Thanks to the author, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

sapphic christmas romcom?! hallmark christmas movie, but with women falling in love?! disaster bisexual artist and her butch baker love interest?!! Yay! You've decided to leave a comment. That's fantastic. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated by the guidelines laid out in our comment policy. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation and thanks for stopping by! Did you Venmo me that money?” my mother starts as soon as the call connects. It’s abundantly clear that no, I did not Venmo her the money, or else Lindsey Oliver would have no reason to call me. I enjoyed this book a lot even though I have a very low tolerance for reading about 20-somethings who don’t have their lives together! It was fun and engaging, and the explorations of the main characters’ various traumas/issues and how they drove their behaviour and affected their relationships were nuanced and thoughtful. Although I also just finished Season of Love, which maybe did that a little better? It’s all a blur to me now.Laika Studios,” I correct her for the dozenth time. My mother may switch her career goals as frequently and thoughtlessly as she shuffles through husbands, but she never misses the chance to remind me of my greatest failure. I don’t let her see how these words affect me, though—don’t let her know about the hot kernel of shame that blossoms in my stomach. “And I didn’t go to college forever,” I manage casually. “I got a master’s of fine arts in animation.” I was excited to read this novel, because the author's debut, The Charm Offensive, was one of my favourite reads last year. I didn't expect the demisexual rep there, and I resonated so much with it. I honestly didn't know this new book had demi rep too, and it seems that info was excluded from a lot of marketing posts too... I wonder why! The anxiety extrapolates and catastrophizes all the way to its natural conclusion: if I’m late for work again, my trash heap of a life will finally be put in the compactor and crushed into a cube of steaming hot garbage once and for all. So, Christmas is less than two weeks away,” I hedge. “Any chance you’ll make it up to Portland for the holidays this year?” 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!

When would I have chopped wood before?’ she practically shouts… ‘I had a very privileged upbringing!’ And this is it. This is my moment. I need to strike while she’s briefly filled with maternal pride and affection.i truly love the moment queer romcoms are having right now. i love how unabashedly tropey they can be. and this book has one of my favorite romantic moments from the original film: family urging the secretly-attracted couple to kiss under the mistletoe! oh my god it's so cute. we also have snowed-in forced proximity, which is delicious. Big-hearted, affirming, and dreamy- Kiss Her Once For Me is an ode to those in search of love, family, and a new lease on life. If I lose my apartment, I will have to find housing in a city with a horrible housing crisis. And if I can’t find a new place to live…