One Little Kiss

The First Loves #4

by Maggie Dallen

That moment you realize you're falling for your best friend...

Noelle has been my best friend forever. We've never crossed that line to more.

But she just showed up at my football game . . . with a date.

And all I can see is red.

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, He Falls First, High School

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2023

Reviews

[Serge · Rating 2 out of 5]

This couple had POTENTIAL but it felt wasted here. Which is very disappointing to say since I was so ready for their book, and thought the set up from the other books was great just for it to feel meh. I think the characters lost their fun charm that they previously had as side characters here, and that charm only really came back at the end.

A big problem I had was the constant idea from Elijah that Noelle was weaponizing her beauty to get what she wanted. And their lack of proper communication made it even worse. Especially since that was her main insecurity and he insinuated that multiple times, each time she visibly was uncomfortable and he just didn’t have a clue? AINT that your BEST friend PUT THE DOTS TOGETHER. Also her then actually doing exactly that like twice just to get back at Elijah, felt out of character and made no sense? And I think Elijah focused too much on Noelle’s attractiveness in his head as that took away from his FRIEND Noelle. I was like yeah she looks really beautiful but tell me something I don’t know. I felt I didn’t get backstory on their friendship and all the moments only he and Noelle shared and the secret things about Noelle that only he would know. That’s what I felt was missing.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok

This is my first book by this author and of the series, so all of the recap moments with other friends didn’t mean anything to me; but are sure to mean something to others.
That said, this one just didn’t resonate with me.

Maybe it’s because these people are so rich or that the FMC is SO supermodel hot and her mom is a trophy wife and how in the world can I relate to THAT? It also left a horribly superficial impression. I completely see that the author was trying to show that these ‘untouchable’ people are real people with real lives and vulnerabilities, too. But it still made me feel slightly disconnected.

The entire tension within this book was both the FMC and the MMC fighting their burgeoning romantic feelings for one another. And it got pretty old quickly.

Regardless, this still could be considered a sweet and mostly clean read. There’s some sexual allusion and tension as well as some stronger language. But for a true young adult, this one is cleaner than many out there.

[erica.reads.a.lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Loved this best friends to lovers YA book! We saw Elijah in previous books in the series, but now we get to see him as more than the guy who throws parties and finances the infamous scavenger hunt. We see the Elijah that only Noelle sees, in all of his goofy, funny, supportive, nerdy, steadfast loyalty. Noelle holds a lot of toxic untruths about herself inside. Elijah can read her better than anyone and knows how to support her as he begins to truly understand her fears. This was a great story, well written and paced. Lots of tension and some angst without being stressful. Highly recommend as an easy YA read! Sizzle and references to some previous “hookups”, but no spice or fade to black.

[Serena Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

'No besé casi a una cara bonita o un cuerpo caliente. Casi te beso a ti. La nerd que cita malas películas y hace terribles imitaciones. La ruda que iría al infierno y regresaría para proteger a sus amigos. La dulce que no es tan dura como deja creer a la gente...'




•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.




One Little Kiss de Maggie Dallen serie The First Loves libro 4

Argumento:

Ese momento en el que te das cuenta de que te estás enamorando de tu mejor amigo...

Noelle ha sido mi mejor amiga desde siempre. Nunca hemos cruzado esa línea a más.

Pero ella acaba de aparecer en mi partido de fútbol. . . con una fecha

Y todo lo que puedo ver es rojo.



Mi humilde opinión:

Me gustó la historia de amor de Noelle y Eli, su relación era adorable pero... me hicieron sufrir demasiado a lo largo de la lectura, desde que se dan cuenta que entre ellos hay más que video juegos y películas.

No fue fácil para los dos aceptar que había más que amistad. Hay muchos momentos angustiosos, me transmitieron todas sus conflictivas emociones. Puedo imaginarme lo extraño y loco que debe ser ver de repente a tu mejor amigo con otros ojos, todos los sentimientos de confusión estaban muy bien descriptos por la autora. No manejo muy bien los dramas y no la pasé bien con este ida y vuelta de los protas, sobretodo con Noelle que le tomó demasiado dar un salto de fe. En cambio a Eli no le tomó mucho ponerse en acción para demostrarle a Noelle que podían ser las dos cosas, amigos y novios. Me encantó lo que hace por ella al final para demostrárselo. Súper romántico!

A pesar de la angustia, disfruté leyendo este romance juvenil ligero y dulce, hubo algo de deporte, escenas de celos (pobre Dominic que quedó en medio!), leales amigos apoyando a los protagonistas y un final satisfactorio.

The First Loves es una serie para jóvenes, dulce y segura, no hay escenas fuertes, solo amor joven y amistad incondicional.

[Maya Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I’m the only one who hates her instead of him, and that’s RARE for me okay. I’m always looking for an excuse to hate a man, but god she was grating. She didn’t want to end up like her trophy wife mother so instead she… went on dates with older guys? What?? Girl that’s step one to being a trophy wife 😭. She used other guys constantly to make him jealous or to hide from her feelings, she was on another date a DAY after their date and he had to pick her up from it. I know they are in highschool but god she was actually kind of the worst.

It felt like the author just needed a reason to pus the plot towards and keep them apart; so she tried make the female lead push away in a realistic way but all it did was make me hate her. She made no sense to me because her reasons for avoiding him were so stupid. “I’m in love with him so I have to avoid him. Oh yeah I know he loves me back but I’m still going to avoid him because I don’t want to end up like my mother the gold digger, instead I’m going to go out and date rich older men.” IT MAKES NO SENSE.

Also I’m kind of over reading about romances from suuuuper rich people, who are suuuper hot and suuuper popular. It just gets grating after awhile. Im also pretty over highschool romances, it feels too juvenile for me at this point. However despite all my moaning and bitching; the writing was good and it did keep my attention till the end. I did like how she took some personal responsibility at the end, tried her driving test again for the third time, applied to community college. It felt more real and less glamorous, also slightly hopeful. The ending was kind of the only reason I haven’t rated this lower. Also I feel like I’m always harsh on the books I read straight after a reading slump so take everything with a grain of salt.

[Konrie Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

best friends to more but more realistic

I appreciate how awkward and strained the relationship is as main characters figure out that they are attracted to each other. A little bit of swearing no f bombs and there is vague reference to intimacy without any details. I appreciate how lived in the world is. You can tell characters have lives and are growing while they are not featured in scenes. The best friends characters are very realistic in that they all are looking out for their friends and trying to help them find love as well. I like the positive and negative role models. And how the parents are compared to each other. Good book.

[EBB Book Club · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading all the other couples in this series, I was really looking forward to getting Elijah and Noelle’s POVs. They’ve been cute in the background of every other story, and I was absolutely up for a friends to lovers angsty teen romp. What I got?
A guy that is so emotionally unintelligent that he lashes out at her every time she gives him butterflies. A guy that strikes right for her deepest insecurity to injure her because it’s easier than facing his own feelings. Big ick. And she NEVER stands up to him for it. Never strikes back. It was just sad.

[Danielle Keil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dallen managed to capture my attention once again with the back and forth angst of these two! I love a good best friends to lovers story, especially one where it's rather drama free and miscommunication is not the key plot point. Both these main characters were relatable, esp the MMC-- I loved getting his insight because I love a good guy who's just head over heels for his girl. Dallen writes all the characters so well that we even fall in love with the side characters and want to know more about them too. An enjoyable story with all the warm and fuzzy feelings!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am sloth, hear me roar."

I love how Maggie's books always bring a smile to my face! The banter is always hilarious and witty!! Noelle and Elijah are best friends to more in this final story in the YA The First Loves series! Their chemistry was fabulous but it's still a clean romance!

"I want to be the guy she relies on. The one she turns to. For everything."

I love how lighthearted and funny these stories are. This was an enjoyable read and I can't wait to see what Maggie writes next!

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fantastic quick moving story..,

Sometimes you find a book quote that just hits you in the feels.

“You want to be different?
Act different.
Expect different.
Demand different.”

— One Little Kiss (The First Loves Book 4) by Maggie Dallen

It was a fantastic quick moving story filled with miscommunication, facing fears, and overcoming others expectations.
It’s the kind of story that makes you want to be brave and reach for your own HEA.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one of the best friends to lovers tropes I’ve read. Noelle & Elijah have the perfect friendship. The tension between them as they realize they have deeper feelings for each other is realistic and makes sense. I didn’t feel like anything was too over dramatic. It a sweet, clean, and fun little romance novel. I needed a book that would keep my interest and that I could devour in one night, and this did just that.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends to more, you say? Count me in! Although Elijah and Noelle managed to dial the awkward up to 11 - which was, to be honest, at times quite painful to watch. (Plus, I didn’t like that poor Dominic got caught up in Noelle and Elijah’s mess.)

Then again, I truly appreciated how Elijah still had Noelle’s back despite her trying to keep him at arm’s length.

4.5 / 5

[Teya Teya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad she got a good story. I knew they were destined to be together with a story from the first story. Now I'm excited to get Dominic's story because he's a great guy that deserves a good story.
I love that she's a supermodel-looking girl who doesn't want it or tries to be that way. My favorite is the end scavenger hunt. Perfect.

[Melissa Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elijah and Noelle are the best! I loved watching them struggle with their emotions. I love how protective and jealous Elijah got - it was kind of adorable.

They were the cutest couple.
Such a fun read.

[Firstand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this series (and still do), but this book just fell short to me. There were a lot of moments that had potential, but in the end the story felt kind of weak and forced. Bummed. Had been really excited for this.

[Kara McCartney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute. Good writing and sweet, but I had no idea it was YA so I was expecting some spice (there’s zero…if it could go negative digits on the spice scale it would). But hey, it only took a few hours to read and had decent dialogue, so not half bad.

[SynergyQuest · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute

I adore friends to lovers stories and this is a really cute one. I’m actually a mom previewing books I’ll allow my daughter to read. This one is too grown-up for her. Even if she was older (she’s 11), the cursing would make this one off-limits for her.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute YA read. Best friends to lovers trope. Elijah and Noelle are my favourite couple so far. Love the way Elijah's always looking out for Noelle.
Enjoyable.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dragged on a lot more than the others, as a lot of the internal dialogue was the same from chapter to chapter.

[milana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ would have been 5 but it was so aggravating how Noelle couldn’t make up her mind. It was a bit too wishy washy but I still really enjoyed the story. I binge read it in one sitting. I loved Elijah, that boy knew what he wanted & threw caution to the wind. Thought it was a perfectly done friends to lovers story & I can’t wait for more of this series!

•friends to lovers

Clean read!

[Reva Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has all the main ingredients I love in Dallen's YA stories! Elijah and Noelle have been best friends since kindergarten, but in their senior year fates conspire to make a new and terrifying change to their relationship. We see the things that their loving parents did not provide that make them dependent on each other, experience the angst caused by the changing relationships among their friends, and can't help but challenge one another to do differently than their parents. It's hard when you've been cast in a role and had examples set for you, to do the self-examinations and determine to do differently and better! Recommended.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheesy. Predictable. Although this was the most mature out of the series.