readinglarva's review
funny
lighthearted
It's less of a romance and more of Kate journey as she tries to find 'someone' within a year through online dating app.
Sometimes I really liked Kate for being who she is & not changing herself for anyone & standing up for herself but other times she did these absolutely ridiculous things that made me really mad at her.
Ben is Kate's best friend Julie's brother & the three have been friends for years. He's quiet, suffers from anxiety, and has always been there for Kate & loved her.
I have always loved the 'it's always been you', 'he falls first' tropes & pinning and this book has it all but I really liked how Ben decided to be away from Kate for his mental health and well being when she was so blindingly caught up in finding someone who would like her.
I appreciate how the book tells that mental Illness isn't a weakness & its okay to take meds for it. It also gives the message that sometimes what we are so desperately seeking for has always been right in front of us, if only we really see.
Sometimes I really liked Kate for being who she is & not changing herself for anyone & standing up for herself but other times she did these absolutely ridiculous things that made me really mad at her.
Ben is Kate's best friend Julie's brother & the three have been friends for years. He's quiet, suffers from anxiety, and has always been there for Kate & loved her.
I have always loved the 'it's always been you', 'he falls first' tropes & pinning and this book has it all but I really liked how Ben decided to be away from Kate for his mental health and well being when she was so blindingly caught up in finding someone who would like her.
I appreciate how the book tells that mental Illness isn't a weakness & its okay to take meds for it. It also gives the message that sometimes what we are so desperately seeking for has always been right in front of us, if only we really see.
piperkitty's review
4.0
Someone to kiss by Jamie Anderson
Earc
Publisher:Booksgosoical
Publication Date: 23rd September 2022
Genre: Romance /Women's Fiction
This is not your typical romance story. Kate is 41 year old single women who's now sick of been single and has started to use online dating to find love. Kate has went through the rigmarole of shit dates whislt dating online it's given her another jaded view of men only wanting one thing.
I did find the multi point of views disconnected within this book and it didn't flow well.
It was pretty obvious ending for me I knew the end at the start of the book.
Overall a very easy read. Thank you BookGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC!
#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #romance @booksgosoical @Jamie Anderson
Earc
Publisher:Booksgosoical
Publication Date: 23rd September 2022
Genre: Romance /Women's Fiction
This is not your typical romance story. Kate is 41 year old single women who's now sick of been single and has started to use online dating to find love. Kate has went through the rigmarole of shit dates whislt dating online it's given her another jaded view of men only wanting one thing.
I did find the multi point of views disconnected within this book and it didn't flow well.
It was pretty obvious ending for me I knew the end at the start of the book.
Overall a very easy read. Thank you BookGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC!
#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #romance @booksgosoical @Jamie Anderson
rebeccap's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rkivefolder's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the author, publishers, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It started relatively slow, and I did not think I was invested in the characters until I started crying toward the end. This book is about Kate and how she jumps into the online dating world in her 40s as she made a promise to herself that she will find someone to kiss on the next New Year's Eve. We see her go on multiple dates with sometimes questionable men, and through this, she goes on a journey of growth and self-love.
I love how the author handled heavy topics like SA, depression, anxiety, and alcoholism. As a person with depression and anxiety, I feel the issues were addressed tastefully and respectfully.
Overall an enjoyable read, and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It started relatively slow, and I did not think I was invested in the characters until I started crying toward the end. This book is about Kate and how she jumps into the online dating world in her 40s as she made a promise to herself that she will find someone to kiss on the next New Year's Eve. We see her go on multiple dates with sometimes questionable men, and through this, she goes on a journey of growth and self-love.
I love how the author handled heavy topics like SA, depression, anxiety, and alcoholism. As a person with depression and anxiety, I feel the issues were addressed tastefully and respectfully.
Overall an enjoyable read, and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
jamyfelton's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Someone to Kiss” is a delightful, hilarious, and heart-warming read. It starts with a laugh-out-loud opening scene that will have you dying of second-hand embarrassment. 40-something year old Kate gets insanely drunk at a New Year’s Eve wedding, and as she ushers in the new year, she makes a pledge to herself; by the next New Year’s Eve, she will have someone to kiss.
Kate turns to her friends for support and gets introduced to the world of dating. Online dating. Speed dating. Singles events. Jamie Anderson does an amazing job at showing us how exciting, awkward and (somewhat) disturbing the dating scene is for a single woman trying to navigate finding someone to love while simultaneously trying to figure out what exactly that looks like or means to them. As a single woman who uses dating apps and has done “singles events”, I found this novel extremely relatable, not just because of the kinds of men we encounter at these events or on these apps (glad to know I am not alone), but also because I could 100% relate to Kate’s character. Her thought process (past and present) felt like a snapshot of my own mind and the author did an amazing job at portraying the thought patterns of the anxious over-thinker.
I also enjoyed the characterization of the people in Kate’s life, and I appreciated how Anderson used each character to touch on important issues such as mental health, abuse, and assault. Each topic was dealt with in a very well-thought out and informative way. I loved that the character development wasn’t limited to Kate, but to her friends as well.
The storyline and pacing were well done and not too overwhelming. Seeing the expectation and disillusionment of Kate’s dating life and experiences, her career path over the course of the year, and the change in dynamics of her relationships/friendships felt realistic, and at no point did I think the story was unravelling too fast or too slow.
There is a reason why this book was a four-star and not five-star for me, and it’s down to personal preference. Personally, I found it a bit confusing when the chapters jumped from being first-person narration from Kate’s perspective to third-person narration by other characters in the book. In addition, I found the two time-jumps that took place at the beginning of the book (and then never again) a bit out of place. I think it would have been great if the novel used one narration style consistently and then either stuck to multiple POV or time jumps.
That being said, “Someone to Kiss” was a perfect and heart-warming read, and I can’t wait for the book to gain traction in the rom-com circles!! Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC!
Kate turns to her friends for support and gets introduced to the world of dating. Online dating. Speed dating. Singles events. Jamie Anderson does an amazing job at showing us how exciting, awkward and (somewhat) disturbing the dating scene is for a single woman trying to navigate finding someone to love while simultaneously trying to figure out what exactly that looks like or means to them. As a single woman who uses dating apps and has done “singles events”, I found this novel extremely relatable, not just because of the kinds of men we encounter at these events or on these apps (glad to know I am not alone), but also because I could 100% relate to Kate’s character. Her thought process (past and present) felt like a snapshot of my own mind and the author did an amazing job at portraying the thought patterns of the anxious over-thinker.
I also enjoyed the characterization of the people in Kate’s life, and I appreciated how Anderson used each character to touch on important issues such as mental health, abuse, and assault. Each topic was dealt with in a very well-thought out and informative way. I loved that the character development wasn’t limited to Kate, but to her friends as well.
The storyline and pacing were well done and not too overwhelming. Seeing the expectation and disillusionment of Kate’s dating life and experiences, her career path over the course of the year, and the change in dynamics of her relationships/friendships felt realistic, and at no point did I think the story was unravelling too fast or too slow.
There is a reason why this book was a four-star and not five-star for me, and it’s down to personal preference. Personally, I found it a bit confusing when the chapters jumped from being first-person narration from Kate’s perspective to third-person narration by other characters in the book. In addition, I found the two time-jumps that took place at the beginning of the book (and then never again) a bit out of place. I think it would have been great if the novel used one narration style consistently and then either stuck to multiple POV or time jumps.
That being said, “Someone to Kiss” was a perfect and heart-warming read, and I can’t wait for the book to gain traction in the rom-com circles!! Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC!
jill_bensimhon's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lynnieharper's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Someone to Kiss is more than your typical romance. It's about finding yourself when you're on the verge of losing yourself. It's about loving yourself before you can love someone else. Even if that someone has loved you for as long as they can remember.
This story was fast paced and the characters were extremely endearing. One thing I wished we had more of though was Ben and Kate! I felt like Jamie Anderson gave Kate sooo many awful dudes and we learned so much about them all, but the Ben/Kate-ness happened behind the scenes.
Which, for a more mature romance is fine. And particularly for these two characters. They were more bashful, so I was not expecting any type of explicitly steamy scenes from them. But I felt like Kate's realization about "Ben being there," was just very sudden. Whereas from the few times we see Ben's POV, piney feelings are very strong. Not that Kate would've been pining for him, but I wanted to feel a little bit more tension from her regarding Ben.
I appreciated the multiple POVS though it was odd that Kate was first person and Ben and Julie were third POV. That's a personal preference though.
The things I disliked were super minor though. I loved the older MC. I loved that this is a critique of double standards that men and women encounter with online dating and/or dating practices in general. I loved how witty this book was and how relatable some aspects of it were (toxic work environment/hate your job, but you stay anyway, was just one that came readily to mind). I really think this is a great romcom, and if you want something feel good, this is one to definitely pick up!
This story was fast paced and the characters were extremely endearing. One thing I wished we had more of though was Ben and Kate! I felt like Jamie Anderson gave Kate sooo many awful dudes and we learned so much about them all, but the Ben/Kate-ness happened behind the scenes.
Which, for a more mature romance is fine. And particularly for these two characters. They were more bashful, so I was not expecting any type of explicitly steamy scenes from them. But I felt like Kate's realization about "Ben being there," was just very sudden. Whereas from the few times we see Ben's POV, piney feelings are very strong. Not that Kate would've been pining for him, but I wanted to feel a little bit more tension from her regarding Ben.
I appreciated the multiple POVS though it was odd that Kate was first person and Ben and Julie were third POV. That's a personal preference though.
The things I disliked were super minor though. I loved the older MC. I loved that this is a critique of double standards that men and women encounter with online dating and/or dating practices in general. I loved how witty this book was and how relatable some aspects of it were (toxic work environment/hate your job, but you stay anyway, was just one that came readily to mind). I really think this is a great romcom, and if you want something feel good, this is one to definitely pick up!
lorenaslibrary's review
dark
hopeful
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
zaftea's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook. All views and opinions are my own.
Charming and sickeningly precious
Kate is a 40-year old who swore off dating a decade ago and drunkenly decides on new years eve that by the next year new years she’ll have someone to kiss.
Throughout the story we go through Kate’s year as she tries online dating and a surprising blind date while reflecting on her past relationships as Kate - who is very obviously a people pleaser - tries to understand where she went wrong.
I really fancied Kate and her narrative as she was able to realise what she truly wants in love and life and there was major character development in this story from both Kate and Julie, but unfortunately not from Kate’s boss who is actually worse than Michael Scott from season one of The Office - and no, he doesn’t move to season two.
It was inspiring to see Kate move from the indecisive character to a determined girlboss and I really adored Someone To Kiss
Charming and sickeningly precious
Kate is a 40-year old who swore off dating a decade ago and drunkenly decides on new years eve that by the next year new years she’ll have someone to kiss.
Throughout the story we go through Kate’s year as she tries online dating and a surprising blind date while reflecting on her past relationships as Kate - who is very obviously a people pleaser - tries to understand where she went wrong.
I really fancied Kate and her narrative as she was able to realise what she truly wants in love and life and there was major character development in this story from both Kate and Julie, but unfortunately not from Kate’s boss who is actually worse than Michael Scott from season one of The Office - and no, he doesn’t move to season two.
It was inspiring to see Kate move from the indecisive character to a determined girlboss and I really adored Someone To Kiss
anna4's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really looking forward to this one, mainly because of the character's age. Online Dating in your 40s ? Yes please.
However, the only thing that made me really see their age was the occasional "in your 20s", "20 years ago", etc stuff. Anything else was pretty much as it would have been if the characters were not in their 40s.
I was actually enjoying the book up until about the 50% mark. Kate was..something. I thought she started to get annoying and I think it was mainly because I couldn't see a 40+ year old woman in her behaviour.
There was a point when Kate was mainly judging all the messages she received from men, which sure, fair enough, but I kept thinking "why didn't Kate took the initiative and wrecking her brain for a good opening ? Why does she wait everyday for a man to write her ?". Isn't online dating all about how to start the conversation and then get to the dating part ? Well, apparently she did indeed wrote some men, which was later mentioned in a sentence. Ok. I guess.
Terry was an annoying piece of a human being but he was suppose to be like that and that's fine. The whole situation of Kate having to set up a work out plan for Terry...sorry what ? I just couldn't wrap my head around her just nodding and off and didn't even properly say "no" to that. Why didn't she stand her ground ? This is a reaction I would expect from a 20-something intern, not from a grown woman.
I will say that this probably threw me more off than it should have, but I just don't get it.
Also, staying with Terry, big yes to Kate actually standing her ground during that last staff meeting. And what an absolute mess that no one in that company supported her ? Like wtf. Anyway..
It got a bit fast towards the end though. You can see the moments when Kate actively started to think more and more about Ben, but the moment between this and the realisation "it has always been Ben" was not very obvious I guess. It happened very out of nowhere.
Generally, I liked the short chapters, but this is more personal preference than anything else. The writing itself was also super easy to follow.
I really enjoyed the chapters from Julie's and Ben's pov!
It was also very predictable on who Kate will end up with, which was fine by any means.
Over all my main take from this book is that dating sucks no matter your age. It was a fine read for in between.
However, the only thing that made me really see their age was the occasional "in your 20s", "20 years ago", etc stuff. Anything else was pretty much as it would have been if the characters were not in their 40s.
I was actually enjoying the book up until about the 50% mark. Kate was..something. I thought she started to get annoying and I think it was mainly because I couldn't see a 40+ year old woman in her behaviour.
There was a point when Kate was mainly judging all the messages she received from men, which sure, fair enough, but I kept thinking "why didn't Kate took the initiative and wrecking her brain for a good opening ? Why does she wait everyday for a man to write her ?". Isn't online dating all about how to start the conversation and then get to the dating part ? Well, apparently she did indeed wrote some men, which was later mentioned in a sentence. Ok. I guess.
Terry was an annoying piece of a human being but he was suppose to be like that and that's fine. The whole situation of Kate having to set up a work out plan for Terry...sorry what ? I just couldn't wrap my head around her just nodding and off and didn't even properly say "no" to that. Why didn't she stand her ground ? This is a reaction I would expect from a 20-something intern, not from a grown woman.
I will say that this probably threw me more off than it should have, but I just don't get it.
Also, staying with Terry, big yes to Kate actually standing her ground during that last staff meeting. And what an absolute mess that no one in that company supported her ? Like wtf. Anyway..
It got a bit fast towards the end though. You can see the moments when Kate actively started to think more and more about Ben, but the moment between this and the realisation "it has always been Ben" was not very obvious I guess. It happened very out of nowhere.
Generally, I liked the short chapters, but this is more personal preference than anything else. The writing itself was also super easy to follow.
I really enjoyed the chapters from Julie's and Ben's pov!
It was also very predictable on who Kate will end up with, which was fine by any means.
Over all my main take from this book is that dating sucks no matter your age. It was a fine read for in between.