Adorable high school romantic comedy manga. Sara Lin is 18 and has never been kissed. She has her eyes and heart set on Joe, a kind and handsome new student. Unfortunately Joe's brother is Oliver, or "subway boy", a super serious killjoy who is Sara Lin's tutor annnnd who she tried to kiss on the subway. The antics in this book are hilarious and the art is fantastic. I'll definitely read the next volume!

Thank you to NetGalley and Webtoon Unscrolled for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Kiss Bet Volume One is a fun, high-energy comic filled with typical high school antics, and I can't wait to see where it goes next. The story kicks off with Patrick challenging Sara Lin to kiss a stranger (who turns out to be her new math tutor) on the subway, leading to more hilarious moments like fortune-telling in the school bathroom. The comic's chibi-style art adds to the charm, keeping things lighthearted even in tense moments.

The story sets up several intriguing plotlines, and I'm excited to see if a love triangle forms and how potential love rivals might shake up friendships. Subwayboy (Oliver) is a mysterious, grumpy character, and it'll be interesting to see how he copes with Sara Lin's energetic and chaotic personality.

If you love the shojo anime/manga this would be right up your alley.

THE KISS BET volume one is high energy high school shenanigans and I can't wait to read more.

From the first scene of Patrick daring Sara Lin to kiss a stranger (turned math tutor) on the subway platform, to fortune telling in the school's bathroom - this comic had me laughing so hard. This story had to be told as a comic. The characters in tiny chibi style keep things cute even when they are angry.

There are plenty of interesting story lines started too. I'm eager to see if a love triangle develops and how love rivals will disrupt friendships. And Subwayboy / Oliver is so mysterious and grumpy. How will he handle prolonged exposure to Sara Lin's frazzled peppy life?

I'm definitely going to keep reading!

I think this is the perfect read for fans of Ouran High School Host Club's crazy energy. Or if you enjoyed Jenny Han's Lara Jean book series, this has that same panicked yet determined main character vibes.

Thank you NetGalley and WEBTOON Unscrolled for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute read! It follows a girl who makes a bet with her best friend to kiss a random boy at the subway, only to find out he’s her neighbor and new tutor. Awkward. There’s also a love triangle (possibly square?) that I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I will be definitely continuing the series when it comes out!

I liked the art style a lot. The characters were all unique enough to not get anyone confused.

The plot was pretty easy to predict and exactly what you would expect it to be. I would say this would be a good graphic novel for young teens, as even though they are 18 the characters feel very juvenile.

You can tell this was originally a webcomic published in parts by some of the scene transitions, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Ultimately well this wasn’t the most unique or exciting graphic novel, it was not bad either. I would definitely consider reading the next volume.

4-4.5

closer to 4.5

omg i loved this so much i want the second volume asap!!
i love all the characters i love the banter between sara lin & oliver. i love how happy go lucky joe is & i love sara’s friendship trio with patrick & vicky.

sara is such a fun main character with such a big personality. i never really knew what would happen next with her. i thought it was so funny how she went from not being able to communicate properly with oliver to straight up just being herself. it was great.

also the art is incredible i love it so much.

i really can’t wait for the next volume.

The art style in The Kiss Bet is stunning—I absolutely loved the way it was drawn and the beautiful, vibrant colors. It’s a lighthearted, silly, and fun read that had me smiling throughout. The budding love triangle (or maybe square?) adds a layer of intrigue, and I’m curious to see where the series takes it.
The story follows Sara, a high school senior who has never been kissed. When her friend Patrick dares her to ask a random guy at the train station for a kiss, she takes the bet. Unfortunately, the guy’s response is to call her a weirdo. Things get even more awkward when Sara discovers the next day that he’s not only a new student at her school but also her neighbor and calculus tutor!
From drama to cringe-worthy moments, The Kiss Bet is everything you’d expect from a high school romcom. It’s a fun, light read that captures the ups and downs of teenage life and young love. I’m excited to see how the relationships and storylines develop in future volumes.

This was so cute, from the story to the art itself. I found myself enjoying this as it all started with a $50 beat to kiss a boy in the subway station. It was funny, I absolutely loved her character. I can't wait to read what happens next at the festival.

This was such a cute and fun read! I have read this on WEBTOON several years ago so it’s nice see this in an ebook format. Sara Lee is such a funny ML in the story and all the side characters compliment her! Her dad and Oliver are some of my favorite characters from this volume. This is perfect for teenagers since it is a bit silly, but still deals with real life situations that kids experience. I would highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for this eARC!

This was such a fun read. I really enjoyed the art style and the humor in this graphic novel. I was sad when it ended because I was so immersed in the story and just having an absolute blast. I’m very intrigued as to where Patrick and Sara Lin’s bets are going to go as well as what is ultimately going to happen with subway boy. Though Sara Lin is 18, this does read a little younger but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyability of this story.

This graphic novel was a great start to the story. There was an interesting group of characters introduced that I can’t wait to learn more about. Lulu was definitely a favorite of mine. I ship Sara Lin with Oliver right now, but I wonder if that will change as future volumes come out. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Received this book as an ARC from NetGalley & WEBTOON!

Such a cute story, but very repetitive. The art style and colors drew me in! I’m looking forward to reading more in the series and from the artist.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

The art style in "The Kiss Bet Vol. 1" is pretty neat. I love the color choices; it fits the genre very well. The writing is good, I found myself smiling at the dialogues. I think if you like young adult romance this would be perfect for you! It is the first volume so don't expect the plot to be fully developed in this issue.

First off- absolutely love the art style so cute! I also adored Sara Lin's father- he was hilarious! I didn't however love, or even really like Sara Lin- she's a bit self absorbed and kind of a bad friend, nor did I like Patrick- he was really unlikeable and a jerk. I did however really like Oliver- who reminded me so much of Tsukki from Haikyu- it was uncanny!

I thought the story was very okay, a quick and easy read, but I didn't like it enough to continue with this series.

I LOVED this first volume! Once I finished up the this one, I had to have more, so I've already gone on to finish the webtoon to current publication! I think this is a fun, sweet, realistic story of a group of students and their romantic adventures. And the TENSION!! Sigh. I think my student will love this adorable graphic novel!

Love triangles? How about a love web! I enjoyed all the tangled feelings the large cast of characters are dealing with while navigating school and growing up. It's both cozy and hilariously awkward in the best way. Definitely made me feel nostalgic. The artwork is gorgeous. The colors are perfect. It's a quick, fun read that is sure to satisfy those looking for a cute romance and friend drama that leans toward the younger side (first kisses, first crushes, etc.) That said, I wanted to know the main character better. I feel like we get more background stories on the side characters than Sara, but I'm sure we'll get more in the next volumes (which I'll definitely pick up).

This is an incredibly cute quick read. I can’t wait for the next volume. It read like a teen TV show. Beyond obsessed with this.

The art style is beautiful, I personally really loved the way it was drawn and the colors that were chosen were just so good. I will say I do think this read a bit like younger YA the way the characters were acting felt very young. Some characters were a little insufferable. The plot itself was fine, not my favorite tho. The plot felt a little slow and repetitive. I'll continue in the series if given the opportunity tho since I'm excited to see how the story will progress and to see the author grow more into their art style.

Honestly, I didn’t expect too much from this, but the way Patrick treats Sarah, and how Sarah’s main priority is to be kissed, and all the interactions seem to fall short, and not up to modern times at all. It’s also a little confusing: is it America? Is it Japan? The illustrations in manga style are one of the only thing that saved it, in my humble opinion.
Very abrupt “to be continued”, too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Webtoon Book Group for the e-arc!

The Kiss Bet follows Sara Lin in her senior year of high school as she decides she needs to have her first kiss. She wants this kiss to be special so it has to be with her true love. However, she ends up caught between three guys and wondering if her happily ever after is still within grasp. I thought this was an alright read. It was a bit immature for me at times but I think if you like coming-of-age stories that have slow-burn romance it will work for you.