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Monday, January 19, 2015

Blog Tour Review: Only A Kiss | Ines Bautista-Yao - @inesbyao



Only A Kiss
By: Ines Bautista-Yao
Publisher: Chamber Shell Publishing
Date of Publication: November 29, 2014
Genre: contemporary romance

When she was nine-years-old, Katie knew she wanted Chris to give her her first kiss. It wasn’t because she was in love with him (no way, he was her best friend! Besides, she was in love with his fourteen-year-old big brother), it was because she could make him do anything she wanted.

Besides, it didn't really mean anything. It was only a kiss after all.

But then things started to change. They grew up. They parted ways and went to different high schools. And other girls and boys—well, just one particular boy—came into the picture, throwing their lives upside down.

Told from the alternating points of view of Katie and Chris, this love story between two best friends will tug at your heartstrings and leave you thinking how the simplest things can mean so much.


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About the Author

Ines Bautista-Yao is the author of One Crazy SummerWhat’s in your Heart, and Only a Kiss. She has also written two short stories, “Flashbacks and Echoes,” which is part of a compilation called All This Wanting and “A Captured Dream,” one of the four short stories in Sola Musica: Love Notes from a Festival.

She is the former editor-in-chief of Candy and K-Zone magazines and a former high school and college English and Literature teacher.  She is also a wife and mom and blogs about the many challenges and joys of motherhood attheeverydayprojectblog.com. She has recently launched The Author Project, a section in her current blog devoted to the stories in her head:http://theeverydayprojectblog.com/inesbyao-author-project/

She posts on Instagram and tweets @inesbyao and her author page is facebook.com/inesbautistayao.

Facebook - http://facebook.com/inesbautistayao

I received an ecopy of this book for review purposes only. My opinion is my own. 

It took me sometime to get into Only A Kiss at the beginning because it was being told from the POV of a very young character (Katie and Chris were 8 years old).  

I had to remind myself a few times of this fact while proceeded through the first chapter of the story "Only A Kiss".  While it did take some time I did enjoy seeing the friendship between Katie and Chris at this young age. You could tell that they truly cared about one another. Katie has decided that she will be marrying Chris's older brother Ethan so she is determined to find a girl that Chris can marry so he will be happy. Katie seeks out a girl in their class and attempts to have her chose Chris to marry, however, thing don't go the way Katie plans.

The next chapter of the story, "Nobody Needs to Know" picks up with Chris and Katie now freshmen in high school and attending different schools. Chris forms a relationship with an upperclassman and this effects his friendship with Katie. This story shows how Katie will always be there for Chris regardless of the situation. It tells a story of heartbreak and the bond of friends. 

The next chapter of the story, "Just Always Remember" takes place the summer before their senior year. Katie has gone on vacation with her family and Chris has stayed back in their home town. This portion of the story reflects on a relationship between Katie and a guy she meets on vacation. It tells how Chris genuinely misses her and helps him reflect on his womanizing ways. 

The next chapter of the story, "Making My Way" takes place their sophomore (maybe junior, I don't remember it specifying) year of college. Katie, Chris and their old friends are now attending the same college. Katie is still dating the guy she met at the beach and Chris has stayed away from girls as a promise to Katie (after he serial dated a bunch of girls in high school). Chris is hiding his true feelings for Katie, whom he realized 3 years ago he is actually in love with. Katie talks about getting married and Chris is quick to question her. 

The final chapter of the story, "Like Nobody Else" wraps up 3 years after the previous chapter. Katie sees Chris for the first time in years since he moved to study in Australia after a fight between them. Everything concludes to a sweet ending. They have you rooting for them from the beginning.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were many, many years packed into it and I felt they were brought back at appropriate times. While I liked seeing their relationship from an early age I felt like it could have started when they were older. I can only imagine significant events were skipped over just because they weren't part of the time frame that was being written at that moment. I was loving the connection between Katie and Chris. How they could always rely on each other for anything. I was totally pulling for them to end up together! There were just some points where this book fell short for me but it was good and I'm glad I read it. 
3 Coffee Cups
Finished 1/3/2015
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