A modern version of "Cyrano de Bergerac" that will have readers swooning. Heroine CeCe Edmonds has lived with a disfiguring scar on her face since she and her mother were in a car accident. The scars on her confidence and psyche are less noticeable than the scar on her face but just as impactful. She's lived her life feeling as if everyone is judging her and thinking less of her because she feels she isn't beautiful or perfect with the scar marring her face. When new kid and new quarterback of the football team, Emmett Brady, enters her life CeCe is intrigued. Her hopes are seemingly dashed when Brady shows interest in the hot and beautiful transfer student, Bryn DeNeuville. Cece's fear that beauty is all that matters in life and love seems to be confirmed when Brady starts pursuing Bryn. Bryn is beautiful and a talented athlete but fairly shallow. She thinks Brady is hot but she gets tongue tied around him and asks CeCe to help her communicate with him via text and email messages. Will helping Bryn win Brady's heart mean losing her own? Readers will be eager to find out. Definitely recommend!

Wow, this book drew me in! From the first page on I was hooked and didn't put the book down till the end.
I can't even tell what I felt exactly, because due to the unusual circumstances (and some insecurities and some stupidity and...well, you get the point, right?) my feelings changed every other minute. I was sighing and grinning foolishly, was really really upset the next minute, started ranting and swearing am second later and would have loved to kick somebody or other - well, sometimes.

Take CeCe, you just have to love her - and I was so upset when people reacted badly to her scar and I just would have loved to hug her - while kicking somebody's back. And then Bryn - clueless, sweet, egocentric, beautiful - every guy's dream. At least as long as he doesn't want to dig too deep and doesn't try to look for more. Together - they are irresistible, aren't they? Is it possible to fall, hard, for someone's inner beauty instead of the obvious beauty on the outside? Or is it really just beauty that matters?

When Emmett falls for Bryn, he can't believe his luck - perfection on the outside and a perfect character, all in one. Well... There might be something else - or rather someone else. How is it possible to fall for one person, to feel so close to her and somehow it never really adds up? Something is off and he is desperately trying to find out what it is and how to really connect with the wonderful woman Bryn promises to be. At least, ...well, read for yourself, it's definitely worth it!

I loved how strong Cece was and I loved to see her rattled and realizing that sometimes life may have more in store for you than you can imagine.
This is a wonderful book about getting to know somebody, really getting to know somebody, it's about self-acceptance, insecurity, peoples' strengths, their weaknesses and about finding the one with whom you feel just right. The one who loves you and who doesn't care whether you have a scar, are big or tall or -whatever because you are just right, just the way you are.

Sometimes it takes a bit longer and the way to happiness may be a bit longer and a bit less straightforward than you may have wished for but love is worth the fight and worth the wait.
I really loved this book, I liked the "First comes love" and "Awaken" series that the author wrote as Katie Kacvinsky but this book is much more intense and I just couldn't put it down.

So, no matter what, don't shoot, ummm, kiss the messenger, you never know if he (or she) is really the one who sent the message!

Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray was a cute read, but it did border on manipulation. I understand why that happened, but I also understand why Emmett is upset. Cece should have tried earlier to stop the sham and tell Emmett the truth. Emmett had a big flag waving to him because of his music, Frank even gave him clues, so at the point where you realize Emmett is being deliberately obtuse because he wants the whole package, then it becomes his problem too.

I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley for a fair review.

Beauty is more than skin deep, and this book tells that story. CeCe isn't perfect; she struggles with issues many girls struggle with. Her strength and power are inspiring. While the story is predictable, it is still sweet and charming.

As a child Cece Edmonds was in a serious car crash that left her with a horrible scar upon her face. Now a senior in high school Cece has developed a tough girl persona to deal with those that comment about her scar. The captain of the girls volley ball team she has her circle of friends that she’s close to but has trouble letting anyone else into her life.

Emmett Brady just started classes at Cece’s school and when the two end up paired together Cece is immediately taken to him but won’t allow herself to believe he could ever be attracted to her. Then when Emmett is blindsided by new girl Bryn DeNeuville’s good looks Cece really thinks she will never be given another look. However when Bryn gets tongue tied with Emmett she asks for Cece’s help texting and emailing him and Cece gets a bit carried away with her online romance.

Don’t Kiss the Messenger is a young adult contemporary read which to me is a modern day teenage take on the story of Cyrano de Bergerac. As Cece tries convincing herself that she’s only helping out her friend Bryn win the guy she herself is slowly falling for Emmett who she doesn’t believe would ever consider her. I really enjoyed reading this one, a cute read with likable characters.

When finished reading though I did take notice of a couple of things during the read that kept me from rating a bit higher. First, I felt it seemed a bit off for these to be high school seniors in the setting they were in, it seemed a more college like atmosphere. Also, there were several times I felt Emmett should have guessed what was going on but I suppose then we wouldn’t have a story either so he had to be a bit clueless. Overall though it was a rather enjoyable story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Don't Kiss the Messenger is all things I usually hate: a 'damaged' girl, popular guy, denial of feelings and cheesy cliche teen romance. Despite this, I LOVED this book.

CeCe is captain of the volleyball team and finds it hard to fit in due to a prominent scar on her cheek from a car accident. She meets Emmett, the new quarterback, in her English class and soon helps set up Emmett with the new volleyball team member, Bryn. Poor Bryn cannot string 2 words together, so Cece writes emails and texts to Emmett, helping him fall in love with Bryn. Surprise, surprise, CeCe soon falls in love with Emmett and emotional torment ensues.

The story is very predictable and cliche, but what makes it enjoyable is the wonderful writing style of Ray. You cannot help but become emotionally invested in Emmett and CeCe (not Byrn - eurgh) and I couldn't stop reading.

I only gave this 4 stars as it was nothing new and it really isn't believable that Emmett could not tell that it clearly was not Bryn writing the emails and texts.

For most of her teenage life, CeCe Edmonds has been dealing with the stares and the not-so-polite whispers that follow her around Edgelake High. So she has a large scar on her face—Harry Potter had one on his forehead and people still liked him.

CeCe never cared about her looks—until Emmett Brady, transfer student and football darling, becomes her literature critique partner. The only problem? Emmett is blindsided by Bryn DeNeuville, CeCe’s gorgeous and suddenly shy volleyball teammate.

Bryn asks CeCe to help her compose messages that’ll charm Emmett. CeCe isn’t sure there’s anything in his head worth charming but agrees anyway—she’s a sucker for a good romance. Unfortunately, the more messages she sends and the more they run into each other, the more she realizes there’s plenty in his head, from food to literature. Too bad Emmett seems to be falling for the wrong girl…

Cece meets Emmett the first day of school in her literature class. They seem to get along and Cece can’t help but notice how hot Emmett is. Of course she doesn’t think anything will happen between them because of a scar that she has on her cheek. Despite knowing most of the kids at her private high school there are still times when someone sees her for the first time and is horrified by her face. Cece tries to take it in stride but sometimes it just hurts.

Cece is the captain of her volleyball team at her private school and she’s not one to mess around with it. You’re there to work and to win. The school even recruits a girl from California to come and play on their team. The new girl, Bryn, is insanely beautiful. Despite a rough start with Cece and comments about her scar the pair actually become friends. The problem is that Emmett is awestruck with Bryn’s beauty and asks if he can text her. They exchange numbers. Bryn is soon asking Cece for help because she’s just not good talking to guys. Cece texts Emmett for Bryn but ends up telling him her feelings for him. Of course he thinks that it’s Bryn where does that leave Cece?

This was a cute book. It’s a play on the Cyrano de Bergerac story but slightly different. It’s also has a very close resemblance to the 1987 movie Roxanne, also a Cyrano story. Cece talking under Emmett’s balcony acting like she’s Bryn, Cece giving a dozen better insults to her scar after a girl comes up with a
“unoriginal” one – even prefacing the insults as Steve Martin’s character did in the movie. It was funny, don’t get me wrong, but a little too close to the movie.

Emmett and Cece are truly perfect for each other but Emmett likes her as a friend. He’s so blinded by Byn’s beauty that he can’t see anything else. Bryn is a great girl but not all that intelligent. When she asks Cece to text and email Emmett she has no idea when they’re saying and just doesn’t care as long as she can sleep with Emmett. Totally shallow but that’s Bryn. While I found Emmett and Cece intelligent I found them to be almost too mature for their 17 or 18-year-old selves. I kept having to remind myself that it was YA because it read like a super mature NA novel.

Despite those couple of things that I found a bit annoying I have to say that I really liked the book. Emmett was a great guy and Cece was a wonderful girl. They were written so well and I loved their perceptions of the world, literature and music. The supporting characters in the story were well written as well and they made things more young adult in the end.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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CeCe Edmonds is used to people not being able to see past the disfiguring scar that runs down the side of her face. She's used to the staring, the pointing, and the taunting. To protect herself she's hidden behind a thick emotional armor and a witty talent for self-deprecation. She spends so much time focusing on her classes and her varsity volleyball team at her prep school, Edgelake, in Madison, Wisconsin that she can almost forget that she never gets asked out on dates and guys usually don't want more than a hook-up from her. Almost.

Enter the incredibly hot new quarterback, Emmett, who captures CeCe's attention while playing classical music while CeCe is on her way to class. Emmett first lays eyes on the bold girl with the scar when he arrives late to his Shakespeare English class and he doesn't seem at all bothered by the scar. Could Emmett finally be the guy who could look past CeCe's scar and appreciate the girl underneath?

CeCe doubts it because when Emmett spots Bryn, the Volleyball team's newest member and Edgelake's other new transfer student he instantly is attracted to her model-like looks and CeCe casts herself into the role of matchmaking best friend. But Emmett is looking for more than good looks, he wants someone he can talk to as well, and Bryn enlists CeCe's help to break the ice.

Like a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac, CeCe swoops in and soon she's exchanging emails and texts with Emmett, pretending to be Bryn. CeCe quickly learns that Emmett is anything but a dumb jock and he could be just the guy she's been waiting for all this time. But Emmett thinks he's falling for Bryn - who sounds witty in her emails but acts completely different in person. Will Emmett figure out who he's really talking to? And if he does, can he look past CeCe's looks and actually love her for herself? Or will CeCe lose the first guy she's been able to be carefree with? The guy she's starting to love?

When I first picked up Don't Kiss the Messenger I was expecting a light, breezy, quick read but it is so much more than that. It's a breathtaking story about learning to love yourself and people looking past exterior beauty to get to know the person inside.

This book had me laughing out loud one moment and nearly crying the next because of how raw and relatable it is. Anyone who's ever thought themselves to have any sort of flaw will be able to see pieces of themselves in CeCe and be rooting for her the whole way through. Emmett was an amazing character, the rare type of guy that you hope actually exist in real life. And Bryn - OMG, I loved Bryn! She was the ditzy friend I always wished I had!

Overall, I loved everything about this book. The writing was absolutely beautiful! Perhaps it caught me at precisely the right moment, the moment I needed a story like this most. This is definitely a feel good book and I'm so glad I got to read it!

Sweet, contemporary YA romance role reversal remake of Cyrano de Bergerac (Roxanne), including the fabulous scene where our heroine makes fun of herself to highlight another person's stupidity.
Our hero is a safe, sporty guy with a musical heart and good boy vibes who wants to fall in love and has been 'saving' himself. Although highly intelligent, he falls for the beautiful face and cannot see past it to the myriad of clues that point to his girlfriend being nothing more than a gorgeous face and his best friend being the person he truly adores.
He gets angry - justifiably so - but it annoyed me that it took so long for him to get over it, especially when the heroine came clean and bared her soul. he reread their email over and over again and couldn't get past the anger.
Told in both POVs, it grated when we heard how much Bryn's presence/looks/scent, etc affected him, and we had little to nothing of the same for Cece - except an (illogical?) urge to keep her safe. He felt, and was drawn to, Cece's energy and wit, but continued to ignore it.
Enjoyable. The epistles were cue and engaging.

"Don't Kiss the Messenger" was a sweet (albeit predictable) book about the misunderstandings and missteps of young love- in the style of Shakespeare. The book takes place at Edgelake, a combinating high school/college where the students live, attend classes, and compete on athletic teams. It's senior year, and CeCe is captain of the volleyball team. She is taking Shakespeare as an elective, and on the first day, she is paired up with the handsome new transfer the football team has been raving about- Emmett Brady. Later in the day, both are introduced to the gorgeous new transfer, Bryn, who is joining the volleyball team and can't stop turning heads.

Bryn and Emmett immediately have a physical connection, but Bryn is too shy (and shallow) to understand/reply to Emmett's texts (and later emails). She recruits CeCe to help her and chaos ensues, as CeCe begins to fall in love with Emmett, and Emmett is falling in love with the person he thinks is Bryn. Emmett and CeCe are continuing to socialize, due to class and due to Bryn, but CeCe believes (due to her past experiences) that no one will be able to see past the huge scar on her face- or love her more because of it. The book reminded me quite a bit of Shakespearean comedies, and I have to assume this was the intent (due to the Shakespeare class peppered in the story).

Overall, it was a fun and cute story that tackles the issues of physical insecurities (as we learn, not only CeCe has them) and what makes love- the substance of it. Bryn was a bit of a foil, as she was shallow and beautiful (pretty one-sided) and really only served as a marker for the opposite of CeCe/didn't really seem to be a developed character. It was a cute and predictable (although frustrating) love story, and overall, I really enjoyed it! I also really liked the science references/fun with chemistry, which was a cute touch. The book moves quickly and it was a fast read- a great summer/beachy read!

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley for review.

What I loved most about this book was CeCe. Her intelligence and strength covered how vulnerable and sweet she really was. I know she was guarded because of her scar, but I do believe it made her who she was. I loved Emmett, too. Bryn made me crazy. I know I was probably supposed to like her, but she was shallow and clueless. Not my favorite qualities.

I loved the music and the writing in this book. The chapter with the chemistry experiments was my favorite.

This quote really stood out to me: "But if you think about it, science and music are pretty similar," she said. "They're both just mixing different elements together, hoping to make a new discovery. Something fresh. Something inspiring. Or maybe it's just and answer to a question." I'm definitely going to be reading more books from the author.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but when I did I was hooked. I really enjoyed the dual perspective of CeCe and Emmett. Both characters were well written making them complex, realistic, and likeable. CeCe remained likeable even when she was perpetuating a deceit on Emmett because you felt for her. She portrays this tough girl image, yet underneath she is as broken as the next person, and you relegate to that. I would recommend this book to both young and older audiences. Will definitely search out her other work.

I loved this modern day take on Cyrano de Bergerac. The writing is stellar, the characters jumped off the page, and Katie Ray captured the true essence of what it's like to be a teen with unrequited love. Highly recommend this book. Can't wait to buy it and discuss it in our mother-daughter book club.

Amazing!

I had so much fun reading this. I loved both Emmett and Cece. For me this felt real. You didn't need sex scenes to feel this two feelings. I know that I will rate a book high when no sex scenes or dirty talking is needed to feel the chemistry between the two leads, and Katie Ray did that exactly. I loved the friendship CeCe had with her roommates. I loved that guys even do they weren't romantically interested they weren't rude or mean to Cece. We did get to read about her being bullied by certain girls but she stood up to them.

I'm not going to lie there was a few times I wanted to slap Cece, more than Bryn. I really dislike that Bryn asked so much from Cece. And I dislike that Cece didn't have the guts to say NO!. Oh and she confused me, I know it must be hard to be scarred specially in the face where everyone can see it. She even stood up to anyone that had to say something about her scar, yet she still felt bad about herself. Is like she was a contradicton walking. She didn't want hide it with make up but she would cover it with her hair. She hated her scar more when Emmett walked in the picture because Emmett was like any other teenage boy who is fascinated by beauty and that hurt Cece because she confirm how import looks are in this society. But Cece was amazing, she was smart and nice. I loved her positive things more than the few negative things she had.

Emmett oh Emmett. This guy was super sweet and talented. Sadly he was confused for a while. Sincerely I really love him. I wish my son grows up to be like Emmett a guy that sees beyond a scar.

The only thing I missed here was a guy that liked Cece I was shipping Frank and her. I think they would of made a good couple for a few minutes until Emmett open his eyes. Jealousy does that to guys open their eyes to see what they are missing.

Overall I loved it!!

A book with lots of playlists recommends itself to me instantly. Cece and Emmett aren't average sports people, they are both very passionate about music and literature. I loved their eloquent and frequently artistic discussions, the metaphores they used. Cece feels alert all the time since people pay a lot of attention to her scarred face, but she learns that the scare actually made her who she is and she slowly accepts it. It's a romantic love stroy full of uncertainties and love letters. I really enjoyed it.

This is, like, the most adorable and the most frustrating book I've come across. Ever. Which wasn't at all what I expected to get from this. Honestly, I just couldn't sleep so I figured why not read a few pages just to tire myself out? But before I know it, it's already three in the morning and I was already turning the last page. Don't Kiss the Messenger surprised me in a really welcome and pleasant way.

Let me start off by saying that our MC, CeCe, puts a whole new twist at badass-ery and sass. I don't think I've ever come across an independent, bold and daring heroine as CeCe. I liked her from the get-go. And when she started spouting off Shakespeare with the effortless way of saying one's name and shown her love and passion for writing poetry and music, I just couldn't help but LOVE her. Honestly, I would love to be her friend. I'm pretty sure she's the kind who would have your back no matter what. I like her dry humor and her love of science. The author created a very complex character in CeCe and I just LOVE it... Have I mentioned I love it?

And Emmett Brady. Man that guy. Is there by any chance that he’s one of Will Herondale’s descendants? Because I’ve never seen any guy in all of the YA contemporary books I’ve read who’s as gentlemanly and old school and soulful and romantic and intense as Emmett is. He never does anything halfheartedly which is one of the things I love about his character. He’s very passionate and… well who wouldn’t love a passionate guy who’d sweep you off your feet? Not to mention someone very good at writing music and is very poetic. Um, YES PLEASE.

Honestly, I would have given this book a five-star rating if it weren't for the whole drama about who's emailing/texting/chatting who. I really could have punched Emmett in the face for being so naive and clueless. How could he not have figured it out? And CeCe was just as annoyingly maddening when she kept on denying what is so glaringly obvious. But damn it if it didn't made me love and root for them more. Seriously, the romance was slow-burn and every exchanged words/quotes/poetry/song lyrics between Emmett and CeCe just turned my heart to goo.

This book is an absolute must-read. The author's writing is lyrical and very engrossing. You wouldn't want to stop reading. Oh and have I mentioned CeCe’s amazing friends? They wouldn’t coddle and smother you but you bet they’ll be right behind you when you need them. Tuba is an absolute favorite of mine. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author decided to give Tuba her own book. There wasn’t much backstory on the supporting characters so I’m really quite intrigued.
Don’t Kiss the Messenger sets itself apart from other YA contemporaries with the emotional depth it packs that would surprise and ensnare you. It is a heartwarming, emotional and lovely story about family, friendships, love, self-acceptance and just being brave enough to be who you really are despite all your flaws- physical or otherwise.

I received an e-arc to read and review.

Too many shades of Cyrano de Begerac’s tragicomedy are at work here as CeCe lets herself get carried away as she helps a flighty teammate win the new Quarterback she likes through lyrics and poems (synchronicity matters in hobbies, after all), as things go predictably pear-shaped and minds get scrambled.

Yet ‘Don’t Kiss the Messenger’ has put me in such a bind. It’s cleverly written really, with bona fide depth to it like those arty teen movies of the ‘90s, with a kind of teenage-philosophising that comes when it gets melancholy. The insights into music, songs and life—written into the characters—do lend them a maturity that I don’t always read about, as they burst at the seams with literary references merged with heightened teenage angst. The hr was immensely relatable: made out to be the everyday geek-artistic girl who’s also an athlete, though I wondered if her personality—and the tough, razor-sharp exterior—had been shaped by the scar on her face. Her tendency to get lost in fiction, the prickly way she reacts because of her physical appearance...I could relate to all of it.

What frustrated me though, was that CeCe let it go that far for it to all blow up in her face, inevitably making this a story where there was always a third party in this awkward not-quite relationship throughout. I couldn’t understand how Emmett never did recognise the discrepancy in intelligence, or in the difference in CeCe’s and Bryn's voices (again, a scene taken straight out from Cyrano) and how that didn’t cause him to question anything more as he still went ahead with their physical relationship when he’d explicitly stated that he wanted to be in love with Bryn before falling into bed with her.

Yet the deception still went on; Emmett still ended up in bed with the other woman and that pretty much spoiled the ending for me, even though he realises in the end that he and CeCe had a soulmate connection. The epilogue felt almost like Emmett’s insistence at covering his bases—that he and CeCe were inevitable no matter what, but by then, I was less than convinced.