Chapter 1 was a fun romp and if it keeps up, it’s sure to be a good time. Easy three to four stars for the target and five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like a prickly pear - it's beautiful, but it will hurt you.

WOW another beautifully written story by Alison Cochrun. I was first introduced to her writing with Kiss Her Once For Me, and I loooved that book! But this one..... I think I love it more 🤭
Here We Go Again is a sapphic rom-com about death. The juxtaposition works so well throughout the story. We have comedy mixed with tragedy, it is equal parts hilarious and sad. I was crying and laughing. Emotions were being felt. The whole concept of this book is amazing, and I want more Logan and Rosemary! (I also want more Joe and Remy... even though Joe passes away at the end of this story, I still want to know more about his and Remy's relationship 30 years ago.)
The characters, the banter, the plot, the relationships, the antics..... I am here for it! This one is so worth the wait. If this isn't on your TBR, you have to add it. It's so good. I will be talking about this book for a loooong time!!

Side note: There are a few references to a facial expression looking like a cat's butthole, specifically "Her mouth puckers into a cat's butthole..." That's just not an image I want while reading a book 🤣 Maybe there's a better way to phrase that?

I was sold the moment I saw this had a Mamma Mia themed title, and I could NOT put this down despite being surrounded by scenery on a cruise in Halong Bay, Vietnam!! Logan and Rosemary are impeccable main characters who are so different but so likeable in their own ways. I related to both of them in a very painful and very different way.

Their love story is interwoven with a tragic and beautiful love story from the past as they road trip across the country.

Absolutely zero flaws!!!!!

This book gave me all the feels. It’s about love and fear and confronting the past and growing into the future. About bravery and forgiveness and finding beauty alongside the heartache that's an inevitable part of any life well-lived.

Here We Go Again follows Logan and Rosemary, two high school teachers who end up driving their old English teacher to his place in Maine as his final wish before he dies. Cochrun did a great job creating genuine characters, especially in Logan, Rosemary, and Joe. The book is incredibly emotional, hitting highs and lows, and the pacing works well. The history between the two women was a bit wonky with how much it weighed them down, but the way it was explained kept the flow of the novel going. They were believable in love and how their different dating histories were handled was great. I struggled with the writing at points: Logan constantly uses queer celebrities mixed with profanity (“Cate fucking Blanchett, Tig fucking Nataro, etc) and a few of the bigger discussions felt almost artificial. The latter is a constant issue I have with romance novels, which makes me think it’s more a problem of my taste than the writing. Overall, Here We Go Again is a solid romance novel filled with sincere feelings, that works as long as you're prepared to buy into a bit of ridiculousness.

This book made me cry (sob) sad and happy tears- both. It’s a true ode to good teachers and also grief in its purest form - unconditional love for someone lost. It is a romance, at times comedic, but it is also beautifully bittersweet, and I’d say more about love than romance. All three characters are lovely in obvious and nuanced ways. I appreciated how the author portrayed ADHD in its different forms, and also gay culture. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this but I’ve enjoyed all Cochrun’s books and second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes. In the end, it wasn’t what I expected but gave me so much more. I loved it. Beautifully done, and worth the ride.

Short summary: beloved English teacher Joe is terminally ill and asks two of his former students (who are like daughters to him), to drive him cross country to Maine so he can die with dignity where and how he wants. The two women who were best friends in middle school now can’t stand each other but they each love Joe too much to say no.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Here We Go Again is a rom-com about death, and one of the most beautiful stories I've read in a long time. There are so many things to love about this book: the epic road trip, the treatment of teachers (particularly high school English teachers which I was), the descriptions of supportive queer communities, the sensitivity around neurodivergence, and the traumas of childhood that we all must work through to become whole human beings. I laughed and I cried reading this book, and I think readers everywhere will do the same. It is a gem of a book, and I recommend it highly to all readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I bawled like I was losing a personal friend at this book. It’s deep, raw, and truly made me feel inspired to live my most authentic and vulnerable life. Don’t read this in front of other people and set aside time after you finish it to reflect on your own life. But by all means, read this book!!!!

*turns to the last page, silently closes the book and quietly sobs* 🫠😩🥺

(hahaha jk, like I haven’t been intermittently sobbing and laughing this whole dang book)

Who would have thought that I, a road trip book hating girlie, would be completely pulled by the heart strings in a way only @alisoncochrun could by this absolutely stunning book!

⭐️THIS BOOK HITS SHELVES IN APRIL 2024⭐️

5.0⭐️ BRAVO 👏🏾👏🏾😩

Thank you to NetGalley and @atriabooks for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

"Here We Go Again" by Alison Cochrun is a queer rom-com that reunites childhood best friends, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale. Once close friends who spent their summers running through the woods and dreaming of escape, they became bitter rivals after an incident in high school. Following graduation, they spent ten years without speaking.

Now in their thirties, Logan and Rosemary find themselves stuck in their small town, working as teachers at their alma mater, and not living the adventurous lives they once imagined. Rosemary opts for security and stability, while Logan is chaotic and impulsive. Despite their efforts to avoid each other, they keep crossing paths, including with their cars.

Their lives take an unexpected turn when their beloved former English teacher, facing a limited time to live, brings them together for a cross-country road trip. Along with their mentor, they embark on a journey from Washington state to the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf Coast to coastal Maine. This life-changing summer trip has the potential to chart a new future for them and perhaps bring them back together.

If you enjoy rom-coms with a touch of nostalgia, complex characters, and a road trip adventure, "Here We Go Again" might be a delightful read for you.

I love a road trip romance. This is beautiful and poignant and I did tear up at the end. A definite new standout for lesbian romance novels.

I loved this story so much. As someone who struggles with both ADHD and anxiety, I was able to relate heavily to both main characters. I also had my dad pass away from cancer when I was a teenager, so I found Joe’s struggles especially sad and accurate. To say I cried is an understatement. I will definitely be re-reading upon release!

This book left me an emotional mess. Logan and Rosemary dealing with grief while celebrating life speared me emotionally and helped me process my own grief ten years later than I thought I would. This book is so tender and so happy and bittersweet and such a gorgeous memorial to loved ones lost who shape the person you are. Logan and Rosemary may have been the main characters in this romance but it’s truly an ode to the love they had for one of the most important people in their lives. This book is gorgeous.