Reviews with content warning for Biphobia - Kiss Her Once for Me

”We’re suspended in a perfect snow globe built for two. On a snow day in Portland, you could fall in love.”
- Kiss Her Once for Me

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tropes: Holiday Romance, Second Chance Romance, Marriage of Convenience, Fake Dating, Miscommunication, Love Triangle, Non-Linear Flashbacks
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Bisexual, Demisexual), POC, Neurodivergent (ADHD)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Ableism, Biphobia, Anxiety Disorder, Parental Abandonment, Toxic Family

Since The Charm Offensive was my favorite book of last year, I expected that I would adore Cochrun’s second book. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this book before. Kiss Her Once for Me was a refreshing take on so many classic tropes. I tend not to like love triangles in general, but the love trapezoid was perfection. I loved the friendship that developed between Andrew and Ellie over the course of their fake engagement, and the absolute chaos of their pining over different people was hilarious—especially when you add in the Boozy Grandmas’ antics.
This was the first book I’ve read with female ADHD rep. I always appreciate seeing ADHD rep, but it can present so differently in women as compared to men (which is why it often goes undiagnosed), so it was nice seeing the nuances of my experience portrayed in that way. The anxiety rep was also well done, but that wasn’t a surprise, seeing as it was also well done in The Charm Offensive.
Kiss Her Once for Me was wonderfully Christmassy and heartwarming. It had all the vibes of a Hallmark Christmas movie, except delightfully gay and with more in-depth character development.

Content Warnings

cheypreston's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

melist6's review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

katrinarose's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a really cute queer Christmas romance. It did have a few tropes I do not like (insta-love and miscommunication), and some of the characters acted very unrealistically at times, but the cheesy Hallmark-movie vibe of it allowed me to overlook it because I enjoyed the overall vibes so much. I felt like Ellie and Jack were very well-developed individually as well, which is a non-negotiable for a good romance in my opinion. I liked this better than The Charm Offensive and would recommend if you’re looking for a pretty lighthearted, cute, gay romance for the holidays!

Content Warnings

itsame_dio's review

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I had a good time, it’s the ending that through me off. First, I wish that we had more time for the friendship with Ellie and the side characters and that there was more scheming (??? That’s not the right word) with her and Andrew. Like I wish we saw them hang out more and more of their fake relationship, but my biggest problem is the ending.

1. I don’t understand why Jack was mad at Ellie and why she had to apologize?? At first Jack was mad Ellie got fake engaged w/ her brother for money and that kinda pissed me off because who is Jack to judge someone for caring about money?? Jack is doing a poverty cosplay but she still has resources to fall back on, Ellie literally has nothing!!

2. Then she’s mad that Ellie “didn’t believe in her” and idek how she came to that conclusion.

3. And it’s also somehow Ellie’s fault that she left last Christmas but JACK is the one who lied (by omission) about having a wife!! I wouldn’t stay to listen to anything you had to say cuz if you lied about that how would I believe that you’re telling the truth about you’re “getting a divorce” (literally the oldest trick in the book)

4. Ellie also somehow made Jack sleep with her even tho she thought Ellie was engaged to her brother?? Like how is your lack of self control anyone else’s fault but your own

Content Warnings

chasingpages1's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

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