Sharing is Caring - Books: "Kiss the Girl" by Melissa Brayden

So it has taken me close to nine months to write this review. That's how LONG this book has been sitting with me on a daily basis; how long it has taken me to come down off of it's high; how long I have waited for my overwhelming feels for this novel to subside enough to put words to paper (screen?) about the wonderful joy and awesomeness that is Kiss the Girl. And yet - none of that has actually happened. It still sits with me constantly, and I find myself reflecting on it on a daily basis. I am still riding the "high" of the impact of the novel on my soul. I still have overwhelming feels and wondrous joy and an envelopment of mind-bending awesomeness in regards to this perfected novel from the Queen of Lesbian Romance, Melissa Brayden. I can't gush enough.

This novel was life-changing, and in such a feel-good, warm and fuzzy kind of way.

Outgoing Brooklyn Campbell and her fabulous friends run the cutest little boutique advertising agency this side of the Hudson River in New York City. The Soho Savvy company is finally starting to get some recognition, and finds itself fighting for an account against one of the biggest agencies in the city. Those that have the best ideas, the most clever marketing campaigns, the biggest hits across the market - that company will be the winner. Brooklyn's head is completely in the game, working hard with her friends to kick the big boys out of the competition with their unique ideas and killer designs. But one fateful day, Brooklyn finds herself stranded in a bar after a rather unfortunate series of incidents, and runs into the most beautiful woman she's ever seen. They talk, they flirt, they get to know one another, and Brooklyn finds herself on the receiving end of a "Cinderella" kiss at the end of the night, complete with a hasty exit by the brunette who completely derailed her focus from her current life. As the two women find themselves getting closer, Brooklyn discovers exactly who this woman is, and doesn't know how to proceed, if she even can.

This was not the first book by Melissa Brayden that I read. I actually read the Soho Savvy series out of order on my first experience, starting with the second novel in the series, Just Three Words. My first book by Melissa Brayden overall was Heart Block back in the summer of 2014, and didn't pick up one of her books (the above mentioned Just Three Words) until it's pre-release on NetGalley in March/April of 2015. After that, I was hooked, and bought all of Brayden's books, including this one. But the one thing that was different about this novel compared to the rest, is absolutely everything.

I think we can all agree that Melissa Brayden knows what she's doing when it comes to writing novels. She captures her characters, and in that, captures her readers. She provides descriptions and stories and connections within her novels that is basically literature crack for the Lesbian Romance reader! Kiss the Girl is no different in that capacity, but then it is so much more. The depictions of her characters are spot on - from Brooklyn herself to her friends at the Soho Savvy agency, to the illustrious Jessica Lennox - they are all perfection.

Let me segue here and state that Brayden has managed to create a character in Jessica Lennox that I have big-time crush-worthy feelings for, none that I've had so vehemently since my big crush of Hermione Granger sprouted when I was in my preteens.

Please understand how BIG of a statement that is in my world. Hermione Granger has forever been my "it" girl, and has never been in danger of losing her place from her pedestal for going-on 20 years (almost 18 at this time to be exact). Those are big shoes to fill, and Jessica Lennox has managed to shake the sturdy foundation that Hermione stands on. Let me reiterate - this is BIG NEWS. And let me reiterate as well - Melissa Brayden has managed to write a character that so beautifully captured my heart and made this occur. Her characters are THAT good.

But aside from the beauty of each and every character within this novel, the story has one of the best and most believable timelines and arcs that I've read. The beauty in the way the side stories line up with the main plot, and how those characters grow in succession with Brooklyn and Jessica - the whole thing amazes me to no end. Either Melissa Brayden was meticulous in the way this story would play it, and planned it down to each and every crossover detail, or her talent exceeds even beyond what I initially understood, and she is just a God of word and prose. You know what, let's just go with the latter - I'm pretty sure she's just a literature God.

I'm not even sure if I've given you anything of worthy note about this novel as a piece of literature, but instead just used my words to squee over and over about how amazing this book was to me instead. But if anything, take this away from this review:

Read it. Embrace it. Do yourself a favor and provide it to yourself as a reward for being awesome. There is nothing about this novel that won't delight any reader, I can guarantee this.

In fact, if you by some chance DO find something that just makes you hate this novel, I REALLY want to hear about it! Truly! I have yet to find someone that did not enjoy this novel, and always appreciate seeing both sides to every outcome. Please, personally contact me to tell me what you hated. I will actually be happy to receive your comments!

But seriously, read this book. And love Melissa Brayden. She is an amazing writer and more. I will fangirl over her until the end of time.