⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

💬 “Rosemary forces herself not to look at Logan, not to think about friendship and kisses and becoming your truest self around someone who makes you feel safe.”

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun is a sweet queer rom-com that tugs at your heartstrings and left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a little bit of tears. With its engaging characters, witty banter, and a compelling Friends to Enemies to Lovers plot, this novel is was absolutely the most interesting road trip I’ve been on yet!

Cochrun’s writing is both heartfelt and humorous. She weaves themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery into a tapestry of vivid landscapes and quirky encounters. The chemistry between Logan and Rosemary crackles, and their banter is purely brilliant - I laughed out loud so many times. As they grapple with their feelings and confront old wounds, I found myself rooting for them to find their way back to each other.

The book was filled with laughs, tears, and moments that resonated so deeply and I appreciated the inclusion of elder queer characters and LGBTQIA+ history themes. Cochrun really captures the essence of friendship, second chances, and the transformative power of a road trip.

Biggest of thank yous to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC to review!

The way this book took me completely by surprise and had me ugly crying in the club (my couch)!!!!

I love Alison Cochrun’s work and knew this book would be no different, but I wasn’t expecting to feel oh so seen in these characters like I was. Both Logan and Rosemary are two fictional characters that I swear are real because I think I am their child?

This was so much more than a romance, it was more about grief and forgiveness and acceptance and the importance of queer community. I loved it!!!

the fact that this book's epitaph is an ABBA lyric made me confident i would love it -- adored this friends to enemies to friends to lovers road trip sapphic love story. so heartwarming and filled with personal growth, i annotated so much <3

3.5/5

TW: Cancer, terminal illness

Logan and Rosemary, two childhood best friends who had a falling out and then ended up teaching at the same school, find out their mentor is dying and go on a big, gay road trip together across the US.

I loved a lot of details within this book – the messy family dynamics, the need to be in control (Rosemary) or out of control (Logan), the found family storyline, and the subject of aging/living with a terminal illness. There were some things that really bothered me though (specific phrases such as: “cat’s puckered asshole mouth” and the “Shay fucking Mitchell” of it all).

Not my favorite Alison Cochrun read, but I still really enjoy what she has to offer.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never been so happy for a book to destroy me.

Childhood best friends Logan and Rosemary turned into rival teachers and now have to band together to take their dying former teacher (a gay man named Joe Delgado) on one last road trip.

I came into this as a huge fan of Kiss Her Once for Me and was absolutely not disappointed by this second Sapphic romance. I love the nuerodivergent rep (ADHD) in both women and anxiety and messy parental baggage. Even in the ADHD rep, Rosemary and Logan clearly experience it in different way, and I loved that this highlighted how not all diagnoses present the same. The road trip was fantastic, the parallel and metaphors and callbacks were so beautifully done.

I cried...a lot. My dad fought cancer and later died of something else, and his name was Joe. So there was a lot of confrontation of grief for my own loss, and it was actually really cathartic. Cochrun captured the grief and loss in a raw, painful, beautiful way.

If you love Sapphic romances that will also utterly wreck you, this is the one.

⭐ Rating: 5/5 stars
🗓 Publish date: April 2, 2024
🌈 Representation: lesbian MCs, gay side characters, drag, ADHD and anxiety

CW/TW:
Death, Cancer, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexual content

Oh gosh, I just adored this book! Any book that has me both laughing out loud and sobbing is a great book, in my opinion, and Here We Go Again had me doing plenty of both!

I loved both Logan and Rosemary as MCs. They were unique from each other, but also balanced each other perfectly. I could feel their chemistry immediately and I adored the friends to enemies to lovers drama. I also loved that they were both queer teachers! More queer teachers in books please!!

The road trip created a nicely structured plot that drove (lol) the story forward and kept me invested. There were so many hilarious mishaps and heartfelt moments along the way (and at the end).

I think this book might end up being a top fave of the year and I will definitely be recommending it far and wide!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an early copy of this title. All thoughts expressed are my own.

I like to post about my favorite book from the month previous and I've read so many excellent books this month that earlier today I wasn't sure which one to choose. Then I picked this up and read it in an afternoon/evening and found my winner. I had been putting off reading my arc because I loved the author's other books and sometimes I get nervous that I won't like an author's next work as much as the previous ones. I did not need to worry because this is a heart book, one I felt in my soul, had an emotional connection to, and will absolutely need to own and read again and again. Alison Cochrun 's pitch was "a romcom about death" and that's exactly what it was: romance, definitely (childhood best friends to 'enemies' to reluctant travel partners, to lovers); comedy, for sure (definitely laughed out loud multiple times); and oh my word the careful but thorough treatment of death/dying/grief in this book is the best I've read in a long time. There's really only one spicy scene and then mentions of other occurences not shown or really described on page, and in other books that would have felt like not enough but in this story it was perfect for their journey. I really appreciate queer romances where one character is less experienced and maybe doesn't know exactly what their labels are, so that aspect of Rosemary's character was special for me. I am someone who will tear up reading books, sometimes a few of those will actually fall, but on occasion I feel a book deeply and fully sob. I think I started 2/3 of the way in and haven't stopped even though it's done and I'm writing this review. Thank you Alison Cochrun for your story, your words. I don't even know how to end this review other than I love this book and need to go cry some more. CW: past death of a parent from overdose (talked about, not on page), active dying and eventual death of a main character (not one of the FMCs whose POVs we get). It's a lot but it's worth it.

I absolutely adore this book and have Pre-ordered my physical copy. I loved the way this book talked so many different emotional situations. This was so beautifully done.

Rosemary and Logan used to be best friends, but the summer before high school turned them into bitter enemies. Now in their thirties, they've both found themselves stuck in the same small town, teaching at the same school and dreaming of grander adventures. They've managed to avoid each other, but when their mutual trusted mentor, Joe, receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, they'll be forced to work together to help him get his dying wish. Joe wants to get from their home in Washington state to his cottage in Bar Harbor, and he wants to take a road trip to get there. The journey might just be the exact thing Rosemary and Logan needed to reckon with their past together – and fall in love.

I really enjoyed the central road trip plot, which tugs at the heartstrings and I think the storyline about being a caregiver and watching someone you love die was really heartfelt. The opposites attract, friends to enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes were all well-done! The themes of loss and grief were handled well and made sense for the characters. There are tough moments about caring for Joe, and moments that make it all worth it. The ending he gets was sad and beautiful, and did the character justice.

But I really struggled with the conflict between Logan and Rosemary. It was repetitive and immature, especially considering they were supposed to be in their 30s??? They acted like children. The constant pop culture references and style of the dialogue was really grating, and I just couldn't get into Logan's use of sticking the f word in the middle of names of random queer icons. It was so corny and took me out of it. I also felt sad that the romance took a backseat to other plotpoints.

Overall this is a fun and quick read, but it's childish and the miscommunication trope is overused.

Here We Go Again was so much more than a typical romance. This is a rom com centered around the theme of death and grief. Former best friends (now enemies) Rosemary and Logan both asked to accompany their former teacher and good friend Joe on a road trip to Maine so he can die in a cabin he loves. The book follows their journey to Maine.

This book was so sweet and also really fun for a book about death. I loved all the adventures on the way to Maine. The banter was so witty, I definitely laughed out loud several times. Although Rosemary got on my nerves at first, she grew on me and I ended up loving all the characters so much.

I do wish it had been told in first person. The narrative would change perspective mid chapter and I actually found that pretty distracting. One chapter actually changed between the characters 13x which was a little extreme.

Overall, I highly recommend this book! This is my first by the author and I will definitely be checking out her others.

Thank you netgalley for the arc! 4.5 rounded up

This book was a rollercoaster of all the emotions. I laughed. I cried. My heart hurt and then my heart glowed. This book pretty much defies genres because while it's a romance, it's also so much MORE than that. This book is a celebration of the wonderful teachers that are out in this world. It's a glimpse of queer history and the AIDS epidemic. It's a wonderful artistic representation of connection and loss and grief and celebration. This book is about love, loss, regrets, forgiveness, connection, life and death. It's about healing and the beauty of letting go and the strength of holding on and the wisdom to know when to choose between the two. It's beautiful and painful and brilliantly exhibits how one of those things can't exist without the other. It's a prickly pear (IYKYK).
This book took me on such a journey. I loved so much about this story. The romance of this book was utterly wonderful. It's a second chance - enemies to lovers - opposites attract story of Logan and Rosemary as they take their beloved English teacher on a "death trip" across the country.
Other highlights were the neurodivergent rep, the found family, the ode to Van Morrison, the Gayest roadtrip playlist just to name a few.
I came away from this book with a feeling I just can't put into words yet. But I love when a book really makes you stop and pause and re-examine what you thought you knew.
What really matters when the sun is setting on our time here?
Seriously, just read this book. It's unlike anything I've read this year. Such an amazing piece of work!!

It wasn't until I started Here We Go Again that I realized the title was alluding to my favorite movie musical of all time, Mamma Mia. And from that moment forward, I was 100% invested and hooked. I have consumed everything that Alison Cochrun has written, and her third novel is an incredibly funny and moving road-trip adventure that had me reliving some of the weird turns I've taken on road trips myself. Starting in a part of Washington that feels verrrrry familiar, and ending all the way in Maine, the trip is about grief, learning what matters, finding connection, and healing (while also featuring an aptly named van that you'll never forget). Logan and Rosemary are former friends and complete opposites -- the first of whom is apathetic and flirty, and the second of whom is uptight and type A. They end up trapped together on a road trip when their former teacher and good friend tells them he's dying and he needs a lift across the country. If you're looking to ride a full roller coaster of emotions and to experience some unexpected surprises across the country, this is the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.

ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED!!!!

An enemies to lovers sapphic romance (that is actually a second chance romance in disguise) that takes place on a death road trip across the USA? This is one of the most unique stories I've read in a long time and it's one I know will stick with me forever.

I loved that the romance, though full of chemistry, was almost secondary to the storyline about their road trip. I loved Joe, I loved their individual relationships with Joe, and I loved how much they all learned about themselves and each other along the way. What a beautifully cathartic story.

I loved that this story made me cry and laugh all on one page. It was emotional, poignant, and so full of humanity. Alison Cochrun can do no wrong!

I adored this contemporary sapphic romance <3 Not a surprise because I adore Alison Cochrun, but I just always feel so giddy and comforted after reading her work!

-past friends to lovers x second chance <3
-roadtrip setting!!! eeeek, I love these!
-opposites attract
-ADHD / neurodivergent representation

AC knows how to write stories that are tender yet goofy, and always writes with such care. I can't wait for everyone else to read this, as it was absolutely delightful!

Protect Joe at all costs. But actually Joe was the best part of this book. The romance of this book was really not it - the "problems" felt so repetitive throughout the book, the characters weren't mature at all, and I truly didn't feel the chemistry between our two main characters.

I seriously want a book about Joe and Remy LOL

Thank you NetGalley for this early edition to review! This has been my favourite book I’ve read so far this year.

I loved Alison Cochrun’s debut The Charm Offensive, and I read it all pretty much in one sitting, but this book…. This book was different. It was special. I think it had so many more elements of things that I love in a way that it was written more for me than TCO could ever be: cross country road trips, sapphic love, friends to enemies to tentative allies to lovers, English teachers, girls with ADHD, a big dog, and of course, ABBA. An ode to grief and a treatise on love.

Sure, it’s “a romcom about death” as Alison pitched it, but it’s hard to capture how much it is both a) a romcom, that has swoony romantic moments and laugh-out-loud funny jokes, and b) still very much entirely centred around death and loss.

I cried, I laughed, and I laugh-cried. This book was so beautiful and real and heartbreaking and joyous. A eulogy that truly was a celebration of life and all of the beauty and the pain that comes with it. Delightfully and fully queer through generations.

Although you always know what’s coming at the end, that’s not the point of the story— it’s the way that you get there that’s really important, with all the detours and roadblocks that come with. It’s about the ways in which we crack ourselves open and who we allow to see our brokenness on the way.

I can’t wait for this book to come out so that the rest of the world can read it. 🩷💜🧡

This book hit me in all the feels - it made me tear up multiple times. A death rom-com may be an odd way to label a book, but it is totally accurate in this case. I loved Logan and Rosemary, and seeing them reconnect and grow as characters over the book was excellent. It was everything I've come to expect from Alison, and I highly recommend it.

Logan and Rosemary were childhood best friends whose friendship turned to hate after a public misunderstanding. Years later, they are teaching at the same school when their old mentor and surrogate parent, Joe, finds out that his cancer is terminal. Joe enlists both Logan and Rosemary to put aside their differences and take him on an epic end-of-life road trip.

This book was fun, funny, and sexy, but also a lot. I loved many of the jokes but sometimes the bickering was too much. I loved the plot device of the road trip and learning more about these three main characters. I liked this road trip/rom com/finding yourself genre mash up (but would have liked a little less bickering and plot points that seemed like they were there for shock value alone.)

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I cannot even start with this book. As I am sobbing but like 10 minutes ago I was laughing so there’s that. The main trope I was say is childhood best friends to enemies to lovers. But there are some sub tropes like one bed and miscommunication (kind of)
—
I knew I was going to like this book because I really enjoyed “kiss her once for me” but damn I fell in LOVE with it. Logan is so dang hilarious and Rosemary is so sweet. The quote that popped into my head thinking about their relationship is “She used to say she was the kite and I was the line. She was a creature of the clouds and I was a creature of the earth.”, from Haunting of Hill House. Logan is very spontaneous and Rosemary is very detailed. And they balance each other out and it’s so omg I’m going to cry

Don’t even get me started with (the other relationship) in the book because that’s the one that made me sob.


10s across the board for this book!

Alison Cochrun is at 3 for 3 as of right now. All her books are utterly perfect. She balances fun rom-com themes but also tackles the tougher and more emotional themes as well and manages to tie them together in a story that’s impossible to put down. There were some witty one-liners that had my giggling as I read which was balanced with tears by the end of the book.

I think at this point I can confidently say that Alison Cochrun is a master of character growth. You can’t help but love the cast from page one, root for their journey by the middle of the book and somehow love them even more than you thought possible by the end. I have no idea how she does it. Actually, I do: she’s just that good of a writer.

Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t my favorite book by Cochrun. The Charm Offensive just holds a special place in my heart, but this book is still a must-read for any romance lover. Alison Cochrun’s books are always my go-to gifting books and I’m thrilled to be able to add Here We Go Again to that roster.