Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the advance audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I LOVED Ruby Corazon’s narration of this audiobook!

I read the first book of the Librarians in Love series last year, and it was super cute, but Kiss Me, Maybe takes the cake! I instantly loved the characters and the premise was sooooo adorable and hilarious (who doesn’t love an accidental thirst trap opener?! 🤣).

Having had only a basic understanding of the ace/aro community, I was thrilled to find that this book was actually quite informative about the spectrum of asexuality. It actually encouraged me to look up more information about acespec identities, and I really appreciated the inclusion and representation.

If you’re looking for a sapphic/ace romcom, definitely pick up Kiss Me, Maybe! 4.75⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This was some what of a miss for me. I really wanted to LOVE it but I only just like it. I really did like the ACE representation and the FMCs. There were too many things going on at the same time and it read a little young.

I love finding new stories about folks on the Ace spectrum. The level of spice that came along with the Ace story line was not what I expected. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the story that unfolded.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I am not sure why but this book did not work for me. However, as I always say when I don't like a book, just because I did not like the book, it doesn't mean that someone else won't like it. It also doesn't necessarily mean that I may not like another book by the same author. Or even that I may not like the book if I try it again in the future.

🫦kiss me, maybe by @gabbywritesalot🫦

After accidentally outing her ‘Never Been Kissed’ status on her public TikTok, Angela Gutierrez decides it’s time to check off some firsts on her list. She uses her new influencer status to her advantage and devises a scavenger hunt game that would give the winner her first kiss. Except what happens when her unrequited crush, Krystal, a local bartender, helps Angela with her game and sparks start to fly? 💥

I was approved for the audio of this beautiful book and I have to thank @hachetteaudio and @readforeverpub for allowing me the opportunity to read this early and give this honest review in exchange.

The narrator for this audio was great! I really liked how they moved the story with their voice.

My thoughts on this book are pretty simple since I adored how seen I was during some aspects. For example: the questions and thoughts Angela had about being ace spec. It was a big part of my own experience asking certain questions to myself and figuring it out. As asexuality is a spectrum, it’s easy for those of us as ace to fall into different categories.

The spicy scenes were spicy in ways that they were extremely intimate and the vibes were so familiar.

I can’t wait for what’s to come from @gabbywritesalot because her writing is beautiful and delicate.

This book came out today, so please consider checking it out!!

ARC/ALC Review | Kiss Me, Maybe

I read the first of the Librarians in Love book last year and thought it was super cute, so when the second book popped up as an ARC, I jumped at the chance! I love a book that has accurate librarian representation, and this one also being queer made me so excited!

This story follows Angela, a library assistant who posted a video on TikTok that went viral about being an ace lesbian who has never been kissed. She decides to use this newfound fame to set up a scavenger hunt with her followers to try to get her first kiss. In order to pull it off, she enlists the help of her favorite bartender, and unrequited crush, Krystal. Although Angela has feelings for Krystal, Krystal has made it clear that after a horrible breakup, romance isn’t in the cards for her, and so Angela hopes to find love with someone else. But as they spend more time together, it becomes harder for Angela to want to go through with the scavenger hunt and she wants desperately to show Krystal that she is capable of love and romance.

Overall I found this to be a pretty light-hearted but still emotional queer romance. Angela goes through a lot in this book with exploring her identity and what it means to be asexual and a lesbian. I enjoyed her working through a lot of this (and it led to some VERY hot moments while she was working it out). I liked how social media was used through her story as well, and how it showed both the positive side and how toxic that world can be. Followers can be amazing, but the parasocial relationships and how quickly people can turn is just as prevalent.

I really liked Krystal’s character and thought she had such an interesting story as well. I wish DESPERATELY that this had been dual POV instead. Krystal’s history with her ex and the journey she went through would have been such an addition to this story, along with getting her side and seeing all the yearning she was having for Angela. We got to see some of it through Angela’s eyes, but I think this book would have been way better if we had gotten both women’s POV.

Overall this was a fun book with a meaningful journey (and a horrible cousin). I would have liked to see a little more depth and emotional connection with both of the characters, but it is worth a read and was a fun time!

I did listen to it on audio and enjoyed it! The narrator did a great job with Angela’s character and helped me really engage with her perspective. I’d recommend for bibliophiles!

3.5-3.75 ish stars

Narrator Ruby Corazon has such a pleasant voice — easy to listen to and soothing. That said, I do wish there had been more distinction between the main characters’ voices, just to help bring them more to life.

The storyline itself isn’t bad, pero le falta sazón. From the cover alone, I expected more flavor and energy, and while listening, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. Both main characters are Latiné, and I really wish the story had leaned more into that cultural representation — I think it could have taken the book to another level.

As for the characters, I didn’t love them. They felt a little meh to me — not terrible but not memorable either. What I did appreciate was the focus on identity: the Ace lesbian rep, bisexuality — that part really stood out in a good way. And while the spice was pretty regular degular, there were definitely a few good moments sprinkled in.

Overall, this was an okay listen for me — not a favorite, but I can still see readers appreciating the queer rep and light romance vibes. I just personally wanted a little more to make it really shine.

This story was such a beautiful read! I loved listening to the FMC Angela discover herself and find out what she wants not only from life but from love as well. The whole book I was screaming for Angela and Krystal ( other FMC) to just fall in love already 🤣
I’ve been out of the dating pool for a while so I don’t understand some of the terminology for different sexualities but the author Gabriella does a great job accurately describing them and explaining what the characters sexualities mean for them.
If you are looking for a F/F romance with asexual representation as well as lesbian and bisexual characters definitely go read this book!

Story: 3.5 stars
Narration: 4.5 stars

Kiss Me, Maybe is a sweet story of a late bloomer exploring her identity & sexuality.

I enjoyed the fleshed out characters in this book quite a bit. Angela has an interesting support system & as she works to grow her network of queer friends, you get to see these side characters even more. The chemistry between Angela and Krystal was crackling; I loved their on page dynamics. Angela does quite a bit of introspection and experimentation to determine where she falls on the ace spectrum. I personally learned a lot from this exploration but can see how that might be a plot point that doesn't work well for everyone.

Unfortunately the scavenger hunt plot felt a bit forced and drawn out for my taste which ultimately impacted my overall enjoyment of the book. The tone of the writing also felt young compared to the character's ages, more like freshly out of college compared to characters in their late twenties.

Trigger warning: homophobia, doxxing

angela has never been kissed. so she takes to the queer side of the internet to set up a scavenger hunt to finally get kissed!

I wish this was dual pov so bad. i needed to see krystal yearn for angela!!! yes we got some moments between the two and then finally a “show me” moment but I just wish we had more. Krystal was swoony even with her commitment phobia antics. Angela was so silly and so was the plot tbh. I HATED Angela’s cousin so much.

This book really came down to messy and complex characters exploring queerness and sexuality felt natural and real. Loved watching Angela find herself.

I just wanted a little more from the emotional depth.

I read this via audio ARC and the narrator did such a fantastic job giving the characters nuances.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Librarians in Love series, "The Next Best Fling". In book two, "Kiss Me, Maybe" we follow Angela who's never been kissed, she's an influencer who decides to use her platform to setup a scavenger hunt and whoever wins can be her first kiss. I really enjoyed the aspects of the book where Angela was coming to terms with her sexuality and what she wanted to be labeled as. I think those aspects of the book were done really well. And the narrator for the audiobook was awesome, she set the tone with her voice inflections at just the right moments.

Now what didn't work for me. I did think the main romance was a bit underdeveloped and the MC was a bit whiny. This book was marketed as a Latinx lesbian romance, and the lesbian romance was there, but slapping on Latinx last names to the characters is not enough to be marketed as if the Latinidad was a focal point. It was not. I know we are not a monolith, but to not actually talk about it when it's marketed as such was a huge disappointment.


Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC in return for an honest review.

OK BUT WHY WAS THIS SO CUTE 🥲 I read this on audiobook and it was so good! The narration was so well done.

This was such a lovely story about self discovery, trying to find out who you are, what label you fit in, if there is a name for it and if you’re alone in the complicated, wonderful spectrum of sexuality and gender.

I related so heavily to the female main character, Angela. She’s spent her whole life up until 27, not truly understand that she was a lesbian on the ace spectrum. Up until that point, she’d been hiding behind comp het and now she’s discovering who she is and wants to be.

While occasionally absurd re: dating the internet. I think that this was such a lovely story of first times, queer identities and wlw.

Also that spice… white knuckles my steering wheel the whole way home 👹👹👹

There was this moment that really stuck me… the FMC reflected on how she would go out with her boobs out and get free drinks all night, but the moment she came out to herself, dressing like that and acting like that felt wrong and strange to her. Simple tasks like dressing herself became troublesome… heavy relate

What to expect:
- Ace Lesbian + TikTok Influencer
- Heavy themes of forming queer community
- Bisexual bartender scared of love
- the importance of art
- spicy scenes
- homophobia
- family trauma
- virginity talks

Angela becoming her true self and living authentically is a lovely journey. And her meaningful relationships with friends and family are heart warming. Kiss Me Maybe explores asexuality and has other LGBTQ+ rep as well; I learned a lot about the asexual community.

Although there are several great aspects to the book, overall it was just okay for me. The author’s writing style is a little too slow paced and I did find myself a little bored at times.

The narrator told the story very well and I could tell she’s talented. But I don’t think the material allowed for her to showcase her range especially since it was only single POV.

I LOVED Kiss Me, Maybe! It's very Never Been Kissed-coded, except it's queer (the love interest is bi, and the FMC is an ace lesbian who's never been kissed or done anything else intimate with anyone). I admittedly don't know much about the ace community even though I am an ally to all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, so it was nice to learn about what that looks like in a way that was equal parts educational and entertaining. Usually I don't like books where the characters are on TikTok or even mention it, but the FMC, Angela, is a librarian who accidentally goes viral on TikTok talking about how she's never been kissed even though she's in her late 20s. With the help of a bartender she's had a crush on for years, Krystal, she explores herself and her sexuality for the first time while juggling her Latinx heritage and the conservative values when it comes to sexuality and gender performance. There is also a focus on building platonic love and community here, which is often absent from contemporary romance novels. I loved the exploration of a character who is not sexual in a super sexed-up society, and the normalization of being later-in-life and not having intimate or sexual encounters with anyone.

I enjoyed the first book in this series (and loved seeing those characters in this book) but something about Gamez's sophomore novel felt very confident and bold. I found the spice to be wonderful, the angst angsty, and all of the almost-kisses made me kick my feet in the air!! I did have a small issue with how Krystal handled herself in the second half of the novel, but it wasn't enough to bring down my rating too much. This was nearly perfect to me (aside from Krystal being a Swiftie—I really, really need authors to stop with that) and I thoroughly enjoyed the narration as well!

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC and ARC!

4.75 ⭐️s
2.5 🌶️
🚨 Pub Date: 05/06/25

Title: Kiss Me, Maybe
Where I Read: ARC via @netgalley and @gabbywritesalot
.
The RayView: ✨✨✨✨.5
The HeatRay: 💥
How It Be Spicin’?: 🌶️🌶️
.
TW: Homophobia.
.
Librarian Angela Gutierrez finds herself viral on TikTok after coming out and admitting she’s never been kissed. After the video seems to get positive feedback, she decides it’s time to step into the dating pool. And the best way to do it? A scavenger hunt with the prize being her first kiss. Krystal Ramirez, the bartender at the favorite local bar, volunteers to assist Angela with crafting the scavenger hunt. But there’s only one problem. Angela has had an unrequited crush on Krystal for five years. Here’s the kicker - Krystal is convinced that she isn’t destined or worthy of love and has sworn off the possibility entirely. So that only leaves one question - Kiss Me, Maybe?
.
What an amazingly enlightening story! As someone who has gone through the process of figuring out who I am, I resonated hard with the characters and their struggles within the pages. I laughed, I cried, I awwww’d so audibly my husband looked at me like I was crazy. 😂 It was very empowering to read how Angela tackled every challenge. The narrator of the audiobook version did amazing! Ruby Corazon knocked it out of the park. I highly recommend reading this one!

This audiobook is a romance listeners’ ear candy! Ruby Corazon is a perfect match as the soft and fierce Angela, a queer librarian determined to take control of her love life. With emotional grace, this highly enjoyable listen should be next on your audiobook list.

Crystal and Angela completely stole my heart in Kiss Me, Maybe. Gabriella Gamez writes their story with such warmth and honesty—it felt like falling in love right alongside them. The chemistry is palpable, the emotions are real, and every page pulled me in deeper. If you’re looking for a queer romance that’s both tender and deeply moving, this one’s a must-read. I couldn’t put it down. I truly loved her idea of finding romance through a scavenger hunt i just wish we would of explored that a little more in the plot! I love a daphne. romance and loved to learn about the asexual spectrum through a steamy romance!

I will be providing my review on instagram on the release day as well as amazon! My good reads review is up! :)

Kiss me maybe by Gabriella Gamez
ARC from Forever
Release date: May 6th 2025
May’s book club book ❤️‍🔥📚

-the authors note 😩🫶🏾🔥
-omg I love Angela she’s funny and quirky I feel like we’d be besties
-I’m not usually a fan of having TikTok or references of it in books but I like the way it’s done in this one
-I’m so quickly am intrigued and into her figuring out her dating life , I feel her when it comes to dating anxiety etc
-I love the scavenger hunt idea it’s cute
-Love the asexual rep, explanation and sexual orientation exploration
-I feel like if you’re trying to figure out your identity, dating, sexuality and more this might be for you 🥰
-I relate so much with her when it comes to love and dating wow I feel so seen 😩
-I can feel their connection in their friendship not me forming a crush too with Crystal while also rooting for her to find someone with the scavenger hunt I love Krystal 🥰
-I love their friendship so much they get each other and I love how supportive Krystal is
-“I’m so used to breaking my own heart before anyone else gets the chance to, to believing theirs something wrong with me, that I’ll never be enough , that I may never try falling in love if I’m not capable of it, I know who I am and no one can tell me otherwise” 😭👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
-the exploration talk has me hot and bothered oufff
-EATING UP THE TENSION ❤️‍🔥
-love the drama too
-the narration puts you right in the book , the voices are perfect I could truly imagine the characters and the scenes, I felt like I was in Angela’s head , loved the pacing I couldn’t stop listening makes it even better
-this book was so good juicy, hot but also heart warming when when it comes to Angela becoming her true self, learning about herself and sexuality wow 👏🏾
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have many mix feelings about this book. I think it is a really nice exploration of Ace identities and the spice scenes were very good and not over done which can be the case sometimes with adult books. Though my thing with this book was that it read a little like a YA book. No hate but it does feel like the audience is being spoon fed a lot of points and also it was very predictable. The story didn't have much of a chance to build tension within the main relationship because within the first part of the book, Angela was already daydreaming about Krystal and was already "in love" before the book even really started. And when the other subplot of her finding over sapphics or love interests were playing out, it felt very surface level like there wasn't much point in these characters which is a shame as I think it would've been a really interesting to dive into that part of the story a bit more. So I would give it a solid 3.5. I do like this book, some aspects more than others. I think for ace spec exploration and a coming of age story it is solid and if you like that kind of thing then I do recommend this book. I think if you want something with a bit more tension and depth this may not hit all the right places but it is a solid time (except I have my own grievances about the audiobook).

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.