Friends who met in college. Who still hang out every third Thursday and go on yearly vacations. A very tight group.

Olivia Bakersfield is not of the same tax bracket as those friends and can't go on vacations with them but this year she decided to quit her job (kind of) and go to South Africa with them.

Lucas Deiss is the laid back very attractive one in the group. Olivia's always been attracted to him but has done nothing about it. This trip started some things in motion with them.

When Liv gets home so many things have happened that are just omg no that she has to spend more time with Deiss. Which isn't a bad thing.

I just enjoyed Liv, Lucas, Phoebe, Mac and (even) Simones friend group. The forbidden friends to lovers romance. The slow burn trying not to give in cause of a pact to keep a friend group together. The holding a candle for years and not saying anything cause you valued the friendship and didn't want to ruin anything. You scared me for a second there! 

Thank you putnambooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

QOTD: If you could go on vacation with only two people, who would you take?
My A: My husband and my mom, my two very best friends! ❤️
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Ever since reading and LOVING The Layover by Lacie Waldon I have been anticipating her next book! When I saw this pop up on NetGalley I snagged it IMMEDIATELY which is just to say I've had this on my Kindle waiting for me to read it for months. Finally the time to sink into this and I can confidently say it did not disappoint!!
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If you've been on my page for any amount of times you've probably heard me wax poetic about the friends to lovers trope. I LOVE F2L. Like obsessed. My husband was my best friend for 2 years and I love reading books that remind me of our love. There were so many moments in this book where I set my book down and just looked across the room at him remembering some moment from the past 8 years. THIS is why I read romance. Because who doesn't want to feel that sappy happy all the time?! ❤️ I also deeply related to Liv and her need to stay successful and perfect, trying to replace something that can't be replaced with work. I loved her growth!
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For fans of:
Traveling
Large friend groups
Friends to Lovers trope
Opposites Attract trope
Pining
Low angst
Cheesy smiling while reading
Love
Aeroualy, just got pick up this book, it's worth it.
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BLURB:
A chronic yes-woman finally admits to what—and who—she really wants in this unforgettable and heartfelt romantic comedy, by the author of The Layover.

Liv Bakersfield is used to living her life in “shoulds.” Be fit. Be financially responsible. Be your best self. An overworked graphic designer, she’s stretched so thin that she’s about to miss yet another vacation with her beloved group of college friends. But when Liv finally decides to start saying no, it feels good…good enough to leap straight into quitting her job and hopping on a plane to join them in South Africa.

Amid the exotic landscape and unforgettable sights, Liv expects sun and safari animals and an easy time with her best friends. But such close proximity makes everything more complicated, especially with the emotionally unavailable Lucas Deiss. Their friendship is the only thing in her life that's still solid, and she vows to do anything she can to keep the group together. But once they get back to L.A., Liv discovers that her leap of faith has become a freefall, sending her crashing into Deiss's arms. With the trust of the people she loves most on the line, Liv must decide between doing what she should … and risking everything for what she shouldn’t want.

I love love LOVED this book. I've been in quite a slump, but I devoured this in less than a day. I was swooning over Deiss and also found myself relating to Liv so much. I do wish the ending was a little less abrupt and that there was an epilogue because the resolution seemed too easy, but I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. Elena and Simone annoyed the hell out of me, so I was a little peeved that Liv forgave both of them quickly for their careless behavior. I just really loved Deiss and Liv so they 100% made this book incredible

This felt like two separate books to me: the vacation, and then what happens after. I liked the dynamic between the friend group, although I’m not really sure how Liv managed to stay in this group when she made minimal effort over the years and the friends kept excluding her from their vacations. I wish there had been more of the African vacation because once that ended, the story wasn’t as interesting to me. I didn’t buy the whole attraction between Liv and Deiss. It slowed down once they got to LA and I lost interest. It has all the elements of a cute rom-com but it just wasn’t for me.

This was an easy, fun Summer read if you're looking for something to tote to the pool or beach for a relaxing day in the sun. The characters are likable and realistic, you really fall in love with the friend group and root for everyone. The romance element is great too! It's not a super memorable book, but it is one that is ooey gooey and great for a simple romance read if you're looking for one.

Review of From the Jump by Lacie Waldron

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed this book so much I flew through it in about a (busy) day. The settings were fun and I am always drawn to stories with a group of best friends. I love shows and books that feature a close group of friends as I had that in high school and wish I still did. Also this book features my favorite romance trope. But mostly I just loved how the main character, Liv, took huge changes and transforms her life into what she truly wants. She’s a great character. You definitely want to pick this one up and it just came out three days ago.

Quick synopsis: Liv is a graphic designer but is stuck in an office that doesn’t feed her passion. One day she impulsively decides to take off and join her four best friends on their trip to Africa. There she is forced to room with one of the male friends named Deiss (last name). They become closer and she must fight her physical attraction to him. Upon returning home to LA she finds herself out of a home when she had been robbed completely snd her bank accounts drained. Cue Deiss again who generously offers her a room in his place. Liv embarks on many new adventures and figures out what she really wants out of her life along the way.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @putnambooks as well as the author for the ecopy.

Liv has always tried to live the perfect life- she reads the self-help books and follows all the rules. She is determined to never worry about anything in her life after the chaotic upbringing she had. When her friends all head off again on a vacation without her, she starts questioning things. This sets in motion a snowball of change that she's not sure she likes....but she can't stop craving it. This was a book that gave me a sleepless night- I just had to find out how it would all work out. I really loved Laci Waldon's first book and her second has confirmed that I'll be watching for more from her. This was a fun read full of surprises!

Read/Listen If You Like:
❤️ Type A MC Breaking Free
❤️ Forced Proximity
❤️ Vacation Vibes
❤️ Friends to Lovers
❤️ Child Stars: where are they now?

This one features an uptight MC dealing with the aftermath of everything seemingly going wrong that leads her to finally take vacation with her friends and then greater issues to tackle when she returns from her trip than those she initially ran away from.

I enjoyed the friends to lovers and forced proximity trope that this one offered as both were done well. I also loved getting to see Liv’s character arc as she learned to not have to take life so seriously and that there is room for happiness and flexibility.

If you are looking for a summer trip and some chaos leading to happiness for an MC I’d definitely check this one out!

⚠️ Check TW before starting this one. TW include having your items stolen, bank account emptied, and disordered eating/body image.

This would make a good beach read. It's not supremely deep, a bit light and fluffy. That's not to say it's bad, just that while it may have some deeper moments, it has a bit of a superficial feel to it. Everyone in their friend group seems to have their lives figured out. Liv on the other hand, lives to obtain a life she thinks she SHOULD want and tries to live by the book (literally). But life is messy and she soon learns that letting your guard down and REALLY letting others in may give her a life better than she ever expected. (I just need to know, did she ever get her stuff back lol)

Knowing I had enjoyed The Layover by Lacie, I requested this one as soon as it was up. Sadly, this wasn’t for me. Stopped reading at 25%.

Thanks to Putnam for my ARC!

This is a super slow burn friends to lovers story between Liv and Deiss apparently 11 yrs in the making. After finally going on vacation with her college friends, Liv comes home to a disaster and bunks in Deiss spare room until she can get things back on track. While things in Liv’s personal life are changing she’s noticed the dynamics between her college friends are changing as well.

The group of college friends didn’t feel super connected, their friendship all felt superficial and not very deep. I also didn’t feel the connection between Liv and Deiss; sure you could tell they were friends but I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. They basically kept each other at arms length for over a decade and then all of the sudden they needed each other. Plus the betrayal from one of their friends was cruel but then they were instantly forgiven the next chapter, huh?

I did like the ease of readability of From the Jump as the story isn’t super long and I was able to read it over the course of two days. I really wanted to like this story but I just felt like there was a lot felt unaddressed that would have made the relationship and the friendships more believable.

Rating 3.5 stars

Thank you @putnambooks and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I jumped on the chance to read this because a local bookseller recommended Waldon's first book to me (which I purchased and still have not read, a thing I do with frequency).

What can I say- this is a very cute book. I gobbled it down in less than a day and it was 100% the exact brain candy that I needed. There's crackly dialogue, a slow burn, a friends to lovers arc, and elephants.

There's also a fair amount of "that would literally never happen"-ness but I think that's the best part of fun romances, so don't think too hard and just enjoy the ride.

Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for the review copy!

From the Jump was a really fun book that I couldn’t put down. I’ll be honest, at first I didn’t really like Liv, aka The Ice Queen. This story is all about Liv’s journey to discover what she really wants in life and how she wants to present herself to those around her. It’s almost like that Hallmark movie character who needs a break from the city to discover that she’s not happy with the life she’s living…except without the cheesiness of those movies. Once Liv heads to South Africa to join her friends, everything changes and I found myself rooting for her. Over the past year, I’ve learned that I really like stories that have a close group of friends who are more like chosen family. From the Jump has a wonderful group of friends who add to the drama and the fun. One of those friends, Lucas Diess, is the hottie with a reputation for not committing. When the flirting starts on their vacation, well I couldn’t stop smiling. I really enjoyed the storyline once everyone is back in L.A., especially at the music store. It had a High Fidelity (the movie with John Cusack) kind of vibe. Friends-to-lovers isn’t usually one of my favorite tropes, but when done well like in this book, it’s sweet and exciting. I love when I’m reading and I’m thinking “Hello! You both like each other, someone say something!!” From the Jump is a great summer romcom that I highly recommend.

Let’s start by saying that Deiss is 100% epic book boyfriend material, and I loved Liv as a main character. Lacie has done it again, combining humor, heartfelt relationships, and endless sparks into the most readable package.

I so enjoyed throwing perfectionism out of the window to pursue life. I legitimately have a tattoo on me to remind myself to do the same so this hit home! The side characters were fantastic, and I wish I got to hang out with my college friends just as much as the crew in this read. So grateful for the lifelong friends I made at school and definitely feeling nostalgic after this.

Highly recommend this sweet and heartfelt read to bring some joy and growth into any mundane week.

Also love love love the #sq-af shoutout in the acknowledgements. Y’all really do make bookstagram and the world better.

Thanks #netgalley and #putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

#fromthejump #laciewaldon #taggersextraordinaire #putnam

Liv and her four college friends have been close for eleven years. They have a standing date every Thursday to get together and even vacation together once a year. But this year, Liv can't go. Overworked as a graphic designer, always doing what she should to try and fit in, she's finally had enough. On a whim she quits her job and joins her friends on safari in South Africa. After a long car ride and a shared hotel room with emotionally unavailable Lucas, she starts to see the man he really is, the one he hides from the world. But any kind of relationship between them could ruin the whole friendship group and they make a pact to stay apart. When they return from the trip, Liv discovers everything she owns is gone. Will she be able to honor the pact when Lucas is always around?
Liv started out so stiff and by-the-book it was no surprise that even her friends called her Ice Queen. I like how her confidence continues to grow throughout the book that she's finally able to go after what she wants. Lucas is the strong silent type I just love to read about. Pheobe and Will are awesome together and it was obvious from the start they'd end up together. Selina, however, is the character everybody loves to hate. Spoiled, jealous, and bitter, she lashes out when she doesn't get what she wants. I don't agree with Liv's decision to forgive her. I loved this sweet friends to lovers story and it would make the perfect beach read.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Lacie Waldon makes the best summer reads! This books was so lighthearted and fun, I never wanted to stop reading. I loved the vacation vibes of this novel but I do wish that it centered more around the trip! Also I’m obsessed with Lucas, he is now a top favorite book boyfriend. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it, especially as a summer read!

Great, slow burn romance with the perfect friends to lovers journey. I could not put it down and I will definitely have to go back now and read her other book. Loved it.

This sophomore romance was one of my MOST anticipated summer reads! It started off strong and I loved the dual timeline structure as we follow Liv Bakersfield a loner who found her friend family in college and only years later finally starts to take some risks instead of playing things safe and doing what's always been expected.

Perfect for fans of Nothing but the truth - I found a LOT of similarities between these two summer releases. I did enjoy the banter between Liv and her college buddy Dice, as they travel to Africa with their friends and end up forced together A LOT. Not wanting to disrupt the group dynamics, the two try to resist their undeniable chemistry with mixed results.

I found the first half of the book really strong but it lost a little steam in my opinion, after everyone returned home to LA and Liv and Dice start working together. The dreaded third act break up rears its ugly head after a secret from Dice's past is revealed, testing these two in ways they weren't prepared for. Obviously they do make it to their HEA but it felt a bit forced for me tbh.

Overall, just an okay read for me. I loved the friendship, the banter, the forced proximity steam but things definitely tapered off in the second half and I was left wanting more. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I will never say no to a story with friends becoming so much more being a part of the premise. I really loved this story, and the development that the characters take through it. The element of stepping out of one's comfort zone is definitely something that I struggle with, but am trying to get through. Just as the characters in this story did. They take leaps to jump outside of the comfort zone that they have stayed in for so long. Sometimes it doesn't always work out how we hoped it would when we take that leap, but sometimes it ends up being even better than expected. Which is something the characters in this story experience a lot. Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this story.

Liz finds herself miserable at a job she doesn’t love and missing out on adventures with her friends so she impulsively quits and joins her friends on a trip to South Africa. While on the trip she finds her checking account has been emptied and then returns to an apartment that has been robbed. She takes this as a sign to continue making large changes in her life including starting a romantic relationship with one of her friends.

This book is not what I would consider a romance, yes there is a relationship that ends in an HEA, but it is not the central plot of the book. This is a women’s fiction book that is trying to get money from romance readers. The book is entirely from Liz’s POV and focused on her growth.

My favorite thing in the book was the trip to South Africa at the beginning. I didn’t care for Liz’s friends. They treated her poorly and I was not at all invested in their various dramas. I did like Deiss and think that he was really the only one in the group that treated Liz well, so I was happy when they ended up together. Overall this book was fine, but I wish it had been marketed correctly as a women’s fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.