Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did)

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There is a lot of grief and loss to wade through, especially as it manifests so differently for so many people; and these characters are no exception. Manages to be surprisingly poignant and deep on certain topics while still being super engaging and fun to read - and also full of the tropiest tropes possible. in this case, we meet an unconventional, dysfunctional family that has become all too well acquainted with grief. Many thanks to NetGalley, Little and Brown Books for Young Readers, and Tess Sharpe for an ARC of this book!

I do not love that dynamic, I find it incredibly horrible to experience, but instead of ruining the book (which has definitely happened to me before) I can respect it because Sharpe did such a great job with.The YA genre is off to a strong start in 2023, with Tess Sharpe dropping a heartfelt and adorable love story for the ages. I also don't love big sections of text messages in novels unless they feel like they NEED to be included, and the side plot felt like a bit of unnecessary filler at times. It’s definitely one that, if you liked her previous works in whatever capacity, you’ll like this one too.

The book is told in a back and forth format--the present day focuses on Anna and Lottie's operations and the aftermath. It wasn't so much a miscommunication trope as an "any communication at all could have solved this" problem. There are both lines and scenes that made me have to close the book for a minute to catch my breath, while also having a seriously sweet romance using lots of fun tropes.Penny and Tate's (first name Gillian, both of their names are awful, haha) mums (Lottie and Anna, respectively) are best friends. But when an almost-kiss goes from almost to I am now wearing your lip gloss, Penny and Tate have no choice but to finally face the music … right? instead, there are genuine conversations, movements towards growth, and acceptance and acknowledgement of hurts caused from all parties. This story is much more traumatic and emotional than I expected - the UK blurb markets this as a fluffy romance with no mention of Penny's Dad's harrowing death or her mom's decision to donate her kidney to Tate's mom.

What made this one a bit harder to get through, unfortunately, was in some ways, the premise itself.She has over two years of experience in the digital media and entertainment industry, and her works can also be found on Screen Rant and Tell-Tale TV.

Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) (hereafter, Six Times, because I’m not typing that out all over again) is a fun enough read, I suppose. But it was also the amazing portrayal of female familial relationships and the complexities within them.

Suddenly, the girls are forced closer together as they bear the brunt of the responsibility in their mothers’ preparation and recovery process.