Every Step She Takes

Lambda Literary Award winner Cochrun (Here We Go Again) sends her “late bloomer” of a heroine on an earnest journey of self discovery in this introspective contemporary. Singleton Sadie Wells starts to regret agreeing to let her sister, Vi, set her up with as many men as possible before her 35th birthday around disastrous date #17. So when Vi, a travel blogger, injures herself and must cancel plans to trek Portugal’s 200-mile Camino de Santiago, Sadie eagerly volunteers to take her place. She doesn’t realize until she’s already en route that she’ll be joining a tour group of queer women, leading her to make a wine- and fear-induced confession to her airplane seatmate about how she’s questioning her sexuality. Said seatmate is fellow Camino traveler Maëlys “Mal” Gonçalves Costa, who resolves to mentor Sadie through the “queer adolescence” that Sadie never got to experience, partly in an effort to distract herself from recent loss and heartbreak. The narrative alternates between the women’s perspectives and brings in Sadie’s blog posts to enhance the travelogue feel. Though the plot occasionally meanders and the climax loses some steam due to an overreliance on clichés, Cochrun makes up for it with witty banter, emotional vulnerability, and a delightful supporting cast. This slow-burning love story, deepened by a heartfelt depiction of a woman’s late coming-of-age, is sure to please Cochrun’s fans. (Sept.)