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rileyswan's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
"people are always making a fuss about male forearms, which, sure, are nice, but have these people never seen the tattooed forearms of a butch lesbian?"
This book is the most beautiful ode to girls with anxiety, the struggles of career limbo, Christmas with found families, and loving butch lesbians who are hard on the outside but soft on the inside.
Alison Cochrun delivered something astonishing with her debut, The Charm Offensive, and followed through with something completely different yet entirely captivating with Kiss Her Once For Me.
This book follows Ellie Oliver, an artist and barista with a penchant for blaming everything on herself. Last Christmas, she fell in love with a butch named Jack who had a heart of gold, before her own got trampled all over, left to rot in the snow. Things get complicated when she gets fake engaged to a man in exchange for a promise of $200,000, only for that man to be Jack's sister.
Basically, everything is a MESS. There's an angsty love quadrangle, drug-happy grandmas, a cheating father, and too many secrets and lies to realistically keep track of.
And Alison pulls it off perfectly.
Kiss Her Once For Me is painstakingly real, and sad, and gay, which is exactly why you should read it - Christmastime or not.
This book is the most beautiful ode to girls with anxiety, the struggles of career limbo, Christmas with found families, and loving butch lesbians who are hard on the outside but soft on the inside.
Alison Cochrun delivered something astonishing with her debut, The Charm Offensive, and followed through with something completely different yet entirely captivating with Kiss Her Once For Me.
This book follows Ellie Oliver, an artist and barista with a penchant for blaming everything on herself. Last Christmas, she fell in love with a butch named Jack who had a heart of gold, before her own got trampled all over, left to rot in the snow. Things get complicated when she gets fake engaged to a man in exchange for a promise of $200,000, only for that man to be Jack's sister.
Basically, everything is a MESS. There's an angsty love quadrangle, drug-happy grandmas, a cheating father, and too many secrets and lies to realistically keep track of.
And Alison pulls it off perfectly.
Kiss Her Once For Me is painstakingly real, and sad, and gay, which is exactly why you should read it - Christmastime or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Biphobia, Drug use, Homophobia, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny and Racism
the_true_monroe's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Biphobia, Racism, and Transphobia
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Biphobia, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Outing
Minor: Cancer
haleysversion's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment
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