First Kiss, Second Kiss, Best Kiss

Romance novels often treat the first kiss like it should knock you into another dimension, complete with fireworks, orchestral swell, and possibly a small earthquake. And sure, sometimes life delivers that, but most first kisses are sweet and a little awkward at the same time. Maybe someone bumps a nose. Maybe someone’s hair gets stuck in their lip gloss. And yet, it’s still memorable and romantic.

And before you ask, yes, some of the first kisses in my novels are over the top, because . . . well . . . novels.

I particularly love giving my main characters more than one kiss in a novel. A first kiss says, “This is turning into something.” A second kiss says, “Oh this is definitely something.” And a third? Well, that’s when the angels start warming up their choir voices. That’s the one that seals the whole emotional arc while hopefully making readers clutch the book to their chest.

It’s a lot to ask of a single kiss at the end of a novel to give us all the emotional energy we deserve. At best, such a first-and-final kiss often feels like a token reward for making it to the end. I write closed door romance, so while nothing sexually explicit happens on the pages, every kiss has a job to do, and frankly, I want them all working overtime.

Of course, I always give my hero and heroine a final kiss at the end. They earned it. And honestly, so did we for sticking with them through all the yearning, miscommunication, longing glances, and “accidental” hand brushes that were absolutely not accidental.