Let's Kiss and Tell

by Joss Richard

Fall for the brand-new sexy, sweet and heart aching romance from the bestselling author of It's Different This Time!

📝 Workplace romance
📝 Fake dating
📝 90's romcom nostalgia
📝 Spice

------------------------------

Lucy Reid's about to fake it.

As a sex columnist, her views on relationships aren't exactly optimistic.

Instead, she encourages readers to embrace their sexuality and that you don't need a partner to be happy. But when her team claims that all their readers are in relationships, and that it might be time for something - or someone - new, she's got to act fast.

Enter Marshall Oakley.

Marshall is the new Senior News Writer at Lucy's company, and he's just confessed to needing a girlfriend for his ex's wedding. Faking a relationship is perfect. Marshall can finally prove he's moved on, and Lucy can write about finding 'the one' only to break up and prove to readers - and her bosses - that relationships don't solve everything.

But spending lots of time together and faking affection has lines blurring... And now the two of them must find the courage to rewrite their story with a happily ever after.

-----------------------

PRAISE FOR JOSS

'IT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME is a witty, warm, heart-aching masterclass in romance. Richard wrote a book you'll be sad to finish.' - Autumn Woods, Sunday Times bestselling author

'The rich, decadent romance of the year we've been waiting for!' - Sarah Adams, NYT bestselling author
'Deeply emotional and layered, this second-chance romance is an instant classic!'-Naina Kumar, USA Today bestselling author of Flirting With Disaster

'A tender and atmospheric slowburn-this is a book you can't stop thinking about'-Amy Lea, international bestselling author of The Catch

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fake Dating, Fiction, Contemporary, Rom Com, Summer

448 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 11, 2026

Reviews

[ahmeeka · Rating 2 out of 5]

[arc review] I finished this last night and felt stuck on my overall opinion of it. I struggled to get through the first ~33%, and while it did pick up, I don’t really know if this was for me. I think it’s probably a 2.5* rounded down!

let’s kiss and tell follows lucy and marsh in a dual pov. lucy is a sex writer who is trying to keep her job amid layoffs within her company, and marsh is the new senior writer looking for a date to his ex girlfriend’s wedding.

the story was fleshed out, which I did enjoy because it didn’t feel rushed and choppy. I loved the tension between lucy and marsh, and how their relationship was a slow burn.

I will, however, say that I finished not really knowing much about marsh? I do think that might be intentional, because his life revolved around writing (which became a plot point) but the only thing marsh and lucy had in common was their jobs?

I did find myself relating to lucy and how she’s anxious avoidant, and I felt connected to her in that way. I don’t really know? maybe I need to reread properly when it’s released?

I really enjoyed joss richard’s first novel, but I just don’t think this book was for me. that’s not to say it’s not good, because I know a lot of people will enjoy it and love it! I’m just probably in the minority, and I’m sad I didn’t enjoy it the way I thought I would.

at the end of the day, joss is and forever will be one of my auto buy authors, and I look forward to whatever she releases in the future!

thank you headline eternal for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ★— Move along, Carrie Bradshaw! There’s a new sex columnist in town.

For 2/3rds of this book, I was fully bespelled, as this story features one of my favorite heroine types in romance: the avoidant commitment-phobe.
I love reading about women who have to wrestle with themselves to open up and admit that they’re falling in love, and with Lucy Reid, we get a protagonist who matches that perfectly.

She and Marsh meet and embark on a How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days-esque adventure, with her needing a fake boyfriend to write more about relationship issues in her column and him needing a date for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding.

The story did a really good job of letting the two get to know each other, their chemistry really feeling off the charts as they went on dates, bantered, and had insaaane sexual tension. I can't emphasize enough how much I liked the scenes that built up their desire for each other and how well the author portrayed them as truly losing it for each other once they both gave in.

Now, let me get to the last 3rd of the book that sort of woke me from my reading euphoria. Marsh and Lucy get into an argument that I honestly thought felt rushed and… weirdly corny? There was a moment where Lucy attacked Marsh on the basis of him being a news journalist, saying that he was doing that because he couldn’t write personal stuff, and all of that felt so out of left field to me, as their different writing careers had never really been a point of contention between them before, which all contributed to this defining fight feeling contrived and hamfisted.

It felt like the book veered into a more schmaltzy direction that I hadn't really felt prior to this point and... I don't know why exactly, but the last few articles and bits of dialogue between Marsh and Lucy started to read like a cliché romance mishmash that dampened my love for their love a little.

I still really liked this as my introduction to Joss Richard (though… the name Marsh is something I never warmed up to, sorry!), and I am absolutely adding her to my short list of treasured contemporary romance writers.

___________

Thank you to Dell for the ARC.

[Dab · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, after long and difficult consideration, I decided to give this book three stars. I love this author’s writing, and I loved these characters (at least for the first ~65% of the book), so this feels fair.

(I might still change my mind, though…)

I fell in love with this book. At first sight.

But then it broke my heart.

(Or should I say, made me throw up in my mouth a little?)

Marsh was such a perfect book boyfriend, I wanted to hug him and hold him. Their chemistry was chef’s kiss, and the first half of this book gets all the stars from me. All of them!

Marsh and Lucy’s dynamic was so well crafted that I couldn’t stop reading. She was pure chaos, bursting with energy and joy. Marsh was quiet and hardworking, a little cautious, but with a heart of pure gold. He was just enjoying Lucy’s company, not trying to tame her, just admiring her and recognizing how smart and brave she was. It was magic. Their banter! Her randomly talking about sex in public and his shocked reactions made me cackle multiple times. It was so much fun to read!

But then they slept together, and she realized that he meant more to her than she was ready for, and it went downhill from there. I just couldn’t get past the fact that she had sex with Marsh, then with another guy, and then with Marsh again, all within 24 hours. It was gross. They moved on from that as if nothing had happened, but it wasn’t the same book to me after that.

Then the third-act breakup was awful too, because third-act breakups always suck, and then he hooked up with someone else too, which was also gross. I’m not overly sensitive to OW drama, but I also don’t want to read about some random chick screaming his name at 93% of the book.

So yeah, how do I rate the first half five stars and the second half two?

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[cat]

・❥・⁀➷ pre-release

please please PLEASE let me be accepted for this arc. Joss Richard made it into my top 3 new authors of last year and I was OBSESSED with her debut. I can’t wait for this one🤞🏼🥹

[angelinabvby ۶۟ৎ {rest in peace estie}]

ꨄ 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 💋
ARC APPROVED FOR THIS ADORABLE BOOK WITH ITS ADORABLE COVER 💖💗🥰💞

[tanvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴?” “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦?” “𝘔𝘩𝘮.” 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵. “𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺?” “𝘐’𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺.” “𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭.”

Lucy, our beloved sex columnist, and Marsh, a news reporter with his slutty tortoiseshell glasses, have the most charming meet-cute at a work happy hour. What starts as a chance encounter quickly turns into a mutually beneficial arrangement: they agree to fake date since he needs a convincing plus-one for his ex’s wedding, and she needs a relationship to satisfy her editor and keep her job.

I genuinely thought this book has everything I look for in a great romance. It’s full of heart, depth, and layered, complex emotions. It is one of those books you’ll either completely fall for or not connect with at all.

Lucy and Marsh are both commitment-phobes, but for entirely different reasons, and one is clearly more afraid than the other. Because of that, mistakes are inevitable, but I really appreciated how Joss never lets their conflict feel juvenile. They’re both deeply prideful, which leads to some painful, honest conversations, but never veers into spitefulness, which is a difficult balance that’s handled so well. Even at their most complicated, as they try to make sense of what their relationship could be, you can feel how much they care for each other. I have zero notes and am so excited for everyone else to experience this story too.

Thank you Netgalley and Dell Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah]

I did NOT like the author's debut, but I want to give her books a second chance, so I was sooo happy when I was approved to read this. God, I hope I love it. 😭🤞🏼

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will write a proper critical review in a few days but for now I will say this: I am crushed that I didn’t love this.

Also, there’s a line in the epilogue where the fmc playfully rubs the mmc’s dick and it’s made me drop this from a 3.5 to a 3 star read because it’s icked me out.

---

I'm so sad to say this one didn't work for me. And not necessarily because I had a bad time reading or that I thought the book was bad but rather that I thought the message about love to be quite muddy and unclear.

Our FMC is very sure she doesn't want a relationship but rather than seeming independant she comes off as slightly hypocritical as the story progresses. Her issues which are presented originally as incredibly logical, honest and subversive. Despite the relationship seeming destined to end in flames, they fall in love and get some therapy and all of sudden love really is amazing and she was just scared. I almost found it offensive, if I'm being honest. It felt like it was being implied that anyone who isn't interested in relationships is to be pitied and must clearly be hiding some sort of deep hurt (which, for our FMC was a misunderstanding anyway).

I'm sure that wasn't the authors intention but that element hindering my enjoyment and the fact that the pacing was a little inconsistent, led me to rate this a 3.5 stars. I'm a Joss Richard lover for life and I cannot wait for the rest of her novels. However, this one just isn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballentine for this e-arc, I am extremely grateful.

[Annie K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lucy Reid is a sex writer who doesn’t do relationships. Unfortunately for her, her column is losing clicks—readers want more than hookups; they want the messy reality of love. So what’s the solution? Agree to be Marsh’s date to his ex’s wedding in exchange for fake dating him. No one’s going to catch feelings… right?

This book really ebbed and flowed for me. At times it was addictive—I couldn’t put it down. Other parts dragged, and the pacing felt uneven. I think my biggest struggle was with the core emotional arc. Lucy’s fear of love is the central conflict, but it started to feel repetitive, like the same argument playing out over and over without meaningful progression.

Marsh, unfortunately, didn’t fully work for me as a romantic lead. The book asks the reader to see him as this amazing, emotionally evolved partner, but I never quite got there. His backstory—especially the way his previous long-term relationship was handled—left me feeling like his growth wasn’t fully earned. The narrative framing felt a bit off, and I found myself questioning the emotional accountability on both sides rather than rooting for them as a couple.

The “forbidden workplace romance” element also didn’t land for me. It felt a bit outdated and overly dramatized in a way that didn’t match real-world dynamics, which pulled me out of the story.

I will say, I was really enjoying this up until about the 75% mark. After that, it started to feel repetitive and less emotionally grounded, and the romance lost some of its believability for me. The spicy scenes, while very explicit, sometimes felt out of sync with the emotional development, which made them land less effectively than intended.

And on a completely different note—lobster rolls in San Francisco? That might have been the most unrealistic part of the whole book. Cioppino, oysters, clam chowder… sure. But lobster rolls? I could practically tell the author didn’t live in California 😅

I really wanted to love this one, but in the end, it just didn’t fully come together for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kaitlyn]

!!!! Another Joss book around my birthday 😭

omg release date moved up. You can bet I'll be knocking on Dell's door the second this arc is out.

I am giddy over this e-arc approval. THANK YOU DELL, ILYSM.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5⭐️

Joss Richard broke my heart then put it back together

🇬🇧🇫🇷

At first, I wasn’t sure I would fall in love with this story. The premise felt a bit too familiar. I mean, the classic “fake-dating to bring to your ex’s wedding” trope has been done so many times that I didn’t expect it to stand out. But I couldn’t have been more wrong, this book is everything.

First of all, Marsh is the ultimate green flag. I’ve read a lot of books, but I’ve never come across a boyfriend this perfect, and not in a boring, unrealistic way. Marsh is genuinely kind, with a fully developed personality. He’s insecure, he doubts himself, yet he cares so deeply for the people he loves. He feels incredibly real. Honestly, I just wanted to hug him and tell him he deserves all the happiness in the world.

I also really loved Lucy. She has a strong personality and, yes, she frustrated me at times but that’s what made her feel authentic. She’s a good person navigating complicated emotions, and I appreciated that depth. Marsh and Lucy are so different, yet they fit together perfectly, it just makes sense.

Once again, I completely fell for Joss Richard’s writing. Her banter is unmatched, seriously I was sweating and they were only touching hands ! She creates tension so effortlessly. I adore her books and already can’t wait to see what she writes next 💓

Why you should read this book:
📝 Workplace romance
📝 Fake dating
📝 90s romcom nostalgia
📝 Spice (beautifully written you’ll definitely want more)

PS: It comes out in August so don’t miss it !

——

Au début, je n’étais pas certaine d’adorer cette histoire. Le résumé me paraissait un peu trop classique et le trope du « fake-dating pour ne pas venir seul au mariage de son ex », je l’ai déjà vu tellement de fois que je pensais ne pas être particulièrement touchée. Mais je me trompais complètement : ce livre est absolument incroyable.

D’abord, parlons de Marsh. C’est le green flag ultime. J’ai lu énormément de romances, mais je n’ai jamais croisé un bookboyfriend aussi parfait, et pas dans le sens ennuyeux ou irréaliste. Marsh est profondément gentil, avec une vraie personnalité. Il est rempli de doutes et d’insécurités mais il aime sincèrement et intensément. J’avais tellement envie de le prendre dans mes bras et de lui dire qu’il mérite tout le bonheur du monde.

J’ai aussi beaucoup aimé Lucy. Elle a un caractère fort et, oui, elle m’a parfois un peu déçue mais c’est justement ce qui la rend crédible. C’est une bonne personne, pleine de contradictions et d’émotions complexes. Marsh et Lucy sont très différents, mais ils sont faits l’un pour l’autre, ça ne fait aucun doute.

Encore une fois, je suis tombée amoureuse de la plume de Joss Richard. La tension qu’elle transmet est absolument parfaite, j’étais en train de fondre alors qu’ils se frôlaient juste la main ! Elle sait créer une tension romantique comme personne. J’adore ses livres et j’ai déjà hâte de découvrir le prochain 💓

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC 🫶🏼

[daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Joss Richard’s sophomore book, Let’s Kiss and Tell, is fun and empowering, and it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of an early 2000’s romcom.

Lucy is a sex and relationship columnist at a digital magazine, and with every story she writes, she highlights the fact that women do not necessarily need a partner to be happy. From the very first chapter, it’s made abundantly clear that Lucy is ambitious and hard-working, and that she will not let anything get in the way of succeeding at her job. So when she is faced with a dropping number of readers, a semi-unhappy boss, and potential layoffs in the near future, she knows she has to do something drastic to turn things around. And when you don’t have any of your own relationship experience to write about, what better way to go about it all than to find yourself a fake boyfriend? Enter Marsh; The new senior news writer who very conveniently also happens to need a date for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. His reasons are different from hers, but he is as much of a commitment-phobe as Lucy is. So on paper, nothing could go wrong here, right?

One of my favourite things about this book is how Joss Richard has done such a wonderful job at portraying a confident, strong, and career-driven woman. There really isn’t anything I love more in a book than a well-written female main character. Lucy is fun, driven, and a bit chaotic, but as the story progresses, we see a softer and more vulnerable side of her as well. We get an insight into her thoughts and turmoil, and we are presented with the mental challenges she has faced and the choices she has made as a direct consequence of her childhood. I loved getting to witness the development of her character, and I especially loved how she changed throughout the story without losing herself in the process.

Opposite Lucy, we have Marsh. On the surface, he is seen as pretty serious and closed off, but we, as readers, and Lucy see a very different side of him. It felt really refreshing to read about a man who wasn’t afraid to word exactly what he wanted, and at the same time didn’t shy away from showing his softer and gentler side.

Because we see Lucy and Marsh slowly grow closer as friends and connect during their fake dating scheme, the progression of their relationship feels natural and realistic. And as both characters bring their own flaws, messiness, and past trauma to the situation, everything going down between them, every action and reaction, feels so rooted in reality.

This truly was a beautiful love story, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

The publisher very kindly provided this arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a hard book to review. I am positive there will be people who enjoy and maybe even rave over it… I’m just not one of them. I had high expectations going in because I truly LOVED this authors debut novel. However, this one felt vastly different. I could see the story’s potential… underlying threads of a bigger message but we never really got there. The FMC had a real chance to be something special, to show off that people’s judgements based off her profession were unfounded. Yet that’s not the direction the story went? Lucy consistently proved those assumptions right with her behaviors and actions and I found myself beyond irritated and a bit disappointed. Everything about the two main character’s relationship and emotional maturity irked me and for people who are supposedly 29 and 36 it just felt off. Another thing that didn’t work for me was the spice… personal preference but I do not in fact want to read about two people treating each other as if it’s just sex. I pick up romances for the relationships and this just felt backwards and at times extremely distasteful. Again, I think I just wasn’t the intended audience for this particular story. I still love the authors previous work … I’ll just be more cautious picking up others in the future.

Thank you to Ballantine for the advanced copy. I’m bummed it wasn’t for me in the end. 😅 All thoughts and opinions are my own and this is my voluntary review.

[Claudia G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A workplace romance, they’re both writers, and fake dating?? Sign me up!! Ok I was hooked throughout the entire book. There were many moments that had me giggling. It is very different to Joss Richard’s debut novel but still so good. She has become a new favorite author for me.

Lucy and Marsh were both characters that felt real to me. They had things they were working through in their personal lives. I really liked the cute and fun dates they went on. You could feel their chemistry. I loved their banter and found myself smiling at their interactions. The small gestures from both of them in some moments were sweet and thoughtful.

There were a couple moments where Lucy and Marsh’s actions frustrated me and had me confused but I won’t go too much into it to not spoil.

Regardless, I overall still really enjoyed this.

Thank you Dell Romance and Netgalley for the arc.

[lali ✰]

what should I do to get an ARC???? i'm dying here!!!!!

*uptade*
I GOT THE ARC!!!!!!

[Mai H.]

ANHPI TBR

Valentine's Day TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dell

[Sara ➽ Ink Is My Sword]

i feel like crying, omg. i got an arc!! it's different this time was one of my top books of last year. cannot wait for this AHHHHHHHHHHHH 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SUCH a wonderful take on the fake-dating trope. Lucy’s confidence in herself but anxiety about her job was so real and relatable in this world and then how she’s managed to own her role and choices as an experienced woman but then has to discover what intimacy actually is?! 🤌🏼 that delineation is something so often left out of romance books. Like the way these two characters so believably fell in love in the everyday minutiae of life could’ve been boring but was just enchanting. Which brings us to green flag, sexy glasses, drives a Bronco but not in a dick way, Marsh. The one thing I had to get my head around was that nickname because it just wasn’t my favorite name but I thought it was cute that he also called her Luce. A MMC who is such a supportive feminist and also vulnerable enough to finally (after some legit and real stubborn denial) recognize his own issues and overcome them while also still being a sexy man. And the scene in the car where she desensitizes him to saying dirty words 🤭 I can’t adequately explain how much this book surprised me with how much I loved it.

I can’t believe I hadn’t read Joss Richard’s first book. Just grabbed this off Edelweiss cause it was a cute title and cover! Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Now I’m going to go read her first book!

[mimi]

Thanks to Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Tyre 🍒 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored Joss Richard’s debut novel and I was SO excited to read her second book! I can say that I really enjoyed this one! 🩷

here we have a story where both main characters are writers. lucy is a sex and relationship columnist and marsh is a news writer. lucy is someone who has never been in a serious relationship and doesn’t ever want to be in one. and marsh is someone who within the last year has gotten out of a long term relationship. they both have some baggage, but their chemistry is absolutely undeniable. lucy is needing to branch out of her current stories and write more about relationships, and marsh is needing a date to his ex’s wedding. so they decide to enter a fake dating arrangement.

the story was so intriguing and I couldn’t put it down, I binged it within two days. I thought it was so different from anything I’ve read and I really enjoyed that. lucy and marsh are dealing with some very real feelings and this story shows the real raw emotions and how they try to navigate them. their decisions were sometimes frustrating but I think that’s what made them feel so real! they both had a lot of depth to them individually and I loved that it was dual pov because I think it helped a lot more with that depth.

now the chemistry? whew, so HOT 🥵 I was giggling and kicking my feet 🤭

• fake dating
• workplace romance
• sex columnist x news writer
• only one bed
• dual pov

I also really LOVED the addition of getting to see the stories that they’ve written! overall an amazing read! 🥰

thank you so much netgalley and dell for the arc! 🩷

[Nichole Hollar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you NetGalley & Joss Richard for this eARC!

Let’s Kiss and Tell is a charming fake-dating romance that follows Lucy, a successful sex columnist, and Marshall, a recently single news reporter.

Lucy has spent years avoiding serious relationships due to unresolved childhood trauma, convincing herself that love simply isn’t something she needs. Independent and career-focused, she has built her reputation writing about casual dating and hookups. But after four years, her readers are beginning to crave advice about meaningful relationships—territory Lucy has never truly experienced herself.

Then there’s Marshall, who is still recovering from the end of a nearly ten-year relationship by solely focusing on his career and nothing else. Just one year after their breakup, he’s unexpectedly invited to his ex’s wedding and desperately needs a date to prove he’s moved on and thriving.

Their arrangement seems perfect: Marshall gets a convincing fake girlfriend for the wedding, while Lucy gains firsthand experience to inspire her column and save her career. But as they spend more time together, pretending starts to feel a little too real. The question becomes: how long can they keep up the act before the lines between fake and genuine begin to disappear?

While I did thoroughly enjoy this book because I do love a fake-dating trope alongside a storyline I have never read, I did not relate to the FMC whatsoever. I think as a reader, we often want to relate to the correlating gender main character in some capacity. I think my problem was we had similar trauma in our upbringing, but no part of me would view "love" & relationships as she did because of that trauma. I also had a problem with the fact that there were no trigger warnings in this book: miscarriage and cheating.

Overall, I think this was a heavy romance. There were definitely some fun instances in this book, but I would not refer to this book as a "fun, good time." Take that with what you will :)

[Kayla Headley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for the early arc copy of this book!

This was probably one of my new favorite fake dating rom coms! I love a dual pov so getting Lucy and Marsh's chapters was the best. This story was fun, flirty and definitely stubborn when it came to love but the flow and ending was classic 90s rom com.

[anaasolorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so happy to have received this as an ARC because if Joss Richard writes it, I will be reading! After reading her debut novel, “It’s Different This Time,” I realized how much success I wanted for Joss. She’s incredibly talented, and after reading “Let’s Kiss and Tell,” I realized that it’s her unique way of writing adult characters that makes me adore her books. I found so much of myself in Lucy; she was such a fun and relatable character, and Marshall was just perfect and sweet. Lucy and Marshall, you are now one of my elite employees.

tropes:
fake dating, dual pov, workplace romance, set in LA , AND HE WEARS GLASSES!!!

and lastly thank you NetGalley for this arc and thank you Joss Richard for simply being a writer 💞

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballentine for an advanced copy of Let’s Kiss and Tell!

“There’s a life you’re envisioning in your head. You deserve to have it.”

Joss Richard’s knows how to write a romance book, good lord!!! This book was romantic, and messy, and full of raw emotion. You’re giggling and blushing on one page and then getting a brick to the face on the next.

Lucy was such an interesting character to learn about. She was so different from most fmcs in that she was already so sure of herself from the first chapter. It was so lovely to see how she was able to let people in and learn that this thing that she’s terrified of can actually be really beautiful.

And Marsh…call me gal gadot the way I don’t know how to act. As soon as any character is mentioned have Clark Kent vibes…I.AM.HOOKED! His growth in starting to see if it was okay to “take” rather than “give” was super sweet. And one of the things he’s gonna take? Lucy!

What I loved most was the vulnerability of their dynamic. Neither of them were perfect, and they chose one another because of that and not in spite of it. They were able to grow together and lean on each other, not to “fix” the other person, but because they say each other as equals.

I cannot wait for August 11th so I can get this book in my hands!!!

[Huniyah]

Expected publication August 11 (my birthday 🤩🤩🤩🤩)

[Aylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy is a sex writer and she is decidedly anti-relationships. When her boss tells her to switch it up and write about being in a relationship to appeal to a bigger audience, Lucy, who has never been in a relationship, decides to fake date Marsh, a news writer at the sister company, who also happens to need a fake-date for his ex’s wedding, for inspiration.

The plot sounded so promising and fun, two writers, fake dating and an empowered FMC. However, I simply could not get into the story.

Both main characters have their reservations about being in a relationship and those reasons, along with the „forbidden work place“ romance are presenting the central conflicts in the book. Sadly, it felt repetitive at some point. They would acknowledge the love they have for the other, and in the next paragraph completely dismiss it and come up with a reason why it wouldn‘t work. I get it. But you do this once, maybe twice, and not repeatedly, imo. It just didn‘t work for me.

Additionally, the forbidden aspect of the relationship is constantly brought up but at the end, it has absolutely no relevance? They just disregard it, don‘t talk about it etc. as if it wasn‘t a main conflict?

Now, this is just my opinion on it and an explanation why it didn‘t work for me. I don‘t think it is a bad book and did not hate it! It‘s more that I feel indifferent towards it, I could have stopped reading at any point and not pick it up again and I would have been fine.
However, Marsh and Lucy were both well-fleshed out characters with emotional depth and I do think they work well together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Books for an earc in exchange for an honest review!

[Rebecca Buddenbohn]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded 🆙 because my girl Joss knows what she’s doiiinngggg!!!

In short, I loved this book.
It is SO different from her debut ‘It’s Different This Time’ but still has Richard’s distinct voice.

The most intriguing part? This is like the anti-miscommunication trope while still making you feel the frustrations that come with the miscommunication trope (complimentary)

I think this book will make some people uncomfortable, given the premise / topics discussed, & I honestly think that made me love it even more. Sex is inherently such a huge part of life & relationships, & whereas the topic has grown in popularity over the last decade especially… I still think there is a large group of people who view it as something that should remain private. But there is such POWER is having open + honest conversations surrounding sex. ESPECIALLY with your chosen partner. I think this book explores that so well & leans toward empowering people over embarrassing them.

Lucy & Marsh worked so so well together. I think their story is one that will leave an impression & get people having harder conversations both with themselves & the people they love.

Splendid work 👏🏼

[Bris.reads.and.recs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been SUPER psyched for Joss’s upcoming novel, especially after reading It’s Different This Time—and I can confidently say that Let’s Kiss and Tell lived up to ALL of my expectations.

It’s literally the perfect blend of Nobody Wants This and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. And as someone who’s watched both a gazillion times… Joss absolutely delivers, and in the best way!

The banter and chemistry are GOLDEN, and the emotions run from high to low—there’s just never a dull moment. And yet, what I appreciate most is its sex-positive look at love, relationships, growth, and empowerment. That’s exactly why I love Joss’s writing. Her ability to write about diverse/sensitive topics and carefully weave them into her books keeps me excited for what she writes next.

But I truly couldn’t have asked for a better story, and it makes me very excited for you guys to meet Marsh and Lucy. It’s all around perfect for those who love slow-burn tension, blurred lines, and that mix of humor and vulnerability.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was worried that Joss Richard's second book wouldn't live up to how much I loved her debut, but I can happily say that 'Let's Kiss and Tell' delivered! This one is a totally different premise with completely separate characters. It's a completely different book, and I LIKE IT THAT WAY.

It's giving '00s rom-com. It's giving How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. It's giving yet another perfect man written by a woman. (Hi Marsh and your slutty little glasses!)

One more thing (SPOILERS AHEAD):

I saw a few reviews that were annoyed or taken out of the story because of the other people the two main characters are sleeping with, and I am just like...has no one ever been in a real, messy relationship? Also, the moment with Marsh near the end was to show. him. Lucy's. perspective. on. sex. and help him understand how she saw the world! Sometimes, we have to make mistakes in the messiest ways to help find ourselves and bring us back to the people we are meant to be with.

Anyways, I loved this one a lot, I love Joss' writing style, and she will now be an auto-buy for me!

[Jess Hilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one started off so fun. The rom-com energy had me smiling right away, playful, a little sharp, and exactly what I was hoping for.

Marshall and Lucy worked really well for me. He’s self-aware but a little caught up in how he’s perceived, and she’s the complete opposite, using that “I don’t care” energy as a shield. Watching them meet in the middle, especially in a fake relationship where they could just be real with each other, felt really refreshing.

The second half shifts into deeper, heavier territory, which I can appreciate for the character growth… but it lost some of the humor and spark that made the beginning so fun. I definitely missed that lightness.

Still, strong chemistry, great side characters, and a dynamic that really worked. I just wish it had kept a bit more of that original charm all the way through. 💛