What do you think?
Rate this book
Before... and After #2
Kissing Lessons
A kiss is just a kiss. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Does it?
At seventeen, Merry’s never been kissed. Since he doesn’t want to disappoint his prom date, he asks his more experienced best friend, Boone, for some pointers. Surprisingly, Boone agrees to give him a hands-on lesson.
But they have no idea what they’re getting into.
They explore hundreds of ways to make out, but somehow it isn’t enough. A week later, they’re back together for another session. This time things go further than either of them planned, and their relationship becomes awkward and uncomfortable.
Have they learned enough to salvage their friendship and help it evolve? Their lessons have come to an end. They can either part ways forever… or share a true love’s kiss.
At seventeen, Merry’s never been kissed. Since he doesn’t want to disappoint his prom date, he asks his more experienced best friend, Boone, for some pointers. Surprisingly, Boone agrees to give him a hands-on lesson.
But they have no idea what they’re getting into.
They explore hundreds of ways to make out, but somehow it isn’t enough. A week later, they’re back together for another session. This time things go further than either of them planned, and their relationship becomes awkward and uncomfortable.
Have they learned enough to salvage their friendship and help it evolve? Their lessons have come to an end. They can either part ways forever… or share a true love’s kiss.
90 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2017
3 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Susan Laine
79 books222 followersSusan is an award-winning author of LGBTQ erotic romance. She writes for Dreamspinner Press, DSP Publications, Siren BookStrand, Evernight Publishing, and Less Than Three Press. Susan is a Finn writing in English. She likes action flicks, pop music, saunas, and the seasons in Finland. Join Susan's newsletter HERE.
Coming soon new M/M and F/F erotic romances....
Sorry but... I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from writing at the moment. Will keep you apprised of any changes. Huge thanks to anyone who has read my stories and, hopefully, liked them <3
Merry Christmas!
Coming soon new M/M and F/F erotic romances....
Sorry but... I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from writing at the moment. Will keep you apprised of any changes. Huge thanks to anyone who has read my stories and, hopefully, liked them <3
Merry Christmas!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 8, 2017
Wow, that was... steamy. Talk about a buildup. And from a YA/NA story, no less.
Foreplay, anyone?
Toward the end of the first long kissing scene, which didn't rush anything, drawing out the descriptions and sexual tension, I literally caught myself holding my breath a bit and thinking, "Holy shit." (Okay, confession, I actually whispered it.) I'm not even exaggerating. I was pulled that deeply in, no lie.
Then a week later, they shared their second set of slow, steamy kisses, which I also found engaging, but those kisses definitely had a much more sexual, less purely sensual, edge to them, with that exchange ending very, well... " happily ," if you catch my drift.
So yeah, for the most part, this story totally worked for me, although, since these were 'lessons,' every single little variation on a kiss *had* to have a name, which felt like a complete reach for a ton of the kiss names.
Some of the names for the kisses were utterly ridiculous, but I didn't actually Google search the kiss names, so they may be 'real' names per-se; however, I didn't really feel like I needed to be told that a kiss on the neck was a neck kiss, a kiss on the knuckles was a knuckle kiss, a kiss on the toe was a toe kiss, etc.
Captain Obvious to the rescue!
I suspect that both myself and the inexperienced MC might have preferred to just 'experience' those particular kisses, quietly, as it was highly unlikely that his prom date was about to quiz him on kiss names. Only that he could do them well.
Regarding the supposed angst and discomfort mentioned in the blurb, the story didn't read that way at all for me. In fact, I found the drama to be almost non-existent, which I actually liked. These are two life-long best friends, who for the most part talk freely with one another, after all.
There was a bit of cheese toward the end, though, which I could have entirely done without. And the age of the dialogue could fluctuate a bit wildly.
Like this very adult phrase: " When your lips touched mine, it was a dream made manifest. "
Which was followed a few sentences later by an equally-eloquent " Duh! "
And then this straight out of a telenovela phrase, “ Let’s get started then, shall we? My beautiful randy buck. ”
Randy buck? Really??? I really hope that teen jock tightened the bodice of his corset, before he pulled that panty dropper out of his Harlequin, Fabio-courting ass.
Wouldn't want you to sprain an ovary, there, (lady) 'dude'. ;- )
Heh. That one got a huuuuuge eye-roll from me, along with their 17 year old promises of "forever." Yes, I'm cynical, but I did truly want to believe in their extremely young HEA.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story and would give it a solid 4.25 stars for its fun, flirty, sexy vibe.
-----------------------------------------------
My ARC copy of the story was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
February 5, 2020
3 Stars
Kissing Lessons is the second story in Laine’s YA Before… and After series, which features M/M stories with a strong friends-to-lovers theme.
Here, teenage best friends, Merry and Boone, become enamoured with one another and realise their friendship has a lifetime of romantic potential, after Merry approaches Boone with a request for kissing lessons.
Although both boys are supposedly straight when the story begins, they jump all too easily into some seriously affectionate and heated kissing sessions, quickly leading to the realisation and acceptance of a deeper attraction.
Although the dialogue was exceedingly cheesy at times, the intimate moments were deeply sensual, making this fairly steamy compared to most YA fare.
It was a sweet and admittedly sexy read, but perhaps too short or underdeveloped to really pack a punch.
Kissing Lessons is the second story in Laine’s YA Before… and After series, which features M/M stories with a strong friends-to-lovers theme.
Here, teenage best friends, Merry and Boone, become enamoured with one another and realise their friendship has a lifetime of romantic potential, after Merry approaches Boone with a request for kissing lessons.
Although both boys are supposedly straight when the story begins, they jump all too easily into some seriously affectionate and heated kissing sessions, quickly leading to the realisation and acceptance of a deeper attraction.
Although the dialogue was exceedingly cheesy at times, the intimate moments were deeply sensual, making this fairly steamy compared to most YA fare.
It was a sweet and admittedly sexy read, but perhaps too short or underdeveloped to really pack a punch.
December 2, 2018
Kissing porn? Kissing porn.
This story of two straight-identifying 17-year old boys had the potential to be extremely cute. However, I didn't make it past page one before doubts sprang up as to whether the author had ever actually met any 17-year old boys.
Here we're inside Merry's POV as he thinks about his best friend:
Manhood?? Thought no 17-year old boy in the history of the world, ever.
As these two (straight-identifying) guys shared their emotions and sat in each other's laps and exchanged old-timey endearments like "sweetheart," I found it necessary to start thinking of this as a fantasy -- a fantasy populated not with human boys (obviously!), but with some other lifeform, like, say, fauns or leprechauns. That amused me for a while, but not enough to power me through to the end.
I borrowed this through Hoopla, so at least I got to try another new author for free (and learn she's not for me). All hail Hoopla -- it stocks oodles of m/m titles.
This story of two straight-identifying 17-year old boys had the potential to be extremely cute. However, I didn't make it past page one before doubts sprang up as to whether the author had ever actually met any 17-year old boys.
Here we're inside Merry's POV as he thinks about his best friend:
"Boone was... the best of men -- although technically at seventeen they had not quite reached manhood yet."
Manhood?? Thought no 17-year old boy in the history of the world, ever.
As these two (straight-identifying) guys shared their emotions and sat in each other's laps and exchanged old-timey endearments like "sweetheart," I found it necessary to start thinking of this as a fantasy -- a fantasy populated not with human boys (obviously!), but with some other lifeform, like, say, fauns or leprechauns. That amused me for a while, but not enough to power me through to the end.
I borrowed this through Hoopla, so at least I got to try another new author for free (and learn she's not for me). All hail Hoopla -- it stocks oodles of m/m titles.
May 15, 2017
Very, very sweet and surprisingly hot, I was ready to give this book 4-stars until things got too mushy-gushy towards the end.
I haven't had much experience with Susan Laine, but I was surprised with how well she built up the heat between these two innocent little high schoolers (*insert evil grin*). I mean, these guys pretty much just kiss and rub on each other, and I swear I was riveting and sweating along with them. Phew! Who knew making out could be so sexy?
Okay, I knew this book would be short and fluffy, but the pet names and the "bae"-ing needed to be reined in. I'm not one to hate on pet names, but this was over-the-top and completely unbelievable with the story. I'm sorry, to go from one extreme, just "buddies," to the other at this rate gave me whiplash.
If you can get over the schmaltzy second half, you will love this book. I was almost there, but I still adored the heat from the beginning. Yum.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
I haven't had much experience with Susan Laine, but I was surprised with how well she built up the heat between these two innocent little high schoolers (*insert evil grin*). I mean, these guys pretty much just kiss and rub on each other, and I swear I was riveting and sweating along with them. Phew! Who knew making out could be so sexy?
Okay, I knew this book would be short and fluffy, but the pet names and the "bae"-ing needed to be reined in. I'm not one to hate on pet names, but this was over-the-top and completely unbelievable with the story. I'm sorry, to go from one extreme, just "buddies," to the other at this rate gave me whiplash.
If you can get over the schmaltzy second half, you will love this book. I was almost there, but I still adored the heat from the beginning. Yum.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
Read
May 2, 20174.5 Hearts
This story goes to show you don’t need full on penetrative sex to make a story romantic nor sexy. This was so ridiculously sexy and it was just kissing… everywhere.
Good lord. I have to say that the blurb made me want this because I am a huge sucker for friends to lover’s stories and asking your BFF to teach you how to kiss and then both of you absolutely getting into it? Sign me up. You see, one of my favorite friends to lovers’ stories comes from the God of Teen Angst Drama, John Hughes and his film, Some Kind of Wonderful. Watts and Keith are best friends and Watts has had an unrequited crush on Keith for like FOREVER. When Keith finally gets a date with his dream girl Amanda Jones, Watts tells him she’ll let him practice on her so he can deliver a kiss that kills and that first kiss, how they start of tentative and then that grip of Keith’s on Watt’s hip… so freaking sexy. So yeah, this story was right up my lane of favorites and it did not disappoint.
One might think at the beginning of the story it’s odd to have Merry ask Boone to show him how to kiss and that Boone agrees without much hesitation. But, I will let you in a little secret so that you don’t think it’s so way out of left field...Boone has done this before. I’ll leave it at that and not go into more of a spoiler but this isn’t so “OMG! Why would two straight boys do this?” whereas it’s more of two friends feeling safe and secure enough to trust the other with something so vulnerable and intimate.
After saying all that I am going to say this is one hell of a hot story and yeah, I will stand by that even knowing Boone and Merry are only 17. Research will get you everywhere and it’s clear that Boone has researched all there is about kissing and the numerous ways to kiss. Most of the kisses I knew by name and most were adorable to start off with because how cute was the Eskimo and Butterfly kiss? I am one who liked Boone detailed instructions and naming of each kiss, it gave the reader and the boys a second to pause for station identification and move on to the next breathless lesson.
Getting both boys POV’s was so nice as with stories like this, it’s beneficial for me to know everyone's headspace. I loved being in both Boone and Merry’s head while they kissed and while they questioned this new attraction and love for their best friend.
This was deliciously sweet and sexy. I probably shouldn’t have read it at my desk as my blush is obvious on my fair skin but I couldn’t have stopped reading if I tried and I didn't try. Boone and Merry have had their whole lives as best friends and now a simple question has led them down to road to more and I really hope they plant roots in a town called forever because yeah, they are that sticky sweet together.
Laine’s Before and After series is becoming one that I am looking forward to and can’t wait to see if the author offers up more stories and where she takes the next hopefully pair of best friends to lovers.
This story goes to show you don’t need full on penetrative sex to make a story romantic nor sexy. This was so ridiculously sexy and it was just kissing… everywhere.
Good lord. I have to say that the blurb made me want this because I am a huge sucker for friends to lover’s stories and asking your BFF to teach you how to kiss and then both of you absolutely getting into it? Sign me up. You see, one of my favorite friends to lovers’ stories comes from the God of Teen Angst Drama, John Hughes and his film, Some Kind of Wonderful. Watts and Keith are best friends and Watts has had an unrequited crush on Keith for like FOREVER. When Keith finally gets a date with his dream girl Amanda Jones, Watts tells him she’ll let him practice on her so he can deliver a kiss that kills and that first kiss, how they start of tentative and then that grip of Keith’s on Watt’s hip… so freaking sexy. So yeah, this story was right up my lane of favorites and it did not disappoint.
One might think at the beginning of the story it’s odd to have Merry ask Boone to show him how to kiss and that Boone agrees without much hesitation. But, I will let you in a little secret so that you don’t think it’s so way out of left field...Boone has done this before. I’ll leave it at that and not go into more of a spoiler but this isn’t so “OMG! Why would two straight boys do this?” whereas it’s more of two friends feeling safe and secure enough to trust the other with something so vulnerable and intimate.
After saying all that I am going to say this is one hell of a hot story and yeah, I will stand by that even knowing Boone and Merry are only 17. Research will get you everywhere and it’s clear that Boone has researched all there is about kissing and the numerous ways to kiss. Most of the kisses I knew by name and most were adorable to start off with because how cute was the Eskimo and Butterfly kiss? I am one who liked Boone detailed instructions and naming of each kiss, it gave the reader and the boys a second to pause for station identification and move on to the next breathless lesson.
Getting both boys POV’s was so nice as with stories like this, it’s beneficial for me to know everyone's headspace. I loved being in both Boone and Merry’s head while they kissed and while they questioned this new attraction and love for their best friend.
This was deliciously sweet and sexy. I probably shouldn’t have read it at my desk as my blush is obvious on my fair skin but I couldn’t have stopped reading if I tried and I didn't try. Boone and Merry have had their whole lives as best friends and now a simple question has led them down to road to more and I really hope they plant roots in a town called forever because yeah, they are that sticky sweet together.
Laine’s Before and After series is becoming one that I am looking forward to and can’t wait to see if the author offers up more stories and where she takes the next hopefully pair of best friends to lovers.
October 10, 2017
This book was absurd in so many ways, I don't even know where to start. One thing I'm sure about, is that I keep expecting way more than I get from this author's writing and all the time the blurb cheats me.
There were so many things wrong with this book that I lost count. No 17 years old boy talks like Merry and Boone (mostly him) did. The use of pet names was annoying and came out of no where. If I read "bae" one more time I'm gonna get my kindle on fire, litterally. The book seemed to be a catalogue of kisses, and it was annoying and not hot at all, the only good part (I know I will sound like a huge perv) was when they finally started getting naked and dirty, but also there all that happened felt rushed and I really can't believe that 2 boys that thought were straight until their "kissing lessons" had no problems in having gay sex.
Then the authors tells us, that Boone had made out with 2 boys in the past, but nothing more, and still he thought he was straight...sure boy....Our MCs never go all the way, but that wasn't one of the things that annoyed me, this actually made sense, since the book was too short and they were too young.
Boone sounded like a professor or Casanova, teaching a naive and maybe stupid boy, his great tecnique, but let's be sincere, he too is only a 17 years old boy with rampage hormones and he shouldnt be so high and mighty, didn't seem real. I found Merry cute, and I liked him more than the other boy. There was little to no background story, and all went way too fast. The boys didn't talk much, not about feelings, or to better say not about the right things at the right time. When Boone in the middle of having sex, started thinking how he could picture them in the future years going to a clinic and get tested to be able to keep having sex without condom if they wanted, I started laughing, not bcs this wasn't an important thing to do, but bcs there is NO WAY a 17 years old boy, while having sex, is thinking about that. Don't tell me otherwise, bcs u are lying.
There is an HEA, but they are way too young to feel real, and I would have liked an epilogue to see them some years later.
There were so many things wrong with this book that I lost count. No 17 years old boy talks like Merry and Boone (mostly him) did. The use of pet names was annoying and came out of no where. If I read "bae" one more time I'm gonna get my kindle on fire, litterally. The book seemed to be a catalogue of kisses, and it was annoying and not hot at all, the only good part (I know I will sound like a huge perv) was when they finally started getting naked and dirty, but also there all that happened felt rushed and I really can't believe that 2 boys that thought were straight until their "kissing lessons" had no problems in having gay sex.
Then the authors tells us, that Boone had made out with 2 boys in the past, but nothing more, and still he thought he was straight...sure boy....Our MCs never go all the way, but that wasn't one of the things that annoyed me, this actually made sense, since the book was too short and they were too young.
Boone sounded like a professor or Casanova, teaching a naive and maybe stupid boy, his great tecnique, but let's be sincere, he too is only a 17 years old boy with rampage hormones and he shouldnt be so high and mighty, didn't seem real. I found Merry cute, and I liked him more than the other boy. There was little to no background story, and all went way too fast. The boys didn't talk much, not about feelings, or to better say not about the right things at the right time. When Boone in the middle of having sex, started thinking how he could picture them in the future years going to a clinic and get tested to be able to keep having sex without condom if they wanted, I started laughing, not bcs this wasn't an important thing to do, but bcs there is NO WAY a 17 years old boy, while having sex, is thinking about that. Don't tell me otherwise, bcs u are lying.
There is an HEA, but they are way too young to feel real, and I would have liked an epilogue to see them some years later.
August 24, 2019
DNF:ed at approximately 85 %. I thought I could finish it, I mean it is a little over 120 pages but nah it was horrible. I mean, the text was really clunky...And at first it read like an epic long “kissing-foreplay” if I say so. But it didn’t get better. Honestly I like the first 50 pages or so but then it just fell so flat. And the last pages I just couldn’t get through it. It was really cringe-worthy, both in the non-existent plot and the kinda bad writing...It actually read like an really bad fan fic and yeah I haven’t got enough time to read bad stuff so...yeah...
April 13, 2017
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
5 Kissing Stars.
Jesus. I am so glad I was alone as I read this novella. My eyes were popping out of my skull and I'm still wearing a perma-blush as I type out this review.
Susan Laine is a new-to-me author, so I'll be checking out more of her work.
Merry & Boone may be 17 years old, but I can't classify this as a young adult novel (I have no idea what the publisher is classifying this as) From a 17 yo's standpoint, I'd want to read it. From the standpoint of a 38 yo, I wouldn't want my child reading it, but I totally get why they'd take to it like a fly to flypaper. Dayum!
Merry & Boone have been best buds since kindergarten, doing everything together. Merry is a bit socially awkward and totally innocent, whereas Boone is basically a stud. Merry asks his bud for help with kissing, because their prom was coming up and he didn't want to look like a fool when he kissed his date goodnight.
The novella was sweet, and adorable, and hotter than Hades. For something so short, it didn't have a feeling of insta-love/lust, and had one helluva tension-filled buildup. The entirety of the novella, save a few short pages at the prom, all take place in Boone's bedroom. Kissing lessons. The ever-masterful Boone rocked both Merry's and his own world.
... I'm pretty sure Boone was just making up kisses as he went along, which was adorable and hilarious.
Two warnings: if you're not in a cutesy mood, you may find the book hard to swallow (we all get that way sometimes, especially me) and some of the language (both dialogue and inner monologue) sounded decades older than 17- I didn't care, because I was too busy blushing, but someone else might.
Recommended for MM Romance fans. Alright, I'd let my fictitious teenager read the novella, just not when I knew they were reading it, and not in the same room with me, because that's kinda skeevy. *fans self* Yeah, for something so innocent, Kissing Lessons was a scorching read.
5 Kissing Stars.
Jesus. I am so glad I was alone as I read this novella. My eyes were popping out of my skull and I'm still wearing a perma-blush as I type out this review.
Susan Laine is a new-to-me author, so I'll be checking out more of her work.
Merry & Boone may be 17 years old, but I can't classify this as a young adult novel (I have no idea what the publisher is classifying this as) From a 17 yo's standpoint, I'd want to read it. From the standpoint of a 38 yo, I wouldn't want my child reading it, but I totally get why they'd take to it like a fly to flypaper. Dayum!
Merry & Boone have been best buds since kindergarten, doing everything together. Merry is a bit socially awkward and totally innocent, whereas Boone is basically a stud. Merry asks his bud for help with kissing, because their prom was coming up and he didn't want to look like a fool when he kissed his date goodnight.
The novella was sweet, and adorable, and hotter than Hades. For something so short, it didn't have a feeling of insta-love/lust, and had one helluva tension-filled buildup. The entirety of the novella, save a few short pages at the prom, all take place in Boone's bedroom. Kissing lessons. The ever-masterful Boone rocked both Merry's and his own world.
... I'm pretty sure Boone was just making up kisses as he went along, which was adorable and hilarious.
Two warnings: if you're not in a cutesy mood, you may find the book hard to swallow (we all get that way sometimes, especially me) and some of the language (both dialogue and inner monologue) sounded decades older than 17- I didn't care, because I was too busy blushing, but someone else might.
Recommended for MM Romance fans. Alright, I'd let my fictitious teenager read the novella, just not when I knew they were reading it, and not in the same room with me, because that's kinda skeevy. *fans self* Yeah, for something so innocent, Kissing Lessons was a scorching read.
May 23, 2017
Sweet, short, friends become lovers and are not sure the other feels the same way. It was a feel good short novel with lots and lots of kissing. I liked the first one and while these are only PG-13 at best I would still read the next in line. Lane's stories always carry a sweet HEA feel to them that some times you just need.
May 23, 2021
A short sweet read about two boys who were friends but become so much more.
June 25, 2017
Kissing Lessons by Susan Lane is the second book in the Before and After series. This can be read as a stand alone book with no problems. I do like the sweet coming of age story in this book. The story of best friends becoming more.
Boon is going to turn 18 in a few days. His best friend Merry always rubs it in how he is older and wiser.
Boon is a good person he is sweet and kind. Good friend to have.
Merry is in a funk. Boon wants to know why. Boon hated being in the dark especially if it involved Merry in any way shape or form. Merry loved that Boon always accepted him just the way he was. He is not sure if taking the next step will pull Boon to him or make him run away forever. But he knows he wants more with Boon.
This one is a sweet and hot coming of age story. Both of these guys are learning who they are and what they want. It really made me smile to see them grow up and find a love that will last.
Five Shooting Stars
Boon is going to turn 18 in a few days. His best friend Merry always rubs it in how he is older and wiser.
Boon is a good person he is sweet and kind. Good friend to have.
Merry is in a funk. Boon wants to know why. Boon hated being in the dark especially if it involved Merry in any way shape or form. Merry loved that Boon always accepted him just the way he was. He is not sure if taking the next step will pull Boon to him or make him run away forever. But he knows he wants more with Boon.
This one is a sweet and hot coming of age story. Both of these guys are learning who they are and what they want. It really made me smile to see them grow up and find a love that will last.
Five Shooting Stars
April 16, 2017
Have you ever read a book and thought how cute those two 17-year-old lads were, sharing their 'first's' and one teaching the other how to kiss for the first time? Well, that's essentially the basis of this story but they were so utterly annoying that I wished this book was shorter because seriously, how many types of kiss can one read about before wanting to pull one's hair out because it goes on and on and on till it's become ridiculous!
This just wasn't believable. When two supposedly straight, best friends decide to start kissing each other for the first time, they aren't going to start with Eskimo kisses and butterfly kisses and necking kisses and bee kisses.... will somebody please make it stop! Don't even get me started with the terms of endearment these still allegedly straight boys use on each other, starting with 'sweetheart' and ending with 'bae'. Oh, come on! Seriously?! Bae?!?! Mind you, what can you expect from someone who is called 'Merry' because his parents liked Lord Of The Rings! They jump from straight to being a gay couple at prom in a flash, as if it's that's a natural progression and no-one blinks an eye.
'Friends to lovers' is one of my favourite tropes and what could've been a very sexy story about first-time love and experimentation was too far fetched for even my wild imagination. Never mind, they do live happily ever after......
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cheryl from Alpha Book Club
Alpha Book Club
All Alpha Males Accepted
alphabookclub.org
This just wasn't believable. When two supposedly straight, best friends decide to start kissing each other for the first time, they aren't going to start with Eskimo kisses and butterfly kisses and necking kisses and bee kisses.... will somebody please make it stop! Don't even get me started with the terms of endearment these still allegedly straight boys use on each other, starting with 'sweetheart' and ending with 'bae'. Oh, come on! Seriously?! Bae?!?! Mind you, what can you expect from someone who is called 'Merry' because his parents liked Lord Of The Rings! They jump from straight to being a gay couple at prom in a flash, as if it's that's a natural progression and no-one blinks an eye.
'Friends to lovers' is one of my favourite tropes and what could've been a very sexy story about first-time love and experimentation was too far fetched for even my wild imagination. Never mind, they do live happily ever after......
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cheryl from Alpha Book Club
Alpha Book Club
All Alpha Males Accepted
alphabookclub.org
May 1, 2017
3 Stars
I do have to admit the kissing scenes were hella hot...but the rest of the book was a bit inconsistent. Kinda felt like a story with teenage girls instead of boys and while I appreciate books with a lack of MCs angsting over their sexuality, that missing component felt a bit doubtful here.
I do have to admit the kissing scenes were hella hot...but the rest of the book was a bit inconsistent. Kinda felt like a story with teenage girls instead of boys and while I appreciate books with a lack of MCs angsting over their sexuality, that missing component felt a bit doubtful here.
May 9, 2017
Awwww….this was cute. And, pretty sexy as well! Who knew there were so many different types of kisses?! I sure didn’t. But, Merry wanted kissing lessons, damnit, so Boone did his research, and went all out to help his best friend. I cracked up at this line from Boone after Merry was expressing concern that he wasn’t taking it seriously, and maybe wasn’t gonna give Merry his best stuff…
And, he wasn’t kidding. Boone was nothing if not thorough! I think Merry definitely got more than he bargained for. I don’t think he had any idea that kissing his best friend would bring out the rush of feelings that it did. This was another great reaction…
Kissing Lessons has quite a few similarly sweet, romantic passages sprinkled throughout. In fact, I was surprised at the number of highlights I had when I went back to look at my notes. But, there were so many lovely little snippets, I couldn’t resist.
There were a few little things about the story that didn’t quite gel with me, though. One being some of the dialogue. Sometimes it was fine. Just a coupla teenage guys. But sometimes…sometimes—like when they said things such as, “I have designs for tonight”—they definitely did not sound like seventeen-year-old boys. Also, and I realize this is sort of nitpicky, but it just stuck out like a sore thumb, I thought it was strange that they saw The Dark Tower, since that film doesn’t even come out until later this summer.
Overall, for me, this was a cute little read but not something that I would tell folks to race out and get. I liked both guys, Merry was very sweet and Boone was basically best friend extraordinaire, but it’s probably not something that’s going to stick with me. And, that’s ok, too. Sometimes we just need that cute little one-sitting read.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
“Man, you’re a demanding little prick, aren’t you?” But Boone sounded amused, so Merry let it slide. “Fine. I’ll be sure to give you only my A game.”
And, he wasn’t kidding. Boone was nothing if not thorough! I think Merry definitely got more than he bargained for. I don’t think he had any idea that kissing his best friend would bring out the rush of feelings that it did. This was another great reaction…
Merry smothered a moan. The way Boone fluttered his lashes echoed the fluttering of Merry’s heart. He felt queasy and jittery and so hot he thought he might combust. How did people kiss every day and not get hopelessly flustered?
Kissing Lessons has quite a few similarly sweet, romantic passages sprinkled throughout. In fact, I was surprised at the number of highlights I had when I went back to look at my notes. But, there were so many lovely little snippets, I couldn’t resist.
There were a few little things about the story that didn’t quite gel with me, though. One being some of the dialogue. Sometimes it was fine. Just a coupla teenage guys. But sometimes…sometimes—like when they said things such as, “I have designs for tonight”—they definitely did not sound like seventeen-year-old boys. Also, and I realize this is sort of nitpicky, but it just stuck out like a sore thumb, I thought it was strange that they saw The Dark Tower, since that film doesn’t even come out until later this summer.
Overall, for me, this was a cute little read but not something that I would tell folks to race out and get. I liked both guys, Merry was very sweet and Boone was basically best friend extraordinaire, but it’s probably not something that’s going to stick with me. And, that’s ok, too. Sometimes we just need that cute little one-sitting read.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
April 29, 2019
I'd probably give this 2.5 stars but will round down because of the unbelievability. It's a sweet premise, but it's just so far-fetched.
What I liked:
~ both MCs -- Boone and Merry are good guys, and although the book focused almost entirely on their relationship with each other (so we don't really get to see the bigger picture of their lives), I still found both of them sympathetic
~ the romance...kind of -- it was sweet, without a doubt, but it was also a gentle unfolding rather than anything stronger
What didn't work as well for me:
~ the plot -- there wasn't one, sigh. Of course, I notice here that this is book 2, so perhaps it's meant to be read after book 1 (and all the plot is there).
~ the tension -- again, there's little to no tension (even the sexual tension is...strange) in this, and I prefer something to keep me reading.
~ the hook -- I can't think of a single teenage boy (who believes he's straight) who would ask his best male friend to give him kissing lessons. Not one. And yet this was treated completely normally, as if it happens every day. Yeah, I don't think so. I found that so completely unbelievable that I almost put the book down before I started...I suppose that should have been my first clue. ;) (Btw, my teenage son *is* 17, so I see this age group every single day.)
Still, the writing was smooth and pleasant. *shrug* It was okay.
What I liked:
~ both MCs -- Boone and Merry are good guys, and although the book focused almost entirely on their relationship with each other (so we don't really get to see the bigger picture of their lives), I still found both of them sympathetic
~ the romance...kind of -- it was sweet, without a doubt, but it was also a gentle unfolding rather than anything stronger
What didn't work as well for me:
~ the plot -- there wasn't one, sigh. Of course, I notice here that this is book 2, so perhaps it's meant to be read after book 1 (and all the plot is there).
~ the tension -- again, there's little to no tension (even the sexual tension is...strange) in this, and I prefer something to keep me reading.
~ the hook -- I can't think of a single teenage boy (who believes he's straight) who would ask his best male friend to give him kissing lessons. Not one. And yet this was treated completely normally, as if it happens every day. Yeah, I don't think so. I found that so completely unbelievable that I almost put the book down before I started...I suppose that should have been my first clue. ;) (Btw, my teenage son *is* 17, so I see this age group every single day.)
Still, the writing was smooth and pleasant. *shrug* It was okay.
April 20, 2018
Kissing Lessons is a short book about two seniors in high school, Merry and Boone, who have been best friends for most of their lives. Merry finds the courage to ask Boone to help him learn to properly kiss [something he never had the chance to do] before he goes to prom with his date so he doesn't embarrass himself in front of the entire student class.
Boone, although reluctant at first, agrees to help teach Merry the various ways to kiss someone, growing more interested and invested in the lessons and his "student."
The story itself way sweet, but being a m/m romance, it did quickly escalate to more explicit scenes as the two became comfortable with what they were doing. If you are in the mood for some quick smutty story with a straight to gay, friends to lovers tropes then this would be perfect. I however, had thought that there would be more substance to the story.
Overall this was a quick read [3 hours tops] and simple in its story. Nothing too spectacular.
Boone, although reluctant at first, agrees to help teach Merry the various ways to kiss someone, growing more interested and invested in the lessons and his "student."
The story itself way sweet, but being a m/m romance, it did quickly escalate to more explicit scenes as the two became comfortable with what they were doing. If you are in the mood for some quick smutty story with a straight to gay, friends to lovers tropes then this would be perfect. I however, had thought that there would be more substance to the story.
Overall this was a quick read [3 hours tops] and simple in its story. Nothing too spectacular.
Read
May 31, 2021I don't think I'll be rating this since the only reason I read it was because the title is very useful for a reading challenge I'm currently in the middle of, so the only reason I picked this one was the title + it's very short.
Overall it was just very average. I tried to make sure I didn't have any expectations going into it, since it's not one I researched ahead of time and picked because I thought it would be something I would like. So I do have to say that I kind of enjoyed it in an average kind of way. The whole thing was just very mediocre to me, which isn't a bad thing at all since I wasn't expecting it to be great anyway.
The plot is very short, which I entirely expected and actually enjoyed since it meant there was no drama in this. The two boys sort of try to figure out what it is they want from each other and that's about as dramatic as it gets. I LOVE minor amounts of drama in my romances, so that was a huge plus for me.
What I didn't really enjoy was the way they had to name each kiss? That took me completely out of it each time because it felt so awkward. Who even uses the actual name of a kiss?
Also this got a lot more explicit than I was expecting it to. They didn't go all the way, so I don't actually know what the rules around this kind of stuff are, but it very much does not feel like this should be categorised as YA. I thought it wouldn't go farther than a bunch of making out, but it did. So I feel like it should at least be labeled as NA, maybe?
TL;DR: Pretty average but short, so it was very useful for my reading challenge.
Overall it was just very average. I tried to make sure I didn't have any expectations going into it, since it's not one I researched ahead of time and picked because I thought it would be something I would like. So I do have to say that I kind of enjoyed it in an average kind of way. The whole thing was just very mediocre to me, which isn't a bad thing at all since I wasn't expecting it to be great anyway.
The plot is very short, which I entirely expected and actually enjoyed since it meant there was no drama in this. The two boys sort of try to figure out what it is they want from each other and that's about as dramatic as it gets. I LOVE minor amounts of drama in my romances, so that was a huge plus for me.
What I didn't really enjoy was the way they had to name each kiss? That took me completely out of it each time because it felt so awkward. Who even uses the actual name of a kiss?
Also this got a lot more explicit than I was expecting it to. They didn't go all the way, so I don't actually know what the rules around this kind of stuff are, but it very much does not feel like this should be categorised as YA. I thought it wouldn't go farther than a bunch of making out, but it did. So I feel like it should at least be labeled as NA, maybe?
TL;DR: Pretty average but short, so it was very useful for my reading challenge.
October 10, 2017
ugh, too short it's means not enough development. it feels like a really rough draft too. it has a lot potential to be the hottest slown burn romance ever since there's no such thing as too much kissing. yet, it felt rushed, weird and cringe worthy. you know, when suddenly the MC calling each other bae, baby, honey, sweetheart? too much endearment it's feels like a grandma talk. the 'oh i love him, i've fallen for him' thing was too sudden. like seriously? sorry it just didnt work with me, but the cover is hot right lmao.
December 1, 2018
This was an okay romance. Some of the endearments were a little odd for 17 year old boys to use - like sweetheart. In the beginning I thought it was going to be a two star romance but it got better toward the end and earned itself 3 stars.
May 9, 2017
Short and sweet MM romance.
June 11, 2017
Cute idea, although I admit the kiss names started to grate on my nerves. And sometimes they seemed much older than 17.
August 21, 2017
A sweet read and I never knew so many different names for kissing. I loves the romantic build and of course the learning experience with the characters.
October 18, 2017
My only real issue with this book? The use of the word 'bae'.
January 3, 2018
4 sweet and sexy stars
May 17, 2017
What a pleasant surprise this was!
I was a bit nervous about this – I’ve seen the premise before and it’s hard to be fresh in this area. It’s also hard to know what to expect from a YA story – there’s so much room for interpretation as to what is “acceptable”.
I will say that you absolutely have to let go and suspend your disbelief – these two guys don’t sound like any boys I’d know – they speak far too “maturely” and far too comfortably about their feelings – I’m sure they exist but boys this age typically aren’t this articulate about what’s in their hearts – but…
The story is literally 3 separate scenes and in each the two boys delve more deeply into their newfound attraction for one another. The kissing is both sweet and surprisingly erotic (without being weird).
I thought the author did a great job of managing the right amount of heat for the age without making me feel like “oh yeah, this is a YA story”.
I LOVED that they discussed how they felt and we didn’t have to go through a “Big Misunderstanding” about things. The fact that they went together to Prom was also awesome!
I really, really enjoyed this and recommend it highly.
(The cover is a bit misleading – it’s not that erotic – it’s a bit hot but more sweet.)
4.5 of 5 stars
I was a bit nervous about this – I’ve seen the premise before and it’s hard to be fresh in this area. It’s also hard to know what to expect from a YA story – there’s so much room for interpretation as to what is “acceptable”.
I will say that you absolutely have to let go and suspend your disbelief – these two guys don’t sound like any boys I’d know – they speak far too “maturely” and far too comfortably about their feelings – I’m sure they exist but boys this age typically aren’t this articulate about what’s in their hearts – but…
The story is literally 3 separate scenes and in each the two boys delve more deeply into their newfound attraction for one another. The kissing is both sweet and surprisingly erotic (without being weird).
I thought the author did a great job of managing the right amount of heat for the age without making me feel like “oh yeah, this is a YA story”.
I LOVED that they discussed how they felt and we didn’t have to go through a “Big Misunderstanding” about things. The fact that they went together to Prom was also awesome!
I really, really enjoyed this and recommend it highly.
(The cover is a bit misleading – it’s not that erotic – it’s a bit hot but more sweet.)
4.5 of 5 stars
November 14, 2018
Cute, sexy and romantic but devoid of any real story.
April 24, 2017
This book is a sweet read about two best friends who have never thought of each other as more then best friends until one of them needs help with a problem he has and trusts no one else to help him with it. From the moment Merry asks Boone to teach him how to kiss and Boone agrees to do so, things will never be the same for these two again.
This was a short story about how easy it is to miss what is right in front of your face until something that may seem small and insignificant at the moment can change things forever for one or both people involved. What starts out as a lesson in kissing to help out his best friend turns into something else completely and will forever change the friendship between Boone and Merry forever. Whether it is a good change or a bad change, well you will just have to read it to find out.
I enjoyed this read because it was a pretty light hearted read. Sometimes it is nice to read a book about two best friends that can or may become so much more and not a lot of drama involved in it. That is this book. It is a fun read with humor added into a situation that could have been bad.
I truly enjoyed his read and look forward to other books in this series in the future.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
This was a short story about how easy it is to miss what is right in front of your face until something that may seem small and insignificant at the moment can change things forever for one or both people involved. What starts out as a lesson in kissing to help out his best friend turns into something else completely and will forever change the friendship between Boone and Merry forever. Whether it is a good change or a bad change, well you will just have to read it to find out.
I enjoyed this read because it was a pretty light hearted read. Sometimes it is nice to read a book about two best friends that can or may become so much more and not a lot of drama involved in it. That is this book. It is a fun read with humor added into a situation that could have been bad.
I truly enjoyed his read and look forward to other books in this series in the future.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
April 28, 2017
Full review available at: https://optimummblog.wordpress.com/20...
This is the first time that I have read a book by Susan Laine, but it definitely won’t be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kissing Lessons, which is the second book in the Before… and After series. It’s a standalone book. I loved the cover for the book, and the blurb for the book was catchy and made me want to read it. And I wasn’t disappointed in what I read. The book’s pretty steamy with lots of hot kissing scenes and a little bit more. It’s the perfect length for reading just before bed but don’t be expected to be able to sleep afterward. It didn’t have an in-depth or complex storyline which I was okay with, but it might not be for others who are looking for something more complex.
The book’s centered around the main characters Merry and Boone, who are best friends in high school. I found both Merry and Boone to be fun and playful characters that seem to have a history of doing things together in the past. So it’s only natural for Merry to ask Boone for kissing lessons when he’s nervous about his prom night with his date Sarah. And over the next two weeks, they do manage to practice quite a bit of kissing before prom.
I loved all of the different types of kisses that Boone comes up with and how he demonstrates them on Merry and then has Merry practice them on him. My favorite kisses were the neck to shoulder kiss and the Australian kiss, although I liked the full back kiss also.
The book did move quickly with an instant love kind of feel to it as Merry and Boone move from friends to lovers in under two weeks. They had great chemistry though, and I loved their inner monolog as they tried to sort out their feelings for each other. I liked that Boone had previous experience with both girls and boys. However, his experience with boys was limited to making out with two boys during summer camp. I loved how he passed on his experience to Merry without pressuring him to do more than he wanted to do and allowed Merry to be the aggressor. Merry’s completely inexperienced, and I thought it took a lot of guts to ask his best friend for help so that he would make a good impression on his date.
I can definitely relate to this book as I can remember talking and asking lots of questions to my more experienced best friend in high school and how inseparable we were. It brought back a lot of great memories.
I can’t wait to read the first book in the series After the Romance Novel. It’s about a different couple, but it has a very catchy blurb also. And if it’s as good as this one was then I’ll be a happy girl.
***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book***
This is the first time that I have read a book by Susan Laine, but it definitely won’t be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kissing Lessons, which is the second book in the Before… and After series. It’s a standalone book. I loved the cover for the book, and the blurb for the book was catchy and made me want to read it. And I wasn’t disappointed in what I read. The book’s pretty steamy with lots of hot kissing scenes and a little bit more. It’s the perfect length for reading just before bed but don’t be expected to be able to sleep afterward. It didn’t have an in-depth or complex storyline which I was okay with, but it might not be for others who are looking for something more complex.
The book’s centered around the main characters Merry and Boone, who are best friends in high school. I found both Merry and Boone to be fun and playful characters that seem to have a history of doing things together in the past. So it’s only natural for Merry to ask Boone for kissing lessons when he’s nervous about his prom night with his date Sarah. And over the next two weeks, they do manage to practice quite a bit of kissing before prom.
I loved all of the different types of kisses that Boone comes up with and how he demonstrates them on Merry and then has Merry practice them on him. My favorite kisses were the neck to shoulder kiss and the Australian kiss, although I liked the full back kiss also.
The book did move quickly with an instant love kind of feel to it as Merry and Boone move from friends to lovers in under two weeks. They had great chemistry though, and I loved their inner monolog as they tried to sort out their feelings for each other. I liked that Boone had previous experience with both girls and boys. However, his experience with boys was limited to making out with two boys during summer camp. I loved how he passed on his experience to Merry without pressuring him to do more than he wanted to do and allowed Merry to be the aggressor. Merry’s completely inexperienced, and I thought it took a lot of guts to ask his best friend for help so that he would make a good impression on his date.
I can definitely relate to this book as I can remember talking and asking lots of questions to my more experienced best friend in high school and how inseparable we were. It brought back a lot of great memories.
I can’t wait to read the first book in the series After the Romance Novel. It’s about a different couple, but it has a very catchy blurb also. And if it’s as good as this one was then I’ll be a happy girl.
***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book***
April 30, 2017
Even though the MCs are only 17 years old, this was still a steamy book. Merry wants to be ready to give his date, a girl, a proper goodnight kiss. He asks the only person he can, his best friend, Boone. Boone is a little hesitant at first, but once the kissing lesson starts, it's hard for them to stop. All of the kissing lessons grew in intensity. Like Merry, I never knew what Boone was going to do next and I stayed up late because I just had to finish it!
April 30, 2017
3.75 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews