This was my first Georgia Clark book, and definitely won’t be my last.

Liv is a wedding planner in Brooklyn, running her company ‘In Love in New York’ with her husband. When he dies unexpectedly her world is turned upside down in more ways than one—especially when his young, blonde girlfriend shows up holding Elliot’s will, which proclaims she (Savannah) owns half of In Love in New York! We mainly follow Liv and Savannah’s stories, but interwoven are wonderful stories about people in their orbit.

At first, I kept getting a little confused because there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but once you get to know them you feel like you’ve been friends for years. I was trying to decide which character’s story I enjoyed the most but I couldn’t pick just one. I loved them all for very different reasons, and the Love Actually style interconnectivity made it all the sweeter in my mind. There are laughs, and a lot of tender moments of self-discovery as well. Quite a few heavy topics are touched on in this book, but it’s done with a light hand.

We got to chat with Georgia at the end of our buddy read with the LoveARCtually Book Club and it was so fun hearing about her writing process and the research she did for this book. Plus, talking to another Aussie made me homesick (in the best possible way).

This is the perfect read this summer.

Thanks to Atria Books for my gifted copy of this book! It’s no secret that I’m a romcom lover, and while there are endless movies I love to watch, I think it can be a bit harder to find a romcom in book form that I enjoy. Enter: It Had to Be You. If you are a fan of Love Actually, Valentine’s Day, or Modern Love, you will adore this book! It tells the story of multiple couples in NYC all centered around a wedding planning business.

It Had to Be You had a great balance of humor and romance. I genuinely loved all of the characters in this book, and I was interested in every single storyline (although Darlene and Zach were my favorites!) If you love romcoms you need to add it to your list. It was a five-star read for me!

Any book that has a similarity between Love Actually noted in the title gets a yes from me to read! I love that movie and when I saw that this book featured a similar braided narrative that also included a wedding planner and all the best parts of various rom-coms, well I simply needed to make room on my review calendar for it.

Lately I have had good luck with some well done rom-coms and this one was just begging for me to read it. It looked so so good and I loved the cover. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but after checking out some of her other titles it looks like she has written a couple of other rom-coms that were well received so I was really looking forward to reading this one.

I did read this one in a day and a half. I could have read it in a day but I did have to take a break to do life things but it was a super fast read for me and entertaining as well. I don’t know that it was a five star read but it was a good book that left me excited for more of her works. If you are a rom-com fan than this book really needs to be on your radar!

Summary
The author of the novel The Bucket List returns with a witty and heartfelt romantic comedy featuring a wedding planner, her unexpected business partner, and their coworkers in a series of linked love stories—perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Casey McQuiston.

For the past twenty years, Liv and Eliot Goldenhorn have run In Love in New York, Brooklyn’s beloved wedding-planning business. When Eliot dies unexpectedly, he even more unexpectedly leaves half of the business to his younger, blonder girlfriend, Savannah. Liv and Savannah are not a match made in heaven, to say the least. But what starts as a personal and professional nightmare transforms into something even savvy, cynical Liv Goldenhorn couldn’t begin to imagine.

It Had to Be You cleverly unites Liv, Savannah, and couples as diverse and unique as New York City itself, in a joyous Love-Actually-style braided narrative. The result is a smart, modern love story that truly speaks to our times. Second chances, secret romance, and steamy soul mates are front and center in this sexy, tender, and utterly charming rom-com. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
This book started out so strong. I loved the characters, they were developed, memorable, and likable. There are five interconnecting stories but that it’s immediately obvious but if you read the description and know that this novel follows the Love Actually style of narrative then you will be fine keeping track of everything. Right away I felt invested and loved the chemistry between the characters, and I loved watching them all navigate love and life. But somewhere along the way, things seemed to fizzle out a bit.

The beginning was so solid and strong but as things started to come together and wrap up, I felt like it lost a little steam and just didn’t finish as strong as I had hoped when I first started the book. It wasn’t bad by any means, I just felt that it lost a little of it’s momentum going into the ending. I know that some readers had a hard time investing in the multiple plots because it felt busy. I don’t know that it felt ‘busy’ for me but there was definitely a lot going on in this one and readers should be prepared for a lot of interconnecting stories. This is especially evident in the beginning of the book when characters are appearing chapter after chapter. I was a little worried about where this book was going but overall it connected well.

I really liked the setting and the weddings as a backdrop to the story. I am not a big wedding person, I personally got married in Las Vegas and did not want a big wedding. But I love the idea of being a wedding planner and planning someone else’s big day. So this book was a fun way for me to get an inside look at the life of a wedding planner. I adored the setting and the characters were great and it really did have the Love Actually vibe going on. If you are a fan of rom-coms and like books with a lot of characters to explore and get to know then this book is one you don’t want to miss. As I said earlier, it was a quick read for me and I felt content with how it ended so get it on your radar for summer wedding season!

Book Info and Rating
Format384 pages, Paperback

PublishedMay 4, 2021 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

ISBN9781982133191 (ISBN10: 1982133198)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Atria Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: chick lit, romance

It Had to be you was such an interesting story. There were so many different moving parts that pulled this book together. It was different, outside the box and that made the entire book very engaging.

I enjoyed the writing and the entire cast. This was my first read by Georgia Clark, so I went in blindly and came out impressed by her story telling.

This book kept me entertained from beginning to end. Some moments are laughable and some heart warming.

Are you fan of the HEA? Of seeing snippets of various couples navigate their love stories and how they ultimately connect to one another a la Love Actually ? If so, It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark is a can’t miss read for you - it certainly was a 5 star read for me! When wedding planner Liv Goldenhorn’s fiancé, Elliot, dies mid coitus with his mistress and then wills her half of their business, Liv doesn’t think she’ll ever recover - but what comes next surprises everyone, especially Liv.

It Had to Be You is a charming, frothy read.

Liv and Eliot operate a wedding-planning company out of their Brooklyn brownstone until Eliot dies suddenly while on a business trip and Liv's life is upended. Perspective doesn't stay on her for long -- Eliot's mistress is introduced -- as are the florists Liv routinely works with, the singer in a go-to wedding band, and so on.

At least a handful of different couples are on display here -- author Georgia Clark packed in about as many characters as could fit (think Love Actually, Valentine's Day). I'd have enjoyed further character development but recognize that'd have been difficult to accomplish without cutting down the amount of characters. The focus on romantic love also felt limiting (while there are friendships shown, and great moments within them, they feel secondary to the romantic couplings).

And yet, I couldn't help but feel for so many of these characters (to the extent that yes, I totally cried at the end). This seems like a definite improvement from the Bucket List and leaves me interested to see what Clark writes next.

This rom com novel kicks off with wedding planner Liv finding out while working at a disastrous wedding that her husband/business partner has died - while with another woman. But the unpleasant surprises for her don’t stop there - he has willed his half of the business to the young woman named Savannah he was having an affair with, and Savannah shows up ready to work with her. That alone could have been enough plot for a novel, but this book also adds in the stories of various other people that work with them - the florists, the wedding band, a caterer - each of whom have their own relationship drama. By my count this book had 9 POV characters, which is a lot, but yet I had no trouble at all keeping up with the story and actually enjoyed them all, and that it allowed for more diversity of representation - we had straight and gay couples, older and younger people, white people and people of color.

Some people have compared this to Love Actually, which is somewhat apt, though it takes place over a year rather than Christmas time; I’d also compare it to if you took something like all the Jasmine Guillory books with their interconnected characters and put their stories in one book. But somehow it works! Just a cute, sweet, fun book to read with an ending that gave me all the feels.

The description focuses on Liv and Savannah’s unexpected partnership in a wedding planning business, but the comparison to Love Actually is apt: this is an ensemble piece, with multiple protagonists. But of course, everything can be traced back to Liv and Savannah, so it makes sense to use them as a base point.

It’s hard to pick a favorite—or even a least favorite—storyline. All sorts of romance tropes are present here: fake dating, starting over, dating a celebrity, self-discovery, and more. I found myself excited at the beginning of every chapter because I was about to get another installment of a particular storyline. I’m going to keep it vague to avoid spoilers, but the denouement in one storyline had me cackling with laughter.

One of my favorite themes was the generation gap between Liv and Savannah. Liv spent more than two decades building her wedding planning business, and still employs the methods she used in the late 90s. So, when Savannah suggests an Instagram account for their now-shared business, Liv balks. Of course, this vignette serves as a metaphor for both of them: accepting change and branching out.

I would absolutely recommend It Had to Be You. This is a fun, light read—it’s the perfect book to take on a summer (or any!) vacation. It’s so sweet and upbeat that the characters’ joy is almost contagious. I hope this book’s film rights get picked up because it would make such a good movie or even a limited series on a streaming service. This is my first experience reading one of Clark’s books, and I’m already looking forward to reading more in the future!

Given the premise of this book, which shows a ton of different characters and relationships, I expected this book to have confusing pacing and rigid character development. I'm happy to say this book didn't struggle with those at all! It's a whirlwind of events, characters, and dynamics, but it ebbs and flows so well, I found myself lost in the story. Loved this story :)

This book starts out with a wedding that goes wrong. Liv is waiting for her husband and then learns via a phone call from his young lover that he is dead.

I wanted so bad to love this book. I didn't love it but I did like it. It held my interest for the most part. I wanted to know what was going to happen between Liv and Savannah. Personally I think I would have hated Savannah not tolerated her. Maybe! The business would probably have just gone right on out of business. But in this case thank goodness it didn't and Liv did tolerate her. Without that there would be no story.

This book is well written and the characters for the most part are very likable. You will enjoy each person's story and events. Each couple and how things turn around for In Love in New York. How things grow between Liv and Savannah. How they manage to take the wedding planning business to new heights and possibly become friends.

This book did make me laugh out loud a few times. Several actually. It was a light read compared to most that I read. It was the story of starting over. New beginnings. Finding ones self after loss. Forgiveness and friendships. Overall I have to say this book touched my heart. Made me see things in a different light.

Each of the character's stories bring you in and hold you close. How they move beyond things. How they are together. What happens and what could happen. Each story has an ending. A great ending. One that will make you smile. Feel closure and contentment. This book is about multiple people finding their way. Lots of characters yet so easy to follow. And I really did love Sam! Possibly my favorite character in this book.

I'm not usually into romance books but I'm so glad I read this one. It sure hits the heart and makes you smile. There was a couple of tears along the way too. Overall I have to say this is a good book with a great ending. One that will touch your heart. Each story. Each character. Happiness ever after. And moving on, learning forgiveness...

Thank you to #NetGalley, #GeorgiaClark, #AtriaBooks for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5/5 stars and a high recommendation. Enjoy this treasure.

It Had To Be You by Georgia Clark is about a wedding planner in NYC whose life is thrown upside down after the sudden loss of her husband and the just as sudden gain of an unwanted business partner. Liv is reeling from the shock of her husband’s death when Savannah appears on her doorstep ready to grow the dwindling wedding planning business Liv has been neglecting. Plenty of high jinx and fun ensue. Read and enjoy!

"It Had to Be You" by Georgia Clark
Love is worth the work
Not sure what I expected, but this was a whirl-wind of love stories. The stories of multiple characters as they work their ways through the past and present towards the future. I enjoyed my time in this story of interwoven stories. Yes, my heart broke a few times and soared a few times too. This is a very busy story and a delight to read. If you choose to read this story; I hope you like it as much as I did. Happy Reading ! !
Note: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher. This review is my honest opinion.

Awesome love stories in this one! I loved that we got the most amazing endings to all these stories. I will be looking for more of Georgia Clark to add to our library!

His book gives you all the feel good rom com vibes. I loved how it followed so many different couples, yet flowed really well. Definitely the perfect summer/beach read!

First of all, the cover is so pretty!
The book was cute, there were things that I really liked and some that's not so much.
To start, I loved the diversity in the characters and the way in general that the story was developed.
I did not enjoy so much the amount of characters in the book! It took me around 50% on the book to get on track with all of them.
My two fav couples were Liv and Sam and Clay and Zia ❤

I went in knowing NOTHING about this book. At first I got overwhelmed with all the characters but then I fell in LOVE. Once you see this as an ensemble cast and not just focusing on one story, you get immersed and care so much about what happens to each person and couple. This is my first by Clark and it won't be the last!

This was a heartwarming read. Ms Clark shows us the many facets of love and all it's joys and tribulations. The central characters are Liv and Savannah and how they form a bond both business and personal while falling in love, Liv with Sam and Savannah ...well no spoilers here. Also there are other romance threads that I wondered if they would get their HEA. There are lighthearted moments and scenes that made me tear up. This would make a delightful Rom-Com movie but it makes a perfectly lovely read.

The premise of this book is super interesting and definitely had Love Actually vibes. I could see this book being adapted into a movie! I appreciated the diversity of the characters throughout the book and seeing the overlap between the characters. Jumping between the perspectives and the writing style left me feeling a bit disconnected to characters and I wish I was more invested.

I have begun this book and I can tell I am going to be sucked in. This book has the potential to be one of Clark's best yet! A great read to get lost in!!! I love that Clark understands her readers and knows what makes for a compelling read. She adds depth to the characters along with humor and romance, which is a perfect mix to create a story worth reading!

I was extremely excited to get the opportunity to read Georgia Clark’s next book. I absolutely loved The Bucket List when I read it a few years ago. It Had to Be You is a easy, quick read about multiple love stories where the people were all connected via a wedding planning company (Love Actually vibes). I enjoyed this book I found it was missing the humor that I got from The Bucket List. However, that won’t deter me from reading more of her books in the future!