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shaipanda's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
This book took forever for me to finish cause it returned to the library but it was worth itttt - I got to 60% before it returned and once I got it back from the library I binged it in a car ride today and finished the rest of it :)
This book has cemented Alison Cochrun as a must read author for me and I loved Elle and Jack’s relationship
They weren’t perfect people and this did have the miscommunication trope but it was done well (imo) and above all I loved the relationship dynamics and personal growth in this book 🥺🥺
This book has cemented Alison Cochrun as a must read author for me and I loved Elle and Jack’s relationship
They weren’t perfect people and this did have the miscommunication trope but it was done well (imo) and above all I loved the relationship dynamics and personal growth in this book 🥺🥺
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Biphobia, Infidelity, and Homophobia
Minor: Transphobia
levesc17's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
slow-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
Great representation. The romantic lead was SWOON WORTHY!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Transphobia
literarylocd's review
emotional
funny
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
3.0
“That sounds like a ridiculously idiotic plan.”
Would i recommend: Yeah
What i liked:
- butch lesbian rep
- i love Meemaw. dumb name but I love her. what an ally. 10/10.
- I liked that the characters did their best to have open and honest conversations with each other, even when the easiest thing would be to just walk away. Jack and Elle’s convo in the cabin (the ACTUAL cabin) was really special.
What i didn’t like:
- i can’t help but feel robbed out of a developed friendship between andrew and elle. they had such good banter at the beginning and then it just fizzles out into nothing. and elle saying she missed him at the end didn’t make sense bc what was there to miss?
- there was just a lil something missing. like i needed some more depth into the characters and their relationships. I feel like there was a lot of tell and not so much show.
- also, did Dylan have a personality apart from being a bit of a ****?
TLDR; cute wlw hallmark holiday romance with a teeny bit less white people (emphasis on teeny bc there’s still a lot)
Also, I’d love to know the thought process behind the book cover bc that was certainly…a choice
Also, I’d love to know the thought process behind the book cover bc that was certainly…a choice
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Infidelity and Biphobia
Minor: Ableism and Transphobia
mjwhitlock18's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
4.5
A queer mashup of While You Were Sleeping and The Proposal, with a bookstore meetcute, cozy holiday vibes, and a second chance romance, I love everything about it. Complex family dynamics, endearing characters, and cute feel-good vibes. It is a bit insta-love, which doesn’t totally jive with the main character being a self-professed demisexual, but otherwise, no notes and I’d read it again for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Biphobia, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Homophobia
Minor: Transphobia
milesofkiles's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia
readwithcaitlyn's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia and Transphobia
starry's review
emotional
funny
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
3.5
This was cute! As a Portlander, I loved how rooted in the city this book felt, not just in the major moments like at Powell's, but even in the smaller details like the lack of snow plows (it sucks). The theme of failure vs. failure to try was really well-executed, and made for a really satisfying payoff when Ellie has to really put herself out there in the end. Unfortunately, I found myself looking for more moments of the side characters like Andrew and his extended family and Dylan, and wanting a little bit more distance from Ellie. But I still really enjoyed it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Biphobia
Minor: Transphobia, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Extremely adorable and fun to read! After trying and bailing on several Christmas romances this year, I finally found one that was a keeper. Romance can be really hit or miss with me, and I was worried that this one, which combines tropes like crazy, wouldn't fly and I'm super glad I gave it a chance!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Biphobia, and Infidelity
Moderate: Transphobia
Toxic parentskudiklier's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
I didn't know almost anything about this book going in, and wow was I pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. I read almost the entire book in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down. The romance was perfect, and also it was weirdly and unintentionally relevant for me, as someone who just moved to Portland less than two months ago. I loved the bi rep, the anxiety rep, the demi rep, the nonbinary rep, the way they try (and fail) to not fall victim to unnecessary miscommunication as horribly as the straights always do in romances. (Also is it just me or is Ellie also autistic??? I both have anxiety and am autistic so sometimes it's hard for me to tell what social anxiety things are related to which haha. But idk she felt extremely autistic to me and I'm gonna say I also loved the (maybe unintentional) autistic rep as well.) This was a perfect book to start the year with, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a lovely queer holiday romance.
Edit to add: I actually kind of forgot what The Charm Offensive was about, and now that I went back to look at my (5 star) review for that book, I'm even more convinced that Alison Cochrun is one of my new favorite romance authors. In both books, I was super sucked in and read them basically in one sitting. But even better, in both books I felt like even the parts of romances that I don't like (e.g., when they have a fight and break up near the end, usually over some miscommunication) were handled much better in these books than in most romance novels. Like, Cochrun clearly puts a lot of effort into making sure the relationships are as healthy and realistic as possible, while still giving us all the normal pieces of a romance and keeping the drama amped up. I'm just so impressed! And I can't wait for Cochrun's next book.
Edit to add: I actually kind of forgot what The Charm Offensive was about, and now that I went back to look at my (5 star) review for that book, I'm even more convinced that Alison Cochrun is one of my new favorite romance authors. In both books, I was super sucked in and read them basically in one sitting. But even better, in both books I felt like even the parts of romances that I don't like (e.g., when they have a fight and break up near the end, usually over some miscommunication) were handled much better in these books than in most romance novels. Like, Cochrun clearly puts a lot of effort into making sure the relationships are as healthy and realistic as possible, while still giving us all the normal pieces of a romance and keeping the drama amped up. I'm just so impressed! And I can't wait for Cochrun's next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Sexual content, Child abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing, Biphobia, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Cancer, Stalking, Outing, Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Grief, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Death, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Toxic parents, cutting off family membersrileyswan'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: Transphobia, Drug use, Homophobia, Alcohol, Biphobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Racism and Misogyny