This was a uplifting and modern romance which centers around two teenagers in the confusing situation where they don't realize that they have feelings for each other. It is the traditional Boy meets Girl, Girl like other Boy and then they end up together. This is set in a small Irish town which is steeped in myth and legend of a Celtic god which helps fuel the adventures that the collective group of friends undergo. This is a well written story which the author manages to pack in all of the pre-requisites for a coming of age story. The language is easy to understand and this helps to make it a quick read for the reader. I can not wait to see where this series goes in the future and is definitely on my Series watch list.

There is nothing inherently wrong with it. It is just a series that I don't think a lot of our patrons would read.

I love this book. This was my first book by this author and I absolutely and positively fell for her writing. The Angst, the banter, the writing, the chemistry everything is TOP NOTCH
Highly recommended <3

I loved the plot and the premise of the book, it did not disappoint at all. I cannot wait to read what happens next .here’s just enough magic to make me want to instantly pick up the next book. Definitely a 5 star .Much appreciation to the author and Netgalley

I have mixed feelings about this one. It took me some time to get into it, and I didn't realize when I started that it was a 9 part story, set in the 1990's, and told from different characters' perspectives. This installment was narrated by Tully. While I found the part about the Celtic god to be intriguing and a little creepy, I didn't find myself caring all that much about the characters. I think I might be convinced to read it again, once all the other parts have been released, to get the full effect. As it stands now, I thought it was ok, but it feels very unfinished.

Tully moves to a small Irish town with his mother, and starts working at a video store. He finds himself a fourth part to a small group of teens who all follow the band Black Death, an up and coming Irish group based in their small town. While hanging out with them, he finds himself smitten with Kit, who is only interested in the band's front man, Mac. Somewhere in there we learn about the slumbering Aonghus, Celtic god of music and of lovers, who can grant your dearest wish. Will they wake the god and make a wish? Will the band make it big? Will Tully get Kit in the end?

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

I enjoyed this book? It is a little confusing at times but I felt as if I had a better understanding of the story by the end. I am looking forward to reading the next one.

Mocha VonBee's First Kiss was very cute and kept me interested every time I left it. There was a nice romance in the story, and the characters were well developed throughout.

A really enjoyable story. Really liked the characters and I cannot wait to read norepinephrine about them.

Mocha VonBee makes a nostalgic debut with the beginnings of Kit & Tully’s tale. Quick and light, this first instalment was infused with Celtic legend and lore, bringing an added spark to the coming of age narrative brewed in 90’s Ireland.

I loved the setting VonBee crafted, and the walks down memory lane delivered throughout were complimented nicely by the mention of lore and the spotlight on Aonghus which brought an added mystery and enchantment that I would love to delve deeper into. This is a world I could definitely lose myself in again and again!

While I enjoyed the individual elements that made up this story, it didn’t always feel like there was a whole lot happening in the grand scheme of things when it all came together. The variety that has been delivered was great to see, from the friendships to the contrasting class dynamics, struggling artists, finding ones place, a brewing romance; VonBee brought it all! I only wish the cohesion of all these elements had been stronger in the core story they told. This read more as a teaser laying the foundations for what is to come with the rest of the series and as a result I didn’t find myself becoming as invested as I’d hoped to be, and a lot of questions remained unanswered. That said, the execution and style holds a lot of appeal to a young adult audience and will be a hit amongst the right readers with its relatable characters and easy to indulge plot.

A physically quick read that is slow at heart, and delivers variety by the bucketload, First Kiss has a little bit of everything for teens still discovering their next favourite.

I received an advanced copy thanks to Netgalley and the author, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

First off, this is not a first novel in a series, but part of a novel split into nine instalments, each of which telling the story from a different pov. I am not yet sure what to think of this, however, the job in hand is to review this volume of "First kiss", so here goes:

The time is the summer of 1999, the place is a fictional small town on the East coast of Ireland, where Tully is the new guy in town. Exactly why he and his mother made the move from their Dublin estate flat to this smalltown place, which they could barely afford financially and without knowing anyone locally or having any prospect of a job, remains a mystery. Anyway, by and by he befriends some teenagers socially way above his station and gets to be the replacement lead guitarist of a local band on the rise.

Of course, skanger Tully and these upper middle-class kids do not have much in common, which makes you wonder why they hang out together, except _they_ are all under age, while _he_ has got the use of his mom's car, so he basically gets to play chauffeur to this shower. Nice. In fact, come to think of it, they treat him like a servant from the get-go: after he calls an ambulance for Spike and even accompanies him to the hospital, the rich kids flounce off in a taxi, leaving Tully to traipse home in the rain. Also, I have no patience with Tully's insta-crush on Kit, who would not give him the time of the day and is, on her part, pining after the stereotypically self-centered band lead singer. I can chalk all of this up to 'dumb stuff teenagers do'. However, there are other plot points that imo are not really well thought-out:
- The piled-up motives for the original lead guitarist wanting out, to wit that he needs to
a) keep his day job in Dublin
b) stay together with his girl friend, who is on the point of going back to the States
OK, so Plot demands he be set on a bus, but why not stick to one line of reasoning?
- Tully telling Kit about his love for music. She could not care less. Next thing we know, he offers to play the guitar for her (which he just happens to have in the trunk of his mom's car - why?), she's instantly starry-eyed and, on the spot, jots down a set of lyrics for him.
- Tully's not being able for all of 48 hours to get hold of a phone to just let his mom know he's still alive comes across as plain heartless. True, this is before the advent of mobile phones for the masses, however, he could easily have phoned from either Felice's or the band's place, or find a payphone. His mother, on the other hand, goes from "I was that worried!" to "I have to let go, you're eighteen" without missing a beat. I mean, what the hell, mom?
- The supernatural element announced in the blurb: there is none. All we get is the mention of some legend, which all but one of the cast dismiss as just that, and a nightmare/sleepwalking episode, which remains unexplained. Maybe we will have more on this in the next instalment, idk.
To sum up: it was a quick read aimed at a none-too-critical YA audience looking to be entertained. No longer a teenager, I'm not sure this one was for me. However, I may still check out the 2nd installment to see if the series picks up for me.

I reviewed an ARC of this book. This book had some cool elements it obviously wanted to incorporate with the Celtic gods and Irish culture. But ultimately this book was not for me. It felt very much unfinished and underdeveloped. For example, we don’t even find out Tully is a musician or when likes music until 34% into the book. Also I don’t mind instalove but I didn’t really understand Tully’s fascination with Kit, they don’t really interact at all and suddenly everything he does seems to revolve around trying to get her attention. I went into this book thinking it was a romance but I felt it didn’t really deliver in that way.

Hello 90s, oh how I missed you! First Kiss by Mocha VonBee takes place in small town Ireland in the 90s. A time before cellphones, social media and a million things to binge watch on Netflix. VonBee takes us back to a time when hanging out, dancing and music reigned supreme.

This is a story of young love, coming of age and finding one's self. Our main characters are Tully and Kit

Tully ~ MC told from his POV
17 yo high school drop out
hardworking, provides for his mom
new to town, a bit of a loner
instantly falls for Kit

Kit
mysterious girl
object of Tully's desire
loyal friend to Spike and Felice
smart and duty bound
has strict parents

VonBee did a great job of portraying the struggles and triumphs of late adolescence. Problems of self doubt, friendship loyalties, parental rules among other things are young adult issues that transcend time. First Kiss also spotlights the differences in wealth and opportunity between the classes. She even touches a bit on Celtic Myth to add a touch of magic and mystery. This was an enjoyable, yet quick read. Although not all of the characters are likable, they are all well developed and realistic.

To me, there were a few things that were missing or fell short from this book. Perhaps they will be featured more in the second book. One was a better understanding of Kit. Tully is so enamored by her, but she really doesn't do anything that makes her stand out. Another is the Celtic god Aonghus that the kids try to summon. This scene of the book gets interrupted so the potential eeriness is cut short. Although there are many hints about Aonghus there really isn't much detail in any particular scene. If developed further this could add a great mystery element to the tale.

I liked reading First Kiss and would recommend it to a teen audience. However I get the feeling that you really need to read the second book to get a complete story. It seems to be a trend where books are written and left with cliffhangers to the next chapter. I love reading a good series, but to me each book in the series should feel like a complete story. In particular, you should not have to rely on the second book to get the full picture of a main character. With that said I wish we had gotten to know Kit better throughout this story. I kept struggling to see why Tully was so in love with Kit because there just wasn't that much depth given to her character.

I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher Indie Ink. I am leaving my review here voluntarily.

This was so cute! I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. It was quick, fast paced and a perfect mix of romance and the rest of life.

Do you remember your first kiss? No? Well, you will remember this book when you are finished with it! I highly recommend reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me the ebook arc for this. I rated it 2 stars overall. It was a very cute story that was easy to read. However I struggled to connect to the story and characters. I’d say if you are looking for something easy to read then this is it. I think for me personally I would have liked it to be more plot driven as I didn’t really connect with any characters

This was such a meet cute story. I really needed a cute romance. I loved how the relationship actually seemed to build up

Oh my gosh this was SO CUTE!

The scene? 90's Ireland. The meet-cute? Two teenagers in a video rental store. Tully, a guy with financial struggles trying to make ends meet and dreaming of becoming a musician; and Kit, a wealthy gal with a crush on an up-and-coming rockstar, Mac. The twist? Irish mythology, the Celtic God of love and music, Aohngus.

What more can I say? If you want a quick read, some sweet feels, and a hint of magic, then you know what to do!

This was a quick read and fast paced. I really enjoyed the 90's vibe in this book. Mocha did a great job for her debut novel. I can't wait to read the second book in this series, It's always nice when you can find fast paced , short story books.

Thanks NetGalley and Indie Ink for allowing me to read this ARC in advance.

I enjoyed it,, I thought there was plenty of plot to keep me interested, the characters were engaging and I would recommend this book to a friend! However, I think that there could have been more development in some places however, instead of feeling like a rush.

this book was entertaining but i feel like it’s encouraging codependency. tully said his life literally had no purpose until he met kit?? and said he’s nothing without her. that doesn’t sit right with me because if you’re not 100% on your own you can’t give that to somebody else…nonetheless i was entertained the whole time, but can’t stand the “i’m nothing without you” vibe