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It Felt Like a Kiss
Meet Ellie Cohen, one of the most perfect girls in London.
Ellie manages a swank Mayfair gallery, but it’s her life that’s a real work of art. Great job, really good hair, loyal friends, loving family. It’s only her succession of lame duck boyfriends that ruin the picture.
Oh, and the world-famous rock-star father she’s never met, who won’t even acknowledge her existence.
Then Ellie’s perfect life is smashed to pieces when her secret is sold to the highest bidder and her name, face (and pictures of her bottom) are splashed across the tabloids. Suddenly everyone thinks she’s a gold-digging, sex-crazy, famewhore.
Enter David Gold. Charming and handsome David Gold. On paper he’s even more perfect than Ellie, if only he wasn’t her father’s ruthlessly ambitious lawyer whose job is to manage the crisis – and her. He certainly doesn’t think that Ellie’s the innocent party and she doesn’t trust him at all. So why is it that every time they’re alone together, damage limitation is the last thing on their minds?
Ellie manages a swank Mayfair gallery, but it’s her life that’s a real work of art. Great job, really good hair, loyal friends, loving family. It’s only her succession of lame duck boyfriends that ruin the picture.
Oh, and the world-famous rock-star father she’s never met, who won’t even acknowledge her existence.
Then Ellie’s perfect life is smashed to pieces when her secret is sold to the highest bidder and her name, face (and pictures of her bottom) are splashed across the tabloids. Suddenly everyone thinks she’s a gold-digging, sex-crazy, famewhore.
Enter David Gold. Charming and handsome David Gold. On paper he’s even more perfect than Ellie, if only he wasn’t her father’s ruthlessly ambitious lawyer whose job is to manage the crisis – and her. He certainly doesn’t think that Ellie’s the innocent party and she doesn’t trust him at all. So why is it that every time they’re alone together, damage limitation is the last thing on their minds?
480 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 2013
96 people are currently reading
4316 people want to read
About the author
Sarra Manning
43 books1,911 followersSarra Manning is a teen queen extraordinaire. She spent five years working on the now sadly defunct J17, first as a writer and then as Entertainment Editor. She then joined the launch team of teen fashion bible Ellegirl, which she later went on to edit and has consulted on a wide range of youth titles including Bliss, The Face and More.
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
Sarra is now editor of What To Wear magazine. She's also been a regular contributor to ELLE, The Guardian, ES Magazine, Seventeen, Details and Heat and wrote the Shop Bitch column for Time Out. Sarra lives in North London with her dog Miss Betsy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
March 8, 2022
This is Woman's fiction marketed as Romance Contemporary.
Check out You don't have to say you love me by the author Now, that's a 5 star read!
1.5 stars, Would've gone with One. But, I've read Nine Uses Of An Ex-boyfriend by the author and it is worse. So, yeah, 1.5⭐⭐
The story: Alternates between the lead and her mother's past. The lead becomes the centre of a scandle and her mother is connected with it.
Things I liked:
1. First Few Starting Chapters: I thought the novel would be light, fast, fun read.
Things I didn't like:
1. Bad romance: David and Hope knew each other for 7 days and in that 2 days are them having sex. So, yeah... One of the worst romantic build ups I've read.
2. David, the male lead: This is sort of connected to the first point. But, being the huge grump like David was, he deserves a whole freaking point to himself! He was undeniably arrogent, unexpressive, and a boring character. Maybe it's just me, but I just couldn't connect with him, liking is out of the option.
3. Too Freaking Long! It's a 500 page book, I mean, yes, I like expressing things and surroundings, but not that much!
4. The leads' Moms' Pov: There was no need for her mother's Pov. This is one of the things that made the book long and it could've easily been told in a last few chapters.
5. Making the characters of Vaughn and Grace from Unsticky (Sarra's another book) rude and boring, I love Unsticky by Sarra Manning, not as much as You don't have to say you love me but still, a great deal. When I heard this novel had those characters, I was extra cheery but this protrayed Vaughn as a big grump. Grace came off as more standoffish, to me.
Check out You don't have to say you love me by the author Now, that's a 5 star read!
1.5 stars, Would've gone with One. But, I've read Nine Uses Of An Ex-boyfriend by the author and it is worse. So, yeah, 1.5⭐⭐
The story: Alternates between the lead and her mother's past. The lead becomes the centre of a scandle and her mother is connected with it.
Things I liked:
1. First Few Starting Chapters: I thought the novel would be light, fast, fun read.
Things I didn't like:
1. Bad romance: David and Hope knew each other for 7 days and in that 2 days are them having sex. So, yeah... One of the worst romantic build ups I've read.
2. David, the male lead: This is sort of connected to the first point. But, being the huge grump like David was, he deserves a whole freaking point to himself! He was undeniably arrogent, unexpressive, and a boring character. Maybe it's just me, but I just couldn't connect with him, liking is out of the option.
3. Too Freaking Long! It's a 500 page book, I mean, yes, I like expressing things and surroundings, but not that much!
4. The leads' Moms' Pov: There was no need for her mother's Pov. This is one of the things that made the book long and it could've easily been told in a last few chapters.
5. Making the characters of Vaughn and Grace from Unsticky (Sarra's another book) rude and boring, I love Unsticky by Sarra Manning, not as much as You don't have to say you love me but still, a great deal. When I heard this novel had those characters, I was extra cheery but this protrayed Vaughn as a big grump. Grace came off as more standoffish, to me.
February 12, 2014
I wrote a more expansive review here: http://cleareyesfullshelves.com/blog/...
I really liked this, though with that said, I think it will definitely be hit or miss for readers--I doubt it will be a middle of the road read for anyone. It was a lot of fun that Vaughn from Unsticky played such an important role in this book (he's Ellie's, the main character, boss)--and I appreciate that he hadn't really softened at all. In that sense, because IFLaK resides in the same "world" as Unsticky, it's something of a companion novel, though it's a different sort of novel than Unsticky, for sure (definitely slower-paced). Anyway, this book played with a lot tropes and I liked that the nice-not nice thing was explored in a nuanced way (gosh, that's a rarity). The chapters interspersed throughout set in 1986/7 that tell Ellie's mother's backstory really made this book for me.
I also thought this was a pretty great examination of the way people construct personas for themselves and the way external forces can also create these identities as well.
Also, there is a pretty great, but also subtle, inditement of slut shaming and the stickiness of everything involved in that culture.
My one big reservation is from a throwaway exchange between Ellie and David
*starts stalking The Book Depository for preorder availability*
I really liked this, though with that said, I think it will definitely be hit or miss for readers--I doubt it will be a middle of the road read for anyone. It was a lot of fun that Vaughn from Unsticky played such an important role in this book (he's Ellie's, the main character, boss)--and I appreciate that he hadn't really softened at all. In that sense, because IFLaK resides in the same "world" as Unsticky, it's something of a companion novel, though it's a different sort of novel than Unsticky, for sure (definitely slower-paced). Anyway, this book played with a lot tropes and I liked that the nice-not nice thing was explored in a nuanced way (gosh, that's a rarity). The chapters interspersed throughout set in 1986/7 that tell Ellie's mother's backstory really made this book for me.
I also thought this was a pretty great examination of the way people construct personas for themselves and the way external forces can also create these identities as well.
Also, there is a pretty great, but also subtle, inditement of slut shaming and the stickiness of everything involved in that culture.
My one big reservation is from a throwaway exchange between Ellie and David
*starts stalking The Book Depository for preorder availability*
January 3, 2015
I'm not sure why I'm surprised to have enjoyed this one so much. It Felt Like a Kiss is set in the same universe as Manning's Unsticky, one of my all-time favorite novels. Yet, despite having held tightly to a copy of this on my Kindle since its release, the mixed reviews have prevented me from diving in. I've enjoyed Manning's work in the past but with the exception of Unsticky, I haven't loved them. And, as a companion novel--of sorts--to Unsticky, I wanted to love It Felt Like a Kiss. Desperately.
Admittedly, I don't love It Felt Like a Kiss. But, by the end of it, I did really, really like it.
The weakest aspect of It Felt Like a Kiss is, unfortunately, the beginning. Unlike Unsticky, its plot doesn't take off running and, what's more, the narrative voice takes awhile to develop. Ellie Cohen, a young British girl working in Vaughn's office, finds the truth of her parentage leaked after a nasty breakup. Ellie's father, the famous rock star Billy Kay, has never acknowledged Ellie or her mother, Ari, all their life and now that Ellie has been outed as his illegitimate daughter, her entire life is upended. Unable to avoid the paparazzi, Ellie finds herself face-to-face with Billy's lawyer, David Gold. And although David and Ellie have a great deal of chemistry between them, there is the tiny little problem of David representing the interests of a man who has done his best to avoid Ellie for all of her life.
It Felt Like a Kiss truly begins only around a third into the story. While the beginning of the novel sets up the story, complete with the cast and Ellie's life prior to the truth of her parentage breaking loose, it doesn't get interesting until David truly enters the tale. Manning excels at writing romantic relationships. Her characters are complex and gritty and real to a fault which usually means that I wind up so wrapped up in their love story that I often don't sleep until the wee hours of the morning, utterly satisfied despite the fact that my heart has gone through the wringer. But, for Sarah Manning's romances, I'd do it all over again.
David is driven, focused, and ambitious. Willing to do anything that his job demands, he manages to be charming and aloof, considerate and cynical. With him, Ellie doesn't quite know where she stands and, as a girl whose entire life has been leaked to the media and who wears her heart on a sleeve, David is uncharted waters. In the past, Ellie has dated the "lame duck" guys; the ones who desperately need fixing. When Ellie finally realizes she's dating a loser and breaks up with them, however, they move on to become the best version of themselves, all thanks to Ellie's intervention. Thus, all the more reason David poses a terrifying choice for Ellie as he's a man she's attracted to but one who doesn't need fixing of any kind.
Watching David and Ellie dance around their attraction, the legal documentation between them, and, of course, their pasts, was more than just a little entertaining. David is enigmatic and inscrutable but as the novel progresses he becomes increasingly human. Their relationship isn't perfect and they're both than just a little bit flawed, but Manning makes us fall for them--and fall hard. She has a knack for painting men and relationships in the worst possible light yet, by the end, you're more than half in love with both.
Nevertheless, the strength of this novel lies within Ellie and her struggle to reconcile who she is in a world she has vastly underestimated. With the people around her acting in the worst possible way towards her, Ellie's position is difficult and empathetic. It's impossible not to fall in love with her and decide--firmly--to be on her side, no matter what. She's just one of those heroines. Moreover, her predicament brings up a fascinating array of questions about the media, publicity, and, what's more, the portrayal of women in the news. Ellie's outing isn't just a news headline; it's also an inspection of her body, of her sexual life, and of her character as a result. Because the paparazzi are stalking her, images of her in a bikini are leaked and, as a result, the headlines rate every body part Ellie has from her lips to her waist to her legs. Because her terrible ex-boyfriend lied about her to the press, Ellie's sexual escapades are released to the world and society judges her to be a "slut" and a "whore." Though Manning doesn't directly bring these issues under scrutiny, by bringing them up in her novel she draws attention to them nevertheless.
It Felt Like a Kiss isn't the best Manning has written, but it's gosh darn close. Just like I've come to expect from her, it's witty and charming, compulsively readable and wickedly swoony, all with unforgettable characters to boot. If you like the corporate slave turned passionate lover trope even half as much as I do, this is simply a must-read.
Admittedly, I don't love It Felt Like a Kiss. But, by the end of it, I did really, really like it.
The weakest aspect of It Felt Like a Kiss is, unfortunately, the beginning. Unlike Unsticky, its plot doesn't take off running and, what's more, the narrative voice takes awhile to develop. Ellie Cohen, a young British girl working in Vaughn's office, finds the truth of her parentage leaked after a nasty breakup. Ellie's father, the famous rock star Billy Kay, has never acknowledged Ellie or her mother, Ari, all their life and now that Ellie has been outed as his illegitimate daughter, her entire life is upended. Unable to avoid the paparazzi, Ellie finds herself face-to-face with Billy's lawyer, David Gold. And although David and Ellie have a great deal of chemistry between them, there is the tiny little problem of David representing the interests of a man who has done his best to avoid Ellie for all of her life.
It Felt Like a Kiss truly begins only around a third into the story. While the beginning of the novel sets up the story, complete with the cast and Ellie's life prior to the truth of her parentage breaking loose, it doesn't get interesting until David truly enters the tale. Manning excels at writing romantic relationships. Her characters are complex and gritty and real to a fault which usually means that I wind up so wrapped up in their love story that I often don't sleep until the wee hours of the morning, utterly satisfied despite the fact that my heart has gone through the wringer. But, for Sarah Manning's romances, I'd do it all over again.
David is driven, focused, and ambitious. Willing to do anything that his job demands, he manages to be charming and aloof, considerate and cynical. With him, Ellie doesn't quite know where she stands and, as a girl whose entire life has been leaked to the media and who wears her heart on a sleeve, David is uncharted waters. In the past, Ellie has dated the "lame duck" guys; the ones who desperately need fixing. When Ellie finally realizes she's dating a loser and breaks up with them, however, they move on to become the best version of themselves, all thanks to Ellie's intervention. Thus, all the more reason David poses a terrifying choice for Ellie as he's a man she's attracted to but one who doesn't need fixing of any kind.
Watching David and Ellie dance around their attraction, the legal documentation between them, and, of course, their pasts, was more than just a little entertaining. David is enigmatic and inscrutable but as the novel progresses he becomes increasingly human. Their relationship isn't perfect and they're both than just a little bit flawed, but Manning makes us fall for them--and fall hard. She has a knack for painting men and relationships in the worst possible light yet, by the end, you're more than half in love with both.
Nevertheless, the strength of this novel lies within Ellie and her struggle to reconcile who she is in a world she has vastly underestimated. With the people around her acting in the worst possible way towards her, Ellie's position is difficult and empathetic. It's impossible not to fall in love with her and decide--firmly--to be on her side, no matter what. She's just one of those heroines. Moreover, her predicament brings up a fascinating array of questions about the media, publicity, and, what's more, the portrayal of women in the news. Ellie's outing isn't just a news headline; it's also an inspection of her body, of her sexual life, and of her character as a result. Because the paparazzi are stalking her, images of her in a bikini are leaked and, as a result, the headlines rate every body part Ellie has from her lips to her waist to her legs. Because her terrible ex-boyfriend lied about her to the press, Ellie's sexual escapades are released to the world and society judges her to be a "slut" and a "whore." Though Manning doesn't directly bring these issues under scrutiny, by bringing them up in her novel she draws attention to them nevertheless.
It Felt Like a Kiss isn't the best Manning has written, but it's gosh darn close. Just like I've come to expect from her, it's witty and charming, compulsively readable and wickedly swoony, all with unforgettable characters to boot. If you like the corporate slave turned passionate lover trope even half as much as I do, this is simply a must-read.
February 7, 2014
I was impatient for things to happen. And I wish some things resolved differently.
I hated the jumping back and forth in time. The main story is 26-year-old Ellie in 2013. There were seventeen flashbacks to 1986 and 1987 about her mother dating and having a baby. I would have preferred the author tell the entire 1986 story first, and then the Ellie story. There was nothing major in the flashback story that needed to be saved for later. During the present day story I was impatient for things to get moving, and the flashbacks added to the impatience.
The best part was the way Ellie responded to negatives in her life. Also very good was the variety of interesting characters. Vaughn was Ellie’s boss, always angry at his employees and frequently firing Ellie but not meaning it. I liked David the lawyer who worked for scumbags which forced him to do things which hurt Ellie.
I was not happy with the plot. Some bad things were done to people and the scales were not balanced. I prefer revenge, payback, fairness. Some harmed individuals could have received compensation but they declined. That did not feel good. I wanted to see certain people suffer or something. That felt undone.
There were about eight sex scenes. They were very brief, which was ok. They were good enough to show relationships.
I really enjoyed the author’s other books “You Don’t Have to Say You Love me” and “Unsticky.”
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Kindle length 6,754 (416 pages). Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: about 8. Setting: 1986, 1987 and 2013 mostly London with a little Paris, France. Copyright: 2014. Genre: contemporary romance.
I hated the jumping back and forth in time. The main story is 26-year-old Ellie in 2013. There were seventeen flashbacks to 1986 and 1987 about her mother dating and having a baby. I would have preferred the author tell the entire 1986 story first, and then the Ellie story. There was nothing major in the flashback story that needed to be saved for later. During the present day story I was impatient for things to get moving, and the flashbacks added to the impatience.
The best part was the way Ellie responded to negatives in her life. Also very good was the variety of interesting characters. Vaughn was Ellie’s boss, always angry at his employees and frequently firing Ellie but not meaning it. I liked David the lawyer who worked for scumbags which forced him to do things which hurt Ellie.
I was not happy with the plot. Some bad things were done to people and the scales were not balanced. I prefer revenge, payback, fairness. Some harmed individuals could have received compensation but they declined. That did not feel good. I wanted to see certain people suffer or something. That felt undone.
There were about eight sex scenes. They were very brief, which was ok. They were good enough to show relationships.
I really enjoyed the author’s other books “You Don’t Have to Say You Love me” and “Unsticky.”
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Kindle length 6,754 (416 pages). Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: about 8. Setting: 1986, 1987 and 2013 mostly London with a little Paris, France. Copyright: 2014. Genre: contemporary romance.
November 6, 2016
It is no secret that I am a Sarra Manning fan so when I got my hands on a copy of this book I was more than a little bit excited. Quite honestly it met all the expectations I had for it and I loved every page.
The book revolves around the story of Ellie a 20 something living in London a normal life working at a high end art galley until the day when her secret is leaked to the press and the tabloids have a field day making her out to be a sex crazed gold digger and printing unflattering pictures of her in compromising positions.
Without giving too much away about the plot I must say I enjoyed several things about this book.
I loved Ellie. She was a really down to earth character and I really enjoyed following her story and seeing with how she dealt with all the rubbish thrown at her since being thrust unceremoniously into the spotlight without any say in the matter. I loved the relationships she had with her friends and the values she had regarding family and what it means to be part of a family. The story had a really good comedic parts to it which really made me chuckle, a lovely dash of romance which was both sweet and hot in just the right amount. I loved all the the secondary characters in their own ways from the gorgeous David to Ellie's rock chick mother and as always with a Sarra Manning there were a fab set of cameos which made me fan girl just a little bit as you got to see characters you'd met and loved in previous books.
A brilliant read with real heart which I loved entirely. A perfect example of everything I love about books written by Sarra Manning. Highly recommended.
The book revolves around the story of Ellie a 20 something living in London a normal life working at a high end art galley until the day when her secret is leaked to the press and the tabloids have a field day making her out to be a sex crazed gold digger and printing unflattering pictures of her in compromising positions.
Without giving too much away about the plot I must say I enjoyed several things about this book.
I loved Ellie. She was a really down to earth character and I really enjoyed following her story and seeing with how she dealt with all the rubbish thrown at her since being thrust unceremoniously into the spotlight without any say in the matter. I loved the relationships she had with her friends and the values she had regarding family and what it means to be part of a family. The story had a really good comedic parts to it which really made me chuckle, a lovely dash of romance which was both sweet and hot in just the right amount. I loved all the the secondary characters in their own ways from the gorgeous David to Ellie's rock chick mother and as always with a Sarra Manning there were a fab set of cameos which made me fan girl just a little bit as you got to see characters you'd met and loved in previous books.
A brilliant read with real heart which I loved entirely. A perfect example of everything I love about books written by Sarra Manning. Highly recommended.
November 6, 2014
The thing I've noticed about Sarra Manning books is that I either hate the protagonists or love them. This one has one of each.
Ellie is a sweetheart and bears up truly heroically in the face of a real beating (metaphorically). She's strong and determined and still sweet even when people betray or hurt her—and not in a sappy or doormat way, either. I liked her from the beginning and enjoyed spending the course of the novel with her.
David, on the other hand, is a huge jerk. He has all the data he needs to know exactly who Ellie is, but even after he figures her out and knows that he likes her and wants to spend time with her, he can't quite bring himself to be nice to her or cut her some slack. I get being conflicted between the career you've painstakingly carved out for yourself and the woman you've fallen for. But jobs come and go and even if they didn't, make a choice already and put everybody else out of their misery. And it doesn't help that Ellie's attraction for him has no small amount of insta-love in it and that just irks me.
So yeah, he's a dead loss through most of the story.
Also, there is a deep sense of injustice as Ellie suffers the slings and arrows of cruel fate and mercenary people. I hate that kind of thing. I tend to spend lots of energy figuring out how to balance the scales and there's just no way to do that for Ellie. What I'm saying is that normally, this would be a huge deal-breaker for me in a book. Interestingly, Manning managed to put Ellie together strongly enough that I was able to let it go in much the same way that Ellie does. Yes, it's aggravating, but I was so into Ellie's story that I was willing to weather it because I was weathering it with her. It helps that she has a cadre of true friends and family who know who she is and who not only support her unflinchingly but who do so at personal expense and without hesitation. Which is exactly what the jackwagon David should have noticed about fifteen minutes after meeting her.
Anyway, Manning manages just enough redemption of David that I can't fully slam the book and I was into Ellie so much that I'm rounding the 3.5 to four stars. The secondary characters and the pervasive message of love and family were strong enough I may have done so even if I hadn't been able to buy his conversion, if I'm perfectly honest, though...
A note about Steamy: Three non-trivial explicit sex scenes would put this on the high side for me except that they happen all in a row and kind of merge into one extended sex scene for a chapter or so. So mid level steam, really, when all's said.
Ellie is a sweetheart and bears up truly heroically in the face of a real beating (metaphorically). She's strong and determined and still sweet even when people betray or hurt her—and not in a sappy or doormat way, either. I liked her from the beginning and enjoyed spending the course of the novel with her.
David, on the other hand, is a huge jerk. He has all the data he needs to know exactly who Ellie is, but even after he figures her out and knows that he likes her and wants to spend time with her, he can't quite bring himself to be nice to her or cut her some slack. I get being conflicted between the career you've painstakingly carved out for yourself and the woman you've fallen for. But jobs come and go and even if they didn't, make a choice already and put everybody else out of their misery. And it doesn't help that Ellie's attraction for him has no small amount of insta-love in it and that just irks me.
So yeah, he's a dead loss through most of the story.
Also, there is a deep sense of injustice as Ellie suffers the slings and arrows of cruel fate and mercenary people. I hate that kind of thing. I tend to spend lots of energy figuring out how to balance the scales and there's just no way to do that for Ellie. What I'm saying is that normally, this would be a huge deal-breaker for me in a book. Interestingly, Manning managed to put Ellie together strongly enough that I was able to let it go in much the same way that Ellie does. Yes, it's aggravating, but I was so into Ellie's story that I was willing to weather it because I was weathering it with her. It helps that she has a cadre of true friends and family who know who she is and who not only support her unflinchingly but who do so at personal expense and without hesitation. Which is exactly what the jackwagon David should have noticed about fifteen minutes after meeting her.
Anyway, Manning manages just enough redemption of David that I can't fully slam the book and I was into Ellie so much that I'm rounding the 3.5 to four stars. The secondary characters and the pervasive message of love and family were strong enough I may have done so even if I hadn't been able to buy his conversion, if I'm perfectly honest, though...
A note about Steamy: Three non-trivial explicit sex scenes would put this on the high side for me except that they happen all in a row and kind of merge into one extended sex scene for a chapter or so. So mid level steam, really, when all's said.
November 24, 2014
You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning is one of my absolute favourite books and one I love to revisit when I need a pick me up. Every novel of hers I’ve read since I have been so excited for something equally magical and been sorely disappointed to the point where I think I won’t try again.
The characters in YDHTSYLM are rich, deeply emotional and endearing with a great deal of heart but also of personality. The three novels I have read since, including It Felt Like a Kiss have included characters that make inexplicably terrible decisions and, in this novel, have less personality than wet cardboard.
Ellie is the art gallery working daughter of cool, hippie single mother Ari and the secret love child of world renowned – and Knighted – millionaire rock star Billy Kay; a man who has never acknowledged her existence. She is, for the most part, okay with not having had her biological father in her life and has watched from a distance as he and his legitimate daughters are splashed all over the news and the tabloids.
Then, the latest in a string of poorly chosen ex-boyfriends, Richie, decides to sell Ellie’s birth certificate to the papers to pay for his coke habit. Ellie is thrust into the spotlight as the attention seeking white trash daughter out to steal Billy Kay’s good name and hard earned fortune. Woe is Ellie and life is hard as she is hounded by the press, watches lie after lie be printed about her, is fired from her job, fights with her mother and for some reason finds her father’s lawyer very attractive.
Forgetting the extreme soap opera style plot of this novel, which actually ended up being the best thing about it, this book was a disaster from start to finish. The characters, plot and style felt completely cold and empty and entirely void of soul – made even more disappointing by the fact that I KNOW Sarra Manning can write extremely well.
Ellie is a bland porridge of a character. She works in an art gallery – because all stereotypical chick lit novels require girls to have ‘glam jobs’ – and goes to musical festivals with her friends and her mother on weekends. Yet despite this making her sound interesting and someone with passions, she doesn’t speak about either with much enthusiasm. While she claims to be very interested in art, there’s no explanation of how she got into the field, she doesn’t once converse with someone about the brilliance of art and the only sign of her passion for it is that she’s very good at being an event co-ordinator. Again, while she may have grown up backstage of a summer music festival, she does not seem that invested in music and it felt to me she was only going because she saw it as ‘the done thing’ and was attempting to get cool by association points. According to her friends, she’s not picked a single decent guy to go out with and has ended up being the AA sponsor, money giver and AHA! moment to all the men that pass by her so that they are hopefully fixed for the next girl. Apart from being good at holding back tears and a healthy dose of binge drinking, that is the sum total of Ellie’s personality. Doesn’t seem like enough to be the heroine of a novel, does it?
The love interest is even less interesting. David Gould aka 50 Shades of Copyright Infringement, is a rich entertainment lawyer who looks very good in a suit. His apartment gives minimalism a bad name in his anti-clutter campaign and he has a string of blondes for his sexcapdes because of reasons.
The two meet at a musical festival, though why 50 Shades of Copyright Infringement is there I don’t know, when they brush arms and feel tingles that almost made me put the book down then and there. They meet again when Ellie’s scandal hits the tabloids and it is revealed that Dreamy Tingles is in fact Billy Kay’s lawyer with zero emotional intelligence and a deep seated belief that everyone is evil and that Ellie must have sold her own story to the paps for cash. In order to help minimise the press, 50 Shades hides Ellie in his secret minimalist lair for a few days while she throws tantrums, he broods in a suit and they eventually snog and he gropes her boobs. When Ellie finally recognises that she has terrible taste in men and runs away to Paris, 50 Shades follows her because copping a feel of Ellie’s magical breasts is all he needed to discover that he was a soulless lawyer parasite who had no significant relationships but who is now completely cured.
As I said before, this novel becomes even more disappointing when you take into account the fact that Manning can write well. She is capable of writing characters with passion and a great depth of expressive feeling. She has written love interests with charm and humour and relationships that grow and evolve over time. Her characters can have wonderful relationships with friends, family and partners that make us laugh, cry, swoon and feel joy.
Yet the only character that comes close to inspiring any of this in me was Chester, Ellie’s pseudo father figure and lifelong friend of Ari who is basically the Luke from Gilmore Girls of the story. Chester alone would never have been enough to redeem this novel, and sadly it was enough to put me off Manning’s writing for good.
The characters in YDHTSYLM are rich, deeply emotional and endearing with a great deal of heart but also of personality. The three novels I have read since, including It Felt Like a Kiss have included characters that make inexplicably terrible decisions and, in this novel, have less personality than wet cardboard.
Ellie is the art gallery working daughter of cool, hippie single mother Ari and the secret love child of world renowned – and Knighted – millionaire rock star Billy Kay; a man who has never acknowledged her existence. She is, for the most part, okay with not having had her biological father in her life and has watched from a distance as he and his legitimate daughters are splashed all over the news and the tabloids.
Then, the latest in a string of poorly chosen ex-boyfriends, Richie, decides to sell Ellie’s birth certificate to the papers to pay for his coke habit. Ellie is thrust into the spotlight as the attention seeking white trash daughter out to steal Billy Kay’s good name and hard earned fortune. Woe is Ellie and life is hard as she is hounded by the press, watches lie after lie be printed about her, is fired from her job, fights with her mother and for some reason finds her father’s lawyer very attractive.
Forgetting the extreme soap opera style plot of this novel, which actually ended up being the best thing about it, this book was a disaster from start to finish. The characters, plot and style felt completely cold and empty and entirely void of soul – made even more disappointing by the fact that I KNOW Sarra Manning can write extremely well.
Ellie is a bland porridge of a character. She works in an art gallery – because all stereotypical chick lit novels require girls to have ‘glam jobs’ – and goes to musical festivals with her friends and her mother on weekends. Yet despite this making her sound interesting and someone with passions, she doesn’t speak about either with much enthusiasm. While she claims to be very interested in art, there’s no explanation of how she got into the field, she doesn’t once converse with someone about the brilliance of art and the only sign of her passion for it is that she’s very good at being an event co-ordinator. Again, while she may have grown up backstage of a summer music festival, she does not seem that invested in music and it felt to me she was only going because she saw it as ‘the done thing’ and was attempting to get cool by association points. According to her friends, she’s not picked a single decent guy to go out with and has ended up being the AA sponsor, money giver and AHA! moment to all the men that pass by her so that they are hopefully fixed for the next girl. Apart from being good at holding back tears and a healthy dose of binge drinking, that is the sum total of Ellie’s personality. Doesn’t seem like enough to be the heroine of a novel, does it?
The love interest is even less interesting. David Gould aka 50 Shades of Copyright Infringement, is a rich entertainment lawyer who looks very good in a suit. His apartment gives minimalism a bad name in his anti-clutter campaign and he has a string of blondes for his sexcapdes because of reasons.
The two meet at a musical festival, though why 50 Shades of Copyright Infringement is there I don’t know, when they brush arms and feel tingles that almost made me put the book down then and there. They meet again when Ellie’s scandal hits the tabloids and it is revealed that Dreamy Tingles is in fact Billy Kay’s lawyer with zero emotional intelligence and a deep seated belief that everyone is evil and that Ellie must have sold her own story to the paps for cash. In order to help minimise the press, 50 Shades hides Ellie in his secret minimalist lair for a few days while she throws tantrums, he broods in a suit and they eventually snog and he gropes her boobs. When Ellie finally recognises that she has terrible taste in men and runs away to Paris, 50 Shades follows her because copping a feel of Ellie’s magical breasts is all he needed to discover that he was a soulless lawyer parasite who had no significant relationships but who is now completely cured.
As I said before, this novel becomes even more disappointing when you take into account the fact that Manning can write well. She is capable of writing characters with passion and a great depth of expressive feeling. She has written love interests with charm and humour and relationships that grow and evolve over time. Her characters can have wonderful relationships with friends, family and partners that make us laugh, cry, swoon and feel joy.
Yet the only character that comes close to inspiring any of this in me was Chester, Ellie’s pseudo father figure and lifelong friend of Ari who is basically the Luke from Gilmore Girls of the story. Chester alone would never have been enough to redeem this novel, and sadly it was enough to put me off Manning’s writing for good.
July 6, 2022
⭐️ one star -
I am a recent Sarra Manning fan, and was excited to come across this book after having read Unsticky (four stars from me) and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me (rated five stars), but It Felt Like A Kiss just doesn’t do it for me and is a solid DNF.
The plot positively drags and drags, and I just couldn’t ever get into it. It probably didn’t help that I just don’t care about Indie music or festivals, as none of that is my scene to begin with. Sarra’s plot building style just didn’t work here for me with the characters or their interests.
I also agree with others that the jumping back in time to tell the mother’s story did this book no favors. It was too distracting from the main story, and it became even more cumbersome to read than it was already shaping out to being. Truth be told, the time jumping format is what kills the story flow, and makes this a low star read for me.
I finally called it quits around 30% or so, and skimmed through to the end to read bits of the story with the H and h, but I still didn’t care for it, hence the one star.
Sorry to say that I didn’t like this one, as I do generally like SM, and her two other books I mentioned above were such enjoyable reads. Still looking forward to this author’s next book and will happily try out the next one.
I am a recent Sarra Manning fan, and was excited to come across this book after having read Unsticky (four stars from me) and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me (rated five stars), but It Felt Like A Kiss just doesn’t do it for me and is a solid DNF.
The plot positively drags and drags, and I just couldn’t ever get into it. It probably didn’t help that I just don’t care about Indie music or festivals, as none of that is my scene to begin with. Sarra’s plot building style just didn’t work here for me with the characters or their interests.
I also agree with others that the jumping back in time to tell the mother’s story did this book no favors. It was too distracting from the main story, and it became even more cumbersome to read than it was already shaping out to being. Truth be told, the time jumping format is what kills the story flow, and makes this a low star read for me.
I finally called it quits around 30% or so, and skimmed through to the end to read bits of the story with the H and h, but I still didn’t care for it, hence the one star.
Sorry to say that I didn’t like this one, as I do generally like SM, and her two other books I mentioned above were such enjoyable reads. Still looking forward to this author’s next book and will happily try out the next one.
October 2, 2018
3.5 stars
wow I kinda ended up really liking this book. Even though I almost DNFd it many many times.
Here's the thing: THIS BOOK IS TOO FRICKEN LONG. The setup is WAY too long & involved, it's kinda boring, it's kinda all over the place, it's kinda too much of shit we don't really need to know about before the good bits start.
But once it started getting good, I got hooked. The Ari flashbacks helped me move along when I got really bored with the present timeline I LOVE ARI.
If you've read Sarina Bowen's The Accidentals, this has a similar premise: girl has an absentee famous rock star father who suddenly becomes relevant to girl's life. This is the non-high school version. I liked this one more. I can't really recommend this book though -- it's just too much of a slog to get to the good stuff.
wow I kinda ended up really liking this book. Even though I almost DNFd it many many times.
Here's the thing: THIS BOOK IS TOO FRICKEN LONG. The setup is WAY too long & involved, it's kinda boring, it's kinda all over the place, it's kinda too much of shit we don't really need to know about before the good bits start.
But once it started getting good, I got hooked. The Ari flashbacks helped me move along when I got really bored with the present timeline I LOVE ARI.
If you've read Sarina Bowen's The Accidentals, this has a similar premise: girl has an absentee famous rock star father who suddenly becomes relevant to girl's life. This is the non-high school version. I liked this one more. I can't really recommend this book though -- it's just too much of a slog to get to the good stuff.
March 19, 2015
I was in the mood today to read something light and fluffy and this book didn't disappoint me at all, it was a really nice little read.
Ellie, a 20 yr old living in London, working in a well to do art gallery has a secret that leaks out.
The tabloids get hold of it and do not let go, they are like a dog with a bone, well, we see it in the papers everyday. They make her out to be a gold digger, crazy female, pictures are printed of her in all sorts of uncompromising ways!
I really enjoyed seeing how Ellie dealt with all the rubbish that was thrown her way.
Its a great, what I would call a "flick" read as your turn each page not realizing how far you have read and its suddenly THE END.
I really enjoyed my afternoon of light reading.
I want to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via Net Galley for my copy to read and review
September 24, 2014
2.0-2.5
The premise sounded so good and I was sure I was going to love this book. Unfortunately the premise sums up about everything that happened in this book. There were no big surprises and so I found the book absolutely dragging. I even hat to skip some pages to the end.
I am sure the whole book could have been written in a lot less pages.
The protagonist Ellie is rather a down to earth girl who should be very likeable but I couldn't feel a connection to her at all. David was an absolute pain too. There were too many actions I didn't understand at all.
Awesome cover with not much to like inside it :(
The premise sounded so good and I was sure I was going to love this book. Unfortunately the premise sums up about everything that happened in this book. There were no big surprises and so I found the book absolutely dragging. I even hat to skip some pages to the end.
I am sure the whole book could have been written in a lot less pages.
The protagonist Ellie is rather a down to earth girl who should be very likeable but I couldn't feel a connection to her at all. David was an absolute pain too. There were too many actions I didn't understand at all.
Awesome cover with not much to like inside it :(
August 10, 2016
Ellie Cohen is a straightest of the straight good British girl types you’ll find: her only vices are occasionally drinking too much and attracting ‘lame duck’ boyfriends – boys who need her help to overcome their issues, then dump her for better prospects. Ellie is also the secret lovechild of a famous UK rock star, and has never met him, and never even mentions his name. Her life is completely turned upside down when one of the lame ducks, desperate for money, steals proof of Ellie’s dad’s identity and sells it to the tabloids.
I loved It Felt Like a Kiss. I’d previously read Manning’s Adorkable and found her writing to be full of British jargon, which I love because I lived there for a couple of years, and her characters to be so utterly realistic I fall head over heels for them. I loved Ellie in it Felt Like a Kiss because she reminded me so much of myself – she was a ‘good girl’ who never asked for help, never took a pound off anyone, struggled through school, kept her secret, worked her way up to a cushy job, and often gets accused of ex-boyfriends of being high strung, uptight, and in need of relaxing. That last part hit a little raw spot in me. In high school, I was the ‘good girl’ while all my friends were smoking and having sex and experimenting with drugs and alcohol. To this day I’ve never been drunk, and I was never invited to a high school party. I could identify with Ellie being a ‘good girl’.
Olivia Hallinan as Ellie Cohen
I’m also particularly shy and I’m the sort of person who’s not afraid to say they don’t want to be famous. I don’t really like attention, and even the idea of my upcoming wedding gives me a panic attack because I’ll be the centre of attention on the day. So I could also identify with Ellie’s absolute horror at suddenly being thrust unwillingly into the spotlight when the identity of her father is leaked to the press, with paparazzi clambering all over her, desperate for a photo that will sell papers, twisting her words and making up outrageous lies in the hopes of selling, selling, selling. Scandal! Outrage! Secrets! In the public’s interest! Well, not the last one. But I really felt so sorry for Ellie being hounded and dogged and practically assaulted while she just wants to live her normal life and earn enough money for her own flat.
I loved her relationship with her mother, Ari, who was also the victim of the tabloids who claimed Ellie was the result of a one-night stand and Ari was obsessed with the rockstar and persistently stalked him for money and fame, when the complete opposite was true. Ari was a strong kick ass rock chick who wanted nothing to do with the father who’d dumped her and her three month old daughter out of jealousy that Ari could love someone else besides him, and to top it off he’d stolen the songs she’d written that went on to make him famous. Ari had a strong Jewish family who loved and accepted her and that love enveloped Ellie as well. Ellis never ‘needed’ her father because her life was overflowing with love and support from her family. I loved the way Ellie and Ari interacted and spoke to each other, and supported each other. It’s definitely a relationship I find inspiring.
I wasn’t so much into David, Ellie’s new love interest and complicated because he was the rockstar’s lawyer. I liked him because he was described as tall, skinny yet fit with great hair, so I kept imagining David Tennant in my head. I didn’t like how his goals didn’t always align with Ellie’s and he had all these different motivations and he wasn’t very nice to Ellie. I found him incredibly realistic, but I just didn’t like him. In the end but for the longest time I really didn’t see what Ellie saw in him besides incredible sexual attraction.
David Tennant as David Frost
I was intrigued by the entire plot and loved following Ellie around. I loved the build up to the climax when Ellie The rockstar was never portrayed as a loving kind of guy: he was a serial cheater and completely self-centered. I was pleased with the resolution.
Apparently Vaughan and Grace are the centre of another Manning book called Unsticky. Unfortunately, although I liked Grace’s cameos, I was not thrilled with Vaughan – in fact, I barely tolerated him and found him completely unlikeable. Therefore I will not be reading Unsticky – but I sure as hell will be reading other Manning books. She’s a literary rockstar and I adore her.
I just want to add that Goodreads seems to think the paperback is over 500 pages long – it didn’t feel like that at all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found the pages flipping pretty fast.
Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for providing this advanced reader copy for an honest review.
I loved It Felt Like a Kiss. I’d previously read Manning’s Adorkable and found her writing to be full of British jargon, which I love because I lived there for a couple of years, and her characters to be so utterly realistic I fall head over heels for them. I loved Ellie in it Felt Like a Kiss because she reminded me so much of myself – she was a ‘good girl’ who never asked for help, never took a pound off anyone, struggled through school, kept her secret, worked her way up to a cushy job, and often gets accused of ex-boyfriends of being high strung, uptight, and in need of relaxing. That last part hit a little raw spot in me. In high school, I was the ‘good girl’ while all my friends were smoking and having sex and experimenting with drugs and alcohol. To this day I’ve never been drunk, and I was never invited to a high school party. I could identify with Ellie being a ‘good girl’.
Olivia Hallinan as Ellie Cohen
I’m also particularly shy and I’m the sort of person who’s not afraid to say they don’t want to be famous. I don’t really like attention, and even the idea of my upcoming wedding gives me a panic attack because I’ll be the centre of attention on the day. So I could also identify with Ellie’s absolute horror at suddenly being thrust unwillingly into the spotlight when the identity of her father is leaked to the press, with paparazzi clambering all over her, desperate for a photo that will sell papers, twisting her words and making up outrageous lies in the hopes of selling, selling, selling. Scandal! Outrage! Secrets! In the public’s interest! Well, not the last one. But I really felt so sorry for Ellie being hounded and dogged and practically assaulted while she just wants to live her normal life and earn enough money for her own flat.
I loved her relationship with her mother, Ari, who was also the victim of the tabloids who claimed Ellie was the result of a one-night stand and Ari was obsessed with the rockstar and persistently stalked him for money and fame, when the complete opposite was true. Ari was a strong kick ass rock chick who wanted nothing to do with the father who’d dumped her and her three month old daughter out of jealousy that Ari could love someone else besides him, and to top it off he’d stolen the songs she’d written that went on to make him famous. Ari had a strong Jewish family who loved and accepted her and that love enveloped Ellie as well. Ellis never ‘needed’ her father because her life was overflowing with love and support from her family. I loved the way Ellie and Ari interacted and spoke to each other, and supported each other. It’s definitely a relationship I find inspiring.
I wasn’t so much into David, Ellie’s new love interest and complicated because he was the rockstar’s lawyer. I liked him because he was described as tall, skinny yet fit with great hair, so I kept imagining David Tennant in my head. I didn’t like how his goals didn’t always align with Ellie’s and he had all these different motivations and he wasn’t very nice to Ellie. I found him incredibly realistic, but I just didn’t like him. In the end but for the longest time I really didn’t see what Ellie saw in him besides incredible sexual attraction.
David Tennant as David Frost
I was intrigued by the entire plot and loved following Ellie around. I loved the build up to the climax when Ellie The rockstar was never portrayed as a loving kind of guy: he was a serial cheater and completely self-centered. I was pleased with the resolution.
Apparently Vaughan and Grace are the centre of another Manning book called Unsticky. Unfortunately, although I liked Grace’s cameos, I was not thrilled with Vaughan – in fact, I barely tolerated him and found him completely unlikeable. Therefore I will not be reading Unsticky – but I sure as hell will be reading other Manning books. She’s a literary rockstar and I adore her.
I just want to add that Goodreads seems to think the paperback is over 500 pages long – it didn’t feel like that at all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found the pages flipping pretty fast.
Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for providing this advanced reader copy for an honest review.
October 23, 2015
I’ve always been a fan of Manning’s adult novels, they’re always ones that I turn to when I’m in the mood for a guilty pleasure sort of read. Manning has the knack for creating super hot powerful male characters who would have you turned into a puddle of mush within an instance. These males are business hot shots and know how to take care of a lady. But what I love most about them, is that they’ve lived their entire lives not having met said lady and so when she makes an appearance, they are quite overwhelmed. It’s sort of comforting seeing these guys a bit out of their comfort zone, its gives us another whole another insight into their character and often it’s a side that is vulnerable yet charming and which I end up loving the most. Manning’s made characters have in the past left great impressions with me, so I was hopeful that this would be the case with David in It Felt Like a Kiss. To be honest I was sort of disappointed, yes David was a powerful individual, but he didn’t really give us the hotness vibe, he was nerdy (a lawyer, who liked to spew lawyer jargon), which I really didn’t mind, but only at one point when we first met him I was sort of interested, but then he sort of lost his appeal. I think this could have been down to the chemistry between him and our MC Ellie. Yes they couldn’t really have a relationship because of so many things getting in the way, but in comparison to Manning’s previous novels Ellie and David’s relationship really didn’t win me over. Yes when they were together, it was hot, but I felt that David just sort of rubbed Ellie the wrong way, he often said things without thinking and at times he could be quite hurtful (in my opinion). Characters such as Vaughn from Unsticky I loved, he used to get all growly when he was mad, but I didn’t take his temper too seriously, he was quite hot when he was mad. David on the other hand I couldn’t get a read on, I just didn’t really feel anything for him. I’m probably going off on a complete tangent, but I really did want to love this book, but I think David’s character and his relationship with Ellie was a let-down for me.
That aside there was a lot that It felt Like a Kiss had to offer, the main story was based around Ellie being outed by an ex-boyfriend about being a legendary singer’s daughter. Ellie finds herself and her life at the centre of attention when she doesn’t want to be. What made this story for me was the fact that we don’t really know what went down between Ellie’s mum and dad in the first place, why they separated, why Ellie’s famous dad didn’t want anything to do with her, why her and her mum were left to slog it out barely getting by whereas Billy her dad raked in the money. Manning very cleverly gave us alternative chapters, from Ellie’s mum in the past and when she first met Billy and then the present day with Ellie. With the way the story was given to us and the way Ellie felt about her dad (not cared about, as he had two children already which he seemed to care about) I thought I knew the real truth behind Ellie’s relationship, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was actually delighted and shocked when I discovered the truth . There was a lot of twists and turns along the way which I didn’t see coming, and a lot of characters who I had completely been wrong about. I liked how Manning had us guessing about a lot of things until the very last page.
Overall It felt Like a Kiss was a different sort of read than what I was expecting but enjoyable nevertheless. Ellie was a fierce and fiery MC who was a lot of fun to be around, Manning also threw in a great selection of secondary characters each of who bought weird and wacky ideas to the story, but also a lot of positive energy that Ellie really needed. I was especially happy to be reunited with one of my favourite characters, ladies won’t be disappointed! Despite It Felt Like a Kiss not being one of Manning’s stronger reads for me, I will be looking forward to more of Manning’s adult novels with eager anticipation.
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
That aside there was a lot that It felt Like a Kiss had to offer, the main story was based around Ellie being outed by an ex-boyfriend about being a legendary singer’s daughter. Ellie finds herself and her life at the centre of attention when she doesn’t want to be. What made this story for me was the fact that we don’t really know what went down between Ellie’s mum and dad in the first place, why they separated, why Ellie’s famous dad didn’t want anything to do with her, why her and her mum were left to slog it out barely getting by whereas Billy her dad raked in the money. Manning very cleverly gave us alternative chapters, from Ellie’s mum in the past and when she first met Billy and then the present day with Ellie. With the way the story was given to us and the way Ellie felt about her dad (not cared about, as he had two children already which he seemed to care about) I thought I knew the real truth behind Ellie’s relationship, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was actually delighted and shocked when I discovered the truth . There was a lot of twists and turns along the way which I didn’t see coming, and a lot of characters who I had completely been wrong about. I liked how Manning had us guessing about a lot of things until the very last page.
Overall It felt Like a Kiss was a different sort of read than what I was expecting but enjoyable nevertheless. Ellie was a fierce and fiery MC who was a lot of fun to be around, Manning also threw in a great selection of secondary characters each of who bought weird and wacky ideas to the story, but also a lot of positive energy that Ellie really needed. I was especially happy to be reunited with one of my favourite characters, ladies won’t be disappointed! Despite It Felt Like a Kiss not being one of Manning’s stronger reads for me, I will be looking forward to more of Manning’s adult novels with eager anticipation.
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
February 24, 2014
This actually looked like a great read. I mean, i loved the description and the book cover is very impressive; I was very excited when i started the book but i got really bored really fast. I got impatient waiting for things to start happen
ing and i flipped through alot of pages hoping to catch the start of reall stuff but it just wasn't working for me, i tried, i REALLY tried but i was just too bored to read it all the way through.
ing and i flipped through alot of pages hoping to catch the start of reall stuff but it just wasn't working for me, i tried, i REALLY tried but i was just too bored to read it all the way through.
March 27, 2016
4.5 stars!
I can't believe I waited this long to read this book! Review to come!
I can't believe I waited this long to read this book! Review to come!
January 12, 2018
After listening to You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning and loving it recently, I knew I had to read (or listen to) more of her books. This one totally sounded like my kind of story but I listened to the sample after hearing some negative reviews on it and yeah, unfortunately I found the narrator almost impossible to listen to. Her voice was just….not good. So I bought this on iBooks instead to give it a go that way.
Ellie is in her mid-20s and works for an art acquisitions expert. She’s always known growing up who her father was, although there’s never been any contact and neither has it been leaked to the press – until a vindictive ex-boyfriend does a tell-all for a tabloid and Ellie’s life is turned upside down. She’s besieged by packs of paparazzi who stalk her on the street, congregate outside her place of work and her flat, shouting things at her including lewd offers of money for nudes or partially nude photo shoots. It affects every facet of Ellie’s life – her boss wants to sack her for the disruption, everyone who ever knew her is coming out of the woodwork to give lurid quotes that aren’t even true, the public is judging her and worse, her father’s lawyer is gorgeous but thinks she did this for fame and fortune.
Poor Ellie. This book gives a very frank look at just how intrusive paparazzi can be when they’re after a big story. They harass Ellie constantly, following her, trying to get horrid shots of her all the while making her offers to take her clothes off. They’re so insistent, refusing to take her ‘no comment’ for an answer, telling her that she’ll end up doing what they want sooner or later so she may as well just give in now. There’s something a bit gross about a bunch of middle aged men following a woman around – to her work, to her home and then staying there. Ellie just wants it all to go away…..especially seeing as the only person she wants to hear from about this entire mess is pretty much the one person who has been silent.
Ellie and David were perfect in this book. Ellie is pretty shaken but she also wants to live her life – she doesn’t want to hide but she doesn’t want to be harassed either so she has to keep a low profile until it can blow over. David is uptight, ambitious and at first, forms some first impressions of Ellie that aren’t particularly flattering. When they’re forced into close proximity both are forced to reassess their early views of the other and there’s amazing sexual chemistry as well. I really love when two main characters have to spend time together either living together or on the run or whatever for some reason or other and they are forced to get to know each other on a much deeper level. It brings an entirely different level of intimacy because there are things that are learned and shared perhaps even without realising it. And the tension is great between David and Ellie – there’s something really big that stands in the way of them and it makes for some incredible angst.
There’s just something about Sarra Manning books that make me so happy. It’s like she’s tapped into precisely what I love to read about in terms of interactions between two main characters and writes books to my specifications. I love how all the books inhabit the same world – for example, Ellie’s boss is a main character from a previous novel, a lot of the characters are employed at the same magazine, or the magazine is referenced regularly, characters in different books share the same personal trainer, or visit the same bar etc. There’s not a huge amount of interaction but just enough for you to pick up little things or catch a glimpse into the lives of people previously featured. I love that because I always have a bit of a desire for ‘more’ after I finish a book. I want to see a couple in a few years time living their lives. And now because I know this, I will forensically examine every page of Sarra Manning’s novels in order to analyse every random character in case they pop up elsewhere! I still have quite a few books to read but at the moment it feels not enough! I’ve already read another one between finishing this book and writing this review!
I think what I really like is that the characters are all very flawed. Sometimes in romance novels, the flaws are very minor (more quirks than flaws) or non-existent but all of the characters here do and say very stupid, thoughtless, hurtful things, they make mistakes, they have character flaws that feel real and believable and normal. They are self-obsessed, have eating disorders, emotional intimacy issues, control issues, commitment issues, family issues, former addictions and probably other things that I have forgotten. But mostly I think what I love, is the resolution of the conflict. That always makes my heart happy.
Ellie is in her mid-20s and works for an art acquisitions expert. She’s always known growing up who her father was, although there’s never been any contact and neither has it been leaked to the press – until a vindictive ex-boyfriend does a tell-all for a tabloid and Ellie’s life is turned upside down. She’s besieged by packs of paparazzi who stalk her on the street, congregate outside her place of work and her flat, shouting things at her including lewd offers of money for nudes or partially nude photo shoots. It affects every facet of Ellie’s life – her boss wants to sack her for the disruption, everyone who ever knew her is coming out of the woodwork to give lurid quotes that aren’t even true, the public is judging her and worse, her father’s lawyer is gorgeous but thinks she did this for fame and fortune.
Poor Ellie. This book gives a very frank look at just how intrusive paparazzi can be when they’re after a big story. They harass Ellie constantly, following her, trying to get horrid shots of her all the while making her offers to take her clothes off. They’re so insistent, refusing to take her ‘no comment’ for an answer, telling her that she’ll end up doing what they want sooner or later so she may as well just give in now. There’s something a bit gross about a bunch of middle aged men following a woman around – to her work, to her home and then staying there. Ellie just wants it all to go away…..especially seeing as the only person she wants to hear from about this entire mess is pretty much the one person who has been silent.
Ellie and David were perfect in this book. Ellie is pretty shaken but she also wants to live her life – she doesn’t want to hide but she doesn’t want to be harassed either so she has to keep a low profile until it can blow over. David is uptight, ambitious and at first, forms some first impressions of Ellie that aren’t particularly flattering. When they’re forced into close proximity both are forced to reassess their early views of the other and there’s amazing sexual chemistry as well. I really love when two main characters have to spend time together either living together or on the run or whatever for some reason or other and they are forced to get to know each other on a much deeper level. It brings an entirely different level of intimacy because there are things that are learned and shared perhaps even without realising it. And the tension is great between David and Ellie – there’s something really big that stands in the way of them and it makes for some incredible angst.
There’s just something about Sarra Manning books that make me so happy. It’s like she’s tapped into precisely what I love to read about in terms of interactions between two main characters and writes books to my specifications. I love how all the books inhabit the same world – for example, Ellie’s boss is a main character from a previous novel, a lot of the characters are employed at the same magazine, or the magazine is referenced regularly, characters in different books share the same personal trainer, or visit the same bar etc. There’s not a huge amount of interaction but just enough for you to pick up little things or catch a glimpse into the lives of people previously featured. I love that because I always have a bit of a desire for ‘more’ after I finish a book. I want to see a couple in a few years time living their lives. And now because I know this, I will forensically examine every page of Sarra Manning’s novels in order to analyse every random character in case they pop up elsewhere! I still have quite a few books to read but at the moment it feels not enough! I’ve already read another one between finishing this book and writing this review!
I think what I really like is that the characters are all very flawed. Sometimes in romance novels, the flaws are very minor (more quirks than flaws) or non-existent but all of the characters here do and say very stupid, thoughtless, hurtful things, they make mistakes, they have character flaws that feel real and believable and normal. They are self-obsessed, have eating disorders, emotional intimacy issues, control issues, commitment issues, family issues, former addictions and probably other things that I have forgotten. But mostly I think what I love, is the resolution of the conflict. That always makes my heart happy.
June 30, 2018
While I loved Unsticky, this one just didn’t measure up for me. It felt like the romance was secondary to the story and honestly I didn’t like David Gold at all. I thought he was an asshole and I didn’t buy into his love for Ellie. By 50% they barely had 3 conversations. There were tons of unlikable characters in this one. Except for Vaughn. I love love Vaughn.
August 20, 2018
First few chapters were fun! From the point her secret got out it started dragging and then it felt like a lengthy fight/makeup chick flick. I wished it could have ended way before it actually did. A few too many unnessery bits that didn't really lead anywhere and wasn't all that fun to read, like the trip to Paris and a real cringy part where she gets stuck in a dress. Still, she is good with words and I keep reading so hopefully the next one will be more on point or shorter.
January 18, 2014
Sometimes what you need to read is some good old-fashioned romance, and few people do it better than Sarra Manning.
From Diary of a Crush through Guitar Girl and now her new novel It Felt Like a Kiss, I've never read anything by Manning I didn't love.
Ellie Cohen seems to have it all - a great job at an art gallery (even though her boss can be demanding), great friends (even if they don't always get on they love her), an amazing mum (who can be a bit too hip), and a boyfriend. He's not so great. And neither is her dad, rock star Billy Kay, who doesn't acknowledge her existence.
When her boyfriend who turns into an ex tells the papers Ellie is Billy Kay's daughter, her life turns upside down. Suddenly, the nation thinks she's everything she's not, and the hot guy she bumped into at a festival turns out to work for her dad.
It Felt Like a Kiss is a great, fun, funny, and sometimes sad novel. The narrative flits between Ellie in the present day, and her mum's romance with Billy Kay. The latter is filled with tension, since as readers we know from the beginning that the relationship is doomed, so every step Manning moves closer to that conclusion had me filled with the kind of dread you only experience when you know it's going to end badly.
Meanwhile Ellie's story almost fulfils the opposite trajectory - she too, is falling in love, like her mum did, but I had much more hope for her that it would end well, even if it seemed to be falling apart most of the time.
Ellie is a great character. She might be the daughter of a rock star, but I found it easy to relate to her, with her stresses over her job, her experiences of London and her fun friends. Importantly, Ellie wasn't perfect, even when she tried to be. She acts irrationally at times, loses her temper, and jumps to conclusions without knowing the full story, things we all do.
Her mum, Ari, is super cool, but has her faults too. I found myself wishing for one kind of ending for her, which didn't happen. What did happen was better though, and I wanted to whoop and cheer for her during her big scene at the end.
And then there's David. Lovely, lovely David, who is exactly the kind of romantic lead you want in a book. He's a bit Mr Darcy, a bit Mr Bingley, a bit Mr Wickham (only the best bits of the latter). And he's also a bit of a mess. Guys like David don't exist in real life, but that doesn't matter in the pages of a book.
I won't tell you how it ends, but I will say that the final scene reminds me of the ending of one of the greatest rom coms ever made. That ending isn't the only film-like bit of It Felt Like a Kiss - in fact, I'd love to see this book realised on screen.
If you're looking for great characters, a fun story and a teensy bit of angst, It Felt Like a Kiss is for you (and me).
•This review is from my blog Girl!Reporter, where you can find more reviews.
From Diary of a Crush through Guitar Girl and now her new novel It Felt Like a Kiss, I've never read anything by Manning I didn't love.
Ellie Cohen seems to have it all - a great job at an art gallery (even though her boss can be demanding), great friends (even if they don't always get on they love her), an amazing mum (who can be a bit too hip), and a boyfriend. He's not so great. And neither is her dad, rock star Billy Kay, who doesn't acknowledge her existence.
When her boyfriend who turns into an ex tells the papers Ellie is Billy Kay's daughter, her life turns upside down. Suddenly, the nation thinks she's everything she's not, and the hot guy she bumped into at a festival turns out to work for her dad.
It Felt Like a Kiss is a great, fun, funny, and sometimes sad novel. The narrative flits between Ellie in the present day, and her mum's romance with Billy Kay. The latter is filled with tension, since as readers we know from the beginning that the relationship is doomed, so every step Manning moves closer to that conclusion had me filled with the kind of dread you only experience when you know it's going to end badly.
Meanwhile Ellie's story almost fulfils the opposite trajectory - she too, is falling in love, like her mum did, but I had much more hope for her that it would end well, even if it seemed to be falling apart most of the time.
Ellie is a great character. She might be the daughter of a rock star, but I found it easy to relate to her, with her stresses over her job, her experiences of London and her fun friends. Importantly, Ellie wasn't perfect, even when she tried to be. She acts irrationally at times, loses her temper, and jumps to conclusions without knowing the full story, things we all do.
Her mum, Ari, is super cool, but has her faults too. I found myself wishing for one kind of ending for her, which didn't happen. What did happen was better though, and I wanted to whoop and cheer for her during her big scene at the end.
And then there's David. Lovely, lovely David, who is exactly the kind of romantic lead you want in a book. He's a bit Mr Darcy, a bit Mr Bingley, a bit Mr Wickham (only the best bits of the latter). And he's also a bit of a mess. Guys like David don't exist in real life, but that doesn't matter in the pages of a book.
I won't tell you how it ends, but I will say that the final scene reminds me of the ending of one of the greatest rom coms ever made. That ending isn't the only film-like bit of It Felt Like a Kiss - in fact, I'd love to see this book realised on screen.
If you're looking for great characters, a fun story and a teensy bit of angst, It Felt Like a Kiss is for you (and me).
•This review is from my blog Girl!Reporter, where you can find more reviews.
June 30, 2014
Ellie Cohen is the daughter of rock star Billy Kay, who has never acknowledged her. But if you ask Ellie, she's more than just Billy Kay's daughter. She's a loving (and loved) granddaughter, daughter and friend, and she's lived a perfectly good life without Billy Kay's money or attention. Unfortunately, Ellie dates horrible boys and this last one, Richey, is so awful, he sells Ellie's secret to the press and the quiet anonymous life Ellie lived is suddenly over.
I had a few issues with It Felt Like a Kiss. For one thing, it's too long. It takes 100 pages for Ellie to break up with her boyfriend and figure out he stole her "Dad Box". Richey's a cad, that's all we need to know. A well-written page, or paragraph, would have been sufficient for us to get the picture, especially since we already know it's going to happen because it's described on the book's back cover. It would be one thing if Richey added something to the story, but he was dull and totally useless for far too long.
I should add that the first 100 pages aren't just about Richey and Ellie. We meet Ellie's mother, Ari, and Ari's friends. And there are Ari chapters sprinkled in from the days when she met Billy Kay. But it all feels too drawn out, too slow.
My other issue is Ellie. With each novel Sarra Manning writes for adults, her heroines become increasingly more frustrating. They seem weak and insecure; it takes five pages for them to come to a decision about simple things. The boys they fall for aren't so terrific, which would be okay if the girls weren't so insecure about them. For example, Ellie is attracted to her father's lawyer, David Gold, but early on I couldn't understand why she'd continue to be attracted to a man who doubted her, chastised her and basically ignored her pleas to stop Billy Kay's spoiled daughters from destroying her in the papers. We learn a lot about David later, which redeems him somewhat, but Ellie doesn't learn it, so her continued attraction to him made her a silly character for me. A woman can be attracted to a man she thinks isn't very nice, but to maintain that attraction when she truly believes he doesn't have her best interest in mind, does not make for compelling reading.
I think the idea for It Felt Like a Kiss is a good one, and I expected it to be a lot of fun. But Ellie was a difficult heroine to care about. When Billy Kay finally makes an appearance, he's kind of fascinating. His relationship with Ari is fascinating. But there's no exploration there, which makes it all seem kind fo superficial in the end.
I had a few issues with It Felt Like a Kiss. For one thing, it's too long. It takes 100 pages for Ellie to break up with her boyfriend and figure out he stole her "Dad Box". Richey's a cad, that's all we need to know. A well-written page, or paragraph, would have been sufficient for us to get the picture, especially since we already know it's going to happen because it's described on the book's back cover. It would be one thing if Richey added something to the story, but he was dull and totally useless for far too long.
I should add that the first 100 pages aren't just about Richey and Ellie. We meet Ellie's mother, Ari, and Ari's friends. And there are Ari chapters sprinkled in from the days when she met Billy Kay. But it all feels too drawn out, too slow.
My other issue is Ellie. With each novel Sarra Manning writes for adults, her heroines become increasingly more frustrating. They seem weak and insecure; it takes five pages for them to come to a decision about simple things. The boys they fall for aren't so terrific, which would be okay if the girls weren't so insecure about them. For example, Ellie is attracted to her father's lawyer, David Gold, but early on I couldn't understand why she'd continue to be attracted to a man who doubted her, chastised her and basically ignored her pleas to stop Billy Kay's spoiled daughters from destroying her in the papers. We learn a lot about David later, which redeems him somewhat, but Ellie doesn't learn it, so her continued attraction to him made her a silly character for me. A woman can be attracted to a man she thinks isn't very nice, but to maintain that attraction when she truly believes he doesn't have her best interest in mind, does not make for compelling reading.
I think the idea for It Felt Like a Kiss is a good one, and I expected it to be a lot of fun. But Ellie was a difficult heroine to care about. When Billy Kay finally makes an appearance, he's kind of fascinating. His relationship with Ari is fascinating. But there's no exploration there, which makes it all seem kind fo superficial in the end.
Read
July 30, 2014Much of this book I loved, some parts I was less fond of. I love Ellie, she was a well drawn character with lots to be angry about but she got on with her life and didn't deserve the crap that came her way. I love seeing Vaughn again from Unsticky - and a bit of Grace. David Gold was an interesting character but here comes part of my issue. Not enough between the pair of them. Too much about the issue between Ari and the bastard of a partner/father. It was built up to be some major issue that was obviously going to be revealed at the end but it felt like a damp squib to me.
I liked the whole media angle and the way things were twisted. Yes, that happens and people get caught in the flak. But I still return to the issue of Ellie and David. This is a romance - it has a romance title but it was far more about Ellie and finding herself than it was about the relationship between her and David. That was obviously the author's intention so it seems mean of me to criticise it for that but Unsticky was so fantastic in the way Grace and Vaughan came to terms with one another that I wanted some of that in this book. There wasn't enough of it for me. I haven't given it a rating because I'd be tempted to give it one lower than I want to. I love Sarra Manning's writing and I enjoyed this book but I wish I'd enjoyed it more.
I liked the whole media angle and the way things were twisted. Yes, that happens and people get caught in the flak. But I still return to the issue of Ellie and David. This is a romance - it has a romance title but it was far more about Ellie and finding herself than it was about the relationship between her and David. That was obviously the author's intention so it seems mean of me to criticise it for that but Unsticky was so fantastic in the way Grace and Vaughan came to terms with one another that I wanted some of that in this book. There wasn't enough of it for me. I haven't given it a rating because I'd be tempted to give it one lower than I want to. I love Sarra Manning's writing and I enjoyed this book but I wish I'd enjoyed it more.
February 14, 2014
It was good, in some parts really good, and I enjoyed all 500+ pages but it was missing something that I was hoping for, that wonderful building development of feelings between the two "main" characters.
Liked: The supporting characters, specifically Ari, Chester, and Sadie. The Ari chapters where we get short bursts of insight into what brings about all of the craziness of the present day.
Disliked: The best thing about Unsticky, parts of which I have read at least 10 times in the nine months or so since I've read it, was the long build and get to know you between Grace and Vaughn. The flaws and fights and insecurities. The building feelings that in the end neither would actually label. The meat of the story in It Felt Like a Kiss takes place during a mere two week period. The attraction was instant, which I don't mind if it is supported, but the time period is too short, the time spent together too small to warrant the kind of feelings, the life-changing feelings the two main characters supposedly have for each other. I think it is there but I wish it had been written differently, played out differently.
Liked: The supporting characters, specifically Ari, Chester, and Sadie. The Ari chapters where we get short bursts of insight into what brings about all of the craziness of the present day.
Disliked: The best thing about Unsticky, parts of which I have read at least 10 times in the nine months or so since I've read it, was the long build and get to know you between Grace and Vaughn. The flaws and fights and insecurities. The building feelings that in the end neither would actually label. The meat of the story in It Felt Like a Kiss takes place during a mere two week period. The attraction was instant, which I don't mind if it is supported, but the time period is too short, the time spent together too small to warrant the kind of feelings, the life-changing feelings the two main characters supposedly have for each other. I think it is there but I wish it had been written differently, played out differently.
January 3, 2013
The brilliant Sarra Manning is back! Heartily recommend this!
September 21, 2016
4.5 stars.
February 13, 2022
Ellie Cohen has a loving, if unorthodox (not in the religious sense), Jewish family and a good group of friends and she loves her job working for a Mayfair art gallery. Unfortunately, she also has a reputation for lame duck boyfriends, when her latest boyfriend turns out to have a scary Class A drug habit she dumps him at Glastonbury.
However, Ellie has a secret, she is the secret daughter of a world-famous rock-star, not that she's ever seen or spoken to him. Her ex-boyfriend sells her story to the gossip rags and embellishes it to make Ellie look like a sex-mad, crazed stalker who sold her own story for money. Then her half-sisters weigh in with stories of how Ellie is a gold-digger and the tabloid press drag up every picture of Ellie in a bikini or at a party from her Facebook page to portray her as a party girl.
Now her father's lawyer and publicist are doing damage control, but are either of them acting in Ellie's best interests? Also, Ellie has never heard the whole story about how her parents got together and why they split up - did her mother cut him out of their lives or didn't he want anything to do with them? It doesn't help that her father's lawyer, David Gold is extremely handsome and charming, but not to be trusted.
Told from Ellie's POV in the present and her mother Ari's POV when she first met Ellie's father, this is a feel-good romance where the heroine triumphs. Loved it.
However, Ellie has a secret, she is the secret daughter of a world-famous rock-star, not that she's ever seen or spoken to him. Her ex-boyfriend sells her story to the gossip rags and embellishes it to make Ellie look like a sex-mad, crazed stalker who sold her own story for money. Then her half-sisters weigh in with stories of how Ellie is a gold-digger and the tabloid press drag up every picture of Ellie in a bikini or at a party from her Facebook page to portray her as a party girl.
Now her father's lawyer and publicist are doing damage control, but are either of them acting in Ellie's best interests? Also, Ellie has never heard the whole story about how her parents got together and why they split up - did her mother cut him out of their lives or didn't he want anything to do with them? It doesn't help that her father's lawyer, David Gold is extremely handsome and charming, but not to be trusted.
Told from Ellie's POV in the present and her mother Ari's POV when she first met Ellie's father, this is a feel-good romance where the heroine triumphs. Loved it.
June 27, 2021
Easy read from start to finish with a likeable lead female and interesting love interest.
March 3, 2014
I really enjoyed Sarra Manning’s Adorkable so I was really looking forward to getting stuck into her ‘grown up’ book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading It Felt Like A Kiss, I thought it was well written, funny and incredibly easy to read.
The story is about Ellie Cohen. A very good girl, apart from occasionally drinking too much and attracting some awful boyfriends. The guys she picks are people who need her help to overcome their problems, then once they’ve overcome their problems they finish with her for someone better. Ellie hides a secret though. She is the secret lovechild of a famous UK rockstar. She hasn’t met him before, and has nothing to do with him. However, Ellie’s life is turned upside down after a scorned ex boyfriend steals proof of Ellie’s dad identity and sells it to the tabloids.
What I really love about Sarra Manning’s characters, are they are so real. You can easily relate to them. I think most people know an Ellie or are Ellie. The good girl who is called uptight, simply because they don’t let go as much as others. It’s easy to see how Ellie, being the ‘good girl’ she is, felt completely overwhelmed about being thrust into the limelight. I definitely couldn’t cope with that lifestyle. Sarra Manning portrays Ellie’s struggles with being in the public eye incredibly well. I thought Ellie and David’s (her love interest) relationship was believable, but I didn’t find David all that likeable.
I wasn’t overly fussed with the story jumping from Ellie to her mother Ari’s life. It was interesting enough, but I wouldn’t have missed it if it wasn’t there. I think that’s because I just really enjoyed Ellie’s point of view. I loved following her story and seeing how she coped with such turmoil.
I would definitely recommend this book to chick-lit fans. It’s engaging and incredibly readable. Worth taking a look at.
The story is about Ellie Cohen. A very good girl, apart from occasionally drinking too much and attracting some awful boyfriends. The guys she picks are people who need her help to overcome their problems, then once they’ve overcome their problems they finish with her for someone better. Ellie hides a secret though. She is the secret lovechild of a famous UK rockstar. She hasn’t met him before, and has nothing to do with him. However, Ellie’s life is turned upside down after a scorned ex boyfriend steals proof of Ellie’s dad identity and sells it to the tabloids.
What I really love about Sarra Manning’s characters, are they are so real. You can easily relate to them. I think most people know an Ellie or are Ellie. The good girl who is called uptight, simply because they don’t let go as much as others. It’s easy to see how Ellie, being the ‘good girl’ she is, felt completely overwhelmed about being thrust into the limelight. I definitely couldn’t cope with that lifestyle. Sarra Manning portrays Ellie’s struggles with being in the public eye incredibly well. I thought Ellie and David’s (her love interest) relationship was believable, but I didn’t find David all that likeable.
I wasn’t overly fussed with the story jumping from Ellie to her mother Ari’s life. It was interesting enough, but I wouldn’t have missed it if it wasn’t there. I think that’s because I just really enjoyed Ellie’s point of view. I loved following her story and seeing how she coped with such turmoil.
I would definitely recommend this book to chick-lit fans. It’s engaging and incredibly readable. Worth taking a look at.
January 15, 2016
I actually hate this book. No, I mean I
HATE
it. It's weird, I've always been a fan of Sarra Manning... but this book is just TERRIBLE. There's not a single character here that I didn't hate and the romance was just all smoke and vapors. I hated Ellie who could never seem to just stand up for herself and not have others push her around, and David? Don't even get me started, what a piece of shit.
In fact, this whole book was a piece of shit. I even had to make a new shelf for this book... and that's literally how much I dislike it.
I'm not really sure why this book has inspired so much hate in me, but perhaps it was because I just HATED all the characters. I want my time back for reading this. And money. I loved You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, Unsticky and Adorkable, but this is just filled with utterly weak/pathetic characters and a slimy as hell love interest. Bleghhhh.
In fact, this whole book was a piece of shit. I even had to make a new shelf for this book... and that's literally how much I dislike it.
I'm not really sure why this book has inspired so much hate in me, but perhaps it was because I just HATED all the characters. I want my time back for reading this. And money. I loved You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, Unsticky and Adorkable, but this is just filled with utterly weak/pathetic characters and a slimy as hell love interest. Bleghhhh.
August 27, 2016
The biggest flaw that I have come across in the majority of Sarra Manning's books is that there just isn't enough of them. I absolutely loved this book and I love that Manning has created her own little world in which we can visit via her adult books.
I first started reading Sarra Manning's books when I was about 13/14 and I immediately related to the characters. The writing is of such a good standard and so underrated because I honestly don't think I have come across another author who captures the female teenage brain so well. Then she took the leap to adult books which was lucky for me because of course I had grown into an adult by this time... and there I was immediately relating again.
This latest book was no different and with every line I read I felt as though I was really feeling the story and involved which is something I find most authors can't actually create in this genre. I must admit the plot didn't have much depth to it, but the writing and loveability made up for that!
I first started reading Sarra Manning's books when I was about 13/14 and I immediately related to the characters. The writing is of such a good standard and so underrated because I honestly don't think I have come across another author who captures the female teenage brain so well. Then she took the leap to adult books which was lucky for me because of course I had grown into an adult by this time... and there I was immediately relating again.
This latest book was no different and with every line I read I felt as though I was really feeling the story and involved which is something I find most authors can't actually create in this genre. I must admit the plot didn't have much depth to it, but the writing and loveability made up for that!
February 2, 2014
Jedna z mála kníh, ktoré som prečítala za jeden a pol dňa a to hovorí za veľa.
Na začiatok dve vyjadrenia:
Pred touto knihou si určite prečítajte najprv Unsticky. Je to v podstate taký prequel asi ako Perkinsovej Anna and the French Kiss je prequelom k Lola and the boy next door. Čiže teoreticky to nie je nutné, ale ja hovorím, že je.
Po druhé je toto podľa mňa najlepšia Sarrina kniha zatiaľ. Aj keď je na jej štýl vlastne trochu atypická, lebo v každej jednej, ktorú som čítala bola hrdinka viac menej fucked-up. Síce aj tu bola, ale tak nejak menej. A bola asi najmenej otravná, v štýle "Najradšej by som ju prefackala, lebo sa správa jak dementná/otrávna/whatever". Ale zároveň tam bolo omnoho menej romantiky ako som čakala. No napriek tomu to bolo úžasné. Sarra je úžasná spisovateľka s originálnymi hrdinkami a to sa mi na nej páči. Nie každému sú po chuti, ale ja ich zbožňujem, každú jednu.
A na záver len výkrik - TÁ OBÁLKA!!!!! JE DOKONALÁ!!!!!!
Na začiatok dve vyjadrenia:
Pred touto knihou si určite prečítajte najprv Unsticky. Je to v podstate taký prequel asi ako Perkinsovej Anna and the French Kiss je prequelom k Lola and the boy next door. Čiže teoreticky to nie je nutné, ale ja hovorím, že je.
Po druhé je toto podľa mňa najlepšia Sarrina kniha zatiaľ. Aj keď je na jej štýl vlastne trochu atypická, lebo v každej jednej, ktorú som čítala bola hrdinka viac menej fucked-up. Síce aj tu bola, ale tak nejak menej. A bola asi najmenej otravná, v štýle "Najradšej by som ju prefackala, lebo sa správa jak dementná/otrávna/whatever". Ale zároveň tam bolo omnoho menej romantiky ako som čakala. No napriek tomu to bolo úžasné. Sarra je úžasná spisovateľka s originálnymi hrdinkami a to sa mi na nej páči. Nie každému sú po chuti, ale ja ich zbožňujem, každú jednu.
A na záver len výkrik - TÁ OBÁLKA!!!!! JE DOKONALÁ!!!!!!
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