As your resident “lover of old people in love,” fanatic, I must tell you all about Someone to Kiss by Jamie Anderson (while attempting to woo a Siren). 

 The general synopsis is…during a NYE wedding, Kate makes a drunken promise to herself. She'll find someone to kiss during this day next year. As a forty-three year old cat Mom, Kate hasn't historically been lucky in love. But at the insistence of her best friend, Julie, she decides to give online dating a shot. 

But after a slew of disastrous dates, an encounter with a cute coffee shop barista, and Julie's geeky, older brother, Ben, always being there :eyes:, Kate learns that in order to find someone to kiss, and ultimately, someone to love, you must first learn to love yourself. 

Someone to Kiss is more than your typical romance. It's about finding yourself when you're on the verge of losing yourself. It's about loving yourself before you can love someone else. Even if that someone has loved you for as long as they can remember.

 This story was fast paced and the characters were extremely endearing. One thing I wished we had more of though was Ben and Kate! I felt like Jamie Anderson gave Kate sooo many awful dudes and we learned so much about them all, but the Ben/Kate-ness happened behind the scenes.

Which, for a more mature romance is fine. And particularly for these two characters. They were more bashful, so I was not expecting any type of explicitly steamy scenes from them. But like to represent that, that would’ve been cool too. 

In addition to enjoying the characters, I also loved that this is a critique of double standards that men and women encounter with online dating and/or dating practices in general. I loved how witty this book was and how relatable some aspects of it were (toxic work environment/hate your job, but you stay anyway, was just one that came readily to mind). I really think this is a great romcom, and if you want something “feel good,” this is one to definitely pick up!

Anyway, if you want “a fine romance,” with some older protags, give this a shot. 

 Some content warnings to be aware of… there are scenes depicting: alcoholism, rape, anxiety attacks, workplace verbal abuse. Mentions of depression and overcoming stigmas in regards to mental illness. 

Take care of yourself if any of the above are triggering to you! 

 Courtney