I almost bailed on this book more than once-- in pursuit of a diverse cast this author ends up writing absolutely cringe, tokenizing, one-note "diverse" characters. I understand the urge and applaud the desire but I am begging authors to be normal about it and write their characters like they're people.
I liked that Mal and Sadie were older, and Sadie's journey of discovery is genuinely satisfying. But the romance is deeply uninteresting and the Disney-level basic-ness of the side characters absolutely did not do it for me.

⤷ When Sadies’s travel blogger sister gets injured and is unable to travel she offers to take her place on a Camino tour. How hard could it be? Sadies trip gets off on the wrong foot when sudden turbulence causes her to drunkenly come out to the attractive woman sitting next to her. Little does she know the tour is for queer women, which serves to be difficult considering she’s only now starting to realize she might be gay. As if things couldn’t get worse, the attractive woman from the plane also happens to be on the same tour and has to share a room with her.

⤷ As I first started this book I wasn’t super into it, but as I continued I slowly loved it! It was so cute and I loved the Hayley Kiyoko, Chappell Roan, and Gracie Abrams references. The main character in this book is significantly older than I am, but in a way it still felt so relatable as a girl who once also struggled to figure her sexuality and who she was in the world. I love all the representation in this book and it was overall a great read.

I absolutely adored this book! I’ve never wanted to drop everything and walk hundreds of miles more. It was fun, relatable, and everything I want in a book

I was hopeful that I would like this because the premise sounds super fun, summery, and cute, but I really didn’t enjoy this. My biggest gripe was that neither of the main characters were likable. Mal was straight up toxic and ignored everyone calling her out for it and then we didn’t even see any of her growth on page as it all happened during a time jump. Sadie was so annoyingly insecure which I could have looked past because it was realistic, but then she literally thinks “I know no means no” and then still proceeds to pressure mal to have sex with her. Like girl. Come on.

The writing was ok. It started out including the fun blog posts and then they stop for like the middle 50% of the book and then just turn into really really bad blog lists.

I did like the side characters but I felt like there were a few too many to get that attached to any single one. Like I still have no idea what Vera’s purpose was?

Overall I could get behind toxic lesbian characters, but not in a contemporary romance book like this that is supposed to have a happy healthy ending.

This was a very cute book that I thoroughly enjoyed. When Sadie's grandmother died, she left her an antique store when she was 21 years old. Her sister, Vi, traveled all over the world as an influencer. When Vi broke her toe, she was unable to take her planned trip to Portugal. It was a 91 mile walking tour. Sadie agreed to go in her place.

When Sadie got on the plane, her seatmate was Mal. It seems that she too was going to Portugal. They struck up a conversation and then there was a tremendous amount of turbulence. It was at that point that Sadie shouted at the top of her lungs that she was a virgin. She also said that she thought she might be a lesbian. Her sister and her mother have been meddling in her love life, setting her up on blind dates with men. Sadie's 35th birthday was coming up and she told her sister that she would go on 14 dates up until her birthday and then after that she and her mother were to leave her alone about her love life. Sadie knew that Mal was gay because of the rainbow stickers that were on her pack.

When they got to Portugal, Sadie realized that Mal was taking the same Camino trip that she was. She was devastated because of what she had proclaimed on the airplane. Their leader, Inez, paired the two women up as roommates. Inez and Mal had known each other before and Inez told Mel not to fall for Sadie. Inez knew Mal had a pension for falling in love with women and then ending their relationship and running away. Also, Mal had a friend, Michelle, who knew the same about her as well and she told her that on this trip she should spend the time looking inside herself and figuring out who she really was.

Since Sadie was exploring her sexuality and leaning towards being a lesbian, Mal agreed to be her fairy god dyke. In all honesty, Mal had fallen for Sadie on the plane and Sadie had fallen for Mal. But they refused to tell each other. Sadie said she needed to know what it was like to kiss a woman so she asked Mel to kiss her. Mel thought it was a terrible idea but she eventually agreed to do so. It turned out to be an incredible kiss for both of them. Mal told Sadie that she thought Sadie had a crush on Inez and initially Sadie didn't correct her.

Eventually, Sadie told Mel that she wanted her to teach her how to have sex with a woman. Needless to say, Mal felt like that was an absolutely horrible idea. And needless to say, Mal agreed to do it., Sadie told Mel how she felt about her but Mal did not reciprocate. As they were nearing the end of their trip, Sadie told Mal that she thought they should room with other people to which Mal agreed. At the end of the trip Mal gave Sadie a hug goodbye and agreed to stay in touch and Sadie left for the airport. When she got home, she told her mother and her sister that she was a lesbian. They both rejoiced with her, as Vi was bisexual.

Sadie decided to sell the antique store and start her own business refinishing furniture. Sadie and Mel kept in touch with each other and texted or talked pretty much everyday. What I failed to mention earlier in this review is that Mal was filthy rich. Her father had a huge wine conglomerate and he had died and left everything to her. So she went on Sadie's Etsy website and purchased several pieces using aliases so that Sadie wouldn't know it was her. I can't say anymore about the book because that would spoil it, but suffice it to say that I was enchanted with this story. The author developed the characters beautifully and the story was really easy to follow. I gave this book five stars and I would have given it more if that were possible.

I couldn’t put it down!!! Thanks so much to Atria publishing for the e arc in exchange for my review!!!

There’s something so beautiful about stories of self discovery, and I thought that was so well balanced here with a fun and adventurous travel romance.

I loved that they both had a lot to learn and room to grow, from the up front exploration of sexuality to the slow unwinding with complicated grief.

These characters felt like home, no matter where in the world they ended up.

I did not really like this book. It felt very lusty and I did not connect with the writing style. And I felt bored the whole time.

Much like Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly, this book has the dangerous ability to make such an adventure not only seem possible, but like an actual good idea?
I’m way more outsidey than outdoorsy though, so I’m not falling for it…yet

Sadie and Mal are both are working through some things with their imperfect family relationships, and while they might have been using it run away from things, the trip also gives them some needed clarity

I really enjoyed Mal finding support in people she forgot she had, and in a surprising new person. It doesn’t necessarily uncomplicate the loss of her father, but overall it’s a good change!

Side note - Sadie’s sister could not have done a worse job of preparing her for this trip! I do think it was more thoughtlessness than malicious, but OOF! There were some key details they should have gone over before switching places

As for the romance, I loved this too. I’m not even sure they were fooling themselves when things were ‘just for practice’ because … come on ladies! Everyone knew you’ve had a thing for each other!
It also nails home the idea that you’re never too old to figure yourself out. A delayed adolescence is better than giving up on one entirely. And that person you’re holding yourself up against? Who seemingly has it all together and is clearly better than you? They don’t and they aren’t, so don’t worry so much.

I liked the entire tour group, but I think my favorite side character had to be Stefano. Even if he didn’t *technically* belong in the group, that energizer bunny of a dude had a way of bringing them all together

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the arc!

Sadie has spent her life taking care of others and keeping the family's Seattle antique business going at the cost of her personal life. When her travel influencer sister suddenly needs Sadie to fly to Europe to walk the Camino trail to be her proxy, Sadie takes care of it like she always does. What she doesn't count on is Mal, the beautiful travel she came out to on the flight over when she thought the plane might crash.

When Sadie confides to Mal that she never had a true adolescence, Mal offers to help Sadie make up for lost time, all the while promising her friends she won't date anyone or fall in love until she's taken time to grieve a recent loss. Sadie and Mal become entangled in a delightful grump/sunshine romcom as the two walk the Camino, each on their own messy journey.

I loved this fabulous Sapphic romance from Alison Cochrun!

I started out loving this book. I adored the pizazz in the prose, and I loved the side characters once we got to know them.

At first I was intrigued by Sadie's journey to self-discovery, and by Mal and her issues, but gradually I found my interest slipping when the two of them never seemed to develop, just get drunk, or loud. There was far too much cringe and less chemistry between the two; Mal's magabucks began to smack of Mary Sue.

Finally I stopped reading, but it could be that I'm not the right fit for the book. Others might very well love it--and we definitely need more inclusive sapphic romance that doesn't shut out all women's experience, including trans women.

So even though I ended up DNFing, I found that there was a lot of promise here, and I will try another by this author.

"Every Step She Takes" by Alison Cochrun is a heartwarming and deeply resonant journey that truly captures the essence of self-discovery and self-love. From the very first page, I was captivated by Sadie and Mal, whose beautifully imperfect characters felt incredibly real. Watching them grow and evolve throughout the story was a genuine delight, a testament to Cochrun's skillful character development.

The supporting cast adds rich layers to the narrative, providing both humor and poignant moments that enhance the protagonists' individual paths. The overarching theme of embracing one's own timeline in life, understanding that everyone's journey is unique but always worth the destination, truly resonated with me.

And the setting! It was so vividly described that it made me want to pack my bags and plan a similar adventure someday. This book is more than just a story; it's an inspiring reminder that the most rewarding journeys are often those we take to find ourselves. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a tale that celebrates personal growth, love in its many forms, and the beauty of embracing your own pace.

Every Step She Takes follows a group of backpackers taking on a long-distance hike and subsequent finding of your chosen family, coming out to yourself, queer journey. It was cute and mostly lighthearted but paired with emotional depth (especially in circumstances). It was not my favorite of Chochrun's books (I crave to read another like Here We Go Again) but it was well-worth the read and Sapphic romance readers will definitely enjoy!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! The tension and banter between Mal and Sadie was great. I also loved the aspect of traveling together and having to spend so much time together.
I will definitely be recommending this book! It was well written and it kept my interest throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book before it is released in September!

I loved this story so much! Every Step She Takes follows Sadie, who agrees to walk the Camino del Santiago for her sister and vlog along the way. What starts out as a tedious endeavor, quickly becomes a story of self-discovery and self love. Along the trek she meets Mal, who has her own self-discovert to contend with, but agrees to help Sadie in her exploration of sexual identity. Such fun, romantic banter, while alos being so heart-felt. As a reader I was truly ivested in both Mal and Sadie's journeys and was rooting for them throughout the story. Again, I highly recommend this wonderful, cute, heart=driven story. 5 star read for sure!

thank you for the eARC copy of this book!! Solid 3.75⭐️ but it was missing what I love from Alison Cochrun. The mix of insta love with slow burn was interesting. The ending felt rushed but I still did cry🤣

I ended up DNFing this one at 52%. I was struggling through reading this. I felt barely any chemistry between Sadie & Mal. And I felt like Mal was not a good fit for Sadie. I am so sad because I usually love Alison Cochrun books but this one was just not for me.

This book was promising, but ultimately just did not really work for me. I didn't care about Mal and Sadie, individually nor together; I found that there was truly an excessive amount of pop culture references in this; and neither Mal nor Sadie felt like they were the ages they were meant to be. I did mostly like the side characters a lot more than the leads, though that one line in chapter 14 was rough lol. I feel like I should probably stop reading Alison Cochrun novels.

In Every Step She Takes, one of the main characters, Sadie, agrees to go on trip on behalf of her travel-influencer sister, who has broken her toe. During some particularly harrowing turbulence on the plane, Sadie confesses that she might be a lesbian to the stranger, Mal, sitting next to her. She thinks that at least she’ll never see the woman again, but it turns out that Sadie and Mal are on the same 2 week hiking tour of the Camino de Santiago and also happen to be assigned as roommates.

Both women are at a sort of crossroads in their lives. Sadie has just turned 35, has never been in a relationship, and has always taken the safe and responsible path, while Mal has spent the past 20 years deftly running away from her family and relationship problems instead of facing them. Against her better judgment, Mal agrees to help Sadie experience queer adolescent cannon events, like getting a drastic haircut and learning how to flirt. The two become increasingly close over the course of the hike, but it’s unclear if there’s any chance that they could be together once they go back to their normal lives.

I’ve read and enjoyed two of the author’s other books, The Charm Offensive and Kiss Her Once For Me, so I was very excited to get this ARC. Even though I have no intention of finding myself in an extended hiking situation, I enjoyed following Sadie and Mal’s journey and liked how things worked out. I also appreciated the author’s note at the end that explained her inspiration for the book.

I would recommended this novel to fans of Anita Kelly (specifically Something Wild and Wonderful because of the hiking/finding oneself aspect and How to Get the Girl for the late-bloomer element). The practice dating/feel feelings element reminded me of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver (which comes out 8/5) and See You at the Finish Line by Zac Hammett (which releases in the US on 9/2), both of which I also loved.

Alison Cochran does it again. Two more beautiful characters, an excellent supporting group, a gorgeous setting, and so much emotion. This trip through Portugal and Spain definitely gave me the travel bug, too!

I was provided an e-galley by Atria books via NetGalley