I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a holiday romance, some forced proximity, and a queer second chance romance. Second chance romances usually toe the line for me, but the author crafted the story amazingly.

Jack and Elle have an instant connection, and I practically swooned during their first kiss. There’s a lot of baggage that gets unpacked in this book, and has mental health representation in multiple characters.

I didn’t love the the secret portion of this book, and the pressure they put on trust. And the ending felt a little to far with embarrassment of one of the main characters. That felt overly hurtful.

He side characters in this book were fantastic, and I hope we might get a bonus scene between Dylan and Andrew!

Delightful romance set in Portland, Oregon. Meet cutes, chance encounters and fate bringing people together. One warning- if the song Last Christmas gets stuck in your head, wait until December to read this one!

In Kiss Her Once For Me, Ellie is a recent Portland transplant who is struggling at her low-paid coffee shop job after being fired from her dream job. She feels like her life has plateaued: bad job, shitty apartment, alone in a city she doesn’t know.

So when her boss proposes a marriage of convience where he gets his inheritance and she gets a large payout, she’s not exactly in a position to say no. But things get complicated when she finds out that her husband-to-be’s sister is jack, a butch lesbian she fell in love with last year over the course of one magical Portland snow day.

So Ellie has to figure out what to do: get her life back on track by marrying a nice rich man, or risk it all for his sister.

This book is so fun. I've been anxiously anticipating it since I read The Charm Offensive this summer and fell in love with Alison’s writing.

Ellie is an anxious, depressed, bi demisexual character and I related to her a lot. Social anxiety? Yes. Catastrophizing that her life will be ruined by one small thing? Absolutely. I really enjoyed seeing Ellie grow as she lets people in and makes more friends.

Which brings me to: the characters! Jack is the butch baker love interest and a character that I think everyone will love. Andrew is such a softie and a really sweet person and he is totally not what i was expected. Dylan makes me laugh because they’re just so intense and kind of rude but actually nice inside. Also the fact that it’s an all queer friend group :’) The found family in this book is really sweet.

Also, this book is just really funny. There’s so much humor and good jokes packed in, like “I'm not outdoorsy enough to date the women in Portland” and “miscommunication is for the straights”.

And Alison Cochrun does what she did with charm too: add a whole lot of depth so it’s not just a romance. and damn. In this book you don’t really see it coming until you’re sucker punched by it. Because Kiss Her Once For Me, above all, is about fear of failure. Ellie lets fear of failure control her whole life, without even realizing it. So Kiss Her Once For Me teaches us that 1) what we count as “failure” often isn’t even really failure and 2) failure is a normal part of life. Ellie learns to not let this fear of failure affect her life anymore. She decides to take risks and put herself out there.

And finally, one concept that was explored in Kiss Her Once For Me that I really love is the concept of having seasons of needing and seasons of giving. I love this metaphor for relationships because it shows that they fluctuate. Sometimes we’re in a place where we can support others and sometimes we’re in a position where we need the support. It’s a give and take, and it’s natural. This is what all relationships should look like: we need different things at different times and it all evens out eventually.

This is a super sweet adult queer romance that will make you, laugh, smile, and possibly cry as well :)

I will start this review by saying I was super nervous going into this book because of how much I loved The Charm Offensive last year. It was one of my top reads of 2021. In fact, the ARC of Kiss Her Once For Me sat on my device for MONTHS because of it. But then I decided to read this one during October where I was reading mostly thrillers and darker reads. This did not fit with my "theme"and actually took me a couple of chapters to find my groove. But once I got into it, I fell in love with this story and the whole cast of characters, but especially the setting being in Portland, Or.

Ellie is an awkward Portland transplant that is currently working as a Barista at a local coffee joint and has been down on her luck for the last year. She originally moved to Oregon for a job, but also because she thought it was such a progressive, artistic city that fit her lifestyle. But when she "fails" at her job and ends up being let go, she finds herself amongst the stacks of books at Powells book store before a snow storm begins. There she meets Jack and they have this instant connection that builds up over the course of hours and ends with them really connecting on all the levels. But it's only for that one night, then everything just ends. After the night with Jack, her life just never seemed to be fulfilled and she found herself working at a coffeehouse, one year later, still thinking of that one night with Jack and if she is just a failure.

But then circumstances lead her into a fake engagement and spending a week with her fake fiance's family at their "cabin". And can you guess who her fiancé's sister happens to be? Yes....it's Jack. And the tension between them is automatic and palpable right from the beginning of the stay.

This story goes back and forth with the timelines so we get to see what transpired between Ellie and jack the previous Christmas. But we also get to understand Ellie, her relationship with herself and her mother and see how anxiety has fueled her life in a not so healthy way. I love when authors give us relatable backgrounds for our characters so we can see a bit of ourselves in them. One of Alison Cochrun's many gifts has been to give us LGBTQ love stories, but also balancing that with mental health, which is so very relevant.

While we are at the cabin, we get to see Jack and Ellie fighting their attraction to one another, even though it's been a year since they've seen one another. All of this is going on while we get to see the whole family dynamic along with family traditions play out. Ellie and Jack's families could not be more different. There's one family that actually for the most part likes each other and likes to spend time with one another and then there's one that feels more obligated. Jack has only wanted to be accepted and seen as a success to her family and Ellie has only wanted a family that loves her and supports her in every capacity. To belong.

So while this was definitely a fun and cozy Christmas romcom between Ellie and Jack, it was also about family, the traditions we have and making your own family from loved ones. I absolutely LOVED the whole clan at Jack's family's cabin. The grandmothers were a hoot and made all the activities that much more fun and tolerable. Were they a little outrageous? Of course, but that was half the fun.

Since this book comes out November 1st, it is the perfect time to grab a warm beverage and imagine yourself in the snowy Pacific Northwest finding your own happiness with your loved ones that become family. It is a feel good story that also hits on some subject matter that may get a little uncomfortable. Alison Cochrun knows how to craft a story with great characters that represent different aspects of the LGBTQ community and do it in a very fluid manner. This story was like a toasty, gooey smore. A little crunchy and broken on the outside but once we got to the middle of it all, it melted together into a magical, tasty delight.

If you like twists on romance stories that include:
second chances
forced proximity
fake relationship
LGBTQ representation
mental health rep
Holiday romance
family supporting characters
fun, outrageous and sage older characters
a "love trapezoid"

....then definitely check out Alison Cochran's latest book that will be a perfect story for your holiday reads.

KISS HER ONCE FOR ME by Alison Cochrun is a sapphic Christmas romcom that cleverly uses the fake dating trope as a backdrop for a second chance romance. It has lots of classic Christmas moments, like a snowball fight, baking, skiing, and getting snowed in, which will give readers the vibes their seeking. We also meet several quirky but lovable characters and get references to at least a dozen Christmas songs as well as pop music from the aughts. Go into this book expecting a full, unironic embrace of millennial culture, including music, slang and phrases, and even what the characters refer to as a "normcore" lifestyle.

In the author's introduction she talks about the film While You Were Sleeping as one of her all time favorite romcoms and it's so evident while reading 'Kiss Her Once for Me' in the best of ways! This was such an enjoyable read, my favorite of the queer holiday themed romcoms I've read lately, and possibly just a favorite in general. It has everything you want in a holiday romcom--family drama, fake relationships, falling for your fake relationship's sibling, character growth and so much more. Ellie and Jack's romance is perfectly tropey and romantic, Andrew the fake fiancé/Jack's brother is perfect in his role and very sweet. The side characters of Jack and Andrew's family and Ellie's best friends are so loveable. The perfect holiday romcom!

I look forward to reading Alison Cochrun's other work and anyhting else she comes out with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Alison Cochran, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC copy.

I actually haven’t read The Charm Offensive yet, but everyone seemed to love that one, so when I saw this one come up on Netgalley I thought I’d try.

It was cute, I really liked the idea for the plot, the setting, and most of the characters- especially the grandmas and Andrew. However, the main problem of this story didn’t work for me. This book relies heavily on the miscommunication trope and honestly it just didn’t work. It hung on Ellie being in the wrong, and that just didn’t make sense to me, I don’t think she was in the wrong at all in either situation (at the beginning and end of the novel with Jack).

Other than that huge glaring detail, this book was cute, and a fun holiday read. This book comes out Nov 1, just in time for holiday season!

“I might kiss her, once, for me. Just once, to remember what it felt like.”✨

y’all need to pick up this holiday rom-com! It’s everything you need this holiday season 🌲 It’s got passionate, “I can’t stop thinking about her” romance; LGBTQIA+ rep; fake dating; amazing best friends; two sweet and crazy grandma’s; snow ball fights; what more could you ask for?! 💫

I was sucked into this story - Alison knows how to write amazing romances with dynamic characters🤍 I fell in love with the two MCs, Ellie & Jack, and was so invested in how their story would play out. The mental health rep was wonderful & all the side characters each had something to add to the story! ☺️

umm @hallmark, can we please make this into a movie?! thank you 💖😌

*thank you to NetGalley & Atria for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Read if you like:
- second chance romance 💞
- fake dating / engagement (but not how you’d think!) 💝
- LGBTQIA+ representation 🏳️‍🌈
- mental health representation 🧠
- set in Portland, OR🌲
- dual timeline ⏳
- Powell’s meet cute 📚
- flashbacks 📸
- holiday hijinks ❄️
- Christmas vibes🎄
- taylor swift references 🎶
- LOL moments 😂

I feel so bad for putting off this ARC until three days before release because OH MY GOD. It has a bit of a trite and rocky start, Ellie is heartbroken and a mess and a hot rich guy she has only ever exchanged ten words with offers her the chance of a lifetime if she gets a marriage of convenience with him. It's not super original. But then WHAM the girl who broke her heart comes back into her life in the most devastating way possible.
Tie that deliciously complicated romance into a narrative about love and family? A story about failure and art? A holiday book that isn't really about the holiday in so much it is about how holidays serve as pedestals for familial issues? And you have Kiss Her Once for Me. My new favorite holiday romance by at least three miles. This book will be going on my top reads of the year for sure.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I'm personally SUCH a sap for holiday stories, and I'm always craving more seasonal romances. Kiss Her Once for Me hit the spot as a cozy Christmas read, with a dash of existential crises and that unnerving feeling you get when a piece of media calls you out. Between KHOFM and Taylor's new bop "Anti-Hero", there's been a lot of media that I felt heard in. (Seriously, this book gave me 'Anti-Hero' vibes, though, and I hope Alison Cochrun takes that as the compliment it's meant to be.)

The love story itself was everything I could've asked for. The magic and chaos of falling in love quickly and deeply, the delicious tension, queer women communicating!! It was an ooey, gooey love story that makes you giggle, makes you flush, makes you frustrated, then ultimately makes you melt. Peak Romance. However, even if the idea of that story doesn't sound like your jam, I implore you to still give KHOFM a chance, because Cochrun has written more than just a simple love story between an awkward bi, demisexual girl and a hot butch. The journey that Ellie goes on throughout and outside of the love story is worth every minute I spent reading, you could argue that this book features two love stories, one involving Ellie and figuring out how to love herself.

If you've ever been afraid of failing or falling, I recommend this book to you.

This was such a sweet queer riff on While You Were Sleeping (one of the best Christmas movies ever!) that I didn't know I needed to read.

Here's what I loved:
Found Family--Always welcomed, and I loved Ellie's found family complete with drunken grandmas and laminated activity schedules. Also the other friendships Ellie makes are wonderful and round out the family aspects.
HOT romance--whew, the romance between Jack and Ellie is swoon-worthy and absolutely believable despite their meet cute turned insta-love, which is most often eye roll inducing for me but not this time.
Deeper subjects--The examination of fear, especially fear of failure, is heartfelt and beautifully examined. There are many iterations of this theme throughout the book and they all really resonated with me.
The Portland setting--oh, how I adore books set in a place I know so well! And at Christmas!

What didn't work so well for me:
I realize that romantic comedies need misunderstandings and lack of communication to propel forward, but I felt like some of the issues could have been cleared up quickly with a bit of conversation.
I realize the point of showing Ellie's bio-family dynamic was to contrast it with something different and have something to compare to, but I didn't like her relationship with her mom AT ALL. I wondered from the beginning why she was being such a doormat and giving her mom the literal last dollar in her bank account, and I just couldn't connect with that part of the story.

Overall though, this is a delightfully funny hot holiday romance about learning how to step outside of fear and go for what we want in life--even if that means we fail from time to time.

Super fun, super steamy story of Ellie, a struggling artist, who has agreed to be her landlord, Andrew's, fake fiancee, in order to get his inheritance. Simple enough until it turns out Andrew's sister is the dream girl who broke Ellie's heart the previous Christmas. Lots of holiday hijinks ensues, including a love trapezoid, nonbinary rep, demi rep, mental health rep, found family and plenty of chemistry.

Ugh, it pains me to say this but Cochrun's sophomore novel did not measure up to her debut The Charm Offensive. I really feel bad saying this because I follow the author and I know what her first sapphic novel means to her.

Kiss Her Once For Me is a loose retelling of When You Were Sleeping. So while an awkward love triangle is to be expected some parts of this particular triangle (trapezoid!)did not sit well with me. I don't want to give any spoiler so please message me when you read the book. I need to hash it out with people. Also I didn't like how Ellie sort of took the blame for everything.

There were things I really liked too: Ellie and Jack's meet cute, the chemistry between them and their perfect day together. Then in present day, the cozy holiday vibes, the snowy cabin(!) setting, Jack and Andrew's grandmas. Alison once again nailed writing about people who are not afraid of being emotionally vulnerable. I just wanted to root for them even though they made me mad more than once. I also appreciated how Alison writes about authentic queer characters. Her books are somewhat educational for this cis married woman in her late 30's. Here we have Demi-bisexual rep and non-binary rep.

I am still torn about how to rate this book. 3.5 stars. Maybe 4.

- KISS HER ONCE FOR ME is a joy: it's a holiday romcom centered around a ridiculous plan and alternates between being silly and serious.
- I loved the family at the center of this book. KISS HER ONCE FOR ME beautifully shows the many ways found family can appear in the lives of queer people.
- I also loved how effortlessly this book showed Ellie and Jack getting to know each other in a way that made sense for Ellie's demisexuality, which was always taken seriously.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I need to start this review by saying that I related a little too hard to the main character, Ellie. Oh, a bisexual woman with generalized anxiety disorder, a debilitating case of perfectionism, a crippling fear of failure, and a contentious relationship with a parent? Ouch, a little too close to home, there.

While it felt real weird reading this perfect little winter holiday book right before Halloween, this was everything I look for in a holiday rom-com. The premise was absolutely ridiculous and almost certainly would never happen in real life, which is exactly what I look for for my escapism. It was like a warm hug, while also making me feel really seen and valid (see; above ways I relate to the MC). And goddamn, do I love a good found family trope. Just… Chef’s kiss. Beautiful.

I have not yet read The Charm Offensive, but this book has me so excited to read more by Alison Cochrun !! Kiss Her Once For Me is fast paced, heartwarming, has incredible LGBTQ+ rep, and was just overall an amazing way to kick off Christmas reads season (yes I am there mentally already 🤪). Highly recommend !

As I write this review I have it's "All coming back to me now" by Celine Dion repeating in my head. Iykyk
This book is fantastic, I loved it. A perfect holiday book to curl up with a blanket and hopefully some snow falling outside.

Ellie is an anxious person who is afraid to fail. Her parents are just the worst. Oh, her mom. Boo. She meets Jack in the Powell's bookstore reaching for the same book during a snow day. They end up spending the day together and then never seeing each other again.

Ellie is now working in a coffee shop and meets Andrew who needs a fake fiancee to get his inheritance. They go to their cabin for Christmas and she sees Jack again.

I loved the characters and the mental health awareness. Overall a fantastic book.

Trigger Warnings:

*This list is a combination of ones I found, as well as what the author has listed*

Homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, stigmas around neurodiversity, ableism, adultery, cheating, past firing, social anxiety, negligent parents and familial estrangement, with some allusions to emotionally abusive parenting, depression, masturbation, cursing, alcohol, bar, throwing up, weed, panic attacks, on-page sex, separation/divorce

Representation: Mental health: GAD and Depression, Filipino, Bisexual, Demisexual, Trans, Lesbian, Korean American, Nonbinary, ADHD, Polyamory

Kiss Her Once for Me is a sapphic Christmas romance. On Christmas Eve of last year, Ellie and Jack meet at Powell’s bookstore. Over the course of one snow filled day, our two heroines fall in love but the magic of snow cannot last forever. Fast forward 11 months and Ellie finds herself engaged to her landlord in exchange for enough money to completely change her life. When Ellie heads to his family’s cabin for Christmas, she is reintroduced to her fling from the previous year. Now she must decide between a life changing payday or the chance at true love despite her fears.

Wow.

Again, just wow. This book was amazing!! Easily just joined my top five of all time!! The love I have for these two messy women is endless! Their insecurities and flaws, strengths and quirks, I adored everything about them! These two women are amazing characters and the author did a fantastic job making them so believable and relatable!

You sold me at one bed! The intimacy and heat in this story is 🥵🥵. I loved reading about these two being in love. The author provides a perfect balance of heat and love, lust and caring. As a fellow person with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, I felt so completely seen by these two. It absolutely baffles me when an author is able to go in my brain and reveal all of the deepest parts of me that I hide from the world.

One of my favorite things about this story is that it is so much more than a Hallmark Christmas movie. This book has love and romance, as well as an amazing HEA but it also has such depth. I loved the balance between the women’s fears and their desire for success. This book is a magical Christmas story but it also is an amazing reflection of human interaction and human failure.

Ellie had a magical snowy romantic day with someone last Christmas that she has spent the last year trying to get over. When she decides to marry someone for money, she is surprised to find out the her fiancé’s sister is her person from last Christmas. This leads to a crisis of conscious for Ellie. This book touches many topics: generalized anxiety disorder, childhood trauma, LBGTQ+, and sexualities. While I enjoyed the book, there were frustrating parts where it felt like Ellie prevents herself from finding happiness.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Is it possible to fall in love with someone in one magical day, Alison Cochrun’s Kiss Her Once For Me poses. I don’t know about IRL but this book made me feel it, you all.

From the beauty of the writing, to the romantic story that swept me off my feet, to the humor of this magical family & couple together, & just overall the evocativeness of the settings & the emotions. Bam. Total heart engagement.

Last Christmas Eve artist & animator Ellie gave aspiring bakery owner Jack her heart after meeting on a day of random snow when most of the city was shut down. The very next day Jack gave it away.

One year later Ellie has the chance to ask Jack about it all when she inadvertently poses as Jack’s brother’s fiancée at a family Christmas get together.

So Ellie is fake engaged to Jack’s brother & the stakes for all of them are big. Especially since she feels like she can’t tell Jack that the engagement is fake.

There’s demisexual rep, anxiety rep, a big whopping second chance, some deception & a grovel, & a lovely lovely story about two people finding their person.

There’s only one thing/s that bothered me *dun dun dun*. That would be the conflict. I felt like one of the leads was a bit hypocritical—or maybe just not as understanding I thought they could be—but I was the only person who thought this . All of the characters are firmly on the side of one person so YMMV .

But three cheers for beautiful romances that make me feel the love & the wonder of love & snow days.

4.5⭐️. Out 11/01.

CWs: emotionally manipulative mom; absent dads & in one case, infidelity. Jack is married when they first hook up & she doesn’t tell Ellie this.

[ID: a white woman wearing a black flannel shirt, a white sweater, jeans, & boots stands on a porch surrounded by pumpkins. Off to the side are leaves on a sidewalk.