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Don’t be fooled by the title and cover - The Kissing Game by Marie Harte is not what it appears. Rena is a romance reader looking for her happily ever after, and gruff Axel has been biding his time, hoping Rena will realize he’s right in front of her. But in order to convince Rena that he’s more than just a pretty face, he has to confront his childhood trauma. This book got way darker than I was expecting given the teaser on the back of the book - I probably would have gone for something lighter if I’d known - and I’m not entirely sure I enjoyed it. I loved Rena’s big, boisterous family and Axel’s found family of strays, but beyond that... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The book is set against the backdrop of a seedy bar, and I kept imagining the set from Sons of Anarchy as I was reading, which is not something I can normally say about romance novels 🤣 All told, I don’t think I’ll be reaching for any of the others in the series - it just didn’t vibe with me. My qualms with TKG are primarily about it’s marketing, however it also depicts a biracial relationship, a bilingual character (German), racially motivated violence and LGBTQ+ characters, but isn’t #ownvoices as far as I can tell. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’re looking for diverse contemporary romance, there is so much better out there (hi, Talia Hibbert, Jasmine Guillory, Helen Hoang, Alexis Daria, Mia Sosa) and if you’re looking for Nordic romance, try Natalie Normann! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ TW: domestic abuse, violence, racism ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ID: I’m holding up a paperback copy of The Kissing Game against a red brick wall. There are topiaries visible in the background. via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CP8YSu6r6rN/