Book Review: Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not? by Travis Thrasher

Are you Gonna Kiss Me Or Not? by Travis Thrasher and Thompson Square
Reviewed by: Lori Twichell
Genre: Drama, Romance
Publisher: Howard Books
Publication Date: June 2013

When Daniel and Casey were assigned to work together for a school project, it was something neither of them was really jazzed about doing. But they discovered, after a little time working together, that they were a pretty decent team. Even so, it took a little while longer for them to realize that they could probably make a really good couple.

When they finally got together, they dated through high school and some college before drifting apart to try and find their own ways through life. Still, as a professional duo they were able to create some music that made it big and made them highly sought after as a team.

Eventually, they are able to reconnect but is it enough?

During this lifetime romantic venture, authors Travis Thrasher and Thompson Square pull no punches. They show the good and bad side of relationships, people, and heartache. Not all warm fuzzy feelings and flowers, it takes work to stay together and, in some cases, even to find each other.

In all of the time that I’ve been reading Travis Thrasher’s work, he’s always shown an exceptional insight when it comes to the human heart. We’ve all felt the whirlwind of emotions at some point or another in our lives. The talent that Travis has is that he can make other people feel it. Characters leap from the page and too soon we’re wondering if somewhere, somehow, we’ve actually met these people. The dialogue is witty and fun but not always perfect. (C’mon – you know you get tired of those novels where everyone always says the right thing all the time, right? It’s just not real life!) This makes it easier for me to follow and enjoy because I can cringe right along with the characters when they make their mistakes.

This book felt almost like a time traveling romance as we bounced back and forth within Casey and Daniel’s timeline. The way it was crafted there were moments we could see where they ended up but we needed to read further to find out how they got there. Or we experienced a mistake they made but didn’t realize the fallout from that mistake until chapters later. I found this to be a refreshing take on the story and made it much more fun than a typical chronological romance. I loved bouncing back and forth with the characters and wandering through their history helped made the ending much more satisfying.

Once again, another one out of the ballpark for Travis Thrasher. (Reminds me – have you read Home Run yet? You should!) I cannot wait to dive into his next venture either. Thank you, Travis, for providing hours of escapism in the form of beautiful storytelling.

Rated PG-13: This is a fabulous story, but some of the concepts would be too mature for younger readers.