My Thoughts: Kiss Me Again by Rachel Vail

5 sweet and yummy double chocolate chip cookies.

Cover Love:
Yes.  It's such a simple touch and kind of below the table so it might be hidden.  Love it!

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I read and adored If We Kiss.  I loved the innocence of it all and was excited to read the sequel.  Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:

He closed the distance I'd opened up between us and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Maybe we can just be," Kevin whispered.

Charlie Collins doesn't know what to do about Kevin Lazarus, her crush and, awkwardly, her new stepbrother. Things were complicated enough when their parents were only dating and when Kevin was going out with Charlie's best friend, Tess. Now, post-wedding, Charlie and Kevin are crossing paths and crossing lines, and then they have to eat breakfast . . . together.

If only Charlie could get some time away from Kevin and her annoyingly happy and strange stepfamily, she might be able to deal. Yet first she has to make things right with George, her sort-of boyfriend, and Tess, whose trust she broke. But while Charlie struggles to be the perfect friend and daughter, at the end of the day Kevin is the one waiting for her at home. Would it really be so bad if they kissed again?

The follow-up to If We Kiss, Rachel Vail's addictive story of first kisses and heartbreak, Kiss Me Again at long last answers the question of what happens when a crush so off-limits it has to be a fantasy suddenly becomes something very real.

Romance?: Of course!

My Thoughts:
First of all, I am glad these books are set with Charlie and Kevin as freshmen.  The things that happen between them seem very true to life and there is still an innocence about them.  I am around freshmen a lot (my son is one)  and yes there are 14 and 15 year olds out there with a lot of experience but there are a bunch of them out tehre still waiting or avoiding (as in my son's case) their first kiss.  If Kevin and Charlie were juniors or seniors the talk probably wouldn't be about kissing but about sex.  I am glad the author didn't make that move.

However, it's so unfair to Charlie and Kevin!  They were actually together before their parents even met, but now that they live in the same house it is so much more complicated.  And anyone who sees two 14 year olds being in love would not take it seriously whereas two adults who decide to get married are taken seriously.  So immediately their parents relationship trumps theirs (even though their parents don't know about it).

Tess is the worst friend.  Just the worst! And Charlie's dad is the worst as well. I am glad he wasn't in the book much.
In this book we get to know Kevin a lot more and he's a good guy.  Way better than I thought he was in the first book.  And he truly, truly has feelings for Charlie and only her.

I think it's going to be a rough three years for Charlie and Kevin because  they want to be together and can't really be together except for stolen moments.  Then what if one or the other starts dating someone else, even if it is casual.  The hurt feelings!  And what if they get to know each other a little too well as stepbrother and sister?  Yes their feelings might change and become more just family oriented, but they might not.  I would like the author to write another book for Kevin and Charlie but one that is set when they are in college and we see if they decide to go for it or not.

Even though I would like there to be another book in this series I am okay if there isn't.  This one ended on a good note, with them coming to an understanding of sorts.  It leaves room for me to imagine where their relationship might end up!

To Sum Up:  These two books are just sweet romances that I am excited to share with many readers in my library!

Book sent to me from HarperCollins.  Thanks Lindsey!