Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

 

 

Title:  Kiss Her Once for Me

Author:  Alison Cochrun

Narrated by:  Natalie Naudus

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 38 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster.  Thank you @BookClubFavorites #BookClubFavorites for the free books.

What is the best new holiday book you read this year or best new holiday movie?

Ellie Oliver moved to Portland a year ago with her dream job at an animation company.  She is disappointed her mother didn’t visit for Christmas, but she meets an interesting new woman, Jack.  They fall in love over the course of an evening, but after a grave misunderstanding the next morning, they go their separate ways. 

One year later, Ellie has lost her job and is working unhappily in a coffee shop.  The shop landlord, Andrew, and Ellie discover they get along quite well. Andrew pops a question, would she like to be in a marriage of convenience?  It will allow him to access his inheritance and he will give her $200,000 which could be life changing for her.  Ellie agrees and joins Andrew for Christmas weekend with his family. There she discovers his sister is Jack.  Hijinks ensue.  Will Ellie be able to figure out what she really wants in life?

I enjoyed Ellie’s journey.  I related to a lot of it.  She was always able to work hard and get what she wanted out of life.  When she loses her job, she is cast to the wind.  She is not sure what to do with life with her plans not working out.  She has to learn through the course of the novel that she should continue with the art she loves, while also setting healthy boundaries with her family.  She also has to learn how to go for who she loves. She learns to trust someone else besides herself. Jack and Ellie had great chemistry and I liked their story.

I enjoy the marriage of convenience trope and fake romance.  This particular story is like My Best Friend’s Wedding and While You Were Sleeping.  While I enjoy both of those movies, I also get annoyed by both of them for similar reason.  I start to feel bad because of all of the lies.  I was having a hard time in the middle of this book for the same reason, but luckily the story picked up again and it had a great ending.

The book references the song Last Christmas more than once, and it made me wonder why the book wasn’t named, Last Christmas. Luckily, “Kiss Her Once for Me” from Holly Jolly Christmas makes a later appearance.

Natalie Naudus was a great narrator and I enjoyed listening to this audiobook.