Why You Should Skip A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

Main Characters

• Poppy
• Rune

Publisher’s Summary

One kiss lasts a moment. But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime. 

One boy. One girl. A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade. A bond that neither time nor distance can break. A bond that will last forever. Or so they believe. 

When 17-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind: Why had the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation? 

Rune’s heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. When he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come. 

A standalone young adult tearjerker romance, recommended for ages 14 and up.

Recent Reviews

Review: A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

I FINALLY finished this book, and honestly, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I feel accomplished for pushing through what felt like pure torture. On the other, this book put me in the worst reading slump of the year. I picked it up thinking I was ready for some emotional devastation, thanks to TikTok recommendations, but instead, I got a romance so over-the-top cheesy that I had to take breaks just to escape it. The writing is drenched in unnecessary dialogue that is painfully unnatural, and the characters are frustratingly one-dimensional. Rune is basically a Greek god, and Poppy is a flawless angel, which would’ve been fine—if they had actual personalities. Over 300 pages and only 16 chapters; when I tell you it dragged, it did.

The biggest issue? The book’s emotional weight feels unauthentic. Poppy’s illness barely plays a role until it conveniently needs to, and the things Rune does for her are so wildly unrealistic. I tried to convince myself I was just being heartless, but no—this book was published in 2016, not 2008, and even my middle school self wouldn’t have eaten this up. And don’t even get me started on that epilogue. I was begging for some sort of redemption, but instead, the entire plot got tossed into the trash. Overhyped! No tears were shed. Not sure what else to say. Just don’t read it; you’ll thank me later.

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Book Photos

Book Quotes

I didn’t need grand gestures or fairy tales; a normal life with the boy I loved would have always been enough

― Tillie Cole, A Thousand Boy Kisses

Why does it take a life ending to learn how to cherish each day? Why must we wait until we run out of time to start to accomplish all that we dreamed, when once we had all the time in the world? Why don’t we look at the person we love the most like it’s the last time we will ever see them? Because if we did, life would be so vibrant. Life would be so truly and completely lived.

― Tillie Cole, A Thousand Boy Kisses