I remember thinking this book was ok when I tried to read it but it was another one I read and never returned to. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me the chance to read and review. It was a DNF.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was okay though it didn't hold my interest as much as I had hoped it would.

This is such a cute book!! A nice, clean Young Adult novel but does deal with pressures & issues that do happen.

It is very reminiscent of the late 90's, early 00's and made me think back on my days in high school. You've got the "mean girl", the "nice" popular girl and her group of friends, AOL, DSL verses dial up, the band: Jimmy Eats World and so much more.

Erin is our nice, popular girl, who ends up catching her boyfriend kissing one of her best friends behind the portal john. But she's not really upset about it. Why? Well...she and her boyfriend went from friends to dating but things didn't really change. And she loves her friend Libby, though she's a little sad and upset because now she doesn't have a date to homecoming, no matter what.

She doesn't know what to do but she does know that she has to become homecoming queen, to carry on a family tradition since her grandmother, mom and sister were all crowned before her. Her mission now is to find the perfect date who will help her win the crown. But is she doing this for herself or because it's important to her mom? In order to have a chance of winning, she enlists the help of an "expert" manager, Peter; who she kind of has had a crush on for a while.

While working together to find the perfect date, dress, etc. they become friends & sometimes it seems like a bit more. What's a girl to do?

I would definitely recommend this book to young people and anyone that enjoys this genre.

Nice, clean read about following your own heart while trying to adjust with what family tells you to do. Erin is the popular one at school, who has everything in grasp, from boyfriend to all her future goals. When she finds her boyfriend and best friend together, her reputation takes a nose-dive. Wanting to help maintain her dignity and her upcoming plans, she asks theater kid Peter to help gain her status back and become queen of homecoming. I liked Erin, she was a bit of a brat in the beginning before she realized that reputation isn’t everything. She had to be shown how to follow what she wants to do and not think too much about every single thing. It also had a cute romance and overall nice theme.

Selected this book for the description but it didn't quite live up to my expectations (but it wasn't bad either). It was super predictable and the main character annoyed me a bit.

Despite being the right age-range for this book, I found myself feeling like I wasn't the right target audience.

Either that or I simply need more from my YA/NA romance books (or any YA/NA books really because what book of those genres don't have at least one hint of romance in them).

Thank you for the arc and the chance to read this.

This book was so fun! This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

Stage Kiss is about Erin Armstrong who has to deal with her own life after breaking up with her ex-boyfriend, Nick who is in a new relationship with Erin's best friend. She has to come out strong to show her school mate that she was okay with Nick and Libby's relationship. The fact that she has no boyfriend meaning she has no date for her homecoming and she needs to develop a plan in order to have a homecoming date which seeks help from Peter.

The story is cute with the friendship they have which is honestly, I quite envy but I love seeing how close they are. Erin's character is really admirable. She is strong despite the need to deal with the relationship fail with her best friend, she decided to let go as the lead in the theatre she participates in and decided to be assistant stage manager to Peter. I love how Erin's relationship with Peter starts slowly but surely they are going to realize they are meant to be together. Although, I'm quite out from the story for a few times and I could not feel what I'm supposed to feel from the story, however, I liked the story, still. Overall, it is a cute, sweet, has an amazing friendship which is so good.

Rating: 3 Stars

<i>Stage Kiss</i> by M. F. Lorson expecting a guilty pleasure read that was mediocre but enjoyable. And while I had my own assumptions for the direction a book about a girl desperate to be Prom Queen would take, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the majority of the novel. <i>Stage Kiss</i> follows the story of Erin Armstrong, pressured by familial tradition and expectation to win the title of Prom Queen when her world, and subsequently her chances of winning, begin to crash around her as she catches one of her best friends and her boyfriend together. Suddenly it becomes necessary to not only put up a front in order to avoid being pitied by the rest of the school but also to find a new date to Homecoming as the elected Prom Queen would never be <i>dateless</i>.

There's a sort of vapidness to some of the themes of the novel, but in a somewhat realistic manner that really drives home what it's like to be a teenager concerned with the ways in which you come across to those around you. The pressures of family tradition that a parent might place on their child are also present in the fact that the women of her family have won Prom Queen and Erin is the next in line to do so. Her mother even has a frame for the photo already picked out and set upon the mantle. Erin is fairly popular at school, the sort of girl who has her hands in everything from student council to lead role in the school play. And best of all, despite her popularity, Erin never comes across as the mean girl. She may care deeply about things that won't matter ten years down the road, but she is a genuinely kind and helpful person.

Even the betrayal of her boyfriend and best friend, though it cuts deep, is not enough to turn her cruel and bitter. Erin, of course, has her moments in which she shows how hurt she is, but at the end of the day, she is able to be happy for them and push past the ways in which they hurt her in order to continue the friendship. Unfortunately, though Lorson does fairly well in this portrayal of her main character she makes a rather glaring mistake with this plot. In fact, I believe that the most minor of changes to the breakup of Erin and her boyfriend, Nick, would have made a world of difference for this book and is literally worth nearly an entire star-point rating, what made this a three-star book rather than a four-star.

You see, Erin catches her boyfriend cheating and then, shortly afterward, he breaks up with her to be with her friend, Libby. While upset, Erin almost instantly grows more upset with the fact that he is now backing out of taking her to Homecoming. The truth is that if the cheating part were removed and it had been more a conversation in which Nick admitted his feelings for Libby, not only would Erin's forgiveness make a heck of a lot more sense, but the book would have been much better just in general. My only other complaint is a small one, centering around the mystery of Erin's sister that is hinted at somewhat poorly throughout the course of the book and then wrapped up far too quickly--right at the end, mind--for how much time was spent focused on it prior.

As for the rest of the book, the shining star in all of it is Peter Hunt, with whom I fell in love rather quickly. The theater teacher's assistant and apparently long-time crush of the main character, Peter is soon enlisted by Erin to help her find the perfect prom date to help her win homecoming. As a dedicated and organized sort of guy with a hidden agenda behind his eventually agreeing to Erin's request, Peter manages to brilliantly handle the backstage of her quest for the leading role. And let's just say, despite the fact that if he's the kind of guy who would go to a bookstore and buy <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>and <i>The Great Gatsby </i>and then ask his friend's preference, realistically those would be books that he already owns and therefore the cuteness of the moment is somewhat ruined by the titles--but, then again, the only thing I really care about here is that he's asking her opinion on which book to read through a shop window (can I say swoon enough?)--Peter was so amazing that I fell in love with him 30% of the way into the book.

While I'm sure all of us can guess at how predictable the end of the novel is going to be--though, perhaps not as predictable as you think--I can definitely say that this is a book worth reading. And I don't even care for contemporary romance 99% of the time. So, if you're looking for a good one to read and you like the kind of books that I do, I really enjoyed this one, myself.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

While the book was decent, I couldn't really get behind it.
Not that the book's subject helped.
Erin was extremely self aware. She knew that things were not dependent on becoming Homecoming Queen. But it still made it tough to take the book seriously from the beginning. Erin was a go-getter and I admire that. However, I knew that there was no way that her plan would have worked the way they wanted. Peter was adorable. Honestly, he's my favorite character. He was so cute and you could just tell that he liked her from the beginning. The character arc for Erin was superb but I think that the beginning was a bit exaggerated.
Barring that, it was a cute throwback read.
I went to school in the middle of the 2000's. I started school in 2002. I didn't have IM'ing nor any of that stuff. I definitely didn't truly experience dial up internet. That part was cute.
Stage Kiss definitely read as an early 2000's movie. It was delightful in the way that "Pretty in Pink" and similar movies are. But the book wasn't all that great. The characters just couldn't connect with me. Mind you, it was just me. Me, myself, and I felt that way.
The looks into the theater world was cute but honestly, it just wasn't for me.

1.5 Stars

DNFed
I feel so bad about this because I’ve hardly ever DNFed books - I can only think of one other time. However, this book drove me nuts.
The main character was so unlikeable, but in a way that made me think she was meant to be liked? Her interests were guys and...oh yeah, guys. Plus, the protagonist was really arrogant and up herself. She makes it seem like the world is out to get her, but she doesn’t seem like a nice person at all.
The plot line was very predictable too, so I honestly couldn’t make myself finish this.

How lovely is this cover? I have to admit that I was hooked in by the cover first. The synopsis was quite interesting as well and romantic comedies are one of my favorite genres. So I decided to give this book a try.

The author’s writing was really good, witty and funny and had me cracking up at a lot of the scenes. I enjoyed the main character’s POV very much. Her internal monologue was equal parts insight and story-telling with dashes of humor and sarcasm sprinkled over. Which if you haven’t figured out, is pretty good.

Overall, if I had to describe the story in two words, it would be cute and sweet. It’s a light romantic comedy and it was fun. However, there was also a serious undertone to the plot that I feel wasn’t given as much severity and gravity as it deserved given the major impact on the main character. This issue was almost lightly delivered, rather than the with the extreme importance it deserved.

When I was in high school, there was a series called Sweet Dreams consisting of numerous stand-alone teen romance novels that were published from 1981 through to 1996 before Young Adult was actually recognized as a separate genre. Each of the teen novels dealt with the usual high school drama and romance with personal life issues interlocked. I loved those books and they were great for that time.

Stage Kiss is based in the year 2002 and has that same vibe but I feel that the lack of modernity (cellphones, social media etc) acted as a detriment to the story. This book is targeted at a young adult generation and although I enjoyed the story, I feel that a majority of teens probably won’t relate to it. It might even give them an old-fashioned vibe.

The characters were great and this story had a good plot-line with witty writing but it would have been better if the story had been time-framed in the current teen culture.

A good read.
Thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

This book was received as an ARC from M.F. Lorson in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book reminded me a lot of my high school days and I loved the unique characters this book displayed throughout the book. I could remember in high school you have the popular gang and then the band geeks and then someone makes a bet like in She's All That and then just when it's only a bet, the most unlikely pair end up falling for each other in an unexpected romance that nobody saw coming. I could not put this book down and I know readers will love this book too because the teen romantic comedies were beloved by almost everyone. I also love the references to 90's technology such as AIM, VHS and silly rom coms and the memories that surfaced.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

This was a nice easy read. The romance is predictable, but the story of her family and her sister and her life is what makes it different and interesting. I enjoyed the relationships she had with everyone. It was a fun book.

This was generally enjoyable but a little bland for me. I didn't particularly like the main character, Erin, who was pretty two-faced and a cardboard cutout and the love interest was a swirl of contradictions because surely the love interest can't have a single flaw because he must be good at everything! The main character's friends... were just there and I didn't particularly care for her family troubles that seemed to be all rushed through in the last ten pages. Blandly enjoyable but I probably wouldn't read again. I've read books with a similar premise (Operation Prom Date by Erin Fletcher is beyond adorable and perfect and five stars) but this just fell a little flat.

Stage Kiss by M. F. Lorson is the 1st book in the Mountain Creek Drive young adult series, and I loved it. Erin has everything going for her until she catches her boyfriend and best friends together. Still determined to win Homecoming queen, she enlists Peter Hunt, the theater kid to help out. What happens when sparks fly between Erin and Peter. I love this genre, there is something so innocent about young love. I love the quirky people and situations in this book, and watching the characters grow. I found this book to be a quick read, and strongly recommend it to all readers who enjoy a YA sweet romance.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the author. Thank you.

Erin’s plan to win Homecoming Queen is seriously derailed when her boyfriend dumped her for one of her best friends. Erin has just a few weeks to come up with a plan to secure her Homecoming dream. Out of desperation Erin turns to Peter, the organized and persistent stage manager from the school play to help. Now she just needs to find a date, pull her social status out of the gutter and try not to fall for Peter as they devise the best way to win the crown.

Stage Kiss is a throwback to the early 2000’s and I loved the nostalgia of reading a love story about the time before everyone owned a cell phone, when people used AOL messaging to talk to their friends and renting a video from the local Blockbuster was standard on a typical Saturday night. This is a perfect read for someone looking for a fun and sweet romance.

emoji rating scale: 😩🙁😐😀😍
Stage Kiss rating: 😐

Overall, this novel is exactly aligned with what a Young Adult (YA) romance read should be. You have all the right ingredients — broken heart, love triangle, diverse characters, dooming timeline — to create something really magical, but this fell through the cracks for me.

I hate to say this, but at times I just skimmed through the pages, because nothing new, spontaneous, or captivating was jumping out at me. I was also really disappointed to discover that the call-out to the 2000’s was really just a sprinkle here or there, but ultimately, this story could have taken place in any decade.

“I did not want to have an intimate moment with Peter Hunt right now. He sucked you in with his caring and conversation, made you feel important and then moved on to the next girl who needed attention.”

Erin Armstrong is the girl who has it all (on paper) but after a break up with her boyfriend, a she-who-must-not-be-named sister, and family responsibilities — and let’s not forget, the reality that she may now not be named Homecoming Queen — her life seems to be falling apart at the seams.

Enter Peter Hunt, the perfect person to help her campaign to win the votes. The character that was created here had high hopes for me. Peter wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s a *hot* theatre stage manager, and he’s a nice guy.

SPOILER: Erin also seems to think that Hunt is some huge ladies man, but he was never with anyone but her (besides his cousin) so….. #GIVEMEMOREBACKGROUND

“This was the part where the main guy needs to talk but isn’t ready so he goes home and does something physically damaging instead. Peter wasn’t a drinker so my guess is he consumed an unhealthy amount of frozen burritos whilst playing first person shooter games.”

Unfortunately, I can’t say much else because there wasn’t much character progression here. Beyond that, there wasn’t even much romance between Erin and Peter. *I know this is a YA guys* But like, there can still be a little more chemistry and swoon worthy moments while still keeping it PG.

This book falls short on voice, character depth, and research on the subject being presented. The ‘theatre’ setting seemed like super glue to make the scenes flow easier. Also, all of a sudden we just ‘knew’ Peter, without much explanation on the background story there.

SPOILER: Apparently Erin had a crush on him during freshman year….but no information for you past that.

This book is the first of a series (Mountain Creek Drive), but I’m not sure I want to give the second book a try. This was really not that great of a YA novel for me, and it’s disappointing because YA is — yes, I’m 26 — one of my favorite genres to pick up and get lost in.

Not a winner for me, but I’m willing to try another Lorson book in the future. Would love to hear what anyone else thought about this read, but in the meantime; happy reading!

*Thank you to NetGalley, M.F. Lorson and Jennifer Costley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

If you didn't grow up with AIM, vhs, or silly Rom coms this may not have as big of an impact. Those that did will love the nostalgia a!omg with the adorable romance. Just like a movie if all played out how it was supposed to.
I absolutely loved the book and all the memories it brought back. I highly recommend this to any lover of adorable rom-com books