Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

63 reviews

genevieve5's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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mimikyutie's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I read this in winter of 2023 actually but I actually still need to yap about this still so we'll pretend it was a recent finish.

I'm not usually a romance reader so I'm not sure how this stacks against other LGBTQIA+ romance options but I think this made me want to try more?? Maybe?? I think its obvious from the jump that its gonna be corny (and the cover is generic and ugly, which is typical for romance but not the rule) but it was surprisingly sincere and authentic at times. I think the book or the author thinks that its way funnier than it is but even when the jokes are cheap or obvious they're at least.. idk, cute i guess.

It has good elements! Even great ones, but I need to complain first.

It was an infuriating read at times, mostly due to the narrator but sometimes due to the fact that a lot of the book's elements are a cheugy-ass 90's-kid dream. Everything from Taylor Swift to Gilmore Girls to the totally-not-starbucks chain is brought out and flaunted. I liked the love interest a lot, but I will confess that she was the poster child of a millennial's sapphic love interest: a thin, fit, short haired, strong jawed individual who wears flannels and has strong hands and (gasp) also bakes????. It's gag-inducing at times. Despite all that though she is hot, don't get me wrong. In fact, she's probably the best character here. (Disregarding the fact that she has a foot fetish which is just hilarious so I'll forgive her and the author while reserving the right to make fun of both.). She deserved none of the stress this plot and MC put on her. Not to mention all the lame tropes- arranged/fake dating, love-at (nearly)- first-sight, an MC who just can't seem to get it together, needless miscommunication, the third-act breakup, so on. None of this was hard to get through though, I just rolled my eyes as hard as I could and moved on. Its the damn protagonist that really makes this book start to feel like punishment.

First of all, fuck this girl for sharing my name and identities. I don't know what I did to this author personally but clearly it must have been bad for you to make a bi, demisexual girl named Ellie with creative hobbies and then write her to be the most insufferable loser I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing first-person narration through. Ellie is an anxious mess who can't get far enough out of her own way to realize that she has her head lodged firmly up her ass. She firmly believes that she is the martyr of the world as she is supported by her friends, spends her holiday in a lovely mansion, and is hosted by a wealthy and (mostly) likeable family who clearly enjoy her company.
She exploits real people in her life by making them into characters for her cringey webcomic (where she bitches about everything else in her life) to the tune of a potential publishing deal and some validation in her skills
. She's a pushover who lets the plot rawdog her as it pleases, even if it means moving her flimsy personality out of the way to let the events of the book happen. Whenever she does need to roll over in this way, she bemoans in her narration that it would be out of character for her- as if I needed to hear that. This refrain becomes really common since, y'know, plots usually demand that characters take actions of various kinds, and we come to find that almost any action is unlike her. We are constantly hearing about the fact that the things she is currently doing are not things she normally would. It's probably true, as I can truly only picture this woman rotting in her bed when plot isn't happening to her, but it's still a sentiment that fills far too many lines on the page. I really can't stand passive characters but what I really don't need is to be reminded of just how passive characters are. Constantly.

Of course, none of that makes Ellie a bad character. I would even hesitate to call her a bad person. She behaves in understandable ways and I felt sorry for her just as often as I was fed up by her. Her mental illnesses, abusive mother/childhood, and poor coping methods have clearly taken the wheel from her and she's been too burnt out and rejected to steer herself towards a better life. Her biggest sin is really the ways in which she uses other people towards her own ends- the rest is just annoying. Most importantly, and the thing that kept me from just saying 'fuck it' and abandoning the book completely, is the fact that all the characters in the book find out that she's been acting like a cunt and they all react appropriately and tell her to take a hike. I was worried that, given the resemblance this book has to a Hallmark movie, that Ellie was going to be dismissed as a 'quirky, relatable, hot mess' instead of the unmoored and insecurely attached adult who hit rock bottom and grabbed a pickaxe that we know her to be. It was cathartic, it allowed Ellie to finally start addressing her unchecked habits, and it was a big reason as to why I'm giving this book 3 stars instead of 2. 

I'm aware that this is some kind of send-off to an existing movie that strongly influenced this author and this story. I haven't seen it though so I can't make any comparisons. I can only pray that the characters in it are not nearly as much of a huge drag though. I probably won't watch it to be frank- not because of this book but just because I don't care. lol.

In terms of the good, there are things to talk about! This book has some really fun, sweet moments and enjoyable characters. They don't feature as strongly as I would like but I blame our narrator's lack of awareness for that. The drama here is also great fun, if you don't mind it being cheap or even stupid. The bar is low considering that the romance here moves way way too fast but I loved seeing some demisexual rep from the MC! 

I won't lie either, the sex here was kinda hot. You have to be willing to stifle your laughter when Jack seductively slips off Ellie's socks since, again, she has an honest-to-god foot fetish, but after that the characters start to have real physical chemistry. It's decent sex writing. Better than have the shit you see on the shelf today, anyways. Do bear in mind that I am on the asexual spectrum though so if you like smut (or spice or whatever the hell you wanna call it) this is not for you, as it only comprised of, like, 2 chapters. It was the right amount of tasteful for me, is what I'm saying. 

Ultimately, this book is leagues better than any other half-assed attempt at a 'queer hallmark-style holiday romance' (and we all know a few examples by now) but don't entertain any delusions that its going to be high literature. It's still hokey bullshit, just less heterosexual bullshit. I, for one, like hokey bullshit, especially around the holidays. If you do too then it might be worth the read, just make sure to bring all of your patience with you.

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the_rabble's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

This is a cute one. I'll be recommending it.

If you're looking for tall women protagonists with defined personalities including a big, loud, mid-20s butch love interest, and a minimal amount of hijinx for a fake relationship storyline, this is your book.

Structure: Cochrun does the best flashback structure I've seen in a romance, repeatedly going back to the day Ellie and Jack first meet.

Setting: Portland. I grew up in the PDX metro area, and this is probably the media- aside from Metal Lords- that best lives in the space. Very different vibes, but captures the Portland/west side PNW snow experience in a very real way. YMMV on hipster & transplant culture, but the rent woes are real.

Representation: MC is bi demi with anxiety, LI is biracial butch lesbian with ADHD, the brother is pan, LI's bff is a Spanish-speaking enbie. Notable side characters are trans and alphabet mafia. Nothing feels tokenized or preachy (aside from some hipster cultural touchstones)- it's all pretty natural, casual inclusion.

Narrator: Natalie Naudus is always stellar. This could have been done with someone with less dulcet tones, but I'm never going to turn down Naudus.

Sex Scenes: they happen, it's infrequent, and very well done.

Who I Wouldn't Rec This To: I would recommend this to pretty much anyone with a narrow exception: Our POV, Ellie has a toxic parental relationship and severe anxiety, on page one. If someone is dealing with depression or has similar anxiety issues, I'd be cautious to rec or be sure to let them know it's okay to drop it and come back or DNF.

By the end, Cochrun creates satisfying payoff regarding an overarching
fear of failure
that is empowering and lovely. However, the anxiety is in play the entire book (like actual anxiety disorders) which I could see being a lot for people experiencing severe symptoms.

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lacyparrish's review

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3.0

I had hesitated to read this book, as it I had seen it comped to two other books that I _did not_ enjoy. This author will be at an upcoming event and a friend had raved about this book ... so I gave it a shot. From the beginning, I was frustrated with the structure of flashback webcomics (which aren't comics) and the current storyline. I agree with another review that I have stumbled across that they should have spent the money on having someone actually draw the scenes ... Ellie is an illustrator after all. The main couple isn't the one you think it will be at first and that also made me sad. I disliked the romantic lead for Ellie, Jack, from the meet-cute. Andrew, Jack's brother, was much more my speed and I really wanted his love story instead. The only saving grace of the whole book was the cast of supporting characters: Meemaw and Lovey, the awesome grandmothers; Meredith and Ari, the best friends who are going to support Ellie through any and everything; Katherine, the mom who collects all the kids even those who aren't hers biologically; villans Greg, the absent dad, and a**hole granddad even pull their weight in the pantheon. The pacing in the later portion of Act 2 and Act 3 let a mediocre love story down too. It is a decent book that I can say that I have read. 

Full Rating (out of 10 possible): 5.857 (based on a modified CAWPILE system)
Romance level (out of 5 possible): 3 (for on-page, intimacy scenes with some details) 

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kelly_e's review

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funny lighthearted relaxing 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

3.25

Title: Kiss Her Once for Me
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." 

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eslsilver's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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beccaand's review

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.5


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luberry's review

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funny 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

4.0

This book has all the tropes I love in K-dramas and makes them gay. Love it. The characters are so lovable and frustrating, the plot is so fun and painful to get through at the same time, but i think that's what makes this such a lovable fun read. The bittersweetness makes it real and relatable even though their problems are far more entertaining than my own. A great read with characters I won't forget and I'm glad to have it be my first of this year. :)

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bookedandbusy's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.5

This was such a cute, fun holiday love story. I found Ellie to be a bit tedious at the beginning but she really grew on me. I loved this one so much. 

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katelynprice's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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