Title:

Kiss Her Once For Me

Author:

Alison Cochrun

Release Date:

November 1, 2022

Format:

E-Book

Genre:

Romance

Sub-Genre:

LGBTQ+, Holiday

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Read-A-Likes:

What I Liked:

I’ve read a lot of Christmas romances in my life, especially this year. When I found out the trope in this book was marriage of convenience, I was leery as that isn’t my favorite. Cochrun managed to take this trope, which can be unbelievable even in the best of books, and make it feel real. I found myself believing the reasons Ellie and Andrew would agree to this hare-brained scheme and why Ellie would continue to keep the ruse up for so long.  I’m a sucker for a story featuring lovable, kooky families and Andrew’s family is one of the best parts of this book. Meemaw and Lovey could have their own book and I’d read it.  Andrew’s family was a great foil to Ellie’s; I can understand why she would want to be a part of his family, even after everything goes to hell. Being told that one of the best movies of all time While You Were Sleeping, was the inspiration for this book only added to my love of the family.

In my opinion, where this book shines is the representation. I’ve been pleased to see more and more mainstream Sapphic romances be released, but so many of them feature women with conventionally beautiful bodies. In this book, Jack is described as a butch lesbian and Ellie talks about how much she loves Jack’s body, armpit hair, thick thighs, and stretch marks included. It was incredibly refreshing to read a book featuring a “normal” body and not an idealized one. The theme of finding someone who loves you for you was strong and was written beautifully.

What I Didn’t Like: The reason Ellie and Jack didn’t work out the first time they met seemed to warrant more of a discussion and follow-up between them, but it felt like Ellie was being blamed for something that wasn’t her fault.  For a book that spends so much time with Ellie and Jack having deep conversations, I wanted to see them discuss what had happened the previous Christmas more.

Who Should Read It: If you’re looking for a Christmas love story that discusses some serious topics like General Anxiety Disorder and neglectful parents, this is a good choice. And of course, any fan of While You Were Sleeping will have much to enjoy in this story.

Review Wrap Up: I was surprised how much I liked this book and found myself caring for the characters more than I thought I would. Ellie and Jack are great romance heroines, and the supporting cast was a delight.  This was a fun read and I recommend it.

*Thank you to Netgally and Atria Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*