This was so good, the narrator was amazing and I really like the story and it helped me understand more of the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. Angela was a protagonist I struggled with a little bit. Mainly because I absolutely loved the way she went about her identity. Especially when it comes to asexuality its just that much more difficult to determine where you land on the scale and her thought process was so very relatable that I read the first chapters in one sitting. I loved her scavenger hunt idea, I loved the pining between her and Krystal. And then I started to feel as though all I knew about Angela was her identity. I wanted more from her. I also felt like every single conversation she had was about her identity and again, I just wanted more. It felt a little bit one sided and self-absorbed. I wanted to know more about the people around her, especially Krystal. Because how do you fall for someone that either seems self absorbed (Angela) or you barely know anything about (Krystal). Then the rollercoaster went upward again because in the last third, I did get to know more. The spice was exquisite, the conversations deeper. Then I experienced a bit of a dip when I felt like the scavanger hunt was just so anti-climatic. But then the Epilogue was simply wonderful again and we ended on an absolute high note. So, all in all, this was a solid three star read from me!

Okayyyyy! Gabriella Gamez writes some amazing tension! Not to mention the spicy scenes?? Omg I needed a cold shower. As a lesbian woman, I am always looking for books with representation and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed Angela’s story and how TikTok helped her find her identity. I can relate to that so well as someone who was also a late bloomer and the app helped me find a sense of community. I really liked this book as a single POV because, let’s face it, we’ve all been there. We’ve all mistaken the signs of flirtation as just someone being nice. This story just felt so real.

The audio was very well done. I did speed up to 1.5x because I just felt like the narrator was talking too slowly and I’d find myself distracted. I don’t typically enjoy when female narrators imitate a male characters voice and vice versa, but this story did not have very many instances of that happening.

This is my first sapphic romance it was so cute, funny and flirty! I loved watching Angela find herself I just wish it was dual pov I would have loved to see Krystal yearn for Angela.

loved the ebook and i loved the audiobook for this one as well! the narrator does such a good job of capturing the fmcs personality.

Color me surprised that one of my favorite books of 2025 heavily features a TikTok storyline (I can't stand the app) but here we are, Kiss Me, Maybe is absolutely one of my favorites of the year so far. If you have the choice, I recommend the Audiobook because Ruby Corazon's performance is 💋👌!

What the book is:
🔘 A single person POV narrative of Angela Gutierrez, a 27 year old sapphic, ace spectrum, librarian in San Antonio TX who has recently gone viral for both coming out and revealing that she has never been kissed.
🔘 Book 2 in the Librarian's in Love series. When I read this, I had no idea that this wasn't a standalone novel which is massive credit to the author's ability to create authentic relationships that didn't need rehashing or justification. I can imagine that Krystal Ramirez was likely Angela's hot bartender crush in the first book and Gamez was able to parlay that into a believable friends-to-lovers in the span of the second book.
🔘 The chemistry between Krystal and Angela is palpable from beginning to end but the most beautiful part of their pairing is the genuine care and support Krystal provides for Angela as she discovers more about the layers of her identity.
🔘 Speaking of authentic, this novel doubles as a love letter to San Antonio without falling into the pit falls of overusing/over-explaining the city that can be off-putting to people that are more familiar.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Hachette Audio | Forever!

This had me giggling the wholeeeeee timeeee!! I am so so obsessed and the flirting was top tier!! So excited to talk about this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really cute audiobook! What I loved about it was how our MC, Angela, is really figuring out her identity throughout the book. I really loved the nuance and complexity that was given to ace identity. At first this book read a bit like a YA which is why I was surprised when there were some very spicy scenes (which, don't get me wrong, I thought were great!) that I hadn't anticipated. I think these intimate scenes further deepened the exploration of ace identity, queerness in general, and gender for Angela. I thought this was really well done!

I'm not sure I ever really bought the scavenger hunt premise, and to me, this plot point seemed to really age-down the story. Though, I don't think the scavenger hunt took anything away, I'm just not sure that it added enough of what it was supposed to do in the plot. This whole emphasis on first kiss in general also felt a bit complicated for me, but not enough to really have any qualms. In all this is a cute story that features queer Latina MCs which is always something to celebrate!

If you're a mood / seasonal reader like me, I recommend this as a great summer read! It takes place in Texas, so there are lots of description of the atmosphere being warm. I think this would be a great book for a young adult who is either figuring out their identity, or has a friend that is, or is just allo and wants to better understand ace & queer identities.

This is book 2 in Gamez's "Librarians in Love" series. I did not read the first book, and didn't find I was missing anything. The couple from the first book is featured a decent amount, but again, this book can definitely be read as a standalone.

Such a great time reading this book. I loved getting such a dynamic character. An asexual who is a part of the lgbt community is such a refreshing change from a lot of sapphic romances I've read. So many cute and funny moments and so relatable and current with the times. Cute, cozy and delightful read.

#KissMeMaybe by Gabriella Gamez is a super cute sapphic romance. This book gives the reader great insight into communities and/or identities that might not be theirs while still maintaining an engaging and hard to pause story.

Kiss Me, Maybe is a warm, affirming sapphic rom-com that shines brightest in its representation of queer identities, particularly asexuality and Latinx culture. Angela’s journey to self-acceptance and first love is full of heart and good intentions, and the book does a lovely job of showing the power of community and connection—especially through the lens of social media and chosen family.

That said, while the themes were meaningful, I struggled a bit with the tone and believability. Angela’s character, at 27, often felt much younger in voice and behaviour, and the scavenger hunt plotline—though a fun concept—didn’t quite land for me. It felt more like a teen challenge than something an adult would commit to, and I found myself wishing the characters had been given more depth beyond their identities and cute banter.

Still, if you’re looking for a sweet, queer romance that uplifts and centres underrepresented voices, this is a worthwhile read. It’s light, quick, and celebratory in its portrayal of queerness—just don’t expect too much emotional complexity along the way.

Also, hats off to Ruby Corazon for her excellent narration.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio | Forever for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, first a confession- I was excited to read/listen to this book when the book blurb said it was about a Late Bloomer. My mind took that to mean more of a later in life lesbian which I haven't gotten to read much about in fiction. However, it is very upfront and clear that this late bloomer isn't one based on age, at least not entirely. I know some may think 27 is old but as someone who is twice that age it feels very young. And you know, I did not mind my own mixed message assumption because it lead me to this book which is pretty delightful. Be prepared to experience angst, anxiety, attractions, and maybe even a hint at love.

TikTok adds a background that gives this book motion. If you aren't a TikToker don't worry, the author immerses us into that world in a way that makes you feel you have lived there all along. I wouldn't have been surprised if it happened across Discord since she is a gamer, though that part of the story gets a little lost with so much weaving and interweaving and unweaving of this story's tapestry. It is a rich tapestry of a different sort of heroine and a different sort of coming out and a different sort of romance and I am so thankful for that trifecta. This story shares how Angela, the aforementioned 27 year old, is discovering herself and how she is painting the picture of a life she can fully embrace. One that starts, in part, with a crush on a bartender- who can't relate to that!

Kiss Me, Maybe has an unlikely co-host to Angela's story- Asexuality. Don't let that scare you away, instead be prepared to learn a whole bunch about a rarely shined upon faction of the queer community for Asexuality is more than just one letter in the rainbow alphabet, it sits atop a prismatic pyramid where each layer sparkles and shines. In a world and climate where there are people who barely acknowledge the first four letters (LGBT) and sadly more who refuse the fourth and scoff at the first three, this book builds a strong platform stage with enough strength and space for both Angel and Asexuality to perform and embody their sexuality and livelihood of self.

The romp of the scavenger hunt gets condensed as Angel learns more about herself with the help of none other than Krystal, the sexy bartender herself. The story stays true to the awakening journey in those ways and truly every step in this journey. Kiss Me, Maybe would be a great book to share with anyone who questions their sexuality or has questions about sexuality. Not a bad addition to a Queer Lit or Gender Studies class. And I am thrilled that there was no maybe about Angela getting kissed. ~sincerely, sm for BB

3⭐️ This was a super cute sapphic romance 💘

I loved reading the expirence of an asexual woman, it was super eye opening to me. The idea of the scavenger hunt was super cute and fun, but I didn’t love how it ended up in the end.

I don’t love reading books where they have lots of references to TikTok or other social media. It was hard because I was listening to the audiobook so the comments and messages were a little lost on me. The narrator did a great job, I think it’s just me preference to read a book like this vs listening to is.

This was a lot spicier than I anticipated knowing the MC is Aspec, but I am not complaining! I enjoyed following Angel's self discovery journey, and how we she struggles to integrate new information with her identity. It's clear from the beginning that she and Crystal have chemistry, but I wish I could have seen more relationship development before the "I love you's". The scavenger hunt was a fun element, and I really would have liked to see more of the planning and execution. The family drama was wild but understandable, and the 3rd act conflict mostly made sense. Now I want to go back and read the first book in the series.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Hatchett Audio for providing this Audio ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

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⚝ Rating ⚝: 3✩ / 5✩’s

⚝ Review ⚝: After some contemplation and some playing Casual by Chappell Roan on repeat, I have decided I have a conflicting love/dislike relationship with Kiss Me, Maybe. Kiss Me, Maybe follows the journey of self-discovery of late-bloomer, Angela. She has only recently (27) come to the realization that not only is she lesbian, but she falls on the AroAce spectrum. On top of the turmoil of this self-realization, she has also accidentally gone viral on TikTok, a video that after only days, she is told by her workplace to remove. Living in conservative Texas, she isn't surprised, but is still disappointed. With the video taken down, she goes back to TikTok to share her experiences, her late in life coming out, her confusion about her personal labels., and the fact that not only is she still a virgin, she's never even been kissed, and she really wants to be kissed. With the help of her best friend, Marcella, Angela decides that she is going to use her new found TikTok fame to set up a scavenger hunt, and the prize? To be Angela's first kiss. There's only one real complication, and that's Crystal, the bartender where Angela frequents, who Angela has been secretly crushing on for as long as she can remember, who Angela would give anything to kiss, Crystal, who isn't ready or in a place in her life to get into a relationship, Crystal, who is so intrigued by the idea of the scavenger hunt, she volunteers to help Angela out.

What could possibly go wrong?

Everything. Everything could possibly go wrong.

Kiss Me, Maybe was messy . While I loved the writing style, the representation, the story, and most everything, the one thing I really didn't like was Crystal. Now, don't get me wrong. Crystal alone was actually a good character and well written, for the most part. Unfortunately, I found myself mentally screaming 'Angela, you deserve better' for about 90% of the book, because Angela was becoming more obsessed with Crystal, who in turn, strung her along for 10hrs and 15mins (please note, this audiobook was 10hrs and 21mins). Crystal, despite constantly telling Angela she couldn't be in a romantic relationship with her, was constantly acting like a somewhat jealous child, was happy to fall into bed with Angela whenever possible, constantly used Angela for her own pleasure--and yes, Angela did do the same, but every time Angela seemed ready to move on from Crystal despite her feelings for her, Crystal was ready to reel her back in. On top of all that, I just had this gut feeling that Crystal was hiding something pretty deeply relevant from Angela. Spoiler alert: I was right! It all got to a point where it felt somewhat toxic. Am I glad they got their HEA? Yes, I am. Mostly for Angela. I still think she deserved better than Crystal.

⚝ Audio/Narrator⚝: Ruby Corazon officially has my heart when it comes to narration. 10/10, no notes! Actually, definitely notes, but all positive. Ruby was perfect. Her vocalizations and characterizations were a great choice for this story. I will absolutely listen to anything put out with Ruby Corazon as the narrator.

⚝ Representation ⚝: AroAce, Lesbian, Bisexual, Hispanic/Hispanic American

⚝ TWs ⚝: Biphobia, Lesphobia, Acephobia, Bullying, Outing, Sexual Content

My monthly reading breakdown for May will be posted to TikTok, IG, and Threads the first week of June.

Many thanks to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

Although I'm not the target audience of this book, I really enjoyed it. I found it to be so very different from many of the books in the rom-com genre, with diverse characters and representation. Also, it's just a sweet story. Narration for the audio was well done and enjoyable to listen to, with multiple character perspectives. I just realized this is book 2 of a series, which I hadn't noticed before. I will certainly go back and find book one, and keep this author on my radar!

4 stars, recommend to anyone looking for a sweet romance with diverse character representation.

Very sweet story of asexual and lesbian love and first times. I enjoyed this Audiobook very much. Review posted to Instagram.

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez is the second in the Librarians in Love series. The first book, The Next Best Fling (Marcela and Theo’s story) introduces us to Angela Gutierrez and her cousin, Julian. Julian becomes Angela’s roommate. And was my favorite character of the book. I think he would have an interesting story. Their family has some strange dynamics and we meet some of the other cousins in the story. But at least Angela and Julian have each other. I would have liked to have heard more about Marcela and Theo but it was nice to have moments of them appearing in the story.

Angela has never been kissed and takes to social media as an accidental influencer to “date the internet.” Krystal volunteers to help her plan a scavenger hunt for the winner to be her first kiss. It has potential to be a cute story but didn’t quite meet my expectations.

Ruby Corazon, the narrator did a nice job sharing the story. It was easy to listen to. Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced reader copy in exchange of my honest review.

I gotta say, I think I’m in the minority with this one. There were some things I loved but for the most part I just kept thinking that “this is set during COVID and she’s meeting people to try to kiss them.” lol I just couldn’t get that out of my head.

Ok so I usually LOVE books with influencers. They are usually today’s version of “celebrity romances.” But with this one, I just couldn’t get into it. I loved the thought of how she first went viral because I think that might actually happen. But the second half? When they started the contest thing? Yeahhhhhhh I didn’t care for that. ONLY because she said it was during COVID and everything was closed. And I just couldn’t get it out of my head. I know that they mentioned that it was mostly after it, but I just keep thinking to myself that I’m still wearing a mask lol So that part was a bit blah to me. And yes I know nothing happened until she wanted it to, but still, it ruined it for me.

The romance itself was cute and I loved the ace rep. And I just want to point out and praise Gamez for how she showed how identity is so fluid. I myself even went through all of the same questions that she had. I loved that she was brave enough to share it with the world tho. Definitely could never have been me lol

With that being said, I just want to point out that I don’t condone violence, but I really could have beat her family up. Those were supposed to be the people who are taking care of each other. But no they were the ones who teased her the most. And that ending?! Yeah I was mad af at her. I hated that they were STILL getting to her. She deserved to heal without them in her face.

Also, the love interest? Like were they all not paying attention? Did she seriously not know that they liked her? It was evident from the beginning. I knew who the person was immediately. But I was really confused. Does Late Bloomer mean doesn’t pay attention? Because it was immediately evident lol Maybe it’s just me and I’m being extra, but this one was not my favorite.

This wasn’t what I was expecting. I gotta say tho I’m still excited to see what else Gamez has in store. This one was just a one off with me. I’m just if these things don’t bother you, you’ll be fine.

Okay this was so freaking cute?! Angela’s struggles with figuring out her identity were so relatable and I loved her character arc. She was confident and determined. Her cousin though 🤬. That was also relatable because there are some family members that will never understand, some relationships that can’t be magically fixed. I was hesitant about the social media aspect but it was thoughtfully and meaningfully done. I loved how Krystal and Angela’s relationship slowly grew from flirty banter to a deeper bond. They both helped each other on their journey of self discovery and healing. All done without meaningless miscommunication 👏🏽. So many supportive friendships in our found family to warm the heart

Once again, the audiobook narration was FANTASTIC. The flirty dialogue, the spicy scenes, and the emotional moments were all conveyed perfectly.

Overall, a fun, flirty romance featuring a cast of lovable and diverse characters figuring out who they are. I really hope Julian and his partner are getting a book and now I need to go back and read Marcela’s story as well.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC and ALC, thoughts are my own.