Skye Jordan's Wildwood series is amazing! If you're not reading, you are missing out. When I gave Forbidden Fling a 5 star rating, I was worried that the rest of the series wouldn't live up the potential. BOY was I wrong. Her follow-up, Wild Kisses, is just as awesome.

Jordan's characters are so complex and real. They make poor decisions and snap judgments. Both Avery and Trace make choices rooted deeply in emotion, but that's what makes them sooo visceral and easy to relate to. Both of them have been damaged and don't feel like they good enough for the other. Once again, Jordan doesn't shy away from taking on very serious issues like abuse, both physical and mental. She now adds to her repertoire, dealing with an aging parent suffering from dementia. She also takes on Trace overcoming a prison stay and the stigma of being an ex-con.

Jordan revisits some familiar faces from Forbidden Fling, such as Delaney, Evan, Zane, Harlan and, of course, Phoebe. Evan's brother makes a couple of appearances.

I can't recommend this series enough, and if Wild Kisses is any indication, the next Hart sister, Chloe, should be a doozy! Thanks for creating amazing characters and stories! I can't wait for what's next!

4 stars

Wild Kisses was a good read.

Avery and Trace were likable and relatable characters, I enjoyed watching them connect and come together.
Overall, a sweet, quick and entertaining read. I'm enjoying the Wildwood series, looking forward to the next book.

*Thank you to Montlake Romance via Netgalley for the advance copy*

This was a good quick read that picked up where the last book left off in the Wildwood series. I enjoyed the characters Trace and Avery as they worked through their issues with their pasts as well as their insecurities to find their HEA. I also enjoyed the return of the characters from the previous book and the roles that they played in this book as well. The plot progresses well but not too quickly or slowly and it kept me interested in seeing where the story went. I can also see where there can be more books to this series. I enjoyed this book from start to finish and would recommend it to others.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

ARC received from: Netgalley

Rating: 4*

Trope: Small Town

Chemistry: Low Boil

One-Sentence Summary: Two people with a boatload of issues find each other irresistible

Review: I am finding this series a lot harder to get into than Jordan's Hockey series but I am glad I stuck with this book - Trace has a heart of gold.

I am getting a little tired of Austin - he is like the baddie in a pantomime.

I am guessing the third book will be Zane/Chloe?

This author is new to me but I most definitely plan to read more of her books.

This story initially has the feel of a great small-town romance but, honestly, it was a little bit gritty and a whole lot of HOT!!

“I want to touch you. I want to taste you. I want to inhale you. I want to crawl under your skin and nest.”

Trace Hutton is still trying to get back on his feet, building his construction business, years after serving time in prison. He’s burning the candle at both ends looking after his dementia-suffering father, and working solidly to get his current project finished, without being distracted by its beautiful owner.

Avery Hart has been back in Wildwood for a little while. She ran away as a teenager with her sweetheart, who joined the army. Now, she’s divorced and back, and putting everything she has into turning her father’s old seedy bar into a bakery/café.

Their attraction was immediate upon meeting but Trace feels he has nothing but bad vibes and his bad rep to offer a sweet, innocent girl like Avery. Avery feels inexperienced and burnt by her ex. However, their chemistry is palpable and, even though Trace tries to do the right thing, they find themselves crossing the friendship line. What starts out as a one-night, no-strings thing becomes addictive. Throw in deeper, tender feelings, and they’re in a whole lot of trouble, especially in their small town where gossip is everyday fodder.

“They held each other’s gaze a long, hot second. A hot second that turned Trace’s mind 180 degrees. He didn’t want to let anything go – not last night, not the bond they’d formed, and sure as shit not the gorgeous creature looking up at him.”

Avery is a darling but she’s pretty tough, and very mature for her age, underneath her sweet exterior. Trace might be an ex-con but there’s absolutely more to him than meets the eye. He has a firm core of goodness and altruism that he keeps hidden. I loved their mutual attraction and their compulsion to be together. I loved that Avery really didn’t care what other people thought of them because deep down, she knows Trace.

This was a fabulous story, well-written, addictive, and incredibly sexy!

I enjoyed this book. It's the second in a series and is a standalone. The characters from the first book do appear, and there is some reference to events in the first book, but it's not necessary to have read it.

I actually liked this one better than the first, which I enjoyed, as this was less focused on the town and the events in the town and more focused on Avery and Trace. And they were fun.

I liked their relationship and the realistic portrayal of someone who has been in prison. I liked that they didn't gloss over Trace's past, that it was a part of a whole person who was also a romantic hero. But I also liked that his past wasn't really something that was dwelled on...it was allowed to be a part of a whole. This worked well for both the pacing of the story and the plot.

I thought the pacing was strong. The story moved well from point to point and there were no areas where it dragged or skipped over events to the point that I felt like I was missing something.

Trace and Avery are a compelling couple. Fun with great chemistry and an attraction they both try to deny until they can't any longer. I love that they both deluded themselves into thinking it was a one time thing when it obviously wasn't, and going along for the ride as they figured this out was enjoyable.

I recommend this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series.

Wow! Skye Jordan does it again!! I love this book! Trace and Avery are amazing together! Their passion is as wild as their kisses!
I really liked all the fun baking nicknames he gives her! Even though Avery went through a crappy marriage and is still so young, she finally decides she wants to give love a chance again with Trace. Trace is hot and sexy, not to mention a wonderful man, but just a little bit bad for her, except he really isn't, he just thinks he is. Being older than her and an ex con he felt he was not right for her. But they are so right together. There is no denying that! Sometimes things aren't always what they seem as is the case for both Avery and Trace's pasts. Once everything is out in the open they just had to get over a few hurdles in order to come to the realization that they are perfect together! Sweet story!!

I will post review on Amazon on release day as well.

Wild Kisses is a sweet story (pun intended!) of second chances. For Avery, it’s a second chance at love. For Trace, it’s a second chance at the kind of life he would have had if he hadn’t gone to prison.
From their first day working together on the remodel of what will become Avery’s restaurant, the two just click. They laugh and tease in a very comfortable way. Which, of course, lead to feelings of mutual attraction. Since Avery doesn’t want to open her wounded heart and Trace doesn’t want to involve Avery with the stigma of his being an ex-con and the vast difference in their sexual experience, they don’t act on their attraction for a while. When they can no longer deny they want each other, they agree to a one night stand. You know that never works in romance novels and it definitely doesn’t work for these two. They are so hot together and Avery is getting the kind of sex she’s only ever dreamed of.

Nothing is easy though and they both must deal with a lot throughout the few weeks the
remodel is in progress. People all want to remind Avery of Trace’s past which unfortunately gives her a few moments of concern. Not only does Trace have to deal with a lot of prejudice, he’s also challenged getting the work done and hires the wrong jail acquaintance which causes huge problems. Setback abound and the grand opening is in question. Setbacks in their relationship also abound.

I liked the way Jordan has Avery deal with the problems between her and Trace. While she has a few doubts, she also has enough insight to set her mind at ease and realize Trace’s integrity and character on her own. Trace is such a good guy, the only doubts he has about their relationship stem from his concern over his past causing her problems. Both are so kind to Traces dementia addled father. How can you not love people this giving?

It’s always great to see people get what they need from life especially when they can’t identify what that is. The two are so fun and likeable, one can’t help but cheer them on to their happily-ever-after. I enjoyed Wild Kisses and the Wildwood series.

reviewed by Jem

Wild Kisses
Wildwood

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Description
Newly divorced, Avery Hart returns home to Wildwood eager to take on her dream opportunity and transform her family’s dive bar into her own bakery. The contractor for hire isn’t just a master with his hands—he’s big, built, and wears a tool belt like nobody’s business. Despite being an ex-con, Trace Hutton is irresistible. Too bad he’d never go for someone as inexperienced as Avery.

Trace needs to focus on the job at hand, not daydream about smearing icing all over the sexy baker…and licking it off. This job is the key to getting his construction company back on its feet after his time in prison. Besides, no one deserves a fresh start more than Avery, and she certainly won’t get that with him.

After a delectable night of passion (and pie), Trace craves something more. But he’ll be damned if he’ll let his checkered past crush her dreams. And as Avery starts to realize how Trace fulfills more than just her physical needs, she struggles with whether to let her history decide her future, or explore the wild new possibilities of forever…

Skye Jordan is a must read for me. I absolutely love her Hockey series and this series is no exception. I fell in book boyfriend love with Trace. He's got issues and insecurities and that just makes him all the more attractive in my opinion. He's been to jail and served his time but the townspeople will not let him forget that. He's paying his penance and trying to make it in this world when he falls for Avery. Avery is the BEST heroine ever!!! She's kind to everyone and you just fall in love with her. She's been hurt by everybody. Everybody's left her at one time or another. Her ex-husband, her sisters, her mother, her father and she's tired of having that happen. Now she just wants to have a fling with Trace. She's opening a bakery and he's helping her renovate it and get everything ready to get it open. I was rooting for this couple at about 20% and I read it in one sitting. I loved the secondary characters and was glad we got to see them again. They were awesome. I'm gonna have to go back and read it again. I fell in love with Zach, Traces brother and you get to see that it's not Trace that was the wildchild but Zach. I won't give spoilers but Trace and Zach's dad is just sad and it breaks your heart when you find out what Trace gave up.
I did not like Austin who is one of the cops...he was such a little abusive snots. He gives all cops a bad name and I was so hoping that he would get his in the end. Then there was J.T., the guy that Trace knew in prison. I know that books have to have a bad guy but this guy made me want to shank him. That makes for a great book!! When you feel so much that you want to beat your Kindle just hoping it reaches your bad guy...you've read a great book from a great writer.

I didn't find alot of grammar issues and I didn't have any paragraph problems. It was refreshing. Her editor obviously does her job and does it well.

Now, my one critical issue was the language...it's not for the faint of heart. You can't let your teenager read this. There were so many GD'S that I lost count and felt it unnecessary and Jesus' name in vain that it was redundant. The sex scenes were also abundant and left absolutely NOTHING to the imagination...and I mean nothing. Sometimes, I thought it was over the top. Like, having sex on the counter with acidic mango juice and then using it as lubricate? Everyone knows that this will cause some irritation or a yeast infection. No one wants that!!! Plus, I imagine it would burn a little.

Overall, I will definitely put this on my "I will read this again shelf." I found it to be heartbreaking at times and I felt what Ms. Jordan was trying to convey to the bottom of my soul. I will be gifting this to my friends when it comes out.

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.

What a refreshing book! I loved the genuine people Skye Jordan created. Both main characters had flaws, made mistakes, but they were honest with each other, creating a beautiful romance to be envied. I couldn't get enough of Avery and Trace, and I was sad when the book came to an end.

Avery Hart is finally following her dreams and opening up her own bakery. After eight years of an unhappy marriage ending in divorce two months ago, she is working to build relationships in her old home town and focus on her goals. Getting involved with a smoking hot man like Trace Hutton is not in her plans, but one sexy night with him changes everything. Trace is an ex-con, with a reputation as a player and not to be trusted around innocent young women like Avery. But soon they aren't able to withstand the sparks flying between them, and Avery and Trace realize that what other people think might not matter in the face of their overwhelming feelings for each other.

Avery and Trace were perfect for each other! They both were absolute sweethearts, misunderstood in more ways than one. Avery eloped at 17, so many people think her to be irresponsible and flighty. However, she is just the opposite, and her courage and kindness is exactly what attracts Trace to her. Trace is a bad boy, having experienced jail time and sleeping with half the women in town. But there's another side to him that's sweet, caring, and selfless, which draws in Avery like a moth to a flame. He thinks he's too old for her, but the 8-year age difference is not enough to keep their passion down. I loved how Avery didn't judge Trace for his past and defended him without thought to herself. Trace isn't used to people trusting him, and his trust in Avery slowly grows as they become closer. It's simply beautiful to read about.

This was a wonderful, inspiring book! The characters were some of the best I have read about in a long while. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Wild Kisses is the second book in the Wildwood series by Skye Jordan and it can definitely be read as a standalone. It's a friends-to-lovers/employer-employee romance that is super steamy with a side of drama and suspense. Trace is the contractor working on Avery's soon-to-open new business. Their chemistry is palpable and the build up to their romance is beautifully written. As the story unfolds, more and more drama comes to stand in the way of their happiness. I loved how Avery was able to see through stereotypes when it came to Trace. As an ex-con, there were so many reasons for her to run the other way but she stood up for him and knew there was more to him than what meets the eye. As a well-known player, seeing Trace's tender side with both Avery and his father was a treat that readers will thoroughly enjoy. The sex scenes between Trace and Avery were scorching hot and thoroughly enjoyable. All in all, I loved the underlying message that Jordan gave her readers----don't believe everything you hear, trust your heart and always remember that those who love you will have your back no matter what. I loved Wild Kisses and am looking forward to what Skye Jordan gives her readers next!

I loved this book! I'm always down for a hero that is hurting and has secrets. I was hooked from the very first minute I started reading. This book was hot as hell! I loved the storyline, even when the characters were butting heads. Although it wasn't that much. I felt for these lovers as everything seemed to go wrong and everyone being against them. This author knows how to weave a story and create such great characters! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy.