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rileyswan'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
4.5
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.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia, Drug use, Homophobia, Alcohol, Biphobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Racism and Misogyny
the_true_monroe's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism, Biphobia, and Transphobia
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
- 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.
Graphic: Drug use, Biphobia, Child abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Vomit, Ableism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Death
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, and Outing
Minor: Cancer
arthur_ant18'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
3.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Transphobia
Minor: Gaslighting and Racism
caelinsullivan'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
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Biphobia, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Racism
amandalorianxo's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Biphobia, Lesbophobia, and Racism