A review by myfbusters
Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

emotional tense fast-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

3.5

Nota bene, i'm writing this review while high at 12:30 AM. I just read this book in a three-day flurry because it's the selection for Queer Book Club and I too suffer the yoke we call ADHD

I'm somewhat conflicted about this book, mostly in that I found the plot a little too over-the-top but the individual characters were compelling. I don't read a lot of romance novels, so maybe I am not the best judge here. The scenes between
Ellie and Jack, when the overzealous pretense of the story fades to the side, are the highlight here. I felt a tenderness between them, an authenticity that spoke to my own experiences loving, and being loved.
 

I guess my one quibble is that
I didn't like the role that Ari was given in the narrative. This book was tagged "trans representation" by the book club and I went in with hopeful expectations, but overall to me she leaned a little too close to the catty "gay best friend" trope often seen in TV shows with a (cis) woman as protagonist. as a polyamorous trans lesbian myself yeah, I know this girl, I've been this girl, but when she's given such a small role, the "come move in with my four roommates, we read tarot and do gay art" reads less like accurate representation and more like a parody out of a Reductress article.


All in all, I enjoyed reading this book, and I can't wait to get on a zoom call and rant to my gay coworkers about it
Expand filter menu Content Warnings