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A review by ourxstorybegins
Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for a digital advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Ellie wrote a webcomic about a Christmas Eve where she met and fell in love with a woman all in the same day, only to be heartbroken Christmas morning. The next year after that is a pretty difficult one for her, getting fired from her job, living in a rundown apartment, and having her mom constantly calling her to "borrow" money (and ONLY for that purpose). She agrees to a marriage of convenience with Andrew Kim-Prescott, the son of a very rich family, so that he can receive the settlement his grandfather gives him in his will. Of course, when she goes to visit her new fiancé's family, she learns that his sister just so happens to be that woman she fell in love with so long ago.
I'm always a little hesitant about flashbacks, and there are a LOT of them in this one, which made me nervous. However, these are set up as stories that Ellie wrote and published online with webcomics, and I think that makes those flashbacks feel a bit more meaningful. The flashbacks are given to us out of order, aligning with what is going on in the story, and I think it flows well!
I also loved what Cochrun does with addressing the mental health of her main characters. She does this pretty masterfully. Ellie deals with anxiety that displays as a constant fear of failure which tends to lead to total inaction and giving up on things before she has the chance to fail. As someone who has dealt with the same issues in the past, I think this was super well-written and I could easily relate to Ellie's issues, even if they applied in different situations.
But my favorite thing about this book is the relationships between Ellie and all of the other characters in the book, whether those relationships were positive or negative. There were challenging dynamics with parents and other incredible relationships with friends (along with a bit of a "found family" situation)! Those relationships are what really makes this book. With everything else going around them, this book is very much driven by Ellie and the people around her and I loved how things seemed to tie up with everybody. I cannot wait to bug all my friends to read this book!
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Ellie wrote a webcomic about a Christmas Eve where she met and fell in love with a woman all in the same day, only to be heartbroken Christmas morning. The next year after that is a pretty difficult one for her, getting fired from her job, living in a rundown apartment, and having her mom constantly calling her to "borrow" money (and ONLY for that purpose). She agrees to a marriage of convenience with Andrew Kim-Prescott, the son of a very rich family, so that he can receive the settlement his grandfather gives him in his will. Of course, when she goes to visit her new fiancé's family, she learns that his sister just so happens to be that woman she fell in love with so long ago.
I'm always a little hesitant about flashbacks, and there are a LOT of them in this one, which made me nervous. However, these are set up as stories that Ellie wrote and published online with webcomics, and I think that makes those flashbacks feel a bit more meaningful. The flashbacks are given to us out of order, aligning with what is going on in the story, and I think it flows well!
I also loved what Cochrun does with addressing the mental health of her main characters. She does this pretty masterfully. Ellie deals with anxiety that displays as a constant fear of failure which tends to lead to total inaction and giving up on things before she has the chance to fail. As someone who has dealt with the same issues in the past, I think this was super well-written and I could easily relate to Ellie's issues, even if they applied in different situations.
But my favorite thing about this book is the relationships between Ellie and all of the other characters in the book, whether those relationships were positive or negative. There were challenging dynamics with parents and other incredible relationships with friends (along with a bit of a "found family" situation)! Those relationships are what really makes this book. With everything else going around them, this book is very much driven by Ellie and the people around her and I loved how things seemed to tie up with everybody. I cannot wait to bug all my friends to read this book!