The cover of 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) makes it look like it is going to be a sweet easy read. In reality, it is anything but easy. The main characters are each working through some difficult situations and are constantly finding themselves crossing paths. This becomes even more true when they are forced to move in with one another to support their mothers.
Penny’s life was turned upside down when she and her father were in a rafting accident together. It has been some time but, she is still finding herself having trouble healing. Alot of this has to do with her relationship with her mother which has been very tense following the accident. Plus, her mom is best friends with Tate’s mom, and Penny and Tate are not and will never friends.
Tate’s mother has been on the edge of dying for several years. She is in need of a liver transplant and it isn’t until Penny’s mom gets tested that she even has a chance of a donor. Due to her mother’s lack of ability to work, the finances have been tight, and Tate has been forced to make sure everything is covered. It is much more than a teenage girl should be worrying about.
When their mothers inform Penny and Tate about the liver transplant surgery, it is also decided that they will all be living together during the recovery period. There is not very much time between their announcement and the actual surgery date forcing Tate and Penny to work together packing up one house and setting up another. Being in close proximity forces the two of them to actually reflect on their dynamic. This is told from each of their points of view and it has several “almost moments”.
I really liked the way that this story was told and how it unfolded. Penny and Tate have admittedly never been friends but, for some reason they have always been there for one another when things have gotten rough. It was fun to watch everything unfold between the two of them. Each of them have had their childhood innocence ripped away from them and each recognizes this in the other. I enjoyed their bantering and the way their connection grew even when they didn’t even realize it.
This review is a little all over the place but so is Penny and Tate’s relationship. Each character is complex and needs to do some deep soul searching to figure out each exactly what they want. The flashbacks are very well done, and will have you wanting to give each character a tight hug as they try to figure out their lives and their potential feelings for each other. 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) is not always an easy read as it tackles topic such a parental neglect, grief, survivor guilt, mental health, and trauma but, it is done in such a realistic beautiful way.
Rating: 4 Stars
**I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
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