Kiss

by Jill Mansell

When Izzy is knocked off her motor bike she doesn't just lose her dignity - she loses as a result not one but two long-term boyfriends, her job and, to boot, her extremely bijou flat. Gina, who caused the accident, has more important things to worry about - her husband's mistress is pregnant and she's suddenly on her own. Why should she care about Izzy? Yet somehow the well-heeled Gina finds herself opening her home to Izzy and her spirited teenage daughter. And it's there that Izzy meets heart-stoppingly handsome Sam, whose lingering kiss is all it takes for her to find the true love that has always eluded her - though there are just a few obstacles between that first kiss and the 'happy ever after'...

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, British Literature

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Jill Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol, and writes full time. Actually that’s not true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marvelling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write.

Jill Mansell's books have sold over ten million copies and her titles include: Making your Mind up, Fast Friends, Good at Games, Sheer Mischief and Solo, among many others.

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well....
I must say that I have loved every book that Mansell has released so far, but this left me gobsmacked... It started off well enough, each character endearing in their own way but soon in all fell away and by the end I despised each and every one of them. I nearly put the book down several times but held faith that she would pull something out to save it. That didn't happen, unfortunately.
Glad to have this one out of the way, but disappointed in what it was - bad.

[Obsidian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book for free via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

So this book was published in 1993, and boy does it show. I think a few times Mansell probably went through and tried to update (she brings up Harry Styles at one point) but other dated references are still here (a new release of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie). I could have overlooked that if the story had been good. Too bad it wasn't. I think it's been a while since I disliked every single character in a book. And it didn't help that there is a whole romantic subplot that no one called out for the horribleness that it was. It was just glossed over with people thinking the other party in it was a slut. This book also is not a good send up of what makes a good relationship at all.

"Kiss" follows several characters. Wanna be singer Izzy and her 17 year old daughter Kat. Gina who is newly separated. Sam who is friends with both Gina and her estranged husband. Andrew who should have been drowned at birth (estranged husband of Gina). A love interest of Sam who I can't recall and then another male character who I can't recall.

The story gets going after Gina leaves her house in tears after her husband Andrew comes home and tells her that he is leaving her for someone else. And not only that, Andrew's mistress is pregnant. Gina ends up in an accident and hits Izzy who was on her motorbike. Izzy is in her late 30s and still trying to make it as a singer. She has her 17 year old daughter Kat and two boyfriends (I think they were named Mike and Rich) and everything comes to an ugly head and I wish I could have laughed, but I honestly disliked Izzy and even Kat for making sure that the two men were unaware of each other.

Gina feeling guilty due to Izzy losing her apartment tells her that she and Kat can live with her. Then Gina's old friend turns up and moves in with them all. Then the whole book becomes a mess.

I honestly don't know what to say. Gina is awful. You are supposed to pity her. But seriously. She has no personality at all. She is bereft because Andrew left her, but then demands that Izzy not sleep with Sam while he lives there. It's none of her business and I would have laughed at her demands.

Izzy is also awful. Her hiding having two separate relationships made me hard sigh. She's not some teenager. She is in her late 30s. If both men knew about the other and were okay about it that be one thing. And her deciding she had a thing for Sam, but playing games so he didn't realize it and want her more? Are you serious. Also I found her whole story trajectory to be 100 percent unbelievable. The whole thing read as soap operaish in a bad way after a while.

Kat. Sigh. She's 17 and her whole "relationship" made me scream inside. Also I am guessing the age of consent in the UK is lower? Cause in America I would have hoped that her "lover" would have been reported to the police. And after that mess that goes on she has another love interest who plays mind games with her in order for her to "fall for him." Bah.

Sam. That's another no. At one point I just went what is the point of this guy and realized there really was none except for three separate women to be into him. His whole thing with Izzy was boring and the stupid why we can't really be together thing came out of nowhere.

Andrew was garbage.

The mistress was pathetic and also garbage. And there was some fat-shaming going on that made me cringe.

There are other people but my brain refuses to remember.

The writing wasn't as crisp as other Mansell books. She has definitely learned how to juggle multiple story-lines. After a while I wondered if this book was ever going to end since it just jumped from character to character with no forward movement until everyone ends up making disastrous choices. Then the book gets into what I would call it's third act and some people get their shit together and others it takes until the ending.

The ending. I just can't applaud it. Ninety-nine percent of the characters sucked and there was very little development of anyone. There also seemed to be an underlining message of lie and manipulate the person you love so that they fall for you. See Gina and Kat's "romances."

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn to the parts of the story Sam was in most. I enjoyed the relationship between him and Izzy. The ending was good. It's not the most memorable of story but it was still a quick read even though it could have been shorter. 3.5 stars

[Dianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was definitely not one of Jill Mansell's better books. Each character's story jumped about like a flea on a dog, with worthy details seemingly lost in transit. It was very disjointed - almost as though the story wasn't written in a steady flow. The plots effectively became very superficial and shallow. The characters and story's premise started out well, but rapidly deteriorated as the book progressed with characters seeming to suffer personality changes, to the extent whereby halfway through the book, none of them were particularly likeable. Another tale starring a single parent whose terrible alley cat behaviour is topped only when she has the gall to publicly slap her daughter's face for exhibiting a bit of the same. From that point, I skimmed through to the finish. Really disappointing.

[Frenchorchidea · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few years back, I used to read every single new release from Jill Mansell and I absolutely adored her writing style. She was among my top favorite author, so needless to say that I was really happy and excited to read "Kiss". Unfortunately I have mixed feeling about this book. I didn't recognized the writing style from Jill that I used to love so much. That was a bit disappointing. It was like reading a book from another author. Also I found this book way to long, it could have been a lot shorter. Also I found myself bored many times during my read. But fortunately I found the storyline pretty good and the characters pretty interesting. But again the story was way too long for what it has to tell. So I am giving a 3 stars out of 5.

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 07/09/2000
Author: Jill Mansell
Recommended for:fans of chick lit

I love Jill Mansell books and can't find it in my heart to say a bad word about any book she has done. She is a truly brilliant author and amazing at 'chick-lit' books. There is several relationships been explored although some of the choices the characters make aren't the best it brings a more realistic light to them. The characters have great depth to them which makes them seem more realistic, this is because of the great writing talent of Jill Mansell, you end up getting caught up in all of the relationships.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This appears to be a re-release of an older Jill Mansell and unfortunately, it’s obvious. I love her writing for good beach reads but this one just didn’t work for me. The writing is dry and stilted and I never connected with the characters. It’s very wordy and could use a good editing. Thank you to the publisher for the free review copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Candice · Rating 1 out of 5]

How can this be the same author as 'to the moon and back' (5 stars from me)???? I don't know how I am going to finish this book...

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dit was toch wel een echte tegenvaller. De recensie staat nu online http://bookswithabeautychick.blogspot...

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quem já leu Jill Mansell certamente que se lembra das suas tiradas engraçadas, com romances tempestuosos e mais que um triângulo amoroso. Beijo não é excepção. Sem ser uma obra-prima, é um romance para se ler numa tarde fria junto à lareira, ou num dia de completo tédio, para daí retirar algumas gargalhadas ou alguns sorrisos. Confesso que já gostei mais da autora, até porque quem já leu vários livros, como eu, acaba por se cansar um pouco da fórmula, quase sempre empregue nos seus romances: uma mulher linda de morrer, mas infeliz ao amor, que vive inúmeras peripécias até encontrar o amor eterno.

Opinião completa: http://marcadordelivros.blogspot.pt/2...

[Jacqueline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complete and utter drivel. Around half way in I started to wonder whether my edition had been misprinted with a Jackie Collins or Shirley Conran, as the characters, the dialogue and the situations seemed a world away from the relatively real characters that the novel started with. I persevered to the end just to see if it improved. It didn't. Don't bother.

[Sara Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost never give books two stars—if I don’t like it I usually just don’t rate it. But I want to warn others, especially Jill Mansell fans like me, to avoid this one. As others reviewers have mentioned there is a subplot about the seventeen-year-old daughter that is upsetting in how it’s handled and would never fly today. (This was published in 1993.) I thought after the mom’s first horrible (and totally out of character) reaction there would be a speech where she sees the error of her ways and helps her daughter, but that never happens. Also, this book could have ended about three times, but kept going on and on getting more bizarre, unbelievable, and unsatisfying. Try her more recent books instead like YOU AND ME, ALWAYS and IT STARTED WITH A SECRET.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually enjoy Jill Mansell's books because they are fun and frothy with likeable characters but I didn't particularly like any of the characters in this book so it gets 2 stars. Still a fun author though and one who I'll read again, just not a fan of this one.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Jill Mansell and I always will. But, this was a huge miss for me. It was just so boring and I literally didn’t care about any of the characters. None of them had a story that was endearing or made you root for them.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a big Jill Mansell fan. She’s one of my favorite comfort, read under the covers authors. But I have a hard time recommending this one, a book from 1993 re-released in Digital in 2019.
Like most Mansell books, it’s chock full of quirky characters and interlacing story lines. Almost every character has a journey to go on and many become better persons and perhaps fall in love as the story goes along. Others learn to assert their independence. The central character is Izzy, an irrepressible single mom who’s been waiting her whole life for her big break. Shortly after the book begins, she’s hit by a car driven by Gina, whose husband just left her for his girlfriend whose pregnant. The cliched way for Gina’s story to play out would be for her to get back together with her husband. That doesn’t happen, but it opens the way for a story line that ruins the book for me.
The following comments are kinda-spoilerish, but the events happen toward the beginning and may bother other readers as much as they bothered me. Gina’s husband Andrew is a schlep. His character is thinly drawn and he has no redeeming qualities. It’s never clear why he drifted away from Gina to Marcy, who is another one dimensional character. What makes him worse, and the story worse, is that he sets his sights on Izzy’s 17 year old daughter Katerina and embarks on an affair with her. Yep, a 17 year old. Not sure what that amounts to in the United Kingdom, but in many states that would be illegal. This is such a turn off for me that I can’t rate this book more highly. Maybe in the intervening years since this was written we as a society have become more aware of the problematic nature (and potentially illegal nature) of such a romance. And right now, as I write this, the world is beginning to learn more about the real life sex-trafficking of underage women by Jeffrey Epstein, heightening sensitivity to this issue. But ugh, this was so unnecessary. There’s a slight acknowledgement of the problem here, but it’s more focused on the fact that Katerina’s living with Gina when this happens. Ugh, ugh, ugh. If the betrayal story line was necessary, she could have been of legal age. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

Sorry Jill, I love your books, but I can’t on this one. 2/5

[Goddess Of Blah · Rating 1 out of 5]

DUMB. DUMB. DUMB. SO DUMB IT HURTS.

JUST SHUT UP. YOU'RE STUPID.

NO MORE PLEASE! YOU DUMB B****




Jill Mansell's books (that I have so far had the misfortune to read) have been far insult to an intelligent (or even semi-intelligent) audience. All seem to follow the same premise of ultra chick lit trash. Be prepared to lose brain cells when reading her trite, clichéd rubbish.

The heroine is generally naïve and either unsuccessful in her career or from a disadvantaged background. A confirmed sap, sh'es invariably misunderstood by our dashing rich “hero” - and is usually betrayed by a former boyfriend or she has suffered an unfortunate break up from a long term relationship.

The hero's generally are all from the same chick lit mould - a text book recipe shared by the uncreative of romance authors: tall, dark and handsome (and invariably wealthy). If she could create a romance novel with a hero suffering receding hairline, a middle income and of average height - her books would have some depth. If one recollects Jane Eyre - the characters of a romance need not be good looking.

I loath absolute chick lit – and all her books are thus. Great of you're a bimbo though – because these books are so light that they float. Enjoy.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kiss by Jill Mansell was first published in 1993. This is a new edition being published this year. I didn't realise that when I first undertook to read and review it, and it made me a little cautious. After finishing it, I have mixed feelings about it. It was fun, it made me chuckle at times, and read well as almost historical fiction at this point in time!

There are a number of characters and relationships and happenings. Some of the relationships made me raise my eyebrows and one seemed really too unbelievable, but luckily didn't last long. It's set in England with a little trip here and there further afield.

Izzy in her later thirties is one of the main characters, a singer who believes in living life and having fun and not worrying too much about finance. Katarina her seventeen old, more serious daughter is more inclined to be the adult in the family. Izzy as the book opens has one guy for two nights, another for another two nights, works two nights and has one night for herself. However an accident puts an end to that whole scenario.

Gina who causes the accident, takes Izzy and Katarina in when they have to leave their flat because they can't pay the rent. She - Gina, has just had her no good husband leave her. He features further in this story in a completely yucky way. Gina flounders around for quite awhile but eventually through many trials actually finds someone she loves.

Well they all do - eventually. While not my favourite Jill Mansell book, I didn't mind spending awhile  in the wacky world of these characters.

[Tempo de Ler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sempre uma montanha-russa de emoções, os romances de Jill Mansell, que não têm nada de linear, cativam pelo tom debochado e cómico que a autora lhes imprime, apresentando-nos uma série de personagens de moral dúbia mas que merecem, certamente, o seu final feliz.

Em Beijo, a vida da venturosa e impulsiva Izzy, que sonha em fazer sucesso na indústria da música, colide literalmente com a da pacata e dependente Gina, que sonha apenas com o regresso do marido que acabou de a trocar pela amante grávida. A autora volta a abordar os temas do costume: traição, divórcio, adolescência, ociosidade… mas, desta vez, a habitual futilidade está ligeiramente disfarçada.

Confusão atrás de confusão, geradas especialmente devido aos sucessivos mal-entendidos, Mansell fez-me vibrar com situações cómicas e embaraçosas - nenhuma personagem está realmente a salvo de ser ridicularizada!

O final é, também como já é hábito da autora, de resolução fácil e rápida. Gostava apenas que Mansell tivesse desenrolado mais um bocadinho em relação ao que aconteceu/acontecerá a Andrew e também a Kat.
De qualquer das formas: estamos perante umas boas horas de diversão!

[Mariazita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opinião:

Ler um livro de Jill Mansell é como entrar numa espiral de pura loucura, irreverência e momentos bem divertidos.
Este livro tem três personagens principais, e muitas outras que irão aparecer e tornar esta aventura um delírio de situações inusitadas e divertidas.
Vejamos, Izzy é uma cantora que sonha com a fama, é completamente irresponsável, desorganizada, mas Kat, a sua filha que é uma menina certinha,inteligente, também ela vai cair em situações impensáveis.
E temos Gina, completamente diferente destas personagens, calma, organizada, mas que encontra-se, emocionalmente instável depois de ter sido abandonada pelo marido.
E a história começa quando Gina tem um acidente em que bate na mota de Izzi. Entre muitas peripécias Izzy e Kat irão morar para a casa de Gina, e a aventura está em vermos como é que três pessoas completamente diferentes vão conviver, e como vão relacionar-se com os homens que entretanto aparecem na sua vida. Aconselho a ler para passar momentos bem divertidos com esta autora e mais um livro bem característico de Jill Mansell. Muito bom!

[Sonia Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 estrelas. Podia arredondar para as 4 estrelas mas chateou-me tantas mudanças de parceiros e Sam não foi do tipo de herói que luta para conquistar a mulher por quem se apaixonou, por isso, ficamos assim.

Este livro teve momentos bons e outros menos bons. Gostei do drama em volta de Katerina e da mãe, quando esta soube com quem a filha andava envolvida. Gostei do final, foi fofinho.

Izzy - ah mulher complicada! Mas ao longo do livro, passei a apreciá-la um pouco mais do que no início.

Gina - esta é complicada; comecei por gostar dela mas também teve uma atitude bastante parva. Poderia desculpar-se pelas circunstâncias, mas como também foi má para Doug, não é fácil dar-lhe o desconto.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Li este livro num ápice, aliás todos os livros que já li desta autora, é sempre num ápice, porque adoro tanto, mas tanto as histórias que não quero parar de ler. Izzy quer ser famosa só que a indústria da música é que ainda não a descobriu, o que lhe vale é que tem talento, uns dois namorados perfeitos e uma filha do qual lhe quer organizar a vida. Gina por sua vez, a sua vida não é assim tão perfeita como gostaria, o marido fugiu com a amante grávida e quando vai a pensar no quanto a vida lhe corre mal derruba Izzy, e é nesse momento em que a vida das duas muda drasticamente. Adorei principalmente a personagem de Izzy e os seus namorados.

http://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...

[cloudyskye · Rating 1 out of 5]

Normally I’m a Jill Mansell fan, but this was a low point. I didn’t even finish it. The main heroine Izzy is just too annoying. How can a woman of nearly forty be this immature? Too sluttish, too, for my liking, juggling two blokes she just uses for sex. Then, apparently, she is incredibly optimistic (J. M. telling us, not showing) when she is actually rather stupid. She "never cries", according to Jill Mansell, but in fact she is the one who cries the most of them all. Even the other characters, who are marginally more likeable, could not save this for me. Thumbs down.

[Meggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Back when Gossip Girl was airing, my friend and I would watch it and play Relationship Bingo. Each season, we'd guess who'd hook up this time around, and then if it happened...well, you can guess the rest.

This entire book felt like Relationship Bingo. They swapped partners so often that it felt dizzying. This is real early, 90's vintage Mansell, and I just didn't find it anywhere as enjoyable as some of her later novels.

[Hope · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started off well, like all her other books which I loved.
This one just seems to drag on so much, and the storyline with Kat and Andrew *vomit* he's in his late 30s early 40s presumably and she's 17. Not a word is said about him being a complete scumbag, going for an under-aged girl.
Her own mother slaps her for her behaviour going out with him, when I would think any parent would/should be slapping the old dirty bastard!

[Susan Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually one of my favourite Jill Mansell novels, as with all her best work there were several relationships being explored and non of the characters let you down in the end. Yes some strange choices were made along the way but then that is life isn't it!

[Nan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first book by Mansell where I stopped in the middle and jumped to the end. I didn't enjoy any of it. I'm happy to see this was a reprint of an older book (from 1993). I would have been sad if this were a truly new book.

[Liliana Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muito divertido tal como os livros desta autora costumam ser, salvo algumas excepções :)

[Bertha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lekker boek voor tussendoor.

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of Jill Mansell's books are feel good, easy reads. Perfect for vacation reading!

[Mónica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Há muito tempo que não lia nada da Jill Mansell quando decidi pegar neste livro. Se é certo que, por um lado foi uma desilusão, por outro teve um papel importante no momento presente.