Behind The Book With Lauren Kate 

Two years ago, in 2022 I did one of my early Q&As with New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Kate. Where does the time go? Two years later in the present, I am thrilled to be doing this Behind The Book with Lauren discussing her recent release What’s in a Kiss? If you enjoy stories similar to 13 Going on 30 the movie & the book In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren, I promise you are in for a treat reading this one. 

Q: Lauren, would you please give a brief description of What’s in a Kiss? 

A: What’s in a Kiss is a Sliding Doors-style parallel universe romcom where one woman, Olivia Dusk, gets a chance to glimpse a completely different life—this time where all her dreams came true, but where she paid a shocking price to reach her dreams. 

The rift takes place at Olivia’s best friend’s wedding, where she’s acting as the maid of honor. When the bride and groom lean in for a kiss, Olivia is locked in a death stare with the best man—her high school rival Jake Glasswell, who grew up to become a famous TV personality. They’re enemies until….something happens in that moment at the altar, and as the bride and groom are pronounced married, Olivia finds herself in another realm—one where she’s the famous TV personality. And one where she and Jake are married. The only catch is that now her best friend and her mother won’t speak to her. Liv’s journey is to try to get home, back to her real life—even as she finds herself falling in love with Jake.

Q: In the discussion at the back of the book, you mentioned what inspired you to write What’s in a Kiss? Was that your children asked about stories about how you and your husband first met and the different perspectives about how that meeting happened and about destiny. Would you say that the character of Olivia has some personality traits of you and Jake has personality traits of your husband?

A: I do think most of my characters have a lot in common with me. Like me, Olivia is very passionate about her relationships with family and friends. She has big dreams but she’s not afraid to get realistic about stepping up when life and unforeseen obligations get in the way. She’s sensitive and optimistic, sometimes to her detriment. 

As for Jake, I’ve never thought of him as being particularly like my husband, but they do share an ability to raise the fun-factor at any given moment. Jake makes life a party and a laugh, which is one of my favorite things about my husband.  

Q: I did one of my early Q&As with you back in 2022 and I sometimes wonder where the time has gone lol. You spoke about working on your next rom com novel. So, did you spend two years writing Whats in a Kiss? 

A: In between By Any Other Name and What’s in a Kiss, I also wrote and published a middle grade novel called One True Wish about a fairy who doesn’t believe in children. My next rom com, The Spirit of Love is completed and will publish in the summer of 2025. It’s a spin-off of What’s in a Kiss—a love story featuring the character Fenny, who is one of Olivia’s friends. So, Jake, Olivia, Masha, and Eli will all be in the next book. 

Q: What lessons do you hope readers learn after reading Whats in a Kiss? What emotions do you hope readers feel after reading it? For me it is a reminder that it’s useless to always wonder What if? That everything happens for a reason and even if certain things happened differently that there would still be problems to deal with. 

A: Yes, that’s one piece of the message of the book. I’m also writing about the inevitability of some love stories. The end of the book shows Olivia that even if she hadn’t fallen in love with Jake in one way, she would have fallen in love with him in another way. There are a thousand different versions of their love story—but all of them have the same happily ever after. That’s how I feel about my own marriage—we could have met any number of ways, but we would have found each other, and we would have fallen in love. 

Q: If there was a sequel to Whats in a kiss? What would Olivia & Jake be doing right now? What would their lives be like?

A: You’ll get to see in The Spirit of Love! I’m really excited for readers to see the follow-up, including a scene that features their wedding and shows how both of their careers have taken different directions since the end of What’s in a Kiss. 

Q: If & when Whats in a Kiss? Becomes a movie, who would be your dream cast and why? I know you described Werner, Olivia’s friend, as a less symmetrical Ansel Elgort. I’m not a huge Ansel fan myself lol. 

A: Haha, it’s funny to think about casting Werner. But for Liv, I love Dakota Johnson. Jake could be Tom Batemen. Jenny Slate for Masha, Lucien Laviscount for Eli.