I loved this premise. The idea of sliding into another reality and getting to see what might have happened is poignant and one of my faves. And this was well executed. A little bit lacking on chemistry btn the 2 main characters, and I didn’t like that the 2 biggest relationships in her life were sour and it wasn’t explained why. I also thought the best friend was a big demanding and she was a doormat in the original reality so that was left unexplored and I wanted more. I also wanted more of an epilogue once she snaps back to her original timeline, it just sort of ended and that was a bit sad. Otherwise, I liked idea and the meditation of success and destiny,

This was a good book in the sense that it kept me entertained. It was a quick easy read but I didn’t really like the concept. It was a what if type of story. The first part of the book takes place in the current reality and then it magically transitions to an alternate reality and eventually goes back to current at the end. I wanted to see more Olivia and Jake’s relationship in the current reality. The book ended before we got to see what their life could look like. Book 2? 3 stars!

Cute story with a parallel universe twist

-enemies to lovers
-second chance
-time travel

Quick read and interesting story that made me want to read it all in one setting. Overall a fun and sweet book but I do wish we got more answers into the parallel universe aspect and more time with the characters in present day/ the real universe.


Thank you to NetGallary for the arc in exchange for a honest review.

When we first meet Olivia it is the day before her best friend Masha's wedding. Olivia is doing her best to make sure Masha and Eli's wedding goes off without a hitch. She's also trying not to think about her archnemesis and best man, Jake Glasswell. Jake and Olivia have been in competition since they met in high school. Who cares that he's currently living the life she dreamed of for herself?! Liv just needs to make it through the wedding and she can go on pretending that Jake doesn't exist.

The funny thing about life is it comes at you fast... one minute you're glaring at your sworn enemy across the alter at your best friend's wedding and the next you're married to him.... wait what?! Somehow during the kiss Liv ends up in an alternate universe where she and Jake are madly in love and married. Olivia soon realizes in this life she and Masha are not friends, Masha HATES her. In this life Liv is a star. She is living the life she imagined but without the support of her best friend and her mother.

If ever a character needed some therapy it was Olivia. Sis was seriously carrying some deep rage for a guy from high school who obviously liked her. She decided they were competitors and so in their mind that made it so. I know high schoolers aren't necessarily the best communicators, but when we meet Liv she's like 30. Why was she so hellbent on hating Jake?

Jake was definitely a likeable character it took me MUCH longer to warm up to Olivia and this book is not a long one. I am a sucker for an alternate universe story so overall it was a decent read. I do wish we'd explored the reasons for the rift in Masha and Olivia's relationship as well as her estrangement with her mother. Other than one or two lines I don't feel as if I got anything that justified the damage to these relationships.

What is in a kiss? Apparently a lot! Throughout the story I was getting Midnight Library vibes although this one did not life-hop as much so you got a lot more detail and experienced the agony on the decisions that had to be made. There were a lot of little clues to pick up on of what could transfer between lives and what couldn’t. The story overall was good. I was lost when the change first happened as it was so abrupt, but I feel like that was on purpose so the reader got the feeling for the character not knowing or understanding what is going on. It was so nice to read about the love story that could be and to come to the realization that she couldn’t stay because of what she was discovering over time. And to see the transition in her mind of how to interpret things in the original life was refreshing. Some of the words for fishing or a boat were hard for me to understand just because I don’t know a lot about them. But I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this sweet book. It reminded me a lot of the Sophie Cousens Book "The Good Part" but more lighthearted. Also some parallels to this one and "Maybe in Another Life" by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
I enjoyed following along as the main character Liv, gets transported to an alternative version of her life with some things are better/unexpected and some things are not better. It caused her to examine the parts of her life that were important to her and also realize the feelings she has had for Jake the entire time. It's definitely one I'd recommend for fans of authors like Katherine Center, Emily Henry, Sophie Cousens and similar. The only thing I wish is that we got more of an extended epilogue to see how her real life turned out on the end. Such a fun a read though!

I wasn’t sure what to expected when I started “What’s in a kiss?” It took me a few chapters to get hooked. I felt like the author was saying a lot without actually showing us. As a first person narration, I know it’s all supposed to be a little “dear diary” but a lot of the times I found myself skimming through paragraphs trying to get to the action.

This is my first alternate reality read, and while I enjoyed getting to see the different outcomes of MC’s life, the ending felt rushed. I don’t see how two people that hated each other and don’t know each other in adulthood could just jump into a relationship just like that.

I debated not finishing it, but I was curious what the ending would be and which reality the MC sound stay on.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Lauren Kate's "What's in a Kiss?" had an intriguing concept similar to the movie "13 Going on 30," but it left much to be desired. The characters were underdeveloped, and the central romance lacked depth. The pacing was inconsistent, sometimes dragging and rushing through key moments. The resolution felt rushed and unsatisfying, with loose ends. The book showed potential but ultimately fell short. Despite its engaging premise, the lack of character development, limited exploration of parallel universes, and an unsatisfying ending earned it a two-star rating.

This was a cute romcom that gives “13 Going on 30” vibes. I liked the parallel universe idea, but it was a confusing shift between Real Life Olivia and High Life Olivia. I didn’t catch the jump between the worlds at first because it was so subtle, and it wasn’t very clear how she got there and back. I would have liked to know more about why Jake fell for Olivia when they were in high school, and more detail could have been given about why he didn’t act on those feelings back then. I was also left wanting a glimpse into their happily ever after. On a different note, I loved the relationship between Real Life Olivia and her mom, as well as her friendship with Masha, and seeing the depth of those bonds was heartwarming.

this was very sweet! i liked the whole concept. it was very 13 going on 30 but just like that movie, i wish more time was spent when she goes back to reality but if the synopsis intrigues you.,. go for it!

the banter is good. the husband is chef’s kiss. just got a little lost for a chapter or two with the yogi. would recommend.

What’s in a Kiss Review

A cute romance between what could have been high school sweethearts if not for misunderstandings.

Olivia had big dreams. Then her dad died and she stayed to support her mom. She no longer has her teaching job, she’s helping with her mom’s podcast and driving for Lyft.

She’s been busy planning her best friends perfect wedding and she wasn’t about to let seeing Jake Glasswell for the first time in ten years ruin that.

Jake Glasswell is everywhere. He’s a talk show host, he was dating a hot star, and people talk about how he’s changed their life.

Olivia kind of annoyed me in the beginning because of how she was treating Jake even though he didn’t do anything. She kept playing the victim because he supposedly was out to beat her. All. The. Time. In high school. I think I was most annoyed when she found out that Jake’s dad also passed away when they were 18 and she was just like no he has to be lying.

My favorite character is definitely Jake. He’s just so perfect! He’s kind, helpful, and a perfect body!

Highly recommend! Definitely going to come back to this book for rereading!

Wow! Just wow! This book did something to me! I laughed, I cried! I loved it!
As a women, I have never related to a character more, constantly wondering what if in life.
What if I said yes, what if I kissed the boy, all of it.
This story follows a character preparing for her best friends wedding, and she has to interact with the “boy who got away.” Who is now her enemy. During the wedding she gets transported to a new life, where she is happily married to the boy, but her best friend and mom won’t talk to her.

The whole concept is her trying to get back to her life, but wanting the best of both worlds, her best friend, and the boy.
I love how the author wrote every bit of the love story, and made me truly root for these characters.
Bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this cute and light romance. It was a sweet take on a what-if/alternate universe plot. Oliva is preparing for her best friend's intimate wedding and the best man Jake, in the wedding is also the guy who she almost kissed at prom but had an embarrassing moment and rejection instead. She is currently struggling in her life with finances and job, however, she has the greatest best friend and relationship with her mother. Without giving too much away, Olivia finds herself in an alternate reality where her and Jake had actually kissed. Her life is completely different in almost every way. It seems like there are aspects in each life that complete her and others that tear her apart and she has to decide which are worth more.
It was a really sweet romance. I loved her chemistry with Jake. He was extremely charming and devoted to Olivia. I also loved Olivia's dog! It was a cute addition to the plot.

Oh my heart!! This was amazing.

Our main character gets to see what would have been if she had kissed her rival at prom. I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions! Such a beautiful story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

📖 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦

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

What if one little moment could change your whole future? Nothing huge, just a little kiss. Olivia is having a run of bad luck. When her dad died her senior year of high school her life changed. Instead of going to Juilliard for acting she stayed home to help her mother grieve. She’s been furloughed from her drama teaching job and flat broke. Now she’s planning her best friends wedding and freaking out because her high school crush is the best man, and she hates him. Jake graduated high school, went to New York and got everything he ever wanted. He’s a famous tv show star and the whole world loves him. A misunderstanding in high school has caused Olivia to hate him. When he jumps into Olivia’s ride-share they are back to bickering. At the wedding, she catches Jake staring at her and from that moment she wakes up in an alternate reality. A reality where she got everything she ever wanted, but was it worth the cost of what she lost?

This was a fun book! Jake was a great book boyfriend, and I loved the role her dog played in the story! This book makes you think about the tiny little things we take for granted everyday. Nothing is promised but we have to live each day appreciating what we have.

There was some mild spice in this book. Spice rating: 🌶️

Overall rating: 4.5⭐️

Tropes: enemies to lovers, time travel, alternate realities, doggie sidekicks, mild spice, contemporary romance

Thank you 𝖭𝖾𝗍𝖦𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 and 𝖫𝖺𝗎𝗋𝖾𝗇 𝖪𝖺𝗍𝖾 for my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! This book is available to read on July 2nd, 2024.

DNF

I loved the concept going into this, but I DNFed it because I just thought it was lacking pace, low-key. I found myself skipping sentences and paragraphs to get to the good part and I stopped 34 pages in.

The writing felt kinda everywhere and I couldn’t entirely keep track. There is still so much time for this book to develop and I really hope it does because it was such a good idea to write about and I really hope it does come out so well. Maybe I’ll read it again when it comes out next year, but for right now, I couldn’t.

EDIT: SHE WROTE THE FALLEN SERIES??? OMG I ATE THAT SHIT UP WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I FEEL MORE HONORED TO READ THIS. <33333333

I like the concept of this book. I was rooting for the characters. I was generally happy with the ending. The story was well-paced and the characters were interesting.

For those who care: there was A LOT of descriptive, seggsy stuff.

I enjoyed the switch of lives, it also reminded of me 13 going on 30. The love she has for her best friend & mom matters so much to her and her love story can exist on both sides. I did stumble a little with lives switch & repetition of her saying she needs to leave then not leaving. Baseball really was used in the beginning but not as important later. But I will definitely be recommending to our Book Club TBR.

Not sure what I thought I was reading but that wasnt it. Now dont get me wrong there were definitely parts I liked but I just was NOT a fan of FMC. Loved Jake, loved seeing his character but I just could not get into this book for the life of me.