Alt. title: A Thousand Sad Girl Tears. 🥲

See, I knew this book was sad. I'm a notorious cry baby and have no shame admitting when a book has me sobbing in the middle of the night. This book did just that and had an epilogue that felt a lot like being stabbed with a dull, rusty knife after already being dead. In other words,

I'm not denying that this was a profound love story- it absolutely was (to the tune of A Walk to Remember, The Fault in Our Stars, etc etc). Poppy + Rune had my heart in a vise grip the entire time. It was just.. a different love story. I truly, for maybe the first time, couldn't determine how I felt about the book immediately after reading. I was in a state of shock, possibly.

As much as I loved the characters, I would've wished that Poppy and Rune were a bit older. A younger, hopeless romantic version of me would've loved this book so hard. But I found at times, the dialogue and actions didn't exactly match up to what I'd think of 15-17 year olds would do or say. But maybe that was also the beauty of it?

This was one of those books that I absolutely needed to have read in my lifetime, if only to just say that I did.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bloom books, and the author for an advanced copy of the re-published edition of A Thousand Boy Kisses!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I never read the original version, so this with the extended epilogue was all new to me. And man, I can’t even begin to describe the raw emotion that this brought out in me. I couldn’t make it even a few pages without tears running down my face. It was so painful, but also so incredibly beautiful. Rune and Poppy’s story is so pure and inspiring. Not only is their love inspirational, but the characters are as well. I loved Poppy’s outlook on life - she saw beauty in everything, and lived life for every moment. And I loved Rune - he was strong and compassionate, and everything you could ever hope for.
The only thing that I would wish from the epilogue, is that it was longer than 10 years later. I loved how comforting and fulfilling the epilogue was, I just wish there was more time that passed. I definitley wasn’t expecting the direction it went in either. I don’t think it’s enough for me to drop the rating from 5 stars, since it’s literally just the epilogue that got me. I just wasn’t a HUGE fan, I wanted more. Everything else….perfection.

This was so beautiful and so heartbreaking. I’ve never cried so much while reading a book, ever. This is absolutely going to stick with me for the rest of my life; a book I’ll never forget.

I’m going tell everyone I know they have read this asap.

I cannot wait for the sequel! It’ll probably break my heart, too, but I’m ready.

I'm really not a fan. It felt like a mix of every other cliche book or film of this type was all thrown together to make this book. The dialogue was repetitive and boring. They said the same five things to each other constantly.
The characters themselves were boring as well. Rune's entire personality was being angry. Poppy was just way too happy all the time for no reason. No one is always that happy.
Two stars because I'm a sap and I cried twice.

Rating: 2.5

Cute, wholesome, unrealistic, but a cute read nonetheless.

Would a grandmother's dying words to her granddaughter be for her to reach a "thousand boy kisses?" Probably not.

Would a 15-year-old boy really be loyal and devoted to one girl from the age of 8? Probably not.

Would a 17-year-old boy have the funds for two plane tickets cross-country? Probably not.

Would a 17-year-old really pick up smoking from years earlier? Hopefully not, and hopefully it doesn't send a message to young girls that a broody teenager with a smoking habit is blindly the love of their life.

For being geared towards ages 14 and up, the book lags either at the tween level or more mature to late high school or early college. There is no in-between.

I wasn't a big fan of Rune's supposed broodiness all for one girl and Poppy's purported perpetual doe-eyes and innocence, but who am I to judge? It's pretty tacky, but it's meant to be wholesome, not a deep piece of literature, so I can't dock points off there. So if you want a quick, angsty read for (quite) young adults, then this is the book for you.

The pure emotion this book made me feel from the first page was like nothing I’ve ever read. The love, pain, anger and heartbreak was so easy to feel off the page! This is a book that will sit with me for a long LONG time. I absolutely adore Poppy and Rune❤️ A once in a lifetime love found early, I loved this so so much
Getting to see both Rune and Poppy’s POV this time around wasn’t something I knew I needed, I loved the original but this version makes you feel so much more💜🥰

Thank you to Netgally and Bloom Books for giving me an e-arc of the rerelease of this book for an honest review.

3.5 stars. This was a good story. I did find that there was moments that dragged and were slower. It would've been 4 stars but I did not like how it ended in the epilogue.

This was one of the saddest and most beautiful stories I have ever read. I have loved everything by Tillie but this is by far my favorite! I cried so much throughout this book but I couldn’t put it down. The love and connection that Poppy an Rune had with each other made my soul happy. This story broke me into a million pieces and then put me back again. I loved the epilogue and felt it was the perfect ending to Rune and Poppy’s story. If you are looking for a good emotional read then this is the book for you!

This book... I could not put it down. I finished it in two days. I felt like I was able to feel the intensity of the love that the characters feel for each other. I don't normally feel like that when reading a romance book. This story was so emotional and thought provoking. I did not want the book to end

When it comes to books, I get incredibly emotional and this book was no different for me. I sobbed, HARD.

This book was everything I needed in the moment and I loved the characters. Ugh, my heart.

The story just grows and adds so many layers and I absolutely enjoyed it. It's a really emotional page-turning book that hooked me from start to finish. I absolutely loved Rune and Poppy's relationship. I could picture everything in my head, which usually means it's one I will want to read over and over again.

One of my favorites of the year. 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom books for this ARC with a NEW ADDITIONAL EPILOGUE!
I had not read the original version but I'm glad I got to read this version with the epilogue because I can only imagine gives the book a different feeling to the end than without it.
Firstly I have to say although I'm an emotional person I don't easily cry with book I can count only 2 occasions when my eyes have been glistening, however I literally cried ugly with this book! I cried in the first chapter with Mamaw, I cried when they said goodbye at 15 but heart thumped the rest of the time and I definitely cried consistently ugly the last quarter of the book!
I won't go into what the book is about but although I've been in a bit of a funky mood as a result the last few days any book that can move me in that way deserves no less than a 5 🌟.
But I think I'm done with sad books for a good while. Just hoping the sequel gets a happy ending!

I’m not really a crier. But this book right here literally broke my heart into a thousand little pieces! It was painful yet so beautiful 💖

The story was pretty simple, the characters were sweet but something about this book was really magical! Because with those simple and plain words this book made me rethink how I am living my life.

Poppy and Rune have been best friends since they were five, even though Rune moved from Norway to Georgia. One day, Poppy's mamaw gets really sick, and she goes home to find her family upset. Poppy and her mamaw were super close, and her mamaw gives her a jar with a thousand hearts, telling her to write about every kiss she has to find her soulmate. Poppy shares this with Rune, but he gets defensive and insists he's the only boy she'll kiss. Rune later moves back to Norway and promises to come back.

When Rune returns at 17, he wonders why Poppy cut him off without explanation. The story gets more complicated from there, with lots of emotions and changes. It's a really touching book that had me tearing up. I loved how Rune and Poppy's relationship was portrayed. If this became a movie, I'd be first in line, even though I might cry in the theater. The scene where they're in the blossom grove was so heartwarming.

And that epilogue, it was so special and comforting and kinda bittersweet but that's life right! 💖

Oh my goodness, this book! It absolutely shreds your heart to pieces over and over again. Rune and Poppy’s story is so pure and beautiful. I found it to be well written, with relatable characters.

I honestly believe this book needs to be cemented into those '100 books you need to read' type lists. It's an incredible coming of age story that just pulls on all the heart strings.
The kind of love that Poppy and Rune share, isn't something that come around in most lifetimes.

I suggest going into this book blind, its more impactful that way. Just make sure you have tissues, and a whole day to recover.

Tillie Cole - I love your work, keep doing what you do best, and I cannot wait for 'A Thousand Broken Pieces' sequel to 'A Thousand Boy Kisses'.

" You were meant to be together, so you could be her guiding light through all of this. You were created perfectly for her, to make this time for my girl special. To make sure her remaining days were filled with things her mama and I could never have given her."

I'm not crying! You are!
Safe to say, this book is still in my top 5 for the year.
Once you read it, you can't ever, EVER forget.

My eyes are so puffy right now. This book is painful to read, but in a good way.
I got an ARC to review the new edition of A thousand boy kisses thanks to NetGalley and I am willingly giving my honest opinion.
I knew before starting this book that it was supposed to be sad. I saw some videos about it on TikTok but I never knew what exactly it was about. I went totally blinded into it and it broke my heart. I think I cried for half of the book. I loved Poppy and Rune’s story. It was beautiful and inspiring.
It makes you want to enjoy life, every little moment of it, with passion and amazement. We take life for granted so we often don’t see the beauty in what is around us.
Poppy sees the best in everything, always with a smile. It was a really emotional read.
Prepare your heart to be shattered, but full.

This broke my entire soul and heart. I cannot stop crying. I can’t wait to read this again and again. I haven’t cried this much since I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

This book made my heart so full it nearly burst…

First off let me say this is heartbreakingly beautiful. So if you intend to read - prepare to cry and have some tissues on hand.

This story navigates young love, loss & immense heartbreak. I cried a lot and couldn’t get enough.

There’s a sequel of this book that was just announced and you bet I’ll be reading it when it comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom for giving me the chance to read this prior to its re-release in exchange for an honest review.

So this book literally reminded me of all the books that were turn into movies of the girl dying of cancer yep said it it was good it was sad gut wrenching broke my heart for Rune and Poppy.
Rune and Poppy meet when they were five years old and became friends at eight years old they became more that friends. at 15years old they gave themselves to each other because Rune was moving away.at 17 years old Rune and Poppy came back to the same town an they haven't spoken to each other why no one knows. until they see each other and Rune had become this angry boy who smoke and drinks and when Poppy finally tell him that she dying and there was a purpose for this miracle to see each again to have closure before she passed away. That what happen Rune and Poppy spend each minute hours days weeks months until her passing.
Ten years later after her death he passed away and reunited with her.

This book will tug at your heartstrings, I've never read a book that makes all your feelings be felt. Poppy and Rune's story lives in my mind and will in yours too. Just the beginning takes you on a emotional ride but it's not until the middle that will hurt but this book will change your life.

“𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 … 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲.”
4/5⭐️

I had seen people talk about this book from back in the day when I got back into reading a few years back, but somehow didn’t get to it. In July decided that it was time, even though I was kinda scared because I heard that it’s a tear jerker.

I didn’t really know what the book was about but I had heard some bits & pieces and kinda figured out the direction this book is gonna take.

The first thing I noticed was that the chapters were really long. Wasn’t a big fan of that but, as the story went on, it didn’t bother me that much. At times the writing was a little too YA for my liking but was kinda expecting that before going into it.

I mean I don’t know what much to say about Poppy & Rune. Their love was one of a kind. Beautiful, pure but also heartbreaking. It was interesting to see how Rune went from a good boy to bad boy and how it affected his relationship with Poppy. But still under all that tough guy act you could still see how much he loved & cared for Poppy. And the whole concept of collecting kisses was also so cute.

Honestly, this is a book for me that I don’t think I’ll ever read again. Not because it was bad, but because I don’t think I can go through that heartbreak again. Too sad to read again

But can we talk about that epilogue tho??? Because did not expect it to go in that direction. And to be honest I kinda wished that it would have been different, but maybe that’s just me.