Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Kiss Her Once For Me

The first half was SO GOOD but the second half imploded into the easy trope where the main character continues lying to their love interest for far longer than they should. She did it so long that I stopped rooting for her.

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clichemarker's review

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2.0

"I’m not quirky. I have generalized anxiety disorder"

I should've DNFd this after the 3rd chapter like I wanted to. The weird writing style was a red flag from the beginning. Then the berating of an anxious 20 something woman with a shitty upbringing sealed the deal. Like to fit in with the rich family, you must change everything about yourself, otherwise you are a "Frozen burrito".
I dunno, this book just didn't hit with me. Even the shit I could relate to felt off.

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jojothefool's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

I had so much fun with this! Looooved the characters and the plot, the tropes were twisted just enough to be very fun and lovable. The discussions and growth around failure and self-fulfilling prophecies was really interesting and well written. Inspiring and encouraging self-reflection, especially for a fellow perfectionist. So much fun, very silly romcom vibes. It’s clear this is a Christmas book so it would’ve been even more fun to read in the winter but I didn’t check that when I started lol

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lovelyandmorbid's review against another edition

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lighthearted relaxing slow-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

2.5

I picked this book at 6am on my way to jury duty Knowing I would be bored out of my mind sitting in the court house lobby. I was, which led to read 200 pages of this mediocre romance. I was kicking myself for not grabbing something higher on my tbr but I was in a hurry. Ultimately I don't regret reading it but the conflict at the end was so obvious and I'm not really sure how the protagonist walked into it. Nonetheless by the end I was enjoying the romp, probably would not read from this author again.

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elliott_the_clementine's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

Kiss Her Once For Me is painfully messy and completely adorable.

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lizziaha's review against another edition

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Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Now I’m not normally a miscommunication hater, but it felt unnecessary and played up in this book, and that’s truly the thing that’s holding me back from giving this book a higher rating. One tiny little conversation should have been had way earlier in the book. I guess that’s just part of accepting the premise, but it was distracting. Otherwise, i loved this! The relationships formed, the found family, the Christmas, the second (third) chance romance, the fake dating, the queerness, the characters (all pretty unique and fleshed out) were all fantastic!

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thatsssorachael's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

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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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