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26 Kisses
Kasie West meets Morgan Matson in this hilarious and heartwarming debut about a girl’s summer mission to get over her ex-boyfriend by kissing her way through the alphabet.
Getting dumped by her boyfriend is not how Veda planned on starting her summer. When Mark makes it clear that it’s over between them, Veda is heartbroken and humiliated—but, more importantly, she’s inspired. So she sets out on the love quest of a use the summer to forget about Mark, to move on, and move up. All she has to do is kiss twenty-six boys with twenty-six different names—one for each letter of the alphabet.
From the top of the Ferris wheel at her hometown carnival to the sandy dunes of Lake Michigan, Veda takes every opportunity she can to add kisses (and boys) to her list, and soon the break-up doesn’t sting quite as much. But just when Veda thinks she has the whole kissing thing figured out, she meets someone who turns her world upside down.
Getting dumped by her boyfriend is not how Veda planned on starting her summer. When Mark makes it clear that it’s over between them, Veda is heartbroken and humiliated—but, more importantly, she’s inspired. So she sets out on the love quest of a use the summer to forget about Mark, to move on, and move up. All she has to do is kiss twenty-six boys with twenty-six different names—one for each letter of the alphabet.
From the top of the Ferris wheel at her hometown carnival to the sandy dunes of Lake Michigan, Veda takes every opportunity she can to add kisses (and boys) to her list, and soon the break-up doesn’t sting quite as much. But just when Veda thinks she has the whole kissing thing figured out, she meets someone who turns her world upside down.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2016
166 people are currently reading
5248 people want to read
About the author
Anna Michels
2 books92 followersWhen I was writing 26 Kisses, I asked myself, "If you could be seventeen again and be kissed anywhere by any guy, what would happen?" My favorite scenes in the book grew out of that question--scenes that are stuffed to the gills with the sights, sounds, and smells of summer, and the fluttery feeling you really only get with a first kiss. I loved writing 26 Kisses, and I hope you love reading it!
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August 2, 2018
3.5 stars!
Well... the idea of kissing 26 guys was interesting. I kind of made a list with the guys I kissed so far. :))
About the book: I liked it, but it was a little bit too childish for my taste. Killian made the book way more interesting than it was. However, Vee was awkward. And her brother was so annoying. And don’t get me started on Mel. God, I hated that girl. All the time, I had the feeling that Mel was trying to make Vee look like a slut. Even tho it wasn’t like this. She seemed mean from my point of view.
Not bad tho.
Well... the idea of kissing 26 guys was interesting. I kind of made a list with the guys I kissed so far. :))
About the book: I liked it, but it was a little bit too childish for my taste. Killian made the book way more interesting than it was. However, Vee was awkward. And her brother was so annoying. And don’t get me started on Mel. God, I hated that girl. All the time, I had the feeling that Mel was trying to make Vee look like a slut. Even tho it wasn’t like this. She seemed mean from my point of view.
Not bad tho.
April 2, 2016
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
26 Kisses by Anna Michels
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 24, 2016
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Kasie West meets Morgan Matson in this hilarious and heartwarming debut about a girl’s summer mission to get over her ex-boyfriend by kissing her way through the alphabet.
Getting dumped by her boyfriend is not how Veda planned on starting her summer. When Mark makes it clear that it’s over between them, Veda is heartbroken and humiliated—but, more importantly, she’s inspired. So she sets out on the love quest of a lifetime: use the summer to forget about Mark, to move on, and move up. All she has to do is kiss twenty-six boys with twenty-six different names—one for each letter of the alphabet.
From the top of the Ferris wheel at her hometown carnival to the sandy dunes of Lake Michigan, Veda takes every opportunity she can to add kisses (and boys) to her list, and soon the break-up doesn’t sting quite as much. But just when Veda thinks she has the whole kissing thing figured out, she meets someone who turns her world upside down.
What I Liked:
You're probably thinking: Alyssa, why in the world would you read something like this?! You despite romances that are anything not binary. A girl kissing twenty-six guys? You're just TRYING to hate all YA contemporary, aren't you? Well, the thing is, this book came highly recommended to me by a fellow blogging peer, and she promised that there were no romantic feelings involved (with one exception) and that it was a cute book. While I definitely could have gone my whole life without reading this book, it wasn't terrible. Just... probably something I shouldn't have picked up.
Veda and Mark had been dating for years, but right after his high school graduation, he breaks up with her. So it's the summer between Veda's junior and senior year of high school, and she's heartbroken. Her friend Mel comes up with a plan to get her to forget about Mark: kiss twenty-six guys, one for each letter of the alphabet, in order. It can be any kind of kiss - from her, from him, and not necessarily on the lips. Veda hesitates but soon she decides the distraction is good for her. But she gets caught up in the challenge, and she also falls for a new guy... Veda doesn't plan for her developing feelings for him, and she'll have to decide if she is ready for a new relationship.
I enjoyed reading the book from Veda's narrative. I felt so bad for her, and I was cheering her on, as she worked towards completing the challenge. Most of the kisses were on the cheek, or on the wrist, or basically not on the lips. I think maybe four or five kisses were actual lip/tongue kisses, and that didn't bother me so much because she was drunk for two of them, and the rest (except one) clearly didn't mean anything.
I personally do not think it's the best idea to go around kissing anyone and everyone just for the heck of it. It will send the wrong message, and in this book, it did. See more on that below.
Part of me is torn because while I hated the twenty-six kisses challenge, I saw and understood how it helped Veda move on. It gave her focus and distraction from Mark, which she really needed, after the breakup. It helped her move on.
Falling for someone else expedited the process (of moving on) as well. Killian is from the town over, and he's working at Mel's dad's store with Mel and Veda. Killian is a sweet nerd who hates his town and high school. He and Veda get along really well, and hit it off immediately. Veda knows she's not ready for a relationship (she was just dumped by the boy she dated for years), but she discovers that she does want more from Killian.
I think that romance with Killian saved this book a little. The story started to slide down a slippery slope around two-thirds in, as the challenge started to catch up with Veda negatively. But Killian's patience and sweetness were things Veda needed, especially as she needed the time to figure out what she wanted. I'm glad she went through with the challenge, though I think it was wholly idiotic to begin with.
Overall, not bad, but not something I'd recommend or ever reread.
What I Did Not Like:
I kept saying this, but the whole challenge is absolutely dumb. Mel has no brain cells apparently; Veda never wanted to do this, but Mel suggested it and really bullied Veda into doing it. Friend? No. Mel... I don't know what to say about her. Clearly she's an idiot for thinking this challenge was a good idea, and clearly she's naive if she thought Veda would want to do it. Eventually Veda got into the game but she never really wanted to do it!
Did I mention that Veda is spineless? Because she is. She lets Mel, and her dad, and her brother Jeffrey, walk all over her.
People started calling Veda a slut, and while I do not think that's okay, I also don't think it's okay that Veda felt weird about kissing so many boys, and she kept doing it. On the lips, too! And then she acknowledges the fact that she likes Killian, and still kisses at least one more guy on the lips. Don't go looking for a reputation you don't want. What do you think is going to happen when you kiss one boy one day, another boy another day, etc., and you're kissing them like they're oxygen? Obviously other people are going to judge you (and the mean ones are going to call you a slut).
The drama in the last fourth of the book was too much for me. Veda got a little irrational, and an argument she had with Killian was so ridiculous. Both of them were out of line, but Killian is the one who has to apologize. No! It should have been both of them! Veda doesn't get a free pass/excuse because she just got out of a relationship.
I also don't think Veda was being fair to Killian, in continuing the kissing challenge. You see how I'm torn about that, right? On the one hand, the challenge was good for her, and helped her get over Mark. On the other hand, she falls for Killian, the two of them acknowledge the fact that they more than like each other, and yet, Veda still wants to kiss other guys. Even if those kisses mean nothing, the ones that get really heavy... it's like cheating on Killian, even if the two of you aren't in a committed relationship (yet). Yes, she owed him nothing at that point, but I think it's human decency to not keep kissing other people when you have an understanding with a guy?
Again, the drama in the ending of the book was ridiculous. And the actual ending, after the drama is resolved, is barely wrapped up. This book could have seriously benefited from an epilogue.
Would I Recommend It:
I sooooo do not recommend this book. Again, like I said in the early part of my review, this book wasn't terrible. But it's also not worth reading, even if you are a YA contemporary romance fan. I tried this book because it came highly recommend from a blogging friend who assured me of certain things, so I thought it wouldn't be that bad. I think my preferences in romance are a little tighter than hers (and that is okay!), hence why I ended up not enjoying this book.
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded down to 2 stars. Maybe it's my age that is affecting this rating (I'm just out of my teen years) but I couldn't really understand the logic of some of these characters - i.e. the entire point of this book. At no point after starting the book did the twenty-six kisses challenge seem like a good idea (even if it did help Veda get over Mark)!
26 Kisses by Anna Michels
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 24, 2016
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Kasie West meets Morgan Matson in this hilarious and heartwarming debut about a girl’s summer mission to get over her ex-boyfriend by kissing her way through the alphabet.
Getting dumped by her boyfriend is not how Veda planned on starting her summer. When Mark makes it clear that it’s over between them, Veda is heartbroken and humiliated—but, more importantly, she’s inspired. So she sets out on the love quest of a lifetime: use the summer to forget about Mark, to move on, and move up. All she has to do is kiss twenty-six boys with twenty-six different names—one for each letter of the alphabet.
From the top of the Ferris wheel at her hometown carnival to the sandy dunes of Lake Michigan, Veda takes every opportunity she can to add kisses (and boys) to her list, and soon the break-up doesn’t sting quite as much. But just when Veda thinks she has the whole kissing thing figured out, she meets someone who turns her world upside down.
What I Liked:
You're probably thinking: Alyssa, why in the world would you read something like this?! You despite romances that are anything not binary. A girl kissing twenty-six guys? You're just TRYING to hate all YA contemporary, aren't you? Well, the thing is, this book came highly recommended to me by a fellow blogging peer, and she promised that there were no romantic feelings involved (with one exception) and that it was a cute book. While I definitely could have gone my whole life without reading this book, it wasn't terrible. Just... probably something I shouldn't have picked up.
Veda and Mark had been dating for years, but right after his high school graduation, he breaks up with her. So it's the summer between Veda's junior and senior year of high school, and she's heartbroken. Her friend Mel comes up with a plan to get her to forget about Mark: kiss twenty-six guys, one for each letter of the alphabet, in order. It can be any kind of kiss - from her, from him, and not necessarily on the lips. Veda hesitates but soon she decides the distraction is good for her. But she gets caught up in the challenge, and she also falls for a new guy... Veda doesn't plan for her developing feelings for him, and she'll have to decide if she is ready for a new relationship.
I enjoyed reading the book from Veda's narrative. I felt so bad for her, and I was cheering her on, as she worked towards completing the challenge. Most of the kisses were on the cheek, or on the wrist, or basically not on the lips. I think maybe four or five kisses were actual lip/tongue kisses, and that didn't bother me so much because she was drunk for two of them, and the rest (except one) clearly didn't mean anything.
I personally do not think it's the best idea to go around kissing anyone and everyone just for the heck of it. It will send the wrong message, and in this book, it did. See more on that below.
Part of me is torn because while I hated the twenty-six kisses challenge, I saw and understood how it helped Veda move on. It gave her focus and distraction from Mark, which she really needed, after the breakup. It helped her move on.
Falling for someone else expedited the process (of moving on) as well. Killian is from the town over, and he's working at Mel's dad's store with Mel and Veda. Killian is a sweet nerd who hates his town and high school. He and Veda get along really well, and hit it off immediately. Veda knows she's not ready for a relationship (she was just dumped by the boy she dated for years), but she discovers that she does want more from Killian.
I think that romance with Killian saved this book a little. The story started to slide down a slippery slope around two-thirds in, as the challenge started to catch up with Veda negatively. But Killian's patience and sweetness were things Veda needed, especially as she needed the time to figure out what she wanted. I'm glad she went through with the challenge, though I think it was wholly idiotic to begin with.
Overall, not bad, but not something I'd recommend or ever reread.
What I Did Not Like:
I kept saying this, but the whole challenge is absolutely dumb. Mel has no brain cells apparently; Veda never wanted to do this, but Mel suggested it and really bullied Veda into doing it. Friend? No. Mel... I don't know what to say about her. Clearly she's an idiot for thinking this challenge was a good idea, and clearly she's naive if she thought Veda would want to do it. Eventually Veda got into the game but she never really wanted to do it!
Did I mention that Veda is spineless? Because she is. She lets Mel, and her dad, and her brother Jeffrey, walk all over her.
People started calling Veda a slut, and while I do not think that's okay, I also don't think it's okay that Veda felt weird about kissing so many boys, and she kept doing it. On the lips, too! And then she acknowledges the fact that she likes Killian, and still kisses at least one more guy on the lips. Don't go looking for a reputation you don't want. What do you think is going to happen when you kiss one boy one day, another boy another day, etc., and you're kissing them like they're oxygen? Obviously other people are going to judge you (and the mean ones are going to call you a slut).
The drama in the last fourth of the book was too much for me. Veda got a little irrational, and an argument she had with Killian was so ridiculous. Both of them were out of line, but Killian is the one who has to apologize. No! It should have been both of them! Veda doesn't get a free pass/excuse because she just got out of a relationship.
I also don't think Veda was being fair to Killian, in continuing the kissing challenge. You see how I'm torn about that, right? On the one hand, the challenge was good for her, and helped her get over Mark. On the other hand, she falls for Killian, the two of them acknowledge the fact that they more than like each other, and yet, Veda still wants to kiss other guys. Even if those kisses mean nothing, the ones that get really heavy... it's like cheating on Killian, even if the two of you aren't in a committed relationship (yet). Yes, she owed him nothing at that point, but I think it's human decency to not keep kissing other people when you have an understanding with a guy?
Again, the drama in the ending of the book was ridiculous. And the actual ending, after the drama is resolved, is barely wrapped up. This book could have seriously benefited from an epilogue.
Would I Recommend It:
I sooooo do not recommend this book. Again, like I said in the early part of my review, this book wasn't terrible. But it's also not worth reading, even if you are a YA contemporary romance fan. I tried this book because it came highly recommend from a blogging friend who assured me of certain things, so I thought it wouldn't be that bad. I think my preferences in romance are a little tighter than hers (and that is okay!), hence why I ended up not enjoying this book.
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded down to 2 stars. Maybe it's my age that is affecting this rating (I'm just out of my teen years) but I couldn't really understand the logic of some of these characters - i.e. the entire point of this book. At no point after starting the book did the twenty-six kisses challenge seem like a good idea (even if it did help Veda get over Mark)!
February 10, 2017
.5 stars
Fuck this book.If there’s a cute-sounding YA contemporary romance on EW or NG, I am going to request. This is a truth only slightly less well-known than me of good fortune being in want of wives, okay. 26 Kisses sounded totally awesome to me. Sure, there are lots of ways this slightly odd kissing challenge book could go wrong, but I could not resist a kissing challenge book. Also, I in no way expected things to go this wrong.
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Before I get into the rant that this review will soon become, I want to talk about the elements of 26 Kisses that did work for me, few though they were. Michels does have the ability to write cute banter and attraction. The first half of the book has a couple of nice kiss scenes, and Vee has good chemistry with a couple of the guys, when she initially actually wants to kiss them and they want to kiss her back. Her chemistry with her love interest Killian is especially good. Killian’s completely amazing. He and Vee could have been a great ship, but, yeah, that’s not going to happen.
The kissing challenge premise could have worked, but it goes wrong in a number of ways right from the start. It gets off to a bad beginning when the idea comes from Vee’s best friend Mel after Vee happens to make out with a dude named Adam and then mentions a kiss on the head from her father, Barry. Vee doesn’t have much interest in kissing a guy for each letter of the alphabet at all, and she feels a bit bullied into it. She does agree, but it’s an awkward start that pretty accurately sets the tone for the shitshow that’s to come.
Then, there’s the set up of the challenge. Ostensibly, the point of the A to Z kissing challenge is for Vee to get over her ex, Mark (after two years of dating, he dumped her after graduation so he wouldn’t be burdened with a girlfriend going off to college). If that’s the goal, then why does a kiss on the head from her father count? In what way will that help her recover from a hard break up? How will kissing some stranger’s jacket help? (Yeah, that happens and gets counted.) There’s some other messed up shit here, which I’ll address later, but even the non-problematic stuff is weird.
Like, literally, the whole point of this is for her to kiss more guys so she’ll see that Mark isn’t the only guy who can lay on the smooches like whoa. Why even bother with this challenge if many of the letters are going to be kisses to or from family members (not on the lips, but counting and rating them like the rest of the kisses really fucking grosses me out) or from a dog? The way this challenge has been set up makes absolutely zero sense for the proposed goal.
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Then, there’s the fact that so much of the drama is really predictable and doesn’t fit the characters. Early on, Vee meets the aforementioned adorable Killian. By halfway through the book, they both like each other and he’s making very clear moves to enter a relationship, but Vee, despite hating the challenge at basically every point, refuses to fucking give it up for reasons that are never clear.
Even this maybe could have been handled well, but it isn’t. Vee, for example, isn’t just reeling from Mark’s cruel dumping; she’s also still reeling from her parents’ divorce five years before. Her father announcing an impending news with her step-family could have been a believable catalyst for fear of people leaving, but that’s not the angle that 26 Kisses takes. Instead, Vee just clings to this challenge that routinely makes her feel like shit about herself, claiming that it means something more, a something that’s completely unclear to the reader.
Every inevitable fight happens and turns out to be worse than I would have expected. Killian’s obviously hurt when she tells him she wants to be more than friends but that she wants to kiss thirteen more people first. He’s mad and sad, but he quickly rallies, decides she means enough to him that he’s willing to support her, and tries to come up with a game plan to help her finish quickly. Vee GETS MAD AT HIM FOR TRYING TO FORCE HER INTO A RELATIONSHIP SHE SAID SHE WANTED. He ends up apologizing over and over for this, eventually getting her back with a grand gesture. She does not apologize; the closest she gets is thinking that she wished she hadn’t been quite so mean that night. Basically, Killian’s a darling, and Vee’s a jerk.
Best friend Mel and other best friend I’ve not mentioned yet, Seth, have started obviously having feelings for each other. Vee, despite having no romantic interest in Seth, feels jealous that he now has a crush on Mel, because FIVE YEARS AGO, he had a crush on Vee. Of course, because this book is the worst Seth ends up doubting whether he’s over Vee, she kisses him for the challenge, Mel sees, and drama fight waaaaah. It’s cool though. Seth and Mel both show up to cheer her on in her half marathon and everything’s really cool, even without her half-hearted apology. There’s also a great awkward moment where they show up, clearly together, and Seth’s trying so hard to be convincing about not being remotely drawn to Vee anymore. Once again, this resolves without Vee learning anything or modifying her behavior.
Basically, the determination to finish the kissing challenge (which she ultimately does in a non-creepy but pointless way with Killian’s help post-grand gesture) and the absolutely ludicrous and shitty “love triangle” with Seth and Mel seem to make the book long enough. To fill the book out, it could instead have allowed Killian and Vee to build a real relationship and let Vee actually resolve her issues with her father.
There’s so much potential in Vee’s tension with her father. Michel sets up an interesting dynamic with the step-mother, who is clearly going through a mental health thing (seems like agoraphobia or social anxiety), but it’s barely addressed. In the end, Vee suddenly goes from pissed as fuck that her dad’s moving across the country without warning to totally accepting. They have a little conversation in which her dad apologizes and she assures him that she does care, and that’s that. Everything’s perfect even though no one did or learned anything whatsoever. The character arcs in this book are fucking awful because they are fucking nonexistent.
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Slut-shaming runs rampant in 26 Kisses, almost entirely in the form of the word “slut,” though there’s a “ho” thrown in for good measure. Vee doesn’t really think about it until her little brother informs her that word’s getting out and he’s upset to be thought of as the little brother of a slut. Typically, the point of this would ultimately be for the heroine to learn that slut-shaming is bullshit. Here’s her big lesson she learns on slut-shaming.
After this point, there’s another reference to “slutdom,” probably because her grand realization and self-acceptance is that there are sluts, but it’s rude to point it out to others. But apparently to Vee, slut-shaming yourself is totally a fabulous idea and should be done. This is so fucking offensive that I would probably throw this book in the trash if I had a physical copy.
In addition to the rampant slut-shaming, there were a couple of other things in this book that were offensively uncomfortable. There were a couple of insulting references to wheelchairs apropos of nothing. Vee thinks, upon seeing her grandfather in a wheelchair that it “takes that illusion of power away,” making him seem “withered.” Additionally, the grandfather turns out to be able to walk without one, and he has some choice thoughts on wheelchairs as well.
It’s such bullshit that this ableism is just thrown in for the hell of it. There was absolutely no reason to get into this. Disgust for wheelchairs is there just for shits and giggles.
Then, there are the parts of the kissing challenge that made me downright uncomfortable (even more than rating kisses with family members and counting them towards this). This book has consent problems. Twice in this book, Vee kisses guys without building a moment, guys who have expressed zero interest in being kissed by her. In one instance, Mel and Vee show up at the kid’s house, Vee comes up, kisses him on the lips, and then she runs away and leaves. This is super creepy and not okay.
Later, she kisses a rising sophomore (she’s a rising senior) from Debate club unexpectedly after driving him home. He ends up coming out to her as a result. I am so deeply uncomfortable with her doing this to accomplish this kissing challenge. Ask, and maybe they’d do it, but don’t just jump them. How the fuck would you feel, Vee? If this was done by a male character to a female character, there’s no way it would be considered acceptable.
The third kiss that really bothered me was the most puzzling and out of place scene in the book. While the rest of the book is fluffy and cutesy (even when it’s being absolutely horrid), there’s this one scene that goes dark and creepy, with language coded like she’s about to be sexually assaulted. She’s at a park, by the dark creepy bathrooms alone with this guy she does not know, drunk to the point of disorientation and swaying. She does consent to making out with this guy, because his name starts with the letter T, but it scared me.
Even that terrifying kiss with Thomas, which she immediately regrets, and the horrible love triangle tropefest kiss with Seth, don’t convince Vee to quit this challenge, which has, after about the letter D, been making her feel like shit about herself pretty consistently. I do not understand why it was so important to her to finish. Her best friend even says that she never expected Vee to actually finish, just to do it until she was over her ex. The narration barely tries to make this make sense, Vee just telling Mel that it’s become so much more, without explaining the more.
Eventually, though, Vee claims the challenge has taught her a few things, like how she doesn’t need Mark or anyone. This one’s closest to being the point of the challenge, but it’s mostly just melodrama in response to being in the middle of fights with Killian and her friends, both of which will be resolved when those three wait to celebrate her half-marathon even though she didn’t apologize.
Then, Vee offers up this gem.
Now, yes, don’t give up is generally good advice, but it’s not ALWAYS ACROSS THE BOARD good advice. If something is bad for your mental health, you might need to quit it. If kissing seven guys got you over your ex, and you’ve fallen for someone else, the challenge was already successful, and maybe you should shut it down. She got nothing out of the rest of the challenge that she hadn’t already gotten, aside from the delight of crossing out all 26 letters.
Then there’s the final bit of wisdom.
The 26 kisses didn’t teach her this. Again, she very much knew basically all of this by the time she kissed Killian and had her inevitable scene with Mark where he wanted her back and she was over him. She had half the alphabet to go when she got over her heartbreak, learned that plenty of guys are fun to kiss, and that it was okay for a girl to pay for a date. As for the last bit, here’s how Vee learned how to love herself: she kissed herself for the letter V. Such metaphor. Much resolution. Very therapy. Wow. Also, note all the things she did not learn. For all that the challenge supposedly turned out to be about more than getting over Mark, all of those things are essentially getting over Mark. She didn’t learn anything about friendship or family or how to treat people. Not a damn thing. In a good book, the main character will leave the book changed from when it started. Vee leaves it precisely the same, except that instead of sad over her ex-boyfriend, she’s happy she has a new one. WHAT AN EMOTIONAL JOURNEY.
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A book about a kissing challenge sounds like my jam. I mean, the potential cuteness of the premise of 26 Kisses is huge. It sounds like such a Christina book. Unfortunately, 26 Kisses is an offensive, hot ass mess of slut-shaming, poor characterization, and all the worst handling of tropes. This book is a shitshow, and I seriously advise against it. There are so many better books with this sort of concept. Instead, try Rachael Allen’s 17 First Kisses or Lindsey Rosin’s Cherry for similar sorts of basic ideas but with amazing executions.
Fuck this book.If there’s a cute-sounding YA contemporary romance on EW or NG, I am going to request. This is a truth only slightly less well-known than me of good fortune being in want of wives, okay. 26 Kisses sounded totally awesome to me. Sure, there are lots of ways this slightly odd kissing challenge book could go wrong, but I could not resist a kissing challenge book. Also, I in no way expected things to go this wrong.
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Before I get into the rant that this review will soon become, I want to talk about the elements of 26 Kisses that did work for me, few though they were. Michels does have the ability to write cute banter and attraction. The first half of the book has a couple of nice kiss scenes, and Vee has good chemistry with a couple of the guys, when she initially actually wants to kiss them and they want to kiss her back. Her chemistry with her love interest Killian is especially good. Killian’s completely amazing. He and Vee could have been a great ship, but, yeah, that’s not going to happen.
The kissing challenge premise could have worked, but it goes wrong in a number of ways right from the start. It gets off to a bad beginning when the idea comes from Vee’s best friend Mel after Vee happens to make out with a dude named Adam and then mentions a kiss on the head from her father, Barry. Vee doesn’t have much interest in kissing a guy for each letter of the alphabet at all, and she feels a bit bullied into it. She does agree, but it’s an awkward start that pretty accurately sets the tone for the shitshow that’s to come.
Then, there’s the set up of the challenge. Ostensibly, the point of the A to Z kissing challenge is for Vee to get over her ex, Mark (after two years of dating, he dumped her after graduation so he wouldn’t be burdened with a girlfriend going off to college). If that’s the goal, then why does a kiss on the head from her father count? In what way will that help her recover from a hard break up? How will kissing some stranger’s jacket help? (Yeah, that happens and gets counted.) There’s some other messed up shit here, which I’ll address later, but even the non-problematic stuff is weird.
Like, literally, the whole point of this is for her to kiss more guys so she’ll see that Mark isn’t the only guy who can lay on the smooches like whoa. Why even bother with this challenge if many of the letters are going to be kisses to or from family members (not on the lips, but counting and rating them like the rest of the kisses really fucking grosses me out) or from a dog? The way this challenge has been set up makes absolutely zero sense for the proposed goal.
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Then, there’s the fact that so much of the drama is really predictable and doesn’t fit the characters. Early on, Vee meets the aforementioned adorable Killian. By halfway through the book, they both like each other and he’s making very clear moves to enter a relationship, but Vee, despite hating the challenge at basically every point, refuses to fucking give it up for reasons that are never clear.
Even this maybe could have been handled well, but it isn’t. Vee, for example, isn’t just reeling from Mark’s cruel dumping; she’s also still reeling from her parents’ divorce five years before. Her father announcing an impending news with her step-family could have been a believable catalyst for fear of people leaving, but that’s not the angle that 26 Kisses takes. Instead, Vee just clings to this challenge that routinely makes her feel like shit about herself, claiming that it means something more, a something that’s completely unclear to the reader.
Every inevitable fight happens and turns out to be worse than I would have expected. Killian’s obviously hurt when she tells him she wants to be more than friends but that she wants to kiss thirteen more people first. He’s mad and sad, but he quickly rallies, decides she means enough to him that he’s willing to support her, and tries to come up with a game plan to help her finish quickly. Vee GETS MAD AT HIM FOR TRYING TO FORCE HER INTO A RELATIONSHIP SHE SAID SHE WANTED. He ends up apologizing over and over for this, eventually getting her back with a grand gesture. She does not apologize; the closest she gets is thinking that she wished she hadn’t been quite so mean that night. Basically, Killian’s a darling, and Vee’s a jerk.
Best friend Mel and other best friend I’ve not mentioned yet, Seth, have started obviously having feelings for each other. Vee, despite having no romantic interest in Seth, feels jealous that he now has a crush on Mel, because FIVE YEARS AGO, he had a crush on Vee. Of course, because this book is the worst Seth ends up doubting whether he’s over Vee, she kisses him for the challenge, Mel sees, and drama fight waaaaah. It’s cool though. Seth and Mel both show up to cheer her on in her half marathon and everything’s really cool, even without her half-hearted apology. There’s also a great awkward moment where they show up, clearly together, and Seth’s trying so hard to be convincing about not being remotely drawn to Vee anymore. Once again, this resolves without Vee learning anything or modifying her behavior.
Basically, the determination to finish the kissing challenge (which she ultimately does in a non-creepy but pointless way with Killian’s help post-grand gesture) and the absolutely ludicrous and shitty “love triangle” with Seth and Mel seem to make the book long enough. To fill the book out, it could instead have allowed Killian and Vee to build a real relationship and let Vee actually resolve her issues with her father.
There’s so much potential in Vee’s tension with her father. Michel sets up an interesting dynamic with the step-mother, who is clearly going through a mental health thing (seems like agoraphobia or social anxiety), but it’s barely addressed. In the end, Vee suddenly goes from pissed as fuck that her dad’s moving across the country without warning to totally accepting. They have a little conversation in which her dad apologizes and she assures him that she does care, and that’s that. Everything’s perfect even though no one did or learned anything whatsoever. The character arcs in this book are fucking awful because they are fucking nonexistent.
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Slut-shaming runs rampant in 26 Kisses, almost entirely in the form of the word “slut,” though there’s a “ho” thrown in for good measure. Vee doesn’t really think about it until her little brother informs her that word’s getting out and he’s upset to be thought of as the little brother of a slut. Typically, the point of this would ultimately be for the heroine to learn that slut-shaming is bullshit. Here’s her big lesson she learns on slut-shaming.
At least, I haven’t done anything that qualifies me as a slut—and even if I had, it’s not like it would be anyone’s business but my own.
After this point, there’s another reference to “slutdom,” probably because her grand realization and self-acceptance is that there are sluts, but it’s rude to point it out to others. But apparently to Vee, slut-shaming yourself is totally a fabulous idea and should be done. This is so fucking offensive that I would probably throw this book in the trash if I had a physical copy.
In addition to the rampant slut-shaming, there were a couple of other things in this book that were offensively uncomfortable. There were a couple of insulting references to wheelchairs apropos of nothing. Vee thinks, upon seeing her grandfather in a wheelchair that it “takes that illusion of power away,” making him seem “withered.” Additionally, the grandfather turns out to be able to walk without one, and he has some choice thoughts on wheelchairs as well.
“I don’t actually ride in that cursed thing.” Grandpa gives it a look of pure disgust. “But it’s a hell of a lot more comfortable to sit in than those folding chairs.”
It’s such bullshit that this ableism is just thrown in for the hell of it. There was absolutely no reason to get into this. Disgust for wheelchairs is there just for shits and giggles.
Then, there are the parts of the kissing challenge that made me downright uncomfortable (even more than rating kisses with family members and counting them towards this). This book has consent problems. Twice in this book, Vee kisses guys without building a moment, guys who have expressed zero interest in being kissed by her. In one instance, Mel and Vee show up at the kid’s house, Vee comes up, kisses him on the lips, and then she runs away and leaves. This is super creepy and not okay.
Later, she kisses a rising sophomore (she’s a rising senior) from Debate club unexpectedly after driving him home. He ends up coming out to her as a result. I am so deeply uncomfortable with her doing this to accomplish this kissing challenge. Ask, and maybe they’d do it, but don’t just jump them. How the fuck would you feel, Vee? If this was done by a male character to a female character, there’s no way it would be considered acceptable.
The third kiss that really bothered me was the most puzzling and out of place scene in the book. While the rest of the book is fluffy and cutesy (even when it’s being absolutely horrid), there’s this one scene that goes dark and creepy, with language coded like she’s about to be sexually assaulted. She’s at a park, by the dark creepy bathrooms alone with this guy she does not know, drunk to the point of disorientation and swaying. She does consent to making out with this guy, because his name starts with the letter T, but it scared me.
Even that terrifying kiss with Thomas, which she immediately regrets, and the horrible love triangle tropefest kiss with Seth, don’t convince Vee to quit this challenge, which has, after about the letter D, been making her feel like shit about herself pretty consistently. I do not understand why it was so important to her to finish. Her best friend even says that she never expected Vee to actually finish, just to do it until she was over her ex. The narration barely tries to make this make sense, Vee just telling Mel that it’s become so much more, without explaining the more.
Eventually, though, Vee claims the challenge has taught her a few things, like how she doesn’t need Mark or anyone. This one’s closest to being the point of the challenge, but it’s mostly just melodrama in response to being in the middle of fights with Killian and her friends, both of which will be resolved when those three wait to celebrate her half-marathon even though she didn’t apologize.
Then, Vee offers up this gem.
Like so many things—school, friendships, kissing challenges—the hardest part is just not letting yourself give up.
Now, yes, don’t give up is generally good advice, but it’s not ALWAYS ACROSS THE BOARD good advice. If something is bad for your mental health, you might need to quit it. If kissing seven guys got you over your ex, and you’ve fallen for someone else, the challenge was already successful, and maybe you should shut it down. She got nothing out of the rest of the challenge that she hadn’t already gotten, aside from the delight of crossing out all 26 letters.
Then there’s the final bit of wisdom.
I almost can’t believe twenty-six kisses went from being a dumb way to shock myself into getting over Mark to something that actually mattered—that showed me there’s no one perfect guy for me, that it’s okay for the girl to pay, that you can get your heart broken and come out the other side whole. That the most important thing you can do is love yourself, and other people will follow your lead.
The 26 kisses didn’t teach her this. Again, she very much knew basically all of this by the time she kissed Killian and had her inevitable scene with Mark where he wanted her back and she was over him. She had half the alphabet to go when she got over her heartbreak, learned that plenty of guys are fun to kiss, and that it was okay for a girl to pay for a date. As for the last bit, here’s how Vee learned how to love herself: she kissed herself for the letter V. Such metaphor. Much resolution. Very therapy. Wow. Also, note all the things she did not learn. For all that the challenge supposedly turned out to be about more than getting over Mark, all of those things are essentially getting over Mark. She didn’t learn anything about friendship or family or how to treat people. Not a damn thing. In a good book, the main character will leave the book changed from when it started. Vee leaves it precisely the same, except that instead of sad over her ex-boyfriend, she’s happy she has a new one. WHAT AN EMOTIONAL JOURNEY.
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A book about a kissing challenge sounds like my jam. I mean, the potential cuteness of the premise of 26 Kisses is huge. It sounds like such a Christina book. Unfortunately, 26 Kisses is an offensive, hot ass mess of slut-shaming, poor characterization, and all the worst handling of tropes. This book is a shitshow, and I seriously advise against it. There are so many better books with this sort of concept. Instead, try Rachael Allen’s 17 First Kisses or Lindsey Rosin’s Cherry for similar sorts of basic ideas but with amazing executions.
February 7, 2017
3.5 adorable, but with problems stars.~
Minor spoilers and I don't really think they're spoilers since it's a light easy read book, so you could guess them from just the blurb.
Vee wants to get over Mark and how else than to kiss 26 guys, 1 for every letter of the alphabet.
I'm going to try something new again. (Third different method so far?)
The good:
•The idea. I knew what I was getting into when I started reading. The title was evidence enough and I enjoyed the creative idea.
•Killian. He was so adorkable. Also he seemed to be a little realistic. That is for the most part, except at the end where he wants to help the MC finish the challenge. That was a little sad (for him).
•The writing. The writing was easy and pleasant to read and the beginning didn't drone on so that was nice.
The bad:
•Mel. I disliked one thing she did. The underage drinking from the beginning irked me for the two of them (Mel and Vee) are underaged and there are reasons it is illegal to do so. After kissing a guy after drinking, Vee has a hangover and Mel never asks her if she's okay or even tries to stop the kiss when her friend is drunk. NO.
•Vee. THIS GIRL IS IRKSOME. At first I thought "you go girl" when she goes along with Mel to start the 26 kisses challenge because I wanted her to get over her ex, and if that was the way to go, than let it be so. However, she first gets jealous of her friends, Seth and Mel, who seem to like each other and have grown closer because she was spending all her time with Mark, her boyfriend.
Who, first of all, spends ALL their time with one person? I don't mean family or friends, but if you devote yourself like this and you let them take advantage of your time and you, they will hurt you. If you don't set boundaries and limits, you will help them hurt you for they will expect you to expect little to nothing in return.
Now she gets jealous of their bond and then starts to remember all the times Seth says he loves her when she's kissing all these other guys and such. ARG.
Then she has the audacity to be mad at Killian who, by the way, has done NOTHING WRONG, but like her for kissing everyone even though he likes her and I'm sure she knows it. She acts like a spoiled brat who is the victim ALL. Of. The. Time. She has her moments where I like her or feel pity, but I can only take so much before I expect change from being winy to doing something, besides hurting others for your own benefit.
I could go on for a little while longer, but I'm sure you get the point and act better. Maybe.
•The rules. If you read the rules on the back of the book, you can see that she breaks two of them. First, she kisses more than once for some guys. Second, she forms attachments for more than one guy and acts like she's not at fault.
That's about it.
While I enjoyed this for it was a light, quick read, I don't feel confident in recommending it unless you can forgive a LOT of her faults and are okay with cheesiness.
Minor spoilers and I don't really think they're spoilers since it's a light easy read book, so you could guess them from just the blurb.
Vee wants to get over Mark and how else than to kiss 26 guys, 1 for every letter of the alphabet.
I'm going to try something new again. (Third different method so far?)
The good:
•The idea. I knew what I was getting into when I started reading. The title was evidence enough and I enjoyed the creative idea.
•Killian. He was so adorkable. Also he seemed to be a little realistic. That is for the most part, except at the end where he wants to help the MC finish the challenge. That was a little sad (for him).
•The writing. The writing was easy and pleasant to read and the beginning didn't drone on so that was nice.
The bad:
•Mel. I disliked one thing she did. The underage drinking from the beginning irked me for the two of them (Mel and Vee) are underaged and there are reasons it is illegal to do so. After kissing a guy after drinking, Vee has a hangover and Mel never asks her if she's okay or even tries to stop the kiss when her friend is drunk. NO.
•Vee. THIS GIRL IS IRKSOME. At first I thought "you go girl" when she goes along with Mel to start the 26 kisses challenge because I wanted her to get over her ex, and if that was the way to go, than let it be so. However, she first gets jealous of her friends, Seth and Mel, who seem to like each other and have grown closer because she was spending all her time with Mark, her boyfriend.
Who, first of all, spends ALL their time with one person? I don't mean family or friends, but if you devote yourself like this and you let them take advantage of your time and you, they will hurt you. If you don't set boundaries and limits, you will help them hurt you for they will expect you to expect little to nothing in return.
Now she gets jealous of their bond and then starts to remember all the times Seth says he loves her when she's kissing all these other guys and such. ARG.
Then she has the audacity to be mad at Killian who, by the way, has done NOTHING WRONG, but like her for kissing everyone even though he likes her and I'm sure she knows it. She acts like a spoiled brat who is the victim ALL. Of. The. Time. She has her moments where I like her or feel pity, but I can only take so much before I expect change from being winy to doing something, besides hurting others for your own benefit.
I could go on for a little while longer, but I'm sure you get the point and act better. Maybe.
•The rules. If you read the rules on the back of the book, you can see that she breaks two of them. First, she kisses more than once for some guys. Second, she forms attachments for more than one guy and acts like she's not at fault.
That's about it.
While I enjoyed this for it was a light, quick read, I don't feel confident in recommending it unless you can forgive a LOT of her faults and are okay with cheesiness.
November 25, 2015
When I was writing 26 Kisses, I asked myself, "If you could be seventeen again and be kissed anywhere by any guy, what would happen?" My favorite scenes in the book grew out of that question--scenes that are stuffed to the gills with the sights, sounds, and smells of summer, and the fluttery feeling you really only get with a first kiss. I loved writing 26 Kisses, and I hope you love reading it!
April 25, 2016
Initial Impressions 2/10/16: 4.25 - 4.5 stars
This was SO cute and so much fun! Just the kind of book I needed right now and just so much fun to read. I loved Veda and all of her friends, the setting was delightful (a touristy town in the Michigan Dunes area), and the story was such a blast. I really liked how the kisses were handled and how Vee ended up feeling after each one of them. It was neat to see her on this road of self-discovery (as well as getting over her ex, which was the point of the 26 kisses challenge) and realizing how her decisions affect other people and not just herself.
The romance was really cute! I really appreciated that there was an attraction there but it was definitely not an insta-love thing. Vee really does like this guy and it was great to see the two of them really bring out the best in each other. Vee doesn't want to get into another relationship right away so she avoids falling for someone else and it was really nice to see that develop a bit slower for a change.
I also loved the family dynamics! Vee's family was awesome but she also struggles with her dad's new wife. She still has so much love for her baby half-sister and that was great to see her not resent the child that her dad had with another woman. I really loved how things got switched up to reflect the different possible outcomes and reactions in someone's life instead of heading straight for a stereotypical response.
The only thing I didn't like was the rumors of Veda going around after she started her kissing challenge. Obviously people will talk when they hear/see random kissing with multiple guys going on but I was upset that the word "slut" was thrown around, and I'm not one to ever really get upset about slut shaming. I feel like it could have been the same situation but without name-calling and the use of that word. (Also note that no one ever actually calls her a slut. She finds out about rumors and says it about herself because she's feeling guilty so maybe an important note to those who are very anti-slut shaming).
Overall, this book was SO cute and so much fun! It's definitely one I'll be recommending for fans of contemporary, especially those who like the feel-good romances. It's light and fun but not fluffy (there's plenty of substance) and really good things happening all around! I can't wait for more books from Anna Michels! I will definitely be reading them!
Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 4/25/16: I was looking for a cute new contemporary book when I decided to pick up 26 KISSES and admittedly was instantly attracted by the cover! I read it during a few cold February days and 26 KISSES instantly transported me to a warm and happy summer! The setting was delightfully familiar and vivid (summer in a small Michigan town in the dunes) and I could just picture myself there. The book was quick, fun, and super cute and I’m so glad that I read this one early so I can start recommending it to everyone!
26 KISSES is the story of Veda who just got dumped in the beginning of the summer before her senior year. Long story short, to help her get over her ex, best friend Mel devises a silly and fun game for Veda where she has to kiss her way through the alphabet (find a guy whose name begins with A, B, C, etc and kiss him in order). I was a bit wary at first because although I feel like a single girl can do whatever she wants, I was still hesitant about make-out sessions with so many guys (I know others have expressed these concerns as well). I was happy to discover that Anna Michels did a great job with the book and mixing things up, keeping things realistic, and keeping them grounded. Mel’s Alphabet Plan made any kiss fair game — on the hand, on the cheek, on the lips — and not all of them had to be romantic kisses to count (although that was her main plan). Some were silly, others were sweet, and others had reminded me of experiences of my own back in high school. I thought everything was very tastefully handled and very well done! Also important were Veda’s reactions to each kiss and how she felt after each one of them. From bliss to embarrassment to courage, each one helped Veda discover something about herself and gain a little bit more self-awareness.
The romance was really cute! I really liked Killian a lot and I felt like there was a lot to discover about him. I really appreciated how the relationship between Veda and Killian starts off as a friendship and then an attraction develops. They both sort of like each other right off the bat but I appreciated that they got to know each other, spend time together, and ended up kindling that little fire of attraction instead of straight up exploding their way into insta-love. The whole thing felt very natural and it was also super adorable! I always love when characters begin as friends and since Veda doesn’t want to jump into another relationship right away, the two end up getting to know each other more first before starting to let the feelings in.
I also really enjoyed the family and friend dynamic. Veda is going through a bit of a crisis in both departments as she notices her two best friends possibly falling for each other and tries to maintain balance in her family life. She doesn’t know how to react to Mel and Seth as they start to exhibit signs of attraction because she fears it’ll ruin the friendship dynamic. I loved how we really got to see her go through a range of reactions from feeling selfish to wanting her best friends to be happy and trying to figure out what the best thing for everyone was. I also loved the realistic family dynamic and how not everything fell into a stereotype. While Veda doesn’t like her new mother-in-law, she simply adores her half-sister and it was great to see that she didn’t resent her because she is the daughter of her dad’s new wife. There was also a wonderful relationship between Veda and her mother and how she and her brother end up trying to maintain that morale now that her dad is gone.
The only thing I wasn’t super keen on was the rumors of Veda going around after she started her kissing challenge. Obviously people will talk when they hear/see random kissing with multiple guys going on but I was upset that the word “slut” was thrown around, and I’m not one to ever really get upset about slut shaming. I feel like it could have been the same situation but without name-calling and the use of that word. (Also note that no one ever actually directly calls her a slut. She finds out about rumors and says it about herself because she’s feeling guilty so maybe an important note to those who are very anti-slut shaming).
Overall, 26 KISSES was SO cute and so much fun! It’s definitely one I’ll be recommending for fans of contemporary, especially those who like the feel-good romance authors like Kasie West and Stephanie Perkins. It’s light and fun but not fluffy (there’s plenty of substance) and really good things happening all around! I can’t wait for more books from Anna Michels! I will definitely be reading them!
This was SO cute and so much fun! Just the kind of book I needed right now and just so much fun to read. I loved Veda and all of her friends, the setting was delightful (a touristy town in the Michigan Dunes area), and the story was such a blast. I really liked how the kisses were handled and how Vee ended up feeling after each one of them. It was neat to see her on this road of self-discovery (as well as getting over her ex, which was the point of the 26 kisses challenge) and realizing how her decisions affect other people and not just herself.
The romance was really cute! I really appreciated that there was an attraction there but it was definitely not an insta-love thing. Vee really does like this guy and it was great to see the two of them really bring out the best in each other. Vee doesn't want to get into another relationship right away so she avoids falling for someone else and it was really nice to see that develop a bit slower for a change.
I also loved the family dynamics! Vee's family was awesome but she also struggles with her dad's new wife. She still has so much love for her baby half-sister and that was great to see her not resent the child that her dad had with another woman. I really loved how things got switched up to reflect the different possible outcomes and reactions in someone's life instead of heading straight for a stereotypical response.
The only thing I didn't like was the rumors of Veda going around after she started her kissing challenge. Obviously people will talk when they hear/see random kissing with multiple guys going on but I was upset that the word "slut" was thrown around, and I'm not one to ever really get upset about slut shaming. I feel like it could have been the same situation but without name-calling and the use of that word. (Also note that no one ever actually calls her a slut. She finds out about rumors and says it about herself because she's feeling guilty so maybe an important note to those who are very anti-slut shaming).
Overall, this book was SO cute and so much fun! It's definitely one I'll be recommending for fans of contemporary, especially those who like the feel-good romances. It's light and fun but not fluffy (there's plenty of substance) and really good things happening all around! I can't wait for more books from Anna Michels! I will definitely be reading them!
Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 4/25/16: I was looking for a cute new contemporary book when I decided to pick up 26 KISSES and admittedly was instantly attracted by the cover! I read it during a few cold February days and 26 KISSES instantly transported me to a warm and happy summer! The setting was delightfully familiar and vivid (summer in a small Michigan town in the dunes) and I could just picture myself there. The book was quick, fun, and super cute and I’m so glad that I read this one early so I can start recommending it to everyone!
26 KISSES is the story of Veda who just got dumped in the beginning of the summer before her senior year. Long story short, to help her get over her ex, best friend Mel devises a silly and fun game for Veda where she has to kiss her way through the alphabet (find a guy whose name begins with A, B, C, etc and kiss him in order). I was a bit wary at first because although I feel like a single girl can do whatever she wants, I was still hesitant about make-out sessions with so many guys (I know others have expressed these concerns as well). I was happy to discover that Anna Michels did a great job with the book and mixing things up, keeping things realistic, and keeping them grounded. Mel’s Alphabet Plan made any kiss fair game — on the hand, on the cheek, on the lips — and not all of them had to be romantic kisses to count (although that was her main plan). Some were silly, others were sweet, and others had reminded me of experiences of my own back in high school. I thought everything was very tastefully handled and very well done! Also important were Veda’s reactions to each kiss and how she felt after each one of them. From bliss to embarrassment to courage, each one helped Veda discover something about herself and gain a little bit more self-awareness.
The romance was really cute! I really liked Killian a lot and I felt like there was a lot to discover about him. I really appreciated how the relationship between Veda and Killian starts off as a friendship and then an attraction develops. They both sort of like each other right off the bat but I appreciated that they got to know each other, spend time together, and ended up kindling that little fire of attraction instead of straight up exploding their way into insta-love. The whole thing felt very natural and it was also super adorable! I always love when characters begin as friends and since Veda doesn’t want to jump into another relationship right away, the two end up getting to know each other more first before starting to let the feelings in.
I also really enjoyed the family and friend dynamic. Veda is going through a bit of a crisis in both departments as she notices her two best friends possibly falling for each other and tries to maintain balance in her family life. She doesn’t know how to react to Mel and Seth as they start to exhibit signs of attraction because she fears it’ll ruin the friendship dynamic. I loved how we really got to see her go through a range of reactions from feeling selfish to wanting her best friends to be happy and trying to figure out what the best thing for everyone was. I also loved the realistic family dynamic and how not everything fell into a stereotype. While Veda doesn’t like her new mother-in-law, she simply adores her half-sister and it was great to see that she didn’t resent her because she is the daughter of her dad’s new wife. There was also a wonderful relationship between Veda and her mother and how she and her brother end up trying to maintain that morale now that her dad is gone.
The only thing I wasn’t super keen on was the rumors of Veda going around after she started her kissing challenge. Obviously people will talk when they hear/see random kissing with multiple guys going on but I was upset that the word “slut” was thrown around, and I’m not one to ever really get upset about slut shaming. I feel like it could have been the same situation but without name-calling and the use of that word. (Also note that no one ever actually directly calls her a slut. She finds out about rumors and says it about herself because she’s feeling guilty so maybe an important note to those who are very anti-slut shaming).
Overall, 26 KISSES was SO cute and so much fun! It’s definitely one I’ll be recommending for fans of contemporary, especially those who like the feel-good romance authors like Kasie West and Stephanie Perkins. It’s light and fun but not fluffy (there’s plenty of substance) and really good things happening all around! I can’t wait for more books from Anna Michels! I will definitely be reading them!
May 31, 2016
This book was so annoying, it should be honoured.
In the summer between her junior and senior year of school, Veda decides (or should I say, is coerced by her best friend) to kiss 26 boys, each for the letters of the alphabet. All of this because her boyfriend of whatever years, Mark, broke up with her, and she has to get over him ASAP. Fair enough, but then it gets even more ridiculous—Veda is shown as being a prude (who agrees to a dare like this?) and her best friend Mel is shown as being some kind of a tramp who flirts with boys and then leaves them (so obviously she suggested the dare in the first place.)
The book was childish and their problems were petty, and the only thing that made it more ridiculous was the fact that Veda thought every boy she kissed developed feelings for her. We also have a few dogs and family members doing the kissing, unknowingly helping Veda reach her goal. YA Contemporary has a lot of MCs making stupid decisions, but I’m horrified to report that this one might be right up there with the top ten worst ones. The book had a beautiful premise, but the execution is what failed, and I would have loved to see some other girl take up this challenge. Anyone but Veda.
And because we can’t have a girl kissing every one in town without falling in love with someone who is not on her list, that is exactly what happens. The love interest in this book is all well-built, shaggy hair, lyric-y life (of the pop variety) and has the patience of the Lord Himself. Veda knows she likes him, she knows he likes her, and yet she’s perfectly content with completing her kissing challenge. All the while she was uncomfortable with the challenge and filled to the brim with skepticism whether it would work , and yet she kept doing it. It was exhausting. I’d say this book is best skipped in favour of better written, better executed plot lines, and characters that don’t make you want to go on a murderous rampage.
I was provided a free earc of this book by Simon Pulse through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This did not, however, in any way influence the content of this review.
In the summer between her junior and senior year of school, Veda decides (or should I say, is coerced by her best friend) to kiss 26 boys, each for the letters of the alphabet. All of this because her boyfriend of whatever years, Mark, broke up with her, and she has to get over him ASAP. Fair enough, but then it gets even more ridiculous—Veda is shown as being a prude (who agrees to a dare like this?) and her best friend Mel is shown as being some kind of a tramp who flirts with boys and then leaves them (so obviously she suggested the dare in the first place.)
The book was childish and their problems were petty, and the only thing that made it more ridiculous was the fact that Veda thought every boy she kissed developed feelings for her. We also have a few dogs and family members doing the kissing, unknowingly helping Veda reach her goal. YA Contemporary has a lot of MCs making stupid decisions, but I’m horrified to report that this one might be right up there with the top ten worst ones. The book had a beautiful premise, but the execution is what failed, and I would have loved to see some other girl take up this challenge. Anyone but Veda.
And because we can’t have a girl kissing every one in town without falling in love with someone who is not on her list, that is exactly what happens. The love interest in this book is all well-built, shaggy hair, lyric-y life (of the pop variety) and has the patience of the Lord Himself. Veda knows she likes him, she knows he likes her, and yet she’s perfectly content with completing her kissing challenge. All the while she was uncomfortable with the challenge and filled to the brim with skepticism whether it would work , and yet she kept doing it. It was exhausting. I’d say this book is best skipped in favour of better written, better executed plot lines, and characters that don’t make you want to go on a murderous rampage.
I was provided a free earc of this book by Simon Pulse through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This did not, however, in any way influence the content of this review.
July 9, 2016
*3.5 stars*
May 19, 2016
I know most people would most likely frown upon the main character for everything that she did in this novel and for wanting to go through the 26 kisses despite everything, but I think I understand why she had to do it. I wouldn't do anything like that myself nor advise it to any of my friends, but I get why she thought she had to do it.
26 Kisses, in my opinion, is the perfect summer beach read! It's a light and quick contemporary read with lots of drama for us to enjoy and/or frown upon. It's all about being a teen and doing stupid things that, yes, we might regret later on, but will also ultimately contribute to the shaping of our characters. Nobody ever said teens were smart, right?
I really enjoyed reading this book, which kind of makes me miss being in high school, actually. I loved that I was able to devour this one in one sitting, and it kept me entertained for a while. Although there are a lot of things that people will frown upon, I think it's good that the main character did what she did in order to find herself; in order to learn what it truly means to love, be a good friend, and live a good life.
I am sure that this is not the type of book for everyone, but I sure enjoyed it! I definitely read it at the right time!
26 Kisses, in my opinion, is the perfect summer beach read! It's a light and quick contemporary read with lots of drama for us to enjoy and/or frown upon. It's all about being a teen and doing stupid things that, yes, we might regret later on, but will also ultimately contribute to the shaping of our characters. Nobody ever said teens were smart, right?
I really enjoyed reading this book, which kind of makes me miss being in high school, actually. I loved that I was able to devour this one in one sitting, and it kept me entertained for a while. Although there are a lot of things that people will frown upon, I think it's good that the main character did what she did in order to find herself; in order to learn what it truly means to love, be a good friend, and live a good life.
I am sure that this is not the type of book for everyone, but I sure enjoyed it! I definitely read it at the right time!
April 2, 2020
The only thing that really salvaged this book was the adorable writing. Other than that, I have COUNTLESS issues.
1. The main character is ridiculously annoying and selfish; she was over-dramatic, manipulative, and I got super tired of reading about how beautiful she was, not to mention that every boy seemed to be in love with her. She also got super jealous over Mel and Seth and was just a really terrible friend overall.
2. The main character's best friend, Mel, was also annoying and ditzy. We got absolutely no background knowledge about her; the only words that ever came out of her mouth were about the 26 kiss challenge.
3. I really liked the first half, but the second half was a chaotic flurry of unnecessary drama and arguments, all because of the main character.
4. I liked my ship in the beginning, and though they ended up together it wasn't how I wanted it to happen. See number 3.
5. I liked the storyline set-up with Seth, the other best friend, but towards the end he felt wishy-washy and his resolution had no build-up; it happened out of nowhere and seemed to only be there to make it seem like everyone was getting their happily-ever-after.
6. The challenge itself was honestly just kind of annoying. I'm honestly not a huge fan of the idea either - if it was a guy saying that he wanted to kiss 26 girls by the end of summer, well, y'all know what the critics would say.
7. What did Vee learn in the end again?
8. Vee's family issues: lots of unexplored potential. Too much of the book's focus was just on the kissing and teenage romance.
Overall, this book was honestly a bit frustrating; though the cute writing helped, I didn't like the main character or the premise.
1. The main character is ridiculously annoying and selfish; she was over-dramatic, manipulative, and I got super tired of reading about how beautiful she was, not to mention that every boy seemed to be in love with her. She also got super jealous over Mel and Seth and was just a really terrible friend overall.
2. The main character's best friend, Mel, was also annoying and ditzy. We got absolutely no background knowledge about her; the only words that ever came out of her mouth were about the 26 kiss challenge.
3. I really liked the first half, but the second half was a chaotic flurry of unnecessary drama and arguments, all because of the main character.
4. I liked my ship in the beginning, and though they ended up together it wasn't how I wanted it to happen. See number 3.
5. I liked the storyline set-up with Seth, the other best friend, but towards the end he felt wishy-washy and his resolution had no build-up; it happened out of nowhere and seemed to only be there to make it seem like everyone was getting their happily-ever-after.
6. The challenge itself was honestly just kind of annoying. I'm honestly not a huge fan of the idea either - if it was a guy saying that he wanted to kiss 26 girls by the end of summer, well, y'all know what the critics would say.
7. What did Vee learn in the end again?
8. Vee's family issues: lots of unexplored potential. Too much of the book's focus was just on the kissing and teenage romance.
Overall, this book was honestly a bit frustrating; though the cute writing helped, I didn't like the main character or the premise.
May 20, 2020
Super adorable book.
If you’re looking for something that is completely cute, fluffy and a fast and easy read. I recommend this.
It was almost reminiscent of the movie Easy A. Not that the book and that movie have anything in common plot wise, I just got the same vibes.
I enjoyed seeing Vee’s character growth throughout the book (also, props for an author using the name Veda.) I read this book in one sitting because it felt like watching a movie and I just couldn’t stop until I was done.
If you’re looking for something that is completely cute, fluffy and a fast and easy read. I recommend this.
It was almost reminiscent of the movie Easy A. Not that the book and that movie have anything in common plot wise, I just got the same vibes.
I enjoyed seeing Vee’s character growth throughout the book (also, props for an author using the name Veda.) I read this book in one sitting because it felt like watching a movie and I just couldn’t stop until I was done.
August 18, 2017
Mejor de lo q esperaba! La historia no estuvo tan mal.. ahora los personajes, un horror! Pronto la reseña completa
March 24, 2016
I really enjoyed this one!
It was realistic in every way - especially regarding the attraction between Veda and Killian.Too often in contemporary stories these days, readers are "treated" to instal-love scenarios. And while it can happen, it's not typical. I am always a fan of the slow burn, built-up connections. Thankfully, this was the route Michels went.
The idea of getting over an ex by kissing your way through the alphabet was cute and fun. Plus, it takes a bit of creativity - which was evidenced in the story. Some of the kisses were silly, and others, cringeworthy. I absolutely HATED the rumors about Veda once people realized she was kissing a number of guys. But, I have to admit, this too is reality. Adolescence is tough. Although we wish that things like this didn't go on, we have to fully realize they do.
Anyway, I really wanted Veda to get over her ex. That didn't necessarily mean with a new guy. I just thought she deserved to be happy. Initially, I thought maybe Mark would want her back --- and as it looked less likely as the story went on, I started wondering if maybe she'd be on her own by the end. But as her interactions with Killian continued, I felt myself wanting that coupling!
26 Kisses was even cuter than I expected it to be. I finished it in less than a day. It's a pretty light, easy read, and the ending is absolutely adorable. And perfect.
It was realistic in every way - especially regarding the attraction between Veda and Killian.Too often in contemporary stories these days, readers are "treated" to instal-love scenarios. And while it can happen, it's not typical. I am always a fan of the slow burn, built-up connections. Thankfully, this was the route Michels went.
The idea of getting over an ex by kissing your way through the alphabet was cute and fun. Plus, it takes a bit of creativity - which was evidenced in the story. Some of the kisses were silly, and others, cringeworthy. I absolutely HATED the rumors about Veda once people realized she was kissing a number of guys. But, I have to admit, this too is reality. Adolescence is tough. Although we wish that things like this didn't go on, we have to fully realize they do.
Anyway, I really wanted Veda to get over her ex. That didn't necessarily mean with a new guy. I just thought she deserved to be happy. Initially, I thought maybe Mark would want her back --- and as it looked less likely as the story went on, I started wondering if maybe she'd be on her own by the end. But as her interactions with Killian continued, I felt myself wanting that coupling!
26 Kisses was even cuter than I expected it to be. I finished it in less than a day. It's a pretty light, easy read, and the ending is absolutely adorable. And perfect.
October 6, 2016
I have nobody to blame but myself for reading this. After reading the synopsis I should have known things would be bad. You have Veda who is going through a breakup and her friend Mel talks her into the kiss your way through the alphabet. This really would have worked better if they lived in a big city rather than a small town. She meets Killian and hits it off but decides to continue with the challenge. People in the small town see her kissing all these guys and of course people talk. It was getting to the point where people were talking crap to her brother. Once Veda found out she decided to continue because this challenge ruining her brother's life doesn't matter to her. That's when I really began to hate Veda. She is selfish. Killian wants to be with her and says that he will help her. So guess what happens? She gets mad and starts yelling at him. Then to make me really hate her in the end she decides to kiss her friend Seth even though she knew her best friend Mel liked him. Even though things worked out in the end I have to say this was not worth my time.
February 6, 2016
26 Kisses was so unbelievable cute. I shouted of excitement whenever the kisses happened, swooned so hard when Killian opened his mounth and graced us with his brain and intelligence. I also liked very much the relationship between Vee and Mel throughout the book. I'm always down for girl friendship because it's so damn amazing if written right and so cool to see girls supporting each other and having a good time together.
I loved the concept of kissing boys with the 26 letters of the alphabet. And it didn't disappoint. I confess I laughed out loud at some parts and I enjoyed this book a lot. (I even finished it in one day. Holla!). I wish there were more because that /ending/ but either way everything was super fluffy and it's a perfect summer book. Definitely check it out when it comes out, guys!
I loved the concept of kissing boys with the 26 letters of the alphabet. And it didn't disappoint. I confess I laughed out loud at some parts and I enjoyed this book a lot. (I even finished it in one day. Holla!). I wish there were more because that /ending/ but either way everything was super fluffy and it's a perfect summer book. Definitely check it out when it comes out, guys!
March 26, 2017
This was a cute book, perfect for a summer read on the beach. It was fun, a little silly and cute enough that you'll be a happy camper. Full review to come shortly.
May 13, 2016
2.5/5
It was kind of a cute story in the end but half of it made me cringe so bad that I can't rate it higher than that.
It was kind of a cute story in the end but half of it made me cringe so bad that I can't rate it higher than that.
April 18, 2018
Me llevó más de un mes leer este libro. Estuve pasando por un bloqueo lector mas grande que el desafío de los 26 besos!
No era la trama la que no me llamaba la atención, sino que era mi falta de ganas la que no me dejaba leer.
Hace una semana hice una apuesta con amigos para ver si lo terminaba antes del miércoles, ¿y que creen? Lo terminé y me encantó.
Mi personaje favorito fue Killian, tenemos los mismos gustos musicales, eso hizo que sonriera en varios capítulos. Terminé este libro emocionada por la historia que se había desarrollado y por el lazo que formé con los personajes.
Una cosa que me quedó del libro fue que: “Una vez que empezaste algo, tenés que terminarlo” y eso fue exactamente lo que me paso con el libro.
Lo empecé, y lo terminé.
No era la trama la que no me llamaba la atención, sino que era mi falta de ganas la que no me dejaba leer.
Hace una semana hice una apuesta con amigos para ver si lo terminaba antes del miércoles, ¿y que creen? Lo terminé y me encantó.
Mi personaje favorito fue Killian, tenemos los mismos gustos musicales, eso hizo que sonriera en varios capítulos. Terminé este libro emocionada por la historia que se había desarrollado y por el lazo que formé con los personajes.
Una cosa que me quedó del libro fue que: “Una vez que empezaste algo, tenés que terminarlo” y eso fue exactamente lo que me paso con el libro.
Lo empecé, y lo terminé.
May 24, 2016
3.5 stars
November 8, 2018
Probabil că ar fi luat mai multe stele daca povestea ar fi avut esenta. Este o lalaiala puerilă scrisa pe genunchi. De ce spun asta? Pentru ca personajele n au personalitate... sunt șterse, fade, fără sare si piper, iar acțiunea este prostească. O pustoaica părăsită de iubitul ei chiar la începutul vacanței de vară, accepta provocarea venită de la prietena ei cea mai bună, si anume, sa sărute 26 de băieți, a căror prenume sa înceapă cu fiecare litera a alfabetului. Ideea in sine nu este rea, ar fi putut fi amuzantă, daca autoarea ar fi știut cum sa faca asta, dar pt ca a povestit doar niste întâlniri plictisitoare... nu i a iesit. Mesajul cărții ar fi acela ce n ai nevoie sa te refaci după o despărțire, ci doar sa te reinventezi... sau ceva de genul.
Poate daca as fi citit cartea asta cand aveam 15 ani mi s ar fi parut drăguță, dar cand treci prin viață și începi să cunoști cu adevărat problemele si greutățile, asta chiar ti se pare o prostie.
Relația fetelor de prietenie este foarte strânsă, însă ambele se rănesc in anumite situatii din egoism si prostie. Ma repet... cartea este puerile, mediocră si deși se citeste super usor (Am terminat o in doua ore maxim), nu ti rămâne nimic in minte după ea. E o carte de duzină pe care maine dimineata o uiti.
Poate daca as fi citit cartea asta cand aveam 15 ani mi s ar fi parut drăguță, dar cand treci prin viață și începi să cunoști cu adevărat problemele si greutățile, asta chiar ti se pare o prostie.
Relația fetelor de prietenie este foarte strânsă, însă ambele se rănesc in anumite situatii din egoism si prostie. Ma repet... cartea este puerile, mediocră si deși se citeste super usor (Am terminat o in doua ore maxim), nu ti rămâne nimic in minte după ea. E o carte de duzină pe care maine dimineata o uiti.
December 23, 2021
3 ⭐️
Perfectly sweet and wonderfully summery, 26 Kisses is reminiscent of teen movies like The Kissing Booth. Though it had the potential to be like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, it fell short with an often unlikeable narrator and less-than memorable boys. Wrapped up with a slightly awkward recap of lessons learned, 26 Kisses is a fun summer read that fans of classic teen romcoms are likely to enjoy.
**Note: Cursing included multiples uses of taking God’s name in vain.
Perfectly sweet and wonderfully summery, 26 Kisses is reminiscent of teen movies like The Kissing Booth. Though it had the potential to be like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, it fell short with an often unlikeable narrator and less-than memorable boys. Wrapped up with a slightly awkward recap of lessons learned, 26 Kisses is a fun summer read that fans of classic teen romcoms are likely to enjoy.
**Note: Cursing included multiples uses of taking God’s name in vain.
May 20, 2016
This review was originally posted on www.125pages.com
26 Kisses by Anna Michels sounded like such a fun read. A heartsick girl who wants to make a change and decides to spend the summer before her senior year kissing her way through the alphabet. Unfortunately, the way Veda went about her task left a trail of hurt feelings and upset people in her wake. What could have been a sweet coming of age tale was instead the story of Veda hurting friends and family on her quest.
The plot of 26 Kisses had promise and some great moments. However, the path the main character took to get what she wanted left a lot to be desired. The writing of Anna Michels was good. She was able to make me understand the feelings of Veda and how she felt during the summer. Emotions are hard to express in writing and she did it well. The pacing had some issues. At times weeks would pass then only a day, it wasn’t consistent in the telling. The world created was very well done. Nice and detailed I had a great visual of the locations and where the action was happening. There were a lot of emotions in the book, but not all of them good. Veda had a way of only seeing what she wanted and not caring about the people around her and that led to some seriously negative feelings. The characters were okay, not awful but not great. Veda was weak and followed the lead of her best friend, Mel, almost without question. The sweet boy Killian was my favorite character and he was so good that he tempered a lot of my negative feelings.
26 Kisses had a lot of potential. Decent plot line, dreamy guy, cute goal for the main character. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. I particularly disliked the fact that Veda was called a slut after kissing like three guys. That type of shaming should not have been included as it turned the story into something distasteful. Also the way Veda went about some of the kisses is “cute” for a girl to do, but would be sexual assault if a boy did it. Anna Michels had some great moments and I wish they would have carried throughout the book. This was a read with some great promise that just wasn’t able to meld all of the pieces together.
Favorite lines - “You think you can compliment me and use emphasis through repetition to make what you’re saying sound more powerful than it actually is, and I’ll just fall over and go along with it?” I shake my head. “News flash: I won’t.”
Biggest cliché - Everyone wants to kiss me!
Have you read 26 Kisses, or added it to your TBR?This book was most likely received free from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
26 Kisses by Anna Michels sounded like such a fun read. A heartsick girl who wants to make a change and decides to spend the summer before her senior year kissing her way through the alphabet. Unfortunately, the way Veda went about her task left a trail of hurt feelings and upset people in her wake. What could have been a sweet coming of age tale was instead the story of Veda hurting friends and family on her quest.The plot of 26 Kisses had promise and some great moments. However, the path the main character took to get what she wanted left a lot to be desired. The writing of Anna Michels was good. She was able to make me understand the feelings of Veda and how she felt during the summer. Emotions are hard to express in writing and she did it well. The pacing had some issues. At times weeks would pass then only a day, it wasn’t consistent in the telling. The world created was very well done. Nice and detailed I had a great visual of the locations and where the action was happening. There were a lot of emotions in the book, but not all of them good. Veda had a way of only seeing what she wanted and not caring about the people around her and that led to some seriously negative feelings. The characters were okay, not awful but not great. Veda was weak and followed the lead of her best friend, Mel, almost without question. The sweet boy Killian was my favorite character and he was so good that he tempered a lot of my negative feelings.
26 Kisses had a lot of potential. Decent plot line, dreamy guy, cute goal for the main character. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. I particularly disliked the fact that Veda was called a slut after kissing like three guys. That type of shaming should not have been included as it turned the story into something distasteful. Also the way Veda went about some of the kisses is “cute” for a girl to do, but would be sexual assault if a boy did it. Anna Michels had some great moments and I wish they would have carried throughout the book. This was a read with some great promise that just wasn’t able to meld all of the pieces together.
Favorite lines - “You think you can compliment me and use emphasis through repetition to make what you’re saying sound more powerful than it actually is, and I’ll just fall over and go along with it?” I shake my head. “News flash: I won’t.”
Biggest cliché - Everyone wants to kiss me!
Have you read 26 Kisses, or added it to your TBR?This book was most likely received free from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
July 10, 2016
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
I am going to be really honest here and say that this book just didn't work for me. When I first read the blurb for 26 Kisses by Anna Michels, I was expecting something cute, light-hearted and funny. It sounded like an adorable summer read, and I was really looking forward to it. But honestly this book just drove me nuts, and I am beginning to wonder if maybe I am just getting old enough that these YA stories aren't working for me anymore.
26 Kisses starts off with Veda's boyfriend dumping her. She is left heartbroken and humiliated, when her best friend comes up with a challenge for her to kiss 26 different guys, one for each letter of the alphabet. But just as Veda starts making her way through the list and thinking she has things figured out, she meets a guy who changes everything. She knows that after just breaking up with Mark that she isn't ready for a relationship, but can she allow herself to open up to the possibility that she can take a chance again at love?
Part of my problem here was Veda. She was such a doormat, letting pretty much everyone in her life bulldoze right over her. She was weak, and I couldn't connect with her at all. She wasn't that into the challenge and seemed to have to force herself through it half the time. Then she meets Killian and continues to go along with the challenge, even when she knows it doesn't feel right. I know they weren't together officially, but it just left me with an icky feeling how they were developing feelings for one another and yet she went out and kissed someone else. The characters felt very immature, often acting childish and petty. I just grew more annoyed as the story continued and honestly I was just over it by the time I finished.
If I wasn't already having enough problems with the characters and their actions, the ending of this one pretty much ruined it for me. There was a ton of drama and it got to be over the top and ridiculous. Once that was all resolved, things were barely wrapped up and it just felt like it was rushed and someone thrown together. I wanted a couple more chapters or an epilogue or something, because there really wasn't a satisfying ending here and I ended up feeling like I wasted a bunch of time for no reason. Overall, this isn't a book that I would recommend but if you think it might be one you would like it might be worth giving a shot. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you wont, but honestly I think that there are far better YA reads out there that are more worth of your time and money than this one was.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
I am going to be really honest here and say that this book just didn't work for me. When I first read the blurb for 26 Kisses by Anna Michels, I was expecting something cute, light-hearted and funny. It sounded like an adorable summer read, and I was really looking forward to it. But honestly this book just drove me nuts, and I am beginning to wonder if maybe I am just getting old enough that these YA stories aren't working for me anymore.
26 Kisses starts off with Veda's boyfriend dumping her. She is left heartbroken and humiliated, when her best friend comes up with a challenge for her to kiss 26 different guys, one for each letter of the alphabet. But just as Veda starts making her way through the list and thinking she has things figured out, she meets a guy who changes everything. She knows that after just breaking up with Mark that she isn't ready for a relationship, but can she allow herself to open up to the possibility that she can take a chance again at love?
Part of my problem here was Veda. She was such a doormat, letting pretty much everyone in her life bulldoze right over her. She was weak, and I couldn't connect with her at all. She wasn't that into the challenge and seemed to have to force herself through it half the time. Then she meets Killian and continues to go along with the challenge, even when she knows it doesn't feel right. I know they weren't together officially, but it just left me with an icky feeling how they were developing feelings for one another and yet she went out and kissed someone else. The characters felt very immature, often acting childish and petty. I just grew more annoyed as the story continued and honestly I was just over it by the time I finished.
If I wasn't already having enough problems with the characters and their actions, the ending of this one pretty much ruined it for me. There was a ton of drama and it got to be over the top and ridiculous. Once that was all resolved, things were barely wrapped up and it just felt like it was rushed and someone thrown together. I wanted a couple more chapters or an epilogue or something, because there really wasn't a satisfying ending here and I ended up feeling like I wasted a bunch of time for no reason. Overall, this isn't a book that I would recommend but if you think it might be one you would like it might be worth giving a shot. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you wont, but honestly I think that there are far better YA reads out there that are more worth of your time and money than this one was.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
May 26, 2016
Breaking up with her boyfriend is not how Veda planned on starting her summer. When Mark makes it clear that it’s over between them, Veda is heartbroken and humiliated—but, more importantly, she’s inspired. And so she sets out on the love quest of a lifetime: use the summer to forget about Mark, move on, and move up. All she has to do is kiss twenty-six boys with twenty-six different names—one for each letter of the alphabet.
From the top of the Ferris wheel at her hometown carnival to the sandy dunes of Lake Michigan, Veda takes every opportunity she can to add kisses (and boys) to her list, and soon the breakup doesn’t sting quite as much. But just when Veda thinks she has the whole kissing thing figured out, she meets someone who turns her world upside down.
By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Anna Michels’s debut is the story of one girl who realizes that moving on from the supposed love of your life means taking a chance—and having the courage to love again.
This book was so cute. The characters were wonderful and sweet. I fell in love with all of them. There was just so much about them and it was amazing. The story was incredible. So cute and I loved it! I can't wait to read more from Muchaels and I am definitely recommending this to anyone who is in the mood for a sappy adorable romance.
From the top of the Ferris wheel at her hometown carnival to the sandy dunes of Lake Michigan, Veda takes every opportunity she can to add kisses (and boys) to her list, and soon the breakup doesn’t sting quite as much. But just when Veda thinks she has the whole kissing thing figured out, she meets someone who turns her world upside down.
By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Anna Michels’s debut is the story of one girl who realizes that moving on from the supposed love of your life means taking a chance—and having the courage to love again.
This book was so cute. The characters were wonderful and sweet. I fell in love with all of them. There was just so much about them and it was amazing. The story was incredible. So cute and I loved it! I can't wait to read more from Muchaels and I am definitely recommending this to anyone who is in the mood for a sappy adorable romance.
May 3, 2021
This book was alright. Didn't hate it. Didn't love it. It was just kinda there.
The pacing of the book was one of the main things that made this book just okay. It all moved along at one steady pace. There didn't seem to be parts that were riveting or exciting. Things happened in the plotline that should have made things more exciting but just didn't. It all just plateaued out.
As well, I didn't really love any of the characters. I liked Killian probably more than the others, but even him I didn't love. They just weren't very likable beings which was disappointing for me.
Overall, I think the concept of the book was kinda fun, it just wasn't executed well. I won't be reading this book again or recommending it, but it was fine to read for the first time.
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The pacing of the book was one of the main things that made this book just okay. It all moved along at one steady pace. There didn't seem to be parts that were riveting or exciting. Things happened in the plotline that should have made things more exciting but just didn't. It all just plateaued out.
As well, I didn't really love any of the characters. I liked Killian probably more than the others, but even him I didn't love. They just weren't very likable beings which was disappointing for me.
Overall, I think the concept of the book was kinda fun, it just wasn't executed well. I won't be reading this book again or recommending it, but it was fine to read for the first time.
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September 4, 2017
”It's not a surprise, obviously. But sometimes, even if you already know something, hearing it out loud makes it real in a way that's hard to deal with.”
Such a cute YA contemporary!! I liked the characters well enough, especially Killian. (When do I not like the MC's love interest?) The plot was definitely adorable, and I got drawn in pretty quickly. My only problem with the story is that Vee never thought anything through. Yes, I do know that's how her character was created to be, but she still got under my skin many times through the story. Besides that, I really did enjoy the book. Anna Michel's writing style was great!
Such a cute YA contemporary!! I liked the characters well enough, especially Killian. (When do I not like the MC's love interest?) The plot was definitely adorable, and I got drawn in pretty quickly. My only problem with the story is that Vee never thought anything through. Yes, I do know that's how her character was created to be, but she still got under my skin many times through the story. Besides that, I really did enjoy the book. Anna Michel's writing style was great!
April 27, 2016
Between a 3.5 and a 4.
September 21, 2016
Kind of problematic with how it discussed slut shaming, pretty silly and ridiculous, but somehow still cute enough.
March 14, 2019
my favorite thing about this cheesy, annoying book were the scattered Taylor Swift mentions
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