What’s in a Kiss? is Sliding Doors and The Good Part by way of The Second Chance Year. It’s an alternate timeline love story between Jake and Olivia where in one timeline, they’re enemies as adults after the prom kiss that didn’t happen in high school. She’s struggling to make ends meet when a career in acting didn’t pan out, making a podcast with her mom that no one listens to, and is the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding. He’s the best man, and America’s sweetheart as the country’s most popular talk show host. In a moment of magic during the wedding ceremony, she slips into another version of her life… one where she’s an actress on a popular tv show, happily married to Jake, who is a house husband, but both her best friend and her mother hate her. Trying to navigate a life she has no memory of while trying to get back to her old life, she begins to see things a little more clearly, especially when it comes to Jake and their past. But can she has the best of both lives, or does she have to take a chance to give up a sure thing to have something better? It left me torn between Olivia staying in the present or going back to try to change her story. It’s a fun and quick read, but lacked a little of the warmth of By Any Other Name. On the other hand, this one has more humor and spice than BAOT. No matter which way you look at it, still a worthwhile read!

3.5⭐️

I liked this book as a whole, but there were some things that I didn’t which affected my enjoyment. I’m a big fan of what ifs and alternative worlds and a little sci-fi in romcoms. But this one wasn’t a hit for me unfortunately. I didn’t really understand why our main character Olivia was put into this alternate reality. The earth shakes a bit at her friend’s wedding and bam she’s gone. It just felt like there was no reason, and granted there doesn’t need to be a reason for reality defying plots but this one just happened. But in this alternate world she is now in love with Jake, who she hates in the real world (more on that later). I did like this relationship, even if it wasn’t real, because it showed the good part of a romance and that they are meant for each other in every world and I wish we could’ve seen more of them together in the real world, give me an epilogue. But my only issue with this relationship is how does she still hold a grudge for Jake not kissing her at prom. It’s been 10 years, grow up, get over it, and go to therapy. This hatred over something that happened in high school with someone she doesn’t even talk to anymore got really annoying especially when it’s mentioned basically every other page. My final thought on the alternate reality, is that I don’t understand the estrangement between Olivia and her mother, it just doesn’t make sense.

Overall, I liked most of the book but there were some plot points that I couldn’t get past

4.5 stars rounded up to five on this modern-day take on Sliding Doors. Perfect for those who have ever wondered “what if?”

Liv is living The Real Life. Her Juilliard hopes and dreams are dashed when her father dies her senior year of high school. While her mother mourned, her mother also realized she could no longer afford Juilliard unless she sold the family’s home. Liv decided that was not going to happen so she stays in California, kissing her big New York dreams goodbye.

But Liv is happily single, talks to her mom about everything and anything, and is helping plan her best friend’s wedding. The Real Life is good! Until….Jake, the guy who disappointed her at prom; the guy who was also voted Most Likely to Succeed along with Liv; the guy who is now a beloved newscaster and is hugely famous, is forced back into Liv’s life as one of her Lyft passengers.

Determined to put her jealousy and embarrassment aside, she focused on her best friend’s wedding. But as the bride and groom say their vows, and Liv and Jake lock eyes, the unexpected happens.

Liv is suddenly living The High Life wherein she did go to Juilliard and is a hugely wealthy and successful actress. No one knows who her husband, Jake, is but he’s happy and loyally, devoted, crazy in love with Liv. Liv finds a love and life she never could have dreamed of. But, there’s a catch. In Liv’s High Life, her best friend hates her and her mother hasn’t spoken to her in years.

Liv is at a crossroads and must decide which life she wants to lead.

The book hooked me immediately and I read this in an afternoon. Again, I highly recommend this to anyone who has ever asked themselves “what if?” Lauren Kate knows how to write about love and I can’t wait for her next adult romance!

Thank you for the opportunity to read the advanced copy of this. I enjoyed the story but didn’t feel that it was anything spectacular. If you’re looking for an easy read this summer, this is a great option. This was my first Lauren Kate book, I’ll be checking out some of her other books.

This book was so much fun. What would happen if the guy you didn’t kiss at prom ended up being “the one”. This was such a beautiful story about what really matters in life, mixed in with a steamy romance. I could not put it down!

2.5 stars

Olivia Dusk is struggling. She was laid off from her drama teacher gig, she’s a part-time ride-share driver/part-time waitress, and she gave up her dream of Juilliard to stay in California with her mom after her dad died 10 years ago. The cherry on top of this mess is Jake Glasswell, the world’s talk show darling and Olivia’s self-proclaimed nemesis. Olivia and Jake were rivals in high school and after he seemingly turned her down for a kiss at prom, she declared war and hasn’t spoken to or seen him since. But as the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, and with Jake as the best man, she runs into him again and chaos erupts. Suddenly she’s in an alternate reality where she’s married to Jake Glasswell but her best friend and her mom hate her - she’s also a main character in a soap opera and is a well-known actress. As we follow along during the rest of Olivia’s story, we see what she truly needs in the reality she came from, and that may just be Jake himself.

Although the premise of this was cute and sounded like a play on 13 Going on 30, it didn’t work for me. Olivia is 28 years old but acts like a petulant teenager. She makes decisions based on things that happened when she was 18 even though she doesn’t have the full context for those situations. I found myself getting angry with her behavior because no one around her deserved her childish, selfish treatment - especially Jake.

Jake was the star of this story in my eyes. I instantly loved him and his playful attitude. What I don’t understand is why he was so in love with Olivia when she was insufferable the majority of the time. Once she started growing up at around the 75% mark of the book, I could see him falling in love with that version of her. But in my opinion, he still deserved better.

I wish I liked this more than I did because I really did love Jake and I thought he and Olivia had good physical chemistry. But the story was disjointed and clunky and the alternate reality storyline did not serve these characters like it should have. I wanted more time with them once Olivia had returned to her reality because it was much too brief and didn’t provide me with the satisfaction I had been waiting for.

Overall, if you don’t look too closely, it’s a cute story that will give you a couple laughs and you’ll have the profound enjoyment of experiencing Jake Glasswell as a character.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute read with a few spicy scenes - of a parallel universe love story. I enjoyed the writing style especially the banter between Olivia and Jake. You get second chance, enemies to lovers in this one. Overall, I enjoyed the premise of this story and will be a fun one if you give it a go. I liked it a lot and was a 4 star experience for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3! I really enjoyed this and thought it was a super cute read. Jake was a fantastic character living his life, and his relationship with Olivia was wonderful. They both balanced each other out. I appreciated that, while Olivia’s relationship with Jake was important, her biggest concerns were still her connections with her best friend and her mother. I love it when books don’t only touch on romantic love but the platonic love they have for those around them. My only complaint is that there was no epilogue. I wanted to see how Jake and Olivia’s relationship developed in real life, beyond the alternate life depicted in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P Putman’s son, and Penguin Group Putman for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Putnam and PRH audio for the free review copies, What's in a Kiss is a fun romance with dashes of what if/other pathways thrown in, similar to The Good Part (so if you liked that... try this!). I have not read Lauren Kate before but I will check out her other books!

What works? For me I like the what might have been pathways that are explored here, always interesting to me, as well as the solid focus on the value of a rich life regardless of love/having people in your corner. I also want to drop a note to say that I loved the voice acting on the audiobook, Kristen DiMercurio had a wry tone that captured the quirky humor of the main character and it worked for me.

A few challenges always arise when you have a sliding doors-ish plot, being in the confusion and uncertainty of the main character makes it hard to keep up but at the same time... isn't that the point? To be on the journey with the main character. Some might also find the part of story a little woe is me, I didn't get the pathway I wanted but it did not read that way to me at all, I felt the main character was someone a little lost but also a caring person, someone who showed up for others even if life had handed out some lemons. I like a flawed main character, someone who has the fuzzy end of a lollipop at times but is still doing her best.

If I could have one magical realism wish it might be for a rounding out of the end, an epilogue or a little more closure...

This was a cute alternate reality second chance romcom. Olivia's career and love life are a mess but she has her best friend and mom by her side. And then she has to spend time with her high school rival and now household name Jake Glasswell at her BFF's wedding. Suddenly, Olivia finds herself in an alternate version of her life where her and Jake are happily married and she's the household name. She appears happy in this life but doesn't have a relationship with her mom or BFF. Olivia doesn't want to give up Jake but wants to find her way back to her "real" life.

What a pleasant surprise. I thought it was a typical enemy to lovers rom-com, but it was really good with a alternate universe thrown in to show Olivia that her feelings for Jake were all wrong. Olivia has hated Jake since HS based on her interpretations of their interactions. Jake has it all and Olivia's life isn't what she envisioned it to be when her dad died and she decided to stay home and not pursue her Julliard degree and help her mom. Living pay check to pay check and trying to figure out her next move, Olivia comes face to face with Jake when he orders a Lyft and she is the driver having a bad hair day among other things going wrong and famous Jake loved by the world based on his podcast is looking sexier than ever. The title, What's In a Kiss" is everything catapulting Olivia on a wild ride, but what is her truth and decision.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this and thought it was super cute. I absolutely loved Jake as a character in the "high life" and he has such a good relationship with Olivia. I also did like that yes while the relationship was a big factor to Olivia her biggest concerns in this new life of hers was the one with her best friend and her mother.

I really do wish though that we got an epilogue. I wanted to see what Jake and Olivia's relationship was going to be like in the real life and not just in that other life. I also wanted to understand more what went on in the other life between Olivia and her mother and best friend. Some more context there would have been helpful other then them just not talking anymore.

Immediately, I was intrigued by the title. Within the frist few pages I understood the concept. What really is in a kiss? Honestly, this book perfectly explained how one kiss, one moment could change everything. I think my problem was I did not really enjoy Olivia in either reality. She was spiteful in one and just so confused in the other that I was also confused.

What's in a Kiss? is a romance centered on Olivia as she navigates an alternate universe where the man she hates, Jake, now becomes the person she must trust and rely on to understand her new reality.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was the relationship between Jake and Olivia. The way they understood each other and the intimacy developed as a result of that understanding really demonstrated the value in relationships. Olivia's struggle between her new High Life and Real Life was distressing to read about, especially knowing how things would change no matter what choice she made.

Since the reader is experiencing the events along with Olivia, sometimes it was a bit confusing to understand her surroundings and new relationships. I feel like in these instances it would have been beneficial to obtain a bit background.

This book really demonstrated the value of relationships, whether platonic, romantic or familial, and the value of people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the opportunity to read this book!

dnf @ 7% - i don't like it.

thank you lauren kate, penguin group, and netgalley for my arc <3

"I call this going Schizophrenic Dutch." i will admit that i did laugh. but also i don't think this is. in good taste.

"Masha is the Sophie to my Frances Ha, the Lenù to my Lila, the Constance Wu to my Awkwafina." shut uppppp

"Eli’s lucky AF" do not use "AF" in your traditionally published romance novel ??????? who allowed this. was this edited. like at all????

"During the pandemic, my mom and I started a podcast called The Reader’s Daughter." quickest way for me to lose sympathy and interest in a character is to say that started a podcast during the pandemic. 1. podcast. lame. and 2. pandemic mention. lame.

"Our subscriber numbers are lower than the last round of a limbo line." i just don't like this metaphor

"And you deserve a bronze statue for how much you’ve boosted your mom’s last decade." i really don't think anyone edited this book. i hate this sentence.

Lauren Kate’s books are so, so adorable and sweet. And I just love them. 💖

Short Synopsis:
Liv’s best friend is getting married. She’s helped her plan her small intimate beach wedding. But the one thing she didn’t plan? Picking up MegaSuper Star Jake Glasswell as her Lyft passenger - AKA The Best Man - AKA her high school nemesis. In this life, she’s a mess and broke but has her mom and her best friend. But when time slips she’s transported into a world where SHE is the famous one, doesn’t have her mom or sister but has Jake. Which alternate reality is best for her?

My Thoughts:
I adore Lauren Kate’s books and did not even read a synopsis before starting. 😂 So imagine my pleasant surprise to learn it’s magical realism - one of my favorites. (If you like The Good Part, then you NEED this one!)

It was everything I want in a magical romance - sweet with tension, humor, amazing best friend, longing, just all the good things.

What You’ll Find:
🖤 Enemies to lovers
🪄 Magical realism
💕 Second chance romance
🚪 Sliding Doors - ish
🗣️ Banter

I am generally a sucker for rivals to lovers, a second-chance romance, and a sprinkle of the supernatural, so What's In a Kiss? seemed very up my alley.

Following Liv, who works as a Lyft driver, co-hosts a podcast with her mother, and rues the existence of Jake Gladwell, her rival from high school, who has become wildly successful, the book imagines what might have happened if she and Jake had kissed at prom. When Liv wakes up in an alternate reality, everything she knows has been turned on its head – and she has to decide if she truly wants to give up the life she could have had.

While there is lots happening in What's In a Kiss? that is fun and compelling, I felt that the book spends too much time in the alternate version of reality. I wanted a bit more relationship development between Liv and Jake in their "real" timeline, and because we didn't get that, I ultimately felt like the HEA wrapped up too quickly.

4.0

When I glanced at the summary before diving in, I thought “What made me say I’d read this”. Maybe it was the name–Lauren Kate. It’s a mashup of other authors I like like Christina Lauren and Kate Clayborn and I realized I hadn’t actually read any of this author’s books before.

That aside, I’m not often a fan of those situations like “Sliding Doors” where one character is in some sort of limbo that nobody knows about or believes and sometimes, as in this book, they have to try to assimilate into someone else’s life. OK. Got all that? However, as I started reading, it wasn’t too bad. In other words, I wanted to keep reading.

I’m also not the hugest fan of characters who just can’t catch a break, as Olivia’s real life is. So when Olivia‘s life shifts, you wonder whether the High Life or Real Life is better, assuming she can even things out. I don’t understand how Olivia‘s mother and best friend and family are so hostile. It’s one thing to grow apart, but this doesn’t seem to fit, especially if Jake is still friends with Masha and Eli and, unlike other similar storylines, the new Olivia doesn’t seem to be an awful person with a reputation the interloper has to rectify.

All that aside, it’s a cute story. I enjoyed it. There’s plenty of sex. That’s more of an FYI in case that matters to you, not the reason I said I enjoyed it. Guess I’ll look and see what else Lauren Kate has written!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book is for all the overthinkers out there who wonder what their life would be like if they had taken a different path. I really enjoyed the parallel world aspect of this novel and think it added a fresh twist to a somewhat standard romance tale. I’m also a sucker for the concept that two people are fated to be together no matter what, so that made me swoon.

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes ever, but it is so hard to really get it right, and this one did not disappoint! And although it’s a romance story, it offers lots of thought provoking questions.

Romcom girlies add this one to your never ending TBR!