A review by bribreez
The Kiss Lottery by Ilsa Madden-Mills

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

4⭐️/ 1🌶️

*Thank you to Greys Promotions and Ilsa Madden-Mills for providing me with an ARC to this story, greatly appreciated and love you Ilsa!

In Ilsa Madden-Mill’s newest release, it’s a spicy novella centered around the Valentine’s Day, but with a twist! In the small town of Rose, Tennessee, there is the kiss lottery which is essentially a match making game where couples are paired up. For Everly Davis, coming back to Rose was filled with some nerves in seeing familiar faces, but mostly one bringing back memories of the past. Beckett Whitfield had always lived in Rose, now a well known thriller author he spent his time writing his books, but also still thought about the girl from his childhood and the friendship they shared, until things went downhill in high school. Now, with the kiss lottery once again taking place, Everly received an invitation to come back to town for it by a mysterious admirer. With the small town vibes, a mystery admirer who sends gifts and letters to the FMC, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and more, this was the perfect novella to read.

This was the perfect novella to read especially with Valentine’s Day coming up. Whether you’re looking for a story that’s short and sweet or a little lighthearted romance, this novella is perfect for that occasion. With Beckett and Everly having a long held history of once being close friends to years in between they didn’t speak to now speaking to one another, this novella illustrated the strong connection they had. I liked the way the novella was set up in which it combined the tradition of the kiss lottery (*which was a cute thing to include in the story) as well as the characters themselves. Ilsa wrote Everly and Beckett’s characters perfectly in a way that left me wanting more of them and honestly part of me wouldn’t have minded if the story was a bit longer so I could have gotten to know more about Everly and Beckett. Everly and Beckett were great main characters and I liked seeing them reconnect after so many years apart. Beckett was the man whose feelings for Everly never went away despite his initial reaction when they were in high school. If you love a MMC who’s secretly had feelings for his friend and reconnects with her, and anonymously sends her gifs, you’ll like Beckett in this book.  

Overall, I thought the book was cute, sweet, had a tiny bit of spice, lighthearted characters, and humor. Ilsa Madden-Mills also managed to write a novella that surprisingly made me wish it was a bit longer so I had more time with the characters. This type of novella was perfect to read with the Valentine’s Day theme being sprinkled throughout the story, and it was a straightforward plot line. I can never go wrong with a book written by Ilsa Madden-Mills, she just knows how to write romances that are fun, have some depth, lovable characters, and interesting storylines. I would recommend this book to read this upcoming Valentine’s Day, and if you’re in the mood for a short and quick novella.