Librarian Angela Gutierrez has never been kissed. But after posting a video about her late bloomer status and ace identity, she’s finally ready to get some firsts out of the way. Using her new influencer status to come up with a scavenger hunt idea in which the winner earns her first kiss, Angela realizes she may need some help to pull off the event. Enter Krystal Ramirez, hot bartender and Angela’s unrequited crush of five years. There’s just one problem: the more they hang out, the more Angela isn’t sure she wants to go through with the scavenger hunt after all. Is Angela falling head over heels for a woman who may never love her back?
This was a sweet sapphic romance with SO much representation and self-exploration. Let’s break it down!
Characters (3/5): Despite being in their late 20s (which is essential to Angela feeling like a late bloomer), the first-person narration and characterization felt immature. We’re shown many layers of either main character, though what we are given is stressed constantly: Angela feels behind in life and wants to explore her ace-spec identity, while Krystal is holding guilt from a past relationship that’s holding her back. I adored the use of art to show these opposite yet similar struggles: The Woman in Wanting / Waiting pieces are absolutely beautiful, and my fingers are crossed for some fan art. I’m glad Angela had the opportunity to explore her queerness, because it IS fluid and a constant exploration—a message that resonates throughout the book. The QPR representation is gorgeous, but not deeply discussed, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a character identify as bi-romantic demisexual (like me!). However, I would have loved to learn more about each character. There’s a beautiful Latinx cast, but the representation is only surface-level. Beyond Angela’s favorite drink and love for historical romances, we’re not given much else.
Plot and Pacing (3/5): The story is split in too many directions (the scavenger hunt, the social media mess, the family drama, Angela’s self-exploration, the romance). The scavenger hunt is constantly, overly discussed, but feels more like a plot device until the very end. Angela constantly mentions wanting a meaningful kiss (the reason she gives for not kissing Krystal more than once), but obsessing over a scavenger hunt where the prize IS her first kiss negates that. Since half of the writing is tell-over-show—not only exposition, but loaded introspection, the pacing is slow. I’m not sure why the “dating the internet” line (which comes off as a teasing, backhanded comment) is so constantly obsessed over, either. A lot of Angela’s self-exploration is tied to TikTok (it’s the place she feels seen, where she feels capable of connecting with other queer and ace-spec people), to the validation she receives from her audience, but it’s use as a plot device is exhaustive (and again, makes her seem younger than she is).
World-Building (2/5): There’s not much in terms of world-building or descriptions. I’m not sure how much is established in the previous book, but the story starts with Angela at work, with no mention of where work IS until the second chapter.
Romance (4/5): The initial will-they-won’t-they, then friends-to-more romance between Angela and Krystal is swoon-worthy. Angela’s attraction to Krystal is essential to her self-exploration, triggering thoughts and feelings (and, okay, a LOT of heat) she hasn’t evaluated before. I adore Krystal’s fierce protectiveness over Angela (there’s a wound care scene!), as well as her encouragement for Angela to find herself HER way. Their romance is sweet, messy, full of angst, and the powerhouse behind the entire story. However, we stop feeling invested in the journey toward Angela’s first kiss (and, with it, the scavenger hunt) as things heat up between them. Angela goes from zero experience to SO much all at once, which seems to conflict with the romance she’s constantly asking for).
Tone/Prose (2/5): I would expect a librarian main character to have a stronger voice, but Angela’s falls flat on the page.
Though the execution fumbles a little, we DO need more stories that highlight this beautiful exploration of queerness and self beyond labels. Recommended to fans of Love Points to You and Something Cheeky.
The Vibes
Ace-Spec Main Character
Bisexual Love Interest
Sapphic
Contemporary Romance
Coming Out / Exploring Identity
Part of a Series
Slow Burn Friends to Lovers
1st Person POV
Open Door
Latinx
Quotes
After so many years of fighting this feeling I didn’t have a name for inside of me, of questioning myself the same way other people who claimed to care about me did, of not belonging anywhere…I had an answer.
“When it comes to experiencing romance, sex, or even your first real relationship, there isn’t a right or wrong timeline to follow.”
“She’s raging into love the way soldiers rage into war. Love is an act of bravery to this woman. It doesn’t make her weak or vulnerable. It makes her powerful. She’s offering up her heart like it’s a challenge to be conquered.”
Labels aren’t one-size-fits-all. Identities can be fluid— something that fit you five years ago might not necessarily fit you now, and that’s okay.
