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alexisgarcia's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
overall i liked this. it was exactly what i want for this time of year. however, there were many parts during this book where i felt there were plot holes, frustrating miscommunications, and characters just acting awful to each other for seemingly no reason. i did not see the reason for all of the cheating. it seemed unnecessary and lessened my love for the characters. also how jack turned ellie down publicly and minutes later came driving out to change her mind??? also im so mad that ellie took all of the blame for the fake marriage thing when it was all of andrew's idea. he continuously pushed her to do it and then she got all of the blame which was upsetting. also, to be honest, almost every trope in this are ones that i really dislike (miscommunication, fake dating/marriage, fear of commitment). but despite that, i still enjoyed this more than i thought i would, considering my dislike of those tropes. overall, this was still a cute, queer Christmas romance for the holidays
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Cursing, Drug use, Alcohol, and Sexual content
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, Abandonment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, and Infidelity
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