Wren has four emails that have never been sent to past crushes, one drunken night they get sent but no one will respond right. Yup sounds like the LGBTQ version of To All The Guys I've Loved Before. I loved those movies, so I'm looking forward to this series. I like Wren, he's so much like so many of us, overthinking everything. This book is the author's debut and I like it's awesome. I like these slow burn get together books. If you like Casey McQuiston, you'll love this book.

I am LIVING for all this queer rep in books. As someone who also identifies as demi, I really loved reading about someone else who goes through similar struggles. Being in the mind of someone who thinks the same way I do.
It was lovely.

LGBTQIA+ romcom about boy meets boy. While they are adults (22), this audiobook seemed more YA than adult to me. Lots of cliches, lots of cutesy talk and situations.
Wren Roland is bemoaning the fact that he has never been kissed, but he doesn't want to settle. He thinks it should be romantic and meaningful. Wren had sent emails to his crushes that he liked before he came out as gay.
When Derick Haverford, his main crush, responds that he doesn't like him in that way, Wren is crushed.
Then, it is summer after college graduation, and Wren is working at the local drive-in as manager. Derick comes to work there as an intern. However, Derick hasn't told his family, including his father who won't be happy, and Derick thinks they should just be friends. Derick and Wren work together over the summer on the Alice project, an elderly women who needs help. Working together brings them closer.
This book was just not my cup of tea.
Thanks to NetGalley for the Audiobook ARC, all opinions are my own.

It was hard to get into it in the beginning and there were many parts throughout that completely took me out of the story for various reasons.

Overall, I'd say I still had a good time reading it. It was fun and the audiobook narration is good. It's a forgettable one but I'd recommend it if you're looking for an easy read.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

Maybe I just had my expectations a little too high, but even though I was slightly let down at certain points, there were still a lot of amazing moments in this book, ESPECIALLY the third act conflict.

Wren was so damn precious and awkward, and his friendship with Avery was adorable. Mateo, however, was an ass. He was not, in any way, a good friend, let alone worthy of being a part of Wren’s found family. I was really hoping he’d get his shit together and actually SEE his behavior for what it was, i.e., childish and disrespectful, but oh well.

Even though I get that this was more Wren’s story than a love story, I do wish I could have seen more about what was going through Derick’s head; his behavior got a little confusing though at least not in a way that was annoying.

There were a few glitches, with some some clips of the audio playing in between different scenes but that’s not really a big deal.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

This was a super cute and sweet romance, that’s perfect for when you want something on the lighter side! I loved the summer small town vibe of this book, and there’s just something about books with movie lovers that I just love. I love a good childhood friends to lovers, bonus points for childhood friends to strangers to lovers. This book did the trope so well. I also loved the added layer of the MC discovering their sexuality, it added more depth to the story. I got a audio ARC of this book (thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the copy!), I had some issues with the audio copy provided. The narrator did a great job, but the audio would cut mid sentence and jump around where it obviously wasn’t supposed to. This isn’t a reflection of the story, since it was obviously some technical difficulties, but it did sometimes make the story difficult to follow for me. Despite this, overall, this was a cute, quick read that I loved!

I didn't care for the narrator and the story already started off too cheesy for me. Unfortunately this is gonna have to be a dnf

This was so cute! I love the grumpy sunshine dynamic, and this book was a great new addition to my pile of favorites from that trope. The setting of the book felt super nostalgic to me, and I think that anyone who grew up in a small town would resonate a lot with the protagonist and his hopes and dreams for his own future. This book is perfect for fans of "To All The Boys I've Loved Before", "Felix Ever After", and "Nick and Charlie"!

Never Been Kissed is like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but slightly older and queer, and I loved every second of it. In this book, Wren is back at home for the summer between college and adult life, working at the local drive in movie theater he’s worked at for years. He’s never been kissed and in a moment of drunken bravery, sends emails that had been sitting in his drafts folder to all the boys he had almost kissed before. One of those guys, Derick, it turns out is also working at the drive in for the summer.

Like I said earlier, I loved this book! The characters were all fantastic and lovable in their own ways. This book was the perfect mix of funny, inspiring, and emotional. I enjoyed watching Wren really understand and discover his identity. I loved the way Wren’s personal experience with learning who he is highlights the very full and wide spectrum of identities within the queer community. The romance between Derick and Wren was so sweet and I was rooting for them from the beginning. Overall, this was a fantastic debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Timothy Janovsky!

I flipped between audio and ebook and I adored the audiobook in particular. Mark Sanderlin was the perfect narrator to bring Wren to life!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for the advanced copies!

Thank you to NetGallery for the ARC

First of all, I really liked the narrator, he has a lovely voice, and it was partly because of him that I finished the audiobook so quickly.
The book was not what I expected, I liked it, but I just didn't love it. I liked the characters, they were pretty good, considering that I tend to get irritated by characters in contemporary books, but Wren and Derick were cute. The plot was fine, but I feel like it dragged on at times when nothing was happening, nothing stood out. It's a pretty slow book, I can compare it to typical "slice of life" anime with simple plot and nice characters. I liked that they truly feel like young adults at 22. I also think the drama at the end was kind of rushed, but my opinion about the book is really on personal taste, I do think it's a nice book. Definitely recommended for fans of the slice of life/slow burn YA books.

Spanish review -
Muchas gracias a NetGallery por la copia avanzada.
Lo primero, me gusto mucho el narrador, tiene una voz encantadora, y fue en parte por él, por lo que lo termine tan rápido el audiolibro.
El libro no fue lo que esperaba, me gusto, pero simplemente no me encanto. Entre lo positivo esta que me agradaron los personajes, estuvieron bien, teniendo en cuenta que me suelen irritar los personajes en libros contemporáneos, pero Wren and Derick me gustaron. La trama estuvo bien, pero siento que se alargó en momentos en que no sucedía nada, nada destacaba. Es un libro muy tranquilo, lo puedo comparar a los típicos animes de "slice of life" con trama simple y personajes agradables. Me gustó que los hicieran sentirse como adultos jóvenes a los 22 y no como lo típico de muchos libros de tener 22 y la vida resuelta y las experiencias de vida en los cielos. Al final del libro comenzó el drama más grande que sentí, fue muy apresurado.
Es un libro bonito, lo recomendaría para los fans de los libros tranquilos, siento que mi falta de emoción por él se debe más a mis gustos personales que a ser un mal libro, definitivamente no lo fue, tiene todo para gustarle a un público de YA.
(La calificación final es un 3.5)

Thank you to Dreamscape and NetGalley for this early audiobook copy; all opinions are my own!

What a touching, swoony, delightful read. Mark Sanderlin brought wonderful nuance to every character's voice, especially Wren who felt so relatable as an early 20's adult on the cusp of so much change. As someone who identifies as demisexual, seeing such compassionate, thoughtful demi rep really meant a lot, especially within the broader context of understanding one's queer identity, affirming that exploring who we are and how we love isn't often overnight or crystal clear but that doesn't make that journey or ultimate identity any less valid.

Seeing Derrick and Wren heal from their past misunderstanding and hurt, go from former friends to finally lovers, hit those second chance romance beats perfectly for me. The subplot with Alice was so heartwarming, as well, and I loved the secondary characters who brought an extra playfulness to the plot.

Timothy Janovsky has such a charming voice that sparkles off the page and a true knack for writing lovable characters you can't help but root for. I can't wait to see the many wonderful future books he has in store for us.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this eARC audiobook, these opinions are my own. Audiobooks are really hard for me because my mind has to be 100% focused or I miss things but I have wanted to read Timothy Janovsky’s Never Been Kissed for so long that I figured I could handle it! I’m so glad I did, I absolutely loved this book! Wren was sweet, charming, and funny! Derek was kind and patient! And we all need interactions with an Alice in our life! Mark Sanderlin brought the words to life and fit perfectly with what I pictured Wren sounding like! I’m a big fan of the drunkenly sending out emails to past almosts! Also a big fan of the whole idea of a character whose never been kissed! I liked that Wren was still coming to learn and understand about his identity and sexuality! I think so often, with society, there’s this idea that we should know who we are as soon as we “come out”, I liked the reminder that not all of us know exactly what that looks like from the get go or that we have the right for that to change over time! I’ve appreciated this concept being reenforced in the books I’ve been reading lately! I also loved the addition of Wiley’s Drive In and Alice’s story, it worked nicely with Wren and Derek’s growth! I absolutely recommend reading this book and trying out the audiobook as well! Can’t wait to read it again when it comes out!

This is a new adult novel about 22 year old Wren Roland discovering himself. Wren has never been kissed and he has many ideas of what that first kiss should look like. As he explores his sexuality, he realizes that he shouldn't put so much pressure on himself to experience things like kisses a certain way.

His former friend, Derick, re-enters his life and throws him for a tailspin. As they explore a new romantic relationship with each other, Wren realizes that he might be demisexual. He wants to build I love that Derick didn't miss a beat in being ok with that. He wants to get to know Wren better and it doesn't matter to him that they weren't going to have sex. Derick gives Wren the time he needs to explore his sexuality further and to set the pace for their relationship.

I enjoyed this novel and I liked that it featured a queer demisexual main character. We need to see more of this in novels!

Steam level: 🔥
⚠️: queerphobia & sexism

This book was sweeter than all the candy at the movie theater snack shack. I really loved how vulnerable Wren was throughout the book, struggling with figuring out his identity, his career path, and his relationships. This story brings home the idea that people are all dealing with uncertainty and insecurities, no matter how “put together” they may seem. Rallying behind the struggling drive-in movie theater and the dynamic that Derick played in promoting as the social media intern really had me rooting for its success. The star of the book may have been Alice, the former film director who begrudgingly takes in Wren and Derick to help fix up her home.

Kudos to Mark Sanderlin, a new-to-me narrator, who really captured the essence of Wren in their audio performance.

Read this book if you love:
Coming of Age/New Adult Romance
Queer Romance (Gay MCs, aspec/demi rep)
“To All The Boys I Loved Before” vibes
Second Chance romance
A light-hearted summer vibe

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed that the main character at 22 was still learning his own sexual identity and it's done in a very loving way. The narrator for the audio book does a great job as well. I also loved that there were 2 love stories old and new and the friends were a great addition.

This book was so cute!! I definitely Want my own copy, I hit a little frustrated occasionally because actions and decisions were made that were not my favorite. However, I love the representation of demisexuality because I don’t see it often enough

*I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I felt quite blasé about this book.

I felt as though I was forgetting it as I was reading it. Wren and Derrick didn't seem to have a connection. No personalities shone. The atmosphere wasn't expanded on. The writing was very basic.

In the beginning, Wren accidentally sent out emails to four guys he almost kissed. I thought that would be a bigger deal. But like everything with this book-things just seemed to work out.

The pace was extremely sluggish (it picks up a little at 70%). The book read more like a young adult book. Also, the audiobook skipped parts and broke the flow. All together, unfortunately, this just didn't work well for me.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC!

3.5/5 stars
Timothy Janovsky’s debut novel, <I> Never Been Kissed </I> is pure and wholesome fun! It’s a story written for and about hopeless romantics who dream about movie-like grand gestures and atmospheric backlighting. It’s for those who haven’t truly figured themselves out yet and feel…stuck…in the middle of their current phase. This is a wonderful debut with infectious writing and I can definitely see myself picking up more from Janovsky in the future!

This story follows Wren Roland, a 22-year-old recent college graduate who has never been kissed. He’s waiting for the moment to be *just right,* and it’s never fully been there. After a drunken mishap, Wren accidentally sends emails to four guys he almost kissed, including his high school crush, Derick Haverford, thus beginning out story.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book a lot. I thought it was incredibly sweet and a wonderful palette cleanser. I was truly invested in the plot of restoring Alice’s work and the fight to save Willey’s Drive In. That was where this story excelled and made me wish that I had the same type of experience. I enjoyed the development of Wren and Derick’s relationship as well. They have a complicated history together and watching them navigate those awkward dynamics, evolving into something deeper, was really sweet. The latter half of the story is really where it shines.

I also really enjoyed the demisexual representation and journey that Wren took to get to that place. There were several instances where he just sat and said “what is wrong with me,” that I truly identified with. There’s not nearly enough aspec representation in romance and it’s lovely seeing that part of the genre expand.

Unfortunately, parts of this didn’t really work for me. Ultimately, I think that the story was just a little too short to accomplish and fully flesh out all of the story arcs. There’s A LOT going on here; You had Wren finally becoming a manager of the drive-in and the pressure that entailed, power dynamics between him and his friends because of said promotion, the Alice Kelly main story plot, Derick’s sub-par family. It needed an extra 50 or so pages to finalize everything, in my opinion.

Other than Wren and Derick, I didn’t feel like I knew any of the characters. I enjoyed them and thought they were a fun cast, but they felt a bit one-dimensional. I wasn’t able to form a connection with them, despite wanting to. I also REALLY disliked Mateo. He is likely one of my least favorite characters ever. He causes 50% of the major stressors in this book. I could not relate to his selfishness or the fact that the characters felt obligated to apologize to him, even when he was clearly in the wrong.

I’m grateful to have received an audio arc for this book from the publisher! Mark Sanerlin was a wonderful narrator. Each character had a unique and well defined voice that fit the story. Some of it was a little slow for my taste (even at 2x speed), but that wouldn’t be an issue on a regular streaming device.
I had quite a few issues with the audio recording provided. Several chapters skipped sections or were disorganized, which made comprehension difficult at times. This is obviously not a reflection of the story, but did require some mental gymnastics to fully grasp what was going on.

This is a great debut and is the queer To All The Boys I Loved Before that you wished for. A lot of fun and I can’t wait to see what else comes from the author!

This was extremely cute and I truly loved the representation. It’s not often that you find Demi characters in books, especially romcoms, and it not only felt fresh but extremely relevant. The story was fun even if predictable, the chemistry between the characters was amazing and even the secondary characters were fun. I wish we had gotten a little more at the end but everything left up to the reader was set well enough to not feel I’m missing any information.
Definitely a book worth picking once it comes out on May 3rd.

I got this advanced listening copy from @netgalley and @dreamscape_media in exchange for my honest review.

If you've been searching for a YA romance where the main characters are actually of age, then stop right now, you've come to the right place. This story is filled with love and longing, and you can't help but root for the MCs. Bonus points for the MC having real, developed friendships, too. Think To All The Boys I've Loved Before meets Late to the Party vibes. If you're looking for your favorite tropes this one has friends to strangers to friends to lovers, single bed, and the good 'ole third act miscommunication (not my favorite, but there's got to be drama somewhere in there). As far as representation in this queer story, you'll find a variety of coming-out narratives, so there's surely someone to relate to.