A Kiss for a Kiss
by Helena Hunting
Published by Montlake Romance
Book 4 in the All In series
I’m Jake Masterson, single dad, and the General Manager of Seattle’s NHL team.
I walked away from a career as a player so I could raise my daughter. For the last twenty-plus years, Queenie has been my main priority, but now she’s getting married.
And there’s a small complication.
A beautiful, sexy complication named Hanna.
She’s my son-in-law’s older sister. Or at least that’s how they were raised. The truth is a little more scandalous than that.
I’ve been drawn to her from the moment I laid eyes on her. And I spent months trying to keep a lid on that attraction.
Until we finally give in.
It starts with one searing kiss, but quickly ends with us between the sheets—and in the shower, and the hot tub, you get the picture—and turns into months of sneaking around.
Here’s the problem: we live on opposite ends of the country. It can’t be anything but casual. And as I’ve already said…it’s complicated.
But when Hanna finds out she’s pregnant…suddenly things get real serious.
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
A Kiss for a Kiss is the fourth and final book in the All In series. It centers around Queenie's father, Jake Masterson, and Hanna, Ryan's "Mom-ster". As Ryan and Queenie's wedding gets closer and closer, Hanna flies to Seattle to help with the wedding plans as much as possible. And in order to give the couple some space, Hanna stays with Jake. But as the friendship builds between them as their children get closer to the alter, so do their feelings. Pretty soon their relationship becomes more. But after the wedding, and with them living in different states, there is no hope for a relationship. That is, until Hanna learns that she is pregnant. With a risky pregnancy, and an undefined and complicated relationship with Jake, can these two figure out a to make their complicated situation a happy one?
A Kiss for a Kiss was enjoyable for me, but it's not my favorite for this series. I don't have any particular reason why. Perhaps its because a pregnancy trope isn't always my favorite? Maybe its because it's not as fun as the other books? It was still a great read. It really was. I liked that we get older main characters, and both of them are successful in their fields. They both have complicated pasts with their children - Jake giving up his NHL dreams to raise his daughter alone, and dealing with his unreliable and toxic ex, and Hanna agreeing to her parents adopting her son when she had him at 15. Their attraction was instantaneous in the last book, but their relationship is built on friendship, which I adored. Let me tell you, my heart hurt for Hanna in this book. Specifically during Ryan and Queenie's wedding. ----------spoiler--------> That mother-son dance broke my heart. For Hanna, who believes Ryan will be the only child she ever has, to watch her mother have the mother-son dance with him. To not experience that? I was in fucking tears. It's not something a reader who doesn't have children can truly appreciate. And despite Ryan being raised believing Hanna was his sister, Hanna has always seen him as her son. And to not be able to celebrate with him, and have that moment - plus sooooo many other important moments a mother gets to have with her children, truly broke me. <---------------- Honestly, Jake and Hanna have chemistry. It's not as hot and steamy as as the others. Their relationship after finding out about the pregnancy isn't as cut and dry and is more practical. But they work well together. It was a sweet romance - despite the weirdness it causes with Ryan and Queenie.
I think this book is a good end to this series. It's a quieter romance than the last three. One of the things I liked about this series was it wasn't "beating a dead horse" for lack of a better term. One of the issues I had with the Pucked series was that all the jokes that started out as funny and quirky ended up being overdone. Helena didn't do that with this series. And while this isn't my favorite of the series, its still an entertaining read.
Jake: “You look stunning, exactly like the queen you are. You know, when I named you Queenie, it was because the moment you arrived in the world, I knew that you would forever be the ruler of my heart.” Stevie takes Queenie by the shoulders.
Stevie: “In less than half an hour, you’re going to be Queenie Kingston, which is a seriously badass name. And you couldn’t have picked a better, milk-drinking-rule-following-yet-dirty Boy Scout to marry.”
Lainey elbows her.
Lainey: “Censor, Stevie, there are kids around.”
Jake: “And me.”
I raise my hand.
Stevie: “Right.”
Stevie cringes.
Stevie: “Sorry, Jake.” Stevie: “Why does he have to touch it every single time?”
Stevie pushes her chair back and hikes her dress up so she doesn’t trip on the hem as she rushes to the podium. Her heels are under the table, so her feet are bare. When she reaches Bishop, she bats his hands away. He makes a face.
Bishop: “Why are you slapping me, bae? What am I doing wrong?”
She huffs,
Stevie: “Just let me help.”
He steps away from the podium and clasps his hands behind his back, letting her adjust the mic for him while giving the crowd a shrug. Everyone chuckles, especially when he rocks back on his heels and starts whistling the Jeopardy theme song. Stevie shakes her head at him and turns her attention to the waiting guests.
Stevie: “Sorry about that. Shippy doesn’t usually do public speaking.”
His mouth drops open and he holds his hands up.
Bishop" “Whoa, whoa. What the he—H-E-double hockey sticks?”
He manages to censor his language. She shrugs.
Stevie: “What? I’m not wrong. You never do.”
Bishop: “You called me Shippy in front of a hundred people, bae.”
He motions to the guests sitting at the tables.
Bishop: “Not cool. You’re gonna pay for that later.”
She rolls her eyes and spins around, but she’s smiling as she walks away.
Stevie: “Whatever.”
Bishop: “You say whatever now, but later you’ll be saying—”
Rook: “Don’t finish that sentence unless you want me to toss your ass into the pool, Winslow!”
her brother, Rook, shouts from a few seats down. Jake: “You’re sure it’s a boy? I didn’t think we’d be able to tell yet.”
Technician: “I would say we’re more than ninety-five percent certain it’s a boy,”
the technician says while wearing a smile. Hanna smirks and I have to wonder what the conversation was like before I entered the room.
Jake: “Like father, like son then?”
I murmur in her ear. Ryan: “I love you, Momster.”
Hanna: “I love you, too, Ry-ry. You’ll always be my baby, even when you have your own.” Hanna: "He’s also worried about the impact on our sex life.”
Violet: “Well, the last worry is a legit one. It sure does have an impact on the sexy times. Or at least the frequency and the location.”
Violet nods solemnly.
Robbie: “Mom, I can hear you, and there are already enough reasons for me to need therapy without this being one of them!”
Robbie yells over his shoulder.
Violet: “I guess it’s a good thing your dad has a great medical plan then, isn’t it?”