I want to know where Fool’s Gold, California is and how soon I can move there. Like the romantic fiction I love best, Just One Kiss is set in an idyllic small town populated by some quirky characters but where everyone knows and loves everyone else and accepts them as they are, foibles and all.

Patience had a crush on her best friend when they were in high school. Just as she worked up the nerve to tell him how she felt, Justice disappeared from her life and from Fool’s Gold.

Fifteen years have passed and Justice is back. Patience and Justice have both changed. He’s finally free to tell her that he was part of the Witness Security Program and he had to leave town because his father, who had threatened to kill him, had been seen in the area. Patience was married briefly and she’s now a single mom, living with her mother. Patience dreams of opening a local coffee shop in Fool’s Gold. An unexpected bequest makes her dream possible.

Justice and Patience find that their feelings for each other haven’t lessened through the years.

Patience is dealing with opening her new shop, her mother’s health and new boyfriend, her daughter’s grandfather returns to town, and Justice … well, it can’t be safe for Patience’s heart, or her daughter’s stability, to let Justice back into her life.

Justice has spent years in the military and doing private security. He’s decided to settle down in Fool’s Gold-the town he never forgot.

Yes, it’s a romance, so you can figure out where the story is going. That doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. I liked Patience and Justice, although I found his reluctance to form an emotional attachment to Patience a bit thin. It worked, but don’t examine it too closely, is all I’m saying.

The secondary characters, Patience’s girlfriends, all have unique personalities and I’m sure we’ll be getting their stories in future novels.

I like my romance novels to close the door when the couple starts to have sex. This one does not close any doors. Although it’s not porn, it’s definitely more sensual than my usual fare. I always debate how highly to recommend the books that stretch my boundaries. I know some people love this genre and feel the hotter, the better. Others are uncomfortable with even a passionate kiss so it’s a definite tightrope for me to walk. In this case, I believe the fun story outweighs the sex. The sex scenes make up a small percentage of the book and are easily skipped if they make you uncomfortable.

There’s a bit of suspense, a lot of romance, some sex, and a totally fun package. Just One Kiss is worth a visit to Fool’s Gold, California.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.