Here We Go Again

A Novel

By: Alison Cochrun

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus, Jeremy Carlisle Parker

A Publishers Weekly and Book Riot Best Romance of 2024

The author of the “sexy, insightful, and utterly charming” (BuzzFeed) Kiss Her Once for Me returns with a new queer rom-com following once childhood best friends forced together to drive their former teacher across the country.

A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends. They spent their childhood summers running through the woods, rebelling against their conservative small town, and dreaming of escaping. But then an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals. After graduation, they went ten years without speaking.

Now in their thirties, Logan and Rosemary find they aren’t quite living the lives of adventure they imagined for themselves. Still in their small town and working as teachers at their alma mater, they’re both stuck in old patterns. Uptight Rosemary chooses security and stability over all else, working constantly, and her most stable relationship is with her label maker. Chaotic and impulsive Logan has a long list of misguided ex-lovers and an apathetic shrug she uses to protect herself from anything real. And as hard as they try to avoid each other—and their complicated past—they keep crashing into each other. Including with their cars.

But when their beloved former English teacher and lifelong mentor tells them he has only a few months to live, they’re forced together once and for all to fulfill his last wish: a cross-country road trip. Stuffed into the gayest van west of the Mississippi, the three embark on a life-changing summer trip—from Washington state to the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf Coast to coastal Maine—that will chart a new future and perhaps lead them back to one another.

©2024 Alison Cochrun (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"Estranged childhood best friends reconnect during a road trip with their terminally ill high school English teacher. Rosemary Hale and Logan Maletis used to be inseparable until an incident in their teens pushed them apart. Now in their 30s, and both teachers at their former high school, the pair have been tasked with taking their beloved teacher and mentor, Joe Delgado, on a cross-country road trip that will test the limits of their patience—and just may lead them back to each other. Compelling narration from Natalie Naudus and Jeremy Carlisle Parker captures Logan and Rosemary’s clashing personalities. Naudus’ disaffected tone bears a sardonic edge, highlighting Logan’s dissatisfaction with the way her life has turned out, while Parker’s anxious tone captures Rosemary’s type-A tendencies and need for control. As the pair revisit past hurts and Joe’s health declines, both narrators turn up the angst, leading to a few tear-jerking moments. Fans of emotionally resonant queer romances like Casey McQuiston’s The Pairing will enjoy this poignant tale from Alison Cochrun (Kiss Her Once for Me)." (Kaitlin Conner)

Such a great story

The performance, the story, the character development were all superb in this story. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with these characters. I absolutely recommend this one.

My new favorite from Alison Cochrun

I was a bit worried at the beginning because it felt like the story was moving fast, and had a lot of exposition. But I had hope it was for a good reason and my god I was right! This story is so heartfelt, and I loved the inclusion of queer history and several beautiful queer love stories. I loved the Charm Offensive, but felt like Kiss Her Once for Me wasn’t quite my cup of tea. But this is such a great sapphic love story with well developed characters, fun relationships, and so much care throughout the whole story. Will definitely listen to again when I want a good cry lol.

A little bit of everything

I adored these characters from start to finish! This book made laugh out loud and cry a few times too.

A very emotional and thoughtful romantic comedy

I just finished listening to “Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun and I loved it. It’s the type of book though that you have to be in the right headspace for, since it’s a very emotional and thoughtful romantic comedy about death. Every single page is full of feels.

This entire book is also a love letter to teachers and the impact that some of them leave on our lives. The plot focuses on two 32 year old women who put aside their dislike for each other to drive their dying beloved high school English teacher 3,000 miles across the country from Washington State to Maine. You feel like you are experiencing every single mile of this road trip with them. It also puts a spotlight on the families that queer people create for each other.

This is a warm hearted book that stresses how we should all appreciate the things that we have in our lives. It’s a story about mortality, regrets, trusting someone else, taking risks, and working to live your life fully. The author also masterfully mixes in some comedy amidst all of the sadness. There is laughter amidst the tears, but there are sections that I literally heave sobbed all of the way through.

I initially pre-ordered “Here We Go Again” because I loved Alison Cochrun’s last book (“Kiss Her Once for Me”) and Natalie Naudus was also listed as one of the narrators for her new release. It’s a co-narration with Natalie Naudus and Jeremy Carlisle Parker and they both do such an excellent job with this audiobook. It’s also unique in the aspect that it is voiced a little differently than usual. There are mid-chapter narrator changes and I really haven’t seen this before in other than a full cast recording and this is not that. I thought that the format really enhanced the listening experience. Kudos and applause to both Natalie Naudus and Jeremy Carlisle Parker for amazing and emotional performances 💜

I wholeheartedly recommend “Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun. It is a romance, but just be prepared to cry a lot on their journey to the requisite happy ending.

Emotionally moving and beautifully written

Creative, funny, so emotionally raw and lovely in every way. This story brings you along a journey through moments where you’ll find yourself laughing out loud and then crying in others. The imagery and colorful writing is truly unique and brings you to places and realizations about the beauty of life, death, joy, and pain.

Great Book!!!

This book is wonderful. The characters are well developed, unique. real and their issues are relatable. The themes of young identity struggles, friendship and love, abandonment and different ways of coping that can prevent connection and love. Loss is also dealt with masterfully, with candor and live. Bravo!!

I don’t even like romance

This was a book that was chosen for a sapphic book club I’m in. I was kinda upset hearing that our next book was a romance, cause I kinda hate it. Haha. But this book WAS SO GOOD! I love how you feel like you are part of the roadtrip and that this was your teacher as well that you were helping with his dying wish.

Fantastic Storytelling

If you have never read a book by Alison Cochrun, you should read them all. She has a gift for writing queer, neurodivergent characters who always experience some element of growth, usually challenging them to be a better person. But it’s from such a relatable point of view. This book is no exception to that rule. Beautiful characters, amazing storyline…I loved it all from beginning to end!

Alison is the bomb, the narrators -meh.

Loved everything about the story itself, but I personally don’t like one of the narrators, and I also don’t like how the other one pronounced bagel. Minor things compared to the rest of the story though!

Wow

This was an amazing story of love and connection sad and funny and hopeful and sad. I love travel books. Narration was excellent