Reviews

Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky

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melodyhope22's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

allisonmansfield's review against another edition

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3.0

i lied when i said it would take me a while it just started off slow

marmaladereads's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

This is a cute rom-com. It's off to a rather slow start, but turns swoony about halfway through the book. I really enjoyed the demisexual rep, especially Derick and Wren taking it extra slow in the start of their relationship in response to it. The hand holding and forehead kiss is extra adorable. The plot about saving the drive in and Wren figuring out what he wants to do post-college seemed appropriate for a new adult book, though I really felt it could've gone a bit deeper with some post-school anxiety. None of the characters ever really worried about money, or their futures, or had any real stress about graduating with no career prospects, so it felt pretty lighthearted and somewhat unrealistic (or maybe just overly privileged) in that regard.

One thing I didn't really get was the point of the "almost kiss" emails at the beginning of the book. I know it ties into the retelling theme, but I didn't feel they actually added much to the plot. All of the tension in the book was handled by the reunion at the Drive In, and none of the other "almost kiss" guys ever showed up or answered the emails, so I didn't see them as a very effective plot device. For me it made the beginning seem extra slow since I kept expecting for something to happen with the emails and it never did.

bettielovesbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

This was such a cute book, full of warmth and optimism, I loved both MC, even with their faults they were trying their best, I loved the demi representation too, you don’t see that very often.

alexefouf's review

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emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

smoores415's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book was just ok, it took a while for me to read because even though it was a lighthearted book, I just couldn't get into it. I actually had to put the book down after chapter 2 and walk away because the secondhand embarrassment was so extreme.

I also feel like this book is mismarketed. On the back, it basically says it's a queer version of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and while it kind of starts out that way, it doesn't actually contribute to the plot very much after that.

I'm not a big fan of books that have a lot of pop culture references because I feel like it takes me out and makes the book obsolete quickly. I also didn't think the dialogue was realistic and got kind of annoying with all the acronyms.

The thing that frustrated me most with this book is the MC's boss with his 3 strike policy. The MC gets 2 strikes immediately for the dumbest reasons and any boss that would do that in the real world would be so toxic. And it was done just to create unnecessary tension, it made it really hard to take the book seriously. There were many times where the author was trying to create these high stakes situations when really the stakes were so low.

I did love the demi representation and showing that you don’t have to have it all figured out when you come out.

Overall, the book was alright, but not great, I probably wouldn't read another book by this author.