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Kiss Cam
In Kiss Cam, teen author Kiara London asks, what's a little harmless kissing between friends?
Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny have been friends forever and co-own a vlog channel called WereVloggingHere. Their fans are huge "shippers" who believe that Juniper and Jasper are perfect for each other, and, despite warnings from friends and family, a simple Truth-or-Dare inspired kiss soon spirals out of control into a whole new world of making out and surprise kisses.
Juniper and Jasper's relationship begins to shift. But as fan requests for different "Kiss Cam" segments keep pouring in, Juniper puts her worries aside and convinces herself that it doesn't mean anything. After all, it's just kissing… right?
Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny have been friends forever and co-own a vlog channel called WereVloggingHere. Their fans are huge "shippers" who believe that Juniper and Jasper are perfect for each other, and, despite warnings from friends and family, a simple Truth-or-Dare inspired kiss soon spirals out of control into a whole new world of making out and surprise kisses.
Juniper and Jasper's relationship begins to shift. But as fan requests for different "Kiss Cam" segments keep pouring in, Juniper puts her worries aside and convinces herself that it doesn't mean anything. After all, it's just kissing… right?
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2016
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1294 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
October 18, 2016
3/5 stars
This was such a cute, fun, quick book to read! I feel like with school I have not really been able to read a lot but I'm thankful for this book because it got me out of the mini reading slump I was in. It was just what I needed!
***ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
This was such a cute, fun, quick book to read! I feel like with school I have not really been able to read a lot but I'm thankful for this book because it got me out of the mini reading slump I was in. It was just what I needed!
***ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
November 21, 2016
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This book was just straight up cutesy !!
I've always been a sucker for the "Best Friend" romance concept. Probably, why I wanted to read this book. ANYWAY, The characters made the story hella interesting. The plot was easy to follow and MAY BE A LITTLE PREDICTABLE BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING.
It's a fast and fun read! If you're into this type of stories then by all means...
HIT THIS BOOK UP!!
This book was just straight up cutesy !!
I've always been a sucker for the "Best Friend" romance concept. Probably, why I wanted to read this book. ANYWAY, The characters made the story hella interesting. The plot was easy to follow and MAY BE A LITTLE PREDICTABLE BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING.
It's a fast and fun read! If you're into this type of stories then by all means...
HIT THIS BOOK UP!!
dnf
February 9, 2017DNF at 25%
Unfortunately this book just isn't for me. I was originally very intrigued by the concept of this book, but the manner in which it starts out without any character development really disappointed me.
Unfortunately this book just isn't for me. I was originally very intrigued by the concept of this book, but the manner in which it starts out without any character development really disappointed me.
September 18, 2016
I love best friends romance. Knew this book would be right up my alley.
May 30, 2018
Do it for the vlog. - a totally (un)real excerpt from Kiss Cam
Kiss Cam is about three friends - Lenny, Juniper, & Jasper, who run a vlog channel together. One day as they were filming their Q&A: Dare edition, Juniper and Jasper were dared to kiss each other. After the initial kiss, more and more kissing requests are sent by Jasiper shippers. Eventually, they decided to heed to their fans by adding a new segment on their vlog: the Kiss Cam.
The beginning of this was really enjoyable but the middle and the end were the downfall of this book. I'm docking a lot of points for its lack of originality. I've seen and read a hundred different versions of this story. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading the bestfriends turns to lovers trope but this story didn't add anything new to it, except for the vlogging, which doesn't really get explained a lot. We just see them taking a lot of footage and reading comments and that's it. It seemed that the vlogging element was conveniently added to jump start the Kiss Cam. The middle part where all the drama started, became very frustrating to read. It was the typical and predictable. They were your cookie cutter YA romance characters who were scared of any change.
I couldn't connect with the characters. Here's some bullet points as to why:
*They were very obnoxious. Just imagine how their schoolmates feel about them running around school and screaming all the damn time.
*I felt like Lenny and Jasper pressured Juniper to do the kiss cam even though she wasn't completely comfortable with it.
*I also couldn't fall in love with Jasper.
*Allison felt like a decoration character just so Juniper could have a female friend she could open up to.
*I didn't feel the love between Jasper and Juniper. I felt that she was just obligated to fall in love with him because of their fans.
*Juniper's dad is totally unrealistic. There is no dad in the world who will let their teenage daughter sleepover her guy bff's house especially after knowing that they have been locking lips and that Jasper even gave Juniper a hickey. Him asking her if he should buy her condoms is totally unrealistic. NO PARENT WILL BE OKAY WITH THAT (well maybe except the mean girls mom)
Unlikable characters, a cliche plot, and coupled with mediocre writing, this book just doesn't seem to be worth it.
P.S. There is an actual youtube channel who did a lip balm taste test! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE3la...)
November 20, 2016
Note: I received this book from Fierce Reads via Goodreads in exchange for an unbiased review.
First, I have to say how much I love the cover of Kiss Cam. It, along with the title, is what originally drew me to the story. It's a cover that actually goes with what the book is about. How often does that happen?
Kiss Cam is about three best friends who run a vlog together. They do all sorts of fun stuff like play truth and dare with their followers. Acting on one of their follower's dares leads them to come up with a vlog game called "Kiss Cam." The game revolves around Juniper and Jasper kissing for the camera. Juniper agrees to play along with the game even though her friends and family warn her it could change her relationship with her best friend Jasper.
If I had to pick one word to describe Kiss Cam I would pick cute. Everything about this story was cute. The characters, the plot, the vlog followers, the best friends to lovers trope: all cute. The cutest and my most favorite relationship of the book was Juniper's relationship with her dad. So cute. He was so down to Earth and gave the best advice ever. I kind of wanted him to be my dad. Like I said at the beginning, this book was just cute.
There were a couple of things that kept Kiss Cam from being a 4 or 5 star read for me, though. One was Juniper's narration of the story. It was hard to connect with her at times. She wasn't an unreliable narrator, but she wasn't an honest one either. Rather than reveal her true feelings and deepest thoughts, the author gave the reader Juniper's observations and what she wanted to project to the world. Not knowing how she truly felt put an emotional distance between us.
The other thing that I needed from Kiss Cam was Jasper and Lenny's points of view. They weren't exactly necessary, but they would have helped a lot. There were times in the story that I could tell each of them knew something Juniper didn't or they were in on something together. I would have liked to know what was going on in their brains at that moment. I wanted to know them better -- especially Lenny.
Overall, I had a fun time reading Kiss Cam. It was a simple, fast-paced story filled with a bunch of adorable moments.It's perfect if you're looking for a sweet young adult romance to escape with.
First, I have to say how much I love the cover of Kiss Cam. It, along with the title, is what originally drew me to the story. It's a cover that actually goes with what the book is about. How often does that happen?
Kiss Cam is about three best friends who run a vlog together. They do all sorts of fun stuff like play truth and dare with their followers. Acting on one of their follower's dares leads them to come up with a vlog game called "Kiss Cam." The game revolves around Juniper and Jasper kissing for the camera. Juniper agrees to play along with the game even though her friends and family warn her it could change her relationship with her best friend Jasper.
If I had to pick one word to describe Kiss Cam I would pick cute. Everything about this story was cute. The characters, the plot, the vlog followers, the best friends to lovers trope: all cute. The cutest and my most favorite relationship of the book was Juniper's relationship with her dad. So cute. He was so down to Earth and gave the best advice ever. I kind of wanted him to be my dad. Like I said at the beginning, this book was just cute.
There were a couple of things that kept Kiss Cam from being a 4 or 5 star read for me, though. One was Juniper's narration of the story. It was hard to connect with her at times. She wasn't an unreliable narrator, but she wasn't an honest one either. Rather than reveal her true feelings and deepest thoughts, the author gave the reader Juniper's observations and what she wanted to project to the world. Not knowing how she truly felt put an emotional distance between us.
The other thing that I needed from Kiss Cam was Jasper and Lenny's points of view. They weren't exactly necessary, but they would have helped a lot. There were times in the story that I could tell each of them knew something Juniper didn't or they were in on something together. I would have liked to know what was going on in their brains at that moment. I wanted to know them better -- especially Lenny.
Overall, I had a fun time reading Kiss Cam. It was a simple, fast-paced story filled with a bunch of adorable moments.It's perfect if you're looking for a sweet young adult romance to escape with.
July 11, 2016
BOOM.
I didn't expect to love this novel as much as I did.
Full review WAyyyyyyy closer to the release date.
Long story short though:
Best Friends turned lovers = One of my favorite tropes.
Kiss Cam made me fall Truly, Madly, Deeply in love!
-Reread 07-09-16, because I have an arc, and I feel much more comfortable reviewing an arc than a completely unedited manuscript. They fixed the bit of drag at the end, but it seemed less magical than when I read the MS. Sooooo....still 4.5 stars for cuteness
I didn't expect to love this novel as much as I did.
Full review WAyyyyyyy closer to the release date.
Long story short though:
Best Friends turned lovers = One of my favorite tropes.
Kiss Cam made me fall Truly, Madly, Deeply in love!
-Reread 07-09-16, because I have an arc, and I feel much more comfortable reviewing an arc than a completely unedited manuscript. They fixed the bit of drag at the end, but it seemed less magical than when I read the MS. Sooooo....still 4.5 stars for cuteness
October 25, 2016
*ARC provided from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was my first read by Kiara and I went in completely blind. It took me quite a while to get into it and, by a while, I mean almost 70% of it. I didn't start really getting into the plot line and the characters well into its last few chapters. But even then, it wasn't really enough.
This book follows a group of 3 friends, June, Jasper, and Lenny, who are vloggers. This is the first book I've read about vloggers and I really wish I had liked it more. I liked the friendship dynamic for the most part but I didn't like how unbelievably obvious/predictable the story line was.
I wasn't a fan of our main character, June, whatsoever and that made this story more than difficult to get through. I also thought that June's best friend was sort of a 'meh' character and I didn't really understand the importance of her character.
I found this story to be repetitive in some aspects and too far 'out there' with others that made me not believe anything that was going on. I didn't like how the character expressions were so easy to read and decipher. They basically told me the entire story from the very beginning and it wasn't fun. Also, even if the facial expression issue wasn't there, the chapter titles would have given the story away anyway. They kept making what was already obvious, even worse, and I had to ignore them in order to give myself a semblance of anticipation.
I also didn't like how it focused so much on a lot of superficial things when I really wanted an inside look to other aspects of their lives. Romance is my favorite part in any story, yes, but there is such a thing as focusing TOO much on it, which applies to this story.
And for the positives, I liked how easy it can be for any reader to relate to this story in one way or another; The reader can be the vlogger or the subscriber.
I also really liked how Kiara managed to showcase how crazy the internet world can really be. I found this story funny at times and it's perfect for anyone looking for a quick and light read.
This was my first read by Kiara and I went in completely blind. It took me quite a while to get into it and, by a while, I mean almost 70% of it. I didn't start really getting into the plot line and the characters well into its last few chapters. But even then, it wasn't really enough.
This book follows a group of 3 friends, June, Jasper, and Lenny, who are vloggers. This is the first book I've read about vloggers and I really wish I had liked it more. I liked the friendship dynamic for the most part but I didn't like how unbelievably obvious/predictable the story line was.
I wasn't a fan of our main character, June, whatsoever and that made this story more than difficult to get through. I also thought that June's best friend was sort of a 'meh' character and I didn't really understand the importance of her character.
I found this story to be repetitive in some aspects and too far 'out there' with others that made me not believe anything that was going on. I didn't like how the character expressions were so easy to read and decipher. They basically told me the entire story from the very beginning and it wasn't fun. Also, even if the facial expression issue wasn't there, the chapter titles would have given the story away anyway. They kept making what was already obvious, even worse, and I had to ignore them in order to give myself a semblance of anticipation.
I also didn't like how it focused so much on a lot of superficial things when I really wanted an inside look to other aspects of their lives. Romance is my favorite part in any story, yes, but there is such a thing as focusing TOO much on it, which applies to this story.
And for the positives, I liked how easy it can be for any reader to relate to this story in one way or another; The reader can be the vlogger or the subscriber.
I also really liked how Kiara managed to showcase how crazy the internet world can really be. I found this story funny at times and it's perfect for anyone looking for a quick and light read.
December 20, 2016
Juniper, Jasper and Lenny own a popular vlogging channel. They vlog about their lives and sometimes make silly videos. They also like dares. A lot of their fans are shippers who are either rooting for Juniper and Lenny or Juniper and Jasper. When someone suggests a kissing challenge Jasper and Juniper are up for it and they're calling it Kiss Cam. While the project is a huge success Juniper and Jasper will never be the same because of it.
When feelings start to play a part in their friendship Juniper keeps convincing herself it's just for fun and that she isn't actually in love with Jasper. He's her best friend and it wouldn't be right to become a couple. Will Kiss Cam ruin their friendship and what will happen when it ends, will Juniper and Jasper ever be the same again and will their friendship survive?
Juniper is a sweet girl. She likes to be in control and when things start snowballing into something chaotic she desperately tries to pretend they're not. My heart ached for her. Jasper is a fun and flirty guy, but he has a more sensitive and vulnerable side as well. He reacts impulsively and sometimes causes more hurt than he should because of it. Lenny is the calm and reasonable best friend. He knows what he wants and what he likes. He's stable, dependable and a little bit eccentric. They are a great group of friends, but friendships can shift and it was interesting to see what would happen. Sometimes I felt almost too close to the story and so involved that it was hard to keep reading, which is something I really love. It's amazing when an author makes me feel so many different things.
Kiss Cam begins with a goofy, happy and cheerful project. I laughed out loud several times because there are many funny dares and I loved the project Kiss Cam from the start. When things threatened to fall apart I kept having tears in my eyes. While some parts of Kiss Cam made me really happy others made me terribly sad. The story has many different layers and I loved how well Kiara London writes about emotions. She knows her topic well and that pays off. She's written a versatile, surprising, honest and moving story. Kiss Cam is a fantastic book.
When feelings start to play a part in their friendship Juniper keeps convincing herself it's just for fun and that she isn't actually in love with Jasper. He's her best friend and it wouldn't be right to become a couple. Will Kiss Cam ruin their friendship and what will happen when it ends, will Juniper and Jasper ever be the same again and will their friendship survive?
Juniper is a sweet girl. She likes to be in control and when things start snowballing into something chaotic she desperately tries to pretend they're not. My heart ached for her. Jasper is a fun and flirty guy, but he has a more sensitive and vulnerable side as well. He reacts impulsively and sometimes causes more hurt than he should because of it. Lenny is the calm and reasonable best friend. He knows what he wants and what he likes. He's stable, dependable and a little bit eccentric. They are a great group of friends, but friendships can shift and it was interesting to see what would happen. Sometimes I felt almost too close to the story and so involved that it was hard to keep reading, which is something I really love. It's amazing when an author makes me feel so many different things.
Kiss Cam begins with a goofy, happy and cheerful project. I laughed out loud several times because there are many funny dares and I loved the project Kiss Cam from the start. When things threatened to fall apart I kept having tears in my eyes. While some parts of Kiss Cam made me really happy others made me terribly sad. The story has many different layers and I loved how well Kiara London writes about emotions. She knows her topic well and that pays off. She's written a versatile, surprising, honest and moving story. Kiss Cam is a fantastic book.
October 13, 2016
I can be pretty picky about contemporary books, and this is the first one I've read in a bit that I really enjoyed. I'm a big YouTube watcher (the book's version is called VlogIt) and a sucker for best friend romances, so I couldn't wait to read Kiss Cam and I wasn't disappointed. I thought I'd like it, but it even exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed how the romance played out between Juniper and Jasper, and it didn't feel cheesy or overly cringy like some high school romances do to me. Their relationship evolved organically and there was zero insta-love. I think that's a big part of the reason why I enjoy friends-to-lovers tropes so much. The characters already have strong relationships, so it never feels like their love for each other comes out of nowhere.
Full review: https://bookstacksamber.wordpress.com...
Full review: https://bookstacksamber.wordpress.com...
November 26, 2016
It's the perfect book to read between finals! :D
October 18, 2016
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This book is responsible for getting me out of an awful reading slump so for that reason alone, it has a special place in my heart. Very few books have the ability to make me laugh out loud, but this one did. I loved the friendship and the banter and the silliness and the weird situation all the friends put themselves in and the romance and the chemistry . . . and okay, I just loved all of it.
I know it's a weird premise: Juniper, Jasper and Lenny are running a Youtube channel and Juniper and Jasper decide to give the fans of their fake friendship what they want and they basically kiss on camera. It's a weird scenario and probably a bit unrealistic, but I still loved how fun and silly it was. Juniper had a crush on Jasper years ago, but got over that (or so she says) and now they (along with Lenny) are the best of friends. Juniper and Jasper are SUPER close, to the point where Juniper sleeps over at his house. Her dad even asks at one point if they are having sex and I laughed at the awkwardness of that conversation. (P.S. Juniper has the coolest parents since they just trust her with a boy like that in sleepover situations.)
You know how sometimes there is a slow burn where two people obviously like each other, but it takes them forever to admit their feelings and just kiss already? This is basically the story of two people kissing all the time, but refusing to admit their feelings for each other. At first, the kisses are silly. They try to one up each other by surprising them or pulling pranks that end with a kiss. There is also this one challenge where they have to deliberately give each other hickeys in the shape of a Christmas tree. Yeah, I just had to laugh. Their chemistry was so off the charts, but they were both too damn scared of ruining their friendship to give it a chance.
I loved all the characters in this book. Juniper overhangs everything, Jasper is so silly and never takes himself (or anything) too seriously and Lenny is the calm one who has a not so secret obsession with Eva Longeria and Desperate Housewives. I love the whole best friends turned romance thing and I was rooting for them the entire time. I also loved Juniper's family. Her parents worked a lot, but they weren't neglectful. They tried to spend as much time together as possible with her when they were home, which was great.
This book was such a cute and fun read and I highly recommend it.
This book is responsible for getting me out of an awful reading slump so for that reason alone, it has a special place in my heart. Very few books have the ability to make me laugh out loud, but this one did. I loved the friendship and the banter and the silliness and the weird situation all the friends put themselves in and the romance and the chemistry . . . and okay, I just loved all of it.
I know it's a weird premise: Juniper, Jasper and Lenny are running a Youtube channel and Juniper and Jasper decide to give the fans of their fake friendship what they want and they basically kiss on camera. It's a weird scenario and probably a bit unrealistic, but I still loved how fun and silly it was. Juniper had a crush on Jasper years ago, but got over that (or so she says) and now they (along with Lenny) are the best of friends. Juniper and Jasper are SUPER close, to the point where Juniper sleeps over at his house. Her dad even asks at one point if they are having sex and I laughed at the awkwardness of that conversation. (P.S. Juniper has the coolest parents since they just trust her with a boy like that in sleepover situations.)
You know how sometimes there is a slow burn where two people obviously like each other, but it takes them forever to admit their feelings and just kiss already? This is basically the story of two people kissing all the time, but refusing to admit their feelings for each other. At first, the kisses are silly. They try to one up each other by surprising them or pulling pranks that end with a kiss. There is also this one challenge where they have to deliberately give each other hickeys in the shape of a Christmas tree. Yeah, I just had to laugh. Their chemistry was so off the charts, but they were both too damn scared of ruining their friendship to give it a chance.
I loved all the characters in this book. Juniper overhangs everything, Jasper is so silly and never takes himself (or anything) too seriously and Lenny is the calm one who has a not so secret obsession with Eva Longeria and Desperate Housewives. I love the whole best friends turned romance thing and I was rooting for them the entire time. I also loved Juniper's family. Her parents worked a lot, but they weren't neglectful. They tried to spend as much time together as possible with her when they were home, which was great.
This book was such a cute and fun read and I highly recommend it.
November 4, 2019
1.5 stars
Cute concept, but the wishy-washy main character really got on my nerves. She has a crush on the love interest, then she doesn’t, then she does again....ugh, it was frustrating. I wasn’t wild about the love interest either. Also, where were their parents?!??? Overall it was not my favorite.
Cute concept, but the wishy-washy main character really got on my nerves. She has a crush on the love interest, then she doesn’t, then she does again....ugh, it was frustrating. I wasn’t wild about the love interest either. Also, where were their parents?!??? Overall it was not my favorite.
May 25, 2017
RATING - 3.5 STARS
This was definitely a cute novel. I loved the references to YouTube and the Vlogging community. As someone who is familiar with that community it was so much fun to read about main characters that were immersed in it! The romance was cute enough and even though it was definitely cliche, I couldn't be bothered but it was such a quick read!
This was definitely a cute novel. I loved the references to YouTube and the Vlogging community. As someone who is familiar with that community it was so much fun to read about main characters that were immersed in it! The romance was cute enough and even though it was definitely cliche, I couldn't be bothered but it was such a quick read!
March 17, 2017
Ich muss gestehen, dass ich bei "Kiss Online" von Anfang an etwas skeptisch war, da ich nicht unbedingt ein großer Fan von Vlogs bin, da ich mich bei der Art von Selbstdarstellung oftmals fremdschäme. Dementsprechend niedrig waren hierbei auch meine Erwartungen und das war auch gut so, denn leider konnte mich die Geschichte nicht überzeugen.
Der Schreibstil ist an sich ganz nett und sorgt dafür, dass sich die Geschichte leicht und flüssig lesen lässt. Die Dialoge sind mir zwar grundsätzlich zu aufgesetzt und auch die Figuren konnte mich nicht gänzlich überzeugen, allerdings kann man der Autorin nicht vorwerfen, sich keine Mühe gegeben zu haben. Vielmehr führt sie den Leser sehr gut an das Thema Vlogging heran, erklärt genau, was es damit auf sich hat und auch welche Möglichkeiten man dadurch erhalten kann. Problem ist jedoch, dass mir das alles viel zu gewollt und aufgesetzt war und ich somit mit dem Thema nicht warm wurde.
Die Geschichte ist dabei schnell erzählt: Juniper, Lenny und Jasper betreiben seit einiger Zeit einen gut laufenden Vlog, bei denen sie sich gegenseitig und ihren Mitschülern Streiche spielen, dazu gibt es einmal pro Woche ein Video, bei dem ihre Fans ihnen live Fragen und Aufgaben stellen dürfen. Da viele ihrer Fans Juniper gerne mit einem der Jungs zusammen sehen möchten, fordern sie Juniper und Jasper auf, sich zu küssen. Für Juniper ist dies zunächst nicht die beste Idee, allerdings lässt sie sich letztendlich doch darauf ein und schon ist die sogenannte "Kiss Cam" auf ihrem Vlog geboren. Dass dabei auch Gefühle in den Vordergrund rücken können, wurde vorher nicht bedacht...
Ich hätte die Geschichte trotz Skepsis wirklich gern gemocht, da mir hier viele Ideen an sich gut gefallen haben. Problem ist jedoch die Umsetzung, denn diese war mir oftmals viel zu oberflächlich, sodass ich mich weder großartig in die Figuren hineinversetzen, noch den großen Hype um ihren Vlog verstehen konnte. Vielleicht bin ich auch einfach schon zu alt für die Geschichte.
Das Cover ist dagegen hübsch anzusehen und passt hervorragend zur Geschichte, sodass es da nichts zu bemängeln gibt. Gleiches gilt auch für die Kurzbeschreibung, die sich interessant liest, sodass ich "Kiss Online" trotz einiger Skepsis eine Chance geben wollte.
Kurz gesagt: Wer auf Vlogs steht und dabei auch kein Problem mit überdimensionaler Selbstdarstellung hat, der wird mit "Kiss Online" sicherlich seinen Spaß haben. Wer jedoch allgemein skeptisch bei der Thematik ist, der sollte eher nicht zu den Buch greifen. Ich bin für meinen Teil enttäuscht und kann von daher keine Leseempfehlung aussprechen.
Der Schreibstil ist an sich ganz nett und sorgt dafür, dass sich die Geschichte leicht und flüssig lesen lässt. Die Dialoge sind mir zwar grundsätzlich zu aufgesetzt und auch die Figuren konnte mich nicht gänzlich überzeugen, allerdings kann man der Autorin nicht vorwerfen, sich keine Mühe gegeben zu haben. Vielmehr führt sie den Leser sehr gut an das Thema Vlogging heran, erklärt genau, was es damit auf sich hat und auch welche Möglichkeiten man dadurch erhalten kann. Problem ist jedoch, dass mir das alles viel zu gewollt und aufgesetzt war und ich somit mit dem Thema nicht warm wurde.
Die Geschichte ist dabei schnell erzählt: Juniper, Lenny und Jasper betreiben seit einiger Zeit einen gut laufenden Vlog, bei denen sie sich gegenseitig und ihren Mitschülern Streiche spielen, dazu gibt es einmal pro Woche ein Video, bei dem ihre Fans ihnen live Fragen und Aufgaben stellen dürfen. Da viele ihrer Fans Juniper gerne mit einem der Jungs zusammen sehen möchten, fordern sie Juniper und Jasper auf, sich zu küssen. Für Juniper ist dies zunächst nicht die beste Idee, allerdings lässt sie sich letztendlich doch darauf ein und schon ist die sogenannte "Kiss Cam" auf ihrem Vlog geboren. Dass dabei auch Gefühle in den Vordergrund rücken können, wurde vorher nicht bedacht...
Ich hätte die Geschichte trotz Skepsis wirklich gern gemocht, da mir hier viele Ideen an sich gut gefallen haben. Problem ist jedoch die Umsetzung, denn diese war mir oftmals viel zu oberflächlich, sodass ich mich weder großartig in die Figuren hineinversetzen, noch den großen Hype um ihren Vlog verstehen konnte. Vielleicht bin ich auch einfach schon zu alt für die Geschichte.
Das Cover ist dagegen hübsch anzusehen und passt hervorragend zur Geschichte, sodass es da nichts zu bemängeln gibt. Gleiches gilt auch für die Kurzbeschreibung, die sich interessant liest, sodass ich "Kiss Online" trotz einiger Skepsis eine Chance geben wollte.
Kurz gesagt: Wer auf Vlogs steht und dabei auch kein Problem mit überdimensionaler Selbstdarstellung hat, der wird mit "Kiss Online" sicherlich seinen Spaß haben. Wer jedoch allgemein skeptisch bei der Thematik ist, der sollte eher nicht zu den Buch greifen. Ich bin für meinen Teil enttäuscht und kann von daher keine Leseempfehlung aussprechen.
April 25, 2017
- boy howdy these kids do not have a life outside vlogging and kissing do they
- in the context of the writing, i mean that super literally because the characters have next to NO personality whatsoever, they're not people at all they ONLY exist to vlog and kiss and push forward this super contrived fanficky-in-a-not-so-good-way plot; heck even the setting is nonexistent, i'm imagining it's like in the peanuts comics where there's just a brick wall and the rest of the world is a blank white void. that's what this book feels like to me.
- let's be clear: allowing your fans to determine your real live relationship with a real live person is FUUUUUCKED UUUUPPPPP
- but my biggest problem: a WHOLE BUNCH of the stuff jasper did to juniper rang alarm bells for me. they weren't just misunderstandings or symptoms of unresolved sexual tension or things that could be brushed off because hey, they're best friends, and they're going to end up together anyway--ESPECIALLY given the way juniper felt and reacted at the time. promising not to peep while your friend changes clothes and then peeping anyway because she'll never know? wrong. wrong. WRONG. maybe it's the premise of the kiss cam videos themselves, and therefore the premise of this entire book, but so much of what jasper did felt manipulative as hell. i'm coming away from this book feeling like juniper got tricked into feeling things she was so sure she didn't, and had a RIGHT not to feel. well, this was a step backwards for the YA genre, or five.
- in the context of the writing, i mean that super literally because the characters have next to NO personality whatsoever, they're not people at all they ONLY exist to vlog and kiss and push forward this super contrived fanficky-in-a-not-so-good-way plot; heck even the setting is nonexistent, i'm imagining it's like in the peanuts comics where there's just a brick wall and the rest of the world is a blank white void. that's what this book feels like to me.
- let's be clear: allowing your fans to determine your real live relationship with a real live person is FUUUUUCKED UUUUPPPPP
- but my biggest problem: a WHOLE BUNCH of the stuff jasper did to juniper rang alarm bells for me. they weren't just misunderstandings or symptoms of unresolved sexual tension or things that could be brushed off because hey, they're best friends, and they're going to end up together anyway--ESPECIALLY given the way juniper felt and reacted at the time. promising not to peep while your friend changes clothes and then peeping anyway because she'll never know? wrong. wrong. WRONG. maybe it's the premise of the kiss cam videos themselves, and therefore the premise of this entire book, but so much of what jasper did felt manipulative as hell. i'm coming away from this book feeling like juniper got tricked into feeling things she was so sure she didn't, and had a RIGHT not to feel. well, this was a step backwards for the YA genre, or five.
August 15, 2016
To put it simply? This book is so, so cute - predictable, yes, but cute.
Here's the thing, I was initially put off by this book due to the cover. (Yeah, I know.) And the description didn't exactly sell me on the story either. But then I started reading reviews and decided to give it a go and I'm so glad that I did. KISS CAM reminds me of my high school years, perhaps a bit too much. The story itself focuses on Jasper and June, two best friends that decide to launch a new segment on their Vlog channel for their "shippers", leading into a rather dangerous territory. After all, by continuing to push things further, feelings are bound to surface.
If that sounds predictable, that's because the plot is a pretty simple one you've probably heard in some form or another over the years. Yet London does a great job of really making this feel like a new story. It's so easy to care for these characters because of how well London develops them over the course of the novel. You believe their friendship, and you can sense what the characters are feeling as you read on. Which, of course, leads to a few frustrating bits near the end of the book, but thankfully, the story wraps up rather nicely. Is it perfect? No. But it's the perfect ending for these characters.
Like I said, this reminds me of my high school days. It's a purely fun read with a cute romance at the center of it. If you haven't already, I'd suggest adding this one to your "to-read" list.
Here's the thing, I was initially put off by this book due to the cover. (Yeah, I know.) And the description didn't exactly sell me on the story either. But then I started reading reviews and decided to give it a go and I'm so glad that I did. KISS CAM reminds me of my high school years, perhaps a bit too much. The story itself focuses on Jasper and June, two best friends that decide to launch a new segment on their Vlog channel for their "shippers", leading into a rather dangerous territory. After all, by continuing to push things further, feelings are bound to surface.
If that sounds predictable, that's because the plot is a pretty simple one you've probably heard in some form or another over the years. Yet London does a great job of really making this feel like a new story. It's so easy to care for these characters because of how well London develops them over the course of the novel. You believe their friendship, and you can sense what the characters are feeling as you read on. Which, of course, leads to a few frustrating bits near the end of the book, but thankfully, the story wraps up rather nicely. Is it perfect? No. But it's the perfect ending for these characters.
Like I said, this reminds me of my high school days. It's a purely fun read with a cute romance at the center of it. If you haven't already, I'd suggest adding this one to your "to-read" list.
October 5, 2016
I had a tough time rating this book because I felt like it was too fluffy for my taste and yet somehow I really enjoyed it. The plot is very straight forward, which made it a quick read. However, I felt like it could have used a bit of spice. I kept waiting for a serious plot twist to hit me but it never happened.
Unfortunately.
I really enjoyed how realistic the storyline was. I've always been a big fan of watching Vlogs and felt like I was in the story along with these lovable characters. Makes me feel like I'm in high school all over again. **Sigh**
If you're a big fan of overly sweet stories with characters you can't help but love then this book is definitely for you.
Unfortunately.
I really enjoyed how realistic the storyline was. I've always been a big fan of watching Vlogs and felt like I was in the story along with these lovable characters. Makes me feel like I'm in high school all over again. **Sigh**
If you're a big fan of overly sweet stories with characters you can't help but love then this book is definitely for you.
January 12, 2015
Read it on swoonreads so it was the unedited version obviously, just thought I should clear that up before reviewing the story.
Kiss cam was pretty intriguing because of its unique premise. Sure it's a contemporary where two best friends take way too much time to come to terms with the fact that they are in love, but it was still quirky and funny.
My phone's bugging me so I might come back to finish this review later. Or not if I forget about it.
Kiss cam was pretty intriguing because of its unique premise. Sure it's a contemporary where two best friends take way too much time to come to terms with the fact that they are in love, but it was still quirky and funny.
My phone's bugging me so I might come back to finish this review later. Or not if I forget about it.
October 9, 2016
Definitely not for me. RTC
November 20, 2017
Iam trying to save those of you who want to read this novel. Dont bother guys, really, its basically has no character development. Only stupid teenagers snog each other because the viewers want them to. And also its boring as fuck.
There are extras, but i'd rather throw myself off the cliff than read those. So another extras for Jasiper and Juniper's story? I dont give a shit
There are extras, but i'd rather throw myself off the cliff than read those. So another extras for Jasiper and Juniper's story? I dont give a shit
June 13, 2017
This review and more can be found at The Heart of a Book Blogger.
I first read Kiss Cam as an unedited version on Swoon Reads last year. I loved the book, and I was so glad to hear that it was chosen to be published. It was just so adorable and swoon-worthy and I died a little bit. I found it to be just as cute as I read it a second time.
June, Jasper, and Lenny are neighbors, best friends, and famous vloggers. Over the years, the three friends have built up quite the following on their vlog, WereVloggingHere, and with that following has come fans who ship different pairings of the three friends. After a truth-or-dare comment has June and Jasper kissing, a weekly segment is formed which has the two surprising each other with different fan requested Kiss Cams. As the segment becomes more frequent and intense, June is left questioning her and Jasper’s relationship and whether or not they’ve crossed a line in their friendship.
Kiss Cam is a best friends’ romance. It’s the basic best friends-to-lovers trope, and I couldn’t help but fall for Jasiper. Like the fans in the book, I love shipping couples together (although, mine tend to be fictional). It was fun seeing what it might be like for the pair being shipped and what kind of pressures that puts on their friendship. I really did love the concept and thought Kiara London pulled it off well.
Even though the story was predictable, it was adorable. Sometimes you just need a cute romance as a pick-me-up, and Kiss Cam definitely fits the bill. It kept me engaged and could easily be read in one sitting. I thought the different Kiss Cam segments were fun and creative, but I couldn’t help but wish for more of them.
Overall, Kiss Cam is another adorable, swoon-worthy addition to the Swoon Reads line. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, fluffy read.
*This ARC was provided to me by the publisher through Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.*
____________
Originally read May 31, 2015:
I read an unedited version on Swoon Reads. There are definitely mistakes that still need fixing, but that’s what editing is for! I loved the book, and I’m glad this one will be published. It was adorable and swoon-worthy and I died a little bit. I started the book at about 9 at night and kept reading until the wee hours in the morning to finish it. I’ve definitely been recommending this book to my friends, and I hope you all read it, too!
I first read Kiss Cam as an unedited version on Swoon Reads last year. I loved the book, and I was so glad to hear that it was chosen to be published. It was just so adorable and swoon-worthy and I died a little bit. I found it to be just as cute as I read it a second time.
June, Jasper, and Lenny are neighbors, best friends, and famous vloggers. Over the years, the three friends have built up quite the following on their vlog, WereVloggingHere, and with that following has come fans who ship different pairings of the three friends. After a truth-or-dare comment has June and Jasper kissing, a weekly segment is formed which has the two surprising each other with different fan requested Kiss Cams. As the segment becomes more frequent and intense, June is left questioning her and Jasper’s relationship and whether or not they’ve crossed a line in their friendship.
Kiss Cam is a best friends’ romance. It’s the basic best friends-to-lovers trope, and I couldn’t help but fall for Jasiper. Like the fans in the book, I love shipping couples together (although, mine tend to be fictional). It was fun seeing what it might be like for the pair being shipped and what kind of pressures that puts on their friendship. I really did love the concept and thought Kiara London pulled it off well.
Even though the story was predictable, it was adorable. Sometimes you just need a cute romance as a pick-me-up, and Kiss Cam definitely fits the bill. It kept me engaged and could easily be read in one sitting. I thought the different Kiss Cam segments were fun and creative, but I couldn’t help but wish for more of them.
Overall, Kiss Cam is another adorable, swoon-worthy addition to the Swoon Reads line. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, fluffy read.
*This ARC was provided to me by the publisher through Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.*
____________
Originally read May 31, 2015:
I read an unedited version on Swoon Reads. There are definitely mistakes that still need fixing, but that’s what editing is for! I loved the book, and I’m glad this one will be published. It was adorable and swoon-worthy and I died a little bit. I started the book at about 9 at night and kept reading until the wee hours in the morning to finish it. I’ve definitely been recommending this book to my friends, and I hope you all read it, too!
December 17, 2015
Okay so Kiss Cam is available to read here at Swoon Reads for right now at least. Alright I'm gonna start by saying how much I adored the first half of Kiss Cam, the last half wasn't bad or anything it just started feeling a little tedious after a while but I still loved it, it's the kind of book that can give you a tooth ache that's how sweet it is. So Kiss Cam is about three best friends, two boys, one girl. Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny, (and no they are not in a love triangle) together they run a vlog called Were Vloging Here! Anyway they've been doing this vlog since they were 15, now they're seventeen and their fans have shipped them, there are shippers for Lenny and Juniper, and Lenny and Jasper, but the biggest one is for Juniper and Jasper, Jasiper. So as things like this go, someone said they should kiss on the vlog to prove weather or not they're together, of course they do it, and now because they've given the mouse a cookie they get more and more requests to kiss, they even get a request to do a Kiss Cam. Here's an excerpt.
"Alright, fine. Better now than never—because you know that's not the last of kissing on camera requests we're going to get, right?"
"That's why I want to make sure," he nods and then turns himself completely towards me. "Proper kiss."
"This is not normal," I remind him and he chuckles.
"Have we ever been normal, June?"
I think about this, and well, maybe he's right. The dynamics of our relationship have been irregular since I can remember and we're thrown into weird situations because of our chosen hobby—which is also not normal. I guess this was bound to happen anyway. "Guess not," I say.
"Alright then," he smiles and with that leans forward to capture my lips with his own.
This time it's not a little lip touch. It's leaning completely forward, turning heads so noses don't bump, open mouth kisses but avoiding tongue—because, yeah, that's going too far, and fingers tugging at the back of each other's necks. It's long, longer than anticipated, and I know because soon I don't taste Dr. Pepper on his lips, anymore. I just taste Jasper.
When we finally pull away, I'm startled to find that I actually don't mind kissing him, it's nice and comfortable. And, the best part? I can look him in the eye, fingers trailing down his shirt and say. "Nothing."
He nods with a cheeky smile and replies, "Me too."
"Alright, fine. Better now than never—because you know that's not the last of kissing on camera requests we're going to get, right?"
"That's why I want to make sure," he nods and then turns himself completely towards me. "Proper kiss."
"This is not normal," I remind him and he chuckles.
"Have we ever been normal, June?"
I think about this, and well, maybe he's right. The dynamics of our relationship have been irregular since I can remember and we're thrown into weird situations because of our chosen hobby—which is also not normal. I guess this was bound to happen anyway. "Guess not," I say.
"Alright then," he smiles and with that leans forward to capture my lips with his own.
This time it's not a little lip touch. It's leaning completely forward, turning heads so noses don't bump, open mouth kisses but avoiding tongue—because, yeah, that's going too far, and fingers tugging at the back of each other's necks. It's long, longer than anticipated, and I know because soon I don't taste Dr. Pepper on his lips, anymore. I just taste Jasper.
When we finally pull away, I'm startled to find that I actually don't mind kissing him, it's nice and comfortable. And, the best part? I can look him in the eye, fingers trailing down his shirt and say. "Nothing."
He nods with a cheeky smile and replies, "Me too."
April 18, 2016
I received an ARC from the publisher via work, with no obligation to leave a personal review.
Actual rating is probably 2.5 stars.
I think I may have given this a quick read when it was on SwoonReads, but I read the ARC again, and--huh. I almost stopped reading less than five pages in, because there was a lot of overwriting and excessive exposition. There are also little grammatical tics I notice, and here, the author often overuses commas ("It wouldn't make sense, otherwise"--which is totally valid, but just seemed like London's modus operandi no matter what). The premise, while kind of fun, is also wildly unbelievable, and I wasn't convinced that the author had what it took to make it seem real.
But I kept going, and despite it all, I certainly had some moments when I really felt for June, and even wanted June and Jasper to be together. I also felt all the drama and the rush of missed opportunities and that feeling like it's the end of the world when that happens, toward the end. But I don't think I ever jumped past the hurdle of finding this premise so hard to believe. Maybe it's realistic in a YouTube age, but as a self-proclaimed dinosaur among my fellow Millennials, I can't shake how weird it is to deliberately kiss for other random people who ship you with someone. And one of June's compelling reasons to give Jasper a chance is that other people think they're good together. Don't get me wrong, I think it's extremely valid to give weight to the opinion of your family and close friends about who is good for you, because they'll pick up on things you might miss. But here it verged on almost getting identity from what other people see and think about you.
So, I don't know. Didn't really work for me, and I think it could have used better editing to tighten both the prose and the narrative, but if you like cute, lighthearted romance and don't mind being swept away in unrealistic drama, you might still enjoy it.
Actual rating is probably 2.5 stars.
I think I may have given this a quick read when it was on SwoonReads, but I read the ARC again, and--huh. I almost stopped reading less than five pages in, because there was a lot of overwriting and excessive exposition. There are also little grammatical tics I notice, and here, the author often overuses commas ("It wouldn't make sense, otherwise"--which is totally valid, but just seemed like London's modus operandi no matter what). The premise, while kind of fun, is also wildly unbelievable, and I wasn't convinced that the author had what it took to make it seem real.
But I kept going, and despite it all, I certainly had some moments when I really felt for June, and even wanted June and Jasper to be together. I also felt all the drama and the rush of missed opportunities and that feeling like it's the end of the world when that happens, toward the end. But I don't think I ever jumped past the hurdle of finding this premise so hard to believe. Maybe it's realistic in a YouTube age, but as a self-proclaimed dinosaur among my fellow Millennials, I can't shake how weird it is to deliberately kiss for other random people who ship you with someone. And one of June's compelling reasons to give Jasper a chance is that other people think they're good together. Don't get me wrong, I think it's extremely valid to give weight to the opinion of your family and close friends about who is good for you, because they'll pick up on things you might miss. But here it verged on almost getting identity from what other people see and think about you.
So, I don't know. Didn't really work for me, and I think it could have used better editing to tighten both the prose and the narrative, but if you like cute, lighthearted romance and don't mind being swept away in unrealistic drama, you might still enjoy it.
October 19, 2016
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Following the trend of books on internet trends, this is a nice take on friends testing limits.
Juniper has had a vlog with her friends for years but they still need to keep their public. When the shippers suggest two of them kiss, and the video with her and Jasper is a success, a new feature is born, the Kiss Cam. But Juniper has had feelings for Jasper in the past, and recovered at great cost. won't this kissing spoil all their friendship?
The reading was easy. I do think there was excessive angsting "OMG, what about our friendship!" but the author still kept me interested through that. In fact, even though I was skeptical on all that drama, it got to me eventually so much I cared for the characters.
I also loved how she created the whole vlog fandom. I'm not very knowledgeable in vlogging but I certainly know about fandom and especially about shipping. She managed to use it all, and still be convincing on how the people being shipped reacted. This part was just so good! I loved it when the trio reacted to the fandom's craziness.
Talking about craziness, this story was built on it. I really hope teens out there won't succumb to pressure and start vlogging "kiss cams". Sorry for revealing my far-too-conservative mental age. I just kept thinking how outrageous the situation was to live, and yet, guilty as charged. I just loved how she dared break the barriers. It worked very well.
This is for you who want a funny romance between two friends.
Note to the author: Time for Lenny! *wink*
Following the trend of books on internet trends, this is a nice take on friends testing limits.
Juniper has had a vlog with her friends for years but they still need to keep their public. When the shippers suggest two of them kiss, and the video with her and Jasper is a success, a new feature is born, the Kiss Cam. But Juniper has had feelings for Jasper in the past, and recovered at great cost. won't this kissing spoil all their friendship?
The reading was easy. I do think there was excessive angsting "OMG, what about our friendship!" but the author still kept me interested through that. In fact, even though I was skeptical on all that drama, it got to me eventually so much I cared for the characters.
I also loved how she created the whole vlog fandom. I'm not very knowledgeable in vlogging but I certainly know about fandom and especially about shipping. She managed to use it all, and still be convincing on how the people being shipped reacted. This part was just so good! I loved it when the trio reacted to the fandom's craziness.
Talking about craziness, this story was built on it. I really hope teens out there won't succumb to pressure and start vlogging "kiss cams". Sorry for revealing my far-too-conservative mental age. I just kept thinking how outrageous the situation was to live, and yet, guilty as charged. I just loved how she dared break the barriers. It worked very well.
This is for you who want a funny romance between two friends.
Note to the author: Time for Lenny! *wink*
October 18, 2016
This rating is based on cute quick reads.
I love fun quirky reads and this one def fits the bill. It not only has a great dynamic of a relationship but also great relationships of friends. It is about a group of friends Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny who run a vlog channel. They record their day to day lives stupid stunts, dares, and whatever else viewers want. So one day while doing a Q&A session someone suggested a Kiss Cam segment between Juniper and Jasper. Juniper was kind of leery to the deal but Jasper was all gunge hoe into doing it. So after deciding for the fans Juniper went a long with it. The one rule was if you start developing feelings it needs to stop. Soon the Kiss Cam segment became huge making interesting at finding how many interesting ways you can kiss someone. As with most of the these fun reads it is predictable but cute.
This book is a fun read for all ages. Just as good as the first time. So glad this got published.
I received an Arc of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love fun quirky reads and this one def fits the bill. It not only has a great dynamic of a relationship but also great relationships of friends. It is about a group of friends Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny who run a vlog channel. They record their day to day lives stupid stunts, dares, and whatever else viewers want. So one day while doing a Q&A session someone suggested a Kiss Cam segment between Juniper and Jasper. Juniper was kind of leery to the deal but Jasper was all gunge hoe into doing it. So after deciding for the fans Juniper went a long with it. The one rule was if you start developing feelings it needs to stop. Soon the Kiss Cam segment became huge making interesting at finding how many interesting ways you can kiss someone. As with most of the these fun reads it is predictable but cute.
This book is a fun read for all ages. Just as good as the first time. So glad this got published.
I received an Arc of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2016
June & Jas are two-thirds of a trio of besties who are on the verge of being something else. In addition to their parents and classmates thinking they are an item (with delusions of mere friendship), there is a whole host of vlog followers who are Jasiper 'shippers.
Jas starts sending some seriously mixed signals, but Juniper's already had her heart broken by him once before and she's not looking to risk the friendship that they've managed to build.
Normally, in friendship-on-the-verge type storylines, there is a lot of pining and moaning and obsessing, and maybe even a little woe-is-me, but this book took a much better path. June tries her best to take a rational approach to sorting out and protecting her very irrational feelings. (Kudos to the author on this, seriously!) Meanwhile, Jasper made me want to smack him upside the head a few times.
I'm a little disappointed that there was no Jenny smooch-age (yep, I'm that kind of fangirl), but I guess I can respect the author's decision to keep Lenny as the rational voice.
Jas starts sending some seriously mixed signals, but Juniper's already had her heart broken by him once before and she's not looking to risk the friendship that they've managed to build.
Normally, in friendship-on-the-verge type storylines, there is a lot of pining and moaning and obsessing, and maybe even a little woe-is-me, but this book took a much better path. June tries her best to take a rational approach to sorting out and protecting her very irrational feelings. (Kudos to the author on this, seriously!) Meanwhile, Jasper made me want to smack him upside the head a few times.
I'm a little disappointed that there was no Jenny smooch-age (yep, I'm that kind of fangirl), but I guess I can respect the author's decision to keep Lenny as the rational voice.
Read
February 7, 2017This was okay. Cute, but it drug a little in places. Plus, there was something I couldn't put my finger on about the writing. To be fair, I probably shouldn't have read it almost back to back with a book from one of my favorite authors in this genre.
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