I didn’t like this as much as I hoped I would. This was one I was very excited for and ultimately it fell through for me. I found it really hard to connect with the characters and I think it’s due to the fact that this book is so short. Overall, it wasn’t horrible, but not very memorable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I really enjoyed the representation this book offered with Stephen and his Tourette’s. It’s refreshing to see more neurodiversity represented in books, especially young adult books. The opportunity this provides young adults and adults with seeing themselves within this character is much needed. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a charming contemporary YA book with good representation.

I didn’t love this book at all.
I almost DNFd it but it was so short that I chose to continue reading.
The main character Stephen was awful. The way he treated the girls around him was not okay.
Characters definitely make or break a book for me.

Thank you to the publisher for gifted eARC.

I found the main character's behavior to be quite off putting. He treated all the girl characters as objects - pieces in a game to be moved around to suit his needs. Plus, she was a bit of a manic pixie.

This was definitely an interesting book… But I found that it didn’t really hold my attention. In fact, I don’t think I could tell you what happened in it even now… Which is unfortunate as the concept was very interesting for me!

I really liked this book and how she got over someone. I enjoyed the romance and the friendships. I liked she came to enjoy her family. I liked that she was able to get over a boy and move on with her life. Great story.

I really enjoyed the representation in this book and thought it was an easy going YA romance. Great job!

A little slow for me - but I also think I need a YA break, so please take that with a grain of salt.

This was a fun contemporary read. I liked the diversity amongst the characters. The plot was engaging as well. ☺️

Witty, heartfelt and romantic, Heather Truett’s Kiss and Repeat is a fun YA read that is immensely enjoyable.

Stephen doesn’t have much luck in the romance department – even if his surname happens to be Luckie! Not only is he completely inexperienced, but as he has Tourette’s syndrome, he cannot help but wonder whether his tics might be the reason why most girls will not give him the time of day. Stephen would love nothing more than for his luck to change, but so far everything looks hopeless – until a game at a party reveals that his body goes completely still when somebody kisses him!

With his scientist father’s method drilled into his head, Stephens decides to begin this experiment and testing this hypothesis by kissing as many girls as he possibly can. If somebody had told him that science could be this much fun, he would have paid more attention in class! Stephen thinks he now has the art of kissing down to an art form, but just how is he treating all the girls who are taking part in this experiment? Stephen had always believed that this tics were standing in the way of his romantic success, but with two girls interested in him, will he finally find the courage to be his truest self? Or will he continue to hide behind science?

Heather Truett has a very engaging writing style that draws readers in from the very beginning. Written with plenty of flair, humor and charm, Kiss and Repeat is a enjoyable tale about stepping out of the shadows, believing in yourself and taking a chance on the unknown that touches the heart and will make readers giggle.

Heather Truett’s characters are wonderfully sketched and very believable and they will have readers cheering them on to get their happy ending.

A brilliant read guaranteed to give readers all the feels, Kiss and Repeat heralds the arrival of a terrific writer to watch out for in YA fiction: Heather Truett.

I devour romance contemporary novels every now and then and I have high opinions about books in this category.

This one is not for me. I can't say that I didn't like it but I have a lot of questions about the inspiration of the novel.

Stars: 5/5!
Overview:
Stephen Luckie isn't so lucky in love. He's completely inexperienced when it comes to girls, and wonders if his tics - caused by Tourette's Syndrome – are the reason.

Then a game at a party reveals that his body goes still while kissing. Using the scientific method drilled into him by his scientist father, Steven begins the best experiment ever--one that involves kissing as many girls as possible. Who knew science could be so fun? (copied from Goodreads profile!)

Review:
This book was a lot of fun to read as it offered an interesting perspective not often found in ya contemporary. The characters were likable but realistic so I was immediately connected! The writing is simple and flows nicely with the story! This one was recently published so I recommend everyone pick up a copy because it is such a cute book!

It was pleasantly suprising to see such a realistic representation of teen life as it is often romanticized or degraded. Stephen was such a realistic character I forgot I didn't actually know him! Religious beliefs and perspectives were also a big part of this book but offered from a refreshing perspective that is often avoided in ya contemporary. Truett wove an incredible story with an amazing perspective on teenagers while representing those who are often underrepresented in the media!

This is another case of it's me and not the book - I enjoyed Kiss and Repeat ok, and it was a bit of a novel experience getting this sort of book from a male perspective, but YA contemporary is just not for me (I think). I appreciate the representation of someone with Tourette's Syndrome, as well as the southern setting, but I just had a hard time connecting to Stephen and his friend group. However, I do think that this might be a really enjoyable read for someone closer to the demographic of the characters in the book. So once again, it wasn't the book's fault - I just need to refine what I choose to consume. 3 out of 5 wine glasses.

I really enjoyed this book! Stephen is such a relatable, fully developed character. His description of living with Tourette's while wanting to be seen as the normal teenaged boy that he is was really refreshing and honest. I liked that the plot was compelling but not overly convoluted. Great read!

Plot:

The story follows Stephen Luckie as he attempts to navigate high school and all the drama that follows. Stephen is the son of the local preacher and I actually found it kind of nice to see a little bit of church in a story without it being overbearing. (I keep deleting my monologue about churches because now is not the time or place for a lengthy discussion haha). Stephen has Tourette’s Syndrome and notices that his tics stop when he kisses someone at a party. From there, his friend Ballard concocts an experiment to see if it was a one time thing.

I struggled a bit with the story line. It just seemed like sometimes I was reading two different books with the same main character. It felt like we were jumping back and forth between two stories that kind of touched on each other, but never fully connected. We had the whole kiss as many girls as you can story, the Pilar story, and the Joan story. I wish there had been a bit more flow between them all.

Characters:

The entire story is told from Stephen’s perspective. He seemed like a sweet guy who just needed to get out of his head a bit. He is constantly overthinking everything and making messes for himself unnecessarily, then panicking trying to figure out how to fix things. Relatable, right?

Ballard, Stephen’s best friend, is loud and wild and constantly pushing Stephen to step outside his comfort zone. While that can be a good quality in a friend, it also can create some friction and I found it difficult to like Ballard while reading.

Stephen has been crushing on Joan for years, but she’s in an off-and-on again relationship with a real jerk, so Stephen has convinced himself he hates Joan. I really struggled to like Joan. It wasn’t that she was awful or anything. We just didn’t get to see much of her. She doesn’t start to feel real until the second half of the book. Before that it just seemed like she was an idea, not an actual person in the story. But by the time we start to get to know her, the book is almost over so it was difficult to form a connection.

There’s a cast of side characters that add interest and throw wrenches into the story as it progresses. Some of them I liked, and some of them I didn’t. But I feel like the side characters kind of got a raw deal. Several of the female side characters seemed to be relegated to stereotypes and felt one dimensional.

Writing:

This was a very quick, easy read and I was able to devour it in one sitting. As referenced before, I wish there had been more flow to connect all the moving parts of the story. It felt a bit clunky and disjointed. But I liked the way it ended and felt like it was a nice conclusion to the story.


Overall:

I think this maybe wasn’t the book for me. I wanted to like it more than I actually did. I mean, look at that super cute cover! It was a super quick and easy read, but it didn’t resonate with me. This may just be a case of “Haley is too old for this story.” If the synopsis sounds good to you I would recommend giving it a try!

This is an awkward, heartwarming, moving and authentic YA coming-of-age story of a teenage boy with Tourette’s Syndrome dealing with girls, kissing, first love and all its confusions. I really appreciated the neurodivergent perspective and the insights to the frustrations and problems with anxiety and uncontrollable tics. It was such a raw and honest portrait of a shy and socially awkward, yet strong and brave, teenager trying to figure out life and love, even though the means to an end were a bit unconventional.

The story follows Stephen Luckie, who’s always been feeling different and awkward and who’s been bullied for most parts of his life due to his tics caused by Tourette’s Syndrome. But at a party his best friend forces him to go to, a spinning-the-bottle game makes him get kissed by a girl for the first time. Much to his surprise, he finds that while kissing, his body goes still and there are no awkward tics at all. His friend therefore comes up with the brilliant plan to treat this as an experiment and get Stephen to kiss as many girls as he can to prove the theory that he is tic-free when kissing someone. But the experiment soon gets out of hand, and Stephen ends up with two girls interested in him for real, and having to question what kind of person he is to take advantage of others for his own gain without respect for their feelings.

I really enjoyed the different concept of the story, and the insights to what life is like for a teenager with Tourette’s Syndrome. But I have to admit that I didn’t always understand or agree with the choices Stephen made or how he reacted. There were so many times I blushed and squealed at all the embarrassing things he did. The selfish and immature way he acted in some situations also made him a little less likable as a main character unfortunately. There were so many times I wanted to say the words that Stephen’s dad told him:

“It’s about time you grow up and take responsibility for your actions, Stephen. You have to quit using your Tourette’s as a crutch.”

But on the other hand, I’m so glad that Heather Truett allowed Stephen to completely be himself that way, not shying away from his flaws and less likable traits, and letting him go through real-life problems with anxiety, lack of confidence, bad judgment and heart-break.

All in all, Kiss and Repeat was a great insight into the life of a neurodivergent teenager, with a fun and different plot and a fresh take with a male protagonist in a YA romance.

3.5 adorkable stars rounding up to 4.

Thank you Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a fun and informative debut novel told by a male teenager with Tourette’s Syndrome. I appreciate the thoughtfulness the author put into this story for those like me who know very little about Tourette’s. Watching Stephen struggle with not only his tics but normal angsty teen stuff like bullies and girls, is realistic and eye-opening.

Being the son of a Methodist minister, Stephen has to toe the line, but when the stress of school, his best friend’s big mouth, and rumors going around about his kissing experiment to see if kissing several girls will still his tics, he comes to the conclusion that there is only one girl he wants to kiss. If only she wasn’t involved with the biggest bully in school.

Stephen is a really good kid and my heart goes out to him as he slowly digs himself deeper into a hole of lies and deception. The whole kissing thing backfires as he gains a “girlfriend” he doesn’t really want, pisses off a long-time friend in a drunken bender, and gains a questionable reputation that gets him grounded by his parents. When he finally gets the girl of his dreams, everything blows up in his face all at once. So he man’s up and tells the truth while getting points for a grand gesture to get his girl back.

The supporting characters were very important to the story such as Stephen’s best friend, Ballard, who is a bit of a douche, but was one of the first kids to accept Stephen as he is. Stephen’s parents are also a big part of the story as they wrestle with Stephen’s changing attitude and the fear of a mental break.

Though I felt the ending was a bit rushed, overall, I enjoyed this young adult story about being yourself and not letting a mental or physical disorder define you.

Thank you to Ms. Truett for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

I don't remember the last time I read a YA romance book from a male perspective, so this felt like a first for me. There were points where I couldn't decide whether I liked the main character, Stephen, as a few of his actions irritated me so much! But by the end of the book, I felt like he had grown into himself and had some decent character development! Stephen has Tourette's Syndrome, and this book didn't feel like your typical YA romance, as Stephen learns to accept himself.

Stephen's mother is the Reverend of the local church, and whilst religion plays a lot into this story, regarding the reactions of certain characters to different events, I didn't feel like this crowded the story or was preachy in any way. It does create plot points and points of tension though!

After kissing his friend and his tics disappeared during the kiss, with the help of his best friend, Ballard, Stephen begins an experiment to see if kissing really helps his tics go away. This experiment didn't take up much of the book, and it was more focused on the aftermath following certain events that occur at a party. This experiment causes Stephen to question how he is treating girls, and he gets himself stuck in a situation he doesn't particularly want to be in.

I’d had my eye on this book for a while so when I saw a blog tour for it, I instantly signed up. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

The MC of our book is Stephen Luckie who has Tourette’s Syndrome which is the reason he believes girls don’t like him. When a game of Spin the Bottle at a party results in him kissing someone, he realizes that all his syndrome tics seem to disappear when he’s kissing someone. He decides to do an experiment to see if his theory is right or not. And so the story goes…

I knew what Tourette’s syndrome was but I hadn’t ever read/heard of a book where a character had it so that was a driving point for me to pick up this book. I think Heather wrote it really well and gave readers a lot of information about it without making the book too scientific with facts. It was just the perfect blend.

I really liked Stephen’s character, in a lot of ways he was very relatable. A kid just trying to make it through high school in one piece. He was written/described incredibly well which made him feel very real to me. There were a lot of self-discovery type aspects to this book too such as Stephen hating his condition at first but slowly learning that it is very possible for people to like him despite his condition and learning to accept himself.

The book was extremely “YA” though so I’d mostly recommend it to someone who loves YA or is just coming into the genre as a start!