First Comes Love [Mass Market Paperback]

Christie Ridgway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2002

Wilder women don't wed - and they don't run! That's been the motto of the Wilder women for years. But Kitty Wilder is about to change all that when she holds FBI special agent Dylan Matthews to his unexpected vows.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christie Ridgway has never lived east of the Pacific Ocean, north of San Francisco, or south of San Diego. To put it simply, she's a California native who loves to travel but is happy to make the Golden State her home,

She began her writing career in fifth grade when she penned a volume of love stories featuring herself and a teen idol who will probably be thrilled to remain nameless. Later, though, after marrying her college sweetheart, Christieagain took up writing romances, this time with imaginary heroes and heroines.

In a house full of males-one terrific husband, two school-age sons, a yellow dog, and tankfuls of fish, reptiles and amphibians-Christie makes her own place(and peace) writing the kinds of stories she loves best.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (January 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380818957
• ISBN-13: 978-0380818952
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #270,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christie Ridgway is a California native and author of over thirty contemporary romances. A five-time RITA finalist and USA Today bestselling author, she writes sexy, emotional reads starring determined heroines and the men who can't help but love them. Married to her college sweetheart, Christie lives in Southern California in a house filled with boys and pets. She writes as an escape from sports equipment, football on TV, and dog hair.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars amusing romantic romp, January 9, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Comes Love (Mass Market Paperback)

The entire country believes FBI Special Agent Dylan Matthews is a hero due to his recent rescues of damsels in distress. When Dylan returns to his hometown of Hot Water, California after an eight-year hiatus, the Feds inform the media he needs some R & R. However, the press spreads unconfirmed rumors that Dylan is going to marry one of the women he saved.
Though she hates the job, Kitty Wilder runs the family business, the Burning Rose brothel. All Kitty ever wanted is a conventional lifestyle with a normal job, a loving husband, and a few kids. Though her neighbors will always consider her a wild Wilder, Kitty plans to break with her family heritage and retire as the town's madam in about five weeks.

Eight years ago, a drunk Kitty and Dylan got "married" Heritage Day style. She officially registered their nuptials and the duo is legally married. Dylan returned home because a background check revealed his marital status. Though he planned to straighten out the error, Dylan soon finds he wants to remain married to Kitty even though that might break his family's heritage of upright good citizenry.

Once the reader accepts the premise that the FBI missed the fact that Dylan is legally married on previous background checks, fans will enjoy this amusing romantic romp. The story line unabashedly keeps the humor at high levels throughout the novel. Kitty and Dylan are a joy to behold as their banter and love end family traditions. FIRST COMES LOVE shows that Christie Ridgeway is a first class author.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Endearing characters and perfect comedic timing, April 28, 2002

By 

Desmond Chan (Bishan North Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Comes Love (Mass Market Paperback)

Though FIRST COMES LOVE can never match her Wish You Were here, Christie Ridgway manages to escape the thin premise of her plot with her endearing characters. Set in Hot Water, California, FBI agent Dylan Matthews returns to his native land to investigate the marriage scam that tied him down to Kitty Wilder more infamously known as the brothel madame. Yet when he meets her, Dylan finds her innocence beguiling and Kitty is a simple girl who goes for mini-vans and yearns to be accepted without associating herself with the Wilder woman especially her mom Samantha. He faces his own quandry as he apprehends the guilt of not having saved his best friend's wife. Their wounded hearts bounds them together but will that last? With perfect comedic timing and scinitllating pitch, Christie Ridgway pulls off her contemporary romance with laughter and fun. Her characters are real and flawed and bounces along well with the spirited and sprightly narration of Ridgway.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Read With Great Characters!, January 16, 2003

By 

Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Comes Love (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a fun read and I loved the characters. The idea of small town life and how a past can follow you was easily understood. The hero was totally likeable since he did not want to blow his own horn on his work that he has done for the FBI and he really looked at his heroine not as a "local call-girl" but as a person and made one of her dreams (the mini van) come true in a very special way. The chemistry between the two main characters was hot and it was fun reading about these two unlikely people falling in love with each other. For a good laugh and a fun romance pick up this book.