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Kiss Me Again (If We Kiss #2)

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 273 ratings · 43 reviews

He closed the distance I'd opened up between us and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Maybe we can just be," Kevin whispered.

Charlie Collins doesn't know what to do about Kevin Lazarus, her crush and, awkwardly, her new stepbrother. Things were complicated enough when their parents were only dating and when Kevin was going out with Charlie's best friend, Tess. Now, post-wedd...more

256 pages

Published December 5th 2012 by HarperTeen

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Feb 15, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-michelle

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: The aftermath of a first kiss has led to the tension leading to the next kiss.

Opening Sentence: I tried not to look at Kevin Lazarus’ lips, or remember how they tasted.

The Review:

Kiss Me Again is the sequel to Rachel Vail’s If We Kiss. There is a lot of charm in this book, mostly from the main character, but also from the scenarios that Vail writes about. Family, love, and relationships theme the pages of the book, and it was fun to read.

Aw...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Once Upon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was really good and really cute all in one. It was written really well and the way the author wrote the book was amazing because you felt like you were part of the book and that you were experiencing everything the characters went through. It was a very addicting book that I couldn't put down. I was able to finish it in a couple of days because it was a very fast moving book that kept you on your toes and kept you wondering what will happen next. It was like reading somebodie...more I thought this book was really good and really cute all in one. It was written really well and the way the author wrote the book was amazing because you felt like you were part of the book and that you were experiencing everything the characters went through. It was a very addicting book that I couldn't put down. I was able to finish it in a couple of days because it was a very fast moving book that kept you on your toes and kept you wondering what will happen next. It was like reading somebodies diary or listening to somebodies gossip. I love hearing gossip so that's probably why I loved it so much.

The main character Charlie is a 15 year old freshman in high school. She has a best friend named Tess but Tess doesn't talk to her because Charlie ended up kissing Tess boyfriend named Kevin. Well Charlie ends up developing feelings for Kevin and he also develops feelings for Charlie also. Well things are about to change. Because Charlie and Kevin's parents end up dating and falling in love. Then they end up getting married to each other. So in the end that makes them stepbrother and stepsister. After he moves in and lives down the hall from each other they have to keep fighting their feelings for each other because they know it's wrong because they are family now. Charlie tries to find ways to not be home all the time because when she is home Kevin is also home and she knows how strong their feelings are for each other. So she tries to stay away from him. Charlie ends up dating this guy George because she probably wanted to make Kevin jealous. But Charlie really doesn't want to be with him but she thought if she dated him she wouldn't think about him. Charlie even ends up getting a job at a coffee place so she wasn't ever home. Charlie and Kevin have parents that are almost alike. They hate going to their mothers because she left them and the father had to raise them and Charlie doesn't like going to her dads because he cheated on her mom and he only cares about his other child and his new wife. He wouldn't invite her to Paris either because it cost to much but she is his daughter. Throughout the whole book every corner she goes around or every room that she goes into he is always there. So how can she get over him. Plus Charlie is trying to get use to her mother being married and having new rules in the house. Charlie and her mom always been the only ones in the house and now they have a whole house full. The things they say or the jokes that they do get on Charlies nerves. But all she can ever think about is her and Kevin kissing again. They find ways to kiss so nobody finds out but their friends know. So what does Charlie do about Kevin and does she finally give into her feelings. After reading this story it felt so real because it does happen everyday in families around the world. I never experienced it but have heard stories. I really hope she writes another book with these characters in it again because I would love to see where they are in their lives. I also want to see if they still have feelings for each other and if they gave into those feelings.(less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

In this sequel to If We Kiss (2006), Charlie is back, and the problem is that her crush, Kevin Lazarus, is now her step brother and living just down the hall from her, using her soap, eating dinner with the blended family, and generally making life uncomfortable. Fr a while, she tries to date George, but kissing him just doesn't have the zing that kissing Kevin has. She has other issues as well-- she's still trying to make things right with Tess, who was her best friend but who dated Kevin, tryi...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Lucy+Love rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny-chicklit, young-adult, contemporary-romance, tween-safe

Okay, so this was a bit better than the first one.
Honestly, I was just annoyed at whatever was going on in Charlie's head (ramblings - mostly) in the first book so I didn't really pay that much attention. This one however, had more story to it - though I felt that some of the complications were never really addressed: What kind of friend Tess REALLY was? Where in the world was George? Did Toby really like Charlie? What happened to Charlie's newspaper/reporter career, or whatever? What was Charli...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I had to go buy the first book through my kindle and I was a bit worried that it wasn't worth it. But it was. Although I am not of teenage years anymore, it really reminds me of it and even as an adult I enjoy the books thoroughly. The second book was as good as the first book even though the ending was a bit unrealistic to me. How possible is it to fall in love with a boy who soon became your step brot...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Dana rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book’s saving grace is how much I love the main character, Charlie. She is so witty and clever, without sounding unrealistic. Sometimes authors fall into a trap of writing hyper-witty characters that wind up not sounding like anyone you would actually meet in the hallway of a high school. (John Green, much as I LOVE his books, has a habit of doing this sometimes.) Beyond Charlie’s entertaining voice, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. The plot was pretty boring and I felt like...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: yabc-reviews, finishedreviewcopy

As I began reading Kiss Me Again, I was initially highly concerned. I really liked the direction that Charlie was heading in at the end of If We Kiss. She had finally managed to make a step away from her unhealthy crush on boy-slut Kevin Lazarus, which was really good timing, too, since her mom and his dad just got married. Then, I open the next book and there she is obsessing over kissing Kevin again. Vail does, though, quickly convince me that the story is actually going where it needs to go,...more As I began reading Kiss Me Again, I was initially highly concerned. I really liked the direction that Charlie was heading in at the end of If We Kiss. She had finally managed to make a step away from her unhealthy crush on boy-slut Kevin Lazarus, which was really good timing, too, since her mom and his dad just got married. Then, I open the next book and there she is obsessing over kissing Kevin again. Vail does, though, quickly convince me that the story is actually going where it needs to go, and Kiss Me Again turns out to be a touching story more about family dynamics than romance.

Now that they're step-siblings, Charlie and Kevin have a serious conundrum, since they are teens who have kissed one another and would like to do that more. The romance, while perhaps the most obvious element of the story, does not dominate the other aspects by any means. Charlie and Kevin both grow a lot in their dealings with romantic relationships, Kevin learning to be more mindful and less of a flirt, while Charlie refuses to lead on a friend with a crush on her. Their surprisingly mature actions, especially in comparison with the events of If We Kiss really impressed me and made me much more sympathetic than I was previously.

Settling into a new family is difficult. The Lazarus family moves into the house Charlie and her mother have been in. Charlie has to share a bathroom for the first time in her life, and deal with the fact that the soap is now often wet from someone else (which is totally gross, I agree, girl). With her mom, Charlie didn't have many chores, but Joe Lazarus, her new step-father, believes in everyone doing their share. Joe is also much less lenient than her mother.

What's great, though, is that Vail highlights both the struggles and discomforts of these two families blending, and the wonderful parts. Most touching, I think is the affection shown by all towards Samantha, Kevin's younger sister. They all try to be there for her. Never is this better illustrated than when she loses one of her baby teeth. While she's sleeping, Charlie slips a dollar under her pillow. In the morning, Sam happily announces that the tooth fairy left her four dollars this time, and you realize that all four other family members left her a dollar for her tooth. Much as they may all have moments where they wish the marriage hadn't happened, ultimately, they are all making the best of it and taking good care of one another.

One of the trickiest things for Charlie to overcome in this change is that she has less time to spend with her mom. They're still trying to work out a nice balance of mother-daughter time when the book ends, but they are working on it. I mention this because Kiss Me Again has one of the best scenes (meaning incredibly awkward) where a parent tries to discuss sexuality with the child.

Charlie also grows as a person on two more fronts. She gets a job, all through her own motivation and earns her first ever money. In a whole other realm of life, she learns a bit about friendship. Though her backstabbing of Tess in If We Kiss cannot be forgiven, that does not necessarily make Tess a good friend either. In Kiss Me Again, Charlie's starting to realize how imbalanced and unhealthy her relationship with Tess is. I do think that this lets Charlie off the hook a little bit too easily, perhaps an attempt to make her more sympathetic, but it's a good lesson for teens about friendship, and how insidiously terrible for your self-esteem a supposed best friend can be.

Rachel Vail's follow-up to If We Kiss greatly improves on its predecessor. If you were on the fence about reading the second one, I would recommend it. Charlie's voice finds its stride here, and the focus on family makes this a rare, powerful young adult read.(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars

A 3.5.

Cute story, but I never felt like the MCs were in the ninth grade, despite being repeatedly reminded throughout the novel. Charlie's voice-- as well as all of her friends-- sounded much more mature than a ninth grader. Also, they're reading Hamlet in school. It seemed like the author wanted the Hamlet thread to develop into a subplot, but instead it felt tacked on. The job at Cuppa also felt like an afterthought.

Not a lot of action in this novel, but that's okay because the focus was on r...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Forbidden crush Kevin Lazarus is now Charlotte (Charlie's) step brother, and life is very interesting, especially at breakfast when Kevin texts Charlie about the overly healthy breakfast his father prefers "ain't breakfast swell", and later after they fall asleep in Kevin's room, and wonder if they're going to be "busted". The set-up is awkward, the writing fun, and even if I have a quibble that Kevin remains a mystery, it all works, particularly when told in Charlie's hilarious voice. A winner,...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Jana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-2013, middle-grade

5 sweet and yummy double chocolate chip cookies.

Cover Love:
Yes. It's such a simple touch and kind of below the table so it might be hidden. Love it!

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I read and adored If We Kiss. I loved the innocence of it all and was excited to read the sequel.

Romance?: Of course!

My Thoughts:
First of all, I am glad these books are set with Charlie and Kevin as freshmen. The things that happen between them seem very true to life and there is still an innocence about them. I am around f...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dft, own-book, fiction, read-2013, young-adult, contemporary

Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.

Kiss Me Again is the sequel to Rachel Vail’s If We Kiss. There is a lot of charm in this book, mostly from the main character, but also from the scenarios that Vail writes about. Family, love, and relationships theme the pages of the book, and it was fun to read.

Awkwardness abound as Charlie and Kevin are now stepsiblings. After the marriage of her and Kevin’s parents, after the broken friendship between Tess and herself, and after the confusion of her relationship wi...more Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.

Kiss Me Again is the sequel to Rachel Vail’s If We Kiss. There is a lot of charm in this book, mostly from the main character, but also from the scenarios that Vail writes about. Family, love, and relationships theme the pages of the book, and it was fun to read.

Awkwardness abound as Charlie and Kevin are now stepsiblings. After the marriage of her and Kevin’s parents, after the broken friendship between Tess and herself, and after the confusion of her relationship with Kevin, Charlie has to figure it all out. Her situation doesn’t get any easier as more complications come into play. The confusion isn’t one-sided, and Charlie has to figure out her feelings for Kevin. Charlie has to think about the consequences of hurting more people, trying to prevent what happened with her and Tess. And amidst it all, Charlie has to find out what she wants.

I think Charlie has grown a bit in Kiss Me Again. There have been a lot of changes in Charlie’s personal life, aside from the moments of kisses, and I think she dealt with them realistically. Vail wrote her in a way that held true to the character’s persona and for someone her age. Charlie is emotionally confused for most of the book, trying to balance her feelings and her beliefs. Kevin, George, her family, and her friends all add to the chaos of her emotions and her thoughts. It’s like Charlie muddles through life, trying to survive Kevin, school, and all of the changes going on. I felt more engaged with her and definitely more connected this time around.

Once again, I had a love and hate relationship with Kevin. But I think that was the purpose. I was confused at Kevin’s intentions, and definitely confused about his feelings. While some of his actions relayed interest, there is the sly boy persona that plays hard to get. Don’t get me wrong, it is also Charlie’s fault, but I felt that Kevin didn’t help with anything Charlie was trying to accomplish. There’s this fine line that I walked, feeling like the whole thing was going to be too much. But Vail did a good job with writing his character and making him Charlie’s biggest obstacle to overcome.

There is angst in Kiss Me Again, as much as the first book, but there was a lot of growth all around. From the characters to Charlie herself, I felt that the story came to a happy ending. I felt like the story moved past the original kiss to topics of love and relationships. From Charlie’s parents to her new found family, and even to the relationship with Tess, I felt like Vail spoke and defined different levels of love. This is high school, freshman year at that, and I still feel like Vail represented it in a true sense.

It’s not always easy for me to read books where the main character is so young. It’s been a while since I’ve been that age and it’s sometimes a challenge for me to connect to the main character. But in Kiss Me Again, I think Vail was able to do that and bring me back to that age. I was able to feel the anxiety and the stress of Charlie’s problems, allowing myself to be transformed into a 15-year old girl. And because of that, I thought this was a great read.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Antonia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, average-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have to say I was really surprised how much I liked ‘Kiss me Again’ by Rachel Vail. However, I have to admit I didn’t read the first one because I heard it wasn’t too good and I frankly didn’t have the time for it so my friend told me the whole story of the first book. Even though I hadn’t read the first one this book was easy to get into. It isn’t serious or amazing it is just a fun simple book to read. I read it extremely quickly and I found it a really good book for when you need to read so...more I have to say I was really surprised how much I liked ‘Kiss me Again’ by Rachel Vail. However, I have to admit I didn’t read the first one because I heard it wasn’t too good and I frankly didn’t have the time for it so my friend told me the whole story of the first book. Even though I hadn’t read the first one this book was easy to get into. It isn’t serious or amazing it is just a fun simple book to read. I read it extremely quickly and I found it a really good book for when you need to read something between two serious novels you need a little break and ‘kiss me again is just what you need’. I have to admit I liked the plot a lot and I think it could be relatable to many teen girls. It was interesting and weird to see a step brother and sister ‘crush’ on each other.
Charlie’s mom just got married to Kevin's dad who was her crush and the boy she kissed while her best friend was dating him. Now that the parents are married Charlie and Kevin sneak around the house stealing kisses. They go through a rough patch when Charlie thinks Kevin is flirting with other girls and when Charlie tells her friends about Kevin’s secrets. It is an awkward relationship because as newly step brother and sister they live in an awkward situation, knowing a little bit too much about each other. Finally they are brought back together by Kevin’s little sister who faints because of a major headache. Both teens must act responsibly and together to save their sister. At the end of the book they both forgive each other and are happy that Samantha the younger sibling of Kevin is alright.
The reason I only gave this book a 3.5/5 is because I wasn’t in love with the characters. I didn’t connect with them. My one concern with this book was the development of the characters. I found Kevin and Charlie so young. When I started reading the book I thought they were in grade 7 trying to act mature and ‘dating’. Throughout the whole novel they acted so young especially Charlie. Since the book is written from her point of view I could really tell hoe childish she sounded at times.
(less)

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Sep 12, 2012 Princess Bookie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2012

My Thought: Gosh, I read If We Kiss years ago, so when I saw there was a sequel in the works, I was excited. I love Charlie and Kevin as characters. I love the idea of these novels.

Charlie and Kevin are fun to read about. Charlie is so funny and Kevin is charming in his own way.

In When We Kiss, their families are living together, their parents are married, and they have to adapt to it. Well, they do but they start sneaking kisses when they can. Of course they still have feelings for one another...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Andi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, own

I read the first in these series before I even knew it was going to be a series. I remember picking it up because I wanted something fun and man was it man. Charlie has such a personality and wit that I immediately fell in love with her. Fast forward to earlier this year. I was so excited when I found out there would be a follow-up and I was even more excited when it arrived unexpectedly in my mail box. It had been a while since I read If We Kiss so I had forgotten what I had loved in the first...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Marley rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure if this book was entirely necessary--there's been such a time difference between this book and the last one..and it shows, even in the technology used. Charlie is pretty much in the same place she was at the end of the last novel. Realistically, it doesn't seem like that kind of situation would be so easily resolved, considering they're teenagers who just recently got forced into being siblings suddenly. Especially since they like each other.

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Feb 13, 2013 Kayla Harris rated it 5 of 5 stars

THIS BOOK IS AWESOME! It was weird but in a good way. I was kind of confused at first (no knowing there was a first book) but in the end it made sense. I totally think there should be another book in this series.Rachel Vail is such a great writer.One day I want to write awesome stories like this one. <3

I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!

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Feb 26, 2013 Sherry rated it 3 of 5 stars

More like 3 1/2 stars.... A good story, continuing If We Kiss which I only recently read (unlike most everyone else who read it when it published in 2006). I like Charlie's character but really don't get the self-absorbed best friend, Tess. Kevin is a great guy character that I'm sure many readers will fall for.

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Jan 01, 2013 Daisy rated it 4 of 5 stars

It ended better than the first one. It just didn't have alot of plot development, but that's the whole point of the book. For it to be awkward and funny and confusing. Other then that, It was pretty good.

PS. THANK GOD there's a sequel. This author took FOREVER to write this book it made me sick but finally its here

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Jun 06, 2013 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book really chaught me as soon as I opened it! First off let me say Charlie is a really random girl and she iis a pushover she always listens to what others say and doing for others than herself. There's drama there's. omedy there's jut everything in between for just a all out good book

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Apr 18, 2013 Maddie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Probably one of the worst books I have ever read. The plot has many holes, and there is an extreme lack of detail. The book also moves a bit too fast for my taste, I finished it in under an hour. Partly because it was insanely easy to read, partly because I wanted to get it over with.

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Aug 11, 2012 Ade marked it as to-read

I'm excited to read this, i'm just wondering why she waited so long to write this book. I read the first one when I was in 7th grade, I'm now about to be a college freshman. It's just odd that it took so long.

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Jan 11, 2013 Leslie Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sweet and refreshing tale of young love! I really enjoyed its playful mood of a story.I'm just wishing for more of Kevin and Charlotte's love story! I mean the ending was something I wasn't expecting.

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Jan 31, 2013 Sharifah Nurzalikha (Zalikha) Syed Othman (Othman) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, young-adult, young-adult-comtemporary

Is there a continuation to this series after the second book? 'Cause I would read it in a heartbeat! The story felt unfinished, I would given it a total of 5 if there was a third book...

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Jan 08, 2013 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, romance, teen

Sweet rom-com for younger teens. 9th graders Charlie & Kevin are now step-siblings and must adjust to being family (even with romantic crush tension between them).

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Sep 28, 2012 Rachel marked it as to-read

I loved the first one.. so I can't wait to see what will happen in this one. Sequels are always the best; the first book gives you only a little bit of what to expect.

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Mar 15, 2013 Kortney rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I couldnt put it down! It has so much supspence that kept me going and i thought it was crazy to kiss a guy who is your STEP-BROTHER!!

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May 11, 2013 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was ok. Not my favorite book by her but it gave me some of the same things I have gotten from all of her past books.

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Apr 14, 2013 Izzy rated it 5 of 5 stars

A really good book, I really like Sam and her sweet personality! It was a really good book for the weekend, short and sweet.

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May 29, 2013 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought it was a overall great read. The ending kinda predictiable, but other then that it was really good!

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Feb 12, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cute little read. Soft romance that felt realistic. Very simple story with simple characters.

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About Rachel Vail

Birth
I was born on July 25, 1966, in NEW YORK CITY, and grew up in New Rochelle, NY, with my mother, my father, and my younger brother Jon. (And down the street from my future husband, though of course I didn't know that until much later.)

Interests
Some details, I do know-I was very into reading and theater, so I read every book I could get my hands on (especially realistic fiction, either contempo...more

More about Rachel Vail...

Books by Rachel Vail

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Kiss Me Again (If We Kiss #2)

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