What do you do when you’re the reigning kissing booth champion but the only person you want to kiss is your best friend’s brother?
Let me make this clear right here, right now: I, Halley Dawson, do not care that Preston Wright is kissing other women.Not a lick. Not at all. Nuh-uh-freakin’-uh.I do care that he’s doing it six feet away from me behind a gaudy velvet curtain–making him my … behind a gaudy velvet curtain–making him my competition in this year’s kissing contest.
Why do I care, you ask? Because I’ve had an unfortunate crush on the insufferable idiot since I was sixteen years old, but I also know it’s never going to happen.
He’s the Creek Falls bachelor to die for, and I’m the Creek Falls racoon lady who puts peanut butter sandwiches out for them every night.
I’m not going to let him break my four-year-long reign–no matter how many times he breaks the rules and slides the curtain across to do the one thing he’s not allowed to:
Kiss me.
more
4 Stars
Quick, fun and quirky read from Emma Hart. Halley is the reigning kissing booth champion, but this year she has some serious competition in the form of her best friend’s brother, Preston. Oh, and did I mention he’s her long time crush? Yep! Nothing like a little witty banter between competitors. As per usual, Hart writes a strong, quirky heroine and and equally strong and irresistable hero that will have you laughing out loud. Great read!
Angela – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Pride can be a very powerful teacher, especially when the lessons learned are the kind that take your heart and twist it like a pretzel. Kiss Me Not by Emma Hart brings together a culmination of events that lead to that lesson we spoke of.
Best laid plans seldom follow thru as predicted, and this story had me laughing with each new wrinkle that came about. Hailey and Preston are the perfect adversaries. But as we read, we definitely see that what started as a simple wager has become so much more. And no matter what happened in the end, we were definitely cheering them both on.
Emma Hart, your characters jump off the page and embed themselves in our minds. Another story so well done, and I look forward to the next. All the stars lady…all the stars to you for this one.
This was such a great read. The banter between Halley and Preston had me cracking up. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow, and how accepting they became of one another. I LOVED Halley’s little quirks. She’s unlike most heroines we read about, and it’s refreshing :). Add in two amazing besties that are beyond entertaining and you’ve got a great read! I highly recommend this!
I needed a good book to take my mind off personal problems and tracking Hurricane Dorian; Kiss Me Not by Emma Hart did the trick.
Halley Dawson and Preston Wright are competing for the kissing booth championship at the annual kissing contest. They both have a booth; Halley is the reigning queen, and Preston wants to knock her off her throne. In years past, the competition wouldn’t worry Halley, but Preston is special. Not only is he her long-time crush, he is also her brother’s best friend.
I love these characters so much. The story is both funny and sweet as Halley and Preston learn that they both want to kiss one another instead of the many paying for the pleasure. Halley is a strong, driven heroine who made me laugh. Halley is a librarian with a generous heart. She is a charitable woman who even makes sandwiches for the raccoons who raid her trash. She makes the reader cheer for her from the beginning.
Preston is the hero that makes readers’ hearts flutter. He is sexy and funny with all the right moves. He is cautious about entering into romantic relationships. There are times that I felt Preston was a little arrogant, but the more we get to know him the more I realize that it is a defense mechanism. He knows he can get any woman he wants, but do they really want him or his money?
Emma Hart filled a need for me this weekend. She made me laugh when I didn’t feel like it. She helped me escape into her world. All the characters, including the ancillary, are exceptional. The support characters are developed just enough to make the reader wonder about their stories and anxiously await the next books. However, they don’t take away from Halley and Preston. I highly recommend Kiss Me Not especially if you need to lighten your day with some good laughs.
While I’m not always in the mood for a romantic comedy (you know, I like to angst it up sometimes…), I am always in the mood for Emma Hart. Her books are guaranteed to perk me up, make me smile, and, often, send me into full-on belly laughs. And, with the way that Emma’s been talking up her Kiss Me series, well, I was very interested in getting my hot little hands on KISS ME NOT (Book 1) to start the journey and check these characters out.
It’s a given that Emma’s female characters are going to be imbued with traits reminiscent of herself, just a teeny bit, so sass, spice, and a sarcastic sense of humor are musts. Enter Halley Dawson, first daughter of Creek Falls, and reigning queen of the town fair kissing booth. Halley is primed and ready to win the title of Queen Kisser once again. But, wait…what’s that? Who has been hand-picked by none other than Halley’s own father to compete against her? Only the guy that she’s been crushing on for years, the one that’s off-limits. Yep, that guy, none other than Preston Wright, her best friend’s older brother. I have a feeling that things are about to get a littler, erm, heated…
I really got a kick out of KISS ME NOT. Halley’s sass and smarts, Preston’s sexy sweetness, the hilarious antics of their families and friends, and, yep, those raccoons, who absolutely stole the show. This book is a great beginning to the series, because now I can’t wait for both KISS ME TONIGHT and KISS ME AGAIN, as I have a feeling that seeing Reagan and Ava find their own HEAs is going to be very, very entertaining. KISS ME NOT is a must-read for rom-com lovers and Emma Hart fans, and is an easy 4.5 stars of pure enjoyment.
Emma Hart continues to surprise me with her special brand of snarky, witty, simmering romance. Kiss Me Not has plenty of hilarious moments that kept me entertained for hours. A bit of a slow burn, Preston and Halley are a couple of awkward weirdos that are so perfect for each other!
Preston and Halley have known each other for years. While they don’t typically get along, each has been secretly crushing on the other for quite a while. Nothing better than the present Kissing Booth at the town fair to finally make their move. Halley and her girlfriends are sassy funny, chicks that are a little extra lol. It takes a special guy to banter with those three. Preston has the patience of a saint to figure out the quirky nuances that make up Halley.
This book was wildly fun for a chilly Sunday afternoon. Settle in with your favorite blanket to devour this fun, charming, rom com.
Cute, funny, and fun!
Kiss Me Not is a best friend’s brother/unrequited (or is it?) crush romantic comedy, and so much fun to read–though one has to wonder, why are kissing booths still a thing? (Or ever a thing, really…) Still, it was a cute plot device, and the competition between Halley and Preston definitely did its job of finally bringing the two of them together.
With a little help from a gang of hungry (and not really wild anymore) raccoons, that is…
If you’re looking for a light, fun read you can’t go wrong with this one! I can’t wait to see what will happen next in this series. That epilogue…! 😉
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
4 Her Championship Title is on the Line Stars!!
There’s nothing better than a funny and sassy rom-com from Emma Hart and this first book in her Kiss Me series brought the exactly what I was looking for in a read with its levity and well developed story…Halley and Preston have known each other forever because he’s the brother of one of her best friends, Reagan. What no one knows though is that she’s had a secret crush on him.
So when the annual kissing contest comes around this year, which she’s the reigning champion of several years running, he town decides to make it a little interesting by having Preston in a booth next to hers to see who can make the most money. I absolutely loved this idea because it brings out some of the funniest moments in this story because Halley is determined to win and when her and her besties, Reagan and Ava start coming up with little wagers, needless to say, I was snort laughing my way through the book!
For his part, Preston would be just fine losing to Halley, but more importantly he wants this girl and this is his prime chance to get under her skin and finally make her his! I absolutely loved that Preston saw what was beneath the surface with this girl. There’re layers to her that even I wasn’t expecting and having their romance heat up with a slow burn was absolutely perfect!
I adore Ms. Hart’s writing and her storytelling capabilities are what makes her a go-to author for me when I need a book that will lighten me up from some darker reads I’ve been experiencing lately. One of the things that I love the most about her stories is how she makes the secondary characters such an integral part of each story. It totally makes me want their story as soon as I’ve finished the book I’ve just read.
When all is said and done, this is a perfect start to a new series, new characters and books that will have me laughing until I’m crying!
And P.S. I’m not telling you who won!!
Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers. I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.
Emma Hart is so brilliant in the way that she makes her books so fun. They have this feel-good quality about them that is unquestionable. I really love that about her books.
The plot of this story was completely adorable and so much fun. Halley is the reigning kissing booth champion but Preston, her best friend’s brother, is aiming to out-kiss her. Little does she know that her crush would much rather be kissing her.
Both main characters were so likable. They both have big hearts. They are both trying to raise money for a good cause. Halley is very sarcastic, sassy, and has a tough exterior at times even though she is a big softy. She feeds raccoons, for goodness sake. She is the perfect quirky character. She was absolutely relatable. Preston is not the typical playboy male lead character even though he is definitely a man that most women would want to date. He is a very sweet guy and is very laid back.
The chemistry between Halley and Preston was evident even if it was a slow-burn romance. It was so obvious that they liked one another. There was excellent banter between the two, especially before their feelings were out there. They complimented each other well. Preston could match her sassiness and he was just as competitive as she was.
Overall, this is a story that will keep you entertained and intrigued. I am really looking forward to reading the next books in this series. Emma Hart has become an auto-buy author for me. I can’t get enough of her brand of romantic comedy. She has me smitten. If you are in the mood for a light romantic comedy that will have you laughing and swooning then you have to pick this one up!
***ARC Provided by the Author***
Halley and Preston are secretly half (maybe more) in love with one another and they are pretty much the only ones who aren’t aware of it. In fact, they think they don’t like one another.
Wrong.
So, setting up as competitors for the crown of kissing booth champion at the local fair will be no problem, right,
Wrong.
There’s the line up of women who want him, listening to each other kissing other people, crazy bets, a stunning amount of raccoons, the occasional errant churro…and a lot of humorous sexual chemistry.
This book is fun and funny. It’s got a great heart and likeable characters. It’s lighthearted and an easy read. This isn’t to say it’s lacking depth, it’s not…but that it’s enjoyable, fun, and well-written while being a light read that I enjoyed and recommend.
Emma Hart has become my go to author for romantic comedies and Kiss Me Not will be at the top of that list. It was hilarious, with well developed characters and a great story.
I love the small town story and wish I could find a fair like the one described in the book. I love how the author even throws a little joke about herself in the book. It made me smile big and laugh hard.
Halley is a small town girl who loves her job and her family and even her crazy raccoons. Yes, I said raccoons but you’ll have to read the book to find out about them. Trust me; you will want to know about them. Halley is the kiss booth champion for her town fair and is proud of it. This year should be no different, until Preston, her best friend’s brother and the object of her unending crush. I love how Halley and her smart mouth keep Preston on his toes. Their banter was great.
Preston is the most eligible bachelor in his small town, but he isn’t fond of that title. He works for his parents’ florist shop. He is probably the only one capable of handling Halley and everything she is. He has plenty of practice keeping of with the banter thanks to his sister Reagan.
These two are perfect together and I love how they developed throughout the story. There are always bumps and curves along the way but the important part is that they find their way to where they are meant to be. I am so excited for Reagan’s and Ava’s books.
4 Stars
Kiss Me Not is the all new rom-com by Emma Hart. It is the first book in the Kiss Me series and it was full of sweetness, charm, and laugh out loud humor. Emma Hart never fails to disappoint with her quick wit and fantastic writing.
Halley has been the reigning champ at the kissing booth since forever. She loves doing it every year for charity and everyone knows she has no competition. Well, that is until this year, her best friends hot as hell brother Preston decides to go up against her.
I seriously loved these two! The banter between them had me laughing out loud and grinning ear to ear. The secondary characters were just as amazing and I hope we get their stories. Highly recommend reading this book!
Kiss Me Not was a hilarious story of long time crushes, best friend shenanigans, and rambunctious raccoons. I was completely pulled into this world through Halley and her best friends. I’m also very very excited to read their stories, because if learning their personalities in this book tells me anything, they are going to have some very interesting stories.
Halley was totally likable from the very beginning. Although we didn’t have a lot in common, and there were many times I may have rolled my eyes at her shenanigans, I still liked her a lot. She has spent her life helping her community, and the local wildlife, and it seems that she was always making me laugh. When she began interacting with Preston, it was easy to see the familiarity between them and to feel the light tension of a long time crush.
Preston was adorable. He was the perfect balance of trying to be the “bigger man” as the best friend’s brother and smitten. I loved watching him woo Halley with small gestures. He wasn’t the typical alpha male that just barges in and takes the woman for himself, but rather he sort of sneaks behind her defenses and proves himself to her.
Overall, this was a fantastic story. I laughed, felt like a part of their friend group, and had my heart feel all that comes along with finding love.
Another fun filled flirty read by Emma Hart.
This time we have the snarky, Halley Dawson. She’s the town librarian, daughter of the mayor, champion Kissing Booth kisser and raccoon whisperer. If that doesn’t have you intrigued. There’s always Preston Wright, brother of one of Halley’s best friends, town’s most eligible bachelor, secret crush of Halley’s and challenger for the town Kissing booth.
It turns out that not only does Halley have a secret crush on Preston, but Preston has been harboring a secret crush on Halley. To make it funny, since neither knows, they love to be snarky to each other. Add in a bunch of raccoons that run Halley’s house and some kooky older relatives and this book will have you laughing out loud Emma Hart style.
Can’t wait to keep reading this series!
This book was a quirky, cute, and sassy read.
Halley is an absolute blast to read because of her sass. Oh and her best friends were hilarious and the antics that the three of them had are what best friends should be like.
Preston is Halley’s best friends (one of them) brother. He is swoon worthy. He is wanted by everyone in town because he is hot and single.
This story is a laugh your a** off read, fun read. The chemistry between Halley and Preston is chart worthy but neither of them thinks it will every work because of the common denominator of Kennedy (best friend and younger sister). Oh and listening to your crush kiss hundreds of other people can’t be fun. Will Preston and Halley make it out without killing each other?
A sweet fun read from Emma and the first in a three book series. Kiss Me Not is a friends, well best friends brother, to lovers romance. I thoroughly enjoyed Preston and Halley but her fuzzy friends did steal some scenes. I must say that Emma has perfected the “crazy relative” and eccentric animal in her books. Theses characters along with the important secondary characters keep you engaged even when the focus is off the main characters.
Preston and Halley were enjoyable and their inner dialogues entertaining too. As this is the first book in this series I believe we will be seeing more of them in the future books even if it is just to give us a little insight into how their relationship is progressing.
Rom-Com seems to be where Emma Hart’s focus is right now so grab a book, kick back and enjoy!
Kiss Me Not is the first book I’ve read by Emma Hart, but it definitely won’t be my last! Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop (even though I had to, because I had to work). Lately I’ve read a lot of emotional books that felt pretty heavy, but Kiss Me Not definitely got me smiling again and ready for something new.
Halley is the reigning kissing booth champion at her town fair and is back to defend her title. Things get a little awkward, when she finds out her competition is her best friend’s brother, Preston. It’s clear that they both have feelings for the other, but hide it by trying to be enemies. This gives us readers a lot of fun banter and some fun competition.
Halley is a dedicated librarian. She’s sarcastic and can seem really tough, but she has a big heart. I mean, come one, she feeds the raccoons who used to come and raid her trash. Those were my favorite parts of the book. Even though this kissing competition isn’t something she’s looking forward to anymore, she does is for charity. Halley wants to help those in need!
Preston is single and so many women would date him if he were to give them the chance. He’s not open for that though, because a lot of them are just after him for his money. That’s not what he’s looking for! Preston can seem arrogant, but he’s really sweet. What guy would make sandwiches for someone’s raccoons after insulting her on accident?
There is definitely chemistry from the start and I love how it slowly came together. Things didn’t go smoothly, but there wasn’t too much drama or angst. Kiss Me Not was a lighthearted romance with a few steamy moments near the end.
Besides this fun romance, the cast of characters is amazing. Halley’s friends are nuts and made me look forward to their stories. Her family is definitely quirky and I can understand where her insecurities comes from. Don’t even get me talking about Preston’s grandmother and Halley’s aunt, haha.
All in all, this is an amazing feel good romance that had me laughing out loud. I need the next book ASAP!
Kiss Me Not by Emma Hart was such an adorable and delightful read. It was a quick read with all the best feels. Halley is the reigning champion for the local kissing booth at the yearly fair. For four years. But this year she has strong competition in the form of her best friend’s older brother, Preston. The one she has had a crush on for years. Now she will have to stand next to him as he kisses one female after another.
I loved Halley so much. She was confident and strong and yes, a bit quirky, but that made her, well her. Even if she did not think of herself as a woman Preston would be attracted too. This was a slow burn romance with lots of banter! And I loved their back and forth and witty banter so much! A fun and light read perfect to get lost in.
Happy reading!
Kiss Me Not is the first book in the brand new Kiss Me series, and is packed with Emma Hart’s signature humor and adorable moments.
Halley is the reigning kissing booth champion, spending the past 5 years kissing anyone with a dollar to spare for charity. With her love of raccoons, a good bet and having a witty comeback at the ready, Halley is ready to defend her title, until she finds out her competition this year is her best friend’s brother – and the guy she’s been crushing on for years.
Preston is the town heartthrob, an unattainable bachelor, and hiding a huge crush on Halley. So when he’s asked to be her competition for this years kissing booth he jumps at the chance to spend time with her, not realizing all that comes with it.
I loved these characters! Halley is quirky and full of sass, the exact heroine I’ve come to know and love from this author. Preston is charming and funny, and determined to get the girl. Reagan & Ava were delightful additions, Lauren was such a great surprise, and grandma & aunt Bethel were the icing on the cake!
If you’re looking for a sweet, laugh out loud & easy read this is definitely it! It’s flirty and fun, and I’m so excited for the next book in the series!!
Kiss Me Not is the first book in the Kiss Me series by the ever-hilarious, Emma Hart. I know when I open one of her rom-coms that I will be laughing throughout the whole book. And I so fucking did with this one. The synopsis kicks ass so I will make this fast.
A kissing booth at the town fair. This is where is was about to go down. Two competitors. Halley Dawson, the raccoon lady who was also the mayor’s daughter and reigning champion for the last four years. Preston Wright, the town’s most eligible bachelor, hottest florist, and Halley’s crush. He also happens to be her best friend’s brother.
Halley hid her crush behind sarcasm and heated words. But how was she going to hide the fact that hearing him kissing other woman behind a curtain was torture? She knew she wasn’t his type. She was a librarian who fed raccoons every night. She didn’t think she was anything special even though her friends tell her different. There was no way the hottest man in town would go for a girl like her, right?
Now, what do you think?
Aw! I loved this book. Emma has a way of making us feel all the emotions while also making us laugh our asses off. God, I loved these characters. Halley is unique and beautiful in every way. Preston is adorable with a side of cocky. Together, their banter is hilarious, flirty, and full of sarcasm and wit. And Eva and Reagan? Omg!! I can’t wait for their books.
P.S I love Boris and Betty!
Quotes:
“And orange isn’t really my color.”
“Neither is red, but here you are wearing it.”
“Ouch. You’re in a good mood.”
“Nice is so bland. Sweet is for you, and adorable is simply a synonym for cute.”
“It’s kind of hot when you go all librarian.”
ME: Are you reading porn?
HALLEY: I’m reading romance. If you call my books porn again, I will beat you with them.
ME: Kinky.
HALLEY: Let me shove a hardback up your ass, and you tell me how kinky that is.