Product Description

As a turnaround specialist, Joslyn Simonini spends her days analyzing corporate profit margins and trying to keep her likeness from being turned into a voodoo doll by company employees. If she does her job well, they often lose theirs. So, it comes as a surprise when she finds herself being kissed one day at work. She's even more shocked to find out that the mysterious kissing bandit is a woman.

Not in the habit of kissing women, Joslyn tries to brush off the unintentional mistake. But before long, she's forced to examine the rush of emotions that accompanied the kiss, especially when she meets Raven Malvolio. At first, she needs Raven to complete her analysis, but she doesn't expect to need the friendship that Raven offers. When those friendly feelings escalate to something more, Joslyn's confusion and underdeveloped emotional range might ruin her chance at a relationship that could surpass even her dreams.

Uncommon Emotions takes a look at how someone can think she's happy with her life only to be surprised by the passion she's yet to feel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25902 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 252 pages

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Raven pulled up next to my car in the empty parking lot. We both got out to load my share of the desserts we'd made into my car. The process took a couple of trips and we only bumped into each other once. When I surfaced from my last drop off of takeout boxes, she stood a foot away. The look in her eyes halted my sidestep.

My coat was in her hands, but she made no move to give it to me. Her gaze didn't shutter the emotions this time. She took a step closer before glancing at my mouth. When her eyes returned to mine, I knew without doubt that she wanted to kiss me. This was so different from the men who'd dropped me off after a date. They would look at me with determination; they were going to kiss me. Nothing in their gazes could be mistaken for this kind of wanting. No, the men let me know what they were going to do. This, this look was of a desire to kiss, a craving to kiss, a near Victorian yearning to kiss me. I felt my breath desert me as suddenly as when I'd fallen off her horse.

Unlike with the men on similar occasions, my heart thumped erratically and something of a ruckus roared through my ears. I felt hot and cold and trapped and free all at the same time. Never once had I experienced this strong of a reaction to anyone. Desire had always been an elusive emotion for me. If I were being totally honest, I'd have to admit that I'd never once felt it. Until now.

I wanted this. I wanted her to kiss me like I've never wanted anything in my life. I should do something. Give her a signal to tell her that she could turn her desire into action. If I looked down at her lips, maybe that would be enough of an invitation. Instead, I stared at those eyes, feeling her breath barely touch my face from her spot inches away. Why couldn't I move my eyes from hers? Give her the simple go ahead, or better yet, tip my head forward and capture those sensuous lips to taste what I knew could become addictive? Perhaps it was my stupid sensibility stopping me, or maybe my concern for her that if we kissed and I felt nothing, as per usual, I'd hurt her desperately. God, I hate being sensible, almost as much as I hate being emotionally bereft.

Before I could break the spell and reach for my jacket, Raven stepped back as suddenly as if she'd been yanked by some unseen force. She shook her head and offered my coat, not meeting my eyes. When I took the garment, she waved and hurried around to the driver's side of her car.

"Goodnight, Raven," I called out weakly as her door was closing. Her tires didn't exactly squeal as they left the parking lot, but the escape was no less dramatic.

Customer Reviews

Delightfully good-natured and humorous - 3.5 stars
I was delighted with this book, and consequently devoured it. This author continues to show promise, employing a fairly unique and intelligent voice that doesn't shy away from playing around with the English language. She combines this with a flair for characterization that draws you into her stories, and helps to overlook the books' weaknesses. There are flaws. This book was lightly peppered with malappropisms, and had one or two other confusing linguistic moments. But this novel was much stronger than her previous book (Imagining Reality) and I look forward to what this author will produce in the future.

Part of the strength was that this book was better focused and had a clearer narrative line. This could be because there are no shifting view points: we are with Jos' perspective the whole way through, an ostensibly straight, successful woman who has an amusing encounter based on mistaken identity early on that colors her perceptions the rest of the book, most particularly those of Raven, the woman she is irresistibly drawn to. They have similar interests and hobbies (cars, Italian cooking, the Seattle Storm, horse-back riding), both have strong family ties, and they strike up a heated friendship immediately.

This book is just fun. It seemed to be filled with a buoyant good will that carried the story along effortlessly. Jos is an interesting character with a distinct perspective on things. She also acts like an adult, which is refreshing. The conflict is reasonable, and the characters don't dwell on it endlessly. There is no wallowing. The character relationships are also realistic, and their motivations are well-supported and consistent.

The book is probably stronger for the fact that these are all-new characters created outside of the circle of friend introduced in Lynn's first two books, but Elise and Austy do make a cameo. I'd really give it 3-1/2 stars, but still display it as 4 because it was in Seattle, involved the Storm (even throwing in the dreaded possible "move to Oklahoma controversy). Good times.

worth it
I ran across this book by chance while doing a generalized search on Amazon, and asked for it as a gift. I admit, I've been burned by bad books too many times recently to want to spend my own money on an author I'd never heard of before.
This book definitely had me hooked; I read it every spare moment. Great characters, great drama, great romance, and obviously in-depth research.

The only reason this has a 4 instead of a 5 is for nitpicky reasons. This is an author with a lot of awesome potential; I kept feeling that if the book had only passed through the hands of a dedicated editor, it could have been perfect. And that was mostly just for simple things like typos or grammar mistakes.

Anyway, this is a smart and sexy read that I would definitely recommend.

Unusual, realistic and delightful romance
This was the first Lynn Galli book I've read, but it will certainly not be my last. Her writing style is refreshing and engaging. The characters are enjoyable and fleshed out. The characters were easy to like and the situations were true to life. The few sex scenes were written in a new manner that really added to the character development. The entire book was imbued with a gentle humor, despite the serious title. I highly recommend it.