A Thousand Boy Kisses

‘Rune pressed a kiss just below my ear and whispered, “Sleep, baby. I got you.” And he did. He had me. Just like I had him.’ Yet another genre and yet another winner from the supremely talented and versatile Tillie Cole. Not just a winner, but now our favourite of all her books and that’s no easy feat considering we have loved everything this author has written. From the funny to the gritty, from the emotional to the uncomfortable, we’re convinced there is NOTHING this lady can’t write and both agree when we say this is THE most beautiful, emotional and stunningly written love story we’ve ever read. This book is as special as special can be. ‘Kiss eight hundred and nineteen was the kiss that changed it all. The kiss that proved that a long-haired brooding boy from Norway and a quirky girl from the Deep South could find a love to rival the greats. It showed that love was simply the tenacity to make sure that the other half of your heart knew he, or she, was adored in every way. In every minute of every day. That love was tenderness in its purest form.’ We’ve enjoyed books, we’ve been moved by books and we’ve cried over books but never and we mean NEVER have we been left so emotionally wrought yet so completely satisfied after finishing a story. We found ourselves talking, sobbing and reliving every exquisite moment, of which there were numerous. And so it was with swollen eyes and overflowing hearts that we chatted into the early hours of the morning never wanting to relinquish our feelings for Poppy and Rune. ‘She knew she had me, just as much as I had her. We were all we needed.’ There wasn’t a page that wasn’t highlighted as this book penetrated our souls and left us feeling so unbelievably thankful and privileged to have experienced this unforgettable story of love in its most beautiful, searing and epic form. A book such as A Thousand Boy Kisses doesn’t come along often, so when it does, we possessively hold each word in our hearts and treasure every single emotion as we did with Rune and Poppy’s story. This story encompasses everything that makes us passionate about reading. “I used to know a boy, a boy I loved with my whole heart, who lived for a single moment. Who told me that a single moment could change the world. It could change someone’s life. That one moment could make someone’s life, in that brief second, infinitely better or infinitely worse” Poppy Litchfield and Rune Kristiansen created a bond of friendship at five years old that would blossom into a love story to rival the greats. They truly were two parts of one heart in every sense of the word. Despite their tender years, their love was extraordinary and it was epic and there is no doubt this came across in Tillie’s story as we lived and breathed the enormity of their feelings. “I’m half a heart. This, who I am now, was due to a life devoid of you. This darkness, this anger, was born from you not being by my side. Poppymin. My adventurer. My girl.” Tillie Cole doesn’t have to force emotions from us, they are elicited spontaneously from the natural fluidity of her writing. This lady writes from the heart and not only were our tears falling freely on the pages, but we also felt hers in every word as she brought us the sweetest girl; an old soul with a perception of life that belied her years, and the brooding boy who moved into her street and into her heart. She taught him what it was to love and feel and together they created something that went beyond mere love. Breathtaking doesn’t begin to describe their story. Heartbreaking is an understatement. Uplifting doesn’t do it justice. There really are no words to do this story justice. “Maybe we’re like the cherry blossom, Rune. Maybe we loved too much too young and burned so bright that we had to fade out.’ From the innocence and exuberance of childhood to the confusion and pain of youth, we lived it all. We fought their battles and lived through joy and heartbreak with them yet we haven’t even scratched the surface of their story, you couldn’t imagine for one minute how this story plays out. We know we didn’t. ‘I was going to do this for her. I was going to do my damnedest to make her happy. I’d win her back. I’d win her back as the Rune I was now. There was no choice. This was us. This was our new adventure. ‘ Told in dual POV for optimum effect, there is so much to experience in A Thousand Boy Kisses and we cannot stress enough that you must go into this story spoiler free and experience it all as the author intended. Don’t ask, just feel. We do love YA stories however we know some readers evade this genre. To those readers we would urge you to still pick this book up. The nature of the story and the delivery from this author is well worth putting those thoughts aside to experience something so positively beautifu

As I sit here and think about the words accurate enough to describe how I feel about A Thousand Boy Kisses, I am positively stumped. Is this book amazing? Breathtaking and emotional? So beautifully-written I wish it hadn't ended? The answer is yes to all of the above but even those words can't describe the love and emotion Tillie Cole has written in this beautiful Young Adult novel. I typically don't read a lot of YA novels just because there are so many books out there to read but I'd always wanted to read a book by Tillie Cole and figured I would just take a chance on this one. My typical genres of books are contemporary romance, New Adult, and historical fiction but I've also read a handful of YA novels and I have to say this was one of my favorite YA books. While reading A Thousand Boy Kisses, I found myself thinking of John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars" and Nicholas Sparks' "A Walk to Remember," mostly because of the subject matter but also because of how emotional these books are written and how they teach us to live our lives to the fullest and love with our whole hearts. "'Maybe we're like the cherry blossom, Rune. Like shooting stars. Maybe we loved too much too young and burned so bright that we had to fade out.' She pointed behind us, to the blossom grove. 'Extreme beauty, quick death. We had this love long enough to teach us a lesson. To show us how capable of love we truly are.'" Poppy Litchfield is a five-year-old girl living in small-town Georgia when she meets Rune Kristiansen, a five-year-old boy whose family moves in next door from Norway. Within their first encounter, they are "best friends for infinity." Next we see Poppy and Rune at age eight when Poppy's mamaw (grandma) gives her the task of collecting one thousand boy kisses where her heart nearly bursts, writing each one down and putting them in a jar. We also see Poppy and Rune at age 15 but the majority of the book takes place when they are both 17 and have had a lot of changes and experiences that define their personalities and outlooks on life. No matter what, Poppy is still her happy, positive self and even with her devastating and life-changing news, she still manages to enjoy every minute of every day and experience joy in even the smallest of things. "'Because in that moment I experienced the love my mamaw sent me on this adventure of a thousand boy-kisses to find. That moment when you know that you are loved so much, that you are the center of somebody's world so wonderfully, that you lived...even if it was only for a short time.'" Even after writing this review, I still don't feel that I've accurately conveyed the beautiful love and emotion in this book. Some parts of the book are a bit slow but I feel that's the "lull" before the storm and the rest of the story is so emotionally-packed that it's so hard to put it down. If you choose to read this book, which I highly recommend, be sure you have a box of tissues with you because you will need them. Because this book is categorized as a young adult novel, the romance is very clean and understated. I loved this book so much that I'm already looking into purchasing other books by Tillie Cole. While reading this book, you will smile. You will feel sad. You will experience joy. You will cry. But, most of all, you will experience Poppy and Rune's once-in-a-lifetime teenage love where they share their one thousand kisses, moonbeam hearts and sunshine smiles.

Slight Spoilers Well Damn!!!!!!! Where do I start? This book had so many different reviews. Some bloggers loved it, but they love everything so... Some bloggers hated it, and I normally hate what they hate. One of my favorite reviewers said that this book was on the line on The Fault in Our Stars and since I didn't read that I think this worked out for me. Once I find out a book is a "tear jerker", I won't read it, because my experince will be ruined by my waiting to cry. I didn't know about the impending doom in this book until I was at about 30%. Then I went to the reviews. But it was too late for me. And. My. Heart. Burst. I mean I cried like a baby. I know I looked stupid, but I was so heart broken. Poppy was an exceptional character, that you couldn't help but love. Her spirit jumped off the pages, I adored her. I loved the way Rune loved her. His heart was at home with Poppy, and if he wasn't loving Poppy he wasn't himself. The portrayal of first love can be tricky, as people always doubt the authenticity of it. First love is reckless,all consuming, and fearless. Poppy and Rune's love was all of those things, but their love also never died. *Sigh* This was a beautiful story that dealt with accepting death, healing families, and ultimate soul mates. I cried through every battle, milestone, kiss, and heartache. What a messed up, beautiful story. Tillie Cole you are amazing. five stars -Natasha Whew!! I am emotionally drained! There was so much going on in this story, but at its heart, it was a love story between a boy and a girl. It was a story of two halves of a soul finding each other and experiencing completion. I had to be strategic about where I read this book because Poppy and Rune's story had me ugly crying, looking stupid in public. I had to put the book down several times, even though I was desperate to see their story unfold, because I couldn't read through my own tears and runny nose. These characters were so well written and I was deeply invested in them. Poppy had a beautiful soul that infected the people around her with its beauty. Her beauty was so infectious that it broke through Rune's seemingly impenetrable wall and made him his best self. Rune, through all his faults, never failed to love Poppy with everything he had. He was born to love her, and he did with his entire heart. He made all of her dreams come true even when they seemed unattainable. Theirs was an eternal love. I had such a book hangover after this one. I was such a mess when I finished this story that I was late to work trying to pull myself together. Tillie Cole, you did it again! 5 stars -Jasmine

THIS. BOOK. BROKE. MY. HEART. INTO. A. THOUSAND. LITTLE. HEARTS. I didn't think I would make it through this book. I cried and cried and cried and ............ This is a love story like no other and I hate/love it. God! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!! What can I say to you people out there! My feelings are just shot! This book is so beautiful, so sad and just d••n it. Rune and Poppy met when they were 5 years old. Rune had just moved from Norway to Georgia and he hated it until that moment he met Poppy and everything became crystal clear. He met his best friend, his soul mate. But nothing lasts forever and I sure didn't see this one coming. I had my mind set on not finishing the book because I thought when they were separated at 15 that it would be just another "oh they are apart now and lets find other people and this was all meaningless". It wasn't like that, not like that at all. Did I mention is was the most beautifully, sad love story ever! EXCERPT "Rune," she said, her voice serious and strong, "you live right next door, and you're a Viking and I just love Vikings. I think we should be best friends." "Best friends?" I asked. Poppy nodded her head and pushed her hand further toward me. Slowly reaching out my own hand, I gripped hold of hers and gave it two shakes, like she'd shown me. A handshake. "So now we are best friends?" I asked, as Poppy pulled her hand back. "Yes!" she said excitedly. "Poppy and Rune." She brought her finger to her chin and looked up. Her lips stuck out again, like she was thinking very hard. "It sounds good, don't you think? 'Poppy and Rune, best friends for infinity!'" Just kill me now because you all have no idea!!!!!!!!!!!! :-( So Poppy's mamaw died when Poppy was 8 and she left Poppy and mason jar with little hearts in them so she could collect a thousand special boy kisses. She was to write them down on the hearts and have them for a lifetime to pass down to her children. Rune and Poppy were in the blossom grove, Rune was comforting Poppy. Then Poppy told Rune about the jar her mamaw gave to her. EXCERPT He stared down at me, then at the jar. My chest hurt again; I could see he wasn't happy by the look on his face. He'd gone all moody again. I stepped closer to my best friend, and Rune's eyes fixed on mine. "Poppymin," he said, his voice deeper-hard and strong. "Poppymin! It means my Poppy. For infinity, forever and always. You're MY Poppy!" I opened my mouth to shout back at him, to tell him this was an adventure I just had to start. But as I did, Rune leaned forward and suddenly pressed his lips to mine. I froze. I couldn't move a muscle as I felt his lips against my lips. They were warm. He tasted like cinnamon. The wind blew his long hair over my cheeks. It started to tickle my nose. Rune pulled back, but his face stayed near mine. I tried to breathe, but my chest felt funny, kind of light and fluffy. And my heart was beating so fasts. So fast that I pressed my hand over my chest to feel it racing underneath. ••••• "You kissed me," I whispered, stunned. Rune lifted his hand to hold mine. He lowered our joined hands by his side. "I'll give you a thousand kisses, Poppymin. All of them. No one will kiss you ever, but me." END EXCERPT The story tells about Rune's love for photography and how he was going to college in New York because of said photography. Poppy played the cello and was going to college in New York because of said cello. They were going to be together living their dreams. They had friends, they had each other, they had a love that could match no other. And then... I will never tell you but for the love of all that is holy, it all changed and it's the most heart breaking thing I have read in a long time! The ending was so sad, I can't even. I just can't!!!!!!! Rune and Poppy's story ends in the blossom grove. My word of advice is to have a box of kleenex handle. I almost went through a while box myself. If you love unbelievable love stories, because there can't be love like that in this cr•••y world, then this story is for you. If you don't really want your heart broken and stomped on then it's probably not, but read it anyway! THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY REVIEW. IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. ♥

A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole 5 stars!! “I knew this would be the best adventure of my life.” Some books you live, every emotion, every event, every smile, every laugh and every tear, this is one of those books. This is a book that you will never forget, the characters will stay with you for a long time and moreover, you won’t want to forget them. This book is “as special as special can be.” This is by far my favourite Tillie Cole book and she has really excelled herself. As you know, I am an emotional reader, I crave that character connection, I want to live it and breathe it, I want to feel it but most of all I want to believe it and Tillie Cole ticked all these boxes. This book ripped out my heart and soul but most of all it made me believe in love, in soul mates, in forever… “And my heart almost burst.” Tillie Cole switches genres to YA in A Thousand Boy Kisses and once again she can pat herself on the back for a job extremely well done, she really shows her versatility and being able to hold me captive for an entire book is no mean feat. I did not want to put this book down, from the first till last page I was held an emotional prisoner at the hands of Tillie Cole, she made me smile, she made me laugh, she made me laugh, she made cry a freakin river but most of all she made me fall in love with two kids. Two kids that from the age of five shared a connection, who were inseparable, who loved with their heart and soul for all their lives, who knew the other inside out, who had such an intense soul mate kind of love that they couldn’t bear to be apart. They were two halves of a whole. “When you’re near, my heart doesn’t sigh, it soars.” Tillie Cole takes you on a journey with Poppy and Rune from innocent five year olds to troubled teens, Tillie Cole perfectly encapsulates the trials and tribulations of growing up. From dirty dresses, to crazy adventures, to blossom groves, to sunsets, to first kisses, to first dates and everything else in between. Tillie Cole brings these characters to life with vivid descriptions, and deep rooted emotion. Every action, every hand held, every kiss will resonate deep within your soul as you experience life and growing up with two completely adorable characters. You will live their lives, experience their dreams, troubles and heart ache, but you will always believe. These two were meant to be together… “Poppy and Rune for infinity.” “Perhaps it’s a lesson we may struggle to learn until it’s learned.” Poppy was an old soul, she spoke and acted well beyond her years but her heart was always in the right place. She lived for all that’s good and for love, she was kind hearted, intelligent, a talented musician and just an intensely lovable character. She looked for the good in everything and everyone and always gave people a chance...Including a shy, angry Norwegian boy. Poppy had an impenetrable bond with her grandmother and when she sadly passes her grandmother regales her with tales of her favourite kisses. She had a jar and every kiss that made her heart almost burst she wrote it down and put it in the jar and the aim was to get a thousand. But these had to be special kisses with that special someone and once you found that person you knew. Poppy’s grandmother gives her her own jar with one thousand empty paper hearts and all her grandmother wanted was for Poppy to fill her own jar, to feel that forever love that she felt. This is Poppy’s journey to get her thousand kisses and she knew just the boy. “Kiss eight hundred and nineteen was the kiss that changed it all. The kiss that proved that a long-haired brooding boy from Norway and a quirky girl from the Deep South could find love to rival the greats.” Rune was uprooted from Norway when he was five years old. His father had to move to America for his work and Rune was full of resentment…until he met Poppy. Two five year olds, living next door to one another, just windows apart. Poppy introduces herself in the most adorable fashion and from then on an intense journey begins. Poppy totally embeds herself into Rune’s life and heart, she shows him friendship, she shows him loyalty, she shows him love. What Tillie Cole manages to get across is that sometimes young love can be a forever love, it maybe flitted aside as infatuation but sometimes two hearts connect to beat as one and this was definitely the case for Poppy and Rune. “Weather the storm, Rune…Moonbeam hearts and sunshine smiles.” As I have said, this is one intense, emotional read and I can guarantee that even the hardest of hearts will shed a tear. Life doesn’t run smoothly for these two, they have to embark on a journey that will test their love to the maximum but never once did I ever believe they wouldn’t make it. These two had an epic love, an epic connection and were an epic couple. Hell, this whole book was epic. With twists and turns I never saw coming Tillie Cole will drag you to hell and back, she will decimate you but you will be left with a heart fit to burst with one the most legendary love stories I have ever had the pleasure to read and one I will never forget. With dual POV you will appreciate their love, believe in their love and live their story, you will feel it, breathe it, but most of all you will love it. “For my kisses. All one thousand. Every one was cherished. Every one was adored.” I take my hat off to Tillie Cole, she nailed this one and I hope that this books gets the accolades it deserves. I would love to see this on film, their story deserves it. “One thousand and one…one thousand and two…one thousand and three…one thousand and four…”

3 ⭐️ We get it they, loved eachother but I think a lot could have been skipped. The way the main characters expressed their love was very drawn out. As a result, it was hard to stay fully engaged with the authors repetitive writing style which overall made the story less impactful for me. Yes, it was sad in certain parts, but this book just wasn't it for me.

...and my heart almost burst. Have you read a book where you know what will happen and know that it will gut you but you keep reading because not knowing what happens on the journey to get there would be worse? Have you ever felt your heart break for a character, felt the burn of tears about to spill from your eyes and yet found the moment so sweet that you can’t help but smile? All of that and more happened to me while reading A Thousand Boy Kisses and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We meet Poppy and Rune when they are five, and meeting for the first time themselves, and get to be apart of what can only be called an epic love story. Poppy is a light so bright that it’s blinding and Rune is darker soul with a huge heart and through their eyes we get to experience what it means when you find the other half of your heart and soul and watch as friends become lovers and they navigate the emotional mine field of what loving someone with your entire being means. How the choices you make and the ones that are made for you can affect your heart and how to come to terms with them and live a life filled with joy even when it doesn’t seem possible. The highs will make your heart soar, while the lows will rip it to shreds, but each of these moments only show how strong that love is and that it cannot be denied. I would LOVE to go into more detail about all of the moments that broke my heart while making it melt, but not only do I not do spoilers in my reviews, but Ms. Cole as asked that we not, because you really do have to go into this book with an open heart and mind to fully experience the journey that she takes you on and accept that the ending will be perfect for Rune and Poppy and it was. Had I not been at work while reading this book (Yeah, bad me. I know) I would have been in full on ugly cry mode, and believe me when I say it is an extremely rare occurrence, and as it was I had the bloodshot, shiney eye thing going on as I made myself hold back the tears. That’s how much the characters and story in general affected me and is still affecting me as I write this review. Ms. Cole has an iron clad spot on my very short list of authors I adore, her Hades Hangmen and Scarred Souls series are two of my favorites, and with A Thousand Boy Kisses totally wrecking me, talk about major book hangover I don’t see her slipping from that list any time soon. I will admit that I was surprised when she announced that she was delving into the YA genre, but trusted that she’d pull out something amazing and she has. As with her other books, she doesn’t hold back, even if the subject is a difficult one. She not only gives the reader a well rounded story, but pieces of her heart and soul in the process. The Bottom Line: Do not pass this one over because it’s YA. It is a must read! Just make sure you have a box of tissues handy and if you are wearing make up that it’s waterproof. ~ ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review ~

** spoiler alert ** Loved the entire book, except the epilogue. A perfect depiction of young, true, hard love as well as a real point of view of families enduring a loved one go through cancer (although, I will say before I found out it was cancer, I thought she had gotten pregnant!). "I have come to understand that death, for the sick, is not so hard to endure. For us, eventually, our pain ends, we go to a better place. But for those left behind, their pain only magnifies." I loved both MCs and all aspects of their personalities (cue grumpy x sunshine!) although Rune did turn into a 'moonbeam' at the end, and less of a grump. "He explains, the times where there is only a single set of footprints were not when He walked beside them, but instead, when He carried them." My main take-away from the book was the quote above, I am not religious, but you don't have to be to relate to these words. I felt them deeply as it is true with friends/family/etc in your life. There will always be people that carry you through the worst times, the saddest times, the impossible times. However, you can also be the carrier for someone else. I just wanted to note that passage because although reading a young-love romance, it was still so profound. But back to the epilogue.... WHY WHY WHY???? A dream? Death? I loved the ending with the lanterns, i thought it was beautiful. But my mind wanted take it one step further to see him with his artwork displayed at a large event honoring Poppy. One-thousand pictures, all representing their thousand kisses shared. It would've been the best photo exhibit. Imagine even, him married, maybe even with kids, and honoring his first love with his new life. I'll just pretend that's what the epilogue had said! Lol. Anyway, loved it. 4/5