Kiss and Dwell

Her therapist blames Kerringtan’s failed romances on childhood trauma. But she knows better. It’s the Glade Adams curse, and only a do-over kiss can break it. Locking lips with boy-next-door Glade in the high school darkroom marked the first of Kerringtan’s impulsive choices in men. It’s been fifteen years, and despite boasting a photography portfolio of Hollywood’s A-list, she still can’t escape that darkroom when it comes to her love life. Kerringtan is convinced going back to the beginning and kissing Glade like a pro—finally making that clumsy first kiss count—will give her the fresh start she needs to change her failing patterns and finally be ready for the man of her dreams. Despite her therapist’s skepticism, Kerringtan obsesses over kissing Glade, now a megastar late-night host. But he’s still the same obnoxious jokester she remembers, and she just wants to get the kiss over with, reset the cosmic balance, and move on. Just as she builds the courage to reconnect, Glade complicates everything by announcing on national television that he’s searching for a wife. With the paparazzi swarming Glade for a photo of potential brides, Kerringtan has zero interest in entering the limelight as some Cinderella wannabe, but she’s running out of time. Once he’s attached, she’s lost her chance. She puts on her big girl panties and pursues her do-over kiss even as her life and career crumble around her. Maybe her therapist is right after all: unless Kerringtan can face her scarred past and accept it’s not one darkroom kiss that’s truly behind the curse, she’ll lose everything she’s built—and everything she might have had.