3.5 - 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 dual perspective romance on audio with Natalie Naudus as narrator. This is a sweet, PG coming of age type romance with a stalker subplot thrown in. Recommended if you like a slow burn 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.

Unspoilery Blurb
Lilah is an actress hoping for her big break, so when she gets a lead role in a horror film, she is ready for her chance of fame. After getting a job as a makeup artist for a real horror film, Noa accepts the opportunity and drops out of school to pursue her dream. When the two girls meet for the first time, there is an instant connection between them- even though neither of them can find the right things to say.

Through hours on the movie set, a potential stalker, and stardom, Noa and Lilah need to consider if they can form a relationship strong enough to last.

Unspoilery Review
If I had to choose one word to describe this book, it would be anti-climactic. There was so much good stuff going into this story, but it just didn’t quite work out.

The Good:

The Representation! There were so many wonderful queer characters in this book! We had lesbian, bisexual, trans, polyamory, and gay- and they were all well done. Also, the main characters were both Jewish which was nice to see represented.
Lilah embracing her bisexuality and combating her fears of it being a lesser queer identity. I am so proud of how much she grew during this book.
The commitment to horror movies! This book is full of references to horror movies, working on movie sets, and creating the special effects and makeup for horror films. I loved how these aspects were woven into the story.
The stalker subplot was pretty well done. It was fairly cheesy at the end, but it kind of matched the tone for the rest of the book- although it did get a little more intense than I thought it would for a moment.
The friendships! I loved Noa and Chrissy’s friendship so much because they were always there for one another in the best ways. Also, I adored Lilah’s relationships with all her roommates and how supportive they were of each other throughout the story
The Not As Good:

The Romance. It felt very insta-love, and I never really felt the connection between Noa and Lilah.
The characterization. While I did enjoy the characters and their experiences, I did not love how they were described and portrayed throughout the book. Noa was very judgmental and uncertain, and it seemed like Lilah’s growth was constantly stunted throughout the story.
The length. This book felt long and repetitive. I feel like it could have been condensed to make it more captivating.
Overall, I mostly just wanted to know how the book ended and I didn’t really care how it got there because I felt very little emotional attachment. I would recommend this book for younger readers who are interested in a romance thriller full of cheesy comedy, slight suspense, and queer relationships.

Trigger Warnings: Coming out, fire, stalker/creepy fan/harassment, lying, invasion of privacy, blood/gore, snakes

Representation: Bisexual, Jewish, Transgender, Gay, Lesbian, Polyamory, Non-binary

I Kissed a Girl is the story of Lilah, the star of a new horror movie, and Noa, one of the makeup crew members for the movie. While both girls secretly pine for one another, this adult contemporary romance tells the story of life on set and tests whether their budding romance can flourish in the spotlight.

I received an audio ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute story! It’s an easy read/listen and has a happy ending, which I love. I felt both main characters were fully developed and loved the differences in their coming out stories. I love being able to see different representations and think it is so important to show that not everyone’s story is the same.

For most of the book, I didn’t really understand why the stalker story arc was necessary. It felt irrelevant and didn’t really fit the overall narrative. In the end, I realized it was used as a form of resolution for our main characters. While it made sense in the end, I felt it was very off course throughout the book and probably could have been made more relevant or completely disregarded.

I loved the narration for this story! The narrator’s different voices felt perfect for each character and easily transitioned between speakers. This story gave a great glimpse into set life and felt very realistic. Granted I don’t think I have ever encountered so many snakes! Overall, I loved the novel and it’s overarching theme of being true to yourself!

As usual, thanks to the publisher and net galley for getting me access to this early audiobook! I love me some good cheesy romance.

Reasons why you would like this book: Opposites attract, the sunshine one loves the grump one, nerving out over movies, quirky side characters, puppies, two jewish love interests, an absurd climax that’s both refreshing and silly.

Reasons you might not like this book: Miscommunication, phone snooping, stalkers, a frustrating third act conflict.

I really enjoyed this book, but found it to be something I may not remember longer than however long it takes to write this review. There was a lot to love, but the characters didn’t stick with me like other characters have in recent months.

I’m gonna keep this review short and sweet, but basically, I Kissed A Girl is a soft sapphic romance with a whole lot of movie magic and a lot of heart. I recommend it if you like any of the things mentioned above. It’s definitely worth a read and I think for many it’ll be a new favorite.

{3.75/5 Stars}
*Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this novel in exchange for a free ARC audiobook*
This book was incredible. The plot, the characters, the vibe, the everything. oh. my. god.

Alrightly let's talk about the pros: The main characters, Lilah and Noa, are everything. Their happiness comes way before mine, and they're fake and I'm real. The plot was typical rom-com with a slight twist of a creepy stalker, who is it. The vibe of the story was everything. I loved how I felt while reading it and that I never wanted to stop listening. Finally, the chemistry. These two main characters really had all the chemistry. Like, where's mine??

But, however, this is not a 5 star review. Here's the cons: the side character's really had no purpose except to move the plot along. These characters were just here to aid the main characters, not to stand on their own. This can be a pro or a con or neither for some people, but for me it is a con. Next, the Romance. I WISH THERE WAS MORE STUFF. Like this is NA, but no smut? c'monnnnnn. Again, this is a personal preference, but I personally want to see more action if they are in college (or in this case out of college, kinda). To each their own, of course. Okayyyy that's it. Go read this NOW!

Sapphic new adult rom-coms, how I love you so. Noa and Lilah are serving that amazing workplace-romance opposites-attract trope that I can't help but swoon over. I Kissed A Girl is written in a contemporary language and utilizes pop culture references without sounding unbearably millennial-trying-to-be-cool cringey, and contained some truly laugh out loud moments. The representation throughout the book was also appreciated- beyond the two main characters, one of whom is a lesbian and the other bisexual, both of whom were Jewish- there was a trans side character whose character did not revolve around her gender identity, which was entirely appreciated. Natalie Naudus does an incredible job narrating the audiobook. I would say I could listen to her for hours, but I quite literally already have. This story was a funny, enjoyable romance in a fresh new setting that was truly a joy to read.

thank you netgalley and sourcebooks for providing me with an audio arc!!

i’ll be honest this romcom isn’t anything special, but it’s sapphic and we don’t have a ton of that in the adult romance genre so it’s still really important to me. i listened to the audiobook of it and really enjoyed it. also has jewish rep that is mentioned quite frequently and clearly an important part of each character. not all queer lit has to be groundbreaking :) it can just be two girls falling in love on a movie set

I Kissed A Girl by Jennet Alexander is such a fun, sweet, F/F romance with a mystery twist. I really enjoyed the main characters Lilah and Noa. The audio was really fun to listen to and I loved the distinction between the two POVs.

I couldn't get into it. From the start neither character drew me in, which is disappointing because I was looking forward to some sapphic goodness.
I don't know if it was the narrator or the actual story, either way it didn't work for me.

An Okay Read

Let’s be real: I love Hollywood stories. I love sapphic stories. But somehow, this sapphic Hollywood romance just didn’t do it for me. I enjoyed how what drama there was in the main relationship did come from real problems (rather than the usual superfluous misunderstanding that could usually be ironed out with one level-headed conversation you often see in romance). However, for a genre that relies on big sweeping feelings, there wasn’t a whole lot there.

In the closing of the book, Lilah, one of the main love interests reflects on a moment where Noa defended her as something that’ll be burned in her memory forever because of how sweet and impactful it was. But as a reader? I could hardly remember what moment she was talking about because in so many places throughout the book big events and emotions were rushed through in order to pay closer attention to less-exciting external action.

Lilah is an actress hoping to get her big break, Noa is a makeup/special effects artist also hoping to land a more permanent job. When they are working together on a horror film, they begin to form a deep connection.

There was a lot going on in this romance:
-Fantastic representation: aside from the obvious LGBTQIA+ rep, both main characters were also Jewish. I also appreciated Lilah’s journey in her sexuality. She started as a struggling, closested bisexual, and to see her growth and her journey throughout the book was amazing,
-Stalker plot line: this added a bit of suspense and mystery and really kept the story moving for me.
-A lot of the book focused on the movie they were filming, and while that was interesting and I loved seeing the behind the scenes of how movies are made, it felt a little long at times because of that.
-And of course the romance, Noa drove me crazy at times because she felt a little judgmental, but overall I thought she and Lilah worked well together and I was rooting for them.

This one was cute read overall!

As for the audiobook, I was excited to see it was narrated by Natalie Naudus. I always enjoy her narration and this was no exception!

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of this book!

Despite the silly title and the boring cover, I was actually captivated by the depth of this story. It's a closed door, slow burn romance between two college-aged Jewish heroines with a fun, cinematic setting and some pretty intense conflict. However, I feel really mixed about the book overall.

I found the story slow to start and the ages of the heroines felt confusing to me. Sometimes they were very much adults making adult decisions, and sometimes they seemed more like young teens. While the stalking conflict had really compelling, suspenseful elements and was tackling such an intense subject matter in a way I wasn't expecting, the follow through on the conflict between the two women romantically was so-so.

I think in general the story was compelling, but not particularly satisfying for me. The romance story felt weak overall and the characterization of the heroines was a bit all over the place.

The audio was great, and Natalie Naudus knocked it out of the park as per usual.

All in all, I think this was worth reading, but it definitely had a lot of debut romance bumps in terms of consistency and follow through.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

CW: Stalking, snakes

I received an advanced copy of The River has Teeth from the publisher so I could share my review with you!

Content Warnings from Author’s site: domestic violence, sexual assault (mentioned), drugging/roofies, abduction/imprisonment, gun use, violence against women, systemic racism (discussed), blood, body horror, death/dying, grief, animal attack, pet death (brief mention), emetophobia

After the disappearance of her sister, Natasha is desperate for any leads on where she can be found. With an abandoned car in a nature preserve as her only clue, the case is one dead-end after another. That is, until Natasha turns to a less traditional approach to solve the mystery. Della’s family has provided spells for people in need for generations, but when Natasha arrives on her doorstep seeking help in finding her lost sister, Della fears that magic might be part of the problem rather than the solution. Together, they might be each other’s only hope at salvation.

You can get your copy of The River has Teeth on July 27th from HarperTeen!

I was so excited to see that Erica Waters would be writing another novel, after the absolute masterpiece that was Ghost Wood Song, and The River has Teeth lived up to my every expectation! The magic in this book has a distinct earthy energy to it, which was simply enchanting. I will be waiting with baited breath to see what Erica Waters will write next!

My Recommendation-
If you love dark and haunting thrillers, you have to pick up a copy of The River has Teeth! This book would be a great pick for fans of Wilder Girls and Sawkill Girls!

This was a cute quick read but ultimately nothing amazing. I loved the fx makeup stuff and surprisingly the stalker subplot was interesting. The romance fell flat for me though. I never really felt the chemistry between Noa and Lilah and it was paced very slowly. I love the makeup artist/actress concept but wanted some more fireworks between them. Noa felt almost condescending at times to me but I loved Lilah and her arc. There just felt like there was something missing that keep me connected to the characters and the story. The representation in this though? 10/10. LGBTQIA+, Judaism, societal differences, you name it, this book had it. So I do totally commend it for how it handled a lot of things. I just wish the plot lived up to that.

This was okay. I didn’t really love the characters, I found them both a bit annoying, and it was all very predictable. I liked the premise, but few like it could have been done better.

I thought this was fun and cute. It's a sapphic romcom taking place on a B-list horror set and I am here for that.

I liked that Noa and Lilah's insecurities were shown and I thought they were both pretty relatable. It was fun to be in both of their heads and see how they view the other and really get to know them. On the other hand, it was frustrating with their insecurities - but relatable IMO. The dialogue was a little much at times and had me rolling my eyes at some phrases. It was so sweet how they found a bond over their Jewish upbringings.

I appreciated that the sexual harassment of actresses was addressed. I'm all for a stalker storyline but I wish it had been a little...more.

I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Title: I Kissed a Girl
Author: Jennet Alexander
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

🔊Song Pairing: I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry

💭What I thought would happen:

I thought it would be about a girl crush, perhaps a new relationship between two women who haven’t been with other women before…

📖What actually happens:

Noa is starting her first real job in Hollywood. She gets to be on props and makeup for a mid-budget screamfest film, a pterodactyl attack that shames Jurassic Park. The best part of this promising gig, the star of the film…THEE final girl, Lilah Silver, and Noa’s ultimate crush!

Lilah is tired of being a B-lister actress in every gory movie where she’s running away from a monster with her tits out. She wants to be taken seriously as an actress. Lilah is secretly bi, and isn’t necessarily hiding it but hasn’t found a woman she likes and doesn’t know how her fans and Hollywood will accept it.

Noa is assigned to Lilah as her makeup artist and is supposed to look her as horror-worthy as possible. The first line that Noa speaks to Lilah…”Hi, I’m here to hurt you”…woops? Their relationship gets steamier as they spend more time together. 🤍

🗯Thoughts:

I loved Noa and Lilah’s relationship. It wasn’t too cheesy, it highlighted their insecurities and demonstrated how they were both crushing on each other but worrying that they’re falling too fast and hard.

The characters were excellent. I loved how Noa was cool and confident in the eyes of Lilah while Lilah was gorgeous, thoughtful, and more than a beauty queen in the eyes of Noa.

The conflict that occurs between the characters is quite believable between Noa and Lilah and isn’t due to miscommunication in a sense. It’s a very raw relationship built on realistic emotions.

I loved listening to this, the narrator was delightful and I hope there may be a sequel to Noa and Lilah’s story! I love books based in the movie industry. The 2 POVs are necessary and perfect!

This was a fun premise for a romcom and I loved the wlw rep! I didn’t really connect to the characters themselves, and am never really a huge fan of instalove personally. I also found some of the dialogue to be quite heavy handed, so I was having a hard time getting into it all together. I did appreciate how this book talked a lot about sexual harassment towards female entertainers/actresses, and how careful Lyla felt she had to be at all times while speaking in order to not “contribute” to the harassment. I would still recommend this book, as I think it’s just my own personal taste that didn’t connect. Definitely a fun book for people who like Meg Ryan romcoms and books with lesbian/bi rep!

I give this novel ~2.5 stars - rounding up for the gays. I KISSED A GIRL was a cute f/f adult rom-com that takes place the set of a sci-fi horror film. I didn’t necessarily dislike the romance, but the characters could have had better chemistry. Nonetheless, I will always be excited to read and review any new adult queer romances that feature characters in their early twenties.

WHAT I LOVED:
-The ownvoices Jewish rep: watching our leads find commonality in their Jewish upbringings was one of the sweetest parts of their relationship. They seemed most connected and their chemistry was best when they were talking about this.
- Queer new adult: this is self-explanatory, but there’s a huge gap in the 18-24 age range across all genres. Both characters seemed to be in their early 20s, and I think this story and each characters’ inner conflicts worked for this age range.
- Sapphics: this book had great lesbian and bi rep. Bonus points for there not being a forced outing!

WHAT I THINK COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
- Characters and chemistry: I really wish I cared more for the characters - both as individuals and as a couple. Everything was ~fine~ but I wasn’t completely sold. If this weren’t gay, I probably wouldn’t have connected to either character at all.
- The conflict: the plot of this book includes a sub-par stalker storyline, a silly third act breakup, and quite a bit of other unnecessary conflict. I enjoyed how the novel was set on a film set and will always root for a “we have to share a bed” scene, but that’s really it for what I liked about the plot.

Despite these qualms, I’d certainly give another queer romance novel by Jennet Alexander a chance. She has a strong voice and I can see potential in her writing.

Here was my initial thought: 'lesbian from small town michigan get famous--the land of my people'! That was my biased reason to keep reading. Generally I liked this book and found Noa particularly likable. These strong female protagonist are chasing their dreams and might even get to do it together. It was cool to read a book set on a movie set and to think about all the aspects of gore makeup. I have never read a book about a makeup artist, so that was fresh and cool!

If you are expecting a light new adult queer romance, this is not it. While this book is absolutely a coming out story, sapphic romance, cute couple etc....it also deals with some of the scary aspects of fame, seriously frustrating miscommunication and stalking. I generally do not read books which include themes like stalking since it's not really my thing, but despite that, I felt these scenes were well written overall.

I liked the audiobook, but was a little bummed the women's voices were not differentiated.