A cute rom com with magical realism.

This story follows Olivia, who is a laid off drama teacher and a current Lyft driver. Her life didn’t go the way she wanted it to after high school. Her best friend Masha is getting married and she’s all about giving her the dream wedding she wanted. That’s where she runs into Jake again. She’s the maiden of honor and he’s the best man. They don’t have a great history with each other. When their friends say I do, Olivia’s world gets turned upside down. What would have happen if her and Jake would have kissed at prom? What if she did go to Juilliard after all?

I liked the idea of this story but I felt like it just kinda jumped into the other world. There were parts missing of why her and Masha weren’t friends anymore and what happened with her mom. I wanted a little more explanation of that. I really liked the main character and I loved Jake from the start! Overall, it was a good romcom.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for my arc copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Liv, Lyft driver by day, laid off drama teacher also by day, has been dreading seeing her high school nemesis at her best friend's upcoming wedding. Jake, a now successful TV personality, and an almost high school kiss, just happens to schedule a ride as Liv's Lyft passenger.

However, soon after, Liv wakes up in an alternative universe where her life has took a completely different turn, and Jake is the love of her life?

Lovely story of friendship, finding love, and finding what matters most.

I absolutely adored this book!!! Once I started it I couldn’t put it down. From the banter between Liv and Jake, to the once. in a lifetime kind of love, to the hardest decision of one’s life, I was holding on to every word to see how everything would unfold. One kiss can really change the whole trajectory of a life, one small change in a person’s perspective can create a world where you are truly happy. We often times can be our biggest barrier and this book highlighted that truth. Olivia learned about herself, how to be happy, and most of all how to love. Jake throughout the whole book just put a smile on my face! The alternate reality really threw me for a loop but I am so happy I got to see that world!! I was rooting for Liv and Jake the whole time, I just wish there was more to read once Liv was back home!!!

This was a 3.5 star read for me!

The main character and her friend had such a heartwarming relationship in the beginning. The characters had depth and the friendship felt real!

The romance was based off of a misunderstanding several years prior - I was rooting for them from the beginning!

The book threw me for a loop when we all the sudden went into an alternate reality. It was such a unique story and I haven’t read anything like it.

The ending left me feeling good. This was such a cute and enjoyable read!

A fun romance with a magical premise. Liv's life has not turned out according to plan. She had to drop out of Julliard and is currently a Lyft driver. One of her passengers is Jake, her high school prom date who is now a wildly successful TV personality. As it turns out, she is the maid of honor and he is the best man at her best friend's wedding. When the bride and groom kiss and say I do, Liv's world turns magical, and she gets the chance to see what life might have been like if her prom night had gone a little differently.

I really enjoyed Lauren Kate’s last book so I was really excited to read this one too.

But, I really didn’t like Olivia from the very start, she was awful. I felt like the switch from one universe to the other was lackluster. At about 40% I almost put it down.

But I pushed through, and actually really liked the ending. I do wish we had gotten more after the final kiss.

What's in a Kiss ended up being a cute read. Olivia finds herself in an alternate universe where she's married to her high school nemesis,Jake, but loses her friendship with her best friend and mother. I enjoyed the romance aspect of the book and thought it was very cute, but the author never explores what went wrong with her mom and her best friend, Masha. I was left wanting more background and information, and maybe I would have cared more about the characters. I enjoyed the ending and overall thought the story was cute! 3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book! The idea that one kiss could change your whole life is so interesting. Everything Jake said/did had me swooning and giggling, and I'd love a man like that in my life ;) #pentagasmftw I would love another few chapters about their relationship after. I just love them so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC opportunity!

This was a cute rom-com style book. This book follows Olivia between parallel universes. At times I had difficulty noting there had been a shift which at times made it difficult to follow. I do also wish I had more background information on the build up of her relationship with Jake, and more information on “how it ends” (don’t want to give spoilers!)

I did love the relationship Olivia had with the women in her life including her mom and her friends. All in all this was cute and entertaining, just a bit confusing at times. I will certainly read more books by this author!

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity!
I want to start off: I LOVE a sliding doors story line. Easily one of my favorite tropes. So when Olivia, who has hated Jake Glasswell since a highschool prom kiss gone wrong, finds herself whisked into a different life where the prom kiss went oh so right, I couldn't help but jump right in. Gladly.
Olivia and Jake in the other life are perfection. She's successful and he's just normal. He clearly loves and adores her. Their life is pretty perfect: except for the fact that she's missing the two key female figures in her life. This portion has the perfect balance of spice and romance.
Olivia and Jake in the first life are a trainwreck, although its obvious to everyone except Olivia that he's in love with her. She's just normal and he's wildly successful. She has a soul-mate style relationship with her best friend, and a mom who adores her.
I loved how this tackles so clearly who you need in your corner: romance, parents, friends. The weight of each of those people. It was really a story about your tribe more than just a romance. I was rooting for Olivia and Jake from page one and completely believed in her choice!

Oh dear. Why did I love this so much? I love almost everything I read. Almost, but this one? I mean you get the guy, you get the career, but what do you lose? This book follows Ms. Olivia and her trip through what would have happened had she kissed Jake on prom night. Now, her life wasn't all that bad because she did not kiss Jake. She had a great relationship with her mother and her best friend Masha. She was laid off from her teaching job, but she wasn't destitute. She loved her dog, Gram Parsons. This girl is so quirky. I love her to pieces.
The parallel world just seems too unreal to suit Olivia. She is so grounded in who she is to those around her. I can't see any universe in which her loved ones would not be a part of her world. I love that she constantly says how wonderful Jake is, but cannot say how terrific she is herself. She is one of those people who wants to make sure everyone else is okay. I love that about her. Did I mention that I love the main character in this book?
Anyway, great book. Great characters. The story moves at a good pace. Is everything fully detailed? No, it's a romance novel, not War and Peace. No need to belabor the point. You left. I don't like you anymore. This is a solid effort and a great read.
Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Liv is in the midst of planning her best friend Masha's perfect wedding, and all is not quite going to plan. First, she is finding it impossible to get along with the best man, Jake Glasswell, a successful TV talk show host and Liv's disastrous prom date. Second, the guru wedding officiant is missing. After tracking down the guru, the wedding finally takes place, but after the vows are read, Liv is transported to another world, one where her prom date went great and her and Jake are now married, and she's a successful actress. But while her career and love life are going well, her relationship with Masha and her mom has deteriorated.

This book was a long hypothetical question that I don't think I was the right audience for. I loved that it showed how important other things besides romantic love are. However, the conclusion placed a lot of emphasis on Liv and Jake's love being "fated," and the idea of fated love is not one I prescribe to.

★ ★ ★ ★ //5

What’s In A Kiss?
by: Lauren Kate

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Do you love a book that is:

-Second Chance
-Enemies to Lovers
-Rivals
-Self Discovers

This will be for you and it has even more within!


This book! Loved it from front to back cover! LOVED IT. I loved our two MC’s. Olivia (who was her best friends maid of honor) and Jake (who was the best man in the wedding) (OBSESSED). This book gave me all the butterfly feels and ‘swoony’ feelings. The storyline/plot was so well written and these characters I felt like I knew or could related to, they felt very real to me. This book will definitely give you all of those happy warm feelings through its entirety and I cannot wait to put this book on my shelf when it is released. This is a book I will recommend to all of my friends.

I had so much fun reading this book! “What’s in a Kiss?” is a hilarious romcom with a quirky FMC, a soul sister BFF, and a MMC with total golden retriever energy. I found myself laughing out loud and unable to put the book down. This book is in every sense nostalgic and will make you want to call your mom and grab a coffee with your BFF.
I wish the book featured an epilogue showing a small glimpse of Olivia’s happily ever after because ending at the scene of the wedding felt a little incomplete. But overall, very cozy and heartwarming read that I would definitely recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for an e-copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

I love a good what if book. The characters were realistic and I found myself rooting for them. The story was engaging and funny. Great addition to the library.

BOOK REVIEW: What’s in A Kiss by #laurenkate

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book it was such a sweet adorable read and I cant wait to read more by this author it was so cute. this is the first book i’ve read from lauren.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC of “What’s in a Kiss?” out July 2, 2024. This book had all of the components needed to be an excellent book. Romance, time travel, humor, and chemistry. But I was left wanting more.

This bill gives 13 going on 30 vibes. Olivia time travels to an alternate reality during her best friends wedding - one where she has an estranged relationship with her mother and best friend and is married to her highschool rival. Honestly, this felt similar to Woke Up Like This by Amy Lea and wow I just preferred that take on answering the question “what if blank happened, how would my life change?”

There were a number of things I felt were off in this book. I didn’t understand how the time travel happened. The process of getting back to her real life was also unclear and honestly just a little weird. I also didn’t get why her relationships with her best friend and mom were SO awful in the alternate reality. Like, a mom seriously wouldn’t disown her daughter for moving across the country and taking out a loan to pursue her dream. And her best friend? I don’t see life long best friends drifting apart and one hating the other so much as portrayed in this book. Neither of the central relational conflicts felt believable.

🔥 There is one open door scene as well as explicit language throughout.

"What's in a Kiss?" by Lauren Kate follows the big what-if question and the different outcomes of a single choice. In her normal life, Liv is a ride-share driver who works on her mom's podcast after she chooses not to go to Julliard after high school. She didn't kiss her longtime crush Jake Glasswell at prom and now he is a famous reality star. However, Liv travels to an alternate universe during her best friend Masha's wedding. In this reality, Liv is a renowned actress who is married to Jake Glasswell, but he's just a regular, non-famous man. They did kiss at prom and Liv did go to Julliard. Liv has decisions to make and lives to meld as she discovers what could've been.

This was a page-turner that I could not put down. The initial hatred Liv carries for Jake was off-putting initially as we learned about the envy and jealousy that runs deeply through Liv's could've been life. The plot was captivating and even made me tear up. The ending felt a little rushed and I wanted to sit through another 100 pages learning more about Liv and Jake. Overall, this was a great read and I would recommend to rom-com lovers who enjoy authors such as Tessa Bailey and Elena Armas

This book was just so charming! I loved the “what-if” premise and the alternate timeline plot. Once the switch happened, I didn’t want to put the book down. I thought Liv and Jake were both likeable characters, but Jake stole the show. The chemistry between the main characters was great throughout. No spoilers, but I wanted more at the end, it felt abrupt given the expansive depth into the alternate timeline. Overall, I thought this read was very good and I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Putnam, Netgalley and the Author for an advanced e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced reader copy of “What’s in a Kiss” by Lauren Kate. While it started off a little slow for me, it quickly picked up and became unputdownable. I am a sucker for alternate timelines or quantum mechanics in romance and this did not disappoint. There are so many well plotted and hilarious and heartwarming tropes in this book and I loved all of them: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, misunderstandings lasting a decade, life swap, all good. And the sexual tension is off the charts.

Liv is the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding and Jake Glasswell is the best man. They all used to be friends but some missed cues and miscommunication made Jake the last person Liv wanted to see again. But a twist of fate/a little magic and as the couple is saying I Do and Liv is glaring at Jake, the present changes into an alternate reality-one where Liv and Jake are happily married. But in this reality, her best friend and her own mother don’t talk to her.

This is the first book by this author that I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last. I have already ordered one of her others. You can’t help but fall in love with Jake and his obvious love for Liv in their shared life reality. And you can’t help but laugh in the various situations Liv gets herself in. This book will be published July 2, 2024. I will be picking up a few copies for birthday presents!