If the phrase “death trip romcom” gives you cognitive dissonance, you’re not alone. How could a story about two women driving their dying mentor across the country to die be anything but sad, let alone romantic? But in her latest, Here We Go Again, Alison Cochran has managed to not just pull it off, but tell a gorgeous story, weaving humor and a steamy second chance romance into a story that’s both heartrending and hopeful. Their mentor is going to die, this is never in question. And Cochran uses a deft hand in balancing gallows humor with the grim reality of caring for a terminal patient. Both FMC’s are disasters- former best friends still nursing wounds inflicted upon each other in a classic panicking gay teen miscommunication- and as they work through their confusion, their gear, and their ever-present grief, their slow burn rekindling isn’t just a welcome reprieve. It’s necessary. As the trio get closer to the end, it’s obvious that their mentor needs the hope of seeing his girls being okay before he can finally let go. Anyone who has lost a loved one in the slow and torturous grip of cancer knows exactly what to expect and Cochran handles the inevitable with grace and sensitivity without pulling the lens away. Having cared for a parent with brain cancer, and sat beside her in her final moments, I’ll admit I skipped a couple pages ahead while I waited for my eyes to clear. And yet the story isn’t depressing. It’s hopeful and light as the characters all find solace by the end, and realize what it means to truly love someone so hard it hurts. Give this book all the stars and make sure you preorder it.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster for me. I was experiencing so many different feelings while reading.

The humor in this book was very hit-or-miss. During the middle portion of the book, I found myself growing disinterested in the road trip, feeling disconnected from the characters activities and losing investment in their journey.

Some aspects of the story feel forced, such as Logan’s incessant use of celebrity names in place of curses, which quickly becomes grating.

While the themes of Joe's storyline adds depth to the narrative, it often overshadows the central romance between Logan and Rosemary which left me wanting more from the romance. The romantic relationship between Logan and Rosie started too early in the story, and I didn't really feel connected to them despite their earlier friendship and love for each other. There was an excessive amount of miscommunication between them, this trope was used too frequently, making it feel unnecessary and repetitive.

While I found the characters likable, I longed for deeper exploration into Logan & Rosemary's backgrounds, traumas, and teenage friendship to provide a more nuanced understanding of their motivations and complexities.

Thank you so much to Atria Books for providing this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Ex-friends and current enemies, Logan and Rosemary, can’t seem to stay out of each other’s orbits. After a dramatic end to the school year, they are tasked by their former English teacher, Joe Delgado, to take him on his “death trip” after being told he only has months to live.

Despite Rosemary’s meticulous itenerary, the cross-country roadtrip takes many unexpected twists and turns. Proximity to each other and Joe’s declining health force them to confront the past. Joe also faces his one regret in life, leading to a lovely story nestled within the larger plot. Cochrun makes a point to show that queer joy can be found everywhere despite some places in the U.S. attempting to take that joy away.

Here We Go Again is Alison Cochruns most emotional rom-com yet. It will leave you with a healthy dose of wanderlust and understanding that for some people, the hurt is worth it. If you’re favorite kind of romantic comedies also make you cry like a baby (which this book made me do twice) then Here We Go Again is the perfect book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t quite have words for how much I love this book.

Logan and Rosemary were best friends in middle school. An incident the summer before high school turned them into rivals. For ten years after high school, they didn’t speak. Now, in their 30s, they agree to go on a death trip with their mentor as his dying wish. They are forced together for what is supposed to be a simple 5-day trip, and they soon realize maybe they have more to work through than the grief of losing their lifelong mentor.

This book was, in a word, incredible. I very much enjoyed ‘The Charm Offensive’ so when this book came up I knew I wanted to read it. I was absolutely blown away by the weaving of this story. I laughed and cried the whole way through. Cochrun made me feel so connected to these characters so that every part of them felt embedded in my heart.

The mental health and grief representation in this book was done so well. The way it was weaved together was perfect. How different people process their grief and how their mental illness can affect that process is something that is so important to talk about and Cochrun did a phenomenal job.

Tropes:
Childhood friends to lovers
Second chance
Opposites attract
Found family
Forced proximity

Content/Trigger warnings:
Death of a parent (off-page)
Death of an important figure
Cancer
Addiction
Abandonment

I was so excited to get this arc (out in April) after reading Kiss Her Once for Me last year, and it didn’t disappoint. Road trip rom com about death? Sign me up. This book is heartwarming and sad, a story of relationships past and present, and a wonderful tale of grief and second chances. It’s a unique rom com in that we almost get two love stories in one, and a focus on other relationships that are prominent in our lives.

Our FMCs can’t be more different when we meet them, arch enemies from their youth, but bound by their love of one high school teacher whose changed their lives. What ensues is the most hysterical of road trips across the country in the gayest van with a large dog, a cancer patient, and two woman who can’t decide if they want to devour one another in the best or worst way. It did get a tad slow for me at some parts, and you do have to get past the use of queer icons as expletives 😂 I laughed, I cried, and I really want to go on a road trip now.

This book is perfect for the lovers of opposites attract, second chances, and forced proximity. Bonus for the additional found family vibes we get with Joe. I can’t recommend this one enough!

This book follows Logan and Rosemary, two teachers who idolized and adored their high school teacher. He’s dying of cancer and wants one last road trip to die on his terms.

I spent the last chunk of this book in tears!!!!! Grief is my lifeline. It’s so weird to say. But I cannot stop connecting to books so deeply entrenched in grief. I know it’s because I lost my dad young, and I’ve been losing people since then. I didn’t properly grieve as a child because I was too busy being grown up and strong for everyone else. I know this about myself. But when the grief is so prevalent and a focus of a book, I automatically am drawn to it.

This book told a love story between two women, but also a love story of deep friendship, adoration, found family, and love lost. Remy and Joe’s second chance had my heart warmed. The nude painting scenes had me cracking up. The vulnerability in this novel was great. I really enjoyed it and I’m so glad I read it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t even know where to start with this book…. It hit me right in the feels. We all have a teacher that we absolutely adored. For Rosemary and Logan that teacher was Joe. But Joe is more than a teacher, he’s family. He stayed in their lives as they grew up and now he’s dying. And he’s asked them to help him on his death trip. Unfortunately, Logan and Rosemary absolutely LOATHE one another and are hesitant. But it’s Joe’s (literal) dying wish, so they decide to come together for this road trip for Joe. Rosemary who needs binders and labels with schedules, and free spirited Logan who enjoys pushing Rosemary’s buttons. These once childhood friends quickly realize what caused them to stop talking as kids just may be the reason they need each other as adults. With multiple stops along the way everyone on this death trip learns more about themselves and who/what really matters in the end. Even though the storyline is awfully sad, Alison Cochrun made this book downright hilarious and relatable. Given the subject matter I thought this would be a lot sadder book to read than it actually was. The journey was beautifully written and the characters reasonably balanced the joy and sorrow they faced in the book. It was also great reading about two main characters with ADHD and how it is represented in them reflects that it may not be the same for everyone. #NetGalley #NetGalleyARC #ARC

I’ve never been in love before, but I’m pretty sure it feels like this.

I absolutely adored Here We Go Again, a sapphic rom-com that explores grief, reconciliation, and redemption. I have read another one of Cochrun's books, and liked but didn't necessarily love it, so I went into this book with an open mind, and I'm certainly glad that I did!

Here We Go Again follows Logan and Rosemary, childhood best friends turned enemies turned coworkers, who reunite when their beloved high school teacher is diagnosed with a terminal illness. When Joe - their former teacher - asks them to take him on a cross-country road trip to Maine (from Portland), the women have no choice but to grant his dying wish.

I absolutely loved this story, for so many reasons. Logan and Rosemary were complex and believable characters who drew me in, and I was rooting for each of them, both separately and to get together, already! Joe's journey is an incredibly touching one as well, which really ties the entire story together. I loved that Cochrun not only dives deep into the relationship of the characters, but also explores queer history and different meaningful aspects of the LGBTQ experience. Cochrun perfectly balances humor and heart, and this story is as sweet and funny as it is meaningful.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Alison Cochrun for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Here We Go Again was a mixed bag for me. I was not sure that I was going to like it in the beginning but by the end I really did. There were some things that irked me but are more like, this annoys me personally, not something wrong with the book. So it’s me not the book. I did laugh and cry more than once reading it. Didn’t love it more than her first two books but still a four star read for me. I think people will love it.

Childhood friends turned enemies, Logan and Rosemary share a mentor, Joe, whose dying wish is to take a cross country road trip from Portland, Oregon to Bar Harbor, Maine. Unable to say no, the two embark on a road trip with Joe and his adorable 90 pound mutt in the “Gay Mobile”. The more Logan and Rosemary spend time together on what they call Joe’s “Death Trip,” the more they yearn for the relationship they once had as teenagers.

Mama Mia—I’m a sobbing mess. This is a touching story about how life is both beautiful and painful, and how there are people who are worth the hurt. Cochran is skilled in making a small, intimate moment wrap you like a burrito. The banter among Joe, Logan, and Rosemary is endearing and heartfelt. There are brilliant quips and sharp one liners that had me cracking up. There is also a lovable cancer dog who is the size of a large child that thinks he’s a lapdog.

I loved the rollercoaster of a journey this book took me on. At another time in my life, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get through the heavy topic of reading death of a loved one on the page. I recommend reading the author’s note at the beginning.

I highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Alison Cochrun once again delivers in a fun, heartfelt, queer rom com. This book is full of tropes I love; second chance romance, roadtrips, forced proximity, etc and I loved travelling across the country with this trio. While I loved both our main characters and the childhood best friends to enemies storyline, I think the real star of the show is Joe and his impact on the story. His illness and second chance at love really carried me through this novel. I especially loved the references to 1980's NYC, drag, and the aids crisis. I think it's so important to show queer characters getting the soft happy endings they deserve, I will be picturing Logan and Rosemary in their cottage by the sea for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

What an absolute delight it was to read an ARC of Here We Go Again! Before reading this, I was already a huge fan of Alison Cochrun's work, as The Charm Offensive is one of my favorite romance books, and not only was Here We Go Again a massive success, it might just be my new favorite romance book of all time. Needless to say, if I could give this more than five stars, I would.

It was incredibly refreshing to read a romance book with two lesbian lead characters who are also neurodivergent, and I especially loved that both characters experienced their ADHD differently. Both Logan and Rosemary were well developed, believable, and absolutely lovable characters. I wish I could give them both the biggest hugs. Joe and Remy were also the stars of the show, and this story would not be the same without either of them. I really appreciated how much this book explored sexuality, queer history, grief, death, regret, and the importance of fighting for who you love and never letting go. I laughed, I wept, and I made sure to blast the Mamma Mia soundtrack in the book's honor.

JOE!!!!😭😭😭💔❤️‍🩹PSA : don’t read any of the second half of this book in public😩 because you WILL get misty-eyed (if you’re not a book cryer) or you WILL sob (if you’re a book cryer)🥺😮‍💨

✨middle school besties to enemies to lovers
✨sapphic road trip romance!!
✨found family 🫶 a chosen father figure!
✨neurodivergent rep - anxiety + ADHD for example, but also addiction, abandonment issues
✨a drag kings and queens moment👑 that was to die for!!
✨a therapy dog 🐕‍🦺, long lost nude paintings, pop culture swearing (trust me you’ll notice it), and plenty of hilarious one-liners

It took me a whiiiile to get into BUT I think part of that was a me-problem and not a book-problem. I love Cochrun + will continue to read everything she ever publishes💛

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I should have realized based on the premise, but this was a much more emotional romance novel than your typical. It was such a beautiful examination of love and grief, and what things (and people) are truly important in life. If you're looking for a fluffy queer romance, this may not be for you, but the love story is also a sweet one.

***TRIGGER WARNING: Cancer***

I thought about DNFing this book 50 pages in and I should have. This book was not good. It was super predictable and not original at all. This book was dealing with such a serious topic and did not do a good job with being sensitive. This is one of the worst romance books I have read in a long time.

It’s 2am and I’m laying in a puddle of my own tears so this will not be my full review but by god this book was absolutely beautiful in every way. Like truly Alison’s words are just so so special and I’m honored to have been able to read this book early and I’ll definitely be crying about this one forever. I’m calling it right now, this is and will be my number 1 read of the year!

This is a sorta second chance, best friends to enemies to lovers, road trip, forced proximity, opposites attract, sapphic romance with neurodivergence rep. Rosemary was annoyingly Type A (and as the Type A-est of Type As, I can say that lol), while Logan was very laid back, a little too much IMO. I'm trying not to judge, but you don't know the name of the person you've been sleeping with regularly for FOUR MONTHS?!?! Although we do get why they both are like they are at about a third of the way through, this made it hard for me to care for either of them. The level of immaturity did not help either. But my favorite character remains Joe, their gay mentor. He brought a true sense of found family to the story, which was heavy on self-discovery and grief, and how different people deal with it (I cried for the better part of the last 20% of the book). Although I felt like it was dragging at times, this book leaves me with a heavy but warmed heart.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster/Atria Books for sending me an eARC! I very much enjoyed Cochrun's previous two novels, and this one lived up to my expectations and then some.

From the very first line, I was cackling. This book grabs you right away with its earnest humor, but keeps you reading for the beautifully developed relationships. Logan and Rosemary's journey from childhood best friends to enemies to friends again then finally lovers was executed perfectly, especially through both women's struggles with mental health and grief. One criticism I have is that the POV switches quite rapidly between Logan and Rosemary, which made the pacing awkward at times.

Overall, this novel was a lovely adventure, and I greatly appreciate Cochrun for portraying healing as a non-linear and often painful process. Here We Go Again is achingly tender love letter to neurodivergent brains and all the queer kids whose English teachers became their found family.

Here We Go Again has wrecked me in the absolute best way. There are no words for how amazing this was

“This is love. Love is seeing perfection in every flaw. Seeing every flaw as a miracle because it belongs to the person you care about most.“

🗺️ Rosemary and Logan were childhood best friends, but after a falling out they do their best to avoid each other at all costs despite growing up to teach at the same school. All that rivalry has to take a backseat when their former teacher (and lifelong friend) asks for their help to fulfill his dying wish to travel across the county with both of them. Putting grudges aside, Rosemary and Logan venture out with a dying man and his dog for one last adventure - and maybe even find love along the way. 🗺️

Y’all know I am an Alison Cochrun stan, but when I say this book absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way I need you to understand how serious I am. For the last third of this beautiful little book I was literally sobbing so hard I could barely finish half a page at a time. It was painful and beautiful and hopeful and heartbreaking and just perfect.

At its core Here We Go Again is a story about there is beauty in loss and pain in love and just how powerful that is. It’s also really freakin’ funny and ridiculous and romantic as hell.

I genuinely can not remember the last time a book brought forth such visceral emotions from me - to the point where I literally reached out to one of my high school teachers to thank them for helping me through one of the darkest points of my life. It’s just that good.

This book comes out April 2nd, so get it preordered and grab a box of tissues. You’re gonna need them.