Review: Kylie’s Kiss

On a dare, Kylie Matthews lands smack in the middle of Solomon’s Gate—Castle Creek’s new Christian dating agency—and she finds herself revealing exactly what she’s waiting for in a relationship: “The kiss that steals my breath away.” What she doesn’t reveal is her lack of self-esteem or her irrational reaction to facial disfigurement. Neither is applicable to her quest to find the perfect match. But that seemingly superficial malady becomes all-important when her first agency-arranged date is Rick Dale—a man who is everything Kylie is searching for. He’s handsome, smart, fun. Rick has it all…including an angelic six-year-old daughter with severe scarring on one side of her face.

Hard at work founding a therapy camp for young female victims of deformity or disfigurement, Rick wants Kylie to be a part of those plans. She’d love to say yes…but how can she, when every contact with the facility’s guests—and Rick’s own daughter—will make her violently ill?

Kylie is ready to admit their relationship doesn’t stand a chance, but she’s forgotten that God makes a way where there seems no way.

When I first joined ACFW, I had the opportunity to read the beginning chapters of Delia Latham’s work in progress, Kylie’s Kiss. I remember thinking, “This is a book I want to read when it’s published.” Well, I’ve had the opportunity and I’m not disappointed. It is an entertaining romance between a slightly offbeat woman and an “oh, to drool over” guy.

From the first page we see Kylie’s lack of self-esteem. As the book progresses, we learn that self-esteem is the least of her worries. This woman has a real problem…a problem most of us can relate to. How many times have you seen someone with horrible burn scars or maybe a disfigurement caused by birth or an accident? How many times has your stomach lurched with sympathy…or something else? Unfortunately for Kylie, her “lurch” goes to extremes.

There were a number of cute moments I enjoyed about this book, starting with the “accidental” meeting of Rick and Kylie. Next came their first dinner after being linked through the dating agency. Kylie is horrified when she announces to her yet-to-be-seen date, “Come into my parlor.” She follows it up by the thought, Ugh. You just introduced yourself as a spider. I laughed out loud because I could see myself doing the same thing. Then, there was Rick’s habit of giving people nicknames based on cartoon characters—nicknames he gets wrong. I liked Rick’s relationship with his daughter, Lea. I liked his protective daddy side. 

There were times when I wanted to shake Kylie and say, “Get over it already!” But I guess that’s what makes her seem real. Sometimes, it’s tough understanding someone who has a real, life-impacting fear that affects how they function. Yet I’d say the general population has some fear that another person would consider irrational.

If you’re looking for a sweet romance with “real” characters, try Delia Latham’s new novel, Kylie’s Kiss.               

Disclosure of Material Connection: This book came to me free from White Rose Publishing with the hope that I would mention it on this blog. There was no requirement for me to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.