A sweet time travel fantasy. A bit lighter then this authors previous novels but nice.
The storyline is a bit confusing, in that I did not know where it was going. But it all sort of comes together in the end...as a fantasy.
The characters are sweet and loving. The romance is sweet. The family is sweet. The dogs are sweet. Are you getting the trend.?
I liked it but I'm not sure I would recommend it.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Woman I Kissed by Venetia Di Pierro was a cozy small-town romance with a magical twist.
The town's mysterious recluse, Lucky, had a secret, and now that Cilla entered had her orbit via their dogs' amour, she had to decide if she would share it with her.
The story is from Cilla's point of view and that worked well for me. Cilla was a down-to-earth, relatable character who was easy to root for. She provided an anchor for the free-spirited Lucky. Lucky was a kind, eccentric woman with a big heart.
I enjoyed their story. The supporting characters were also varied and interesting.
The writing was well done. The beginning captured my attention right away, though the middle lagged a bit, the last third picked back up and gave me another little twist that I appreciated.
The setting was lovely. I was drawn into the small-town vibe and loved that the library and Lucky's house shared importance throughout.
The Last Woman I Kissed was a sweet, low-angst, low-spice, story about two middle-aged women who figured out that there's no place like the present. Also, there are two sweet dogs.
I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up.
#dogs #magicalrealism #smalltown #middleage #magic #cozy #librarian #writer

In this story we have Cilla and Lucky who is this mysterious woman who she and her dog just can’t get enough of. Though there is so much that Cilla doesn’t know she too is hiding something from Lucky. I felt the story was a bit slow moving and when learning about Lucky it kind of caught me off guard but it was still an enjoyable story.

I was excited to read this story from an author I’ve read before and enjoyed. But this book took me longer to get into than I expected. Cilla Davis is a librarian (yay!) who feels settled but not in a good way. She has a steady job, a girlfriend who takes their status quo relationship for granted and Benson her dog. She knows she is in a rut and decides to start walking Benson more and even begin jogging. Cilla meets Lucky when their dogs become fast friends. Lucky lives nearby but is considered reclusive by townspeople. She seems mysterious but is welcoming to Cilla.

I don’t want to get into the rest of the plot but there is a bit of mystery and fantasy magic in play. I like the magical elements but I struggled with Cilla. I can understand her trying to find herself again by trying to get in shape, trimming her hair and making a new friend. But I was less thrilled that she didn't end things with her girlfriend first. The GF isn’t bad but isn’t the right fit or has the same goals as Cilla. Everyone stays friendly. Lucky is a very interesting character and I liked learning about her. But overall I felt the story meandered. I’m not sure what I was to get out of Thanksgiving with Cilla’s family. I do enjoy how descriptive the author is in her writing. But I cared less about the romance.

Mystery with a hint of magic. A story that will keep you turning the pages in order to reveal its secrets. And a story about finding that one person that loves you exactly as you are.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cilla’s life is stagnant. She lost her spark. Her job at the town’s library is fine. Her relationship with glamorous real estate agent Georgina is everything but. Cilla is happiest being at home with her love nut of a Golden Retriever Benson. She knows she isn’t the person she was a few years earlier and Georgina is always the first to point out Cilla let herself go. Cilla is always trying to please other people but she never seems to get it right. One night Benson is nowhere to be found. Turns out he fell head over heels in love with a little Jack Russel terrier named Peanut the Second. Peanut’s owner is one person Cilla never expected to meet in real life. Lucky, as she introduces herself, lives in the most intriguing house in town. A woman people whisper about being a witch. Lucky never shows herself outside and lives a very reclusive life alone in her big house. With Benson being so smitten with Lucky’s dog, Cilla spends more and more time with Lucky. The woman is a mystery but absolutely gorgeous and intriguing. She has secrets that Cilla wants to uncover, but will she like what she finds?

I loved Cilla from the very first page. Her realization that she isn’t the same woman she was before and the feeling of being lost and looking for who she wants to be, is so very realistic. I think most of us have gone through exactly the same struggles in life. I really didn’t like Georgina though. The way she treats Cilla almost as an afterthought and keeps criticizing her instead of supporting her, is awful. She does redeem herself somewhat throughout the story, but still I was very happy to see Cilla take back her life.

Lucky is as mysterious to Cilla as she was to me as a reader. I didn’t feel the same connection to her as I did with Cilla, but somehow the two of them together made sense. I loved how Lucky’s history is unveiled, it kept me on my toes and wanting to read as quickly as possible to find out what happened to turn her into the person she is now. The way Cilla coaxes Lucky out of her shell and offers her trust and open communication without prejudice is heartwarming.

The Last Woman I Kissed is not your run of the mill sapphic romance. It intertwines the search for unconditional love with the journey to find yourself. All of that is heavily coated in mystery and a little magic. Be ready to surrender to this intriguing story!

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Cilla enjoys her job at the local library she has a ok relationship with her girlfriend Georgina and cute dog Benson. When her dog Benson develops a crush on the dog of Lucky who everyone in town thinks is a witch because she keeps to herself. There is something mysterious about Lucky that intrigues Cilla and as they grow closer. I like going along with Cilla to learn what so mysterious about Lucky I like her secrets weren’t predictable like usually I like that before something really happened between them that Cilla end things with her girlfriend even though I wonder why they were together to begin with because Georgina was a snob and basically put her down and enjoy friendship with Cilla and Emma.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

it was all going so well until it wasnt ... thought i had a grip on the story line though i was struggling a bit with the characters and then the storyline went into a wild tangent and i thought thats me done...

i did try but there are some books that resonate with you and some dont and this one wasnt for me

sorry

I cannot explain it, at least in the early stages, but there is something really appealing about this book. Maybe kismet, maybe chemistry, maybe even just destiny.
I can say do not read when tired. This is a book that you have to be alert for, not that clues will be missed, but you want to enjoy the descriptions and phraseology as well as the imagery. I felt smarter reading this book, not that it was lecturing me, but it just felt up a level from the beach reads that i also enjoy.
I wasn’t quite 100% following all the Astro physics stuff but that didn’t in any way hamper my enjoyment. 3.5.

A cozy mystery told the story of how our protagonist Cilla meet the alluring and enigmatic town recluse Lucky when her golden retriever Benson fall madly in love with Lucky's terrier Peanut, from thereon their lives kept intertwined (because why would you stop two lovers (dogs) from meeting each other) and Cilla begins to understand the reason behind Lucky’s reclusiveness.

The mystery was intriguing enough for me to keep going to find out Lucky's secret. However I personally do not like Cilla’s infidelity and her dishonesty, ok dishonesty might be a strong word, but lying by omission and choose not to disclose to both Georgina and Lucky was just as bad, understandable given Cilla's personality but I kept going and it was worth the read, the ending tied up nicely.

The side characters are a mix bunch of quirky, we have the youthful and energetic Emma, and Rogers the talking Donkey from Shrek as pointed out by Cilla's friend Emma, and god that was a hilarious moments I laughed so loud.

All in all, a solid read. Recommended to those who enjoy cozy small town mystery. Special thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc.

This is a mystery romance novel. Cilla, a librarian in a small town, yearns for a change in her life. She meets Lucky via her dog, Benson. The story unfolds around the enigma of Lucky, providing an engaging read. I suggest this book to fans of romance and mystery genres.

Coming of age later in life
Cilla, the main character, is in a rut. Her girlfriend, Georgina and her, have slowly grown afar. And Cilla is trying to please her and everyone else, but has lost track of herself … Enter her dog Benson who has a new friend, Peanut the second and insists on visiting her. So Cilla who is all about conventional, average, pleasant to everyone meets Lucky who is unconventional, mysterious, a recluse and utterly alluring.
Di Pierro‘s superb writing carries this quirky story which takes a bit of a paranormal turn at some point. I liked that Cilla is coming of age - finally. I loved that both Cilla and Lucky are mature woman. And Benson is just one of those great dogs who can make any story a good one.

Thanks to netgalley and Bella Books for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.

Venetia Di Pierro’s "The Last Woman I Kissed" invites readers into a world where the ordinary and the magical intertwine, crafting a tale that is both enchanting and introspective. The novel revolves around Cilla Davis, whose seemingly perfect life—marked by a attractive girlfriend, a stable job, and a golden retriever—is disrupted when she becomes irresistibly captivated by the mysterious Lucky. Though I did not like Georgiana's character, Cilla’s infidelity was disappointing, particularly due to her lack of honesty with Georgiana and Lucky. However, Di Pierro’s storytelling remains compelling.

Pierro’s prose is both evocative and engaging, skillfully blending the mundane with the mystical. Her vivid descriptions breathe life into the small town and its inhabitants, creating a rich and immersive backdrop for the narrative.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

I didn’t know what to expect when I began The Last Woman I Kissed, but right off the bat was completely engaged. The characters pulled me in; Cilla’s point of view and her thought processes were so incredibly good and funny and endearing, and Lucky was such a vibrantly eccentric, lovely character. The side characters were great too - Roger was hilariously strange, Georgina was just the right amount of bad, Emma was the penultimate bestie. I loveddddd it.
The style of writing blew my mind- it easily and rhythmically tugged me along, piled high with so much sweetness and tenderness as well as humour, intrigue, and mystery.
I would recommend this to anyone - it has quickly become one of my top books this year.
Thank you for this ARC!

First rating and review? I’m honored!

Before you read any further ill say this: I went into this novel blind without any idea what its about and I am SO glad that I did. This was truly a case of being surprised by where the novel went and it was a great experience that I recommend.

I loved this novel. It was original and had an entirely different vibe from anything else I have read in a long while. The characters are a stand-out success, nuanced and felt very real. There was a romance plotline, which was great, but I wouldn’t say that this was a romance novel first and foremost. There was a lot going on in this novel, with several different relationship dynamics under investigation and a big focus on the main character finding themselves and what makes them happy. Parts of the story are simple, parts are very complex, but the whole package was very satisfying. I highly recommend this novel.

Highlights:
-The unexpected direction of the plot twist(?) was delightful. I didn’t see it coming and I was kept guessing through most of the novel, about various details. I was enthralled by this story and NEEDED to know where it was going. Also, the way that the author handled “that part of the plot” was very well done; it is easy in these types of stories to get bogged down in details and elements that ultimately don’t matter and thankfully that didn’t happen.
-The dog romance subplot. There isn’t much to it obviously (they are dogs) but I still absolutely loved it.
-The self-discovery-and-improvement character arc of the protagonist was well done and satisfying. The character development wasn’t massive, but it was significant and rewarding. I think this was the main point/strength of the novel and it was well done. This was intertwined with the romance plotline which was also very sweet and well done. Satisfying all-round!
-None of the characters were 2D stock characters. I was afraid this was going to be the case with Georgina (as they so often do with characters playing this role in the story) but instead the author showed enough of the character to make them nuanced, and the relationship dynamic satisfying instead of a caricature.

Nitpicks & Criticisms:
-I didn’t love the parts of the novel where our protagonist was involved with multiple love interests at the same time. That said, I realize that 1) this is a “me problem” and not everyone agrees with that and (more importantly) 2) she wasn’t officially “with” either of them so its technically ok and there wasn’t any cheating to speak of. I just didn’t love the vibes at times.
-Some of the plotline is a bit simple, or things happen/resolve too easily. All of the main conflicts are ultimately resolved on their own through external forces, or else off-screen with a one sentence explainer (I didn’t realize this until after I was done and reflecting on the novel!). This was less satisfying than it could have been, but ultimately it didn’t take away from the novel and I still loved it.

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

This had a slower start but ramped up to a nice little cozy mystery. Cilla is leading a life that's not super exciting or fulfilling but she has the basics that she needs, or so she thinks. She has a solid job that she mostly enjoys at the local library, a girlfriend who's gorgeous if a bit distant, an adorable dog, and a cute little house that she lives in solo. Life is unexciting but steady until her dog, Benson, decides to escape and visit the local kooky lady (every town's got one!) and her dog, Peanut the Second. Cilla strikes up a friendship and attraction to Lucky, the mysterious lady who lives in the spooky house and keeps to herself but strange things keep happening around her.

Cilla is the right mix of a protagonist who's stuck in a bit of a rut and people-pleasing but also has some firm boundaries. It's really easy to go too far into the people-pleasing part of the personality of a character like her so I appreciate that the balance is well-struck here.

Lucky is interestingly enigmatic and her secrets are not predictable for readers to guess. As a result, the core mystery is cozy and low-stakes but engaging because Cilla is a likeable protagonist and we want her to find love and solve the mystery. The subplot of Benson the dog and his crush on Peanut the Second is also really sweet and fun.

I have to give particular kudos to the author for not making Georgina a stock career-minded mean girl sort of character, but instead we get to see a bit of what Cilla saw in her and the fun they had together in the earlier days of their relationship. Once again, it's predictable and easy to fall into the trap of making the current partner terrible to make the new potential love interest shine, but Georgina is nuanced and clearly has a history that makes her guarded and the way she is.

Overall, this was a really sweet and cozy small-town mystery with a dash of magical realism and a very cute dog thrown in.

I had some trouble getting into this book, I think it took me the first two chapters until I had everything sorted.
The concept of the story was great, but for me it just didn’t fully work out in the end.

I didn’t really love any of the characters. Cilla was way too naïve for my liking and Georgina was just super toxic. The back and forth between them was also annoying. In the beginning it was okay and understandable, but in the later chapters it was just annoying. Lucky‘s and Cilla‘s chemistry was good, but I wasn’t 100% satisfied. Some scenes were kind of rushed, like that one scene under the tree, it just kinda came out of nowhere. Oh and can we talk about Rodger? Major red flag.

I feel like people either love or hate the cover, and for me it is the later. I don’t really know why, but I feel like it could have been way better.

The writing style was good, and I did enjoy many bits of the book, like Cilla’s and Lucky’s meeting, their two dogs or the ending, just not all of it.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the author for the Arc in exchange of an honest review.

This book was much different than I expected. I liked that we got to uncover things about Lucky and her situation at the same time as Cilla did, we didn't know more than she did at a given time. Overall, this book was pretty engaging to read, the unpredictability kept me unsure of the final destination of the book. By the end, I was satisfied with the outcome, even if I did still have a few unanswered questions. 4/5 stars.

This is a thoughtful and mysterious story with depth, a touch of magic and such a beautiful happy ending that warms your heart.
With such a beautiful Cover, i love it!
It tells the story of Cilla, who actually has everything you could wish for but is still missing something.
She actually has a happy relationship and a job that she loves and everything should actually feel really good.
But she herself doesn't and Georgina takes every opportunity to tell her what isn't so good... actually not good at all, right? Right!
As soon as she meets the mysterious woman who the whole town is talking about and everyone secretly has their own opinion, because she is different and lives a secluded life, she feels something she didn't expect and on top of that, Benson, her furry companion, is head over heels in love with the mysterious woman's dog.
A beautiful, strange and mysterious woman who has an enchanting smile and doesn't seem that aloof... I don't want to give too much away, but Lucky is an extraordinary character.
This beautiful and gentle romance was written with a certain sadness by Venetia Di Pierro, which touched me and captivated me at the same time!
Thanks to Bella Books, Netgalley and of course the Author for the ARC of this beautiful story!