson Donovan has made a life out of cheating death and rescuing weekend warriors from the treacherous terrain. “The world is my home” is more than just a motto; it’s what scares off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. When his dad’s health lands the family’s adventure lodge in serious danger of going up in flames, he moves home—and quickly remembers why he left. Until he meets Avery, the irresistible new guide who makes him want to stay.

Tyson gives the inexperienced Avery a lesson in romance that her books could never teach her. And with her undeniable spirit for life, Avery shows Tyson the healing power of love. But with one misstep, everything comes crashing down, and they’ll both have to take the biggest leap of all—into the kind of adventure that lasts a lifetime.

My Thoughts


Avery and Ty start off kind of shaky but as they grow to know each other their mental and physical compatibility gives them both sleepless nights.

Avery is joyfully embracing all that life has to offer. After going through losing her Mom to the same kidney disease that she herself managed to conquer, Avery finds her niche helping others fulfill their dreams of adventure while pining for one of her own.

Tyson Donovan left home after the devastating death of his younger brother, partly out of shameful guilt and partly out of self preservation. Now home to help turn the family business around after it is threatened with disaster he finds himself torn between wanting to run and wanting to stay forever. A concept that is foreign to the adrenaline junkie as well as terrifying in it’s intensity.

These two strangers find themselves working together with the common goal to bring the Donovan lodge back to it’s former glory and in doing so form a bond that overcomes both their reservations about getting too close to each other.

Who knew that living loud could turn into the best thing that ever happened to them both!

Another small town with a big heart setting, an emotionally exhilarating tale that embraces the best and worst part of love and loss.

New-to-me author whose ability to transport me into the story was a very pleasurable experience and would have to say that her characters she introduced so lovingly are some I have to revisit in future if given the chance.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]