CompleteMartialArts.com - The Kiss
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List Price: $14.99
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Manufacturer: Linden Bay Romance
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781602020566
ISBN: 1602020566
Label: Linden Bay Romance
Manufacturer: Linden Bay Romance
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2007-08-17
Publisher: Linden Bay Romance
Release Date: 2007-08-17
Studio: Linden Bay Romance
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Editorial Reviews:
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Twenty-five year old actor Scott Epstein is no stranger to the modeling industry. He's done it himself between acting jobs. So when his sister, Claire, casts him in a chewing-gum commercial with the famous British model, Ian Sullivan, he doesn't ask any questions. He's a professional. He'll show up, hit his mark, say his lines, and collect his paycheck. Right? Ian Sullivan is used to making heads turn. Stunningly handsome, he's accustomed to provocative photo shoots where sex sells everything from perfume to laundry soap. Ian was thrilled when Claire Epstein cast him in the new Minty gum commercial. He has to kiss his co-star on screen? No problem. Until he finds out Scott is the one he has to kiss! Never before has a commercial featured two men, kissing on screen. Claire knows that the advertisement will be ground-breaking, and Scott knows that his sister needs his performance to be perfect. As the filming progresses and the media circus begins around the controversial advertisement, the chemistry between Ian and Scott heats up and the two men quite simply burn up the screen. Is it all an act? Or, have Ian and Scott entered into a clandestine affair that will lead them to love?
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Decent Story Marred by Illiterate Writing
Comment: First the story: it's not bad, keeps moving, has an interesting premise nicely developed. As a story, I'd give it probably 3 stars, maybe even 4.
The problem is the writing itself. When an author writes a book and charges money for it, the reader should have a reasonable expectation that the author is not illiterate, with more than a high-school knowledge of how language is written, and that the book has been proofread before publishing. I'm not talking about elegance here, or "literary quality"--just about basic English grammar, spelling, and usage. One should not have to stop reading, go back and figure out what was really meant: it's like driving along enjoying the scenery, when suddenly you are jolted by a pothole.
For example, even elementary-school children are taught the correct usage of to-too, lie-lay, where-were, sit-set, and who-whom. And I might be considered pedantic by pointing out that the spelling "alright," while accepted in informal writing, is still considered nonstandard--except that the spelling "all right" also occurs. One should at least expect consistency. And is it pedantic to point out that "nonetheless" is one word, not three?
Then there are the repeated incidents of words that sound like the words intended, but just don't pass in a written text that apparently was never proofread by more than a computerized spell checker. One does not eat "lobster tales" and actors play "roles," not "rolls." The British expletive is "Bollocks!" not "Bullocks!" And there are numerous instances of using "passed" when the word meant is "past." One's interest (or whatever) is "piqued," not "peaked."
Verb tenses also suffer. The past tense of "strut" is "strutted," of "ring" is "rang" (not "rung"). I won't enumerate the errors of spelling.
Since I actually liked the story, I thought I'd try another Hauser book, just to be fair. I stopped after hitting two "potholes" in the first two pages. This author simply doesn't know the language, and is permanently off my list.
Customer Rating:
Summary: 3.5 Stars - Good story but with an annoying character
Comment: The premise for this romance was very fresh and contemporary - two young male models appear in the first ever television commercial to show men kissing. Since they're models, both characters are absolutely gorgeous, and absolutely in the closet. It was a wonderful set-up. What I didn't like, and which nearly ruined the book, was the narrator.
Scott Epstein is signed with his sister Claire's very successful modeling agency. Scott is living with Claire while he tries to make it in acting. Ian Sullivan just came over from England to sign with her company as well. When she brings home his photo, Scott becomes infatuated with Ian. Claire is the one telling the story, though it is not in first person. I had no problem with a woman telling the story. She even sets in motion the events that bring them together. However, Claire is an annoying b!tch. She suspects her brother is gay and spends a lot of time in the book teasing him about it. Even though it's obvious the teasing really hurts him. She even admonishes herself to lay off, but she continues. Hauser makes sure readers know the siblings care about each other. Claire wants Scott to be happy, but her own selfish urges keep ruining it. No one can hurt you the way family can! Claire decides to cast Ian and Scott together in the commercial, hoping it will get her brother to admit his feelings (and boost their careers). She doesn't consider that Ian may not be gay (though this is romance, so of course he is). The two men start a secret relationship after that first passionate kiss. Claire becomes jealous of the attention Ian is giving Scott. So, despite her rules about not sleeping with clients, and her suspicion that they are a couple, she tries to seduce Ian. When that fails, she begins teasing both men. Claire often came across as cruel, and it made it difficult for me to enjoy the romance because there was so much of her in the role of narrator.
Yet, Ian and Scott are a great couple! They are struggling with their first-time attraction to another man, as well as surviving in a cutthroat industry. The commercial naturally attracts a storm of controversy, and the men find themselves in the media spotlight just when they need privacy to work their feelings out. Their secret affair is very tender as they explore a new love. This is the first gay romances I have read where both men are inexperienced. It added some light humor as they tried to decide who was going to do what to whom! The love scenes are steamy, but not as explicit as in some romance. It was deeply satisfying to see them overcome obstacles and choose to be together. They made the book worth reading.
Overall, I loved Ian and Scott, but the book had way too much of Claire's inner turmoil, and selfish behavior. Instead of guiding readers through the story, she intruded. I found myself skimming a lot of her parts to get back to the men. Hauser is an excellent author, so I will definitely try another of her books (I am currently enjoying Naked Dragon very much). I even hope she does a sequel to "The Kiss" so I can see how Ian and Scott have fared over time. Hopefully, Claire will take a backseat for the ride.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Are you kidding me
Comment: I cant believe somebody here said that Claire was a "caring sister", i have never seen such a spiteful, jealous, and annoying character in any other book. She suspects throughout the book that her brother and Ian are gay and yet she tries to seduce Ian, she must have been thinking of her brother when she tried to seduce his lover, i can see how one would see her as a caring sister. At the end she said it was her plan to get them together, so then why would she try to seduce Ian? She spends the whole book hounding them about their relationship as if its any of her business, i wanted one of them to smack her and tell her to mind her own darn business...
Customer Rating:
Summary: Awful
Comment: Wow, am I disappointed in this book! The premise sounded so good, but the story itself is poorly written. Very amateurish - simple sentence structure, dull dialogue, very little depth to the characters. There is hardly any sexual tension between the leads, and the sex itself is boring. But by far the worst element is the sister, Claire. She is vapid, manipulative, interfering, whiny and nagging, and all for no apparent reason. She claims to care so much for her brother but Hauser certainly didn't have her actions reflect that, and she adds nothing to the story. Definitely not worth the money - my first and last read of this author.
Customer Rating:
Summary: No heat
Comment: IMO this author created no heat between the two main characters; Scott and Ian. In fact, just the opposite because it seemed liked they joked through not only their first sexual encounter but each one after that. The first sexual encounter in any fiction book is supposed to be sensual and erotic. These two seemed to be joking all the time. It left me cold and feeling short-changed.
I found Ian's dialogue of British slang annoying after awhile. I know that the author is living in England and the Brits have a slang word for everything. To me it was overdone.
There was a continual reference to Scott's father pushing his buttons when he was little and how that made an impression on him as an adult...yet the father never made an appearance - ever. I am a firm believer whether I read it or see it in a movie -DON'T INCLUDE A THREAD UNLESS IT IS FOLLOWED UP!
Repetitious dialogue between Scott and his sister Claire and repetitious actions wore me down. How many times can I read that Claire picked up something for supper.
I also didn't feel that Ian, the beautiful god of man was developed enough. 'Cheers mate' is not enough.
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