From the moment Liv first saw Jake in their junior year of high school it seemed like they were always competing. When he turned away when he saw her as Juliet on the balcony rather than act with her or on the night of their prom when it seemed they would kiss, but didn’t, so many events combine to show Liv why she and Jake will always be enemies. But it’s her best friend Masha’s wedding and Jake is going to be the best man, so she just needs to hold it together to get through the ceremony. Something supernatural happens during the ceremony. Liv is transported to an alternate reality where she and Jake like each other. Love each other. But, and it’s a big but: Masha and Liv’s mother both hate her. Can she live in a world where two of her favorite people hate her even if the love she has with Jake is the best thing in the world?

What’s in a Kiss had me from the get-go. Lauren Kate’s writing pulled me in and made me care about the characters and what happens to them. Liv’s two universes are referred to as The Real Life and The High Life. There is no doubt that the Liv in real life is a mess but she cares about people. She is always trying to fix things around her, even though it’s probably her own life that needs fixing. When Liv is dropped into The High Life she feels like she has to do some kind of damage control because she doesn’t know what happened or why her two favorite women are so upset with her that they’re estranged.

The caring and love between Liv and Jake in The High Life was emotional and so palpable that I could understand her being uncertain as to what she should do. Love like that doesn’t come around all that often. Some of the scenes between them made for a great love story. Sigh.

If there were things that didn’t work I can’t say that I noticed them because I really was swept up by What’s in a Kiss. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be satisfied with the ending because things do get messy but Lauren Kate didn’t let me down and the ending worked.

What’s in a Kiss is a little rom-com, a little great love, a little spicy, a little supernatural, and a whole lotta fun and feeling. I highly recommend.

Many thanks to Penguin Group Putnam for sending me a copy.

Unfortunately I did not like this book very much. The idea was interesting and could have been really fun but this just wasn’t it for me. I thought Olivia was so immature and annoying. She tried to be funny and witty but that fell flat for me. I did really love Jake. He was the only reason I pushed through the story. I wish I could have enjoyed this but it just wasn’t for me.

What's in a kiss was okay. I wanted to love it but the switch took too long to get, and I almost forgot that it was part of the plot.
I did like the characters though and felt connected to them.

The ending was okay but could have been better.

When I tell you I had to force myself to keep reading and then, I'm not even sure how it happened, I end up devouring the whole thing, tears streaming down my face, wishing love was real.
In other words, the romance is romancing.

Even if that's probably not the real world, I know that you know what I mean.
But before you ask, the spicy is not what I'm talking about. This is the type of romance that producers make movies about, something ‘90s style with the equivalent of a modern Julia Roberts whose only job is looking nauseating in love because she met her true love.

And, honestly, the whole your-soulmate-is-out-there-waiting-for-you concept is not even something I believe in, but how could I be cynical when two people love each other this much:

“Here. There. Everywhere. All the wheres in all the worlds. Always.”

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Since it is mentioned in the blurb it isn’t a spoiler to share that this involves waking up in a different reality. Liv’s life hasn’t turned out how she wanted. She didn’t go to Julliard and become a famous actress as planned. She stays home to help her mom. At the moment she is MOH for her life long best friend Masha. The downside is the best man is her high school rival Jake. He has gone on to a be a famous tv personality. She has so much animosity for the prom night when they almost kissed. During the wedding Liv wakes up in a different world where she is famous and she and Jake are in love. But her other relationships have changed. She wants to get back to the reality that she knows.

Because I knew it was coming I kept waiting for the switch, which comes over 25 percent in the story. I found Jake very, very annoying up to that point so it was hard to cheer for a romance. But the alternate reality convinces me he is worthy of her. I did have some unanswered questions. Olivia’s mom won’t speak to her in the “high life" but the situation is never explained. I wanted to know more about something that would cause such a dramatic shift. Jake’s relationship with his dad isn’t explained well in either life. And was Jake happy being famous? I didn’t understand Liv’s need for Jake to be famous or even why she valued that so much on her tally chart. I think there are a lot of details that got dropped in trying to create two varying universes.

This is a cute fantasy premise and a fairly quick read. I decided to let my questions go and just flow with the idea that Liv wants her universe and life can be messy in any world. If you enjoy fantasy mixed in with contemporary romance you’ll probably enjoy this book. This is only my second book I’ve read from the author but I will look for more to come. (3.5 Stars)

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.