4.5 Stars :)

Cyn Tha Starr is no stranger to beautiful women as a successful music producer. And with her career taking up most of her time she’s elected to keep her circle small. Who needs a relationship when you have your dream job and an endless rotation of groupies? But when a night out with her best friend Jucee takes a flirtatious turn she realizes her feelings may be more than platonic. Does Cyn have what it takes to commit, or will she sabotage her first chance at real love?

Juleesa Jones is one of the top dancers in Houston with a fiery personality and a body to match. Not to mention she’s just as confident off the stage as she supports her son and friends with enough unconditional love to fill the city. But when she makes a move on her best friend Cyn she’s stuck reeling. Is what they have enough to make it romantically? Or will Jucee be left picking up the pieces of her heart? Commitment issues and community have met their match in, A Little Kissing Between Friends.

I binged this in a day it was so fun. A vibes fueled friends to lovers featuring themes of family, trust, communication, sex, and body positivity. With a Black mid-size femme bisexual single mother and a Black fat masc lesbian as main characters. Talk about underrepresented characters in queer, contemporary romance. Truly another win for the sapphics by Chencia C. Higgins. And spice!!!!! If you are a person who loves masc x femme spice then you will be so happy.

Cyn is one of the most authentic masc characters I have ever read. I expected her to be well-written since Kris from D’vaughn and Kris Plan A Wedding was such a solid character but Chencia has truly outdone herself. She was masculine in her style and mannerisms but didn’t overcompensate with toxic masculinity. She was a genuine butch lesbian which is hard to find in the media since they operate so explicitly outside the male gaze that they are excluded and written off. So to read a character like Cyn who is largely respected and well known in the music industry is refreshing. Not to mention her being a switch!! I don’t want to spoil the spicy scenes but if you’re a sucker for butches bottoming (me) then you’ll enjoy yourself. Cyn is also sober which is amazing because I never see sober characters in romances.

Jucee was such a complex and fun character to read as well. She is one of the best representations of femme bisexuals I’ve ever read and the most sex-positive character. Her confidence in her sexuality and work is a highlight of the story. No one batted an eye at her career and encouraged her to excel. It was never used as a diss or drag, especially towards her as a mother. She was just shown as a working parent who provided handsomely for her child and was supported by her community. Plus her relationship with Cyn’s family made me tear up at multiple points. It was a genuine and heartfelt connection that anchored the whole story together. Honestly, that family deserves the entire world.

Now if you are the type of reader that needs high stakes and a rigidly structured plot you may not be the biggest fan. This book is 1000000% character-driven. The entire time Cyn and Jucee are just trying to get their ish together and figure out what they want from themselves and each other. Which I love because it feels so authentic. Real-life love stories aren’t out here with a seven-point plot outline. They are messy and full of back and forth. However, I am not normally a fan of the miscommunication trope, which is a key point in the story. I’ll admit it is why I didn’t give this book 5 stars because it was exasperating at times. But overall it did make sense for these characters and their love story. So, although it was a bit much at times it was done well and didn’t take me out of the book.

All in all this heartwarming, spicy, and family-centered romance is a must-read! From the sexy club scenes to the hunger-inducing BBQs you’ll go from sad tears to frustrated tears back to happy tears. All while your stomach growls from how mouth-watering all the food sounds. Not to mention mad you can’t stream Cyn’s latest hit on Spotify. If you like romances that are vibes-driven with uniquely diverse characters and enough sexual tension to fill a room then you’re in the right place. Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Starting this review off by saying I loved and I mean LOVED D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding - another story written by this author. And I mean LOVED. I literally reread it at LEAST once a year. A Little Kissing Between Friends for me, however, just didn't fill me with the same joy. We're introduced to Cyn and Jucee, and the story follows a friends to lovers storyline. I felt like we missed a lot of their background/connection and didn't see enough of the foundation for me to be invested in them as a couple. There was a lot of miscommunication and internal dialogue that I wish had just been done a bit differently. I did appreciate the representation, however, and will absolutely read more by Chencia Higgins in the future.

I love that this is a sapphic romance between two plus sized black women.
I also love how one of them is a sex worker and how we support sex work.

I could see the characters and their personalities.

A Little Kissing Between Friends is a fun Black Queer friends-to-lovers romance that explores evolving relationships, chosen family, and community. I loved so much about this book: healthy co-parenting, sex worker representation, casual non-sexual Intimacy, and a loving family. The characters were loveable and I was locked into the story the whole book. I really appreciated that trauma wasn't a focus.

A Little Kissing Between Friends follows top music producer, Cyn, and a popular dancer at an inclusive strip club, Jucee. Cyn and Jucee are best friends with an undeniable attraction for one another. When the two cross the line into more than friend’s they must then navigate the murky waters of figuring out how to redefine their relationship and what they want for their future.

This story is perfect for fans of low/no plot books that are instead more about vibes and spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a copy of this eARC in exchange for this honest review.

This is a binge read!!! I read it all in under 4 hours it was so fantastic! I am bringing this one up at my book club when it releases! And I’ve already put in a request at my library for this book! Everyone needs to read it!

Can you remain best friends after that one kiss?

Music producer Cyn the Starr and exotic dancer Jucee have been best friends for the past 3 yrs. They are very in sync with each other that anticipating on another's needs is second nature.

As a rising star, Cyn is not really a player because she's grinding in the studio. However, one night something changes and they end up sleeping together.

A friends-to-lovers romance, this book was full of emotions and just enough spice to keep our girls in a should I or shouldn't I move to the more than friends, friends with benefits, or just friends zone?!?

If they aren’t careful, this could crash and burn…but isn’t real love worth it?

I enjoyed this e-arc and am becoming a fan of Ms. Higgins. I don't think there is enough Black lesbian stories out there and I'm excited for this author to add her voice in the mix!

Chencia C. Higgins did it again. This was an absolutely delectable, tender, and fun queer romance to swoon over. I have been waiting for another sapphic romance to sweep me off my feet, and this one did that. I am not always a best friends to lovers girlie, but this one got me!

There was a lot I really appreciated about this book. It was great getting to see a romance between two Black women, especially with one of them being a stud. That isn’t something that I’ve personally encountered a lot of in books. I also thought Cyn being a music producer and Jucee being a dancer at a strip club added a lot of interesting atmosphere to the story. There was also excellent chemistry in the steamy scenes. I enjoyed how Cyn and Jucee had one of those friendships where everyone around them assumed that they were already together or already in love.

Where the book lost me a tiny bit was that I didn’t feel like I totally understood where Cyn and Jucee were starting off in regards to their friendship. I think I just wanted to know a bit more about their background and how things started out before getting into them having sexual and romantic feelings for one another. I also got a bit overwhelmed with how many side characters there were. The book is pretty low plot, it’s mostly just them going back and forth between being friends, hooking up, having miscommunications, and repeat. I generally like there to be a bit more going on in the romance books that I read outside of the relationship itself.

But even though I have some complaints, I still had a nice time reading this book. I think people who really enjoy low plot sapphic romances should give this one a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f contemporary romance
-friends to lovers
-one night stand
-denial

This was a great steamy read. It really conveyed the absolute messiness of becoming more than friends, and battling that out and also not ruining your friendship but things are changing. These were two fiercely independedent characters coming together. Incredible chemistry, and when that strap on got pulled out for some public sex, I will never forget.

I enjoyed this book! The characters sung and the plot flowed well. I love how this author incorporates humor into everything she writes. I think I'll pick up anything she publishes at this point!

I loved DAKPAW, but unfortunately this fell short for me -- I struggle to find a friends-to-lovers story compelling, and an already slow pace was bogged down in detail. I'll keep trying Chencia!

I am so happy I was able to read this ARC! I have been waiting on a follow up from Chencia since D'Vaughn and Kris plan a wedding. Have Black Queer, specifically wlw romance is SOOOOO important to me.

A Little Kissing Between Friends is a big change of pace from D'Vaughn and Kris Plan A Wedding, in some ways better and in some ways ... just different. I still finished them both in one night though lol. The one thing i can say i appreciated deeply was leveling up the spice babyyyyy. It was my literal ONE grip with DaKPaW, like those characters had so much chemistry and i do believe we should have got to experience that chemistry spilling over on the page more. So I was super happy that Jucee and Cyn were on the page multiple times having very good spicy scenes lol. I loved the supporting characters and I *do* believe that Cyn and Jucee love each other and could figure it out ... but ... their miscommunication felt a little ... odd to me. like it never curled quite over. when they were having an honest conversation about it i said "huh?" because i didn't exactly read that in their behavior. Like Chenica really had to TELL it to me because i didn't see it. All in all, i thought it was fun all though Cyn got on my nerves deeply in how she handled a conflict with a different character! Will for sure read again and i'm praying that i win a paperback because this cover is STUNNINGGGGGG

There's excellent representation in this book and the spicy scenes were 🔥, but I just never felt connected to the characters and I was so frustrated with the way Cyn/Poppa was acting. I think this book just wasn't for me. I had high hopes because I absolutely LOVED D'Vaughn and Kris, but this just missed the mark for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity!


This was a wonderful friends to lovers sapphic romance!
It made me so happy to see these characters find one another, as they were perfect for one another.
Writing was also so beautiful just like I expected it to be.

I enjoyed the character, the spice, and the representation of this story. I don't think there was too much of a plot. The story was just a miscommunication between friends turned lovers.

Thank you for sharing this ARC with me! This is a friends to lovers story (love this trope); I liked the characters however this book was not for me.

Queer, poc, fat? Awesome. I'm here for this.

So, lets look at the good things in this book: no bi-erasure, found families, a look into a culture and space that often doesn't get much light in this genre, the hot as a fuck sex, and the appearance of women with legit sex drives that aren't ashamed of it.

These were great and they were all there. The problem for me is the sex was hot as fuck, all the elements that needed to be there were there, but it was just... not engaging at all. The plot was A to B to C, relying on miscommunication and pretty standard tropes. It was just fine.

If you want a nice, light read about families and women who want sex and aren't ashamed of it, with great body positive rep, this is for you.

3.5* rounded down.

Overall: 4/5
Spice level: 3/5
Tropes: best friends to lovers, found family

Representation: Sapphic story, Black romance, fat FMCs, bisexual FMC

This was a fun and sexy sapphic story between besties Cyn and Jucee. I absolutely loved the ease and closeness of their friendship and how it evolved. It felt natural.

Cyn's game playing and indecisiveness about her romantic interest in Jucee put me off of her character some, along her internalized biphobia. But her grand gesture in the end redeemed her. 

Jucee was my favorite. She had a heart of gold and was an amazing mother to her kiddo. 

Found family was an important aspect of this story, which I absolutely loved, and it's always a fun time to read stories set in my city.

"A Little Kissing Between Friends" by Chencia Higgins is a captivating tale that delves into the complexities of friendship and love. Set against the backdrop of true Houston club culture, this novel beautifully navigates the blurred lines between platonic affection and romantic attraction.

The story follows the lives of two best friends, whose bond is put to the test when they find themselves entangled in a web of emotions they never expected. Higgins skillfully crafts relatable characters with depth and authenticity, making it easy for readers to become emotionally invested in their journey.

What sets this book apart is its honest portrayal of the intricacies of friendship evolving into something more. The author masterfully captures the tension, longing, and vulnerability that come with realizing romantic feelings for a close friend. Through well-paced storytelling and realistic dialogue, Higgins keeps readers engaged from start to finish, rooting for the protagonists as they navigate the unfamiliar territory of romantic love.

Moreover, "A Little Kissing Between Friends" tackles important themes such as self-discovery, communication, and the importance of embracing one's true feelings. Higgins effortlessly blends humor, heartache, and hope, creating a narrative that resonates long after the final page is turned.

Overall, "A Little Kissing Between Friends" is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant novel that celebrates the transformative power of love and friendship. With its charming characters, engaging plot, and poignant message, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys heartfelt romance with a touch of realism. Chencia Higgins has undoubtedly crafted a gem that will leave readers eagerly awaiting her next literary offering.