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.

This is a beautifully layered story. It is a journey of self-discovery, a study of the complexities of family dynamics, and a reminder that family doesn't always equal blood. The lesson is to follow your gut, listen to your heart, and get out of your head and your own way. It's a reminder that we make up rules for ourselves and then become imprisoned by them when they no longer serve us. I'm a sucker for love and I was talking back to the book. I started this book in the morning and finished it by night. Cheers to self-discovery, at any age and any stage in life; and cheers to finding your person and living authentically.

3.5 rounded up to 4 because of the ace rep.

What I appreciated most about Kiss Me, Maybe is how central asexuality is to the narrative and the main character's personal growth. Angela’s journey of exploring and understanding her identity, starting with identifying as aegosexual and later finding more comfort in graysexual (and lesbian) labels, is heartfelt and nuanced. Her open conversations about questioning micro-labels and the fluidity of identity were refreshing and meaningful. I especially loved seeing a sex-positive aspec character, which is still rare.

The romance was sweet and comforting, though ultimately it’s not what will stay with me about the book.

Where it lost me, though, was the scavenger hunt plotline. I really struggled to buy into the idea that a newly out 27-year-old "late bloomer," who has never been kissed, would decide to launch a public scavenger hunt on TikTok to find a stranger to share that first kiss. The premise that only someone who really knows her would solve the clues didn’t hold up, especially given the viral nature of TikTok and the sexualisation she had already received from her previous videos. It felt unsafe and unrealistic, and what bothered me even more was that this decision was never seriously questioned by Angela or the people around her. Everyone just seemed to go along with it like it was a great idea, which felt unconvincing and a bit frustrating.

Also this may be petty, I'm mad that the cover features a lesbian and bi flag but no ace flag, despite asexuality being such a major and well handled theme in the book...

Rounding up to four stars. This book started off very readable and I enjoyed the narration. I do think it went on a little too long, which in the end required a bit more suspension of disbelief on some logistics and a lot of patience for the needlessly slow burn of the central relationship. But overall it was a very cute and sweet read and while sometimes the asexual education felt a bit overt, I actually found it really interesting and informative so that didn't bother me. I loved the different nuances in the rep (in the end, the label that works for Angela is grey-ace lesbian). The connection between Angela and Crystal was lovely and I totally bought all the tension there. I also liked the cast of secondary characters. I have heard good things about The Next Best Fling and I enjoyed this enough that I'll go and give that a try too.

thank you so much to hachette audio and netgalley for the audio arc! i appreciate it SO much! this review is my honest opinion!!

i agree with other reviewers that this book has very good rep! sapphic, ace, and hispanic rep to be specific!! that was honestly where the good of this book ends

i really wanted to enjoy this more. it read as very young and i think the plot was lost very early on in the story. the whole point was the main character being tiktok famous for (at 27 years old) never being kissed and then setting up a scavenger hunt to find clues that will lead to her first kiss for the first person who follows the clues but this plot point felt like it didn't matter by then end and then for about half of the story it didn't even happen. i feel like we heard about it in the first 20% and then again in the last 10% but other than that it all felt very disjointed.

i didn't believe in the love story between the main couple, the smut felt out of place, the story was all over the place, and the conflicts felt so immature. i was going to dnf early on but with this being an arc i suffered through. i do think that some people will love this but it just didn't work for me in a lot of ways.

I'll be honest, I DNF this title (both print and audio) as the title was not what I was expecting even 40% in. I kept expecting the main character's role as a librarian/library staff to play a bigger role in the story (given that the series is called Librarians in Love)

Overall, it's a fun and cutesy romance. I enjoyed the narrators voice and the way they tossed in authentic pronunciations of certain words. The character interactions were cute and felt very real to how they would happen.
I know the synopsis mentions spice, but honestly this book was much heavier on sex scenes than I expected. So, just be aware if that's not what your looking for. And be aware if a kid asks you to pick it up for them that things are really explicit.

This book was a fun quick read. Sapphic, ace, found family, Hispanic representation.

I enjoyed this book and it was a nice romance book with various forms of representation. I really liked Angela and found myself rooting for her throughout the book!

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook!