Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes, so I had high hopes going into this book. My expectations were exceeded, I loved the relationship between the main couple and I also loved how the “fake” love interest also had his own relationship. The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of when reading is that the sister was made to believe that the main character was cheating on her brother with her, which did raise some concerns. Other than that this is one of my favourite holiday romances

As a long time fan, I was delighted to receive this book on NetGalley as an ARC. In my opinion, Alison Cochrun did it again! The book was endearing and beautifully written. 5 stars.

Thank you @atriabooks @netgalley for the free ebook!

📖 Ellie is kind of stuck in her life at the moment. Last Christmas Eve she shared a beautiful day with a stranger before they went their separate ways. This Christmas, she lets her shop’s landlord convince her to fake marry him so he can get his inheritance. When she shows up for his family’s annual Christmas trip, she gets more than she bargained for.

💭 I loved the Charm Offensive, so I was excited to pick this one up. I didn’t love it quite as much, but it was still a really good read. I loved Andrew’s family. I loved how Ellie was thrown into an awkward situation with such a great group of characters. They made me laugh and I loved that they took her in so wholeheartedly. The pinning was so good, the Christmas setting was so fun, add this to your winter reading list!

📚 Read this if you like…
Christmas time setting
Found Family
Fake engagement
Sapphic romance
Anxiety rep
Second chance romance
Dual timelines

✍️ How I rated other books by this author:
The Charm Offensive- 5⭐️

Wait, this was really Alison Cochrun's debut? It's really really good, I'm sad I don't have a backlist to go through. It's both funny in all the right places and quite romantic, I really liked it.

Kiss Her Once for Me is a delightful romance that had me hooked from the start. The characters are well-developed, and the story is full of warmth and genuine emotion. I loved the chemistry between the leads and the way the book explores love, self-discovery, and second chances.

While the plot is fun and engaging, there were a few moments that felt a bit predictable, but the overall charm of the story more than made up for it. It’s a perfect read for anyone looking for a feel-good, romantic escape, and I’d definitely recommend it to others.

I related more to Ellie than I expected to. Her isolation, fear of failing, and desire for family hit especially close to home. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny, so I was all over the place emotionally with this one. A lot of romances feel forced to me but I genuinely connected to Ellie and Jack. There are so many things that I really loved about this complex Portland love story, but the most magical thing is probably that I had the chance to finish reading it on an unexpected snow day in Portland. Don’t you love when a book makes its way to you at just the right time and place? Maybe I should head to Powell’s or the Burnside Bridge and wait for my soul mate.

I loved this book, the authors writing is always incredibly engaging, and I love returning to their books.

This wasn't for me. I didn't find the two characters likable and I felt their initial connection in the flashbacks was too much like instalove.

Romantic and swoon-worthy and a perfect holiday read! The love triangle was so interesting and I loved how Ellie and Jack’s relationship changed and grew over time.

From the very beginning of the book I was hooked. The plot is fun and festive, perfect for the Christmas season! I liked how complex the characters were, both the main and the supporting that you only meet for a little bit. I loved how Ellie isn't just your normal writer, she's a web comic writer and it isn't her whole personality. Now when it comes to the plot, I liked the love trapezoid and how the fake engagement isn't a trope for the final love interests. The little conflicts were hilarious and seemed realistic from what I know (I haven't spent a winter in Portland so I don't get the snow but it translates to winter in Colorado too). Overall a book that you never know what the next issue will be, and the flow will keep you reading to find out.

Oh soooo cute! The angst of it all! A superb holiday romance in my opinion.

This is the story of Ellie who met perhaps The One on a serendipitous date that lasted for 24 hours on Christmas Eve with a perfect stranger named Jack. When her world crumbled, she ran and reasoned she would never see Jack again. That is until a year later when she gets herself into a marriage of convenience to help a man named Andrew, landlord at the coffee shop where she works, in exchange for a handsome sum of money to ease her ongoing troubles. When they travel to Andrew's family cabin for Christmas holidays, she meets his sister... who happens to be the woman of her dreams from the year prior.

I think I would have loved this book a little more if I enjoyed Ellie more as a character but she lowkey annoyed me at times. Jack was great--mysterious, sexy, etc etc!! So obviously I was rooting for them. The tension with the ruse of Ellie being Jack's brother's fiance was just fun to read. That said, some of the conflict that shakes out was not my very favorite. All in all, this was a lovely little holiday read that I definitely recommend to people who love angsty, drama-filled but sweet romances, and definitely if you want more queer romance in your life. I will continue to add Cochrun to my TBR!

3.5 stars.

Kiss Her Once for Me was a cute, holiday story! The love triangle was fun and I liked the evolution of Ellie and Jack's relationship. It was overall a fine, fun read, although I don't feel like I connect with Cochrun's writing style.

A great saphhic christmas romcom. Very cozy read. Great descriptive writing. Solid representation. Fake relationship story.

This was a cute sapphic holiday romance, but I don't think fake marriage is a trope for me. I will continue to read from Alison Cochrun in the future though!

Just the thing for the holiday season--a fun, cozy, yet dramatic love story. I appreciated the time jumps and the breadth of lgbt+ characters in the novel. Finding love is one thing, but finding a community and family...that's something even more magical.

As someone who is sucker for queer holiday romance, this book filled a spot in my heart. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and Alison Cochrun does it so well!

I loved The Charm Offensive and was a fan of this one as well! The mental health representation was well done and was such a cozy holiday read. I’m always into books with great side characters and loved that that was a part of this book as well.

I really wanted to like this book but it felt too unrealistic, the dialogue clunky, and the relationship too insta-love for me.

Alison Cochrun what have you done to me?? I was a little nervous picking up this book because I'm not a fan of love triangles or cheating. I was pleasantly surprised and loved how the author portrayed real emotions and yearning!! Really looking forward to more from Alison Cochran.

Kiss Her Once for Me had me HOOKED from the very start!
While I really enjoyed the “one day love affair” that this book presents, it felt a bit unbelievable to me.
Two people meeting and spending a day together is enough to fall in love? I’m not sure.
The meet-cute is adorable but I just can’t believe one single day can solidify a LOVE.
Other than that, it was a beautiful LGBTQIA+ holiday romance that I can recommend.