Alison Cochrun is an author that I’m pretty sure I would trust with my life (or at least my most sensitive topics) and be confident that she would handle it with care and dignity. Kiss Her Once For Me (KHOFM) is a very different book from Cochrun’s debut book, The Charm Offensive (TCO) — it’s a fun holiday romp with a love trapezoid and an ode to 90s romcoms. But like TCO, it hits on a few major points that make it an outspending 5-star read for me.

First and foremost, it’s a fun romance, a bit sexy and a bit funny, and packed with well-developed characters who have excellent chemistry. Each character feels well-rounded and unique, and the background characters have their own issues, making them feel like real people. I’m always impressed by the way Alison Cochrun can make me laugh with a witty description or a particularly sassy piece of dialogue. Several tropes (most prominently the fake dating trope) are flipped on their head and used in unexpected ways, which makes it a fun and less predictable book. This alone would be enough to make KHOFM a good romcom, but it’s the other factors that take it from good to excellent.

Like TCO, KHOFM has phenomenal mental health rep. The main character, Ellie, has anxiety and depression (though I’m not sure if the depression is explicitly stated). Cochrun depicts these with extreme care; they are present throughout the novel and affect Ellie’s behavior and thoughts, but by no means are the only facets of her personality.

KHOFM also has biromantic, demisexual representation. Again, Cochrun describes these identities in an authentic, realistic way. It’s great to see representation I can relate to in books; I think other ace-spec readers will also appreciate the demisexual representation.

My favorite thing about Cochrun’s books is that romance doesn’t solve all the problems in the main characters’ lives. Ellie has several significant issues she’s tackling in her life (an estranged relationship with her mother and a stagnant career, for example); throughout the book, Ellie grows and eventually tackles these problems for herself, in a way that works for her. It’s always refreshing in a romcom to see main characters who grow individually, who make major changes in their lives for themselves because it’s the right thing to do. 

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun romcom with a dash of found family, personal growth, and excellent queer rep. I will definitely be rereading later this year around the holidays! 

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me an ARC!