Diverse Reader: Release Day Review: Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me ~ And One Time I Kissed Him First by Anna Martin #Review #Giveaway

Friday, May 20, 2016

Release Day Review: Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me ~ And One Time I Kissed Him First by Anna Martin #Review #Giveaway

Author: Anna Martin
Book: Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me And One Time I Kissed Him First
Release Date: May 20, 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 200 Pages

Reviewed by Erin

Synopsis

and One Time I Kissed Him First

When you realize you want to marry your best friend at age six, life should follow a pretty predictable path, right? Maybe not.

As a kid, Evan King thought Scott Sparrow was the most amazing person he’d ever met. At seventeen, his crush runs a little deeper, and nothing seems simple anymore. Scott is more interested in football and girls than playing superheroes, and Evan’s attention is focused on getting into art school. A late-night drunken kiss is something to be forgotten, not obsessed over for the next ten years.

When life suddenly brings them back together, it doesn’t take much for the flame Evan carried for Scott nearly all his life to come roaring back, and Evan discovers that life sometimes has a strange way of coming full circle.

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Review

First, can we PLEASE talk about the awesomeness that is this cover? And this title – Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me? I mean, come on, based on those two things alone this book is sure to grab your attention. (An aside … the cover/title are every bit as adorable as Anna Martin is in person! I was lucky enough to meet/see her in Las Vegas for RT and she’s all kinds of fabulous!) Mix an eye-catching cover, an attention grabbing title with lifelong best friends to lovers and whoa … I am SO all over that! I started smiling while reading Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me on the first page and didn’t really stop until the end, with maybe a few time-outs for a sniffle or two.

Let me start by saying I was absolutely enchanted with the way Anna Martin tells this story! It’s non-linear meaning it jumps around from date to date highlighting each of the five kisses Evan King and Scott Sparrow share. While some might find this a bit jarring, I had no trouble following along and staying connected to the story and the characters. And let’s talk about them, shall we? First, Evan. Artistic and slightly geeky, he really melted my heart. I loved his sensitive side, I loved his close relationship with his mom, and I REALLY enjoyed his soul-deep friendship with Scott (even when he felt like he had to hide how deep those feelings ran). The connection between Evan and Scott was never in question, even during their time apart. Scott was a bit different for me. While I positively adored him in the beginning with his devilish smile and cocky but still sweet attitude, toward the middle and the end, my feelings were a bit up and down. That’s not to say that I wasn’t satisfied when Evan and Scott FINALLY became the lovers they were meant to be, because I was, thoroughly, but he was a tad all over the place in his words and actions and this took a bit of his shine away.

From a romance stand point, I’m fairly certain that Evan and Scott will make you swoon all over the place. Evan’s love for Scott never wavered, even during their separation. The feels are strong in Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me. From Evan’s relationship with Scott’s sister, Lacey, to his super close bond with his mom, to his steadfast understanding of himself and who he wishes to be, Evan, for me, was just divine. Scott has his moments, especially in the beginning, when he’s this bright, shining beacon for Evan and then when they’re older and he puts his heart on the line and shows how much (and for how long) he’s loved and wanted Evan.

There were a few issues I had with the book. Inconsistencies, especially where Scott’s actions and attitudes are concerned. Also, I think a pretty big hole where the supposed big blow-out with Scott was to have occurred but is never really mentioned or explained. Scott’s attitude toward being bisexual was definitely on the contradicting side for me. And all the sex in the last 20% of the book … definitely not necessary as far as I’m concerned and to me, turned a sweet love story a bit on the smutty side and that’s disappointing to say the least. I also have to say, I got a lot more of the romantic, swoony feelings from Evan than I ever felt from Scott. I definitely didn’t connect with his character as much as Evan’s.

Aside from those few issues, Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me was sweet and lovely and left me feeling warm and happy. Read it, people, you won’t be sorry!