Book Review: A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole (A Thousand Boy Kisses #1)

jolaineabad
Jan 21
5 min read

"This jar is for you to record your boy-kisses, Poppy. All the kisses that make your heart almost burst, the ones that are most special, the ones you want to remember when you're old and gray. The ones that will make you smile when you remember them in your mind."

YOUNG ADULT

YA. ROMANCE

YA. CONTEMPORARY

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Start Date: 01/13/2026	End Date: 01/21/2026
Genres: Young Adult (YA) // Romance, Contemporary, Emotional / Tearjerker	Format: Paperback // Audiobook
Pages: 305 pages	Rating: ★★★ (3 stars)

⚠️ Content Warnings ⚠️

Terminal illness (on-page, central to the story)
Cancer
Chronic illness & medical treatments
Death of a main character
Grief, loss, and mourning
Childhood illness
Emotional trauma
Heavy themes of love and heartbreak
Crying… lots of crying 😭

Note:This book is extremely emotional and deals deeply with illness and loss. Please check in with yourself before reading if these topics are difficult for you.

BOOK TROPE GUIDE

🧸

Childhood friends to lovers

🤝🏼

young love

🪽

Soulmates

🕑

Terminal illness

❤️‍🩹

Tragic love story

💧

Tearjerker romance

🎀

Coming-of-age

🌸

Fate vs. time

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Heartbreaking• Pure• Soul-crushing

Rune Kristiansen met half of his heart and soul when he was five years old. Poppy Litchfield—the adventurous girl who welcomed the new neighbor without hesitation—changed his life the moment she walked up to him. From that day on, their friendship bloomed into something rare and beautiful.

When Poppy’s Mamaw (Grandmother) passed away, she was given a jar that would shape her life—a place to collect A Thousand Boy Kisses, each one meant to make her heart burst with something as special as special can be.

Rune promised to help Poppy fill that jar, because the thought of her kissing anyone who wasn’t him shattered his young heart. And it was with that promise that their love truly began.

But fate had other plans. News from Rune’s pappa broke both their hearts—Rune and his family had to return to Norway for his father’s job. They tried to make long distance work, and for a while, it did… until Poppy suddenly went silent, offering no explanation.

Two years later, at seventeen, Rune returned to Georgia searching for answers. When he finally confronted Poppy, he discovered a truth so tragic it shattered his heart all over again.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes / No / Unsure

Would I read this again? Yes / No / Unsure

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes / No / Unsure

What did I like the most?

The connection between Poppy and her Mamaw (grandmother) is deeply nostalgic and incredibly relatable. It captures a kind of love that feels warm, grounding, and unforgettable.

Rune’s growth is one of the things I loved most about this story. He goes from being angry and closed off to someone who would do absolutely anything for Poppy—even after the tragedy. Through everything, he keeps his promise, and that alone speaks volumes about the depth of his love.

What I liked the least (and why)?

I really hate long chapters… and this book has them 😩 I mean, it feels unnecessary for a romance book, and as the story progresses, it started dragging—I even got a little bored toward the end. But I didn’t DNF, so I still finished it.

I didn’t get through the bonus chapter because it’s like 30 pages long… can anyone spoil it for me? Thanks xx 😅

Favorite Characters

🌸Rune Kristiansen🌸

⤷ his my favorite because of his growth and the depth of his love for Poppy. 💛

Ratings

Book Cover

★★★★★

Writing Style

★★

Story & Plot

★★★

Characters

★★★★

Favorite Quotes

She told me that the best and prettiest things never stay around for long. She said that a cherry blossom was too beautiful to last all year. It was more special because its life was short. Like the Samurai—extreme beauty, quick death.

My Book Review ✎ᝰ.

This book was highly recommended to me by my TikTok book besties! I was looking for a gut-wrenching read this month, so I was so excited to read this.

I already knew that someone would die in this book from the get-go; I just didn’t know who. But I had a feeling it would give The Fault in Our Stars kind of vibes.

However, this book was not one of my favorites, but it’s still an okay book, and I would still recommend it to anyone who wants to cry—because to be fair, I did cry while reading this book. Tremendously, I would say.

Mainly because I think I may have had the slightest similar experience, but some parts of this book still baffle me that I can no longer remember them, LOL.

But I still enjoyed some parts of this book, especially where it felt a little similar to the If I Stay movie with Chloë Moretz.

I want to start by saying how much I loved the connection between Poppy and her Mamaw (grandmother). It felt incredibly nostalgic and relatable to me. I had a similar bond with my own grandmother—maybe not as adventurous, but the love and closeness were very much the same. The idea of A Thousand Boy Kisses itself is beautiful, and I love how it turns childhood moments into something unforgettable and meaningful.

Rune and Poppy’s love story begins as childhood best friends, which is something I used to dream about when I was younger. There’s something so comforting about already knowing someone so deeply—the idea that your first love could also be the person you experience all your “firsts” with. While that kind of love rarely happens in real life, there’s no denying that a romance that starts in childhood feels pure, innocent, and deeply memorable.

That said, the long chapters made the reading experience feel a bit draining for me. Since many of them focus on a single-day event, the story started to feel repetitive and slow at times. Because of that, I ended up giving the book 3 stars.

But I can’t deny that this book completely destroyed me. Rune’s growth is one of the most notable parts of the story. He starts off very grumpy, but for Poppy, he learns to adjust—and I really loved that about him. What I didn’t like was how his parents and Poppy put him in a situation he clearly didn’t want to be in.

Another thing I loved most was the memories they created together and how they made everything count. Some moments—like Poppy playing the cello—reminded me a lot of If I Stay, but since it wasn’t the main focus of the story, it didn’t bother me too much.

I truly wish this book didn’t have such long chapters, because I think it could’ve had a higher rating for me. But with all that being said, I would still highly recommend this to anyone who needs a good cry and wants to be reminded of young love and soulmates. 💔✨

In the end, A Thousand Boy Kisses is a story that stays with you—not because it’s perfect, but because it’s deeply emotional. Despite my struggles with the long chapters and pacing, I can’t deny the impact of Rune and Poppy’s love, the beautiful memories they created, and the heartbreaking growth that comes with loving someone so deeply. This book is a reminder of young love, soulmates, and the kind of connections that shape us forever. If you’re in the mood for a story that will make you cry, reflect, and feel everything all at once, this book might just be the one for you. 💔🌸📚