This is a super cute take on alternate universes which gave me 13 going on 30 vibes. Liv in suddenly thrown into a world where she’s super successful and happily married to her sworn emery Jake. She soon realizes it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in this world either.

This was such a cute easy read. I loved getting to see Liv let her walls come down and fall in love with Jake in his most down to earth version. I enjoyed watching her come to terms with what she could fix or live without and how the story played out.

I do wish there was more spice and time spent with regards to Liv and Jake being happy and in love. The time travel was well written but got a little confusing at the end. It felt like it was mimicking 13 going on 30 but also trying to be different. I did enjoy the ending, overall, but was sad there wasn’t an epilogue. It would have been really nice to see a glimpse into their future.

Woah, I was not expecting that! “What’s in a Kiss?” definately plays on some of the typical romcom tropes but spices things up with an alternate universe reality shift that I did not see coming. It was fun and kept the plot intriguing and the reader engaged. I did like the normal universe reality a bit more so was kinda rushing a bit towards the end to get back to normalcy. Overall this was sweet and fun and I would recommend!

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for granting me the privilege of ereading this book in advance.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.
The concept was very intriguing but I could not get past who the FMC is as a person. The grudge she has held on to for years about a person that did not deserve it was too much for me. It also took maybe a bit too long to get to the main plot of the story.

I was hooked from the beginning! The premise was so cute and the angst and spice between Liv and Jake was palpable and infectious from page one. I’ll be honest— I liked the writing and characters more in reality rather than Olivia’s alternate universe, so when things wrapped up so quickly at the end, I was bummed. I wanted more closure on real Jake and Olivia. Maybe even an epilogue? Still a really cute and fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This was a fine read! I enjoyed the writing and the overall premise of the book. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of the time travel / alternative universe. I felt as though the transition to/from was a bit forced and not entirely clear. But all in all, it was a cute story.

What is in a kiss? What is in THIS kiss? An absolutely charming romance and deliciousness and those warm feelings that one gets whenever you are caught in the most delightful of books. I loved every second of this novel, and equally enjoyed the characters - they are not dry, two dimensional, but living breathing humans that seemed so real that I felt they were beside me. This was one of my favorite reads so far this year and I highly, highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was an interesting twist on the usual rom com. Though it has certain tropes like pining and enemies to lovers, it also relies on a plot device of parallel universes that lead the reader to ask “what if?”

However, despite the interesting concept of the book, the execution could have been better. For one, the tonal shifts in the book were jarring and needed better development, for example when the characters go from dislike to chaste friendship to explicit spicy. There also needed to be a bit more development of the male protagonist so we can understand why he has been pining.

The overall premise of What's in a Kiss? is fun and explores what ifs/parallel universes/one true loves.

In one universe/Olivia's reality, Olivia isn't exactly where she hoped she would be career-wise, but she has an amazing best friend who is getting married soon (Olivia is planning the wedding) and she has a podcast with her mom. In the parallel universe, she is an actress on a popular TV show, is married to her high school sweetheart (Jake, her nemesis in the other universe!), and is estranged from her mother and her best friend. Olivia seems to be stuck in this parallel universe and is surprised to find herself falling for Jake - if they had actually kissed a decade ago, would they be together "real life"?

There are a few cute scenes throughout but the scene setting isn't always clear and I wish there was more development/nuance/understanding of why Jake has been in love with Olivia for all these years and more scenes of them together. There are also some abrupt tonal shifts in the relationship from chaste to explicit, that didn't seem to fit either of the characters. The romance felt rushed. If you are a fan of parallel universes, rivals-to-lovers, and long-lasting high school crushes, give this a read.

Thank you very much to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This was a pretty great book! The main story of the book relies on the phrase “what if?” in Liv’s life. What if she had made entirely different choices after the almost kiss with her enemy Jake on prom night? What if she followed her true dreams?

While the storyline kept me fixed and intrigued, with great humor and plot as well as an amazing romance (i found myself sighing and falling in love with them, Jake really is a catch!), what got through me the most was the relationship between the female characters. I felt so emotional reading about Liv and her mom, and her friendship with Masha was especially great. I found myself rooting for these women all the time. These characters connected so well and, even with all the problems in their way, you could feel the hurt and the love they shared on another level.

Lauren Kate writes especially well the scenes where Liv is reflecting on her life toward the end of the book, and what she has to lose in the two different realities she’s found herself in. She creates a vivid sense of place and emotion, and although you can root for which world you think she should choose, you find it perfectly clear the reasons why both realities are good in their own aspects.

I adored this book, and cannot wait for it to come out!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication in exchange for an honest review.

Its a witty, swoony, romantic humorous, and undoubtedly one easy read. I absolutely so loved and enjoyed reading it. All, in all, it’s a full 5 stars read for me

Wow! I could not put this book down. I adore the parallel universe trope, and I think this is my favorite iteration of it. Olivia is 10 years out of high school, and life hasn’t gone the way she wanted in terms of her career or love life. But she’s got her best friend and mom by her side. BFF Masha is about to get married, and Olivia is about to deal with her high school enemy that she had an almost kiss with at prom. At the wedding, everything shifts after the post-vow kiss. Olivia is in a world where she’s a famous actress, married to Jake, and estranged from Masha and her mom.

Olivia has a hard time navigating this parallel life, but she quickly falls in love with Jake. On the other hand, she deeply misses her mom and Masha. She’s stuck between wanting to stay in this life with Jake and going back to her normal life. I love how it all resolved in the end. She was a fun character to root for, and Jake was so dreamy.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

"Here. There. Everywhere. All the where's in all the worlds. Always."

This book was so sweet and wonderful my heart couldn't handle it! I love the idea of parallel universes that hold infinite versions of our lives. It's magical realism and it makes me happy. It was such a refreshing read for me. It had elements that were giving 13 Going On 30 and Freaky Friday vibes. It's filled with cute banter, strong female relationships, and plenty of swoon-worthy moments between our FMC & MMC. Genuinely enjoyed this book.

What's in a Kiss follows Olivia as she prepares for her best friends wedding. The only problem is that the best man happens to be Jake Glasswell, her high school rival and the prom date who rejected her. It's been ten years since the prom night kiss that never was and as "I Do's" are exchanged at their best friends wedding Liv essentially enters into a parallel universe where prom night was the beginning of her and Jake, not the end, and he's the great love of her life. The catch? Her mom and best friend hate her in this parallel world.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The tropes:
- Second Chance
- Parallel Universe
- Enemies to Lovers
- Rivals
- Self Discovery

Loving this book so so much! Will be sharing my full review and thoughts super soon, but just wanted to share how great the writing style was I was hooked from the first page. It’s been a long time since a book did that for me. I love the storyline and characters. Very relatable and funny. Also the concept is unique and different as well. I can’t WAIT to read more from Lauren Kate.Watch this space…