Kiss Her Once for Me

Set in Portland with a Powells meet-cute, I super-loved this book. The characters are great and it's a wonderful, romantic, winter-time read. Curl up with a warm beverage and let this story melt your blues away. Recommended By Carrie K., Powells.com

A Powell's meet-cute, snow days, and a queer love trapezoid is apparently the perfect equation for a holiday romance book because I stayed up until 3 a.m. reading this and wishing it was already winter. Ellie trying to make ends meet while struggling with her art career is so relatable to me, and I fell in love with Jack's quirky family. Not your typical holiday romance novel and that's what makes it so good. Recommended By Rose H., Powells.com

The author of the "swoon-worthy debut" (Harper's Bazaar) The Charm Offensive returns with a festive romantic comedy about a woman who fakes an engagement with her landlord... only to fall for his sister.

One year ago, recent Portland transplant Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and a Christmas Eve meet-cute with a woman at a bookstore that led her to fall in love over the course of a single night. But after a betrayal the next morning and the loss of her job soon after, she finds herself adrift, alone, and desperate for money.

Finding work at a local coffee shop, she's just getting through the days — until Andrew, the shop's landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan: a marriage of convenience that will give him his recent inheritance and alleviate Ellie's financial woes and isolation. They make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family cabin to keep up the ruse. But when Andrew introduces his new fiancée to his sister, Ellie is shocked to discover it's Jack — the mysterious woman she fell for over the course of one magical Christmas Eve the year before. Now, Ellie must choose between the safety of a fake relationship and the risk of something real.

Perfect for fans of Written in the Stars and One Day in December, Kiss Her Once for Me is the queer holiday rom-com that you'll want to cozy up with next to the fire.

"A sparkling winter wonderland, quirky family traditions, and a messy 'love trapezoid' make the yuletide gay in this earnest queer rom-com....It's delightful….This is a winner." Publishers Weekly

"Dizzyingly adorable and brimming with laugh-out loud humor, Kiss Her Once for Me is the new rom-com gold standard. Alison Cochrun writes with palpable compassion, tenderness, and heart that makes every page a memorable one. I swooned, squealed, and shrieked my way through this absolute masterpiece." Mazey Eddings, author of Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake

"Cochrun's writing is by turns whip-smart, hilarious, and deeply vulnerable. Kiss Her Once For Me is both a queer celebration and subversion of romance tropes, along with being a love letter to Portland and an incisive exploration of family, art, and failure. Jack and Elle's swooningly romantic love story will make even the most cynical among us believe in the magic of snow days." Anita Kelly, author of Love and Other Disasters

"Don't let the holigays pass without gifting yourself the unparalleled delight of coming home to the magic-brimmed pages of Kiss Her Once for Me! Alison Cochrun stuns in her sophomore novel, lovingly ushering readers into the giant hearts and all-consuming, snow-laced romance of Ellie and Jack. Kiss Her Once for Me is at once deeply tender and whip-smart, radiating joy and intimate self-love from every line. With ultimate care and close attention to detail, Alison Cochrun establishes her work as a safe haven of sensitivity and affirmation. This is precisely the take on While You Were Sleeping that the Queer Community deserves, and the whimsy-infused second-chance romance of my dreams. May we all get a snow day." Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love

"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." Timothy Janovsky, author of Never Been Kissed

"Beautifully tender and delightfully sexy, Kiss Her Once for Me is the holiday romance of my dreams. A cozy, cinnamon-scented hug of a book." Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care

"Kiss Her Once for Me is a gift of a story. Capturing the festive charm and nostalgia of the season, the fresh-fallen-snow wonder of falling head over heels, this holiday romance also reminds us that giving and receiving love can be as tangled as a knot of Christmas lights, yet with patience and perseverance, finally unwound, no less beautiful, the glowing joy we all deserve." Chloe Liese, author of Two Wrongs Make a Right

Alison Cochrun is a former high school English teacher and a current writer of queer love stories, including her debut novel, The Charm Offensive. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon with her giant dog and a vast collection of brightly colored books. You can find her online at AlisonCochrun.com or on Instagram and Twitter at @AlisonCochrun.

I’ve always been obsessed with happily ever afters. It started when I was five, with Belle and the Beast singing to each other in the snow. Then it was the Nora Ephron VHSs I watched on constant rotation with my dad every other weekend. Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries dominated my eighth-grade daydreams....

Read More»