6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

Fanfic fans will recognize immediately by the title that Tess Sharpe got her start in fanfiction. I am actually surprised, now that I think about it, that nobody has used this trope before, because it's such a fun one.  Who doesn't love a slow burn?

This is a young adult novel about two girls whose mothers are lifelong best friends and have to move in together for the summer.  Reading the title, the premise, and the back cover I had one idea of how this novel would go, and I could not have been more wrong. Our main characters are processing serious trauma, and although of course the novel hits some familiar romance beats, it does not simplify the reality of that trauma and one conversation doesn't fix everything at the end.  (I'm particularly thinking of Penny's relationship with her mom, wow. That gave me, as the fanfic writers say, all the feels.)

This YA has some real depth to it, and the relationship of the main characters is handled beautifully and not in a contrived way at all. Tess Sharpe has serious talent and I look forward to reading more from her.