I’ve just finished another great book! “The First Kiss Of Spring” is the 14th book of a contemporary series, called “Eternity Springs” by Emily March. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me access to read it. I haven’t read any others of the books in the “Eternity Springs” series so I don’t know if the characters crop up in more than one novel.

3.5 Stars (4 on Goodreads)!

We follow the lives of Caitlin and her family, as well as Josh in “The First Kiss Of Spring”.

Caitlin Timberlake and Josh Tarkington are the main characters. The story is told from 3rd person, omniscient point of view. I would have liked to have seen the story from Caitlin’s perspective because I enjoy reading thoughts and feelings first hand, but the 3rd person perspective wasn’t a terrible choice. We do get a few parts from a 1st person POV at the start of each chapter. I won’t spoil who they’re from here...look in the spoiler section if you want to know...

Caitlin and Josh meet on a trip that they’ve both taken individually. Caitlin has gone to a friend’s wedding to be a bridesmaid and josh is there to be a tourist. They meet on a gondola (a train, not a boat). Caitlin is from New York. She was brought up in Eternity Springs but moved to New York to work in the fashion business. Josh is a mechanic. Caitlin moves back to Eternity Springs because of Josh. She feels an attraction, when she meets him...

Addiction plays a part in “The First Kiss Of Spring”, as well as the disease ALS so if you’re at all wary of those then this might not be the book for you. It’s also an adult romance, too.

Spoilers Below...

The first words Josh says to Caitlin, before he even sees her are, “This is one of the pet friendly cabins. I hope you don’t mind sharing with my dog”. Caitlin doesn’t mind. The dog, Copper Penny, or just Penny is a disabled dog who has a doggy wheelchair. Josh made it. He’s a mechanic so he’s good at making things. Josh comes across as a very caring character when we first meet him. Later on we see him change slightly into someone not so caring. He’s an ex drug user. The reason Josh has Penny is that her owner had to go into a home so he went to the vets looking for a “manly dog” but walked out with her instead. Caitlin and Josh get to know each other better on this gondola.

Caitlin invites Josh to her friend’s wedding. He says yes and things go from there. Both of these characters have many hurdles to overcome...do they and at what cost? You’ll have to read to find out...

I really enjoyed reading “The First Kiss Of Spring”. It had almost everything I was looking for. I won’t write what it didn’t have because that would lead to a major spoiler but it was cute, funny and a good book about hope.

“Hope was the tender sprout of a crocus bulb pushing through a blanket of snow”

is one of my favourite lines of “The First Kiss Of Spring” because it’s so true. We all have to hope to succeed...

What did I like about “The First Kiss Of Spring”?

* I liked how the story focused on the building relationship between Caitlin and Josh. Yes, we got some other stories, too, but the building romance was the main one.

* I loved the moments between Caitlin and Josh. Their relationship was very realistically written about.

* The overall pace of the story seemed well written. In contemporaries, sometimes we don’t get enough of each individual story that goes into the book. This didn’t happen here. For example, the author wrote the romance, the ALS, the drugs, Caitlin’s change of job. Nothing outshone anything else. It was all equal.

What didn’t I like about “The First Kiss Of Spring”?

* I didn’t like how I felt a chunk of the story was missing. What I mean by this is Caitlin says she wants children to Josh at least three times in this book. She doesn’t get pregnant, though. I don’t think it was necessary to say that she wanted them if she wasn’t going to ever get pregnant, if that makes sense. I don’t know if she’ll crop up in a future book pregnant but still...

* I thought the story could have done without the drugs storyline. It just seemed shoved in at the end.

* I would have preferred to have had the story told from Caitlin’s perspective as it would have added an extra layer to the story.

Overall, I enjoyed “The First Kiss Of Spring”. I’m giving it 3.5 Stars (4 on Goodreads)I might read the others in the series.

I love a good story about two people who have a raw chemistry that keeps pulling them together, even despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Caitlin and Josh definitely fit this description, as everything from his dark past to her family worked to keep them apart. Both characters were endearing at times, and annoying at others, but that's life. I enjoyed the vision of life in this little town, and how all of the characters, both major and minor, interacted with one another. It was a quick and easy read, and I would definitely be open to reading more stories in this series.

A charming addition to the Eternity Springs collection. With familiar characters and new additions, this story brings back the world of Eternity Springs as only Emily March can do. A beautiful tale of battling your demons, your past, and finding yourself after tragedy. A story of second chances and allowing yourself to find love again.

Another great addition to the Eternity Springs series. This story brings up a lot of emotions. A compelling story line with engaging characters. I enjoyed it.

Caitlin & Josh's story is full of ups & downs, just like real life. Caitlin is moving back home & starting a daycare instead of living in NY & keeping her corporate job. Josh is a former movie star addict trying to live anonymously in Eternity Springs close to his "brother" (son of his foster parents). They meet in Telluride & have an instant connection that Josh doesn't want to continue, so he's not happy when he finds out she's moving to Eternity Springs. He tries to avoid her but finds that something keeps pulling him back. He keeps hidden his true identity & this comes back to haunt him in an interesting way. This is a great story about second chances & dealing with what life throws your way. I like that there's also a spiritual aspect thrown in there as well. Highly recommend reading this book.

This was a fun & entertaining romantic story. Check it out!

The latest in the series centered around Eternity Springs.

The minute Caitlin kissed Josh she knew she was going to marry that man!

With fair warning to Josh that he should be prepared to surrender, she set out to make him her own. But Josh has made up his mind to never fall in love or get married.

Josh has been fighting demons for a long time. And it sure seems as if bad luck is on his heels. Coming from Oklahoma's Tornado Alley, he has had his heart destroyed as well as his business and home. Not once, but several times. Just when he seems to be making a home and a good name for himself and his business, little Miss Caitlin drops in his lap, and he has some serious thinking to do!

Caitlin is busy setting up her new daycare business, plotting to make Josh her own, and wondering what the heck is up with her parents who are acting awfully strange.

When everything hits the fan, will family and love win? You'll have to read the book. And I loved every bit of it!

Netgalley/St.Martin's   February 27, 2018

I loved Caitlin and Josh together.

Caitlin knew from the moment that she met Josh that he was the one for her. Needless to say, Josh doesn’t feel the same way. Josh has had some ruff times during his life, nothing but bad luck, so he tells Caitlin that they can never be more than friends. That he has nothing to offer her.

We see both of them face obstacles in their life and family in their book, The Fisrt KISS of Spring.

I love that we get to visit with past characters in this book, with one of them facing something major. You must read The First KISS of Spring to see what happens. Emily March always delivers us such wonderful stories from Eternity Springs.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Super sweet and romantic, but with a heavy dose of heartache.

I gotta be honest, in the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it through. Heavy subject matter that made me very uncomfortable. But I kept at it and I’m so glad I did.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed my 14th visit to Eternity Spring's, CO as much as I did my first. This book centers on Ali and Mac Timberlakes (one of my favorite ES couples stories!) daughter Caitlin, and introduces Eternity Springs newest resident, Josh Tarkington. Their funny, heartwarming journey to finding happiness with each other was a pleasure to read. Caitlin grew up in a completely different environment than Josh, and finding a way to accept each others differences teaches a lesson in considering the other persons fears and insecurities before passing judgement. As always, Celeste Blessing is there to give her sage advice that seems to pull everything together when they listen to her. And in the end, they always do! If you have not read this series, start today!

Such a sweet read! First time reading a book by Emily March and sure did not disappoint! Can’t wait to check out more titles.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. Caitlin Timberlake is a bridesmaid and is back in Colorado in Telluride and by chance gets stuck in a gondola with a very handsome man, Josh Tarkington, who has a handicapped dog named Penny. She invites him to the wedding as her plus 1 and the chemistry is amazing between the 2 of them until her parents show up unexpectedly. Caitlin has been planning on moving back home to Eternity Springs, Colorado but hasn’t told anyone and once she finds out that Josh also lives there, she is set on a mission to marry him. What she doesn’t know is that Josh has a deep, dark secret that he has been hiding from everyone. This book is not just a love story, it is also about facing your demons and letting others in. This is a very well written book, while some of the diary excerpts were about drugs, molestation and other unpleasant topics, it helped shape the character.

Caitlyn Timberlake has decided to walk away from a successful career in NY to return home to Eternity Springs. She wants to be closer to family. Josh Tarkington has settled In the little town hoping for a quiet uneventful life. Josh and Caitlyn meet when Caitlyn is at an event wedding as a bridesmaid. Immediate sparks fly, but they have no idea they are going to end up in the same town. Josh has had a traumatic past and has no interest in a permanent relationship.

This is a romance so we know how it is going to end. Josh has a lot of issues to overcome but he is a likable character and his heart is in the right place. There is great chemistry between Josh and Caitlyn. There are a few bumps along the road, but if you are looking for a good romance this book is for you. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I thought this would be a small-town novel – and indeed it is (Eternity Springs) – but the slow unveiling of its deeply psychologically scarred hero, Josh, makes it much more interesting.
I liked the way the author created this couple with opposing intentions in the beginning (Caitlin, the heroine, is sure Josh is the one, while Josh has no intention whatsoever of committing to any woman).
Even with a multitude of characters from previous stories, which I haven’t read, I had no problem keeping up with the story and watch how Josh overcomes tragedy and beats destiny.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I have not read any of the previous books in this series but this book worked as a stand alone.

Caitlin was a relatable heroine. She is is trying to find balance between respecting her parents and living her own life.Her family dynamic is a familiar one and I liked seeing her father's growth as well.The other character's were fine and If I had read previous books I would probably relate to them more.

Josh is an engaging hero.He has a dark past and secrets that put him at odds with Caitlin's father and himself. I wanted to smack him sometimes for not being open about things but he came into his own as well.

The tone is strange going into the middle of the book.The first part is clean but with obvious sexual tension and then low level sex scenes pop up.It was a turn I wasn't expecting but it didn't take away to much for it.I recommend.

Love this book hit close to home in some parts of the story heart filled and tear jerker moments. This my favorite series from Emily! Highly recommend the whole series as well. My favorite characters was Josh actually! loved it from the beginning to the end! Pretty cover! Hope you get your copy 2/27/18!

This might be viewed as spoilerish, but it needs to be said: this book contains talk and thoughts of suicide by more than one character, and that could be highly triggering to some readers. There's also talk of child molestation (in the past) and a very insensitive, crass comment about pneumonia and elderly people that could also be triggering. If you are sensitive to any of these topics, PLEASE consider your own emotional self-care before reading this one.

This book starts out as a really cute, fun story which made me think this was going to be a light-hearted read, but when the story shifts to Eternity Springs, the tone definitely changes to more dramatic and angst-filled than I expected from the blurb. A lot of things happened in this story, it felt like a non-stop whirlwind at times, but it was a really good story despite the non-stop drama.

Caitlin was really likable, if a bit naive about how things work in the real world. Josh was a mess, but he was really likable despite his many flaws. I found myself rooting for both of them, no matter how blindly idealistic Caitlin was or how gloom-and-doom Josh was. Despite all of the dark topics addressed in this book, the story was interesting, and the way that Josh dealt with his demons was surprising but really well-written. Celeste was also fabulous. Not being familiar with the larger series didn't take away from how much I liked her as a character.

If you enjoy a women's fiction style book that deals with some darker life issues, you would probably enjoy this book. Again, please just keep your own self-care in mind.

I requested and was very generously granted an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. I very much appreciate the opportunity to read this book.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have said this before and it is worth repeating. READ THIS SERIES! Everything about the town and the characters will suck you in. Josh and Caitlin were so much fun to read about. Josh's past is absolutely heartbreaking. To see what he survived and conquered made me like him more. If course sweet Celeste is always there to show love and support. We all need our very own Celeste. A great addition to the series.

This is the first book that I read by Emily March. I think I found my new favorite author! “The First Kiss of Spring” is the 14th book in the Eternity Springs Series, yet I fell into the story and did not need any other information, other than what was provided to me to enjoy this story fully.
“The First Kiss of Spring” is more than a simple romance story. It borders on the edge of a Women’s Fiction novel in my opinion. The story has a couple plots that are very serious and heart wrenching.
Caitlin Timberlake and Josh Tarkington are immediately attracted to each other when they are in a broken ski gondola when both of them are away from their hometown. By fate, they are reunited later and the sparks between them are still there. The story takes us from their first meeting to when they are finally committed to each other. (It is a romance book, so you know they will be a couple before the book ends, right?) What a journey it is!
Josh has many issues from his childhood, which are still a present cross for him to bare. Caitlin has finally discovered what she wants to do with her life, which brings her to move back home to Eternity Springs, where Josh is living.
This was an amazing story, written so well and was a joy to read and experience. I am so happy that Netgalley.com awarded me an advance reader’s copy of this book. I thank them and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for this wonderful gift of a new author. I will definitely catch up on this series and explore Emily March’s other books.

Emily March writes simply delightful and enjoyable books that revolve around the people of the fictitious town of Eternity Springs, Colorado. Central to each story is Celeste Blessing who brings wit and wisdom to each situation seemingly weaving a magical spell on it.
In First Kiss of Spring, Josh Tarkington and Caitlin Timberlake meet by chance on a stalled gondola. He has chosen to live a life unencumbered by his troubled newsworthy youth although it follows him and tempers his everyday struggles. Caitlin is returning home to Eternity Springs after finally finding her true calling separate from the constraints and desires of her parents. As they form a relationship, the past for Josh may interrupt and destroy all they have made.