This was my first Carrie Hope Fletcher but I've seen a lot of buzz about her so was excited to read this book.

For a quick overview, the main character of this book, Lorelai sees people’s deaths when she kisses them.
She deciedes she will live a life without romantic exchanges in order to prevent this as she doesn't know if she is just seeing the death, or if her kissing the person makes them die.

I really liked both Lorelai and Joanies character but the story line just lacked a little bit of subtstance in my opinion. Carrie created great characters, and her writing style was easy to read but it was just missing a little something.

Thank you for the ARC copy in exchange for review.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to receive and advanced copy of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Carrie Hope Fletcher is one of my favourite West End stars, authors and narrators, was over the moon to read her newest title before release. A heart warming, funny and emotional read, any Carrie fans will not be disappointed.

This was the first book I'd read by Carrie and it was an OK read. I liked the characters and the premise but felt the plot was a little thin and there were things that didn't quite stand up to scrutiny. It was a bit too unrealistic for me so it definitely wouldn't be one I'd rave about.

I wanted to love this more than I actually did. Lorelai and her friend Joanie are lovely, real characters, and Lorelai's painful withdrawal from her parents and life in general got to me, but I'm afraid the fantasy nature of the "why" was too much for me. It seemed like a story you'd write in English class at school rather than pay for a full novel. A nice story, lovely characters. but not enough substance for me. #netgalley #withthiskiss

This book was spellbinding from the beginning. I loved how this story didn’t start when the main character Lorelai is eighteen, but rather, when she has already lived her life with her curse (or gift depending on how you look at it).

Let me clarify, the main character of this book, Lorelai, can see people’s deaths when she kisses them. She’s decided that she’s going to live without romance because she doesn’t know whether her kiss is more of a prophetic vision type kiss or a ‘I’ve sealed your doom’ type kiss. This changes, obviously, when she meets Grayson and all the romantic angst in this book ensues.

And, let me tell you, it’s the good kind of angst. I think what I loved about the relationships in this book was just how realistic they were. The character interactions made me laugh and cry and laugh some more. Lorelai and her best friend, Joanie, in particular were a great a relationship to read about. They reminded me so much of my sister and I. They’re best friends, but they jab fun at each other sometimes, yet care deeply for each other and always make up no matter what.

Mix in Grayson, and it was a perfect story. Grayson is a nerdy, slightly awkward but all around adorable love interest. This just made the pain and angst that he and Lorelai went through even better (which sounds awful I know). What I really enjoyed most about this book was how it portrayed the complexities of love. The story is about Lorelei’s struggle with her ability to see people’s death through a kiss… yes… but, underneath it all, this is really used as a clever device to explore the true feelings, worries and concerns behind falling in love with someone, romantically or not. What would we do if we fell in love and it all came crashing down around us much earlier than we had thought, hoped or dreamed? It was a beautiful way to explore relationships, not only with those romantically involved, but those we care about the most in any way, and what it is that we hold most dear in these bonds we create with other people.

This really is a slice of life story with little flashbacks and flashforwards that help give context to what is going on in the story. But really, this story is a couple of months worth or a whirlwind romance, mixed in with Lorelei’s struggles with her prophetic kissing abilities, and it reads like it. It’s fast paced and emotion filled and grabs you from the first page, holding you until the last, wanting to find out what happens and if Lorelai will ever find happiness.

This was a really unique book, definitely different to what I was expecting but really good. The love of theatre shone through and I felt that the characters were interesting and diverse.

Lorelai has a secret "gift" where, when she kisses someone, she can see how they die - but she sees it in great detail, hears every heart wrenching sound, feels any pain.
Because of this, she has not kissed anyone since she was 18.
After arranging a book/movie club at the cinema she works in, Lorelai meets Grayson and, as much as she is attracted to him, she must stay away because her kiss could seal his fate.

This was my first book by Carrie Hope Fletcher and I went in to it aware that she writes stories that mean you need to stretch your imagination slightly, and this was such a lovely book that it was easy to do so.
Lorelai selfless thought for others was beautiful, although sometimes heartbreaking as she put everyone before herself.
I loved her friendship with Joanie and there were so many great other characters too.
I'll definitely be reading more by Carrie in the future.

Magical - whenever Lorelai kisses a man, she sees how he will die. For years she has deliberately not kissed anyone, then she meets Grayson, falls in love, wants to kiss him and spend the rest of their lives together. Is there any way she can overcome the problem? A totally different theme to a love story, I really enjoyed reading it.

I was sent this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had really high hopes for this book. First because obviously it's Carrie Hope Fletcher, then because I was really intrigued by the synopsis.
Unfortunately, this book was no match for me. I felt like something was lacking regarding the character building, which to me, is really important in this kind of book.
Moreover, I really didn't like some choices of Lorelai.
I loved the beginning of the romance, but then with all the hesitations of Lorelai, etc. , it kinda lost me and I was completely uninterested by the end of the book.
I was so sure to love this book and this plot but then again, I didn't like the way it turned out.

Ultimately, I just loved the atmosphere, the questioning of Lorelai, her discoveries and all, but I just wished the things to be done differently.

Thanks to NetGalley, HQ and Carrie Hope Fletcher for the ARC of With This Kiss

Would you kiss someone if you knew that by doing so, you would see how they die? Their final moments played out in front of your eyes, in all their harrowing and painful detail, only for their fate to become true as predicted?

Lorelai hasn't kissed anyone since she was 18 for this reason. When she kisses someone, she sees their final moments. Working at a local cinema with her best friend, she's convinced herself that she is fine on her own, until she meets Grayson.

The attraction is almost instant, and when Lorelai realises that she is falling for him, she must learn more about her 'ability' to decide if kissing Grayson is worth the risk.

A really enjoyable escapism read with enduring characters and the wish for a happy ending.

Big fan of Carrie Hope Fletcher as a person, and a performer - but after reading this book (read all of her books up until this point) I won't be reading anymore of her work.

The premise of the book really intrigued me and felt very original - but it seems this book just didn't do it for me.
The writing was pretty shoddy, and I didn't connect with any of the characters - that meant that I didn't really care either way, what happened to them in the end. I was just reading to finish the book rather than because I wanted to know what happened in the plot.
There wasn't enough jeopardy in the book for me to want to keep reading. The pacing was very slow, and it felt like it should have ended 100 pages before it did.

What would you do if everytime you kissed someone, you would see how they died? Would you swear off kissing? Would you just ignore it? Or would you become a one person vigilante saving people from death? For Lorelai this a real issue.

This was a book that had a really interesting concept and it could have been a complete disaster, but Carrie Hope Fletcher really fleshed out and well executed this. Not only that she completely accepts and does not shy away from the trauma that would be associated with it.

There were a few things I would have seen a bit more of - this includes Lorelai's passion for screenwrting which is meantion early in the book and then left. Additionally, I would have loved to have seen a bit more of the relationship between Lorelai and Grayson to be fully convinced of their chemistry/attraction.

Overall, this is a really sweet and cosy book that ultimately deals with accepting yourself, family and friendship. I would recommend this book to all but be warned you may need your tissues in places.

Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was really intriguing. It took me a few goes to get into it but once I did it was worth it. It was emotional and thought provoking.

I am so thrilled to be joining the blog tour for “With This Kiss” by HQ Stories. If every time you kissed someone, you knew how they will die, would you have the courage to try and find love? “With This Kiss” by Carrie Hope Fletcher explores this in a sweet romantic fashion.

Synopsis:

When their lips touch, will she seal his fate?

From the outside, Lorelai is an ordinary young woman with a normal life. She loves reading, she works at the local cinema and she adores living with her best friend. But she carries a painful burden, something she’s kept hidden for years; whenever she kisses someone on the lips, she sees how they are going to die. But she’s never known if she’s seeing what was always meant to be, or if her kiss is the thing that decides their destiny. And so, she hasn’t kissed anyone since she was sixteen.

Then she meets Grayson. Sweet, clever, funny Grayson. And for the first time in years she yearns for a man’s kiss. But she can’t… or can she? And if she does, should she try to intervene and change what she sees?

Spellbinding, magical and utterly original, With This Kiss is one love story you will never forget.

My Thoughts:

I chose to read “With This Kiss” by Carrie Hope Fletcher because the cover looked gorgeous, and it fit for my April Monthly TBR Prompt to pick a book with a beautiful cover. But it was actually the synopsis that really intrigued me to want to really read this book. I really like the idea of Lorelai’s ability to see people’s deaths when she kisses them. It was an idea that was well thought of and well developed throughout the book. I couldn’t help but think what would I do if I was in that situation.

Usually, when the main character is going through something in their life, I am able to relate to their thoughts and feelings. And I had my concerns that I won’t be able to with this book, because what Lorelai is going through is very fictional. However, I was wrong. I felt everything she was feeling. Through her story and experiences, I was able to understand why she makes the choices she does and it all makes sense. I also loved her friendship with Joanie. Joanie is a true gem and every person deserves a friend like her in their lives.

I really enjoyed how Lorelai and Grayson meet.

The book club scenes made me quite excited and I could instantly feel the geekiness from Grayson, that I adored! But there were too few of these scenes. I can’t help but feel that this book club was only introduced for Lorelai to meet Grayson, as well as for the author to introduce a trans couple. But where I felt the frustration was that neither the book club nor the trans couple were mentioned later on in the book. So I’m not quite sure what the author wanted to achieve with this. The other bit that was mentioned here was Lorelai’s passion about working on movie adaptations, which she briefly mentions twice of three times in the book, and nothing comes out of it.

Now let’s talk actual romance.

I loved their meeting and I was all up for the little teasing combined with geekiness. But then the couple slightly lost me, especially during the period when Lorelai wasn’t sure what to do, but also kept leading him on, promising to explain things and never did. I also refuse to believe someone would let two weeks pass by and not listen to their voicemails.

However, I still enjoyed the book a lot! It just wasn’t the romance I was hoping for. Instead, it was a beautiful journey of a woman that has unique abilities. Her struggles to find courage to be able to truly love someone. Her relationship with her family, who are able to offer much more that she was led to believe all her life. This book will make you feel all the feels – you will be rooting for Lorelai to go out there and fight for what she loves!

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it was interesting to see a different concept for a romantic storyline.

Lorelai has grown up with the realisation that if she kisses someone she sees how and when they will die. Shocked and terrified for many years she has shied away from relationships, not even telling her parents. When she meets Grayson she feels real love and the book is her journey of discovery and how she comes to terms with her gift.

Well written and a different concept and it was a quick read. It was very original and I enjoyed it but there were some parts that dragged a little as they were a little repetitive, so a star was knocked off for this.

I would definitely read more by this author as she writes enthusiastically, especially when describing the Arts and I’m particular the theatre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

An easy romantic read.
Loreloi had her first kiss at 13 when she saw him die during the kiss, the same happened when she was 18 which scares her away from Men until she meets Greyson but if she kisses him what will she see and can she let it happen.
Very likeable characters and a unique storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Although I was looking forward to Carrie's latest book, I have to say I was quite underwhelmed. I had to make myself finish it and even then I found my mind drifting off. Hopefully the next one will be better.

I loved the concept of this book and the idea behind it. I thought that some of the characters were fantastic but I have to say I found it a disjointed read at times and didn’t feel it was the right book for me.

“If you knew how your love story ends, would you dare to begin?”

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book, let alone reviewed one. Life. Mental health. The pandemic. Where to start. Well 2022 is on the up, and what better way to begin than with one of favourite authors. Carrie Hope Fletcher has written a new book and it’s an amazing one folks. ‘With This Kiss’ is everything you didn’t know you needed and more.

It’s such a hopeful story, filled with just the right amount of heartbreak, drama and romance. I read this over a period of a week due to working and life in general. Every evening when I had to put it down, I didn’t want to, I wanted to devour it in one sitting. But alas, good things come to those who wait and my god, it is a brilliant read. I would go as far to say as it could possible be her BEST yet!

Lorelai is a theatrical character. Despite her ordinary job, she is creative and quirky, but her ability to see someone's death when she kisses them dominates her life and makes her shy away from love. A new adult romance with a supernatural twist best describes this story. It's an emotional journey of self-realisation for Lorelai as she comes to terms with her unusual ability. Told in the present day and from Lorelai's past experiences, the reader gains an insight into the character and her motivations. I like the use of sensory imagery and the distinctive characterisation.

Emotional and original, this story is engaging and evocative to read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.