Sandy M’s review of Kissing Comfort by Jo Goodman
Historical Romance published by Berkley 6 Sep 11
This is only my second book by Jo Goodman. After reading my first, Never Love a Lawman, and loving it so much, as I always do, I vowed to read more of her. Unfortunately, life never works the way you want it to. I haven’t been able to read another until now. And I must say, my reaction to Kissing Comfort is very different from my reaction to NLaL.
While Ms. Goodman does a terrific job of introducing us to her characters, showing us their lives, their strengths and weaknesses, their vulnerabilities and the like, the first part of this book is quite slow. Which actually surprises me after reading the prologue, which did have me hooked, wondering what would become of that young child Newt and Tuck found ensconced in rocks. But once we find out how she’s fared, how her life is currently getting along, the book’s pace creeps along. For me, there’s just too much pussyfooting around with Bram. Yes, he’s an integral part of the story, but come to find out, we don’t need nearly as much of him in the beginning as we get. At least I don’t.
Bram is the younger DeLong brother. The charming one. The playboy, so to speak. He has no responsibility to anyone other than himself, and that’s not saying much. He’s known Comfort Kennedy for years, has known she’s in love with him. At his brother’s birthday party, at which his brother is so far a no-show, Bram makes a surprise announcement – he and Comfort are engaged! Amid the good wishes and congratulations and new revelry at an otherwise dull get-together – the reason for the announcement – Comfort is just as surprised as everyone else. Taking the matter up with Bram, she talks him down from a six-month waiting period to six weeks before calling the fraudulent engagement off. Then we get a lot of chapters with these two dancing around each other about the engagement, the way Bram went about it, etc. etc. Just not all that interesting to me after a while.
Cooling her anger before heading back inside, Comfort comes face to face with the birthday boy – er, man himself. Sporting cuts, bruises, and very sore bones and joints as a result of an attack, Bode finally shows up for his party and finds Comfort with Bram in the garden. Hearing their good news doesn’t sit well with him, but he keeps quiet until the right time to make his intentions known. Which is after Comfort is kidnapped, and with Bram laid up with a broken leg, it’s up to Bode to use his resources to find her and bring her home. To him. And this is when the book picks up in action and mystery and romance and just…everything. Before this, though there are some good scenes from one family home to the other and then to the bank owned by Tuck and Newt, the in-between scenes just don’t work for me all that much.
Bode is the DeLong left to make ends meet after his father squandered the family fortune, nearly bankrupting their shipping company. He has to keep his brother and mother on a tight financial leash, because he refuses to give up on the company he loves. He’s always carried a torch for Comfort, but somehow he always scared the girl and they’ve never spent that much time in each other’s company. He’s about to change all that, declaring his intent to Bram on his way to find out what’s happened to her.
Comfort goes through a horrendous ordeal awaiting her fate in a saloon full of men who have bought lottery tickets to see which one will get first crack at her. You can feel her fear and panic as that time draws ever closer. Just when you think Bode’s plan to rescue her is going to work, all hell breaks loose again and it’s the man himself who whisks her off to safety. And the ensuing scenes on one of his ships are my favorites in the book. They’re in one cabin together, of course, on a ship full of men. They’re married there. They love on that boat. They learn more about one another during their trip. They plan to find out what the hell is going on that would trigger Comfort’s kidnapping.
I like Comfort and her “uncles” a lot. They have a terrific relationship for not being blood family. Of the DeLong family, it’s only Bode who finally breaks the ice for me and who’s worth anything. Bram is definitely spoiled and selfish, even if he never meant anyone any true harm. Newt and Tuck, along with Bode, do what it takes to keep Comfort safe once she’s home, and Bram could learn a few lessons from them in that regard. He really chaps my hide.
I’m glad the second half of this book picked up the pace. I’d been a little worried before that. Ms. Goodman pens a wonderful story anyway, even those slow parts are well written and still draw you in. So, all in all, a good read with some captivating characters, a wonderful romance, and a mystery that piques interest from the beginning.
Grade: B-
Summary:
Bode DeLong knows that his playboy brother Bram isn’t really in love with Miss Comfort Kennedy, even though it’s clear that she’s enamored with him. With Bram’s motives for the engagement suspect, Bode figures the safest place for Comfort to be is in his arms. Now, Bode just needs to convince Comfort that the childhood fancy she has for his brother is no match for the incredible desire that sparks between them every time they touch.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
