Published July 20, 2014 by Beau Coup Publishing
John O’Malley’s sister is missing. All the clues of her
disappearance lead to Hayward County, Wisconsin and the crooks and questionable
sheriff that reside there. Pretending to be one of them, John takes a job as
bodyguard for the sheriff’s beautiful sister, Grace. It seems like the perfect
way to investigate their crimes and corruption, but when someone threatens to
kill Grace, the job proves harder than he thought. Is she an innocent witness
to a crime, or just as guilty as everyone else?
Grace Sullivan just wanted a normal life: find a good man, get married and have
a family. She has had enough of looking the other way while her brother hides
behind his sheriff’s badge to conduct shady dealings. Hiring a gangster named
John to watch her is the final straw. When a face from the past threatens her
life, she is forced to put her life in John’s hands, but as time goes on, all
she really wants is to be in the gangster’s arms.
My Thoughts…
This is a first for me… a 20’s gangster novel that I could
not put down. I love historical
stories, but gangster books are not always my thing. The Gangster’s Kiss is absolutely my
thing. I started the book, read the
book in less than 24 hours, and could not stop thinking about it. Writing this review I can still recall
everything I love about the book and am trying to figure out how to share just
enough with you, without giving away too much.
The characters of John and Grace were perfect. I could easily relate to them and their
story was so real. I could feel the
attraction between them, but I could also feel their reluctance to explore each
other. They knew that what they
ultimately wanted could be put on the back burner if they got involved with
each other and finally figured out how to work together to get their goals
accomplished.
Daniel, Grace’s brother, was interesting to me. While he should have been an upstanding
citizen, he definitely was not. It
scared me that his lifestyle was a reflection on Grace. The people he dealt with are not good people
and I was sure they would do whatever they needed to to get the results they
wanted. While he was not necessarily a
good guy, he really wasn’t a bad guy. He
did what he could to keep his sister safe, doing the best he could to keep her
out of his lifestyle.
The Gangster’s Kiss is a book that I know I will be wanting
more of. I have quickly become a fan of
Ginger Ring. Do not wait. Go get this book now. You will not be sorry.
Excerpt
Her mood teeter-tottered back and forth like a seesaw.
Unfortunately, now jealousy had raised its ugly head and her blood boiled for a
fight. As she marched to the garage, Grace stomped her fancy shoes, making
little puffs of dust with every step in the dirt. Tight fists swung back and
forth with every step.
The wooden stairs to his room echoed her angry steps.
Reaching his door, Grace gripped the doorknob and swung open the door. John stood
half-naked, shaving in front of an old cracked mirror.
“Don’t believe in knocking, princess?” He never looked her
way, just continued to shave. The straight blade scraped along his neck, one
graceful swipe after another.
His concentration was obviously on the task at hand and not
on her. “I didn’t want to startle you and have you slit your throat.” She
crossed the room and sat on his bed. Shock that she’d burst into his room and
was sitting on his bed briefly flashed into her mind. She dismissed it and tried
to calm her racing pulse. Trying to appear relaxed, she rested her arm on the
iron footboard. Overlapping her legs, she swung one long leg gracefully back
and forth.
“So, you decided to just barge right in and that would be
quieter?” He rinsed the blade in the sink full of water and surveyed his jaw
once more in the mirror for spots he may have missed. “I’m not in the mood for
games this morning, Grace.”
“Who said I wanted to play games?” Her chest puffed out.
“You tell me. I’m not the one who barged into your room.”
John splashed his face and then patted it dry with a towel.
“My, you’re in a temper this morning.” The swinging of her
shoe increased in speed.
“I’m not angry.” He reached for a comb and ran it through
his hair. “Just tired.”
This was not going as planned. All the words that she wished
to say were suddenly gone. Instead, she just blurted out the first thing that
came to mind, “Well, I’m angry with you.”
“For what?” He turned and sat his backside against the sink,
his arms folded over his chest.
“You left me alone last night.” She stood, walked to his
side, and leaned a shoulder on the wall.
“Your brother was here.” John faced toward the mirror again
and returned to combing his hair.
He was trying to ignore her, it would seem. Had he lost interest
so fast?
“That’s not what I meant.” Her nose raised and her hand
settled on her hip.
“And what do you mean?” John halted, tossed the comb on a
shelf, and stepped closer. So close she could smell the clean scent of his
soap. Her cheeks heated as she recalled that part of her dream. His chest was
bare except for the springy dark curls that graced his chest before narrowing
to a line that disappeared into his trousers. Her ears burned and she
swallowed.
“I trusted you.” She settled deeper against the wall.
“Is that it? I passed another test on your list and now you
are angry because I didn’t live up to your standards.”
How did he know she had a list? “Something like that.” Her
lower lip stuck out and she stared at the floor.
“So what did I do to lose your trust?” John crossed his
arms. A line creased his forehead.
“Daniel said you went to Roxie’s.” Grace peeked at his eyes
before looking away. It never mattered that her father or brother had probably
frequented there, but with John, it was a different story.
“Aye, and what has that got to do with trust?” His voice
rose in anger now, which riled her even more.
“Why are you yelling?” She bit her lip to keep it from
trembling.
“Because I’m tired, frustrated, and I don’t know what the
hell you are doing here?”
“I can understand you being tired, but I thought that ‘kind
of activity’ was supposed to ease a man’s,” she searched for the right word,
“exasperations.”
He laughed and braced a hand on each side of her shoulders
along the wall. “Is that what this is? You’re jealous.”
“I am not.” The tip of her chin rose. “I thought we had a
business agreement.”
“Are you offering the same kind of business as they do at
Roxie’s?” He leered at her chest and raised an eyebrow.
Her cheeks flamed. “Heavens, no. What kind of lady do you
think I am?” The man was infuriating.
“I know what kind of lady I’d like you to be.” He wasn’t
backing down.
“Be that as it may, I won’t waste my time on any man who
doesn’t love me full time.” She narrowed her gaze. “Or one that spends his time
in a whorehouse.”
“You think I spent the night between some woman’s thighs.”
He stepped closer and the tip of his finger tapped her nose.
“Don’t be crude, John, and don’t be silly. Why, I should
give two bits about whom you spend your time with.” But, she did care and it
hurt like hell to think of him with someone else.
His right hand framed her jaw and his thumb slid across her
lower lip. The rapid beat of her heart threatened to bring on the vapors.
“Oh, yeah,” he whispered.
Was that a question or a statement? She couldn’t decide.
“Yeah.” It was all she could manage to say before her
eyelids lowered.
She jumped when his lips touched hers. His large frame
pressed her smaller one against the wall. The kiss was forceful
before gentling. Her knees weakened as he nipped her lips. When she kissed back,
his tongue gained entrance. The kiss tasted sweet, like maple syrup.
John’s arms reached around her back and held her close. Her breasts compressed
against his chest. Her soft curves yielded to his hard length. Grace gasped for
air when the kiss ended. His eyes shone darker than usual.
“I was there, princess, but the only pair of legs I want to
be between belong to a woman who wasn’t there.”
The comment brought her crashing back to Earth. She reached
an arm back to swing and he grabbed her hand before it could make contact with
his face. “You’re nothing but a thug, John O’Malley.”
A smile crinkled little lines around his eyes. “Aye, but I’m
your thug.” He enfolded her in a hug and swung her around. “I think you want a
thug, Grace.” He released her and grinned. “A gentleman thug.”
“There is no such thing.” She placed her fists on her hips.
“Aye, there is and it is just what you need. A gentleman
thug—that’s a man who will open the door and then slap your perfect arse as you
pass.”
That kind of man did sound intriguing, but he didn’t need to
know that. “Be that as it may, I still don’t know if I can trust you.” Her
spine straightened and she gazed at an old picture of three horses in a storm
hanging on the wall.
“Can I trust you, Grace?” he asked softly.
Bio
Ginger Ring is an eclectic, hat-loving Midwestern girl with
a weakness for cheese, dark chocolate, and the Green Bay Packers. She loves
reading, playing with her cats, watching great movies, and has a quirky sense
of humor. Publishing a bookhas been a lifelong dream of hers and she is excited
to share her romantic stories with you. Her heroines are classy, sassy and in
search of love and adventure. When Ginger isn't tracking down old gangster haunts
or stopping at historical landmarks, you can find her on the backwaters of the
Mississippi River fishing with her husband.
