
Member Reviews

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

I really enjoyed this book. I love books about major life changes that use long hikes as the setting. The awkwardness of Sadie made me uncomfortable, but I find that to be a sign a well written character if I can have empathy for them.

This story is a heartfelt letter to self-discovery, wrapped in an adventure and dipped in romance.
The connections in this book perfectly depict the struggle to form adult friendships and let those new friends truly know who you are, while still discovering that person for yourself. The group of individuals on the journey is a great representation of how the world should approach acceptance. I loved that each of these characters were fully developed, each having their own quirks and backstories.
Adventure, growth, self-discovery, adult friendships, and a bit of romance; what more could you ask for in a book?

Alison Cochrun is a wonderful writer and this book was very well done! The Camino setting was really compelling and I was attached to both characters and their journeys. It wasn't quite a 5 star for me because I didn't really connect with the actual struggles of either character, but if you did, I think this would be a HIT!

Alison Cochrun books always find a way to break my heart and stitch it back together in the best possible ways. They fill my heart with something I didn't even know I was looking for leaving me feeling a little more whole. Every Step She Takes is a book about self discovery, learning to love yourself, explorations, and letting yourself be messy. I absolutely adored every moment of this book.
Sadie ends up with the opportunity of a lifetime when her sister Vi injures her ankle right before she is supposed to take a trip walking the 200 miles of Portugal's Camino de Santiago. While on route to her destination she confesses that she is questioning her sexuality to the woman sitting next to her on the plane, Mal, who also ends up being on her tour. We get to watch the two experience the highs and lows of traveling along the Camino de Santiago as they learn about themselves and others.
I absolutely loved that we get to see Sadie exploring her sexuality in her mid thirties, the exploration of unlearning and relearning here was poignant and so heartfelt and well done. The there is no correct timeline for learning about your sexuality that really resonated here. I absolutely loved this. I will read anything Alison writes. I loved the found family and learning to carve out space for yourself in this one.
I highly recommend you pick this book up. If you love romance, discovery, and learning to tear down walls and build bridges this is meant for you. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This story was a treat to read and one I will carry with me. I also now very much want to experience Portugal's Camino de Santiago.
4.75 stars rounded up to 5 <3

Sadie Wells is a thirty-five year old small business owner of an antique furniture store that she inherited at a time in her life that she should have been exploring all life and love have to offer. When an opportunity to trek across Portugal and Spain falls into her lap, she knows she has to take it.
What Sadie didn't plan on is coming out to a complete stranger during her flight when turbulence hits. What makes this even more humiliating is realizing the stranger she just confessed her sexuality to is on her Camino Tour.
Mal is immediately intrigued by this stranger but is this interest in Sadie just Mal ignoring her recent heartbreak and continuing her pattern of running away from heartbreak and finding a new love instantly?
This review is probably going to be a keyboard smash of thoughts about how much I love this book. Sadie and Mal are such individual characters but are both so incredibly and immediately likable. These characters are written and fleshed out so well. Even the side characters are so well written and enjoyable. Despite being side characters, their stories and personalities are so well done.
I love that us thick girlies have some plus size representation with Sadie, but her being plus size is not the main focus of the book. It’s only mentioned a handful of times and is done so respectfully and as a thick gurl I appreciate that.
I am by no means a hiking/long distance walking gal but this book made me highly consider it. Every Step She Takes is so immersive when it comes to the entire journey of the Camino. From the blisters that happen after walking 13 miles in one day to the descriptions of walking along a sandy shore next to the ocean, I went on this Camino with the whole crew.
I want to talk about the banter between Sadie and Mal. Unmatched. Especially in chapter 19. I bookmarked so many moments of banter that made me giggle but also made me be like “oop” I will end this review by saying that if Mal ever called me “Freckles” to my face, I would be a puddle on the floor. tysm.
Thank you so much to Atria Marketing for an ARC of Every Step She Takes through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excuse me while I go book a plane ticket and research the best shoes to hike 200 miles in. Sadie has always lived the life that was expected of her, with the exception of finding a nice guy and the typical followups to that. When her travel blogger sister ends up with a broken toe and can't do a contracted Camino walk from Portugal to Spain, Sadie decides to jump in and take her place... even though Sadie doesn't do anything resembling workouts and has never left the country before. $2,000 of gear and 4 days of stress later, Sadie is on an overseas flight. Turns out the tour company caters to LGBTQ travelers and focuses on introspection along with hiking. Sadie doesn't know if she will survive the miles she will be walking or the things she will find out about herself on the journey.
Alison Cochrun is a fantastic sapphic romance author and I was thrilled when I was granted this ARC to read. It did not disappoint. I loved the quirky cast of characters, the emotional tumult, and the evocative settings. The only thing that would add to it is if she partnered with a real LGBTQ focused Camino tour group so we can all have our own adventure.

4.75 stars
Every Step She Takes is pretty impeccable from start to finish. It’s both a journey of self-discovery for both Sadie and Mal, and a heartfelt examination on relationships and identity. There are moments that are hilariously funny, and others that are absolutely heart-wrenching. Through it all is the beautiful backdrop of the Camino pilgrimage.
I found this story to be enthralling and really felt that I was there with the characters. The chemistry between Sadie and Mal is absolutely palpable and their romantic scenes are crafted with such care. The side characters feel fully fleshed out and amplify the story beautifully. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

As soon as I read the description for this book, I was in - partly because the Camino de Santiago holds a special place in my heart, and partly because I appreciate a later-in-life queer exploration and coming out story. Every Step She Takes is a delightful read all the way through - dual POVs, both main characters trying and failing to stay away from each other, all woven together with family drama, identity issues, grief, and new beginnings. The supporting characters were fun and relatable, though Sadie's mom and sisters' obsession with finding her a love interest was super annoying and felt very one dimensional.

Alison Cochrun's Every Step She Takes is a heartfelt exploration of the trials and triumphs of being a late bloomer. Sadie Wells has never connected with a man romantically, though not for lack of trying. As a single woman in her thirties, she can't help but feel like she's behind schedule and running out of time. Mal has fallen in love far too many times, and always flees to another exciting vacation spot, far away from her latest ex, when her relationships get past the honeymoon stage. After hitting some intense turbulence on a flight, Sadie frantically comes out as a lesbian to unsuspecting but instantly enamored Mal. In the following weeks, Mal goes the extra mile to give Sadie the adolescent queer experience of her dreams as they walk the Camino. Cochrun expertly weaves together a journey of queer joy and self discovery with a remarkable cast of characters to be adored. When this one comes out, walk as fast as possible to your local bookstore for a copy of Every Step She Takes.

My favorite book of 2025. A queer coming of age romance with a diverse cast of characters. It’s laugh out loud funny, heartwarming and has strong character developement.
Every Step She Takes follows thirty five year old Sadie as she unexpectedly takes a trip to trek Portugal’s Camino de Santiago. The trek creates space for her to explore aspects of herself that she has long buried beneath family obligations. During her time of self discovery Sadie meets Mal who helps broaden her horizons during her newly claimed queer adolescence. Helping Sadie understand her sexuality allows Mal to begin her own journey of understanding as she navigates family obligations, loss and trauma.
It was refreshing to read a romance that centered on characters in their mid to late thirties with diverse body types. This story is for anyone who has come out later in life, who knows the importance of found family and strives to live authentically.
Thank you Atria Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Nice cute book! It gave everything it needed to, but i wasn’t completely excited to finish it. The writing was lovely it just didn’t click fully for me

Another hit by my favorite, making me want to walk 200 miles for fun?
Sadie and Mal were so fun to take this trek with and the exploration of sexuality as an adult is something I deeply value seeing represented in romance especially.
Pls read this!!!!

One of my favorite books of 2025 so far. Alison Cochrun can do no wrong! This hike is now on my bucket list (specifically on a tour for queer women).

5 ⭐️- Not only is this book already one of my favorite reads of the summer, but it might be one of my favorite reads period. It’s one of those stories that is so simple and so easy to enjoy, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it whenever I had to put it down. I’m in love with Sadie & Mal (and the whole Camino family!!!)
The good-
- I loved the interpersonal relationships & the story being set amongst a group of no judgement, only love, acceptance & growth.
- I loved hearing about this journey, I felt like I was trekking through Portugal right along with them. Honestly, maybe I’ll do a Camino one day!
- this book reminded me of my own coming out story- much like Sadie’s, i was half way around the world, with a travel group. Except, I was in the middle of Paris, drunk on red wine and adrenaline & the crazy idea that I’d made it to one of my bucket list destinations, I might as well enjoy it 100% authentically.
The bad-
-Beyond the last edit pass this needs, there’s not a single bad thing about this book. The perfect amount of humor, found family, yearning, and joy.
Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC ♥️

Absolutely loved this one. I loved the dual POV and both journeys of our FMCs.
Everything Alison writes - I will read.

Alison Cochrun knocks it out of the park again, this time with a sapphic vacation romance bringing two very different women together on a journey of self-discovery in this swoonworthy, sexy romance.
Sadie Wells has never been out of the country, and yet she agrees to substitute for her travel influencer sister on a walking pilgrimage to Camino through Portugal and Spain. She's really trying to get away from her suffocating life. Almost 35, she runs her grandmother's antique store when she really wants to reupholster furniture. Her meddling mother and sister keep setting her up on dates with men she has to force herself to get through.
Then, on the plane, next to a sexy lesbian in a purple mullet, when there's turbulence and she has a near-death experience, Sadie yells out that she just might be a lesbian. The two strangers have a uniquely vulnerable moment for them both; even though it was clearly instalove/lust (the trip was just two weeks after all), I loved the way this was handled. The two really needed each other to finally feel seen by another.
Turns out that Sadie's sister, who is bisexual, is signed up for a tour for sapphic queers, Beatrix, run by a trans woman. And Sadie will have to work through her shame and regret for not figuring her sexuality out sooner in life, all while rooming with the first woman she's been attracted to and came out to.
As an aside, I found the excerpts of Sadie's blog entries much better written than her influencer sister's, which I found to be strangely dry for a travel influencer. I was however glad that the text was not completely ruined by constant references to social media interactions; that part was refreshingly minimal.
Mal, meanwhile, is very different. A trust fund baby, she is a professional nomad, traveling from woman to woman and adventure to adventure, all to avoid dealing with the pain of her late father rejecting her for being gay. She chases the thrill of falling in love but can never seem to stay in love. She doesn't want to repeat her patterns with Sadie, who's different.
The two oblivious opposites hatch a plan to help Sadie have the queer adolescence she never got to have. But practice quickly turns real as the two learn to navigate the searing heat between them and the reality that this might be more than an escapist summer fling.
I connected with Sadie and her struggles coming out later in life; I appreciate having representation with over-30 queer stories. I too have had very little sexual experience so I related to her struggles of whether she was bi, asexual or lesbian, and how she could know her identity if she didn't act on the attraction. I connected with her realization that she wasn't confident with her sexuality because she didn't know herself well enough, she was too busy people pleasing.
I was rooting for her and Mal to get a clue (Mal! Sadie so did not have a crush on Inez, she had a crush on you, you dolt!) and I found it heartwarming to follow Sadie get her first crush, first kiss, first sunset in Portugal, first sex, first heartbreak, first everything. I loved the concept of how sometimes the first can be forever if the couple complements and challenges the other to grow and become a better person.
I also loved how we really got to see Portugal as if I were there and I felt like I got to know all the quirky side characters in this found family of the queer tour group. I learned the author actually walked the Camino to get inspiration for this book and it showed in her descriptions.
This was a lovely, heartwarming romance, albeitedly with some childish miscommunications that I could overlook because of the character growth of both Sadie and Mal, about how they realized they needed to change to be good for each other.
They even made me cry when they finally got a clue.
This is queer joy that doesn't take the queernorm, cozy route but is still just as lovely, fulfilling and real.
Maybe the stranger on the plane is the only one they can really be vulnerable with, in a way that changes them both.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’ll read literally anything Alison Cochrun writes. Her characters always feel so real and relatable and I get attached to them immediately. I think a cute epilogue with Mal and Sadie would have been lovely, but this was such a good book!

4.5⭐ rounded up
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Sadie is turning 35 and she isn't sure what she wants. It doesn't seem to be any of the men her sister keeps setting her up on dates with. When she offers to take her sister's place on a tour on the Camino de Santiago, she isn't prepared for all the walking, or what to pack, or even that the entire trip is for queer women. On the flight over she meets Mal, who she confesses she might be a lesbian to during bag turbulence, only to discover Mal is on the same tour.
This was a joy of a book! Yes, the characters are messy and dealing with complicated things, but there's so many lovely relationships in all forms. Also, I'm now debating my own trip on the Camino de Santiago. Give this a read if you enjoy:
- queer romance
- questioning later in life (mid thirties)
- travel adventures
- Portugal/Spain
- furniture revitalization and Property Brothers
Thank you to Atria Books for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published on 9/2/25. I'll be posting to Instagram closer to publication.