Best of the Year! Alison Cochrun can NEVER stop writing! Now booking my flight to Portugal so I can start my own Camino!

I fell in love with Alison Cochrun’s writing with her debut novel, The Charm Offensive, making her an auto-buy author ever since and boy does she deliver again with Every Step She Takes which is now on my list of best romance books of 2025!

Sadie is one of those characters you can’t help but fall for and root for once you meet her on the page. She’s a thirty-five year old woman who is just starting to question her own sexuality when she inadvertently blurts out that she may be a lesbian to her seatmate on a plane to Portugal where she is going on a multi-day trek along the Camino de Santiago with a group of queer woman.

I loved following Sadie’s journey along that Camino that is not only a beautiful description of the scenery around her in Portugal and Spain but also a beautiful tale of self discovery and growth for her and her trek mates.

Cochrun’s tale of Sadie’s coming out and coming into her own identity was so well crafted. I felt every one of Sadie’s emotions that she was brave enough to share with her roommate Mal.

Mal was such a fantastic character as well. I loved how she offered to be Sadie’s fairy dyke-mother, giving her the chance to live the queer adolescence that Sadie missed out on while also giving her “practice” with a woman.

I’m obsessed with the dating coach/bedroom teacher trope and this one was fantastic since it was so easy to see Sadie and Mal’s chemistry and love for one another.

Cochrun also gives such a wonderful cast of characters who are along for the trek with Sadie and Mal as well as interesting backstories for the lead characters which really enriched the story.

I also love books that inspire travel and walking my own Camino is now on my bucket list of things to do in life.

Every Step She Takes truly sets Alison Cochrun a part from other authors. It demonstrates her skill as a writer where she can weave in so many important themes to her romance and make it just flow and seem so effortless. I know that I will be thinking about this book, its themes and message and its characters for a long time to come. Such a special read and one of the best romance books of 2025 without a doubt!

This is one of those reviews where I don’t feel like I do the book justice because it’s just so good. So just trust me and read it and you’ll see what I mean.

*I received an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I feel bad not loving Every Step She Takes by one of my favorite authors, Alison Cochrun, because it feels like a deeply personal story. But even though the main characters' journeys were inspiring, the romance just simply fell short.

I've read and loved each and every one of Alison Cochrun's books, but this one packed way less of a punch for me. With all of her previous books, I've laughed or I've cried (or both!), but this was just felt like a slog. Maybe it's my absolutely horrible luck with international road trip stories (niche comment, I know), but this book felt... muted.

I'm a huge, huge fan of sexuality discovery stories, so I would have thought this would have hit home for me. However, I can't put my finger on why it didn't. I think I felt more of a pull towards Mal and her messy family issues, but I struggled to see why the relationship with Sadie was different than the dozens of other times she "fell in love." The practice FWB trope didn't even do much for me. It felt like more of the author exploring Sadie's personal journey than building the romance for the two MCs. They felt very friendship vibes, IMO. Simply put, these two lacked romantic and sexual chemistry together

I'll admit, it did pick up a bit at the end, and I enjoyed the last 10%, but for me this is the weakest Alison Cochrun book to date. I think I either needed more pain and gut punches (yeah, I'm a weirdo) or way more humor to draw me into the story because the romance felt weak. Oh well, next time.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I can't wait to make all my friends read this when it comes out in September! I loved reading this book (thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC) about Sadie, our thirty-five year old protagonist who just hasn't quite figured things out yet.

I loved the main character, Sadie, and I *loved* the love interest, Mal. This book was as heartwarming as it was romantic and definitely fed my travel bug!

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves travel romance, queer/WLW love, and coming-of-age stories.

✈️ Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun ✈️

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sadie needs a break from her life, work, and gay panic. When she takes her sisters spot on a queer women’s Camino tour, a tipsy confession to her seat mate on the the plane, Mal, makes the tour awkward - it turns out, Mal is on the tour too. On the trail, Mal offers to help Sadie explore the queer adolescence she missed out on, and they have to decide if this connection is a detour, or a new beginning.

Alison Cochrun has done it again. I was so excited to receive this ARC, and one I started reading, I could not put it down. I was working at my desk thinking about Sadie and Mal and counting down until 4:30 when I could pick up my kobo and come back into this story. I’m glad I read this in the summer as it definitely felt like a summery or early fall romance. I loved every single character in this book, their personalities, their stories. I loved the premise and the self discovery. This was such a good reminder that we’re always learning and growing at our own paces. The writing was beautiful, as it always is with Alison Cochrun. This felt like a love letter to the queers who are still figuring it all out and I adored this. I’m sad this was an ARC because there’s so many quotes I’d love to share. I know I’ll be buying a copy to highlight the many sentences that touched my heart. Pre-order this, put it on hold at your library, or go get it once it’s out!

Read this if you like:
-Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
-self-discovery
-books and banter that make you feel giddy
-absolute queer joy
-the best queer characters and found family vibes

Vibes: ✈️🍷🥾🎒🧦😘❤️

Song that matches the vibe: Hot Shame by FIGHTMASTER

Full review including content warnings on my StoryGraph.

Every Step She Takes is out September 2, 2025! Thank you NetGalley, Alison Cochrun, and Atria Books for the eARC. This eARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Every Step She Takes : 4.25 ⭐️

You ever read a book and realize this exactly what you at that moment? This was it for me. Personally this book spoke volumes to me. Sometime reading about people in the twenties find love and their life partners can feel lonely. Don’t get me wrong I love it and am not going to stop, but having 2 women in the mid to late 30’s not having their life together, was nice to read!

👟Queer Awakening
👟Mid 30’s FMC
👟Comino
👟Midsize FMC
👟Queer travel
👟Kissing (for science)
👟Practice Sex
👟One Hotel Room (many times)
👟Fairy-God-Dyke
👟Anxiety Rep

Sadie is about to be 35, and has agreed to have her mom and sister set her up on dates in hopes of finding her person. After 17 failed dates she is starting to think it is her that is the problem, and maybe she is not interested in men. So when her travel blogger/influence sister is unable to attend her Comino trip due to an injury, she offers to take her place.

Traveling is not something Sadie has ever done! When her seat mate arrives on her first flight the is something familiar about her, and when they hit a bit of turbulence Sadie shares the fact that she might be a lesbian. This is the first time she has come out to anyone! Turns out her seat mate is on the Comino with her and her roommate!

Mal is a free spirited wanderer! She has done the Camino several times and is an investor in the company. She is here because she had another breakup and her father recently passed away and left her his very successful company and she wants nothing to do with her father.

As they walk the Comino Mal tries to avoid Sadie because she can’t help her attraction. Only to be the person to guide Sadie through her second “queer adolescence” experience. They kiss for science, and hav practice sex. The rest of the group can feel the chemistry between them!

What will happen when the Comino is over? What will happen when the truth of Mal’s past comes out? What will happen when Sadie returns to Seattle? Will Mal take over the family business?

I think after reading this I need to either go on a Comino, or plan my own soul searching trip!

In this book, Sadie is a 35 year old woman who has only (unsuccessfully) dated men. Mal is a serial monogamist famous for falling out of love as fast as she falls into it. They meet on the plane as they both head to Portugal to start walking the Camino de Santiago. Sadie is going to fill in for her travel blogger sister with a broken toe and Mal is going to heal a broken heart/avoid thinking about her recently deceased father who left her his successful wine business. When turbulence occurs, Sadie blurts out that she is gay but is relieved by the thought that she'll never see Mal again. It's a surprise to her, then, when they both end up in the same queer tour group.

There is a lot of character development and self discovery in this book, both for the 2 main characters and the other members of their tour group. The insta-attraction that deepened over the course of the book was fun and lovely. The ending was perfect, although I was left wanting to know more about their story.

Overall, a 5 star romance for me from Alison Cochrun.

Sadie Wells is a 35 year old who runs an antique store that she inherited from her grandma. Her younger influencer sister breaks her toe is no longer able to go on a tour of Portugal’s Camino de Santiago so Sadie takes her place. Sadie sets out on a journey of self discovery.

I loved everything about this! Sadie and Mal were both compelling and real characters. They had incredible chemistry! Sadie’s journey to find herself in her mid 30s and Mal working through her grief were beautifully written and deeply moving.

I loved all the side characters that were also on the tour. Their unique personalities and stories made the Camino experience feel rich and authentic.

This just might be my new favorite Alison Cochrun book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so excited to finally have found a lesbian romance that's actually good (or at least better than most of the stuff I've read so far).

The main premise is that Sadie Wells, Eldest Daughter Syndrome TM, finally breaks and decides to go on her injured travel influencer sister's trip to Portugal to escape all the straight dates she was being set up on, her anxious mother, and her inherited dead grandmother's failing business. On the turbulent flight there, she ends up coming out for the very first time to her clearly very gay seat mate, Mal (who we find out later is the estranged daughter of a recently-dead famous European wine company owner). It's all very embarrassing and Sadie is relieved to not see or interact with Mal ever again but, of course, as the rom-com fate would have it, Mal ends up being on her (queer) Camino walking tour. Cue hijinks, misunderstandings, a fun cast of tour mates and beautiful descriptions of Portugal.

My favorite part of the book overall was Sadie and her character arc. She's so relatable with her crippling anxiety and finding out she's gay in her thirties and her hate for exercise and sweat. She's written as a real vibrant person with real fears and quirks and I enjoyed her immensely. Ten out of ten character writing. The way she interacted with the rest of her fellow walking group members was also so delightful (I was especially having fun with Stefano, he added the perfect amount of levity, humor and absurdity).

The gorgeous descriptions of Camino de Santiago and Portugal in general were perfect and immersive. I really did feel like I was there, walking an ungodly amount each day with these people and eating the best food of my life.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't without its faults and a huge glaring one for me was Mal. As a character she made sense and the romance between her and Sadie also made sense. Even though it didn't take very long for them to fall for each other, it never felt disingenuous. Their chemistry was real and earned and somehow escaped insta-love territory, which was impressive. So, my gripe is specifically with Mal as a person. She was just so. Incredibly. Annoying. Like, if I met Mal in real life I would immediately cross myself and cross the street. She's the most stereotypical rich white lesbian fuckboy. WHICH SO MANY SAPPHIC PEOPLE FALL FOR! PLEASE STOP IT! DO BETTER! I just wanted someone better for Sadie, who I am obsessed with and wish everything the best for.

Despite all that, Mal does make some painful growth choices toward the end. Were they enough for me or for Sadie? No. But they were enough for a satisfying ending so I'm going to leave it at that.

One thing I think could've been either improved or completely done away with was the instagram/blog entries. They really didn't add much to the actual story nor did they provide any entertainment and were kind of a slog to read through. Which was so surprising because usually things like that make a book more fun for me. In this context, however, it just didn't hit.

Anyway, I will be reading more Alison Cochrun hopefully very soon. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC.

This may be my favorite Alison Cochrun book yet (however, I still need to read Kiss Her Once for Me).

Imagine your mid-trans Atlantic flight, a little bit drunk and a lot scared of turbulence, when you blurt out to a stranger that you’re a lesbian (a new self-discovery)—that’s how Sadie Wells meets Mal Gonçalves, before finding out they’re both on the same Camino (a spiritual two-week, 200 mile trek through Portugal and Spain).

This starts an exploration of two women finding themselves as well as each other, in a story that left me wanting to walk the Camino myself (might need to book a trip for next summer).

Cochrun always knows how to tastefully handle deep topics twisted with the sweetest romance. Not to forget, her characters are a delight.

Our first main character, Sadie was so relatable with her feelings of being behind, stuck, unsure, but as was our second lead, Mal with her fear of stillness, settling, and facing her feelings. They both have such differing experiences with growth, grief, and love but I think that’s part of why these two characters worked so well together. They learned from each other, which only helped them both grow during their initial short time together, and even more so during their time apart before they, spoiler: reunited (this is a romance, after all). The side characters were also a hoot, each one adding additional shine to the two leads and their stories both together and separately.

I truly loved this book so much. It was warm and sweet, even when sad, which I believe is Alison Cochrun at her best.

Please do yourself a favor and pick up Every Step She Takes September 2nd.

Thank you, Atria Books for providing me with an eARC!

It's a great setup: Sadie is the sister of a travel influencer, Vi, who is due to join a queer tour group walking the Camino de Santiago but can't due to an injury. Sadie, who is a very responsible small-business owner, agrees to cover for her. On the flight over, she's seated next to a blue-haired queer woman, and when the plane hits turbulence, Sadie panics and shouts, "I think I might be a lesbian!"

And guess who ends up being in Sadie's tour group? The blue-haired queer woman, whose name is Mal.

Mal, Cochrun tells us, looks like a cross between Kristen Stewart and Shane from The L-Word, because of course she does. I didn't find her as hot as I think Cochrun wanted her to be, and I'm not quite sure why. Maybe because she kept TELLING us how hot Sadie thought she was? I could have done with about 90% fewer mentions of Mal's widow's peak and bow lips.

This book also contains far too much lip biting and chewing; Sadie's mouth must have been pulp by the time their walk ended. It felt like an editor needed to take a stronger hand here and removed many of these writerly tics.

There were some lovely moments, namely a very hot kiss, a funny octopus scene and when we got to see Mal's teenage bedroom, which was basically a 2005 time capsule. There's also a great scene where Mal talks Sadie down from a panic attack.

But overall, this felt a little like a pale imitation of Casey McQuiston's The Pairing and had too much internalized angst, as is so common among millennial contemporary romances. The characters were 35 (Sadie) and 38 (Mal) but read much younger. The Black trans owner of the tour company, Inez, was a great character but also felt a little Magical Black Friend for my liking. And overall, I didn't get a huge amount of chemistry between Mal and Sadie.

So why 3.5 stars? Because it was still an enjoyable read. I dunno. I believe Cochrun's The Charm Offensive is a perfect book, and I keep waiting for another of her books to bowl me over, but this isn't it. However, it is also a decent read if you're in the mood for a queer romance set in beautiful Spanish and Portuguese landscapes.

I received this advance copy courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.

Heartfelt Journey with Room to Grow: Review of “Every Step She Takes” by Alison Cochrun
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Alison Cochrun’s “Every Step She Takes” offers a touching exploration of self-discovery and love set against the backdrop of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. While the novel doesn’t quite reach its full potential, it delivers genuine emotional moments that will resonate with many readers.

What Works Well-
The heart of this story lies in Sadie’s personal journey of sexual identity discovery. Cochrun handles the experience of figuring out one’s sexuality later in life with sensitivity and authenticity. As someone who walked a similar path, I found myself nodding along with Sadie’s internal struggles, her moments of clarity, and the complex emotions that come with redefining yourself in your thirties. These scenes feel lived-in and real, offering representation that many readers will find meaningful and validating.

Cochrun’s writing shines when she delves into the internal landscape of her characters. The emotional beats of Sadie’s self-acceptance journey are well-crafted, and there’s a gentleness to how the author approaches themes of identity and belonging that feels both respectful and genuine.

Where It Falls Short-
Unfortunately, the central romance between Mal and Sadie never quite ignited for me. While both characters are individually compelling, their connection felt more told than shown. I wanted to feel the spark between them, to understand what drew them together beyond their shared pilgrimage. The romantic tension that should have been simmering throughout their journey often felt flat, leaving me emotionally distant from what should have been the story’s emotional core.

Perhaps more disappointing was the underutilization of the Camino de Santiago setting. The pilgrimage route through Portugal offers such rich potential for atmosphere, history, and spiritual reflection, but I never felt transported to those ancient paths. The setting remained frustratingly vague, reading more like a generic hiking trail than one of the world’s most storied pilgrimage routes. More vivid descriptions of the landscapes, the other pilgrims, the small towns and their unique character would have elevated the entire reading experience and made the journey feel as transformative for readers as it was meant to be for the characters.

Final Thoughts-
“Every Step She Takes” is a book with a big heart that doesn’t quite reach its ambitious goals. While Cochrun deserves credit for her authentic portrayal of later-in-life sexual awakening and the courage it takes to remake yourself, the novel feels like a missed opportunity to fully explore both its romantic potential and its evocative setting. Readers looking for LGBTQ+ representation will find value here, but those hoping for a sweeping romance set against the magnificent backdrop of the Camino may come away wanting more.

Despite its shortcomings, there’s something admirable about Cochrun’s commitment to telling stories that matter to underrepresented communities. For that alone, “Every Step She Takes” is worth the journey, even if it doesn’t always take you where you hoped to go.

This book makes me want to walk the Camino. This book forgave me for not realizing I was bisexual for the longest time. This book makes me want to forgive myself for all the things I failed to do before I was 34. This book reminded me that we have a long life, and it's just never too late to be the person you want to be. That there is no right way to live your life. I want to give this book to my 20 year old self and tell her this is what she could look forward to if she doesn't attain that list of goals she has. This is a beautiful story about 2 women who are in their mid to late-30s, figuring out what it means to be themselves. To ask "what do I like" or "what do I do that falls short of myself." I loved this book of self discovery, self love, and pushing your body to the limits.

Go read this book.

Another brilliant Alison Cochrun queer novel - I was so excited to pick this up after loving each of her previous ones. A heartfelt elder coming-of-age story / slow-burn sapphic romance with truly loveable characters, set around Portugal as they tackle the grueling Camino walk and confront their own personal struggles along the way, inspired by the author's own experience from embarking on the same journey.

I enjoyed the characters so much, again appreciating how deeply emotional and heartwarming the story becomes - far more than just another cookie-cutter romcom, fully falling in love with the complex and flawed characters each time. Cannot wait for the next one!

Very grateful I was lucky enough to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Alison Cochron you sly dog. You did it again. There’s something so refreshing about her venture into queerness with every story. It’s quintessentially quirky and such a specific form of writing that it definitely won’t be for everyone, I think any thing from Alison is worth picking up. Our main characters: Mal and Sadie undergo a beautiful journey of growth. Mal takes a 35 year old baby gay under her wing, all the while, she is avoiding her own past and all the weight that it brings. The side characters were a delight, and every time I picked it up my heart felt so much lighter in this very scary time. What a beautiful way to end pride month. Now I gotta stop being a lesbian FUCK.

i think i’m going to settle on an exact 3 star rating for this one. this is my first sapphic romance i have read by alison cochrum, but i have read ‘the charm offensive’ which i adored, so i knew that i would enjoy her writing! sadly, overall this one fell a bit flat for me. we are following our fmc, sadie, who is embarking on a last-minute trek throughout portugal in her sisters place, and she is using this as a time to find herself and prove to herself that she can ‘do hard things’. on the way, she meets our other fmc, Mal, who ends up being on this expedition with her. it is mainly a story of self discovery - sadie is 35 and is struggling with figuring out her sexuality, so a lot of this book is based around her figuring out she’s a lesbian, and therefore having this friendship/relationship with Mal to explore that. although it was certainly a quick read, i felt at arms length for majority of this book, and i didn’t find the romance all that believable. i did enjoy alison cochrun’s writing as i knew i would, and the atmosphere and side characters were great, but was just a tad off the mark for me sadly

Rating: 4.5 stars

Oh Alison Cochrun the writer you are. This book is FUNNY. I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times. It's also about two complete messes, like so completely do not have their shit together one bit, but they're lovable messes so you're invested in their growth the entire journey. I could tell Cochrun had actually walked Portugal’s Camino de Santiago because the setting felt so visceral and real.

This book is for readers who want to feel seen by a later in life coming out story, or who want to feel the love of a quirky found family, or just for the eternal wanderer.

The first thing I will say about this novel was that it is a lot of fun. The next things would be to mention that it is heartwarming and tackles some important topics. A warm, hopeful, sweet, fun book that belongs on every romance reader's list.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie is 35 and perfectly happy to run the antiques store her grandma left her. However, her influencer sister's foot injury causes Sadie to volunteer to walk the Camino de Santiago in her place. The tour group turns out to be for LGBT community members, which throws Sadie because she has only ever dated men (she finds this out hours after screaming to a whole plane that she might be gay in a moment of extreme turbulence).

I greatly enjoyed the found family, romance, and descriptions of all food they ate and locations they visited. Sadie also writes posts for her sister's travel blog and they were some of my favorite parts.

I recommended this book if you want some good spice but also to feel some warm fuzzies and get to know a variety of cool characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. My review is honest and voluntary.

“There’s no such thing as too late. We all get to where we’re going when we’re ready. Not before.”

Alison Cochrun has an incredible gift for making her readers feel seen and known, even if you're as straight as an arrow (unlike her beautiful, relatable, wonderful queer characters). I've read every book she's ever written and loved them all, because she truly makes you see yourself on the pages, and this book was no different.

I'm a straight cishet white girl, but I saw myself in Mal - the tough, invulnerable girl who never cries, with daddy issues and a hidden heart of gold. And maybe it was just a coincidence of timing, but (just like Mal) I found myself leaning into newly-acquired vulnerability skills as I was reading this book, and learning (just like Sadie) that it's never too late to discover parts of yourself that you never knew were there.

——

A huge thank you to Alison Cochran, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This isn't my most favorite Alison Cochrun book, but you can tell a lot of love and personal experience went into writing "Every Step She Takes".

This is a late-in-life coming out story of a woman on a trip of self-discovering meets a woman who is confident in her self and her path in life.

I enjoyed my time reading this book, though I wouldn't say it's my favorite romance every. But I did love that the characters were older! And not your stereotypical early twenties women.