Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun

I read Alison Cochrun's book Kiss Her Once For Me as an ARC a couple of years ago and never thought I'd wind up on her PR list. I loved that book SO much and gave it rave reviews on my blog. About a month ago, I got an email from her publisher, Atria Books, exclaiming that her next sapphic romance was here! The scream I SCRUMPT when I saw that not only did she have a new book, but that it was ready for me to read in NetGalley.

All that to say, I went into Every Step She Takes with VERY high expectations. I was definitely not disappointed.

The book follows dual POVs of two wonderful ladies — Sadie, a 35-year-old, single virgin who spends her days running her Nan's antique store and her nights running away from dates with seemingly decent guys. Mal, pronounced like bad, a 38-year-old renegade who was shunned by her father for being gay and spent most of her life jumping from place to place and woman to woman. 

Their stories collide as they both wind up on a plane to Portugal ahead of the Camino — a two-week walking adventure from Portugal to Spain. Sadie goes in place of her influencer sister, who had to bow out due to an injury. Mal joins her good friend Inez, the owner of the tour company. However, there's one thing Sadie wasn't informed about — this is a tour for queer women, and she's about to find out a lot more about herself than she anticipated. 

Without giving too much away, the story takes us along the Camino with the girls and the rest of the band of pilgrims as they push themselves not only physically, but emotionally. 

This book was so much fun to read, but also makes you think! While the romance was a slow burn, it didn't feel much like it because of the dual POVs. I loved the chemistry between Sadie and Mal — their personalities melded well, and they were also pretty funny. I did laugh out loud a couple of times! The group of pilgrims they traveled with were also enjoyable and developed just enough to understand them personally, but not too much to overshadow the main characters. It gave the book more complexity without being too overwhelming. I also loved the traveling aspect of this book — it made me really want to visit Portugal and Spain even more so!

Overall, I gave Every Step She Takes and easy five stars. It was well written, had complex but entertaining characters, and put the reader in an unusual situation physically and emotionally — walking the Camino and going through Sadie and Mal's feelings. But most of all, this was a romance book that wasn't entirely about romance. It was a coming of age and an emotional journey through sexuality, regrets, and how people change. I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading Cochrun's other novels!

A big thank you again to Cochrun and Atria Books for allowing me to read Every Step She Takes as an arc. I was honored. 

The book comes out September 2, 2025, so make sure to keep an eye out at your favorite book retailer!

Read the author's summary --> HERE

Buy it on Amazon --> HERE