Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey

Anna Frazier is used to living life at 100 mph, but being downsized out of a job in the financial industry has her permanently stalled. With nowhere to go, go, go, Anna hails a cab to her grandparents' neglected New Hampshire camp to plan her next move. It seems like a good idea–until she realizes there's no takeout to be had and the boy next door has grown into a sexy but surly recluse.

Cameron Mayfield knows he can kiss his peace and quiet goodbye when Hurricane Anna blows in. She was loud and bossy as a ten-year-old–and besides developing some attractive curves, she hasn't changed. Cam's not looking for a relationship, especially not with a woman like Anna. He nearly broke down on that road once before. So why can't he stop thinking about her?

It's not long before their sizzling attraction leads to smoking-hot kisses. But as the days get shorter, Anna must decide if she's found a new road to happiness, or just taken a detour.

25,000 words - novella
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So, you may have noticed at some point that I'm a pretty big fangirl of Shannon Stacey. There's good reason. Her books are fun, sweet, romantic, and so easy to relate to. Slow Summer Kisses is no exception. The blurb is actually a pretty good description, and the title is a perfect fit. This book takes place at the campground where the Kowalskis spend their vacations, though no Kowalskis appear in it. Oh, and one more thing. The covers created for this series are absolutely fantastic. Fun, sassy, and sweet. Perfectly reflecting the character of the books.

Anna is a whirlwind - no other way to describe her. She talks a mile a minute, moves a mile a minute, and has a to-do list (or lists) a mile long. She even wants to have sex a mile a minute - fast and hard. She doesn't know how to relax.

Cam has done the rat race, and left it to save his sanity and his health after his dad died of a heart attack. He likes the slow pace of life up at the camp. He likes working when he wants, relaxing at the lake, slow kisses and slow sex.

"You can't rush kisses. You have to slow down and savor them. Lose yourself in them."

"There's no right or wrong way to kiss, Cam."

"There may not be a wrong way, but there are better ways than in Home Depot or kissing so fast I thought a bird flew by and smacked me in the mouth."

Her eyes got big and for a second he thought she might smack him in the mouth. "It was not that quick."

Cam took a half step closer to her, definitely crowding her space a little, and ran his hand from her elbow to shoulder. "A kiss should be anticipated. You should know it's coming so your heart can beat faster and your skin can flush with heat."

Anna was watching his mouth as he spoke, her tongue flicking out over her lip as if her mouth had gone dry.

"I'm going to kiss you again and it's not going to be rushed. I'm going to take my time and savor your mouth."

"Okay," she whispered.

"You're beautiful when your skin gets that hot, flushed look. Is your heart beating faster?"

"Yes." Her voice was little more than a soft exhalation now.

He buried his right hand in her hair and lowered his mouth to hers, barely brushing her lips with his. She sighed and tried to deepen the kiss, but he held back. He teased her, flicking his tongue over her bottom lip while he slid his free hand across her hip.

Not until she whimpered for more and pressed her body against his did he give her what she wanted. As the kiss deepened, his fingers slid under the hem of her t-shirt, touching bare skin. He groaned as her tongue danced over his and pulled his hand out from under the shirt before he started trying to round the bases. It wasn't time for that yet. If ever. He was really hoping for yet.

He kissed her until she felt boneless in his arms and he wasn't sure he had the strength to hold her up - until their mingled breaths came shallow and fast. One final flick of his tongue across her lips and then he broke it off.
He moved back a step because his body had had about all the contact with Anna's body it could take without exploding, and he smiled at the dreamy expression on her flushed face as she opened her eyes.

"Now I've kissed you"...

At first, Anna and Cam butt heads. She drives him crazy, always doing and going, and looking too damn hot. They appear to have almost nothing in common - especially baseball. Having lived with a Cubs and Chi Sox fan growing up, I know how stressful that can be.

"You're a Yankeees fan."
"Yup."
"I kissed a Yankees fan."
"Yup. Really well, too."
It was too late for mouthwash, so he did the next best thing and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "Get off my dock."

Hahaha!! When she comes back out to see why he didn't come inside, she agrees to just lose the Yankees shirt, and takes it off.

"Now you're just playing dirty," he said. "Not that I'd expect anything less from a Yankees fan."

She heard some excitement on the television. "Who's winning?"

"Me."

And afterward...

He'd had sex with a woman who thought the New York Yankees were better than the Boston Red Sox. There was probably going to be a special place in hell just for him. A place with no beer and no sports and remote controls with dead batteries whilw the TVs were all stuck on Real Housewives of someplace or another.

The banter and humor are trademark Stacey. But so are the tender moments. Cam simply can't help himself, and much as he wants to stay away from Anna, he helps her with pretty much everything, from cleaning out her shed to teaching her how to drive. Knowing the whole time that she's probably going to drive away from him to a new job in the city.

Anna, in turn, has a pretty tough time learning to relax. She tries to learn knitting. She drinks decaf. And yet still, Stacey writes the little touches and subtleties in there - like when Anna's laying in the sun, completely believing that she's relaxing, and Cam notes that she's tapping her fingers and he can hear her mind going a thousand miles an hour.

The focus of the book is completely on the two of them, and they slowly become comfortable with each other and begin a really sweet, joyous relationship.

When the job call finally comes, Cam mans up and acts excited for Anna. She thinks she's excited and so races off to her interview. And realizes that she actually can have it all. With a little compromise.

Slow Summer Kisses is warm, witty, romantic, sometimes laugh-out-loud-funny, and touching.Vintage Shannon Stacey.  I didn't want it to end.

Buy it at all the usual places in ebook.