Thank you to NetGally and the publishers for giving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cochrun does it again! I love her books, and this was no exception. What really surprised me was how funny this book was. I snorted from laughing so hard.

I read this book during my own particularly difficult time in my life. I’ve moved 1500kms away from my spouse for the time being in order to pursue a job opportunity. It feels like I’m on my own trail. Inez’s poignant questions especially has helped me during this transition. As well as seeing Mal and Sadie wrestle with their own shit and come out on the other side.

I absolutely loved that our MCs were in their mid / late 30s. We need more books with people over 28!!

If you’re a vibe / seasonal reader like me this book is great if you’re going through some type of big transition, or adventure. It’s set in Portugal and Spain during May and June. I recommend this book to literally everyone- but especially for the later in life queers and those who are in their uncomfortable growth phase.

Ever since I read their first charm offensive Alison Cochran has been my all time favourite author so I was so pleased to have the opportunity to read this ARC. And may I just say this book definitely lived up to my very high expectations! It might just be my new favourite of her books. The stories of the two main characters as well as the side characters told throughout this book were so powerful and moving it brought me to tears a couple times. There was also so much fun, joy, and humour that I found myself smiling and giggling. This is definitely one of my top reads for the year with this beautiful story of self discovery that has an amazingly diverse set of characters!

I really enjoyed this travel romance/queer adult coming of age journey! this book really had me out here like "I should walk the Camino" despite the fact that I had to take a nap after a two mile walk with my dogs today.

I liked both Mal and Sadie and thought they each had pretty strong character arcs but I wish we had gotten a little more from them to feel a stronger ending - an epilogue would've gone a long way.

This was so lovely. I love seeing olderish people discover that they are queer. Sadie had been repressing herself for so long and it was nice to see her be herself. Mal was running from everything and Sadie was there to catch her. They are just really cute together. My only thing is that this book needs an epilogue. Mal's whole storyline is how she fleets from one thing to the next so an epilogue a few years later seems necessary.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I've been a fan of Alison Cochrun's romances which is why I decided to request an advanced copy to review, but I think I'm just out of my romance phase because even though it had elements I really like it overall just didn't hit for me. The romance between the two main characters was very sweet, and I liked the exploration of the feeling of being behind where you "should be" in life. My favourite part was definitely the travel element, as our two main characters meet on a group trip hiking the Camino de Santiago. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the Portuguese and Spanish coasts, it made me want to go traveling.

Alison Cochrun has become one of my favorite authors with The Charm Offensive and Every Step She Takes!
The characters she writes are flawed, adorable, complex, vivid, and so endearing.
She colors her books with lovely scenery but more importantly with lively and wonderful supporting characters.
I not only wanted to go on my own trek at the end of this book but I also wanted to dig more deeply into my own queer journey.
I can already see the movie that this will inspire!

The journey Cochrun takes us on is so important. Sadie learning to meet herself where she is. Mal learning to be present and kinder to herself.

I cried happy tears thinking back on Sadie's journey and how transformative it was for her.

I recommend this book for anyone who needs a hug and to know that we don't need to have all the answers.

Sadie is such a sweet character. I loved how committed she was to becoming her authentic self. She really took the transformative part of the Camino tour to heart and left better because of it. I love the fact that Mal was so open and helpful when it came to letting her experiment and I think the fact that she tried to give Sadie a queer adolescence experience was so incredibly sweet. Alison Cochrun is and forever will be an autobuy author for me because she writes the sweetest queer romances.

Cute coming-of-age story- but for adults!

Sadie lives a tough life. She spends almost all of her time working in her antique shop, and the rest of her time going on dates with men that she just can’t seem to be attracted to.
She jumps at an opportunity to break up the monotony, when her finds out her sister needs someone to take her place on a walking tour from Portugal to Spain.

Sadie meets a woman on the plane, Mal. When they hit unexpected turbulence- Sadie accidently shares her biggest secret-that she might be into women.
Awkward... but at least she will never have to see the attractive stranger again, right?
Unless that stranger happens to be on the same walking tour and becomes dedicated to helping Sadie discover herself and relive her lost adolescence.

This was pretty fun. I really enjoyed the concept here!
Late bloomer gets the chance to experience queer adolescence, with the help of so many supportive new friends? How wholesome!

I can appreciate any story that highlights the struggle and the fear that comes along with “finding yourself” at a later age.
Sadie feels that at 35 she is “too old” to be questioning her sexuality, and that if she wasn’t straight- she should know by now.
However, Mal and all of their friends really boost her up and show her that it is never too late to discover the real her. I love that!

I think Sadie and Mal are nice together, but I didn’t really feel that deep of a connection between them. Maybe that was just me.
There was also a point in the story where Sadie wanted Mal to teach her about physical intimacy, and Mal didn’t seem to think it was a good idea. However, Sadie kept pushing for it.
I know the idea here was that Mal was into it, and she just trying not to let herself fall too hard. However, I still felt it was a bit uncomfortable.

That is really my only critique. I thought the rest of the book was quite sweet.

One last notable mention: Mal’s point about how it is not your responsibility to repair ties/forgive people that were unaccepting of your identity, even if that person wants to reestablish a connection with you.
The importance of this! I just had to include it here.

A nice read overall. Pretty inspiring!
This isn’t my first Alison Cochrun book, and it probably won’t be my last!

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and author Alison Cochrun for providing me with the eARC of “Every Step she Takes”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 2nd, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: August 3rd, 2025

Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun is a tender and evocative story of self-discovery, healing, and queer love. Mal and Sadie’s journey along the Camino de Santiago serves as a beautiful metaphor for their parallel emotional journeys—each step bringing them closer to their authentic selves and to each other.

While I found Mal’s arc richly drawn and deeply affecting, I wished for a bit more depth and dimension from Sadie’s character, whose story felt slightly overshadowed by Mal’s. Still, Cochrun’s signature voice—full of warmth, vulnerability, and emotional honesty—shines through on every page.

This novel is another strong example of the power of queer storytelling, centering LGBTQ+ characters with complexity and care. It’s a heartfelt exploration of identity, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to love—yourself and someone else—fully.

Another amazing book from Alison Cochrun! Sadie is questioning everything, but especially her sexuality — her overbearing sister and mother keep forcing her to go on dates with men and when she has dinner with someone who looks like a mash-up of Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine, and Chris Evans, she realizes maybe the problem is her. Luckily, she has time to figure that out when she takes her sister’s place on a queer pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It’s her first time out of the country and she panic-comes out to her seatmate during turbulence… her hot seatmate who is also trekking the Camino with her. There’s the classic Alison Cochrun body positivity and queer questioning and anxiety rep, but set on the backdrop of an intense, two-week hike across Portugal and northern Spain. I loved every single minute of this book and can’t wait to buy it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

Alison has done it again! I’ve loved the queer romances she’s put out before, but this felt personal. The clear parallels in the journey, emotional and physical, was so fitting and representative of a lot of what us “late-realized” queer people go through. As a life-long therapy user, I appreciated the self-discovery and the recognition that it’s a process, not all at once. And I’m a sucker for a good “practice” trope! The supporting characters were full, well-rounded individuals which provided a range of interactions. The community was such an important part of everyone’s journey.

I binge-read this in one go and I have to admit … I am OBSESSED!!! I love this author so much and cannot wait to see what she is writing next.

Thank you to Atria for an early review copy.

Alison Cochrun's latest novel follows Sadie, who discovers her sexuality later in life while on a walking trip through the Camino de Santiago. Mal decides to mentor Sadie through her gay awakening, while dealing with her estranged father's recent passing, and her growing feelings towards Sadie, knowing that she's always fallen in love too easily. Cochrun masterfully manages the spiritual journey of the Camino, with the physical toll of the journey, as Sadie grapples with coming out and Mal confronts her buried feelings. Readers will feel like they're on the walking tour with Saidie and Mal.

Okay I am biased because I read this book three weeks after going on my own queer group trip but I LOOOOVED this. The romance between Sadie and Mal felt so natural and had some great tropes without feeling to trope-y. The descriptions of Portugal, the Camino de Santiago, and life on a group trip were gorgeous and incredibly accurate (the constant clink of hydroflask water bottles in particular made me smile because I am that girl). But I think what I loved most was the amount of self discovery both Sadie and Mal did. I could see myself so much in them both — wanting to break habits and also being afraid of falling behind. I love a romance with a bit more substance, and this fit the bill.

"Every Step She Takes" by the wonderful @alisoncochrun

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶

Where do I even start? This was such a lovely read. Sadie is an anxiety ridden woman that manages to get herself on a plane to take a european journey. Mal is a free spirited, non committing woman who winds up on the same flight.

Sadie confessed all of her revelations and secrets when she thinks the plane is going to crash.

Mortified by her confessions and thinking she'll never see Mal again. Imagine her surprise when she meets with her tour guide and comes face to face with the blue haired woman. To make things worse, the two women are roommates for the journey.

These two will develop a fast friendship and Mal helps Sadie explore her missed out "queer adolescents".

Also a quote from the book that made me laugh so loud was "I need you to bippity boppity kiss me"

If this sounds up your alley, Then check this book out!

I just love an Alison Cochrun travel romance! The settings, the wide cast of characters, the emotional depths of the protagonists...it all makes for such an entertaining read. This one definitely had me laughing out loud at certain parts. Some bits felt didactic, but I can look past that, and it was all important stuff to discuss in mainstream novels (fatphobia, the asexuality spectrum, etc). I might have liked to see Sadie grapple a bit more with perhaps demisexuality, since there were multiple hints about that that went nowhere, but I also like that she didn't have her identity tied up in a bow by the end of the novel. The whole story was messy and fun and human, and I've definitely already recommended this one to my friends who love queer romance.

This was a thoughtful, beautifully written story about love, loss, and self-discovery. Sadie was such an incredible character. She really transformed throughout the book and I was so pleased with how her journey turned out. I also enjoyed Mal’s character and I think the way she had to navigate grief, strained parental relationships and unhealthy coping patterns was very realistic. Alison Cochrun has been an auto read for me since her first and this one was no exception!

I needed a few weeks to fully process what this book was. I have only read one other book by Alison Cochrun and it was quite a while ago, so I wasn't exactly sure what I was walking into with this. I was definitely NOT expecting to be curled up in my bed and desperately trying to finish this novel with my eyes blurry with tears.

These characters are at very different stages of life. Sadie is struggling to come to terms with the idea that she is not interested in relationships. Her sister is constantly trying to set her up and she just is not interested in any of the men she is meeting, no matter how "perfect" they are. Said sister, a travel blogger, ends up injured after one of her many escapades, and in order to escape, Sadie offers to take her place on her next trip.

This hike ends up being more than what she bargained for. Not only does it consist of many days of walking many miles, but she just-so-happens to be stuck with the very attractive queer woman she accidentally came out to on the plane ride, Mal.

Spoilers ahead:
<spoiler>When I realized this book had a third-act breakup, I groaned very loudly and needed to put my Kindle down. I think that the trope is very overused and unnecessary in most cases. After taking a moment to breathe and collect myself, I continued. And I'll be damned... If this novel DIDN'T have a third-act breakup (handled EXACTLY as it was) I don't think I would have rated it so highly. Mal, throughout the entirety of the story, displays a common stereotype with lesbians; which is that they cannot stand the part of the relationship that comes after the honeymoon phase. She loves the excitement of a new relationship and its "firsts." I think that with Mal it was crucial that she had her time away from Sadie to think and process what was happening in her head. Sometimes thinking every girl is "the one" is really damaging to the other party and I don't think it would have been fair to Sadie if she later realized that she was just repeating her patterns. AND I don't think it would be fair to readers if they got a false sense of hope from a very real issue (maybe I'll be the one she'll change for WITHOUT her putting in the effort with time and lots of therapy to see if she even wants to break that pattern)</spoiler>

In all, I think this book was really beautiful, powerful, and educational. Thank you, again, to Alison Cochrun, the pubs, and Netgalley <3 I'm excited to read more from you.

I loved this book from beginning to end. A lot of the adult queer romance novels I've read have main characters who are somewhere in their twenties, and so it was nice to see Sadie and Mal working on figuring things out in their thirties. I haven't ever read a novel that fits quite into the spot this one fills, and the Portuguese Camino de Santiago was the perfect setting to tell their story.
While Sadie and Mal were my favorite characters, all of the characters were well-written and had their own unique stories. I could have read a book about each of the characters and their journeys during the book, because the glimpses that we get from Sadie and Mal's perspectives are intriguing.
The only complaint that I possibly have is that I want more - more time with Sadie and Mal after they finish El Camino, and more time with the side characters to learn about their lives before and after El Camino as well. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and will definitely be revisiting it in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Romance — 4⭐️

When Sadie impulsively joins a Camino de Santiago tour meant for queer women, she finds herself walking alongside Mal—the woman she drunkenly came out to mid-flight.

This book had so much heart and humor, with a memorable cast of characters. I found Sadie so relatable—especially that feeling of being behind while everyone else seems to have it figured out.

Both she and Mal were compelling in different ways, and I really loved following their journeys of self-discovery and healing unfold across the Camino.

I also really enjoyed the destination setting! All in all, i definitely recommend. I liked this one even more than Kiss Her Once for Me but The Charm Offensive is still my favorite.

Honestly, I might need to plan a soul-searching trip of my own now.