Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did)

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Times We Almost Kissed is a difficult and candid story to take in sometimes, but it is softened with a tale that shows love is sweet and undeniable. The Girls I’ve Been is a powerful gut-punch of a book that will leave you reeling long after its final pages. At 17, Tate and Penny task themselves with caring for their mothers, taking care of all the arrangements for the surgery, and managing the finances of their homes by taking on extra work shifts and even selling their few prized possessions. Times We Almost Kissed will resonate with all the kids dealt a raw deal in life, but will also inspire empathy and awareness for those unfamiliar with such circumstances. They’re not quite friends, but they’ve seen each other at their worst moments and, for all they claim to dislike each other, have stuck through thick and thin.

The style is primarily the reason I didn’t enjoy Six Times quite as much as Tess Sharpe’s other books. But it was also the amazing portrayal of female familial relationships and the complexities within them. There is a romance plot line, but it feels secondary to the grief, even though I'd say both are equal main story arcs.But when an almost-kiss goes from almost to I am now wearing your lip gloss, Penny and Tate have no choice but to finally face the music … right? She is known for writing emotionally raw stories with romantic backdrops that tackle mature themes and are representative of the LBGTQ+ community. It’s all about grief and resilience, about love that should be a given and love that seems unfathomable, about PTSD and character growth, about standing up for yourself and showing up.

Fortunately, Tate and Penny are blessed with two absolutely amazing and kind-hearted friends, Remi and Meghan, who step in to help without even being asked. There are both lines and scenes that made me have to close the book for a minute to catch my breath, while also having a seriously sweet romance using lots of fun tropes. Lesbian not-quite-enemies to lovers romance with plenty of pining, angst and complicated mother-daughter relationships. There were some great funny moments in the book, but it also dealt with some heavy themes in an honest and thought-provoking way. The writing was engrossing, the story flowed beautifully, the story was poetic, it's the perfect coming of age story.So while the cover and the blurb feel like a romantic enemies to lovers YA, Six Times We almost Kissed is so much more. But when Tate's mother needs a liver transplant, Penny's mom is all too ready to step in as a living donor. So it’s not surprising that Penny’s mom would be willing to give part of her liver to Tate’s but the decision carries with it all sorts of contradictory feelings and life-changing arrangements for the two teenagers.

That’s not to say there aren’t good aspects to this book — it’s a Tess Sharpe book and I always at least enjoy her works. You'd think we all would've learned by now but it bears repeating for relevancy -- and also because I have not learned by now -- but : a colourfully illustrated cover does not mean there is a lack of heavy. Suddenly, the girls are forced closer together as they bear the brunt of the responsibility in their mothers’ preparation and recovery process. The story really gives a brutal and heartbreaking look into a very underrepresented subgroup: kids forced to be adults too young.The Girls I've Been is a powerful gut-punch of a book that will leave you reeling long after its final pages. I received an ARC from Little Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The story will draw readers in with its irresistible slow-burn romantic fanfic-like premise, but it will also make them stick around to see the resolution of this convoluted family drama that includes love, loss, grief, dysfunction, and healing. At seventeen, both MCs have already gone through a lot of drama yet are so sweet and full of life and plans for the future.