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The Kiss
'Aphrodite kissed a mortal once by the light of this moon, many thousands of years ago. It drove him crazy. The next person that he kissed - boum. The craziness travelled like this from person to person. It travelled through time. Everywhere - boum! Tu comprends?' 'Where did it end up?' I whisper. His lips are on my cheek now. 'It ended with me. And now I am going to pass it to you. You will like that, mermaid?' Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer's night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she's ever heard. BOOM! Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it's gone ...Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble? A hilarious rom-com that will delight Geek Girls everywhere!
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2015
2 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Courtenay
84 books14 followersLucy Courtenay has officially been writing children’s fiction since 1999, and unofficially for a lot longer than that. Her desk drawers are full of half-finished stories waiting for the right moment to emerge and dance around her study in a shower of exuberant paperclips. She’s written for series such as THE SLEEPOVER CLUB, ANIMAL ARK, DOLPHIN DIARIES and BEAST QUEST. Her new series MERMAID SCHOOL is out now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 28, 2015
"Guess I was the only one who felt it," he says..
"Felt what?"
"Like the moon was inside me."
This is probably one of the swooniest book I've ever read. EVER. When I try to remember my feelings towards this book, all I can recall is swooning and a hint of melancholy. The Kiss had its moments, but sadly the ending kinda ruined everything for me.
To be honest, I prepared myself in hating this book. Its just one of those book that I feel like I will hate. Maybe because I won't like the main character or the romance will be too cheesy for me or you know, the famous INSTALOVE will happen... I just really feel that in some way, this book is gonna piss me off. But surprise, surprise! I liked it.. so much. Yes, the main character did piss me off at first. And yes, the romance was indeed a bit cheesy but there's something about THE KISS that is so addicting that I finished it in one sitting.
Maybe its because how the MC turned out to be a total badass. Or maybe its because of the charismatic Jem. Or maybe its Lucy's very seductive way of writing... I just know that there's something about this book that made my eyes glued in it. Jem and Delilah is explosive in every page! You can really feel how perfect these two are together. Delilah is all sass and badass on the outside.. but inside? A big softie! And Jem? .......I have no words.
The reason this isn't a 4 or 5 star for me is the UNSATISFYING ending. I was really pissed. I can't believe it ended JUST LIKE THAT. There's so many things that needs to be resolved! And okay, okay, I just really want more moments of Jem and Delilah together. I really wish there's MORE!
Overall, The Kiss is still worth giving a try! If you're a YA romance reader, you'll inhale The Kiss like crack! Its creative, swoony and in some way, memorable. Lucy Courtenay is definitely one of my to-go list now when it comes to this genre.
August 17, 2015
This review is also available here.
I was honestly only interested in reading The kiss at the mention of the Greek Goddess in the blurb. I'am a sucker in everything about Greek Gods and you have PJO series to blame for that. Anyway, I was expecting all sorts of things when I started this book, like insta-loves, cringe-worthy cheesy lines and teen romance gone wrong. So imagine my surprise when this book turn out to be a fun, fast-paced and very relatable read that I was having a hard time putting it down.
This book has great writing and intriguing story line that will keep making you flip on to the next page, but what make this book a winner for me was the realistic portrayal of the characters.
I find Delilah, the MC of this book adorable. Well, I can read a lot of hate being thrown at her on some reviews, and I can't blame them. She's.. someone who doesn't really make a good first impression.
But that's not the worst of it. Since she can't make Tabs, her bestfriend, break-up with the onion, I mean, Sam, she made her come to a party to experience a "proper" kiss to convince her not to get settled with the onion. Which, eventually ended up to break-up.
Now tab's devastated and angry, Sam's found somebody else, and Delilah? Well, she's not happy either. Now she needs to make up for the things she messed up. How? Well creating trouble is easy.. fixing them is another story...
I was once a teenager myself. So I can totally relate to Delilah's "we're young and free" attitude. Teenagers are notorious for being repulsive and hormone driven so I do understand where Delilah's attitude are coming from. She's far from being a perfect heroine that everyone could relate to, she makes mistakes, a lot of it in fact, but I think, it was written well enough for me to feel like she's a real character, not a special snowflake.
Delilah's been betrayed, hurt and cheated on, so she has a lot of trust issues, so flirting is her answer to get over it. I know it's not healthy, but hey, we all have to deal with pain on our own right?
Then there's Jem. The guy that made Delilah and me swoon.
There are a lot of talk about sex, drinking and drugs that aren't suitable for everyone. But if you love to read a fast-paced book with hilarious and angsty characters, then this book is more than worth a try. I enjoyed reading this a lot, considering I'am not much of a fan of a YA contemporary romance, that has to count for something.. right?
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.**
‘Love will come when it is ready, cherie. Not when Aphrodite is horny’The Kiss is one of those very few contemporary romance books that made me question myself after reading, why is this my least favorite genre?
I was honestly only interested in reading The kiss at the mention of the Greek Goddess in the blurb. I'am a sucker in everything about Greek Gods and you have PJO series to blame for that. Anyway, I was expecting all sorts of things when I started this book, like insta-loves, cringe-worthy cheesy lines and teen romance gone wrong. So imagine my surprise when this book turn out to be a fun, fast-paced and very relatable read that I was having a hard time putting it down.
This book has great writing and intriguing story line that will keep making you flip on to the next page, but what make this book a winner for me was the realistic portrayal of the characters.
I find Delilah, the MC of this book adorable. Well, I can read a lot of hate being thrown at her on some reviews, and I can't blame them. She's.. someone who doesn't really make a good first impression.
‘If you love me at all, don’t go all exclusive with the Onion. We’re young and free. Don’t you want to stay like that for a bit longer? Not answering to anyone and doing what you want when you want and not so it fits in with football practice nights?’First she calls her bestfriend's boyfriend an onion, then she accuses him as a lousy kisser, just because she experience a lushiest kiss from a french, now she wants her bestfriend to break-up with her lovy boyfriend just because his kiss doesn't meet her standard.
But that's not the worst of it. Since she can't make Tabs, her bestfriend, break-up with the onion, I mean, Sam, she made her come to a party to experience a "proper" kiss to convince her not to get settled with the onion. Which, eventually ended up to break-up.
Now tab's devastated and angry, Sam's found somebody else, and Delilah? Well, she's not happy either. Now she needs to make up for the things she messed up. How? Well creating trouble is easy.. fixing them is another story...
I was once a teenager myself. So I can totally relate to Delilah's "we're young and free" attitude. Teenagers are notorious for being repulsive and hormone driven so I do understand where Delilah's attitude are coming from. She's far from being a perfect heroine that everyone could relate to, she makes mistakes, a lot of it in fact, but I think, it was written well enough for me to feel like she's a real character, not a special snowflake.
Delilah's been betrayed, hurt and cheated on, so she has a lot of trust issues, so flirting is her answer to get over it. I know it's not healthy, but hey, we all have to deal with pain on our own right?
‘This whole heartbreak thing, right? The way you see it on TV, it's awful for about five minutes and then there's an ad break for some super-strength mascara that gives your eyes like a demented panda and then you're out dancing with your bestfriens and fancying someone else. No one gave me that script.’As her defense mechanisms, she wants to take over her life, her bestfriend's life or the life of her prospect love interest. It's not good and she know's that.
‘I think’, I say, staring at my pineapple juice, ‘that I like being in control of stuff. Even when that stuff's nothing to do with me. That's not good. Next time I do it, kick me.’Atleast she acknowledge her mistakes and actually do something to make up for it.
Then there's Jem. The guy that made Delilah and me swoon.
There are a lot of talk about sex, drinking and drugs that aren't suitable for everyone. But if you love to read a fast-paced book with hilarious and angsty characters, then this book is more than worth a try. I enjoyed reading this a lot, considering I'am not much of a fan of a YA contemporary romance, that has to count for something.. right?
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.**
December 31, 2015
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
This review is proving quite hard to write, and will likely be on the shorter side. I'm not exactly sure what I think of this book. Yeah, I read it quite quickly, but it took some time to get through the first five chapters or so.
First of all, I had problems with the characters, especially the protagonist Delilah. She was extremely grating and annoying, and I think it was mostly due to her that I had problems with The Kiss. She's a sixteen year old, who we first meet on holiday in France, and from then on she hardly grows up. Yes, she is a hard working student, but she is also just hard work. There were some times that I quite liked her, especially when she reinvented the theatre show, but other than that, I just couldn't connect with her.
Another problem was the synopsis - how confusing is it? Even though I've just read the book, I'm still confused about what the synopsis is on about. Yes the book discussed the so-called legendary 'Aphrodite's Kiss', but that wasn't really the main plot of the story. This 'Kiss' is supposedly a bit of magic that has been passed from lover to lover throughout the centuries, stemming back to Aphrodite herself, and managed to be passed to Delilah when she was in France. I feel as if this is just a bit too made up for the story to have any believability, when it's otherwise a normal, UKYA contemporary. The story was about much more than just this silly little thing, and if I was in a book store trying to find my next read, and had to rely on just this synopsis, I'd probably pick something else.
Thirdly: the romance. Considering The Kiss is intended to be a UKYA contemporary romance book, the romance isn't all that great. I kind of liked the banter between Delilah and Jem, but it was too angsty. There were too many problems, and the added complication of the 'Kiss' just made it even worse. Also problematic was Delilah's best friend, Tabby, and her relationship with her boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, Sam. This also was too angsty. To be perfectly honest, the whole book seems to have basically been angst, with a side order of angst.
Finally, I know I may be on the older side of the audience for this book, being 20, but the writing was really young, as if it was more for a 10-13 audience. However, considering the main character was 16, and the topics of sex, drugs, under age drinking, and other illegal activities were discussed, I wouldn't recommend younger YA readers read it.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book. There are other UKYA contemporaries out there if that's what you fancy reading, and they're definitely won't be a waste of your time, unlike The Kiss.
This review is proving quite hard to write, and will likely be on the shorter side. I'm not exactly sure what I think of this book. Yeah, I read it quite quickly, but it took some time to get through the first five chapters or so.
First of all, I had problems with the characters, especially the protagonist Delilah. She was extremely grating and annoying, and I think it was mostly due to her that I had problems with The Kiss. She's a sixteen year old, who we first meet on holiday in France, and from then on she hardly grows up. Yes, she is a hard working student, but she is also just hard work. There were some times that I quite liked her, especially when she reinvented the theatre show, but other than that, I just couldn't connect with her.
Another problem was the synopsis - how confusing is it? Even though I've just read the book, I'm still confused about what the synopsis is on about. Yes the book discussed the so-called legendary 'Aphrodite's Kiss', but that wasn't really the main plot of the story. This 'Kiss' is supposedly a bit of magic that has been passed from lover to lover throughout the centuries, stemming back to Aphrodite herself, and managed to be passed to Delilah when she was in France. I feel as if this is just a bit too made up for the story to have any believability, when it's otherwise a normal, UKYA contemporary. The story was about much more than just this silly little thing, and if I was in a book store trying to find my next read, and had to rely on just this synopsis, I'd probably pick something else.
Thirdly: the romance. Considering The Kiss is intended to be a UKYA contemporary romance book, the romance isn't all that great. I kind of liked the banter between Delilah and Jem, but it was too angsty. There were too many problems, and the added complication of the 'Kiss' just made it even worse. Also problematic was Delilah's best friend, Tabby, and her relationship with her boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, Sam. This also was too angsty. To be perfectly honest, the whole book seems to have basically been angst, with a side order of angst.
Finally, I know I may be on the older side of the audience for this book, being 20, but the writing was really young, as if it was more for a 10-13 audience. However, considering the main character was 16, and the topics of sex, drugs, under age drinking, and other illegal activities were discussed, I wouldn't recommend younger YA readers read it.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book. There are other UKYA contemporaries out there if that's what you fancy reading, and they're definitely won't be a waste of your time, unlike The Kiss.
July 19, 2015
Originally posted on the blog Baked Book Pages
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review*
This book was like an extensive episode of a teen comedy/drama sitcom. It was meant to entertain for a short period of time. That being said, although I had so much troubles with The Kiss, I still enjoy a short, contemporary novel.
To start with, I didn't know this was a UK YA Contemporary book. I caught on shortly after all the English cultural references. I really liked the concept of the "Aphrodite's Kiss", giving the book a sort of magical realism vibe to it. However, you scratch on the surface of that concept and you'll find a very deep hole in it. I normally don't mind teen angst, but this book was served with it on a silver platter.
I probably would have enjoyed this much more if the characters didn't annoy me. Delilah was not such a likable protagonist. I pretty much didn't like her from the start. She works hard at her job while juggling college courses but her personality was way off. Same applies to her best friend, Tabby. Throughout the plot they were whining about petty problems that they complicated even more.
I didn't really had a problem with the writing style. I pretty much flew through the book. At times, I would be smiling or maybe even laughing at certain parts of the book. Even though the characters did annoy me, I can't help but root for them. I was glad that The Kiss had it's HEA, because heaven knows it's obviously going to end that way.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review*
This book was like an extensive episode of a teen comedy/drama sitcom. It was meant to entertain for a short period of time. That being said, although I had so much troubles with The Kiss, I still enjoy a short, contemporary novel.
To start with, I didn't know this was a UK YA Contemporary book. I caught on shortly after all the English cultural references. I really liked the concept of the "Aphrodite's Kiss", giving the book a sort of magical realism vibe to it. However, you scratch on the surface of that concept and you'll find a very deep hole in it. I normally don't mind teen angst, but this book was served with it on a silver platter.
I probably would have enjoyed this much more if the characters didn't annoy me. Delilah was not such a likable protagonist. I pretty much didn't like her from the start. She works hard at her job while juggling college courses but her personality was way off. Same applies to her best friend, Tabby. Throughout the plot they were whining about petty problems that they complicated even more.
I didn't really had a problem with the writing style. I pretty much flew through the book. At times, I would be smiling or maybe even laughing at certain parts of the book. Even though the characters did annoy me, I can't help but root for them. I was glad that The Kiss had it's HEA, because heaven knows it's obviously going to end that way.
August 11, 2015
I’ll get this out of the way at the beginning: “The Kiss” is filled with many of the bad boy romance tropes and instalove. However, it is still a fun and cute read.
When I first started it, I was absolutely positive that I would find a way to jump through the pages and strangle Delilah, the main character. At the beginning she is judgy and full of herself; not at all concerned with others unless it is in regards to how it affects her. Also, she is a mega control freak. That being said, stick with it. The problems provide an excellent opportunity for growth, and the author sees that opportunity through. The other characters are endearing in their own way, and I particularly liked Jem. He is given an interesting backstory that isn’t completely predictable.
I recommend “The Kiss” for those looking for a quick and light read. The plot can be predictable, but as I said above, it is fun. It’s the sort of thing you can get lost in for a few hours. In fact, it’s the perfect beach read or palette cleanser.
When I first started it, I was absolutely positive that I would find a way to jump through the pages and strangle Delilah, the main character. At the beginning she is judgy and full of herself; not at all concerned with others unless it is in regards to how it affects her. Also, she is a mega control freak. That being said, stick with it. The problems provide an excellent opportunity for growth, and the author sees that opportunity through. The other characters are endearing in their own way, and I particularly liked Jem. He is given an interesting backstory that isn’t completely predictable.
I recommend “The Kiss” for those looking for a quick and light read. The plot can be predictable, but as I said above, it is fun. It’s the sort of thing you can get lost in for a few hours. In fact, it’s the perfect beach read or palette cleanser.
September 2, 2015
**I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I really hate not finishing a book but this one has been a struggle from day one and only got to about 30%. I think the concept of the book is cute but the writing just wasn't done well. I found the writing to be so lacking to the point of confusion. You know when someone tells a joke and no one laughs, this is that book. I found it so hard to figure out who was who because they were all given such weird nicknames. I have so many other books to read and I just can't force myself to waste time finishing this one.
I really hate not finishing a book but this one has been a struggle from day one and only got to about 30%. I think the concept of the book is cute but the writing just wasn't done well. I found the writing to be so lacking to the point of confusion. You know when someone tells a joke and no one laughs, this is that book. I found it so hard to figure out who was who because they were all given such weird nicknames. I have so many other books to read and I just can't force myself to waste time finishing this one.
July 25, 2015
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Lucy Courtenay, Hodder Children's Books and Netgalley. A copy of this review is posted on my blog, too: flyingbookpages.wordpress.com
This book is one of those swoon worthy books that you must give a try!
Okay, I admit. My attention was grabbed by the cover. I mean, it's simple but it's gorgeous!
I was super excited to read it but I have a lot of books to read and review so I kept on ignoring it. When I was not in the mood for the last book I was reading, I quickly scanned my "To Review" list and jumped to another book. (Sorry, I do that some time.)
So, I immediately started this because this is also the book that I had missed reading before it came out. I wasn't sure if it was reading slump or I just wasn't in the mood or Delilah was kind of annoying at the beginning.
I didn't really understand the first chapters so much because my brain wouldn't absorb it like it usually does when reading. So after deciding to finally finish the other book, I started this again and I loved it!
The beginning wasn't very great for me because it was kind of slow. But I understand, because it was preparing itself for the main plot to push through. It was preparing for takeoff. So, I just continued reading and 3-5 chapters in and I'm hooked!
I loved all the characters except for Warren and Maria. Delilah was very adorable and sassy and sweet. She might have been a bit controlling but we all have a friend like that, don't we? I love her relationship with her best friend, Tabby. They were like sisters. They had their misunderstandings and differences in both physical and mental aspects but they got each other all the time.
Jem was a swoon worthy leading man. He was sweet and honest. Also, he was very smooth! I loved his lines the most. He could turn a simple comment to a really smooth and cheesy pick up line and it would come out as really sweet! Then you'll feel this certain amount of feels inside you. He has that effect. You'll find yourself smiling and adoring him. He might have been a bit of a flirt but it was his character and it was executed very well. He said these cute lines to Lilah which could make your knees wobble even! I love Jem. I just love him so much!
I also liked Oz's character here. He's a really sweet friend and a very reliable one. He got the girls' back every time. This huge crush he got didn't interfere with his relationship with the girls. I love that he always helped them.
The only reason I didn't give this book a perfect 5 star rate is the ending! I hated the ending because I feel like there's still some more to it. It needed to have even more details! It was very open ended and it wasn't pretty. There were things that still needed resolving!
Well, to sum it all up, this is a must read if you'd like to see some good stuff! If you're a fan of cutesy contemporaries and quick reads for the summer, this is definitely for you. This book doesn't disappoint and now, I have another go-to author for these kind of stories.
This book is one of those swoon worthy books that you must give a try!
Okay, I admit. My attention was grabbed by the cover. I mean, it's simple but it's gorgeous!
I was super excited to read it but I have a lot of books to read and review so I kept on ignoring it. When I was not in the mood for the last book I was reading, I quickly scanned my "To Review" list and jumped to another book. (Sorry, I do that some time.)
So, I immediately started this because this is also the book that I had missed reading before it came out. I wasn't sure if it was reading slump or I just wasn't in the mood or Delilah was kind of annoying at the beginning.
I didn't really understand the first chapters so much because my brain wouldn't absorb it like it usually does when reading. So after deciding to finally finish the other book, I started this again and I loved it!
The beginning wasn't very great for me because it was kind of slow. But I understand, because it was preparing itself for the main plot to push through. It was preparing for takeoff. So, I just continued reading and 3-5 chapters in and I'm hooked!
I loved all the characters except for Warren and Maria. Delilah was very adorable and sassy and sweet. She might have been a bit controlling but we all have a friend like that, don't we? I love her relationship with her best friend, Tabby. They were like sisters. They had their misunderstandings and differences in both physical and mental aspects but they got each other all the time.
Jem was a swoon worthy leading man. He was sweet and honest. Also, he was very smooth! I loved his lines the most. He could turn a simple comment to a really smooth and cheesy pick up line and it would come out as really sweet! Then you'll feel this certain amount of feels inside you. He has that effect. You'll find yourself smiling and adoring him. He might have been a bit of a flirt but it was his character and it was executed very well. He said these cute lines to Lilah which could make your knees wobble even! I love Jem. I just love him so much!
I also liked Oz's character here. He's a really sweet friend and a very reliable one. He got the girls' back every time. This huge crush he got didn't interfere with his relationship with the girls. I love that he always helped them.
The only reason I didn't give this book a perfect 5 star rate is the ending! I hated the ending because I feel like there's still some more to it. It needed to have even more details! It was very open ended and it wasn't pretty. There were things that still needed resolving!
Well, to sum it all up, this is a must read if you'd like to see some good stuff! If you're a fan of cutesy contemporaries and quick reads for the summer, this is definitely for you. This book doesn't disappoint and now, I have another go-to author for these kind of stories.
August 21, 2024
Thank to the team at NetGalley and Hachette Children's Books for providing me with a copy of The Kiss by Lucy Courtenay in exchange for an honest review.
Filled with an array of exceedingly entertaining characters, good old sarcastic British humour and enough drama to keep you invested, The Kiss is a hilarious, quick and fun read.
There was always some sub-plot or a twist that made you want to keep reading. Arguably, with so many characters it got quite chaotic on occasion. But the story was never too complex that I couldn't follow it. And I'll love any book that involves a little bit of Shakespeare even if they did have to spice up Much Ado About Nothing with some zombies which is definitely one I would pay to see.
At seventeen, I did worry that I may too old for the demographic that this book is trying to hit which I believe are teens who are a tad younger than me. Surprisingly, this wasn't the case. I think this was largely down to Lucy Courtenay's writing. It's bubbly and easy-going without feeling childish.
The Kiss didn't have single dull moment. At times it could be elaborate, but I guess that's all the part of fun of books. The characters were utterly charming - especially Jem and I think in some aspects it was relatable. You don't have to be into Shakespeare and mythology to enjoy it because the characters alone are entertaining enough, but I guess if you're into "geeky" things like that it does make it more of a page-turner.
And heck, it's made me want to visit Paris all over again in hopes I'll get a nice little beach kiss from someone who can talk mythology to me. So, if Laurent would politely like to leave his details then...Wait, never mind, he's fictional. Damn it! If I've learnt anything from YA romance novels, it's that boys are always better in fiction and Jem is certainly no exception that statement.
The Kiss is a nice, lighthearted book. It's the perfect read when you want to relax and unwind after an extremely busy day. It's a fun and flirty novel where you can just kick back and lose yourself in the romance and comedy without having to think too hard or piece together what'll happen next.
The Kiss doesn't get published until the 2nd of July but if you're a hopeless romantic who believe true love's kiss, or in this case Aphrodite's Kiss, can conquer all then this is definitely the one for you!
Filled with an array of exceedingly entertaining characters, good old sarcastic British humour and enough drama to keep you invested, The Kiss is a hilarious, quick and fun read.
There was always some sub-plot or a twist that made you want to keep reading. Arguably, with so many characters it got quite chaotic on occasion. But the story was never too complex that I couldn't follow it. And I'll love any book that involves a little bit of Shakespeare even if they did have to spice up Much Ado About Nothing with some zombies which is definitely one I would pay to see.
At seventeen, I did worry that I may too old for the demographic that this book is trying to hit which I believe are teens who are a tad younger than me. Surprisingly, this wasn't the case. I think this was largely down to Lucy Courtenay's writing. It's bubbly and easy-going without feeling childish.
The Kiss didn't have single dull moment. At times it could be elaborate, but I guess that's all the part of fun of books. The characters were utterly charming - especially Jem and I think in some aspects it was relatable. You don't have to be into Shakespeare and mythology to enjoy it because the characters alone are entertaining enough, but I guess if you're into "geeky" things like that it does make it more of a page-turner.
And heck, it's made me want to visit Paris all over again in hopes I'll get a nice little beach kiss from someone who can talk mythology to me. So, if Laurent would politely like to leave his details then...Wait, never mind, he's fictional. Damn it! If I've learnt anything from YA romance novels, it's that boys are always better in fiction and Jem is certainly no exception that statement.
The Kiss is a nice, lighthearted book. It's the perfect read when you want to relax and unwind after an extremely busy day. It's a fun and flirty novel where you can just kick back and lose yourself in the romance and comedy without having to think too hard or piece together what'll happen next.
The Kiss doesn't get published until the 2nd of July but if you're a hopeless romantic who believe true love's kiss, or in this case Aphrodite's Kiss, can conquer all then this is definitely the one for you!
August 2, 2015
I received a copy from Netgalley with auto approval from Hatchette Children's.
Not for me. I found this book to be tedious, dull and boring. Not cute and funny at all. Sounded like it would be a cute fun contemporary, but it really didn't do anything for me. I didn't feel any connections to any of the characters. Except maybe Fatima (the French girl who comes in towards the end of the novel and is totally awesome).
The plot seemed to be about two best friends Tabatha and Delilah trying to get Tab's ex boyfriend back. Delilah has spent a summer in France and kisses some hot French dude who gives her some smooth line about Aphrodite's Kiss and a legend that goes with it. There's a half assessed attempt of some sort the girls try to use this whole Kiss legend to get the ex boyfriend back. It starts out when Tabatha tries to get free drinks or something (its so boring I can't remember) and kisses the bar tender, and her boyfriend finds out and freaks and dumps her. So she enlists Delilah's help to get the bar guy to smooth things over. Doesn't go to plan and Delilah's gets involved with the bar guy.
There's a lot of is this Kiss legend real or just made up stuff floating around. Delilah is practical and blunt though I get the feeling she' trying to be witty and quips a lot of snarky comments which are meant to be funny. But just weren't. At least not to me.
The second half of the novel focuses on getting a stage play up and going with disaster after disaster and the whole Kiss thing seems to be forgotten until right up to the end.
I found the whole thing boring. The characters were mostly flat, the romances lacked passion. Just not to my taste, I guess.
Not for me. I found this book to be tedious, dull and boring. Not cute and funny at all. Sounded like it would be a cute fun contemporary, but it really didn't do anything for me. I didn't feel any connections to any of the characters. Except maybe Fatima (the French girl who comes in towards the end of the novel and is totally awesome).
The plot seemed to be about two best friends Tabatha and Delilah trying to get Tab's ex boyfriend back. Delilah has spent a summer in France and kisses some hot French dude who gives her some smooth line about Aphrodite's Kiss and a legend that goes with it. There's a half assessed attempt of some sort the girls try to use this whole Kiss legend to get the ex boyfriend back. It starts out when Tabatha tries to get free drinks or something (its so boring I can't remember) and kisses the bar tender, and her boyfriend finds out and freaks and dumps her. So she enlists Delilah's help to get the bar guy to smooth things over. Doesn't go to plan and Delilah's gets involved with the bar guy.
There's a lot of is this Kiss legend real or just made up stuff floating around. Delilah is practical and blunt though I get the feeling she' trying to be witty and quips a lot of snarky comments which are meant to be funny. But just weren't. At least not to me.
The second half of the novel focuses on getting a stage play up and going with disaster after disaster and the whole Kiss thing seems to be forgotten until right up to the end.
I found the whole thing boring. The characters were mostly flat, the romances lacked passion. Just not to my taste, I guess.
September 22, 2016
Was cute, and I actually really liked it unlike everyone else who seems to have read it???
October 7, 2020
This was a Rollercoaster of a mess, but still quite enjoyable. There are better books out there that follow the same storyline, but if you're looking for a quick read about love and theater, this'll do.
September 8, 2015
When I first saw this book up on Netgalley, the cover instantly grabbed me. It's colorful and happy and has the word 'kiss' on it, so I instantly had to get it. What I didn't realize from the description that it will be UKYA, meaning it's a young adult book set in the United Kingdom.
While I love all things British, I found this book kind of hard to read. It was full of British slang that I'm not really sure of what they mean and I had to constantly stop and check words in the dictionary. This is what sets me back the most in readings, when it's full of slang or rarely used words that non-English people has a hard time understanding.
Our main character, Delilah is kind of an annoying mess. She iss all over the place, her thoughts are jumping from one topic to another in a matter of seconds. Okay, it's kind of typical for 16 year olds, but it was still not something enjoyable to read. What I really really liked about her though is that she iss kind of responsible money-wise. She is hard working and isn't afraid to let her hands dirty to earn her paycheck, so she won't depend on her father. Her father is something else though; who doesn't want their kid to go to college and earn more education? Just because he doesn't want to pay for it? That is completely ridiculous! Even though we don't see her father, he is still annoying in the background.
Delilah's best friend, Tabitah is the same jumbled mess of a character as Delilah. She is controllable, dependable and seems like she can't do anything on her own. She has a perfectly okay boyfriend, yet she has to go off to find someone to fool with, in the process, compromising her relationship, then crying over said ended relationship all through the book.
My favorite character is probably Jem, even if he was kind of a womanizer. But he is adventurous, funny, interesting, caring, helpful, yet he is one of the characters we rarely even see in the book. I thought it will be about Delilah and him getting together but I was mistaken. But Jem is one of the main reasons for my positive rating.
The other side characters are so insignificant, or don't even worth mentioning that I won't. The only positive thing that how helpful most of them are and try to help Delilah with the musical and everything.
The story is another thing. It is like Delilah, kind of like a diary entries, one small part of a person's life. While the timeline is continuous, it still feels like it's jumping from one even to the other, without any connection. The whole book is around Aphrodite's Kiss, a kiss that said feels like the moon is inside you. Whenever Delilah has this kiss in the book, she blames her attraction to Jem on it. Also the romance is mostly missing in this book. Kind of feels like the author tried to crowd a lot of today's problems in a book and solve them with a kiss. There were drugs, sex, drinking, theft and a bunch of other illegal stuff, some of those that aren't even typical teenage problems.
All in all, I enjoyed this book while reading it, but it didn't become my favorite and haven't really thought about this since finishing. Except maybe a bit of Jem and how I really wanted to know more about him. It was nice, but not that impactful.
*I recieved a digital copy of this book from Hodder Books via Netgalley in an exchange of an honest review. This in no way influenced by thoughts on the book.*
While I love all things British, I found this book kind of hard to read. It was full of British slang that I'm not really sure of what they mean and I had to constantly stop and check words in the dictionary. This is what sets me back the most in readings, when it's full of slang or rarely used words that non-English people has a hard time understanding.
Our main character, Delilah is kind of an annoying mess. She iss all over the place, her thoughts are jumping from one topic to another in a matter of seconds. Okay, it's kind of typical for 16 year olds, but it was still not something enjoyable to read. What I really really liked about her though is that she iss kind of responsible money-wise. She is hard working and isn't afraid to let her hands dirty to earn her paycheck, so she won't depend on her father. Her father is something else though; who doesn't want their kid to go to college and earn more education? Just because he doesn't want to pay for it? That is completely ridiculous! Even though we don't see her father, he is still annoying in the background.
Delilah's best friend, Tabitah is the same jumbled mess of a character as Delilah. She is controllable, dependable and seems like she can't do anything on her own. She has a perfectly okay boyfriend, yet she has to go off to find someone to fool with, in the process, compromising her relationship, then crying over said ended relationship all through the book.
My favorite character is probably Jem, even if he was kind of a womanizer. But he is adventurous, funny, interesting, caring, helpful, yet he is one of the characters we rarely even see in the book. I thought it will be about Delilah and him getting together but I was mistaken. But Jem is one of the main reasons for my positive rating.
The other side characters are so insignificant, or don't even worth mentioning that I won't. The only positive thing that how helpful most of them are and try to help Delilah with the musical and everything.
The story is another thing. It is like Delilah, kind of like a diary entries, one small part of a person's life. While the timeline is continuous, it still feels like it's jumping from one even to the other, without any connection. The whole book is around Aphrodite's Kiss, a kiss that said feels like the moon is inside you. Whenever Delilah has this kiss in the book, she blames her attraction to Jem on it. Also the romance is mostly missing in this book. Kind of feels like the author tried to crowd a lot of today's problems in a book and solve them with a kiss. There were drugs, sex, drinking, theft and a bunch of other illegal stuff, some of those that aren't even typical teenage problems.
All in all, I enjoyed this book while reading it, but it didn't become my favorite and haven't really thought about this since finishing. Except maybe a bit of Jem and how I really wanted to know more about him. It was nice, but not that impactful.
*I recieved a digital copy of this book from Hodder Books via Netgalley in an exchange of an honest review. This in no way influenced by thoughts on the book.*
September 1, 2015
*Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
2.5 STARS
I am not usually a huge fan of contemporaries, it is my least favourite genre, however with the slogan 'for Geek Girls everywhere', I could not resist reading it. And about half-way through I was just wishing for it to end. I think the cover is very girly and cute, really standing out with the pink!
In all honesty, not much went on in this book. It was just about Delilah who believed she had gotten Aphrodite's kiss, then her best friend Tabby cheats on her boyfriend, then for some reason it is Delilah's fault she kissed Jem, and she is trying to win Tabby her boyfriend back. Thats it.
I had a big problem with the characters in this novel, and the reason above was one of the main problems. Delilah was rather controlling and a little naive. She was like her best friend's mother. She and Tabby BOTH claimed it was Delilah's fault that Tabby cheated on her boyfriend by kissing Jem but 'ahem'! Nowhere in that scene did I see Delilah telling her to do it, Tabby chose to do it herself. And there was total insta-love between Delilah and Jem. But then we had a love triangle, and my, Dave was quite something. Obviously I rooted for Jem. And then we had her friend Fatima thrown into the plot for a reason that I still do not understand.
The plot of this novel seemed intriguing and yet it was executed poorly making it rather boring. It was all set around a theatre production and though I felt the body art like zombies was interesting and unique, that was pretty much the only thing. It just dragged on for so long, and some of the situations Delilah got herself into was like, 'what?!' Not to mention the ending, I just carried on to see if it could redeem itself but really, it was just comical. And not in a good way.
Overall, a really disappointing read. Though I thought the twist of Aphrodite might give it a spark, sadly it did anything but.
2.5 STARS
I am not usually a huge fan of contemporaries, it is my least favourite genre, however with the slogan 'for Geek Girls everywhere', I could not resist reading it. And about half-way through I was just wishing for it to end. I think the cover is very girly and cute, really standing out with the pink!
In all honesty, not much went on in this book. It was just about Delilah who believed she had gotten Aphrodite's kiss, then her best friend Tabby cheats on her boyfriend, then for some reason it is Delilah's fault she kissed Jem, and she is trying to win Tabby her boyfriend back. Thats it.
I had a big problem with the characters in this novel, and the reason above was one of the main problems. Delilah was rather controlling and a little naive. She was like her best friend's mother. She and Tabby BOTH claimed it was Delilah's fault that Tabby cheated on her boyfriend by kissing Jem but 'ahem'! Nowhere in that scene did I see Delilah telling her to do it, Tabby chose to do it herself. And there was total insta-love between Delilah and Jem. But then we had a love triangle, and my, Dave was quite something. Obviously I rooted for Jem. And then we had her friend Fatima thrown into the plot for a reason that I still do not understand.
The plot of this novel seemed intriguing and yet it was executed poorly making it rather boring. It was all set around a theatre production and though I felt the body art like zombies was interesting and unique, that was pretty much the only thing. It just dragged on for so long, and some of the situations Delilah got herself into was like, 'what?!' Not to mention the ending, I just carried on to see if it could redeem itself but really, it was just comical. And not in a good way.
Overall, a really disappointing read. Though I thought the twist of Aphrodite might give it a spark, sadly it did anything but.
July 28, 2015
Originally posted at Geeky Chiquitas
If you're looking for that romantic summertime read that's fun, flirty, cute, and swoony, then The Kiss is the perfect book for you. This book is filled with hilarious moments, interesting characters and good old British humor that's filled with just the right amount of sarcasm. With a storyline that is reminiscent of Shakespeare plays, plus a premise that involves a little bit of mythology and the wonderful and romantic setting, this book is what you would call simply a delight!
Delilah is a wonderful protagonist. She's filled with equal amounts of spunk, sass, and wit that you would root for her as she tries to save the play and also sympathize with her as she deals with her money problems. The romance between Delilah and Jem is fun because it's filled with drama and antics, but there isn't much depth to it, so explains my lack of interest in the two as a couple. There are also great moments between Delilah and her best friend Tabby, and I found their relationship more interesting to explore. The novel reads like a fastpaced teen romcom with its notable quirks and twists and turns in the story. The story is actually quite all over the place, but is pretty simple to follow. There are no boring parts or dull moments and this is the sort of book you can read through in one sitting.
Although there is not much substance to this book, it's best to read when you just want to relax and not think. Granted, with its lighthearted, yet somehow a bit juvenile storyline, this book will definitely appeal more to the younger audience; so if you're like me who's looking for books that will challenge and make you grow as a reader, then better just avoid this book.
Still can't deny how much I love the premise though! Excuse me while I'm off catching the first plane to Paris just to find my own legendary Aphordite's kiss!
If you're looking for that romantic summertime read that's fun, flirty, cute, and swoony, then The Kiss is the perfect book for you. This book is filled with hilarious moments, interesting characters and good old British humor that's filled with just the right amount of sarcasm. With a storyline that is reminiscent of Shakespeare plays, plus a premise that involves a little bit of mythology and the wonderful and romantic setting, this book is what you would call simply a delight!
Delilah is a wonderful protagonist. She's filled with equal amounts of spunk, sass, and wit that you would root for her as she tries to save the play and also sympathize with her as she deals with her money problems. The romance between Delilah and Jem is fun because it's filled with drama and antics, but there isn't much depth to it, so explains my lack of interest in the two as a couple. There are also great moments between Delilah and her best friend Tabby, and I found their relationship more interesting to explore. The novel reads like a fastpaced teen romcom with its notable quirks and twists and turns in the story. The story is actually quite all over the place, but is pretty simple to follow. There are no boring parts or dull moments and this is the sort of book you can read through in one sitting.
Although there is not much substance to this book, it's best to read when you just want to relax and not think. Granted, with its lighthearted, yet somehow a bit juvenile storyline, this book will definitely appeal more to the younger audience; so if you're like me who's looking for books that will challenge and make you grow as a reader, then better just avoid this book.
Still can't deny how much I love the premise though! Excuse me while I'm off catching the first plane to Paris just to find my own legendary Aphordite's kiss!
September 27, 2015
I have to say that this book was a little bit of a letdown... it had some good parts here and there but the lack of structure really put a huge damper on the story for me.
There was little to no organization in regards to the timeline here. Everything jumped so quickly I would think that I was still on a particular day only to find out that I was on a different day without any idea how much time had passed between three sentences.
I feel like the characters fell so flat for me; there was little personality in them all and I failed to see the importance of some of them. I mean really, Oz was a character that held little importance throughout the entire novel but it seemed like the author was trying to make him seem more important but he failed to live up to par. The love interests? No real personality. Nothing. Nada. I didn't feel anything for any of these characters.
The synopsis of the book suggests (at least to me) that the book is going to revolve around this Aphrodite's kiss, but really it failed to have much about it at all. The book was all about this myth in the beginning and randomly it stopped being mentioned almost at all.
The book was just a little too all over the place for me without any real character building which made it a dud for me.
The writing style itself seems like it would be more for a much younger crowd (pre-teen) but given the scenes in the book I definitely wouldn't suggest it to somebody that young.
There was little to no organization in regards to the timeline here. Everything jumped so quickly I would think that I was still on a particular day only to find out that I was on a different day without any idea how much time had passed between three sentences.
I feel like the characters fell so flat for me; there was little personality in them all and I failed to see the importance of some of them. I mean really, Oz was a character that held little importance throughout the entire novel but it seemed like the author was trying to make him seem more important but he failed to live up to par. The love interests? No real personality. Nothing. Nada. I didn't feel anything for any of these characters.
The synopsis of the book suggests (at least to me) that the book is going to revolve around this Aphrodite's kiss, but really it failed to have much about it at all. The book was all about this myth in the beginning and randomly it stopped being mentioned almost at all.
The book was just a little too all over the place for me without any real character building which made it a dud for me.
The writing style itself seems like it would be more for a much younger crowd (pre-teen) but given the scenes in the book I definitely wouldn't suggest it to somebody that young.
August 11, 2015
Admittedly I didn’t think I’d enjoy this book as much as I did. I ended up reading it because I was in the ‘romance’ mood which strikes me about twice a year so I grabbed The Kiss and didn’t stop until the last page was read.
Couple of things – Delilah didn’t exactly make the best first impression with her ‘onion’ verdict on her best friend’s boyfriend and I have some issues about the sheer stupidity of Jem’s past but I let it slide.
Why? Well firstly Delilah needs to mess up her best friends romance (it’ll become clear) and she owns her mistakes. Also I think The Kiss is somewhat mis-sold. It has the Aphrodite blurb, the pink hearts and the Geek Girl reference but actually Delilah has to figure out her money issues, there is a crime element. Delilah is trying to fix the relationship she thinks she created and then there are the Zombies (not real ones). It’s a lot – and it’s narrated with humour and feeling. I ended up really caring about Delilah.
The Kiss might not have been what I thought it was but that’s fine, because it was better. :)
Couple of things – Delilah didn’t exactly make the best first impression with her ‘onion’ verdict on her best friend’s boyfriend and I have some issues about the sheer stupidity of Jem’s past but I let it slide.
Why? Well firstly Delilah needs to mess up her best friends romance (it’ll become clear) and she owns her mistakes. Also I think The Kiss is somewhat mis-sold. It has the Aphrodite blurb, the pink hearts and the Geek Girl reference but actually Delilah has to figure out her money issues, there is a crime element. Delilah is trying to fix the relationship she thinks she created and then there are the Zombies (not real ones). It’s a lot – and it’s narrated with humour and feeling. I ended up really caring about Delilah.
The Kiss might not have been what I thought it was but that’s fine, because it was better. :)
June 12, 2015
“The Kiss”Review ARC provided for honest reviews
PROS:This book is a very compassionate story. My favorite character is Laurent because, she was a very good friend, very loyal. The book is one of my favorite top 10 favorite books.I am going to rate this book a 5.It might not have a lot of text features, but, it does give me a clear picture what happens in the story.
CONS:I am going to say that this book should be for people 11+.It might be a little inappropriate for little kids.
PROS:This book is a very compassionate story. My favorite character is Laurent because, she was a very good friend, very loyal. The book is one of my favorite top 10 favorite books.I am going to rate this book a 5.It might not have a lot of text features, but, it does give me a clear picture what happens in the story.
CONS:I am going to say that this book should be for people 11+.It might be a little inappropriate for little kids.
June 5, 2015
Adorable premise, but sadly it was poorly executed. The writing wasn't that good. It was very confusing and detracted from the book, making it very difficult to read, stay focused and enjoy the story.
July 19, 2015
-- english review below --
Lucy Courtenay hat bereits zahlreiche Kinder- und Jugendbücher veröffentlicht, darunter auch mehrere Reihen. “The Kiss” ist nun ihr neuester YA-Roman.
Eine Legende besagt, dass der Kuss der Aphrodite seit Jahrhunderten immer weiter gegeben wird – für derjenigen, der solch einen Kuss erhält, fühlt es sich an, als ob der Mond im Bauch aufgehen würde, ein unbeschreibliches Gefühl, welches sofort die Liebe für den Kusspartner entfacht.
Diese Geschichte erfährt Delilah, als sie in Südfrankreich Laurent küsst – doch natürlich hält sie die Geschichte für genau das: eine nette Erzählung. Doch als sie wieder Zuhause ist, lässt sie das Liebeschaos dort daran zweifeln…
Mir hat von Anfang an die Grundidee dieser Geschichte total gefallen – eine recht abgefahrene Legende, das wird bestimmt für eine nette und unterhaltsame Liebesgeschichte sorgen. Und so war es dann im Grunde auch. Der Einstieg war vielversprechend. Die 16-jährige Delilah war mir recht sympathisch, auch wenn mich im späteren Verlauf der Handlung dann doch die ein oder andere Kleinigkeit an ihr störte. Dafür wurde es aber mit dem Auftauchen von Jem erst richtig interessant. Jem arbeitet im Gaslight hinter der Bar und betreibt in seiner Freizeit mit einer Gruppe von anderen Jugendlichen so eine Art Bodypainting. Beispielsweise bemalt er seine Hand so, dass es aussieht, als wäre die Haut abgezogen – man sieht nur Fleisch, Muskeln, Sehnen. Oder er bemalt die eine Hälfte seines Gesichts als Skelett. Von jedem Werk werden Fotos geschossen, die Farbe wieder abgewaschen. Genau wie Delilah in der Geschichte fand auch ich diese Idee total super, vor allem weil es mal etwas ganz anderes und einzigartiges ist, was die Geschichte auf jeden Fall interessanter macht.
Die Handlung an sich wird nach dem vielversprechenden Einstieg leider bald schon etwas langatmig, zumindest sind meiner Meinung nach einige Längen vorhanden, auch wenn eigentlich immer etwas geschieht. Manche Abschnitte sind aber einfach weniger interessant. Zudem fand ich den Großteil der Handlung ziemlich sprunghaft. Vieles wird angesprochen, dann aber fallen gelassen, gar nicht mehr angesprochen oder später wieder aufgegriffen, dann jedoch schon quasi als “Problem gelöst”, ohne dass man weiß wie oder warum. Leider gab es ein paar solcher Momente, weshalb mich dann letztendlich die Geschichte um Delilah und Jem nicht ganz so begeistern konnte. Dabei ist der Stoff für eine richtig coole und unterhaltsame YA-Story wirklich vorhanden, denn zwischen den beiden herrscht eine tolle Chemie und die Dialoge zwischen ihnen machen unheimlich viel Spaß. So hatte ich aber teilweise den Eindruck dass die Autorin ganz viel reinbringen wollte, dann aber viel kürzen musste oder schlichtweg den Überblick verloren hat, wann was wie passiert.
“The Kiss” überzeugt leider nur durch sympathische Charaktere und einer tollen, vielversprechenden Grundidee. Leider scheitert es jedoch ein wenig an der Umsetzung. Das Potenzial für eine richtig tolle YA-Geschichte war definitiv vorhanden, wurde aber nicht vollends ausgenutzt.
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english review:
“Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer’s night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she’s ever heard. BOOM! Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it’s gone… Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble?” (c) Hachette
I really liked the basic idea of this story – a mysterious, quite unrealistic legend, this could be a funny and interesting love story. And basically “The Kiss” is such a story. The beginning was quite promising. 16-years old Delilah is very sympathetic, but in the later course there are various smaller things, which bothered me with her. However, the story becomes really interesting with the appearance of Jem. He works behind the bar at the Gaslight and in his free time, he does a sort of body painting with a group of other people. Like Delilah I loved this idea because it’s quite a new and unique idea which makes this whole story definitely more interesting.
Unfortunately the plot becomes a bit slow-moving after the really promising beginning. There are a few segments, where nothing interesting or important happens and some parts of the story are quite erratic. Many matters are being approached, but later these aren’t addressed anymore though. Or these matters are again thematized, but then as a “problem solved” thing, so that you don’t know how or why something happened. Sadly, there are some of such moments – this is why eventually I’m not fully satisfied with this story. Nevertheless, I liked the main idea of the story and I think this idea has a lot of potential for a really cool and entertaining YA novel. What’s more, Delilah and Jem are great together, there is an enjoyable chemistry between them and their dialogues are so much fun to read. Sometimes, I had the impression that the author wanted to contribute many different topics as possible to her story, but then had to cut a lot of her story or simply lost track of a few topics, when or what something was about to happen, etc.
Unfortunately, “The Kiss” convinces only with really sympathetic characters and a great, promising basic idea. The story fails a bit with its realization. The potential for a really great, entertaining YA story was definitely there, but sadly it wasn’t fully exploited.
Lucy Courtenay hat bereits zahlreiche Kinder- und Jugendbücher veröffentlicht, darunter auch mehrere Reihen. “The Kiss” ist nun ihr neuester YA-Roman.
Eine Legende besagt, dass der Kuss der Aphrodite seit Jahrhunderten immer weiter gegeben wird – für derjenigen, der solch einen Kuss erhält, fühlt es sich an, als ob der Mond im Bauch aufgehen würde, ein unbeschreibliches Gefühl, welches sofort die Liebe für den Kusspartner entfacht.
Diese Geschichte erfährt Delilah, als sie in Südfrankreich Laurent küsst – doch natürlich hält sie die Geschichte für genau das: eine nette Erzählung. Doch als sie wieder Zuhause ist, lässt sie das Liebeschaos dort daran zweifeln…
Mir hat von Anfang an die Grundidee dieser Geschichte total gefallen – eine recht abgefahrene Legende, das wird bestimmt für eine nette und unterhaltsame Liebesgeschichte sorgen. Und so war es dann im Grunde auch. Der Einstieg war vielversprechend. Die 16-jährige Delilah war mir recht sympathisch, auch wenn mich im späteren Verlauf der Handlung dann doch die ein oder andere Kleinigkeit an ihr störte. Dafür wurde es aber mit dem Auftauchen von Jem erst richtig interessant. Jem arbeitet im Gaslight hinter der Bar und betreibt in seiner Freizeit mit einer Gruppe von anderen Jugendlichen so eine Art Bodypainting. Beispielsweise bemalt er seine Hand so, dass es aussieht, als wäre die Haut abgezogen – man sieht nur Fleisch, Muskeln, Sehnen. Oder er bemalt die eine Hälfte seines Gesichts als Skelett. Von jedem Werk werden Fotos geschossen, die Farbe wieder abgewaschen. Genau wie Delilah in der Geschichte fand auch ich diese Idee total super, vor allem weil es mal etwas ganz anderes und einzigartiges ist, was die Geschichte auf jeden Fall interessanter macht.
Die Handlung an sich wird nach dem vielversprechenden Einstieg leider bald schon etwas langatmig, zumindest sind meiner Meinung nach einige Längen vorhanden, auch wenn eigentlich immer etwas geschieht. Manche Abschnitte sind aber einfach weniger interessant. Zudem fand ich den Großteil der Handlung ziemlich sprunghaft. Vieles wird angesprochen, dann aber fallen gelassen, gar nicht mehr angesprochen oder später wieder aufgegriffen, dann jedoch schon quasi als “Problem gelöst”, ohne dass man weiß wie oder warum. Leider gab es ein paar solcher Momente, weshalb mich dann letztendlich die Geschichte um Delilah und Jem nicht ganz so begeistern konnte. Dabei ist der Stoff für eine richtig coole und unterhaltsame YA-Story wirklich vorhanden, denn zwischen den beiden herrscht eine tolle Chemie und die Dialoge zwischen ihnen machen unheimlich viel Spaß. So hatte ich aber teilweise den Eindruck dass die Autorin ganz viel reinbringen wollte, dann aber viel kürzen musste oder schlichtweg den Überblick verloren hat, wann was wie passiert.
“The Kiss” überzeugt leider nur durch sympathische Charaktere und einer tollen, vielversprechenden Grundidee. Leider scheitert es jedoch ein wenig an der Umsetzung. Das Potenzial für eine richtig tolle YA-Geschichte war definitiv vorhanden, wurde aber nicht vollends ausgenutzt.
---------
english review:
“Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer’s night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she’s ever heard. BOOM! Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it’s gone… Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble?” (c) Hachette
I really liked the basic idea of this story – a mysterious, quite unrealistic legend, this could be a funny and interesting love story. And basically “The Kiss” is such a story. The beginning was quite promising. 16-years old Delilah is very sympathetic, but in the later course there are various smaller things, which bothered me with her. However, the story becomes really interesting with the appearance of Jem. He works behind the bar at the Gaslight and in his free time, he does a sort of body painting with a group of other people. Like Delilah I loved this idea because it’s quite a new and unique idea which makes this whole story definitely more interesting.
Unfortunately the plot becomes a bit slow-moving after the really promising beginning. There are a few segments, where nothing interesting or important happens and some parts of the story are quite erratic. Many matters are being approached, but later these aren’t addressed anymore though. Or these matters are again thematized, but then as a “problem solved” thing, so that you don’t know how or why something happened. Sadly, there are some of such moments – this is why eventually I’m not fully satisfied with this story. Nevertheless, I liked the main idea of the story and I think this idea has a lot of potential for a really cool and entertaining YA novel. What’s more, Delilah and Jem are great together, there is an enjoyable chemistry between them and their dialogues are so much fun to read. Sometimes, I had the impression that the author wanted to contribute many different topics as possible to her story, but then had to cut a lot of her story or simply lost track of a few topics, when or what something was about to happen, etc.
Unfortunately, “The Kiss” convinces only with really sympathetic characters and a great, promising basic idea. The story fails a bit with its realization. The potential for a really great, entertaining YA story was definitely there, but sadly it wasn’t fully exploited.
February 26, 2019
Honestly, not my kind of book. Too many character names. Not much of a plot so it gets confusing at times. This is just my personal opinion.
June 15, 2021
More trouble than it's worth tbh
September 23, 2015
View all my reviews
"What are you painting?"
"Blood, bones, veins and arteries. The things that make us real.'
- Delilah, Jem, Chapter 6, 44
The Kiss by Lucy Courtenay is a stand alone romantic comedy about a 16 year old named Delilah Jones who catches Aphrodite's Kiss after a steamy kiss with a boy on the mediterranean sand dunes in France. When she returns back to her home in London, major crushes, break-ups, and meltdowns all begin to happen in a whirlwind and at once and she can't help but seem to think that maybe the Kiss is real. Delilah then loses track of the Kiss and she needs to get it back to fix a dilemma that their facing and put an end to all the trouble the Kiss caused in the first place.
I did enjoy The Kiss more than I thought I would and flew through it quite quickly. It was a very lighthearted and fun read with a lot of drama. At some points, I did find myself confused, especially in the first half of the novel but as it went on, I couldn't put it down. The novel was written in the protagonist, Delilah's, point of view and Lucy Courtenay's writing style was easy to understand and not too complicated so this novel would do well for younger readers. I did have a problem with the romance. I felt it was too unrealistic in some aspects and that the way characters dealt with it was impractical and stupid, so I wasn't into the romance side of the novel.
I did think the synopsis of the novel was a bit misleading as Aphrodite's Kiss wasn't really much of the centre focus for most of the novel; more of a sub-plot. Apart from that, the plot was quick and fast paced. There was always a new revelation or twist that urged me to keep reading. The drama was also very entertaining and will keep readers continually hooked throughout the novel. I found there wasn't any stand out moments of the plot or anything unique that could have made this novel special. The novel is advertised as a teenage romance, and is exactly and only that.
Delilah, was a very annoying and dislikable character. I thought she didn't really know what she wanted or who she wanted to be. I also wasn't the biggest fan of most of her friends too and I found it very hard to relate to any of them. There were also quite a lot of characters too keep up with and I struggled to remember most of them and their part of plot. The moments I most enjoyed of The Kiss, were when Delilah and Jem were together. I enjoyed their scenes they had together but I would have liked to see those characters relationship develop a lot more.
Overall, I did like the book and I would recommend The Kiss for younger teen readers who like humorous and romantic novels. The incorporation of Shakespeare was a fun addition and the dialogue between characters was very comical. I rated The Kiss with three stars for obvious reasons and I think that it could have been better developed and a lot more realistic.
April 21, 2016
“One day you will kiss a man you can't breathe without, and find that breath is of little consequence.”
----Karen Marie Moning
Lucy Courtenay , an American author, has penned a heart-touching and entertaining young adult contemporary love-story, The Kiss that narrates the story of a teenage girl who after experiencing the best kiss of her life, starts judging the relationship of her best friend with her boyfriend with the level of their kiss and soon on her attempt to fix things , this teenager messes up not only her friend's life but also her life as well.
Synopsis:
'Aphrodite kissed a mortal once by the light of this moon, many thousands of years ago. It drove him crazy. The next person that he kissed - boum. The craziness travelled like this from person to person. It travelled through time. Everywhere - boum! Tu comprends?' 'Where did it end up?' I whisper. His lips are on my cheek now. 'It ended with me. And now I am going to pass it to you. You will like that, mermaid?' Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer's night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she's ever heard. BOOM! Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it's gone ...Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble?
Delilah, a 16-year old teenager, kisses a French guy and as per her, she had the lushest kiss ever in her lifetime. Coming back home, Delilah makes it her mission to save her best friend, Tabs from the boy she is currently dating as their kiss is nothing like hers. And to make her friend have the lushest kiss, she tries to break them apart by letting Tabs kiss a bar-guy. And when Tab's boy friend, Sam, falls for someone else, things get heated up between the two young girls. What happens next is for you to find out!
Well, this is a bit mawkish story and a lot more swoon-worthy that will make you feel for the main character and her troubles in paradise. The writing style of the author is articulate and laced with lots of emotions, hat will make you feel young at your hearts. The story line is fresh and coming-of-age and very realistic. The narrative is free-flowing and the author has captured the voice of a present day 16 year old girl quite strikingly. The pacing of the book is really fast as you will feel like drowning into the cute world of Delilah and her kisses.
The characters are realistic and believable. The main character, Delilah, is bit of a controlling freak, but she is charming and the troubles she faces especially the issues related to her broken heart and her broken friendship are handled very sensitively by her. The friendship between the two girls projected with realism and challenges. The supporting cast, especially, the main male character, Jem is a adorable and extremely sexy, who is also a bit of a flirt, and sadly I did not like his way too cheesy demeanor.
The love story between Jem and Delilah is cute and mushy but has been projected with enough emotions to make the readers feel for them. The passion between them is very evident and raw and in a nutshell, this is an enjoyable love-drama that will keep the readers engaged till the end.
Verdict: A mushy YA love story with lots of kisses and sex-ed!
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Lucy Courtenay, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Karen Marie Moning
Lucy Courtenay , an American author, has penned a heart-touching and entertaining young adult contemporary love-story, The Kiss that narrates the story of a teenage girl who after experiencing the best kiss of her life, starts judging the relationship of her best friend with her boyfriend with the level of their kiss and soon on her attempt to fix things , this teenager messes up not only her friend's life but also her life as well.
Synopsis:
'Aphrodite kissed a mortal once by the light of this moon, many thousands of years ago. It drove him crazy. The next person that he kissed - boum. The craziness travelled like this from person to person. It travelled through time. Everywhere - boum! Tu comprends?' 'Where did it end up?' I whisper. His lips are on my cheek now. 'It ended with me. And now I am going to pass it to you. You will like that, mermaid?' Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer's night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she's ever heard. BOOM! Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it's gone ...Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble?
Delilah, a 16-year old teenager, kisses a French guy and as per her, she had the lushest kiss ever in her lifetime. Coming back home, Delilah makes it her mission to save her best friend, Tabs from the boy she is currently dating as their kiss is nothing like hers. And to make her friend have the lushest kiss, she tries to break them apart by letting Tabs kiss a bar-guy. And when Tab's boy friend, Sam, falls for someone else, things get heated up between the two young girls. What happens next is for you to find out!
Well, this is a bit mawkish story and a lot more swoon-worthy that will make you feel for the main character and her troubles in paradise. The writing style of the author is articulate and laced with lots of emotions, hat will make you feel young at your hearts. The story line is fresh and coming-of-age and very realistic. The narrative is free-flowing and the author has captured the voice of a present day 16 year old girl quite strikingly. The pacing of the book is really fast as you will feel like drowning into the cute world of Delilah and her kisses.
The characters are realistic and believable. The main character, Delilah, is bit of a controlling freak, but she is charming and the troubles she faces especially the issues related to her broken heart and her broken friendship are handled very sensitively by her. The friendship between the two girls projected with realism and challenges. The supporting cast, especially, the main male character, Jem is a adorable and extremely sexy, who is also a bit of a flirt, and sadly I did not like his way too cheesy demeanor.
The love story between Jem and Delilah is cute and mushy but has been projected with enough emotions to make the readers feel for them. The passion between them is very evident and raw and in a nutshell, this is an enjoyable love-drama that will keep the readers engaged till the end.
Verdict: A mushy YA love story with lots of kisses and sex-ed!
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Lucy Courtenay, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
June 8, 2015
NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.
The synopsis of The Kiss may be troublesome to read, but the book isn't. The book definitely involves some supernatural forces, and where there is romance, drama comes. Delilah has Aphrodite's Kiss (which is fictional and not in the actual Greek Myths). Aphrodite's Kiss sounds exactly the way it sounds: trouble, and nasty heaps of it. It causes mortals (whoever is the poor carrier of the kiss) to drive themselves crazy over love.
Delilah, the narrator, is a carrier of that kiss. She doesn't believe in it, but when she runs into a (hot) bartender, she realizes that kiss may be a bit more real than she ever thought. She puts her faith and money in facts and science, not myth and magic. It is a rather entertaining turn for her to realize that "oh, crap. There may be magic after all."
The bartender is Delilah's love interest. Jem (who somehow reminds me of Jem from The Clockwork Angel and its sister books) has a passion for art and has his eyes on Delilah. He is definitely infuriating, and he is an absolute darling (despite being annoying, very annoying, and greatly annoying). Sure, he and Delilah have a difficult relationship because of how crazy forces (including Delilah's best friend and her ex-boyfriend and Jem's mysterious past) drives them apart. But they always find each other. [Insert Once Upon A Time gif here with Prince Charming and Snow White proclaiming their infamous phrase]
The plot starts off with Delilah getting a kiss from a French boy named Laurent (who is a minor character and speaks with honeyed words). The story turns wild and frenzy, and some parts get scorching hot (especially the parts where Jem and Delilah kiss). However, not everything is rainbows and gold and glitter. Out of the darkness comes the drama of friendship, old boyfriends, UST (unresolved sexual tension), and the kiss itself.
The ending is one of the best part of the book. It will leave many readers satisfied, but some will always be asking about the loose ends (involving Aphrodite's Kiss).
Overall, The Kiss is a romantic and dramatic tale with some cliche and cheesy moments that will make Aphrodite herself very proud. Delilah is a funny character, in a greatly unintentional way. Jem is a hot (hot) love interest, and the story is filled with troubles and powerful forces that seem to drive the couple apart. Of course, when Aphrodite is involved, love can go either way.
Rating: Four out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
The synopsis of The Kiss may be troublesome to read, but the book isn't. The book definitely involves some supernatural forces, and where there is romance, drama comes. Delilah has Aphrodite's Kiss (which is fictional and not in the actual Greek Myths). Aphrodite's Kiss sounds exactly the way it sounds: trouble, and nasty heaps of it. It causes mortals (whoever is the poor carrier of the kiss) to drive themselves crazy over love.
Delilah, the narrator, is a carrier of that kiss. She doesn't believe in it, but when she runs into a (hot) bartender, she realizes that kiss may be a bit more real than she ever thought. She puts her faith and money in facts and science, not myth and magic. It is a rather entertaining turn for her to realize that "oh, crap. There may be magic after all."
The bartender is Delilah's love interest. Jem (who somehow reminds me of Jem from The Clockwork Angel and its sister books) has a passion for art and has his eyes on Delilah. He is definitely infuriating, and he is an absolute darling (despite being annoying, very annoying, and greatly annoying). Sure, he and Delilah have a difficult relationship because of how crazy forces (including Delilah's best friend and her ex-boyfriend and Jem's mysterious past) drives them apart. But they always find each other. [Insert Once Upon A Time gif here with Prince Charming and Snow White proclaiming their infamous phrase]
The plot starts off with Delilah getting a kiss from a French boy named Laurent (who is a minor character and speaks with honeyed words). The story turns wild and frenzy, and some parts get scorching hot (especially the parts where Jem and Delilah kiss). However, not everything is rainbows and gold and glitter. Out of the darkness comes the drama of friendship, old boyfriends, UST (unresolved sexual tension), and the kiss itself.
The ending is one of the best part of the book. It will leave many readers satisfied, but some will always be asking about the loose ends (involving Aphrodite's Kiss).
Overall, The Kiss is a romantic and dramatic tale with some cliche and cheesy moments that will make Aphrodite herself very proud. Delilah is a funny character, in a greatly unintentional way. Jem is a hot (hot) love interest, and the story is filled with troubles and powerful forces that seem to drive the couple apart. Of course, when Aphrodite is involved, love can go either way.
Rating: Four out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
July 1, 2015
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would describe The Kiss as a Bridget Jones for the YA set. This is a YA RomCom imported from the UK, and I enjoyed every outrageous and ridiculous moment of it! Delilah, the sixteen year old protagonist, returns from holiday (I feel so sophisticated when I write it that way) in France with the legendary Aphrodite's Kiss, the kiss gifted to mortals by the goddess herself - the kiss to end all kisses and tie him to you so tight he'll never let go. When she passes it on, it makes its way through a crowd of young British university students leaving love and heartbreak in its wake. While Delilah does bumble around and generally make an idiot of herself in front of the hot guy, this isn't a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but instead, it updates Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (the musical version of the play also has a rather large role in the book). Delilah is a mess, but she is a fixer, so she spends much of the book attempting to right everyone's life. Madness and mayhem ensue in the form of creeptastic drug dealers, a couple of old lady lushes, lusty French pen pals, and zombies. I liked Delilah for all her miscues. She is smart and witty, but not as mature as she thinks she is. Her journey to a happy ending is fraught with mistakes, but I believe most readers will embrace her well meaning attempts as well as the resolution. As for the other characters, I liked them, too. They are not your usual folks, and I found them interesting and colorful. Here is the problem some readers will have - these kids are young, but they have a lifestyle more along the lines of a college freshman in the US. Drinking, partying, and snogging play large roles in this book. While not graphic, if I had read this as a teen, I would have been on the first plane to England because it sounds like American teens are missing the party, so if you can't tolerate the teen fantasy life, skip it. (I assume this lifestyle is exaggerated, because if it isn't, I'm definitely buying a plane ticket). If you can't be bothered to puzzle out a few words of unfamiliar slang, skip it. If you want a good laugh and a charming romp through a ridiculous love story, this is your book. If you have enjoyed other YA revisions of The Bard (10 Things I Hate About You comes to mind), you will probably get a kick out of this one. Language and situations are appropriate for high school and beyond.
July 29, 2015
ARC kindly provided by Hachette Chlildren's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review
Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!
Review
The Kiss by Lucy Courtenay was true to its word when it said that Geek Girls everywhere will love this hysterically-hilarious romantic-comedy novel. I found that this novel was a solid 4.5 star but couldn't help but round up in by rating. It lacked only a little something that would bring it to a 5 star. The thing I really loved was there were NO GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES, with the exception of a few typos. What I mean, there was no sense of 'amateur writer' to it - more a bit of in confidence in writing romance...I believe. From the moment I picked up The Kiss, I felt like cackling madly at one characters antics and throwing punches this way and that at another's actions. You would often see me either giggling or grinning like a goose or sulking and moody. What really amused me was that 'The Kiss' was titled very appropriately; there was heaps of kissing and snogging going on! This novel was a light-hearted adventure (most of the time) to follow and an easy read that I finished within a day. In my opinion, this was a lovingly-enchanting stand-alone and a success. A real page turner! Congratulations to Lucy Courtenay on publishing yet another gorgeously covered novel!
Rating Plan
1 star : Strongly did not like the book, writing and plot was bad. Idea of the book was against my liking.
2 star : Didn't like it, didn't find it interesting or gripping. Seemed to drag on to me.
3 star : An average book. Wasn't bad or good. Everything else was well done. Original idea.
4 star : Like a 3 star but has potential to it as a series or the book grew on me as it progressed and certain scenes captured me. I Enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.
5 star : I LOVED IT! I stayed up late until 3 am. Author is a genius, characters, plot, idea, development, EVERYTHING was EXCELLENT. Nothing else can possibly be said except that its 5 STAR!
June 25, 2015
*I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are completely my own.*
Let me start this off by being completely honest: I didn't know if I was going to finish this book. Allow me to explain.
When I started reading this book, I wasn't a fan of the way that it was written. The first chapter definitely grabbed my attention, with the story of Aphrodite's Kiss and how the main character Delilah was wooed by some dreamy French boy while on vacation. But then come the second chapter, the book starts in "current time" and I felt a little lost for a few chapters, trying to make sense of who was who, what was going on, and where the story takes place. One thing in particular that threw me was the characters' diction and their affinities for slang words. To me, this made Delilah and her best friend Tabby seem a little spacey and random.
After I made sense of some key information, I started to actually enjoy the book and read through it fairly quickly. I particularly enjoyed that the characters in the book are far from perfect. Each character has many flaws that are pointed out, making them seem all the more real. For example, Delilah has money problems, which I found I could relate to. There were other things that I found to be relatable too, like the fact that a lot of the characters are in college, or looking for jobs.
Delilah's main love interest, Jem, is quite the charmer. He works at his mother's bar, and seems to have girls throwing themselves at him left and right. But despite his good looks and broad shoulders, he isn't the player that I would have expected him to be, even though he does make mistakes here and there. It takes almost the entire book for Delilah to see Jem for who he really is, but it is very entertaining to go through her thought processes of overanalyzing every thing that both she and Jem do. Girls sure can be ridiculous sometimes, myself included.
Let me start this off by being completely honest: I didn't know if I was going to finish this book. Allow me to explain.
When I started reading this book, I wasn't a fan of the way that it was written. The first chapter definitely grabbed my attention, with the story of Aphrodite's Kiss and how the main character Delilah was wooed by some dreamy French boy while on vacation. But then come the second chapter, the book starts in "current time" and I felt a little lost for a few chapters, trying to make sense of who was who, what was going on, and where the story takes place. One thing in particular that threw me was the characters' diction and their affinities for slang words. To me, this made Delilah and her best friend Tabby seem a little spacey and random.
After I made sense of some key information, I started to actually enjoy the book and read through it fairly quickly. I particularly enjoyed that the characters in the book are far from perfect. Each character has many flaws that are pointed out, making them seem all the more real. For example, Delilah has money problems, which I found I could relate to. There were other things that I found to be relatable too, like the fact that a lot of the characters are in college, or looking for jobs.
Delilah's main love interest, Jem, is quite the charmer. He works at his mother's bar, and seems to have girls throwing themselves at him left and right. But despite his good looks and broad shoulders, he isn't the player that I would have expected him to be, even though he does make mistakes here and there. It takes almost the entire book for Delilah to see Jem for who he really is, but it is very entertaining to go through her thought processes of overanalyzing every thing that both she and Jem do. Girls sure can be ridiculous sometimes, myself included.
July 3, 2015
Got an ARC from Net Galley.
I think the cover is adorable. Each of the chapters have the number in a heart which is really cute. This is a UK book so I got the whole experience including the spelling they do across the pond. Where is this pond? Anyhoo I'm not sure if this book would appeal to everyone especially since British English and American English can sometimes seem like two different languages. They could have defined the terms that some people might not understand.
I have to admit that I was a bit confused at the beginning because it starts off with Delilah being on vacation or as you Brits say on holiday kissing a guy only to be at home all of a sudden. It was just a bit jarring to me. Maybe it was just me. Also the school system over there confuses me. The characters are sixteen so they are in the tenth grade but over there they refer to it as college. I think they call college university. I'm pretty sure one of the British soaps I watch have actually said high school. Well that isn't really important.
It is a cute story even though it can be confusing. The bit about Aphrodite's kiss seemed to be thrown in there and mentioned every once in a while to remind you. I think it would have been better if that part was just left out and it focused on the friendship between Delilah and Tabby. The title just doesn't seem to fit because I felt the best part of the story didn't revolve around this kiss that gets passed from person to person. It would be more enjoyable without that. The part about zombies was really interesting and this book had some cute moments. I also think people might be turned off with all those weird nicknames.
http://www.ficgal.com/book-club/the-kiss
I think the cover is adorable. Each of the chapters have the number in a heart which is really cute. This is a UK book so I got the whole experience including the spelling they do across the pond. Where is this pond? Anyhoo I'm not sure if this book would appeal to everyone especially since British English and American English can sometimes seem like two different languages. They could have defined the terms that some people might not understand.
I have to admit that I was a bit confused at the beginning because it starts off with Delilah being on vacation or as you Brits say on holiday kissing a guy only to be at home all of a sudden. It was just a bit jarring to me. Maybe it was just me. Also the school system over there confuses me. The characters are sixteen so they are in the tenth grade but over there they refer to it as college. I think they call college university. I'm pretty sure one of the British soaps I watch have actually said high school. Well that isn't really important.
It is a cute story even though it can be confusing. The bit about Aphrodite's kiss seemed to be thrown in there and mentioned every once in a while to remind you. I think it would have been better if that part was just left out and it focused on the friendship between Delilah and Tabby. The title just doesn't seem to fit because I felt the best part of the story didn't revolve around this kiss that gets passed from person to person. It would be more enjoyable without that. The part about zombies was really interesting and this book had some cute moments. I also think people might be turned off with all those weird nicknames.
http://www.ficgal.com/book-club/the-kiss
June 4, 2015
This was a really cute British book with fun characters and a fast-moving plot.
I loved the premise of this book--that Delilah had caught Aphrodite's kiss. The girls did research on the topic and had some fun examples of how it had been passed along through time. I loved the way the kiss operated and the manners in which they tried to control it. I loved the ending.
However, the premise was not all there was to this plot. From jobs to zombies to musicals, this book covered a lot of ground. Though it was a whirlwind, it was easy to follow and I was constantly curious as to what would happen next in these character's lives. I was surprised by the amount of bar-hopping that happened at sixteen, but it definitely moved the story on.
This book was just a ton of fun to read. Delilah is all over the place, and her woes with money mismanagement and struggling to feed herself, not wanting to ask her parents for help, resonated heavily with me. It did, however, feel a little juvenile at points and lacked substance.
I loved Delilah and Tabby as characters--they were great female leads and Delilah especially had a strong voice and a bubbling personality. Their antics were amusing and Delilah felt very real.
While there was nothing very substantial to this book, it had a sweet ending and fun characters and was worth the read.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the premise of this book--that Delilah had caught Aphrodite's kiss. The girls did research on the topic and had some fun examples of how it had been passed along through time. I loved the way the kiss operated and the manners in which they tried to control it. I loved the ending.
However, the premise was not all there was to this plot. From jobs to zombies to musicals, this book covered a lot of ground. Though it was a whirlwind, it was easy to follow and I was constantly curious as to what would happen next in these character's lives. I was surprised by the amount of bar-hopping that happened at sixteen, but it definitely moved the story on.
This book was just a ton of fun to read. Delilah is all over the place, and her woes with money mismanagement and struggling to feed herself, not wanting to ask her parents for help, resonated heavily with me. It did, however, feel a little juvenile at points and lacked substance.
I loved Delilah and Tabby as characters--they were great female leads and Delilah especially had a strong voice and a bubbling personality. Their antics were amusing and Delilah felt very real.
While there was nothing very substantial to this book, it had a sweet ending and fun characters and was worth the read.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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