A review by marmaladereads
Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky

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.