First Kiss [Mass Market Paperback]

Marilyn Pappano (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2000

An Improbable Dream

At forty, Tom Flynn has reached all the lofty goals of money and success he'd dreamed of as a boy struggling to survive. The only thing left on his list:  Get married! But he hasn't a clue where to find the perfect wife--or even if he can change his love-'em-and-leave-'em ways. Until he shows up at his birthday party in the small town of Bethlehem and sits across the table from beautiful, desirable Holly McBride.

An Impossible Conquest

Wish for me, Holly thinks silently just as Tom blows out the candles on his cake. But Bethlehem's most eligible single woman wants only a sizzling fling, not a wedding ring. She's seen up close what a disaster marriage can be, and that's one mistake she plans to avoid. But Holly hasn't counted on Tom's single-minded campaign to win her heart--or some mysterious intervention in a special town where miracles are an everyday occurrence....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Revered for her heartwarming romances populated with quirky characters, Pappano (Father to Be) returns to the magical town of Bethlehem, N.Y., where the human spirit shines and angels and cupids play matchmaker to the lost and lonely. Forty-year-old multimillionaire Tom Flynn has met all his goals in life except one: he has yet to find the perfect wife. Tom defines "perfect" as a woman whose beauty, autonomy, sophistication and intelligence would be the envy of his friends. Innkeeper Holly McBride meets all his requirements, but incidents from her childhood have turned her off love and marriage. Tom, who is also trying to get past traumas from his youth, seems motivated by Holly's constant rejection of him, which may cause some readers to doubt the depth of his character. However, the remaining cast, which includes an awkward teenage runaway who plays a pivotal role in Holly's past, picks up the slack and leads the way to a typically Pappano, happily-ever-after ending. (Sept.) FYI: Season of Miracles, the first book in the Bethlehem series, was a 1998 Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

""Marilyn Pappano (has a) gift for extraordinary storytelling."
-- Rendezvous

Don't miss Marilyn Pappano's previous bethlehem novels

Father To Be
"Heartwarming, funny, and memorable."
-- Debbie Macomber

"Stirring and poignant."
-- Romantic Times

"Wonderful characters...excellent."
-- Rendezvous

"Marilyn Pappano is a premier storyteller! Father to Be is a keeper."
-- Literary Times


Some Enchanted Season
"This is a four-hanky book, not to be missed. Deserves more than 4 hearts."
-- The Philadelphia Inquirer

"This uplifting tale is for anyone who believes in love."
-- Publishers Weekly

"Romantic fiction at its very best."
-- The Romance Reader
And be sure to read her story "Gabriel's Angel"

In the short-story collection

Yours 2 Keep

"Revered for her heartwarming romances populated with quirky characters, Pappano (Father to Be) returns to the magical town of Bethlehem, N.Y., where the human spirit shines and angels and cupids play matchmaker to the lost and lonely. "
--Publisher's Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553582313
• ISBN-13: 978-0553582314
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.5 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,219,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Twist on an old Topic!, October 17, 2000

By 

MaryannJr "MaryannJr" (PHILADELPHIA, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: First Kiss (Mass Market Paperback)

Once again, I have to that the AMAZON.COM recommendation crew for picking me another winner. I loved this book! It was sharp, witty and surprisingly touching. In 'First Kiss', the twist is that it's the man who wants to settle down and marry, and the woman who's looking for nothing more than a thrilling affair. Of course, we the readers , know that every good love story needs a little kick-in-the-pants from fate or perhaps something more along the lines of...divine intervention. By the first quarter of the book I was in love with Tom myself, and couldn't figure out what was taking Holly so long to go completely head over heels for this gorgeous hunk. Even the secondary characters here were enjoyable and pleasant, and Holly's confession of love actually brought a tear to my eye. I'll be on the lookout for other books by Ms. Pappano. 'First Kiss' is joining my collection of books I will definately read again.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Multimillionaire Bachelor Meets town Tramp, November 9, 2003

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: First Kiss (Mass Market Paperback)

FIRST KISS by Marilyn Pappano

FIRST KISS is the second book that I have read in this series of books by Marilyn Pappano. The general theme that ties these novels together is that they take place in the small town of Bethlehem, New York, where everyone knows everyone. In this novel, Multimillionaire Tom Flynn meets the gorgeous and successful Holly McBride, who also is known by the town to have a tarnished reputation.

Tom has just turned 40, and he's achieved most of the goals on his "to do" list, including becoming a multi-millionaire. The only two goals left to reach are "get married" and "fall in love". When he sees Holly at his small private birthday gathering with best friends Ross and Maggie, he decides that Holly is going to be the one. Now, if only Holly will cooperate.

Holly's philosophy has always been love them and leave them. Never getting closer to a man than a healthy sexual relationship, she has dated and bedded nearly every man in town. Tom has been one man that has eluded her, and she has an itch to get him into bed too. Unfortunately, she soon finds out that Tom wants more than just sex, and she is not very pleased with this turn of events.

As Tom and Holly do their little dance of love and enticement, the rest of the town watches in anticipation. In the meantime, Holly is dealing with her restaurant business and a new girl that she's hired out of pity, Bree. Bree is more than any employer can handle, but Holly keeps her on for some reason. Holly also is dealing with an alcoholic mother who keeps reappearing into her life at the wrong moments. Both of them, though, agree - there is something about Bree that they can't quite make out, and they wonder if they have met her before.

FIRST KISS was yet another enjoyable romance by Marilyn Pappano. Her style is reminiscent of the series by Debbie Macomber, where each novel continues on with the stories of the people living in this particular town. However, where Macomber's novels failed to spark anything in me, the Pappano novels I highly recommend. They each are self-contained, but can be even more enjoyable if read in chronological order, so as to slowly get to know the people of Bethlehem, New York and the ties that bind them to each other. I have not been following this advice; nevertheless, the books are just as enjoyable read out of order as they are in order. Thumbs up for FIRST KISS!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Magical love story, December 26, 2000

By 

Troy Adams "NJTroy" (Freehold, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Kiss (Mass Market Paperback)

I always like a touch of magic with my love stories. Love is a magical feeling and this book delivers nicely. It does help to have read some of Marilyn Pappano's earlier series, otherwise you may find that the character identification moves too quickly in the beginning (particularly for the secondary characters). I take away one star for this issue. The lack of story depth lost it one more star. However, having said that, I enjoyed this book as a nice simple lift from everyday life. A bit of mind candy for a trying day.

Many of us know someone who has sacrificed their personal life for their work or who believes that marriage will never be for them again. Here is a chance to meet two people who learn how to make up for lost time. With a quick wish, Holly gets more than she bargains for in Tom. A quick fun read, a great beach, bathtub or any other time for "relaxing without stress" book.