Well this was just a freaking adorable ace-spec sapphic romance! Overall I really enjoyed how messy and real the relationship between Angela and Krystal was, and how well it represented ace-spec relationships.

Gabriella Gamez had me at sapphic romance with ace-spec representation!

27-year-old Angela has never been kissed. Having recently come out to her parents, Angela is ready to make her true debut into the dating scene. With the help of her friendly neighborhood bartender, Krystal, Angela plans a scavenger hunt where the winner wins her first kiss. While working together Angela and Krystal start to explore their once-thought unrequited feelings for one another.

I really enjoyed getting to see Angela discover her identity and appreciated the author’s take on the fluidity of sexuality. However, the TikTok aspect just didn’t do it for me. Maybe it’s because I teach middle school, but TikTok seems too “young” to me. (I know many people of all ages use and love TikTok, so I am well aware of my bias as a non-TikTok user.)

Gamez writes well-developed characters who you can’t help but fall in love with. She will definitely be an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I saw this beautiful book cover and immediately knew I wanted to read this novel! I especially love seeing a clinch cover that features two women. I also adore the way the colors of the lesbian and bi flags are incorporated. This cover is by Leni Kauffman, who is my favorite cover artist!

This book tells the story of Angela, a woman who goes unexpectedly viral after making a social media post about being ace. She decides to use her new fame to set up a scavenger hunt where someone can win her first kiss.

Overall, the scavenger hunt didn’t feature in the plot as much as I expected it would. I think that is reflective of how Angela’s priorities changed over time, but if you come into this looking for lots of scavenger hunt details, you may be disappointed.

Angela’s relationship with social media is explored quite heavily, with a focus on the harm/bullying that can happen via social media.

The story is also quite introspective as Angela explores her ace identity. I appreciated that Angela’s identity is evolving, and she is comfortable changing what labels she is using within the asexual spectrum. Angela also explores her gender presentation.

I would have liked to see more of the emotional connection between Angela and Krystal (the love interest). There was a lot happening in the book that sometimes I felt like Angela and Krystal’s relationship didn’t get as much focus.

The book is quite steamy with a few open-door scenes.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book!

- lesbian x bi
- asexual spectrum
- scavenger hunt to win her first kiss
- set in Texas
- Latina heroines

🌸 KISS ME MAYBE by Gabriella Gamez 🌸

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Angela has never been kissed, but after a video about her ace identity goes viral, she wants to experience this first. She decides to do a scavenger hunt posted to social media, with the idea that whoever understands the clues would be a good fit for her, and could be her first kiss. But she needs help - and her favourite bartender, Krystal, steps in. But as they work together, their connection gets stronger, at the same time Krystal tells Angela she thinks she’s incapable of love. Angela has to make some decisions while she may be falling in love with someone who might not reciprocate it.

I enjoyed the premise of this book. I didn’t realize when requesting the ARC that it was a sequel in a standalone (whoops), but I think it did work as a standalone.
I did enjoy most of the writing, but at times, had a hard time understanding the characters chemistry. I feel like this was maybe because they felt underdeveloped (especially Krystal), making it hard to see why they were attracted to each other.
I also felt that the plot fell flat at times. There wasn’t a ton of follow through on the scavenger hunt, and it was hard to understand why Angela went viral and had people caring about the scavenger hunt in the first place.
Parts felt a little bit info dumpy, but Angela was learning, and I’m glad there was ace rep and she was able to get more comfortable with her identity.

Overall, I think I would read something else by this author as I enjoyed the writing and the premise.

Read this if you like:
friends to lovers
practice/lessons
ace rep
queer rep
slow burn

Vibes: 🌸🤳🍹🎨🚲🥵

Full review including content warnings on my StoryGraph.

🌸Kiss Me, Maybe is out May 6, 2025! Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the eARC.🌸

Thank you for the opportunity to read Kiss Me, Maybe! This book was so spot on with all the representation. I'm Mexican, plus size, I live 5hrs away from San Antonio and love books sooo counts for the Librarian part, hahaha. The slow burn killed me, that almost kiss!! I'm happy to see that Gabriella Gamez did a lot of research for this book as there was information about the queer community I didn't know. Thank you again for the chance!

I loved this so much!! I loved how dimensional all of the characters were and that they all grew and changed throughout the course of the book. I also loved the fluidity in which Angela had for herself. She was never rigid nor did she have moments of intense panic over not fitting neatly within one label. I enjoyed the fact that she took it more as a learning about herself than a moment of failure or dread.

KISS ME, MAYBE by Gabriella Gamez is all about identity.

Angela ends up going viral on Tiktok for a video where she tLks about her identity as an asexual lesbian, how she's never been in love or dated or even been kissed. So she decides to "date the internet" and do a scavamger hunt, with the prize being her first kiss.

She enlists her crush/friend Krystal to help her plan it. But all the time they spend together beings them closer together, and Angela starts to question her identity as she finds herself interested in a physical relationship with Krystal.

I am going to gently hold your hand while I say this: you are not a froufy coffee drink that you are asking a barista to recreate. You don't need a recipe for your sexuality. You don't need to know your microlabel, you don't need to be able to explain exactly how you experience attraction to anyone. That's great if it helps you understand yourself, but you don't need to stress about if you're graysexual or aegosexual or cupiosexual or some other microlabel I've never even heard of before. So much of this book was Angela stressing about exactly what kind of asexual she is. Sometimes you just gotta live your life. Try things, see how you feel! Communicate with your partner if you're with someone, but there's really no need to worry about labels as much as happens in this book.

There are books with ace characters and there are books about being ace, and this is definitely one of the latter. Which isn't a bad thing! It's definitely one of the more marginalized queer identities, which a lot of people don't even believe is real (looking at you, bish who shall not be named). But it does sometimes feel a little...educational, like there's a wikipedia article embedded in the text.

It's a cute story, and the second stand alone in an interconnected series about Librarians in Love, which is perfect for national library week.

This book was everything! So cute and fun and full of feelings! I love how the two women came together and worked through their personal situations to become something strong and beautiful together. I felt seen as a aspec person also figuring out what that means for me. And I Loved the whole cast of characters!

3.5 stars
Gabriella's debut & the first books in the Librarians in Love series, The Next Best Fling, released last year and I absolutely adored it. I was thrilled to receive an ARC of the second book in the series, Kiss Me, Maybe.
I really enjoyed the characters in this one, but parts of the plot like dating the internet & a scavenger hunt for a first kiss felt kinda odd.
Thanks to NetGalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advance copy!

Kiss Me Maybe was a cute ace-spec sapphic romance between a bartender and an influencer/librarian. It was very messy, as promised!…very frustrating at points (haha- how do I shake a book character?)…and great spicy scenes. I’m not a fan of TikTok/social media being incorporated into books, so it was hard for me to get around that. I got a bit lost with the whole scavenger hunt thing…especially for a late-twenties person? I loved learning about ace-spec identities and thought processes around coming out. There were some really beautiful scenes throughout.

3.75⭐️ rounded up

A deep dive into identity and being ace-spec set against the backdrop of the "it's complicated" relationship status.

Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I liked this second installment of the Librarians in Love series more than the first for sure. While I still think there could be some more inclusion of Latinx rep throughout the book in order to really solidify it as being marketed as such, there was definitely an uptake in the representation that made me very happy. I felt that representation was definitely included in the family dynamics as well as in various discussions between Angela and her cousin Julian when it comes to being a no Sabo kid and assimilation.

Not only was this a compelling story, I felt like I learned a few things about being ace-spec and the various identities that fall within that spectrum. While sometimes the information felt a little bit too much like an info dump, it was still very interesting and explained well. The tension in this book between the two FMC's was definitely tantalizing. But it started to border along the lines of being too drawn out for me towards the end. It was very clear they both knew what they wanted, but for some reason, were having a hard time admitting it to each other.

The spice was done really well and didn't feel cringy or overdone in my opinion. I enjoyed their interactions and it did heighten the tension in their relationship for me. That being said, I was not a very big fan of the whole scavenger hunt premise. I did not really enjoy the way she was choosing to embrace giving away her first kiss. I'm not saying there was anything wrong with the decision, it just wasn't my favorite decision.

Overall, this was definitely an improvement to the debut novel for this series for me. I will definitely be checking out if there's a third novel.

This book was not what I was expecting...I absolutely loved it. This book was so sweet and swoon worthy. I loved how the main character had so much depth and personality. Their growth throughout the story was amazing, but they were also able to stay true to themselves. The slow burn was just the right amount of slow burn and the steam was perfect as well.

If you are a fan of queer romance with a latina rep with ace and bisexual FMCs, pick this one up immediately.

A very special thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t love it. I liked the synopsis and somehow it just didn’t land for me. I do love this author’s first book. It just felt forced and not convincing.

ahhhh i love when women!!!!! this was my first book by this author and im already eyeballing going and doing marcella & theo’s story!!

i am absolutely obsessed with the amount of representation in this book!! i left this book feeling like i learned a lot about different parts of the queer community and i just really loved all of the conversations surrounding labels & how maybe something fit you once upon a time but doesnt anymore. as a bi girl who constantly struggles with wondering about comphet and trying to figure myself out it was really comforting to listen to others going through the same and coming out on the other side of it 🥹

i really loved the journey that angela and krystal go through, yes it was frustrating at times but i also think that thats just apart of human nature when trying to figure yourself out. especially when there are a lot of outside forces trying to tell you youre something youre not!!

the literal only aspect of this book that fell flat for me (unfortunately its kind of a big one lol) would be the social media/tiktok stuff, im not the biggest fan of social media in my books per say and its not even that i found it bad in this one it was just a bit lacking. there were multiple times where i found myself forgetting that it was even a major role in the story. i think the concept of the scavenger hunt was adorable, but i found it hard to believe that this scenario was something that people would religiously follow. i think its kind of a double edged sword for me because i didnt like it due to not having it be center enough in the story but if it had been the focal point i wouldve probably had a much lower rating.

but over all i really loved the layers and complexities of this story, i had a lot of fun binge reading it all day 😙

Second book I’ve read by this author, and I am a fan! Angela and Krystal were both such interesting characters with their own unique personalities and identities. I love how well they communicated with each other(apart from their feelings for each other in the beginning). Love the plot and how it finally pushes Angela and Krystal to spend more time together.

💛 ARC Review 💛

Kiss Me Maybe by Gabriella Gamez
Book 2 in the Librarians in Love series

I picked up The Next Best Fling on a whim because I thought the cover was super cute, I never thought I'd fall in love with it then get the opportunity to ARC read book 2 in the series!

Book 2 Kiss me maybe was JUST a cute as book 1 honestly. I love all the representation in the book especially for those on the Ace spectrum! Angela's exploration was honestly such a wonderful read I would have been happy with this book with that alone!

Our hot bartender who claims "love is for her" was definitely the icing on the cake! I loved seeing them be friends and then more! Krystal was so beyond supportive of Angela through out this entire book from helping with the scavenger hunt to letting Angela explore with her! They're the sweetest pair!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for this ARC copy of Kiss Me Maybe by Grabriella Gamez!

Angela, a queer, ace spec, late bloomer and librarian has never been kissed. After starting a scavenger hunt on TikTok (winner earns her first kiss), Angela gets help from her unrequited crush / bartender, Krystal. While the premise of this book was fun and exciting, I really enjoyed the exploration of the ace spectrum and seeing Angela’s support group of friends and family (the good ones at least). Angela and Krystal open up about their pasts, fears, desires, all while treading their relationship. These characters were complex, messy, and had some very spicy moments -- yet cute overall!

Thanks Netgalley and Read Forever Pub for the arc!

This was such a cute story, the way to own your own identity is an amazing superpower. Love the scavenger hunt for love and it was such a journey, and sometime, everything you need is in front of you all the time.
Librarian Angela Gutierrez has never been kissed. But after posting a video about her late bloomer status and ace identity, she's finally ready to get some firsts out of the way. Using her new influencer status to come up with a scavenger hunt idea in which the winner earns her first kiss, Angela realizes she may need some help to pull off the event.
Enter Krystal Ramirez, hot bartender and Angela’s unrequited crush of five years. Despite vowing that romantic love isn’t for her, Krystal seems awfully determined to help Angela pull off the scavenger hunt and find true love

Kiss Me, Maybe is book two of the Librarians in Love series. Angela Gutierrez has never been kissed, and for the longest time she couldn't figure out why (and why she didn't really care all that much). Turns out, she's somewhere on the asexual spectrum! When she posts something that accidentally becomes a thirst trap, she uses her newfound fame to "date the internet" by creating a scavenger hunt and awarding the winner her first kiss. The only problem is her long-time crush, Krystal, wants to help Angela with her quest, and as the two become closer, it gets harder and harder to ignore their feelings.

I love the aspec representation here, and from personal experience, it mirrors a lot of the thoughts/feelings/doubts that come along with identifying as aspec in any way. I enjoyed the characters, but the plot was a little convoluted - there were so many things happening that I had a hard time getting into the book because so much time was spent on side-quests that didn't really add to the plot. The back half of the book went much faster, and the spice was spicing. Overall, a pretty good second book in the series, and one I would recommend to those seeking a book that has aspec representation.

Thank you so much to the Forever team and Netgalley for this eARC! I always appreciate the opportunity to read early so I have a chance to write a review before release day.

Kiss Me, Maybe was recommended to me by a fellow ARC reader, and I am so glad I took her recommendation. I haven't read many books with asexual rep, let alone ones that overlap with sapphic representation, so I was so excited to dive in!

Angela Gutierrez is a librarian who goes viral for a thirst trap that wasn't actually a thirst trap, and it leads to her building a platform online as an asexual lesbian who has never been kissed. She decides to "date the internet" and to run a San Antonio-based scavenger hunt for some local (vetted!) fans to compete for her first kiss. Her friend (and long-time crush) Krystal Ramirez, a bartender at her favorite bar, steps up to help her plan the scavenger hunt, especially when a key location needs to be replaced after a mural is removed by the city. Sapphic yearning due to (Angela's self-imposed) rules begins almost immediately (ah. classic wlw antics).

I should preface my review with the fact that I have a natural bias against books where real-life social media is mentioned or referenced heavily, and of course this one has Tiktok at its center so that is pretty unavoidable. I wish I could say that this part of the story didn't bother me, but I did find the viral tiktok fame angle to be the weakest part of this book. With that said, I was still invested, and I enjoyed the rest of the story in spite of this!

I went into this book so intrigued by the scavenger hunt plotline but I actually felt like the relationship between Angela and Krystal outside of the scavenger hunt planning is what shone the brightest - the quieter moments where they got to know each other and were dealing more with how to navigate their feelings, their identities, and the very different levels of romantic experience they both had were really what grabbed my focus and carried me through the story. I loved the way Gabriella Gamez contrasted someone who was still exploring their identity and who had never been in a relationship before, with someone that had nearly been married - the baggage and emotions that came with both of those experiences were so interesting to explore. I truly enjoyed how much more confident in herself Angela grew with every single encounter, regardless of her feelings for Krystal growing beyond her control. Discovering her sexual identity, cutting her hair, standing up to her cousins, figuring out what she liked in the bedroom - it was such an amazing journey that felt perfectly paced and really highlighted why a "friends to lovers" style trope works. There was so much trust between the two women at the start, and it gave realism to how they handled the conflicts and intimate moments that I really appreciated. Also 10/10 for yearning. so much yearning! Gabriella really and truly captured a key part of the sapphic experience - yearning painfully for someone who is literally right there.

As mentioned, the weakest part of this story for me was the Tiktok angle. I actually did enjoy the scavenger hunt concept, but I think the very tiktok-specific moments (like video descriptions and comment sections) pulled me out of the story a little bit. Tying into that, I didn't love the Natalia plot point either, which felt like a bit on the nose foreshadowing of what was to come in regards to the conflict with Angela's cousin, and didn't really serve the rest of the story all that much (for me, at least!).

Overall this was such a fun, vibrant, and romantic sapphic love story. I had such a great time reading it, and I would definitely recommend it to any reader of sapphic contemporary romance looking for something new! The scavenger hunt concept felt unique, and the asexual rep with Angela's exploration of her sexual identity were done so well. I rated this book a 4/5 stars. Thank you again to Forever for the eARC!