Kiss Her Once for Me

August 29, 2022
A sparkling winter wonderland, quirky family traditions, and a messy “love trapezoid” make the yuletide gay in this earnest queer rom-com from Cochrun (The Charm Offensive). The previous Christmas, anxious aspiring animator Ellie Oliver spent one magical day stranded in a Portland, Ore., snowstorm with a gorgeous woman, Jack, who she’s pined for ever since. This year, Ellie’s holidays look far grimmer. She’s lost her animator job and she’s on the brink of losing her apartment—until the landlord of the coffee shop where she now works, the stunning Andrew Kim-Prescott, offers her a deal: if she’ll marry him to help him access his $2 million inheritance, he’ll give her 10% of the money. But first, she must pose as his fiancée at a weeklong family Christmas celebration. Ellie’s genre-savvy enough to know that fake dating often ends in real love and she’s excited to finally move on—until Jack walks through the Kim-Prescott’s door. Turns out, she’s Andrew’s sister, and her best friend, Dylan, is Andrew’s ex. Sparks fly between these mismatched couples against a backdrop of cozy holiday cheer. Cochrun can go a bit heavy on the exposition, but it’s delightful to watch this clever spin on the fake dating trope unfold. This is a winner. Agent: Bibi Lewis, Ethan Ellenberg Literary.

September 1, 2022

Cochrun's (The Charm Offensive) steamy second-chance, stuck-together romance features Ellie Oliver, who a year ago had a dream job in animation and enjoyed a picturesque Christmas Eve meet-cute evening with a woman at a bookstore. However, after a devastating subsequent morning and losing her job soon after, Ellie now finds herself alone, without that dream job, and on the brink of being evicted from her apartment. On her last legs she meets Andrew, who proposes a marriage of convenience so he can collect an inheritance. Ellie agrees to spend the holidays in a cabin with Andrew's family, where she meets his sister Jack--the mysterious woman from the bookstore. The close quarters keep pushing Ellie and Jack together, and Ellie will have to choose between a stable future or a chance at love. VERDICT The many twists and turns leave readers wondering if there will be a happy ending, but never fear as this holiday themed romance is sure to warm even the coldest reader's heart.--Anna Kallemeyn

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2022
A struggling artist strikes up a marriage of convenience with her one-night stand's brother in this holiday romance. For 25-year-old Elena Oliver, the one consistency in her life is failure. A year ago, Ellie moved from small-town Ohio to Portland, Oregon, for her dream animation job at Laika Studios only to collapse under her boss's high expectations. Her mother, Lindsey, calls solely when she's in need of some cash, which Ellie is hard-pressed to find with her current barista gig at Roastlandia and pending eviction. Yet a year ago, Ellie immortalized her most painful failure into a webcomic, Snow Day, about her whirlwind 24 hours--on Christmas!--with a woman named Jack. One year later, still reeling from her failed romance, Ellie is desperate to make ends meet--desperate enough to accept a harebrained marriage proposal from Roastlandia's landlord, Andrew Kim-Prescott. The soon-to-be millionaire has just learned of a stipulation in his grandfather's will stating that he and his sister must find spouses in order to receive their $2 million inheritances. Andrew offers Ellie 10% of his earnings if she marries him and spends Christmas with his family, and soon enough Ellie is en route to the lavish Prescott cabin. Anticipating family fun and a fast pass to a lifesaving income, the last thing Ellie expected was to spend two weeks baking cookies and singing carols with Andrew's sister, Jacqueline--better known as Jack. Thrust into a "love trapezoid" with Jack, Andrew, and Andrew's stormy ex, Dylan, Ellie must confront her past with Jack without jeopardizing the financial futures of everyone involved. Cochrun's cozy second novel is chock full of holiday cheer, pop music, and queer happy endings: "Miscommunications are for the straights," Jack says. Ellie and Jack's love story is gentle, and readers will appreciate every grand gesture, whether it takes place on a snowy bridge, a ski lift, or even in a dingy dive-bar bathroom. A heartwarming queer romance reminiscent of Wham!'s "Last Christmas."

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