~ ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~

A sweet and cute love story, with lots of drama on each MC personal life.

Things to absolutely love about this book!

Friend-to-lovers ✔️
Sexy dirty talking hero ✔️
Gorgeous inside and out, feisty heroine ✔️
Well developed extremely interesting cast of characters ✔️
Plot twists you don't see coming ✔️
New Adult romance that actually admits real life difficult adult things happen to people ✔️
Mental Health dealt with in a realistic, sympathetic way ✔️
Characters who believe in God but aren't preachy or holier than thou ✔️
Minority heroine ✔️

Seriously I could add several dozen other things to love about this book but that's the big ones. In His Kiss was a rollercoaster of emotions I laughed,I ugly cried, and I had all the warm feels. By the HEA I was practically cheating in glee for Jordan and Xia. This is a new adult romance set in college. My biggest pet peeves with college romances is when they get involved in the drama of being 20-something and fail to register the real world. In His Kiss is don't that book! In stead it's an extremely well developed look at friendship, family, love, death, and must more. YOU. WILL. UGLY. CRY! There are some very heavy topics in the story death of a parent, loss of a spouse, cheating, loss of a child. I don't want to spoil the story but all the characters suffer and come out stronger because of it. Jordan and Xia face normal 20-something issues classes, landing a job, taking a leap of faith with a relationship. They also deal with stressors that aren't as common but still very real to life. This story is worth the struggle of the ride. You won't see the twists coming. I can't wait to read about the other characters in this world! And the sexiness, OMG, Jordan! Seriously just read. You need tissues and a safe place because it's pretty dang hot at times! If I could give it more than five stars I would! #newrelease

I had high hopes for this story, and wanted to like it. I stuck through it and finished it, but by that time I was just finishing it to finish it. There is just too much happening to be realistic in the slightest. I like best friends to lovers stories but there were so many characters and things thrown at you; that the love story was missed. I didn't feel the chemistry and everything felt forced. This book felt rushed through and I wish that half the drama was erased. I would much rather read a novella that was a great storyline than a long book with this much stuff added to give the length. This book has promise, but just missed the mark for me.

This is a sweet predictable love story. Jordan and Xia have been friends since childhood, with both families not only being close friends but also neighbors. Jordan and Xia are best friends and do virtually everything together but date. They both have a secret, that they are finding harder and harder to keep from each other, but when Jordan finally calls it quits with his girlfriend, Xia and Jordan have an unforgettable night together that will change their lives forever. As in real life, just when things are going smoothly, life will throw you a curve ball and these two definitely encounter a few of those. This story was easy reading except for the many grammer errors and sentences that I had to reread trying to make sense of what I was reading.

rowing up right across the street from one another. They supported each other through thick and thin, and even attended the same college, even though they are a couple of years a part in age.

Although they were a bit intoxicated during their first sexual encounter, their feelings for each other were front and center. Overtime, their initial discomfort evolves from platonic into a a full-blown romance. In addition, their respective relationships with their parents and friends, take on a more mature role, while Xia and Jordan come to terms with their new normal.

I enjoyed this book. Xia and Jordan deal with a lot in their young adult lives and handle it with great care. Their sexy times are hot. Ms. Alise is an emotional writer, and her characters are truly genuine and easy to get to know. This is the first book from The Unrequited Series and it can be read as a standalone. The epilogue not only wraps up Xia and Jordan's story, but it provides a look into Kings life (one of Jordan's best friends), and it is quite surprising in a clever way. I am truly looking forward to the next book in the series.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

My kind of story!

In His Kiss is a very heartfelt story that I could just couldn't put down. Friends to lovers stories are my favorite to read and Xia and Jordan's story will play a number on your heart. Their story was pretty simple, friends since they were young, and one night after a couple of drinks, something changes. I love how they both viewed their friendship as something sacred and neither wanted to do anything to jeopardize what they shared, but there's always the "what if" and those little things called emotions that just happen to get in the way.

I love how the author had a lot of emphasis on friendship and the value of it. Xia and Jordan were about as genuine as you could get with two characters and you couldn't help but to like them both. The story was sweet at times, sometimes a little dramatic, but the emotions were just where they should be to keep you engrossed in the story line.

Ava Alise definitely won me over with this one and I'm eager to check out her other works since she's a new author to me. In His Kiss will leave you yearning for more!

Best friends Jordan and Xia finally give into their feelings for one another through a drunken bout of sex.

The synopsis for this book is not wrong, but it's definitely misleading. This book is about 40% romance and 60% college soap opera. I believe this is the first in the author's Unrequited series, but I felt like I was missing pieces as I was reading, so it didn't truly feel like a standalone or first installment. There's a lot of deep and emotional turmoil throughout this story and all of it is poorly and unbelievably paced. The ending just exploded--someone was getting accused of selling tests while someone else was getting sent to the hospital for an allergic reaction while someone ELSE's mother was going through a severely depressive episode...then someone has a panic attack! All of this happens within the span of 2 chapters. I'm not a fan of friends-to-lovers romances and this, unfortunately, did not help to change my mind at all. Overall, a melodramatic character-driven story but good lord, someone take the wheel from these characters!

Meh, not for me. Pretty typical friends to lovers with some drama in the second half. A lot of the drama seemed thrown in for no reason other than to stretch the length of the book. This was a quick read for me but without any standout characters or twists it will also be quickly forgotten.

Jordan and Xia’s parents are best friends and they have been best friends since they were children as well. Those feelings have started to evolve into something much deeper, but they are both afraid that it could damage the best relationship that either of them has ever had.

They are now in college and one night after a few drinks too many they are unable to deny the feelings between them and the chemistry between them ignites however the next morning and they must decide if they are willing to take the chance on what they could have together or is friends all they can ever be?

Not only are they trying to deal with the changes to their relationship, but they are surrounded by drama both at school and with their families. I liked how they are so supportive of each other no matter what challenge they are facing, and they couldn’t be a better match.

Xia and Jordan are best friends. They know each other better than anyone. One night they take things too far and have to decide if they should give a different relationship a try or move on and stay friends. I like both of the characters. They are both level headed and driven. They also have a great group of friends which helps build the story. The book is fun to read and has a lot of little dramas that keep the book moving.
The book also dives into a lot of different topics affecting a lot of people. I like the message the author was conveying by bringing relevant topics to the forefront. Lastly, the author wraps up the story with an epilogue through King’s eyes. King is one of the friends. This epilogue starts the beginning of his story which will be another book.

I was pretty surprised by this friends to lovers tale! It was not one I expected but one that needs to be read! I loved the spin on the concept and how the flow of the story went. Xia is straight up sass. She gives as good as she gets. She tells it like it is but when things get spun out of control in her life, she runs to the one that has been there for her always. Jordan. I loved his character so much as well. He isn’t your typical jock. He is feisty as well and fights for what he believes is right.
As their story flows, there are some interesting twists and turns that will have you devouring this story. I love these two together and how they play off each other through everything. I am really looking forward to King’s story now!

What happens when your best friend is your secret crush, and you end up kissing him on a drunk night?

Get ready b'cause mess is going to follow.

What could be worse than your childhood crush uttering the words "a mistake" for the kiss that you shared?

But is Xia in for the worse? Or is Jordan also on board with romantic feelings? If yes, then why would he term the kiss a mistake?

It all starts with an untamed kiss, and is likely to be followed by a chaos. Dive into the book to read more about mistaken feelings, unrequited love, passion, friendship, a kiss and more.

Find a copy of 'In His Kiss' at Amazon Kindle and sink into a romance that takes you on board with not only romance, but also a bond of friendship. You'll even encounter a bit of family drama and messy relationships.

Also, surprises might come in the form of instant steamy sessions and uncontrolled passions.

Jordon and Xia have been friends since they were toddlers. Xia has secretly adored Jordan ever since, and Jordan secretly nurses wild fantasies for Xia. But they have a hard chance of keeping the attraction down, moreso since they have hid their feelings for 2 decades already!!

What happens when they finally confess in a drunken state? And why does it become even more difficult after the confession? Will there be rejection after confession? And what is the buzz about "mistake"?

Add this fresh title to your read list to unravel these questions, and indulge in the aftermaths of falling for your best friend.

To read the review on my blog: bibliosbookwormblog.blogspot.com

Thank you to Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op and Netgalley from my advanced copy of the book. This was a sweet love story of best friends turn lovers. I love the chemistry of Xia and Jordan. I wanted more of them. There was a bit of side drama that pulled them in. The side plots were interesting and kept my attention to the end. There were interesting twists to the story. The epilogue was okay and left me wanting more. I am looking forward to the next book!!

Two lifelong friends finally act on the feelings they have been hiding for years. A fairly standard friends to lovers tale surrounded by over the top drama especially in the last quarter of the book. I felt like a lot of things were added to the plot never to really go anywhere. I didn’t love this one but it was a quick read. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by this author.
Jordan and Xia have been friends forever they both have feelings for one another but haven’t done anything about it …well that is until one night changes everything. Friends to lovers books are always a win for me. They have some bumps in the road this book had my feelings all over the place and I loved it.
One of the things that I enjoyed about this book was seeing them together after there one night together. This book was a little predictable for me but I didn’t mind that at all.

The well written storyline and the well defined characters captured my attention from the very beginning and the interaction between Jordan and Xia kept me turning the pages until the very last page!

Jordan and Xia have been friends for a long time, and they made the decision early on to never cross the line between friendship and more to protect the bond they had. But somewhere along the way the lines between them started to become blurred, secret crushes took hold, and feelings started to join the mix.

But they still tried to maintain their just friends rule... that is until one night after too many drinks and a little liquid courage!

In His Kiss is an emotional friends to lovers story that will give your heartstrings a nice little tug. A friendship between these two was destined to happen, being neighbors and constantly radiating around one another in the same circles, it was bound to happen. At first it was a simple friendship, one where they could count on one another for advice and a shoulder to lean on, but then something shifted between them, and feelings started to grow. But neither were willing to admit how they felt, which pretty much spelled disaster, when they all came to light. Watching these two try to maneuver through uncharted territory and take their relationship down this new path was emotional and trying at times, but good on the heart nonetheless. I really enjoyed this one, it had sweet moments to bring smiles, emotional moments to squeeze the heart, and dramatic moments to keep my eyes glued to the pages... it was a perfect little escape! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Jordan and Xia have been best friends since forever. Each harboring feelings for each other and never acting on them, that is until the opportunity arises and one drunken night, words spoken, a line crossed and your life as you know is changed. The chemistry between them is off the charts smoldering, can these two make a go of it, going from friends to lovers? Will Jordan’s ex stay in the past or will she be an obstacle to overcome? I guess you will have to read for yourself to see what happens with these two. I received a copy of this book.