3.5 “Science, Friendship and Love” Stars

ARC via NetGalley

Thank you, Entangled Teen (Crush)!!

I’ve been on a BFF-to-more trope vibe lately, and this is probably the one with one of the most unique premise I’ve read lately. That’s because of Nora Reid’s obsession with the first kiss hypothesis and finding true love.

While with the BFF trope we normally have characters fighting their attraction to each other because they’re afraid to lose their friendship, here we have Nora refusing to move her hot best friend Eli past friend-zone because their first kiss back when they were eight years old didn’t make her heart stop and the earth move under her feet. Nora seriously believes that for each person in the world there’s only one other person and that they’re able to see they’re soul mates from their first kiss. Since her first kiss with Eli was too wet and not all that life-changing, she ruled him out as her soul mate, even though she still has a huge crush on him.

Eli, on the other hand, is tired of seeing Nora test her theory and ignore him as a viable candidate to love of her life. He then decides to make a move and prove Nora’s theory wrong.

Despite the whole theory being a little out there, it works in this context because of Nora’s relationship with her grandmother and the disease that is slowly taking her grandmother away. Implausible as it was, it felt like a link between Nora and her grandmother, and it worked well to build tension between Nora and Eli. And as I said before, it served its purpose as a different and fresh reason for the best friends to hold back on moving into romantic zone.

The chemistry between Nora and Eli was pretty great, and I also appreciated that Eli had an arc aside from the romance, even though the solution to his problem felt a little too easy.

Overall, the romance worked really well, and this turned out to be another cute read.

-‘Nora who doesn’t want me, and likes me, but doesn’t like me. Can’t like me. Because of science.’-

They grew up together. They are best friends. The both secretly have a huge crush on each other. She has a theory about love. A scientific one. Her grandparents fell in love from their first kiss and they were together and in love for the rest of their lives. Nora wants that kind of love. So, she just has to find the guy who will give her that magical first kiss. Love at first kiss. No second chances. No second kisses. She kissed Eli in 8th grade. It wasn’t the magic kiss. No second chances. Eli isn’t the one... or is he? Can her scientific hypothesis be flawed? Or is Mr. Right going to show himself with his first kiss?

I liked the concept of the story but the constant swearing (several per page) was a huge turnoff for me. I get it that it’s YA but I felt it was still unnecessary in the story and it has definitely affected my rating in this review.

Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: best friends to lovers romance!; super endearing, well-rounded characters; so much angst and teenage drama, be still my Penguin heart; not terribly fast-paced, but still entertaining and delicious; dual-POV for the win

Huge thanks to Christina Mandelski, Entangled: Crush, Chapter by Chapter, and Netgalley for sending a free egalley of this title my way in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

This was a super cutesy, quick read. The plot isn't driven by huge twists or fast-paced action, but the way Christina Mandelski pulls readers in and keeps them enthralled is enough to make a Penguin keep flipping pages, wanting to know what happens next. Like most contemporary romance novels, this was full of teenage drama and angst--all the pretty depressing things that make my ice-cold heart thaw just a bit. There was, however, a bit of a twist--found in Nora's "first kiss hypothesis." Now, we don't actually see Nora do much kissing in this book. While the first chapter starts with her running a kissing booth, after that she sort of sticks to herself and stops sucking lips with everyone she can. This could, theoretically, be attested to the fact that she's sort of arcing in her character growth...but I'm just a tiny bit disappointed that she didn't actually kiss Texas dude and realize THAT way that her hypothesis was bogus. But that's just my opinion.


---That's what happens when you don't stick to reason, when you don't wait for the reaction. You cry your eyes out in a burned-out kitchen trying to make sense of your life.

That's not going to be me. Not ever.---


The characters are endearing and enjoyable to read, and I really appreciated that this was written in dual-POVs. I feel like this type of writing style, especially in contemporary romances that rely on so much angst, really helps readers connect with both sides of the story--and be better able to formulate thoughts and opinions on said story. Christina Mandelski really used this to her advantage, weaving the heartache and confusion into every page along the journey--and making readers feel it right along with her characters.

Overall, this was an adorable and heart-fluttering read! The plot isn't super fast-paced, but it is filled with teen angst and drama! The "boy/girl next door" romance--coupled with best friends to lovers--was done in a cute and entertaining way. I really adored the "twist" that Nora puts on soulmates--and the ways she comes to grip with the idea she might be wrong. This was just such a heartwarming read, Penguins--I definitely recommend you pick it up, if it sounds like something you'd enjoy! What do you think, Penguins--can a first kiss really make or break forever?

I was excited to see how this experiment would play out.

This story definitely felt like it was more of a coming of age novel than straight romance--and I really liked that. Eli and Nora have a lot going on in their lives now that they are seniors in high school. They're beginning to feel the pressures from family and friends when it comes to deciding what's next. Throw in their long buried crushes on each other and the mutual agreed upon love of pies and you've got a bit of a sticky situation.

This book had me at the start. I loved Eli's goal to make Nora see him as more than a friend and I liked how Nora was unknowingly trying to counteract that. It made from some sweet moments between them. However, it started to lose me in the middle when everything just seemed to repeat itself with nothing completely new to add to the story. It rounds itself out in the end with some solid character growth but my interest did start to wane.


I'm really glad that we got both Nora and Eli's POV in this story because it does shed some light on why they act like they do. They have their moments of immaturity but I did find that they grew up as the story progressed. I wasn't blown away by either of them but they worked well for this story.

I do have to give a shout-out to Eli's autistic brother Ari. He was fabulous and a breath of fresh air in this story. He really grounds the story in a way that benefits everyone.

This is Nora's hypothesis about love: "For each person in the world, there is exactly one other person, and at first kiss, they’ll experience an immediate and intense reaction."

Nora crossed Eli, her best friend, off her possibilities list in middle school after a horrible first kiss that definitely did not create the reaction she's looking for. Now if only she could get rid of her feelings for him... However, as Nora concocts a scheme to get over Eli Costas once and for all, he comes up with a plan to disprove her hypothesis and to make her fall for him.

The First Kiss Hypothesis was an absolutely adorable YA contemporary romance that was an utter delight to read. I loved the dynamic between Nora and Eli, I actually laughed out loud a few times. The alternative viewpoints definitely worked, I really enjoyed seeing how both their schemes played out from both points of view. I felt the strength of their friendship and loved the flashbacks to when they were younger. This book also dealt with a few deeper issues. I was particularly touched by Nora's relationship with her grandmother. Also, Ari, Eli's younger brother, was autistic. The author did an excellent job of depicting him respectfully while not shying away from showing how difficult his condition had been on his family.

This one was quick, light read that left me smiling. If you're a fan of best friends to more stories, The First Kiss Hypothesis is definitely your book. I really enjoyed this one and I'll probably read it again in the future.

Nora and Eli, best friends since childhood, shared one awkward, fumbling, total fail of a kiss when they were in middle school. They’ve each harbored secret feelings for each other since that dreadful kiss, but Nora’s convinced that her first kiss with her soulmate will shake the earth, so she’s never pursued anything further with Eli. Eli, knowing all about her theory, has never bothered to pursue anything, either, for fear of the inevitable rejection.

Finally, during their senior year of high school, Nora comes to a realization – maybe her crush on Eli is the reason that none of her recent kisses have been earth-shattering. Her determination to rid herself of that pesky crush makes Eli’s competitive nature flare up, and now’s he’s determined to get her to fall for him and reconsider her theory.

Here’s the thing – Entangled Teen books are always good. They all have the same kind of vibe to them that makes me remember only the best parts of high school. The First Kiss Hypothesis is no exception. Nora and Eli were great friends who I rooted for from the first few pages. Their friendship felt very natural and I loved how they just fit together. This isn’t one of those “how are they possibly friends” situations. Nora and Eli were made for each other.

I liked that this story differed from the typical friends-to-lovers scenarios. Rather than worrying about “ruining the friendship,” Nora is dead-set on her theory that her soulmate will become obvious upon the first kiss. And because her first kiss with Eli was gross and disappointing, Nora pushed down her feelings for him and kissed nearly every other guy in her grade, hoping for fireworks. This was such a great twist on the usual way that this story plays out.

Now, of course, I didn’t give this book a full five stars, so there must have been something that I didn’t like. In truth, there were two things that bothered me. First, I found it a little hard to believe that these two perfectly good friends could have so much drama in their relationship. Second, talk about a slow burn! It took forever for Nora and Eli to get over themselves and get together.

Still, overall, this was a great book and I can’t wait for its follow-ups. Maybe Abby and Koviak will get their own book next.

Final rating: ★★★★☆

I received a free copy of The First Kiss Hypothesis from the publisher (via Chapter by Chapter Tours) in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book from Netgalley. THIS BOOK WAS EXTREMELY CUTE! I loved Eli and Nora! This book makes me believe someday I’ll find something like this. They totally deserve to be together.

I am a fan or best friends to lovers stories, so this was a sweet one. The characters are cute, and watching them trying to figure everything out was fun. Plus, a book where PFE, or pie fixes everything, has to be sweet. Good read!
* arc provided by netgalley for honest review

I really enjoyed this fun YA read. It's very well written with great characters and a fun storyline.

Nora Reid is certain she has a fool proof method for finding her one true love. Just like when her grandparents first met, she's certain the first kiss will let her know when she's found him. Her best friend Eli Costas thinks she's crazy and just because they had a bad kissing experience when they were 13 doesn't mean they are meant to be together. Now he just has to prove to Nora that her Hypothesis is wrong!!

An excellent read I definitely recommend.

Nora and Eli have been best friends for years, even after a disastrous first kiss in the 8th grade. Nora has a hypothesis that a first kiss will be enough to tell her if she's meant to be with someone. Since the kiss with Eli did not go well, she is sure they are not meant to be more than friends. Eli, though, is determined to prove her wrong.

Christina Mandelski has written one of the most realistic YA books I have read in awhile. While the romance is a central plot point, there was also struggles with school, scholarships, friendships, and family. She did a great job showing both Nora and Eli's internal struggles and growth throughout the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty delightful book. Nora is a sweet quirky character. She is a romantic and a scientist. Which do not necessarily go hand and hand. Nora has this idea that the person she is supposed to be with, she will share this amazing first kiss with. The type of first kiss that is knock you on your feet special. Her hypothesis is that whomever she experiences this type of kiss with is the one. My biggest problem with this is that she claims she is a scientist. A hypothesis is supposed to be proven or disproven. She would only allow for it to be proven. As a result she has had many first kisses and then was pretty much done with the guy. She is so stubborn in her opinion that she closed herself off from the one person she actually does like. Eli is a great character. I really liked how he went out of his way to show Nora that maybe she is wrong. I enjoyed reading from his point of view. I also really loved the chemistry between Nora and Eli. The back and forth banter they have is fun. Overall, this book is a quick cute read that I found to be funny and entertaining

Nora and Eli have known each other for years and what keeps them from being more than friends is Nora's scietific hypothesis - the first kiss will tell you if the guy is the one. Nora already shared her not so pertect kiss with Eli but still she can't stop thinking about him.
I gave this novel three stars mostly because the plot is the same as in so many other YA books. They are neighbours, they are in love, they are not sure if the other feels the same, then there is change of action when they are angry at each other and then they successfully keep their relationship going even though they study in different cities. No surprises here. The only thing that I really enjoyed were the hilarious exchanges between characters.

I gave this book 2.5 stars. There were some parts of this book that I did really like, but it was just overshadowed by the things I didn’t like.

I was really enjoying this book up until Eli started acting like he had some right to Nora. Just because he was her friend and did nice things for her and even though she really liked him, she didn’t know what she as doing so she didn’t show him. And him being an asshole, thought that just because he loved her and tried to show her that, she should just fall into his arms and then got pissed off when she didn’t. Eli is a jerk and I couldn’t get on board with those two getting together.

This book has a lot of the classic contemporary elements that I love, but it’s outweighed by things I didn’t really like at all. Such as one of Nora’s friendships that had a lot of problems, but then we never get into a solution. It’s like the author just gave it up in order to focus on the romance element of the book.

There is a huge family element implemented in the story too and that is the part I loved the most. These characters are so connected to their families and no matter what they want to stand by them. I especially love Eli’s relationship with his little brother, Ari. Ari was probably my favorite character. He was just a kid but he seemed to have everything figure out because to him it was just that simple.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I found some things just too problematic for me to find enjoyable. If it sounds interesting to you, you should go for it, but I can’t say that I give it my stamp of approval.

3.5 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

Well that was an up and down ride!!  It started off really strong, I absolutely adored the author's voice in this one.  There was a bit of sassiness and snark that was delightful.  I spent time both loving and hating BOTH characters, but in this case (unlike my previous read), I'm happy to say they redeemed themselves and showed those two words I love in characters: GROWTH AND CHANGE!

Nora was an intriguing, if frustrating, heroine!  It's funny, b/c at first I thought she was going to be really snarky, but that didn't really last.  I felt for the damage she sustained from her divorced parents, and their rather toxic relationship.  I also liked that it wasn't something we saw that much (as we never met the father), but you could see the damage in so many subtle little ways...not the least of which was her ridiculous hypothesis.  As a reader, I found it really hard to watch her hang onto her theory with such a tightfisted grip.  But I guess she really wanted to believe she could avoid her mother's mistake.  I sometimes think the smartest people can just not see the most obvious things sometimes.  Hence the frustrating part of Nora.  She also had a bit of high school damage.  By holding on to this theory, and testing it out on all the boys, she'd kind of alienated herself from many of her fellow students...and my heart broke for her trying to navigate that.

Eli was just as intriguing, and honest to god, just as frustrating...but in a completely different way.  I had completely different expectations for this story, and particularly for Eli.  I honestly thought he was always in love with her, and figured this was his chance.  But it's not quite that.  Quite frankly, that confused and frustrated me.  If he just knew he loved her and was finally making his move, I'd have been immediately on board (I love those stories).  But he was so confusing!!  And confused!  He wanted to get another chance with Nora and he wanted to prove her hypothesis wrong using himself as an example, but he kept initially framing it as though that was all he wanted...like for her own good, so she wouldn't be lonely.  But dude, that's kind of dickish.  And so I was confused how that was going to go.  And worried.  But I'll get back to that in a moment.  I was also startled by his personality and attitude sometimes.  I expected a more laidback sweet guy, and he wasn't quite that.  Honestly, he actually felt like a really realistic depiction of a teenage guy.  He had all this anger bottled up sometimes...which from what I understand from my husband is a common teenage boy problem, testosterone and all.  He didn't always appreciate his parents.  He wasn't the most tactful with Nora.  It was odd.  And yet I still liked him.  He still had these great moments.  And I guess I kind of liked that he was a bit oblivious to his own feelings, at least it was different.

I was honestly REALLY concerned when I got to what I thought was the climax.  Eli behaved VERY BADLY.  Like, a total jerky douchebag.  Like, yelling and sneering.  I was ready to wash my hands of the story, I didn't think it could turn around.  But there was more story left than I had anticipated.  And you know what?  To my GREAT surprise, I actually appreciated how the story played out afterwards.  I'm still not super impressed with how Eli handled that particular moment, but I actually felt like I saw him go through all the emotions after that.  I saw him grow up a bit.  I saw him make realizations.  And Nora too!  I was freaking ecstatic with the final scene!  Like it was actually everything I was wanting!  I was shocked!  I'm not saying everyone will be happy with it...just like I'm not saying everyone will have as big a problem with the climax.  But it worked for ME.

As an aside, can I say that I really liked a lot of the secondary characters??  The parents were actually pretty great.  Flawed, but great.  Eli's friend, Koviak, was cooler than I was expecting...  And even Tex was an OK character.  Abby was meh though.  BUT the secondary character star for me was Eli's little brother (who is on the autism spectrum).  Both Eli and Nora showed their best selves with Ari.  And he was just kind of delightful.

So yeah.  I thought this was going to be a 3 star.  But I'm even rounding up!  Just shows how important a great ending is.

the first kiss hypothesis is simple. kiss a guy and if it's the right guy you'll know from the kiss.

nora is into science and facts and biology and controlling the outcomes in her life to minimize hurt and heartbreak. it's a noble goal. it's also incredibly naive and short-sighted. her big problem with her hypothesis is that she's had to endure a lot of bad kisses. but the worst one was the one she sprang on her best friend, eli, when they were in the eighth grade. she had a huge crush on him. and if he turned out to be the one it would have been perfect.

but this kiss was so poorly timed. and it was so terrible. and for nora it was clear, eli wasn't the one.

eli feels differently about the kiss. not about how terrible it was. but about its significance in determining whether or not they were right for each other. since that kiss he's had to endure nora kissing every other guy. and it's their senior year and it's looking like they won't even be going to the same school. and eli realizes it's his last chance to change nora's mind about this hypothesis and give him a second chance.

nora and eli's friendship is a beautiful thing. and i really enjoyed reading about them together. but between nora's hypothesis and eli's semi-terrible plan you kind of want to knock their heads together. literally everyone else in this book knows that nora and eli are meant for each other. even eli knows. nora for all her smarts is so dumb about this, it's maybe a little frustrating.

because she is so stubborn about this hypothesis.

luckily, eli is stubborn too.

there's also pie. pie that fixes everything. i've never had black-bottomed pie but it sounds intriguing.

When I saw a science term in the title, I jumped at the opportunity to read this book, and I was really glad I did, because this one gave me miles of smiles.

•Pro: First and foremost, this was a friends-to-more story, and I love those.

•Pro: These two had soooooo much history, ten years worth, to be exact, and Mandelski gifted us with lovely flashbacks that were meaningfully woven into the story.

•Pro: Of course I liked Nora. Any girl that in love with science will always rate high on my list.

•Pro: I was immediately cheering for Eli to succeed in his plot to win Nora's heart and get out of the friend zone. He committed some very sweet and adorable acts that had some swoon. How could I not want him to get the girl?

•Pro: Eli's friend, Koviak, actually grew on me. At first, I thought he was a total meathead, but as I saw him interact with Eli more, I realized he had a little depth, and he was a really good friend to Eli too.

•Con: I cannot say the same for Nora's friend, Abby. She sort of disappointed me.

•Pro: The "Hail Mary" plan was one of my favorite parts. It was classic and rom-com worthy. I think I almost squealed, I enjoyed it so much.

•Pro: There were a lot of great family moments. Between Nora's grandma, Eli's adorable little brother, their moms, and Eli's dad, who sort of reminded me a little of my own, I felt like Nora and Eli were in good hands with such an awesome support system.

•Pro: I am always elated to see an epilogue, but this one really made me happy. I loved the symbolic thing they did together, and that's all I am saying, because it was so sweet.

•Pro: Did I mention what a large role pie plays in this story? Yes, because "PFE - pie fixes everything".

Overall: An adorable and sweet friends-to-more story, filled with sports, science, memories, and lots of pie.

Completely sweet and enjoyable read for young adults.

A somewhat cute read, though I wasn't really a fan of the Eli. That being said I loved Nora's character and how invested she was in her experiment and in science in general, it was really refreshing to see a female character actively interested in pursuing a science program. I also connected with Nora's anxiety when it came to driving as this is something that I still struggle with today. And finally while I wasn't the biggest fan of Eli's POV, I did adore his younger brother, Ari and it was fun seeing his interactions with Eli and Nora. I'm generally a fan of the friends to lovers tropes especially in YA novels, unfortunately this one just wasn't for me.

Fun read with a lot of pie. Nora and Eli are very cute together and have been friends as well as neighbors since they were little. Nora is trying to find the right guy by kissing them all and seeing if the earth moves. She had tried with Eli when they were younger but it was a miss due to a ill-timed kiss and Coke. Their relationship has a pretty good base with them helping each other with life but it hits a bump when they each realize that they want to be more than friends. Of course, they just can't come out and say that to each other. I really enjoyed this one the most from Eli's POV. His relationship with his team and his brother was a plus for me. Nora was a bit stiff with her science for me and her fear of driving drove me nuts. If she was so science-y she would have figured out what happened to make her afraid of driving was just something that happened. This would have been a five if I had liked Nora a bit more. Received an ARC for which I voluntarily provided an honest review.