As a fan of Alison Cochrun’s works, I was excited to read her fourth novel, “Every Step She Takes”. Like her previous novels, it is witty, heartfelt, and emotional. She has a remarkable ability to create introspective characters who reflect our world and illuminate underrepresented themes such as asexuality, fat positivity, and mental health.

The story is told from two perspectives: Sadie and Mal, who embark on a walking pilgrimage through Portugal and Spain. Although these strangers have different reasons for their journey, they hope to find clarity and a sense of self through this adventure.

What unfolds is a mix of the opposites-attract and fake-dating tropes, but it delves deeper than that. While the book is very humorous and romantic—it is also very vulnerable. Cochrun explores identity and the barriers that society, as well as we ourselves, impose.

I loved it and highly recommend this book and intend to purchase the audiobook version once it becomes available, as I own her other works. They serve as sincere, comfort reads for those still discovering themselves, free from judgment. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

New Alison Cochrun! I don't know how I got so lucky to be chosen for an e-ARC of this but I downloaded and read it immediately. (Like, less than 12 hours.) This is one of those books that hooks you right from the dedication. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. This story had me googling the route, looking up the sights and living vicariously as our leads take part in the Camino de Santiago which I'd never heard of before this book but sounds so cool (and exhausting.) There's a TON of (very needed) character growth in here and the writing is so descriptive you can practically smell the pasteis.

I'm only going to leave one quote here. "How boring would life be if we didn't have anything left to discover about ourselves?"

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-ARC of this book!