The Comeback Kiss [Kindle Edition]

Lani Diane Rich (Author)

Book Description

The thing about being the one who got away is that you really need to stay gone.

Petty thief Dermot “Finn” Finnegan came back to Lucy’s Lake, Vermont, to do one thing—return the car he’d stolen from his high school flame, Tessa, the night he’d disappeared ten years ago. The plan was to be in and out with no one the wiser, especially not Tessa, but when a mysterious fire breaks out and he reluctantly saves the day, Finn’s plans are all shot to hell, along with his ability to resist the love he left behind.

Tessa Scuderi never expected to see Finn again, and that was fine by her. The truth about the teeny-tiny felony they committed could threaten her custody of her teenage sister, Izzy, and getting him out of town is job one. But as the mystery of everything that happened that night ten years ago—including her mother’s death in a strange fire—starts to unravel, Finn gets all weird and loyal. Can love survive lies, theft and arson? There’s only one way to tell…

The Comeback Kiss
Some mistakes are worth making twice.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Tessa Scuderi's life changed on one night 10 years ago when her best friend, Finn, took off with her beloved VW bug and her heart. It was also the night her mother died while fleeing a fire in her craft shop. Now Finn is back. While he was gone, Tessa has been raising her little sister, Izzy, and worrying that any false move will put her sister into the state's hands. So she's not ready to welcome back Finn and his connection to her troublemaking teenage days. Sparks fly though--literally and figuratively. On Finn's first day in town, he saves a burning pet shop and shares a passionate kiss with Tessa, and that's only the beginning. Rich, the author of Maybe Baby (2005), expertly blends romance and mystery, and this charming coming-home-again tale is a winner. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

From Booklist:

Tessa Scuderi's life changed on one night 10 years ago when her best friend, Finn, took off with her beloved VW bug and her heart. It was also the night her mother died while fleeing a fire in her craft shop. Now Finn is back. While he was gone, Tessa has been raising her little sister, Izzy, and worrying that any false move will put her sister into the state's hands. So she's not ready to welcome back Finn and his connection to her troublemaking teenage days. Sparks fly though--literally and figuratively. On Finn's first day in town, he saves a burning pet shop and shares a passionate kiss with Tessa, and that's only the beginning. Rich, the author of Maybe Baby (2005), expertly blends romance and mystery, and this charming coming-home-again tale is a winner. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 480 KB
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: StoryWonk Publishing; 1 edition (March 20, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007MW2GK6
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,669 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A great afternoon read May 18, 2006

By Annie VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Ten years ago Tessa had the most horrible night of her life. Her mother Karen was killed in a car accident and her best friend and love of her life, Fin ran off without even a goodbye. Fighting for the right to keep custody of her younger sister Izzy, Tessa was forced to live life by the straight and narrow and had to tell a few lies about Fin to cover her past mischief with him.

Out of the blue, Fin returns to mend a few fences that would allow him to finally move on in his life. He never expected to actually see Tessa let alone kiss her but once he did, the feelings and chemistry could not be denied no matter how hard he tried.

The Comeback Kiss is a fun romance with some great supporting characters like Babs, Fins boss from New York City, and Wallace the dog. There is also a mystery surrounding the death of Karen tossed into the mix that will keep you guessing right until the end.

Lani Diane Rich, has the rare ability to mix romance and mystery into a fun easy to read book. If you have not tried one of her books in the past, The Comeback Kiss is a good place to start and then move on to Time Off For Good Behavior.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it! September 24, 2006

By Jane Myers Perrine

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Every now and then as I read THE COMEBACK KISS I'd think, "How did she come up with that?" Ms. Rich's dialogue is terrific, her characters and the situation are delightful. The relationship between Tessa and Finn is wonderfully funny and emotional.

No, the mystery wasn't good--we have no clue of the existence of the arsonist/killer until very late in the book. (A hint to the writer: you probably don't want to mention this in your ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS because it makes the lack much more obvious to your reader.) The social worker and Tessa's fear of losing her sister don't ring true either and I wonder about the link to the criminal--but I loved the story and the characters so much that I accepted the weaknesses because, overall, this was so darned much fun.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars More zany antics in the follow up to"Maybe Baby" July 25, 2006

By Tracy Vest TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Ten years ago, Tessa lost her mother in a fiery car crash, and her best friend Finn broke her heart by stealing her virginity and her prized VW "Thing." Losing her mother meant she had to clean up her act and become a model citizen so that she could have custody of her young sister Izzy. That meant righting all the wrongs that she and Finn committed (like stealing the bell from the tower), and committing random acts of kindness for townspeople, attributing them to long gone Finn. As she and Izzy are arguing over whether or not she can get a car, both are shocked that the "Thing" is suddenly in her driveway - orange daisies and all.

All Finn wanted to do was return the car to Tessa - then he was heading out of town. Until a fire breaks out at the local pet shop and Finn helps out by getting all the animals out and safe while the fire crew arrives, including his estranged older brother Joe. And then Tessa arrives and the fireworks are still there. Tessa just wants him gone; she cannot afford for the townspeople to find out he is not the philanthropist she had made him out to be. His boss Babs (the hysterical kidnap victim in Maybe Baby), has other ideas - a romantic at heart, she wants him to stay put so that he can resolve his feelings for Tessa.

Joe determines that the fire is a little too similar to the one that ruined Tessa's mother's business and sent her fleeing into the night (and to her death). Could it be possible that they were both arson? As the investigation gets closer to the truth, Tessa and Izzy find themselves in danger. Will Finn stick around long enough this time to help?

Rich's latest is a delightfully funny romp that will put a smile on your face. The slapstick humor, rich dialogue and well drawn characters make this a first rate story. Though this is definitely a stand alone novel, it helps to read "Maybe Baby" first - if nothing more - it will give you insight into Bab's quirkiness. Rich is definitely an author to look out for!

More About the Author

I'm Lani, and I'm a writer, a teacher, and a mom. I live in Syracuse, NY with my husband and two daughters. My favorite color is yellow, and I have a thing for polka dots that borders on the ridiculous.

I wrote my first book, "Time Off For Good Behavior" during NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month, fifty thousand words in the thirty days of November - and was the first previously-unpublished author to publish a NaNoWriMo manuscript. It's a very specific niche, but it's all mine. "Time Off" won the Rita Award for Best First Book, and I went on to publish another seven solo novels and one collaboration. So, apparently, it wasn't a fluke. I find that comforting.

At the moment, I'm writing magical romance novels as Lucy March. I'm still Lani on the inside; it's a publishing thing. If you'd like to learn more about what I'm doing now, visit LaniDianeRich.com, LucyMarch.com, or StoryWonk.com. And thank you!