Monday, June 8, 2015

The Kiss by Lucy Courtenay Review


"'Aphrodite kissed a mortal once by the light of this moon, many thousands of years ago. It drove him crazy. The next person that he kissed - boum. The craziness travelled like this from person to person. It travelled through time. Everywhere - boum! Tu comprends?' 'Where did it end up?' I whisper. His lips are on my cheek now. 'It ended with me. And now I am going to pass it to you. You will like that, mermaid?' Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer's night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she's ever heard. BOOM! Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it's gone ...Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble? A hilarious rom-com that will delight Geek Girls everywhere!"


NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.

The synopsis of The Kiss may be troublesome to read, but the book isn't. The book definitely involves some supernatural forces, and where there is romance, drama comes. Delilah has Aphrodite's Kiss (which is fictional and not in the actual Greek Myths). Aphrodite's Kiss sounds exactly the way it sounds: trouble, and nasty heaps of it. It causes mortals (whoever is the poor carrier of the kiss) to drive themselves crazy over love.

Delilah, the narrator, is a carrier of that kiss. She doesn't believe in it, but when she runs into a (hot) bartender, she realizes that kiss may be a bit more real than she ever thought. She puts her faith and money in facts and science, not myth and magic. It is a rather entertaining turn for her to realize that "oh, crap. There may be magic after all."

The bartender is Delilah's love interest. Jem (who somehow reminds me of Jem from The Clockwork Angel and its sister books) has a passion for art and has his eyes on Delilah. He is definitely infuriating, and he is an absolute darling (despite being annoying, very annoying, and greatly annoying). Sure, he and Delilah have a difficult relationship because of how crazy forces (including Delilah's best friend and her ex-boyfriend and Jem's mysterious past) drives them apart. But they always find each other. [Insert Once Upon A Time gif here with Prince Charming and Snow White proclaiming their infamous phrase] 

The plot starts off with Delilah getting a kiss from a French boy named Laurent (who is a minor character and speaks with honeyed words). The story turns wild and frenzy, and some parts get scorching hot (especially the parts where Jem and Delilah kiss). However, not everything is rainbows and gold and glitter. Out of the darkness comes the drama of friendship, old boyfriends, UST (unresolved sexual tension), and the kiss itself. 

The ending is one of the best part of the book. It will leave many readers satisfied, but some will always be asking about the loose ends (involving Aphrodite's Kiss). 

Overall, The Kiss is a romantic and dramatic tale with some cliche and cheesy moments that will make Aphrodite herself very proud. Delilah is a funny character, in a greatly unintentional way. Jem is a hot (hot) love interest, and the story is filled with troubles and powerful forces that seem to drive the couple apart. Of course, when Aphrodite is involved, love can go either way. 

Rating: Four out of Five

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