Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

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By Women Using Words

The details…

  • Title: Kiss Her Once for Me
  • Author: Alison Cochrun
  • Publisher: Atria Books
  • Publication date: November 1, 2022
  • ISBN: 1982191139
  • Available formats: ebook, paperback, audiobook 
  • File size: 2113 KB
  • Print length: 366 pages
  • Listening length: (still in production)
  • Genre: romance 
  • Tropes: fake engagement, second chances, class disparity 
  • Themes: family, fear of failing, friendships, learning to love

The blurb from the publisher…

The author of the “swoon-worthy debut” (Harper’s Bazaar) The Charm Offensive returns with a festive romantic comedy about a woman who fakes an engagement with her landlord…only to fall for his sister.

One year ago, recent Portland transplant Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and a Christmas Eve meet-cute with a woman at a bookstore that led her to fall in love over the course of a single night. But after a betrayal the next morning and the loss of her job soon after, she finds herself adrift, alone, and desperate for money.

Finding work at a local coffee shop, she’s just getting through the days—until Andrew, the shop’s landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan: a marriage of convenience that will give him his recent inheritance and alleviate Ellie’s financial woes and isolation. They make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family cabin to keep up the ruse. But when Andrew introduces his new fiancée to his sister, Ellie is shocked to discover it’s Jack—the mysterious woman she fell for over the course of one magical Christmas Eve the year before. Now, Ellie must choose between the safety of a fake relationship and the risk of something real.

Perfect for fans of Written in the Stars and One Day in December, Kiss Her Once for Me is the queer holiday rom-com that you’ll want to cozy up with next to the fire.

My thoughts…

It’s easy to see why Alison Cochrun is quickly making a name for herself as a captivating romance writer. Her first novel The Charm Offensive was a runaway hit amongst readers and critics alike, even earning an editor’s best pick for romance from Amazon. I’m sure Kiss Her Once for Me will have much the same appeal. Early reviews are labeling it “dizzyingly adorable” and “whip-smart,” which I wholeheartedly agree. This fake-engagement rom-com might just be one of the most creatively crafted, holiday-themed novels I’ve read to date. It’s clear Cochrun has a real knack for storytelling and should be on every lgbtq romance reader’s watch list.

Cochrun sets this novel up nicely. Readers are quickly sucked into Ellie Oliver’s financial crisis and dating woes. Cochrun’s inspiration for this story was born from her love of While You Were Sleeping, but she admits that once the writing of this novel got underway, a lesbian Bill Pullman was not meant to be. She says it became clear fairly early in the drafting process that fear was at the core of Ellie’s story and it pushed her to craft a narrative themed in that. Readers will be thankful she let the composition unfold organically because Kiss Her Once for Me is something that’s fresh, original and highly entertaining.

Fear, as mentioned earlier, is threaded neatly and purposefully in the fabric of this heartwarming story. It’s designed to drive the characters and in turn the story. Cochrun does a masterful job of applying it in this story, creating something that evokes relatable emotion and connectivity. Readers understand Ellie and Jack and they relate to them. They understand the urge to protect the heart, even when it skips a beat under the lure of desire. Ellie and Jack’s fear of love is beautifully scripted; it pushes internal conflicts and vulnerabilities excruciatingly well. And when love does happen, readers stand up and cheer for it, making this rom-com swoon worthy.

Final remarks…

I enjoyed so many things about this book. The character development is fantastic; Ellie and Jack just jump off the page. The secondary characters are immensely entertaining and wonderfully drawn; they could have a sit-com of their own! Best of all is the will they/won’t they moment; it’s more heart-tugging than Sandra Bullock’s confession/wedding scene in While You Were Sleeping—and that’s saying something! Ellie’s declaration squeezes the heart in all the ways a good romance should. 

Strengths…

  • Creatively designed 
  • Engaging storyline
  • Fantastic characters 
  • Heartwarming 
  • Entertaining 
  • Well-worth the read

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A bit about the author…

Alison Cochrun is a high school English teacher living outside Portland, Oregon. When she’s not reading and writing queer love stories, you can find her torturing teenagers with Shakespeare, crafting perfect travel itineraries, hate-watching reality dating shows, and searching for the best happy hour nachos.

Connect with the author…

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