Perfect for readers who love contemporary YA romance like Tweet Cute and movies with sweet throwback appeal like Clueless.
"We’re not just different. We’re complete opposites.”
Flora Morgan knows what she wants and exactly how to get it. With an endless roster of friends, an enviable Instagram feed, and a flair for debuting every season’s must-have bag, life comes easy to her. But like a fairytale clock striking midnight, Flora’s world tilts when she meets Sean. They couldn’t be any more different, but he is everything she never knew she wanted.
Sean Foster is her polar opposite. Introverted, book smart, and thoughtful, with dreams of attending an exclusive college to study physics. His goals are his sole focus, and with graduation around the corner, the last thing he needs is to be swept up in the beautiful whirlwind of Flora Morgan. But when a drunken confession melts his resolve, he starts to wonder if some risks are worth taking.
As their vastly different worlds collide, they quickly realize that happily ever after doesn’t begin with a kiss. Flora’s picture-perfect life isn’t as flawless as it appears, and Sean’s dream of his future leaves no room for distractions. To keep their fire burning, they must accept each other’s differences and decide if what they’re building is strong enough to survive trials, jealousy, expectations, and the fear of becoming someone they no longer recognize.
Kissing is the Easy Part is a coming-of-age story that blasts you back to the golden age of romantic comedies and will have you cheering for a charming love story about what it means to be truly seen.
Christine Duann, originally from Taiwan, holds an MD and is a former thoracic surgeon. She lives outside Indianapolis with her husband, two kids, and two rescue dogs. When she’s not working, she’s booking plane tickets, sipping unsweetened green tea, researching the mechanics of board games, and picking dog fur off her sweater. Kissing Is the Easy Part is her debut novel.
I don't know how else to describe this book, because it was perhaps one of the most striking books I have ever read. I could relate to Flora, despite her naivety- her character is actually quite realistic. She does not expect the world, but she expects what she thinks she deserves. Sean on the other hand, is charming. Charming in a not-so-obvious kind of way, but I could see why they were so compatible. Their romance touched me in a way I have never felt about a fictional story, it's like as if this story was my own, or a dream that I once had which leaves me with an ache in my chest.
And oh, the writing. Sometimes after I read a paragraph, I would stop and read it a few more times. Not because I didn't understand what was written, but because of the way the words had been strung together; it was so effortless and beautiful. Frankly, I'm in love with this author, in love with this book and everything in it. I have never, never cried so much in a book, I'm the type of person that seems to always have a fair amount of control with my own emotions. Yet this book, I was lost in it.
Kissing Is the Easy Part will always have a place in my heart. It's a touching story- and the writer deserves so much more recognition. Dear Author, Thank You.
Probably my 3-4 re read. And will probably pick it up when I'm in one of my weak moments. And complete it all over again. The character of Flora is dearly special to me and I will always cherish her personality since it's as close and connected to a character I've ever felt ❤
I adored this book and how realistic it was. It did not include cliché stuff like movies or usual books did. The characters were different and refreshing. The book broke my heart and shattered it in million of pieces making me cry every 2 minutes while reading the last chapters. The love between Flora and Shawn was heartbreaking to the point I was crying while texting my best friend about my not found love life. I am so cool, I know. Flora was so energetic, but she knew herself as a pretty face and just that. Sean came in her life shattering this idea from her. While their relationship was toxic,they learned many things from each other. Plus high-school relationships don't always last. The second characters in the story being Sandra, Dylan, Carmen, Jake, Janet and Raymond (many others like the parents and brothers) made the story funnier sometimes, and other times better. This story was eye-opening and I can say I learned many stuff about relationships. How it's not easy, and love alone won't do. It's a few minutes till the clock hits 1 am and I am in bed with eyes sweating. Uncool. This Story deserves 5 stars and more. The author has such great writing I loved reading the book.
Very easy to get into because of the quick and fluffy start – one minute she has a crush on him and the next they are together. Alas, I soon grew weary because of how clearly incompatible they are. But I'm Flora's side, y'all.
I think I'd have enjoyed this novel a lot more if I'd known this was more coming-of-age contemporary than light romance. The tone of the book was very inconsistent throughout.
It was hard to be on board with Flora and Sean's relationship after a certain point, especially with so many juvenile antics and the silly miscomm. I get where both of them are coming from, but Sean is a terrible boyfriend who doesn't deserve Flora. Still, the author did a great job exploring identity, self-discovery, social dynamics, first love and heartbreak realistically.
The ending was good and kept me from feeling like I wasted my time.
(Picked this up because I was in the mood for something lighter + feeling nostalgic for my teenage days spent reading angsty high school romances on Wattpad and Fictionpress... so imagine my mirth when I realised this was originally a Wattpad story that got published by Wattpad Books! Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I'd actually read it as a teen??)
in light of this book being officially published soon i've decided to log it into goodreads even though i read it a good 10 years ago. friends who've known me for awhile all know how obsessed i was with this book when i was 12/13/14... BEST WATTPAD BOOK EVER. trust me when i say im gonna be reading the published version when it releases!!!! the author is also the absolute sweetest in responding to wattpad and askfm comments 🫶😭
Read: December 15th - January 5th Format: E-book Rating: No rating, DNF @ 31%
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Gah, second year in a row starting with a dnf 😔But what happens, happens. At least I saw this dnf coming. I've been struggling with this book for the last three weeks.
This might have been more fun as a Disney Channel movie maybe. I kept trying to think of this like Geek Charming. Either it being in written form made it fail, or it just didn't have the charm of that movie. But I was soooo bored. 30% in and no plot had happened. All I saw was more and more proof of why these two teenagers just do not work as a couple.
Flora also just is not a type of character I am fond of. She's a rich privileged character who is very superficial. This isn't an automatic killer of a story, but it is when it's obnoxious and in your face. Which, again, maybe it wouldn't have been in another format where you're not in her head.
Sean just... sort of exists. I didn't feel compelled by him as a character, either. But I did pity the guy. I get why he went for Flora. I get why she went for him. I do NOT get them lasting anymore than a few months because my gosh, there is NOTHING there between them, and he keeps getting the short end of the stick because she's so grumpy he's prioritizing studying over special fun times.
Do I get where she's coming from given her circumstances? Sure. Do I enjoy it enough to put up with it until her maybe redemption? Not at all.
And all of this may have been forgivable if I wasn't 30% in and no plot had happened yet 😭😭I'm just so BORED, man.
One of these times, Wattpad will give me another Whistleblower or The Summer I Drowned. So far, though, no luck...
Reading this felt like coming home to myself. I forgot how much I loved Flora and Sean, but I knew going back to log into my old account and pulling up this title to see if it still was there was no accident.
The memories flooded back to me once I started this book. The anticipation of waiting for chapters to be released every week. The squeal that I squealed when scenes were happening, knowing in the past I was waiting for updates on baited breath almost a decade ago. It was really nice having a connection to my old self. Even though I’m on a very different path now, I can still find joy in the same things I did back then.
It was a nostalgic kind of joy one rooted in connection, comfort, and the kind of love that sticks with you. The characters are flawed. They know they’re flawed, and yet their love speaks so loudly, so clearly. And that’s what makes this story special, even all these years later.
A smile was plastered across my face all through while I was reading because Kissing is the Easy Part is a story that made me feel nostalgic and warm on the inside. Many contemporary romances tend to follow the same certain pattern, but Kissing is the Easy Part, is had a uniqueness to it that made me speed read through it without regrets or boredom. It was also a pleasure to meet the main character Flora. Though she has her flaws she is confident and grounded in who she is as a person ans is unafraid to flaunt. Sean was an adorable panda bear who I just want to hug. The relationship progression between Flora and Sean is real and raw. As someone who has never had a boyfriend before, I don’t know how accurate this statement I’m about to make is, but I felt that the connection between Flora and Sean resembles that of the real life. Never quite sweet neither quite bitter, but in-between. Bittersweet.
Though I hold nothing but love for Kissing is the Easy Part, I feel as though separating the story into two parts like a series would make much more sense and better because the novel is written over the course of two years and the time lengths sorta became a little confusing while I was reading. Blog|Twitter|Instagram|
Utterly amazing. Wattpad, although over filled with boring and grammatically incorrect novels, actually has some beautiful authors. This book, along with a few others, proves just that! KITEP has real, engaging and three dimensional characters. Flora, although seemingly dense and naive AT FIRST was so real, relatable and I absolutely loved her. I did not want this book to end. Lo, and behold; there's a sequel. Anyway, back to KITEP dynamics. I absolutely adored Sean and Flora's relationship. It was raw, and real, unlike the relationships portrayed in most novels today. This author's writing was cogent and beautiful. Her ideas flowed seamlessly together, piecing together a one of a kind Wattpad novel. I am in love with this book and would read it over. 10/10 RECOMMEND.
This is one of the books that made me love reading and thus will forever be in my heart. I cannot give this less than 5 stars because if I hadn't read this my love for reading would not be this strong. I remember reading this and just loving Christine Duane writing it is poetic and therapeutic. I loved flora and Sean so much they are on of my top ten loves relationships to this date . I remember reading this and thinking it was the most realistic highschool romance I had ever read. Flora was very funny and Sean is the kinda guys I like cause smart guys are sexy. I love them so much their my babies. I laughed so much in this book and I also read the sequel and loved it, its one of the books that I'll love forever. In my heart forever.
To anyone wants to read a novel which is light, but deep. happy, but sad. funny, not trivial. This is definitely the one for you.
3.5 I've always enjoyed the fairytales silly romance, but I enjoyed the realistic romance too. In a novel than mix between both of these, It'll certainly be one of my favorites. What I liked in this novel that I wasn't forced by the writer to take sides. The writer kept narrating using the main characters so that we understand all of them. This novel absorbed me and I really hope it'll turn out to be made into a series one day!
4.5 This is probably the most realistic book, about people falling in love, that I have read on wattpad. I absolutely loved this book and is surely one of my favorites.
4.5🌟 This story was spectacular. Not only was it a cute and heartwarming read but it was also realistic.
Christine’s writing flows effortlessly; her analogies, character depth and emotional insight feel so intentional and beautifully crafted. Nothing about it feels wattpad-ish, instead it’s polished, thoughtful, and genuinely moving.
The popular girl × nerdy guy trope is done in a way that’s refreshing, unpredictable and full of heart. The dialogue is sharp, funny, and engaging, and the banter flows naturally.
Flora and Sean stole my heart in such different ways. Flora is radiant and fun, the kind of character who lights up every scene she’s in. Sean is caring, attentive, and quietly thoughtful. I melted at his actions that spoke volumes to his character and his tenderness for Flora.
These two definitely tested my patience parts of the book, but watching them grow, together and individually, made their journey worth every second.
I loved that this story doesn’t pretend adolescent relationships are simple. It digs into miscommunication, emotional boundaries, and the fear of losing yourself in someone else. It shows that mutual feelings aren’t enough; relationships, especially in high school, come with complications, compromise, and honest self-reflection.
By the end, I had tears in my eyes. Everything felt bittersweet yet promising.
I still can’t believe I didn’t read this back in its Wattpad days, but I’m so glad I got to experience the published version. It’s truly different and stands out from so many other YA romances I’ve read.
This book really took me on a roller coaster and was not what I expected it to be. I was expecting a happy fun palette cleansing romance but it felt more nuanced than that, especially by the middle till the end. I love how realistic and deep the romance felt. A lot of books, especially modern (2020-present) romances, are so surface level and don’t delve into anything beyond that. I want to really know the characters and understand them on a personal level. I feel like I do with Sean and Flora which I appreciate, there’s almost nothing worse than flat characters.
Kissing is definitely the easy part for these two, communication on the other hand is not. While I do hate miscommunication, if the miscommunication is over something understandable then I can get past that because in real life people do (unfortunately) miscommunicate all the time. While it’s is never fun to read about I’m glad this one had the understandable kind instead of the annoying kind. Flora and Sean are both very different people and while I don’t believe that their differences are something that should separate them, I don’t think it does either of them any good to ignore them. This book just demonstrates why honest communication is key to any successful and healthy relationship.
Anyways, onto the more fun and happy parts. I was grinning constantly, these two were so adorable. Popular girl x nerdy guy trope will always have me in its clutches. This was super fun and cute but also angsty at times, which I enjoyed. I haven’t been this excited to read in a while and it was so nice to have that feeling back.
Easily one of my new favorites. It was such a rollercoaster to read and more often than not, romance books (especially those on wattpad) tend to glaze over highschool relationships and portray them with rose colored glasses but this felt so realistic and genuine. It was very enjoyable and I was so hooked, I couldn't get enough.
I really wish I liked this more. Unfortunately, Maybe my hopes were too high knowing there’s a movie adaptation and that it’s well loved but this wasn’t for me. The couple got together way too quick for my taste plus I didn’t care for 70% of the drama they did have. And honestly I feel like it would’ve been more compelling if we saw these characters actually work on their “flaws” rather than a quick second break up at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Man this book stressed me out. I was expecting a sweet little love story but be warned that is not what you will find. 80% of the book is arguments and real life issues and it just hurt because all you want is the two main characters to be together. Honestly worth a read but it's not just rainbows and butterflies.
I love this book. One of the few books that stuck with me over the years and I can even remember clearly how i felt when I first read it. Now that it is published i wish it received more recognition, it sure deserves it. Overall..excellent read.
I’ll be honest, I hardly read books from the romance genre. But this book was SO different (in a good way), I was invested the whole time and it made me realise so many things from my real life as well.
📚Kissing is the Easy Part ✍🏻Christine Duann Blurb: Perfect for readers who love contemporary YA romance like Tweet Cute and movies with sweet throwback appeal like Clueless.
"We’re not just different. We’re complete opposites.”
Flora Morgan knows what she wants and exactly how to get it. With an endless roster of friends, an enviable Instagram feed, and a flair for debuting every season’s must-have bag, life comes easy to her. But like a fairytale clock striking midnight, Flora’s world tilts when she meets Sean. They couldn’t be any more different, but he is everything she never knew she wanted.
Sean Foster is her polar opposite. Introverted, book smart, and thoughtful, with dreams of attending an exclusive college to study physics. His goals are his sole focus, and with graduation around the corner, the last thing he needs is to be swept up in the beautiful whirlwind of Flora Morgan. But when a drunken confession melts his resolve, he starts to wonder if some risks are worth taking.
As their vastly different worlds collide, they quickly realize that happily ever after doesn’t begin with a kiss. Flora’s picture-perfect life isn’t as flawless as it appears, and Sean’s dream of his future leaves no room for distractions. To keep their fire burning, they must accept each other’s differences and decide if what they’re building is strong enough to survive trials, jealousy, expectations, and the fear of becoming someone they no longer recognize.
Kissing is the Easy Part is a coming-of-age story that blasts you back to the golden age of romantic comedies and will have you cheering for a charming love story about what it means to be truly seen. My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this story, particularly for how raw and honest the relationship between Sean and Flora was, as well as their personalities and the mistakes they made.
Flora and Sean were complete opposites, and I loved how Duann perfectly portrayed how much this huge difference in personality and character could have negative influences on a relationship that is actually full of love.
Flora and Sean were completely in love; however, their relationship tended to become a burden and a hurdle to being themselves.
Sometimes love can be beautiful but not perfect; it can be all you ever needed but, at the same time, everything that holds you back. This story does very well in showing how love and relationships are difficult and sometimes hard to hold onto if you are also still trying to find your own way.
Flora and Sean's feelings were genuine and they cared for each other, but they were very far from being perfect, and there were still things and chapters they would need to go through by themselves until they found each other again - if they are in each other's fate. Thanks NetGalley, Wattpad Books and Author Christine Dunn for the advanced copy of "Kissing is the Easy Part" I am leaving my honest review in appreciation. #NetGalley #ChristineDuann #KissingistheEasyPart #WattpadBooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A story about two teenagers who fall in love. The easiest way to put it, but this book had so many more layers than that. You have Sean your typical hot nerdy boy and Flora your rich pretty girl who everyone finds shallow. Flora has had a crush on Sean since freshman year and now she finally shoots her shot.
I liked the plot, it felt real. Not all high school relationships are perfect and last forever. Not saying that no high school relationships can last, but unfortunately often it is not the case. I thought it was refreshing to show this type of story. It isn’t often you see a relationship portrayed like this, but it reminds you of things you should never let go of.
I did find that some sentences structures felt a little jarring. It didn’t feel right always, but many of the dialogue did feel real. Furthermore characterisation was good. The characters were layered and deep. They had loads of different sides, but still a distinct personality, that I liked.
All in all it was a good book. Not quite what is was expecting, but I definitely enjoyed it. I think it is a good read for people who like realistic, but also romantic stories. The pacing is good, so you’ll get through it in no time.
I absolutely loved this story, particularly for how raw and honest the relationship between Sean and Flora was, as well as their personalities and the mistakes they made.
Flora and Sean were complete opposites, and I loved how Duann perfectly portrayed how much this huge difference in personality and character could have negative influences on a relationship that is actually full of love.
Flora and Sean were completely in love; however, their relationship tended to become a burden and a hurdle to being themselves.
Sometimes love can be beautiful but not perfect; it can be all you ever needed but, at the same time, everything that holds you back. This story does very well in showing how love and relationships are difficult and sometimes hard to hold onto if you are also still trying to find your own way.
Flora and Sean's feelings were genuine and they cared for each other, but they were very far from being perfect, and there were still things and chapters they would need to go through by themselves until they found each other again - if they are in each other's fate.
This book did not go how I thought it was going to, it didn't work for me.
Something i did really like was Flora's friendship with Sean's sister. It was really sweet and she took on the big sister role flawlessly.
Sadly though Sean and Flora are a horrible couple. At first it was sweet, but they got together too quickly and I knew disaster was coming. I think the idea of the book is to show how hard relationships can be, and I will say the author nailed that. It's for that reason that the book got 2 stars, I understand what the aim was.
But the thing is these two are so different that to me it started reading as toxic eventually. She is too flippant and he becomes controlling. But the thing is its not on purpose to be horrible, they just don't fit together in a way that gives them common ground to bridge the gaps. And it wasn't enjoyable to read for me personally.
I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to booksirens, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
High school love is magic in a bottle. It's a time to experience love, heartbreak, and all the butterflies in between. I think Kissing is the Easy Part captures those feelings in a way that is true to the young adult romance experience. Sean and Flora are complete opposites, and I think many would be surprised to see them together romantically. But chemistry works in mysterious ways.
I do wish that I could have liked this more because it had the potential to be 5 stars. The first quarter of the book had me hooked, and then when miscommunication between the pair took hold, it lost its momentum for me. I liked that the characters were able to learn more about what they want and how to express themselves. Like the title, kissing is the easy part; it's everything else that complicates things.
I’ve read this story in Wattpad long time ago. This duology is by far, to date, one of the best WP works I’ve read. I know some readers have stereotype about WP work because it’s too wattpad-ish (maybe some are not properly written) but this writing + plot are amongst the best WP has to offer imo. Kudos & great job to author.
About KITEP — i honestly did not expect the story to be wholesome. I thought it was just normal YA, about teens falling in love initially, but wow it’s more than that.
Character — I FREAKING LOVE SEAN FOSTER, my WP book boyfriend! He’s not perfect but he’s just perfect for Flora.
Not every adult reader likes to read YA, but trust me you just have to give this book a try. You can always read it in WP; Kissing is the easy part + Kisses and other necessities. I read this more than 5yrs ago & i still remember the 2 stories, shows how good it is.