https://lesbrary.com/readalikes-for-renee-rapps-snow-angel/

“So, what now/Should we talk/If we run into each other on the street/Should I keep walking/So, what now/Do you tell your friends/That things ended well/That I’m overdramatic, it was chill/Do you lie and say you don’t wanna see me again/’Cause I do it too“

“So What Now” chronicles Rapp’s struggle with an ex coming back to town and not knowing whether to welcome them back into her life or to oust them and immediately invokes to mind Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun. Last Christmas, Ellie fell in love with both Portland and Jack, the woman showing her around, only to be betrayed and fired a short time later. In the present, Ellie agrees to a marriage of convenience with her shop’s landlord and to meet his family during Christmas, only to find out that Jack is her future sister-in-law. “So What Now” brings to life Ellie’s frantic attempts to figure out if continuing with the marriage is worth being around Jack and if she’d been too hasty last Christmas with casting Jack aside, making the two a marriage of equals.

Sadly, the first half of this book was as chaotic as expected with a love triangle (trapezoid?) and no clear end game relationship. It wasn't until the twist that the story started to flow for me. This may be a downside of the single POV, but I also don't believe that Jack took full responsibility for her part in everything that happened and Ellie was left apologizing for miscommunication that wasn't entirely her fault.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for my chance to review.

I thought the setting and initial pacing of this was well done, but as the book went along I became less invested and felt it became less believable. Regardless, it was a nice holiday read.

Alison Cochrun hits it out of the park again. I would read anything that they put out. The lives of these characters are woven together so well. The second chance romance and fake dating tropes hit so good! I can’t wait for the holiday season to roll around again so I can give it another read

A few years ago I was so desperate for Sapphic Hallmark-esq books that a friend and I cowrote our own. Many Sapphic writers must have felt the same way because a few holiday romcoms have come out (ha) lately.

"Kiss Her Once For Me" was soft and romantic. I liked both of the main characters and wanted nothing more than have them get together. Without irritating romcom tropes and two strong main characters, I would recommend "Kiss Her Once for Me" for sapphic readers who want something similar!

The premise is very fun and it created a lot of tension throughout the book on how things should be handled. It was comforting reading a book that has so many topics just thrown in as if they are normal - because they are. I loved the mess and the holiday elements. The flashbacks made the first person writing more intriguing.

The sapphic Hallmark movie of my dreams, all in one book. I love that Alison crafts her characters with such care to their individualities. Jack and Ellie were both so full of love and had been trying to find someone to reciprocate that level back at them for so long. I loved the ridiculousness of Jack's family and my heart ached for Ellie when the family dynamics hurt her, because she had never been able to experience family like that before.

Miscommunication isn't my favorite trope, but in this sense it was almost more of a full lack of communication. Still a fun read, though Kiss Her Once did read a lot slower for me than The Charm Offensive. Still a lovely read and I can't wait for her future books.

Alison Cochrun fans will be delighted with “Kiss Her Once For Me” the sophomore Sapphic romance set during a magical snowfall in the Pacific Northwest. There’s something about snow, especially the first snow of the season, that makes magic feel like it’s just within our reach.

Last Christmas, I Gave You My Heart

Cochrun’s debut novel “The Charm Offensive” is a beautifully written romance while also delicately addressing important topics of mental health, self-care, and healthy love. Charlie and Dev discover, while falling in love with each other, new and beautiful parts of themselves to embrace. Those same themes carry through into “Kiss Her Once For Me” with the added layer of working through fear. Working through paralyzing fear. Ellie, our main character, is an exceptionally talented and passionate artist who loses her dream job as an animator, and unfortunately feels the pain of failure and crushed plans for the future. Readers meet her at one of the lowest times of her life, as does the romantic interest, Jack.

“Snow Girl. That was what I called her when I poured my heartbreak and grief into the panels. I hadn’t planned to draw a ten-episode web series about that day – hadn’t wanted to immortalize those twenty-four hours – but after everything that happened, I needed some way to cope. So I turned to art, as I always had.”

Ellie works so hard to be perfect and the best, so when things go South she wallows in that failure and self-loathing. I empathize a lot with battling those intrusive thoughts, with fighting hard to not sink beneath the sea of self-loathing. Cochrun isn’t shy about discussing her personal history of mental health with the public, especially about the place she was in before “The Charm Offensive” was published, and I appreciate the way she continues to write her characters with depth. It’s important to address difficult topics in literature, and more important to make sure that these words get into the hands of those who need to hear it.

Silent Night
“Kiss Her Once For Me” might have benefited from a little more of Jack’s perspective. Ellie spends a lot of time lingering over her heartbreak from the year before, after the one night stand that goes awry. I would have loved to get more of that night from Jack’s perspective. I have to believe that it was written exactly as it should have been, but I’d be lying if I said that I wouldn’t have loved to hear Jack’s chaotic internal monologue, or roving thoughts about Ellie, past or present.

“I would humiliate myself a thousand times for you, Jack.”


Format and Style
The one small detail that concerned me, at least at the beginning of this novel, was that Ellie’s art medium is webcomic. There are portions of the webcomic interspersed in the book, and it reads like a novel within a novel. I initially wasn’t sure how to imagine the webcomic, since that’s not a medium I typically lean toward. I was hoping that there would be either an illustration or some written direction layered into the story to explain more. Ultimately, though, it ended up not being necessary to understand or to advance the plot. It was just a personal want.

Final Thoughts
“Kiss Her Once for Me” has so many components that come together to make an enchanting story, and more specifically some tropes that I love.

Fake Dating
Marriage of Convenience
Forced Proximity
One bed (!!)
All of these, paired with self-discovery, mental health awareness, and the snow, make a recipe for one beautiful holiday romance story. I hope you all enjoy Alison Cochrun’s gift this holiday season.

Ellie, I see you – it’s always the hope that gets me, too. <3

I LOVED this. Very cute holiday read, I thought the chemistry in this one was very good. Super cute.

I thought I would like this one more, but something about it held me back. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes but I know now that when it overlaps with the missed connection/one magical day trope in this way I need to go in the other direction.

Things I loved:
- the grandmas! They were the best
- the representation in gender identity, sexual orientation, and race
- the communication between Ellie and Jack/Jack’s insistence on talking things out like adults

I am SHOCKED that I loved this but I really really did. I am one of the only people for whom The Charm Offensive didn't work, but I finally understand all the hype. Alison Cochrun's writing is so joyful, charming, and dynamic. All of the characters are dimensional and delightful. The story is sweet and heartfelt, and so funny! A perfect sapphic Christmas romcom.

Thanks to Atria for this ARC.

This was so much fun to read! I loved Cochrun's first book, so I knew her second would be a dead ringer for me. And sure enough, it was! The energy in this book is spot on, a perfect balance of holiday spirit and personal struggle. I'm a sucker for fake dating, but it was so delightful to see this creative spin on my favorite trope, with a sprinkle of missed connections on the side. All in all, an adorable holiday read!

Super cute Christmas romance. Ellie and Jack had a perfect Christmas Eve day... but then it ended... abruptly and badly.
A year later Ellie's life isn't following the path that she had planned out, and finds herself agreeing to marry Andrew to help him claim his inheritance.
Turns out Andrew is Jack's brother. And a Christmas holiday with her new fiancé's family just got a lot more awkward. ...

I loved Andrew and Jack's family- they were just the sweetest (except for their awful dad. But the grandmas!!)
I don't generally care for plot line solely based on a miscommunication, but the author made it make sense that Ellie and Jack never got a chance to discuss their issues until they ran into each other again and once they did, truths were told!

This book felt like a personal attack on me and and my life????? And that was rude?????

Everyone who hates this heroine hates me and I want you to think about that because how dare you.

I loved this book. If Alison writes it I’m going to read it.

One note about the audio though???? I wish it had been mixed better because the constant fluctuation from whispering to LOUD hurt my head but I still had fun.

This was a very cute romance. I liked the vibe and the fake dating and the confusion. I really liked the parallel with the comic she draws. I think it was lacking something, but I don't know what. It's not a favourite, not I think it's very enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this book and ended up purchasing a finished copy to add to my collection. The author writes amazing well developed characters who are complex. I liked the plot even though it is not usually a storyline I reach for. The book is a great holiday read and one I would reread.

I loved the author’s previous book, so I had high expectations for this one. Kiss Her Once for Me has a lot of cliches and is predictable, obviously, but books with cliches can still be entertaining. But this one misses the mark a bit.

I liked the storyline, but characters not revealing their true intentions and causing miscommunication just isn’t my favorite trope. I wish there was more chemistry between the characters.

This was a cute book, but I wasn't as into it as I was with the Charm Offensive. I enjoyed following along with the story, but didn't find myself as attached to the characters. Overall it was a sweet holiday book.

I will read absolutely everything Alison writes, give me a shopping list, an opinion piece, their daily to do list - I want it all.

What a sweet romcom right here! I enjoyed the banter between characters in this story! Kiss Her Once For Me was a quick read that I seemed to fly through!