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About The Book

A Publishers Weekly 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.

About The Author

Hayley Downing-Fairless
Alison Cochrun

Alison Cochrun is a former high school English teacher and a current writer of queer love stories, including The Charm Offensive and Kiss Her Once for Me. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with two giant dogs, her small wife, and too many books. You can find her online at AlisonCochrun.com or on Instagram as @AlisonCochrun.

About The Readers

Natalie Naudus

Jeremy Carlisle Parker

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (April 2, 2024)
  • Runtime: 12 hours and 28 minutes
  • ISBN13: 9781797170749

Raves and 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, Booklist

"Natalie Naudus, as Logan, and Jeremy Carlisle Parker, as Rosemary, serve up complementary energy with alternating performances of two former best friends who unite to fulfill their beloved former English teacher Joe’s dying wish. Parker’s performance from Rosemary’s perspective vibrates with her tightly wound anxiety as Joe’s request for a summer road trip from Washington to Maine becomes a reality. Naudus portrays Logan as outwardly cool and glib, revealing the depths of her complex thoughts for listeners' ears only. Both narrators enrich the story, pairing drama and humor as the journey takes unexpected turns. The impact of these moments hits harder as the women struggle with their evolving feelings for each other and the poignant reality of the “death trip” as Joe’s health declines with every passing mile."

– AudioFile Magazine

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More books from this author: Alison Cochrun