Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC opportunity!

This was a cute rom-com style book. This book follows Olivia between parallel universes. At times I had difficulty noting there had been a shift which at times made it difficult to follow. I do also wish I had more background information on the build up of her relationship with Jake, and more information on “how it ends” (don’t want to give spoilers!)

I did love the relationship Olivia had with the women in her life including her mom and her friends. All in all this was cute and entertaining, just a bit confusing at times. I will certainly read more books by this author!

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity!
I want to start off: I LOVE a sliding doors story line. Easily one of my favorite tropes. So when Olivia, who has hated Jake Glasswell since a highschool prom kiss gone wrong, finds herself whisked into a different life where the prom kiss went oh so right, I couldn't help but jump right in. Gladly.
Olivia and Jake in the other life are perfection. She's successful and he's just normal. He clearly loves and adores her. Their life is pretty perfect: except for the fact that she's missing the two key female figures in her life. This portion has the perfect balance of spice and romance.
Olivia and Jake in the first life are a trainwreck, although its obvious to everyone except Olivia that he's in love with her. She's just normal and he's wildly successful. She has a soul-mate style relationship with her best friend, and a mom who adores her.
I loved how this tackles so clearly who you need in your corner: romance, parents, friends. The weight of each of those people. It was really a story about your tribe more than just a romance. I was rooting for Olivia and Jake from page one and completely believed in her choice!

Oh dear. Why did I love this so much? I love almost everything I read. Almost, but this one? I mean you get the guy, you get the career, but what do you lose? This book follows Ms. Olivia and her trip through what would have happened had she kissed Jake on prom night. Now, her life wasn't all that bad because she did not kiss Jake. She had a great relationship with her mother and her best friend Masha. She was laid off from her teaching job, but she wasn't destitute. She loved her dog, Gram Parsons. This girl is so quirky. I love her to pieces.
The parallel world just seems too unreal to suit Olivia. She is so grounded in who she is to those around her. I can't see any universe in which her loved ones would not be a part of her world. I love that she constantly says how wonderful Jake is, but cannot say how terrific she is herself. She is one of those people who wants to make sure everyone else is okay. I love that about her. Did I mention that I love the main character in this book?
Anyway, great book. Great characters. The story moves at a good pace. Is everything fully detailed? No, it's a romance novel, not War and Peace. No need to belabor the point. You left. I don't like you anymore. This is a solid effort and a great read.
Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Liv is in the midst of planning her best friend Masha's perfect wedding, and all is not quite going to plan. First, she is finding it impossible to get along with the best man, Jake Glasswell, a successful TV talk show host and Liv's disastrous prom date. Second, the guru wedding officiant is missing. After tracking down the guru, the wedding finally takes place, but after the vows are read, Liv is transported to another world, one where her prom date went great and her and Jake are now married, and she's a successful actress. But while her career and love life are going well, her relationship with Masha and her mom has deteriorated.

This book was a long hypothetical question that I don't think I was the right audience for. I loved that it showed how important other things besides romantic love are. However, the conclusion placed a lot of emphasis on Liv and Jake's love being "fated," and the idea of fated love is not one I prescribe to.

★ ★ ★ ★ //5

What’s In A Kiss?
by: Lauren Kate

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Do you love a book that is:

-Second Chance
-Enemies to Lovers
-Rivals
-Self Discovers

This will be for you and it has even more within!


This book! Loved it from front to back cover! LOVED IT. I loved our two MC’s. Olivia (who was her best friends maid of honor) and Jake (who was the best man in the wedding) (OBSESSED). This book gave me all the butterfly feels and ‘swoony’ feelings. The storyline/plot was so well written and these characters I felt like I knew or could related to, they felt very real to me. This book will definitely give you all of those happy warm feelings through its entirety and I cannot wait to put this book on my shelf when it is released. This is a book I will recommend to all of my friends.

I had so much fun reading this book! “What’s in a Kiss?” is a hilarious romcom with a quirky FMC, a soul sister BFF, and a MMC with total golden retriever energy. I found myself laughing out loud and unable to put the book down. This book is in every sense nostalgic and will make you want to call your mom and grab a coffee with your BFF.
I wish the book featured an epilogue showing a small glimpse of Olivia’s happily ever after because ending at the scene of the wedding felt a little incomplete. But overall, very cozy and heartwarming read that I would definitely recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for an e-copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

I love a good what if book. The characters were realistic and I found myself rooting for them. The story was engaging and funny. Great addition to the library.

BOOK REVIEW: What’s in A Kiss by #laurenkate

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book it was such a sweet adorable read and I cant wait to read more by this author it was so cute. this is the first book i’ve read from lauren.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC of “What’s in a Kiss?” out July 2, 2024. This book had all of the components needed to be an excellent book. Romance, time travel, humor, and chemistry. But I was left wanting more.

This bill gives 13 going on 30 vibes. Olivia time travels to an alternate reality during her best friends wedding - one where she has an estranged relationship with her mother and best friend and is married to her highschool rival. Honestly, this felt similar to Woke Up Like This by Amy Lea and wow I just preferred that take on answering the question “what if blank happened, how would my life change?”

There were a number of things I felt were off in this book. I didn’t understand how the time travel happened. The process of getting back to her real life was also unclear and honestly just a little weird. I also didn’t get why her relationships with her best friend and mom were SO awful in the alternate reality. Like, a mom seriously wouldn’t disown her daughter for moving across the country and taking out a loan to pursue her dream. And her best friend? I don’t see life long best friends drifting apart and one hating the other so much as portrayed in this book. Neither of the central relational conflicts felt believable.

🔥 There is one open door scene as well as explicit language throughout.

"What's in a Kiss?" by Lauren Kate follows the big what-if question and the different outcomes of a single choice. In her normal life, Liv is a ride-share driver who works on her mom's podcast after she chooses not to go to Julliard after high school. She didn't kiss her longtime crush Jake Glasswell at prom and now he is a famous reality star. However, Liv travels to an alternate universe during her best friend Masha's wedding. In this reality, Liv is a renowned actress who is married to Jake Glasswell, but he's just a regular, non-famous man. They did kiss at prom and Liv did go to Julliard. Liv has decisions to make and lives to meld as she discovers what could've been.

This was a page-turner that I could not put down. The initial hatred Liv carries for Jake was off-putting initially as we learned about the envy and jealousy that runs deeply through Liv's could've been life. The plot was captivating and even made me tear up. The ending felt a little rushed and I wanted to sit through another 100 pages learning more about Liv and Jake. Overall, this was a great read and I would recommend to rom-com lovers who enjoy authors such as Tessa Bailey and Elena Armas

This book was just so charming! I loved the “what-if” premise and the alternate timeline plot. Once the switch happened, I didn’t want to put the book down. I thought Liv and Jake were both likeable characters, but Jake stole the show. The chemistry between the main characters was great throughout. No spoilers, but I wanted more at the end, it felt abrupt given the expansive depth into the alternate timeline. Overall, I thought this read was very good and I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Putnam, Netgalley and the Author for an advanced e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced reader copy of “What’s in a Kiss” by Lauren Kate. While it started off a little slow for me, it quickly picked up and became unputdownable. I am a sucker for alternate timelines or quantum mechanics in romance and this did not disappoint. There are so many well plotted and hilarious and heartwarming tropes in this book and I loved all of them: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, misunderstandings lasting a decade, life swap, all good. And the sexual tension is off the charts.

Liv is the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding and Jake Glasswell is the best man. They all used to be friends but some missed cues and miscommunication made Jake the last person Liv wanted to see again. But a twist of fate/a little magic and as the couple is saying I Do and Liv is glaring at Jake, the present changes into an alternate reality-one where Liv and Jake are happily married. But in this reality, her best friend and her own mother don’t talk to her.

This is the first book by this author that I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last. I have already ordered one of her others. You can’t help but fall in love with Jake and his obvious love for Liv in their shared life reality. And you can’t help but laugh in the various situations Liv gets herself in. This book will be published July 2, 2024. I will be picking up a few copies for birthday presents!

I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t sure how I would like this one. I was a huge fan of Lauren Kate’s Fallen series when I was a teen (like to the extent where I waited outside Barnes and Noble for the last book to come out kind of obsessed). I read one other book by her after that series ended and it did not like it at all. Still, I ventured into this one with high hopes, and I was not let down!

I’m not usually a fan of these types of life-switch novels, but I really enjoyed this one. I loved all the characters, the unique plot, and just ho everything flowed. I was quick though to realize what Liv had to do to get back to her real life, but it didn’t spoil the book for me.

Liv at first grated on my nerves because she is a complete jerk to Jake, who quite honestly doesn’t deserve it. However, she did grow on me and I liked how she kept finding herself in hilarious situations.

Jake was such a cutie! I wish I had a Jake when I was in high school - I would not have let him go. He is just perfect and you can tell he has always loved Liv and just wants what is best for her. Even when she is a jerk to him he doesn’t react in a similar manner. I just love him.

One funny thing I noticed is the amount of Vampire Diaries names in here: Silas, Alaric, Mr Saltzman. It’s probably a coincidence, but I thought it was funny.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

At one point or another we all ask ourselves if we made a different choice in any given time in our lives, what would it be like. Would it be better? One small change can make the biggest difference, but is that a good or bad difference?

I wanted to like this more than I did. "What's in a Kiss?" covers several (maybe too many?) classic tropes...second chance romance, enemies to lovers, time travel (alternative timeline), and a few others. Don't get me wrong, its a good book, a great beach read, but I wanted more out of the lead character...I wanted to find a way to connect to her, but I just couldn't. I also wanted a better transition into the alternative timeline, it just felt a bit rushed/confusing.

Where Olivia was frustrating, Jake was more relatable...in each timeline!

Thank you Penguin Group for the Advance Readers Copy of Lauren Kate’s romance novel What's in a Kiss?

Liv is not where she expected to be at this point in her life. Her best friend's upcoming wedding forces Liv to interact with Jake Glasswell, a man from her past. Jake's presence in her current life leads her to question what if things had gone differently when presented with an alternate reality of her life.

This novel contains a reimagined version of several popular romance tropes 1) enemies to lovers, 2) second-chance romance, and 3) forced proximity. The female lead character's relationships with her mother and best friend were relatable in a non-cliche way that I appreciated. The plot was unique and the character development was complex in a way most romance novels are not able to achieve. This novel is worth the read and I am excited to read more from author Lauren Kate.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, for this Digital ARC!

What's in a Kiss? poses the question: can a kiss change the course of your life? This book follows Liv as she experiences two different realities: one where she kissed her high school nemesis at prom and one where she did not. Kate masterfully explores the topics of grief, friendship, family, love, and careers through Liv's POV while making delightfully funny and heartwarming scenes. I was entranced with the plot and the romance!

Without giving too much away, I'll just say that I really loved the main love interest! Jake made the book, in my opinion. The beginning of the book was slow to get started, but once Liv crossed into the alternate reality and bonded with Jake, I adored the story. Everything between Liv and Jake was so swoony <3 Most of the downsides to the alternate reality were upsetting, though, as there was a strained friendship and parental relationship, so if that is triggering to you, take care when reading this book.

Overall, this was very cute, and I'm glad I gave it a read!

This book is EASILY one of my favorites of the year. It's just so damn precious and it truly intrigued me. I love the parallel universe type deal it had going on . It's filled with great banter, and even greater romance. The friendships were truly brought to life in this. I can't wait to buy this one!

This book made me feel all the feelings. I was immediately drawn into the story and couldn’t put it down.

Read if you like:
💘 Second Chance
💘 Parallel Universe
💘 Enemies to Lovers
💘 Rivals
💘 Self Discovery

Thank you Netgalley & PutnamBooks for this ARC in return for my honest review!

“Because there’s only one long run for me.”

Liv is an absolute delight! She is funny and witty without being obnoxious. I really enjoyed all of her relationships: her mom, Masha, Jake. I adored her sense of humor and the way she carried herself! She was a good leading lady to cheer for, even when she was a nobody LYFT driver.

The paranormal “what if” storyline was actually really good. I wasn’t sure how to feel at first, because it happened very fast, but I enjoyed seeing what could have been for Liv. It was a good reminder of how to appreciate what you’ve got and how to fight for what you deserve. It reminded me that the real joys in life are not things, but the people we love! The story was way more moving than I expected, and I absolutely loved it and the tears it brought!

This is a great story filled with characters you can’t help but root for! I’m so lucky I got a chance to read it before its release! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity!

I liked What's in a Kiss and think our patrons will really connect with it as well. These time shift romances are really popular in our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.