The Kiss Lottery Summary, Characters and Themes
The Kiss Lottery by Ilsa Madden-Mills is a heartfelt and captivating romance set in the small town of Rose, Tennessee. The story follows Everly Davis, a woman who returns to her hometown after ten years of absence, facing the unresolved emotions tied to her past and the people who shaped her life.
The town’s quirky tradition of a Kiss Lottery, which pairs people for blind dates on Valentine’s Day, serves as a backdrop for Everly’s emotional journey. The book intertwines themes of love, betrayal, redemption, and self-discovery, with Everly reconnecting with Beckett Whitfield, a man who once held great significance in her life.
Summary
Everly Davis returns to Rose, Tennessee, a town filled with painful memories and unfinished business. She’s been away for ten years, having distanced herself from her past after her mother’s death.
Her return is prompted by a mysterious Valentine’s Day invitation to the town’s annual Kiss Lottery, a tradition that pairs locals for blind dates. Everly, unsure who sent the invitation, wonders if it was her ex, Carson, or Beckett Whitfield, a man who once meant everything to her.
Beckett, now a successful author, has written a novel based on their past, bringing up old emotions for Everly.
At Hank’s Diner, Everly runs into Beckett and other familiar faces. Her encounter with Beckett stirs up memories of their close friendship and the painful betrayal that caused them to part ways.
Years ago, a misunderstanding involving her diary led to a public humiliation that left Everly emotionally scarred. As Everly faces the ghosts of their past, she struggles with the emotions Beckett’s presence brings back, torn between anger and longing.
Beckett, on the other hand, is reluctantly involved in the Kiss Lottery at the request of his aunt, Margo, who is on the town committee. His bitterness toward the event is clear, but he agrees to participate as a favor to her.
When he sees Everly again, old memories surface, and he reflects on their past, particularly the fallout with Everly due to a misunderstanding with their mutual friend, Carson. Beckett’s feelings for Everly had always been complicated, and despite his attempts to distance himself, he’s never truly let go of her.
Their reunion brings unresolved emotions to the forefront as they navigate the awkwardness of their shared history.
As Everly adjusts to being back in Rose, she continues to grapple with the mystery of the invitation and her unresolved feelings for Beckett. The small town, with its familiar places and faces, makes her feel both nostalgic and uneasy.
Despite her best efforts to avoid Beckett, the pull between them is undeniable. The more she interacts with old friends, the more she is forced to confront the past that she’s spent so many years trying to escape.
Her emotions are further complicated by the fact that Beckett, now a successful author, has fictionalized their shared history in his book, a reminder of everything that went wrong between them.
Everly’s return to the town sparks a chain of events that leads her to revisit her past and the people who shaped her. Her friends, including Tabby, Fritz, and Troy, encourage her to explore the mystery behind the teddy bear and tequila that were delivered to her, sparking a conversation with Beckett.
The bear and the tequila are tied to a drunken teenage incident that Everly and Beckett shared, an inside joke that resurfaces with their reunion. As they spend time together, Everly begins to unravel the emotions she’s buried for so long.
Beckett, meanwhile, is consumed with guilt over how their relationship ended and the years he spent pushing Everly away.
As the Kiss Lottery event approaches, Everly is paired with Beckett, much to her surprise. This unexpected pairing forces them to confront their unresolved issues head-on.
The night is filled with flirtation, tension, and deep emotional revelations. In a vulnerable moment, Everly and Beckett talk about their past, particularly the betrayal involving Everly’s diary and the fallout that followed.
Beckett explains how a near-fatal car accident changed his life, and Everly, unaware of his intentions at the time, expresses her hurt over his sudden withdrawal after the accident.
The Kiss Lottery event serves as a turning point for Everly and Beckett, forcing them to acknowledge the lingering feelings between them. Their shared history, filled with misunderstandings and missed opportunities, looms large over their interactions, but as they reconnect, the chemistry between them is undeniable.
As they spend more time together, Everly and Beckett begin to address the deep emotional scars that have kept them apart. Both of them are confronted with their own guilt, regrets, and the pain of their shared past, but through their conversations and shared moments, they begin to heal.
As Everly’s feelings for Beckett resurface, she also starts to explore her own identity and place in the world. Her return to Rose forces her to confront not only her past with Beckett but also her relationship with the town and her family.
The town’s history, once a source of pain and loss, begins to feel like a part of her again as she discovers new details about her family’s past. A visit to the courthouse with Beckett and friends leads to the revelation that Quincy Seaton, a figure in the town’s history, is actually a relative of Everly’s.
This discovery forces Everly to reconsider her place in Rose, and Beckett, noticing her emotional growth, expresses his willingness to support her in whatever she needs.
Despite the turbulence of their past, Everly and Beckett’s relationship begins to heal. Everly uncovers more secrets about her mother’s past, including a hidden affair between her mother and Beckett’s father.
This revelation shakes Everly to her core but also brings her closer to Beckett, who opens up about how the affair affected him. As they discuss their shared past under the cherry trees, Beckett confesses how much he has always cared for Everly, and their bond is rekindled.
In the final chapters, Everly embraces her past and lets go of the fear that has held her back. She finds closure with her family’s history, as well as with Beckett.
The two share a tender moment, and the story ends with the promise of a new beginning, as Everly and Beckett, once again connected, look toward a future together.

Characters
Everly Davis
Everly Davis is the protagonist of The Kiss Lottery, a woman whose return to her hometown of Rose, Tennessee, opens a door to confronting past wounds and rekindling forgotten emotions. She arrives in Rose after ten years, a place laden with painful memories of her mother’s death and her strained history with Beckett Whitfield.
Though she has distanced herself from the past, Everly cannot escape the emotional pull of the town, its people, and the unresolved feelings she still harbors for Beckett. Her vulnerability is apparent as she navigates her interactions with the people she left behind, especially Beckett, whose presence continuously stirs up memories of a friendship turned sour.
Everly’s journey is one of self-discovery, as she unravels the layers of pain, betrayal, and longing that have kept her emotionally stunted. Despite her initial hesitations, her eventual willingness to confront these feelings is what drives her emotional evolution throughout the story.
Everly’s relationship with Beckett serves as a central pillar of her narrative arc, pushing her to grapple with the complexities of love, forgiveness, and the desire for closure. Her internal conflict between wanting to protect herself and the magnetic pull of her past makes her a relatable character, struggling to reconcile her heart and her head.
Beckett Whitfield
Beckett Whitfield is a man defined by his past mistakes and the complicated emotions that surround his relationship with Everly. His initial bitterness towards the Kiss Lottery and his reluctance to return to Rose stem from the unresolved tensions between him and Everly.
Beckett’s involvement in the lottery is a favor to his aunt, Margo, but it becomes clear that his participation is an attempt to reconcile with his past, particularly with Everly. Beckett’s internal struggle is defined by guilt and regret over his role in the breakdown of their relationship.
The falling out, caused by a misunderstanding involving Everly’s diary, left him emotionally scarred and distanced from Everly despite his deep feelings for her. Over time, Beckett reveals his emotional vulnerability, and it becomes evident that his withdrawal from Everly’s life was not due to a lack of love, but rather a desperate attempt to protect both of them from further pain.
His complex feelings toward her are a mix of guilt for his past actions and a lingering love that refuses to fade, even after years apart. As the story progresses, Beckett’s character evolves from a man consumed by his past mistakes to someone willing to open up and make amends.
His heartfelt confession of regret and the way he expresses his enduring affection for Everly help mend their fractured relationship, allowing them both to confront the ghosts of the past and move toward a future together.
Abigail Wells
Abigail Wells is Everly’s former rival, a character whose presence adds a layer of tension to Everly’s return to Rose. Though she is not the central figure of the story, her role in the past—the exposure of Everly’s private diary—casts a long shadow over the events that unfold.
Abigail’s actions are directly tied to the painful betrayal that Everly experienced in her youth, leading to a public humiliation that contributed to the emotional distance between her and Beckett. Abigail’s motivations remain ambiguous, but her rivalry with Everly adds complexity to the latter’s emotional journey.
Though Abigail might be seen as a source of antagonism, her actions have lasting consequences, forcing Everly to confront unresolved feelings of betrayal, anger, and hurt. The way Abigail interacts with Everly in the present shows that the tension between them has not entirely dissipated, but it also highlights the personal growth that Everly must undergo to move beyond the shadow of past grudges.
Fritz and Tabby
Fritz and Tabby, Everly’s close friends, serve as sources of comfort and laughter during her emotional return to Rose. While their roles in the story are more supportive than central, they provide Everly with much-needed distractions from the complexities of her interactions with Beckett.
Fritz, with his playful teasing, and Tabby, with her infectious energy, help ground Everly during her turbulent emotional journey. They also push her to face her unresolved feelings and encourage her to open up to the possibility of rekindling her relationship with Beckett.
As friends who have stood by her through the years, their encouragement and support are instrumental in helping Everly navigate the confusing emotional landscape of returning to Rose and reconciling with her past. Their lightheartedness contrasts with the intensity of Everly’s emotional struggles, providing a balance that allows Everly to experience joy and nostalgia amidst the pain of revisiting old wounds.
Margo
Margo, Beckett’s aunt, plays a pivotal but somewhat understated role in the story. Though her presence is mostly indirect, it is her request that propels Beckett into the Kiss Lottery, an event that becomes the catalyst for much of the emotional resolution between him and Everly.
Margo’s character is important because she serves as the bridge between the past and the present, nudging Beckett to confront his unresolved feelings for Everly. Her role in the plot is essential because it ultimately sets in motion the reconnection between the two former friends, which serves as the emotional heart of the narrative.
Though she does not appear often, Margo’s influence is felt throughout the story, particularly in Beckett’s decision to revisit Rose and confront the pain he left behind.
Themes
Love and Heartbreak
The exploration of love and heartbreak serves as a foundational theme throughout the story of The Kiss Lottery. The relationship between Everly and Beckett is defined by a mixture of nostalgia, regret, and unresolved emotions.
Their past together is marked by a profound connection that was interrupted by misunderstandings, painful secrets, and emotional scars. Despite the years that have passed since their falling out, the love between them lingers, albeit with complexities and barriers that prevent them from fully reconnecting.
The delicate balance of their interactions—flirting, teasing, and occasionally confronting each other about their past—highlights how deeply rooted their feelings for one another are. At the same time, these emotions are accompanied by a sense of betrayal, as Everly struggles with how Beckett distanced himself after the public humiliation caused by the exposure of her diary.
This sense of heartbreak not only characterizes their relationship but also informs Everly’s emotional journey of self-discovery, as she reconciles the joy and the pain associated with her history with Beckett. The story presents a nuanced portrayal of how love can both uplift and wound, creating a dynamic where reconciliation becomes a long process of confronting past mistakes and emotional truths.
Memory and the Past
Memory and the ways it shapes our present selves are central to the emotional depth of The Kiss Lottery. Everly’s return to Rose is not just a physical return to her childhood home but also a confrontation with her past, a past that is fraught with loss and unresolved emotions.
The town, filled with reminders of her mother’s death and her complicated relationship with Beckett, represents a space where Everly cannot escape the shadows of history. The town’s traditions, like the Kiss Lottery, evoke memories of her younger years and the friendships she had, especially her deep bond with Beckett.
However, this connection to the past is not just sentimental; it is also painful, as it brings Everly face-to-face with the unresolved issues of her previous relationship with Beckett. These memories are not mere reflections but active forces that shape her interactions, as they inform her actions and reactions to those around her.
For Beckett, too, the past holds weight, as his memories of the time spent with Everly continue to haunt him. As both characters work through the emotional baggage tied to their history, they find themselves on a journey of rediscovery, slowly learning to reshape their identities by confronting the very memories they once sought to avoid.
Family and Heritage
The theme of family and heritage is explored in The Kiss Lottery through Everly’s emotional journey of uncovering her familial roots. As she revisits Rose, Everly grapples with the idea of belonging and her connection to a town that has never fully felt like home to her.
However, the discovery of her family history—particularly the revelation that she is related to Quincy Seaton—forces Everly to confront her own sense of identity and place within the larger framework of her family. This revelation, which occurs during a night of adventure at the courthouse, marks a turning point in her understanding of herself.
It is a moment where Everly shifts from being a woman disconnected from her past to someone who begins to understand the deeper ties that bind her to the town and its people. For Beckett, the theme of family is also significant, as his relationship with Everly has been complicated by the secret affair between his father and Everly’s mother.
This family connection, filled with emotional turmoil, influences Beckett’s feelings toward Everly, creating an additional layer of conflict between them. In this way, the theme of family and heritage intertwines with themes of love and betrayal, reinforcing how our familial connections shape our lives and relationships.
Forgiveness and Redemption
Forgiveness and redemption are pivotal in the emotional journey that both Everly and Beckett undergo. For Everly, the journey toward forgiveness is not only about reconciling with Beckett but also about accepting the flaws and mistakes of her past.
The emotional pain caused by Beckett’s sudden withdrawal from her life after the misunderstanding about her diary is a source of deep anguish for her, and yet, her eventual willingness to forgive him speaks to the healing power of understanding and reconciliation. Beckett, too, seeks redemption, not just for his actions but for the guilt that has lingered in his heart over the years.
His involvement in the Kiss Lottery and his eventual confession to Everly reveal his longing for a chance to make amends and restore the love they once shared. The theme of redemption is expressed through their shared moments of vulnerability, where both characters come to terms with their past actions and the emotional scars they carry.
Ultimately, the story shows that forgiveness is not an easy or instantaneous process, but it is one that holds the potential for healing, growth, and the possibility of new beginnings. As Everly and Beckett work through their past and embrace the love that still exists between them, the narrative underscores the importance of forgiveness in allowing for personal transformation and the rebuilding of broken relationships.
Identity and Self-Discovery
The journey of identity and self-discovery is explored in The Kiss Lottery, particularly through Everly’s emotional and personal growth. When Everly returns to Rose, she is not the same person she was when she left.
Her absence from the town and her experiences in the years since her departure have shaped her into someone who is both disconnected from her roots and reluctant to confront her past. The journey back to Rose becomes a process of rediscovering herself—not just as the girl who was hurt by Beckett but as a woman who has lived through pain, loss, and personal growth.
The discoveries she makes, particularly regarding her family heritage, force Everly to reevaluate who she is and where she comes from. This process of self-discovery is not limited to her relationship with Beckett but extends to her relationship with herself and her understanding of her place in the world.
For Beckett, the theme of identity also plays a crucial role, as his feelings for Everly have long been tangled with guilt and confusion about who he is in relation to her and his family. As they navigate their complex emotions, both characters must confront their past mistakes and grow into the people they want to be, individually and together.