I really enjoyed reading A Forty Year Kiss. It was a perfect, light read. It was a story about finding love again after a lifetime of mistakes & heartache. The characters are so believable & well written. I would recommend this book & author.

What a beautiful and uplifting family romance. First love is always something you remember. Through love, heartache, hardship and love, Nickolas Butler took me on a beautiful ride.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Sourcebooks, #NickolasButler and #AFortyYearKiss for the ebook for my honest review.

I loved this book. A second chance love story thats well earned. Its also a love letter to WI, which I wasn’t expecting! This author understands people and I thought both characters were believable.

am a bit late to reading this novel which was published in time for Valentine's Day. Still, there is always a good time for a good story and, after all, this is a story about time having passed.

Have you been in a relationship that ended when you were young? Have you ever wondered what could have been? Would you have wanted to see if it was possible to find new love with a former love? If yes, this beautifully written novel, is for you.

Spend time in Wisconsin with Chris and Vivian. Watch as they meet up again. Find out how their lives went? What will happen to them?

This is a gorgeous story of love after time has passed. It was such a delight to read this story with its mature characters.

Note that there are extras in the book including a reading group guide and a conversation with the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Charlie and Vivian are richly drawn, imperfect and achingly human. This book isn't a page-turner in the traditional sense, and it meanders at points, but it rewards you at the end for sticking around.

Unfortunately, I dnf'd this book. I had started out reading the digital copy but could not continue past the first chapter. I then tried listening to the audio hoping that it would be better that way. The narration was not easy to listen to. I did not like either of the main characters. It was not for me.

Thanks for the opportunity.

I made it about halfway through the book but ultimately chose not to finish it, as it didn’t hold my interest or keep me engaged.

That said, this may resonate more with readers who are fans of the genre, as it falls outside my typical reading preferences.

I wanted to like this book . I liked the premise but it did not deliver..I struggled to finish..was way to slow for me and really didn't go anywhere. Sorry, but no recommendations for this one
Thank you NetGalley for the e copy.

This cover is what pulled me in but the story was lovely. I was so lucky to have a chance to read this one before the world saw it--thanks so much for the gifted copy!

What a beautiful second chance romance story this book is! This Midwestern girl thoroughly enjoyed it and Nickolas Butler gets those of us who live here in Wisconsin. It is sweet, wistful and very much character driven. I love that it is about rekindling of love in those of an older age. I devoured this sweet story and I believe if you also are looking for a romance about mature characters and stories about second chances, this one is for you

This is what I call a mature, adult novel. It's deep, emotional and calls to your very soul. The storyline is really thought provoking and makes you reflect on your own life and past decisions. Charlie and Vivian were married for four years and had a strong love for each other but a tumultuous relationship. They divorced and decades later Charlie has a strong need to reconnect with Vivian. This is such a good plot, I couldn't wait to read what happened next.

Charlie and Vivian got married young and when the difficulties and strains of life became too heavy for their young marriage, they ended up parting ways, divorcing and moving forward with their lives. But we meet them 40 years later, as Charlie has decided it is time to meet with Vivian again and revisit their past and the time in between the "then" and the now to determine how to find closure after all this time. Can a deep forever love be enough to bring the two back together again after so much time has passed, or has their love simply transformed into a deep friendship? Nickolas Butler's novel explores past hurt, mistakes, and the unavoidable pitfalls which ultimately shattered their marriage, immersing the reader into an ageless question of "what if?" which many separated and divorced couples face at some point.

I wanted so much to fall deeply in love with this book and to immerse myself in the story and lives of Charlie and Vivian. It failed to grab my attention and became a "Did not finish" for me. I do not know if it was a failure to connect with the characters or if given more time with the book, I would have found its rhythm. I felt very much on the outside of the story. like I was at a luncheon or party to which I'd arrived late and did not find that I could fit in. I often find that I can identify with the characters in some way or at least be able to slip into their shoes even if just for the book, but I was simply unable to do so with this. I like Butler's writing style, however, and to me, that does not necessarily mean that it's a book I would never return to. Like Charlie and Vivian's marriage, it may just not have been the right time for A Forty Year Kiss. This is a book I would keep on my bookshelf and perhaps revisit in a few years, when I feel I may be in a better place to try connecting with it again. For that reason, I am giving it 3 stars because I don't think it's a lost cause for me.

A Forty Year Kiss is a heartfelt novel that will resonate with readers interested in stories of personal growth and the complexities of rekindled love. its strength lies in its character-driven storytelling and exploration of mature themes.

novel's pacing can be uneven. While the initial reunion is a good, some scenes feel repetitive or slow to progress the plot.

This book was made me feel so many different emotions. At some points I was very near to tears, and at other points I was truly in awe.

I’m on the fence about this one. It was ok as it was a really sweet, and sometimes emotional, romance. The characters were likable and the writing was great. Also, I don’t think there is a lot of romances that centers around older couples so that, alone, was nice to read. But I kept expecting something big to happen and it never did. Maybe that was the point?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I tried this in print and couldn’t get into it. It’s written without quotation marks, which isn’t an issue for me. It was something else. Once I moved to audio it was a whole different experience. I loved the narration. This is set in Wisconsin, specifically an area of the state I have a deep affinity with, so I am impartial. A second-act later in life second chance love story/romance. It’s complicated, nuanced and layered- exactly what I expect from 60+ yr old characters.

Charlie and Vivian have been divorced for 40 years, and went on to build new lives. After an eye opening experience, Charlie seeks out Vivian and realizes she is the only woman he ever wanted and he courts her again.

This is a slow moving, beautiful, second chance love story. It really struck me in my heart, and I was rooting for them to make it through the whole novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

this book handles tough family things relatively well, and both looks at them head on but gives the characters each other to help support through it all. i usually read books that feel hyper-realistic where people fall short and betray each other, but i’m glad that this one was hyper-realistic in that people fell short but had the trust, communication, and love to keep fighting for each other.

thank you sourcebooks and netgalley for the advance reader copy.

A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler was a very engaging read. I enjoyed the story of Charlie and Vivian who were married in their younger years and then come together again later in life. Can Charlie be trusted, can you go home again, and what does family mean are all considered as we travel with these characters.

I especially appreciated the character of Charlie and I found myself rooting for him.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A Forty Year Kiss is available now.

Charlie and Vivian's marriage ended after just four years. Now, forty years later, Charlie returns to Wisconsin to try and reconnect with Vivian. A lot can happen during that timeframe, however, and in order to reconcile they will have to deal with regrets and more. This is an emotional book about second chances. Both characters are flawed, but not in a way that I found them dislikable. In fact, I thought their flaws made they seem real and I wanted them to find happiness, hopefully with each other. I also appreciated that this was a love story with older protagonists. It also addresses the theme of whether or not people can truly change. I enjoyed Butler's writing style as well.