Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions expressed are my own. This review does NOT contain any spoilers. :)

☆☆☆☆☆ Overall

Oh, my small queer heart. This novel is absolutely swoon-worthy, in every single way. I loved the way film, historical preservation, and the academic portions of the book were so beautifully spun together. Our two lead boys, Wren and Derick, are precious beings who I cherish deeply.

I think Wren’s journey of finding himself is something so special to this book. As a young queer person, I definitely had those friendships in my youth that developed into crushes, and that line of not knowing and being insecure or unsure of yourself and the situation is so relatable. Growing through that, beginning to figure out who you are and what’s important to you, is something so special to us as queer people, and I think Wren says it best when he talks about “timelines for experiences” for queer folks being different than for straight folks.

I was not sure at first if I would fall deeply in love with this novel and the people of Willow Valley, but I am so glad that I kept reading, because this book felt like a warm cup of tea for my tiny little heart. I think there is a lesson, a relatable moment, a laugh, or a cry for everyone within this novel, and I hope everyone gets the chance to experience it. This was a beautiful novel, and I’m so thankful I got to be part of this. Congratulations to the author, Timothy Janovsky, for this wonderful piece of queer literature. Having beautiful representations of ourselves through text is always amazing, but you can feel the love radiating off of this book. x

"Life is so much messier than a story arc."

This was such a cute read, and it left me with a big smile on my face. Similar to "To All the Boys" Wren sends emails to the guys he's almost kissed, wondering what could have been. One of those guys, Derick, so happens to also be working the same summer job as Wren at the local drive in theater Wiley's. Both Derick and Wiley's become the main focuses of the book and of Wren's summer.

I really enjoyed following Wren as he discovered himself and his sexuality. I feel like there aren't enough demi sexual characters in cute romance books out there and it was wonderful to see Wren be so easily accepted by his friends and Derick. Those two reconnecting and taking their relationship beyond a friendship had me cheering them on, and I'm so glad they got a happy ending. The reason I'm not scoring this a full five stars is because I felt like the book dragged a bit at times and it could've been somewhat shorter. Also, I wish Derick's character had been explored a bit more.
Still, I really enjoyed this book and I'll be looking forward to more stories from the author in the future.

3.5 stars
Right off the bat, let's talk about how great a concept this is: our MC has a Lara Jean-esque moment in which he sends off slightly over-romanticized tales of his almost kisses to those who almost kissed him at various points in his life. He's ignored by a couple and some are resolved, but his former friend who eventually ghosted him responds and says they'll be working together for the summer. This is such a cute story with so much great stuff: old movies, summer romance, second chances, and a demi MC (I didn't know that going in, but I was so happy about it!).
In terms of characters, I really loved everyone. Although I liked some less than others, everyone was built up really well to feel like a human being. No one did anything horribly out of character at all. Even though I did like them, though, I didn't really feel connected enough to any of them (besides adoring our girl Alice).
Next, relationships! There was certainly a lot of turmoil in this book with friendships and romances past a present. I didn't always agree with the decisions some of the characters made about each other, but i loved all of their interactions and I did really like the ship. Everyone flowed really well around one another.
Plot was arguably the best part of the book. there was a lot going on at some points with the podcast, drive-in, and the showing of Alice's movie, but everything meshed together in a great way the whole time. I was never confused about what affected what or what was happening.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to people who want summer vibes and a nice NA romcom with a ton of acronyms and some great demi rep. Although I just liked the book, I loved the experience of reading it and it's a lot of fun.

Wren Roland has never been kissed. He's been waiting for the perfect "movie moment" and it hasn't happened yet. He almost had 'The Kiss' ... but the fates didn't allow it. So, on a drunken whim on his 22nd birthday, he sends the drafted out emails he wrote to the 4 boys he had a crush on before he came out. One is to his best friend Mateo (oops, oh crap), one comes back undeliverable, another goes unanswered and then he gets a message from HIM. Derick Haverford, his first crush and best friend in high school, who unexpectedly ghosted him completely, breaking his heart. They were joined at the hip and he just disappeared from Wren's life. 

Now, Derick's not only answering his email, but informing him that they will be working together at Wren's favorite place - the drive-in.

Throw in there a touching story of Wren and Derick trying to show a movie from a local female director who was ostracized in the 70s for all the wrong reasons and you get all the rom com situations that Wren desperately wants to live. While trying to save the drive-in, bring justice to the wronged director, can Wren and Derick find their way back into each other lives and hearts?

What a delightful read! It has a touch of "Never Been Kissed", "To All The Boys I Loved Before" and "Boyfriend Material", you just fall in love with Wren and his pursuit of finding out his true self and finding true love in the process. 

I loved how the two MCs are kinda nerdy. Wren is more fleshed out than Derick because this is told entirely through his POV, and sometimes we get a little confused by Derick's actions, but so is Wren. The secondary characters that become Wren's "found family" are fun and Alice is a hoot and a half! 

If you are a film buff and, mostly, a lover of rom coms, you will love this one! It could have been a tad shorter, but it's fun nonetheless.

Brownie points for the conflicts not being based on queer phobia!  Loved that! 

Highly recommend! 

Representation: Own Voices Author, queer romance, several characters identify as LGBTQIA+, MC is demisexual 

Possible Triggers: overbearing father and misogyny 

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Thank you, NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Timothy Janovisky for the ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.


Cute, fun, & film-centric, Timothy Janovsky’s Never Been Kissed is an estranged BFFs to renewed friends to romantic partners NA romance featuring a drive-in loving lead who has—as the title suggests—never been kissed.

I’ve never been to a drive-in but it’s a setting in this romance that evokes feelings of nostalgia & summer lightheartedness.

22 year old Wren Roland has worked there for the last 8 years. This year he’s manager & forced to work with his once closest friend, Derick, whom he almost kissed & who dropped him like a bad book in college.

Things I really enjoyed about this book: the demisexual rep, the somewhat nerdy leads (said by a nerd herself), & how Wren & Derick work to repair their relationship & improve how they talk to each other.

Less solid for me is the portrayal of Derick, whose actions aren’t always understandable. This is a case where I feel like I would have particularly loved dual narration.

Never Been Kissed is an easygoing read that I think some readers will be really moved by, but in the end for me it was enjoyable but not a read I fell in love with.
3.5 ⭐️. Release date: 05/03.



CWs: previous blackmail. Overbearing dad. Previous misogynistic behavior directed toward Alice, a female director who Wren wants to help in the book.


[ID: a white hand holds the ebook up in front of a white bookshelf holding variously colored book spines. To the right is a crafted rainbow & to the bottom-ish left is a turquoise picture frame with a black & white pic of a woman & child inside.]

This book was such a funny and cute story. I read it in one day and just didn't want to stop. The charaters are super loveable and I really enjoyed the writing style. There are also chapters in between that show social media posts or chats which is really cool.

I enjoyed this book so much more than I anticipated. I was hoping for a cute romance and got so much more.

It is very modern with many mentions of brands, places and popculture. Especially movie references Pop up a lot which makes sense since the whole book is about a drive-in and a movie nerd. But also it deals with women in hollywood and sexism in the workplace. Besides that, it is a progressive queer story with not just gay/lesbian/straight/bisexual representation but also fundamental discussions about other queer identities and the asexual spetrum. There was even an explanation of demi sexuality from very supportive friends. This was really refreshing to read about since it is not talked about or mentioned in books a lot. It would also have been easy to erase the bisexuality of one of the main characters but even though it isn't called that it is still made very clear that she is not just a lesbian. I feel like bisexuality is still so often looked over that it feels like the norm and it's praiseworthy if someone does not do that..
Also there is old as well as young queer representation which I always love since it shows that different sexualities have always been a pat of society even if not explicitly called that.

Another cool thing about this book is the lack of homophobia. There are still some small mentions of not so supportive characters but the majority of people either are queer or really supportive. This just feels great to read especially because queer books often use homophobia as a plot device and antagonist. I like just reading about some queer characters living their live without it being a big deal.

I would say my only 'problem' with this book was the ending. It was pretty unrealistic but tbh I don't mind a bit of idealism in my escapist romance novels. I realised while reading this book that I'm so used to people betraying each other I still expected it at each turn.. Also the beginning was quite slow. Only when we meet the love interest the story really takes off.

I did really enjoy the honest communication between the main characters. Yes they have their differences and they fight and have misunderstandings, but they try! I love seeing healthy communication! And another thing I greatly appreciated was the humour. I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this book. It just feels really honest and true. It manages to capture real life and real interactions while still giving you an idealised version which is quite impressive.

The whole book is basically about a boy who has never had his first kiss because to him that is a big deal. They also talk about societal/peer pressure which I think is important. I totally understand that and I could really indentify with the main characters struggles. The journey of self understanding he goes through is really inspiring and made me really love this book.

I truly feel like I could take a lot away from this story and its characters. It's not a secret that I love my books, especially rom-coms, to deal with heavier/deeper topics. This book really hits all the marks. And besides that it has my all time favourite trope of found family so what more could I really ask for?

If you are a lover of cinema, queer romance, strong friendships, feminism, and some cute tropes like 'there's only one bed' ;) this is the perfet book for you. It's one of the most refreshing and captivating romance books I have read in a long time.

Never Been Kissed is a gay Romantic Comedy that gives all the right feelings. Wren is shy and awkward. I liked that the author didn’t try to make the main character an angel, Wren made mistakes and behaved badly, but he owned up to them. Derrick is also a nice flirty character that I enjoyed.

Things I liked:

- this book read like a hallmark movie with all the romance and subplots. Even the side characters were interesting
- The book would be considered coming of age, because the main character explores multiple aspects of his sexuality, his life, his career and his passions. I enjoyed those parts as well.
- The romance was well developed and took its time to be truly established

Things I didn’t like:
- I usually finish books in a day or two but this took me 8 days. I think it didn’t grab me for a while. Not the author’s mistake tho
- The book’s aura and vibes felt a little sad for a Rom-com.
- Derrick’s character needed to be more fleshed out.

Overall, this was a cute read! I would recommend it for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and Boyfriend Material.

I honestly did not enjoy reading this book at all. The whole premise of the idea that the main character was as old as he was and hadn't kissed anyone seemed extremely unrealistic to me.

Queue in The Very First Night by Taylor Swift as you devour this To All the Boys I've Loved Before meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Never Been Kissed by Timothy Jabovksy was a reel of romantic what could bes, what should have beens, second chances, a nod to 70s, 80s, 90s flick references, and a whole lot of cute romantic comedy that should be on Netflix soon!

But allow me to point out a few observations. First, I felt the book is a criticism of the romanticization of everything firsts: first kiss, first relationship, first crush, first heartbreak. The subtle undertone tells us that we consume too much Hollywood (or romance novels) that we get fantasy mixed up with reality; we romanticize the idea of love too much that we get our standards so high that we can’t even satisfy ourselves when real love comes knocking at our doors because we’re already too blinded by this very fantasy in romanticizing romance.

Second, the author is obviously a cinephile himself with his vast references to films and the way the storytelling was delivered; film-like at best.

Third, there was a mention of Wren suffering from some sort of mental health problem. I was cautious about this considering it’s a sensitive subject. But I felt the author didn’t exploit this subject to clickbait readers. Safe to say, the matter wasn’t all too glaring for being too much.

Fourth, I couldn't help but comment on the unnecessary character building (at least in my opinion) in the book. Exhibit A: the game night which Mateo devised. I felt like that part simply dragged the book for far too long than it should have just taken us to the real meat of the story.

However, when I reached three chapters before the end, I felt the book did pick up the pace. Also, the thing I predicted (regarding Alice's place being acquired) came to be! I guess there's a little predictability in the story but only if you were paying close attention.

I honestly believe this book has the potential for a Netflix adaptation. The storytelling could almost pass as a right-of-passage for a screenplay.

Oh! And that ending? That was really something!

This book was absolutely delightful. It tells the story of Wren, a 22 year old film major student (who is about to graduate) and his journey through self discovery.

There are two major plots going on, one follows his sexuality and his attempts at trying to understand himself and the other one follows his professional life after graduation and his struggles to keep the drive-in he's been working at for the last 8 years open.

I really enjoyed reading about both of these things, but to be completely honest, the drive-in drama was a bit overwhelming. And by that I mean that there's just too much emphasis on it, yet at the same time the ending is extremely rushed and everything is miraculously resolved with very little on page effort and quite unrealistic events.

On the other hand, Wren's struggles with his sexuality were so well written, I think. He's a 22 year old guy who's never been kissed, he just came out as gay in college and he keeps feeling the pressure to just get it over with. He sends these emails to four guys he's almost kissed during his life and that is the catalyst for his self discovery.

Here comes Derrick, wonderful, beautiful Derrick who was a really good friend of Wren's in high school but somehow they drifted apart in college with no explanation. There's a bit of subplot in the book, showing how Derrick's relationship with his family is taking a toll on his life. I think this particular part could have been explored a bit better, I think it wasn't sufficiently addressed and the resolution at the end a bit rushed as well.

Wren and Derrick together are just a dream. They're both so lovely, I was rooting for them for the beginning and I'm happy that they eventually work things out with very little conflict. Wren's coming out as a demisexual was a beautiful episode to witness. I also appreciate how the author says something that I've been thinking for so long: why on Earth can't we just be and love and be happy without the pressure of coming out to others? Wren's clearly affected by this, feeling that once he came out as gay, he can't possibly change his mind and say he's demi. This thing breaks my heart, you know?

But he has a wonderful circle of friends that support him, even if they're sometimes overly dramatic or a bit insensitive to his feelings. So all's good in the end.

I'm definitely going to read other books from this author, this is a really good debut. And if you're a movie lover, the cultural references are absolutely exquisite.

A super cute second chance romance.
Wren is such an over thinker, wanting everything to be perfect, he let opportunities pass him by., including a potential first kiss from an old crush. When it turns out he and that crush are forced together for the summer Wren is overwhelming awkward. Centred around a Drive In Theatre, Never Been Kissed both feels young and full of nostalgia. The characters and themes are modern, but the plot and references are reminiscent of old movies.

Never Been Kissed is a wholesome fluff fest of a queer romance centered around our awkwardly adorable MC, Wren, who is not only trying to save his favorite place in the entire world—Wiley’s Drive-In from closing down, but also aiding a reclusive director get the movie premiere she deserves (40 years too late, but hey!). Throw in Wren’s high school bestie and former crush that ghosted him the summer after senior year, and just soak up the drama and second chances that unfurl.

It’s cute, it’s fun, and it’s the perfect lighthearted summer read!

Sweet, sincere and completely charming, Never Been Kissed is all the fluffy goodness I needed in my life.

With wonderful characters and an engaging plot line, this book is a magical unique tale of growing up, finding yourself, discovering your worth and believing in it. It's more than just a coming of age story though, like Alice's movie, it's both about the lengths we go to for love and what we hold dear and the power of forgiveness.

4.5 stars and a perfect kiss

Recommendation: 10/10!!

Trigger Warnings: Alcohol, cursing, coming out, AMD, homophobia, misogyny, car crash

Representation: Drag, Gay, therapy, Demisexual, Lesbian, Bisexual

Never Been Kissed is Wren’s story of having the perfect first kiss. This becomes a bit more complicated when he drunkenly sends emails to all of his old crushes. One of said email recipients will also be starting as an intern this summer at the drive-in that Wren works at. Does Derick (the intern) feel the same? Will Wren get his movie-worthy kiss? What happens when the drive-in is in danger of closing?

I absolutely adored this book! Everything about this book! The author creates such lovable and relatable characters. The story is absolutely charming and wonderful! While fluffy and heartfelt, this book also manages to address important issues such as sexuality and being who you are. This coming of age rom-com allows our main character to look deep into themself and their experiences to better understand who he is. The author’s incorporation of demisexuality in a romance book is incredibly nuanced and refreshing. The inclusion of a queer chosen family was also excellent and such a heart-warming addition.

This is the most heartwarming book I've read all year. I couldn't put it down. I recommend it to anyone who's looking for a feel good story.

Rep: demi/questioning gay MC, gay LI, bi SCs, gay SCs, jewish SCs, Black SCs, italian-american SC
(over all this book is just really queer, there were so many queer couples!!!)


I‘m not a very generous reviewer, I give 5 stars very rarely. There has only been one 5 star read for me this year and yes, it’s already April. But Never been kissed definitely was my second one.

Wren just turned 22 and made up his mind to finally get his first kiss this summer. A movie lover and romantic by heart he gets home from his birthday party, a little melancholic and very very drunk, reminiscing about his four almost-kiss moments…and wakes up to having send four E-Mails to the guys he almost kissed! One of them his former best friend and first big love Derick, who he hasn’t heard from in over 3 years.
Only when Derick actually answers him and tells him they will both work at the local drive in movie theatre together this summer, things get even more out of control.

This book is the true gay Lara Jean goodness we all needed and deserved!
I absolutely LOVED this book from the first page on. The style of writing is absolutely amazing and super funny. I have no idea how some authors do it, but the style of writing in this is just really special. Think Alexis Hall meets Simon James Green. The first chapter already made me laugh out loud and immediately captivated me.
I loved Wren. So much. He shares an apartment with his two best friends and I‘m just a sucker for a little queer family living together. The characters were described and fleshed out in so much detail, every single one of them was so individual and felt so real. They all have their own flaws and little problems, they’re all a little bit of a mess and I loved them all so much for especially that. To me they just felt super alive and I just resonated and felt with them. Their banter, the way they supported each other, the way they communicated with each other so openly. Loved it.

People figuring out their sexuality not in their teens, but when they are older? I am so here for it.
Wren just came out as gay a few years ago, but he still feels that something isn’t right or missing.
Throughout the story he learns a lot about himself and thinks a little harder about why his almost-kissed never turned real kisses. There are whole conversations and discussions about this, it’s not something that’s just mentioned on the sidelines and I loved it so much.
The romance in this is a super slow burn one and even though this book is New Adult it’s just very sweet and romantic, no steam at all. I really appreciate books like that.
(Also I loved the few flashbacks of them as kids??)
There was also open communication about going at your own pace in a relationship, that there is no time plan for when what should happen and I appreciated that even more.

The setting of this was also so cool, it mainly takes place in a drive in movie theatre, where Wren and his friends work.
Wren grew up next to it and to him it feels like home, so many childhood memories are linked to this place.
As a major in film studies he also has a professional interest in it.
Since business is slack, Wren tries to make a special premier happen. A local legend directed a notorious movie in the 70s and Wren is set to track her down!
I loved the plot. It was very gripping and came together so nicely in the end.

This book was just 10/10 for me. Go read it, you won’t regret it!

Wren is an introverted, film fanatic that’s surrounded by people that seem to know exactly who they are and what they want while he’s struggling to feel comfortable with the label he’s chosen and has no idea what he wants to do with his life after this last summer at the drive in. Figuring out who you are is always difficult but I think it’s especially draining right out of college. At that point, everyone expects you to be ready to be an adult and know exactly what you want to do. But most of the time, you’re just trying to figure out who you are without school being the main aspect of your life. I think most people struggle with this change but society expects you to hide it and act like you know what you’re doing and it’s exhausting and makes the transition even harder. I loved getting to see the way that not only Wren fumble his way through this time but also Derick, Avery, & Mateo. Everyone goes through this transition different but it doesn’t mean that you have to do it all on your own!
*
There were so many things I loved about this book but my favorite aspect was the Demi rep! Seeing so many books coming out lately with aspec rep makes me so so happy and the way Wren came to terms with this part of his identity was beautiful! Wren’s always been someone that wanted to fall in love and agonized over his “perfect” first kiss but it’s just never happened for him and that’s okay! I loved that he was able to come to terms with everyone being on their own timeline.
*
This book was so much more than a beautiful queer rom-com! It was an homage to film making, a story of coming to terms with constantly discovering things about yourself, fighting for the things and people and places you love, finding hope after losing it, and also a beautiful, second chance romance! So if you’re looking for any of those things in a story, grab this book when it’s released on May 3rd!

I love this book so much! Like, this has become one of my new favorite romances!

I just loved all the characters and all of the super developed relationships between everyone. Wren and Derick’s relationship was amazing, of course, but I loved every other relationship that Wren had, and just how much thought and time was given to each of them. Wren and his family, Van and Mateo, Alice (god, I loved Wren and Alice’s friendship), they were all so good!

Speaking of relationships, I absolutely fell in love with Wren and Derick’s! I mean, the tension, the romance, everything was just perfect! One thing that I really loved, though, was how conflict was handled between them. I was so happy to see that the conflict wasn’t drawn out just for drama, but it wasn’t resolved too quickly and was given time to develop and fit in with the characters and how their relationship worked. It just felt so natural, which made it even better!

The drive-in movie theater reminded me so much of the one in my hometown, so I totally got that sense of nostalgia while reading it. I was happy to see the plot of saving the drive-in was included and interwoven into the romance so well, giving us more layers to the story and more excitement as well!

I absolutely recommend this book to everyone who loves good romance and fun summer reads!

After drunkenly sending out his drafted emails of almost-kiss confessions, Wren Roland finds himself in a complex situation when the most painful of the recipients replies to his email. Now he has to add that emotional pain to his struggles with keeping a drive-in movie theater afloat, as well as the difficulties of figuring out his identity and what lies in wait in the future for him. Thus, when he gets a chance to possible get the reclusive director's permission to premier a movie that never did get to be seen, he jumps at the opportunity.

A real mixed bag! Or maybe an experience? You'll see as I explain.

First off: for some reason I thought this was going to be YA? Maybe because of the vaguely Laura Jean-esque plot description and also "summer job". It is not! Pleasantly so, in fact.

Wren. Wren, Wren, Wren. I feel like he would interrupt me every other sentence. A very, very emotion driven character for someone who thinks he is stone cold rational and logical. Very passionate and *ahem* "plucky" (that is how he is described by others, accurately). Now I'm going to do something I deem a bit unfair in order to describe him: imaging you put Simon (Simon Vs The Homosapien's Agenda) and Elliot (In Other Lands) and put them in a blender.. What I'm trying to say is that he nearly killed me with second hand embarrassment at times and made me exasperated at some unnecessarily mean moments. Wren's character journey was actually a major redeeming factor for the book -- the more he delved into who he really was, the more I liked him. By the end, I was fully rooting for him. Let me tell you, it was a real rollercoaster, following him as the main character.

Derick and Wren's romance was a major silver lining the entire book -- they had a great rapport and you could see that they had that...warmth? affection? I can't quite explain it but it was very believable and sweet in a non-sickening way. I enjoyed Derick's consistency of character and the fact that he was willing to give Wren space when he needed it, I think that element was flawlessly executed.

Now, the writing and plot...it's a bit more complicated here.

First of all, the writing was killing me at first, It's got current slang and such, which I'm sure will endear some readers to the book but I am Not A Fan of pop culture blending into books, I think it will make the book difficult to read in the future. As with Wren, once I got used to it, it was fine. If you held me at gun point and made me read a book full of slang and references in the text, I would probably read this book. That's a good thing.

Second of all, the plot. Imagine a Casey McQuiston book (that is very high praise, by the way) but just...slightly off balance. The character development, romance and plot did not mix together completely which made for a mildly lumpy porridge -- delicious but you're going to choke a bit. Here, I would say that the first two elements were well blended and developed, but the plot lagged a bit. However, I cannot complain about it, it was definitely entertaining.

Overall, despite what it may seem like from the review, I thoroughly enjoyed this! The second 50% fully makes up for any annoyance I felt in the first half, all is forgiven. Wren's journey of self discovery is certainly worth any grievances, in my opinion.

Such a cute, upbeat, and witty book! I had a lot of fun reading this, god knows I needed some lighthearted fluff, and this totally delivered. The writing is pretty buoyant and full of references and word play which could have been deemed over the top, but was, in this case, perfectly complimentary to the rest of the book. The plot, the characters and the romance were the right ratio of engaging, yet cute and light enough for the genre. I was a little skeptical of the premise and how similar it was to other books, but it ended up being only a small part of it all, with other, more interesting plot lines taking center stage.
I wouldn't call this a favorite, but still a charming and strong debut!