At best, the phrasing in the “Rise of Skywalker” novelization is pretty vague. “A kiss of gratitude” could just refer to Ben saving Rey’s life, and while “acknowledgment of their connection” might be a romantic reference, it could also be referring to their status as a Force Dyad — a unique and mystical bond that, as far as we know, has no necessary romantic implications. “Celebration that they’d found each other at last” is also pretty vague, as it could suggest a romantic longing or simply be referencing how Kylo Ren finally reverted to Ben Solo before his death.
What’s far less vague is the kiss itself as depicted in the film. It’s not exactly a little kiss on the head, but rather a full-on, Jane Austen adaptation, mouth-on-mouth, Scarlett O’Hara kind of kiss. If you only watched the movie — as most people did — there isn’t a ton of room for doubt about what exactly Rey is going for (it’s his tongue, that’s what she’s going for).
Understandably, the staunch Reylo shippers of the world were a bit upset at what they interpreted as an attempted retcon by Disney in the novel version. Others have argued, though, that the scene in the book doesn’t explicitly contradict the idea of romance, and that other passages actually support the love story reading of Rey and Kylo Ren.
