3.5 ★ A cute concept with great rep, but it didn’t totally land for me

I was so excited for this book. As someone who hasn't had the best luck with sapphic romances, I had high hopes going in—and while there were definitely things I liked, overall it fell a bit flat.

Let’s start with the good: the representation was awesome. Angela’s journey as a late bloomer and her ace identity felt refreshingly honest and nuanced. The found family elements? Loved that part. And Krystal as the hot bartender/crush was a fun trope executed well. Their dynamic had its sweet moments, and the chemistry was definitely there.

But there were a few things that just didn’t quite work for me. First, Angela reminding us every other page that she was 27 and had never been kissed—it got to the point where I almost turned it into a drinking game. (I didn’t, though. I like my liver.) I get that it's a big part of her story, but after a while, it felt repetitive rather than resonant.

Also, her cousins? So annoying. Why are we picking fights like we’re in high school and not full-grown adults with jobs and bills? The drama felt forced, and I found myself rolling my eyes more than once.

And the whole internet dating/scavenger hunt plotline? A cool idea that didn’t really go anywhere. It had potential, but the execution felt kind of aimless. Like, was this supposed to be the central plot or just a side quest?

All in all, I’m glad this book exists, and I’m sure it’ll hit harder for other readers. It just didn’t quite click with me the way I wanted it to. Maybe I wasn’t the target audience—but I did enjoy the ride, even if it wasn’t love at first read.

this was my first romance for someone who identifies as asexual. it was a super unique perspective and i truly feel like it helped me learn more about my sister, as she identifies as asexual. can’t wait to read whatever gabriella gamez writes next

WHY ISNT THERE AN ACE FLAG ON THE COVER 😭😭😭

I'm gonna stay mad at it forever. Angela being ace is literally the glue holding this whole story together and they couldn't be bothered to include some purple, black, white, and gray?!

So I really wanted to love this and don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it. I know that this book is going to undoubtedly end up on so many people's top books and I can see why but it didn't get there for me.

Basically we have Angela, who recently realized that she's on the asexual spectrum and she goes to tik Tok to post about being an asexual lesbian who has not been kissed at 27 years old. So essentially she goes a viral and forms this idea of doing a scavenger hunt for someone to earn her first kiss. This is a wild concept in my opinion. for someone who says they want it to be meaningful to hand it off to someone who wins a scavenger hunt seems contrary. I understand that the scavenger hunt was supposed to be hints that if you knew Angela you would win but how would strangers on the internet be able to answer those questions to win? I just feel like there's a little bit of a logistigal failure here.

Then we have Krystal, who is the hot bisexual midsize (don't try and tell me it's fat rep bc I will die on that hill) bartender than Angela has been crushing on for YEARS. Krystal sees Angela's videos and they start up a bit of a friendship beyond their semi-accquantainship on being bartender and patron. Angela desperately wants Krystal to be her first kiss but Krystal isn't ready for love and she might not ever be again.

Krystal offers to help with the scavenger hunt and Angela tries to stuff her feelings away. obviously that doesn't work.

So I think the asexual representation in this is fine. there are very clearly a variety of ways to be ace and on the ace spectrum and I think that this book is going to do a great job at delivering some of those possibilities to a more general audience. but honestly I feel underwhelmed and I'm going to be so transparent, I think that I'm holding a grudge against this cover because as a gorgeous as it is, it is not representative of the book and the representation that this book hinges on. this book would NOT EXIST without Angela's ace spec identity and to me it really feels invisible on the cover. I feel like a lot of care and thought went into planning this cover to make such a beautiful design with the different pride flag flower crowns and the decor in the background and their body shapes but why are we once again making asexuality invisible?

I know that some people are going to say it's not that deep but as an asexual person who has been constantly ignored or invalidated especially within queer spaces, I feel really let down and it affected my enjoyment of the book.

this probably is a solid four star read for me but I took off a whole star for my grudge about the cover. I'm just sad okay.

With Gabriella Gamez's previous book, I found myself saying "it's not you, it's me", and I once again have to reiterate that. I'm sad to say that despite being super excited for a romance with ace/aspec rep, this book just didn't work for me. The writing felt off to me and I didn't connect to it. I'm not usually someone who's easily annoyed by main characters, because I can usually empathize with them even if they're very different from me, but for some reason Angela rubbed me the wrong way in how she acted and communicated with people. And the scavenger hunt element was one of the things that drew me in the most, but it felt so anticlimactic with how it did (or rather didn't) play out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 rounded down. I had a difficult time rating this book because I loved certain parts and hated other parts. I absolutely ADORED The Next Best Fling, so I was very excited to get Angela's story! I'm a bit disappointed by the execution, because the synopsis totally reeled me in. But I still love Gabriella Gamez and will definitely continue the series!

Loved:
- asexual/graysexual rep
- friends(ish) to Lovers
- exploration of sexual and gender identity and the fluidity Angela experiences when finding out who she is and what makes her feel her best authentic self
- the character development
- relationship development
- steamy scenes that did not disappoint!

Hated:
- emphasis on social media, being an influencer, and drama from internet trolls
- toxic family member drama that Angela handled very immaturely
- the writing of the scavenger hunt aspect was not strongly flushed out and felt like a very weak plot
- honesty, the biggest plot device was different types of drama instead of actual plot, and I don't like overly messy plotlines

This was so good!! This is my second book of Gamez's, and I hope she continues this series! The characters were so good, and romance was sweet. I also feel like I know more about asexulaity and the different spectrums there are within asexuality than I ever have before, which just makes me love it even more. I listened to the audio version of this, and the narrator was great!! It was smooth and easy to tell who was speaking with her different voice inflections. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital and Audio ARC!!

After Angel posts an accidental thirst trap that goes viral she comes out with the truth - she’s never been kissed! Angel decides that she wants to possibly try dating. After talking it over with her friend and local bartender, Krystal, Angela comes up with a brilliant plan to deploy - A scavenger hunt. The prize? Angela’s first kiss!

I love Angela’s character growth, between finding her own sexual identity and standing up to her bully cousins - Angela made massive strides in her confidence! I love her friendships with Julian and Krystal as well. Both are so sweet and endearing.

The romance between Angela and Krystal is sweet, funny, and spicy. 🔥I love the moments of exploration and discovery between the two as well as self-discovery for Angela. I appreciate the tidbits about asexuality and demi-sexually as I feel like those are easily overlooked when we talk about the LGBTQ community!

I also had the pleasure of receiving an ALC and the narrator did a fantastic job! I flopped back and forth between the audiobook and ebook (or both at the same time) and it made for such a great reading experience!

1/5 stars: This is the second entry in Gamez's Librarians in Love series which is a BIPOC Steamy Romance that takes place in Texas and features a librarian who goes viral on TikTok after posting a video about her late bloomer status and ace identity uses her new influencer status to come up with a scavenger hunt in which the winner earns her first kiss. Realizing she may need some help to pull off the event she recruits her unrequited crush of five years, a hot bartender, to help her organize everything and the two find true love along the way. Gamez's writing and character work are well done. Gamez takes on same sensitive subjects; so take care and check the CWs. Unfortunately, this I lost steam with this book; leading me to DNF it at 34%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A love story and cautionary tale of the double-edged sword of the benefits and perils of social media.

I would have to say that the aero-ace spectrum is probably the part of the LGBTQIA community I know the least about. So I was very interested to read Angela’s story. I found myself googling a lot of new to me terminology. I can definitely say I learned a lot!

The book felt very slow paced, and I had a hard time getting into it. I’m glad I persisted though, since it was a such a different type of story than I usually read.

Angela is 27 and has never been kissed. she struggles with her identity and with trying to define her feelings. Is she ace? Does having a crush make her not ace? She decides to use TikTok to process her feelings and ends up starting a scavenger hunt with her first kiss as the prize. But what if she’d rather just kiss her friend Krystal?

I liked Angela. I think a lot of people can relate to feeling lost and not knowing where they fit. And her relationships with family and friends felt very authentic. I liked the total honesty between Angela and Krystal from the beginning, and how they each supported each other and they worked through their issues.

Overall I’d say it felt very raw and real, though very slow moving.

I read this one without reading book one, but I was able to follow it with no problems.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @readforeverpub for the chance to review this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Kiss Me, Maybe on May 6, 2025.

This was such a cute queer romance! My first read from Gabriella Gamez, and I was really enchanted by her characters and their growth throughout the book. Angela, our recently out asexual lesbian, takes herself on a viral journey to find love (and her first kiss) with the help of her unrequited crush, Krystal. Together, they plan a scavenger hunt to help Angela meet the perfect "one" to share her first kiss with, but the two grow closer and closer as the planning continues.

What I love about this book is how much both Angela and Krystal leap off the page and FEEL like real people with real struggles. Angela discusses her struggles with her family (especially her cousins) growing up, while Krystal opens up about her failed engagement and subsequent icing from her family. Both women had to come to terms with their sexual identities over time, and within the book, we even see Angela's shift and change into graysexual as she explores her feelings and sexual attraction for Krystal more.

The only part of this book that could've been better executed was the scavenger hunt itself. It felt a bit all over the place plot-wise, especially since everyone KNEW Angela and Krystal would end up together, but they kept the scavenger hunt going for posterity's sake but then it was cancelled anyway then brought back? Then Angela ditched it anyway to confess her love to Krystal? At this point I was more invested in their relationship anyway and would've rather we ditched the scavenger hunt way earlier.

Also, having sex together but never having a first kiss is a WILD move LMAO.

All in all, this was a fun read, and I think you'll enjoy it if you love friends to lovers, great queer rep, and the song Casual by Chappel Roan!

I really enjoyed the representation in this book - I read a lot of LGBT books but very few contain a character in the process of discovering their identity, much less on the ace spectrum. I enjoyed watching Angela and Krystal go through their waves of will-they-won't-they. And the spice was definitely spicy. However, I had a hard time with some of the social media stuff - I wasn't totally convinced by it all and it made the book a little difficult to get through. And I wanted a little more from the scavenger hunt, which had such a build up throughout the book and honestly let me down a little.

Angela is a late bloomer in search of her first kiss, but she's not about to settle for a "get it over with" experience. She craves romance and connection. Putting her new found viral social media presence to work, Angela devises a scavenger hunt quest for potential suitors to win her favor. She just has to resist the growing feelings and attraction that draws her closer and closer to her long time crush before the game begins.

What I loved so much is the discovery of self happening on page. Often times we're reading a character with a definite sexuality. They know who and what and how they want an emotional and sexual relationship. Angela is at the start. In her late 20s. Knowing she is lesbian and ace. The details though are in progress. That desire to be known and to know one's self is the main character energy you can expect from Angela.

As in The Next Best Fling, Gabriella Gamez knows how to add Dra-Ma to a story. Toxic family, plans going wrong, secrets revealed! And because Angela's first kiss quest is playing out over social media there's ample discourse of navigating the horrors that is the internet.

I enjoyed KISS ME, MAYBE for Angela's pursuit of self discovery. And more so, I loved that she was given the time and space and a very willing partner to explore what she wanted.

Thank you Netgalley & Forever / Grand Central Publishing for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

The set up here was so fun. I truly can not believe how much I enjoyed even the love triangleish element. The exploration of identity on the asexual spectrum was super intriguing as well. I honestly am just obsessed with this one as I was the first book in this series. An absolute blast.

Kiss Me Maybe was an absolutely beautiful piece of work.

I enjoyed that even though it was the second book in the series, you could have read it without reading the first. The characters would still make sense even without having read The Next Best Fling (which was also such a great read).

I really appreciated that this book was the journey of Angela finding where her identity fell in the queer world. And even then it was the realization that identity can be just as fluid as the oceans waves.

I would have to say that Angela and Krystal were obviously paired for the start BUT their path to getting there was relatable.

The family dynamic of Julian and his dad was so horribly relatable, I was just happy to have him supported by some family. I was also thankful to see the reality of one cousin asking for forgiveness and another staying a bully. It made it real, not just tied up with a bow.

All of the side characters were so cutely inserted. I loved that Leti still got a nice ending.

All in all, Gabriella Gamez did a wonderful job with book 2. Keep them coming!!

*4.5

I loved this. Angela and Krystal are everything. I really enjoyed seeing Angela's growth throughout the book and really discovering what she wants. The scavenger hunt was a fun idea but she was clearly always going to end up with Krystal.

The only reason it's not five stars is because there are repeated mentions of Sophia Bush and she is a known horrible person and I don't think references to her should be made.

I received an arc through netgalley.

DNF at 34%. I really liked Gabriella Gamez’s first book, but this one fell flat for me. I did like the attempt to show compassionate ace rep and emphasize the desire for community. However, the social media aspect just made it all feel very juvenile, and I didn’t care.

Kiss Me, Maybe follows Angela, a librarian who gains fame on Tiktok for posting an accidental thirst trap, then coming out as asexual in response to all the newfound attention. She finds community online and comes up with a scavenger hunt, where the prize is being her first kiss. She enlists the help of her long time crush Krystal, a bartender, to work on the clues.

So first as always, the positives. I appreciated the exploration of Angela’s sexuality, showing how it’s a sliding scale, and sometimes the adjustments never stop. That was something I personally related to a lot as someone who’s tried on many different labels and still don’t know if one “fits” yet. Theres also a good conversation around the milestones society expects young women to hit as they grow. The handful of sex scenes are well done as well.

Now on to the unfortunate negatives. I have two big ones. First, the scavenger hunt idea. It just did not work. Half the time, it disappears from the story, and the other half I was just wishing it was over. The word scavenger hunt is said no less than 132 times. It was an odd idea in the first place and once Angela and Krystal begin to fall for each other, it feels really weird to continue with it. I was also not convinced at all that lots of people would want to follow her “dating the internet” journey, let alone her getting multiple sponsorships in a handful of weeks. My other big issue, our two main leads feel so hot and cold with each other. Either one of them will clam up once a serious romantic subject is broached. They actively ignore each other multiple times to avoid hard conversations. It just felt really frustrating and immature.

Overall, I would say this is a solid book, but just unfortunately not for me.

DNF at 30%

I’m sad I felt the need to DNF because so much of it I wanted to like. I love queer romances and diverse authors/characters. I was excited to read about the ace FMC. And I really was liking the MCs but the plot was very much not engaging me. The hint of a love triangle with the TikTok DMs was also throwing me off. Unfortunately I was just bored and trudging through reading to the point where it felt forced and unenjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

This book seems more identity-focused (women’s fiction) than relationship-focused (romance). It’s too introspective and slow-paced for me, but I’m sure others will enjoy it. DNF around 10%.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.