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kelly_e's review
- 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
3.25
Author: Alison Cochrun
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: November 1, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Thoughtful • Nostalgic • Messy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
One year ago, recent Portland transplant Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and a Christmas Eve meet-cute with a woman at a bookstore that led her to fall in love over the course of a single night. But after a betrayal the next morning and the loss of her job soon after, she finds herself adrift, alone, and desperate for money.
Finding work at a local coffee shop, she’s just getting through the days—until Andrew, the shop’s landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan: a marriage of convenience that will give him his recent inheritance and alleviate Ellie’s financial woes and isolation. They make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family cabin to keep up the ruse. But when Andrew introduces his new fiancée to his sister, Ellie is shocked to discover it’s Jack—the mysterious woman she fell for over the course of one magical Christmas Eve the year before. Now, Ellie must choose between the safety of a fake relationship and the risk of something real.
💭 T H O U G H T S
The Charm Offensive was an absolute hit for me, so of course, I was keeping an eye on new books from Alison Cochrun. It just may have taken me over a year to finally pick up Kiss Her Once For Me. Unfortunately, this one didn't have the same experience as her debut.
Honestly, the premise sounded kind of ridiculous, so I knew going in, I'd have to suspend belief in order to appreciate this big hearted romcom. Marriage-of-convivence is a trope I often struggle to become fully invested in and it was no different with this one, especially when you add in the love triangle and lack of communication elements. Additionally, I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a holiday read, rather it just has strong winter vibes.
This book delivers an incredibly diverse cast of characters with representation spanning ADHD, anxiety disorders, bisexuality, demisexuality, and nonbinary. It was just all very well done. I also found myself appreciating the growth of the main character, the self-discovery theme, and the quirky family more than the actual romance aspect.
Overall, Kiss Her Once for Me didn't live up to my expectations, yet I don't know if it was really the book itself or rather just it containing elements that I don't love. I am curious and looking forward to see where Here We Go Again, Alison Cochrun's upcoming 2024 release will land for me.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• cozy romance
• queer romcoms (demisexual rep)
• love triangles
⚠️ CW: toxic parental relationship, emotional abuse, child abuse, biphobia, transphobia, lesbophobia, homophobia, mental illness, generalized anxiety, panic attacks/disorders, alcoholism, infidelity, sexual content, alcohol, abandonment, cursing, drug use, classism, bullying, gaslighting, ableism, racism, body shaming, fatphobia, death, misogyny, sexism, divorce
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Your trauma is something that happened to you; it’s not who you are."
"We all have seasons of needing and seasons of giving."
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia, Gaslighting, Transphobia, Biphobia, Child abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexism, Infidelity, Fatphobia, Ableism, Cursing, Drug use, Classism, Bullying, Racism, Body shaming, Death, and Misogyny
generalized anxiety, divorceuranaishi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Vomit, Biphobia, Ableism, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death of parent, Homophobia, Outing, and Racism
dojipengin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Addiction, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Drug use, Ableism, and Biphobia
Minor: Fatphobia and Body shaming
taynicole2698's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Sexism, Ableism, Bullying, and Racism
j_squaredd's review
- 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
3.75
Minor: Homophobia and Ableism
readandfindout's review
3.5
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 2.5 stars
Graphic: Classism, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Child abuse
Minor: Ableism, Gaslighting, Racism, Misogyny, Transphobia, Death, and Body shaming
cozycritiques's review against another edition
- 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.
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Biphobia, and Ableism
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Grief, Infidelity, Abandonment, Biphobia, Child abuse, Classism, Drug use, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, and Ableism
itsheyfay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Classism, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Moderate: Homophobia, Ableism, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, and Child abuse
Minor: Racism, Transphobia, and Drug use
attolis's review
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
Minor: Ableism