I was not sure if I would enjoy Kiss Me, Maybe. I didn’t really know what ACE was or many of the other terms in the book. I had to google but I am really glad I read it. I enjoyed it. I am not the biggest fan of telling the whole world all your life(Im not huge into social media) and kind of wish it went a different way. Loved the idea of a scavenger hunt to get to know people though. It’s the whole look at what is right in front of you situation.

I’m still not sure what I wanted to say in my review several days later but overall I did enjoy it.

I love when books with pretty covers have fantastic stories inside of them.

The asexual representation and awareness is incredible in this. The author writes about asexuality in a way I simply must applaud. So many people seem to be quick to assume they know everything about being asexual, & I love that this story showcases the asexuality spectrum. I really enjoyed that the characters played with their sexualities.
I think this book is going to be important for many people exploring their own sexuality. The sex toy exploration was so freaking cool too!!!!!!!!!! I am a SUCKER for that in books!!!!

Social media is always interesting in books, it’s not something that tends to bother me, & I didn’t mind it in this.

The overall energy from this story is a true delight with its character growth, representation, & pinch of heat!!

A major thank you to Forever for the EARC in exchange for my honest review!

**ARC Review: *Kiss Me Maybe* by Gabriella Gamez**

A huge thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the free copy — all thoughts and opinions are my own!

I’ll admit, *Kiss Me Maybe* caught me from the very first page, and it’s a book I’ll definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun, heartfelt romance with a touch of personal growth.

Angela Gutierrez is a librarian who’s never been kissed, but after posting a video about her asexuality and being a "late bloomer," she goes viral. She decides to use her newfound fame to tick off some “firsts” — starting with her first kiss. Enter Krystal Ramirez, the hot bartender who’s been Angela’s unrequited crush for five years. Sparks fly between them as they team up to pull off Angela’s scavenger hunt, but the closer they get, the more Angela starts to question whether what she’s looking for is just a kiss or something more.

What I really loved about *Kiss Me Maybe* is how it dives into identity and self-acceptance. Angela’s journey of embracing her asexuality and navigating her feelings for Krystal felt incredibly authentic and relatable. Honestly, I didn’t fully understand what it meant to be asexual before reading this book, and I’m grateful for how it expanded my perspective on identity.

The Mexican-American representation in this book was also something I appreciated. It’s not every day you get a Mexican-American asexual lesbian as a protagonist, and it felt refreshing to see that kind of diversity. I love when books offer new perspectives, and this one did that in a meaningful way.

The only part where the story lost a bit of momentum for me was in the middle, but by the time I reached the ending, I was fully invested again. Angela and Krystal’s chemistry was undeniable, and I really enjoyed watching Angela grow more confident in both her identity and her feelings for Krystal.

Overall, this book is a sweet, swoony, and empowering read. It’s perfect for fans of slow-burn romance with a lot of heart. If you’re in the mood for a story about self-discovery, first loves, and complicated feelings, *Kiss Me Maybe* is definitely one to pick up.

Yay for ace rep in a romance! I feel like we don't see it as much as I wished we did. I also loved all the other representation this book had. I liked Angela as a MC. I just wish we could've seen more of her and Krystal becoming friends than lovers. I felt like we just instantly saw them as flirty with no lead up. Also it felt like the scavenger hunt became nonexistent to the plot. I had fun reading this and hope Gamez writes more queer romances.

I am new to the author but I couldn’t resist a book that is part of a series called Librarians in Love. The first book in the series 'The Next Best Fling’ (Jan 2023) has the romance of the best friend and co-worker of this FMC.

Angela Gutierrez is 27 and has never been kissed. She has been slow to figure out her sexual identity, deciding the ace spectrum fits best. Her videos about her coming out experience are hitting her into influencer status. She comes up with the idea for a scavenger hunt to find a person who understands her interests and who will be her first real kiss. The one person she has had a crush on for the last several years is bartender Krystal Ramirez. Krystal has been off relationships since her last big break-up but she is all in for helping Angela plan her hunt.

This is one of the best books featuring an ace MC that I have read. It explains and educates on nuances of ace sexuality that I wasn’t aware of. I love the Mexican American representation and how that factors into Angela’s coming out to her parents and extended family. I really appreciate how well Angela and Krystal communicate and are honest with each other. The writing style is easy to read and the pacing is good. I am happy that f/f romances are getting more attention from larger publishers.

A lot of this story felt more YA because of the first kiss storyline. But Angela is 27 and an adult and the book goes spicy while holding off on that kiss. The story spends a lot of time on the celebrity of viral videos and the pitfalls of social media, which is real, but of less interest to me. (3.5 Stars)

This is a breezy sapphic romance that does a lovely job of exploring asexuality as an adult when we live in a very amatonormative world, and yes, I do think this extends to our expectations of romance novels where a main character is on the asexual spectrum.

So, Angela accidentally gains a following online and uses it to a) admit that she's never been kissed and come out as ace, and b) set up a TikTok scavenger hunt where the winner will be Angela's first kiss. I have a soft spot for romances where a formerly-passive heroine takes charge of her life without too much of a "woe is me" attitude and I loved Angela for this.

Enter Krystal, Angela's bartender friend and longtime crush who DEFINITELY has a thing for Angela too; she offers to help out with the scavenger hunt. Superficially, it sounds like there's no reason for them to not get together asap, particularly with a healthy dose of forced-proximity tossed in, however, Gabriella Gomez did a good job adding a lot of nuance; Angela is still exploring her sexuality, and the competition she sets up is a good way to explore her options even if she cares for Krystal. Plus Krystal has her share of hangups and baggage from her past— this is where I think we could have benefitted from her POV rather than just Angela's throughout the book.

As for the sex, look, the sex scenes we get are HOT— exploratory, lightly kinky and a liiiiittle funny in that you see two women who are EXTREMELY compatible continuously dance around their feelings. Oh, and there are toys!

A lot of this book is about Angela exploring the nuances of her sexuality, but it never gets in the way of the actual romance between her and Krystal; it compliments it in a really lovely way that's affirming and makes this book well worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced copy.

Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Pub Date: May 6th

🦇 Kiss Me, Maybe Book Review 🦇

❓ What's one word you would use to describe your first kiss?

🦇 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. There’s just one problem: the more they hang out, the more Angela isn’t sure she wants to go through with the scavenger hunt after all. Is Angela falling head over heels for a woman who may never love her back?

💜 This was a sweet sapphic romance with SO much representation and self-exploration. Let's break it down!

✨ Characters (3/5): Despite being in their late 20s (which is essential to Angela feeling like a late bloomer), the first-person narration and characterization felt immature. We're shown many layers of either FMC, though what we are given is stressed constantly: Angela feels behind in life and wants to explore her ace-spec identity, while Krystal is holding guilt from a past relationship that's holding her back. I adored the use of art to show these opposite yet similar struggles (The Woman in Wanting / Waiting pieces are absolutely beautiful, and my fingers are crossed for some fan art). I'm glad Angela had the opportunity to explore her queerness, because it IS fluid and a constant exploration; a message that resonates throughout the book. The QPR representation is gorgeous, but not deeply discussed, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a character identify as bi-romantic demisexual (like me!). However, I would have loved to learn more about each character. There's a beautiful Latinx cast, but the representation is only surface-level. Beyond Angela's favorite drink and love for historical romances, we're not given much else.

✨ Plot and Pacing (3/5): The story is split in too many directions (the scavenger hunt, the social media mess, the family drama, Angela's self-exploration, the romance). The scavenger hunt is constantly, overly discussed, but feels more like a plot device until the very end. Angela constantly mentions wanting a meaningful kiss (the reason she gives for not kissing Krystal more than once), but obsessing over a scavenger hunt where the prize IS her first kiss negates that. Since half of the writing is tell-over-show (not only exposition, but loaded introspection), the pacing is slow. I'm not sure why the "dating the internet" line (which comes off as a teasing, backhanded comment) is so constantly obsessed over, either. A lot of Angela's self-exploration is tied to TikTok (it's the place she feels seen, where she feels capable of connecting with other queer and ace-spec people), to the validation she receives from her audience, but it's use as a plot device is exhaustive (and again, makes her seem younger than she is).

✨ World-Building (2/5): There's not much in terms of world-building or descriptions. I'm not sure how much is established in the previous book, but the story starts with Angela at work, with no mention where work IS until the second chapter.

✨ Romance (4/5): The initial will-they-won't-they, then friends-to-more romance between Angela and Krystal is swoon-worthy. Angela's attraction to Krystal is essential to her self-exploration, triggering thoughts and feelings (and, okay, a LOT of heat) she hasn't evaluated before. I adore Krystal's fierce protectiveness over Angela (there's a wound care scene!), as well as her encouragement for Angela to find herself HER way. Their romance is sweet, messy, full of angst, and the powerhouse behind the entire story. However, we stop feeling invested in the journey toward Angela's first kiss (and, with it, the scavenger hunt) as things heat up between them. Angela goes from zero experience to SO much all at once, which seems to conflict with the romance she's constantly asking for).

✨ Tone/Prose (2/5): I would expect a librarian FMC to have a stronger voice, but Angela's falls flat on the page.

🦇 Though the execution fumbles a little, we DO need more stories that highlight this beautiful exploration of queerness and self beyond labels. Recommended to fans of Love Points to You and Something Cheeky.

✨ The Vibes ✨
💜 Ace-Spec FMC
💜 Bisexual Love Interest
💜 Sapphic
💜 Contemporary Romance
💜 Coming Out / Exploring Identity
💜 Part of a Series
💜 Slow Burn Friends to Lovers
💜 1st Person POV
💜 Smut
💜 Latinx

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #KissMeMaybe

💬 Quotes
After so many years of fighting this feeling I didn’t have a name for inside of me, of questioning myself the same way other people who claimed to care about me did, of not belonging anywhere...I had an answer.

“When it comes to experiencing romance, sex, or even your first real relationship, there isn’t a right or wrong timeline to follow."

"She’s raging into love the way soldiers rage into war. Love is an act of bravery to this woman. It doesn’t make her weak or vulnerable. It makes her powerful. She’s offering up her heart like it’s a challenge to be conquered.”

Labels aren’t one-size-fits-all. Identities can be fluid— something that fit you five years ago might not necessarily fit you now, and that’s okay.

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez is a romance between librarian Angela Gutierrez and bartender Krystal Ramirez. Angela goes viral after coming out on tiktok as a 27 year old asexual woman who’s never been kissed, and she decides to use that internet fame to date the internet by planning a scavenger hunt in which the winner will be rewarded with her first kiss. Krystal, a staunch believer that she is not meant for romantic love, offers to help plan this scavenger hunt as well as help find Angela her true love. Ignoring five years of unrequitedly crushing on Krystal, Angela agrees, and the two women find themselves growing close to each other and unsure of what their future holds with such different views on love.

I didn’t expect to see so much of myself in both Angela and Krystal— in the way that Angela explores her identity as a person (for me: potentially) on the asexual spectrum and the way that Krystal defines how unloveable she believes herself to be due to her past experiences. While I am much more like Angela than Krystal in terms of lack of any love life, for me it is exactly that which has shaped my view on love and how that relates to me (aka experience tells me that I am a person not worth loving because no one has ever given me the time of day, which logically I know is untrue, but in my heart ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).

I love that this book is a story that explores and embraces the asexual spectrum and how hard it feels it can be to actually land on a single label. Similarly to Angela, I have also been questioning if I am ace-spec; however, unlike her I have never found comfort nor home in any label, but I don’t necessarily feel the need to find one that fits me. Yet I feel so seen in that this book!! really understands!! how hard it can be to even land on identifying as asexual in our allosexual society!!! I’m not sure I can express well enough how much I appreciate that this novel, Angela, and every ace-spec character written on these pages exist— that this book shows that there is no singular experience in finding understanding within the asexual spectrum yet somehow also captures that the journey to this realization can be so, *so* lonely. Additionally, also like Angela, as a late bloomer adult who’s read YA books such as specifically mentioned Alice Oseman’s Loveless and Ann Zhao’s Dear Wendy, it felt validating to read another adult (albeit fictional) turn to literature in an attempt to better understand asexual experiences.

While acknowledging that the internet can also be a toxic hellhole that thrives on building people up, only to tear them down, another thing I love about this book is how it frames finding friends from online communities— how they can be safe harbors for folks who have trouble finding real life, in person people who understand each other in very specific circumstances. I loved that Angela was able to take those online friendships and bring them into real life via that scavenger hunt.

Conversely, this novel is a little funny to me because despite being one of my most highly anticipated books for the year, I found myself balking at reading it. I actually had a really hard time getting into the story until about 40% in, and I really had to think about if that’s because the plot with the scavenger hunt simply didn’t appeal to me or if it was because I saw a little too much of myself in Angela’s journey of figuring out her sexual orientation and feeling *too* vulnerable, *too* exposed, a little *too* seen, potentially making me feel like I had to step away from reading this book. Upon finishing the story, I’ve come to realize that the beginning (and honestly maybe the last 15%) were likely just too slowly paced to keep my attention. (However, I’m still acknowledging that this story quite possibly made me feel the slightest bit uncomfortable with how raw I felt at feeling like this book was exposing vulnerable parts of me that I do in fact have trouble speaking about to literally anyone, so I guess shoutout to Gabriella Gamez for peeling me open lmao.)

Thank you, Netgalley and Forever, for the ARC!

I’m delighted to find a book with an asexual lead, especially since Angela is still figuring out where she lands in the spectrum. Maybe it’s a tiny spoiler, but she’s gray-asexual, which is nice to see. Her live interest, Krystal, is openly bisexual which is also delightful. It’s great that we’re starting to get bi MCs in romance, and I’ll never turn down bi4bi stories, but it’s nice to see a bisexual character as desirable by someone who is only attracted to one gender.

There are a couple of steamy scenes that are a lightly kinky, but sex-adverse aces can still read and enjoy the book by skipping to the next chapter when things start to look steamy.

First a HUGE thank you to Forever books for gifting me a finished copy! I am so so grateful.
3.75
This was a quick sapphic love story with modern technology like tiktok interwoven throughout the story.
Let's start with the pros:
I liked the found family aspect especially when conversations are happening about blood relatives and homophobia *tw*
It felt encouraging to see Angela branch out and form a community, while discovering more about herself.
I loved the representation in the lgbtqia community and seeing other characters interest in learning about Asexual identities when Angela came out

Now the cons:
I feel like around the first third of the book we took an unexpected turn (spice) that really didn't align with the plot. The plot being Angela has never been kissed and puts it out on tiktok and went viral - leading to a decision about creating a scavenger hunt to get her first kiss. That first spice scene really made no sense to me with the timing and took me out of the story. This made my experience a little frustrating with our two FMCs.

All aside I did enjoy the writing and would recommend for those who love mixed media.

A charming romance with a slow-burn dynamic between the leads. While the chemistry is enjoyable and the premise is cute, the pacing feels predictable at times, affecting the overall impact.

Overall, I thought this was a fine romance. I really liked the representation in the story. But for me, there was too much going on. With the scavenger hunt and the artist and the family pieces, it was hard for me to stay focused.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Angela Gutierrez is a late bloomer - she’s 27 and never been kissed, only recently coming to terms with her identity as an ace lesbian. When she accidentally goes viral on TikTok, she decides to set up a scavenger hunt in which the winner will get to be her first ever kiss. Her long-time crush Krystal volunteers to help and as they grow closer, their feelings for each other grow too.

Kiss Me, Maybe is undeniably fun and sweet. I loved Angela’s journey of figuring out where exactly on the ace spectrum she falls and related to it as a demisexual lesbian. The use of micro labels was so great and I loved that the book isn’t afraid to put them - or the word lesbian - on the page. I liked that Angela and Krystal realize fairly on in the book that they have feelings for each other. It can be frustrating when characters don’t see what’s right in front of their face. The two women have excellent communication for the majority of the book. What I didn’t like about their communication, though, is that they often speak in long monologues to each other. Real people rarely speak like this and it pulled me out of the story. It gets tiring quickly.

This book is a very slow burn which I enjoyed for the most part but it got old when I was 88% of the way through the book and just wanted them to shut up and date already. Other characters ask why they aren’t together and Angela can’t give a good reason why after a certain point.

While I really liked Angela and Krystal, the secondary characters felt rather flat to me. I would have loved to see more of Angela’s friendships with Marcela and Julian. There’s an emotional scene with Julian (which includes more monologuing) that doesn’t feel earned because we barely know him. Maybe most of his characterization happened in the first book in the series but the beauty of a romance series is that they can usually be read as standalones.

Finally, I wish we had gotten to see the scavenger hunt play out. It’s such a big part of the story and then it happens mostly off page.

Overall, I enjoyed and do recommend Kiss Me, Maybe despite its flaws. I just can’t help but think that it could have been better with some tweaks.

This was my first time reading a book with real Ace representation, and I felt so seen! I’ve never come across aegosexuality in any kind of media before, so getting to see that was incredibly special to me.

I connected with Angela’s experience of being a teenager trying to fit in while also feeling like something is broken within her and her relief of discovering there is validity - and valid fluidity - in her sexuality and preferences.

While at first the premise - never-been-kissed Ace Lesbian plans a scavenger hunt for anyone one the internet to play and be her First Kiss - the real focus of the book revolves around Angela’s friendship slash romance slash situationship with her hot Bi bartender. The steam is real, folks. The yearning, the longing… delicious.

Gabriella Gamez does an amazing job blending the Ace-spec experience with the ups and downs of coming out to family—some who get it, some who don’t—and the powerful journey of learning to love and embrace who you are.

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez is a heartfelt sapphic romance that blends humor, tenderness, and self-discovery.Angela, who has never been kissed, goes viral for sharing her ace identity and sets out on a scavenger hunt to find her first kiss—only to realize her longtime crush, bartender Krystal, might be the one she truly wants.

Gamez delivers a beautifully nuanced love story, exploring queer identity with care while crafting a slow-burn romance that’s both sweet and swoon-worthy. If you love strong character development and messy, well-meaning heroines, Kiss Me, Maybe is a must-read!

4.5 rounded up

Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a wonderful story about finding yourself in your late 20s. I especially loved that the main character is still figuring things out by the end of the book, it’s not all neat and perfect.

I LOVE the exploration of ace-spec identities in this book. Our MC, Angela, is an asexual lesbian and over the course of the book she realises she’s specifically greysexual. The on-page discussions about this, all the uncertainty and confusion and fear, worrying over the wrong label, about lying to people or accidentally leading them on, about how sexuality can be fluid, was all so wonderful to read. I felt it was really well handled and expressed and it was really great to see a different kind of asexual representation to what we’re used to.

The slow burn relationship between Angela and Krystal had me absolutely hooked. I loved them so much. They had so many open, honest, frank discussions and it was so clear how comfortable and at ease they felt with each other. They each had so much baggage to unpack and I really enjoyed their journey towards each other.

Some of the internet stuff annoyed me, I won’t lie, but it had nothing to do with the way it was written and everything to do with how frustratingly realistic it was. Angela unexpectedly becomes a TikTok influencer and the absolute vitriol and dissection of her life made me so angry at times. I see it all the time in so many online spaces I dip into and it never fails to make me angry the way people view things as so black and white, clear cut, no grey areas.

Excellent read, seriously. Angela is embroiled in TikTok virality and also admits to being never been kissed or in any sort of relationship. There’s a whole lot of self-doubt and self-discovery baked into this story, as Angela navigates her desire to connect with others along with trying not to fall fully in love with her crush Krystal. Angela decides upon some sort of scavenger hunt for the ladies of the internet to give Angela her first kiss, and she recruits Krystal to assist, even though there’s clearly simmering feelings between them. We get some more messy drama in the form of Angela’s bullying cousins, and Krystal’s romantic backstory. I loved reading these two crushes become friends and then more.

There was a lot going on in this one. Not in a bad way, but it was more than I was expecting. Angela's story was interesting and kept my attention through out. I learned some new perspectives that I hadn't thought too much about which was nice but there was also so many moving parts and side character stories (to me anyway) that I found my self getting distracted and starting to skim. I did not realize that this was a sequel/companion novel when I picked it up either so that may be where some of the disconnect was. Overall it was a good story though and I would recommend picking it up.

Me, Maybe completely swept me up with its mix of heart, humor, and thoughtful exploration of identity. Angela was such a vibrant and relatable FMC, and I loved watching her navigate the complexities of coming into her own sexual identity as an ace lesbian. Ace rep is far too rare in romance, and this story did a beautiful job explaining it seamlessly.

Beyond Angela’s personal growth, the book also offers a fascinating lens into the nature of parasocial relationships and how they shape our perception of connection and self-worth. That added emotional depth grounded the story beautifully, while the slow-burn friends-to-lovers arc gave me all the warm fuzzies.

It’s equal parts introspective and swoony! If you love romances that feel both tender and thought-provoking, this one belongs at the top of your TBR.

Thank you so much to Hachette for the all/arc of this one! I will definitely be acquiring a shelf trophy of this one as well!!

4.5 ⭐️

I loved this book so so much!!

Sapphic romance ✅

Lesbian and bi rep ✅

Ace spec rep ✅

I throughly enjoyed getting to read Angela’s story. I have been anticipating this book since Gamez’s debut last year. I loved Angela so much! There was a lot of Angela that I closely identify with, so it made me even more excited to get to know her more. It was lovely getting to watch her get to dive more into understanding who has she is and what that meant to her, and the highs and lows that come with that exploration. The tensions is this book was *chef’s kiss*. Watching the build up between Angela and Krystal was great. Their chemistry was fantastic. I loved how they helped each other grow throughout. I enjoyed getting to see glimpses of Marcela and Theo again. As well as getting to meet Julian and Leti.

This story had its sweet moments, funny moments, and angsty moments. Pair that with wonderful character and it created an overall great reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.