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A review by cozycritiques
Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
lighthearted
medium-paced
”We’re suspended in a perfect snow globe built for two. On a snow day in Portland, you could fall in love.”
- Kiss Her Once for Me
Thank you, NetGalley and Atria, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: Holiday Romance, Second Chance Romance, Marriage of Convenience, Fake Dating, Miscommunication, Love Triangle, Non-Linear Flashbacks
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Bisexual, Demisexual), POC, Neurodivergent (ADHD)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Ableism, Biphobia, Anxiety Disorder, Parental Abandonment, Toxic Family
Since The Charm Offensive was my favorite book of last year, I expected that I would adore Cochrun’s second book. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this book before. Kiss Her Once for Me was a refreshing take on so many classic tropes. I tend not to like love triangles in general, but the love trapezoid was perfection. I loved the friendship that developed between Andrew and Ellie over the course of their fake engagement, and the absolute chaos of their pining over different people was hilarious—especially when you add in the Boozy Grandmas’ antics.
This was the first book I’ve read with female ADHD rep. I always appreciate seeing ADHD rep, but it can present so differently in women as compared to men (which is why it often goes undiagnosed), so it was nice seeing the nuances of my experience portrayed in that way. The anxiety rep was also well done, but that wasn’t a surprise, seeing as it was also well done in The Charm Offensive.
Kiss Her Once for Me was wonderfully Christmassy and heartwarming. It had all the vibes of a Hallmark Christmas movie, except delightfully gay and with more in-depth character development.
- Kiss Her Once for Me
Thank you, NetGalley and Atria, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: Holiday Romance, Second Chance Romance, Marriage of Convenience, Fake Dating, Miscommunication, Love Triangle, Non-Linear Flashbacks
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Bisexual, Demisexual), POC, Neurodivergent (ADHD)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Ableism, Biphobia, Anxiety Disorder, Parental Abandonment, Toxic Family
Since The Charm Offensive was my favorite book of last year, I expected that I would adore Cochrun’s second book. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this book before. Kiss Her Once for Me was a refreshing take on so many classic tropes. I tend not to like love triangles in general, but the love trapezoid was perfection. I loved the friendship that developed between Andrew and Ellie over the course of their fake engagement, and the absolute chaos of their pining over different people was hilarious—especially when you add in the Boozy Grandmas’ antics.
This was the first book I’ve read with female ADHD rep. I always appreciate seeing ADHD rep, but it can present so differently in women as compared to men (which is why it often goes undiagnosed), so it was nice seeing the nuances of my experience portrayed in that way. The anxiety rep was also well done, but that wasn’t a surprise, seeing as it was also well done in The Charm Offensive.
Kiss Her Once for Me was wonderfully Christmassy and heartwarming. It had all the vibes of a Hallmark Christmas movie, except delightfully gay and with more in-depth character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Biphobia, and Ableism