A holiday rom-com is something I'll never say no to, so I was really excited about Kiss Her Once for me. Add fake dating and it sounded like the book for me and it didn't disappoint. This book had everything I was hoping for.


Ellie isn't having the best time. There is no love life, her dream animator job didn't stick, she has financial issues and op top of that her mother only reaches out when she wants money. When things can't seem to get worse the landlord of the cafe she works at gives her a proposal. If she marries him he'll give her part of her inheritance. First they need to spend the holidays with his family.


Ellie gets the surprise of her life though when she finds out Andrew's sister is the woman who broke her heart last Christmas. Okay, this book is filled with all of my favorite tropes: fake dating, forced proximity, and there's only one bed. I loved the moments we had with Andrew's family. All of the family activities were really sweet. The developing romance was so much fun to read and Kiss Her Once for Me was even a little steamier than expected. There were some laugh out loud moments and moments that warm your heart. I don't want to go into too much detail, because I think this one will be more fun if you just enjoy it yourself.


As with all fake dating stories things don't all go to plan, but it wouldn't be a holiday read without a happily ever after. Ellie was a character I really enjoyed reading about. Yeah, she gets herself into some awkward situations and things don't always go her way, but she's kind. I love how much she develops in this story and finally stands up for herself and what she wants. Kiss Her Once for Me was a heartwarming read and a great one to start off with this holiday season.

This book is simply beautiful. Vulnerable and steamy and festive and fun, reading this had me wanting to slow down and savor all the little moments found within the pages. Ellie is an illustrator who is down on her luck when one of her coffee shop regulars proposes a solution to her seemingly failing life...marry him for money. Desperate for a turn around in her life, Ellie takes this opportunity with Andrew and heads to his family's cabin in the mountains as his fake fiancée only to find out that Andrew's sister is the girl who broke Ellie's heart a year ago after one magical night together.

The beauty of this book is in the glances and small touches and quiet conversations. Cochrun has a way of writing that makes you feel what her characters are feeling. There is found family and laughter and a touch of While You Were Sleeping all wrapped up in a wintry landscape that brings all the cozy, holiday feelings without being overly Christmassy. Ellie and Jack have so much chemistry. I adore the way they compliment one another. Andrew's family is wonderful. They have you smiling and wanting to call upon your own family...found or otherwise. The setting is great. The words are captivating. This is Cochrun's second book and solidifies her as a must-read author for me. If you are looking for that perfect holiday rom-com, this book is a sure win.

I was super late reading this one so I actually bought a finished copy to read. I really, really liked this book. It was funny and surprising but also full of love and growth. I’ll definitely be reading more of Cochrun’s work in the future.

3.5/5 stars.

I’m a little torn on how to rate Kiss Her Once For Me, but I think I’m going to settle on 3.5 stars. For the most part, this is a very solid, very enjoyable Christmas romance that’s getting me into the holiday spirit way earlier than I’d like to be. At the end of the day, however, I ended up wanting <I> more </I> - more from the characters and from the story, itself.

I thought this was a very cute and sweet romance - albeit a little forgettable. My absolute favorite part was the Kim-Prescott family dynamic. I adored Meemaw, Lovey, and Katherine and would happily read much more from their perspectives. Dylan was also such a funny character

I also adored Andrew. We get such a strong introduction to his character at the beginning, and I feel like he gets left behind a bit. I wanted to know more about him and his own insecurities - and I wanted more of a friendship to kindle between him and Ellie. I found myself rooting more for his relationship with Dylan than the primary one.

My primary issue with this story was the instalove aspect - if I had realized going in that Ellie and Jack would fall in love with each other in a single day, I probably would have been more hesitant. This is the premise of the entire story and main conflict. Because they had so little history together, I struggled to relate and root for their relationship - I just couldn’t allow myself to get as invested in it as I wanted to be! While I enjoyed their dynamic and how they got to know each other over the week at the cabin, it didn’t substantiate a full relationship.

I also struggled a bit with the structure, at times. At the end of most chapters in the beginning, there is an excerpt from Ellie’s webcomic series, leading to flashbacks, and I just couldn’t bring myself to care about them. Good momentum would be built up throughout the main chapter and then immediately lost during the webcomic because it completely halts the story progression. I appreciated it for the backstory we received on their day together last Christmas, but that could have been explored in different ways.

Finally, I struggled with Ellie’s character, in general. As a perfectionist with a supreme fear of failure, I was hoping that I would feel seen and enlightened by this type of representation, but really I just found her thought spirals annoying and her demeanor kind of mean, at times. It really makes me second guess whether this is how I come across to people.

In all, I did enjoy this book. I thought it was a very cute and sweet sapphic rom-com. It felt deeply relatable in some aspects (especially some aspects I don’t like to address), but fell flat for me in other areas. What really shines for me is Alison Cochrun’s writing. Yet again, she has proven herself to be a gem for the romance genre, and I can’t wait to see what else she produces!

I love Alison Cochrun, so when I saw she wrote a holiday themed romance I was 100% on board. Overall I really enjoyed Kiss Her Once for Me, it was super cute!

Alison Cochrun has done it again! The romance was so sweet and dreamy. The perfect holiday romance for the sapphics (and everyone else), but especially us.

The writing was so fun and bright, the relationship so engaging that I finished this in one sitting.

As with The Charm Offensive, I continue to marvel at Alison’s ability to examine identity, mental health, and messy family dynamics in the context of traditional rom com settings. The characters are allowed to grow, change, and move throughout the book, which feels real and gives a trope-filled festival of a book some real weight.

There are so many delightful romance tropes, not to mention a mash up of the song Last Christmas and the movie While You Were Sleeping. And it all is done beautifully—and does still gives us all the romance we could ever want. Not to mention the butch of our dreams. The final scene is truly swoon-worthy. Alison is an auto-buy author for me, and a go to for well-written, funny, interesting, sexy queer romance.

This was a fun holiday-themed romance.

What I liked:
- the setting & the christmas-y elements
- themes of found family
- themes of creating boundaries with your family
- the GRANDMAS! <3 <3 <3
- finding joy in your profession, pursuing your artistic passions
- knowing when to ask for help + knowing when to be independent

What I wasn't sure about:
- I appreciate a book that includes diverse representation, but at times it felt like certain sexual identities/terms were thrown into this book just to check a box rather than fleshing out that character. It just felt like the author was trying to represent almost every possible group in one book - i'm not sure if it is possible to do that well. I do appreciate with the author was trying to do with queer representation but there were a lot of side characters thrown in at the end that didn't really add to the story.
- I'm not a huge fan of insta love so I didn't really buy into the romance

I enjoyed this book but was a little disappointed as the charm offensive is an all-time favorite. Will still definitely be checking out what Alison Cochrun writes next!

3.75/5

3.75⭐
PG for a mostly closed door romance

After The Charm Offensive, Alison Cochrun has cemented herself as a queer rom com queen and so it was all too perfect that her second book also include some festive holiday joy. This book had so many tropes that I felt like it was on the level of Shakespeare comedy--fake dating, marriage of convenience, second chance, found family, evil parent and more!

Alison truly did deliver on the love trapezoid of it all as Ellie found herself engaged to one person when she loved his sister and her fake fiancé also was in love with the sister's best friend. I really enjoyed the romp of these tropes, but the problem for me unfortunately was Ellie and her decisions. This is definitely a me thing, but I just could not stand Ellie's lack of ownership of her choices. She acted like she accidentally ended up in a fake relationship in love with someone else and it took her best friend and other external character to actually knock some sense into her, which made Ellie feel like she was more a teenager than an adult.

I am obsessed with Jack though and the entire family Alison created. They made this book special and created the holiday feel of spending time with people you love. If you enjoyed Written in the Stars and want some Christmas vibes, I think you'd love this book! I look forward to seeing what Alison writes next!!

I was so excited to get this one because I loved The Charm Offensive by @alisoncochrun and knew this would be amazing too. I loved every part of this queer romcom that had me laughing out loud and tearing up. The characters are so lovable and the storyline pulls you right in. I also love that it shines a light on anxiety. This is a five star for me and I’ll definitely be purchasing the physical book. Highly recommend!

I am a sucker for holiday romances, and nothing made me feel better than reading this going into the holiday season. It was such a cozy, fun, and heartfelt read. I can't wait to share this a make a holiday display for it.

Oh. My. God. This book was so good! The main character was so relatable and the plot was interesting and funny. I really, really enjoyed this Christmas romance.

While I enjoy Alison Cochrun's writing style, I went into this one with low expectations. The Charm Offensive didn't really work for me. There was almost too much neurodivergent representation in TCO; it made me anxious to read about anxiety on every page. Here, though, while the rep is included, it doesn't overpower the story. It made sense and flowed well.

Kiss Her Once for Me had a lot of the things I love in a holiday book: it was just the right amount of holiday: snowball fights, cookie baking, and Christmas trees. Plus, it takes place in the PNW, has forced proximity, fake dating, and the cutest grandma characters that ever did exist.

My favorite part of this book was the friendships the MC has with several of the side characters, as well as the fact that she empowers herself and grows as a person in tandem with the romance but not because of the romance if that makes sense.

I think my biggest issue with the story was the love interest and the miscommunication between the two. I wasn't 100% sold on the romance, and while they had some really great moments, I didn't love them together. I didn't hate them; I didn't wish they weren't together, but I didn't care if they ended up together. If it weren't for the rest of the story that I adored so much, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed this at all, but I really enjoyed the rest - like 5 stars enjoyed!

I still think soooo many people would enjoy this. It really does have a ton going for it, and I think many people will love the actual romance more than I did.

Trigger warnings for anxiety, terrible family members, and brief mentions of homophobia, racism, and biphobia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book. All of the opinions above are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars

This book was one of my most anticipated romances of the year, and it did NOT disappoint! The queer and demisexual representation was immaculate and so refreshing to see, and the book was a perfect mix of steamy scenes with drama to keep you reading. (Although sometimes I found the drama a touch overdone, hence the 4.5 star rating). The characters felt incredibly real and were so well-written, I understood their motivations perfectly and I LOVED Ellie. The Taylor Swift references were also so fun. Absolutely the coziest, perfect holiday rom-com to read this season! Highly recommend!

This book is absolutely adorably hilarious. I found myself laughing hysterically so many times my kids asked me if I was okay.

This book brings us into a complicated “love trapezoid” that involves strangers and siblings and friends and a crazy rich family, and just family drama in general - along with a side of MANY aspects of the LGBTQIA+ community. We have characters that use they/them pronouns and this book is the perfect proof that these pronouns can be used for a singular person without it getting confusing - because it was very clear who exactly they/them referred to from context.

These characters are all broken. Like - real-life, broken people. They feel so real. The issues they face are legit issues that anyone could be dealing with.

My chief complaint is the lack of actual webcomics….like, I don’t want the paragraph version with the webcomic title, I want the actual webcomic. I want to see the comic. While it was a cute way to do a flashback, I’d have preferred it to be done as an inserted comic over a comic headline with a throwback chapter. But maybe that’s just me.

Either way, highly recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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The Charm Offensive was my favorite book of 2021 and I have been anxiously awaiting Cochrun’s second novel. It was going to be difficult to top their debut, but I hedged my bets and went ahead and pre-ordered KHOFM anyway. A huge bonus of pre-ordering was a short story from Cochrun called A Charmed Christmas and it was just as cute as I could have ever hoped it would be as a follow-up to Dev and Charlie after the events of The Charm Offensive.
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Kiss Her Once For Me follows Ellie and Jack who share a magical snow day together and now a year later, they are thrown together again, but this time Ellie is fake-engaged to Jack’s brother. Having just finished a disappointing Halloween read, I decided to just skip straight on to Christmas, and this book had the holiday magic I was looking for. I don’t typically fall for love at first sight, but Cochrun made me believe that it could be possible to fall in love quickly and then grow into that love over time. The only thing I didn’t love was the reason for their original break-up and how much Ellie seemed to be blamed for circumstances that she merely was a victim to. There is demisexual representation here, but there was a real disconnect between the constant stating that Ellie can’t feel sexual attraction without a deep emotional bond, yet Jack is the magical woman to change that. All in all, it’s a cute Christmas read with the magical joy of a snow day where anything can happen and everything is possible.

Kiss Her Once for Me was a charming read! It was cute and filled with cheerfulness and joy with the holiday backdrop. The asexual/queer representation was very accurate. The love story was new and intriguing, and overall well-written.

Another absolute stunner of a book from Alison Cochrun!

I fell so in love with this end game couple and I loved the marriage of convenience spin.

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

This story is making me so excited for the holidays. It was warm and cozy, but still pulled at my heartstrings in only the way Alison Cochrun's writing can. Ellie finds herself in a proposal of convenience with her boss's landlord, but she can't stop thinking about the one perfect day she had with a woman named Jack last Christmas Eve. Imagine her surprise when she shows up for Christmas with Andrew's family and learns Jack is his sister!

Cochrun writes such great characters, and the characters in this story are no exception. Each character is so well developed, and they are each complex, deep characters. Cochrun writes each character with such care, and the way she handles mental health, sexuality, and complex family problems is done with such care and kindness, that it was hard not to care deeply for these characters.

If you are a fan of The Charm Offensive, holiday/Christmas rom-coms, meet-cutes in a bookstore, Portland, Oregon, imperfect rhymes, and/or Taylor Swift, add this one to your holiday reading list. Heck, add it to your holiday gift guides for friends and family while you're at it!

Who doesn't love a fake dating Christmas romance starring a demisexual lesbian couple? There are just so many characters, and so many hijinks in this book. Ellie met the perfect person a year ago during winter, and has been thinking of her ever since. Money troubles lead her to agree to a fake engagement to Andrew, her landlord. When Ellie goes to Andrew's family Christmas, she runs into her crush from a year ago, who turns out to be Andrew's sister, Jack. As if that weren't enough, it turns out that Jacks' best friend has been secretly hooking up with Andrew. There's a cabin and a snowball fight. There are steamy scenes that Alison Cochrun is so good at writing. It really has it all. If you're looking for something with lots of drama, and a fast pace, this is the holiday book for you.