Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Kiss Her Once For Me

I definitely enjoyed Kiss Her Once for Me! I only gave it 4 stars because it just didn't draw me in as much as I had wanted/expected it to. There is a great deal of representation - there's bi, demi, lesbian, nonbinary, and Korean-American representation to name a few. It also does a good job of discussing mental health (not that deeply) but anxiety and adhd are big parts of the two main characters lives. Based on what I've heard about The Charm Offensive, I'd say there's less talk on mental health in this one than her previous book. But it's still done very well! The story is also a lovely twist on a typical holiday romance story. That combined with the representation and discussions on mental health and relationships with toxic parents, it's definitely a great book. It was also nice to see at the end how they work on themselves first before attempting to get back together!

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micaelamariem's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.0

I have never read a holiday-themed book before, not unless you count A Christmas Carol and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas. So, this year, this season, I decided it was time for a change and ordered a queer holiday romcom from Book of the Month. After all, I love cheesey Hallmark romcom movies with the predictable plot so why wouldn’t I love a book that may be a little more nuanced?

And I was right.

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun, published by Atria, is not your typical fake-dating story. Ellie, who is heartbroken over what seemed like magic but was actually a one-night stand, and about to be evicted because she can’t make rent, sees an oppurtunity when Andrew proposes she be his marriage of convenience and he’ll pay her two hundred thousand dollars. First, though, they needed to get through Christmas with his family as fake fiancees. Ellie is all for this plan to get that life-changing money, until she finds out his sister was her one night stand she never got over.

The author, Alison Cochrun, is known for her debut, The Charm Offensive. Kiss Her Once for Me is Alison’s sophomore novel, and her third novel is coming in 2024. In the meantime, she lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves Taylor Swift.

Most of the characters in this romance are very loveable, and I think that’s because they aren’t perfect. With reflections on mental health and trauma passed on from parents, Alison did a good job at showing each character’s varying flaws, attatchment styles, and weak coping mechanisms, which allowed them room to grow over the novel. My favorite character was Dylan, a non-binary family friend who I would have loved to see more of.

I also thought the pacing was perfect, if conventional, for a romcom–all down to the third-act break-up. But I’m not complaining. Even though the author worked hard to turn a trope we know and love on its head here, there is still an area of predictability that us romance readers love and crave.

The romance itself was a bit too insta-love for my taste. However, there were obstacles that prevented the couple from being together, so it wasn’t like it was all perfect from the get-go and its what made the scenario more belivable, even in this whole wild scheme.

The writing was great and easy-to-read. It was easy to be pulled into Ellie’s world of drawing and anxiety. I especially loved the little vignettes from Ellie’s Draw2, where she created and shared comics online. It really fitted her character and made the reading even more enjoyable.

One thing, though, that I hated about the plot was this reveal about Jack that happens around the half-way point. It wasn’t the reveal that I hated so much as the fact that for the rest of the book, it was simply glossed over or not dealt with very much. In reality, this would have been a bigger thing and I would think the family would talk about it, too.

Also, there was a lot of miscommunication in this book. I know that’s probably a given with romcoms, but it made me so frusturated! I want to take this book and whack the characters over the head with it. If only they’d all just be honest with each other…

What made up for it was the holiday traditions in the family. Though a lot of the traditions were Ellie’s first time at experiencing Christmas magic, it brought me a lot of nostalgia, especially as I did virtually nothing this year for Christmas. Planning to do these things with my future family and create a feel-good home.

Oh, and brownie points for diversity! I knew going in that this would be a WLW romance, but I didn’t know we’d also see people experiencing demisexuality (which I think I am so it was cool to see), anxiety (which I know I have), ADHD, non-binary, and mixed race. These portrayals, for the most part, were done well without defining the characters themselves.

I loved the exploration of platonic love, family, and friendship throughout the novel, as well. While it is a romance, Ellie’s main struggle was with her belief that she couldn’t be lovable if she wasn’t perfect–and this was any kind of love, so it was refreshing to see both healthy and unhealthy relationships in every form.

Finally, there is a spicy scene or two in this novel. I would really only classify one chapter as being particularly smutty, so if you’re not into that, you could probably still read the book while skipping that chapter.

Overall, I really do recommend this, especially if you’re looking for one more holiday romance this season! Four stars.

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sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

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tuliptohru's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

3.5

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kaseymkelley's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective 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

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ecobookworm's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.75

I really enjoyed Alison Cochrun's first book, and this one was excellent as well. A sweet story with growth and self-discovery as well as many funny moments and a great cast of characters. The dynamic between Jack and Ellie was so good. This hit the spot for a holiday read.

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toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

5.0

There really just wasn't a single thing to hate about this. Is there insta-love? Yes. Do I hate insta-love? Yes! However, in this one case, I will allow it because I loved this story and I love this couple. Am I not really a fan of Christmas books? Correct, I tend to stay away from them. Did I absolutely love this? Also correct.

My point is, this book had some tropes that on paper, shouldn't have worked for me, and yet they *did.* So basically, if you've been eyeing this one and are unsure about it, give it a try and see if you love it, too.

Bonus points for the Taylor Swift references all throughout this gem.

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