Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve read several of books by Isla and absolutes loved and devoured them all! And this one was no exception!!!! Second Chance Romance is always a favorite troupe of mine. The characters in this novella absolutely loved!! Every and Beckett ugh the chemistry, the history and second chance love was perfect! Beckett just maybe my new book boyfriend!

For being a quick read, this story had me feeling all the emotions! It’s giving small town Friends To Enemies To Lovers with a bit of Second Chance Romance!
Just like Everly (FMC), I couldn’t never not answer the invitation for the Kiss Lottery for sheer wondering if who sent it! This read by Ilsa Madden-Mills easily had me captivated within the first few chapters and rooting for the FMC and MMC to be together, but not without throwing a few twists and turns in the mix! The banter between Everly and Beckett had me truly giggling out loud, and really had me falling for them! This story met all my expectation plus some when I picked up a short romance book to bide time between reads!

I do think this had the potential to be a great book if it was a full length novel. Because it is a novella, things felt rushed, storylines felt weak or dropped, and characters could barely develop. The whole ghost plot point threw me for a loop as well, making it kind of seem like a valentines x Halloween crossover? But I guess some people are interested in ghosts all year round, so to each their own. The basic idea of the novella was interesting but it just needed more. Although the main male character was overall alright, it was hard to see past when he said “forgive me for hurting you” to Everly. Uh…no, that is not something you get to force her to do. Otherwise this was a quick read good for being a in between book!

This was a swoony, second chance, small town, dual POV romance that takes place over Valentines. It had lots of heart, a kitten, a secret admirer, backstories from side characters that really added emotional depth to the story. Good on audio narrated by two favs, Savannah Peachwood and Sebastian York! The kiss lottery is a perfect, quick, feel-good read to grab for the holiday! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Cute novella. Perfect for a valentines day read.
Second chance
Friends-enemies-lovers
Rom-com, great banter, great side characters
I found this to be the perfect balance of story/plot and spice.

I enjoyed the twist and turns that this book took. Best friends to maybe something more to nothing. Then back to maybe something more and so on. Made this a very interesting book to read. The Kiss Lottery, makes me think of a lot of blind dates going on.

I feel like this book missing depth. It stared good but then it gone downhill. Last few books this author released were kinda like that too. I will keep reading her books hoping this is just blip. It had good potential and there wasn't really story there in general in the end. It just needed that IT; that point of even writing this book otherwise is just rambling around which this felt like.

4.75/5

I have read the revenge pact by this author before (read it its so good!) and I love love loved it, especially loved the way madden-mills writes her characters, I had a feeling I was going to like this too.

I loved Everly and Beckett, separately AND together. I understood where both of them were coming from and why they made the choices they did. Although some of their decisions were a bit odd to me, I could see why it would make sense in their head at that moment. it was so cute to see them try to get their endgame while trying to reconcile with past decisions in a way healthy. I like a little miscommunication drama here and there, but I was really happy to see conversations happening between them.

The supporting cast was also really great. They really brought in the humor and hometown feel to the book imo.

Only minor complain I have is for some of the decisions the MC’s made in the past didn’t make sense to me. Again I understand why they made them. This didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment in the end, but it definitely had me pausing in confusion a couple of times.

BUT despite that minor issue I still loved it. I love the way Everly and Beckett were with each other. I love how they were written. I love them!

Cute, quick read. I’m a total sucker for a holiday themed romance.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this novella! I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a fun little quirky Valentine’s Day novella!
💌💘

A kiss lottery… in Rose, TN…
Second chance
Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Grumpy/sunshine vibes
Return to hometown

He’s a writer… she’s the villain in his book
She’s a podcaster

Quirky side characters
Rom-com ish vibes 🤣🤣🤣
Banter

The pacing of this was perfect. Not overly spicy.
I thought this was cute.
I had a good time.
For how short it was there was a lot packed in.

4.25 ⭐️

The Kiss Lottery is a sweet, small town romance. Everly hasn't been back to Rose in 10 years since her best friend and first love, Beckett, told her he never wanted to see her again. But a surprise invitation to the town's 'Kiss Lottery' is too intriguing to ignore.

This book was a bit of a palate cleanser. I've been reading a fair amount of mystery and thriller books of late, and this was just what I needed.

I enjoyed the little ghost story thrown into the mix, but I would have loved this novella to be a full sized novel with a little more depth and backstory.

The kiss Lottery - even though the title of the boo - for me, didn't play too much of a part, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this swoon-worthy romance.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

The Kiss Lottery was all the small hometown drama feels. For a novella I thought it successfully covered all the key points of a feel good, moments of joy, of worry, and even a couple oh no moments. Overall, it was a great inbetween book.

Five stars isn’t enough loved the second chance at finding love for these characters I litterally could not put this book down and read it all in a day!!!

The Kiss Lottery by Ilsa Madden-Mills is pure swoony romance!

I love her books but this novella was perfection. it's perfect for the valentine vibes, a second chance romance, right person, wrong time set in a small town and getting the girl he let slip through his hands. it's fun, sweet, steamy and full of wit and charm. I loved seeing the small town charm and characters. I thought their chemistry and tension was absolutely palpable and their moments together were so darn sweet. I was giggling and swooning. I love a city girl goes back to her small town and the guy who's pining for her finally gets her moment and this was perfect! A must read!

Found the book highly immature. The ML was selfish. Blamed the FL for everything really. There wasn't much of a grovel. The ML didn't even have the guts to spill the secrets himself, he was this spineless. He was okay holding his mom on a pedestal. I mean, you knew your husband was Unfaithful, why don't you divorce? Ugh everything felt either unresolved or just plain childish! I received this ARC from NetGalley and Montlake to read/review.

I have to start off by saying that I’ve loved Ilsa Madden-Mills since I first read “Dear Ava”. It’s not only the mastery of writing which she clear holds like a champ. No, it is more. IMM writes like she loves her characters, as if they’re her family or dear friends or I guess mortal enemies and she wants to do right by them. The bad guys and girls get their comeuppance and the good people find love, friendship and redemption. I’m not talking about rose tinted fairytale glasses, just a kind hand and heart to walk with you.
It’s a style of writing that is so sorely needed in today’s world. It soothes you and blesses you with her little sprinkles of fairy love dust and I am here for it because we need that. We need someone to take our hand and walk us through heartache and troubles with her love and kindness.
Everly and Beckett are the epitome of such a story. Separated but circumstance and youthful stupidity, they get their second chance. It’s not simple or easy clearing up all that history but the heart wants what the heart wants.
One of the best novellas I’ve read in a long time.

This was a cute quick Valentines read set in a quintissential Hallmark town all decked out in red, pink and white. If you like Childhood friends to lovers, slow burn, Rose are red, violerts are blue, this book is perfect for you.
After Everly's diary was leaked in high school, her friendship with Beckett was destroyed. 10 years later he lures her back to their hometown of Rose, TN during the annual Kiss Lottery that matches singles.

This is a 2.75 for me, it’s not bad but I was hoping for a bit more fun around the kiss lottery and the date. I think after finishing this book I hoped it would be more like “how my neighbour stole Christmas” with a bit of competition old flames to hate to love. But really I just didn’t like anyone except murder the cat.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review.

I'd love to witness a kiss lottery in real life! This was such a fun book to read close to Valentine's Day. I liked the way the action flowed, and the romance was greatly written. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

In a world where adults are stuck on high school drama, Everly receives a mysterious invitation to the kiss lottery in her hometown, Rose. She returns to Rose and is entangled in her high school drama only it’s ten years later and everyone are now adults. I was severely off put by the way the characters acted, they were nearly thirty and still hung up on things that happened in high school.

However, I do understand that it’s a small town and that part of the trope entails that everyone knows everything about everyone. Gossip sticks and that’s very much evident in this novella.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel a connection to the romance or the characters.