Gabriella Gamez’s Kiss Me, Maybe is a sapphic rom-com that tries to blend heartfelt asexual representation with the chaos of social media fame and a scavenger hunt for prize kiss —but doesn’t always stick the landing. Still, there’s something undeniably earnest about this story, and Ruby Corazon’s smooth, emotionally attuned narration elevates the experience in audiobook form.

At the heart of this story is Angela Gutierrez, a sweetly awkward librarian whose viral coming-out moment as a late bloomer and ace-spectrum woman sparks a romantic experiment gone slightly off the rails. With the help of her longtime crush and local bartender, Krystal Ramirez, Angela launches a scavenger hunt where the prize is her very first kiss. It’s quirky, ambitious, and kind of wild—just like the messy feelings that bubble between her and Krystal as they spend more time together.

Let’s start with the good: the ace-spectrum rep is thoughtful and refreshing. Angela’s internal journey around coming out and unpacking her identity is laced with vulnerability and care. It’s one of the few places the book really shines, offering a rare and valuable voice for readers still navigating that terrain themselves. There’s nuance here, and it’s clear Gamez wants to show that there’s no single way to be ace. That’s worth celebrating.

The romance itself, however, struggles under the weight of a plot that feels overstuffed. The scavenger hunt concept, while fun in theory, ends up dominating the story to a frustrating degree, and Angela and Krystal’s connection often gets buried beneath all the back-and-forth logistics. The central tension—Krystal’s belief that she’s incapable of love—feels a bit thin and underdeveloped, and as the emotional stakes rise, the plot meanders with tangents that distract more than deepen. It’s hard not to wonder if this book might have hit stronger emotional beats as a YA novel, where the structure and tone would feel more fitting.

Still, Ruby Corazon’s narration is a definite highlight. She brings both warmth and distinction to the characters, and her voice imbues Angela’s moments of self-discovery with sincerity that might not have hit as hard in print. Honestly, the audiobook helped me stay with this one, even when the pacing faltered.

In short, Kiss Me, Maybe is a sweet but scattered ride. If you’re looking for authentic ace rep in a sapphic rom-com setting, there’s something to enjoy here. Just know the romance can get a bit lost in the shuffle of hashtags, scavenger clues, and emotional whiplash. A solid pick for listeners who love messy queer stories and are patient with a plot that takes the scenic route.

I'm quite sad I didn't like this book more after enjoying the first book in the series!

I listened to the audiobook for this, and I thought Ruby Corazon did a great job with the narration, bringing real life into each of the characters. I honestly don't know if I would have made it through the whole book if I read it rather than listened. I also have to applaud the author for including representation for a lot of more under-represented queer identities that is lacking in literature.

If you would have told me this was a YA book instead, I would have enjoyed it SO much more. I understand that the point is that Angela is a late bloomer, but god the dialogue and the whole scavenger hunt plotline was very high school, and these characters are in their mid-to-late 20s. I struggled to see the genuine connection between the two main characters, and as they got closer, I didn't understand keeping the whole scavenger hunt plotline going. There was so much back and forth about it that I stopped caring about it in the slightest.

I'm sure some people out there will love this, but it was simply not for me.

I picked up this book for the lesbian, bisexual, and ace rep. That delivered. The cover art is beautiful. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the author for this arc! The characters are so sweet.

Kiss Me, Maybe is a fun acespec sapphic romance that follows Angela, a late bloomer who turns her unexpected TikTok fame into a heartwarming (and hilarious) scavenger hunt to find her perfect first kiss. This story had everything I love, tension, swoony romance, identity exploration, and a cozy found family vibe that hit just right.

I adored tagging along on Angela’s journey. The way the book balanced the painful return of bigoted family members with the bubbly charm of a romcom was super well done. And Krystal? Her storyline totally tugged at my heartstrings. After so many failed relationships, watching her grow more confident and recognize what she brings to the table was incredibly satisfying.

Also, shoutout to the audiobook—Ruby Corazon absolutely nailed it! Her narration brought Angela to life and made the whole experience even more immersive. Highly recommend giving it a listen.

First off, the narrator, Ruby Corazon, was the **perfect** fit for Angela. #KissMeMaybe was an adorable story of finding yourself, and letting those around you see you for who you really are. Angela has a viral video that ends up with her late blooming into her identity. This is a cute story centered around a scavenger hunt, identity exploration, a situationship, and queer rep.

Gabriella Gamez, I love you. There's something so special about these books. As a Tex-Mex-Am reader, these books feel like home. I see my own family in them, I see myself in them, from the little bits of Spanglish to the references of HEB and my favorite museum in Texas. There's something so comforting in escaping into the stories Gabriella builds in the world that I already know and love. I loved Angela and Krystal's story so much -- and I usually don't go for friends to lovers! Angela's journey of self discovery and self identity is so relatable to any queer person -- ace spec or not! I can't wait to reread this already!

CW: lots of alcohol, sexual content and scenes,lesbiphobic rhetoric, past bullying (mentioned) and aphobia

Rep: Angela (MC) is cis, Mexican-American, lesbian and asexual
Krystal (LI) is cis, curvy Mexican-American and bisexual

I loved Angela's messiness and how she is so unapologetic about it.
She was a great character and her experiences were so relatable as someone who's on the ace spectrum as well.

The only thing I wished for
is that the narrator had distinguished her voices more for the different characters so I found myself confused and needing to rewind a few times. Other than that I enjoyed it so so much.

Thank you Hachette Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Before I get into my review of “Kiss Me, Maybe”, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the audio arc!

Also before I get into my review; these are all MY opinions!

This book was just not it for me. This book felt like a YA book trying so hard to be an adult romance.

The smut in this book was *so* unnecessary, in my opinion, and also made me uncomfortable. As someone who predominantly reads Sapphic adult romance, it’s a weird occurrence that I feel uncomfortable with smut.

Also; maybe this was mentioned but I could not figure out these characters' ages. This book was very clearly written by a millennial (and if the author’s not, I’d be shocked.) It felt like a millennial trying to write Gen Z characters and failing completely.

I’m honestly saddened by the smut being incorporated because I feel like this could’ve been such an amazing YA book if the author put a little bit more time and effort into it.

I did however love the ace rep since it is so hard to find in books.

Overall I think this book was a great idea but not executed to its full potential.

⭐️⭐️.5

3.5 ⭐ , rounded to 4 ⭐

I wanted to like this more, ohh I so did! I’m surprised the ace flag wasn’t on the cover, considering how much being asexual was present within the story. I did not feel as though the plot aspects were for me. I’m not a big fan of internet references in the books I read, so this taking place on TikTok really didn’t vibe with me. The characters could’ve been so much more as well! I wasn’t fully convinced of the romance, I didn’t feel a spark for them. Overall, I feel as though the story could’ve been a lot stronger. Each element just needed a bit more work. I’d have loved to see more of the scavenger hunt! The book was not bad, just not entirely for me. The cover illustration is gorgeous and I loved the diverse representation!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kiss Me Maybe was an adorable story of finding yourself, and letting those around you see you for who you really are. Ruby Corazon's narration pulls a listener in with comfort and ease. Gabriella Gamez's sophomore novel did not disappoint in the slightest.

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez
Librarians in Love series #2. Contemporary NA diverse romance. FF, ace-spec.
Angela Gutierrez is feeling underrepresented and uncertain about her status and ace identity. She uses her influencer status to try to find her way out of her celibate and lonely life.
Krystal Ramirez has had a crush on Angela for years. She’s willing to help Angela with her work of the scavenger hunt and also help Angela with some of the firsts she’s missed.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook. The narration was performed by Ruby Corazon who did a great job with the two main leads and a few of the secondary characters. The passions of uncertainty, anger, happiness and arousal were clearly heard.
I did listen to this at a speed above 1.5 to more clearly match my reading and conversation speed.

There was so much inner dialogue by Angela. She should be sharing what’s she thinking and not keeping it inside. Yes, she was uncertain what she wanted and how she would know if she had labeled herself correctly but she never expressed her doubts or concerns with Krystal or anyone else unless she posted something on social media.
This is more about her confidence than about her sexuality.

The romance is filled with angst as are some of the other relationships with all resolved and comforting in the end. Hea which is what my heart wants by the last page.
3.5

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.

Kiss Me, Maybe is phenomenal!!!

Narrated by Ruby Corazon in a solo style narration, the story is told in first person single POV by one of the FMCs, Angela.

This is the story of Angela and Krystal. Angela has a viral video that ends up with her late blooming into her identity. This is a cute story centered around a scavenger hunt, identity exploration, a situationship, and queer rep. I loved this and Ruby was a phenomenal voice actress for all the parts.

this was a very cute story! before reading, i did not have much knowledge or experience with the Ace community and i loved how beautifully Gamez was able this part of the sexuality spectrum. Krystal and Angel's story developed slowly, but man did they experience so much together! individually, their lives & past experiences held so much weight that they both carried into their present interactions. seeing them each tackle their own ghosts of the past with support from each other at their sides' was beautiful. i loved Angel's entire journey of self-discovery and how she defined who she was and found her own two feet to stand on when it came to her identity. there was spice, there was romance, there was vulnerability, there was drama, -- and it all made for a well-rounded plot. also s/o Marcella & Theo making a few cameos too!

for the audiobook, i did feel as though emotional inflection was lacking from the narrator's voice at times, but it was overall fitting for the plot.

Thank you NetGalley, @hachetteaudio and the wonderful author @gabbywritesalot for this audio ARC of Kiss Me, Maybe 🩷

When “late bloomer” Angela goes viral for coming out, she decides to use her newfound internet fame to get her first kiss. She plans an elaborate scavenger hunt with the help of a hot bartender she’s been crushing on for years. What could go wrong? Or right?

This book was a wonderful exploration of LGBTQIA+ identity with representation for many belonging to the rainbow community, but especially Ace people (which we could all use more of)! I absolutely adored the way Gabriella portrayed how sexual and romantic identity can often be so fluid and full of joy.

A perfect read for anyone still figuring themselves out. I finished this in two days - the story was fast paced and so much fun. It was messy, funny, sexy and so real.

I really enjoyed the narrator Ruby Corazon and their performance. I’m picky when it comes to audio and they were amazing! They were so easy to listen to and their narration added a lot to my listening experience!

I highly recommend Kiss Me, Maybe if you’re looking for more LGBTQIA+ reads to add to your TBR. 🧡🤍🩷

I absolutely loved this. the characters weren't perfect, they were definitely flawed and I loved seeing their journey. I do love an ace main character and this was all so captivating. I was glued to the page from the first line to the last. I really loved the setting too and the friends and the family. It was such an interesting romance honestly. I had such a good time. I really want to read the first book in this world and I can't wait to read the next one too! I'll probably reread this one too since I loved it so much!

Basics: This is a first-person, single-POV, open-door romance. Overall rating 3.75/5 (rounded up to 4).
Characters: (4/5) The main character, Angela, is endearing and likeable. I found myself engaged in her story and relating to her experiences as she worked to better understand herself. This very much had the coming-of-age themes typically seen in YA, but had the interesting shift of placing that self-discover in a 27-year-old character, with the framing that not everyone "figure themself out" at a young age. The love interest, Krystal, is intelligent, kind, and immediately likeable. While her story isn't the focus, it also fit within the themes of discovering more about yourself later in life.
Romance/chemistry: (3/5) I found both characters very likeable, but didn't feel the romantic chemistry between them as strongly. We are told right from the start that Angela has had a crush on Krystal for years, but not shown a lot to support why that is or what it is she likes. As Krystal helps Angela throughout the book, they have excellent compatibility as friends, but it took longer to feel like I could understand their romantic connection.
Plot: (3/5) The premise of creating a scavenger hunt for potential first kisses was very cute, and the constant background worry of how Angela's life choices would affect her followers' opinions of her as a "social media influencer" felt very relevant in today's world. The scavenger hunt aspects sometimes got a little lost beneath Angela's focus on self-discovery, but both were interesting angles.
Representation: (5/5) The main character is a Hispanic cisgender woman. She identifies as an asexual lesbian. Much of the story is focused on her aiming to better understand the asexual aspect of her identity and whether she is sex-favorable. As an ace lesbian, I found the representation and exploration of the identity well-done. If the author does not share this identity herself, she did an excellent job researching and writing the character respectfully.
Audiobook: (4/5) Audio quality was excellent and the audiobook was well produced. The narrator was engaging. At times, the voices of different characters weren't especially distinctive, but for the most part, the narrator did well distinguishing between characters. No major errors in pacing or pronunciation.

I'm so sorry but I had to DNF this like two chapters in. I don't love the writing style and the focus on TikTok/social media. I love books with representation, but this felt like every other sentence was reminding you of the character's identity

Kiss Me, Maybe is a cute sapphic read. Angela is a late bloomer and influenced on the quest for her first kiss. She decides to devise a scavenger hunt comprised of girls who are interested in her; and the winner will be her first kiss. This is all a great idea except, Crystal, the sexy bartender she’s had a crush on for years has caught her eye. Unfortunately, Angela is an asexual lesbian and is confused about whether she is sex favorable or not and what that means. I found her sexuality journey and terminology confusing, which is why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5.

I enjoyed the first book in the series so I was excited to read the first one in this series early! However, it didn't quite do it for me. I loved both of these characters - Angela's self discovery journey and time on TikTok (even the drama) was heartwarming and grounded, while Krystal's evolution to be open to love was similarly lovely. However, the plot around them struggled to come together for me. There was SO much back and forth about this damn scavenger hunt that I stopped caring if it actually happened or how. There was also a few tangents that I didn't think served the plot needed and served as a distraction from the core plot. If you are looking for a romance with Ace-discovery representation then I do think this will be enjoyable for you, but as an overall romance I worry the plot gets in the way. Drink this book: A really tropical NZ Sauvignon Blanc will give you some of the festival/bar/adventure vibes where this book shines.

Golly, this lady gets pretty explicit for someone who has never been kissed!

This book delivers a heartfelt and nuanced sapphic romance that delves into themes of identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of modern love. Set against the vibrant backdrop of San Antonio, Texas, the novel follows Angela, a 27-year-old librarian who, after a candid TikTok confession about never having been kissed, finds herself navigating newfound internet fame and personal revelations.

Angela’s character stands out as a refreshing portrayal of a gray-asexual, late-blooming lesbian. Her journey is not just about seeking a first kiss but also about understanding her place within the queer community and embracing her identity.

The romantic tension between Angela and Krystal, a bartender with her own reservations about love, is palpable. Their slowly but surely evolving relationship adds layers of anticipation and depth.

San Antonio’s culture and community play a significant role in the narrative, with the scavenger hunt leading characters—and readers—through iconic local spots. This setting not only grounds the story but also celebrates Mexican-American heritage, adding authenticity and warmth to the tale.

Ultimately, this is a compelling addition to contemporary queer romance literature, offering a blend of heartfelt exploration, cultural richness, and engaging storytelling. I enjoyed the fun plot-line through this book and appreciated the inclusivity and intersectionality of our characters. I would suggest this read for someone who likes reading a lot of queer romance!