It's not very often that I finish a book and wish that it would be a movie, but this would be so perfect as a movie. All of the interconnected storylines were so fun and I loved seeing how everyone fed into each other and impacted each other's lives. Even when the beginning made me literally gasp and wonder where we would go from there, I loved every single one of the characters and was so so happy to see how everyone ended. It was so easy to feel connected to this fun story and I couldn't put this down. I would recommend this for fans of movies such as Love, Actually or Valentine's Day.

IT HAD TO BE YOU is "Love Actually" meets "Matchmakers for Beginners." The story follows five couples, all with intersecting storylines culminating around a wedding planning business in NYC. I am picky about romances. I often crave them, then DNF them because I find the plot too predictable and the characters' lack of communication frustrating. But I loved this one! I think this will be read on many beaches this summer. My only complaint is I wanted more steam!

Are you the kind of person who devours the rom-com category on Netflix? Excellent news -- this is basically a big-hearted, cinematically-paced rom-com in book form!

Promo descriptions have compared it to Love Actually, and that comp is accurate, especially insofar as it braids together several different love stories. Clark's main character is a wedding planner, so the disparate narratives come together organically (think: if the walls at a wedding could talk! -- right???). And unlike Love Actually, IT HAD TO BE YOU contains a bit more of a narrative thru-line: The "main" love story is really propelled along by the unlikely platonic/familial bond that builds between the main character and he dead husband's mistress when they find out he's left them BOTH the business in his will. Resentment turns to tolerance, turns to the eventual realization that we can never predict who will complement us and who we will love like family.

Recommended for fans of Love Actually, The Wedding Singer, Jerry Maguire, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones, You've Got Mail -- you get it: The list could go on and on. IT HAD TO BE YOU hits bookstore shelves this Tuesday, May 4th!

This is a full cast of characters on a wedding planning adventure dealing with love, lust, and loss. What an epic story this is! I thoroughly enjoyed this one written by Georgia Clark. I have seen it compared to movies like Love Actually or New Years Eve. Each couple has their own story line and Clark weaves them together as the two main characters Liv and Savannah plan weddings. You meet the variety of characters and come to know and love each of them. You’re rooting for each of them - even when we see their flaws. I was so impressed by the intricate stories of each couple. There is tons of diversity here which I also love - lots of different types of relationships being show including 2 queer relationships and an open relationship are represented. We also see diversity in ethnicity and social class. These characters get a chance to develop at their own pace which I love, meaning we see them at different times in their relationships. We also see a variety of tropes: second chance, secret romance with someone famous, widower, soulmates, etc.

What an amazing amount of work the author did to create these highly developed story lines. It was so fun getting to know her a bit through our @LoveArctually bookclub group chat! If you read arcs you should definitely check it out!

This one publishes May 4th and I highly recommend picking this one up! It can be tricking finding stories with such a diverse range of tropes and relationships so if this is what you have been searching for It Had to Be You is a great option! A great summer read for sure!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5

After reading It Had to Be You, I could definitely tell why it was being compared to the movie Love Actually, which just happens to be one of my favorite romance movies (if Hugh Grants in it, count me in). I wasn't sure how the large ensemble cast and the interwoven narratives of so many different characters and couples would work, but I LOVED it! In a word, Georgia Clark's newest book is delectable, and I'm so glad that I had a chance to read an early copy.

Clark gives a wonderfully diverse cast of characters who all blend and connect one way or another around Liv Goldenhorn, wedding planner extraordinaire of In Love in New York, one of the best wedding planning companies in NYC. Her husband has just died and in a very strange twist that no one can figure out, left his half of the business to his (unknown to Liv until he kills over) mistress, Savannah, a younger woman from Kentucky ready to head to NYC and start fulfilling some dreams of her own. With that kinda drama happening, I had no idea what to expect!

But the entire novel is full of some very unexpected surprises, a few things that I could have predicted but so what, a few messes between some of the characters that were realistic because that's just life (thanks Georgia for keeping things real!), and modern-day love stories that made me happy and put huge smiles on my face while reading. This was my first book by the author, but it won't be the last!

If you're looking for a sweet, romantic, yet funny and sometimes sarcastic read, then It Had to Be You is the perfect pick!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and Georgia Clark for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

It Had to Be You is my first book by this author. This book is sort of a combination between romance, women's fiction and chick lit.

This book is set in New York City and is divided into four parts. The main character is Liv. She is a wedding planner. And each part focuses on one wedding that she plans.

There are a lot of narrators. And this book features a lot of couples. They are all people who are involved with Liv's business (musicians, florists, caterers, servers). There was Savannah, Liv, Sam, Henry, Gorman, Darlene, Zach, Zia and Clay.

I loved the idea of a wedding planner. But there were just way too many narrators. Also, it was interesting to have so many couples. But I think that for me it was just too many. I didn't become invested enough in any of them.

The story was cute though. There were parts that made me laugh and parts that made me smile. If you are looking for a story with a huge ensemble cast then you will enjoy this book.

Just like the cover, the story is colourful, fun and cute. If I could describe it in one word I’d choose - DELIGHTFUL

It Had to be You is sort of like a collection of interconnected stories with a focal point on modern day romance: people whose relationships came to be because of the wedding planning industry. Divided into four parts - In love in Catskills, Manhattan, Hamptons and NYC, each part has an inclusive modern wedding that elevates the storyline to mean an important fact - “The quality of our lives is defined by the quality of our relationships”.

The author has cleverly incorporated several fresh ideas. The thought provoking storyline and fun, likeable characters are truly a plus that made me enjoy this book more. The story starts with Liv & ends with more happy endings including Liv’s. The understanding between the characters is *chef’s kiss* I know its fiction, but it is perfection!! The amount of characters though overwhelming at first, left me wanting to know more about them. That is “tenderly, wildly and with whole heart” type good writing.

4.15/5 💐

Thank you Atria & Netgalley for the arc.

Liv is going through a hard time. Her husband died and was cheating on her. They didn't have the best of Marriages but she didn't think they were at that level. To top things off her husband has given half their business to her mistress.

This book is written with many characters that are interconnected one way or another.
Personally, This isn't my favourite way to read a story.it is too hard to keep track of all the different angles in which the story connects
The written styles are like the movies -New Years Eve

The characters and plots were well developed and interesting. A great book just not my type of writing style

It Had to Be You was a lot like Love Actually. Which is perfect, as that is my favorite movie. It does mean that there are a lot of different points-of-view, so it made it a little difficult to follow along at first.

A lot of the story lines are a little cliched and predictable, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t cute and adorable. I appreciated that many of the characters were flawed and made mistakes, but the ending was a little too easily fixed and perfect. Literally all of the characters had a happy ending. How realistic is that?

I think it could have benefited from a decrease in the amount of couples, but It Had to Be You was a light and enjoyable read regardless. A nice and easy read to get you ready for spring.

Words are almost not enough to describe how much I absolutely ADORED reading It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark. It made me laugh and cry in equal measure, and while there are some sad moments this is overall a very heartwarming and optimistic read. It gave me serious Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve, and Mother's Day movie vibes, and it was just like reading a book form of one of them. If you are familiar with any of these movies and love them as much as I do, you will understand what I mean and love this book as well. I loved all of the different characters and their different stories, plus how they end up connecting in the novel. So many elements to love, and I think this NEEDS to be a movie. I would love to watch it play out on the big screen and it would definitely be something I would watch again and again.

There isn't much steam in the book, but that was fine by me, and I loved the romance there was. If you want a story that will make your heart swell, make you laugh-out-loud, and have a few *gasp* moments, It Had to Be You is the ONE for you, see what I did there? I also loved the representation in the novel and the way Clark handles all topics with directness and care. She created such vivid characters and made me want to be friends with every single one of them. She also mixes a lot of troupes, and I think it is impossible to pick my favorite one. There are a lot of characters and storylines which I know confused some readers, but luckily I had no issues at all. I am definitely going to be buying a finished copy of It Had to Be You, and even though I rarely do rereads, this is going to be one of those books where I do. I'm so happy I have other books of Clark's that I can read now, and I highly recommend this to romcom lovers who are a fan of the movies I mentioned!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It Had to Be You is exactly my kind of book, and I absolutely adored it. It immediately gave me Four Weddings and a Funeral vibes, and I just know it's going to be one of my favorite books from this year.

Things I loved
- The diversity that felt so natural. Gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class. It's NYC baby.
- Every chapter boosted my serotonin
- Crass humor at times
- There's 10 main characters, and I was interested in every single one of them. Their love stories were all so well written that I wasn't in a hurry to get back to anyone person's story but just enjoyed each one as it went on.
- Savannah's storyline was just :') so good. Probably my favorite.
- I got chills during the second wedding
- The way everything dissolved into a mess because people are messy
- There are no heroes or villains in this story. Just people trying to live their lives the only way they know how.

I really loved this one as you can see. I would recommend this one if you like stories where the characters' lives all intersect, love isn't easy but worth it, and fried chicken is perfectly described.

It Had to Be You was a refreshing change from books I have been reading lately. This was more of an ensemble book that reminded me a lot of "Love Actually" or a movie like that. We had many characters who were all interconnected which made for a very full and robust cast to come to know.

Liv and Eliot Goldenhorn run a wedding planning business and they have always put together flawless affairs for the couples who hire them. When Eliot passes away unexpectedly, Liv is not only left with grieving her husband and being there for her son, but she learns Eliot had been having an affair. Oh and he left his half of the business to his girlfriend, Savannah! No one understands his reasoning, but they have to go by what the will says.

The book unfolds introducing us to many of the other people who made the weddings happen from the caterer, the florists, to the musicians, servers and even a wedding guest. We get a peek into each of the couples and how they are navigating their relationships and the normal complications that come with them and with every day life. The issues that the couples dealt with were very true to life and even though there were a lot of characters, I felt like Clark did a great job with giving us enough about each character so we cared about them and what happened to them.

At first I wasn't sure how I would like this format given there were so many characters to keep up with, but it became clear very quickly that the way it was written, I just wanted to see what happened with all of the couples and what they had to go through to find themselves and their happiness. While this was my first Georgia Clark novel, I'll definitely check out others.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the rom-com by Georgia Clark - 4 stars for a book guaranteed to make you both laugh and cry!

Liv owns In Love in New York - a wedding planning company - with her husband, Eliot. When Eliot unexpectedly dies, she learns that he had been having an affair with Savannah, a young woman in Kentucky. The biggest surprise was that he left half ownership in the company to Savannah, who moved to NYC ready to join Liv in the company, much to Liv's surprise. This is also an ensemble cast of characters circling back to Liv, each dealing with their own love story issues.

This was just a fun, sweet look into modern love complete with likable characters and I really enjoyed it. My only slight complaint is that every type of couple is represented here - gay, lesbian, biracial, widow - it just seemed a bit much to add all those issues in such a small group of interrelated friends. However, it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book - plus there are definitely lessons to be learned here about judging, racism, sexism.

Even if you and your husband didn't have the perfect marriage, I think you'd still be furious to know he left half of your business to his much younger mistress. Doesn't matter that she thought he was separated, right? But yes, Liv.... Savannah certainly does seem to be more shiny red car and less manipulative mistress for sure.
I definitely had some laughing moments in this read. I got exactly what I wanted from this. Laughter, love, forgiveness, moving on, family, etc. I do wish there had been less characters and movement in story lines because while I did manage to follow along, I felt our protagonist getting lost somewhere along the way. However, gimme all these lovely different couples... YES and THANK YOU. We should all know that it's never too late to start again, in life or in love.

Simply, this is a heart warming story with levity, hope and a bit of snarky goodness.

Actual rating: 6.75/10

I’ve been dying to read It Had to Be You ever since I was offered a copy from the publisher, as the premise sounded amazing and I love a good rom-com. The first thing you should know is that this very much reads like a movie that would come out around Valentine’s Day with an ensemble cast. It’s almost entirely made up of feel good moments and the multiple POVs jump from couple to couple quite frequently.

I am actually a big fan of multiple POVs in general. I think the extensive cast of characters in this situation made the book drag on a taaaaad too long, but all of the characters were extremely likable, so it wasn’t a huge bother.

The writing was fun and although the characters choices of words or metaphors made me cringe at moments, it was very much in line of what I would expect to see in a movie. This was the most movie-like book I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for something feel-good and entertaining, It Had to Be You will
Be perfect for you and comes out on May 4th, 2021.

This book had an interesting start, with a wife and mistress having to run a wedding planning business together after the adulterer dies.

I would have been happy with the book focusing on Liv and Savannah: their working relationship after such a rocky start, their romantic relationships, living in New York, etc. Instead there are too many characters and relationships woven into the storyline. For example the Zia and Clay storyline was very interesting to me, but Zia isn’t even introduced until Chapter 9. Plus, their relationship competes for space within the chapters filled up with several other couples.

This book has some very funny one-liners and the dialogue will make you smile.

In the end, this seemed like several short stories about couples and not enough time being spent focusing on any of them.

3.5/5 (rounded up)

From the blurb: “Sexy, tender, and utterly charming, It Had to Be You cleverly tells multiple modern love stories, featuring Liv, Savannah, and the various florists, caterers, musicians, and other vendors of the business, in a joyous Love Actually-style braided narrative. Second chances, secret romances, and steamy soul mates are front and center in this smart, emotional, laugh-out-loud rom com that’ll renew your faith in love and have you swooning on every page.”

I thought this was really fun read. I’m a retired wedding server/bartender, so I loved the wedding planner theme to the book. Overall, I liked the interwoven stories, but there were certain couples I could have done without. While it was a quick read for me, it felt like it moved a little slow at times - like get together already! I loved the ending - you got to hear how every story wrapped up. I’d highly recommend you pick this up when it comes out in a month!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC! This comes on on June 1, 2021!

This book is different than a lot of romance novels out there right now. It’s more sweet to me with a touch a funny. Also not that much heat but a light book I think people will enjoy.

I know for a lot of readers it’s difficult when there are so many characters and we get to read about all of them but I thought it was nice getting to see everyone and their love story. You have to think how the movie “Love Actually” worked and how it followed different people.

I will say this book is not just about Liv. We get to see multiple people fall in love. I was a little sad when she got pushed aside and didn’t feel like she got her full story.

This is one of the most anticipated books of the spring and for me it did not disappoint. It's described as "a witty and heartfelt romantic comedy featuring a wedding planner, her unexpected business partner, and there coworkers in a series of linked love stories."

I’ll start off by saying I really liked this novel. It reminded me a lot of the movie Love Actually, where there are multiple love stories all intermixed and connected to each other... except in this novel they are all set around the wedding industry. This book truly has a love story for everyone - there was a mature couple, a few LGBTQ couples, an interracial couple, even a celebrity couple.

Sometimes books told with multiple characters and from various perspectives can be challenging for readers but this one wasn't. I was interested in each characters story and was rooting for each of them. And it wasn't just a novel about love stories, the novel also delved into issues like transgender marriages and relationships, family relations, LQBTQ issues, cheating, abusive relationships, spousal loss, familial demands, financial stresses and self-discovery.

It's definitely a book I'll be recommending to friends and great read for this spring and summer.

Thank you to Netgalley, Georgia Clark and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

To say that I am super picky about rom-com books would be an understatement. Whenever I start one (and I inevitably do, because gosh the covers are almost always so darn cute) I question why I'm doing so? This book is why I do it! They don't come along often, but this one had the perfect ingredients to be a winner. The cast was one of the most diverse I've seen in this type of story. The best part was that it felt natural, not like the author was trying to inject diversity for diversity sake. All of the romances felt real, no enemies to lovers (a trope I hate), and they were dealing, for the most part with real life problems (first world problems, but it is a rom com after all). I will say that there are a lot of characters to keep track of, sometimes that bothers me, but in this case I thought it gave the perfect blend to see a wonderful cross section of life in the 21st century in a city like New York. I loved the wedding planner aspect, the wide spectrum of ages amongst the characters, the questioning of when a relationship is right, and just generally finding your path in life. Let's also not forget to talk about the obvious in the newer rom coms I've read, the smut (or steam as some would call it) level. Sorry, not sorry, but I hate it! I do not need an anatomy lesson on making love. I can provide my own details in my imagination without the author giving me every minute detail. This book was the perfect level for me. It happened within a sentence or two, not four pages of graphic uncomfortableness. The ending was perfect, with every character getting their closure. It may have been a bit too cheesy, but here again, we're talking rom com (have I said that enough yet?).

I loved this light hearted, wonderfully diverse, look at the lives of several characters involved with a wedding planning company. It had all the qualities of what I'm looking for in this genre (including an adorable cover) and I would highly recommend as long as you aren't someone who is daunted by a large cast of characters.