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A review by ninegladiolus
Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
emotional
funny
sad
fast-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
4.75
Alison Cochrun is one of those authors who I’m so glad I gave another chance after a less than stellar experience with a first novel, because with each book of hers I read, it just gets better and better. Here We Go Again shines in every aspect: main characters you want to root for, a believable and compelling queer childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, and an extremely heartfelt and poignant storyline that balances a developing relationship with realistic real life concerns.
Main characters Logan and Rosemary were inseparable in their childhood until the events of a single night drove them apart. Now, they’re both teachers in the same small town, both struggling with the direction their life has taken. They crash back into each other’s lives—literally, in a restaurant parking lot. Soon after, they find out that their former English teacher and lifelong mentor is dying and has a last wish: for the two of them to take him on a road trip together.
I loved Rosemary and Logan individually and together. There’s something so satisfying about two characters being on very different pages and finding their way to the same one. I’m very picky about the way miscommunication is used as a source of conflict, but the conversations and dynamic between the two of them felt so realistic, the friction believable given their circumstances. You can see why each of them acts the way they act and the life experiences that have brought them to that point. Forced proximity via road trip works incredibly well in this context.
My literal only character critique was Logan’s propensity for ‘[Famous Person First Name] Fucking [Famous Person Last Name]’ swearing every other paragraph in the novel. It would have been cute as a bit a few times, but it got distracting quickly.
Otherwise, in addition to being unapologetically queer, there’s multiple affirming sources of ADHD rep in this novel as well. There’s a diverse cast of side characters and fulfilling subplots as well, which is something all my favourite romance books and authors tend to utilize.
Speaking of things my favourite romance novels do, Here We Go Again expertly balances the scales between beauty, tragedy, and the way life can’t have one without the other. One of the reasons I bounce off of a lot of contemporary romance novels is that it feels too unrealistic. Conventions of the genre often mean the focus is narrowed on the leads, with little to no outside conflict or trauma impacting their arc. While that’s a valid form of escapism, for it to truly be romantic to me, characters have to choose to love one another in the worst of times as well as the best of times. Here We Go Again achieves this balance with aplomb. I cried, I laughed, I clutched at my chest, and I gave a wistful yet contented sigh by the end.
I’ll be in line for whatever Alison Cochrun writes next. She’s become one of my favourite romance authors and I wholeheartedly recommend Here We Go Again along with the rest of her body of work.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Main characters Logan and Rosemary were inseparable in their childhood until the events of a single night drove them apart. Now, they’re both teachers in the same small town, both struggling with the direction their life has taken. They crash back into each other’s lives—literally, in a restaurant parking lot. Soon after, they find out that their former English teacher and lifelong mentor is dying and has a last wish: for the two of them to take him on a road trip together.
I loved Rosemary and Logan individually and together. There’s something so satisfying about two characters being on very different pages and finding their way to the same one. I’m very picky about the way miscommunication is used as a source of conflict, but the conversations and dynamic between the two of them felt so realistic, the friction believable given their circumstances. You can see why each of them acts the way they act and the life experiences that have brought them to that point. Forced proximity via road trip works incredibly well in this context.
My literal only character critique was Logan’s propensity for ‘[Famous Person First Name] Fucking [Famous Person Last Name]’ swearing every other paragraph in the novel. It would have been cute as a bit a few times, but it got distracting quickly.
Otherwise, in addition to being unapologetically queer, there’s multiple affirming sources of ADHD rep in this novel as well. There’s a diverse cast of side characters and fulfilling subplots as well, which is something all my favourite romance books and authors tend to utilize.
Speaking of things my favourite romance novels do, Here We Go Again expertly balances the scales between beauty, tragedy, and the way life can’t have one without the other. One of the reasons I bounce off of a lot of contemporary romance novels is that it feels too unrealistic. Conventions of the genre often mean the focus is narrowed on the leads, with little to no outside conflict or trauma impacting their arc. While that’s a valid form of escapism, for it to truly be romantic to me, characters have to choose to love one another in the worst of times as well as the best of times. Here We Go Again achieves this balance with aplomb. I cried, I laughed, I clutched at my chest, and I gave a wistful yet contented sigh by the end.
I’ll be in line for whatever Alison Cochrun writes next. She’s become one of my favourite romance authors and I wholeheartedly recommend Here We Go Again along with the rest of her body of work.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.