Kiss Her Once for Me: A Novel

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And it’s not just the content of Kiss Her Once for Me that is festive. Cochrun’s writing, on top of being very funny, is often thematically and seasonally on point. Take, for example, this description of Ellie’s anxiety: “My insides are a runny glass of eggnog.” When Andrew arrives in the coffee shop for the visit that sets the plot in motion, Ellie tells us: “A visit from Andrew Kim-Prescott is usually a highlight in my sad-hermit life, but this is just the flammable tinsel on the dried-out Charlie Brown Christmas tree of my day.” Christmasy metaphors abound! 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. The Charm Offensive is one of my favorite books of all time and the synopsis for Kiss Her Once for Me sounded phenomenal, but unfortunately this was a big disappointment for me. I love Alison Cochrun’s writing and I will always love her writing, but the content in this story just didn’t work for me.

It’s not my fault you insisted on going to college forever and got fired from Lycra Studios,” she snaps.

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So I have pretty conflicting feelings about this. On the one hand I thought it was well written, fun to read, and never bored me as other romance books have in the past, but there were also a lot of parts that really got on my nerves. Verdict? I have no clue! I’m sure it will be,” I huff as I jog to catch the tail end of a “Walk” sign. Not for the first time in my life, I regret that my only means of physical exercise is the occasional kitchen dance party while I wait for my frozen burrito to heat up in the microwave. “I’m just a little strapped for cash at the moment with my student loans and my rent, but hopefully I’ll get this promotion to assistant manager, and—”

This was such a sweet queer riff on While You Were Sleeping (one of the best Christmas movies ever!) that I didn't know I needed to read. If you’re looking for a fun fake relationship story, look no further! Thanks to the author, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*Kiss Her Once for Me is a gift of a story. Capturing the festive charm and nostalgia of the season, the fresh-fallen-snow wonder of falling head over heels, this holiday romance also reminds us that giving and receiving love can be as tangled as a knot of Christmas lights, yet with patience and perseverance, finally unwound, no less beautiful, the glowing joy we all deserve.

Plus, Ellie was always emphasizing how ridiculous it was that she fell in love so fast (I agree!), which made it especially difficult for me to forget that this was insta-love… Also – and maybe this is just a pet peeve of mine – Ellie was CONSTANTLY saying things like “This ain’t me! I don’t do these things! I’m not this type of person!” Well, you clearly ARE, though! Because you were doing all of those things you kept saying you don’t do! It just got annoying, because she’d say it every chapter! Like…. miss girl… ENOUGH! 😭🤚 (some examples – keep in mind there were DOZENS MORE: This doesn’t happen to me. I don’t picture kissing total strangers, and if I do, there isn’t toe-curling involved.” Last year I had the pleasure of reading a copy of The Charm Offensive and when it instantly became one of my all-time favorite romances, I knew I needed more from Alison Cochrun. I searched rights reports hoping to see an announcement for another book and found out she was writing a sapphic Christmas rom-com??? To say I was excited about this release would be a massive understatement. Even then, I was not ready for how this book would surpass my incredibly high expectations.A sparkling winter wonderland, quirky family traditions, and a messy 'love trapezoid' make the yuletide gay in this earnest queer rom-com... it's delightful to watch this clever spin on the fake dating trope unfold. This is a winner. - Publishers Weekly I could always fly down to Phoenix,” I offer pathetically. So very pathetically. Just a twenty-five-year-old woman, begging her mother to spend Christmas with her. I would love to talk more about this book, but my review is getting long already. While the year is not up, this book might be in the running for my biggest surprise of the year. While I was hoping to enjoy this, I didn’t not expect this to be a 2022 fav. It is also that this book doesn’t seem to work for me on paper since it has some of my biggest pet peeves, but Cochrun sure pulled it off anyway. As I mentioned before, this is only her second book so it makes me really excited to think about what other books she might write in the future. If there was any question about it, I absolutely recommend this queer holiday romance. Ellie was a decent protagonist. Her social anxiety was very well portrayed! That was definitely my favourite thing about this book! Has stomachaches just thinking about social situations, doesn’t leave the house unless necessary, never has plans, gets nervous even when hanging out with friends… It was very a realistic depiction of social anxiety!

i truly love the moment queer romcoms are having right now. i love how unabashedly tropey they can be. and this book has one of my favorite romantic moments from the original film: family urging the secretly-attracted couple to kiss under the mistletoe! oh my god it's so cute. we also have snowed-in forced proximity, which is delicious.

Summary

In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer. But I’m always alone, have always been alone, and just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean there’s any reason for that to change. You can feel just as lost and aimless at Christmas as any other time of the year.