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A review by jamyreadsalot
Someone to Kiss by Jamie Anderson
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!