One of the absolute best books I've read in years. Blind Kiss captivated me from page one and I could not put it down. Renee Carlino writes in such a unique style that I was drawn to immediately.

I’ve been a huge Renée Carlino fan for years. Her writing is some of my favorite ever. But while Blind Kiss was fairly enjoyable at times, it just didn’t live up to what I’ve come to expect from Carlino.

I kind of liked the second chance romance aspect – life is messy and rarely goes according to plan. The longing in this book is palpable. But I did kind of feel like at some point it started to become overkill. It was just bad luck after bad luck and I got very frustrated with the main characters, Penny and Gavin. It was unfortunate situation after unfortunate situation, followed by poor decision making and I got kind of fed up a time or two.

The writing was also not what I’ve come to expect from Carlino. She’s usually great and packing a strong emotional punch with even the simplest of words, but I felt like this book was too simple, if that makes any sense. The writing seemed sort of stilted and surface level. I felt like I was just being shown in the simplest of terms what was happening. Like a narrator describing a Tuesday afternoon. There wasn’t much depth or feeling, aside from a couple specific scenes.

I think maybe I just had a difficult time connecting with this one. Like I said though, I’m a huge fan of Renée’s, and I think maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for this one. All in all, I would say I enjoyed it, I just wanted a bit more. If you’ve never read Carlino before, then I would suggest starting with another book, however, I do think that perhaps there is an audience for Blind Kiss – maybe it’s you.

Renee Carlino is one of my automatic go to authors. I literally have not read a book from her that I did not love.

Blind Kiss was absolutely perfection!! Gavin and Penny met in such a unique way. A college experiment to kiss a stranger blind? To have such great chemistry, take off the blindfold and realized that the attraction is instantaneous? Wow!! It’s the perfect story. But, of course it would be too good to be true if they lived happily ever after from the very beginning, wouldn’t it?

These two stay best friends for fourteen years. FOURTEEN!! They still have to crazy, hot chemistry but it’s be pushed aside and ignored since Penny is married..to someone else. Yes, they toed the line with a possible relationship right after he experiment, but when you’re young, life happens.

Renee has a way of writing words, and you’ll feel them down in your soul. The pain, the love and emotion. The fact that now, after fourteen years circumstances are are different.

I loved Blind Kiss so much! The love and angst is off the charts. But I loved it so much! I felt like I was there, in the book, experiencing everything! This love story is so one of kind, and one of my favorite books from one of my favorite authors!

I was so excited to start this book!! I finsished it in one sitting and it was perfection! It’s one of those books that cause me to delay everything until i find out what will happen. At first, I was annoyed by our heroine. But then it clicked!! I got her past and her pain. I put myself in her shoes and Empathized with her. Their friendship and how their love started was beautiful, sweet and innocent. I loved every second of their story and our hero was so swoon worthy. The perfect man you want loving you. The story flowed perfectly from past to present and I loved both equally! I will always pick up a Reneè Carlino book the day it comes out. She can do no wrong. Another winner by her!!🙌🏻

REVIEW

When you read a book by Renée Carlino, you know you are getting a book with well-developed characters and a sizzling romance. Blind Kiss is no exception. What I found to be more nuanced about her upcoming release is that it shows different versions of love - young love, married love, unrequited love, mature love...

Penny meets Gavin, and it is love at first kiss. Their passion is evident for everyone around them to see, but a series of unfortunate events keep them from being together. Penny decides they can only be friends, and she keeps him in that position for 14 years. This book explores what happens when you deny your hear its destiny. What the consequences are when one makes choices out of fear and how those choices can affect many lives.

PRAISE

“Blind Kiss beautifully illustrates how destiny prevails over even the best-laid plans. You will love this story."— Tracey Garvis-Graves, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl He Used to Know

“A story of enduring passion, devoted friendship, and the undeniable power of chemistry, Blind Kiss asks the question: Would you wait a lifetime to be with the person you love? Renée Carlino's evocative prose is at once heartbreaking and full of hope, and the palpable spark between Gavin and Penny will touch the depths of your heart.”— Kristin Rockaway, author of The Wild Woman’s Guide to Traveling the World

AUTHOR

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and the bestselling author of Sweet Thing, Nowhere But Here, After the Rain, Before We Were Strangers, Swear on This Life, and Wish You Were Here. She grew up in Southern California and lives in the San Diego area with her husband and two sons. To learn more, visit ReneeCarlino.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Publication date is 8/14/18.

I am rating this 3.5 stars but I was really torn on that (star wise) so on Goodreads I went with the good ole' four stars just because Renee and her books never fail in the emotional department and her writing is top-notch in my opinion. 

But ultimately- I am conflicted. I am conflicted because although I love Renee and her writing and the way she is able to construct a relatable story every time you pick up one of her books. I am conflicted because Renee made me fall so much in love with Gavin but Penny... Penny just really got under my skin. And not in a good way. 

I did love the concept of the book. As someone who is a huge fan of 180 Seconds by Jessica Park this was definitely an idea I could get behind but the execution of it really fell flat to me. I feel like these characters should have explored more of what they had and while Penny said she didn't want that, the author never really explained why Penny pushed away so hard. Not even when you finished the book.

Penny. To me, Penny was hypocritical. She was wishy-washy and indecisive and used Gavin as her doormat- which is not okay for me. Typically heroine's have reasonings as to why they are like they are but with Penny we don't really get any. She loves dance. And she wants a college degree that she doesn't really do anything with (under circumstances that come, I know). But to me that's not a believable enough reason to push as hard as Penny pushed Gavin. Usually in romance books, I am a fan of the female and it takes the male a while to grow on me but in Blind Kiss it was the opposite except, I never really grew to like Penny which it unfortunate. 

What I didn't love was the constant back and forth, both between Penny and Gavin and the timelines in the book. It was exhausting. Both of them. Not only that, but it was insanely hard to read about the two main characters push each other away for the whole book. Yes, the whole book. 14 years. Pushing. Pulling. Jealousy. Wanting. It was too long for me, I got bored with it because Gavin was constantly begging or Penny was constantly begging.

I thought the book as a whole was great. There was just no gasping revelation or dramatic turning points that held perked my interests. It was a nice book to read in one sitting or if you are looking for a second chance romance. It's really a bummer, I do enjoy myself every time I pick up one of Renee's book but this one just wasn't my favorite.

Whew what an emotional rollercoaster. Seriously I had to take a deep breath before beginning this review. First of all let me just saw how I'm a Renee Carlino fan for LIFE. Her stories are always so wonderfully laid out and full of so much love. She crafts the best relationships. I'm always falling in love with her characters. Well Blind Kiss is no exception to this, Gavin is so freaking wonderful I wish I could snatch him off the page and hug him. Gavin and Penny have one of the best relationships I've ever read. I loved their banter and chemistry so much. This book is a GEM.

Well she's gone and done it again, reminded me why she is my favorite author. Blind Kiss makes you feel all those warm and fuzzy feelings and in the end I was crying actual tears. Renee Carlino is a romantic at heart and knows how to pull on our hearts strings.
Penny is in college working on her degree in dance, this is her passion and her lifelong dream has always been to have a career in dance. When she see's a friend putting up flyers for the psychology department's next experiment, she's curious, what is a "blind kiss"? Her friend Ling begs her to do it telling her they already have 5 guys signed up, and her job is to get the girls. With $40 in coffee gift cards as her bribe, she agrees to join the study. All she has to do is let them blindfold her, and kiss a boy who is also blind folded. Simple right? Penny is so nervous, but when Gavin is lead into the room, smelling good and revealing his funny sense of humor it helps Penny relax. The kiss is the most perfect kiss she's ever had, Gavin putting his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closely, the connection is immediate, she can feel it in every part of her body, everyone in the room filming can feel it. After they answer a few questions they take their blindfolds off and see each other for the first time. Is it possible to have an instant connection with someone you have know for only a few moments? Neither of them wants this to end, so they decide to grab a quick coffee together so they can talk and get to know each other. Penny really likes Gavin and feels like they have a connection, but she doesn't have time for a boyfriend right now, she has to focus on dance and finishing her classes so she can graduate. Although it's hard, Gavin agrees they'll just be friends, even though he desperately wants more.
I cant tell you anymore because I don't want to give away any of the story. If your a fan of Renee's other books, you will love this story and the characters Penny and Gavin. If you haven't read any of her books...what the heck are you waiting for? This definitely is one of my top 3 favorite books of Renee's. Wish you Were Here and Swear on This Life are must reads if you haven't already.

If you have been an avid reader for any length of time, you’re sure to have experienced the dreaded (possibly at times, coveted) book hangover. While I’ve read many awesome five star books this year, I’ve only experienced one book hangover until this point. Friends, I was drunk on Renee Carlino’s writing, straight up binge-reading-drunk on Blind Kiss. I started this book intending to read a couple chapters here and there throughout the day. Instead, I ended up completely finishing the entire novel in one day. After sleeping and expecting to move on with another book, I have been stuck in a rut — life feels pointless without Penny and Gavin. I miss them and wish the book didn’t have to end.

I don’t know how Renee writes one unputdownable book after the next, maybe she sprinkled a little love potion in my copy when she signed it (thank you, Renee), but I was in awe of how well this story flowed, much like the others in her collection. I went into this book blind (pun intended), with knowledge only of the Northern Colorado setting, and no expectations other than the hope for a great love story. I was rewarded with an epic friendship which danced the fine line between platonic companionship and a life-altering romance. The chemistry between the characters was incredibly intense and exciting to read. I loved experiencing Penny and Gavin’s story with both the present and past perspectives, allowing me to get to know them and understand their relationship more fully. I felt like I was hanging out in FoCo in my early twenties with these amazing friends I had made, not as if I was reading about fictional people in very real places.

The whole premise of this story starts with a psyche experiment between strangers: “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny and Gavin answer this question with a clear and resounding “YES!”. Immediately after sharing an earth-shattering kiss, Gavin nonchalantly asks Penny to go on a date with him at that very moment. What follows is an undeniable friendship, lots of funny innuendos, and a chastity belt (just kidding). Despite the unmatched chemistry these two share, Penny is determined to keep her friend as her friend. As life continues to move forward, their friendship remains, but their chance at love painfully begins to dwindle after one important decision is made.

This is the type of novel that is able to pull out every possible emotion from the reader. There were moments I was laughing, moments I wanted to shout “NO!”, times of tears, and instances where my stomach actually dropped to my ankles – AND I loved every heartwrenching second of it. There were moments the story felt a tad predictable, but I did not care in the slightest because I was completely engrossed in this book. Reading felt easy, fun, and as if I was watching one of my most-loved Rom-Coms for the fiftieth time. Speaking of movies, Hollywood needs to get their hands on the rights for a Renee Carlino screenplay. Her books would transfer to the screen better than works of many big-name authors, and Blind Kiss would a huge hit!

I can’t recommend this book enough if you’re someone who enjoys feeling all the feels and needs a good slow-burn romance, and easy read in your life. Renee nailed it! Pre-order this book now and enjoy it on August 14!

I was SO excited when I received an #arc of #blindkiss by @reneecarlino1 and I was not disappointed! Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for my copy.

Penny meets Gavin during a Psych study where she was asked to talk and then kiss a complete stranger while their chemistry was analyzed. That one kiss changed everything! Penny and Gavin have an instant connection and their lives entangle. Determined to keep things platonic Penny and Gavin let everything and everyone come between them taking the next step. Fast forward 14 years where the story begins and their lives are completely different but they remain each other’s constant. After all this time as “just friends” can Gavin and Penny make the changes that will allow them to be together or will life continue to get in the way?

OMG this story was everything. Told in flashbacks and alternating perspectives this second chance friends to lovers romance had me with ALL THE FEELS! When I read the excerpt I wasn’t convinced because 14 plus years for a HEA I just didn’t think I could do it but Carlino weaves her masterful storytelling skills to suck you in and make you care about Penny and Gavin and their happiness. Because life sometimes suck big, sweaty, hairy balls make sure the tissue is nearby cause you’re gonna need it.

Add it to your goodreads and preorder and I promise you will not be disappointed. Blind Kiss releases August 14th!

Renée Carlino is one of my top favorite authors! I always make it a point to go into her novels completely blind because to be honest they are always a sure thing for me! Renèe Carlino has a real gift for writing honest, moving, and unique storyline that truly burrow into your heart and stay with you long after you’ve finished the novel. Blind Kiss is the perfect example of exactly that!

I was completely captivated from the start and when I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about the characters. The true litmus test of a fantastic novel for me is not being able to get the book off my mind and Blind Kiss definitely passed with flying colors. I thought Renée did an amazing job with building up the plot by time hopping from the present day and the past. As the reader I was “on the hook” throughout the entire book and by the end I felt emotionally connected to the characters and their outcomes. Blind Kiss is the total 5 star package and if you are a Renée Carlino fan you won’t be disappointed. If you have never read Renée before, I highly recommend all of her novel and promise you will not be disappointed!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
I've read a lot of Renee Carlino's books and had enjoyed most of them.
Blind Kiss missed the mark for me. I liked the blind kiss experiment idea. I even liked Penny and Gavin at the beginning but the constant tug and pull through the entire book was tiring.
They wasted 15 years just being friends knowing that their feelings were much deeper.
The ending was too sweet and predictable. The cover however is beautiful.