Kissing Games of the World

Warmhearted, insightful, funny and poignant, bestselling author, Maddie Dawson, takes the unfathomable ways of love and family, and celebrates [the joys of] the ordinary craziness of being human.

Devoted, creative single-mom Jamie McClintock’s world is thrown into chaos by the sudden death of Harris, her vibrant, elderly landlord. Not only does she mourn him terribly, but she has to face the unkind gossip about their unorthodox living arrangement (free board in exchange for watching adorable grandson Christopher, her own son’s best friend) and assume full responsibility for grieving Christopher, who was left in Harris’ care by his estranged, highly successful son, Nate.

Then Nate returns to claim his son… and that’s when life really gets chaotic...

“Sexy hero, lovable heroine, adorable kids–Kissing Games of the World has it all. A complete delight. Fall into this buoyant, funny, genuinely touching story of two incomplete people finding the rest of themselves in each other. I loved it.”—Patricia Gaffney, New York Times bestselling author of Mad Dash




“Kissing Games of the World has the shape of a classic romance, in which opposites at first repel, then attract, and after many ups and downs find love. It's been done countless times, but rarely as engagingly as Shelton does it in this novel.” —The Boston Globe

“Quite wonderful. . . . Like Anne Tyler, Shelton seems to possess a nearly boundless capacity for empathy. She has the ability to make us love her characters for their faults, not in spite of them.” —Connecticut Post

“An engrossing, charming, and often funny exploration of love and relationships that result…the author [explores] love in its different incarnations.” —Library Journal, starred review“An absolute treat, Shelton’s work rarely falters and is filled with realistic twists, complex characters and a moving conclusion.” —Publisher Weekly

“[A]s the seemingly star-crossed lovers navigate their rocky path, with children in tow, they eventually discover their true destination, their true home.” —Booklist

"A warm, sentimental love story is told with a tenderness of heart and a nurturing eye guiding complexly drawn characters. She effortlessly melds love and loss with heartrending care, exposing the layers of a budding romance with a deft hand. It's full of humor, flaws, and a togetherness of spirit fit for any modern love story where family is what you make it." —Romantic Times

“Sexy hero, lovable heroine, adorable kids–Kissing Games of the World has it all. A complete delight. Fall into this buoyant, funny, genuinely touching story of two incomplete people finding the rest of themselves in each other. I loved it.”—Patricia Gaffney, New York Times bestselling author of Mad Dash

“Shelton’s greatest talent is a gift for juxtaposing comedy and tragedy to the pulsing beat of the modern-day mating dance.” —BookPage

**This book was originally published under the pen name, Sandi Kahn Shelton.