Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sadie feels lost, living her grandmother’s dream instead of her own and going on a string of first dates with men she feels nothing for. The perfect escape from her life comes when her travel blogger sister can’t go on a walking tour along Portugal’s Camino de Santiago like originally planned. Sadie takes her place on the trip and on the plane ride there, turbulence convinces Sadie she’s about to die. Tearfully, she confesses to her seatmate Mal that she thinks she’s a lesbian. Mal just so happens to be an out lesbian on the same tour as Sadie. The trip changes the two women’s lives forever as they fall in love and discover more about themselves and their true desires.

Even though I haven’t enjoyed all her books equally, I always know I’ll enjoy at least some part of an Alison Cochrun book and Every Step She Takes is no exception. This is a fun, sweet romance that tackles compulsive heterosexuality and heteronormativity and how, no matter how accepting people around you may be, these issues can still affect you. It also explores the idea of a second adolescence for queer people who didn’t get to be their true selves as teenagers. It was so fun to follow Sadie and Mal as they tried to recreate Sadie’s teen years through a queer lens. I also really liked Mal as a character and I loved the casual diversity in the story, with its completely queer cast of characters.

I didn’t love the build-up to Sadie and Mal’s first time together. Sadie pressures Mal a lot to have sex with her and even though Mal eventually says yes and we get her perspective about how much she wants to have sex, it left me feeling uncomfortable. It’s almost hard to believe Mal wants to after how she first responds to Sadie’s advances. I’m curious to see if other readers end up feeling the same.

Overall, this book is an entertaining romance - it was just missing some of the magic of Cochrun’s other books The Charm Offensive and Here We Go Again. The Charm Offensive, especially, is a book that I often think about and I doubt Every Step She Takes will have the same staying power with me. I do still recommend it though as a solid sapphic romcom!

Every Step She Takes
Rating: 4/5 stars
Ebook

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What I Loved:

- Characters: Cochrun excels at creating complex, emotionally rich characters. Sadie and Mal both feel real, flawed, and relatable.
- Queer Representation: Like in her previous work, Alison Cochrun provides meaningful LGBTQ+ representation with care and nuance.
- Emotional Depth: The story dives into trauma, mental health, and reconciliation without losing its romantic core.
- Writing Style: The writing is warm, introspective and often poetic, especially in emotional or reflective scenes. Her descriptions of the different locations they were walking through made me want to book a plane ticket and join them!
- Side Characters: Although super over the top and maybe not as realistic, the side characters really brought this story together and had me laughing throughout my reading experience.

What Fell Short:

- Pacing: Some parts—especially the beginning—felt a bit slow for me.
- Plot Predictability: The story followed the familiar very confident lesbian helps shy, closeted FMC to discover who she is and how to accept herself. Although this isn’t necessarily a negative, as it was very heartwarming and well written, it made a few developments feel less impactful.

Final Thoughts: Alison Cochrun delivers another emotionally resonant, queer-centered romance that balances heartfelt character development with a satisfying romantic journey. While not perfect in pacing, the emotional payoff and character work more than make up for it.

4.5/5 stars for Alison Cochrun’s newest queer romance. I adore her stories. They are such page turners but they don’t lack at all in heart and real plot. I’ll read anything Allison writes!!

Alison Cochrun has become one of my absolute favorite authors so I was so excited to receive an ARC of her new book Every Step She Takes and it did not disappoint! You can tell that Cochrun has been to Portugal and done the Camino before as the descriptions of that trek and the surroundings jump off the page. But the real standout is the characters and the journeys they go on throughout the book. Cochrun has this special spark that not only lets the main characters stand out but the side characters as well making the book that much more enjoyable and you really feel like you know them by the time the book draws to a close!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A woman named Sadie is tired of the life she's been living for the last several years between dating men and never finding a connection and running her grandma's old furniture restoration shop. So when her sister Vi gets injured and she can take a Camino trip in her place, she jumps at the opportunity. While there she meets a woman named Mal who changes her perspective on everything.

During quite literally most of this book the events were lining up exactly to the actual days I was living and so I found that to be a really unique and fun experience. I was going through a lot and so it felt like a more serious reprieve.

But to get to what actually happened during the book, I enjoyed that it was a more unique experience of a woman with so much life behind her in her mid 30s that was discovering herself and pointing to the fact that it's never too late to figure out who you are.

Everyone on that trip was discovering more about themselves no matter what age they were and I thought that was a beautiful thing. I also liked the dynamic and friendships between everyone for the most part. I also thought the relationship between Mal and Sadie felt well done and not overly rushed.

As for what I didn't like, the group was acting really gross in my opinion to Sadie when they thought she was straight even though she hadn't even done anything to anyone to show she was homophobic and before she had a chance to speak for herself. She was talked over. I also didn't like that Sadie had to convince Mal so hard to have sex with her for the first time. No is no. That's it. Coercion isn't okay. Just those two things made me feel kinda gross but I enjoyed the book otherwise.

Such a sweet and tender read. Also hits hard at certain points. Larkin does such nice job of balancing heavy topics and giving them the attention they deserve. Another hit from her! Loved it.

Alison does it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will read anything Alison writes until she decides to stop (but I hope that day is NEVER). I love this one from the bottom of my heart. I was gagged that there was no epilogue, but it's okay. I can fantasize where Mal and Sadie end up next. Do I hike the Camino now?!!

What an incredible book! I have always loved Alison Cochrun’s writing, but there was something about this book that had me smiling the entire time reading it.

Every Step She Takes follows Sadie Wells, an antique-store owner from Seattle on the cusp of her 35th birthday and completely unsure about the direction of her life. When her sister Vi, a queer travel influencer, injures herself and can no longer go on her trip to Portugal to walk the Camino de Santiago, Sadie jumps in and volunteers. As Sadie sets off across the globe, she meets Mal, her seat mate on her flight. During a bout of some particularly bad turbulence, Sadie decides to confesses her deepest secrets to Mal (that she may or may not be a lesbian?) thinking she will never see her again. In a twist of fate, Mal also happens to be part of the tour that Sadie is on. With each step they take along the Camino, the two develop a friendship that slowly evolves in to something a little bit more.

I had a feeling, after the very first chapter, that this was going to be one of my favorite Alison Cochrun books. I loved the focus on Sadie’s journey as she learned to be her authentic self. In particular, I appreciated the emphasis on the lesson that there is no timeline to life (despite Sadie feeling behind in more ways than one). I also loved Mal’s character growth and how the Camino helped her work through her grief and trauma from her family.

The queer tour group that both Sadie and Mal were on were filled with the most heartwarming characters. With each chapter, I felt like I got to learn more about them just as Sadie and Mal did. I have no idea if a tour group like Inez’s exists in real life, but my hope is that one does and can be a safe haven for travelers looking to discover who they truly are.

This book will have you laughing, crying, swooning, and feeling every range of emotion. I highly recommend picking this one up when it’s out this fall!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I enjoyed this story of learning how to love yourself. Seeing the characters learn about themselves and learn how to love was fun and a journey I will take again.

Thanks to NetGallery and the Publisher for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve never read about a late-blooming coming of age and thought this was done excellently! So many queer coming out stories are of teens and it was so nice to see another side of coming out stories. It felt very real and raw, I thought both characters developments were well executed and insightful. Definitely 5 stars for me!

3.5

setting: Portugal and Spain
Rep: lesbian protagonist and love interest; multiple queer and POC side characters

I was so hyped for this and I still enjoyed it but it's far from my favorite Alison Cochran. I wish the characters and their lives had been more developed - the lack of consistent location makes that more important I think and it was lacking a bit and for a book about the Camino trail, I didn't get much of a sense of place at any point. I also had some issues with the side characters. but overall this was an easy read, even if it did fall into some tropes that are getting a bit tired

Thanks to Netgalley Atria for this ARC!

I enjoyed Sadie’s journey exploring her newly-realized queerness and Mal was a lot of fun! Sadie’s POVs got a little old after a while, but it improved in the latter half of the book. The setting was lots of fun (who amongst us can’t remember the trials of hostel living?).

Rating: 3.5 rounded up

This was my first book by Alison Cochrun, and I absolutely loved it! It was unexpectedly profound, a little messy, but full of heart and grace!

This book follows Sadie, who is struggling to find out who she is as she is stuck in a life that doesn't quite fit. She hates dating men, but she doesn't know why. To have the opportunity to question herself, she just headfirst into the Camino de Santiago when her sister is unable to attend. What was meant to be a simple escape turns into a whirlwind adventure full of wine, grief, desire, identity, and love with Mal, her seatmate from the plane, turned roommate on the Camino.

I felt so seen with Sadie's character! Watching her struggle in her 30s and experience new adventures and beginnings gives me hope for the same in my life. I also so myself in Mal, who is guarded but incredibly generous at the same time. Their relationship was beautiful.

This book was so much more than a romance novel. It's about becoming who you were meant to be. It's about forgiving yourself for not knowing sooner, for not being ready, and for being scared. It's about giving yourself permission to want to experience joy in life! Maybe I need to go on a Camino!

I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this book. Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for this ARC.

Before I get into my review, I first want to say thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of “Every Step She Takes”!

This was a funny, swooning, sexy, slow-burn romance with incredible characters and chemistry between them. It took a very dysfunctional group of characters and featured found family.

The chemistry between Mal and Sadie alone was so good it had me kicking my feet and giggling. Mal is going through a tragic time while Sadie is coming to the realization that she might really be a lesbian. They are both dysfunctional but work so well together.

The final thing I take from this book is that Alison Cochrun needs to continue making travel romances.

‘Every Step She Takes’ is about Sadie and Mal who’s on an adventure in a European country. Sadie was offered by her sister to go on a tour to Portugal’s Camino de Santiago. Mal also went on a tour as well. Both barely knew each other. For two weeks they were roommates. Mal teaches Sadie about queer sexually.

This book shows the meaning of finding your true identity. Also, discovering an adventure in a foreign country. By means that a foreign country shall teach you something.

Every Step She Takes follows alternate perspectives of Sadie and Mal as they hike the Camino with a queer tour group, along with occasional blog posts and text exchanges. The dual perspectives worked for me in this book, both characters’ perspective were different enough that it didn’t feel redundant. It’s primarily a romance, but there are themes of self-exploration, found family, and different iterations of the queer experience that made it feel like a more substantial read. I loved the late bloomer representation and the metaphor of the Camino. I also loved the supporting characters on the tour - lots of diversity re: queer representation but also their antics added levity to some heavier moments. The pacing was a little off for me in the middle and some of the devices to move the plot along felt kind of contrived, but I really enjoyed this book overall. Truthfully, I will read anything Alison Cochrun writes and be happy about it; her books have a genuine sense of queerness like they are written primarily for a gay audience which I deeply appreciate.

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Will also post review on instagram closer to publication date: @cozycats_cozybooks

Every Step She Takes is a wlw romance about coming out later in life and the ability to start new and heal old wounds no matter where you are in your journey. Sadie has been living in her Nana's footsteps in a life she doesn't fully enjoy. While, Mal has done the opposite and run from everything related to her father. Both of their truths lie somewhere in the middle and it takes plane turbulence, the Camino de Santiago, and a wide cast of friends to push them in the right direction.
Alison manages to write a book full of travel-lust, grief, silliness, and love that is set on the backdrop of Portugal and Spain. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the e-arc.

Alison Cochrun’s "Every Step She Takes" is yet another home-run in her growing repertoire. I don’t know how she does it, but once again she delivers a richly layered sapphic romance that will make readers cry, laugh, and go buy too many custard pastries. Who knew grief would pair so well with wine and seafood. Humor and grief, discovery and introspection, wine and walking.

This time, Cochrun set the novel against a backdrop that sounds objectively exhausting: Portugal/Spain's Camino de Santiago. Sadie is a 35-year-old from Seattle, a somewhat sheltered adult who’s spent her life being too serious and too careful. When her influencer sister is injured, Sadie reluctantly agrees to complete a two-hundred-mile trek in her place. It’s a disruption to her carefully constructed routine, but one she needs more than she realizes.

Mal is her opposite... a wanderer, grieving the end of a relationship, the death of her father, and the slow fade of her youth. She’s someone who’s spent her life being unserious, and is now being forced to reconsider.

They meet as seatmates on the flight to Portugal, and their meet cute is marked by wine-fueled confessions and unexpected emotional/physical turbulence. Their connection carries over into the Camino itself, where they begin to unpack not only their pasts, but also their values, priorities, strengths, and failures. The story doesn’t shy away from showing how two very different kinds of lost adults might find comfort in each other’s company, especially when surrounded by miles of trail.

Without spoiling the rest of the story: as in Here We Go Again, Cochrun manages to build genuine romantic tension out of something as heavy and unglamorous as grief. It shouldn’t work, but it does. Grief is the least romantic trope, and yet she continues to make something beautiful out of it.

The side characters were fine. but the food descriptions, however, deserve their own spotlight: evocative, sensory, and almost reckless in how much they’ll make you crave things you’ve used to love as a child. I spent an embarrassing amount of money tracking down a decent pastéis de nata because of this book. There’s also just enough Portuguese sprinkled throughout to add authenticity without alienating the reader.

At its core, Every Step She Takes is about self-acceptance and transformation. While it follows the structure of a romance, it quietly becomes something else: the most effective self-help book you’ll read this year. It inspires without preaching, challenges without judging, and leaves you thinking about your own next step, long after the final page.

This is a really cozy fun book that’s as much about the MC development as it is about the romance. Always sign me up for a Sapphic Wild journey! The Camino structure was so fun, and I love a found family! The scenery and formula of the trip lends itself well to the self discovery of Sadie, and I just really enjoyed the ride. I did hate the fake blog posts - writing in writing always comes across as terrible to me and I don’t know why.

I was so excited to receive this arc because I loved Kiss Her Once For Me.
Unfortunately this fell flat for me. I flew through the first 50% and I was really enjoying the main character’s journey of self discovery. Yet, I still feel like she lacked some depth. At about 60% I felt like DNFing
Also all of a sudden her blog posts she’s supposed to be writing and were included throughout the first maybe 35% just seemed like they were forgotten entirely for a while.
I didn’t like the reasoning behind their first kiss or the first time they had sex, which is so sad because the yearning leading up to it was sooo good I wish it just happened differently.