Kiss It

By Erin Soderberg Downing

Book Overview

A girl's gotta do who a girl's gotta do. Chastity Bryan has never been shy about going after what she wants. And when sexy, mysterious, so -not-from-this-town Sebastian walks into Chaz's life, she knows in an instant that what she wants next is him . Chaz has no intention of playing for keeps--but she most definitely has intentions. Who needs true love when you've got true lust? Sebastian has no idea what he's in for--but maybe neither does Chaz....

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416997008
• ISBN13: 9781416997009
• Release Date: June 2010
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.5" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Misson

This was a very hot, very enjoyable read for me!! I really didn't know what to expect with this story but was pleasantly wowed by Downing's writing. I'm quickly introduced to Chastity Bryan a.k.a Chaz and instantly I know she's a no holds bar type of girl wanting desperately to leave her home town and experience life. She says what she means and goes after what she wants. More so who she wants and it's the new kid in town named Sebastian. I really enjoyed Chaz's daring in your face personality. I was flipping the pages non stop to see whether or not Sebastian would succumb to Chaz's play. I appreciated Downing writing such a daring story from a girl point of view who's view of life and love differ from so many around her, making her deal with important topics for her self and her friends. The romantic chemistry between Chaz and Sebastian was very hot and mysterious and I really enjoyed the role reversal of the romantic chase. Who was pursuing who? What was great about the book besides the great characters was the journey Chaz went through and how she grew as a person. She went from having these crude dejected views of life to opening herself to love and new possibilities. This is a very daring entertaining story filled with humor, spicy romance and thought provoking situations that everyone deals with in their lives. All the characters played an important role adding depth to the story. I defiantly recommend mature readers reading this book, due to some semi graphic sexual scenes in the story. This is a great story and I will be looking forward to more of Downing's work.

Fun and Original!

Erin Downing was nice enough to send me a copy of Kiss It to review, and I'm really glad I picked it up so soon after receiving it. The summary was a bit vague, so I didn't really know what to expect, but Kiss It turned out to be a really great read. Chaz was an outgoing, witty main character and her personality and spirit added a lot to Kiss It. She never held back with what she wanted to say and always spoke her mind. Chaz was an original and unique character and was still trying to find herself. Kiss It was not just the light hearted read it first appeared. Cancer, teen pregnancy, sex, and more were all tackled throughout the novel. Chaz had to deal with a lot of emotional experiences and understand that she couldn't always put herself first. Her best friend Sadie was sweet and seemed the complete opposite of Chaz, yet they went together really well. Without Chaz, I don't know how Sadie would have dealt with what happened to her. Some things were a bit predictable, but the plot was overall interesting and it was a quick enough read that I finished it in a day. Erin Downing has a nice writing style and really got inside Chaz's character- she was very well developed within the first few chapters. Chaz's parents were also good characters who played big roles. I was surprised how emotional Chaz's family issues made me. The fellow workers at the restaurant Chaz waitressed were interesting, too. There were a wide variety of characters that had enough individuality to make them really stand out. At first, Chaz just thought of sex as just a bridge she needed to cross, something quick and unimportant. She never thought of loving someone. When Sebastian came along I realized he was a good guy for Chaz. Although their relationship started a bit swiftly and awkwardly, it soon developed into something more. Both Sebastian and Chaz were dealing with a lot, and they each helped the other overcome the hurtles life was throwing at them. Kiss It did deal with some mature themes and didn't always have the best morals, but by the end most of the characters had learned their lessons. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 13 though. This was an overall well done, if a bit quirky, novel, and Downing introduced a wide variety of topics that certain teenagers could relate to. While I never felt a connection with Chaz and felt there were a few downsides to Kiss It, I overall enjoyed it and will definitely be picking up Erin Downing's past and future releases. Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Kiss It by Erin Downing

Taken from [...]. My Thoughts: When I first saw Downing had another book coming out, I knew I had to pick it up! I really enjoyed Drive Me Crazy so I was looking forward to reading more from Downing. We meet Chaz who is your everyday small town girl. She wants bigger things, wants to have a bigger future, and move onto better things. There is the small town guy who likes her, Hunter. Her family wants her to be with him, because he's "perfect" for her but she knows she wants someone not from around there. She doesn't want to be faced into conformity. One day she meets Sebastian in her place of employment. She instantly feels drawn to him. Because of the small town atmosphere she knows he's from out of town. Come to find out, he's just visiting. I really liked Chaz's character. She is outspoken and voices her opinion a lot. Yes, she has fears like the rest of us, but she was real. She didn't take anyone's crap. Than there is Sebastian who is just sexy. You can tell there's more to him than meets the eyes. Just because he's hot doesn't mean he's naive. This novel was so much more than I expected it to be. I read some bad reviews picking it up but I really enjoyed it. I liked the issues dealt with in this book, virginity, pregnancy, love, trust, fear, etc. Overall: I really liked it a lot. Its a little more serious than the Simon Romantic Comedies but if you like those, you will probably like this as well. Cover: Its cute! I love how the bunnies are kissing and I love the heart above them.

DARING!

This is a daring book. Though the subject matter is bold, the story is told with plenty of humor and is often touching. There aren't many books like this one out there. Buy it - you will not only thoroughly enjoy it, you will recommend it to others.

Kiss It

I really enjoyed Kiss It, mostly for its bluntness and hilarious dialogue. I laughed my way through the first half of the book, before things got a little more serious, and reveled in Chaz's no-nonsense attitude to boys and sex. She was a girl who wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, and I liked that. That's the kind of personality trait I wish I possessed more of (confidence, not chasing boys) but alas, I don't. Chaz started off as a bit of an enigma. I got that she didn't think sex was a huge deal, and that she would happily engage in some extracurricular activity with even the dorkiest boy, but I didn't understand why she was like that until much later in the book. Downing explored her character fantastically and, I must admit, wrote a couple rather hot scenes à la Jennifer Echols (Who, by the way, is the undisputed master of YA hotness). Chaz's relationship with new boy Sebastian was one of growth and self-discovery, and realising that, yes, it is possible to escape your small town and experience a life elsewhere, and with different people. Sebastian really opened her eyes to this idea, and showed her that you don't have to do what people expect you to do. Life's a decision you have to make, and Downing does a great job of showing just that. Chaz's friendship with her best friend Sadie was also very well written and, coupled with Chaz's dad's story, provided more of the novel's serious side. I did find Sadie quite irritating, though, and pretty forgettable. The only characters that really stood out for me were Chaz and Sebastian, and the rest of the just kind of fell by the wayside. Kiss It does include some explicit sexual content and bad language, so if that definitely isn't your thing, I'd probably recommend giving this one a miss. However, if you're looking for a book with clever (occasionally frustrating) characters, witty writing and the ability to make you laugh, this just might be the one for you. 3.5/5