I Kissed Her First by Betty Cayouette

Some love stories start with a whisper. This one starts in a kitchen.

An aspiring chef and a 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, that’s what she’s promised her dads, who run a Cape Cod lobster shack and don’t want their daughter chasing the same stress-ridden dream. So Riley decides to go big, auditioning as a private chef for a singer’s European tour. When she lands the gig, she’s thrilled. But when she learns the singer is Luna Leya, she and her sister’s favorite popstar? She can hardly believe it.

Soon enough, Riley and Luna strike up an unexpected friendship, much to Luna’s manager’s disapproval. Luna should be focused on winning her Grammy, pulling off the tour without a hitch, and keeping up appearances with beloved bad-boy heartthrob Hudson. She should definitely not be sneaking off to the Eiffel Tower and private Andalucian dinners to spend time with Riley.

But as the two get closer, Riley starts to wonder. Is the Luna Leya actually flirting with her? And could there be a world where she keeps her dream alive and gets the girl?

This one’s pure escapism. Glittering European backdrops, slow-burn tension, and the kind of butterflies that make you forget the world outside.

Perfect for fans of sun-soaked romance and stories where two very different lives collide. Curl up with it on a rainy afternoon while the sea air drifts in off the cove. You’ll linger over every page.

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