This book was the breath of fresh air I needed! It was fun, it was original and it just made me so happy while reading it!
I loved Wren and Derick figuring out who they are while also fighting to save something they loved with the most lovable cast of quirky characters! . Two men not knowing who they really are and discovering it along the way was done in such a heartfelt way. This is one queer romance that everyone should read! Beautifully written, this book pulls at your heartstrings and brings out laughter and tears in the best way!
An absolute dazzling debut book that puts any movie to shame!

This was a fun New Adult Romance that I liked more than I thought I would.

It started out a little cringy, and I was afraid that it would continue. However, once I got past the first few chapters, it got interesting. I liked the main characters and they seemed to have reasons for what they did. The side characters were not super fleshed out, but they weren't flat either.

The demisexual representation was really well done, the best I've ever seen. And the dialog was entertaining.

The plot:
"Wren Roland has never been kissed, but he wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything. Feeling nostalgic on the eve of his birthday, he sends emails to all the boys he (ahem) loved before he came out. A feel-good summer LGBTQIA+ New Adult RomCom, perfect for fans of Red White & Royal Blue, Boyfriend Material, and What If It's Us."

When I read the plot of this book, I was immediately excited for a queer To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Unfortunately, that aspect of the story was sort of squished in at the beginning, and the rest of the book actually had nothing to do with the emails he sends out to the boys.

The book itself was a little slow, with a low investment of the characters, but I never felt like I didn't want to keep reading. There were some very sweet moments, but ultimately, this book felt a little forgettable. I would definitely consider reading future books by Janovsky, as I think he has some room to grow as an author, but I can't give this one higher than 2 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the E-ARC of Never Been Kissed In exchange for an honest review.

Drag queens. Taylor Swift references. Having my mind take a walk down the memory lane of my college memories and I’m honestly just SO SMITTEN with these characters: Wren, Mateo, Avery, Derek and Alice (my college roommate is still to this day my bff like Mateo and Wren).

Wren is a 22 year old cinephile who just graduated with a bachelors in film studies working at his home town drive in for the seventh summer in a row. Also, Wren has never been kissed and he’s waiting for a cinematic masterpiece of a first kiss. The perfect moment under the stars with bursting fireworks where the movie score leads up to THAT moment.

This book in the beginning is really reminiscent of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before By: Jenny Hahn but instead of letters mailed by someone else there a drafted emails sent in one swift drunken decision.

Derek Haverford is one of Wren’s almost kisses, on the receiving end of one of those emails and to make matters worse he drops a bombshell on Wren that they’re going to be working together all summer.

Memories buzz. Feelings develop. Time is spent with Wren’s chosen family and also with an old Hollywood actress and director (and fiesty as all hell; which I LOVE) turned recluse named Alice X when Wren embarks on a mission to show her pulled film debut at the drive-in to stir up business and improve the finances to keep the place open (and oh the nostalgia of every summer I spent with my best friends at the drive-in).

This queer romance debut is just so, so GOOD. The romance novels I love the most are the ones where you get to see the main characters grow together and you understand their connection and affection and this book did it so well. I’ve read quite a few books with Demisexual MC’s over the last few years and this is one of my favorites.

I loved the way this book tackled demisexuality (a sexuality on the asexual spectrum): explicitly stating it, breaking it down, defining it and letting Wren come to terms with his identity. Sharing it on his on terms after learning about what it is and what it means.

This books left my heart bursting and full. It is a stunning and delightfully queer debut, I highly recommend checking this book out! I actually went ahead and pre-ordered the audio book on Audible because I can’t wait to hear my phone read me this delightful story to me as I drive to work or bake or before bed. I LOVED this book. All of the stars.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5 stars
I’ve been super excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. The representation is great, the characters are lovable, messy and flawed. It’s nice to see characters react in the moment and mess up sometimes rather than being ‘’perfect.’’
The ending is amazing and I loved reading this book, it was hard to put down. I can’t wait for it to hit the shelves and to be able to buy.

I had the immense privilege of getting to read an early copy of this book, and oh my goodness! Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year! Janovsky's voice crackles off the page in this hilarious book that brings both the rom and the com! I laughed out loud multiple times, I swooned, and I rooted for Wren and Derrick, as well as Wren himself on his journey of self-discovery.

I love seeing increased aspec representation in the romance genre, and this book's nuanced handling of demisexuality made my queer heart melt. This is the kind of queer story we deserve! While this book is low on steam, it's big on heart, and it's a book I know I'll be thinking about for a long, long time. I highly recommend it, and I can't wait for Janovsky's next book!

I had an up and down journey with this book, but it happily ended on the up part of that journey.

The first quarter of the book didn't grab me, and in fact felt like it actively did things to turn me off. Wren's friends feel something like caricatures. Avery in particular felt like an adult trying to write what a young, hip girl speaks like. People do not talk in text speak acronyms, I cringed every time the book tried to believably sell me that this girl was walking around saying "WTH" or "PYOT".

Wren also began the book by being a bit of a giant ass, and I felt myself screaming inside every time he wouldn't just let Derick speak. I know it's a consequence of the genera, but the first 10 chapters could have been wrapped up in half that amount if they had an actual conversation.

Luckily, once that conversation does happen and the friends become more of background characters, the book really takes off. I loved the slow way that Wren and Derick's relationship grew, and the eventual milestones they reached felt well won.

The true star of the show is goddess and icon Alice Kelly. She eats up every scene she's in and I love her. I found myself more invested in her story at times than I did the rest of the book.

The end was a bit abrupt, and the conflict resolution that drove the entire back half of the book just seemed to happen because it *needed* to for the story to end happily, rather than anything that happened in the book leading to it.

Overall, I found the book to be a fun and light hearted read once I got past the barriers that were keeping me from fully enjoying it. It's a sweet, fun, low stakes romance and leaves you smiling. It's a romcom through and through, even though I don't think it exactly lives up to the movie the book borrows its title from.

E-ARC provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

4.5 stars. Perhaps its because I read Never Been Kissed at the right time, but reading this debut felt exactly like being on a drive-in movie theater date with a boy you've loved forever: wholesome, heart-squeezing, and comforting all at once.

eARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4/5
Sooo adorable and laugh-out-loud funny. This book was very busy and entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This novel balances heavily on the line between Young Adult and Adult RomCom. It's pitched as New Adult, which couldn't be more accurate for the tone and writing style used.

Our main character, Wren, is developing his sexuality in terms of possibly identifying with the label of demisexual (There's a ton of LGBTQ+ rep in this novel!!). Hence the title, he has not had his first kiss and is already in his twenties. Then there's the shock of the internship of his former crush that will be happening at Wiley's Drive-In. Being a film nerd and knowing that Wiley's is in jeopardy, instead of a calm summer at Wiley's before pursuing other things in the film industry, Wren is pulling out all the strings in his attempt to save Wiley's-- the one drive-in his small town that he's grown up loving so much.

Except Derick might be a small distraction.

Without giving spoilers, I truly loved this novel. The only reason for a deduction of a star was because of a slight pacing/length issue. I wanted a little more of the romance of Derick and Wren before we jumped into the wholesome epilogue. I did enjoy the subplot of Alice's story/Saving Wiley's but wanted a little more "screentime" (Pun intended) of Derick and Wren.

I would recommend Never Been Kissed to anyone who is looking for a fun new romcom that shows not everyone always has every part of their lives planned out from the day they turn eighteen. You still could be understanding how to adult and even understanding yourself well into your twenties.

Four of Five Stars, read in March 2022, Publication for May 3rd, 2022

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy to review!

I loved the main character's voice throughout this story. It has the typical plot you would expect out of a romcom, but stays fun and enjoyable the entire way through. When I'm looking for a romance to add to my shelf or to reread, I always gravitate to original characters with voices that make the themes I'm already familair with feel new. Janovsky does that with this, and it was exactly the feel-good humor I want from the genre. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a light read that checks your queer romcom boxes. It also touches the experience of a young gay man who's on the other side of the closet, but still has some baggage to work through before moving forward. It's a book where queer readers can see themselves in print, and for that reason alone I'll shove it into as many patrons arms as possible.

I really liked a lot about this book. I loved seeing an older protagonist struggle with sexuality and how sex factors into what they want out of a relationship. We rarely see post-high school protagonists who haven't had their first kiss, or who don't want sex immediately out of a relationship. I thought something was wrong for me for so long, until I was introduced to the world of asexual identity and I love seeing that identity represented in varying ways. Not everyone has a friend with a gender study degree who can help us figure things out, which is why talking about queer orientations outside of the hyper-sexual is so so so important, and I loved seeing it represented with such kindness and grace. I think that this book as been incorrectly labeled as romance though. This is a book. about Wren figuring out what life looks like post-college and his romantic relationships are only part of that. Romance novels are books about relationship, and this book is not about Wren and Dericks relationship. So if you go into this expecting that type of book you're not going to get what you want. If you go into this thinking of it more as a character study, or a piece of lit-fic that skews to the romance genre you will probably understand the piece better.

Sweet Home Alabama. 10 Things I Hate About You. The Prince and Me.
These are some of my favorite rom coms. To this day, I pull them out and watch them when I’ve had a bad day/need a feel-good moment.
Janovsky’s “Never Been Kissed” captures the essence of your favorite 2000s rom com (but make it gay) and puts it on paper. This is absolutely a must-read, multiple read throughs, all-time favorite contemporary romance novel. I am beyond elated that I was able to read an early copy. I can’t WAIT for this to come out and for everyone to be able to experience Wren’s story!

Never Been Kissed
Hilarious, emotional, so romantic. This novel hits that sweet spot between teenage years and “real adulthood” and the confusion that comes with it. It’s not a coming of age or coming out story, but it is what comes after all of that.
Demisexuality (honestly anywhere on the ace spectrum) is so underrepresented so this was an exciting surprise to follow Wren’s journey to figuring out his sexuality and how he defines it. As a fellow demi, I don’t think I’ve felt so seen while reading before.
Janovsky writes funny characters who care so, so much and he does a wonderful job of exploring the connections between them. I can’t wait to read what he releases next.
Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a review.

3.5 Stars

This was a cute book. It was good, I liked the characters, I liked the premise, but for me it was just good, not great.
I think that maybe what didn’t quite work for me was that there is A LOT going on in this book. I feel like I can’t really mention much because of spoilers, but there is just a lot.

Geez, I don’t even know if I can do a synopsis without spoiling it… 😅

I guess, the book is about Wren who has just graduated from film school and is heading back to his hometown to work at the drive-in for the summer. He’s also hoping to have his first kiss, as he’s now 22 and it hasn’t happened yet. He drunkenly sends out emails to the 4 guys he had almost kisses with, thinking/hoping this might start something. Kinda cringy, but ya know, he’s 22 and trying to figure his shit out.

Like I said, over the course of the summer A LOT happens; discoveries are made, movies are screened, Wren starts figuring out his shit.

One thing I didn’t like was that the author used the term ‘totem pole’ when Wren is talking about the long list of things they’re been neglecting to update at the drive-in. Using that term really isn’t cool, especially when there are so many other terms you could use instead, without appropriating Indigenous culture.

Overall, this was a pretty light read and I did enjoy it. I’ll definitely read his second book when it comes out in the fall.

Twenty-two year old Wren Roland has never been kissed and he is ok with that. There have been some almosts, four to be exact, but something always went wrong. Maybe it was the guy? Maybe it was not being out? Maybe it was…him?

After celebrating another kiss-less year, tipsy Wren makes that cringeworthy mistake—he opens his draft emails and sends his ‘why didn’t we kiss’ notes to the four almosts. Unfortunately for Wren, one of those almosts is Derick, and they will be working together at Wiley’s Drive-in all summer.

As Wren and Derick stumble through the summer together, they take on cranky movie producers, an exhausted business owner, homophobic parents, and a growing realization that they may want that almost to become a reality.

Timothy Janovsky’s debut New Adult love story is cute and has just enough angst to keep the reader on their toes.

So cute! Like reading a 90s rom-com.

Wren has never been kissed but he always thinks back to his what if kisses… Enter number one on that list Derick, who is now working with him at his favorite place on earth? The drive-in is Wren’s second home, where he grew up, and learned to love movies. Now that streaming is up, drive-in sales are down. Can Wren save his favorite place by enlisting local director and famous recluse, Alice Kelly?

This story has fun characters, chosen family, and a lot of heart! Wren is relatable and has the nostalgic heart of a sweetie. It dragged just a bit at the end for me but overall was really enjoyable!

This is a very solid romcom, there's a lot to love about this book. I especially loved the demisexual rep - as an asexual person I was very happy to see a romance novel that isn't necessarily steamy. I have to admit I was hoping for this to be a 5 star read, but I didn't quite get there in terms of emotional investment. But that's a very subjective thing and this book was still really enjoyable! I especially loved the dialogues, they were so much fun to read.

DNF @ 42%. Started this weeks ago and I have no desire to continue. Nothing wrong with it per se, I just can't get into it.

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Never Been Kisses by Timothy Janovsky is the delightful lgbtq rom-com about Wren Roland who has never been kissed and refuses to have his first time be anything other than magically fabulous. Derick Haverford, an old crush from who Wren nearly received that first kiss, is now interning at the drive-in theater where Wren is manager. Wren and Derick find themselves drawn closer together as they struggle to save the theater from greedy developers. Will Wren ever receive that perfect kiss before the final credits roll? ⠀
⠀
Never Been Kissed is the perfect book for anyone in search of a romantically sweet and hilariously funny feel-good read. Janovsky’s prose sparkle with a unique style of wit. The characters are complex and abundantly adorable. Other than the occasional pacing issue, the plot is textbook rom-com. This is the author’s debut novel, but a second book in the series will be available in October. I certainly hope to be fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy since I can hardly wait for another dose of Janovsky’s style of romance. ⠀