This is such a fun, romantic Christmas novel. I loved the characters and the plot is a blast. It's the perfect Hallmark-like read!

This is a really cute book about finding love in what you thought was lost or impossible. Really enjoyed my time reading it and will be recommending.

Thank you so much to Alison, Atria Books, and NetGalley for a copy of Kiss Her Once for Me in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars // I really, really enjoyed this book. It was new and refreshing, inclusive and diverse, and a queer Christmas rom-com, which we VERY MUCH NEED MORE OF! For those who don't know - I'm queer. 😊 Yes, I'm married to a cis man, but that doesn't make me any less bisexual. Which means my heart has been exploding as I read more and more books with bisexual main characters - this book included. ❤️

Things I Loved:
-The representation! There are characters of different races, a transgender character, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and demisexual characters and characters who identify with different pronouns - including she/her, he/him, and they/them. LOVE!
-The tropes! Second-chance romance, fake marriage, one bed (specifically stuck in a cabin in a snowstorm), chosen family, and more!
-The love interest (Jack) and all the secondary characters. They were all so different, complex, and funny! I laughed out loud so many times. I would pay MONEY to meet the grandmas in real life.
-The look into Ellie's (the main character) struggle with anxiety. I have not personally experienced anxiety, so it made it difficult to relate to her in that aspect. That said, I did appreciate seeing a main character with anxiety knowing how many people live with it. It was eye-opening and I appreciated seeing how her loved ones supported her when she had hard moments.

Things I Didn't Love as Much:
-It started off a bit slow, but once it picked up I finished within 24 hours.
-Ellie's continuous self-sabotage. I just personally couldn't relate.
-Ellie's toxic relationship with her mom. I've experienced my own issues in my relationship with my mom, so some of the scenes with her were hard to read. That said, one scene where Ellie is talking about her bisexuality with her mom almost had me in tears, because I felt SO SEEN. Once the book is published, I'll share the lines. I loved it so, so much.

Overall, if you're looking for a beautiful, queer Christmas rom-com with love, humor, character growth, and so much more this is for you. Enjoy!

This book was incredible! I found the main character, Elle, extremely relatable. She suffers with anxiety and isn't really sure where her life is going, which I think a lot of readers can relate to. The story was very charming and kept me on my toes. The story does take place during the holiday season, and reading this book put me in the Christmas spirit...in July! When it comes out in November, I highly recommend reading it!

I liked this! I enjoyed The Charm Offensive more, but this was still a fun read. I did want to vocalize that I felt a little weird about the portrayal of demisexuality in the book, though. As someone who identifies as demi, I found it kind of weird/uncomfortable that her need to be comfortable/trusting with a partner got a bit...thrown out the window? It didn't seem to be an entirely realistic portrayal to me, but maybe I just have a different experience being demi. Either way, I enjoyed the book and appreciate the early review copy.

4.25🌟 Christmas in July part 2 did NOT disappoint!

Set in dual timelines, we are following Ellie, as she is experiencing a whirlwind day with Jack on Christmas Eve one year ago, and Ellie in present day, as she works at a coffee shop after losing her dream job. Andrew, the shop's landlord, offers her a proposal she cannot refuse: 10% of his impending inheritance, in exchange for a fake marriage. But when Ellie goes home with Andrew for Christmas, she finds out that Jack is Andrew's sister.

We really get to experience a full circle arc for Ellie in this story. We start off the story with her optimism shining bright after this meet-cute with Jack, and the following year, her light has severely dimmed due to her many tough life situations. This is definitely a romance, but I like the way the author still manages to take us on a journey with Ellie as an individual. I always felt safe reading about Jack and Ellie together, regardless of the chaos surrounding them and their situation. I think the twists and turns of this book were cleverly done and never quite what I was anticipating, which always kept me on my toes. There's a found family element to this as well, which I always appreciate. The Christmas vibes were on point and made the atmosphere of the story so special.

As another person with a *crippling fear of failure and disappointing others*, I could completely relate to Ellie and she is one of my new favorite characters. I can just tell Jack is so effortlessly cool and I just want to hang out with her and try some of her bakery desserts.

My main (and pretty much only) qualm was that their situation was definitely insta-lovey after only knowing each other for one day. Also, the main storyline takes place a year after the meet-cute, so we are supposed to imagine that they could pick right back up where they were a year ago, still only knowing of one another for 24 hours.

We got a ton of awesome rep here: demisexual, non-binary, lesbian, bisexual, trans, mental health, and those are just off the top of my head! I thought this was extremely well written and easy to read; I genuinely never wanted to put it down! Overall, a fun, unique holiday romcom!

*Thank you Atria and Netgalley for the eARC, in exchange for a review!

As a lover of classic Chick lit I feel like the literary gods just rained down on me by opening up and expanding the whole genre. So refreshing to see the realization that love should never have been limited to girl meets boy. Things get complicated and there's a breakup. Epiphanies happen and they live happily ever after. While the formula hasn't changed more and more authors are no longer adhering to the boy meets girl box and finding that there is an audience for stories that are true to life.

I used to completely shun the romance genre but since it's expanded to tell a variety of queer stories, I've been lured in. Plus, the world is pretty literally and figuratively on fire, so I've found that when my mental health starts to get wobbly, a dose of queer romance has been just the ticket to set me right again. Last year, one of these success stories was Alison Cochrun's debut novel The Charm Offensive, a thoroughly, well, charming story about two men who fall in love while involved in a reality dating competition similar to The Bachelor (one as a producer, one as the bachelor). And I don't even watch The Bachelor, so the fact that I was into this book tells you something about Cochrun's skill.

What most delighted me about The Charm Offensive is how clever Cochrun was in crafting the plot. It's a premise that thoroughly should not work (especially if, like me, you aren't a fan of reality dating), and yet it does. Really well. Because Cochrun is really making astute observations about what happens when real-life challenges involved in getting to know someone conflict with the romance narratives we've been told since we were children ... crossed with mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ storylines. Cochrun's writing is at once familiar and subversive, which allows you to be comforted by all the tropes you love without getting bored by that very familiarity. The focus on diversity and mental health also sets her work apart and allows it to feel grounded in the real world.

Appropriately, Cochrun's holiday-themed second novel Kiss Her Once For Me releases on November 1st. I requested access to this title on NetGalley and was thrilled when I saw that my request was approved. That approval message encouraged me to read and review this as close to the release date as possible, but I found myself unable to wait.

If you follow my YouTube channel you know that we lost our beloved dog, Guinness, in June. To say that the grief has been hard would be an understatement. I muddled through life and some reading for a month and found myself needing the comfort of a rom-com. And what's my favorite type of rom-com? A queer holiday-themed one, thanks for asking. When I peeked at the plot summary of Kiss Her Once For Me and saw that it matches this criteria and opens with a bookstore meet cute, I was sold.

On Christmas Eve of 2021, Ellie has recently moved to Portland for her dream job in animation. She meets Jack when they reach for the same title in Powell's Books and the two women spend a magical snow day together. But something happens the next morning that causes Ellie to run away and spend the next year pining after Jack. By Christmas of 2022, Ellie has lost everything: her dream job, her sense of purpose, and (soon) her apartment. With eviction looming, Ellie falls into one of the classic rom-com plot devices--one that truly defies credulity: she agrees to fake marry her boss' landlord to help him claim an inheritance. That's right, an impossibly attractive and incredibly wealthy man needs to be married in order to collect $2 million dollars thanks to a clause in his grandfather's will. And if Ellie agrees to marry him for a year, he'll give her $200,000.

Although Ellie isn't entirely comfortable with the arrangement, things seem to be going well. Andrew, her fake fiance, turns out to be a good guy--and she's going to get to tag along to his family Christmas, which will help her avoid being alone. Except it turns out that Andrew's sister is Jack. And Ellie still has feelings for her.

Chaos ensues.

As with The Charm Offensive, this is a premise that should not work. Like at all. And yet it does. Like gangbusters, in fact. That's because Alison Cochrun is a uniquely clever writer. Her characters are the most lovable of messes. I dare you not to enjoy the entire cast of characters you will meet in Kiss Her Once For Me. Even decisions that seem like plot holes at first turn out to have a reasonable explanation--and usually one that causes character growth in an interesting, dynamic way. Ellie and Jack are an adorable couple you will definitely root for.

I also deeply appreciate the diversity of the cast--not just in terms of race but in sexuality and gender. Cochrun doesn't treat her characters like tokens but real people with real baggage hoping to find the acceptance and love they deserve--on their terms.

To put it simply: this book crackles with charm on every page.

It was everything I needed at this moment, and I'm so glad I didn't wait until fall to dive in. Christmas in July is a wonderful thing in my world anyway. And since I didn't wait until closer to the publication date of Kiss Her Once For Me, I get a unique opportunity to tell you to pre-order the hell out of this book at your local independent bookstore. If you don't have a favorite local indie, Bookshop.org has you covered (it's better than Amazon and it supports independent bookstores).

You'll thank me later.

I can hardly believe that one) this book exists and two) I got to read it early because it encompasses so many of my absolute favorite things! It’s a sapphic rom com, set at Christmas, in my hometown, and with scenes at my favorite book store (hello Powell’s Books!!) It also includes so many references to local places and things (my Portlander heart was singing!), a fake engagement scheme, and has multiple—I repeat: multiple—Taylor Swift references!! You know when you feel like a story was made for you to read it? That is this book for me!! It feels like Christmas came early <3

In addition to the many little details that I loved, Alison has so expertly created wonderful, lovable characters. I just adore Ellie, Jack, Andrew, Dylan (and the grandmas!!) and both the fun and festive things they get up to, as well as the trials that they go through. While some holiday reads can feel too fluffy and without depth, here Alison stuck the perfect balance. So perfect in fact, that I have a strong suspicion this book is about to be THE holiday rom com of the year. I cannot wait for the world to get their hands on it!

RATING: 4/5 STARS

KISS HER ONCE FOR ME had big shoes to fill after Alison Cochrun's smash hit debut THE CHARM OFFENSIVE. Her first book still holds the favorite spot for me, but this second novel was excellent! I loved the premise, and the execution was fantastic. Ellie and Jack were such well developed and endearing characters. The cast of supporting characters was also so fun. I love when authors can bring to life family and and friends and Alison Cochrun did a great job here. I'm already looking forward to her next book.

Last Christmas, Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and met a woman she magically fell in love with over the course of a single night after reaching for the same copy of "Fun Home" in a bookstore. But, after having her heart broken the following morning and career failures later in the year, Ellie finds herself alone and in desperate need of money. When Andrew Kim-Prescott, her employers landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan involving a marriage of convenience that will alleviate all of Ellie's financial worries, the two make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family's cabin. It seems simple enough until Ellie discovers his sister Jacqueline is Jack, the mysterious stranger she fell in love with the year before. Now, Ellie needs to choose between sticking to her fake relationship or following her heart in an attempt to experience something real.

"Kiss Her Once For Me" had me hooked from the moment I set eyes on the cover. IT IS SO QUEER IT HURTS, but in a completely good way. However, the main issue with this story is the instant love affair between the two main characters that we experienced through "Snow Day". The entire premise is built around their love developing over the course of a single day, never faltering – I found this difficult to believe. While Ellie and Jack have an adorable meet-cute, their relationship should've at least been built over the course of a week to solidify their infatuation like other romcoms. A solo day of romance makes it really hard to be invested, but I tried to disregard that small detail from my mind. That said, the tension, the chemistry and the yearning Alison crafted was a beauty!!! *chef's kiss*

As a wonderfully cozy Christmas romcom it was refreshing to have a cast full of so many LGBTQ+ representations including bisexual, lesbian, demisexual, non-binary and trans identities, introduced and constructed in an effortless way. The book also explores polyamory (both negative and positive reactions to it), generalized anxiety disorder and ADHD.

If you enjoy love trapezoids, classic misunderstandings, semi-forced proximity and only-one-bed tropes with sapphics then "Kiss Her Once For Me" was written for you. My only other recommendation would be for the story to not end right after the resolution as it makes everything very rushed. An epilogue could easily help the material feel finalized. Please give me more of this disaster bisexual artist and her butch baker love interest. PLEASE!

I wish nothing but great things for Jack, my love. I wish we could've gotten her POV more because I am obsessed with everything about her masc self. She deserves the world and if Ellie won't give it her I definitely will!!

Last but not least, I fell completely in love with the whole Kim-Prescott family, especially the two boozy grandmothers. They're sweet, cooky, funny and bring a welcomed energy, deserving of their own spinoff.

Thanks to Atria for the free book.
I adored this book and could not stop reading once I started. I am not usually a Christmas in summer kind of person, (it's July as I'm writing this) but after a week of 100+ degree temperatures, I wanted something cold, so I gave this a try. I loved The Charm Offensive last year, so I had high hopes for this one, and I loved it just as much. What I love most about her stories is how she tackles some sort of mental illness representation and also the inclusivity of her characters in the LGBTQ+ community. Ellie was so relatable for me. As someone that struggles with anxiety and fear and perfectionism, I innately understood the problems she was up against. I found that this plot arc was genuine and honest. It is hard to make friends, have personal growth, set boundaries - and Cochrun shows this in a realistic light.
This is a complicated fake dating trope with a love trapezoid and I was so invested in Ellie, Andrew, Jack, and Dylan's future. I thought the tension and pacing were 🔥. Getting to know these characters and see them change made this story so enjoyable. I laughed and cried with them. The side characters were also so fun, and I absolutely adored Meemaw. This is one that I could easily re-read every holiday season or when I'm needing something set in the winter.

Kiss Her Once for Me is a wonderfully well-written holiday rom-com. We meet Ellie Olivier who works as a barista after losing her dream job and is barely making ends meet. She has no significant other but can't stop thinking of her one night stand from last Christmas. When Andrew who owns the coffee shop she works at proposes a fake marriage that can benefit them mutually, Ellie agrees to accompany him to meet his family during the holidays. Showing up at his family's cabin together, Ellie discovers that Andrew's sister is Jack the woman she met a year ago.

I really swooned hard at the chemistry between the two leads. Ellie's colorful personality really shined through whenever she interacted with Jack. Who wouldn't want a sexy strong baker to keep them company? I related to Ellie's insecurities while falling for Jack's loud and steady presence. The flashbacks of their initial meet-cute are interspersed throughout the book and capture the one magical day of how they met and fell in love. Usually love at first sight stories aren't quite believable, but Alison Cochrun made this premise work for me. The author mentions her love for While You Were Sleeping and this book is inspired (in a good way) by that film.

I highly recommend this book to those who love queer love stories! 5/5

Ellie and Jack shared a perfect, single day together a year ago and things have been going downhill for Ellie ever since. She’s begrudgingly agreed to marry her landlord, Andrew, in the ultimate fake dating scheme to secure Andrew his inheritance and so she can get her share of the money. Ellie and Andrew are spending the holidays with his family in order to sell the scheme and so Ellie can meet her soon to be in laws. All is going well until Andrew’s sister walks in- and Ellie is shocked to see Jack again.

I already had high expectations for this one after loving The Charm Offensive and I was not disappointed! This was such a cute and enjoyable read. I also really appreciated the hugely diverse cast of characters with varying sexual and gender identities and some mental health representation as well. Despite being a festive book, the plot felt more holiday adjacent so I had no issues reading this in the summer time. I would highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

*Thank you to NetGallery for a free earc review copy for a honest review. All opinions my own.*

Kiss Her Once for Me is as great as The Charm Offensive is. You cannot compare the two exactly as the story and the characters are different, but the writing is amazing for both those stories, and Cochrun is now an autobuy author. I love her books.

Elle and Jack meet at a Powell's on Christmas Eve, and fall in love. Christmas day, Elle is running out of Jack's place crying. And so begins the story.

A year when Elle met Jack, she thought it would be a start of something new, but a year now, shes been fired from her dream job, has a horrible apartment, and works at a local coffee shop where she doesn't get treated well. (It's customer service, of course she doesn't.)

That weekend the coffee shop building landlord offers her a deal she can't refuse. Fake marry him, and in a year's time, she will get 200k.

This is THE Christmas book of the year. I cannot wait to preorder this one, and have the physical copy. I will be rereading it again near Christmas.

They go to his family's cabin (which is literally a mansion) and she meets the girl she fell in love with last Christmas, and the shenanigans start.

The family that Elle meets are amazing. I especially love the grandmas.

I will say there are some content warnings which are: biphobia, homophobia, mental abuse from parents, cheating, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. There is an acknowledgement of these warnings by the author before you jump into the book.

Reading two holiday romances back-to-back, I'm loving holidays in July .

There is great LGBTQIA+ rep. I would definitely check the triggers for this one.
Overall, I like Ellie and I like the fake-dating trope. However, I've never like the insta-love trope so it wasn't the greatest book for me. It took me a few weeks to make it through this ARC.

I do think others would enjoy this one more than I did!
2/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie is not having a good year. She was fired from the job she moved cross-country for, her new boss is a dickweed, her crummy apartment is going to evict her, and she lost the perfect woman last Christmas. This Christmas in Portland sucks. Until a rich customer at the coffee shop she works at offers an arrangement - get married so he can get his inheritance and she'll get 10% of it! All she has to do is spend Christmas with his family.

Oh, you knew without even reading the blurb that the woman from last Christmas would show up. The relationship between Ellie and Jack wavers between animosity, curiosity, and attraction masterfully, leading us to cheer for them to find their way back to each other. The supporting characters were rich and interesting, making this a successful second novel for Alison Cochrun!

I thought this was a really heart-warming story of two women who are paralyzed by failure and I think the struggled that both Ellie and Jack go through in this book are so relatable for people of any age, but especially for recent college grads who feel pressured to have everything figured out. I loved the addition of Jack encouraging Ellie to talk through their miscommunications early on in the book because I feel like too often, the reader knows that two characters have feelings for each other and they spend the entire book not telling each other for fear of their feelings not being reciprocated. For me, the way that Jack encourages openness and honesty (even when it's difficult) was a breath of fresh air.

The Charm Offensive has been on my TBR list for a while now and now I know I HAVE to read it asap!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this eArc in exchange for an honest review!
This book is about a woman who makes a fake engagement deal with her job’s landlord but ends up falling for his sister.

This book does contain biphobia, homophobia, and toxic relationships with parents and I’m glad that there were content warnings addressed in the book before the book began.
I absolutely loved reading this novel! This book is I do think that some points of the book were a little bit slow, however, overall, it was a really enjoyable queer romance.
One of the aspects of the book that I really enjoyed was the writing. This is my first Alison Cochron book and I think her writing is very addictive and easy to get into.
I also really enjoyed the characters of the book. They were very well written and pretty well developed. The only thing that I didn’t particularly love about the our main character was that her character development seemed a little too forced and fast, in my personal opinion. I would have also liked to see a little more screentime for some of our side characters because I thought that they were really interesting.
There was so much representation in the book! There was nonbinary, bisexual, lesbian, queer, Asian, and anxiety rep just to name some off the top of my head.
I would highly recommend picking this book up!
I will finish with one of my favorite lines from the book: “You are a sexy oak tree.”

I really enjoyed this book. I love a nice Christmas rom com book but I felt this was more than that. I love watching Ellie’s journey of growth throughout the book. I’m a sucker for a fake dating trope and this took it even further with a fake marriage and money involved! I fell in love with the Kim-Prescotts family and really enjoyed all of their dynamics. I loved all the different representation in this book and I love that so many different people could relate to characters in the book. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend for a nice Christmas read!