Success In the Press: Some Mistakes Are Great Kissers: A Dating Memoir by Stephanie Kleine

Fifty 5-Star Reviews on Amazon & Goodreads

★

Fifty 5-Star Reviews on Amazon & Goodreads ★

From the Author: Stefanie Kleine seemingly has it all…a highly successful career, an excessive number of degrees, loving parents, devoted friends, and great legs. The only thing she has not been able to accomplish is finding the right person to share her life with.

In this no-holds-barred memoir, Stefanie takes us on her brutally honest, hilarious, heartbreaking, and at-times utterly bizarre quest to find true love. Some Mistakes Are Great Kissers is the story of a modern woman who has bravely refused to settle. Stefanie is raw, relatable, unapologetic, and utterly hysterical as she recounts her experiences in the dating world. From freezing her eggs to flying home in the middle of the night in a sexy cat costume to calling an ambulance for an emergency sex injury, Stefanie shares the inspiring tale of how she has boldly stared her pain and insecurities in the eye, and somehow managed to summon the strength to forge ahead.

For anyone deep in the trenches of dating, this book serves as a reminder to search for the lesson in every relationship and find the humor in a life that doesn’t always go as planned.

Our Take: This dating memoir is equal parts outrageous, honest, and deeply human. With laugh-out-loud moments and sharp emotional insight, Kleine takes readers on a wild ride through the highs and humiliations of modern dating. Stefanie Kleine’s storytelling is fearless and funny, never shying away from the messier parts of seeking love. For readers who enjoy personal narratives that balance vulnerability with sharp wit, this one delivers heart, humor, and a refreshing dose of real.

From a Reader:

“This book is amazing. I laughed out loud many times but it also reminded me to recognize my value. The dating world is kinda scary so it helps to know even stunning funny athletic actress/doctors have to date a lot of frogs before finding a prince.”

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Site

Success In the Press: Dirty Suburbia by Sara Hosey

“Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews

★

“Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews ★

From the Author: Dirty suburbias are working-class neighborhoods in which girls who are left to fend for themselves sometimes become predators, as well as affluent communities in which women discover that money is no protection against sexism, both their own and others'.

One young woman sets up her abusive, cheating boyfriend, hoping he'll get arrested so that she can rescue him and win him back. A teenager arranges to meet up with an older man she's met online playing video games; she brings a knife with her, just in case. A middle-aged divorcee attempts to rekindle a romantic relationship with her high school English teacher, who happens to be a former nun. A struggling academic falls in love with a Henry David Thoreau impersonator, and a well-adjusted grad student goes home for Christmas only to be repulsed by her family's casual cruelty.

Despite the ugliness and injustice, they face, as well as the failures of their families and communities, these characters often find relief in friendship and connection, and sometimes, even discover meaning and cause for hope.

““Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.””

— Kirkus Reviews

Our Take: Gritty, intimate, and unflinching, Dirty Suburbia is a collection that lingers. These stories examine the quiet violence and fierce resilience of girls and women navigating spaces that should protect them—but often don’t. Sara Hosey writes with empathy and edge, offering a mirror to suburbia that’s cracked but deeply reflective. It’s a bold, clear-eyed exploration of power, survival, and the complicated ways women come of ageand come undone. Perfect for readers who love short fiction that’s sharp and bracingly real.

From a Reader: “The characters are devastating and wonderful and so familiar. […] The writing is mesmerizing, poetic, and gritty. It’s literary without ever being boring. Every story in this collection stomped on my heart and then picked it up and handed it back to me.”

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Site