Blind Kiss
ARC provided by publisher to facilitate this review
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... 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."
| I’ve sat at my computer for two days, staring at a blank document, trying to come up with the proper words to describe how I felt about Blind Kiss by Renee Carlino. Honestly, I’m still at a loss. Penny and Gavin’s story was intensely emotional, heart-wrenchingly complicated, and one of my favorite love stories from Renee to date.
Blind Kiss left a raw ache in me, a bruise I keep poking as I think back on this book and all the emotions it brought out in me. This story has worked its way under my skin and made a permanent home in my heart. We all love books that make us feel things, and Renee told this story so wonderfully, I had a physical reaction to it. I felt like I was experiencing all the bliss, all the sadness, all the pain, and all of the joy right along with these characters. This dual POV novel takes the reader on a journey between the past and the present, detailing the unusual beginning of the intense relationship between Gavin and Penny, cataloging the far-reaching consequences of the decisions, be them right or wrong, that the two have made along the way. In my experience, Renee Carlino delivers a fantastic story every time. Every book I’ve read of hers has been a rich reading experience, leaving me breathless after the impossible highs and devastating lows, and eager to do it all over again. She’s got a place in my author Hall of Fame, and Blind Kiss will surely be a top read of the year for me. |
I loved this book….and I understand the inability to put words down. She did the same to me. You did an excellent job here though. I love your review!