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J.C. Valentine is the alter-ego of Brandi Salazar, whose enjoyment of erotic tales of romance spurred her to branch out and create her own.
Brandi Salazar lives in the Northwest with her husband, their wild children, and far too many pets. As a university student, she studies literature, which goes well with her dream to become an editor. Brandi entertains a number of hobbies including reading and photography, but her first love is writing fiction-in all its forms.
Reviewed by Natasha Jackson for Readers' Favorite
In That First Kiss, we meet Tate and Piper, two people determined to overcome their pasts in very different ways. Tate Larson was betrayed by a woman he loved and vowed never to make the mistake of falling in love again. Piper Donovan has left her backwater town in Alabama, determined to rise up from her humble beginnings and succeed in the big city. After one steamy encounter in a club bathroom, Piper and Tate are forced into close proximity on a daily basis, much to the chagrin of both parties. Tate is constantly pushing Piper away with his abrasive behavior, but Piper, determined to succeed, is unwilling to let his behavior force her to give up a good paying job and hop on the next bus to Alabama.
While at first I simply hoped Piper would throttle Tate, Valentine did a wonderful job of showing his progression from ogre to fearful of love. It was quite amusing to see Tate showing his affection in that tried and true elementary school way, without him ever realizing exactly what he was doing. Piper is a strong female character who hasn't quite grasped just how strong she is. Her friend Sheila is a fantastically sassy and hilarious addition to the story, as was the delectable Thomas. In fact, That First Kiss offers a few memorable secondary characters, including Poppy and Felix. J.C. Valentine has written a memorable story of unintended consequences and overcoming fears to find happiness.
Initially I expected That First Kiss to be a typical tale of hate turning to love, but Valentine’s characters are multi-layered. They will frustrate you, and make you laugh, yell, and cry before the last page, which is how you'll know you've just read a truly endearing story.
