Publishers Weekly
03/07/2022
Janovsky debuts with a sweet gay romance that will hit the spot for fans of classic rom-com films. Days before college graduation, 22-year-old movie fanatic Wren Roland drunkenly emails the four boys with whom he almost shared his first kiss to lament the factors that kept them apart. He wakes mortified, but distracts himself from lingering embarrassment by throwing himself into his summer job at a struggling drive-in theater. Then Derick Haverford, Wren’s painfully estranged childhood best friend and one of the email’s recipients, shows up as the theater’s social media intern. Slowly, the pair inch toward reconciliation and Wren’s oft dreamed of cinematic first kiss. Meanwhile, Wren works to revitalize the drive-in by tracking down Alice Kelly, a reclusive local director, whose lone feature film, a zombie romance made 40 years before, never had wide release. She agrees to a belated showing at the drive-in if Wren will fix up her dilapidated farmhouse. With Derick’s help, Wren plunges into that project and for a while, everything falls into place—until a discovery about the theater’s future jeopardizes Wren’s happy ending. Charming characters and genuine wit buoy the delightful story, while a thoughtful exploration of Wren’s sexuality adds depth. Janovsky is a writer to watch. Agent: Kevin O’Connor, O’Connor Literary. (May)
From the Publisher
"In his sweet and swoon-worthy first novel, Janovsky perfectly captures all the hope and heartache of first love while writing romantic banter worthy of Nora Ephron at her best. Janovsky also delivers a plucky plot that celebrates the power of movies in our lives and the old-fashioned magic of the drive-in theater. " — John Charles, Booklist
"NEVER BEEN KISSED is a wonderfully upbeat and sweet blend of self-discovery and second-chance romance. This book warmed my heart — I can't wait for readers to fall in love with Wren and Derick!" — Suzanne Park, author of LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT and SO WE MEET AGAIN
"A joy-filled story about first love and finding yourself, Never Been Kissed is a nostalgic but still totally fresh read that’s full of heart. Wren is an absolutely adorable rom-com hero, and his movie references make this the perfect romance for film buffs." — Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks
"A cinematic daydream guaranteed to steal your heart, Never Been Kissed is a delightful debut. The perfect balance of charm, swoons, and unforgettable laughs. Readers will be deeply in love with this second-chance romance!" — Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions
"Never Been Kissed is the kind of story that sweeps you into the nostalgia of sweet summer days, drive-in nights, and second chances at first loves. Equal parts a love story and a journey of queer self discovery, this was exactly the book I needed in my life. Sweet and sincere, nostalgic and hopeful, this is a romance that will be impossible to miss." — Laynie Rose Rizer, East City Bookshop
"An enchanting debut! Full of hope and heart, NEVER BEEN KISSED is a sweet second-chance romance that captivated me with its charming characters and delightfully cinematic setting." — Alexandria Bellefleur, author of Written in the Stars
"Never Been Kissed is an absolute delight! Wren is the hopelessly romantic film nerd I was missing from my life. I ached for him as he sussed out his dreams for his future, navigated his own sexuality, and blossomed into his first love. I caught myself cheering out loud for Wren and for Derick, gobbling up every word as fast as I could to get to their HEA. This story will thaw even the coldest heart and leave it with the warm fuzzies. A stellar debut from a fresh, new voice.” — Xio Axelrod, author of The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
"An effervescent debut with an earnest heartbeat. Never Been Kissed blends a tender love story with cinematic nostalgia, full of pop culture references and unforgettable characters. I want to climb inside this book and see a movie at Wiley's — but because I sadly cannot, I'll settle for more clever, joyful romcoms by Timothy Janovsky.” — Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of The Ex Talk
"Janovsky captures, so poignantly, that feeling of figuring out who you are and where you belong (and who you belong with) that makes new adult romance so universally addictive. This sweet, heartfelt slow-burn smells like fresh cut grass and popcorn, sounds like the buzz of cicadas and the fizzle before a firework bangs. It feels like the long-awaited heat of your crush's breath across your collarbone. Never Been Kissed reminds you of that exhilarating time when firsts feel like forevers." — Ruby Barrett, author of Hot Copy
"A tribute to movies, drive-ins, and figuring out who you truly are, NEVER BEEN KISSED is a pitch-perfect second-chance summer romance. Watching Wren and Derick navigate their past and their present while fighting for their community and what they believe in will make you want to cheer. This book made my queer heart so very full and deeply happy: everything a rom-com should be." — Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters
"Janovsky's voice and Wren's character leap off every hilarious page in this fresh, sweet, and swoony love story that blends coming-of-age comedy with the nuances of exploring sexual identity. You will root for Wren and Derick to find each other as much as you root for Wren to find himself in this tender treasure of a book. Never Been Kissed has my whole heart!" — Alison Cochrun, author of The Charm Offensive
"In this sparkling debut Janovsky offers a queer romance NA readers are going to gobble up. Its uplifting message of identity and belonging will resonate with readers of all ages, and the quirky nostalgia-filled setting is the perfect backdrop for all the first time falling in love feels, which lead to a stand-out swoon-worthy romance readers will want for their keeper shelves!" — Annabeth Albert, author of Conventionally Yours
Library Journal
03/01/2022
DEBUT Janovsky's debut is a fun, lighthearted romantic comedy. Wren Roland is about to turn 22 and has never been kissed. The night before his birthday, he drunkenly writes emails to all the boys he had crushes on before he came out. Morning comes with panic when Wren realizes what he's done, but he reasons that there's no way all the boys will read his emails…right? Wrong! There's handsome and wealthy Derick Haverford, who was Wren's biggest crush in high school—and nearly his first kiss. Derick happens to be spending the summer interning alongside Wren at the town's failing drive-in theater. Wren believes he can survive the summer without falling for Derick, but the two grow close trying to save the drive-in. Will Wren lose his head over Derick once again and have his movie-perfect first kiss? VERDICT Readers will appreciate Wren and Derick's banter and will clamor for them to finally kiss. Fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and Boyfriend Material will also enjoy this title.—Anna Kallemeyn
Kirkus Reviews
2022-03-30
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this breezy LGBTQ+ romance.
For movie buff Wren Roland, the perfect kiss-before-the-credits scene has a foolproof formula: the right place, the right moment, and the right person. Unlike his sociable best friends, Avery and Mateo, the 22-year-old recent college graduate has never been kissed. Aside from plenty of on-screen kissing lessons from Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, the closest Wren’s lips have come to another boy’s amounts to a series of four “Pre-Coming-Out-Almost-Kisses,” the memories of which he preserves safely in an email folder labeled “Tentacle Porn.” Instead of wallowing in what could have been, Wren looks forward to his eighth summer in a row working at Wiley’s Drive-In, a historical gem in his hometown of Willow Valley, Pennsylvania. As the new manager, Wren plans to help his boss, Earl, keep the establishment afloat by tracking down reclusive local movie director Alice Kelly for a special showing of her one and only film, which hasn't been seen in years. Then a drunken email fiasco disrupts Wren’s well-planned summer when he accidentally sends out the four letters he wrote to his almost-kisses, including Derick Haverford, his high school best friend, who ghosted him. As luck would have it, Derick is returning to Willow Valley as Wiley’s social media marketing intern. Thrown together in an attempt to save the drive-in and Alice Kelly’s directorial reputation, Wren comes to learn that maybe the real thing is even better than the movies. While Janovsky’s debut is slightly predictable and many of the characters are prone to over-the-top dramatics, there’s a light, airy feeling to the book that’s not unlike watching your favorite comfort film. Wren’s personal qualms prove relatable and sincere, as when he struggles to define himself as anything other than queer until realizing he’s demisexual, and readers will enjoy accompanying him on his early-20s journey.
A debut that’s as sweet as the Junior Mints at your favorite movie theater.
