Blind Kiss by Renee Carlino Published by Atria Books on August 14, 2018
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
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From the national bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers, Swear on this Life, and Wish You Were Here comes a powerful story of two people who spend years denying their scientifically proven chemistry.
Penny spends her afternoons sitting outside a sandwich shop, surrounded by ghosts. Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio—and she was a dancer on the rise. Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision.
The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering. And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off.
For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection.
The premise of Blind Kiss is intriguing, and I confess I expected there to be some angst. What I didn’t expect was for the book to leave me emotionally exhausted and exasperated.
The book opens with high intensity in the present day. There’s so much raw emotion and crazy behavior that I couldn’t help but get sucked in. I wanted to know what led the characters to such a desperate point in their lives.
Rewind to fourteen years ago and we see how Penny and Gavin met. This was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book. They are paired up as subjects in a college psychology experiment that tests whether or not you can be physically attracted to someone you haven’t seen. It’s funny and sweet. Gavin’s quirky personality and caring nature are clear from the start, and I instantly fell in love. I was drawn to Penny’s complexity.
They rapidly become best friends who have a whole lot of sexual tension between them. I envied their strong bond. I understood Penny’s reasons for placing Gavin in the friend zone initially, but I grew weary of all the years of pining and denial. It stopped making sense after awhile. As the story flip flops between past and present, the characters are surrounded by toxic influences and are prone to melodrama.
Honestly, most of this soap opera is rather depressing and predictable. I felt tortured by and for these characters up until the extremely rushed ending. Ultimately, I was left drained and with a bitter taste in my mouth. I’m giving the book praise for the strong beginning and the writing style, but unfortunately it just didn’t live up to my expectations.
* I received an early copy of this book. This does not affect the content of my review.*
About Renee Carlino
Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women’s novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.
I know exactly what you mean. She was so frustrating at times. And why Lance?That part didn’t make a lot of sense. But in the end I did for the most part think it was a good read.
I totally agree about Lance! I’m glad you enjoyed it overall, though.