4.5 stars.

Kiss Me Hello is the final installment of Grace Burrowes' marvelous Sweetest Kisses series and I am very sad that I have to say goodbye to the Knightley brothers :( . However, this last novel in the trilogy is absolutely FANTASTIC and I eagerly devoured every delicious word, savored each toe-curling kiss and cherished every heartwarming scene.

Oldest brother Mackenzie "Mac" Knightley has been a very intriguing character throughout the two previous novels. He is very devoted to his family, but he gives up little information about his private life. Mac keeps himself busy but he is a little lonely and with both his brothers now in love, he sees firsthand what he is missing out on. While Mac has what he believes are very compelling reasons for remaining single, his decade long dating hiatus comes to an abrupt end when he meets Sidonie "Sid" Lindstrom. He is immediately smitten by Sid but she is carrying a few secrets and scars from her past and she is also struggling to begin a new life for herself and her teenage foster son, Luis.

Sid is extremely reluctant to become involved with Mac. Not because she does not like him, but because she has an awful lot of worries to contend with. She is grieving the loss of her brother and she is stressed over how long it is taking to settle his estate. Sid is also worn out from trying to make ends meet and worrying about how well Luis is fitting in within the small community. Adding to her stress is a by the book social worker whose indifference to Luis' best interests means Sid has yet another fight on her hands.

Mac and Sid eventually settle into an easygoing friendship that slowly becomes a sizzling hot romance. They find it surprisingly easy to confide in one another as they transition from friends to lovers but Mac continues to keep a fairly big secret from her. When she finally discovers what he has been hiding, Sid is not sure if she will be able to forgive him for not being honest with her. Mac knows he made a big mistake by not being upfront with her, and he makes every effort to show her how truly sorry he is, but will Sid give him and their relationship a second chance?

Kiss Me Hello is an enchanting love story with an exceptionally appealing cast of likable characters. This superbly written novel has a well-developed and engaging storyline that is quite riveting. Grace Borrowes tugs on the heartstrings with another emotional story that perfectly blends a sweet yet sexy romance with a realistic plot. Old and new fans absolutely do not want to miss this brilliant conclusion to the Sweetest Kisses series. ( )

Fantastic book, with wonderful characters, intense emotions, and unexpected romance. There were places that made me laugh out loud, and others that brought me to tears. Sidonie is a single woman who is also a foster mother. She has moved herself and Luis out of Baltimore into the countryside of western Maryland, to get him away from some bad influences. The property is a farm, recently inherited from her brother. Sid is not a country person and only intends to stay on the property for a short time. A week or so after moving in, she discovers two huge horses on her property. Mac is the person who comes to help her out with her problem. Their first encounter is pretty funny, with Sid terrified of the two huge animals and determined to get them off her property. Mac is calm, steady and practical, and successfully talks Sid off the ledge. He also gets Luis involved, and takes them to dinner, where Sid manages to throw his well-ordered life into turmoil.

I loved Mac. As the oldest, he runs their law firm and the family with a steady hand. He's been there for his brothers, supporting them when they need it, and prodding them when they need that too. He's very quiet, and something of a loner. He hasn't even dated in ten years, and even his brothers don't know why. He's a bit lonely, but contents himself with his nieces and his brothers. Then he meets Sid, to whom he is instantly and intensely attracted. He also likes her, with her humor and her devotion to her foster son.

Sid is also great. She has been a foster mother for several years, Luis being her latest and favorite. She would love to adopt him, but he's resisting that. She is still grieving from the loss of her brother, and trying to deal with his estate. Moving to the farm gives her and Luis a better place to live, but she's feeling rather out of her depth. She's worn out from trying to cope with everything, plus she worries about how well Luis is really fitting in. Between taking care of her brother before his death, and her foster parent duties, she too has not had a relationship in a long time. There's something else that holds her back too, something she tries not to think about. She too, is instantly attracted to Mac, and once past the initial meeting, finds that she really likes him.

I loved the development of their relationship. It begins as friendship, with Mac driven to help them settle in. I loved seeing his knack for showing up just when he's needed. He's there when an unpleasant social worker shows up, and marshals the troops to come to the rescue, when she makes threats about Sid's ability to keep Luis. Sid and Mac continue to grow closer, sharing confidences and kisses, as the friendship heats up to being more. But there's trouble coming because Mac hasn't been completely open with her. She believes that he's a full-time farrier, when that's just a sideline for him. In real life, he's a criminal defense lawyer with the family firm. Problem is, Sid hates lawyers. She's had too many bad experiences with them, from the ones that tried to put her in foster care when her parents died to the ones that are currently dealing with her brother's estate. It isn't a happy time when that comes out, especially with the way it came out. Mac knows he's screwed up, but getting Sid to listen to him is going to be a challenge. Their hands are forced, however, when the expected threat to Sid and Luis's situation arrives. Once again it is the Knightleys to the rescue. The courtroom scene is emotional, sometimes amusing, and deeply satisfying. It is capped in a most unexpected way by Mac. There was another twist at the end that I hadn't seen coming, but brought the book to a fantastic close.

I also loved the secondary characters. Luis was the most important of those, as Sid's foster son. The love between them was obvious. I also liked the way that they looked out for each other. He is amazingly sensitive for a fifteen year old boy. He also tries very hard to hide his vulnerability under a tough façade. I loved how he and Mac connected first over the horses and then through their love for Sid. Not to say that he was perfect. He still made some typically teenage mistakes, such as getting drunk during the work party. I loved that scene, as all three Knightley brothers took care of him. I ached for Luis and everything he'd been through with the foster system. I could see his fear leading up to his court date, and held my breath that the guys would be able to help him. I also hurt for him and the secret that was keeping him from letting Sid adopt him. It was awesome to see how everything turned out. I would love to eventually see him have a story of his own. ( )

For as "meh" as I was about the first two books in this series, the third installment worked so much better for me. I'm not sure why, but I think it was a combination of Daisy & Buttercup and Luis. Or maybe that Mac and Sid seemed like such genuinely good people. There were still some flaws--magical fertility, anyone?--and all the characters blaming themselves for someone else's death got old fast, but, overall, I think this was the strongest book of the trilogy and the one that came closest to giving me the emotional fulfillment I've come to expect from a Burrowes novel. ( )

Grace Burrowes' historical romance titles are outstanding examples of the genre; emotionally compelling, complex and engaging. I could hardly believe this was the same author. The dialogue was stilted and ridiculous. No contemporary person talks the way these characters talk. I liked the idea of the plot but the dialogue was so bad I was forced to put it down. Disappointed. ( )

With this new series, Burrowes has proved that she can write contemporary romances as well as Regencies and Victorians.

Mac is the oldest of three lawyer brothers. Sidonie, who has just moved with her teenage foster son Luis to Mac's family's old farm, hates and distrusts lawyers. When she discovers two elderly draft horses, bred by Mac's father, at her new home, she calls the local riding school. Mac, who moonlights as a farrier, comes to her aid and immediately starts falling for her. Sid is attracted to him, too, but she has bigger problems, particularly worry that Luis will be taken from her. She needs a lawyer--or three--but Mac is afraid to tell her that he is one. Things get complicated from there.

A charming romance, peopled with very real and appealing characters. ( )