Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book, Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous by Mae Marvel. This is not a book I would typically have picked up, but I'm glad that I got the chance to read it. It's an interesting story about 2 women that spent their senior year of high school doing everything together, but have since spent the past thirteen years living very different and completely separate lives. Wil Greene is a newly internet-famous creator that posts videos twice a week of herself kissing random people. Katie Price is an award winning actress about to embark on building her own production company.

Katie finds herself back home in Green Bay to write the script she needs to launch her new company, and she is hopeful that her time at home will lead to her reconnecting with Wil. Both women have baggage. Wil lost her dad during college, and has found herself floundering in the life she's currently living. Katie has an abusive ex that still likes manipulating her from a far, and has some big issues that stem from the trauma he put her through. Neither woman knows what to expect, but it's instantly apparent that there is something more there between the two of them.

Seeing the two women work through not only their own individual problems, but also, the new ones that come with whatever is blossoming between them is so raw and emotionally charged. I do wish that the middle of the book had been condensed or that there was a bit more development with the relationship, it kind of seemed like they were on a repetitive loop there for a bit, causing not only the story, but the relationship to lose steam. I enjoyed the ending and the book overall, but I'd only give it 3.5 stars just because I lost interest there in the middle and really had to fight to keep going.

I know this one has received quite a bit of praise, and I was looking forward to reading… but I struggled to get through! I couldn’t connect to the writing, the storyline or the characters. That is unusual for me! I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but I really struggled. This book isn’t bad, I just didn’t enjoy it. It felt pretty immature and you could really tell the author wasn’t very experienced (I’ve read many debut novels before with various degrees of talent, and this one is probably in the middle - Marvel’s not an untalented author, just needs more time … though is this a cowrite from experienced authors?). The emotional abuse that one character suffered in a previous relationship wasn’t really handled or explored very well.

I picked this title up because the premise sounded like it was unique and I generally do enjoy sapphic romance. As it took me two weeks to get through and I had to keep coming back to it (if it wasn’t an arc, I probably would have DNF by halfway because I was so uninterested, and uninvested). I did make it through, but never managed to find any interest in Katie, the actress, and her terrible past and conflict with her ex, Ben, who after a decade was still trying to control her life in Hollywood… or Wil (Willifred), and her super weird tiktok show about kissing strangers (totally creepy). The pair was besties in high school, their mom’s are besties, and yet Katie’s mom would never let Wil near her or speak to her after she left for Hollywood… also extremely weird. After they reconnect when Katie finally comes home for Christmas and they realize they were really always meant to be… yeah - It never got better.

I think the narrator, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, was the only saving grace for me. She is an unfamiliar voice but definitely does save what was otherwise a difficult, slow-going, difficult story that I had high hopes for.

I received an advance read and listen copy from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) and Macmillan Audio, and this is my honest feedback.

idea was 5⭐️ but the execution was sadly a 2⭐️ for me

i had such a hard time getting through this book and not because it was boring but just because the whole time O was reading I felt like I was missing something. Thirteen years go by and Katie and Wil seem to solve everything in 1 conversation. this just felt hard to believe. There were no high stakes or any moments where I doubted their happy ending. And I LOVE happy endings, but I love the journey to get there more, and this one didn't do it for me.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC

A near perfect modern romance story with pining and second chances and sexy eye contact. A sapphic story that I think will bring about something of a queer awakening in anyone who reads it.

I could so easily picture the characters (especially Wil) and their surroundings with this amazing story telling. The feminist warfare was powerful without bludgeoning the narrative. I think you’ll love the smoldering, the million tiny touches, and the happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

I’m not sure why but I went into this thinking it was a YA book, which it very much isn’t, so it took me a while to get into it. But it was a cute book, perfect to read by the pool or on vacation.

DNF at 20% This book is just not for me at this time. From the start I did not like either main character and didn't care to get to know them more. The whole premise of the TikTok account makes no sense to me.

I really loved the premise of this book and there was so much that I did enjoy, but overall the writing fell a little flat for me and I found myself struggling to connect with the characters the way I wanted to.

Such a fun and comfy read about an old friendship finally becoming something more. Second chances. Friends to lovers. So much coziness and gave me the warm, fuzzy feelings that a comfy romance read should provide. I loved the character building and plot that was easy to follow and that kept me intrigued enough that I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy myself. Huntington's Disease runs in my family and being triggered by a jump scare in what I thought was going to be a fun sapphic romance is not my idea of a good time. For anyone where Huntington's runs in your family I do not recommend this. Hopefully the book comes with a content warning but the arc did not, so I got a fun combination of unexpected and inaccurate representation of Huntington's. It's mentioned all of three times, first saying it occurs in your 20s or at latest your 30s ,which no that would be early onset, a quick Google would have verified that.. Then there's a mention of Wil being free because she took a genetic test and how that took so long. This could have been an interesting plot point but it was underdeveloped and with no reference to how hard a decision that is. Since she didn't have the gene, all was fine and we could just move on. The authors' almost went there with Wil's realization that she had put her life on hold, but it was barely a thought. If you are going to go there, go there. I wouldn't be angry about being triggered if this had been done well, if it was more than just Wil's tragic backstory. But it's the lack of care that still infuriates me.

Before getting triggered I was actually enjoying the book but that soured me on it and on retrospect I wish I had DNFed. It got worse as it went on and a friend who read it with me had the same experience which made me feel better about rating this as I did.

I avoid in books where MCs are lawyers because I just can't with how wrong it is. So naturally shortly after the Huntington's debacle Wil is meeting up with lawyers to talk about going to law school and will be so highly sought after years after her undergrad, which give me a break. I was definitely overly critical of this part because I was still reeling from before but this was another piece where I wish the authors' had taken the time to do even just a little research.

But for those two things I probably would have rated it a 3, but it's been five days and I'm still angry about it, so 1 star it is. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc, really wished I had enjoyed it more.

I normally wouldn't share a negative review of an arc publically but in this instance, I find it important to share in hopes that others with Huntington's in their family can avoid the experience I had.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A sweet sapphic romance

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Sapphic romance
Second chance
Dual POV
Former best friends
Original storyline
Celebrity Romance
Some heavier topics
Witty banter

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The communication

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I didn’t completely understand Wil’s kissing project

Hi I am withholding my review in solidarity with readers for accountability’s ongoing boycott against St. Martin’s Press. Would love to share once the publisher meets the organizers’ demands.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5 hearts

I'm a big fan of this author for their exceptional wordcraft. The word choices evoke senses and emotions. It's a sensory feast to read their stories.

Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous is a F/F romance. Wil and Katie had mothers who were best friends. They knew each other their whole lives. In high school, they became close friends. But right after graduation, Katie left to do theater summer stock and then they never talked again for 13 years. That's not really what either of them wanted but their careers and other people interfered.

Now Katie is back in Milwaukee staying with her parents while she starts on the next part of her career. It's also December and it's nice to be with family for the holidays. Katie does a tv interview, where Wil and her mother are in the audience. Once they start talking, it's like they weren't apart.

The pacing is a bit slow because it is more a character story than one with a big plot. We get some of each of their points of view, and there are parts of the past recounted. It's an exciting time for both of these talented women with bright futures. There are still some complications which they spend December resolving.

Fun, witty banter and full of SPICINESS so tantalizing! I really enjoyed this cute read! I love second-chance romance and especially one with your very first love, perfect! This queer romance really HOOKED me and kept me turning pages!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

This book made me feel like a creepy voyeur. The characters are so well imagined that it's easy to imagine the relationship blossoming and getting a wee bit spicy.

This one was a cute read - I enjoyed it. It had a cute plotline. The story follows Katie and Wil; - this is a slow burn and a focus on a second chance romance. I really enjoyed the families (the mothers) - they were a fun addition. I like the social media sub trope of following Tik Tok influencers. Overall a sweet romance. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you so much for an opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this book once I got a good idea who everyone was. It took a minute to actually to actually figure out all the characters were since it is written in third person and I find that writing perspective a bit harder to get into. There was tons of new age references like TikTok and honestly didn’t mind it whatsoever and felt it made the story most understandable. This story was fun once I got a feel for it but I really had to work to get there.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Loved this slow burn romance. The character development and relationship really worked for me.

Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous had a fantastic premise and cover. I was instantly intrigued with the history between Katie and Will- what really happened to make them not talk to one another for 13 years? Also, who doesn't live a midwest town that scorns lgbtq-- so realistic in today's society and relatable! However; I couldn't get behind the third person point of view for this one and wish it was (in this case) in either character's head but not both. I found myself bored and wanting to "skip to the end" at the 25% mark as the book seemed lengthy and not well paced out. I would definitely try another by author Mae Marvel and those who enjoy second change LGBTQ may enjoy!

**3.5-stars**

Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous is a sex positive Sapphic Romance story. While it had some slight pacing issues for me, I'm glad I read it. I def had fun with the characters.

This story follows A-list celebrity actress, Katie Price, who returns home to Wisconsin for the holidays and ends up reconnecting with her long-lost best friend, Wil Greene, a budding internet star known for kissing strangers. It may have been a decade since Katie and Wil last connected, but once they do, it's like they never left each other sides. The mutual attraction is undeniable.

Each of the women are going through some personal struggles, and we do get keyed into those things. So, while there's a lot of cutesy romance moments, there's also some substance and relatable life issues. I really enjoyed the start of this, meeting Katie and Wil, as well as learning their thoughts and feelings on one another. I was immediately struck by the amount of chemistry the authors were able to create between these two women.

There's something so sexy about mutual attraction that hasn't culminated yet. The pining for one another, as they get reacquainted. I feel like the authors really nailed that feeling. I felt it in my stomach, the butterflies. I also really enjoyed the last 20%, including the overall conclusion. Sadly, the middle bit did drag for me. Some of it, the thoughts of the MCs, in particular with regards to one another, started to feel repetitive and I wanted more consistent forward motion with the plot.

It made the story feel longer than it actually is. The middle of the story just failed to capture my attention and keep it, unlike the beginning and the end. I enjoyed Katie's perspective a little more than Wil's, so that also added to my sense of unevenness with the book. With this being said, overall, I feel like this is a fun, oft-steamy, female-female romance that a lot of Readers are going to enjoy. There are many different aspects of this to connect to, and for the right Reader, at the right time, I can see this becoming a new favorite Romance story for them.

I appreciated how open Marvel made these characters. They talked through everything. Their past, their wants, their fears; they even had close relationships with their Moms. That was a treat to see. At the end of the day, while this didn't necessarily knock my socks off, I'm excited to see where these authors go from here. I will def check out whatever they write next.

Thank you to the publisher, Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I hope Katie and Wil live happily ever after!

Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous by Mae Marvel is a wonderful contemporary sapphic romance. I thought this was a blast to read. The characters basically had me smiling from start to finish.
And the characters I absolutely adored.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!