Reviews

Kiss Me Every Day by Dena Blake

aliu6's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars

It's a day before her 31st birthday, and Wynn Jamison is unhappy with her life. She gave the orders to lay off thousands of employees in the morning, and her dinner with her sister's wife Carly has made her realize that she still has feelings for her sister-in-law. But Carly and Jordan's marriage is falling apart, and the night ends with a searing kiss between Wynn and Carly. The next morning, Wynn wakes up to discover that she's gone back in time one year, to the day she shared an amazing first kiss with Carly, before she lost her to her Jordan. As Wynn repeatedly wakes up on the same day, she realizes that she's been given a chance to correct the record. Will Wynn ever escape the time loop, and maybe get the girl as well?

cw: infidelity (kissing), death (of a side character)

This was a cute story, despite the unoriginal premise. It was very much a lesfic version of Groundhog Day, except Wynn starts off much more likable.

The Characters: Wynn and Carly were cute and nice, but they lacked depth. I felt like a lot of adjectives got thrown around, but I had a very muddled picture of both characters. The side characters were pretty one-dimensional as well, though a few were very likable. The sister, Jordan, seemed like a straight up sociopath.

The Romance: There were definitely some good bits of romance in here, but I think things started to get a bit crazy by the end. There were big gestures that didn't quite make sense. It felt a bit like I was being sold the idea of, "they are meant to be!" rather than being convinced that the MCs should be together through the plot. For example, they would have some average conversation and spend some time doing a fun activity, and then the narration would say something along the lines of how one MC knew the other MC was The One for her because it all felt so easy. I wanted to feel the chemistry more, instead of being told that it existed.

The Plot: I liked how there were other subplots that Wynn had to try and fix in addition to the romantic one. This kept things interesting as Wynn tried different methods to fix everything by the end of the day. However, I think some of the plot lines did not make sense, and there were some actions and choices that seemed out of character. Also, some of the resolutions were a bit basic.

The Writing: There were a lot of typos in this one, although I did read an ARC, so those will hopefully get fixed in the final product. I wasn't a big fan of the writing style. It was very straight forward, a lot of "telling" as opposed to "showing," and there wasn't much flow. The story was told in alternating third person limited POV of Wynn and Carly.

All in all, this was an entertaining book. While it wasn't the most well-written or well-thought out story, Dena Blake's enthusiasm for her characters' HEA makes it a better read. If you're a fan of this do-over trope, this may be the book for you.

**I received an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

hsinjulit's review against another edition

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4.0

Wynn Jamison shouldn't have stepped aside and let her sister Jordan pursue Carly Evans after they shared a phenomenal kiss a year ago. Now Carly is unhappily married to Jordan, and Wynn cannot seem to keep Carly out of her mind. When Wynn finds herself waking up on that game-changing day a year prior, she is desperate to make her and Carly work. But then the day keeps repeating itself. What does she have to do to get out of the wretched cycle?

If only we could all relive the day we made the worst decisions of our lives.

This is a weird book. Good weird. Kiss Me Every Day is a story about two people who were meant to be together but weren't because of circumstances. From the beginning, we see that Wynn and her sister-in-law Carly both hold a special place in the other's heart and everybody around them thinks they should be together. But Carly is married to Jordan, and as a marriage counselor, she refuses to consider a divorce. When Wynn starts reliving the day from last year, I no longer needed convincing to root for them. They are wonderful for each other, and both have decent character growths as the story progressed.

The book covers many aspects of Wynn's life: romantic, work, neighborly, and family relationships. Her repeating day feels like an exceptionally hard video game stage that one cannot pass and has to start over again and again. While frustrating because we share Wynn's desperation, it was also as adrenaline-filled as watching someone play an intriguing game. Though there were a few times the timeline messed with my head and seemed off, given the confusing nature of the theme, that actually added to the suspense. It was an enjoyable read.

Kiss Me Every Day is a reminder that life is so much more than work. It is definitely a thrilling story that keeps you on edge because you cannot wait for Wynn and Carly to end up together for good. And shoutout to Jeanine Henning for putting a mysterious yet slightly fading illustration of Carly on the cover.

I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

kapowski's review against another edition

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4.0

This was such a sweet romance! One thing I loved about Kiss Me Everyday is that the story wasn’t just about Wynn getting what she wanted. She not only had to go through her own emotional growth but she had to find ways to improve the lives of the people around her.

Even though it was a little predictable it was everything I wanted in a light, romantic read perfect for the summer.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

jennabeebs79's review against another edition

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5.0

Everyone has wished they could go back on time and get a do-over.....Groundhog Day style! Wynn and Carly were meant to be together but unfortunately, Wynn believed her sister's lies. She didn't think she could win Carly's heart with her dashing sister in the way, so she bowed out gracefully. What she didn't know was that Carly really had feelings for her, but because Wynn disappeared from her life, and Jordan told her everything she wanted to hear, she married Jordan.
The next year turned Wynn into a cutthroat, step on everyone you can to get to the top, kind of human. When she finally learned the truth about Jordan and Carly's marriage, she wished she could do it all over again. She got that wish. What followed was Wynn's discovery of the good person that she was underneath all along. I loved Wynn's character development and the romance between her and Carly. This is a feel good book that will have you smiling throughout! Thanks Dena for another really fantastic read!
I received an ARC copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

literatureaesthetic's review against another edition

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3.0

S Y N O P S I S

Wynn Jamison is turning thirty. Her career has made her rich, but her love life is sorely lacking. She’s okay with that until she spends her birthday dinner with the woman who could’ve changed it all. There’s only one problem. She’s married to Wynn’s sister.

Carly Evans is tired of her wife ignoring her needs to put her career first. Family has always been important to her, and Jordan just doesn’t seem to care.

A freak thunderstorm rages during the night, and Wynn finds herself catapulted back in time to the day she made the worst decision of her life―stepping aside to let her sister romance Carly. Reliving the day over and over again, Wynn must decide what is most important: success, loyalty, or love. Given a second chance at happiness, will she take the opportunity and change her destiny?

M Y T H O U G H T S

I have been craving a good female-female romance for the longest time, finally I read one that checked all the boxes. This book has a Groundhog Day plot, where Wynn finds herself reliving the same day over and over again. She must correct all of her mistakes in order to escape the time loop.

Things I loved:
▪ Wynn's journey of self-discovery is wonderful to witness. She develops compassion, love and finds happiness. Her character development is phenomenal.

▪ I loved the romance. Romance isn't my favourite genre, I tend to find it cringy and often lose interest. The romance in Kiss Me Every Day was the complete opposite. It was beautiful and exhilarating and consuming. It presented love in a truly magical way making the book a wonder to read.

▪ The PUPPIES. Honestly, whenever a puppy is mentioned in a book, my love for the novel increases tenfold. Puppies are my weakness, and whenever Shadow or Buttercup was mentioned I couldn't help but smile.


If you're looking for a stunning romance book with a female/female romance, then this is definitely the one for you. I highly recommend.

capesandcovers's review against another edition

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1.0

I usually like the Groundhog Day trope, I love watching how people learn and change over the course of a singular day, over and over and over again. So when I found out that Kiss Me Every Day was a sapphic romance take on the trope, I was super excited. Unfortunately, it didn't hold up to what I wanted. I only made it approximately halfway through before I decided to skim the last half and then read the epilogue.

Kiss Me Every Day follows Wynn, a successful business woman who regrets not winning over Carly, the woman who eventually married her sister. When she ends up getting dinner with Carly, they begin to rekindle their feelings for each other, only to have Wynn wake up on the day she let Carly go to her sister. It's a dual POV, alternating between Wynn and Carly every chapter.

While the idea of having the two sisters fighting over the same woman made me hesitate, it didn't actually bother me the way I guessed it might. In fact, I thought Blake did a good job of making sure that the reader knew why everything had fallen apart the way it had. Unfortunately, that's really the only pro I have for this book. I had no connection to any of the characters in the entire book, despite the book primarily focusing on three characters: Carly, Wynn and her sister, Jordan. Not having a connection made it really difficult to get into the book, and I honestly found it difficult to differentiate between Carly and Wynn, the only difference was that Wynn didn't seem to have any morals until the end of the book. I didn't click with the writing either, so overall I just didn't particularly enjoy this. It's not the writing was bad, there just wasn't enough pizzazz for me I guess? It felt more tell than show, but it's definitely a style that other people could enjoy.

marissahiggins's review against another edition

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4.0

I don't usually read romcoms but this one was very cute and original. The storyline felt fresh; it's essentially a spin on Groundhog's Day, where the narrator repeats a day in her life until she gets things "right" in terms of career, love, family, community, and so on. The story is set in contemporary San Francisco and in the tech world. It was refreshing to read a lesbian love triangle that didn't involve a man. The prose wasn't always fresh or particularly beautiful, but the book reads quickly and is entertaining. As a flaw, I found the characters unevenly developed; in particular, Jordan felt a bit too easily a villain, and Carly sometimes felt too simple. But that can certainly be a matter of personal taste and preference. Overall, I do recommend this book, especially for people who like romcoms with a bit of angst and personal drama.

cidnel's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

letsgolesbians's review against another edition

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3.0

I really liked this concept, and that the Groundhog Day-esque time loop meant there was technically no cheating, which I appreciated. Watching Wynn figure out different things in her life that needed to change was interesting, and I liked that it wasn't just one thing that had to be changed (which makes sense, as parts of your life affect other parts of your life). Also really enjoyed the dogs!

Did not enjoy how judgmental Carly was about divorce. As a marriage counselor, obviously you want your couples to stay together, but is it really that much of a disaster for your career if a couple ultimately decides to get a divorce because it's the best thing for both of them? That wasn't addressed in a way I would have liked. The ending also confused me.
SpoilerWynn wakes up in the emergency room waiting room because she fell asleep waiting to see what was wrong with Mrs. P. She is not in the clothes she was wearing at the fundraiser, and Carly says something about them leaving a party. However, when Wynn asks her to recount the night of the fundraiser, it includes Wynn leaving because of Mrs. P---if that's the case is Mrs. P in the hospital twice? If Mrs. P goes to the hospital during a birthday bbq, how could Carly have a memory of her going into the hospital the night of the fundraiser?


A decent read and I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it.

readingromance's review against another edition

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2.0

More like a 2.5, I like Wynn and Carly's story. In my opinion, the time loop situation was resolved pretty badly, it was confusing and it didn't make sense at all. I usually love time loops in movies which is why I started this book, but I guess it's difficult to make it work in a book. Another thing I didn't really like in the book was how much it was focused on the job part... I would have liked more page time about Jack and Maria or Carly's job. Still, it was enjoyable and I had a nice time reading it!