This is a different kind of romance. There is romance, danger and fear. The plot kept my interest and the characters were good. I felt the book was a little too wordy and there was a lot of interaction between all the characters. I was drawn into the story and was intrigued by the plot. I was bogged in all the conversation and it all started with one kiss. Laurie and Kate had feelings for one another with one kiss but there was a problem which became the focus of the story.
I would recommend this story for romance readers who like a plot with a twist. and some romance
I received this book from Net galley for an unbiased review. .

I found ‘The Kiss’ to be a good story but I wouldn’t say it was one of my favourites.
The story centres upon Kate who is trying to set up a new life for her and her daughter after a terrible marriage to Wendy. However her possessive and manipulative ex just won’t let them go and continues to stalk and threaten Kate and those close to her. Previous to the beginning of the book she shared an incredible kiss with Leslie, but Kate knows that getting close to someone new could put them in danger and so she shys away.
I did like the way Popovich constructs Kate and Leslie as individual characters because if that chemistry and care was not there between them it would make for a very unrealistic relationship considering Kate’s situation. Instead the dynamic between them and Kate’s daughter feels very natural and entirely plausible.
The downside I found with this book however was the lack of flow in the writing; personally I found it quite steppy and that takes away from the tension that could have been created whilst Wendy is around. The story had all of the ingredients to feel a bit more intense but the choppiness hindered it from being a really great read for me.

You want out and your wife does not. So, what are your opinions? Do you even have any options? You will have to read the story to find out. The story line is engaging but as the story unfolded, I drifted in and out of the read. The repetition was getting to me. The story as presented was choppy.

Leslie Baily, future family restaurant owner. Leslie is a good person with alot of love for family. Katie Willis, mother of 3-year old, needs to get way from her abusive environment. The topic was tough to read but I learned alot as I "listened" to the story..

I really love the cover of this book!

I knew this story was going to be a little scary, because it is dealing with an abusive, possessive ex who is not ready to let go. The push-pull between Kate, trying to get her ex to leave her alone, and Leslie, who has only known "wholesome" family circumstances, creates such tension, it's hard to know what to expect, page by page.

Leslie's matter-of-fact reactions to the ex's actions make it hard to tell if she realizes the seriousness of it - why should she? Most don't, until they've been in it. But she handles it all surprisingly well.

The sex scenes were done very well and I liked the ending of the book.

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher, and am giving an honest review.

I’m Surprised by some of the reviews of this book. I found it believable and heartbreaking (for example when she thinks that she has to go back with Wendy to save Leslie). I have been in a similar situation so maybe that was why I found it quite tense.
I liked the romance and I liked both Kate and Leslie as well as Leslie’s family. I thought the book was very well written amd didn’t want to put it down

I enjoyed this story with it's twists issues that need to be set with. there is some slow burn, and a lot of sweet and growth with the characters.

This book wasn't my favorite for a couple of reasons: I don't really think I connected with any of the characters, so that's probably on me. I did enjoy reading it though, it had definitely had some strong points but I'm not sure if I would re read it. I would read the author's other works though.

This was good from a suspenseful point of view, because there's quite a bit throughout this book. I felt that the romance between Kate and Leslie was secondary to the abusive and violent behavior of Kate's ex whom she's trying to get away from, but apparently Wendy, Kate's ex won't let her go. There's a lot of stalking from said ex and it's not just directed at Kate, but also to anyone who tries to help or who Wendy perceived as a threat to her hold on Kate. I felt that some parts of the story was drawn out a little too much and that the epilogue at the end was probably not needed, because it kind of rehashed what had already been resolved at the end of the story this is just my opinion. I would definitely read more books from this author and I would recommend this to my friends and family.

An emotional and angsty read, not typical of the standard lesfic, but for that reason it stands out. I enjoyed getting to the know the characters, and finding out what would happen. It's a rather unique book, but for that reason, I'd encourage you to give it a go! Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Kate is about to finalize her divorce from an abusive ex and finally in a place where she is ready to start a relationship with the woman she met and kissed while on a hike 6 months ago. Leslie hasn’t been able to get Kate off her mind since their impromptu kiss and Kate’s disappearance after. Unfortunately Kate’s almost ex wife shows up and starts stalking Kate throwing a wrench into Leslie and Kate’s plans for their future.
Unfortunately this one wasn’t a hit for me. I felt the narrative was very disjointed and the timeline hard to follow. There was one part where Leslie and Kate say goodbye at a restaurant and then Kate packs up her daughters leftovers only to then knock on Leslie’s front door in the next sentence and somehow Leslie is there to answer even though they just left her at the restaurant. Even without these timeline issues the Wendy storyline was not very realistic, I can’t believe that a drunk woman who always seems to be lurking would be that difficult for anyone to find and catch, especially if she is violating a restraining order so consistently. I really hated that Kate attempts to go back to Wendy to save Leslie as well as the fact that Leslie’s genius idea to catch Wendy is to install security cameras. Seems to me that would have been a basic first step in a situation like this and it was already said that Kate’s sister also had cameras at her home. Overall this just didn’t work for me, I have enjoyed other books by this author so hopefully this was a one off.

The premise of the story sounded quite interested. however, I just could not connect with the story. The characters and the dialogue just weren't working for me. Sorry to say this but I DNF this book.
2.5 stars


Thank you BSB and NetGalley for this ARC.

Well I made it to the fourth chapter and I just couldn’t go on. Usually Ms Popovich’s books are very enjoyable reads but…
Leslie Baily is an only child and helps run the restaurant her family has owned for years. She’s at an age where she’s looking for more than a date, she wants a relationship. Just last year while on a hike with a group of friends she met a woman that she was instantly attracted to. Hell they even kissed. But after that very short interaction, Kate disappeared from her life. Apparently Leslie can’t stop thinking and longing for time with Leslie.
Kate Willis was married, mother of a little girl and in the process of getting her divorce from her abusive wife. The attraction she feel’s for Leslie is over the top. One and kiss and for the next year that’s all she can think of. Now when her divorce is finalized she again meets Leslie.
This is when I decided I couldn’t be bothered reading anymore. Now Kate feels free to tell Leslie why she disappeared. Where she disappeared to I don’t know. But she’s back from where I don’t know or care. Leslie’s father lands in the hospital and instead of calling one of her friends she just has to have Kate by her side. Keep in mind they have only talked once since meeting again.
I know relationships can sometimes move fast but this is ridiculous. The plot is just too strange. If their meeting led to the two women dating and getting to know each other, great. The writing is very chopped up. All over the place. Having said all that, keep in mind Ms Popovich can and has published some pretty good reads. This is not one of them. Please read other reviews. Some fellow reviewers might have had a completely different experience.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

C.A. Popovich always seems to have great story ideas. She also creates settings for her books that make me want to visit those places. Both of these things are true for her latest novel, The Kiss.

The premise of this book sounded really interesting. There are so many things you can do with the story of a woman fleeing an abusive relationship with her three-year-old daughter only to find herself being stalked by the ex, just as she finds someone who might be “The One” for her. The trouble is, I had several reservations about the actual story as it is written.

My first problem was with “the kiss” itself. We don’t really get to see it in the tale. The prologue shows Kate packing and leaving secretly with her daughter Portia. The first chapter of the book happens a year later after they are settled and living near her sister in Michigan. The kiss occurs six months after they leave and six months before Chapter One. I don’t like that. While not technically wrong, I think the reader should be able to see the day Kate and Leslie meet and have their first kiss. It’s important enough to use as the title of the book. It bothered me that I could only see this through brief flashbacks in the plot. I was also unhappy with some of the decisions Kate and Leslie made about dating while they knew Kate’s ex had found her and was stalking them both. Actually, I didn’t agree with many of Kate’s actions in the novel.

The book as a whole kept my interest, and I liked the ending. However, the problems mentioned above keep me from being able to recommend it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I really don’t know about this one. The writing is choppy, I feel like it has continuity issues and the story is just bland.

Kate is fleeing from her abusive (soon to be) ex-wife. She shared a magical first kiss months ago with a woman she just met on a hike, Leslie, and Kate fled. They meet again at a speed dating event. They are instantly in love or something but Kate doesn’t want to put anyone in harms way with her stalker of an ex.
I feel no tension or fear or anything really when it comes to this ex. It has to do with the writing, it’s choppy, it really is the best way to describe it. It should pull you in but just doesn’t.
The development of the romance is weird to me. And the book is just not really enjoyable.

I can be a scatterbrain at times but this book is of a whole different level. I was constantly lost and confused. I wouldn’t say the book is all over the place, because it isn’t really, but it lacks consistency and continuity.
Just not a good read for me 2 stars.

I'm afraid I found this book rather bland. Kate is being stalked by her ex but despite some of the actions taken by the ex the story never seems to get really tense. The romance between Kate and Lesley meanders along interspersed with the ex's attempts to get Kate back. Again it never seems to get really exciting.

Not a bad read, but not a great read either. I had some issues with the development of the feelings when it comes to both parties. I get that they shared a magical kiss during a hike a couple of months ago, but that didn't fit with the depth and rapid development of the relationship in my opinion.
The stalker plot was a bit too much and mainly used I believe to let Kate make, sometimes very weird, decisions in order to create the necessary problems and bumps in the road any romance has.
In short, I am a little indifferent about this book. I am sure some readers will enjoy this more than I did and it's not so badly written that I would discourage anyone from picking it up. It just wasn't for me.

*** Thank you Netgalley en Bold Stroke Books for the chance to read and review this book ***

Oh, I don’t know about this one. Another review mentioned a choppy type of writing style and I agree. It almost felt as though there was no continuity throughout the story. I felt as though the “bad guy” was a little too unbelievable. I mean, I didn’t notice any grammatical errors or anything like that, this just wasn’t the right book for me at the moment. It was a nice happy ending but getting there was rough, from both the main characters perspective and my own as the reader.

In THE KISS we find Kate Willis looking to leave her marriage after attempts to work things out. Her soon to be ex wife isn't going to accept Kate leaving.
Kate will have to find a safe place for her and her young daughter. That is easier said then done.
She soon meets Leslie Bailey that she is drawn to but knows it may no be safe for either of them.
Kate doesn't want to put anyone at risk but how long can she wait?
How long will it take her ex to find them and what lengths will she go to get Kate back.
Can Leslie convince her or help?
This is another great read by C.A. Popovich that I enjoyed.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Boldstrokesbooks for this advanced copy.

As the book starts off Kate and Leslie already know each another and have been on the hiking trip via the LGBTQ+ Meetup group where they have shared an incredible kiss. They are drawn to each other, but Kate's soon to be ex-wife, Wendy, arrives in town and begins to stalk Kate. As Kate and Leslie begin to grow closer, Wendy also sets her target on Leslie. Thankfully, Kate's three-year-old daughter, Portia, who Kate had prior to her relationship with Wendy, is spared Wendy's wrath.

Overall, the book moved quickly but the choppy writing style just wasn't to my liking. The scenes moved very quickly from one subject to the next. Although I have thankfully never been in Kate's situation, I highly question a number of the decisions that Kate made throughout the story to evidently protect people that she loved. But I guess if she would have faced the issue head=on we wouldn't have had much of a story. Finally, since the narrative started well past Kate and Leslie's original meeting, I didn't get a strong sense of a romantic nature between the two characters until later in the story. 3 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kate and Leslie met on a hiking trip and they share a memorable kiss. At that time she was dealing with her abusive wife Wendy and now she at a place where she ready to start living again. Although she still has Wendy to worry about she trying to keep her and daughter Portia safe. Leslie wonder what she did for Kate to leave so abruptly when she learns why she vow to be there for Kate and Portia.

This was a good read. Although Kate made some stupid choices when it came to safety because to me she would’ve been safe at her sister house but I understand why she didn’t want to put her sister and her family in danger.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.