I Kissed Her First
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Aug 25, 2026
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
An aspiring chef and world-famous popstar cook up what starts to sound like a love song in this sapphic new adult debut from Betty Cayouette.
This is Riley’s last summer as a chef. At least, this is what she’s promised her dads, who run a Cape Cod lobster shack and don’t want their daughter to follow in their stress-ridden footsteps. So Riley decides to go big and audition as a private chef for a singer’s European tour. When she finds out she got the gig, she’s thrilled. But when she learns that the singer she’ll be cooking for is Luna Leya, she and her sister’s favorite popstar? She almost can’t believe it.
Soon enough, Riley and Luna strike up an unexpected friendship, much to Luna’s manager’s disapproval. Luna should be focused on getting her Grammy, which means pulling off this tour without a hitch and continuing to date the notorious singer/heart throb/beloved bad boy Hudson, who’s rocketed her to a new level of fame with their hit single. Luna should definitely not be sneaking off to the Eiffel Tower and private Andalucian dinners to spend time with Riley. As the two get closer, Riley thinks she might be losing her mind. Is it possible the Luna Leya is flirting with her? And is there a world where Riley could keep her dream of being a chef alive? Soon, things will reach a tipping point and both Riley and Luna will be left wondering: could their story be a love song after all?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cayouette (Tell Me How You Really Feel) whips up a satisfying if somewhat rushed sapphic romance between a pop star vying for a Grammy and an ambitious chef. The chance to serve as the private chef for the talented Luna Leya during her European tour is a dream come true for Riley, despite promising her concerned restaurant owner fathers that she would seek a more stable profession outside of the culinary field. As Riley impresses with delicious and meticulously planned dishes, her working relationship with Luna quickly evolves into a closer bond. Soon, the women are spending much of their rare free time together, causing Riley to wonder whether the celebrity she and her late sister used to admire from afar could be developing feelings for her. It's a delicate situation made all the more so by Luna's PR relationship with heartthrob Hudson and need to maintain the all-American girl-next-door image she's cultivated for years. Despite these concerns, Cayouette cuts the pining stage short, and the hasty buildup makes the romantic development feel somewhat underbaked. Still, the chemistry comes through and the depiction of Riley's grief and family struggles adds an emotional core. The result is a celebrity romance that's poignant and surprisingly relatable.
