Mark from Byrdstown, TnThis is the greatest Christmas song of all time.I dont care what anybody says,it is.Case closed. I am so excited to continue working with Atria Books to write the Portland-set Sapphic Christmas romcom of my dreams! Kiss Her Once for Me is like a Hallmark Christmas Movie, and it’s also nothing like a Hallmark Christmas movie. It has: With a table saw.’ She brandishes the axe in my direction. ‘And why am I the one who has to chop the wood?’ You might be wondering why would I stop reading a book when I got so far in, and it boils down to demisexuality being misrepresented in this story. I read this book shortly after watching THE HAPPIEST SEASON movie with Kirsten Stewart, so I honestly couldn't help but think of that the whole time I was reading this (which is a good thing because I really enjoyed both!). It wasn't just that this is also a sapphic love story, it was also the environment the characters are in and where the love interest comes from. I really liked watching these characters' relationship develop. This is a really sweet second chance romance with a messy fake dating situation that just WORKS. The chemistry was believable and was really cute. This is also another Christmas read I think you could

And it’s not just the content of Kiss Her Once for Me that is festive. Cochrun’s writing, on top of being very funny, is often thematically and seasonally on point. Take, for example, this description of Ellie’s anxiety: “My insides are a runny glass of eggnog.” When Andrew arrives in the coffee shop for the visit that sets the plot in motion, Ellie tells us: “A visit from Andrew Kim-Prescott is usually a highlight in my sad-hermit life, but this is just the flammable tinsel on the dried-out Charlie Brown Christmas tree of my day.” Christmasy metaphors abound! Ellie’s relationship with her abusive mum was definitely interesting. It shows that even though someone is obviously manipulative and draining, it can still be hard to cut them out of your life. And what’s the point of having that fancy degree if you can’t financially provide for your elderly parents?”Overall, I wasn't overly in love with this one. I didn't really like any of the characters, maybe just Andrew's grandma, but that's it. I did enjoy the family Christmas traditions though. The answer is, apparently, yes. I don’t have anyone else. If last Christmas is any indication, it’s best I’m not alone for the holidays. I tend to make misguided life choices in the name of loneliness. don’t get me wrong, i hate that i didn’t like this because it’s about lesbians!!!! that’s literally me!!!! i’ll begin by listing the things i liked because they’re (sadly) few and far between. Her rant is really starting to build now. “For eighteen years,” she laments, “I clothed you! I fed you! I kept a roof over your head!”

I put this on hold at my library before it even came out, based on the buzz. The hold became available in time for me to take it to my parents’ for Christmas (a Christmas miracle!). I loved it so much that I bought my own print copy, which just arrived a couple days ago.

Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star. Kiss Her Once for Me is a gift of a story. Capturing the festive charm and nostalgia of the season, the fresh-fallen-snow wonder of falling head over heels, this holiday romance also reminds us that giving and receiving love can be as tangled as a knot of Christmas lights, yet with patience and perseverance, finally unwound, no less beautiful, the glowing joy we all deserve. In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer. I’m sure it will be,” I huff as I jog to catch the tail end of a “Walk” sign. Not for the first time in my life, I regret that my only means of physical exercise is the occasional kitchen dance party while I wait for my frozen burrito to heat up in the microwave. “I’m just a little strapped for cash at the moment with my student loans and my rent, but hopefully I’ll get this promotion to assistant manager, and—” When would I have chopped wood before?’ she practically shouts… ‘I had a very privileged upbringing!’

There is a desperate hopefulness in my voice, even though I already know the answer. She didn’t come last Christmas, and she won’t come this Christmas, and I’m only setting myself up for heartbreak. Speaking of Ellie, I found her to be really relatable. I wasn’t super fond of her personality, but when she would describe her fear of failure and her social anxiety, I completely related to everything she said. The anxiety scenes really captured how my anxiety presents itself, so it was really special to me to have the anxiety representation in this book. I definitely enjoyed this far more than The Charm Offensive but regardless, it wasn't a success for me. okay. i loved this. it's cute, dramatically messy, sweet, and incredibly warm with all its snowy christmas vibes. while you were sleeping (in all its cheesy glory) is one of my favorite romcoms of all time, and alison cochrun nailed this sapphic retelling. her version retains the most important themes from the original (bone-deep loneliness and the idea of falling in love with an entire family, tropey holiday sweetness, conflicted romantic chemistry with supposed love interest's sibling) while adding new depth (ellie's anxiety and fear of failing, intergenerational pain, poverty and socioeconomic privilege). the film touches on parent issues and money stuff, but the book takes time to explore them much more deeply. GUYS NOT TO BE DRAMATIC OR ANYTHING BUT I JUST GOT AN ARC OF THIS BOOK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASGJHAKFD 😭💖😭💖😭💖😭💖

Leave it to Portland, Oregon, to be simultaneously so delighted and so horrified by such a modest amount of snow. Ellie’s banter with Andrew was suuuper funny! I wish we’d gotten to see more of them together. And overall, I wish we’d gotten to see more of the side characters. At the end of the book, we’re supposed to believe Ellie really connected with the whole family, but there were barely any bonding moments between them, so it felt jarring when she said she loved them all. Ellie’s best friend and the coworker were also pretty irrelevant, and I lowkey forgot they existed. Also.Also.Also: An Estimated 105,000 Trans Youth Live in States That Have Banned Gender-Affirming Care The Charm Offensive is one of my favorite books of all time and the synopsis for Kiss Her Once for Me sounded phenomenal, but unfortunately this was a big disappointment for me. I love Alison Cochrun’s writing and I will always love her writing, but the content in this story just didn’t work for me.