Loved the story until the switch. Then the rest was disappointing. Really could have spent more time with Jake after getting back to the real world. That was too rushed for me.

It was cute!

I was thoroughly amused by it, even if I didn’t love the multiverse part at the end. Overall a fun rom-com.

One of my favorite tropes, enemies to lovers, rivals, second chance. Lauren Kate did this really well. I absolutely loved Olivia and Jake’s banter. It had me smiling so much. I am a big fan of the concept of an alternate universe. Like sliding doors. What a great concept for a book, especially in a moment of running into a person at someone else’s wedding. Overall really liked it. Thank you for allowing me to read.

This was such a cute rom-com! I loved every minute of it and thought the character development was really well executed. It had the perfect amount of angst, humor, romance, and spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Son's for the ARC!

I haven't read a Lauren Kate book in so long and this is exactly what I needed!!! I love her writing and how she gets you attached to the characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the digital ARC of What's In a Kiss? In exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to read this book based on the cover and enemies to lovers trope. I had really high hopes for this book but the execution fell short. I found myself getting pulled out of the story and ‘what the heck did I just read moments’. Drastic opposite reality in which the FMC isn’t happy either way. The chemistry between Jake and Olivia was there but almost an ‘instant love’. Olivia goes from hating him to instantly married and trying to understand how their life fits together.

I actually preferred reading the snippets of love between Masha and Eli.

This story is told from Olivia (Liv), a struggling actor, made of honor to her best friend Masha. I loved Olivia’s personality at first hot mess chaos with life throwing you unexpected curve balls. The relationship between her best friend and mom were cute and heartfelt. I really enjoyed this aspect which then evaporated into thin air.

Then the ‘what if’ part hits hard in the story. When her highschool nemesis, best man, arrives in town all the emotions hit Olivia at once of what might have been. The story I thought was more along the lines of her career and not going to Julliard after her dad died. Not so much on the aspect of romance that this story tells. Combating storyline there for me. Understanding they can be comingled but the miscommunication vibe I got from Olivia and Jake ruined the mood. Olivia is very self critical and I found her always thinking ‘grass is greener’ on the other side annoying. Questioning all the good in her life and never living in the moment.

The alternate reality was messy to follow. Olivia begins to question the ‘meaning of happiness’ comparing her reality versus the ‘high life’. Using a pro-con list to see which life is worth living. The plot to get back in her actual life seemed odd and random.

The emotion I felt reading this book brought it to a 3 only because I could relate to that ‘pivotal moment’ in my own life. Let’s value the relationships in our lives and appreciate the precious moments we get with them. To accept ourselves and others as they are.

Liv’s dad died when she was 18 and watching her mom fall apart has led her to throw-away relationships and be a bit stuck. At her best friend’s wedding (Liv and Masha have a great meet cute story!), Liv locks eyes with her rival only to blink and be transported to a different version of her life, one where she and Jake kissed at prom and never stopped being together. Only problem is, in this version her best friend and her mom hate her and she’s found success but Jake hasn’t. Why is she so detached from her mom and Masha? This version isn’t really explained and feels like a missed opportunity. The chemistry between Liv and Jake was great - even when ‘rivals’ you can feel the heat.

I did not enjoy this. I found the premise to be confusing and spent a lot of time toggling back and forth to see what was happening

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. This book was just very mid to me. Nothing impressive; not something I will be thinking about when I put it down.

Enemies to lovers with a second chance romance.

You have Olivia who is planning her best friend Masha’s wedding and the best man Jake who has always been her high school nemesis (or so she thought). After prom night when she was to attend with Eli and ended up with Jake as her date her world has never gone as she planned....her dad died and she never went to school to follow her dreams. It’s been 10 years since that night and something happens as Liz stares into the eyes of Jake as her best friend says I do at the wedding. The universe shifts on its axis and Jake is now the love of her life..the only problem is Masha and her mom hates her in new life. If you loved 13 Going on 30 or Freaky Friday you will like this book!




Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

Olivia is living in a "default" world. Rocked by the death of her father after high school, her dreams have been dashed and she has her plain life - Lyft driving, helping her mom with a podcast, and helping plan her best friend's wedding. Jake Glasswell, her arch-rival, is in town for the wedding and his strokes of luck have led him to the rich and famous life she dreamed of for herself. But, when the world turns on its axis and Olivia gets what she wants, can she sort out what is really important in life? And can she take the risk to make it hers permanently?

"In love with you. Here. There. Everywhere. All the wheres in all the worlds. Always.
A heartwarming rom-com journal. From the first sentence to the last I was feeling a ton of feelings. This is gonna do wonders on booktok, and booktube let me yell that from the roof tops.
Thank you to the publisher, the author and net galley for the chance to arc read this book!
3.5/5 stars

An enemies to lovers romance about what would happen if a moment from your past was altered and you got the chance to see how everything would have turned out. I loved this story about Jake and Olivia. This story had heart ache but also laugh out loud moments that really made you appreciate the people in your life who make up your inner circle. This book was what second chance romance dreams are made of. So good!

Fantastic novel, enjoyed every minute of it! Absolutely nothing not to like about it. Such a cute story and great characters. Highly recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Not a badly written book but I couldn't stand Liv and that took me right out of it. Just couldn't keep going. DNF at 29%.

WHAT'S IN A KISS is a light and sweet read. Two high school enemies are forced to reunite several years later with the wedding of their best friends coming up. Olivia is still at home in California, didn't end up going to Juilliard, and is doing a podcast with her mother. Meanwhile, Jake is a successful TV personality and seems to have everything going for him. Olivia has managed to keep far away from him until she ends up being Jake's Lyft driver.

While at their friends' wedding, Olivia enters a parallel universe in which she had gone to Juilliard, plays a doctor on a television show... and is happily married to Jake. Being forced into this world, she is able to see Jake in a completely different way and how a relationship between is possible despite their past.

I liked the question the author poses of how differently can one's life change with just one decision. I thought it had an interesting premise of enemies-to-lovers and alternate reality tropes, but I will say I was hoping to see more of how Jake and Olivia's relationship changes once Olivia is back to her original life. The ending felt a bit rushed. I found it to be less deep and angsty and more of a cute, feel-good story. So, if you are into those stories, you may enjoy this one!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Olivia was a very relatable character and had me rooting for her from page one. While I greatly enjoyed her and her friends/love interest, I felt as though the book was confusing. The time parallel needed more explanation to fully understand and connect with.

Thank you to NetGalley, Putnam Books, and Penguin for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Olivia isn’t living her best life but she does have her BBS(Broken Bone Sister) Masha and her loving Mom. Olivia spends most of her time doting on those she loves more than focusing on herself. Liv sacrificed college and her dreams of acting to take care of her grieving mom but she couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t made the sacrifices.

Enter her high school nemesis and the best man at her best friend Masha’s wedding Jake. Jake got the life she wanted in New York and is a thriving podcast host who everyone loves but Liv who wants to take him down.

Hijinks ensue at the wedding and Liv is transported into another life one where she’s a successful TV actress and happens to be married to Jake. Jake is the perfect dreamy husband. The catch? Her mom and best friend Masha hate her.

I adored the banter and relationship between Liv and Jake. The more you read the more you just fall in love with Jake. The book makes you think about what if you changed one thing, would it change your entire life? I loved this book, it had such a hold on me that I finished it in one day.

"In love with you. Here. There. Everywhere. All the wheres in all the worlds. Always."

I think this is my second read with the parallel universe trope. I loved reading the alternate reality in this and I loved Olivia and Jakes marriage, Jake was literally perfect and adorable. The ending was super sweet, I just wish that the real life portion was longer, or that there was an epilogue. I wanted to see more of that but I think we know they’d be happy together either way, in every world 🥹

There were some things that were left unexplained, like why her relationships with Masha and her mother in her high life between were ruined. I don’t usually say this but I feel like this book could have been longer, if felt a little cut short. I enjoyed it overall though!

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC

I got a little confused during the early portion of this book, but because it was early on, I kept reading and I'm glad I did.

I actually really enjoyed the book! The initial flirty banter between the two characters, the knowledge that there's definitely some fire chemistry between them and beneath that frustration - it was fun to watch. And then, once the alternate universe came into the picture, I was very curious about how they'd end up back in their real lives.

My only frustration was that I wanted to see more love between the characters after they got back to their real lives - i wanted to see more banter and fun and interaction!