2.5/5 stars!
At the age of 43, Kate finds herself contentedly single, yet amidst the jubilant atmosphere of New Year's Eve, surrounded by blissful couples, she succumbs to the allure of a resolution: this year, she'll find "someone to kiss" before the next New Year's Eve. However, while the central premise of the narrative revolves around Kate's quest for companionship, the romantic element remains surprisingly subdued. Although Kate's confidante, Julie, garners a few chapters, their inclusion feels somewhat tangential to the main plotline, lacking significant contribution. Conversely, I found myself yearning for more insights into Julie's brother, Ben, whose presence completes their intimate circle.

Predictably, the culmination of Kate's journey towards love is discernible well in advance, leading to a sense of anticipation that lingers until a relatively late juncture—96% into the book—when Kate experiences her long-awaited epiphany. Despite the novel's comedic flair, particularly in its depiction of the trials and tribulations of online dating, the repetitive cycle of disappointing encounters throughout the narrative tends to overshadow the potential for deeper exploration of romantic themes.

Nonetheless, amidst the humorous anecdotes and failed romantic escapades, Kate undergoes significant personal growth. She learns the importance of asserting herself, setting boundaries, and ultimately, embracing her individuality with newfound confidence. While the narrative trajectory hints at a wealth of untapped potential, the execution falls short of fully engaging my interests.

This was so fun!! I really enjoyed reading this and I would definitely read more from this author again! This book would benefit from another round of edits but I don't think it affected my enjoyment a lot.

4 stars

I enjoyed this book! I really liked that the heroine is in her 40s and the FMC, Kate kind of gives me Bridget Jones’ vibes. The characters were well written and loved how the author wrote about mental health and anxiety.

***3.5 ⭐️***

One woman makes a goal to have someone to kiss on New Year's Eve and has one year to achieve it. One woman wants to get her sense of self-worth back, instead of drowning it. One man has always stood by them both, quietly, as an observer.

Kate has the most disastrous luck with online dating, and the number of duds she comes across is laugh out loud funny - anyone who has tried online dating before will relate to Kate's uphill struggle in finding "the one." Kate's character growth is exponential, but it took calling out her boss (and subsequently getting fired), having a blow-up argument with her best friend, and sleeping with a stranger to realize that what she wanted was right in front of her... for the last few decades. Unfortunately, the connection between being wrapped up in her own issues was the exact thing she called out her boss for doing as well - thereby extending this book by about 50 pages needlessly.

Julie, Kate's best friend since childhood, is a train wreck herself too. She's a shameless flirt and has random ONS from her own online profile. She makes no apologies for her intentions, and she's happy to continue doing it... but only if there's alcohol involved. Julie has carried a secret for years and has lost her true self in the process because of a persona she has created. Julie comes across as the most self-assured woman and will take down anyone else (including her best friend) to get the guy, even if it's for one night only. Julie goes through perhaps a bigger transformation than Kate does, just due to her battling some heavy demons and trying to come out unscathed on the other side.

Ben, Julie's brother, has anxiety that has riddled his life since he was a young boy. He is constantly looking out for Julie and Kate, yet harboring the biggest crush/infatuation on Kate imaginable. When he finally takes a step back from being around Kate, for his own self preservation, he drops out of the story for a good chunk of the book. Towards the end, the 3rd act drama, Ben reappears with his heart on his sleeve. It was satisfying to watch Ben comes into his own after living behind the scenes for so long. His development wasn't as focused on as the two women but still there, nonetheless.

Overall, this book was funny and sad and true to real life. I found it a little "meh" when the epiphanies were being spewed forth, and the trajectories the characters were on weren't overly surprising, as there were obvious directions the reader was being led to. I don't know if this book is the start of a series or a standalone, but I wouldn't be opposed to reading other books with Julie and Ben as the MCs (since this is mainly about Kate).

Trigger warnings: alcohol abuse, on-page sexual assault, mental health issues

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the idea of an “over 40” book because I’m approaching that age, but this one just fell. It wasn’t what I was hoping, it was more focused on finding yourself and dealing with your issues despite what life throws at you. But, watching Julie’s life from the outside as she navigated the dating scene from present day (which I could NEVER) was interesting and funny! Lots of negatives from this, but definitely a great view of what others go through in their lives. Slow burn, anxiety inducing story, but just not truly for me. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

This was fun although not something that stuck with me for long. I never wished to DNF it, which was nice.

"Someone to Kiss" by Jamie Anderson is a humorous yet heartfelt exploration of the challenges of modern dating, wrapped in the story of Kate, a forty-something cat-mom determined to find her own New Year's Eve kiss. As Kate ventures into the world of hook-up apps, speed-dating, and online messaging, she discovers that navigating the singles scene isn't as easy as she anticipated. Anderson's narrative skillfully delves into the complexities of relationships, unveiling dark secrets and highlighting the struggles of finding love in a digital age.

With a wry wit and sharp humor, "Someone to Kiss" tackles serious themes while maintaining a lighthearted tone. Kate's journey is both relatable and entertaining, capturing the essence of modern romance with authenticity and charm. Fans of Beth O'Leary, Jennifer Weiner, and JoJo Moyes will find Anderson's novel a refreshing and engaging read, offering a blend of humour, wit, and heartfelt moments that resonate long after the final page is turned.

Wow, I loved it ! The characters and the story were very heartwarming. It reminded me what hope can feel like, and that's always something to achieve in a romance.

I was not interested in this book. I didn’t finish it. I didn’t connect with the characters and wasn’t enjoying the story

Am I allowed to relate to a character that's 15 years older than me? Because I sure did. I loved this book! I think most women want that special new year's kiss. But the hardest part is obviously putting yourself out there, especially when you're an introvert. I thought this was equal parts funny and serious. I'm glad the author discussed mental health and anxiety. Of course the ending is predictable, but isn't every rom com?

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

Hey there, fellow book enthusiasts! 📚✨

As the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, Kate jotted down a resolution: to find her very own smooch partner by the next year's countdown. But hold onto your cat memes, because this forty-something cat-mom's journey to find love is a hilarious rollercoaster you won't want to miss! 🐱💑

Picture this: Kate, Netflix aficionado and self-proclaimed avoider of the dating scene, dives headfirst into the world of hook-up apps and speed-dating. Cue awkward encounters, side-splitting misadventures, and a few too many emojis in her DMs. The author's witty prose takes us through Kate's relatable escapades, all while tackling serious issues with a heartwarming touch.

And oh, the characters! Julie and Ben's perspectives add layers of depth and laughs to the narrative. From high moments to those cringe-worthy lows, I practically joined Kate's quest for love. 🍿❤️

Hats off to the author for this refreshing, chuckle-inducing take on modern romance. Can't wait to dive into Julie's story next – I'm invested in her post-life-change journey! Thanks, NetGalley, author, and publisher for this delightful ARC – this review is all heart, just like the book. 💖✨

I will be coming back to this book when I am in the right head space: for now I was not able to finish it unfortunately.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial, and I am voluntarily leaving a review; all opinions are my own.

Genre: Romance
Spice Level: medium (closed door but also talks about sex a lot because one character is on booty call)
Language: moderate swearing
Structure: 3 POV told from 3rd person

The opening scene with Kate in an embarrassing situation with being drunk put me into "cautious mode." Then all the sex talk made me wonder what I was in for with SOMEONE TO KISS. I was honestly expecting a sweet romcom.

There ended up being a lot of things I really liked about this novel. How friendship develops is a big one. The perils of online dating is another. And character growth for the three main characters.

I kept wondering if Julie's POV was necessary because it wasn't her story. She's led an interesting existence, but we also see her through the lens of Kate's POV. Ben's POV mostly focuses on himself and his perception of Kate. And Kate is kinda everywhere because it's her tale to tell. Every time Ben and Kate were together, I was on the edge of my seat.

I had hoped to see Kate's development come about a little more quickly. This is one of those books where everyone starts to catch on to what they're doing to mess up their lives at the last 20% or so of the book. It was hard for me to buy that these three main characters were in their 40s. To me, it felt like they were in their upper 20s or low 30s—and I think that's because of the lack of confidence. (But I'm drawing from my life experience where I had a kid graduating high school by the time I was in my 40s.)

So I did enjoy this book, and it's a fast read if you want a beach read with a few heavier topics shoehorned in at the end. The author is very sensitive about these heavy topics. Read to the end if you need to know more before committing with my section on content warnings.

I recommend this book about lost souls trying to figure out their lives.

Happy reading!

Content Warning: SPOILER ALERT!!! DON'T READ IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO THE STORY WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE. *The novel references a character being raped with mild descriptions. And this subject is essential to understand one of the characters. I hope this helps you decide if this book is for you.*

Addressing the topic of finding “The One” after 40 gives us a great story with Kate in the limelight after a drunken New Year’s party. This book was a sweet look into how sometimes the thing you are looking for is sometimes right in front of your face.

Someone to Kiss is a delightful and relatable romantic comedy that offers a fresh take on modern dating. Kate's journey to find love as a forty-something cat-mom is both hilarious and heartwarming. The author skillfully explores the pitfalls of navigating hook-up apps, speed-dating, and online interactions, while also addressing deeper issues. With a blend of wit and genuine emotion, this book is a must-read for fans of Beth O'Leary, Jennifer Weiner, and JoJo Moyes. It's a charming story that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Fall in love with this searching-for-love story. Kate is a forty-three-year-old woman tired of spending her time alone. On New Year's Eve, Kate gets sloppy drunk and writes a promise to herself on a napkin that she will finally have someone to kiss by next year. Kate with the help of her childhood friend Julie jumps into the world of online dating. However, online dating when you are in your forties proves to be much more complicated than it should be. When everyone else your age is looking for a hookup or is married and searching for an affair finding the one seems to be impossible. Thankfully, Kate has her friends Julie and Julie's brother Ben to help her get through the tragic end of these dates each and every time.

This book was a wonderful read that I finished in one day. Reading this book made me feel like I was watching a Katherine Heigl romance. Each chapter had me waiting to see what would happen to Kate this time. The writing told the truth about what really happens in the world of online dating. While there are some relationships that do come from online dating more often such sites are used for quick hook-ups. The writing style of this book follows a general forward-moving timeline with a few flashbacks to help explain why Kate acts the way she does. Overall the writing style of Jamie Anderson was wonderful and had me consumed from the beginning.

Someone to Kiss by Jamie Anderson

The book starts when forty something Katie has a serious wake up call the day after a New Years’s wedding and she sees herself on Facebook in a very unflattering drunk position just looking like a sad middle age woman . She finds a note written by herself on a napkin and she decides she is going to change her life and find ‘someone to kiss ‘by next year.
Helping her through the trials of online dating are her bffs Julie and her brother Ben who have known each other thirty years.

A reasonably well written book. The books descriptions of the characters and the encounters she has along the way are very well done though I did find the book very slow going and everything was crammed into the last quarter of the book. It was very repetitive and predictable though I will say that the author did deal with a number of very sensitive issues in the storyline extremely well and generally the book did seem almost more of a ‘fly on the wall’ book as opposed to fiction and some of the humour in the story did make you laugh. 3.5/5

A cutesy love story without the unneeded spice that so many rom com's have! It made me laugh and it even made me tear up. I loved the main character and was rooting for her the entire time. There were sweet parts, hilarious moments and it had easy flow. Funny and emotional good read overall, about friendships and finding love.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for letting me receive this book as an ARC.
I love this take on a modernized dating over 40 romance. From a New Year's resolution that says she will find someone to kiss on New Year’s Eve next year, the main character Kate spends her entire year trying to find romance. For Kate, that means becoming more outgoing when going to speed dating events, hook-ups, and sliding into DM’s. I will not spoil the ending because I believe that everyone should find out on their own what happens. I will say that I recommend this book if you want something a little different than your standard romance.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Kate and Ben. They have know each other all their lives. Kate’s best friend, Julie, is Ben’s sister. Ben has loved Kate for a long time. Kate goes on an online dating site. She has decided to try one out. It is a mess. But one good thing comes out of it, she realizes that Ben is it for her. They fall in love.