What We’re Reading in June 2024
CURRENTLY READING
Here We Go Again
by Alison Cochrun
Kick-off summer and Pride with this queer romcom about once childhood best friends turned rivals who journey together across the country.
Logan and Rosemary used to be friends, until an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals. Now, they find themselves back in their small-town, working as teachers at the very school they attended as kids. But when their beloved English teacher and lifelong mentor tells them he has only a few months to live, they’re forced to come together to fulfill his last wish: to take a cross-country road trip from Washington state to Maine.
This book has it all — an amazing road trip soundtrack, hilarious scenarios, and relationships that prove that love exists in many forms.
Get your copy of Here We Go Again (Amazon) and read with us!
What Victoria Loved
VICTORIA’S RATING: 5/5
I have so many words to describe how much I loved this story and how close to home this hit for me. Yet, words allude me… While I had read the description of this book, I wasn’t prepared for all the memories and feelings that it stirred up.
I had the privilege of having a teacher / coach / mentor who had a tremendous impact on my life and changed it for the better. He was also a beloved English teacher who read (and reread) and raved about Jane Austen. Together, we drove (and flew) many, many, many miles to and from running camps and cross-country / track meets. And like Joe, he was taken from us far too soon due to cancer.
Here We Go Again was an unexpected gift. It gave me the opportunity to revisit those happy memories — through the witty banter, the literary references, and the beautiful scenery — and release the tears I thought had long since dried.
You’ll laugh out loud, you’ll cry (or sob). You’ll laugh-cry. But this story, these characters… they’re among the most beautiful I’ve read. My hope is at that when you turn that final page, you’ll go hug the people most dear to you.
Set the mood for Here We Go Again by listening to She’s In Love with the Boy by Tricia Yearwood (but switch the “boy” to “girl” in your head).
What the Book Club Loved
FIREWORKS & STEAM: 2.5/5
Sigh! We would’ve preferred more steam. BUT we did appreciate the demisexual representation and the focus on emotional connection. We will say, the photoshoot / bathroom scene was a creative segue for Rosemary and Logan’s relationship.
WRITING STYLE: 4.25/5
Alison Cochrun delivers an “on-point” depiction of love and life and grief. She paints a colorful picture of living life to the fullest beyond “beige walls” and builds a sensory world through her (very graphic) descriptions of this roadtrip. Buckle your seatbelts for non-stop pop culture references, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and a journey of a lifetime.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4.5/5
We loved these characters — they were real, relatable. We’re introduced to Rosemary and Logan who are on their individual journeys experiencing complex grief, complex trauma, PTSD, ADHD and a new relationship. We see their growth and experience their pain. But it’s there exploration of identity and self beyond sexual-orientation that sets these characters apart. They push themselves from people who have been cared for (by Joe) to becoming caretakers, finding humor in the process and comfort in each other during more difficult moments.
And their development is set in parallel to Joe and Remi’s relationship — the lessons they learned, the difficulties they faced, and the moments they missed.
THE LOVE STORY: 4/5
This second-chance, childhood friends, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity love story was more about friendship and relationships than romance. Rosemary and Logan’s relationship was quite predictable, which was okay because that wasn’t the love story that captured our hearts. It was the different depictions of love — yes, Rosemary and Logan, but also their individual relationships with Joe and his relationship with Remi. You’ll feel the weight of their love.
“The big swings between highs and lows made this book so good. It’s super funny then super sad — that back and forth was really well-done. It was balanced.”
- CIALINA
If You Loved Here We Go Again, You’ll Love These
THE SCENIC ROUTE: This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune (Amazon)
If you loved the stunning landscape described through out this roadtrip, This Summer Will Be Different will have you falling in love with Prince Edward Island.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
LOVE AND GRIEF: How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang (Amazon)
Dive into Helen and Grant’s complex relationship. While they had grown-up together (albeit in different social circles), it was her sister’s suicide that tethered them. Yet years later, when Grant gets a job as a screenwriter on the screen adaptation of Helen’s book, they find themselves navigating that loss, PTSD, difficult relationships, and new love.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 5/5
CHILDHOOD FRIENDS TO LOVERS: Powerless by Elsie Silver (Amazon)
An It’s-always-been-you romance between two childhood friends that takes place on a ranch and on the road. I’m a fan of this entire series (so you can start from Book 1), but this stand-alone was a cute one!
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
BY THIS AUTHOR: Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun (Amazon)
This threw me for a loop! A fake-relationship turned chaotic mess over a forced-proximity holiday adventure. Here’s a little Christmas romcom to cool you down in this summer heat.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
Until the next chapter!
xo, Victoria
P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.
