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bewoelkt_aber_heiter's review
3.0
Entgegen meiner Erwartung war Once Kissed eher Contemporary Romance als Romantic Thrill. Wir haben es hier mit einer sehr tiefgründigen Liebesgeschichte zu tun, die von der Autorin kontinuierlich aufgebaut wird und dafür ihre Zeit bekommt. Die Geschehnisse erstrecken sich über mehrere Monate und geben Tess und Curran so die Möglichkeit, sich einander tatsächlich zu öffnen und lieben zu lernen. Dieser Teil der Geschichte hat mir sehr gut gefallen, da er sehr realistisch und trotzdem romantisch ausfiel.
Zusätzlich haben beide Protagonisten mit Traumata zu kämpfen, die sie sehr stark belasten. Dadurch bekommt die Geschichte einen düsteren Touch, der gleichzeitig oft etwas Leichtigkeit vermissen lassen hat. Eigentlich beschäftigt sich die Handlung eher damit, wie die beiden durch ihre Liebe die Kraft finden, mit ihrer Vergangenheit ins Reine zu kommen, als das es wirklich darum geht, dass Tess Polizeischutz braucht. Dieser Handlungsstrang hat beinahe keinen Platz eingenommen, obwohl er für mich in der Synopsis wie ein tragender Part der Geschichte klang. Er scheint nur deshalb konstruiert worden zu sein, um die beiden zusammenzubringen. Am Ende taucht dann zwar kurz doch noch eine Gefahr auf, aber es wirkt beinahe lieblos, wie dieses Ereignis in die letzten Seite gequetscht wurde.
Sehr genossen habe ich den Familienaspekt des Romans. Curran hat eine sehr große Familie (deshalb der Reihenname O'Brien Family) mit Charme, deren Mitglieder einem sehr schnell sympathisch werden und der Handlung Wärme vermitteln.
Wer reine Liebesgeschichten mag, in denen die Protagonisten große psychische Hürden nehmen müssen, für den ist diese wirklich gut durchdachte und geschriebene Geschichte ein Muss. Für alle anderen nur ein Kann.
Zusätzlich haben beide Protagonisten mit Traumata zu kämpfen, die sie sehr stark belasten. Dadurch bekommt die Geschichte einen düsteren Touch, der gleichzeitig oft etwas Leichtigkeit vermissen lassen hat. Eigentlich beschäftigt sich die Handlung eher damit, wie die beiden durch ihre Liebe die Kraft finden, mit ihrer Vergangenheit ins Reine zu kommen, als das es wirklich darum geht, dass Tess Polizeischutz braucht. Dieser Handlungsstrang hat beinahe keinen Platz eingenommen, obwohl er für mich in der Synopsis wie ein tragender Part der Geschichte klang. Er scheint nur deshalb konstruiert worden zu sein, um die beiden zusammenzubringen. Am Ende taucht dann zwar kurz doch noch eine Gefahr auf, aber es wirkt beinahe lieblos, wie dieses Ereignis in die letzten Seite gequetscht wurde.
Sehr genossen habe ich den Familienaspekt des Romans. Curran hat eine sehr große Familie (deshalb der Reihenname O'Brien Family) mit Charme, deren Mitglieder einem sehr schnell sympathisch werden und der Handlung Wärme vermitteln.
Wer reine Liebesgeschichten mag, in denen die Protagonisten große psychische Hürden nehmen müssen, für den ist diese wirklich gut durchdachte und geschriebene Geschichte ein Muss. Für alle anderen nur ein Kann.
nadenetotallyaddictedtoreading's review
4.0
Once Kissed is the book one in the O’Brien Family series, bur it is not my first time hanging out with the members of this large, loud and tight family. I received my first introduction to this family in Save Me. Now with that being said, I must confess Once Kissed had been on my TBR shelf for a while. I am not sure why it took me so long to get to it; but I am glad that I finally attempted to pick it up. I had a blast with this beautiful and funny second chance romance.
SUMMARY
In Once Kissed, the focus is on Police Officer Curran O’Brien and law intern Tess Newhart. Curran is hardworking and well respected by his fellow officers. However, after an unfortunate event which almost ended tragically, his superiors placed him on temporary reassignment to work security detail in the District Attorney’s office. His assignment, protect his brother’s intern.
Tess Newhart faces potential danger because of the high-profile case his brother is currently working on. He took the assignment with a heavy heart, not that he had a choice, but when he laid eyes on Tess, his assignment took on a new life. If only she would loosen up and let down her hair.
Curran’s reaction to Tessa when he discovered her identity had me cracking up. You see, these two shared an interesting past. I couldn’t believe Tess had displayed such inhibited behaviour in the past. In this moment Tess comes across as a straight laced geek. She possesses many layers, and it took sometime to peel each one away. However, with each unpeeling, one learns to appreciate her and empathise with her circumstances. To some persons, she may appear weak, but in my opinion, it was the opposite. It takes strength to endure all she did and maintain a compassionate persona. Tess is definitely a survivor.
Curran is the type of hero one could easily fall for. Funny, flirtatious and generous. All was not well with him, though. The incident mentioned earlier led to him dealing with PTSD. He refuses to address it, but a big push from Tess had him seeking help to work through his issues.
The romance which developed between Tess and Curran was sweet, filled with heat and free of drama. I enjoyed their banter, which had me laughing out loud a few times. At first glance, it would appear they wouldn't make a great fit, but this was not the case. They made a great couple, and they brought out the best in each other. Curran showed her what it meant to be loved and helped to restore her confidence.
Curran was assigned to protect Tess, but her biggest threat had nothing to do with the case she was working on. It came from the one person who should have protected and loved her throughout her life. Instead, her father mistreated her and controlled every aspect of her life. He ensured that any attempts to breakaway would have dire results.
Robson weaved a little suspense and danger into the mix, which along with the antics and banter of Curran's family gave the story that extra oomph.
Once Kissed delivered a delightful read which will captivate you with its witty banter and endearing moments.
SUMMARY
In Once Kissed, the focus is on Police Officer Curran O’Brien and law intern Tess Newhart. Curran is hardworking and well respected by his fellow officers. However, after an unfortunate event which almost ended tragically, his superiors placed him on temporary reassignment to work security detail in the District Attorney’s office. His assignment, protect his brother’s intern.
Tess Newhart faces potential danger because of the high-profile case his brother is currently working on. He took the assignment with a heavy heart, not that he had a choice, but when he laid eyes on Tess, his assignment took on a new life. If only she would loosen up and let down her hair.
Curran’s reaction to Tessa when he discovered her identity had me cracking up. You see, these two shared an interesting past. I couldn’t believe Tess had displayed such inhibited behaviour in the past. In this moment Tess comes across as a straight laced geek. She possesses many layers, and it took sometime to peel each one away. However, with each unpeeling, one learns to appreciate her and empathise with her circumstances. To some persons, she may appear weak, but in my opinion, it was the opposite. It takes strength to endure all she did and maintain a compassionate persona. Tess is definitely a survivor.
Curran is the type of hero one could easily fall for. Funny, flirtatious and generous. All was not well with him, though. The incident mentioned earlier led to him dealing with PTSD. He refuses to address it, but a big push from Tess had him seeking help to work through his issues.
The romance which developed between Tess and Curran was sweet, filled with heat and free of drama. I enjoyed their banter, which had me laughing out loud a few times. At first glance, it would appear they wouldn't make a great fit, but this was not the case. They made a great couple, and they brought out the best in each other. Curran showed her what it meant to be loved and helped to restore her confidence.
Curran was assigned to protect Tess, but her biggest threat had nothing to do with the case she was working on. It came from the one person who should have protected and loved her throughout her life. Instead, her father mistreated her and controlled every aspect of her life. He ensured that any attempts to breakaway would have dire results.
Robson weaved a little suspense and danger into the mix, which along with the antics and banter of Curran's family gave the story that extra oomph.
Once Kissed delivered a delightful read which will captivate you with its witty banter and endearing moments.
emilyhei's review
4.0
Disgruntled cop, Curran 'Brien is not happy with his current task. He is supposed to keep an eye on Tess Newart, an intern for the District Attorney's office. When Curran enters her life, she quickly realizes who he is, a former one night stand and Tess makes it clear it was one and done. However, neither expected the tension between them to amp up making it difficult to resist.
Tess though has her own issues, an overbearing father who she can never make happy without sacrificing a part of herself. Curran has his own demons he is dealing with after an incident with a rookie partner. Can Curran keep Tess safe as well as hands off, might prove to be more difficult than either think.
The one thing that stood out in this story is the O'Brien family. I wanted to know more and will be picking up the other books that hopefully are coming. The chemistry sizzles between Curran and Tess, couldn't get enough of these two. Action packed and a great read to just laze about with.
Tess though has her own issues, an overbearing father who she can never make happy without sacrificing a part of herself. Curran has his own demons he is dealing with after an incident with a rookie partner. Can Curran keep Tess safe as well as hands off, might prove to be more difficult than either think.
The one thing that stood out in this story is the O'Brien family. I wanted to know more and will be picking up the other books that hopefully are coming. The chemistry sizzles between Curran and Tess, couldn't get enough of these two. Action packed and a great read to just laze about with.
bananatricky's review
4.0
First off, hate the cover!
I've read two of the other books in the O'Brien series - Declan's story with Melissa and Seamus' story with Allie - and wanted to read about the other family members, so this is where it all began with Curran.
Curran is currently only administrative leave after his partner was shot in the line of duty. His older brother Declan, the District Attorney, is putting together a case against one of the biggest crime families in Philly and needs someone he trusts to provide police protection to the intern who is assisting him with the case - who better than his little brother?
Contessa Newart comes from a family with lots of money, she's desperate to get away from her controlling father and is working hard to get her degree whilst taking an unpaid internship in the hopes of landing a prestigious job in law when she graduates. Imagine her horror when her boss introduces her to his younger brother and police protection - none other than the loud brash frat boy she had a freaky one-night stand with at college - awks!
For his part Curran thinks this is a ridiculous assignment, cooked up by his chief because no-one on the force trusts him after he got his partner shot. Imagine his surprise when the mousy, nerdy girl from college that gave him the best night of his life is his new assignment.
Together Curran and Tessa are both sweet and hot. I loved them, I loved the slow build, I loved meetings the rest of the O'Briens for the first time, I loved seeing the infamous moment when Declan hit on Melissa for a bet, I loved the hot steamy sex.
I've read two of the other books in the O'Brien series - Declan's story with Melissa and Seamus' story with Allie - and wanted to read about the other family members, so this is where it all began with Curran.
Curran is currently only administrative leave after his partner was shot in the line of duty. His older brother Declan, the District Attorney, is putting together a case against one of the biggest crime families in Philly and needs someone he trusts to provide police protection to the intern who is assisting him with the case - who better than his little brother?
Contessa Newart comes from a family with lots of money, she's desperate to get away from her controlling father and is working hard to get her degree whilst taking an unpaid internship in the hopes of landing a prestigious job in law when she graduates. Imagine her horror when her boss introduces her to his younger brother and police protection - none other than the loud brash frat boy she had a freaky one-night stand with at college - awks!
For his part Curran thinks this is a ridiculous assignment, cooked up by his chief because no-one on the force trusts him after he got his partner shot. Imagine his surprise when the mousy, nerdy girl from college that gave him the best night of his life is his new assignment.
Together Curran and Tessa are both sweet and hot. I loved them, I loved the slow build, I loved meetings the rest of the O'Briens for the first time, I loved seeing the infamous moment when Declan hit on Melissa for a bet, I loved the hot steamy sex.
owlsreads's review
4.0
4-4.5 stars!
*
Curran O'Brien isn't in a very good place after his rookie partner is almost killed under his watch. He wants to get back on his feet and prove his worth as a cop, but instead of being allowed to get back on the streets he gets assigned a security job. The task: protecting Tess Newart, an office intern who is helping his older brother, Declan, during a sensitive and dangerous case involving the mafia.
Tess just wants to keep her head down and do her job. So to say she's mortified when she comes face to face with the guy she had one-night stand with in college involving light bondage is... well... an understatement. And things only get more and more complicated as they get to know each other again. Neither of them can deny the attraction they feel for one another, but acting on it doesn't seem the best idea at the time.
This was such a great and fun book to read!
I wasn't expecting to be this entertained when I one-clicked Once Kiss. The funny dialogue swept me right up, making me laugh out loud at Curran and Tess's conversations. The way they banter and bicker and the way Curran teases Tess was so delightful, especially right at the beginning when she was so unbalanced by their re-encounter.
Tess was actually a very sweet character. I liked her right off the bat, and getting to know her and what her life was really like throughout the book made my heart hurt. There are only two words to describe Curran: funny and hot. He was the heart of the book with his funny quips and stories and the way he was there for Tess.
The book also didn't disappoint when it came to secondary characters. This was the first installment in a new series, and the author did such a good job making introducing all the people we'll get to read about as the series progresses. Curran's tight-knit family was written in a way that makes them all unique and funny as hell, no surprises there.
I'd also like to mention that this author was very very sensitive in her way of dealing with heavy subjects:
She didn't make light of it and had Tess explicitly talk about what was happening and recognize that it was abuse:
I also loved when Tess told Curran that it was very easy for him to tell her that she could walk away from it all when he wasn't the one going through the abuse. That is something not a lot of people understand: leaving your abuser/abusive home sometimes is the hardest thing to do.
The last three chapters were a little too dramatic for me, but it didn't take anything away from my enjoyment of the story. And the epilogue was short but the right amount of sweet.
*
Series: #1 in the O'Brien Family series
POV: Told from both Curran and Tess's POVs.
Content Warnings:
Instalove:
Steam: 3.5.
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
Up Next: Once Crossed. Declan's story
*
Curran O'Brien isn't in a very good place after his rookie partner is almost killed under his watch. He wants to get back on his feet and prove his worth as a cop, but instead of being allowed to get back on the streets he gets assigned a security job. The task: protecting Tess Newart, an office intern who is helping his older brother, Declan, during a sensitive and dangerous case involving the mafia.
Tess just wants to keep her head down and do her job. So to say she's mortified when she comes face to face with the guy she had one-night stand with in college involving light bondage is... well... an understatement. And things only get more and more complicated as they get to know each other again. Neither of them can deny the attraction they feel for one another, but acting on it doesn't seem the best idea at the time.
“No one will know we went to college together,” he promises.
I place my hand against my chest. “Thank you,” I say, meaning it.
With that I turn and proceed down the second set of steps, stumbling over the last two when Curran yells, “But can I still brag about our crazy sex?"
This was such a great and fun book to read!
I wasn't expecting to be this entertained when I one-clicked Once Kiss. The funny dialogue swept me right up, making me laugh out loud at Curran and Tess's conversations. The way they banter and bicker and the way Curran teases Tess was so delightful, especially right at the beginning when she was so unbalanced by their re-encounter.
Tess was actually a very sweet character. I liked her right off the bat, and getting to know her and what her life was really like throughout the book made my heart hurt. There are only two words to describe Curran: funny and hot. He was the heart of the book with his funny quips and stories and the way he was there for Tess.
The book also didn't disappoint when it came to secondary characters. This was the first installment in a new series, and the author did such a good job making introducing all the people we'll get to read about as the series progresses. Curran's tight-knit family was written in a way that makes them all unique and funny as hell, no surprises there.
I'd also like to mention that this author was very very sensitive in her way of dealing with heavy subjects:
Spoiler
Curran dealing with PTSD and Tess's father being verbally abusive and controlling. There were also mentions of Tess having struggled with an eating disorder.She didn't make light of it and had Tess explicitly talk about what was happening and recognize that it was abuse:
"This isn’t a form of abuse most read about online, or catch on the evening news. It doesn’t cause “real” bruises, but it bruises the soul.
It’s real. It controls. It hurts. And it’s effective.."
I also loved when Tess told Curran that it was very easy for him to tell her that she could walk away from it all when he wasn't the one going through the abuse. That is something not a lot of people understand: leaving your abuser/abusive home sometimes is the hardest thing to do.
The last three chapters were a little too dramatic for me, but it didn't take anything away from my enjoyment of the story. And the epilogue was short but the right amount of sweet.
*
Series: #1 in the O'Brien Family series
POV: Told from both Curran and Tess's POVs.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
H dealing with PTSD. Mentions of nasty police cases. Tess's father is abusive and controlling. Also mentions of Tess having struggled with an eating disorder.Instalove:
Spoiler
No. Despite already having a one-night stand between them, their relationship progresses at a nice pace.Steam: 3.5.
Love Triangle:
Spoiler
No.Cheating:
Spoiler
No.Cliffhanger:
Spoiler
No.HEA:
Spoiler
Yes.Up Next: Once Crossed. Declan's story
Spoiler
with Melissa! She's hearing impaired and she thinks he's an asshole. I love it already!2jam4u's review
DNF @ 45% because this book is wildly triggering! I wish books came with trigger warnings so let me be the one to say TW (emotional/mental) abuse!!!! shit man like that was not fun to randomly walk into.