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booksdogsandcoffee's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
5.0
Last Christmas Ellie’s life had purpose and direction. Now, Ellie hates Christmas. She has to deal with her narcissistic emotionally abusive mother nagging her to pay back her own existence since she was 18, who she only wants approval from. She was fired from her dream job in animation and is now stuck at a hipster coffee shop and living in one of the smallest apartments possible in Portland. And she wants the perfect girl, but she already had that. Last Christmas Eve she met Jack, who spent she spent an amazing day with, an even more amazing kiss.... and other things, but then never saw her again.
The story goes back and forth between present and last Christmas. When it’s in the past Ellie uses her webcomics to tell the story of what happened between her and Jack last Christmas Eve. Back in the present Andrew and Ellie are fake engaged so he can get his trust from his grandpa. Showing up at his families lodge for Christmas Ellie sees Jack again for the first time in a year realizing that she is Jacks sister. Ensue the madness!
Andrew and Jack's Memaw makes the story🙌🏻
I love how the book discusses joy in your job and loving your work. Which we need to see more of in life and novels! The open dialogue about mental health, therapy, boundaries and healing yourself is so fantastic to see throughout it this book and one of the things I appreciated the most.
Rep and Tropes
Ellie: bi & demisexual (mid 20s)
Jack: Lesbian mid 20s
Trans les side rep, non-binary side rep
Found family
Fake dating
Marriage of connivence
Forced proximity
One bed
Sexy lesbian lumber Jack scene
Generalized anxiety disorder
ADHD
Cw
Emotional/ narcissistic abusive parents
Sexism
Alcohol
Slight child abuse
Biphobia
Ableism
Bullying
Toxic relationship
Cheating
Mental Health
The story goes back and forth between present and last Christmas. When it’s in the past Ellie uses her webcomics to tell the story of what happened between her and Jack last Christmas Eve. Back in the present Andrew and Ellie are fake engaged so he can get his trust from his grandpa. Showing up at his families lodge for Christmas Ellie sees Jack again for the first time in a year realizing that she is Jacks sister. Ensue the madness!
Andrew and Jack's Memaw makes the story🙌🏻
I love how the book discusses joy in your job and loving your work. Which we need to see more of in life and novels! The open dialogue about mental health, therapy, boundaries and healing yourself is so fantastic to see throughout it this book and one of the things I appreciated the most.
Rep and Tropes
Ellie: bi & demisexual (mid 20s)
Jack: Lesbian mid 20s
Trans les side rep, non-binary side rep
Found family
Fake dating
Marriage of connivence
Forced proximity
One bed
Sexy lesbian lumber Jack scene
Generalized anxiety disorder
ADHD
Cw
Emotional/ narcissistic abusive parents
Sexism
Alcohol
Slight child abuse
Biphobia
Ableism
Bullying
Toxic relationship
Cheating
Mental Health
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Sexism
Minor: Ableism
theespressoedition's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
During Pride Month in 2022, I picked up The Charm Offensive and absolutely fell in love. It quickly became one of my favorite reads of the year and before I was even halfway finished with it, I searched up Alison Cochrun on The StoryGraph and every social platform to see what she had already written and what she was writing next. You can imagine my joy upon discovering that Kiss Her Once for Me would be released during the winter of the same year! I added it to my TBR and requested it on NetGalley without even reading the plot (something I rarely do... but I just had this gut instinct about Alison's writing and knew I would love it no matter what it was about). My happy dance was more like a happy rave when I got the approval email!
Now, a little bit of backstory time. I grew up on While You Were Sleeping. Every single year for as long as I can remember (it came out the year after I was born... so TRULY as long as I can remember), this movie marked the start of the holiday season. If it wasn't watched on the day we put up our tree, it was at least watched during the holidays. My dad, mom, sister, and I would curl up with spiced mocha, popcorn, peppermint bark, and molasses cookies to spend the next hour and forty-three minutes quoting every line, humming every bar of the soundtrack, and laughing at every joke (even though we already knew the punchline). Not a year has gone by that this movie hasn't been watched and loved thoroughly... even my husband was brought into the tradition while we were still dating! It's my ultimate comfort movie and I love the story with all of my heart.
Okay, so... picture this: Stephanie opens up Kiss Her Once for Me and reads the opening lines of the note for the reader and it starts out by talking about the author's love for While You Were Sleeping and how that played into the writing of this book. I mean, come on, it's like fate! My jaw just about hit the floor in both shock and excitement. I already knew I was going to love the book, but now I was convinced I was going to be full-on obsessed. I wasn't wrong. I couldn't put this one down!
This book gave me everything I wanted from it and more. I'm talking sapphic love story cuteness (complete with - as the author called her - "lesbian Bill Pullman"), hilarious holiday hijinks, adorable all-knowing grannies, and the most heartwarming found family I've read about in ages. I truly never wanted it to end. I was going through a truly challenging time in my life and this book brought so much comfort and warmth. I know that I'll be picking it up again and again over the years just to bring that "hug in a book" feeling.
It takes place during the holidays, but I wouldn't call it a "Christmas book." It's more overall wintery and just happens to have Christmas-y moments in it. It also made me interested in webcomics. So much so that I immediately began the Heartstopper series on Webtoon after finishing it (which is another comfort read now, so thanks for that nudge, Kiss Her Once for Me).
Kiss Her Once for Me is swoony, a little spicy, sweet, and SAPPHIC. It's absolute perfection and definitely the book you need to pick up this winter if you want a little comfort and cuteness in your life!
Now, a little bit of backstory time. I grew up on While You Were Sleeping. Every single year for as long as I can remember (it came out the year after I was born... so TRULY as long as I can remember), this movie marked the start of the holiday season. If it wasn't watched on the day we put up our tree, it was at least watched during the holidays. My dad, mom, sister, and I would curl up with spiced mocha, popcorn, peppermint bark, and molasses cookies to spend the next hour and forty-three minutes quoting every line, humming every bar of the soundtrack, and laughing at every joke (even though we already knew the punchline). Not a year has gone by that this movie hasn't been watched and loved thoroughly... even my husband was brought into the tradition while we were still dating! It's my ultimate comfort movie and I love the story with all of my heart.
Okay, so... picture this: Stephanie opens up Kiss Her Once for Me and reads the opening lines of the note for the reader and it starts out by talking about the author's love for While You Were Sleeping and how that played into the writing of this book. I mean, come on, it's like fate! My jaw just about hit the floor in both shock and excitement. I already knew I was going to love the book, but now I was convinced I was going to be full-on obsessed. I wasn't wrong. I couldn't put this one down!
This book gave me everything I wanted from it and more. I'm talking sapphic love story cuteness (complete with - as the author called her - "lesbian Bill Pullman"), hilarious holiday hijinks, adorable all-knowing grannies, and the most heartwarming found family I've read about in ages. I truly never wanted it to end. I was going through a truly challenging time in my life and this book brought so much comfort and warmth. I know that I'll be picking it up again and again over the years just to bring that "hug in a book" feeling.
It takes place during the holidays, but I wouldn't call it a "Christmas book." It's more overall wintery and just happens to have Christmas-y moments in it. It also made me interested in webcomics. So much so that I immediately began the Heartstopper series on Webtoon after finishing it (which is another comfort read now, so thanks for that nudge, Kiss Her Once for Me).
Kiss Her Once for Me is swoony, a little spicy, sweet, and SAPPHIC. It's absolute perfection and definitely the book you need to pick up this winter if you want a little comfort and cuteness in your life!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, and Alcohol
decklededgess's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
trigger warnings: infidelity (not referring to the polyamory mentioned in the book), sexual content, alcohol, anxiety and panic disorders, body shaming, emotional abuse, transphobia, lesbophobia, biphobia
Hoooooo boi was this book an emotional roller coaster. After The Charm Offensive, I’m wary of emotional devastation when it comes to Alison Cochrun and I WAS RIGHT. THIS BOOK WAS RUDE AS HELL. I finished it in a day.
Ellie and Jack are just something else. The tension, chemistry, yearning, HAVE MERCY. I also didn’t expect to care for Dylan and Andrew as much as I did. I was rooting for all for of these fools in their silly little self made love trapezoid of pain to figure shit out but nooooooooooo they just went and imploded on themselves. The four of them in their messiness had me wanting to yank my hair out.
This book is also stunning in its representation of generalised anxiety disorder. It’s respectful yet accountable for how the main character creates chaos for herself and others through her own pain. It also does a fabulous job of taking time in resolving the knot of hurt and working towards healing.
The queer representation was diverse and well thought out. I appreciated that there were two sides to polyamory represented. One where partners have to remove themselves from the relationship after realising polyamory was not for them and another for representing people who found happiness in polyamory. And no one was villainzed for those choices. It’s a small subplot but I found the care in that decision making really diplomatic and honest.
One of the most devastating third act break ups. EVER. But we get fed with some of the horniest smut ever too. So. Balance.
Hoooooo boi was this book an emotional roller coaster. After The Charm Offensive, I’m wary of emotional devastation when it comes to Alison Cochrun and I WAS RIGHT. THIS BOOK WAS RUDE AS HELL. I finished it in a day.
Ellie and Jack are just something else. The tension, chemistry, yearning, HAVE MERCY. I also didn’t expect to care for Dylan and Andrew as much as I did. I was rooting for all for of these fools in their silly little self made love trapezoid of pain to figure shit out but nooooooooooo they just went and imploded on themselves. The four of them in their messiness had me wanting to yank my hair out.
This book is also stunning in its representation of generalised anxiety disorder. It’s respectful yet accountable for how the main character creates chaos for herself and others through her own pain. It also does a fabulous job of taking time in resolving the knot of hurt and working towards healing.
The queer representation was diverse and well thought out. I appreciated that there were two sides to polyamory represented. One where partners have to remove themselves from the relationship after realising polyamory was not for them and another for representing people who found happiness in polyamory. And no one was villainzed for those choices. It’s a small subplot but I found the care in that decision making really diplomatic and honest.
One of the most devastating third act break ups. EVER. But we get fed with some of the horniest smut ever too. So. Balance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Gaslighting
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
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