Thank you to the publisher for providing the audiobook ARC of the book to listen in advance.

I've read a few sapphic romances with ace representation, each with different angle. The main character, Angela, in Kiss Me, Maybe is 27-year-old with non-existing dating history. She has been bullied to lie about her romantic experiences and tries to figure out her true self. She's posting about her asexuality journey on TikTok and arranging a competition to find a woman to share her first kiss with. Krystal, a bartender Angela has a years long crush on, agrees to help her with the arrangements.

There is a handful of romances with similar starting point: someone is looking for love and the helping hand in the quest ends up being the love they've been looking for all along. I really like this trope so I was really interested in reading Kiss Me, Maybe. The story ended up being a bit too messy for me to fully love it, thus the 3.75-star rating, but I still enjoyed reading it. I finished listening to the book in one day and ended up staying awake until 1.30am. The ace rep alone made it worth the read. We need more books with aro-ace representation from all corners of the spectrum.

In Kiss Me, Maybe, there are quite a lot of side characters, toxic family relationships, communication problems, and happy ending. The book could have benefitted from dual POV. Now we only got Angela's point of view. I didn't really get why Angela's and Krystal's relationship took the route it took in the book. Krystal's POV could have made it more understandable.

The most interesting bit in the book was Angela's asexuality journey. While posting about her findings and figuring out the scavenger hunt details, she learns to understand herself and her sexuality. For a reader with limited knowledge on asexuality, the novel offered a lot of insight on the ace spectrum.

When Angela goes viral on TikTok for having never been kissed, she makes a plan to use her newfound fame to make it happen. She enlists the help of her bartender crush, Krystal, who becomes a contender for her heart.

This book has amazing ace spec representation and does a great job of providing really good explanations and information about different sexualities. Angela being a late bloomer in love was so refreshing to read! I don’t see many late bloomer stories in romance and this book did it well.

I had a hard time getting invested in Angela and Krystal’s story. Krystal wasn’t very likable to me. While they had great communication, Krystal was still very back and forth with Angela and it put me off of their connection. I enjoyed the tender moments they had but sometimes I just didn’t feel it. The inclusion of social media wasn’t a problem for me like I’ve seen it was for others. I think it added a fun element to the story and a great way for MC to try her hand at dating. Now the scavenger hunt was what fell short for me. It was supposed to be the big thing in the story but often times felt like it got pushed to the wayside. The ending is where it fully fleshed out and I enjoyed the way everything finalized. Overall good book with some fantastic representation.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachetteaudio!

What a lovely roller coaster of emotions! I throughly enjoyed Angela's journey to self discovery and love. The characters were so complex and real that you just wanted to hug them, and maybe punch one of them (iykyk).

I have to say, as a first generation Mexican-American, the family dynamics and believes were spot on. I loved the random spanish words thrown in, because that's just how our bilingual brains work:). This is how you write a diverse ethnic character, in my opinion. Give us the childhood trauma, family dynamics, give us part of their culture (food, art, customs). The art scenes made me feel like I was back in San Antonio, the papel picado, the flower crowns, the murals (a suttle nod to Ms. Frida) and my favorite the street food.

Gabriella just keeps getting better with each book. Thats it, I just loved it.

mood after reading: 🍹💜🦋🎇💋🎊🌸🎡

I loved these characters!!! Angela and Krystal were the perfect blend of sugar and spice, I was shipping them from their very first interaction! As a fellow late bloomer, I really appreciated Angela and related to her journey of figuring out her identity later in life. I was so happy to see her grow more confident in herself as the book progressed and was cheering her on as she stood up to her toxic family members. And Krystal was a such a gem (pun intended). Her journey of forgiving herself and opening herself back up to loving again after her first heartbreak was inspiring, and I love how much of a girlboss she was!

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC!!

This was a really sweet read. I was a little nervous at the start about the TikTok/social medial focus but I thought it was handled really well. I loved Angela's exploration of her sexuality and what her identity is and what that means for her. It was handled with a lot of care. Stories about late bloomers are much needed in the romance genre. I like to read romances with all spectrums of love, experience and parings. I enjoyed Gabriella's first book too and thought this one showed some improvements. I look forward to reading what she writes in the future! Ruby Corazon killed it with the audiobook narration!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

An asexual romance is a far departure from the normal depravity on my TBR. But this cover was absolutely stunning and I am a sucker for Latina characters, so I had to give her a chance. I absolutely loved this story, fell for these characters, and was giddy for the spice. Thank you Net Galley for ARC!

Crystal’s embodiment of an imperfection was perfection. With her past experience breaking her ex’s heart, she believes she isn’t capable of love, nor does she feel deserving. Seeing her overcome her biggest obstacle (ehmm, herself) was so rewarding.

Angela is a late bloomer, figuring out her place on asexuality spectrum and navigating the confusion that is queer sexuality. Her POV throughout this book is so informative, and especially in these times when LGBTQ+ rights are under attack, so SO important. The conflict with her family/cousins was intense. It’s hard to be honest with family, especially when you are just navigating how to be honest with yourself. An important reminder that at the end of the day, strangers on the internet don’t get to decide your identity!!

I love this cover. I went into this story expecting one thing, but I came out with a love for seeing Angela's journey as she learns more about her sexuality. I cheered for her throughout the story! Also, I was very interested in knowing how Angela and Krystal would be while creating this scavenger hunt. Going through the story, you can feel their mutual interest in each other and since this story is in single POV, I was in deep desire for insight into Krystal's thoughts, but I still enjoyed their journey!!

Okay the love for Sophia Bush is UNMATCHED and I feel very seen.

I’m also such a sucker for a sapphic romance and this one is definitely a top contender for my quarter 1 favs. Are you KIDDING??

I was smiling, I was giggling, and I was CRYING and falling in love with every character that made a cameo.
The writing is absolutely beautiful and the character growth?!? OH MY GASHHHHHHHH.

Angel has never been kissed and after having to delete a “thirst trap” from her tiktok per corporate request, she decides to host a scavenger hunt for a completely separate concept. After struggling almost her entire life with her identity, she reveals to the entire internet that she has never been kissed and the winner of the scavenger hunt with also win the rights to be her first.

Fun, exciting, cool, love that concept so much. BUT WHAT I LOVE EVEN MORE? That beautiful bartender that helps Angel every step of the way.

How gorgeous is this cover? It’s the reason I was first drawn to this book! I didn’t realize it was the second book in the Librarians in Love series until after I had started reading it. It can definitely be read as a stand alone. I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not reading the first book.

This was my first time reading a book with ACE representation. I feel like it helped me better understand the sexual identity. I enjoyed Angela’s character, but at times I found her to be immature for her age. TikTok also plays a huge part in this book. Social media in romances is fine, but I think it was almost like a character in the story. It’s mentioned a lot.

Krystal is a complicated character. I appreciated the character growth she went through as the story progressed! I struggled to really believe Krystal and Angela were right for each other. I did think the epilogue was cute, but I wasn’t totally invested in their romance.

I think a lot of readers will really enjoy this romance. It has lots of great representation. Though this wasn’t a hit for me, it was still good and I would read more from this author in the future.

A sapphic romance full of tension, connection and self discovery that had me rooting for the main characters from the very first page. Gabriella Gamez has once again created a story that feels authentic and relatable while also incorporating laugh out loud moments and second hand embarrassment opportunities 🥰🤗 I also absolutely adored the narrator (Ruby Corazon) who I felt really brought Angela's sass and strong personality to life in the audiobook.

This novel involves two late-twenties women (Angela and Krystal) who are navigating a viral social media post that thrusts Angela's lack of dating experience into the spotlight. Given the age of the two main characters I felt that some of the dialogue and conflict was immature but appropriate for the life experience of Angela and Krystal. As the two form a closer relationship the tension and chemistry builds between Angela and Krystal, let me tell you the sparks do fly and the wait is worth it! This novel is an open door romance with moderate spice (🔥🔥🔥/5).

Overall this is such a fun and flirty rom com about discovering yourself and what makes you happy. Thank you Forever and Hachette Audio for the advanced copy.

3.75

Kiss Me, Maybe is the second book Librarians in Love series by Gabriella Gamez. After reading about Marcela and Theo's story in The Next Best Fling, I was so excited to see the next book in the series was a sapphic story for Angela. Kiss Me, Maybe is a sapphic friends to lovers with Ace/Demi/bisexual representation. The attraction and yearning between these characters was undeniable and their relationship unfolded slowly as they both figured out what they wanted/deserved in life. I appreciated how open the discussions about being queer were portrayed in this story. While the book lacked closure for Krystal (specifically the storyline about her ex), I really enjoyed this second installment of Gamez's series and Ruby Corazon did a great job with the narration.

I am looking forward to the next in the Librarians in Love series. Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Gabriella just gets better & better. She has such a great way of infusing contemporary romance with diverse love stories. The characters are dynamic and real. The tension and development added so much depth to the story. The narration was good. Overall, another great story from Gabriella Gamez. Thank you, Forever & NetGalley, the ALC.

4/4.25 ⭐️

YES. JUST YES.
This was an absolute joy to read! I had the best time returning to this world and following our MCs.

Gabriella’s writing is some of my favorite writing. It’s extremely bingable, way to read and addictive. This was pretty unputdownable. I never wanted to stop. I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to end.

I really enjoyed the tiktok / influencer aspect of this book. I know a lot of people don’t like seeing that in books but it’s valid and so common now that I liked seeing the storyline. It was really well done as well.

I really enjoyed the identity and sexual exploration. It’s an important topic that i think we don’t see in books often. Generally, the books are where the MCs are already established. I liked seeing this part of their journey where they are still trying to figure out where they feel like they belong. It also hurts my soul to know how there are probably TONS of people who feel like our MC did and just feel like they belong nowhere. YOU ARE ENOUGH - no matter what. Literally there is nothing you could do in terms of identify, gender or sexual exploration that would make you less than. YOU 👏🏼 ARE 👏🏼 ENOUGH.

THE TENSION. when i tell you the tension was dripping off the page… its no exaggeration.

You’ll find the vibes are giving…
-Lesbian & Bi MCs
-ACE representation
-Identity and Sexual Exploration
-friends to lovers
-TENSION 🥵
-medium / slow burn
-PACING 🤌🏼

My ‘downsides’ are pretty minimal ngl. I truly loved this book, but i would have loved to see this as a dual pov. I’m a sucker for a DP though, so it doesn’t break it or ruin it. i just am a sucker. 😆

Also, I wished we saw our MC interact with some of the other friendships she had. I wanted to see more of the found family aspect that was touched on.

Narration was good. I did audio + digital and has a great time. I wouldn’t say the audio made or break the read, it was just fine.

Kiss Me Maybe had an interesting premise: a 27-year-old ace spec woman who goes viral on TikTok after saying she has never been kissed. Things get complicated when her friend Krystal agrees to help her with a scavenger hunt.

I struggled with this plot's messiness and may not have finished without the narration. My biggest issue is that several plot holes, such as Julian's relationship with his dad, felt like they were brought up for entertainment value but were not fully developed. They were too telling and not enough showing.

Additionally, I spent most of the book having no idea why Angela felt she needed to change her aesthetic; I wasn't sure why bringing out meant she needed to change clothing. There were several references to it, and none seemed to connect to the plot for me.

The TikTok premise was entertaining, but by the end, I felt we spent too much time on it and not enough on character development, leaving the writing feeling stale and slow.

I loved the ace spec in this book and feel Gomez did an excellent job exploring that aspect of Angela’s identity. It brought up many identities I don’t frankly see often in contemporary Romance, and I thought Angela’s turmoil over whether or not she needed a specific label was important.

I had a lot of difficulty being invested in Angela and Crystal’s relationship, and overall, I felt this book was just OK. Based on the ace rep, I will recommend it to friends, and I would consider reading another book by this author in the future.

Oh my gosh I ate this book up! I adored the diversity of asexual representation across the spectrum. It was lovely to see a variety of ways that people can experience asexuality. It was also a joy to see Angela have the freedom to question her labels and find one that fit where she is now. The queer discovery aspect of this book made me feel very seen. I so love that we get to see a journey that has some twists and turns. For some, their identity is immediately clear and for others it's more fluid. This book was hot yall!! There are multiple open door sex scenes in this book and I had a fabulous time with it. I did wish that Krystal was better at communication. The final 3rd frustrated me a bit because I was concerned that these two weren't communicating well but overall I had a good time.

I listened to this book entirely on audio and had a delightful time! The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and I felt all of Angela's emotions through their voice.

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book including the ace spec rep and exploring your own identity. I related to the feeling of being a late bloomer. But for some reason I found i wasn’t really that invested in Angela or her quest to find love. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the social media influencer aspect of this book but I do appreciate how it shows some of the reality of what social media is like. I loved seeing Marcela and Theo and I was a big fan of her first book so I will definitely keep reading this series. The audio was good. Nothing standout about the narration but nothing bad about it either! Overall neutral feelings about this book.

DNFed this one - didn't realize how much tiktok was going to be prevalent in it and I genuinely don't care enough to read a book focused around it.

You're a 27 year old asexual lesbian who hasn't had her first kiss yet. After accidentally posting a thirst trap and going viral, you turn to the internet to change that. But your future first kisser might be closer than you think.

This romance is an exploration of identity, queerness, and self-discovery. What stood out to me the most was how informed the ace and queer representation was throughout the whole book. It is clear that Gabriella Gamez did the homework, and I really enjoyed seeing these experiences from the perspective of an ace person. It is something that is rarely highlighted in mainstream fiction, and it was a breath of fresh air. There was definitely a thought-she-was-ace-until-she-met-the-one moment, which is usually a tricky territory, but the book handles it so well that it just feels like it's another part of the character’s journey, not a dismissal of ace identities.

The characters are messy and felt real, even when I did not always agree with their choices. And I was surprised by their relationships, the open communication even with difficult topics, the vulnerability...!

While the romantic tension leaned more into the physical side than the emotional, the protectiveness and affection between the FMCs still gave me those awww moments. I would not have minded a bit more of those giggling, kicking my feet moments, but that is just personal taste.
And yes, we need to talk about the spice. When I finished chapter 17 I was so surprised (in the best way) and had to physically pause to recover and gather the strength for chapter 18.

I also really enjoyed the Latina representation throughout the story.

To finish, I have to give kudos to the great work by the narrator, Ruby Corazon. There were a lot of tricky things to voice in this audiobook, like video captions, comments, and DMs, but the narration never felt awkward.

This is a great pick for readers who are looking for stories centered in queer identity, complex characters, and personal growth. I look forward to reading more from Gabriella Gamez!

Okay, listen: ace rep? Of course I, an ace person, will want to read it. And I did. And I loved it. This book is cute and funny and so so so steamy. Oh my God, I loved it.
“But it’s an ace book.” Yeah, and FINALLY is a rep with an ace character who is not sex repulsed (I mean, it’s nothing wrong being sex repulsed, I’m sex repulsed, but it’s good to have other rep of the ace spectrum).
The trope are well executed, the romance is cute, the character are well written. I mean, it’s a cute book and an enjoyable listening (the narrator was really good! Loved her voice!).

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Averaging a 3 star story with 5 star rep into a 4 star story for me. This is the most incredible Ace Rep and Ace discussion I’ve ever seen. I think this is because of a deep steeping in online culture and online conversations around identities. That being said- the story was SO steeped in online culture it didn’t work as well for me as it could have, but again the Rep and development was amazing and well worth the read.