100 Kisses

I purposely held this book to read this month because I love a good romantic read around this time of year. Let's be honest, I am a sucker for a happy ending. This is the time of year that I surround myself with romantic comedies, and I felt like 100 Kisses fit snugly into that category. Happily, I can report out that I was correct!

Kylee is our protagonist, and my past self immediately identified with her. The girl who prefers to fade into the background, who has unrequited crushes, and whose friends lovingly, albeit obnoxiously, are trying to pull her out of her shell. This girl had my heart from page one, and I would be lying if I told you that I was not rooting for her to get her special kiss. I am a happy ending addict after all.

This book has a pretty good pace, as Kylee and her friends navigate the rocky terrain of school life and understanding the opposite sex. There were a few times that I felt things slow down a little much, but then they would pick right back up again. It was also nice to see things from both Kylee and Emerson's points of view. I am not always a fan of dual POV books, but 100 Kisses does it well. Both characters have their own distinct personalities, and bring a different kind of humor to the overall story. It was especially good to slowly unravel Emerson's back story from his memories. I liked that it wasn't all laid out at the beginning, as it leant an extra intrigue to the story.

So why the three star rating? Like most of the romantic comedies that we love, this book was a fairly formulaic. It was simple to put together when funny scenes would be inserted, or where the point was that the two characters would get into a fight. I would have loved to have it mixed up a bit more. My other big issue falls into the same category, in that the characters felt like they were just filling a preset role. With the exception of Kylee and Emerson, most of them felt a bit like cardboard cutouts. It felt like they were there to simply fill space. I would have loved a little more vividness from them. I feel it would have filled in Kylee's story even better.

Keep in mind that none of that kept me from devouring this book, or cheering at the ending. Happy endings are always cheer worthy after all. Bottom line? If you are looking for a read that it sweet, heartfelt, and full of that coming of age vibe? This is your next read.