[ARC REVIEW] “Kiss Me First” By: Anna B. Doe

“Kiss Me First,” the prequel to the Blairwood University series is out! I was lucky enough to read an early copy, and you can read my ARC review below!

Official Synopsis:

Before Blairwood, there was Bluebonnet.

Katherine Adams never thought she’d end up in a small town in Texas, but when things start to go south, it’s the perfect place to escape to.

Emmett Santiago, Bluebonnet’s golden boy, never imagined he’d fall so quickly, but one glance at Kate and he’s a goner.

Moving in with Katherine’s aunt her junior year of high school is the safest choice for her sister, and Katherine plans to do everything she can to make Bluebonnet their home. That most definitely doesn’t include flirting with a certain boy, no matter how charming his smile is.

Katherine might not believe in love, but Emmett is determined to win her over. When the sparks start to fly, who’ll be the one to make the first move?

Kiss Me First, a Blairwood University prequel by Anna B. Doe, is a mature YA coming-of-age sports romance about Blairwood’s favorite charmer Emmett Santiago and his high school sweetheart Kate.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review:

I loved getting to read a prequel book to the Blairwood University series! Reading about Emmett and Kate really made me want to go back and re-read the first two books in Blairwood’s series, just to see Emmett and Kate’s little cameos, knowing their full story now. As a disclaimer, I received an early digital copy of the book to help Anna with proofreading!

I’ve been reading a lot more college books than high school ones the past few years, and I always forget how much I adore YA. The whole concept of having to see the same exact people for hours on end everyday — it’s a recipe for disaster, which is one of the things that makes it so great! Emmett and Kate SORT OF have an enemies-to-lovers thing going on (more like Kate is pretty closed off to Emmett) but it’s never really rude, and his advances are never overbearing or creepy — which is always a plus. (It seems like a weird thing to say, but that’s not always the case)!

Kate’s relationship with her sister was so sweet, as was Emmett’s relationship with her little sister. (You know I love a good book with a dog in it, too!) It really showed a lot about his character outside of just being Kate’s love interest.

Overall, I think fans of Blairwood will love this book, but if you’re starting the series for the first time, I’d start with this one! That way you can pick up on all of the Emmett/Kate Easter eggs in the first two Blairwood books. It’s a great YA romance, although some parts make it best suited for more mature YA readers — especially if you go on to read the Blairwood books, I recommend it for 18+.

This was a lovely story, and I can’t wait to read more about the Blairwood friend group! Huge thanks to Anna for entrusting me with an early copy.

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