I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is the 4th book in the "Kissed by the Bay" series that follows the legend of the star-crossed lovers.

In this installment, Megan Wallace enters an art contest in which the grand prize is a trip to live and paint in Italy for one year.  The only drawback would be leaving Brian, her best friend's brother and her secret crush.  Brian has abandonment issues and has declared that he will not ever leave Blue Moon Bay.  Can these star-crossed lovers overcome these challenges?

Megan and Brian are so cute together that you can't help but fall in love with them.  Susan Hatler has created believable characters, so much so that you laugh with them, cheer them on and want to smack them when they are behaving ridiculous.  A lovely read.

Susan Hatler is one of my go to authors. I also tend to read her books again and again. 
The Sweetest Kiss in the 4th book in the Kissed by the Bay series. It's a stand alone, but better if you have read the other books.
I like that this story mixes up the story line a bit. It was nice to have locals fall in love. I liked both characters. Yeah, the are both a little too into what they need. Aren't we all.
One thing that makes me laugh is that the 'rare' blue moon happens really often in this little town.

Rating: 5 Stars
Content: Clean
Source: Netgalley
I received an ARC. My opinion is my own.

It was everything you wanted a Susan Hatler book to be...romantic without being cheesy...a stand alone novel but with nods to the prior books in the series and just solid. Since I have read the other books, it was nice to see how Megan and Brian start their love story.

I absolutely loved this book! A clean love story that was very swoony! Loved the Hero and Heroine. Will definitely read more from this author 😊

Let me start out by saying that The Sweetest Kiss is book 5 of the series set in Blue Moon Bay. This book does work as a stand alone novel. Megan has always dreamed about being an artist. When an art contest arises she decides to go for it and go against her school rival. Each artist has to pair with a woodworker. She decides to ask her longtime friend and crush to help her. She is crushed when she finds out he is teaming up with her rival. This is a really nice feel good book and I highly recommend it.

Sweet and lovely story about best friends and the unexpected love they share. This is my first Susan Hatler book and I really enjoyed her style of writing  as well as the story itself. Her clean, descriptive narrative worked well with both character development and my ability to "see" Megan's paintings. Even though this is the fourth book in the series, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything...although I will definitely go back and read the earlier books about Megan's friends.
Megan and Brian are my favorite kinds of heroes/heroines...friends who become lovers (although, there's nothing beyond kissing in that department). While fiery beginnings are great to read also, there's nothing like a boy next door confessing his love for his best friend. To me, that's romance at its best!

This was a quick enjoyable read that  re-introduced characters from the previous series, letting you see where their life has taken them since you last read about them.The Sweetest Kiss takes us into the present day happenings in Megan"s life and her desperate attempt to move her life forward and achieve the goals she made a long time again.We also see how she navigates her attraction to Brian,deal with forces that would rather see her fail, and the subsequent fallout and conclusions in her personal and professional life.I found Megan to be a likable neurotic who had moments of lucid thoughts, while Brian appeared to be the silent,patient, intense type that pursues his desires from the sidelines.The disparities in their individual personalities would lead you to believe that they are too different to possibly work, but the author somehow achieves that.The supporting characters add realism to the story and makes it more palatable.The lack of sexual content makes this a chaste read that is suitable for all ages.Loved this book, along with all the others in the series,and am happy to provide this review courtesy of Netgalley.

Megan and Brian have been friends for quite some time. They’ve each watched others come and go in their lives but no one has been a perfect fit for either of them – quite possibly because they’re the right match. If they can get out of the friend zone. Megan is more than halfway in love with Brian now, she waiting for that go ahead move from him… and while he may be grumbling about the men she dates, he’s not stepping up to the plate himself either.

One art contest may change all of that for them both. Unfortunately they’re on opposing teams for the art work and wood crafting parts of this competition. With so much on the line, a promise to a dearly beloved aunt, the romantic partner she so badly wants in her life and the opportunity of a lifetime, Megan has a lot on the line to lose or to win. Now she has to make sure she wins the parts that are truly most important of all.

Told completely from Megan’s point of view, The Sweetest Kiss follows a woman’s desires for the two things she wants most in life – her art and her man. It’s a fun, charming romance that I enjoyed every moment of. This isn’t a bad thing, I simply wish we could have gotten Brian’s point of view occasionally. I could often tell from his reactions what his thoughts might have been but I, personally, think that would have added to the enjoyment factor. But, I’m not a writer so what do I know really. I’m a reader who loves to dig into the mind of both main characters – in a story by any author.

I loved running into characters from previous stories. That’s always a bonus for me in any series, when the time is taken to kind of update us on where people are now. In all, I really enjoyed The Sweetest Kiss and would highly recommend it for any Romance reader. A likable couple, interesting secondary characters and a story line that will hold your attention.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

FYI…this is the first book in this series that I have read.

Writing: The writing was fine, but Susan was extremely repetitive. I found myself rolling my eyes and saying aloud several times “Okay we get it!” For instance, we heard the whole Boboli gardens story so many times…We all know you promised your Aunt Bea, blah blah blah. 1st Person Narration. 1 POV.

Characters: The MCs are Megan and Brian. Megan is supposedly a klutz, however this personality trait was underdeveloped. Susan should have played this up a little more or brought more attention to the mishaps instead of brushing over them. Brian is suffering from abandonment issues. I didn’t really like his character that much. He wasn’t a strong enough character for Megan’s personality. The other characters made it obvious that I should have read the first 3 books in the series. 

Storyline: Megan promised her Aunt Bea on her dying bed that she would visit the Boboli Garden in Italy. Something came up and she had to empty her savings account, but then an opportunity came along where she could win a trip and also pursue her passion - Painting. The competition spans the rest of the book. During the competition, Megan and Brian who have been best friends for a long time decides to finally follow their hearts and date each other. 

This is a frilly, lighthearted read. I found a lot of it corny and it was extremely predictable. Also, Megan and Brian didn’t interact enough with each other for the readers to believe the chemistry. I did like the premise of the competition, not just the art competition but also for Brian’s attention. I thought adding two competitions was great. However, it was illustrated in such simple terms. With Megan being a Klutz and artsy…there was so much promise here. 

Nevertheless, the book had its witty moments. I smiled a few times and laughed too. Susan also did a fantastic job describing Megan’s paintings. I actually felt like I could see them. The descriptions were so beautiful that I would love to see something like that in real life. Even how Susan describe the details of the wooden frames that went along with it. Oh and the dough scene for Jackson to show his visions...very creative Susan!

Intimacy Scenes: A book does not have to contain sex for a reader to feel the chemistry. This book did not have sex, but it also lacked romance, chemistry and intimacy. This section was a dud. The only kiss that I thought was passionate was the very first one by the legend plaque. 

Overall, the book was okay. I was bummed that I could figure out the rest of this story after the 2nd chapter. I even knew how the ending was going to be…of course not the intricate details, but the garden, with Brian, etc.

Must read book from Susan Halter. Love her books and the feels I get from reading them.

The Sweetest Kiss is book 5 of the series set in Blue Moon Bay. Who wouldn't want to live in a town with such a beautiful name? And I loved the legend that went with the town name.

Susan Hatler always writes a touching romance. Her books are the happy kind that make you feel good. I liked the main characters, Megan and Brian. The were both well developed and I enjoyed getting to know them. The author brings her characters to life in the pages of her books.

If you want a sweet romantic story to read, this is one I would recommend!

* I was provided an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book.

a cute read

The Sweetest Kiss by Susan Hatler is a sweet romance that centers on an art contest. Megan has always been interested in her friend 's brother, Brian, as more than just a friend, but does not think he sees her that way. Brian also cares about Megan. If Megan wins an art contest she will fulfill a dream, but my loose Brian in the process. I found the story a little predictable., but sometimes a sweet dependable romance hits the spot.

Thank you.                               
Enjoyed it.                                   
Will purchase copies for family and friends.

This book can be read as a standalone.But i think it's best to read the others first so you know the characters more.I loved Megan and Brian and really enjoyed watching their story its well written and held my interest all the way through can not wait for more.

This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Very sweet story. Quick read. Great author.

The Sweetest Kiss (Kissed by the Bay #4)
Susan Hatler
Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥
This book can be read as a standalone. However, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read about the other characters.

Megan and Brian have been friends for years. Megan has always had a thing for him but didn't think she stood a chance. She wants to be a professional artist and enters a competition to win her dream trip. Brian ends up on a rival team. This book is only a short story, so I don't want to give any more away, but it's a romance novel about getting what you always wanted.

3 stars out of 5. I would have liked this book to be longer and maybe the romance blossom over time. I felt like I'd already missed the starting point.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

ebook £2.99
Published August 30th, 2016

This was a cute romantic story that I enjoyed. I did find myself irritated at times that Megan had no self confidence but overall it was a quick cute love story that I would recommend reading.