If You Miss Me, the fifth book in the Sugar Maple series by Ciara Knight, is the perfect ending to a series about a family of five girl friends in the quintessential small town of Sugar Maple, Tennessee. The stories are filled with heartwarming romances, quirky characters, and the only type of men who are worthy of the “Fabulous Five”…as this group of women are referred to.

This fifth book culminates the series by witnessing the hard as stone shell of Jackie’s heart and life broken down by Blaze and his two daughters…her transformation is emphasized through acceptance, tenderness and love. In order to understand the significance of Blaze and his daughters’ contributions to Jackie’s growth from a brash and tough demeanor to her softer, maternal side, it would necessary to read the full story of this group of five women and the lives in this small town.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good women's Christian Novel. Highly recommend.

I love Ciara Knights sugar maple series it’s just the cutest setting, the whole community feels is just amazing and so supportive. Having read the complete series, you can read this as a stand-alone but you will benefit so much more reading the series as a whole (and why would you want to skip those great books) I loved the way the characters communicate and actually work through their problems. Great series, for everyone who loves a romance

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is a wonderful series to read. I still have a couple more to finish but I absolutely love the interwoven story of the Fabulous Five.

Jacqueline or Jackie only to those she is closest to, was a well known fashion designer until she was betrayed by her now ex-husband. She came back to Sugar maple to regroup and start again. She was determined to return to New York with a new plan and a way to reenter the high fashion world in a big way. She had no time for relationships and she had enough bad experience with family life that she never wanted to be a mother or have a husband again.

As a member of the Sugar Maple fire department, Blaze is a local hero. He is also a single dad with two girls who hate him because they think he abandoned them when they were young. Now that their mother doesn't want them, they are reeling from what they consider a lack of love. He needs to find a way to prove to them that he loves them and never willingly abandoned them. He also has been betrayed by his ex-wife. He isn't anxious to get into a relationship with someone who could hurt him and his two girls.

I thought this was a sweet, clean story of overcoming obstacles and past experiences to move towards something better and more lasting. I loved the interaction with Blaze's daughters, as well. The story left me with all the good feels and happy there as a happy ending for all the Fabulous Five.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

If You Kiss Me is a clean contemporary romance novel written by Ciara Knight. It is book five in the Sugar Maple series, but it is not necessary to have read the previous books in order to enjoy this one.

Summary: Blaze Warren has his hands full. After finally getting custody of his two daughters, he finds himself at a loss with how to parent the girls. Tabitha is a hostile teenager who doesn’t think he understands anything, and Charlotte refuses to speak at all.

In a desperate attempt to gain some favor, he turns to local designer Jacqueline Raynor for help. Maybe a fancy dress could win back affections?

Jacqueline is happy to help, but is focusing her efforts on a return to glory on the New York City fashion stage. Nothing and no one can hold her back.

Or can it? Jacqueline finds herself drawn to the struggling little family. But relationships have never been her strong suit. Is she willing to give up her dreams of becoming famous for a chance on love?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I liked the plot. It is well-written and has wonderful characters that I found myself rooting for all the way to the end.

This is really a sweet little romance story about getting hurt, but learning there can be a good life on the other side. It is a quick read, with a satisfactory sigh at the end.

I would definitely recommend this book-it is a good one!

Thanks to Author Collective 20 for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

I loved the cozy feel. I liked jacqueline. I also liked Carissa and how trying to be nice . I liked reading about Jacqueline's store and past life. I love the name knox. There may be some chemistry between jacqueline and Blaze a father and firefighter.

Jackie came back to her small town cause her ex husband took her designs but when she got back guilt ripped her from past mistakes but when she met a handsome fit firefighter something sparked. Blaze just got custody of his 2 girls and would do anything to show them his love and to make them happy but the oldest is mad and the youngest decided not to talk. It took getting to know Jackie and realizing how far they would go for the girls and back each other up no matter what.

If You Kiss Me brings Jackie of the fab five to the front of the romance line. Having ‘stolen’ Carissa’s boyfriend all those years ago, and the trouble she had with the fashion industry only adds to the damage from her parents about being perfect. Set her up with a heart damaged, but hot firefighter dealing with the tumult handed to him from his ex and their two daughters. Carissa and Blaze have a lot of emotions in which to swim upstream to reach their happily ever after as a couple and as a family.

The perfect setting for this precious story is in romance laden Sugar Maple. As in previous romances, the whole community support Jackie and Blaze. Jackie finally learns some mistakes help to make us better humans. Having read the complete series, Ms. Knight let’s us see the vulnerable side of Jackie; the harsh way she treats others believing she is undeserving. Thank goodness, her fellow ‘characters’ see past her bravado to the hurt person under the perceived ‘bullying’

Ciara Knight is one of my favorite authors. I love her sensual, but clean romances!

If You Kiss Me is the last of the Fabulous Five gets her story in the Sugar Maple Series by Ciara Knight. If you had told me I would sympathize with Jackie and even learn to look this young woman; I wouldn’t have believed it. This amazing story did just that. Perhaps Ms. Knight’s superpower is digging deep into an obnoxious character to find the hurt child who needs acceptance and love to finally heal into the person God had planned along. She did it with Davey and now with Jackie (who only her close friends can call her) the uppity cosmopolitan of the five.

Blaze Warren and his daughters play a big part in Jackie finally finding her real self instead of running away. That never worked anyway, the baggage she had just tagged along with her. Of the Fabulous Five this is my favorite. That is some superpower that you have, Ms. Knight.

This is a clean romance which would work as a stand-alone, if you are new to the series. The other four women and their new loves are in the story along with a double wedding which means if this is the first that you read you will want to catch up with the others. However, it is not necessary to fully enjoy Jackie and Blaze’s story.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Only a couple of weeks ago did I read another book from the Sugar Maple series. If You Choose Me was published in February 2021, but hasn’t been give a number in the series. If you’ve read my review of If You Choose Me, you know I didn’t overly enjoy it, but If You Kiss Me exceeded my expectations.

This book was a sweet, clean romance that I did not want to put down. I enjoyed the characters and the way that they worked through their problems. I also appreciated how the big problems between them that tried to keep them apart did not take up a huge chunk of the story. They were sorted out quickly with honest conversations.

I am now more interested in reading the rest of the series and look forward to seeing what else Ciara Knight comes up with.

This book release TODAY, 9th March 2021. Check out now at your local bookstore or ask your library to order it in.

I have absolutely loved this series and can’t recommend this author enough. If you like clean sweet small town romances then these are for you, each book is a stand alone but chock full of emotions . This story involves 2 scarred little girls helping the romance between their firefighter dad Blaze and Jackie the designer who can’t wait to get back to New York, until she realises that Sugar Maple is where she belongs, and I especially love the salmon recipe at the end of this book.

This book is so good!! Jacqueline and Blaze's story is full of emotions, it will make you laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between. I feel in love with Tabitha and Charlotte, they both had so much pain and anger to work through from their parents divorce. I loved everything about this book, all the feels, the town and the people. If you like feel good small town romances, you will love it! Thank you Author Collective 20 and Ciara Knight via NetGalley for the ARC copy. All opinions expressed are my own.