In light of Simon & Schuster's recent announcement that they are going to distribute a book by one of the officers involved in the murder of Breonna Taylor, I will not be reading or reviewing this book (released by S&S imprint, Atria/Emily Bestler).

Thank you to the publicist who sent me an unrequested copy of this book.

(Rating does not reflect an opinion of the novel.)

I loved the main plotline of this book. Husband and Wife team run this wedding planning business, Husband dies....and leaves half of the company to his mistress. Now the two women must work together - between the lies and the betrayal to bring this company from the verge of collapse. That storyline I loved- however, there were a ton of other storylines and characters mixed in and honestly, I could not keep track so I felt completely lost for the majority of the book. I think this would make a good movie though! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

”That was, ultimately, the secret to being loved, and loving others. Seeing, and being seen.”

This charming romantic comedy, with its diverse ensemble cast, offers something for everyone. No matter where you’re from, what you look like, what you believe in, or who you love, you will find someone in the story who you can relate to, root for, and adore! Georgia Clark does an excellent job of inclusion and representation in It Had to Be You.

”Nothing made Savannah Shipley feel as good as helping other people feel accepted and loved. It sounded cheesy, but love didn’t have a sexuality or gender. Or an agenda. It was just love, wasn’t it?”

The comparisons to movies like Love Actually and Valentine’s Day are spot-on. The book follows half a dozen couples through their interwoven stories, weaving in and around the many relationships often and, sometimes, inconsistently. The connections between different characters were creative and often unexpected, but hard to keep track of, at times. With so many storylines to remember, I found myself struggling to remember which interactions had impacted which characters, and who was connected to whom.

”Love meant showing someone everything—every awkward, shameful, hidden part of yourself—and the sublime grace and freedom in having those parts accepted, and cherished.”

There were definitely a handful of couples whose storylines I preferred over the rest (the secret romance between world-changer Zia and movie-star Clay was especially sweet, and I loved the fake-dating-to-actually-in-love trope as expressed between musicians Zach and Darlene!), and I found myself skimming over the other characters’ chapters just to get back to the good stuff!

”Why was it so easy to see the best in others, but not in yourself?”

Overall, a fun and charming read, with a good dose of humor thrown in - even if I did get a little lost in the seemingly-endless parade of romances depicted! Would recommend to readers who enjoy diverse romances, ensemble casts without a “main” character, and light reads.

”Relationships are a risk. Life is a risk. And there’s no one I’d rather do it with than you.”

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A huge thank-you to Georgia Clark, Atria, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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(3.5) It Had to Be You centers around wedding planning business and the two women that are forced to run it together after they find out that Liv’s late husband left part of the company to Savannah, the woman that he was having an affair with. But this story also follows various members of the business – the florist, the singers, the wait staff – as they fall in and out of love in New York City.

This was a modern and diverse take on the ensemble rom com (think Love Actually and Valentine’s Day). It was charming and romantic and had the exact right kind of rom com humor. The characters were also really dynamic and I loved that the author showed a wide range of love stories.

However, the ensemble cast in the book didn’t quite work for me. The chapters were really short, which made this a fast read, but the quick scenes made it hard to get attached to the different stories. The book follows five different couples and it sometimes felt like whiplash jumping between them. I think this would actually work really well as TV show, where it wouldn’t feel so jarring following the different story lines.

Still, I think this book will work for a lot of people and it’s the perfect heartwarming book for when you need a pick me up!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the author for providing the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Liv and Eliot have a successful wedding planning business in New York, but then suddenly Eliot dies and leaves half of the business to his 23 year old mistress. Liv can’t afford not to work so she begrudgingly let’s Savannah in to her life.

I loved both of these women and their storylines, but this novel diverged in to the lives of several other characters. I wish it would have stayed a bit more focused than trying to keep up with five romances, but it was still an entertaining, feel-good book. Perfect for summertime.
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LOVED this book! Such a cute romance novel following five couples and their very complicated love lives. It was a good balance where I felt invested in the main characters and it wasn't too much bouncing around. I could see this as a movie with a stellar all-star cast. Will definitely recommend to all of my romance-loving friends.

Such a feel-good read and it was just so enjoyable. I grimaced when Liv did and cried when Sav was alerted to her boyfriends wife becoming his business partner. This book just felt so honest and made me feel every emotion. It reminds us that you can make lemonade when life hands you lemons, even if the lemons aren't ripe.

So I love RomComs!! They are seriously my jam and when I saw It Had to Be You being compared to my all time favorite movie Love, Actually I was like Yes Please!!

Now this book def has more depth and guts than Love, Actually which made this book even more endearing!

I absolutely loved everyone in this book! They were all so imperfectly perfect!

It Had to Be You just made my heart happy and I can not wait to read more from Georgia Clark!!

It Had To Be You is the book version of the movie Valentine's Day and I LOVED it. Going into this book I thought it would be one love story but I was surprised with MANY different love stories! Each character was interconnected with other characters and went through their own unique journey. This book is truly about the journey of life, the friends you meet along the way, and second chance romance.

It starts off with Savannah and Liv, brought together when Liv's husband dies and leaves half of their wedding planning business to Savannah - his mistress. From these two unlikely business partners, several love stories off shoot with people in their lives (including their own love stories!). There is also a great story arc about a character questioning her sexual identity and discovering who she is.

I really found this book to be charming and dleightful, a breath of fresh air. Romance in similar, yet new forms. I recommend it for the romantics at heart, who love to read love stories of all shapes and sizes. However, many of the stories bring out very serious topics - interracial dating, open relationships, dating after abuse or mistreatment, etc. It hits on so many important, but real, topics.

TW: description of domestic violence, abuse

**Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria / Emily Bestler books for the e-arc!

SUMMARY:
Liv and her husband Eliot own a wedding planning business. It is successful until Eliot dies suddenly and leaves Liv the company... and his half to his young mistress. Liv and Savannah have their issues, but both are surprised by what they bring to each others lives.

MY THOUGHTS:
🏙 I thought all of the characters were a bit confusing at first, but then I grew to love them. I would get invested in a couples' drama and be bummed the chapter ended only to be surprised and excited about the next chapter because I had forgotten about that couple since their last chapter.
🏙 This book had all of the LOVE ACTUALLY vibes / Valentine's Day / all those types of movies where there are multiple plot lines going and one commonality that brings them all together. Each of the couples is somehow connected to the wedding business (catering, attending, planning, etc). I have been trying to decide on my favorite couple, but it's really difficult! I liked them all!
🏙 Since there were so many couples, you got a bit of each kind of troupe! There was fake love, new love, forbidden love, and re-kindled love.
🏙 IT HAD TO BE YOU satisfied my romance craving and left me feeling happy and satisfied.

Read if you love: Christina Lauren books!

This was a super cute read. I loved the c haha gets and the story line. I highly recommend if you like u romcoms or just something a little more light hearted

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my eARC. I was super excited about this book. I kept seeing comparisons to Love Actually and I loved that idea. Plus NYC as the setting? Yes yes yes! Sadly, I had to DNF this one. I made it about 45% and had to put it down.

Here’s what I liked:
-the premise
-multiple points of view
-diverse characters

Here’s what I really didn’t like:
Many of the characters felt too forced. I feel like I missed a prequel giving their backgrounds. Also, just when I was getting invested in one set of characters’ storyline, that chapter ended and another couple was focused on. And most of all, I just wasn’t excited to pick it back up and keep reading, which is always my compass for finishing books.

Fortunately, I think plenty of folks will love the book and I encourage you to try it out for yourself!

If you loved Love Actually, you will love this book!

Our story begins with Liv, a disgraced wedding planner struggling with the sudden death of her husband/business partner Eliot. Liv gets the surprise of her life when Eliot's Southern girlfriend Savannah shows up, having inherited her husband's half of the business. Savannah wants to get the business back up and running, and we follow the story through a number of weddings they organize together. Along the way, we get glimpses into lots of different love stories starring members of the wedding crew - love truly is all around!

I love intertwined stories with multiple perspectives, so this book was right up my alley! It was a little confusing at the beginning because the chapters are not labeled with the narrator's name, and some couples are introduced to us without much explanation. But once I got the hang of things, I loved seeing all the characters pop up in each other's stories and watching their relationships blossom. I appreciated that Clark showed the drama and struggles in each relationship - not everyone gets a happily ever after, and even if they do, they had to work for it!

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romcoms and multiple perspectives - it's a fun read with lots of heart!

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads: 4/11/21.
Review to be posted to Instagram by pub date 6/1/21.

With nods to Love, Actually, but with far more character depth and growth, It Had to Be You weaves together a braided story about love in many forms. The queer rep--and different types of queer stories--were especially nuanced and touching. This is a tender, hopeful, beautiful love story.

This book was a wonderful surprise. Even with the subject of death and adultery in the synopsis, I was still expecting a lighthearted romantic comedy. Instead, i got something that was full of depth and emotion - and one of my favourite laugh out loud moments in a book to date!

I loved every single character, flaws and all, even prickly Liv who tends to say exactly what she is thinking regardless of what others think. The relationships were diverse and believable, and I found myself rooting for them all.

If you want a feel good book that leaves you smiling at the end then pick this one up!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for the advanced copy.

This book is perfect for fans of ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Valentine’s Day’. This book closely follows 5 couples who are all involved in the wedding planning company, In Love in New York in some way. Liv had a successful business and a decent marriage, but when she learned her husband had died suddenly and he left half the business to his mistress, Liv was shocked to say the least. The 5 relationships are all very different and I enjoyed them all in different ways. The format of the book is very short chapter alternating between couples. I liked the format, but there was always one couple I wanted to read about more than the others and I had to get through four others until I could get back to them. There was a ton of diversity in the book which was very much appreciated.

I definitely loved the wedding planning aspect and loved the snippets from the weddings, but definitely would’ve loved even more of that. I think this was a fun read that kept you wanting to see what happened. I wish there was a little more on the end for each characters as there was so development throughout the book, but there was only really a short description of what ended up happening to each character

I loved this book. LOVED IT. Liv's husband, Eliot, dies and leaves his half of their wedding planning business to his mistress, Savannah. Thus begins this tale of five different love stories unfolding over the course of the year after Eliot's death.

Often in books with a large cast of characters that are told from multiple points of view, I find myself particularly drawn to certain stories. That really was not the case with this book. I was rooting for every single character and didn't find myself rushing through certain chapters to get back to a different storyline. If you love love stories, you'll enjoy It Had to Be You - I predict it will be one of the summer's sweetest new releases.

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

It Had to Be You is a fabulous rom-com. I laughed out loud numerous times and loved the NYC setting. Liv and Savannah are newly working together as wedding planners. I love being introduced to their various friends in the business and their stories being told too! From there I enjoyed following the characters as they grew and changed with their successes and challenges in their personal life and professional life throughout the book. I absolutely enjoyed them all!

It Had to be You is a fun book and exactly what I needed to read this Spring and loved the content and happy feeling I had at the end of the book. Once I started I didn’t want to stop until I knew what happened. I liked how this book was set up where everyone was connected, but each had their own story line. Zia’s storyline was my favorite, not that I connected to her, but I wanted to see how things would play out for her the most. Also, Sam, his cooking made my mouth water! All of the characters were so unique and different just like their lives and it made it easy to follow their journeys. I didn’t realize how much I liked a book with this format until I read It Had to Be You.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read an E-ARC of this book from Georgia Clark, Netgalley, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books. I will absolutely be recommending this book to others!

This book has a huge cast of characters and covers every romance trope under the sun. I thought that with so many storylines, I would inevitably be bored with some--nope. Add it to your beach bag this year.

It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark is an amazing, feel good, charming book. Once I dived in and really got into it, I was hooked. I think I read most of the book in one sitting one afternoon because I just could not put it down!

There's a couple different storylines that intertwine, think Love, Actually or those movies where you follow a few characters whose lives intersect occasionally but you aren't watching them all together the entire movie. This makes the storyline a little bit confusing...but not enough to detract from the novel at all. It felt like getting a sneak peak into a characters life outside what we see as the reader, so I actually really enjoyed this aspect. It really played to the rom-com vibes the book gave off.

I loved the representation in this book too! You get a little bit of everything: LGBT+, British men, Black woman, both rich and poor characters, open relationships, death and cheating. It sounds overwhelming but the author deals with it beautifully I think. She sets it up as it is without diving too much in the why and leaves it on you as the reader to dissect it.

The characters are charming and loveable and really relatable, the plot line is captivating and the story itself is romantic and inspiring. This is definitely a feel good read; great for the beach!