Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book—it’s out 9/2!

4.5 stars rounded down

Alison Cochrun is one of my favorite romance authors and might be the only person to make me think that I should go walk the Camino de Santiago!

As always, her books have a queer love story at the center, but there are so many other layers that enrich the story, like friendship, family dynamics, and mental health. In this book, Sadie is a 35 year old who’s feeling stuck living someone else’s dream job and has never been able to find the words to articulate her sexuality. When she unexpectedly finds herself on a Camino tour for queer women, it’s an opportunity to experience the queer adolescence she never had, with the help of her roommate Mal, who’s also falling hard for Sadie…

I always appreciate that Cochrun’s books explore mental health in a very nuanced way, and while I don’t think I related to this book as much as I did to Kiss Her Once for Me or Here We Go Again, it’s a reminder that it’s never too late to discover who you are and what you want (and to visit Portugal!).

Alison Cochrun has become one of my favorite authors this year. I've read all of her books. Every Step She Takes is a wonderful new addition to her titles. I loved joining Sadie and Mal as they trekked across El Camino. Not only did the characters go on a physical journey, they also experienced emotional journeys as well. Sadie finds herself with the time and space to question her sexuality and her life's path. Mal is forced to confront a traumatic coming-out experience from decades ago. I loved seeing these characters learn and grow along the path. This book was absolutely a five-star read for me! Even though this book isn't out yet, I'm already longing for Cochrun's next book!

I’ve never read anything by Alison Cochrun but will absolutely be doing so now. This was funny but emotional, reminding me of my own coming out experience and first love. Will be buying a physical copy as soon as it comes out!

The character chemistry is always phenomenal. These books always feel like returning home. If I had a nickel for every book with a queer couple walking a trail I’d have two nickels. Each character made my heart happy. I love queer joy. Finding yourself is an amazing feat and I’m so happy for those championing self love. Thank you so much for this arc!

This is my first Alison Cochrun, and it certainly won't be my last. I loved Every Step She Takes!! It was so refreshing to read about 30 somethings figuring out themselves. As a 30 something myself, I appreciated that both main characters didn't have their life all figured out. It its important to have representation of finding out you're queer later in life. Not one has the same timeline to queerness and life in general, and it is clear in this book that that's how these characters are. I loved the secondary characters who were on this tour with Sadie and Mal too!

This story is so dear, and I think many folks will relate to this story, but especially 30 somethings who don't feel like they have it all together. The setting of the story, doing the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, was an incredible setting. I didn't know much about that going into this story, but now I want to go!

The growth these characters go through is heartwarming, and you can't help but root for them all. I can't wait for this book to come out because I'll be able to talk about it more. Be on the look out on 09/02/2025!

Thanks to NetGalley and Camino Atria Books for a copy of this ARC, all opinions my own.

I would probably consider this women's fiction featuring a late-bloomer learning to embrace herself more than traditional "romance" novel. Sadie and Mal are both 35+, experiencing a lot of inner turmoil, and they spend a fair amount of time in their own heads. Expect a lot of walking and ruminating. There are definitely sparks, a little spice, and cute moments, but this isn't the ring and a baby epilogue type of romance. The queer representation between the two FMCs and the side characters is robust, and there are a lot of discussions with Sadie, the tour group's baby gay that help her uncover a lot of repressed feelings.

A note about the cover—Sadie said she is not straight size, and that her sister is a fat influencer. At multiple points throughout the story Sadie's body is described as curvy, buxom, generous, etc. The cover art does not accurately reflect the way she's been described, and that feels like intentional erasure of a fat character that has openly embraced her shape.

4.5 ⭐️

I have never met an Alison Cochrun book I didn't LOVE, and Every Step She Takes is no different.

When Sadie's travel influencer sister gets injured, she asks Sadie to take her spot on a Camino tour. However, she forgets to add it's a tour for queer women and genderqueer people. Which is tricky for Sadie, because she's only just starting to realize she might be a lesbian. And that attractive woman she met on the plane? Is her roommate during the tour.

Alison Cochrun then does what she does best and has Mal help Sadie to practice being queer. The Camino setting, the mostly queer cast of characters and Mal and Sadie's shenanigans and budding attraction to each other make for a super fun story. There's also a lot of heart to it, with Sadie figuring out she's queer well in her 30s, Mal not really knowing what she wants in life after her estranged father's recent passing, and conversations about comphet and being on a different timeline than other people.

I am unwell, a puddle of tears, damn you, Alison Cochrun, for doing this to me again.

This book tackles a lot, from our millennial childhoods smothered in toxic heteronormativity to loss of a parent and the complexity of grief, to first loves and finding yourself and learning that it's okay to be vulnerable.

I highlighted so much of this book because so much of it resonated with me, I knew I was queer from a young age but I didnt have the words to say it, so I didn't come out until my early 30s and it was everything, and nothing, but life changing. Sadie's journey was everything to me.

I couldn't put this book down, I loved every single second of it. All the members of our rag tag queer adventure group, the descriptions of the food and the scenery, the chemistry, and the swoony romance. I loved Sadie and Mal so much, and I would totally appreciate a novella in the future to update where they and the group are now!

This ARC was provided by Atria books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7628056894Each Alison Cochrun book–and I’ve read all four now–starts with something pretty tropey–a dating reality show, a fake engagement and failing in love with your fiance’s sister, a road trip to fulfill a dying person’s wish, and now her latest novel, in which a woman replaces her sister on a trip (as well as loudly declaring on the plane that she might be gay. And, oh yeah, the trip is for lesbians (sister forgot to mention that). Sadie also declared it to her seatmate on the plane–and it turns out that Mal is on the tour, too. Sadie is a very easy character to like and empathize with; Mal, on the other hand, is a little more difficult to get into, which actually does work well with the character.

The trip and the many side characters are great. It is a fun read, which does somewhat lose the path just a little in the third act. Prepare for tropes, but if you’re reading an Alison Cochrun book, then you probably actually like tropes written well. And Cochrun does it extremely well (I described Kiss Her Once for Me as a Hallmark book that anyone could like). Much like The Charm Offensive, the ending scene is a bit eye-rolling, but I know from reading that book for a book club that my reaction is far from the norm (and that book was also a great read–seriously, although Here We Go Again isn’t my favorite, every Cochrun book is well worth the read). This is closer to a 4.5 stars, but I don’t quite feel comfortable giving it a 5, so I’m rating it 4–but it’s 4.5.

Having a gay identity crisis is hard enough—but having one mid-hike with a queer travel group on the Camino de Santiago? That’s exactly where Sadie Wells finds herself when she steps in for her travel-blogger sister on a sponsored trek from Portugal to Spain. And just to raise the stakes: the woman she accidentally came out to in a panicked moment on the plane? She’s now Sadie’s roommate for the whole journey. 😬🏞️
What follows is a heartfelt and hilarious walk of self-discovery—both literal and emotional—as Sadie navigates her own delayed queer awakening at 35.
Alison Cochrun delivers once again with a romance that’s fun, flirty, sexy, and full of heart. I adored how relatable the characters were—especially seeing queer, curvy, thirty-something leads front and center. As a 41-year-old romance reader, I’m always thrilled when the love stories reflect my stage of life, and this one hit all the right notes.
A breath of fresh air and a total travel-lover’s dream, this book is perfect for fans of Anita Kelly and Meryl Wilsner. 💕✈️📚

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I thought it was going to be playing off of the success of group travel phenom The Pairing (McQuiston), but in no way, shape, or form is Cochrun doing anything but offering an amazing entry into the travel romance genre. Truly, the book was phenomenal and I didn't just fall in love with the characters, but now I desperately want to complete a Camino. Great work.

A very sweet book by an author who I always love. You cannot help but become invested in the characters, their personal journeys and relationships, their fears and hopes, all while walking the Camino in Portugal/Spain.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book. I’ve only read a couple sapphic romance novels thus far, but I really liked this one.

The two main characters, Sadie and Mal, were great and both relatable in their own ways. Sadie is a 35-year old woman unsure of her sexuality, and Mal is a 38-year old woman confident in her sexuality (but not in her ability to love someone long-term). This book was all about their journey to self-discovery as they do Portugal’s Camino de Santiago.

I love the overall theme that it’s never too late to live your own truth. Definitely looking forward to reading more from Alison Cochrun.

Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun is a touching story about finding yourself and love in unexpected places. Sadie and Mal's journey on the Camino is both emotional and relatable, especially for those who feel like they're on their own path in life. Cochrun's writing is engaging and brings the characters to life, making you laugh and cry along the way. The dual perspectives offer interesting insights into both characters, though I wished for a bit more depth in their stories. The side characters and the beautiful setting add extra charm to the book. If you enjoy travel, romance, and stories about personal growth, you'll enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

I cried reading this book and, while it shouldn’t come as a surprise because I am a very emotional lesbian, it speaks of how beautiful Alison’s writing is. I am honestly in love with everything she writes and I recognize myself so much in the characters and in their journey.

Being queer means that we live in an alternate timeline, that our milestones come at different moments and that we sometimes feel at a complete loss. Or at least, I know I do. I don’t fit in the box people set aside for me, and, just like Sadie and Mal, it’s hard to make peace with that.

This book made me laugh, cry and I think I might need to do a Camino.

I’ll also be buying a copy of this book for every person in my life.

I've loved every book I've read by Alison Cochrun, and this was no exception! To be honest the beginning felt kind of wild to me, but it ended up feeling relatively realistic to the characters (and sometimes you just need to suspend disbelief a little so that the romance novel premise can happen lol). But I just love how Cochrun writes characters and their relationships, and I was totally sucked into this story. The ending was great and none of it felt frustrating or unrealistic. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I'm usually such a huge fan of Alison Cochrun's writing and I was dying to get my hands on this one early, and I'm sad to say I wasn't as deeply in love with it as I wanted to be. It's not remotely a bad book, but it isn't one I wanted to spend a lot of time with.

Something about the characters never truly settled in for me. They felt archetype-y and stereotypical, and while a little cheese in a romance can be a good thing this felt over the top cringe fairly regularly. Their narrative voices felt more geared toward a younger reader who needs their hand held throughout the story, instead of an adult who can infer things in subtext. I wish I had vibed more with the characters because the vacation setting and the coming out story were something I really wanted to love, but I kept getting hung up on not enjoying Sadie or Mal.

Every Step She Takes is about Sadie Wells who has lived out everyone else's dreams (her grandmother's store, her mother and sister's support system, etc.) her whole life until her sister, Vi, breaks her ankle and is forced to give up her trip across the Camino, a long distance hike in Europe that's supposed to be transformative. Sadie agrees to go in Vi's place and write for Vi's travel blog. At first she's not sure why but as she starts her journey it becomes clear and she's in need of a metaphorical journey in her life. On this hike Sadie discovers her likes and dislikes, her sexuality, and her dreams. Meanwhile she meets Mal who has secrets of her own and needs to go on her own journey--for truth and healing--and they fall in love. But will it last beyond the Camino? Only time will tell. I really loved the parallel physical and metaphorical journeys the characters went on and the side characters were incredible, definitely a highlight. This was really fun to read in the spring when the dates in the book paralleled the dates in real life. What kept this from being five stars for me was that I wanted a bit more from the characters. I feel like by dividing it between Sadie and Mal I felt like I wanted a bit more of each, though I did really like the dual perspective. If you love travel, queer romance, or stories told in dual POV, I think you'll love this one. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Liked this book! Honestly read it in one day. It's a perfect summer read.


-Sadie escapes to a queer Camino tour for a life reset
-Mid-flight panic = drunk confessions to her hot seatmate
-Surprise: she’s on the same tour
-Long walks, late talks, & a slow-burn sapphic romance
-A heartwarming journey of healing, identity & unexpected love

I love Alison Cochrun's writing, and this book was no different! I think this story is so great, and the characters felt so real. Sadie's coming out "late" in life is something that I'm sure is very relatable to a lot of people, and I loved that she is 35 in the book and Mal is 39. So many main characters are super young so it was great to see some different representation.

Knowing that Cochrun did the Camino herself made me love the plot even more! I saw some similarities to The Pairing by Casey McQuiston, but even if you didn't love that book, you'll love this one.

A big thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of one of my most anticipated 2025 reads!