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Sixteen Kisses: A novella
All Cassie Caldwell wants for her sixteenth birthday is to finally be kissed. When Cassie’s older brother and his best friend—the lovable, sexy cowboy, Jared—discover her secret, Jared takes it upon himself to make sure her birthday wish comes true.
**This is an 85 page novella. It's not a full-length novel. It is a complete stand alone story though, and lots of fun! Promise. :)
**This is an 85 page novella. It's not a full-length novel. It is a complete stand alone story though, and lots of fun! Promise. :)
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2016
About the author
Kelly Oram
31 books4,355 followersKelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 1, 2016
This is a cute little novella that was included in the collection of short stories: Get Lucky
It didn't blow me away or anything. It was a bit flat, but I didn't lose anything by reading it. Honestly, this novella was one of the only ones in Get Lucky that stood out to me because Kelly Oram is one of my favorite contemporary authors :)
I wouldn't say this is her best work; far from it.
But she really does have some magical books!
Definitely check out:
Cinder & Ella
V is for Virgin
The Avery Shaw Experiment
And all the others!!
It didn't blow me away or anything. It was a bit flat, but I didn't lose anything by reading it. Honestly, this novella was one of the only ones in Get Lucky that stood out to me because Kelly Oram is one of my favorite contemporary authors :)
I wouldn't say this is her best work; far from it.
But she really does have some magical books!
Definitely check out:
Cinder & Ella
V is for Virgin
The Avery Shaw Experiment
And all the others!!
Read
October 17, 2016Mini review:
DNF
When I heard about this book I was fairly excited. I have read some of the authors other books. But unfortunately it wasn't for me. All that talk about kissing made me uncomfortable. Yes I do read a lot of contemporaries but something about this felt different.
I still recommend it.
DNF
When I heard about this book I was fairly excited. I have read some of the authors other books. But unfortunately it wasn't for me. All that talk about kissing made me uncomfortable. Yes I do read a lot of contemporaries but something about this felt different.
I still recommend it.
January 10, 2018
Omg, this was just so cute, funny and adorable. I think I definitely have a special kind of smile for Kelly Oram's books.
March 24, 2023
“You’re not like other girls,” Jared explained
Ugh no thanks 🤮
April 1, 2017
Cute and quick...obviously, since it's a novella. ;) I enjoyed it, I just wish it was longer...because I wanted more of the story between Jared and Cassie. Their story was sweet, and I wanted more of them instead of the birthday kisses. But their parts were worth the read. :)
I love that I can read a novella in one afternoon, but I think I need an actual full length novel after a couple novellas in a row.
I love that I can read a novella in one afternoon, but I think I need an actual full length novel after a couple novellas in a row.
July 11, 2017
"Sixteen Kisses WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH"
This was so cute! I love Kelly Oram's writing. And even in a small dose of a novella, it was great!
Cassie was my type of girl! And her guy...
A teen cowboy cutie, Jared! 😍
When he finds out Cassie has never been kissed, he offers to be her first. But she turns him down, she doesn't want pity. Little does she know Jared has a plan up his sleeve! *swoon*
It's a great summer afternoon read for everyone!
Definitely recommend!
This was so cute! I love Kelly Oram's writing. And even in a small dose of a novella, it was great!
Cassie was my type of girl! And her guy...
A teen cowboy cutie, Jared! 😍
When he finds out Cassie has never been kissed, he offers to be her first. But she turns him down, she doesn't want pity. Little does she know Jared has a plan up his sleeve! *swoon*
It's a great summer afternoon read for everyone!
Definitely recommend!
November 6, 2016
I loved it. It was such a sweet book.
I think it was exactly the kind of book I needed to read at the moment.
The characters were sweet and endearing.
And plot was simple and so sweet. Weird but sweet.
And I loved the bit at the end between Jared and Cassie.
I wish I could read more of the two and what happened between Selena and Ben.
I wish Kelly Oram would write an extended version of it.
I think it was exactly the kind of book I needed to read at the moment.
The characters were sweet and endearing.
And plot was simple and so sweet. Weird but sweet.
And I loved the bit at the end between Jared and Cassie.
I wish I could read more of the two and what happened between Selena and Ben.
I wish Kelly Oram would write an extended version of it.
January 13, 2019
Loved!!
October 11, 2022
I get what this book was going for, but oh my god I hated it so much. The main character is one of those "not like other girls" girls. As if she is the only girl in the world with "98% guy friends" that's sporty. I also felt like this book veered towards homophobia at times with some unfortunate character stereotypes and clichés thrown in. The only thing I found myself agreeing with was the MC's crush on Sam and Dean Winchester.
October 26, 2018
3.5 stars
Super cute and very sweet! Typical Kelly Oram YA, and this was just long enough to love the characters.
Super cute and very sweet! Typical Kelly Oram YA, and this was just long enough to love the characters.
March 30, 2017
Definitely fun to read! Loved it!
January 4, 2017
This was super cute! It was really lovely and sweet and was perfect for just a short romance. It was entirely predictable but that was most of the fun of it truthfully. I loved the dynamic between Cassie and Jared and I would love to see more of their relationship.
I would recommend this if you're just looking for a fast, adorable romance. And if you don't mind awkward kissing lol.
I would recommend this if you're just looking for a fast, adorable romance. And if you don't mind awkward kissing lol.
October 20, 2016
4.5 - This is adorable! I LOVED it :)
December 1, 2017
This novella, Sixteen Kisses is exactly the reason why I love YA romance!
Sixteen Kisses, is about Cassie, who is complaining about turning 16 the next day without even experiencing her first kiss. She’s been complaining about it with her bff Selena when Jared, her big brother’s best friend came in and Selena being Selena told Jared about Cassie’s so-called “problem”. Once the two of them we’re alone in the room (because apparently, Selena and her brother Ben we’re playing “come and get me”) Jared offered to be her first kiss. And that’s the first time she felt something about him. All this time, she only saw Jared as her brother’s best friend and now, she felt different. But instead of accepting his offer, she refused because she doesn’t want to get a “pity” kiss from him, she wanted to receive it from someone who really wants to kiss her. So the next day, Jared made her wear a “Kiss me it’s my birthday” shirt and created a plan, thus explains the title of this novela, Sixteen Kisses.
This story is just a very short read but my! I. Really. Love. It. I’m not sure if I could relate though because I don’t really care if I turn fifty without experiencing my first kiss, I’m an old soul, haha. But ofcourse I do understand that some see it as a complex that they need to fix, ASAP, so I’m not really judging anyone.
I actually like the idea even though kissing 16 random people is quite gross when you think about it, but my! It was kind of hot and I really enjoyed reading each kissing scenes, haha. And the hottest kiss for me was the 16th, *wink. And speaking of kiss, I have to comment about these guys who kissed her. It’s just that, most of them we’re her friends (90% of her friends we’re guys). Close friends to be exact. Wouldn’t it be a bit weird and awkward? But well, in this story, they’re obviously not because they’re practically fighting who should kiss her lol. It’s funny considering that Jared only dared one person to kiss her and now, looks like the entire school knows about her sixteen kisses lol.
It was actually a bit cliché when you think about it, but most stories are nowadays eh? But what’s great about Kelly Oram is that she writes it so good that you have no other choice but to overlook the cliché plot because you’ll ended up loving the whole story. Besides, I love “her brother’s best friend turned her lover” romance, *wink. Plus, I love the main characters. Both of them were very likeable and seeing that it’s only a short story, there’s not enough time to introduce them thoroughly but I still feel like I know both of them so well. Also, the side characters we’re sooooooo funny that thinking about them now, I still have this stupid grin in my face.
This was my first novella from Kelly Oram but just like her other books that I’ve read before, I still ended up really entertained. Ofcourse I still prefer her longer books but I have to say that this one did its purpose and send me to squealing paradise where all I did was squeal and laugh at the same time like a crazy gorilla. Well, you can never expect less from Kelly, that’s for sure, *wink.
So if you’re looking for a very short read that will still entertain, then Sixteen Kisses is a perfect choice.
Read my full review post
To read more of my reviews, book news and updates:
Main Blog: Blushing Geek
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Sixteen Kisses, is about Cassie, who is complaining about turning 16 the next day without even experiencing her first kiss. She’s been complaining about it with her bff Selena when Jared, her big brother’s best friend came in and Selena being Selena told Jared about Cassie’s so-called “problem”. Once the two of them we’re alone in the room (because apparently, Selena and her brother Ben we’re playing “come and get me”) Jared offered to be her first kiss. And that’s the first time she felt something about him. All this time, she only saw Jared as her brother’s best friend and now, she felt different. But instead of accepting his offer, she refused because she doesn’t want to get a “pity” kiss from him, she wanted to receive it from someone who really wants to kiss her. So the next day, Jared made her wear a “Kiss me it’s my birthday” shirt and created a plan, thus explains the title of this novela, Sixteen Kisses.
This story is just a very short read but my! I. Really. Love. It. I’m not sure if I could relate though because I don’t really care if I turn fifty without experiencing my first kiss, I’m an old soul, haha. But ofcourse I do understand that some see it as a complex that they need to fix, ASAP, so I’m not really judging anyone.
I actually like the idea even though kissing 16 random people is quite gross when you think about it, but my! It was kind of hot and I really enjoyed reading each kissing scenes, haha. And the hottest kiss for me was the 16th, *wink. And speaking of kiss, I have to comment about these guys who kissed her. It’s just that, most of them we’re her friends (90% of her friends we’re guys). Close friends to be exact. Wouldn’t it be a bit weird and awkward? But well, in this story, they’re obviously not because they’re practically fighting who should kiss her lol. It’s funny considering that Jared only dared one person to kiss her and now, looks like the entire school knows about her sixteen kisses lol.
It was actually a bit cliché when you think about it, but most stories are nowadays eh? But what’s great about Kelly Oram is that she writes it so good that you have no other choice but to overlook the cliché plot because you’ll ended up loving the whole story. Besides, I love “her brother’s best friend turned her lover” romance, *wink. Plus, I love the main characters. Both of them were very likeable and seeing that it’s only a short story, there’s not enough time to introduce them thoroughly but I still feel like I know both of them so well. Also, the side characters we’re sooooooo funny that thinking about them now, I still have this stupid grin in my face.
This was my first novella from Kelly Oram but just like her other books that I’ve read before, I still ended up really entertained. Ofcourse I still prefer her longer books but I have to say that this one did its purpose and send me to squealing paradise where all I did was squeal and laugh at the same time like a crazy gorilla. Well, you can never expect less from Kelly, that’s for sure, *wink.
So if you’re looking for a very short read that will still entertain, then Sixteen Kisses is a perfect choice.
Read my full review post
To read more of my reviews, book news and updates:
Main Blog: Blushing Geek
Subscribe
Facebook Page
April 15, 2022
This little story was just what I needed to start mending my broken heart after a brilliant, epic, tragic fantasy series utterly destroyed me. It was a signature Kelly Oram story: fun, fluffy and sweet. Only, thankfully, without the side of needlessly offensive, cruel, maddening secondary characters most of her novels have.
I'm starting to think that she has a weakness for tomboy heroines who dislike girly stuff and have a lot of guy friends – first Girl at Heart, then Serial Hottie and now this. But again, it was fun to read. I just did not expect the sixteen kisses to be from sixteen different people. Honestly, it was very strange to me how casual she went about letting so many people kiss her in one day, especially considering she had never been kissed before. It cheapened the whole act of kissing and intimacy. And she should have definitely rejected kisser number 12.
Other than that, it was enjoyable and I would not have minded reading a bit more, especially everyone's reaction to her 16th kisser and the end.
I'm starting to think that she has a weakness for tomboy heroines who dislike girly stuff and have a lot of guy friends – first Girl at Heart, then Serial Hottie and now this. But again, it was fun to read. I just did not expect the sixteen kisses to be from sixteen different people. Honestly, it was very strange to me how casual she went about letting so many people kiss her in one day, especially considering she had never been kissed before. It cheapened the whole act of kissing and intimacy. And she should have definitely rejected kisser number 12.
Other than that, it was enjoyable and I would not have minded reading a bit more, especially everyone's reaction to her 16th kisser and the end.
January 21, 2018
Cassie Caldwell wants nothing more than to be kissed. Going into her sixteenth year as Kissless Cassie, she feels immature and left out. When her brother’s best friend, Jared, surprises her with a “Kiss Me, It’s My Birthday” shirt, she’s a little embarrassed but doesn’t expect that anything will come of it. She certainly doesn’t expect to end her birthday with sixteen kisses under her belt.
This little book was making the rounds last summer and everyone (and I mean everyone) was talking about how cute it was. It’s a short read at only 85 pages and I actually appreciated that it didn’t include a lot of extraneous scenes. One of my pet peeves in a book (especially romance) is countless scenes that add nothing to the plot and only serve to increase the page count. Get to the point! And, here, Kelly Oram certainly got to the point.
Some of Cassie’s kisses were cute. Some were a little steamy. Some were downright awkward. Cassie had definite chemistry with more than one of the guys, which was honestly a little confusing! It’s clear from the beginning that we’re supposed to be rooting for her and Jared, but it’s hard when she’s swept off her feet by guy after guy. I don’t even know what would have made this better because Cassie suffering through fifteen terrible kisses before getting her one magical, fairytale kiss would have been a terrible book. I just kept thinking, what about all that chemistry she had with those other guys?
Still, the book is cute, though it suffers from YA’s typical “not your average girl” cliches. All in all, it’s not a bad use of an hour or two of your time, but I definitely expected more.
This little book was making the rounds last summer and everyone (and I mean everyone) was talking about how cute it was. It’s a short read at only 85 pages and I actually appreciated that it didn’t include a lot of extraneous scenes. One of my pet peeves in a book (especially romance) is countless scenes that add nothing to the plot and only serve to increase the page count. Get to the point! And, here, Kelly Oram certainly got to the point.
Some of Cassie’s kisses were cute. Some were a little steamy. Some were downright awkward. Cassie had definite chemistry with more than one of the guys, which was honestly a little confusing! It’s clear from the beginning that we’re supposed to be rooting for her and Jared, but it’s hard when she’s swept off her feet by guy after guy. I don’t even know what would have made this better because Cassie suffering through fifteen terrible kisses before getting her one magical, fairytale kiss would have been a terrible book. I just kept thinking, what about all that chemistry she had with those other guys?
Still, the book is cute, though it suffers from YA’s typical “not your average girl” cliches. All in all, it’s not a bad use of an hour or two of your time, but I definitely expected more.
August 18, 2018
I’m rating this as a novella- for a novella it was 5 stars. Darling, entertaining, and perfect for a little dose of happiness that came with a low time commitment. Which is sometimes just exactly right.
Of course the high school guys were way more confident (in a great way) than any real-life teenage boy. But I’m fine with that bit of unrealism. It would be great if teenage boys really DID act like confident, risk-taking, completely-comfortable-in-their-own-skin 28 year olds. So, sure, I’d love to read about a scene out of high school where all the boys are ultra mature and confident. It was fantastic! Haha! Definitely a fun read.
Of course the high school guys were way more confident (in a great way) than any real-life teenage boy. But I’m fine with that bit of unrealism. It would be great if teenage boys really DID act like confident, risk-taking, completely-comfortable-in-their-own-skin 28 year olds. So, sure, I’d love to read about a scene out of high school where all the boys are ultra mature and confident. It was fantastic! Haha! Definitely a fun read.
September 28, 2018
OMG I loved it!
It was a really cute, sweet, fun, laugh out loud story! I really liked Cassie, I totally LOVED Jared, some of Cassie's friends cracked me up, and some of the sixteen kisses made me laugh so hard!
But the sixteenth kiss was the best ever! So sweet and sexy! Loved it!
I received a free PDF copy of this novella after signing up on Kelly Oram's newsletter (I actually had this book on my wish list for a while) but I swear I would have gladly paid for it, and it would have been worth every cent.
Kelly Oram strikes again and she's seriously become one of my favorite authors so far. I don't think she ever disappointed me so far.
Actually 4.5 stars.
It was a really cute, sweet, fun, laugh out loud story! I really liked Cassie, I totally LOVED Jared, some of Cassie's friends cracked me up, and some of the sixteen kisses made me laugh so hard!
But the sixteenth kiss was the best ever! So sweet and sexy! Loved it!
I received a free PDF copy of this novella after signing up on Kelly Oram's newsletter (I actually had this book on my wish list for a while) but I swear I would have gladly paid for it, and it would have been worth every cent.
Kelly Oram strikes again and she's seriously become one of my favorite authors so far. I don't think she ever disappointed me so far.
Actually 4.5 stars.
January 8, 2020
I’m beginning to consider Oram as one of my favorite authors. Her characters are realistic (aka flawed); they suffer from normal emotions. The one common theme is that the couples communicate in a healthy way. None of this ‘I’m dumping you to keep you safe’ or ‘that’s not what you’re feeling; let me mansplain.’ Instead we’re treated to communication that’s backed up by genuine emotions. The awkwardness feels real, not forced. And who doesn’t love a story where someone figures out what they’re thinking without them being in denial of their affection for days? This is definitely a fun read. Ah, if only that had been my sweet sixteen...
August 24, 2017
Eh, whatever. This is a novella, and it spends half of its time showing kisses between her and 15 other people. Very little interaction with the hero of the story. Who sets up her 15 kisses, maybe by accident, but still odd.
I am incredibly unsure if I think I could handle that many kisses in one day. I don't mean that in a negative way, just that now I'm curious. And since my husband is a proper cow that won't let me experiment with multiples like Cass, I guess I'll have to try it out on him. :)
I am incredibly unsure if I think I could handle that many kisses in one day. I don't mean that in a negative way, just that now I'm curious. And since my husband is a proper cow that won't let me experiment with multiples like Cass, I guess I'll have to try it out on him. :)
August 7, 2018
The cutest ever!
This is, by far, the cutest book (novella) I’ve ever read. It is SO spot on for a first kiss. The innocence and trepidation and anxiety. I loved it. I loved that the story didn’t need anything more than one day to be told. One birthday and a complete story that completely melted my heart. Kelly Oram never disappoints! The fact that she can tug heartstrings and give all the feels in 100-ish pages is nothing short of miraculous. This is the sweetest, most endearing story I’ve read in a while, and I’ll definitely read it again!
This is, by far, the cutest book (novella) I’ve ever read. It is SO spot on for a first kiss. The innocence and trepidation and anxiety. I loved it. I loved that the story didn’t need anything more than one day to be told. One birthday and a complete story that completely melted my heart. Kelly Oram never disappoints! The fact that she can tug heartstrings and give all the feels in 100-ish pages is nothing short of miraculous. This is the sweetest, most endearing story I’ve read in a while, and I’ll definitely read it again!
October 22, 2020
Spanish & English comment
Este libro está demasiado fantasioso en cuestión de lo que un hombre que quiere con una chica haría, pero todas las situaciones descritas están muy divertidas.
Cas es un personaje con una personalidad padrísima y todos sus amigos son aspiracionales, porque dan ganas de
tener su círculo de amistades.
This book is definitely far from reality, because it’s doubtful that a guy that crushes on a girl would set up other guys to kiss her, but every situation was funny and really entertaining.
Vas has an amazing personality and her friends are the best!
Este libro está demasiado fantasioso en cuestión de lo que un hombre que quiere con una chica haría, pero todas las situaciones descritas están muy divertidas.
Cas es un personaje con una personalidad padrísima y todos sus amigos son aspiracionales, porque dan ganas de
tener su círculo de amistades.
This book is definitely far from reality, because it’s doubtful that a guy that crushes on a girl would set up other guys to kiss her, but every situation was funny and really entertaining.
Vas has an amazing personality and her friends are the best!
April 27, 2021
Although this book talked about kissing a little too much it was inevitable given the title and plot of the story. It was however very adorable. The characters were very entertaining and I loved the main character she wasn’t too girly or whiny. I loved her personality and how in the end she was confident in her self and who she was she didn’t feel the need to change herself for a boy. The story also shows the importance in a real kiss for someone you have true feelings for and how that makes all the difference. Very Cute Story. And I love this author by the way.
June 20, 2017
I almost forgot how much I enjoyed reading kelly oram's books. She's my auto-read author back in the day when I havent discovering M/M romance lmao. It's the same with Cassie Mae. In the past, if i'm not reading Kelly's books, I read Cassie's books. This is just remind me again that I still love her books no matter what. The cuteness in this book is almost illegal. Lmao. This is a short read, reading in one sitting kind of books but left me wanting more.
May 17, 2022
This was....not very good. A lot of "not like other girls," wildly unrealistic plotline - which I'm usually okay with when the other aspects of the story are solid - and two MCs with no chemistry. I got this for free since I signed up for Oram's newsletter in preparation for an upcoming ARC review. I would not recommend paying for this.
Also, on the YA scale, I think this is meant for very young teens.
Also, on the YA scale, I think this is meant for very young teens.
December 10, 2017
This is like a big halloween bag ! Full of treats and candy.Its a short story so very cute and sweet I might get diabetes. But dont get me wrong, I loved it.I am a hopeless romantic , and this story satisfied my need for it. Jared...oh gosh....Jared.85pages and he made it to my , "wish he was real "list.
I absolutely loved it. Kelly Oram is definitely on of my favorite authors .
I absolutely loved it. Kelly Oram is definitely on of my favorite authors .
January 11, 2020
Oh. SO CUTE!
I just discovered Kelly's books recently. She is now one of my favorite authors. Her writing is effortless as a reader. I enjoy every word. The sweetness, affection and romance is present in this book and all the others I have recently read. This book was such a fun story of a sweet 16 that a girl would never forget
I just discovered Kelly's books recently. She is now one of my favorite authors. Her writing is effortless as a reader. I enjoy every word. The sweetness, affection and romance is present in this book and all the others I have recently read. This book was such a fun story of a sweet 16 that a girl would never forget
January 2, 2017
I. loved. this. book. (Okay, novella.) I giggled like a little girl through parts of it (Okay, I am a girl, but I'm far from little.) It was funny, entertaining, dang cute and spontaneous. I would read this again in a heartbeat.
May 28, 2017
Cute
Younger, young adults will eat up this cute love story. Cassie has never been kissed but she is about to rectify that with 16 kissed on her 16th birthday. This is the story of that day.
Younger, young adults will eat up this cute love story. Cassie has never been kissed but she is about to rectify that with 16 kissed on her 16th birthday. This is the story of that day.
June 26, 2017
This was a fast and fun read and totally adorable. I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars because there was some crude humor I think wasn't necessary.
Rating: PG-13 (profanity, some heated kisses, crude humor)
Rating: PG-13 (profanity, some heated kisses, crude humor)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews