I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Kiss Me If You Can by Cheryl Terra Published by Bang It Out Writing on April 12, 2024
Genres: NA Romance
Pages: 293
Source: the author
Format: E-galley
My Rating:
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Blurb:
There are three things you need to know about Nellie Belanger:
She hates apologizing.
She loves exploring her sensuality.
She absolutely does not want a serious relationship with anyone… extra emphasis on “one.”
Which is why no one can ever find out about that one sizzling afternoon she spent in JP Marchand—aka her best friend’s brother’s—bedroom three years ago.
After a chance encounter with her former professor, the semi-reserved and gorgeously attractive Ben, becomes unexpectedly steamy, Nellie thinks she’s in for the summer of a lifetime. But when she offends the wrong person with her joyfully promiscuous attitude, it looks like three years of irritatingly flirty attempts to get her to call him are going to pay off for JP.
At least, until an ill-advised promise backfires and leaves her at odds with the one person who could ruin everything: her increasingly demanding and image-obsessed father.
Kiss Me If You Can is a spicy new adult romance with both best friend’s brother and an age gap involving a teacher. It is part of the If You Can series. These spicy new adult romance novels follow Nellie Belanger, an unapologetically sensual college student, on her journey from bed to bed and features multiple love interests/spicy partners with no love triangles or cheating.
While recommended for maximum enjoyment, the prequel novella The Boy Next Door does not need to be read to enjoy this first book in the series.
My Review
I really enjoyed the little novella that came before this, The Boy Next Door. It was my first introduction to this author, but I knew I was hooked from the beginning. And right away with this one, I was hooked again. I love how the character is open with her sexuality and how the author definitely calls out the slut shaming. But also the author doesn’t make it seem as if everyone is now okay with this type of sexuality, because no, most of the world isn’t, even when people say they are.
Nellie is a fun character, she’s enjoying life and honest about what she wants. Unfortunately she has to rely on her father who when he offered to pay for her school, only asked that she spend some time with him, go to a couple events. Her father is kind of a rich jerk. But soon she finds out that her father wants more from her to continue paying for her school and her living expenses. While Nellie wants to be a forensic investigator her father wants and almost expects that she will change her mind and become a lawyer.
However Nellie’s enemy/first partner, also her best friend’s brother JP, is one reason she does not want to do that. Not to mention that she knows herself and that she doesn’t think the way that lawyers think. Her mind is more analytical as the career she has chosen. When her carefully laid out plans to avoid her father’s demand that she take the LSAT fall through, she first tries to keep it from him. Of course that doesn’t work. And he wants her to study with JP for the test.
Of course she fights doing that as well, avoiding him as much as she can. When things come to a head, the book doesn’t end in a way I’d thought. I guess I’m so used to series where each book is a different couple. This series will be all Nellie’s story, because we’re left with her kind of in between what happened with JP and also what has happened with a “Hot professor”. That part isn’t for me, so I’m hoping/assuming at the end of the series she’ll end up with JP? But who knows! The next book is hopefully this summer so we’ll see where it goes.
It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, more of a HFN. So be prepared!
About the Author
Cheryl Terra writes romantic and adult fiction with drama, sass, and a whole lot of… spice. Emotional and humorous, her books focus on contemporary relationships, inclusive characters, and happily ever afters. Living with her husband in northern Alberta, Canada, Cheryl relies on the heat between her quirky and memorable characters to help keep the gas bill down in the winter.
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I am seeing more series that carry out one romance through the series. Sounds like you enjoyed it.
I’m still definitely needing to keep going!
Sounds like a good start to the series and hopefully you don’t have to wait long on the next book. Good to hear it doesn’t have a cliffhanger, but that book 2 does continue the story.
Supposedly the next book is coming in July, so that’s not too long to wait.
This sounds like a fun YA read for those that like it “spicy”!
Oh this isn’t YA, did I put that? It is new adult, I would not recommend to my students. Not that they can’t read it if they’re parents are okay with it, though, just not one I’d put in my library.
This looks like a great read. Thanks for your review.