Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

Even though I don’t read many romance novels, I’m always up for one, especially a holiday-themed book. So when Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun landed on my doorstep I was excited to read it. I was also curious about it, as it’s the first queer romance I had ever read, but I’ve heard through many other readers that love stories centered on LGTBQ2S+ people are becoming increasingly popular for straight folks like myself to read too. So did reading about two women falling in love still give me the warm and fuzzies like other romances? Sure did!

Plot Summary

Ellie had a difficult childhood; her Dad disappeared when she was young, and her mother was so busy partying that she was barely around. To counteract this chaos, Ellie always got good grades, followed a plan, and generally succeeded at everything she tried. She moves to Portland for an incredible opportunity; to work at a animating studio, and on Christmas Eve last year, met a woman she immediately fell in love with, Jack. But things fall apart with Jack as soon as they start, and shortly after Ellie loses her job, so she picks up work at a local coffee shop to ensure she gets by (and keeps sending her deadbeat mother money when she asks for it). Devastated by the direction her life has taken, she considers a strange but tempting offer from the coffee shop’s rich and handsome landlord; marry him temporarily so he can receive his inheritance, and she will receive 200k in exchange for keeping up the facade in front of his family, who they will be spending Christmas week with. Ellie reluctantly agrees as she can barely make the rent on her tiny apartment, but when they arrive at this beautiful cabin in the woods, Ellie discovers Jack is the brother of her fake-husband. She is now faced with a choice; will she keep up the facade for the payoff, or will she follow her heart and rekindle things with her true love Jack?

My Thoughts

There’s no question how this book is going to end – when the protagonist is faced with the choice between love or money, what kind of monster would make them choose money? Especially around the holidays? And many romance books use this obvious plot device, Cochrun is no different. So even thought its obvious that Jack and Ellie are going to end up together from the first page onwards, it doesn’t ruin the satisfaction one gets by reading about their challenges along the way.

Ellie’s character development was my favourite part of this book. Her life is complicated, and she’s been traumatized by a difficult childhood that spills over into her adult life, which not surprisingly, affects the way she approaches relationships with other people. Loneliness, anxiety and depression are all parts of Ellie’s life, so meeting Jack and falling in love is a new experience for her that makes her situation relatable for many readers. In contrast, Jack is depicted as a typical ‘butch’ lesbian, very masculine, but also with some quirky qualities like off-key singing and a love of pop music. She has emotional baggage too, but we never hear the inner workings of Jack’s mind, so she remains largely unknowable, but attractive and romantic nonetheless.

Aside from the gender of the characters, there is not much difference between a queer romance like this, and a holiday romance I read a few years ago featuring a straight love story. There are subtle elements, like Jack’s insistence that a Pride flag be displayed outside of her business, and the inclusion of many gender fluid characters and specific pronoun use, but this is all woven into the story easily, it never feels forced, or didactic. There’s one family member who is ‘disappointed’ by his family member’s queer identity, but thankfully he is not given much space in the story, in fact, he’s pointedly ignored by most, which is a relief to everybody. So next time you go to a bookstore, take a second and third perusal of the LGTBQ2S+ romance section, and don’t assume it’s not for you if you identify as straight – the stories there are relevant and enjoyable for all, no matter who you are.