I loved this book. It was a complex and emotional experience. It was a slow burn romance surrounding lost love and rekindled second chances. I enjoyed the rare focus on mature love between adults. I initially thought this book was merely about their hopeful second chance but I found it was so much more. There were secrets, both heartbreaking and life changing, which brought out a deeper aspect to this story. The forgiveness and acceptance involved fully demonstrated the rarity of unconditional love. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy. I will definitely be going to the bookstore after work today.

Thank you NetGalley, RB media and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to listen to this arc in exchange for a honest review

First, the audio. We all know that a narrator can make or break an audiobook. While I am normally not a fan of one narrator in a story that changes perspectives even as little as this one did, this was a pleasant surprise and exception to my rule. The narrator didn’t try to force a different voice, there were slight pitch changes but nothing over the top and distracting. His voice was comforting and helped portray the main character well. Overall I was impressed with this narrator.

While the love was sweet, and I enjoyed the older characters and realistic problems that plagued the plot because of their age, it was an extreme slow burn. A lot of build for very minimal drama. The characters were likeable and I enjoyed the novel overall.

I read very few romances, but this is Nicolas Butler, and his novel is set in part of Wisconsin I love and know well: Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and the Spooner Northwoods. Wisconsin will always be my favorite state,(even as it sadly turns towards red.)Butler’s tale centers around alcoholic Charlie, retired now , who has returned to manage his inherited farm. Charlie’s real goal, however, is to reunite with his first and only true love,Vivian. Charlie and Vivian were married for a few brief years in their early 20’s and neither has forgotten their young love. Now reunited in their sixties , they seek to rekindle and secure a second chance at love.

I loved this book and the characters created therein. Highly recommend.

I love later-in-life romances. The premise of this story is a rekindled romance of a couple who divorced forty years ago. This book missed a beat for me. I had problems engaging with the characters. I also found the story to be too long and dragged out.

Charlie and Vivian divorced 40 years ago and reconnected thanks to Facebook. When they meet, Charlie works hard to convince Vivian that he is a changed man. It’s a sweet story and I loved the premise of long lost loves and second chances at love. I did find it to be a bit slow and thought the book didn’t delve into the past enough. The rekindling of their romance happened way too quick. Overall I enjoyed listening to the book. Thank you Net Galley for audio version of this ARC.

The first word that comes to mind when reviewing The Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler is shmaltz. Shmaltz is a Yiddish word which means “excessive sentimentality” (it also means chicken fat - but for purposes of this review, I am sticking with the first meaning). The story revolves around two 60-somethings, Charlie and Vivian, who divorced 40 years ago and reconnect thanks to Facebook. Charlie is an alcoholic with three failed marriages and Vivian is helping to raise two grandchildren and never seems to be able to get ahead financially.

It’s a fine enough story, but nothing really happens. Quite honestly, I read books to escape and this book was a bit too on the nose. I guess what I’m trying to say is that if I wanted to immerse myself in real life, I’ll stick with my own.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Richard Poe. who has narrated hundreds of books and did a great job narrating both the male and female characters.

This was my first book by Butler and over all I thought it was a good read. A classic story of second chances, Charlie and Vivian are working to get theirs. This book almost ambles in a slow way that life can do once you start getting older, have lived more.

Charlie knows he has changed but now must convince Vivian who has lived her own separate life and now has more than just her to think about.

Overall i like this book!

3.5 stars rounded up - you know what? hell yeah.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ALC copy!
I found myself rooting for Charlie and Vivian throughout the story. You're never too old for love, and you're never too old to try again! (Spoiler: Bear with me on this point, I know they're only in their 60s, but death came for Papa Charlie in the third quarter)

Thank you Nickolas Butler for the sobriety storyline. It is a breath of fresh air and inclusivity to see long-term sobriety worked in the narrative (and very well, I might add.)

I will say that it is important to note that I am not the target audience for this type of content - and it is also important that I say I'm not a huge fan of neither a man writing or narrating romances to me. (This is personal, but if it resonates with you, take it into consideration...)

Regardless of these things, it was really sweet. AND there was an Abbott Elementary reference!!

A Forty Year KISS by Nickolas Butler. I love a good romance/drama and don’t mind a slow burn. BUT.. this book was a SLLOOOWWW burn. The ending seemed abrupt. I did enjoy the character development. I think the pace could have been a little quicker.

Nickolas Butler’s A Forty Year Kiss is a deeply moving novel about love, loss, and the power of second chances. Set against the rich backdrop of Wisconsin, this story follows Charlie and Vivian, two individuals who once shared a brief but intense marriage in their twenties, only to part ways due to the immaturity and complications of youth. Decades later, fate intervenes, offering them another chance to rediscover the love they lost.

From the very first page, Butler’s writing pulls you in with its warmth and sincerity. The characters feel deeply authentic, their struggles and regrets mirroring real-life experiences of love found and lost. Charlie and Vivian’s journey is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, as they navigate the scars of the past while embracing the possibility of a future together.

The novel’s pacing is steady, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the characters’ emotions. Butler excels at capturing the nuances of long-lost love—the nostalgia, the hesitation, and the bittersweet realization that time changes people, yet some feelings remain. His prose is poetic yet accessible, making every moment between Charlie and Vivian feel intimate and genuine.

One of the most compelling aspects of A Forty Year Kiss is its theme of redemption. It’s a novel that reminds us that love doesn’t always follow a straight path; sometimes, it takes detours, pauses, and even years of separation before finding its way back. The novel beautifully explores the idea that love, when true, has the ability to endure even the longest of absences.

Overall, A Forty Year Kiss is a captivating, emotionally charged novel that holds its readers hostage in the best way possible. It’s a story that lingers long after the final page, leaving behind a sense of hope and belief in the resilience of love. If you enjoy stories about second chances, personal growth, and the power of human connection, this book is a must-read.

3.5 Audiobook
A beautifully written second chance love story! Charlie and Vivian were married for four years, forty years ago. This story is about starting over after the hurt and pain of breaking up, about maturing and trying to make amends with the past.

It is refreshing to read a story about love later in life. I appreciated the main characters were in their 60s, instead of the 20-30 year old romances that are so prevalent. I think it gives a realistic view of mature relationships and all the baggage they collect along the way.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. He has a soothing, grandpa voice that I feel fits the MMC very well. I was a little annoyed by the long pauses between the chapters, sometimes thinking it had stopped playing, but overall the audiobook was well done. (NOTE: I do listen at higher speeds, generally 1.5-2.0. I listened to this one at 1.5 speed.)

If you are a fan of Hallmark-style movies where there isn’t a ton of action or suspenseful plot twists and want a sweet, slow burn, and realistic mature relationship story, then I would recommend giving this book a chance.

TW: alcoholism, adoption, abortion

Thank you RBmedia and Recorded Books for providing this book for an honest review via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Publication Date: 4 February 2025

Second chance at love

Sweet story of a couple starting over after 40 years apart without any contact. Charlie and Vivian divorced after 4 years of marriage, mainly because of his alcoholism, but their love stayed constant leading them to reunite. I was drawn to the idea of everlasting love despite all of life’s problems and later in life romance.

Be advised it contains a lot of language, open door intimacy, abortion, and excessive alcohol use for a couple of the characters. I felt like the author wanted to show that if they didn’t drink their lives would be so much better and free from some major problems. Thanks to RBmedia for an audiobook ARC to use for my review.

This was my first Nickolas Butler novel, and it was just okay for me.
This book invoked a plethora of feelings; it was depressing, hopeful, sad, happy, and some random feelings in between. I didn’t really like any of the characters except for Jessie and Melissa’s daughters. This is a second chance romance novel for Charlie and Vivian, who are both in their 60’s, with a love that works to stand the test of time, life circumstances, and addiction. I felt like this was relatively realistic, without much steam, and the struggles that rekindling a relationship may require when you are in this stage of life. It was not a super face paced novel, and was more of a relaxing read, without much angst or drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderfully written, beautiful story of second chances, forgiveness and changing to become the person you want to be.

Charlie and Vivien were married young and divorced only after a couple of years. Forty years later, Charlie, who cannot stop thinking about Vivien, comes back to where Vivian lives in hope of rekindling the love they once had and correcting past mistakes.

This was not just a book of romance, this novel dove deep into issues that are dark and ugly and showed many bad decisions that people can make. The author wrote each character in a way that showed their flaws but had you wanting the main characters to find happiness and to put the other first.

The narrator was amazing. His voice was so comforting, and was perfect for this story.

This was a beautiful book that I will recommend to many other readers. Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for the Advanced Reader Copy. #NetGalley #AFortyYearKiss @RBMedia

If you're a fan of Sally Rooney(and many people are), you may like this book. I am not one of those people.

I hate the lack of quotes. I hate unlikable characters (though I don't think the characters in this book are supposed to be unlikable). I pressed on, thinking maybe there would be some big twist or lesson to be learned... and there was a lesson, but I feel it is one that I've already learned, well before my 30 years of age.

[I also don't think I like to be in the male mind for this long, especially during a supposed "romance" book. There is one scene where he says "breasts" like four times within two sentences. I get it, that probably is what is running through a mans mind when he has his hands on boobs, but I'd rather not be reminded of that fact. I would prefer him to feel like "touching her breasts after 40 years, lit his hand on fire and twisted his stomach in knots" rather than the caveman version "breasts in hands. I have breasts in my hands. Now, I'm touching the butt. Oh my god, it's a butt". See the difference? I mean I know the later is the more realistic version of events, but...

My next qualm with this book is that a second chance romance needs more "show me" and less "tell me" that you regret our relationship ended. I just couldn't forgive this guy. He kept saying he had changed, but I didn't see it. He kept saying he was an alcoholic, but I didn't see him seek help, AA, or therapy. And she let him back into her life so easily because she had "nothing to lose"... girl your HEART! You're putting your heart on the line with a man who has already broken it and done very little to prove he's changed!!! If my ex walked back into my life after 40 years like "I'm finally ready to be the husband you needed 40 years ago" I would say "F off". I wanted to scream at her I was so mad. I was not rooting for them at all.

Last thing is that the feminist in me was screaming at the female stereotypes used in this book. The FMC didn't feel realistic to me. She thinks to herself how nice it would be to have a man swoop in and save the day, and how great it would feel to be taken care of, but THEN she also gets mad at him when he tries to pay for everything... She also throws away her dream of opening a clothing store for a new dream that she created with him.

I also do not know much about down-syndrome or how easy it is or isn't to care for a person with down-syndrome, but the use of this condition in this book felt icky to me. I saw another review explain that it felt like a plot device to make the MMC emerge as a hero. This reviewer also said that it highlights the MMC and FMC's inability to deal with emotional complexities and I agree with that, with my whole chest. (hide spoiler)]

Long story short, I felt more emotionally mature than these characters and they are twice my age. This "romance" is also my absolute worst nightmare of a life. If you asked me how I don't want my life to look like in 30 years, I would say this.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Tropes: Late-life coming of age, the one that got away/second chance romance

I loved that this took place where I grew up! I could picture exactly where he was and how the author described it was spot on. The premise of this book hooked me, who doesn't love second chance love, especially when it's for a mature couple. The story was sweet but not much to it otherwise. I was a bit disappointed in this one. Had it not taken place where I grew up I probably wouldn't have finished it. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC audiobook, the narrator was fantastic and had a perfect voice for listening.

This story was just OK. This is a sweet and (very) slow burn love story between two 60 something’s who were once married for 4 years 40 years earlier.

I appreciated that the characters were very well developed and likable. Especially the MMC. However, I kept waiting for something big to happen but it never did. Or it did but it wasn’t treated as something big. These big events were merely hiccups to the plot and resolved in a single chapter.

I loved the premise of this story. Long lost loves and second chances. I enjoyed the uncommon theme of older adult love.


Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC.

Charlie and Vivian were married, and divorced after 4 years. Forty years later, Charlie returns to their small town and attempts to rekindle their relationship.

Charlie acknowledges that his drinking caused a problem before, and agrees that it may still be a problem. Vivian is lonely, but scared - she has a family to look after now, and she's not sure that Charlie has really changed.

The writing was lovely, and the characters were well drawn. This was a slow and sweet tale, but I kept waiting for something to happen, and it didn't really.

I listened to the book, and the narrator did a nice job of leading you along with both characters.

☆ALC & ARC REVIEW☆
Publication date: February 4, 2025


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

'A Forty Year Kiss' was such a beautiful, unique story of second chances for love, parenthood, and all life's obstacles.

It dealt with some very real topics such as alcoholism, disabilities (specifically down syndrome), and the complicated dynamics of relationships, parenthood, and life in general.

I thought overall it was really cute, real, and to my surprise had some spice about 25% of the way in.

I really enjoyed the narrator, Richard Poe. He has that unique and soothing voice one could listen to for a long time, similar to Keith Morrison.

Thank you, NetGalley, Nickolas Butler, and RB Media for an advanced listeners copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you want a low drama, sweet story. This might be just right for you. Regretfully, it is not what I’m looking for in a book. I can love a character driven book with a great cast of characters. But neither plot nor character development hit home for me on this one.

Vivian and Tom are exes reuniting after 40 years. And despite implied past harms (which should have been developed and flushed out much more), they rekindle things almost too quickly and too easily. There wasn’t much conflict, the characters needed more depth or even some great banter. This was just about two people learning to be part of each other’s lives again. Just not for me.

Thank you to @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.