Karma's Kiss

by R.S. Grey

Every small-town girl has known a Sawyer Garnett. He’s the dimpled dreamboat we used to fantasize about in algebra class, the hometown heartbreaker with no shortage of outraged exes. But unlike most golden boys, this one didn’t peak in high school. Oh no no. Like the fine wine at the vineyard he’s the literal heir to, Sawyer’s only gotten better with age.

Nobody is more annoyed that karma has yet to find Sawyer than my best friend, his old flame. Just hearing his name makes her curse the day he was born. “That man deserves to learn a lesson” turns into a vengeance vow that puts me on a collision course with Sawyer himself.

Go out on a date with him? Easy-peasy. Flirt and play along? No sweat. Let him slip his hands beneath my sundress amidst the lush grapevines? Well…maybe a little bit of sweat.

It’s not long before our simple plan for payback turns into Texas-sized trouble. Under the spell of Sawyer’s piercing brown eyes, my pretend passion threatens to ignite the flimsy facade I’ve built up against him. I’ll just have to stay focused. If I want justice for my friend and every other woman Sawyer has scorned, I have to keep reminding myself he’s run from karma’s kiss for far too long.

They say you reap what you sow…and Sawyer so deserves what is coming to him.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, Chick Lit, New Adult

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2024

About the author

R.S. Grey is the USA Today bestselling author of over twenty-five romantic comedies. She loves books, chocolate, reality TV, and cold weather. She lives in Texas with her husband, two daughters, and dog. Visit her at rsgrey.com.

Instagram: @AuthorRSGrey

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/RSGrey/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author...

Reviews

[asiya · Rating 2 out of 5]

when the recipe calls for 3/4 teaspoon of revenge, 1 tablespoon of brother’s best friend, 2 cups of small town romance … and don’t forget the dry ingredients (10 cups of insta love)! 😕

why does she keep doing me like this with her recent books like auntie i was rooting for you ??? she needs to stick to small town hate to love ships with stubborn girls that ACTUALLY can’t stand a guy for 75% of the book and give me messy angst. THE RECIPE DID NOT NEED TO BE CHANGED MISS GREY.

i WISHHHHH this book was more john tucker must die (2006) vibes and she actually played him for a majority of the book (like she had motive with her ex i get it) THEN he finds out as the third act breakup / angst.

everything happened too damn fast like wydm “man of my dreams” blink. blink. GIRLYPOP YOU JUST MET HIM LAST WEEK ? their fight was so ridiculous too like why are you mad at him for not apologizing when you lied to him AND you kept kissing him back 😭 i love cold shoulders so i was on his team idc!

anyways yall stream hart of dixie (2011) for sexy country boys! i’ll give it a 2.5 for them at the start.

SPOILER AHEAD YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

im a pregnancy trope apologist bc i love angst. but i hate when accidental pregnancy trope is used for shock value to just get a couple back together (esp when they NEED way more time to develop as a couple before becoming a family) like no thnx. it didn’t even seem like she was ready for a baby at all … it just seemed like her future plans sucked rn so a baby was the best solution when she realized they fcked without protection … like plan b exists but alright ig ?

[Supriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read some really fantastic RS Grey books, and this was only okay. She usually builds really dynamic and deep characters while in this one Madison and Sawyer were just blah unfortunately. I didn’t enjoy the story either, which seems a bit half baked and rushed. I still did finish it in one sitting, it was still fun enough to want to find out what happens next, and the small town community and people banding together part was really lovely.
3 stars 🌟

[Ilhaam · Rating 1 out of 5]

actually tragically written

[Jess ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

RS Grey is just too funny 😂 I always laugh with her books. This one was just what I needed this weekend 😌💗

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m still gathering my thoughts, but it needs to be said that this is an accidental/surprise pregnancy book because it’s not in any of the promo or blurbs.
***
Okay. Pub day has come and gone, so I’m ready to post my thoughts.
I’ve been a huge RS grey fan since the beginning. Scoring Wilder still ranks high on one of my all time fave sports romances.
Unfortunately, this was not the RS grey I have come to love.
Sure, you get some moments of the romcom she’s so good at, but overall this was a tough one to sit through.
I also am kinda bummed it wasn’t advertised as an accidental/surprise pregnancy book because that’s definitely something that a reader should know ahead of time.
But that also is another reason why I think this author has veered off course of what she is known for. I feel like almost every book she’s released lately has required a marriage and baby to make it an HEA. Which is totally fine, but it’s A) incredibly predictable B) a bummer for those of us that don’t believe that’s a requirement for an HEA. I guess that point is on the reader and not a knock on the actual book? But it just feels like a slap in the face to those of us that can’t/wont have children to complete that picture perfect HEA.

A couple more ticks in the negative column:
This book was single POV and could have used the MMC POV to give a little more life to the story.
The FMC is not likable. She’s whiny and the “revenge” in this is silly. Her BFF needs to get a grip. And the FMC should not have gone along with it.


If you want a very surface level quick romance read that has a whole family HEA… this should do it for you.

Arc review

[Macy McBeth (TWBC) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always look forward to an R.S. Grey book. Always. She's got a way of writing dynamic characters in short space and creating great character dynamics.

I really liked the characters in this one. Sawyer and Madison have some great chemistry and dialogue. I loved the small town and the little community. There are some really great side characters that add that little zest to the story.

What didn't work was the plot. I was a little skeptical on the whole premise of revenge dating, but that was actually executed well. But then the plot just took a weird turn and it didn't work. The pacing was thrown off. It almost felt like this was an early draft and needed another round of edits to smooth out the plot and make it more developed.

I think she could've explored the whole "I was so in love with you in high school angle" way better. I wish that had more of a stake in this book. The pregnancy thing also felt way too rushed. And not that logical? I don't know...

Granted, I still read this in a day and had to know what happened next, but it's not my fave of hers.

Tropes: brother's best friend, friends to enemies to lovers, small town romance, and single POV.

[Julia Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️.5 stars

RS Grey is a rom com guru! Karma’s Kiss is a small town, brother’s best friend romantic comedy. While I have really enjoyed Grey’s past books, this wasn’t my favorite. The characters were super immature and petty. I kept thinking they would get better, but unfortunately they didn’t seem to mature at all.

It was a cute story, but the stupid games and immature lack of communication wasn’t for me.

[Medollga · Rating 3 out of 5]

If John Tucker Must Die had a more bland and weird relative, this would be this book. Still cute though😅🤷🏼‍♀️😂

The premise was interesting, but quickly lost its steam. Also, I was astonished how fast they wanted and were READY to have a baby together🆘🙈

[Tahsin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 pity stars

took me forever to get into, despite being a super short story, and the plot was virtually nonexistent. i’ll read pretty much anything she writes without even reading the synopsis, but this was missing the typical rs grey magic, i very much did not like

[Stephanie]

DNF @ 19%. There was some decent banter, but I just couldn’t get into this. I read some reviews and found out one of my least favorite tropes arises further in, so I think I’m just going to call it. I might have gotten too old for books by this author.

[Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that I've been really sleeping on this author and I have the strongest urge to binge read every single book that she's ever written to quench my thirst. I'm obsessed with her writing, her sneaky banter and the way she makes her characters feel so real is the reason why she's now on my radar.

After going through a bad breakup, Madison decides to come back to her hometown to regroup and help her mom with her business in the meantime. The problem with small towns? Everyone knows your business before your flight leaves the ground and you can forget about privacy from here on out. What she doesn't expect is to run into her high school crush the same night she arrives and have that interaction become a domino effect of lust, payback and getting something much more bigger than she's ever anticipated.



I really enjoyed this one and even though I was not a fan of the characters miscommunications quarrels, I still liked it. Madison and Sawyer were a perfect fit for each other and I loved their banter. The side characters were just as important and I really liked that because it made us visualize everything with them. Add that in with some fast building tension and humor to match, and this was the perfect setup.

If you're looking for light rom com read with lovable characters, this one's for you.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 ✨

Unfortunately, RS's books don't hit me like before. . . but this was still an overall fun read.

▬ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: brother's friend, small town, sports (baseball)
▬ 𝐭𝐰: cheating

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off well but then it took a turn? I really don’t like unplanned pregnancy plots

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5- there was just no rhyme or reason to this. The heroine’s head was an annoying place to be. He was pretty boring with some cute parts but pretty much blah. The ending took a weird turn and was very rushed. I wish they had done high school flashbacks to give it more meat.

[♡ Gibby ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴! 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘺.
𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴!”

Let me start my review by telling you that if you're a fan of rom-coms with a touch of revenge and sizzling chemistry, Karma's Kiss by R.S. Grey is definitely a book you won’t want to miss! It gave me John Tucker Must Die vibes from the start, with its perfect blend of sweet moments, a little bit of scheming, and a lot of heart. This book is a delightful mix of the "brother’s best friend" trope and the "date him for revenge" setup—both of which are executed brilliantly. The pacing is perfect, and I found myself flying through the pages, eager to see how Madison's revenge plan would unfold (and, of course, how she’d fall for Sawyer in the process). There was just one thing that bothered me. The premise of the book revolves around a revenge plan, but unfortunately, the reasoning behind it felt flimsy and underdeveloped. Sawyer is the epitome of a “green flag.” He’s kind, considerate, and thoughtful, making it hard to understand why the protagonist would feel the need to execute a revenge plan against him in the first place (especially since she didn't check all the facts). What’s more frustrating is that the revenge plot could have been so much more compelling if it had a legit reason and was allowed to play out across the entire story.

“𝘚𝘢𝘸𝘺𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩. 𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦; 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸.”

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:
• Madison and Sawyer's chemistry is undeniable. From the first moment they interact, it's clear that there's something electric between them. Sawyer, as the charming, best friend of Madison's brother, ticks all the right boxes for a swoon-worthy love interest. And Madison is the perfect balance of feisty and relatable, making it easy to root for her throughout the story.
• The small-town vibes add an extra layer of charm to the story, giving it a cozy, almost nostalgic feeling. The picturesque setting feels like a character in itself, with its close-knit community and all the sweet quirks that come with it.
• I can't forget to mention the cover—how cute is that pink design? It perfectly captures the fun and light-hearted nature of the book.
• R.S. Grey knows how to write a cute romance book, especially her latest books are so well written that they remind me of a cute rom-com.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:
• There’s only one aspect of the story that left me feeling a little unsatisfied – the revenge plot.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did this have to end ?!? *cries*
Rachel delivered my new favorite small town country romance to date.
Page after page book after book
I stand by what I say in every review that Rachel does not know how to write a bad romance. Each one is just perfection. The stories are well plotted, perfectly paced entertaining and funny with unbelievably well written characters. “Karma’s Kiss” will have you smiling and laughing from start to finish with the occasional few shed tears. Sawyer and Madison leave me speechless. I didn’t think it was possible to be this obsessed over two characters. Their chemistry. The tension, The flirting, the jokes, the love… My cheeks never hurt this much from smiling. I’m crazy over them. it’s devastating when you love two characters so much, and the story ends and all you wish for is more. One more line, one more page one more chapter...
As I say in all my RS GREY reviews, my only complaint is that these books are never long enough. I love getting lost in Rachel stories. I love falling in love with her characters. I love the feelings that I get when reading… Rachel reminds me every time I pick up a book why I love reading and why I will choose it over TV anytime. Thank you, Rachel for allowing me to receive an arc and writing yet another extremely fantastic well written book. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

[Ashlie Woodburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5


Karma’s Kiss starts as the perfect setup for those of us that grew up as lovers of John Tucker Must Die, but the storyline quickly sets itself apart. I loved that it didn’t follow the typical story arch of most romance novels, so it kept me guessing as to what would happen next. It was obvious right away that that these two were gonners for each other (the attraction and banter is so good!) but it takes them a little time and drama to get there.

Overall enjoyable and cute – a couple of nitpicky things on my end and immaturity from the main character lost one star, but I still really liked it!

Karma’s Kiss is perfect for lovers of:
💕Small Town
💕Brother’s Best Friend
💕He Falls First
💕Revenge dating 
One trope that I was aware of going in felt like a spoiler because I knew it was coming and kept waiting for it to happen (which wasn’t until nearly the end of the book). I wish I had gone in a little more blind, so I won’t list that one here.

Recommend for a light romance read with plenty of drama (the good, small town rumor juicy kind that you know will all work out in the end). Available now!

Thanks to the author for an ARC copy - opinions are my own.

#

[Kathleen Reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable small town rom-com!

I am a HUGE RS Grey fan, and I was delighted to read Karma’s Kiss. The main character, Madison, is so likeable and relatable, and goes through a lot of personal growth. The MMC, Sawyer, is an ooey gooey cinnamon roll who you want to dislike at first but he’s so wonderful that you can’t. The rest of the cast of characters are so delightful and funny that I was smiling the whole time.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was kind of silly. I didn't care for Madison and dating someone for revenge is not my favorite trope. Also the stereotypical southern characters were too over the top at times. Just an ok read for me.

[amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was going well until one of my least fav tropes rocked up xx

[Melissa Stuckey · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay

Usually I love RS Grey and this book has a lot of potential. But you can tell about halfway through that she was rushing to meet a publishing deadline because it’s so rushed at the end your head spins. Could use some more depth and character development.

[Ceej · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay. This book was ridiculous. Like the way Madison handled EVERYTHING was so incredibly wrong. EACH FREAKING TIME. She was so damn whiney too. Omg she infuriated me so much. Sawyer should’ve ran while he had the chance. Omg I can’t get over how much I hated this book lol. Also, accidental pregnancy anyone?? Hello?? No. Get out of here.

[Lyna • lynasbookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something so addicting about R.S. Grey's writing. She was one of the first authors that I became obsessed. Madison finds herself back in her small hometown after a series of unfortunate events. When her brother's best friend shows his interest in her, Madison takes the opportunity to give Sawyer a taste of his own medicine as revenge for her best friend. This book was flirty and fun, filled with steamy moments and the charm of a small town. I was cheering on Madison the entire time, but also charmed by Sawyer's dates. Thank you to Grey's Promotions and R.S. Grey for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sage · Rating 2 out of 5]

and I am reminded that even when spiritually needed and giving them sooooo soon much grace these books are still semi regularly just atrocious

[Gentry Thomson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insta-lust with pregnancy/a kid is my least favorite and that’s the only thing this was. Literally nothing else.

[Lindsey Domokur]

Stopped at 10%. I just wasn't feeling it right now.

[Jemmsbookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick cute read with HEA and no curveballs in the story.
Madison and Sawyer’s relationship is small town grew up together vibes and has all the feels.
Well written and I would recommend!

[Belly (Books 4 Girls) READ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une jolie comédie romantique comme sait si bien les écrire Rachel !
J’ai vraiment aimé le plot de départ. On s’en éloigne un peu rapidement, j’ai trouvé ça dommage, mais je ne peux pas dire que je me suis ennuyée avec ces 2 là.
Comme d’habitude, les personnages secondaires sont une belle plus-value pour l’histoire. C’est bien écrit, ça se lit bien et on a toujours un bel happy end pour clôturer. Que demander de mieux ?

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Romance
*Small Town
*New beginnings
The books by R.S.Grey always passed me the cozy vibes. This book we have the story
between Madison (usually had the ‘perfect life’ with the perfect fianceé and the perfect job,
but after some events, all that fall apart) and Sawyer (the golden boy and heartbreaker in his
youth). Like typically good romance, we have a quick reading and a light romance. Really
liked.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read pretty much all of RS Grey’s early books. The Fortunate Ones and A Place In the Sun are still one of my my favorites to this day, but picking this one up makes me feel nothing but disappointment.

The book is shallow, that’s the best way I can describe it. Madison, is immature to put it simply, and we barely see any development on Sawyer’s character, who is this guy besides having pretty brown eyes and every town girl adores him? There’s no real connection between them, when do they fall in love? WHY do they fall in love? No idea.

To top it off, the pregnancy plot (that mind you only happens at 70% read) feels out of place, out of nowhere it’s Madison’s dream to be a mom. Sawyer buying baby stuff before they know for sure she’s pregnant - who does that? That feels every insensitive to be honest. And who the hell has food poisoning for TWO WEEKS and don’t go to the doctors? Are you kidding me…

Yeah, really 1 star for me.