Book Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Looking for a romance with some serious stuff and plenty of yearning? You’ll definitely want to pick up 6 Time We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did), the latest YA novel from the magnificent Tess Sharpe!

6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) Book Tour

When I first saw the cover for 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did), I definitely made some assumptions. Judgments, if you will. I thought this was going to be a perfectly fluffy rom-com, full of laughter and free from any serious drama. Well, I was WRONG. But don’t let my mistake make you think this isn’t a book for you! It is definitely a romance, but the characters are both Going Through It. Family drama, money drama, it seems like nothing is easy for them. And to top it all off, there is SO. MUCH. YEARNING. Anyway, as you may have guessed, I am taking part in TBR and Beyond Tours’ book tour for 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) today! I am thrilled to give you 5 reasons you should absolutely read this book, but first, here’s a little more info:

6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) book cover

TITLE: 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did)

AUTHOR: Tess Sharpe

RELEASE DATE: January 24, 2023

Synopsis

Six moments lead us to two girls, one kiss, and three little words that were maybe always true inthis gorgeous novel perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Jenny Han.

Penny and Tate have always clashed. Unfortunately, their mothers are lifelong best friends, so the girls’ bickering has carried them through playdates, tragedy, and more than one rom-com marathon with the Moms. When Penny’s mother decides to become a living donor to Tate’s mom, ending her wait for a liver transplant, things go from clashing to cataclysmic. Because in order to help their families recover physically, emotionally, and financially, the Moms combine their households the summer before senior year.

So Penny and Tate make a pact: They’ll play nice. Be the drama-free daughters their mothers need through this scary and hopeful time. There’s only one little hitch in their plan: Penny and Tate keep almost kissing.

It’s just this confusing thing that keeps happening. You know, from time to time. For basically their entire teenaged existence.

They’ve never talked about it. They’ve always ignored it in the aftermath. But now they’re living across the hall from each other. And some things—like their kisses—can’t be almosts forever.

5 Reasons You Must Read 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did)

The Idyllic Setting

Listen, I know most of us do not read romance for the setting, we read it for the kissing! But the natural beauty of California really shines throughout the story. I enjoyed reading about life in a small town, but even more than that, I enjoyed reading about Penny’s connection to nature and her desire to get back to that life, something that kept her connected to her father.

The Best Best Friends

6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) is, of course, the story of Penny and Tate. But Penny and Tate wouldn’t be who they are without their besties, Meghan and Remington. Sometimes side characters can make the book extra special, and I think that’s the case in this book. You can see how fiercely Meghan and Remington love Penny and Tate through their actions, and I loved that no matter what, they were always there for them. I also loved the rapport (and perhaps even more…) that developed between Meghan and Remington as the book progressed. Overall, the besties in this book made it even better!

Bi Girl, Biiiiiiii

Yes, Penny and Tate are both bisexual! This particular story is a sapphic one, as they are figuring out how they really feel about one another, but both girls identify as bi. While there is a lot of drama throughout the story, very little of it is actually related to the girls’ sexuality-this, it seems, is accepted by the people in their lives, and it’s always great to have more queer representation in YA books!

All About the Money, Money, Money

One thing that still isn’t super prevalent in YA books is broad representation of different socioeconomic statuses. In 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did), there is honest discussion about the realities of not having a lot of money. The reason Penny and Tate are in such close proximity during the story is because their moms have decided to move into one house to save money, because getting an organ transplant is EXPENSIVE and neither family was rolling in cash to begin with. Tate focuses a great deal on swimming because she needs a scholarship in order to be able to go to college, and Penny has basically been in charge of managing the finances for her house because her mom is sort of oblivious. It’s great to see a story that represents different places on the socioeconomic spectrum, because there are definitely teens who have to worry about money in real life!

All. The. YEARNING.

The pining is strong in this one, friends. Penny and Tate have both carried a torch for each other for literal YEARS (hence the 6 almost kisses!), but different circumstances have prevailed to keep them apart (many of these circumstances have been of their own creation, to be fair). Going back in time to see the circumstances of the almost kisses, in combination with seeing how Penny and Tate interact in the present, with all of their history and hidden feelings, combines for seriously, SO MUCH YEARNING. And because of that, the ending is super satisfying!

About the Author

Born in a mountain cabin to a punk-rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural northern California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing colony of formerly feral cats. She is the author of Barbed Wire Heart, the critically acclaimed YA novel Far From You, and the upcoming Jurassic World prequel, The Evolution of Claire.

She is also the co-editor of Toil & Trouble, a feminist anthology about witches. Her short fiction has been featured in All Out, an anthology edited by Saundra Mitchell.

Tess is represented by Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary Management. Please send all rights inquiries and blurb requests to Jim.

Well friends, I hope this list has convinced you to pick up 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did), but if not, definitely check out the other stops on the book tour for even more reasons to read it!

And if you’ve already read 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did), leave a comment letting me know what you would add to this list!