Content warnings: find them here on Tess’ blog. Ones that aren't mentioned: underage drinking, reference to cheating (past, happened to an MC but it wasn't too heavy - an ex cheats on her). There are two specific scenes that were my favorites and showed their support for one another perfectly. Penny uses her organizational tendencies (obsession?) to ensure Tate’s landlord doesn’t take advantage of her. And Tate uses her take-no-prisoners attitude to make sure Penny’s ex doesn’t mess with Penny. Both scenes had me grinning from ear to ear. I went into this book not knowing a whole lot, but being extremely excited for it. As a long-time fangirl – I appreciate the way the title is done. I added this book to my wish list the second I possibly could, and now that I have read it, I will be hyping this up as much as I can.

Overall, this is a beautiful story of two girls trying to find their way in the world--and to find love. It's amazing, and I highly recommend it for teens and adults alike. 4.5 stars. This novel caused a whirlwind of emotions in me. One moment, the corners of my lips tugged into smiles; sometime later, a band pulled tight around my chest, and the lump in my throat pushed tears into my eyes. Those moments at the river, my stomach almost contracted and fear came over me like a fire closing me in. But also warmth in my chest afterward, for those two girls who cared for each other, even though they didn’t realize it themselves and almost kissed so many times. I also love how much emotional complexity is in this story. Penny has A LOT of emotions and past trauma to work through and she does that with the help of Tate and her friends. She is dealing with some serious emotional abuse but Tate supports her 100% of the way. And Penny supports Tate as well. As complicated as Penny and Tate’s relationship is, Penny’s with her mom, Lottie, is even more so. For me it was the most painful part of the novel to read, even while Sharpe is careful to not make Lottie a simple villain. I mean, she’s giving her best friend half of her liver! But particularly as a new parent, reading about a parent who emotionally and physically abandons her kid in her grief for her husband was agonizing. On the one hand, I can’t imagine losing my partner suddenly in a tragic accident, and of course I have no idea how I would cope. On the other hand, I can’t imagine not putting my kid’s well being first and not openly communicating with and going through the process of grief with them instead of shutting them out. Sharpe smartly doesn’t wrap up Penny and Lottie’s story arc; there’s no moment where Lottie does a grand apology or where Penny forgives her. The focus is on Penny as her own person; she makes her own steps forward in healing journey apart from her mom, which is so affirming to witness. Since their moms are best friends, Tate has always been in Penny’s life but it’s only rather recently that Penny’s feelings for the other girl seem to have shifted from driving her crazy to wanting to kiss her. Both families have had more than their share of pain and grief and the moms have always been there for each other. So it’s not surprising that Penny’s mom would be willing to give part of her liver to Tate’s but the decision carries with it all sorts of contradictory feelings and life-changing arrangements for the two teenagers. Try being seventeen, grieving for the loss of your dad and the distance that put between your mom and you, processing almost kissing someone several times, all while having to live in the same house, across the hall, from the girl you’re obsessed with.

Summary

But when Tate's mother needs a liver transplant, Penny's mom is all too ready to step in as a living donor. The second part of this plan, however, requires the two to move in together...which means Penny and Tate will now be living under one roof. Penny and Tate scramble to put together a pact based on their complicated history...and to try to prevent one more of 'those' moments...where they SOMEHOW almost kiss. Has fate shoved these two together, against their will and against all odds? Or will yet another tragedy drive these two apart...forever? It’s just my name. I’ve heard it hundreds of times in my life. But this time, she kind of sighs it through her fingers as if she’s trying to hold it in. As if it’s suddenly become a secret I’m not supposed to hear.”

Now, Penny and Tate. I loved the slow burn, almost kissing but not thing initially, but it became TOO slow burn. I know, I know. I love slow burn as much as anyone, but it got to a point (especially after Yreka) where I was like, why aren't you together by now? It got a little bit tedious tbh. They both knew they had feelings for each other. I get they had the stress of their mum's operation and all the unresolved grief and loss, but them continuing to tip toe around each other didn't make sense to me after a point. I'm glad they eventually got together, even if it was at the end. If you love queer love stories, YA romances, or are as big of a Tess Sharpe fan as me, you need to read 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did). It’s a must! Now Marion, Penny's gran and her dad's mum, was incredible. She was everything Penny needed despite losing her son. I can't really put into words how amazing she was. I hope everyone going through loss and grief has a Marion to help them through it.I absolutely loved this. I stayed up until 2am so I could finish it. I just couldn’t go to sleep without getting my ending. What I loved about the ending is that while it felt fitting, it isn’t perfect. Everything isn’t wrapped up and perfect but it is hopeful. The way the story shows this type of abuse is so important because it’s often not seen as a legitimate type of abuse. Penny’s story will show just how harmful emotional abuse is and how dark it can be.

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. Penny and Tate were destined to be around one another constantly...but they haven't always enjoyed each other's company. After all, their mothers have been best friends for ages, so they HAD to grit their teeth through many a movie marathon or playdate they would have rather avoided. Penny tragically lost her father, leaving her and her mother Lottie with a strained relationship, and it seems like this tragedy alone This book is hard, yo. There is a lot of grief and loss to wade through, especially as it manifests so differently for so many people; and these characters are no exception. And, hey. Do you also love fraught mother-daughter dynamics? Because this has that, too. I do not love that dynamic, I find it incredibly horrible to experience, but instead of ruining the book (which has definitely happened to me before) I can respect it because Sharpe did such a great job with.. well, everything. Although it doesn’t take away from it being a five-star read for me, I did struggle with the structure of the narrative. The story is told through a dual perspective narrative and although I really enjoyed having both Penny and Tate’s perspectives as they provided really distinctive takes on the story, I didn’t like that was no pattern to whose chapter was whose. Whilst traditionally in a dual perspective narrative you might see the chapters alternate, in Six Times We Almost Kissed it flits between perspectives quite willy-nilly. I’m conscious that this is just something which goes against my personal preference and I did get used to it as the book progressed, which is why it hasn’t impacted on my star rating. They don’t, of course. The slow, slow burn of the story is Penny and Tate finally opening up to each other and being honest, mostly with themselves, about what it is that they actually want and what they actually mean to each other. It’s them finally seeing what everyone watching them from the outside sees, looking at these two and thinking, wow those are some soulmates right there. It’s so beautiful! After reading about the hardships each girl has gone through and how courageously they have fought for their own well-being, I can’t think of two other fictional queer girls who deserve a happy ending more. It’s difficult not to chant “kiss, kiss, kiss!” in your head while reading about all their almost kisses, even though Sharpe has already told you this isn’t the time their lips actually meet! And on more than one occasion, there is even only one bed that they have to share!!With a title like that, there was no way I was passing up the opportunity to read. 6 Times We Almost Kissed is a heartfelt story about family and love. It’s a YA contemporary about bravery, facing our fears, and confronting the past. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts. Summary Oh, and before, I forget, because it bears mentioning. I also loved their friends, both grade A cinnamon rolls, so much. I love me a friend group. This one wasn't quite an ensemble but they left their mark nonetheless.

Tess Sharpe’s newest book is 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did), a story of two queer girls who find themselves under the same roof when their moms (who are best friends) decide they all should move in together. Why? Because one mom is giving her liver to the other.Also, be careful when reading about how Penny’s father died. It’s very tough to read, but it helps us understand Penny’s fears and her connection to Tate.