Last Christmas Ellie’s life had purpose and direction. Now, Ellie hates Christmas. She has to deal with her narcissistic emotionally abusive mother nagging her to pay back her own existence since she was 18, who she only wants approval from. She was fired from her dream job in animation and is now stuck at a hipster coffee shop and living in one of the smallest apartments possible in Portland. And she wants the perfect girl, but she already had that. Last Christmas Eve she met Jack, who spent she spent an amazing day with, an even more amazing kiss.... and other things, but then never saw her again.

The story goes back and forth between present and last Christmas. When it’s in the past Ellie uses her webcomics to tell the story of what happened between her and Jack last Christmas Eve. Back in the present Andrew and Ellie are fake engaged so he can get his trust from his grandpa. Showing up at his families lodge for Christmas Ellie sees Jack again for the first time in a year realizing that she is Jacks sister. Ensue the madness!

Andrew and Jack's Memaw makes the story🙌🏻

I love how the book discusses joy in your job and loving your work. Which we need to see more of in life and novels! The open dialogue about mental health, therapy, boundaries and healing yourself is so fantastic to see throughout it this book and one of the things I appreciated the most.


Rep and Tropes
Ellie: bi & demisexual (mid 20s)
Jack: Lesbian mid 20s
Trans les side rep, non-binary side rep
Found family
Fake dating
Marriage of connivence
Forced proximity
One bed
Sexy lesbian lumber Jack scene
Generalized anxiety disorder
ADHD

Cw
Emotional/ narcissistic abusive parents
Sexism
Alcohol
Slight child abuse
Biphobia
Ableism
Bullying
Toxic relationship
Cheating
Mental Health

If you're looking for your next sapphic romance then look no further than this adorable, adventurous, and steamy Christmas time novel! This was a 5-star read for me and if I could rate it higher, I would. I stayed up until 3:00am because I couldn't put this ARC down and I feel so privileged to have had the chance to read it early. Alison's Cochrun's first queer rom-com novel did not disappoint, and Kiss Her Once for Me went even above that - which I didn't think would be possible. I now know for a fact that I would buy any of Alison Cochrun's books blind (now in the same rank as Sarah J Maas, Tamora Pierce, and Taylor Jenkins Reid for me).

The ideal setting to read this novel is on a chilly November day, with a cup of hot chocolate by the fire under some blankets because you will not move all day until you finish it. I immediately fell in love with the two main characters: Ellie and Jack, and especially their meet-cute story. I loved that you got to know all of their quirks, flaws and superpowers but also gradually got to know about their past through Ellie's webcomic stories. From the very first page, I was hooked and went between a wide smile, tears, pain in my chest, and absolute laughter. If you're in your twenties and have any experience dealing with mental health issues (especially anxiety), you will relate to Ellie's storyline as an anxiety-ridden perfectionist. Even throughout that, it isn't a heavy book - it keeps it's lightheartedness while still providing a wide depth of emotions.

If you haven't gotten the message yet, I absolutely LOVED this book and I will recommend it to anyone and everyone. It's funny, it's sexy, and it's emotional - despite knowing a happy ending is coming, there are so many moments when your heart aches at what is happening. Alison Cochrun has struck gold twice writing both this and Charm; and I for one cannot wait to see what comes next!!

This is going to be such a hit near the holidays. I absolutely loved The Charm Offensive and this was a fantastic holiday romance follow up!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the conclusion.. While reading, I found myself annoyed by trope after trope. I would have enjoyed it even more had it been toned down and more cozy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance egalley of Kiss Her Once For Me.

As a HUGE fan of Alison Cochrun’s debut offering, The Charm Offensive, as well as her inspirational material for this sophomore offering, While You Were Sleeping, I preordered this book with glee! And on so many of the aspects I loved about her writing the first time around? She absolutely delivered:

Diverse Rainbow Representation? Check!
Incredible Mental Health Representation? Check!
Quirky but Fabulous Ensemble Cast? Check!
The Bestest of Best Friends? Check?
Found/Chosen Family? Check!
All the Romanticism? Check!
And an adorable Holiday setting is just the cherry on top!

I loved Jack with her ‘butch Bill Pullman’ (i.e. lumbersexual) style and too loud voice and too big dog and too honest honesty game and hyper-independence, all wrapped up in the aroma of bread. And I maybe related to Ellie a little too well with her rigid 10-year plan and her perfectionism tied up in her need to please grown from her desperate desire to be loved, but self-sabotaged by her paralyzing fear of failure. I maybe also wanted to be adopted by the Kim-Prescott’s too—or at least by Meemaw and Lovey.

That all said, while I truly enjoyed Kiss Her Once For Me, I found myself slightly troubled by a superficial depiction of polyamory—which stood out in part because in both her debut and even the majority of this sophomore offering, Alison builds such uniquely open and diverse casts of characters exemplifying incredible diversity.


***Minor SPOILER Alert***


However, because of the association of polyamory with Claire, an arguably ‘villainous’ character, and a rather one-sided description based on how that character interpreted/chose to live a polyamorous lifestyle, the identity felt negatively impacted too; and the discussions around characters wanting more traditionally committed and monogamous relationships just compounded that negative inference for me as a reader.

Maybe I was being overly sensitive/picky, but I know there are so many more aspects and ways of living/identifying as polyamorous that were not even touched upon, and I would have liked to see a little more balanced/nuanced portrayal acknowledging the full spectrum. I do realize that Ari is also identified as polyamorous early on in the narrative (and I absolutely love Ari) but then that detail about their character just falls by the wayside and so, while they could have provided that balance, it felt more like a missed opportunity.


***Minor SPOILER Alert Ends***


All together I consider this a fun and sweet and slightly kooky romcom, perfect for the Holidays: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Wowowoowowow I loved every single minute of this. If you are like me and love a messy queer rom-com, KISS HER ONCE FOR ME is the perfect holiday read. I loved these three-demential characters IMMENSELY, and really rooted for them amidst their antics. Cochrun’s storytelling, anxiety rep, and nuanced queer characters are once again one-of-a-kind and outstanding.

I strongly recommend KISS HER ONCE FOR ME if you are interested in any of the following:
💜 Tropey rom-coms WITH TWISTS
💜 Queer love trapezoids
💜 Messy characters who you cherish
💜 Found family during the holidays
💜 Coming-of-age stories for characters in their mid-20s
💜 Boozy and stoner grandmas
💜 Screaming love confessions
💜 Cozy setting + a love letter to Portland

I read a lot of romance, and this really stuck out to me. It felt unique and fresh and swoony and warm and poignant and complicated, but still a lot of fun. I look forward to reading anything Alison Cochrun writes!

Content Warnings: anxiety, panic attacks, cheating, emotional neglect by parents

tanks netgalley for letting read this book
i liked this book it was a fun Christmas book who doesn't love books about Christmas and a rom com at that i would def read another book by the author

Kiss Her Once for Me opens with the author's love letter to the magic of the 90s romcom classic While You Were Sleeping. The comparison made me a little nervous - how could anyone adapt such a beloved classic in a way that felt new and exciting? Let me tell you, Cochrun has more than succeeded. From the first page I could not put this book down, and have not stopped telling every person I know about it. It is cozy, enchanting, joyfully queer, and an instant favorite that more than lives up to the success of her first novel.

As a Portland native, I can say that Kiss Her Once for Me captures the magic of the Pacific Northwest in ways that felt authentic and landed on just the right side of romanticized. From citywide shutdowns over mere inches of snow to meet-cutes at Powell's, Cochrun has reminded me of what makes our city special while remaining honest about the anxiety and grief inherent in living within a city that is facing a severe housing crisis.

Like lead character Ellie, I am also currently staring down a significant rent increase and struggling to manage my anxiety around both housing and my relationship with family. I truly have never felt so seen in a book that still manages to be, as a whole, lighthearted and filled with hope, joy, and love. It is everything I have ever wanted in a Christmas romance, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

ALISON COCHRUN HAS DONE IT AGAIN. I’m in awe, really. This book was so lovely, from everything from the mental health discussions to the way she explained the aspectrum to the characters personalities and their relationship with each other. Throughout the course of reading this novel I fell in love with Ellie and Jack, but also Meredith, Ari, Andrew, Dylan, the grandmas, Katherine, and even her roommates. This story was a love story at its heart, but it was also a gorgeous story about friendship and finding yourself. I cannot say enough good things about this book and I can’t wait until I can hold a copy in my hands. Thank you for helping me believe that love comes in many forms once again :)

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for my thoughts.

before we get in to the nitty gritty details know that this was this easiest five star i’ve given all year. kiss her once for me is a sapphic, christmas romance but it’s also so much more than that. every messy, wonderful part of the characters made falling in love with this book something that i had no control over. alison cochrun is truly one of the most talented authors of this time, and i am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this arc.

I gotta be honest. I'm tired of every queer book I read having some crazy convoluted plot that involved the need to marry somebody right away. I appreciate that this book put a spin on the marriage of convenience trope, but I just am tired of the unnecessary complicatedness of it all. A single sentence of communication between any of the characters could resolve a lot of the issues in this book. not saying this is a bad book, I'm just tired.

Kiss Her Once for Me

by Alison Cochrun

Arc

NetGalley

MC Ellie Oliver & Jack



This was a very sweet holiday romance about Ellie and Jack. I found the book to kept me interested from the very beginning. I love a good holiday story, plus one with romance! It was very cute, fun, entertaining and racy . This was my first book by the author and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I will definitely keep my eye out for future books by the author.



Who would not love a book about A magical Christmas with a touch of romcom and girl on girl love?



I would like to thank the Author and NetGalley for the arc. Five stars! I highly recommend this book it Will be released November 1 of 2022

WHY WAS THIS SO PERFECT! Absolutely adored the romance and the entire storyline. It was just fun and made me wish it was Christmas.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

wow - I have been HIGHLY anticipating this read and it did not disappoint. the second I was approved I dove right in. a lovely follow up to her debut novel- following a similar yet different and unique format. I LOVED all the characters from MC Ellie to best friend Meredith and of course her lover Jack. a sweet Christmas romance with a few unexpected twists! the proposal movie and then some.

THIS BOOK! Alison Cochrun does it again! I'm obsessed with the Taylor Swift references, the social anxiety representation, and just the whole overall story. After The Charm Offensive I knew that Cochrun would be an autobuy author and this just solidifies by decision!

*I received this book as an ARC From Alison Cochrun, Atria Books, and #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so very much for allowing me to read and review!*

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun took my heart and hasn’t yet given it back. I absolutely loved the story and characters. This is so much more than a sapphic rom-com. It is about taking risks, facing fears of failure and rejection, and learning to love yourself. It is one of the best romances I have ever read and I look forward to reading more from this author. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Queer romance is my new favorite genre and this one was definitely enjoyable, but not one of my favorites to date. The premise was pretty outrageous, and I especially realized that when I was telling my wife about it, but overall a quick & lovely read.

3 - 3.5 stars

The Charm Offensive was one of my absolute favourite books of 2021. I loved everything about it, and that gave me high hopes for Kiss Her Once for Me. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Christmas romances; I read a dozen or more every holiday season, and sprinkle them in throughout the year. The fact this is a sapphic Christmas romcom, aka something I’ve been begging the queer book gods for more of? Well, cue the hearteyes and grabby hands.

Because of that, it absolutely breaks my heart that I didn’t enjoy this book more. Maybe my expectations were too high, maybe I read it at the wrong time, I don’t know, but I found myself not looking forward to picking it back up and not really caring about the characters or what was happening. As a lover of Christmas romances, I know you have to sometimes suspend believability and that a lot of it is contrived and insta-lovey, but it just didn’t work for me in this case. The scenarios where Ellie and Jack were thrown together often felt too contrived, and there was the whole grey area of lusting after someone you can’t have/cheating that didn’t sit quite right with me.

What I did like: the diversity of the characters. Ellie was bisexual and demisexual, and had social anxiety and panic attacks; Jack was lesbian and Asian-American; and there were also queer side characters. As a whole, I enjoyed the cast of characters and found them amusing, especially Jack and Andrew’s eccentric grandmothers. I love reading about family holidays and traditions, so I enjoyed that for the most part. I felt the most connection with Ellie; her anxiety, loneliness, and money struggles really resonated with me and felt realistic. I also enjoyed the humour in the book and particularly enjoyed the banter between Ellie and Andrew, and the hilarious things the grandmothers said and did.

4.5 stars

Alison Cochrun has done it again!!! Making my heart go potter latter and falling in love with all of these characters!!

I ADORED Charm Offensive and I’ve basically read it like 10 times, so when Alison announced a new book?? I was jumping up down and all around!! THEN I got a galley for it and I couldn’t wait any longer to read this book!!

And this book, it put me in the Christmas spirit! The little bits and pieces of Christmas carols was perfect, the holiday traditions with the Kim-Prescott family was so fun, and you just have to love the grandmas!

I love the whole aspect of a whole love trapezoid but like in a fun way and the fake dating aspect between two characters that are only just friends. I laughed so much with Jack, Ellie, Dylan, and Andrew!! And I hope to see more of them in future books!

And I also loved the representation of anxiety as well as the concept of failure. Alison did such a good job with how we are able to do better moving forward rather than thinking of the failures of our past. We’re all human! We make mistakes! And that’s ok!!!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ears in return for an honest review!

Oh, Ellie... what a disaster! I can so relate!

Ellie is our protagonist. She has moved to Portland to start her dream job. This is the first step of her ten-year plan. A few months into her new life in Portland Ellie's life gets turned upside down. As she's mourning her own failure in a bookstore she meets a woman and falls in love in the one day they spend together.

Fast forward a year later and Ellie has found herself entering into an agreement to marry someone in a marriage of convenience, Andrew has to be married to receive his inheritance and Ellie will receive enough money to change her life. Andrew and Ellie are both surprised when they spend their Christmas with Andrew's family and secrets start coming to light.

I adore Ellie except for the woe is me way of thinking she dives into so frequently. Andrew is extremely likeable and his family is HILARIOUS! I enjoyed this read and I felt myself wishing for holidays like that of Andrew's family.