Customer Reviews

Sealed with a Kiss

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Almost a year ago Molly left Hunter brokenhearted and a little bitter. They had had a long history of flirtation, mutual respect, attraction and chemistry. They were just beginning to have a real relationship when Molly experienced some personal setbacks and decided to step away. Hunter put his heart on the line and offered her everything but she chose to pack up in search of herself.

Molly and Hunter have not forgotten each other and now Molly comes back into his life because she needs his help. Molly's father is in need of the best criminal lawyer, and Hunter is that. Having no intention of getting his heart trampled on again, Hunter reluctantly agrees to take the case.

I have been a long time Carly Phillips fan and absolutely adored Cross My Heart (Harlequin Romance); the first book that introduces us to Molly and Hunter. Though Cross My Heart is Ty and Lacey's story, Molly and Hunter's characters really stood out; making me eager to read this second book.

The first third of this book started out great and I was really into it. Then somewhere along the way Ms. Phillips decided to kick up the schmaltz levels making this book a little too whiny and cheesy for my tastes. Hunter and Molly have all these childhood issues that are constant road blocks on the road to happily ever after. I just wanted to shake the both of them and yell "GET OVER IT ALREADY!"

Sealed with a Kiss is not quite the Carly book I have come to enjoy and it's definitely a disappointing follow up to Cross My Heart. Despite its flaws it was still an enjoyable read and I would have been sorry to have missed it. Perhaps I was expecting too much?

In need of a change of scenery after yet another set back courtesy of her selfish mother, Molly discovers that the absentee father who has ignored her all these years is not her biological father. With mom off to Europe to find a new groom and armed with the name of her real dad, she leaves her friends, job, and boyfriend Daniel Hunter behind in upstate New York, traveling to Connecticut to connect with the father she's never known. Hunter offered to drop everything and follow her, but is once again devastated at being the disposable person he's always felt like since a childhood filled with pain and abandonment. With Molly's betrayal, he finds solace in alcohol and faceless one night stands.

Molly and the General (as opposed to his mother the Commander) immediately hit it off, much to the displeasure of teen half sister Jessie, but soon the honeymoon is over when dad is accused of killing his embezzling business partner. Molly returns to ask Hunter to defend her father, discovering that he has indeed moved on and has another woman warming his bed. After some cajoling from his friends, he heads to Connecticut to lend a hand. The sparks continue to fly as the two discover that its not enough that they provide reasonable doubt, they need to find alternate suspects too. But the deeper they delve into the case, the more they find that the General is hiding. Could he be guilty?

Phillips sure can write a sensual love scene, and there are aplenty! First introduced as secondary characters in Phillip's "Cross My Heart" (one of her better novels), I just didn't feel the same connection - the characters barely resembled the promising duo they were in the original. The chemistry and sensuality are there, but the story gets bogged down with too much emphasis on their tortured childhoods (thought Hunter definitely has her beat) and inability to commit. Comic relief is provided by scenery stealing Ollie the macaw. The epilogue is also totally awkward - suddenly in teen Jessie's POV, and no real mention of the killer's penance.

This is a really great read!! Once you start it you can't put it down. The characters of Hunter and Molly really develop and mature from the start to the finish....I would recommend it to everyone.

Molly breaks off with Daniel in search for some kind of life. She finds her bilogical father and when he get accused of Murder she calls her hunking amazing lawyer Daniel Hunter. Daniel had asked Molly to marry him but she said no and now when she want's a favor that table has changed... Great Characater , loved the interaction , great story - Enjoy!

I always enjoy carly phillips and this was no exception -- she had me in the first couple of pages -- molly and hunter both had a hard childhood which made it difficult for them to trust -- and by the end of the book carly always makes the story complete and has a great finish -- she always has chacaters that are rounded and full -- I am always sorry to see the end of the book draw near -- it is a really great story

Ty, Hunter, and Lacy stole my heart in Cross My Heart. That story left you hopeful that things would eventually work out as well for Hunter as they did for his best friends, so I was very happy at the arrival of the sequel and was not the least disappointed. We also met the heroine in book one, and their story is a winner. Carly Phillips will never let you down if you enjoy a witty, sexy, feel good romance. Her plots are intelligent and her endings rock!

Daniel Hunter's heart has begun to heal after Molly Gifford's abrupt departure from his life when she left to meet her real father. Now, after months apart, she barges back in, not asking for love, but for help. Daniel is one of the best criminal attorneys, and her dad is accused of murder. Despite all the good reasons not to agree to help, Daniel finds himself journeying to the family home and moving in as he takes on the case. There are an equal number of reasons he should not fall for Molly all over again, but that does not prevent just that from happening. As their romance heats up, things begin to look bleaker for her father. If the whole story was known, the love angle would appear equally in jeopardy. Hidden truths and phobias about commitment stand between the couple. At least two miracles are needed to make happily ever after come to pass.

*** Ms. Phillips may always be counted upon to deliver a fast-paced, fun story with more to it than initially meets the eye. There is heat, yes, but also, there is, as is true of her other works, a strong thread of family loyalty running through the narrative. This angle adds a depth and a touching quality that sets it apart from a simply steamy love story. ***

Amanda Killgore

Loved the book. It arrived on time. It was a library book but in good condition.

I usually like Carly Phillips. This was not her best effort. Story line is tedious. I liked these characters in their supporting roles in an earlier novel but as star-crossed lovers in this one, they are just too stupid to live. Boring!

Less than a year ago, Molly Gifford left her boyfriend Daniel Hunter, their hometown, and her profession behind because of a clue as to the whereabouts of her biological father. Daniel was heartbroken that Molly deserted him, but has begun to move past his loss.

That is until now. Molly has come back in need of Daniel, but not as her lover. Her father has been arrested on first degree murder; Molly believes Daniel is the best attorney to represent him. He reluctantly agrees not for her sake, but because he believes her dad is innocent. However, this time he plans to hide his heart as he rejects the notion of a second chance unlike his best friend Tyler (see CROSS MY HEART) with a woman who will leave once he completes her request.

This is an enjoyable second chance at love contemporary romance. The story line looks deep into differing relationships that compete for the affection of the prime key that ties everyone together. In this case the focus is Molly who is pulled by a desire to have her father in her life vs. her love for Daniel. The legal thriller subplot enhances the tangle of a triangle between a father, his daughter, and her beloved, who happens to be his lawyer.

Harriet Klausner