I ended up not finishing this at 58% in after skim reading about 10% of it. I would have liked this to be a proper length novel for me to really sink my teeth into. I just felt it was too rushed and I couldn't connect with the story.

The kiss lottery pairs Everly and Beckett together where they are forced to confront old feelings that never went away and secrets are revealed. This was such a cute and sweet second chance romance with friends to lovers including the perfect amount of spice. It was a quick fun read the I couldn’t put down. The narration was excellent and made an adorable story into a steamy experience. I loved it and I highly recommend.

Arc Review:
Overall Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 3 🔥🔥🔥
Tropes:
💌First Loves and Second Chances
❤️Small Town Drama, Pettiness, Shenanigans and Traditions Gone Wrong
💌Grumpy/Sunshine (and the roles might just switch)
❤️Forced Proximity
💌Return to Hometown Romance
❤️Childhood Friends turned Enemies to Lovers
💌Grumpy Author x Sassy Podcaster
❤️She Dated His Best Friend
💌A Mysterious Invitation, Anonymous Letters, Gifts, and Valentine Surprises
❤️Fated Match Making with a Twist
💌Open Door Spice
❤️Banter
💌And Plenty of Quirky Characters

The Kiss Lottery is a spicy, swoon-worthy Valentine’s novella packed with: quirky, small-town Valentine’s Day traditions, sparks flying between the two “exes” who can’t resist each other, plenty of witty banter, and a love story that refuses to quit.

Everly Davis is an independent podcast girlie, and she may or may not use it to drag her ex, she hates Valentine’s Day but somehow ends up getting a mysterious and anonymous invitation to her hometowns quirky valentines tradition - the kiss lottery. She goes back to her hometown, where she is now face-to-face with… Beckett Whitfield, he’s a grumpy, broody, best-selling thriller writer, who never left his hometown, and never quite got over the girl he lost and can’t stop thinking about, and he may of used her as the villain of his newest book, and regrets it. Now that she’s back in town, and mad, but he’s still in love, and sparks fly, secrets unravel, and old flames reignite. If you want to find out what happens next read - The Kiss Lottery.

Now for my personal opinion, I loved this, it was fun, cute and had everything I could want and I’ll definitely be re-reading this book every Valentine’s Day for now on.

Thank you, NetGalley, publishers, and the author for this advanced readers copy of The Kiss Lottery.

The Kiss Lottery was a cute and charming read that kept me entertained from start to finish. The characters were absolutely adorable! I loved the dynamic between the main couple, and their chemistry felt natural and sweet. The romance unfolded in a light and enjoyable way, with no rush, just the right amount of heart.

The small town vibe was another thing that really won me over. The setting was warm and inviting, and the interactions with the locals added a lovely touch to the story. The sense of community and the close relationships between the characters were definitely one of the book’s highlights.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable read. It may not be the deepest or most complex story, but it gave me exactly what I needed: a feel-good book that brought plenty of smiles. The author did a great job creating a fun and relaxed atmosphere, with characters you can’t help but root for. If you’re looking for a light, sweet romance with plenty of charm, The Kiss Lottery is a great choice.

Years after leaving her hometown, podcaster Everly is invited home to participate in the town's Kiss Lottery. Everly's reason for fleeing her hometown is her old friend Beckett so naturally they get paired up for the lottery. This is a short, second chance romance full of chemistry and angst.

Loved this little nugget about how everlasting first love can be and if you can bring it back when it is lost.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

this was a short and sweet valentine’s day novella. it’s set in a small-town with a pretty fun holiday tradition - the kiss lottery - and after receiving an anonymous invite, everly decides to return to her hometown to cover the event for her podcast. it’s been over a decade since she left and some things never changed, especially her first love/childhood best friend. they have a bit of a rocky reunion - especially since she’s upset that he named her as the villain in his latest book release - but things get even more complicated when they are paired up for the kiss lottery. they’re forced to confront their feelings and past mistakes, and maybe realise that second time’s the charm. i would recommend this if you’re looking for a cute, light-hearted romance with low stakes/angst and a bit of banter.

- small-town romance
- second chance
- forced proximity
- childhood friends

3.7/
tropes; small-town setting, the one who got away comes back, second chances, novella

It's a cute and fun read, a second-chance romance set around a Valentine's Day event in town. I loved that he is the one who falls first and never stops, and Everely is a great character. Finding your true love may be as easy as looking at the one you left behind. It has a fun small-town setting, with a fun group of friends, and it is low-spice but swoony.

💋 When your past heartbreak turns into your second chance... will you take the risk?

Read if you like:
💌 Second chance romance
🏡 Small-town charm
📖 Bookish heroes
💋 Forced proximity
🎤 Podcasts & small-town gossip

📚 Everly Davis never planned to return to Rose, Tennessee, but a mysterious invite to the town’s annual Kiss Lottery pulls her back—along with all the heartbreak she left behind. Beckett Whitfield, her first love and now a bestselling author, never moved on. When fate (and a rigged lottery?) forces them together, old wounds resurface, secrets unravel, and sparks fly.

👨‍👧 Beckett is the definition of down bad. He’s been in love with Everly for years, even naming a villain in his book after her. He’s broody, devoted, and absolutely wrecked over how things ended between them. Everly, on the other hand, has every reason to hold back—her past in Rose isn’t all sunshine and second chances.

💞 The romance had the perfect slow-burn pace for a novella—there was tension, history, and years of yearning packed into a short read. The push and pull made sense, though I wish we got a bit more depth into their reconnection beyond the small-town setup, but this is understandable in a novella.

👧 I loved the town’s quirky traditions, but some moments (ghost-hunting antics and smoking pot) pulled me out of the story.

✍️ Madden-Mills’ writing is engaging and easy to fly through, but I struggled with some of the casual choices made by the characters kept me from fully loving the otherwise cozy, heartwarming second-chance romance.

🌟 A fun Valentine's novella with a charming premise, solid tension, and just the right amount of spice. It had its sweet moments and sexy moments.

Ilsa Madden-Mills typically gives me a good read with good laughs and while The Kiss Lottery definitely has its moments, I think it wasn't a higher rated read for me because the novella length made it feel a little underdeveloped. Even with the slightly rushed feel of it all, I still enjoyed the story of how Everly and Beckett find love, all these years later. Cute, short, sweet read.

This was the first book I've read by this author. The Kiss Lottery is a sweet second chance small town romance. I thought the premise of the kiss lottery was cute and fun. Great, quick read!

This was the first book I've read by this author. The Kiss Lottery is a sweet second chance small town romance. I thought the premise of the kiss lottery was cute and fun. Great, quick read!

This was the first book I've read by this author. The Kiss Lottery is a sweet second chance small town romance. I thought the premise of the kiss lottery was cute and fun. Great, quick read!

A well-developed story, despite being the size of a novella. It was sweet and swoony and entertaining.

Sweet small town second chance Valentine’s Day romance. I usually can’t put down a book by Ilsa Madden Mills and absolutely adore everything she writes but this one I couldn’t really get in to and I struggled to finish it. The characters chemistry from the start felt off to me and overall just didn’t hit right. There were quirky side characters that I loved and the small town Valentine’s Day events were colorful but overall it wasn’t my favorite.

This was a quick but great read. The plot was engaging, the romance was swoony, and the characters were extremely lovable. I really enjoyed that even with the shorter length, it didn't skimp on bringing together the problems & resolutions. I've read some previous works from this author and will happily continue.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

3.5 ⭐️’s! Super quick and cute read!! The author did a great job at showing the chemistry between the two characters in such a short book. I recommend if you are looking for a short and sweet romcom. I really enjoyed it!

Highly recommend! I loved this book. A sweet second chance romance with just a hint of mystery. Everly has been looking to find where she belongs her whole life; due to a wrong twist of fates back in high school she left behind the only person she had left to count on. Ten years later an anonymous invitation to the towns annual Kiss Lottery brings her back to her home town to see if maybe she can find what she’s been missing.
Definitely a book I would reread. Thank you to Ilsa Madden-Mills and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this story.

Everly was an immense character to follow, her emotional journey was such a roller coaster. Going back to a town where everyone knows your business, especially when it did not end well, no thank you. She showed more grace than i would have. This one gave me enemies to lovers vibes. I cannot wait to read more from Ilsa.