A review by grace_astudentreading
Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

This is a book that I will be thinking about for a long long time. I thought I was starting a cute rom com, when in reality I found myself reading an absolute sucker punch of book that had me sobbing every other chapter. And I mean that as the best possible thing. I was absolutely blown away by this book. On one hand it was exactly was it said on the tin, a book about two girls almost kissing six times until they finally get it right. I loved how the book was organized around the six times, and how it alternated between the present and the past.  I also loved that the book alternated between the first person points of view of Penny and Tate. They were both amazing characters, with such a complex relationship that you needed to see both sides of in order to understand, and I truly loved them together. The other relationships in the book are equally complex. Of course there are also wholesome relationships, like those Penny and Tate have with Meghan and Remi. But wholesome or complex, every relationship was incredibly well written. Also so well done is the way the author handled the heavy and complicated topics of grief and trauma. I felt so much for Penny and everything she had been through and continued to be put through in the story. Just like Tate, I will always be on Penny’s side. I will always be on both of their sides. They are just that amazing of a couple. And the ending they get is perfect for them, with strong resolution in their relationship but also remains open in other regards as fitting for teenagers and the start of a new beginning. Overall, this book was packed with complex relationships, heavy topics, and intense emotions, and I highly recommend it.