Review: Blind Kiss by Renee Carlino

     

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Renee Carlino's BLIND KISS! I get excited for every new release from Renee, but when I read the synopsis of this one I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Once again, she has delivered a truly emotional tale of two characters come to life and pull me right into their story. Check out my review and grab your own copy of Blind Kiss using the links below. Happy reading!

BLIND KISS

by RENEE CARLINO

Available August 14, 2018

From the national bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers, Swear on this Life, and Wish You Were Here comes 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—and she was a dancer on the rise. 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. 

AVAILABLE NOW

AMAZON | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Renée Carlino is one of my favorite authors. With her ability to write realistic characters immersed in emotional situations, I never fail to fall into her stories knowing my tender heart is about to be battered and bruised. But when I picked up Blind Kiss – oh, my friends, I had no idea of the angst I was about to encounter. Some might find it overkill, some might revel in it, and I must be a glutton for emotional punishment because I dove right in and wallowed all in it.

Fourteen years ago Penny met Gavin while participating in a college psychology study. The purpose? To determine whether physical attraction can be felt without sight. That blindfolded kiss changed everything and set into motion a relationship that ebbed and flowed for years to come. Penny and Gavin were both multi-layered characters that I (almost always) loved. Their chemistry is off the charts and it seems obvious that they’re destined to embark on the love affair to end all affairs. But, not so fast. Because Penny puts on the brakes faster than you can say friend-zone. Convinced that getting romantic will ruin the friendship she cherishes, Penny tries (often unsuccessfully) to set aside her feelings for Gavin. So Penny starts to date Lance, the earnest microbiology student, and Gavin starts to date… many others. And so it goes.

The ensuing years bring changes to both their lives but their intense friendship is always a constant. And that off the charts chemistry I mentioned? Yeah, that’s still there – aplenty. Gavin is more upfront with his feelings for Penny but even so there’s always something – some obstacle that prevents these two from taking that next step. Whether it’s bad timing, or other relationships, or misunderstandings, they just… can’t… get… there. And therein lies the angst. This constant, low simmer of longing and wishing and pining that goes unfulfilled.

Penny and I still had a spark that couldn't be snuffed out. All the plans I'd drawn for the life I thought we'd have together were playing out in some parallel universe. Even if I was stuck in this stupid version of us, where she was encouraging me to go out with other women, I knew there was a Penny and Gavin living as a couple out there, right along beside us.

I’ll readily admit there were times I wanted to shake Penny. She was stubborn, she could be unreasonable, and more than once I was annoyed with the expectations she had of Gavin and the way she lashed out at him when he disappointed her. (Not cool, Penny!) But despite that, I always, always pulled for Gavin and Penny – both separately and together. I hurt when they hurt, I laughed at their jokes, and my heart melted when they were at their most vulnerable with each other.

Blind Kiss is told from both Penny and Gavin’s points of view and from both the past and the present. It’s a story of soulmates, a story of timing (usually bad timing), and a story of two people so meant to be that they were determined to stay in one another’s lives even when it hurt to do so. Their connection was amazing and their friendship was so true and enduring. Penny and Gavin’s journey isn’t an easy one but I loved it. And if you love a story than can equally enthrall you, frustrate you and make you fall in love even while your feelings are being trampled, then I think you’ll love this one, too.

4/5 STARS

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women's novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com   FACEBOOK WEBSITE