Publishers Weekly
06/12/2023
James’s clever debut puts a magical twist on the hardships of modern dating. Amy Daniels has a strange ability: upon her first kiss with anyone, she has a prophetic vision of how their relationship will end. She’s always relied on this gift as a guide in her dating life, but with each vision of future heartbreak, she loses hope she’ll ever get a happy ending. She finds comfort in her four supportive high school friends: Charlotte, siblings May and Jay, and Gareth. At Charlotte’s wedding, May challenges Amy to search for her soulmate by kissing three men—and for once, she sees a vision of bliss. There’s just one problem: she’s drunk, and the next day she can’t remember exactly who she kissed or which of the three is “the one.” Is it Tristan, the sensual millionaire with a dark side? Or Ben, the sexy and empathetic young bartender/aspiring screenwriter? What about the third man, whom Amy can’t quite remember? As Amy’s friends band together to help her solve the mystery, James captures the giddiness of new love and the comfort of true friendship. This is a delight. (Aug.)
Kirkus Reviews
2023-06-21
A 30-something London woman kisses three men at a wedding but can't remember which one is destined to be the love of her life.
Amy Daniels has an unusual gift: When she first kisses a person, she gets a vision of the end of their relationship. After 20 years of kissing men only to have premonitions of bad endings, she decides things need to change. She doesn’t want to wind up like her beloved mother—now in a nursing home in the early stages of dementia—who married a man though she knew he’d leave her heartbroken. Her close-knit group of friends have been with her every step, or rather kiss, along the way: beautiful, organized Charlotte, who's marrying banker Marcus; flamboyant twins May and Jay; and steady, outdoorsy, plant-focused Gareth. At Charlotte’s over-the-top wedding, where the booze is flowing, May dares Amy to kiss three men to see what happens. And she does. But when she wakes up the next morning, it turns out she was so drunk she can't remember whom she kissed—just that along with two bad premonitions came one that showed her happily-ever-after. She spends the next few weeks trying to figure out, with the help of her friends, whom she kissed and whether he is her destiny. Was it rich, modelworthy Tristan, whose family owns a vineyard? Kind Ben, a waiter and petsitter who’s working on a screenplay? Creepy Elliot, who’s been chasing her forever? Or a mystery man? James has written a charming story that fizzes and bubbles like champagne—easy, fun, and enjoyable to read. Pure escapism.
A light, frothy look at finding romantic love and the solid base of love offered by friends.
