A sapphic Mamma Mia inspired second chance romance roadtrip novel?? Sign me up!

I have loved Alison Cochrun's other novels but this one might be my favorite. I am already a book crier but the tears that this book made me cry? Uncountable.

The way the author intertwined Rosemary's and Logan's story with their friendship with Joe was so heartbreakingly beautiful. I have had many English teachers who changed my life and this was a beautiful tribute to all of those teachers who made a difference, especially those who created a safe space for their students.

I will say, however, that the main romance felt overshadowed by Joe's story. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing since I enjoyed Joe's story more than the main plot, but it made it less of a romance novel.

The ended truly gutted me in the best way. Alison Cochrun is a true artist for being able to combine so many emotions in the final scenes of this book.

4.5 Stars

This book! I wasn’t expecting this one to be jammed packed with emotion.

It’s a road trip book but so much more! Filled with a cast of lovable characters and adventure. This book will make you smile, laugh and cry. I suggest looking at the trigger warnings because it is a book about an end-of-life adventure. It’s also a second chance queer romance about opening up your heart and dealing with curve-balls that life throws at you. It was beautiful book!

A strong 4 stars for this sapphic, friends-to enemies-to lovers romance. The main characters, Logan and Rosemary, grant the literal dying wish of their former high school teacher (who has become a close friend and mentor to both of them) by taking him on a cross-country road trip in the "gayest van on the west side of the Mississippi." Logan and Rosemary couldn't be more different, and the forced proximity forces all three of them to explore their complicated relationships, the choices they have each made in the past, and their future. The novel touches on so many issues and themes - friendships, death, neurodiversity, mental health, forgiveness, and of course love - and somehow manages to be funny, sad, AND spicy. I love Alison Cochrun's writing. Her character development is flawless, I loved these characters and was immediately invested in the story. I cried, I laughed, and I cried some more.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #atriabooks #herewegoagain

Love love love. This books did not disappoint. I’ve loved everything from this author this far and this kept it going. I loved the characters and the plot and the pacing.

As soon as I saw a new book written by Alison Cochrun, I knew I wanted to read it right away. And, just as before, she's written a book with a group of characters that are authentic, funny, troubled, honest, and lovable.

At the heart of "Here We Go Again" (pun somewhat intended) is the troubled friendship of Logan and Rosemary, childhood best friends who lost their friendship, but are now all grown up and forced to face each other and their pain when their favorite high school teacher/mentor/father figure is on his death bed and has one last wish: a road trip with the two of them to Maine.

The road trip becomes so much more than honoring their teacher's wish--it's an adventure, it's a chance to heal old wounds, it's a history lesson, it's a forcing mechanism, and it's just what all of them need.

The story is powerful and could be triggering, but, in the end, it's hopeful.

I loved this book so much! The ADHD rep was amazing, and so was the story. I was a bit concerned it would be too sad for a romance but it was so beautifully done that it was worth it. I would highly recommend.

THE BEST BOOK IVE READ IN 2024!

Wow.

Logan and Rosemary are 2 beautiful individuals who have their own baggage that they overcome in their own ways. I am in awe of Alison’s talent with writing and creating such a beautiful story. Joe was such a good older character (even though I don’t consider him old with him being the same age as my parents). This book hit me hard because my dad has Parkinson’s and dementia and also not the same as pancreatic cancer, it is life changing. I thought of my gram and when she passed, as my family and I were in the room when she was taken off life support and that’s something that’ll live with me forever.

I really loved how Joe was the “grandparent” to the 2 former students of his and how he changed their lives.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙢-𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮.

📍 Read if you like:
• Frenemies To Lovers
• Opposites Attract
• Found Family
• Road Trips

I absolutely loved The Charm Offensive by this author so of course I wanted to pick this book up… plus it involves a road trip, which had me so hooked and excited.

Unfortunately, I feel like I’m in the minority with this book. It wasn’t a bad book by any means, it just didn’t work for my liking. I did set too high of hopes on this.

As I said the road trip aspect was so fun and captivating, however, I feel like the story dragged at times. It also felt way too repetitive for me… and Logan and Rosemary never really connected with me.

While I wish I would’ve cared more about the characters and the story, the little bit of miscommunication threw me off guard - it wasn’t to the point where it was unbearable, I just didn’t love it.

I did find the ending to be satisfying, despite all the pop culture references throughout the book.

I feel like this is more of a personal experience, but I didn’t really care for this book as much as I wanted to. I’ll still always recommend The Charm Offensive and this author in general, but this story was middle-of-the-road for me.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you for the early copy! I waited too long to read and review so I actually bought and read the finished copy. I thought I was going to totally love this one. It’s a friends to lovers romance which is one of my favorite tropes. I did really enjoy this book, it just wasn’t a new all time favorite which is always what I’m hoping for. Logan and rosemary were best friends in their childhood but turned rivals as adults. They’re tasked with driving their dying mentor across the country. It was filled with great roadtrip antics, cool places and things to see on the way, but it was also a highly emotional book. Both women are dealing with the impending death of their beloved teacher, while also trying not to deal with their feelings for one another. They can’t fight their love, though, and the journey of their falling was filled with funny bickering and eventually letting the walls down and trusting each other again. I really liked how the story was wrapped up. It had the potential to be devastating, but the author was kind to us.

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Atria books for allowing me to read this amazing book early. Let me just say, that reading this book right after my mom passed away was not a good choice mentally, but I absolutely adored this book. It made me wish that I was allowed to take my mom for one last adventure before she passed unexpectedly back in March.

I rated this book 4.5 stars rounded up since we can't do half ratings on here. This book was everything I wanted and more. Logan and Rosemary are essentially the main characters in this book, but their teacher, who is dying from terminal cancer, Joe, stole the whole show for me. A quick trip across the country turns into a three week life-changing trip. Logan and Rosemary enemies to lovers story, for me at least, takes a back seat to the amazing connection that they have with Joe, living their best life on the road, and finding out so many new things about one another.

I can't really say much without spoiling this book. It made me laugh and ugly cry at the same time. You felt all the emotions that these three were going through, love, regrets, anger, sadness, ( I can sit here and go through all the emotions that the characters go through, but it would be Inside Out all over again, haha). I just love that, even though Joe had all these amazing people at his side, he chose his two former favorite students who he loved as family. The reason why this book didn't get a full five stars from me was because of how Rosemary and Logan were just so nasty with each other before they fully realized what they meant towards each other. Once you realize that what happened a long time ago made them the way they are towards each other, it made my eyes roll and I told myself "that's it?!". It was a little too much and a bit ridiculous for me.

This is going to sound really stupid, but I'm also glad this story didn't end up with a proposal or anything else along those lines like most romance books that I've read do. It gets very repetitive and cliche at times, but I'm glad this book didn't cover it.

Overall, this book was amazing and a queer book you don't want to miss out on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

dnf @ 9% and this has nothing to do with the book itself but with me being in a reading slump.

Of what I did read, I enjoyed the premise of the book and the characters themselves so I am excited to follow up on this one in the future.

Title: Here We Go Again
Author: Alison Cochrun
Genre: Romance
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: April 2, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Delightful • Heartfelt • Wanderlusting

📖 S Y N O P S I S

A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends. They spent their childhood summers running through the woods, rebelling against their conservative small town, and dreaming of escaping. But then an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals. After graduation, they went ten years without speaking.

Now in their thirties, Logan and Rosemary find they aren’t quite living the lives of adventure they imagined for themselves. Still in their small town and working as teachers at their alma mater, they’re both stuck in old patterns. Uptight Rosemary chooses security and stability over all else, working constantly, and her most stable relationship is with her label maker. Chaotic and impulsive Logan has a long list of misguided ex-lovers and an apathetic shrug she uses to protect herself from anything real. And as hard as they try to avoid each other—and their complicated past—they keep crashing into each other. Including with their cars.

But when their beloved former English teacher and lifelong mentor tells them he has only a few months to live, they’re forced together once and for all to fulfill his last wish: a cross-country road trip. Stuffed into the gayest van west of the Mississippi, the three embark on a life-changing summer trip—from Washington state to the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf Coast to coastal Maine—that will chart a new future and perhaps lead them back to one another.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I'd previously loved The Charm Offensive, but Kiss Her Once For Me didn't hit the same level for me. Regardless, Here We Go Again was one of my anticipated 2024 releases (hello road trip!), and it quickly rose to the top of my stack when it was recommend by a trusted book friend.

What an absolute delight!

Filled with a combination of laugh-out-loud and heartfelt moments, this story and it's characters wiggled their way into my heart as they embarked on a road trip to fulfil Joe's death wish. It's full of adventure, memories, beautiful relationships, belonging, love, and heartache. Some of my favourite moments were the van, the binder, the detours along the way, the nude painting discovery, the drag show, all of the musical moments, and of course, when they finally make it to Maine.

Logan and Rosemary's character growth felt wholly natural and the author does a fantastic job subtly incorporating their neurodiversity (ADHD and anxiety rep) into the story. I really enjoyed getting to unravel what tore them apart and slowly seeing them come together again. Their banter had me laughing often.

And then there is Joe - he was the glue holding the entire story together and I absolutely adored his character. Learning about his past - how he came to play a parental role for each of the girls and his own queerness was such a joy. The teacher/student relationship was beautiful. Of course, I cannot forget Odysseus, the cancer dog. And Remy... sweet sweet Remy.

The romance never overtakes the story, yet it's easy to see where their relationship will end up. It's really the secondary love story which had my whole heart. Stunningly beautiful! Additionally, the open dialogue on grief and talk about death was a breath of fresh air. As an avoidant society, these types of discussions are so important, yet we don't have them. Lastly, I thought it was an accurate depiction of the caregiving process and all that it entails. End-of-life care is physically, emotionally and psychologically exhausting and portraying it as such is so important.

Here We Go Again is one of those stories that made me smile through tears. There were so many beautiful moments in this childhood best friends to enemies to lovers story filled with queer joy. Found family stories have quickly become a trope I adore, and the ending was bittersweet. There is no doubt it'll be making its way onto my Top Reads of 2024 come December. Definitely bring the Kleenex for this one.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• road trips
• forced proximity
• life lessons from the dying
• sapphic rom-coms

⚠️ CW: cancer, terminal illness, medical content, excrement, vomit, death, death of parent, grief, abandonment, toxic relationship, lesbophobia, homophobia, outing, sexual content, cursing, mental illness, alcoholism, panic attacks/disorders, alcohol, drug use, overdose

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"He saw the way her brain worked, and instead of trying to fix it, he celebrated it."

"Hale looks even more perfect to Logan in this moment, because she looks like a flawed human being."

"Life is the prickly pear. It's always going to be a combination of beauty and hurt, no matter how hard you try to protect yourself from the hard parts. There is no way to avoid pain."

"Your brain in the most beautiful thing about you. And I'm including your soft ass in this list."

"This is love. Love is seeing perfection in every flaw. Seeing every flaw as a miracle because it belongs to the person you care about most. Love is saying, yes, still. Even after all these years."

"We're never truly safe. That's life."

This was a wonderful road-trip story! I loved the found family aspect with their teach and mentor. The romance was wonderful and loved reading about where they were traveling to. Another must-read by Alison Cochrun!

Swoon. Okay. To the educators out there, imagine a book opening on the last day of school, just as the teachers are about to celebrate at the local Applebee’s. I happened to read this on the first evening of spring break, and I think that made this one even more special and relatable. The personalities, the antics, the excitement; it’s all captured, and I laughed out loud many times. The humor is for everyone, not just educators. I just think the fact that the two main characters are also high school teachers is a huge bonus to everyone working in education.

This one wrecked me -- Cochrun pitched it as a Rom com about death and even though the death part was clearly coming from the first few chapters, I still sobbed myself to sleep. The friends to frenemies, to coworkers, to friends to lovers arc was well done and I fell for Logan and Rosemary. Their shared relationship with Joe is what really carried me through the book.

I read this book on a plane and at about the 80% mark I was crying so noticeably that the woman next to me leaned over and said “I’m sorry but I just have to ask, what book are you reading???” And then I was too embarrassed to finish it so I waited until I was alone at my gate for my connecting flight so I could cry in peace. This book was so good and so tender and heartfelt and I adored it!!!

I highlighted so many portions about Rosemary bc I’ve never really felt so seen in a book until reading about her trip binder and anxiety brain.

Giving this a 4.5 rounded up because the repetition of the “blank fuckin blank” outbursts really got on my nerves lol

I absolutely loved Alison Cochrun’s first two books, but “Here We Go Again” didn’t do it for me like they did. The best part of this book was Joe and his love story with Remi. Their chemistry, even after thirty years apart, was beautiful and it was impossible not to love them. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for the actual main couple in this romance. Rosemary and Logan were childhood friends, then teenage enemies, ….to annoying coworkers to lovers? Both of their personalities individually worked really well for the story and they both had their strong moments of character development that changed them for the better by the end, but I personally didn’t feel the chemistry between them. Becoming friends again would have been more than enough, and honestly maybe better? The romance between Logan and Rosemary felt unimportant compared to their journey with Joe and everything they experienced on his Death Trip.
On a more stylistic level: Alison Cochrun’s writing is always full of life and very enjoyable to read, but the celebrity name-infused swearing got really old, really fast.
Overall it was a poignant, heartbreaking, enjoyable read— but I wish it wasn’t a “romance”.

This is a beautiful book! First one to make me sob in a long time. Cochrun writes about death/grief in a really tender & devastating way––there's a depth to this narrative that surprises the reader, and that allows this book to surpass her previous work (though I am a Charm Offensive stan forever). I do (still) have qualms with the way Cochrun writes racialized characters. It feels effortful in a way that reads less like, "I'm a white author whose writing reflects the world around me," and more like, "I'm a white author who wants to include ~diversity~ in my books." The issue here lies with the fallacy that our identities are easily legible. (Alexis Hall has written more eloquently about this topic as it relates to the author Ashley Herring-Blake, who seems to have the same issue!) Cochrun's characters seem to immediately/almost magically know (or notice) a person's gender/sexuality/race/disability/etc––they spot the pronoun pin, they recognize the accent or the features, and they always get it right. They can easily name and explain the way a person's identities intersect. But the way we interact IRL is far more complex. Often, we don't know someone's identities until they share them with us. And the way we think of our own identity isn't static, either; it evolves and changes over time. A book that wants to accurately reflect our world should contain a sense, or a tacit acknowledgement of that nuance. [SIDE NOTE: This is a common issue I've noticed in contemporary romance. Feel free to hire me as your sensitivity reader !!! ]

Here We Go Again
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Alison Cochrun

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Atria Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends. They spent their childhood summers running through the woods, rebelling against their conservative small town, and dreaming of escaping. But then an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals. After graduation, they went ten years without speaking.

Now in their thirties, Logan and Rosemary find they aren’t quite living the lives of adventure they imagined for themselves. Still in their small town and working as teachers at their alma mater, they’re both stuck in old patterns. Uptight Rosemary chooses security and stability over all else, working constantly, and her most stable relationship is with her label maker. Chaotic and impulsive Logan has a long list of misguided ex-lovers and an apathetic shrug she uses to protect herself from anything real. And as hard as they try to avoid each other—and their complicated past—they keep crashing into each other. Including with their cars.

But when their beloved former English teacher and lifelong mentor tells them he has only a few months to live, they’re forced together once and for all to fulfill his last wish: a cross-country road trip. Stuffed into the gayest van west of the Mississippi, the three embark on a life-changing summer trip—from Washington state to the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf Coast to coastal Maine—that will chart a new future and perhaps lead them back to one another.

My Thoughts: This was a beautifully written story about love and loss. Logan Matetis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends, very close best friends. They spent their time exploring them woods, rebelling against the conservative community, dreaming of escaping to live fulfilled lives. A little high school game before their senior year of high school divided them, and they never spoke again, not in high school or the decade Rosemary has been away. Neither of them are quite living up to where they thought they would be. Both are in the same small town working at the high school they graduated from as teachers. When they life long mentor, and former teacher, Joe lets them know that his cancer is back and he only has a short time to live, and has just one dying wish. A cross county adventure to Maine. They both reluctantly agree, driving in the most inconspicuous gay vehicle, from one state to another in an adventure of a lifetime, what lessons will they learn? What will they experience ? This follows the tropes of queer romance, second chance romance, opposite attract, and enemies to lovers.

This was more than a romance. It was about friendship, lifelong relationships, loss, healing, love, how to let go, and to be able to stand in your truth. The story was primarily narrated by Rosemary and Logan, with a few other surprise narrators, that really enriched the story. I have read other books by Cochrun and really enjoyed them and this one was no different. I enjoy Cochrun’s ability to weave romance with a message. These woman were both neurodivergent and Cochrun really did an amazing job at expressing how two different neurodivergent women can express theirselves down different paths. The author does an amazing job at balancing tender sweet moments with hard to discuss heavy topics, and does it with so much grace. Some of my favorite things from the book are the gay mobile, Joe, the Grand Canyon, and Remi.

Rosemary is rigid, control driven, Demi-sexual, and chooses stability over carefree, who has drowned herself into her career and has not had very many relationships. Logan is the total opposite, she is a carefree spirit, chaotic, shies away from relationships, and will leave someone before they hurt her. These two women have immediate tension from the initial car accident until the last page with appropriate angst. The characters were well developed, fleshed out, had depth, witty banter, chemistry, emotional, and were intriguing. The supporting characters of Joe, Remy, and Odysseus were just brilliant and elevated the story to another level. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, spicy, endearing, poignant, beautiful, and brilliant. The tension was spot on throughout the story. The ending was so poignant, very beautiful, and extremely well written.

TW: toxic parents, mental health, and the loss of a close friend. This story was just so beautiful to me and I loved every single word. Cochrun has made a mark in my life and I will always read her books. Always. This story encompasses romance with relationships, and embraces loss is such an empathic way, you can’t help but fall in love. I experienced the whole gambit of the emotional rollercoaster with this one, from laughter to tears. I love the overall message of the book, teachers enrich people’s lives, become mentors to young minds, and also become safe havens for kids that are struggling. If you like Casey McQuiston, TJ Alexander, or Anita Kelly, you will LOVE this story. I highly recommend picking this up today!!

This is simply the sweetest, most beautiful, rip your heart to shreds and stitch it back up three sizes bigger book that I’ve ever read. I laughed constantly. I held back tears a few times and then cried so hard I couldn’t see the words anymore. The way this book approaches and opens up grief, death, mental health, love, joy, life, and so much more spoke to me in such a special way. I wanted to wrap every character in the biggest hug and never let go. I don’t even know how best to say how perfect it was, but I can tell you already this is a top book of 2024. And probably of ever.