Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This book focuses on a horror movie actress and a makeup artist’s on-set romance. The dynamic between the two characters was phenomenal and I loved the way their relationship developed. My favorite part was seeing Lilah’s journey coming out more publicly about her sexuality and just embracing all of herself. I also liked that in addition to the main plot, we also had the chaos of a subplot of a mystery which pulled me into this book more. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a sapphic romance!

Thank you, NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I Kissed A Girl is a new adult romance between an up-and-coming actress and her makeup artist. I thought the characters were charming enough, and there was some good representation throughout the book, including two queer Jewish main characters and a polyamorous trans woman. Other than that though, this book was kind of a let-down. It's not bad by any means, just kind of boring and underwhelming. A lot of the conflict seemed superficial, when there was conflict. It's pretty slow paced, which is not my usual preference.

I read this book in ebook format, as well as audiobook, alternating between formats when I had time to physically read vs when I was in the car. I preferred to listen to the audiobook, mainly because I liked the narrator. Maybe I would've enjoyed it more if I'd read the whole thing in audio format.

I don't think this book is bad, just mediocre. I give it 3 stars.

I loved the amount of LGBTQ+ rep in this book but unfortunately the overall story just didn’t hit the mark for me.
I spent the first 60% of the book struggling to get into it. There was so much dancing around the whole ‘will they/won’t they’, that I failed to see any chemistry between the two main characters for a long time. Noa was incredibly unlikable, she was judgmental and downright rude at times. I honestly didn’t understand how Lilah was possibly meant to like this girl.
That being said, the last 40% of the book has me hooked. The stalker subplot was very interesting and I was definitely more invested in that than the main plot. Unlike Noa, I found Lilah very likable. She was lovely and so much more than the girl everyone assumed her to be. Both friendship groups surrounding the two main characters were incredible and I loved the little moments between the main characters and their close friends.
Overall, the book was enjoyable once I manged to get into it but I don’t think Ill be reading it again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet, but ultimately underwhelming lesbian love story. The book had some good potential but there just wasn't enough between Noa and Lilah for me to really get invested. I did enjoy the book taking place on a movie set. I thought that was fun and interesting to read about. Overall, the characters and the relationship needed to be fleshed out more.

The idea of a make-up artist on a horror movie set and the lead actress in a rom-com had my interest.

While some of the emotion I felt got lost amongst all the action on the set, I found the set action was the most interesting part. I enjoyed reading about the behind the scenes on the movie set. I also enjoyed the stalker sub-plot. There was a decent amount of tension built up which had me turning the page.

I would have liked deeper inner thought to get to really know the two main characters, and maybe I would have experienced more emotion. I didn't feel the connection between the two girls. Thinking back, I can clearly picture the movie set, the make-up applications and more, but I can't recall what either of the girls looked like, except for curly hair and what they wore. In the beginning I also struggled a bit to remember who was who with those two. It wasn't that their names were similar either. I just don't think their unique personalities showed through.

This was a fun read, although the middle did sag for me.
Maybe 3.5. stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

I Kissed a Girl was a cute romance between an actress and her makeup artist. While I liked both Lilah and Noa, I just feel like I wanted more out of this book. In ways of romance, plot, character development...😬

What I liked 💕:
•lgbtq and Jewish representation
•strong female friendships
•the exciting (slightly out of no where) thriller type chapter at the end

What I didn’t like:
•didn’t feel connected to either of the MCs
•felt waaaay too long/dragged out
•don’t really care for behind the scenes/movie setting

Overall, I didn’t really care for this one- though I did like the comfortable relationship between Lilah and Noa once they got through their differences. I’d recommend this book to someone looking for a closed door romance set behind the scenes of the film industry.

This book comes out tomorrow, 8/3- so be sure to snag it if it sounds like something you’d like!

Thank you to @sourcebookscasa for the gifted e-arc in exchange for an honest review 💛

CW- stalking
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I Kissed A Girl follows two women, a makeup artist and the starring actress, as they work to produce a movie and maybe fall in love with each other in the process.
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I had such high hopes for this book, and unfortunately I was disappointed. Not much seemed to happen, until it just veered off in a completely ridiculous direction..
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The main thing that factored into my dislike of the story was the stalker plot line. I was not aware of that going in at all, and it was shocking when you are expecting a fluffy sapphic rom-com.
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This book was fun though, and I did read it pretty fast. If you are fan of rom-coms with an added heavier plot line, then this might be for you.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was super excited for this book but ended up getting so dissapointed. The main reason I didn't like this book was that I just couldn't get on board with the romance. Noa was just super judgemental of Lilah in the beginning of the book (calling her shallow and critiquing her interests) and we never really got to a point until like the very end where Noa is like "maybe my intial judgements weren't correct". Lilah also has a lot of trauma from her previous relationships which she very obviously hasn't worked through yet. Both of these aspects combined just kept me from ever really rooting for this relationship. They just didn't work together and the author never really did anything to convice me they do. So I just ended up being pretty bored while reading this novel. I do think there were some interesting aspects to this novel. I mean, the setting was pretty great and Lilah's storyline trying to make her way into the industry while often being seen for nothing more than her looks. It's super interesting, especially with the stalker storyline. If that was the main focus of this book I think I would have liked it a lot more.

First and foremost, I genuinely enjoyed this book. It’s not perfect and there are times where I just wished that Noa and Lilah could talk out their problems and make up. I don’t think this book is just some great work of fiction that should win the Pulitzer Prize, but I also don’t think that that’s what Jennet Alexander was planning. The biggest plus of this book is that it’s fun and it’s hopeful.

“I KISSED A GIRL by Jennet Alexander is the story of B-list actress Lilah Silver, and budding makeup artist Noa Birnbaum. Lilah is trying to work her way out of cheesy and underwhelming horror movie roles where she’s relegated to just a pretty face, and figuring out her own identity in the process. Noa is trying to make sure that dropping out of school for work on her first movie role is worth it, and work toward being a real professional. Both girls notice eachother, but in a world so focused on how things look, they don’t seem to fit. And with other dangers lurking around set, there are plenty of obstacles between their goals, and eachother.” [exclude from netgalley review]

First, I want to talk about the things that I liked about this book. For the most part, I really liked Lilah and Noa, and I really loved the work that Alexander put into developing their characters and the multiple facets of their identities. Noa’s self recognition and point of having the hard thoughts and conversations showed clear growth, and the point of her having a clearly established identity while also having insecurities and imperfections really stuck out to me. On the other hand Lilah seems to be in more of a flux, but her own inner narrative about how she viewed the world truly showed the reader another side of things that might not have been seen by all the other characters in the book. Neither character necessarily completes their character arc, but I don’t think that’s a fault, but more an indication of both Lilah’s perspective and Alexander’s that the two girls are flawed human beings, and their story doesn’t end when you read the last words. Even further, I enjoyed the multiple intertwining facets of their identities, and how they brought them closer together. Noa’s relative comfort in her lesbian identity along with the internal and external discovery of Lilah’s bisexuality weren’t perfect, but once again, neither are the girls. Additionally, though I can’t comment on the true realism or understanding of both girls’ Jewish identities, Alexander makes it clear that they are a part of who the girls are, and the intertwining of their Jewish identity with their queer identity (caramel cheesecake anyone?) was a truly beautiful thing.

Another part of this book that I genuinely enjoyed was the placement. There really is just something that is so fun about reading books about movies being made, and I think that Alexander was able to capture the fun of those kinds of settings while also working with the stories of both Noa and Lilah. Nothing was pristine but it was real.

There were tons of other beautiful and fun moments in this book that I enjoyed, queer recognition and representation moments, character moments that were just for fun, a “there was only one bed” moment, and many more. Special shoutout to one of my new favourite things in literature which is casual representation without overt bigotry to cancel it out (all my love to Chrissy and Tanner okay).

Now onto the reasons that I had to knock a star off because as much as this book is fun, there are things that after reading and sometimes during I just can’t shake off. First on the technical side, I just didn’t really enjoy the formatting at times. The chapters felt too long at times and it felt easier to put the book down rather than read a longer chapter. And maybe I would have been more option to this if the perspectives didn’t change so often in one chapter. I’m not saying that the only way to write multiple perspectives is to have them change every other chapter, but the rapid swap between Lilah and Noa’s perspectives when there could have instead been a chapter break just felt too dragging.

Secondly, while I genuinely enjoyed the story and ultimately the plot, it felt a bit wonky and disjointed. I could follow it but it almost felt like two storylines were overlapping and made the typical “climax” moment harder to pinpoint. Some elements felt like they were introduced just a little bit too late, as if too much storyline had gotten in their way since they were first hinted at. I’m also a bit miffed it ended where it did but that’s just because I think I want a sequel of them being cute in Paris together.

Possibly my most grievous issue with this book is the background and supporting characters just don’t feel very developed. It’s hard when you have two perspectives that purely look at their own thoughts, but sometimes it felt like Noa and Lilah were living breathing parts and everyone else was a weird puppet in the background. I genuinely am in love with some of these characters and it makes me sad that I know so little about them and they just seem to be put in place to move the story along with no real purpose. There were just so many interesting supporting characters introduced and ultimately I feel like I was only introduced to a fraction of what they could have been. Obviously not every single non-main character can be a fully fleshed out and understood person, but I just wished there were some that felt that way at all.

Ultimately, I really did enjoy this book and I would definitely consider reading it again. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cute sapphic read. If we get to see more of Jennet Alexander’s writing in the future I will definitely be there, especially if it means continuing Lilah and Noa’s love story.

Huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy!
TW:Stalking
I wanted to adore this book I truly did but sadly I Kissed a Girl was a hit and a miss with me. I’ll admit I don’t like books about celebrities but I’m so excited for more sapphic romances so I didn’t pay it any mind. For the most part I was just super bored throughout this whole book. The stalking plot line was really the only thing keeping my interest. Also the insta love…..yeah not for me. I also just didn’t feel their love? The chemistry was just not there for me.
Sadly this wasn’t for me I was super excited for it but yeah…a bit of a miss I would say

* Thank you to NetGalley for providing and eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This wlw romance follows Noa, a makeup artist trying to get more work, and Lilah, an actress who might just be getting her big break. Both MCs are Jewish, and this book has bi, lesbian, and poly rep. For movie buffs and thriller fans, this might be a really good romcom for you, but it wasn't my thing.

Firstly, the book is really long. It dragged so much, and I almost DNFed multiple times because I had to force myself through a lot of this. Alexander could have easily cut out a good portion of the book. I did enjoy the more 'thriller' element of the book with the stalking plotline, but it also felt really rushed through at the end. Basically the pacing was off, and some things, like the sub plot of Lilah moving overseas for work, just aren't even wrapped up.

While I did enjoy Lilah's character, I was not a fan of pretty much anyone else in the book, especially Noa, who is prejudiced and not very respectful. She also pretty much only compliments Lilah on her looks, despite Lilah informing her that she doesn't like being reduced to a pretty actress.

In my opinion, the actual romance was really underdeveloped. The attraction between the two MCs was very surface level. Lilah loved Noa's style and was jealous that she was out and proud, and Noa thought Lilah was hot and had a celebrity crush. We never really get much of why they like each other, and I honestly didn't see much chemistry, though there were some cute moments.

I loved this book. Normally I'm not the biggest fan of the narrative changing viewpoints, but I really loved to hear these girls inner thoughts about one another (and honestly just made me feel lonely cause I want that kind of connection with someone).

First off we meet Noa, a makeup artist who just took a big risk in dropping out of school to actually start her career when she was given the opportunity to work on an indie horror film. This film also just happens to star her favourite actress, Liliah, who she's had a crush on for forever. Noa has big dreams and doesn't want anything, or anyone, to get in the way of this dream.

In comes Liliah, who we learn is more she is than just a pretty face and just wants to find someone who will like her for who she is and not just her pretty face and celebrity status. But, from the moment she see's Noa from across the parking lot, she knows that she's in trouble as she's not exactly 'out yet'.

I love that Liliah is bi (I'm so excited I've been seeing more bi rep in books recently (yay!)) and that, for the most part, this story isn't just another telling about the struggles of coming out. Yes, that makes an appearance but it's more focused on her inner monologue about the feelings themselves and her wanting to open up about what she really wants but also being scared to.

I will say, the stalker storyline wasn't my favourite. I feel like it could of been just as good without it and was a little over the top and progressed very quickly.

BUT, I love a 'omg, there's only one bed' troupe so I'm throughly happy with this read!

3.5 - rounded up. Misunderstandings and insecurities get in the way of these two Jewish co-workers finding their HEA. Layla is a young bisexual actress trying to break out of the horror movie typecast she’s in and struggling with embracing her queer sexual identity fully. While Noa is trying to establish herself as a makeup artist and hide the huge crush she has on Layla. The two bond over time spent in the makeup chair but Noa is nervous to make a move both because she doesn’t think Layla would be interested and there’s a no fraternizing policy on set. I enjoyed this sweet, dual perspective coming of age type romance with a stalker subplot thrown in. Recommended if you like a slow burn, closed door love story or other books like Written in the stars, One last stop or Something to talk about. Much thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for my advance review copy.

This reminded me a lot of the book Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner.
I enjoyed it but didn’t love it.
Let me explain. The story itself is good. I like the characters and the plot but the romance is a bit lackluster. The will they/won’t they lasts too long and the story begins to drag (at least for me). The characters don’t have much chemistry so I’m not really rooting for them to get together; and it takes so long for them to get together (or decide that they like each other) I no longer care.
If you enjoy movie star stories, books about movie/Hollywood, or a good character driven story give this a try.
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🌈❤️‍🔥🎬 HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO I KISSED A GIRL BY JENNET ALEXANDER 🎬❤️‍🔥🌈

*Queue to me entering the room with I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry as background*

It was funny; it was cute and with an overwhelmingly great bisexual rep. Can you guess I’m a theater kid? I’m pretty dramatic, but I have to be, that’s how you would describe movies, right?! Show stopping and life-changing. That’s how I felt about Lilah through the whole book; she was kind, gentle, and engaging as a character. I loved her even with inconsistencies; she still shined like a true actress. Her arc was the best part of this book, and I can’t deny I kept reading because I loved her.

Noa, on the other hand, is a character I struggled to deal with throughout the whole book, even when the plot was engaging. That’s okay, I guess. We all won’t love the same characters, or it was how she’s written that I couldn’t drink of. She was judgmental from the start about Lilah; even when both made assumptions and miscommunicated, there was something about Noa’s way of expressing herself that made me think of a “mean girl” or “I'm better than you” kid who knows everything and blames people for things that weren’t true. The romance part of the book could’ve been worked a lot more, so the inconsistencies.

Now, the movie theme of the book was fantastic. I loved how most of the book, if not all of it, was centered around Noa’s character getting the new job on set as special effects makeup artist and Lilah’s the main character of a horror movie trying to leave her B-list status and breakthrough. This job is a big opportunity for both characters and it's what they love. Long and exhausting hours onset is part of the job. And they'll navigate that world.

I gave the book 3.5 stars because I enjoyed parts of it.

“And despite the fact that it was Noa who saw her makeup free and with bedhead first thing every morning, Noa who put Lilah’s face on her, it was also Noa’s heart that skipped tracks at the sight. A new facet, that was all it was, like seeing a bird of paradise in its native habitat for the first time.”

I will admit that I’ve put off reading this book for a little while. I’d seen some less than stellar reviews about the trope within this book, but I regret putting it off so much now.

For one, the trope ‘insta love’ has nothing to do with falling in love over Instagram…who knew? For two, this book was so cute and cheesy. It was exactly what it displayed itself to be, a rom-com style novel with a cute sapphic romance on set of a horror film. Nothing more, nothing less.

I’m not sure if it was the dampened down expectations that made the characters, main couple and story more enjoyable for me, but regardless, I enjoyed this book a damn sight more than I was worried I would.

Both Noa and Lilah made really interesting and wonderful protagonists, and I enjoyed the insight that we got into both of their thoughts, feelings and actions throughout the course of the book.

I also enjoyed the aspect of the both ‘will they/won’t they’ and ‘we can’t do this’ tropes. The co-workers to lovers storyline always has me in a grip, so seeing that come to life but sapphic edition had me enthralled; quite honestly.

All in all, this was a lighthearted read perfect for summer with a sweet romance and great characters at its core.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this wonderfully written book ahead of it’s release.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4! ⭐️

CW: gory special effects

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Wish granted!

Lilah is tired of working horror movies, but it's where she's casted and therefore where she will go. Noa is a horror film buff who is getting her break as a special effects makeup artist in Scareodactyl, Lilah's latest movie. When the two start to work together, both are nervous around each other, and it feels like maybe there's something there... but Noa isn't used to letting people in, and Lilah has this feeling that some things aren't as they seem.

Most of this book was just average for me. It felt really dramatic, and though there were lots of great forms of representation (bi, lesbian, Jewish), it wasn't for me. The twist, however, was a bit surprising and unsettling, so I think the author nailed it. Overall, if you want a love story with some bumps and surprises, this might be for you!

ARC received from Netgalley, finished on 07/31/2021
3.5 Stars

If you're looking for a quick easy read, this is a great choice. The story is really cute and the plot moves along quickly.

Noa is an aspiring makeup artist working on her first movie set. She has a terrible habit of always putting her foot in her mouth, especially around her celebrity crush. And of course, she is assigned to do the make up and SFX for said crush.
Lilah dreams much bigger than the cheesy horror flics she keeps getting. She struggles a lot with her anxiety and paranoia after the many times she's been taken advantage of. But along comes Noa, with endless faith in her, to help her find her confidence.
Both characters are cute and lovable despite their flaws.

This is a classic fanfiction story. I don't mean that as a knock but its also not the best. There were also a lot of minor plot holes, like allergies that suddenly go away or a supervisor that kind of just disappears.

Admittedly, I'm not a fan of the instalove trope (I'm more of an enemies to lovers gal myself) so there is that to consider.

The representation was well done overall with a lesbian/bi MCs, a trans woman side character, Jewish MCs, a racial diversity in the supporting cast.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the eARC!

This was book is one of my most anticipated releases for 2021, and I nearly cried when I saw that I got approved for the ARC. Before we get further, rest assured, it lived up to the hype.

Normally, I try to take really diligent notes when I'm reviewing an eARC, but I could not put this book down long enough to get my thoughts on paper. I immediately fell in love with the characters, the setting, and the writing style.

I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander is about makeup artist Noa Birnbaum's first job on a 'real' movie set, a B-list horror movie starring up-and-coming Scream Queen Lilah Silver (who also happens to be Noa's celebrity crush). The two women bond while Noa paints bloody wounds on Lilah, and truly, I was rooting for them from the very beginning.

Both Noa and Lilah are fully developed characters with individual story arcs, even with a lot of overlap in how they help each other grow throughout the story. They have excellent chemistry and had me rooting for them from the beginning, even when we hit the expected rough patch that comes along in a romance novel.

My only spoiler-free complaint is that sometimes it felt a bit slow. I don't know if I was just anxious for the happily ever after, or if there really was just a little too much happening around the women that needed to get wrapped up. I found myself skimming paragraphs waiting for them to interact again, or for a plot-relevant conversation to reach the climax and stop being small talk.

Less spoiler-free; (you've been warned) Lilah's stalker, which was hinted at from the beginning, took up a lot of page space and mental energy for me to keep track of as a reader, and I found it a bit frustrating at times. I love a good thriller, but it felt like a big thriller plot being shoved into an equally big romance plot, and it truly took near the whole book to come to a head.

Overall, it was so so lovely, I read it in less than two days and I can't wait to get a physical copy and highlight all my favorite parts. It comes out August 3rd, so make sure you check it out!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Happy pub day!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I Kissed a Girl follows special effects makeup artist Noa Birnbaum and B-list actress Lilah Silver on the set of their latest slasher flick. I expected just a romantic comedy, but this one also comes with a side of thriller! The thriller subplot fits in well with the horror movie setting. This book also has a nice variety of queer representation throughout the main two characters and their cast of friends. As a Jewish person, I was pleasantly surprised to have both main characters be Jewish, as I haven’t read many books with Jewish characters that aren’t just about them being Jewish, so that was a major plus for me! I was unimpressed with Noa’s ~not like other girls~ mentality, especially when paring her with a femme partner. While it is checked by her friend and herself several times throughout the book, it still came off as a bit grating and I didn’t connect with her as well as I did with Lilah.

Their story is fun and sweet and comes along with the expected funny moments and banter with forced proximity, as well as some fun behind the scenes moments into special effects and movie making. The story overall is a little underwhelming compared to what I was expecting from reading the blurb, but still makes for a cute weekend read. Also, having more sapphic rom-coms to choose from is always a plus!