Kiss Me Maybe is my latest favorite romance. I loved the character growth and the questioning. It's about love, but also realizing that sometimes people will never be the person we want them to be. That they will not change and that to love ourselves, they don't need a place in our lives. It's also about self discovery and acceptance. For those who want the queer feels and questioning, the uncertainty and complexities, Kiss Me Maybe is for you! I was always looking forward to listening and following Angela's journey like a Tiktok follower!

Kiss Me Maybe has fantastic narration from Ruby Corazon who expertly voices the doubts of Angela.

Thanks to @HachetteAudio and @NetGalley for the advance listener copy! I really enjoyed this audiobook—the narrator did a great job, and the story kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Kiss Me, Maybe follows Angela, a woman in her late 20s who is still trying to understand her romantic and sexual identity. While her journey touches on themes often explored in younger coming-of-age stories, it felt refreshing to see this kind of self-discovery happen later in life. Angela’s experience highlights orientations that aren’t often represented in mainstream romance, which I really appreciated.

The book deals with some heavier topics—internalized shame, family bullying, and homophobia—but still manages to be fun and hopeful. I especially loved how supportive Angela’s parents were, which stood in strong contrast to her uncle, who had rejected his own son for being gay.

Angela’s romance with Krystal was a highlight. The chemistry, tension, and longing between them were beautifully written, and the spicy scenes were well done—though I wouldn’t have minded a little more depth in that area. That said, both Angela and Krystal could be frustratingly indecisive at times. Some of the same emotional hurdles kept coming up, which made parts of the story feel a bit repetitive. I also felt Angela held on to her past hurt from her cousins for too long without really addressing it.

Overall, Kiss Me, Maybe is a thoughtful, emotional, and inclusive story about identity, healing, and love. Despite a few pacing issues, it’s definitely a romance worth picking up!

This was a fun read about a late bloomer goes accidentally viral, and uses her new fame to get her first kiss.

I appreciated the ace representation in this as Angela spent her life hiding her true self and after getting teased by her cousins. I also enjoyed the connection she formed with Krystal and their chemistry. The story overall felt a bit young though as Angela was immature and I didn't love the scavenger hunt.

Not a favorite for me, but I did enjoy the audio narration by Ruby Corazon.

Kiss me maybe looks like a cute book from the cover but it actually is so multilayered and handles a lot of issues queer women face, especially if they are late bloomers. So please read the trigger warnings before reading! All subject matter is handled with such care from Gabriella Gamez so it’s definitely worth reading!

This book tackles some heavy subjects such as homophobia, misogyny, questioning and redefining your sexuality and sexual identity, different experiences of coming out from different stages of life, bullying online and in person.

I think this book perfectly tells the story of finding your true self, whether that is in private, in public, online in different capacities - god forbid your journey goes viral! And then everyone on the internet is invested in your story! And how on a dime the comments sections can turn on you. There is no right timeline. There is no right way for any of it but you’ll figure out who you are on the timeline that is meant to be yours and I think that’s beautiful! Finding your community also helps in so many ways!

But at the end of the day it’s the love story of Angela and Crystal 🤍 honestly I feel like Angela and Crystal’s love story isn’t the main focus of this book, it’s Angela’s discovery of herself, the good and bad about sharing yourself on the internet, how homophobia has affected her family, the friendships she made along the way on to Angela finding love with Crystal.

🤍 Librarian x Bartender
🩷 Asexual representation
🧡 Identity and Sexual Exploration
🩷 Slow burn (w/ years long crushes & yearning)
💙 Friends to lovers
💜 Found Family
🤍 Lesbian x Bi FMCs

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio | Forever for letting me listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Fantastic Ace representation!!! As someone also on that spectrum, I found Angela to be very relatable. I cared less for the social media side of the story and found that read a bit more YA than a book about a 27-year-old. I did find the romance between Angela and Krystal to be very sweet and believable. I will read more from Gabriella.
The narrator, Ruby Corazon, did a great job of brining Angela to live. The book is entirely from Angela's perspective so only one narrator was needed.

Another surprise love for me - it had some slow parts but the overall pacing of the story was ok. I enjoyed the love story and the representation in the book.

When I first saw this book cover, my immediate reaction was "oh the bi and lesbian flag flower crowns are SO cute!" and then, within the first chapter of the book, the main character says she's an asexual lesbian. And if I had the ebook, I'd search, but I'm pretty sure the word asexual/ace is mentioned WAY more often than lesbian or bi/bisexual. So WHY isn't the ace flag on this book cover? It's an integral part of the plot and the main character, who's decision was it to not put it on the cover?

That said. The asexuality in this book is interesting. The character starts out identifying as ace (specifically Aegosexual), but as her relationship with Krystal develops, she figures out that graysexual might be a better term for herself. Great! I saw a lot of myself in this exploration and my own identity as an ace person. BUT. I'm not sure if it's the writing style or the narration style, but I just felt like I was being preached to through the entire book. It felt less like this book was written for ace people, and more like it was written for allo people to understand ace people better. So I didn't really enjoy that aspect -- like, they didn't try and explain the appeal of bisexuality or lesbianism throughout the book, did they?

I also just hated the "we can have sex but I draw the line at kissing" trope. I've always thought it was stupid in books about sex workers, but having it in this book's context was even MORE stupid. So at least this book helped me recognise that that's a trope I hate and should avoid in the future.

But because of this "we can have sex but I draw the line at kissing", there were multiple times in the book where I just thought "these characters are already in a relationship. Why is there still 4 hours left in this audiobook. This could have been an email."

ALSO, the book starts with an author note about the TikTok Ban that Did Not Happen, and that was just embarrassing. The US government is such a huge joke.

Okay. Woof. Things I did like: both characters were likeable. The plot line about Krystal's hang-ups over why she doesn't want to be in a relationship again and the big reveal about what she hadn't told Angela was compelling. Angela's cousins definitely added more interest to the story.

Angela is a librarian who goes viral after coming out as ace-spec, and decides to go on a little bit of a journey to find her first kiss. Krystal, a bartender she’s had a crush on for basically forever, steps in to help—and what starts as a kind of awkward, playful scavenger hunt slowly turns into something real and tender.

I loved how honest and vulnerable the story felt. Angela’s experience navigating her identity was written with so much care, and Krystal’s own emotional arc added a nice balance. Their chemistry is gentle, not flashy or in-your-face, but it works—it made me root for them the whole way through and their connection felt truly believable!

The audiobook narration by Ruby Corazon was really well done. Her voice totally fit the vibe of the book. At times I wished the character voices were a little more distinct, but overall, her performance felt authentic and easy to listen to. The pacing was great too—I found myself slipping into the story pretty easily and didn’t have any trouble following the chapters.

My only real critique is that the scavenger hunt element, which is such a fun setup, kind of fades into the background as the romance develops. I wish it had stayed a stronger part of the story. But honestly, the emotional payoff between the characters made up for that.

I’d definitely recommend this as an audiobook. The narration pairs nicely with the tone of the story, and it’s perfect for anyone looking for a cozy, queer romance with great representation and a lot of heart.

Loved the first book in the series (The next best fling) and will continue to support books with librarians/library worker MCs. I enjoyed the MC's journey to understand her identity further and finding a safe and supportive community through her journey. I found the incorporation of social media as part of the plot, and reflecting on parasocial relationships to be interesting and an insightful commentary.
The narration was compelling and engaging when it came to conveying emotion. Overall, I thought it was an excellent story with compelling characters.

"It took me a long time to get here, but I'm ready for more than I've allowed myself to have up to this point, and I'm not letting anyone stop me this time."
After so long of not knowing who she is, 27-year-old Angela figures out that she's queer and on the ace spectrum. Determining this has helped her put a name to what has made her feel so different for so long.
Angela accidentally goes viral when she posts a Tik-Tok video talking about her recent self-discovery and identity journey, including the fact that she's never been kissed. Angela receives tons of encouraging and positive comments in response to the video. This gives her an idea to give away her first kiss to the winner of a scavenger hunt, in hopes that it could lead to a real connection and relationship.
Then there's the cute local bartender, Krystal. She is jaded towards relationships after a failed engagement put her in a major slump, but she decides to help Angela make this scavenger hunt become a reality.
Angela never realized how many obstacles that her Tik-Toks would create for her, from family and job issues to people attacking her validity. She will have to decide if she still wants to continue with everything that she's set in motion, or if she will give up when the going gets tough and confusing.



I really enjoyed how the author makes you feel like you are in Angela's shoes and getting to experience her journey with her. There is believable character growth and quite a bit of unexpected spice.
The narrator was actually my favorite out of all the audiobooks that I've listened to this year. I could listen to her talk all day, her voice was clear and engaging and made the story flow nicely from one part to the next!

💘Friends to lovers 💘
🌈Queer Romance 🌈
💡Self- Discovery💡
📙Librarian FMC📘

"I've wasted so much time pretending to be someone I'm not, the amount of catching up I have to do feels insurmountable sometimes."

"Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, great art is in the eye of the interpreter."

"But if there's anything I've learned about labels, is that there's always room for fluidity and change when something no longer fits like it once did."

"There are no age limits on life achievements."

"My life is so much fuller than I ever thought it'd be.
I guess that's what happens when you're surrounding by people you love and who love you in return. They fill your heart, they never leave you alone, and if you ask me, no kind of love is truer than that."

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ALC !

That moment when you are reading a book and the main character represents your own sexuality so well that she articulates feelings and experiences you’ve never known how to put words to and teaches you things about yourself that you never knew you could learn and maybe for the first time ever in your life you feel seen and represented and that someone will love you in the future, because you are not broken.

Sweet and steamy. I really fell in love with these characters and thought the author did a beautiful job of navigating Angel’s sexuality and letting the story grow with her. I think some readers will be disappointed with the fact that Angel does fall into more of a Demi/grey sexual orientation and feel like their experience as an ace person isn’t reflected in the story. I found that I felt like I understood ace/aro/aspec and myself better after reading this.

✨To have my feelings returned is like someone starting a wildfire inside my chest.  I'm burning with want. I could so easily fall in love with her, if she’d let me. 
I want her to let me.✨

A light, breezy romance that also becomes hard-hitting and poignant when it needs to be. I had my ups and downs with this (especially when it came to the writing) but I ultimately REALLY liked this. I really didn't expect it to make me so emotional. Angela is a recently out (both to herself and others) asexual lesbian, who accidentally goes viral on TikTok for being never-been-kissed. As she cultivates an online ace community, she also starts organising a fun event to have her first kiss. She ends up being helped by Krystal, the cute bartender that she's been quietly crushing on for years. And Krystal, unlike Angela, is very much not looking for love.

I really love reading queer, romance that has a pointed focus on identity and self discovery, and I love it when all of that discovery doesn't happen before the story or at the end of the story. Angela, through the friends she makes online and the new experiences she opens herself up to, is learning what asexuality means for her, learning where exactly she fits on the spectrum. And it's lovely to see someone's own understanding of themselves shift as the narrative goes on. That hits harder at the end of the book, when certain conflicts come into play. I got so upset on behalf of the main character! It can be so infuriating when people take it upon themselves to define you without your permission, and I really liked how the author explored that experience. I will say, when you write about identity and definitions and labels like this, it can come across as a bit clinical, and that did sorta go there, from time to time. Certain conversations felt very, like... idk, staged. You could tell that it had been written for a book. But I found that easy enough to forgive, especially when juxtaposed with how much joy Angela, and other characters, got out of it.

The romance was everything I could have wanted; it made me giggle. Slow burn when it came to the kissing, but not much else. I would have preferred full-on slow burn, because I am who I am, but we did have a history of slow friendship and pining between the characters, which was delightful to me. I wouldn't have minded getting a few flashbacks, or maybe just a few more descriptions of their earlier dynamic. I loved Angela and Krystal so much. They both have reasons to be hesitant about a relationship, and it was lovely seeing them fall for each other despite it. They're also both pretty flawed characters who have made mistakes and bad decisions in the past, and I liked how the narrative didn't shy away from showing when they were in the wrong, but also giving them sympathy and room to grow. And look, sorry not sorry, I felt for Angela and Krystal WAY more than anyone they might have wronged. But I'm biased. I just really loved them. The chemistry was so intense, it was incredible, and they had a lot of quiet lovely moments to balance it out. 

The pacing did feel a little off near the end. A certain thing kept flipping back and forth, back and forth, and it got a little tiresome, to be honest. Certain conversations about coming out hit me the wrong way; I really don't like when it's framed as 'lying to other people' or 'lying to yourself' or 'hiding who you are'. It's subjective, of course, but it really bothers me.

Listened to the audiobook as read by Ruby Corazon, and I really liked it! She had a good range, and made every character voice distinct, even if she didn't change her voice much. I do wish there had been longer pauses for the sections breaks though; I sometimes couldn't tell when the scene switched, because it moved so fast. Otherwise, it was a great listening experience. And a great book! Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a light, sexy sapphic contemporary that still has great conversations and a lot of heart to it.

✨“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.”✨

✨ Review ✨ Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez; Narrated by Ruby Corazon

Thanks to Forever, Hachette Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This book is so Puro San Antonio! It takes place during Fiesta and locals will find it even more delightful!

Angela accidentally goes viral on TikTok and uses the platform to learn more about asexuality as she creates a scavenger hunt to grant the winner her first kiss. When Krystal, her bartender crush, wants to help her plan the scavenger hunt, the two develop a close friendship, resulting in a steamy potential romance. Overall, this book has great asexual/aromantic spectrum representation as Angela sorts through this range of identities.

There's a lot of family drama as Angela's cousins don't understand her identity. It's also made messier by Angela's librarian boss interfering with her personal life and what she shares on social media (perfect commentary on the state of Texas honestly), and this book emphasizes growth as the characters change throughout.

The book slowed a bit in the middle for me, and started to feel a little drawn out, but otherwise, I loved the atmosphere of this book!

🎧 I really enjoyed the audio for this one. Great narration that was full of emotion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: f/f romance with asexual rep
Setting: San Antonio
Length: 10 hours 21 minutes
Pub Date: May 6, 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ asexual romance
⭕️ exploration of queer identity
⭕️ San Antonio
⭕️ murals, art, and bookstores

I had a little trouble with this one but I think my issues were my fault and a misunderstanding. I assumed that because one of the mcs is ace that the book wouldn't have a ton or spice but I was very incorrect. This book actually had way more spice than I am usually comfortable with and because of that I found myself skimming large chunks of this book. I am not someone who hates spice but I also don't really enjoy it (I'm a sex neutral asexual lesbian) so I just found that I was really bored. I fealt like to much time was spent on spice and on the main character thinking about getting in the other mcs pants. I think if I had gone into this knowing that the spice was such a prominent feature I would have liked this more. Because I was unaware i found i was dreading parts of the story because I could tell they were just going to devolve into spicy scenes.
All that being said I liked the main character. I did like seeing ace rep in a book and the frank talks about being ace and the different places on the spectrum. I loved the friendship between the main characters and the family drama. Overall this was a really good book. I liked the romance and the way it built from a friendship. If this book had less spice this would have been a perfect read for me. Because it doesn't this book was only okay.

🎧 ARC Audio Review:Kiss Me, Maybe 🎧
🌟🌟🌟

First off, thank you to the publisher and audio team for the advance listening copy of Kiss me, Maybe! This book had so many things I was excited about! Ace rep (a first for me!) , a sweet librarian protagonist, a scavenger hunt for her first kiss, and an unrequited love story.

The narrator did a solid job voicing Angela and honestly that was the highlight of the book for me! She made you feel like you could relate and understand Angela.

The pacing dragged, especially in the middle. There are long stretches where not much happens beyond internal monologue and event planning. I found myself zoning out during chapters that could have been condensed or tightened.

The scavenger hunt concept was a bit immature for me and at the end felt almost unnecessary.

I did learn a lot about the asexual community! Which I found super interesting and makes me even more interested in reading about their stories.

Read if you love:

🎧 Late bloomer ace rep
🎧 Longtime crush / friends-to-maybe-more
🎧 Scavenger hunt first kiss
🎧 Grumpy bartender x sunshine librarian

A true journey of self-discovery, this story offers a deep and honest look into the experience of an ace (asexual) woman exploring her identity and sexuality. If the broad spectrum of sexuality is something you're unfamiliar with, this book is a beautiful entry point—it dives into what the spectrum can look like and what it can mean for someone trying to understand where they might fit.

Our FMC, Angela, is in the thick of that exploration, and you’re fully immersed in her journey. You learn right alongside her as she navigates the fluidity of her sexuality with vulnerability and curiosity. I loved the connection between Angela and Krystal. They start out with this sweet tension—friends with quiet crushes—and it’s so satisfying to see their bond deepen. You can feel the attraction simmering between them, but more importantly, they become a safe space for each other to talk, grow, and explore. While the story centers mostly on Angela, Krystal is a steady presence and a beautiful catalyst in her journey.

The book handles topics of sexuality and queerness with such care—it’s both gentle and informative. It also examines the double-edged nature of social media: Angela finds her people and a supportive community online, but she also faces the cruelty of those who hide behind screens to spew hate. That contrast felt very real. I also have to mention how much I adored the librarian community in this book! The found family vibes are strong, and seeing Angela surrounded by people who truly have her back was incredibly moving. That kind of unconditional support is such a gift.

Ruby Corazon beautifully narrates Angela's character and bring authenticity to her Mexican roots. The vulnerability in her voice really brought Angela's character to life and felt realistic to her journey.

TROPES
🏳️‍🌈Ace Spec/Bi/Lesbian Rep
💞Friends to Lovers
🫶🏻Found Family
🗺️Scanvenger Hunt
📱Social Media
🇲🇽Mexican American Rep

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez!

GENRE
• Librarians in Love, book 2
• Adult
• Contemporary queer romance

SUMMARY
When Angela’s reel about her ace identity goes viral, she decides there is no time like the present to explore her feelings about romance even further. She pitches a scavenger hunt to her audience, one in which the winner would earn the honor of being her first kiss. What she doesn’t expect? Her long-time, unrequited crush Krystal offering to help organize the event. It turns out, Krystal is very supportive of love—even though she doesn’t believe herself capable of it.

REVIEW
Being ace-spec, I really enjoyed how far this book delves into the ace identity itself. I deeply appreciated the representation across the spectrum and the reassurance that it’s okay for identity to evolve with time and experience. Though predictable, the plot fully delivers on the promise of the premise, and I felt very satisfied upon reaching the end. The main cast is well-rounded and absolutely delightful. Their unconditional support of Angela is truly heartwarming. Plus, the audiobook swept me through the story with smooth and easy-to-follow narration. I definitely recommend adding this one to your Pride Month TBR.
4/5

This review is solely for the audiobook. The book itself was disappointing, and would probably get three stars from me. I think I would also give the audiobook three stars. I don't think it was terrible, but my biggest beef with it was how often I completely lost which female character was speaking. About half the time, the voices were different and then it would start to blend together. There were so many times I was so lost. However, I liked most other things about the narrator. I saw a review where someone said the narrator was so slow but I actually didn't think that at all. I personally would have rather just read the book, not listened to it.

3.5⭐️

Diversity in books is important. It educates, it fosters empathy, understanding, and acceptance, but most importantly it allows for everyone to see themselves in a book. Everyone should have the opportunity to identify with a character at some point in their reading journey and I think this book is a good representation of that.

Angela is an asexual lesbian and wondering if she will ever have her first kiss, let alone fall in love. Krystal is the hot bisexual bartender who has sworn off love after her last breakup.

When Angela launches a romantic scavenger hunt, in the hunt for her first kiss on TikTok, Krystal becomes her sidekick, “guiding” her along the way. What starts as friendship grows quickly into more and the two have to decide what they are both ready for.

Cute steamy story of self discovery in a world where not everyone is so kind.