Thank you so much NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for providing me an eARC of this book!!

First of all, I want to say that this is not an attack to the author in any way. This is my honest and personal opinion.

I hate to say it but I did not finish it. I tried but I couldn’t. It bored me too much, and I realized life is too short to read books you don’t like. It felt like a chore, something I had to finish, instead of something I liked to do.

It had potential, reading the sinopsis the story sounds great. But the pacing is too slow, nothing happens, it’s just the main characters overthinking everything and jumping to conclusions all the time. I’ve read 70% of it and I don’t remember anything important that happened.

Additionally, the characters felt flat. They didn’t have a distinct personality and I felt no connection between them. I couldn’t understand why they liked each other, they just seemed to instantly have a crush on each other for no reason. What didn’t sit right with me is why Noa liked Lilah so much before knowing her. She wasn’t a “famous” actress, so why was she so obsessed with her to have her as a lock screen? And if she was actually that famous, there’s no way the production would hire a young woman with no experience to do the special effects make up. I could tell the author has worked in the industry, and, as a film major, I really appreciate the details, but the relationship made 0 sense. I didn’t care about any of the characters.

I started reading with no expectations and I still ended up disappointed. I feel like the author thought of this book like a movie, no it would have made more sense as a movie, but as a book it lacks something.

If you are wondering wether or not to read this book just ask yourself one question: do you want an elaborate story with complex characters or do you prefer a simple romance? Maybe you’re in the mood for one thing or maybe you’re in the mood for the other, but don’t expect much of this book, because, if you do, it will disappoint you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: stalking

Pros: Overall, I Kissed a Girl is a light and fluffy read with a jewish bisexual main character and a jewish lesbian main character! I really enjoyed Lilah's character, her coming out, and struggling with her identity. Lilah was very relatable especially as she learns that bisexuality is valid.

Cons: The book was a little too long if it was 300 pages instead of 400 I think it would have held my interest more. The story was underwhelming in my opinion. I wish the romance portion would have picked up more...I did not feel the chemistry between our two main characters.

I would recommend I Kissed a Girl for light hearted fluffy rom-com.

I Kissed A Girl follows an up and coming film scream queen and her newfound makeup artist. Lilah is trying to break out of the mold she's been continuously cast in while Noa is just trying to get her foot in door so she can do special effects. Spending so much time together has both girls catching some feelings.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the premise was super cute and different. However, it read more as a young adult book than new adult which isn't necessarily a problem, it just wasn't what I was expecting. The two main characters were pretty immature in their thought processes and some of their actions. I really didn't like how Lilah was not empathetic about Noa potentially losing her job, and not being able to step on the breaks for just a couple of weeks. I did like the drama happening on set and the mystery of the online stalker. I also loved Tanner and his little fur baby. The description of things happening on set and the filming process was super cool and interesting to hear about. For me, this book was a 3.5/5.

I received a digital copy of this book free from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and SourceBooks Casanova for my advanced copy of I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander.

The premise of the book really appealed to me, the idea of learning about your true self and breaking free of the shackles of expectation when it comes to former beauty queen turned B-movie actress Lilah Silver. Noa has lived as herself for sometime and has taken her own risks by not pursuing education in favour of learning hands on instead as a make up artist/special effects creator... There's also the fact that both main characters are Jewish and I liked the way their religion comes into play in their everyday life.

Lilah is a character who comes to life from within the pages of the book, she feels very real and relatable as she navigates her persona versus her reality. She knows she's bisexual but hasn't truly experienced what that means and is aware that appearance is everything within the movie industry even if its battling unrealistically designed dinosaurs!

Noa, however reminds me too much of women I have been initially attracted too myself. She comes across at first as very non-judgemental and accepting of Lilah but that swiftly disappears as Noa tries to justify why she shouldn't pursue a relationship with Lilah and her reasoning is all very superficial and turns her from this appealing, fun and non-judgemental to someone who is unworthy of Lilah's very sweet and kind nature.

There doesn't feel to be any real chemistry between the two that draws you in. Noa makes snap decisions and objectives Lilah and I feel doesn't truly acknowledge that being open about her sexuality isn't easy for Lilah as it's new to her. I wanted to see a real, deep connection between the two - something definitive that makes you believe that they're destined for true happiness and it's not there.

There is a sub-plot that focuses heavily on Lilah and is both historic as well as present and it's that plot within the book that held my attention and was one that was very well done with excellent characters coming out from the shadows and secondary characters who give it depth at first. This too however kind of fizzled out into something farcical which at times had me rolling my eyes in despair.

I wanted something that held my focus from beginning to end but this wasn't it. Lilah was the saving grace of the book, which felt like it dragged on and could have easily been shorter than it was, some of the secondary characters add nothing to either plot in the story and my hopes for what could have been a brilliant LGBTQ represented book were lost early on.

It's HEA, but I cannot fathom why as Noa and Lilah just don't make sense in the end. I think in reality they would have been a brief flirtation before going on with their own lives...

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the advance copy of this book!

3.5 stars.

Lilah is a b-list actress with dreams of making it to the a-list. Noa is a college student looking to make it big in the special effects industry, who may or may not have a big crush on Lilah. When the two of them end up working on the same film, Noa can't believe her luck and immediately puts her foot in her mouth upon being introduced to Lilah. The two of them overcome the awkwardness and become close during filming, but will it turn into something more than friends? Not if an unhinged super fan of Lilah's has anything to say about it.

I struggled to get into this one, I won't lie. It's not a bad story, at all, but I found myself much more interested in the side character Chrissy than I was either of the main characters. It was also a very long book, and I kept having to talk myself into continuing to read.

The story is a cute idea, the characters are likeable enough, and overall this was an okay read.

3.75 star round up!

This was a super sweet sapphic romance about an up-and-coming actress struggling to come out and a new make-up artist struggling not to let her fangirl out.

Lilah and Noa’s characters were both lovable and realistic. Both characters faced their own struggles and issues and resolved them in a very realistic and grown-up way.

The author really does know how to drag you in with the emotions, I felt like I truly understood the characters and what they were feeling, from hesitancy, regret, paranoia, and fear it was all so well written!!

The representation in the book was great, we saw all different kinds of relationships and the main characters are Jewish so there was a bit of cultural diversity as well. The writing was also very nice and slipped in all the diversity flawlessly.

Overall a nice and sweet read!


Review will be going live on Instagram in the next few days!! (before the end of June)

Easy, fast-paced romantic comedy that fits perfectly into the genre. Light story you’ll find delightful from beginning to the last word.

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52914857-i-kissed-a-girl
Blog Post:https://mgthacker22.wixsite.com/librarymouse/post/i-kissed-a-girl

I was given a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m gonna start by saying I’m a big sucker for Hollywood romance stories, especially ones with amazing representation-trans, lesbian, and polyamory to name a few- like this one. But, honestly, this was kind of underwhelming to me and I found myself wishing the book was about Chrissy rather than Noa and Lilah.

I didn’t find either main character special. They weren’t unlikable, they just didn’t really have any character building and their personalities weren’t really built up enough outside of their relationship. I couldn’t really make myself care about them together, because I didn’t care about either of them as people.

I felt like the stalker subplot should’ve been a way bigger part of the book if it was gonna be the catalyst it was made into at the end. I feel like a lot more could've been done with it. The whole book felt somehow both rushed, and like it kept dragging on.

I also feel like in a book the characters either need to have attraction build slowly, or get together faster than what happened in this book. Noa already has a celebrity crush on Lilah before the story even starts and Lilah instantly is attracted to her, so it feels like it just takes too long for this story to get going. I’m also just not a huge fan of fan-becomes-significant-other type stories a lot of times no matter what you do, the romance feels one sided and the power-dynamic between the two never quite sits right with me.

Overall, I would recommend reading this if you have some spare time, but it’s not on my must read list, and it won’t become a staple on my shelf.

We love wlw romcoms!

I kissed a girl is the story of a horror film actress and a special effects make up artist falling for each other. We follow Noa and Lilah through the ups and downs of their new relationship. Noa is trying to break onto the scene in Hollywood and risks her job to pursue Lilah. Lilah is wanting to be more than just the final girl, a pretty face and nothing more. We see her struggle with her insecurities and work through the process of coming out to those around her. I Kissed A Girl is packed with cute little scenes between our MCs and some quirky roommates. To top it all off we have a one bed trope moment. Overall this story is pretty light and fluffy and I enjoyed it.

This book was extremely cute the entire time while reading it and with ever page I fell more in love with both Lilah and Noa. The central romance was so genuinely heartwarming I could have read about these characters for another 300 pages. The quick paced nature of the book made it a perfect story to consume all in one day which made the reading experience so much more enjoyable. The representation of saphir characters and relationships was also well done in my opinion as a sapphic women and accurately described the experiences of a wlw relationship without falling into too many cliches. The themes of Hollywood and fame was such a unique spin that made this novel both unique and left me as a reader with a breathe of fresh air. A standout novel!

Sweet sapphic romance. Easy and fast paced read! Not life changing, but an enjoyable read for anyone who loves romcoms.

I first want to thank Net Galley for allowing me to read an ARC of I Kissed a Girl. This book was okay, it isn’t my normal go to but I wanted to branch out. It’s cute from what I read (about 35%) but honestly I wasn’t able to finish it. I tried but every time I reached for it I couldn’t finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an entertaining and charming sapphic romance book filled with misunderstandings, drama, the one bed trope, and a stalker. It was a really good read with great representation and an enjoyable storyline.

While it was a bit long, I thought it was well written and the characters likable. I also enjoyed the Hollywood and filmmaking aspect of this book.

The relationship between Lilah and Noa was somewhat of an insta-love romance, while it was still very cute I would have liked just a bit more development between them.

The stalker plot line was a bit of a letdown, just thought it was going to be a bigger part of the overall story. It was also fairly predictable. The ending wrapped up pretty quickly but the epilogue was still very cute.

Overall, just an enjoyable romance book with a cute happy ending.

The premise for this book sounded so good, but the execution was just underwhelming for me. I think that that might be the result of Liliah being already infatuated with Noa from page 1--if her attraction for the makeup artist would be done slower, then the story would not feel so dragged out, and I think I might have enjoyed it more. Another thing I did not particularly like was the underdevelopment of the attraction between the two women. The story just did not sell it to me, no matter how hard I tried to find the little details of why Lilah would fall for Noa (who constantly makes judgments towards Lilah). And the stalker sub-plot was...there (the mystery of which was obvious from the start).
Overall, it was a cute story with a nice Jewish rep, however, I could not find myself caring about the characters, and as someone who has a phobia of snakes, I did not enjoy the last quarter of the book.

Reviewed
Goodreads: June 16, 2021
Storygraph: June 16 ,2021
TikTok @meghanlew_: June 17,2021
I was really looking forward to reading this book, but honestly I ended up super disappointed in it. Overall I found the romance pretty lack luster and tiresome to read. Also the characters themselves felt like they had little depth and every step of the way I was wondering when the book was going to be over.

The biggest part of the romance that fell flat for me was that it was instant, and instant romances to me always seem inauthentic. And since we didn’t really get a good look at the characters and there personalities, I felt that there was no chemistry between the two main characters. The end part of the romance also felt really rushed and that nothing was actually resolved.

Both characters seemed really flat. This caused me to no really care about what happened to them. While we knew what the sexuality of the characters were and their surface level interests were, there was nothing deeper. This defiantly contributed to the lack of chemistry between the characters as well, because not only did we not know anything about them, they didn’t know anything about each other. The author gave very little to root for.

The sub plot could have been used a little more as well, often times it felt like an after thought in the book. I thought the pacing was pretty good as well, while I didn’t care much for the characters, at least everything was moving along,

3.5/5

I have varied feelings about this book. The premise was really interesting to me, I have a soft spot for Hollywood romances, but I’m not sure how I feel about it. There were parts of the book that really worked for me, but other parts that just didn’t sit right.

Lilah is a b-movie horror actor who really wants to be taken seriously as an actress. She’s got a job working as the Final Girl in a horror b-movie. Noa was able to get a job as a special effect artist on the show and she’s looking forward to creating bruises and scars and working on set. This is different than working on a friend’s home movie and this time she’s working with Lilah, who she’s obsessed with for years. The two are forced to spend an extended amount of time in close quarters and they wind up bonding with one another.

I really liked Lilah, but I didn’t really enjoy Noa for the most part. Neither character is horrible or anything, I just really didn’t see the appeal for a character like Noa. Lilah is unbelievably sweet and vulnerable, and I want to know more about her past because it is clear that it left her with some emotional/mental scars. I just adored her and wanted to know more about her constantly, especially when more things kept getting revealed. Noa didn’t do that for me. She was judgmental at times, but even when she wasn’t doing anything wrong, I just didn’t like her. The only thing I personally liked about her, was her passion for her work.

The fight part was messy, but not in a bad way. They were both in the wrong for their actions and I really enjoyed that Noa got called out in that fight. She’s very judgy about things that, as she says, she thinks is cringy. She gave off “not like other girl” vibes during a few different parts of the book so I was very happy that someone actually called her out for that behavior. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the book because I genuinely enjoyed it. No one was painted in a perfect light, and it was likely one of the more realistic parts of the book.

I’m not sure how I feel about the stalker plotline that was added to the book. It was a bit obvious, but not blindingly so. My biggest issue is that it felt a bit forced, I guess. I feel like it could have been more than it was. The best part of it though was that it managed to make everyone seem a bit suspicious. So, I’m conflicted. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t amazing either.

I know I’ve mentioned a few things that I didn’t enjoy about this book, but there were parts that I really enjoyed and would have loved to be explored more. I quite liked how the author wrote about being on the set and how their days would go. It was nice and descriptive without going overboard. I really love Noa and Lilah’s friends and I want more about them. I specifically want more about Lilah’s friends because I feel like they are a supportive yet slightly chaotic group.

This book is good and I enjoyed most of it, but Noa took a bit away from the experience. I don’t regret reading this book and I’ll likely reread it at some point. It’s about 300 or so pages and I enjoyed about 200-250 pages of that. I’d recommend it if you’re just looking for a queer Hollywood-style read.

I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for a fair and honest review. I am very thankful that I was able to get this book early.

Noa and Lilah gave me hope in love. They are both attracted to each other but their own ovef thinking and insecurities get in the way....

Noa and Lilah assume alot about each other while crushing on each other.

The storyline was surprisingly multi level with the Lilah obsessed fan..

I do wish the sex scene wasn't a fade to black scene but all in all a super cute story

Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca! Four out of five stars.

This is a book that is definitely about sapphic secular Jewish girls. And it was absolutely felt! (Or if not so secular, who knows, I myself consider myself that so maybe I'm projecting). But it felt so true and real, sprinkled through the book-- the sudden worry that they'd missed a holiday, annoyance that a different holiday came early, celebrating one holiday with dairy and making jokes about lactose intolerance. This has been so much of my recent Jewish experience and I really did feel seen with the general just... presentness of it. The queer awakening at Hebrew School (and those that I suppressed at mine, though definitely not as great as Noa's!), and it was... I really felt comfortable reading it. Thank you, Jennet!

I also enjoyed Noa and Lilah's relationship fumbles at the start, and I thought the miscommunication tropes between them were handled well. I really liked many of the side characters on and off the set we got to meet, especially Tanner, Chrissy, Peter, Sadie, Dr. Cosby, and Rasputin. The discussion of bisexuality and the reassurance of it was really sweet, as was the discussions both young women had with their families. This was overall a fun, escapist read, though the book does deal with stalking and being watched.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙡𝙚, 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣’𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙧—𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙝’𝙨. 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚, 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙤 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙮-𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙟𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨, 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚-𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚.
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I Kissed A Girl follows the life of an upcoming actress who works on horror flicks and goes by the name, Lilah. Our other protagonist Noa is a makeup artist who is assigned to work on the set of the same horror flick that Lilah is a part of. As they meet, the chemistry between the two is evident but neither acknowledges it. Gradually, Lilah opens up about her fears and how she wants to make it big in the movie industry. Noa decides to go all in and help her achieve her dreams. But will their love survive beyond all the glitz and glamour?
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The book was interesting and good with LGBT Jewish MCs and other diverse characters. But the author has tried to include a lot and that has made it very messy and difficult to follow. Also, the story is very very long and becomes exhausting after a point. I appreciate the author's efforts to carve an unique and new story with LGBT reps!! 🌈

This book was super cute and fun to read! As a fan of both scary movies (the cheesy and the more mainstream) and romances this was right up my alley.

Noa, our main character, drops out of college to pursue a career in the film industry. Her dream is to become one of the greats in the horror makeup and effects department. Thanks to her roommate Chrissy she lucks out and lands a job on the set of a campy B movie staring one of her favorite scream queens and celebrity crushes Lilah Silver. Immediately sparks fly between Noa and Lilah, despite the latter not being out as a bisexual.

I loved all of the cheesy behind the seen movie moments. I really felt like I was on set and joining in the fun when all of the crazy blood spurts and explosions were going off - who wouldn’t want to be in a room with a giant exploding pterodactyl full of random purple goop? So fun! The romance between Lilah and Noa was very sweet as well. I also loved all of the LGBTQ representation. It was a great read for during pride month and Lilahs insecurity about not “being bi enough” felt very real.

The stalker was a bit predictable (maybe I just have good creeper radar) but I appreciated the author using him as a vehicle to show that women’s fears and concerns aren’t always taken seriously. Overall I thought this book was sweet and fun.