This was a nice read that I enjoyed and I’d recommend. Looking forward to reading more books from Katie Ray in the future.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Okay, this was horrendous. I can’t believe I wasted a few hours of my life on this book, but I wanted it done, once and for all. This is the second time attempting to read it, and it was a mess. The three main(-ish) characters were just carbon copies of stereotypes and so unlikeable. We have CeCe, who was injured in a horrific car crash 8 years ago, and left with extensive facial scarring. Supposedly, she doesn’t ‘care’ about appearances, but that’s a load of bull and she’s extremely hung up over them. She’s pretentious, rude, and condescending, but because she’s the captain of the volleyball team, she’s meant to be a good character? And then there’s Bryn. I’m sorry, and I never like insulting characters, but she’s thick as hell, and her character is so one dimensional, portrayed as the beautiful airhead, who’s slutty and can only think of saying a guy is hot as a compliment. I just don’t get it. Emmett is marginally better, but even when it’s clear that Bryn is dumb, she’s still hot and well, that trumps everything, doesn’t it? If I wasn’t on a NG binge at the minute, I would’ve definitely dropped this again, but as it is, I think I was more hate reading it to see if there was any improvement whatsoever, and there wasn’t. Such a bad book!

This was a cute afternoon reading diversion. It wasn't a heavy read and it wasn't the lightest but just the right amount of in-between to simply read and enjoy for a day.

Strong, smart, and spitfire on and off the field; she hasn't let the after-effects of a car accident that left a lasting scar on her face stop her from not caring what people think. She always puts on a strong facade, and afraid to show her soft side and not be so guarded. Her insecurities are heightened and shown to the light when a new teammate, Bryn who's a bit of a volleyball superstar. She likes Emmett and she has no depth and Emmett is a guy who needs thrives off deep conversations rather than just the looks. Bryn only wants him for his looks and that's good if she could keep a conversation going so she enlists the help of Cece who pretends to be Bryn and e-mails and texts, Emmett, HER words, not Bryn.

Emmett is a musician and football star. I know, kinda sounds like a Disney movie we're all familiar with (*hint High School Musical hint*) but Emmett actually admits that he loves music. He drunks ups Bryn's words and she's the inspiration for his new song. But it doesn't dawn on him that the girl in real life isn't the girl that writes him this deep, raw and emotional e-mails.

A quick read, but not so much fluffy as I expected. I appreciated and truly did like the struggled CeCe was trying to overcome, and even all the family drama that came along the way, but the love story wasn't as developed or as *there* as I was hoping.

What a wonderful book about finding the right person even if one wasn't looking. Cece goes through her life hiding the real her, walls up never letting anyone in. Because of her scar on her face people always star and mumble things to her. So Cece learns to deal with it and stand up up for herself.
But when Cece's volleyball team gets a new girl who is so pretty named Bryn. Things really start to change.
Emmett starts a new school and football team, he meets Cece and thinks wow she is great. Emmett likes her attitude, tries to push through to be a friend.

When Bryn see's Emmett she turns shy and doesn't know what to say.
Emmett is imediantly smitten with Bryn. Bryn asked Cece to help her write Emmett.
Cece gives in, however she soon realizes that it was a mistake. She learns so much more about Emmett. He's not just some football jock or music person, he's much more.
The more the write back and fourth, the more he breaks Cece's wall down. Emmett is falling for the girl who writes him everyday, but is it really Bryn he see's? Will Emmett find out about Cece writing him? Will Cece give in and tell him it's her that has been writing him?

Don't Kiss the Messenger is the first book in the Edgelake High School series by Katie Ray. This is a modern day retelling of the play by Edmond Rostand called Cyrano de Bergerac. I absolutely loved CeCe's character. As much as she hates it, I think the scar is part of what makes her who she is. Her parents and real friends feel the same way. She's intelligent, witty, fun, tough.. I'd love to be her friend. Emmett is a one of a kind dude too. He doesn't follow the jock stereotype that CeCe expects of him. Brynn has all the looks and no brains, and her beauty reels people in. With everything we know about CeCe, I don't know why she would have 'helped' Brynn to begin with. She didn't even like her, especially in the beginning. If it was one of her closer friends like Tuba? Maybe. But when it all started Brynn was a stranger. So, that part of it all didn't really match her personality. However, I completely understand why she got carried away with it and allowed it to go on as long as it did. ... even if I yelled at her a time or two. Overall, this was a fun group of characters. The story was fun and entertaining, and I read the it super fast. The author's writing was clever and addictive. If you enjoyed the movies Roxanne and The Truth About Cats and Dogs, you'll love this book! I'm looking forward to more in this series.

"This modern Cyrano de Bergerac retelling will make you laugh, swoon, and fall in love." This really delivered. I love Cyrano de Bergerac (although I didn't appreciate reading it in French in highschool). Emailing, texting and blue-tooth made the story believable in the modern world. I appreciate that the balcony scene was in there.

I love the story of Cyrano de Bergerac. There's plenty of opportunities there for conflict and angst, and it remains to this day one of my favorite tropes.

Don't Kiss the Messenger is a highly enjoyable read, and the author put her own mark on it, making a fresh spin of the classic story. I love both the main characters, and while CeCe was conscious of her disfigurement, I love that Emmett never saw it, or if he did a little bit noticed it, it didn't make much difference to him. But still, he's not immune to a pretty face, and that gave me a sense of relief that he's quite a normal teenage boy after all. (I think the story would've been better if he'd notice her disfigurement a lot and maybe been bothered by it initially, but noticed it less as he came to know her better.)

I do think though that the story may be better if it were a bit shorter. I thought some stuff were dragged on too long. I kept waiting for that "ah ha!" moment, with him knowing that it's her all along and not the other girl. Still, when that moment came, I'm pleased that it didn't turn out the way I expected it to.

Overall, I enjoyed this story a lot, and the ending gave me a warm glow. Don't give this a miss!

Hello and thanks for joining me today on my stop on the tour!!
Unfortunately a full schedule of work, family and life kind of took over for awhile, so reading has not really been a priority. But I have missed that outlet in my life. Don't Kiss The Messenger has been excellent for starting again!! It combines two of my favorite things- music and words!! Words and music joined in ways to make a story come to life. And our author weaves those words not just to tell any story, but a story with heart and passion that brings out all the feels. From the first sweet notes, through the discordant messiness and the painful crescendos, to the last echoes of sound, this author brought each character to resounding life. I could not stand for the symphony to end, because I had fallen in love with CeCe and Emmett in my own way. But not only that, Tuba and Brynn and all the supporting characters were written with such love that there was a whole other world that I just couldn't stand to leave.
Don't Kiss The Messenger is a story of coming to terms. Where many of us hide social anxieties and other things that may hold us back, CeCe can't do that. Her scar is visible for all to see. And she is judged because of it every day. Watching her take on that world everyday and conquer gives us the inspiration to move past what holds us back.
When i first started reading Don't Kiss The Messenger, I expected another ordinary love story, something about two people finding each other, the inevitable downfall and then the overcoming of whatever dramatics came between them. I got so much more! I found myself searching up song lyrics, listening to Judy Garland's smooth sultry voice, and then there were times when I was sobbing, feeling CeCe's or Emmett's intense pain. I highly recommend Don't Kiss The Messenger, with a box of Kleenex and Spotify on hand, and give it 5/5 crossbows.

This is definitely a modern day retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac which is a story that has a special place in my heart (I was in a play that was a retelling when I was younger). Whenever I feel in the need for a cheesy love story I head for an Entangled Teen Crush published book because I know they will deliver. That is what happened with this book. It fulfilled the need for a cheesy chick-lit book. This book is about CeCe Edmonds who had been in a car accident and was left with a scar on her face. Because of these she has built up a defense and then along comes Emmett Brady. One of the things I liked about this book is the conversations it brings up about beauty. I wasn’t expecting that when I first picked up this book and it made me more grateful that I had. I didn’t particularly like the character of Bryn as I felt like her character wasn’t really flushed out as much as she could’ve been. Also I’m all for angst driven romances but after a while I just wanted to shake CeCe and Emmett for letting it go on as long as it did. Overall I give this book a 3.75 out of 5 stars.

loved everything about this book! Sweet, fun, complicated romances are the best! A great beach read! Pick it up!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Jordan – ☆☆☆☆☆
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking Don't Kiss the Messenger and was immediately hooked after just a few pages! CeCe Edmonds, the main character, is a strong female and very relatable. Katie Ray has easily won me over with this one. Don't Kiss the Messenger is a modern day retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, which I haven't read, but I am certainly intrigued by it now. Although this is Katie Ray's first book under this pen name, she has other books under Katie Kacvinsky and I will definitely be looking into what other gems she might have!

With a large scar on her face CeCe Edwards has dealt with the stares that follow her around Edgewood High School. However, CeCe never really cared about her looks, at least until Emmett Brady, recent transfer student and star football player, ends up as her partner in literature. But when Emmett sees gorgeous Bryn, a recent transfer and one of CeCe's volleyball teammates, he's immediately smitten. When Bryn comes to CeCe to help her compose messages to charm Emmett she reluctantly helps, but suddenly finds herself falling for a guy who's into the wrong girl.

My one complaint was that I think this would've easily fit as a new adult book by tweaking the private high school aspect to a college one to make it slightly more believable, but nonetheless I had no trouble being captivated by Ray's story. I think fans of Colleen Hoover's Maybe Someday will easily fall in love with this story and should definitely be adding this to their TBR piles! Five Stars for Katie Ray's Don't Kiss the Messenger.


Erica – ☆☆☆☆
4 Angsty Stars

Katie Ray is a new-to-me author, and I was instantly hooked from the first paragraph. Swift pacing, easy to relate to characters, and realistic emotions. Beyond frustrating for an adult to read.

CeCe is a strong character: athletic, a true leader, crazy about music and literature – deep and cerebral-centric. She is also scarred on her cheek from a car accident as a child. It doesn't matter how amazing she is in all aspects of her life, first impressions matter. Before anyone gets to know her, all they see is her scar. Once they get to know her, their friendship is easy. But the problem is, in order to have a love life, the mating dance begins in the most shallowest of ways... by first impression.

CeCe is confident, but relegates herself in the friend-zone, never even daydreaming that anyone would ever want to date her. This isn't a self-esteem issue. Simply looking in the mirror and recognizing who is staring back. I'd love to say this isn't realistic, or that teenagers grow out of the vapid view they have on beauty, but it still holds true from birth to death. A disturbing fact of life, no matter how deep a person we all pretend to be, the bright and shiny attracts us first and foremost.

As the volleyball captain, CeCe is friends with her teammates. One girl in particular, a new transfer, latches herself onto CeCe. Bryn is sweet and clueless, but she's even more beautiful on the outside. She's not malicious, just immature and uneducated. I wouldn't say she's shallow. She's a teenage girl, and it doesn't make her vapid because she doesn't want to listen to sonnets or classical music or experience deep, intense conversation during makeout sessions. She just needs to find the right fit, friend-and-boyfriend-wise.

Bryn gives the best first impressions.

CeCe does not.

Bryn doesn't have the ability to retain the sparkle after a few minutes.

CeCe shines as soon as her mouth opens.

Bryn begs her new friend to help her out with the hot guy. Having a crush on the same guy, CeCe knows she doesn't have a snowball's chance after spying the boy eyeing Bryn, so she agrees to help her break the ice. The ice breakage turns into glacier proportions, some of which was difficult for me to read.

One sentence by CeCe had me cheering. For all of his intensity, Emmett was the most vapid character on the pages for being blinded by Bryn. Bryn is a great girl, but not what he's looking for, but he was obsessed with the outside packaging. Emmett is the epitome of vapid – because depth doesn't mean deep talks and writing music, it's first impressions and wanting Bryn without knowing her. Everything he voiced, he belied in action.

Emmett is a teenage boy first and foremost. His intensity was a bit over-the-top for me to swallow. How a switch was flipped between the cerebral and the physical – if Bryn took a piece of clothing off, Emmett lost 100 IQ points. Hormones. Idiots. He kept saying he wanted love first, yet he kept jumping Bryn's bones. How can someone so intelligent be so... blind? I can't buy into that. It would take 2 seconds to figure out Bryn had no clue what he was talking about, and it had nothing to do with opening up emotionally. No way. No how. If you say you don't like specific genres of music, that isn't an emotion – that's an opinion. But no alarms sounded in his mind when Bryn in person contradicted Bryn in email? He believed what he wanted to believe, saw what he wanted to see... Emmett was a vapid, vapid boy who was obsessed with being in love... the fake, false, romanticized version of love – the fantasy that is NEVER reality... moving on.

I struggled while reading the novel, having to repeatedly remind myself that Emmett's a boy. I'm a grown woman, and I know a few things, so for a large part of the novel I was strangling my Kindle, envisioning it was the characters. No matter how frustrated I may have been, their actions/reactions were exactly as idiotic, shallow, and book-cover-deep as human nature predicts. Doesn't make them bad, just human.

I don't want to spiral down the rabbit hole where I complain, because I truly loved this angsty gem of a novel. But it was a bit much for my adult mind to find entertaining at times. Teens will go flipping nuts for it, no doubt. Seriously.

I just had a hard time finding the balance between two characters who spewed their intelligence on the pages, being so unintelligent the rest of the time. I can't quote books, and I'm a writer and avid reader. But these athletes, the top of their sports, who write music, play and compose music, know literature better than those who wrote the stories...

Too much maturity and too good at everything, almost making them so deep it felt like they were playacting what they thought was sophisticated, highlighting how shallow it was to want shoes or wear makeup and not be involved in intense conversations about music and literature... Yet they were the most immature and blind of the cast of characters.

Emmett's friend even told the idiot he was catfished – and I was like, hallelujah! We're finished with this fiasco – Emmett just smiled and nodded his head. The genius Emmett... crawling out of that rabbit hole – apologies.

All in all, as I said, I loved it. Teens will find it deliciously angsty. The grown adult in me had a difficult time not shaking the characters and grounding them, teaching them life lessons... because the moral of not messing around with people's emotions and taking responsibility for it was glossed over on the pages... how you're not better than someone else based on your interests... how shaming anyone different is wrong, in order to highlight how right you are... how romanticizing love makes it false emotion.

Don't be pretentious.

Signing off before the adult in me lets loose. My apologies.

I want a book featuring Frank, just saying... I think most of the readers would agree.

Girl power! Confession, I loved both CeCe and Bryn, even though I would have a stern talk with them. However, nothing was going to get me to like Emmett. He's the phony type who will repeat this trend for life. That's the grown woman in me talking. Reminds me of Noah from The Affair. LOL!

Young Adult age-range: 14+ due to sexual situations and adult language.

I just could not get behind this one.

CeCe is a very guarded person who doesn't let anyone in. When she was younger, she was in a horrible car accident and has been left with a giant scar on the side of her face. A scar that she lets define her. See, in CeCe's mind, no one could ever look beyond the hideousness that is her face and actually get to know her. Meet Emmett, football extraordinaire with a passion for music and deep thoughts. He instantly connects with CeCe in English class but then falls for hottie Bryn. Bryn in the most gorgeous girl Emmett has ever seen and Emmett is the most handsome guy that Bryn has ever seen, so obviously, they're meant to be.

But wait, Bryn doesn't know how to talk to Emmett so she enlists CeCe to e-mail/text Emmett for her. It will be all good because Emmett will never know the difference and that way Bryn can get her man without literally doing anything. So of course, CeCe does it.

Well, low and behold, CeCe falls for Emmett and Emmet falls for Bryn and Bryn...well, she's just there making out with Emmett. What gets me is how Emmett didn't know something was up. The emails/texts were deep and poetic and Bryn was basically as dumb as rocks. The whole plot came off as incredibly shallow. Well, Bryn was blatantly shallow - only wanting Emmett because he was hot. Emmett was pretty shallow too. I mean, he had plenty of opportunities to realize something was amiss and was just like, nope, she's too beautiful. And side note to the author, if you want us to root for your main character, maybe make her a little more likeable. CeCe spent the whole book pushing people away and effectively pushes the audience away.

This book has fairly high ratings here and I honestly don't know why. I just couldn't get past the annoyance.

CeCe has no expectations about love or acceptance, instead, she works hard and has cultivated a tough exterior to keep people at a distance so she won't be rejected when they see her large facial scar. Emmett on the other hand is incredibly attractive, has just as tough a shell, but is intrigued by what he sees in CeCe. When CeCe's incredibly attractive, sought after teammate Bryn asks CeCe for help pursuing a relationship with Emmett, CeCe is hesitant. Soon she finds herself writing to Emmett as Bryn, but the feelings she is expressing are her own. But how can he see past the beauty in front of him to the beauty inside?




I have always been interested in the cyrano de bergerac story (ala the movies Roxanne and the teen version Whatever it Takes, but still, same concept) about guy trying to woo the girl he likes, but for someone else's benefit. Gawd, it's so messed up, yet I still I am drawn to the plot. And yes, we know what is going to happen, yet I can't look away from the confusion as it is happening. I was excited to get my hands on this gender swapped version, where the girl is the one who does not feel worthy and woos the guy for her friend. Well, the plot was as expected here, and the book does have a happily ever after (no, that is not a spoiler, its a given if you know the original story aka remakes). If you are looking for a fast, engaging, emotional, angst filled teen romance, this is the perfect read to pick up.

CeCe was an interesting character, super resilient, capable and strong enough to stand on her own. I liked how the story showed strong athletic girls who did not fuss over beauty as the sought after girl, really playing up the girl-power approach. Emmett was a great mix of large, popular star quarterback meshed perfectly with the tortured, talented artist, and he had no qualms with either side of his personality. He owned who he was and did not ask for forgiveness. Both character had their stupid moments (aka when Emmett refused to see the problem with Bryn, and CeCe get giving in) where I wanted to scream or shake some sense into them, but overall I really liked them separetely and together in a relationship.




It took me about a fourth of the book for me to really get into the story, but once I did, I could not put the book down and I was so wrapped up in the emotional ride. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to more from the author.

I received this title in return for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

I couldn't quite figure out if they were meant to be in high school or college?! As a non-American the whole premise was a touch confusing... also wow are school sports honestly that big a deal over there? For real? Like a star quarterback would really change schools to take a team to the finals?

As much as I didn't get it, I still really liked the sportiness to this, and how Cece was as much of a 'jock' as Emmett! And that Bryn too was a volleyballer not a cheerleader as one would expect.

I just didn't buy that Emmett honestly was that dense that he didn't cotton onto the fact that it wasn't Bryn emailing him... I mean he and Cece exchanged all those obscure songs in their first lot of texts, how did alarm bells not ring immediately when Bryn had no idea about any of his taste in music? Argh!

Liked the ending, but it didn't really need the epilogue.

Don’t Kiss the Messenger is a the first book in the young adult contemporary series, called Edgelake High School by Katie Ray. Katie Ray is actually a new name for YA author Katie Kacvinsky (who wrote the books- First Comes Love, Second Chance, Finally Forever, Awaken, Middle Ground, and Still Point). I have never read any of Katie’s books, but I have to say I absolutely LOVED Don’t Kiss the Messenger. I can’t wait for the next book in the Edgelake High series. Don’t Kiss the Messenger is a retelling of the classic tale of Cyrano de Bergerac. I can’t even tell you how much I loved this version of the story.

Our main character, and this tale’s Cyrano is a young lady named CeCe. Cece was in a very bad car accident and has really significant facial scarring from reconstructive surgeries. CeCe is a school superstar student. She is brilliant but she is also a really excellent student athlete. I loved how well rounded CeCe is. She is a really hard worker and I admired that about her. Plus, she is super sweet and honestly, she is a great friend. I loved watching her hit it off with Emmett, the new transfer student. Emmett and CeCe have a really great friendship that I thought developed very naturally. I believed it and their feelings 100%. This is what I wish all YA romances grew out of. Katie Ray did an excellent job showing their chemistry and their bonding. I love Emmett and CeCe!!

But, Emmett falls for the other new transfer student, and CeCe’s volleyball teammate- Bryn. Bryn is beautiful and really sweet, but I found myself wishing she were not so one dimensional and superficial. I kept wanting to see a glimpse of more from her. Don’t get me wrong, she is a sweet girl…but I was kind of with CeCe, I have no idea how Emmett fell for it for one second. One conversation with Bryn and you know everything about her. I am very ready to be proven wrong about her. I have a feeling that the next book is going to be about her and I can’t wait! I have an inkling as to who is going to be her romantic interest and I am really excited for their story.

But now back to CeCe and Emmett. I loved watching their journey. I thought this was the perfect modern take on Cyrano de Bergerac. I laughed, I cried, I cheered when they finally got together. This book made me feel great. Plain and simple. And I loved that about it. I can’t wait to read more from Katie Ray. This was a total hit with me. If you like really well written YA romances with awesome characters and a real, believable connection and slow build romance, Don’t Kiss the Messenger is going to be a favorite of yours. Trust me, you do not want to miss out on this gem.

Rating: 4/5 Penguins

Quick Reasons: loveloveLOVE the message here; this novel is packed with growth, courage, and morals; subjects are touched with sensitivity and tact; the snark and witty banter made this penguin swoon; cute, endearing characters....though I'm a bit iffy about the role of parents in this novel

Huge thanks to Katie Ray, Entangled: Crush, Netgalley, and Chapter by Chapter Book Tours for granting me free access to a digital galley of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.


---"I shared my heartbreak story," I said. "Now it's your turn."

"I wear my secrets right on my face," she said.---


I have to be honest, penguins. I sort of totally forgot I had this tour coming up. As in, I sat down in front of my computer on Saturday after work, opened up my calendar...and panicked because I hadn't even STARTED the book yet. I promptly, of course, dropped everything else--told the boyfriend to watch his youtube "watch later" list and clicked open the galley on my Fire tablet. I fully expected to be sliding into Sunday with only half the read finished, in a blind panic to get to the close before the night's end so I wasn't RUSHING to get my review written before falling into bed. I totally forgot this book tour was coming...and it snuck up on me, but when I sat down today to read, I did not expect the whirlwind that was this book.

Because this read? Was a whirlwind. It's boarding school, and opposites-attract, and poetic, and beautiful. I read this in something like three hours--maybe less, I don't know because I was in such a hurry to read that I didn't really keep track of the time I spent doing just that. This is teen angst at its best, and I adored every minute of it. The characters are endearing, and redeemable, and beautifully woven throughout. I fell in love with the witty banter, especially spouting from CeCe. She is such a fierce, tough character...and I honestly feel like she is, at the heart of things, the sort of role model girls in today's world need. Because she's fierce, and honest, and she doesn't so much "hide" herself from the world but instead tackles it head-on. She challenges her classmates to see BEYOND the scar, to see anything outside the one feature people insist defines her. She challenges people who might in other ways be "bullies" to move past that, to accept her as she is, and to get over the pettiness that appearance sometimes brings with it.


---But I realized the problem with words. They were too stationary. They contained you. They held you at a distance. And nothing worthwhile happened at a distance.---


This is a story of growth, and acceptance, and standing up for yourself. This is a journey that focuses on the emotional and, sometimes, damaging ways the world effects us. I was, however, a little put off by the role of these kids' parents throughout. It is made clear, early on, that CeCe and Emmett are a bit...on their own? They are cut off from their families, sort of striking it out alone. Of course, they do have backstories and reasons for the distance...and in some cases, this distance is bridged in the journey, but... I felt like the parents were more cardboard cutouts than actual characters, I guess. I suppose this makes sense, though--they are away at a boarding school of sorts, and therefore, not under their parents' or guardians' supervision. It just bugged me a little...but not enough to put a damper on the read!

This was a fun, snarky, angst-laden title, and I cannot WAIT to lay hands on the next book in this series--it's bound to be just as entertaining a journey! The characters are endearing and adorable, the witty banter scenes were delicious, and I blew through this like a whirlwind. I recommend the read to lovers of cutesy contemporaries, characters struggling to understand the world, and tastefully handled morals. Like the title says, penguins--don't kiss the messenger. You might just like it.

Don't Kiss the Messenger tells the story of CeCe Edmonds. CeCe had a car accident when she was younger and because of that she has a scar on her face. She's been dealing with a lot of stares and whispers about her scar, so now she's tough and doesn't back away when someone's mean to her. It looks like she's fine, but she's not. She desperately wants someone to love her for who she is, but everyone only sees her scar... Until Emmett...

I really liked Don't Kiss the Messenger. I thought it was going to be like all the other books but it wasn't. I really liked the fact that CeCe got to know Emmett while she was texting/mailing for Emmett. But I do think Emmett is kinda stupid lol. It was so obvious that Bryn wasn't the girl he thought she was.

There are also some deep conversations about beauty and scars, and I really loved that. I have scars myself and sometimes I think that's the only thing other people see, but my scars aren't the things that define me. I really loved that Katie Ray put something like this in Don't Kiss the Messenger. It's such a life lesson and thank you for that!

Although I'm a sucker for a re-telling, I'll admit to not being all that familiar with Cyrano de Bergerac- I just knew the basic premise. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this YA spin on the tale, although the characters seemed much older than high school- definitely more college aged. I found myself pulling for CeCe and Emmett and adored their interactions- both as themselves, and as CeCe writing for Bryn.