French Kissing: Pilot Episode is the first novella in the French Kissing series by Harper Bliss.
Finished on: 9.8.2023

Plot:
Claire and Juliette are best friends and run a PR firm in Paris together. Their success has taken its toll on their love lives, though. While Claire barely has time to date any women, Juliette and her partner Nadia are growing further and further apart. Meanwhile Steph, who works at the PR firm, finds herself drawn to an important client.

French Kissing: Pilot Episode is the start to a series, and it’s not for nothing that it’s called Pilot Episode. For one, it really doesn’t stand on its own, but rather opens up several storylines to be continued. And secondly, it very much feels like a TV show that has been novelized – a structure that doesn’t necessarily do it any favors.

I think, whether you will get into French Kissing or not depends highly on whether you like American drama shows set in foreign countries, whether queer or not. I have to admit that I am not that much of a fan, and I would have liked it if the novella had been more like a novel and less like a novelized screenplay. Plus, if the entire thing hadn’t taken place in Paris which feels more like a Hollywood setpiece here than an actual city with French people. (I say that as someone who isn’t particularly francophil, so this part might work a lot better if you always dream of Paris.)

The characters are well-drawn enough, albeit maybe a tad stereotypical. But I can imagine that the series will find its footing in the course of the subsequent episodes – pilot eps are often difficult to judge. But to be honest, I can’t actually see myself tuning in for more. It just didn’t hook me enough to want to find out how things for the characters and the quality of the series overall develop. I never tuned into The L Word either, despite my love for queer media.

Summarizing: if you liked The L Word, you should give this a go.