I’m two for two with Alison Cochrun! Although, for me, the slight edge goes to The Charm Offensive, I still really enjoyed my time with this second book of hers.
Last Christmas, Ellie met Jack in Powell’s when they both went for a copy of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, and over a cute argument over “shared custody”, and Jack poking gentle fun at Ellie (who had been crying alone and talking to a footstool as if it were her friend) they start to bond. Jack asks Ellie for coffee, and then they end up spending the whole day together. This is a big deal for Ellie, who is demisexual, and rarely develops attractions to anyone. And then Jack breaks her heart. Fast-forward to this Christmas when Andrew, the landlord who owns the building she works in, asks her to fake-marry him so he can access his inheritance, and shenanigans lead to her agreeing to this and to going home with him for Christmas, and surprise! Jack is Andrew’s sister.
I really don’t have too much to say about this one. It was a really good time, I read it super fast, and I enjoyed the banter and flirtation and ridiculousness along the way. I also appreciate the author’s determination to write about mental health and asexuality, both of which were also prominent in The Charm Offensive as well. But even though Ellie and Charlie (one of the MC’s in that book) are both demisexual and have severe anxiety, the way they affect both characters is completely different, and that nuance is something I really enjoyed. And, as many people have pointed out in their reviews, this book also has some really interesting discussions about failure, and what it means to have a healthy perspective on failure as a concept.
This wasn’t a favorite for me like it has been for a lot of other people, but it was a great book to ring in the new year with.
