Book Review: The Kiss Thief

The Kiss Thief

L.J. Shen

1/5

This was another book I saw on Tiktok- either under enemies to lovers or the I hate everyone but you trope. I can confidently say that this was my least enjoyable read of 2020, like I kind of DNFed so I debated even reviewing it but I got to the end despite flipping through some scenes so I think I can take a strong position against it. This is a contemporary romance despite how it may first appear following Francesca, the daughter of a basic mafia leader, and Wolfe Keaton, a United States senator. The two are placed into an arranged marriage and forced to deal with one another. 

Toxic is the best way to describe it I think. I don't like using that word because I feel like a lot of people use it when it isn't all that necessary. Francesca is 19, incredibly sheltered and naive despite her intrinsic strength. Wolfe is 30, a seasoned senator who consistently remarks on his lack of ability to care for a teenager. Like that's textbook wrong I should have DNFed right after that but I was wondering if maybe he would be vilified and she'd end up with the more age appropriate guy. There's a difference between enemies-to-lovers and taking advantage of someone. 

He wasn't even nice about it. The age difference could have been surmountable if he had been understanding in any way. She went from being totally controlled by her father to totally controlled by him and then pretended she had a say in it. Also the politics of it all were completely unrealistic. I wouldn't call it a political thriller at all because it was closer to made up than it was to American democracy. 

All in all a wild disappointment that had only the possibility of righting wrongs keeping me till the end. I wouldn't recommend getting into it, there are a lot of uncomfortable situations that really did not feel correct at all in any circumstances. If age differences and all that was going on is your thing, that's all good, but I really think there should be a better description provided.