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

emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

 
As you know, when feeling exhausted by work and real life, I turn to romance novels. I may be a bit past the season for this holiday-themed story, but if that's not escapism at its best, idk what is. And so, with the knowledge that I loved Cochran's first book, The Charm Offensive, I picked up her sophomore novel. 
 
A year ago, Ellie and Jack had a Christmas Eve meet-cute at Portland's famous Powell's bookstore. The two spent the entire day (and night) together, but things fell apart the morning after. Since then, Ellie's life has imploded: job lost, on the brink of eviction, feeling alone and adrift and (unwilling to admit) heartbroken. When Andrew, the landlord of the coffee shop she works at, proposes a ridiculous marriage of convenience plan, Ellie figures...what has she got to lose? But the deal involves spending Christmas week with his family and it turns out that Andrew's beloved sister is none other than Ellie's "Last Christmas" Jack. And thus ensues winter shenanigans, family drama, all sorts of feelings, and Ellie's inevitable choice between stability and the risks of love. 
 
Well, one has to go into this with the understanding that the premise is ridiculous, even for the romance genre. And if that's what you're expecting, and so theoretically looking for, then this book delivers. So many of the best romance tropes - fake relationships, forced proximity, a single bed - are here. And while it seems like that should be too much, it ends up feeling just right. I mean, yes, a bit over the top, but also, that's what I wanted it to be. And I was actually fairly impressed with the way that Cochran developed the ridiculousness of the set-up, once it was in place, to be something that felt pretty realistically tense. The complexity of the situation Ellie finds herself really does lend itself to the “secrets” and “miscommunication” style that is common in romance. And while those aspects usually feel forced, to me, they didn't as much here. I think because everyone was being sneaky to try and help everyone else, instead of from insecurity, that it felt different. Plus, I did appreciate that for many of the emotional pieces, outside the secrets of the relationships logistics, the characters were really open and communicative about how they felt (in general and for each other). It was a necessary and well-written balance.   
 
I thought the writing was really solid; nothing standout, but a well paced and comfortable delivery of the story. There were a number of instances where Cochran addresses Ellie's anxiety, which (content warning) is not at all handled well by some of the characters, and her relationship with her mother, that made my heart break for her. Cochran remains spectacular in including a very accurate representation of anxiety spirals and how that affects relationships, while also showing what supportive relationships can look like. Her friends were protective and nurturing and pushy in realistic turns, and honestly, in particular, I kinda loved the irreverence in the way they all responded to her overnight engagement (as well as how their reactions and suggestions changed, as they found out more/about Jack). Plus, their development as side characters was all fairly solid for a romance novel, which was nice in adding some depth. 
 
I have to be honest, I wasn’t at all sure about this one at the beginning (I can't pinpoint why - perhaps the web comic/flashback sections just weren't hitting quite right for me?), but by about a quarter of the way in, the cozy softness really moved into center stage, which is exactly what I was wanting from this novel (as promised by other readers/reviewers). And at that point, I had settled right in. Also, I was all in on the love trapezoid situation, it was like two romances in one, super soul-warming, and I couldn't have been happier about that panning out. Definitely this ended up being the escape and comfort read situation that I was needing. 
 
“The truth is: the world is full of selfish people who become selfish parents. It's hard to explain to anyone who grew up with stability and safety and guaranteed love what it's like to both hate your parents and desperately want their love at the same time.” 
 
“I think marriage is just promising to love someone as long as you can for as best you can. I think relationships can be exactly what they're supposed to be [...] even if they only last for one year, or five years, or even just for one day. The good parts of the time you spent with a person don't go away simply because the relationship ends.” 
 
“Some of us fall in and out of love easily. Some of us don't experience romantic love at all. Some of us have to fight to let ourselves be vulnerable enough to fall in love. [...] Some of us have to fight to let other people love us.” 
 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings