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!

I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t sure how I would like this one. I was a huge fan of Lauren Kate’s Fallen series when I was a teen (like to the extent where I waited outside Barnes and Noble for the last book to come out kind of obsessed). I read one other book by her after that series ended and it did not like it at all. Still, I ventured into this one with high hopes, and I was not let down!

I’m not usually a fan of these types of life-switch novels, but I really enjoyed this one. I loved all the characters, the unique plot, and just ho everything flowed. I was quick though to realize what Liv had to do to get back to her real life, but it didn’t spoil the book for me.

Liv at first grated on my nerves because she is a complete jerk to Jake, who quite honestly doesn’t deserve it. However, she did grow on me and I liked how she kept finding herself in hilarious situations.

Jake was such a cutie! I wish I had a Jake when I was in high school - I would not have let him go. He is just perfect and you can tell he has always loved Liv and just wants what is best for her. Even when she is a jerk to him he doesn’t react in a similar manner. I just love him.

One funny thing I noticed is the amount of Vampire Diaries names in here: Silas, Alaric, Mr Saltzman. It’s probably a coincidence, but I thought it was funny.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

At one point or another we all ask ourselves if we made a different choice in any given time in our lives, what would it be like. Would it be better? One small change can make the biggest difference, but is that a good or bad difference?

I wanted to like this more than I did. "What's in a Kiss?" covers several (maybe too many?) classic tropes...second chance romance, enemies to lovers, time travel (alternative timeline), and a few others. Don't get me wrong, its a good book, a great beach read, but I wanted more out of the lead character...I wanted to find a way to connect to her, but I just couldn't. I also wanted a better transition into the alternative timeline, it just felt a bit rushed/confusing.

Where Olivia was frustrating, Jake was more relatable...in each timeline!

Thank you Penguin Group for the Advance Readers Copy of Lauren Kate’s romance novel What's in a Kiss?

Liv is not where she expected to be at this point in her life. Her best friend's upcoming wedding forces Liv to interact with Jake Glasswell, a man from her past. Jake's presence in her current life leads her to question what if things had gone differently when presented with an alternate reality of her life.

This novel contains a reimagined version of several popular romance tropes 1) enemies to lovers, 2) second-chance romance, and 3) forced proximity. The female lead character's relationships with her mother and best friend were relatable in a non-cliche way that I appreciated. The plot was unique and the character development was complex in a way most romance novels are not able to achieve. This novel is worth the read and I am excited to read more from author Lauren Kate.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, for this Digital ARC!

What's in a Kiss? poses the question: can a kiss change the course of your life? This book follows Liv as she experiences two different realities: one where she kissed her high school nemesis at prom and one where she did not. Kate masterfully explores the topics of grief, friendship, family, love, and careers through Liv's POV while making delightfully funny and heartwarming scenes. I was entranced with the plot and the romance!

Without giving too much away, I'll just say that I really loved the main love interest! Jake made the book, in my opinion. The beginning of the book was slow to get started, but once Liv crossed into the alternate reality and bonded with Jake, I adored the story. Everything between Liv and Jake was so swoony <3 Most of the downsides to the alternate reality were upsetting, though, as there was a strained friendship and parental relationship, so if that is triggering to you, take care when reading this book.

Overall, this was very cute, and I'm glad I gave it a read!

This book is EASILY one of my favorites of the year. It's just so damn precious and it truly intrigued me. I love the parallel universe type deal it had going on . It's filled with great banter, and even greater romance. The friendships were truly brought to life in this. I can't wait to buy this one!

This book made me feel all the feelings. I was immediately drawn into the story and couldn’t put it down.

Read if you like:
💘 Second Chance
💘 Parallel Universe
💘 Enemies to Lovers
💘 Rivals
💘 Self Discovery

Thank you Netgalley & PutnamBooks for this ARC in return for my honest review!

“Because there’s only one long run for me.”

Liv is an absolute delight! She is funny and witty without being obnoxious. I really enjoyed all of her relationships: her mom, Masha, Jake. I adored her sense of humor and the way she carried herself! She was a good leading lady to cheer for, even when she was a nobody LYFT driver.

The paranormal “what if” storyline was actually really good. I wasn’t sure how to feel at first, because it happened very fast, but I enjoyed seeing what could have been for Liv. It was a good reminder of how to appreciate what you’ve got and how to fight for what you deserve. It reminded me that the real joys in life are not things, but the people we love! The story was way more moving than I expected, and I absolutely loved it and the tears it brought!

This is a great story filled with characters you can’t help but root for! I’m so lucky I got a chance to read it before its release! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity!

I liked What's in a Kiss and think our patrons will really connect with it as well. These time shift romances are really popular in our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance E-Book of What's in a Kissy by Lauren Kate in exchange of an honest review.

"Lauren Kate's 'What's in a Kiss' takes readers on a captivating journey through parallel universes and explores the power of one true love. The premise is fun and engaging, diving into the 'what ifs' of life and the impact of a single kiss. The contrasting realities of Olivia's life provide an intriguing backdrop, from her career struggles to her relationships with her best friend and estranged mother. The chemistry between Olivia and Jake, her high school nemesis turned love interest, is palpable, but the romance feels rushed and could benefit from more development. Some abrupt tonal shifts and explicit scenes seemed out of place for the characters. Despite these shortcomings, if you're a fan of parallel universes, rivals-to-lovers tropes, and long-lasting high school crushes, 'What's in a Kiss' will captivate you from start to finish."

Thanks so much NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam.

Liv sees Jake for the first time in 10 years. He's her Lyft passenger. He had humiliated her at Prom. She's in a wedding where Jake is the best man. Suddenly, the world does a weird shift and she is back at Prom. She's now living a life where Prom was the beginning of the two of them, not the end. Other things have changed too.

It was quick and cute. I wished there would have been more about exploring the switch itself, but I was certainly entertained. I like books that question what would have happened in life had this gone differently. Liv wasn't my favorite but Jake redeemed it for me!

This was a really great story and kept me interested. One minute I was smiling, the next tears streaming down my face, and then back to happy again. Lauren does a good job of taking us along on the journey with Olivia of self-discovery and the what ifs of life. I think many people can relate to wondering how life would have turned out if we had been able to do what we thought we wanted in the past, but don't think of how that would change how our life turned out in other areas as well. I enjoyed this journey with Olivia and Jake as they find where they are meant to be!

Olivia is helping to plan her best friend Masha’s dream wedding. There’s just one problem. Her arch nemesis from high school is back in town after finding success and fame...and he’s the best man. Olivia still feels a strong sense of competition with Jake which makes their reunion less than pleasant. Then, at the wedding, Olivia somehow finds herself in an alternate universe where she is happily married to Jake, but estranged from her mom and Masha.

This book was a quick and cute read. I loved Olivia’s relationship with her mom and Masha in real life. I did feel like there was a lot of information missing. I’d love to know more about how Jake fell for Olivia in high school. He’s clearly crazy about her, but that part was never really explained.. The switch between worlds could have been better explored. It would also have been nice to have a real reason why Olivia’s mom and Masha both hated her in the alternate reality.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

"What's in a Kiss" is a sweet "what if" story that kept me entertained and turning pages.

I thoroughly enjoyed tagging along with Olivia as she navigated a world where "the kiss" did happen thus altering the course of her life.

If you like Sliding Doors or Freaky Friday type stories, put this one on your list!

I always love the “what would have happened if I made a different choice” plot and What’s In A Kiss delivers. A famous rival is of course dumped in the lap of Olivia as she tries to navigate her best friend’s tricky-because-it’s-low-key wedding. They’ve all known each other since high school and an almost kiss between the rival Jake and Olivia could have changed her life completely from the somewhat pathetic furloughed teacher turned Lyft driver (when she really should have been a famous actress).

This book which I received an advanced reader copy from Net Galley is a fun summer/beach read and is a solid 4, maybe even a 4.5.

Light spoilers, that won’t mess up your reading experience (but if you like to read books in total darkness stop here):
I missed a flip into “what might have been” and spent two chapters trying to figure out what was going on.
I also wanted to know more about all the secondary characters that Olivia “Liv” has in both timelines and why they like or don’t like her so much.
*to note there is a light touch on miscarriage/fertility so if this is at all a trigger for you, it’s not major plot line but it does come up.

I'm so torn about this story! I've said multiple times that I love this trope, and it was certainly handled very well in this case. But, there was something that kept me from fully connecting with it.

Liv started off as a pretty frustrating FMC. It was almost as if everything that could possibly go wrong in her life had gone wrong. What was most frustrating was her almost unreasonable dislike of...

Jake Glasswell, a strong MMC. I liked his character almost immediately. His no-nonsense, straightforward attitude was very attractive.

The whole fiasco with skipping ahead to an alternate reality was a bit confusing to follow. But, I digress.

It was in this alternate reality that Liv started to realize that Jake wasn't the villain that she'd always painted him to be. In fact, she learned that in the many years that she'd known him, she'd basically misinterpreted their every interaction; he'd loved her all along. And this is where the story began to shift from a traditional enemies-to-lovers romance. It certainly kept the plot interesting!

Unfortunately, I found Liv to be annoying in every reality, whereas I found Jake to be redeemable and adorable in all of them.

This might be one of the few stories where I didn't want Liv to get her happy ending with Jake. I truly felt like she didn't deserve him, having treated him unfairly for most of their lives.

3 ⭐️

The book what’s in a kiss by Lauren Kate is a cute love story . I felt that this book was very easy to read and get through in a short amount of time . I will say that I did feel confused at some points as to if the events were really happening .