Thank you Putnam and PRH audio for the free review copies, What's in a Kiss is a fun romance with dashes of what if/other pathways thrown in, similar to The Good Part (so if you liked that... try this!). I have not read Lauren Kate before but I will check out her other books!

What works? For me I like the what might have been pathways that are explored here, always interesting to me, as well as the solid focus on the value of a rich life regardless of love/having people in your corner. I also want to drop a note to say that I loved the voice acting on the audiobook, Kristen DiMercurio had a wry tone that captured the quirky humor of the main character and it worked for me.

A few challenges always arise when you have a sliding doors-ish plot, being in the confusion and uncertainty of the main character makes it hard to keep up but at the same time... isn't that the point? To be on the journey with the main character. Some might also find the part of story a little woe is me, I didn't get the pathway I wanted but it did not read that way to me at all, I felt the main character was someone a little lost but also a caring person, someone who showed up for others even if life had handed out some lemons. I like a flawed main character, someone who has the fuzzy end of a lollipop at times but is still doing her best.

If I could have one magical realism wish it might be for a rounding out of the end, an epilogue or a little more closure...

This was a cute alternate reality second chance romcom. Olivia's career and love life are a mess but she has her best friend and mom by her side. And then she has to spend time with her high school rival and now household name Jake Glasswell at her BFF's wedding. Suddenly, Olivia finds herself in an alternate version of her life where her and Jake are happily married and she's the household name. She appears happy in this life but doesn't have a relationship with her mom or BFF. Olivia doesn't want to give up Jake but wants to find her way back to her "real" life.

What a pleasant surprise. I thought it was a typical enemy to lovers rom-com, but it was really good with a alternate universe thrown in to show Olivia that her feelings for Jake were all wrong. Olivia has hated Jake since HS based on her interpretations of their interactions. Jake has it all and Olivia's life isn't what she envisioned it to be when her dad died and she decided to stay home and not pursue her Julliard degree and help her mom. Living pay check to pay check and trying to figure out her next move, Olivia comes face to face with Jake when he orders a Lyft and she is the driver having a bad hair day among other things going wrong and famous Jake loved by the world based on his podcast is looking sexier than ever. The title, What's In a Kiss" is everything catapulting Olivia on a wild ride, but what is her truth and decision.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this and thought it was super cute. I absolutely loved Jake as a character in the "high life" and he has such a good relationship with Olivia. I also did like that yes while the relationship was a big factor to Olivia her biggest concerns in this new life of hers was the one with her best friend and her mother.

I really do wish though that we got an epilogue. I wanted to see what Jake and Olivia's relationship was going to be like in the real life and not just in that other life. I also wanted to understand more what went on in the other life between Olivia and her mother and best friend. Some more context there would have been helpful other then them just not talking anymore.

Immediately, I was intrigued by the title. Within the frist few pages I understood the concept. What really is in a kiss? Honestly, this book perfectly explained how one kiss, one moment could change everything. I think my problem was I did not really enjoy Olivia in either reality. She was spiteful in one and just so confused in the other that I was also confused.

What's in a Kiss? is a romance centered on Olivia as she navigates an alternate universe where the man she hates, Jake, now becomes the person she must trust and rely on to understand her new reality.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was the relationship between Jake and Olivia. The way they understood each other and the intimacy developed as a result of that understanding really demonstrated the value in relationships. Olivia's struggle between her new High Life and Real Life was distressing to read about, especially knowing how things would change no matter what choice she made.

Since the reader is experiencing the events along with Olivia, sometimes it was a bit confusing to understand her surroundings and new relationships. I feel like in these instances it would have been beneficial to obtain a bit background.

This book really demonstrated the value of relationships, whether platonic, romantic or familial, and the value of people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the opportunity to read this book!

dnf @ 7% - i don't like it.

thank you lauren kate, penguin group, and netgalley for my arc <3

"I call this going Schizophrenic Dutch." i will admit that i did laugh. but also i don't think this is. in good taste.

"Masha is the Sophie to my Frances Ha, the Lenù to my Lila, the Constance Wu to my Awkwafina." shut uppppp

"Eli’s lucky AF" do not use "AF" in your traditionally published romance novel ??????? who allowed this. was this edited. like at all????

"During the pandemic, my mom and I started a podcast called The Reader’s Daughter." quickest way for me to lose sympathy and interest in a character is to say that started a podcast during the pandemic. 1. podcast. lame. and 2. pandemic mention. lame.

"Our subscriber numbers are lower than the last round of a limbo line." i just don't like this metaphor

"And you deserve a bronze statue for how much you’ve boosted your mom’s last decade." i really don't think anyone edited this book. i hate this sentence.

Lauren Kate’s books are so, so adorable and sweet. And I just love them. 💖

Short Synopsis:
Liv’s best friend is getting married. She’s helped her plan her small intimate beach wedding. But the one thing she didn’t plan? Picking up MegaSuper Star Jake Glasswell as her Lyft passenger - AKA The Best Man - AKA her high school nemesis. In this life, she’s a mess and broke but has her mom and her best friend. But when time slips she’s transported into a world where SHE is the famous one, doesn’t have her mom or sister but has Jake. Which alternate reality is best for her?

My Thoughts:
I adore Lauren Kate’s books and did not even read a synopsis before starting. 😂 So imagine my pleasant surprise to learn it’s magical realism - one of my favorites. (If you like The Good Part, then you NEED this one!)

It was everything I want in a magical romance - sweet with tension, humor, amazing best friend, longing, just all the good things.

What You’ll Find:
🖤 Enemies to lovers
🪄 Magical realism
💕 Second chance romance
🚪 Sliding Doors - ish
🗣️ Banter

I am generally a sucker for rivals to lovers, a second-chance romance, and a sprinkle of the supernatural, so What's In a Kiss? seemed very up my alley.

Following Liv, who works as a Lyft driver, co-hosts a podcast with her mother, and rues the existence of Jake Gladwell, her rival from high school, who has become wildly successful, the book imagines what might have happened if she and Jake had kissed at prom. When Liv wakes up in an alternate reality, everything she knows has been turned on its head – and she has to decide if she truly wants to give up the life she could have had.

While there is lots happening in What's In a Kiss? that is fun and compelling, I felt that the book spends too much time in the alternate version of reality. I wanted a bit more relationship development between Liv and Jake in their "real" timeline, and because we didn't get that, I ultimately felt like the HEA wrapped up too quickly.

4.0

When I glanced at the summary before diving in, I thought “What made me say I’d read this”. Maybe it was the name–Lauren Kate. It’s a mashup of other authors I like like Christina Lauren and Kate Clayborn and I realized I hadn’t actually read any of this author’s books before.

That aside, I’m not often a fan of those situations like “Sliding Doors” where one character is in some sort of limbo that nobody knows about or believes and sometimes, as in this book, they have to try to assimilate into someone else’s life. OK. Got all that? However, as I started reading, it wasn’t too bad. In other words, I wanted to keep reading.

I’m also not the hugest fan of characters who just can’t catch a break, as Olivia’s real life is. So when Olivia‘s life shifts, you wonder whether the High Life or Real Life is better, assuming she can even things out. I don’t understand how Olivia‘s mother and best friend and family are so hostile. It’s one thing to grow apart, but this doesn’t seem to fit, especially if Jake is still friends with Masha and Eli and, unlike other similar storylines, the new Olivia doesn’t seem to be an awful person with a reputation the interloper has to rectify.

All that aside, it’s a cute story. I enjoyed it. There’s plenty of sex. That’s more of an FYI in case that matters to you, not the reason I said I enjoyed it. Guess I’ll look and see what else Lauren Kate has written!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book is for all the overthinkers out there who wonder what their life would be like if they had taken a different path. I really enjoyed the parallel world aspect of this novel and think it added a fresh twist to a somewhat standard romance tale. I’m also a sucker for the concept that two people are fated to be together no matter what, so that made me swoon.

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes ever, but it is so hard to really get it right, and this one did not disappoint! And although it’s a romance story, it offers lots of thought provoking questions.

Romcom girlies add this one to your never ending TBR!

In a tale of "what if?", Liv blinks at her best friend's wedding and finds herself in an alternate universe where she's not only famous but married to her high school rival, Jake Glasswell.

This was such a good book! Here's what I loved:

The Time of it all. I love books that play with time and space. Lauren Kate does this so well with this tale. Giving Liv a chance to live a different life really works. But it's not all great. She may get the fame and the love, but at the cost of other things in her life that she loves. This gives her a really good dilemma to work through. What does she want more?

Liv and Jake. LOVE these two. Liv is funny and sarcastic while Jake is her perfect match, even when they aren't together. They just work so well together. I adore Jake. New book boyfriend 100%.

The side characters. I loved Masha--the best friend--and Liv's mom. Both gave a lot of depth to the story.

All in all, I really enjoyed this romcom!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy.

3.25 stars

Thanks NetGalley and Putnam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I wasn’t exactly sure what the point of the book was until the latter half. I enjoyed the characters and the idea of the plot, but I wish we would have had more of a plot in the present timeline for the characters. Even in the alternate timeline that takes place during the book, the love between Jake and Olivia seems too insta love for me, especially with 10 years having passed since they last saw each other. The overall character depth wasn’t where I would have liked it to be, though as I mentioned I still enjoyed the characters. There were scenes throughout the book that were very weird and wacky, which was in contrast to the slightly more serious/deep meaning of the book.

Spice: 🌶️

Read if you like:
❤️ Heartwarming reads
💍 Weddings
💋 Consequences of a Kiss
😠 Nemesis to Lovers
✨Alternate Reality
🥈 Second Chance Romances

Olivia’s life hasn't exactly unfolded as she envisioned after high school because she deferred her dreams to support her mom. However, the weekend of her friend’s wedding, throws her into a whirlwind when her high school nemesis, Jake, emerges as the best man.

Little does Olivia know; this wedding will be the catalyst for a journey through parallel universes, where a missed prom night kiss with Jake becomes the starting point for an alternate reality.

The chemistry and banter between Olivia and Jake were so well done!

The story m combines elements of romance, friendship, and self-discovery, offering an engaging read that keeps you rooting for Olivia and Jake from the very first page.

A rom-com with a magical twist is always something I enjoy immensely and this was no different! It leaves readers to ponder the significance of choices, love, and the people who shape our lives.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for gifting me my ARC in exhange my review!

I'll say this, this book didn't hit a lot of the times for me. There were a lot of aspects of this book that just made me uncomfortable, I think it was mostly the fact that she didn't tell anyone that she was from a parallel world, and just continued on as norm. Especially when it came to the "love of her life".

Like I just didn't like the vibe of this book. I did finish it. It was okay, not for me.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one was sweet but left a lot unanswered. I wanted to know a bit more about the world building behind the switching timelines.

3.5 stars rounded up.

What happens when you didn’t kiss a boy on prom night, go on to hate him for a decade while living your life with you mother and your best friend as the great loves of your life, stare him down as the Best Man to your Maid of Honor at your best friend’s wedding, and then wake up in an alternate reality where you’re happily married to that man…but your best friend hates you and you are estranged from your mother?

That’s what Olivia has to figure out in this book. It was a really intriguing premise to me, and for the most part, I enjoyed it. She had to face a lot of self-realization and reflection in her alternate reality. It helps her appreciate the things she had in her ‘real life’ and also come to terms with things she has in the alternate reality that could make that real life even better if she allowed them to. We don’t really get to know ‘real life’ Jake well, but alternate reality Jake is a man in love and devoted to Olivia in good times and bad.

I wish the timeline had been slightly different. Olivia doesn’t land in the alternate universe until after 40% into the book, so we only get her disconnected relationship with Jake for that portion, and then, without spoilers, after decisions were made of “stay or go”, things get resolved in very short order. I would have liked a little less time in the beginning, and a little more of that time devoted to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3⭐️

The premise is cute and I liked the magical realism aspect of this book. Seeing what life could have been like if one moment in life had been different. The gains but also the overall losses.

However I find that it's rare that a book truly pulls off this freaky Friday trope. I'm always disappointed when real life comes back and every thing quickly wraps up in a chapter less. I'm left wanting more and wishing there was more time spent in the ending. I don't like the neat packaged bow story:

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for this advanced reader copy. This review is voluntarily my own.

I am a sucker for alternate reality romances and this one was so cute!

At first, I wasn’t convinced about the male love interest, but found myself (like the female love interest) liking him more and more. I enjoyed seeing both the alternative reality and actual reality relationships. The ending did feel a bit rushed, but overall this was very cute!