I could spend every single day afraid of losing your love: KISS HER ONCE FOR ME.

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Ellie Oliver lost her dream job in animation and now works at a coffee shop, just passing the mindless days and going home to her closet-sized apartment. She keeps flashing back to the magical Christmas Eve a year ago, when she met an amazing woman on a snowy morning and fell in love over the course of the day, but lost her. Then the coffee store's landlord comes up with a shocking proposition: he needs to get married to earn his inheritance, and she needs money. They'll have a (short) marriage of convenience, which includes spending the holidays at his family's winter cabin. But when Andrew and Ellie arrive to meet the fam, she cannot believe that his sister Jacqueline is actually "Jack," the woman she fell in love with last Christmas Eve. Now Ellie has to decide between keeping up the ruse with Andrew for financial security or risking everything for love.

KISS HER ONCE FOR ME is so charming! Christmas! Fake romance! Lesbians! It felt a little more serious than CHARM OFFENSIVE despite the holiday theme, but it's still such a great story. Cochrun said she was inspired by the movie "While You Were Sleeping," which is one of my absolute favorite films, and I could totally see it. (We even have a Jack!)

Much like CHARM, KISS covers anxiety in such a thoughtful way. Ellie is an anxious soul, afraid to to trust or take chances. Her fear of failure hit me in the gut. As for Jack, after you read this, no real lesbian may ever match up again. She's a lesbian ideal, a flannel-laden, pastry baking hottie. Andrew's family is a trip too, especially his grandmas, who are totally amusing (and very "While You Were Sleeping)."

I loved how the theme of art and web comics ran across the book (Ellie wrote a web comic about her day with Jack, and we learn about their encounter through excerpts from it). It's pretty hard not to enjoy a book about love, snow, and finding yourself. It has serious parts, but embraces its tropes, such as dating a friend's brother and the good 'ol fake fiance. It also really made me want to visit Portland!

Overall, this is such a lovely, touching, and fun read. Hallmark, Lifetime, please come and make this into a holiday movie! 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Atria Books in return for an unbiased review. Look for KISS HER ONCE FOR ME on 11/1/2o22!!

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