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caseygriffin's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Contains MANY scenes where romantic/sexual moments between characters are fueled by alcohol. I would tread very lightly if you are a survivor of alcohol related sexual trauma.haileyhardcover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Very recently, in a review for a book I was massively disappointed by, I wrote that I hate first person point of view and it never reads well. I take it back. It sometimes reads very, very well. Case in point, Kiss Her Once for Me.
I loved this book. It was everything I wanted in a sapphic Christmas romcom. Ellie and Jack were both delightful and seemed to be fully fleshed out characters. Even when Ellie was thinking completely illogically, I still fully understood her thought process and how she could feel and respond the way she did. The characters made SENSE, even when they weren’t making sense. Fully developed characters are my favorite. Also, Meemaw and Lovey? Iconic. I’m obsessed.
Though the premise of this story isn’t unique (why are there SO MANY sapphic holiday books that involve fake-dating the brother of the girl the MC ends up falling for??), this was well executed. The characters were all so easy to love, the pace was perfect, the spice (though brief) was good, and it made me both laugh and cry. The one thing I would’ve loved was for the bits of Ellie’s webcomic “Snow Day” to have actually included the art. It was very cool to read Ellie & Jack’s origin story through her eyes in that way, woven throughout the rest of the story, but it would’ve been so cool for the book to be part graphic novel in that way. I would love to see a special edition come out that included the webcomic as Ellie would’ve published it.
I loved this book. It was everything I wanted in a sapphic Christmas romcom. Ellie and Jack were both delightful and seemed to be fully fleshed out characters. Even when Ellie was thinking completely illogically, I still fully understood her thought process and how she could feel and respond the way she did. The characters made SENSE, even when they weren’t making sense. Fully developed characters are my favorite. Also, Meemaw and Lovey? Iconic. I’m obsessed.
Though the premise of this story isn’t unique (why are there SO MANY sapphic holiday books that involve fake-dating the brother of the girl the MC ends up falling for??), this was well executed. The characters were all so easy to love, the pace was perfect, the spice (though brief) was good, and it made me both laugh and cry. The one thing I would’ve loved was for the bits of Ellie’s webcomic “Snow Day” to have actually included the art. It was very cool to read Ellie & Jack’s origin story through her eyes in that way, woven throughout the rest of the story, but it would’ve been so cool for the book to be part graphic novel in that way. I would love to see a special edition come out that included the webcomic as Ellie would’ve published it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Body shaming, and Biphobia
ladygetslit's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Mental illness
madelinedalton's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
things100's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
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
Loved this book and their romance, I always love a good wlw romance. The fake dating of the brother only to find out it’s your exs brother that you are fake dating, the tension. 😘
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Abandonment
tjminus's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I did realize how much I would enjoy reading a holiday romance during the holiday season! This book definitely delivers on that front, if that is what you are looking for.
Overall this book, was a fun sapphic romance. This is also an adult romance with almost no spice, mostly just allusions and then just one love scene. So if you are looking for less spice in your romance picks, this could be a title for you. There were some moments of great, descriptive writing that really brought the reader into the thought process of our protagonist, Ellie. I also liked how Cochrun handled the time jumping by using the webcomic as a story element, I think it would have been cool to add illustrations to it as well.
Our protagonist is also demisexual (ace-spec rep!), but unfortunately the demi rep falls flat for me. It felt like Ellie's demisexuality is used as a crutch to bolster the relationship between her and Jack. To almost prove to the reader that there connection is stronger than it is sometimes.
And for some reason, I wish Ellie and Andrew had more of an relationship, if that makes sense. Like we never see like an awkward "Who's sleeping the bed?" moment between them once they get to the cabin. Then towards the end of the book, we the readers are just to accept that they are becoming close friends and she is becoming close to rest of the Kim-Prescott family.
Definitely a book I would recommend to someone looking for an easy romance to enjoy.
Overall this book, was a fun sapphic romance. This is also an adult romance with almost no spice, mostly just allusions and then just one love scene. So if you are looking for less spice in your romance picks, this could be a title for you. There were some moments of great, descriptive writing that really brought the reader into the thought process of our protagonist, Ellie. I also liked how Cochrun handled the time jumping by using the webcomic as a story element, I think it would have been cool to add illustrations to it as well.
Our protagonist is also demisexual (ace-spec rep!), but unfortunately the demi rep falls flat for me. It felt like Ellie's demisexuality is used as a crutch to bolster the relationship between her and Jack. To almost prove to the reader that there connection is stronger than it is sometimes.
Definitely a book I would recommend to someone looking for an easy romance to enjoy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Cursing
katrinarose's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
This was a really cute queer Christmas romance. It did have a few tropes I do not like (insta-love and miscommunication), and some of the characters acted very unrealistically at times, but the cheesy Hallmark-movie vibe of it allowed me to overlook it because I enjoyed the overall vibes so much. I felt like Ellie and Jack were very well-developed individually as well, which is a non-negotiable for a good romance in my opinion. I liked this better than The Charm Offensive and would recommend if you’re looking for a pretty lighthearted, cute, gay romance for the holidays!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia and Mental illness
chasingpages1's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Biphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Classism, and Cursing
kbairbooks's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Ugh my heart. I really enjoyed this read. The anxiety rep was so good (in my opinion), the therapy aspects at the end I enjoyed, the familial relationships of the Kim-Prescotts I enjoyed, the details, the story snippets, the air stream, and the bakery. I think my biggest meh thing about this book is that I didn’t necessarily vibe with the two main characters at times? And I didn’t feel their connection as well as I have for other romance books. But overall I liked the story, the growth, and the delicious christmassy queerness of it all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Infidelity, and Classism
happyblkhippie's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It's okay. Not an easy fun read! I almost didn't finish this book tbh. The pace was too slow for me.
The dialogue was hard to get through for me. I do appreciate the not so perfect relationship dynamics and mental health representation, but the MC was a bit whiney and insufferable at times. Didn't love the "half moon smile" and Swiftie references every other chapter. Overall okay. Wouldn't read again.
The dialogue was hard to get through for me. I do appreciate the not so perfect relationship dynamics and mental health representation, but the MC was a bit whiney and insufferable at times. Didn't love the "half moon smile" and Swiftie references every other chapter. Overall okay. Wouldn't read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Infidelity, Cursing, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug use, Body shaming, Classism, and Alcohol
The over mentioning of Taylor Swift songs/lyrics and half moon smile gave me the ick.