Publisher: Atria Books
Expected Publication: September 2, 2025

Alison Cochrun has done it again—Every Step She Takes is a moving, funny, and deeply affirming sapphic romance set along the sun-drenched Camino de Santiago, and I adored every page of it. Fans of The Charm Offensive and Kiss Her Once for Me will find familiar hallmarks here: wit, tenderness, rich emotional depth, and characters you wish you could hug (or at least hike with).

Sadie Wells is 35, stuck in a rut, and questioning more than just her job running the family’s antique shop. When her sister is sidelined by an injury, Sadie agrees to take her place on a two-week Camino tour across Portugal and Spain—without realizing it’s a queer Camino tour. Cue panic, especially when a wine-soaked flight and a bout of turbulence lead to Sadie blurting out her sexual confusion to her seatmate… who just so happens to also be on her tour.

Enter Mal: brooding, beautiful, emotionally unavailable, and heir to a wine fortune she never asked for. She’s reeling from the death of her estranged father and running from everything that’s ever asked something real of her—including her feelings. She doesn’t expect the freckled, nervous woman who cried about being a “lesbian virgin” at 30,000 feet to worm her way into her heart. And Sadie doesn’t expect to feel anything at all.

Together—and with the help of an unforgettable supporting cast—Sadie and Mal embark on a journey that’s more about what’s happening within than what’s beneath their feet. Their chemistry is slow-building but electric, and watching them explore vulnerability, identity, grief, and joy is as rewarding as the romance itself. The “practice flirting” trope? Hilarious. The late-in-life coming out arc? Tender and true. The fat rep? Done with care and dignity.

Cochrun’s writing is both cinematic and intimate. You’ll feel the heat off the cobblestones, crave every mention of wine and pastéis de nata, and laugh out loud at the group dynamics. The Camino becomes more than a setting—it’s a character in its own right, mirroring the interior terrain our characters are navigating.

There are a few small stumbles: some “issue” dialogue feels a bit on-the-nose, and I would’ve loved an epilogue to savor where Sadie and Mal end up. But that doesn’t take away from how full and satisfying the journey felt. If you’ve ever felt “behind” in your life or your queerness, this book will meet you where you are—with empathy, humor, and open arms.

Every Step She Takes is a beautifully told reminder that it’s never too late to rewrite your story—or fall in love with someone who helps you believe in a better version of it.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I am a fan of Alison Cochrun so my review may be the *teensiest* bit biased, but EVERY STEP SHE TAKES was every bit of the transportive, summer romance read that I was hoping for. AND more! (I am literally *this* close to booking a tour along the Camino de Santiago.) EVERY STEP SHE TAKES is undoubtedly fun and sexy, but what resonated with me the most were the ways in which Sadie, Mal, and the rest of the characters on Beatrix Tours navigated their own struggles throughout their walk along the Camino, addressing the themes of self-discovery, grief and loss, and above all: acceptance. Cochrun's new book is a delight, and your next summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book took me a minute to get into due to how often they mention brand names in the first 30 or so pages but once there on the Camino it becomes a lot better and the brand droping disappeared. I'm glad I stuck through through. I relate a lot to Sadie and aspire to be more like Mal (even if I am way broker then her). there relationship is quite cute and the end was vary funny and satisfying. contemporary romance isn't normally my thing but sapphic romance definitely is I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book a lot more then I tend to like contemporary romance and I think that comes from the fact it isn't a small town or typical beach vacation there constantly on the move and growing as character they are not the same people from start to end.

i feel so seen after reading this book. sadie and i have a lot in common. as someone who also came out later in life, it was so refreshing to see that in a book. i am still figuring out my sexuality and also feel like i missed out on major milestones in my teens and early 20s. this book made me realize that it’s okay to be on a different timeline that everyone else. i loved the unique cast of characters this book offered!

This was a cute sapphic travel romance! The characters are older than me, but I could still relate to them both a lot. I also liked the asexual conversation with another character, wish it had been explored a bit more. The ending was so fitting in relation to how they first met!

3.75 ⭐️ Received this ARC from NetGalley. Having read Kiss Her Once For Me, I was hoping for an instant grab. This book started off super slow for me, I wasn’t really excited to pick it back up and continue reading it until halfway through. That being said, I appreciated the deep dive into self discovery. I feel like women in their mid to late 30’s often lose themselves, or are trying to find themselves for the first time. This book can really resonate with everyone even if you aren’t LGBTQIA+.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Every Step She Takes follows Sadie and Mal, two complete opposite women who join the Camino tour, Sadie to help out her sister, and Mal to get her mind off yet another breakup.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book, particularly the other people walking the Camino with Sadie and Mal, like Vera, Inez, and Stefano. They really made the book special and it was so fun to read about all the shenanigans the group got up to as they completed the walk. The story was also very enjoyable and I loved the later in life coming out and how the group was able to build a sense of community despite being from very different walks of life.

I would’ve loved more of Sadie’s blog posts as they were such a fun read, as were Sadie’s sister Vi’s responses to them. I also had a difficult time with how unwelcoming and insistent the group was that Sadie was straight as well as the first time Sadie and Mal discussed having sex as it made Sadie feel much younger than she was and perpetuated some negative stereotypes.

However, the characters made this book a very enjoyable ride and I’d love to venture back into this world to see more of these characters and how they might interact in the future.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

Alison Cochrun is always a blast. I am famously bored by travel narratives but I simply could not put this down. This is written in a punchy comedic style that surprised me after Kiss Her Once For Me’s jaded early-twenties first person narration, but it worked so perfectly with the cast of messy mid-thirties and above adult characters bagpacking through Europe. I was sputtering with laughter from the first chapter, and then burying my head in my pillow reeling from cuteness at the budding romance, and then genuinely getting some dust in my eyes when characters contemplated their growth throughout their journey. As expected from a Cochrun novel, along with the many laughs, Emotions were certainly felt.

The somewhat artificial spunky dialogue and riffing, as well as the insane legs Sadie’s anxious thoughts jump to are so entertaining in a way many contemporary romance novels aspire to, but few truly achieve. It’s eloquent, effortlessly skillful, but also peppered with pop culture references. Just delicious for my brain. Sadie quickly evolves from difficult to read (because of the sheer second-hand embarrassment) to incredibly loveable, especially as you see her through Mal’s eyes. Their conversation on fatness and fatphobia was very refreshing and authentic to the real adult experience. Sadie—but also maybe Mal—present really well as neurodivergent, which is also something Alison loves to portray.

Sadie and Mal’s chemistry is devastatingly good. (Another Alison Cochrun moment.) I fear I am a sucker for a beautifully handsome masc on the domme side. And she’s rich. What more can you want from a fictional prince to sweep you off your feet? I’m (mostly) kidding—but a heavily romanticised “I can fix her” baiting love interest is what a lot of tradpub sapphic romances once lacked. Mal’s serial dater spin on the serial monogamist was very intriguing, and I loved her backstory and growth. (I know these are generally standalones but I would SO read a spinoff on the fascinating bi stepmom!)

As Alison loves to do, this novel is another love letter to demisexuality, this time in the style of another of my favourites, How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly—with a queer mentor figure against a late bloomer. I can see some folks aren’t a fan of this dynamic, but it will truly never get old for me. I love the rush of reading about an unbearable crush towards a singular, unattainably perfect person. There is no sexuality more prone to obsession than a demi. (One Last Stop by Casey Mcquiston also comes to mind in the yearning genre.) Maybe you can tell I was a nerd and listened to You Belong With Me like it was gospel growing up, but many of us were! It’s so addicting, realistic, touching. As in Kiss Her Once for Me, intimate scenes aren’t exactly fade to black, but they are quite minimalistic whilst cleverly retaining explicit overtones. I find that to be slightly atypical for today’s mainstream romance novels, and probably very friendly towards some subsets of aspec readers (sometimes me 🙋🏻‍♀️) who may prefer media that way!

The author’s love for the pilgrimage radiates off the pages. (It’s truly a rare phenomenon when a piece of media makes me crave physical exertion.) I adore romance books about slightly older characters that are past their twenties—It’s just comforting to know that it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have everything figured out by then. Or even, that it may be *more* fulfilling to keep exploring when you’ve already got more life experience under your belt. (And, yes—things do happen for you at exactly the right time!) There are overall educational undertones to this book, much like YA, and several quotable moments. I enjoyed the sheer diversity of the group across gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality and spiritual/religious background. Ro’s little speech as a queer Muslim was very heartening, as was the little Bangladeshi NGO shoutout (woop woop 🇧🇩 There are indeed lesbians on the gay agenda back home).

In the age of the internet’s fraught identity politics and gatekeeping (especially from undercover white FARTs/TERFs lurking within fem, sapphic and women-aligned spheres), there’s some queer media that just grounds you. I think this assurance is especially important to see from cis, white, lesbian authors. The biggest message to take away from Every Step She Takes is that labels aren’t a big deal, and it’s normal to switch as you grow, settle on one that only feels “most” correct, or even forgo them altogether—but kindness, empathy, and community are non-negotiable and essential.

An easy breezy 5⭐️.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Atria Books for an e-ARC!

It’s no secret that I’m an Alison Cochrun superfan. I read Kiss Her Once For Me every Christmas time. Here We Go Again instantly became my favorite book, and I haven’t shut up about it since I read it. And now I can add Every Step She Takes to my list of favorite sapphic fiction!

Cochrun writes my favorite characters in beautiful situations. In the book the main characters are walking the Camino de Santiago. I love the story so much that it had me wanting to do a Camino, never mind the fact that I’m chronically ill/disabled, and can only walk a tiny bit without my mobility aids. But that just goes to show how immersive the story is - I felt like I was living the experience!

I fell in love with both main characters and could see parts of myself in each of them. I was rooting for them the whole time, but also rooting for them to find what’s best for themselves individually.

I really hope Cochrun never stops writing because her books mean so much to me!!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

Atria eARC
I absolutely adore all of Cochrun's books, and this is no exception. It has me wanting to go on my own Camino journey. How easy it was to relate to Sadie in some ways. She's still figuring out who she is in her thirties, and the Camino was such an interesting way for her to deal with all of her feelings while also being physically stretched to all of her limits. I loved the group of characters here that were so richly developed. It was easy to picture them and they added so many layers to this journey, with everyone slowly discovering new things about themselves. And Mal. I just wanted to hug her. There was some deep feelings and grief here, and Cochrun was tender with her yet tough when she needed to be. I just adored both of these characters and how their relationship grew and changed during their journey. This was excellent, and I always look forward to what she does next.

Every Step She Takes
Author: Alison Cochrun
Stars: 🌟🌟🌟✨
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️
Format: 📖 ARC

This was super cute, but also a little cringeworthy in places - that is not bad! I love Alison Cochrun and will sign myself up to read anything she writes! This book was truly a journey within a journey!

Watching Sadie have her coming-out and coming-alive moment while walking the Camino was special - her internal battles and queer adolescence were both cute and infuriating, and very real! The fear of being queer in the wrong way has been felt by many and I loved how Mal assured her that there is no wrong way to be Queer! Sadie was very relatable.

Mal, with her fear of vulnerability and family issues that she was running away from on the Camino, was a great character to balance out Sadie and had her own journey to resist as she walked the Camino. Can she escape who she made herself be to spite her father…?

All of the side characters had heart, and I wish I had got to spend more time with them. I do not think a better found-family could be asked for. The pop-culture references were both wonderful and made me wonder how this book will age, they are very ‘of the moment’.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Atria Books for this ARC!

Definitely the author’s strongest work yet. A bit of early awkward pace but it all catches up well in the end. It seems like a classic 2000s rom com. Would be great for fans of Emily Henry or Ashley Herring Blake.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy…of my first five-star read in a long time.
When I first received EVERY STEP SHE TAKES, I had trouble putting it down because I was captivated by Sadie and Mal’s journey, both the literal and figurative ones. The descriptions of the Camino de Santiago tour were so vivid that I found myself looking up more information about this.
Then I went back to highlight the lines that meant the most to me about how it’s never too late to figure things out and how heteronormativity has messed with people who don’t fit that mold. It made me laugh as much as it made me think.
P.S. We met Ari as a secondary character in KISS HER ONCE FOR ME. There was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in HERE WE GO AGAIN, and now here she is on this tour! She’s fairly crying out to have her own story told.

Alison Cochrun's latest does not disappoint. Complex characters, romance, and a nuanced plot line make Every Step She Takes an enjoyable read. This time Cochrun tackles coming out, whether it be coming out well into adulthood or coming out in one's youth and experiencing rejection. Cochrun's loveable characters make this an enjoyable read.

5⭐️ Okay no because this book made me emotional 🥹

EVERYONE PLEASE READ THIS BOOK

I absolutely adore Sadie and the journey she went on. I felt like I was right there waking beside her while reading this book. The journey of self exploration and growth will always be important to me but this one also just hit so close to home. I especially love the sentiment “it’s never too late”.

I loved the authors note and reading that she’s been on a similar journey and it just made it so real. The friendships and the side characters also get a 10/10 because I loved them all.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Atria Books for this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this e-arc!

Alison Cochrun has been one of my favorites authors since her first book, The Charm Offensive. And this book didn’t disappoint.

Every Step She Takes tells the journey of two women, Sadie and Mal, as they walk the Camino de Santiago. Truthfully, I had never heard of the Camino before reading this. But now I think I’d like to walk it myself someday. I relate to Sadie in many, many ways, especially the feelings of being behind in life. And this book does a good job of letting you know to trust your journey and trust that you are where you’re meant to be.
Mal and Sadie both grow and open up in their own ways over the course of the Camino and I loved seeing how those journeys changed their lives and attitudes about everything else once they were done with their tour. The addition of the found family from the fellow travelers on their tour and them also opening up along the Camino with every prompt Inez gave them made this book even better (I love Ro and their corgis very, very much.) Can’t wait to buy this one when it comes out!

Developing a relationship while you walk together seems like a plot that is, well, pedestrian, but Alison Cochran makes it work. Each day of a long walk is different, because the miles behind you change the miles in front of you.

Sadie gets a last minute trip to hike the Camino Santiago when her travel influencer sister breaks her toe. Mal has been bouncing around between countries and girlfriends, never settling down. Just like the Camino, we know how this ends, but it is all about the journey. And the journey doesn't really end at the end of the walk.

Great cast of characters along for the walk, they really enrich the story.

I really enjoyed the story and it is such a nice change from fake dating, returning to your small town, and all those other tropes.

This book has inspired me to walk the Camino de Santiago. And maybe meet the love of my life there?? Alison Cochrun is an auto read author for me since I read her first book "The Charm Offensive", and "Every Step She Takes" may have moved into first place of my favorite of her books. The growth in these characters from the start of the novel to the end is so beautifully written and their relationship progressed so naturally. The side characters were all really fun and interacted perfectly with the main characters and helping them grow into themselves and realize things about themselves that they wouldnt have otherwise. Having the book set on a walking path through Portugal kept not only the characters, but the pace off the book moving really nicely. Nothing stayed static or still for too long, and the whole book felt like a long walk towards the beautiful ending.

I've enjoyed all of Alison Cochrun's books and this is definitely one of my favorites. The Camino is an experience that I want to go on myself one day and so the setting pulled me in from the start (and now I'm looking for a real life Inez to lead my tour!). Sadie and Mal are both so lovable and flawed in their own ways and I enjoyed the self-discovery journey that they each went on throughout the novel.

The found family on the Camino was another aspect that I thought was well done and I would be so excited to read another novel about one of the Camino-goers.

I flew through this book in just a couple of sittings because I was so hooked and would definitely recommend!

I will read anything Alison Cochrun writes until I die, and this was no exception. Every Step She Takes was introspective, so queer, and so special to me. This one is for anyone who experienced a second coming of age when they came out, who came out late in life, who loves queer people, who loves Europe, and wants to start thinking about things they can leave behind. This made me feel warm.