"Love rarely follows the rules."

Liv always follows the rules... even when she starts learning to say "no" and make the decisions she wants to make, she's convinced something terrible will happen for not following the plan. One night, she finally gives in to cocktails with a work friend and ends up booking a flight to South Africa to join the rest of her college friend group. She starts spending more 1:1 time with Deiss, who quickly moved to the top of my "book boyfriend" charts. While they've been friends for 11 years, they're finally getting to know each other through forced proximity and the development is just fantastic. Watching Liv drop she expectations of what she "should" be doing for what she wanted was cathartic. I love that Lacie Waldon gave us some characters we knew were going to cause trouble (Simone and Zoe), and they added complications to the storyline really well. The ending was absolute perfection and I was legitimately giddy. Couldn't put this one down and highly recommend!

Thank you so much to Putnam for the copy of this ARC!

The banter made this the ultimate friends to lovers romance! Seuss was a dreamy love interest and I appreciated that their problems didn’t stem from lack of communication, but in their perspectives on life as they grew together.

One of the best books I have read in a very long time
MY HEART LITERALLY EXPLODED EVERYWHERE
Also sent a text message to my sister to tell her that I love her!

LITERALLY EXPLODED

Mare~Slitsread

I ADORED this book. I got so sucked in and finished it within 2 days. I loved the theme of the main character breaking away from all the societal pressures, throwing caution to the wind, and following her heart to find happiness rather than stick to a routine she thinks she is “supposed to” follow. Lucas Deiss is the new love of my life…trust me on this one. Liv has a tight knit group of college friends who give a found family vibe. This book isn’t a super spicy contemporary romance but the tension is top tier. The characters have so many adorable and affectionate moments as well. I originally thought I would rate this 4 ⭐️but after finishing I can’t stop thinking about it which always means 5⭐️for me.

So I decided to not finish this. I tried I really did but I just couldn’t connect to any of the characters in this story. If felt like the story just kept jumping around and I kept finding myself confused I just couldn’t get into.

I decided to not finish this book at the 42% mark.

The main character is probably relatable to some degree (always going with the status quo and doing as she is supposed to), but there was a point that this single and childless woman (who - according to her - has a good salary) complained about how much pressure was on her, and that rubbed me the wrong way. Any pressure she felt was self-inflicted, and I had trouble feeling sorry for her in that regard.

The love interest was SO two-dimensional. At 42% through the book, I STILL didn't know why I should care about him. I certainly didn't feel any chemistry between the two of them.

To be honest, I just didn't care what happened to these characters. And the storyline was not captivating enough to make me push through.

This was a very romantic easy to read, friends to lovers! Light hearted, sweet read that kept me interested!

I enjoyed this story, but the plot was slightly all over the place. I love a good book found family, and this one was adorable. I liked the storyline about the blurred lines between friendship and romance, and of Liv finally living for Liv and not doing everything she “should”, but the other storylines aren’t necessary and detract from these storylines getting the attention they fully need to be successful.
I’m obsessed with the relationship between Liv and Deiss and I honestly wish it was more in the forefront of the story.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam.. All opinions are my own.

From the Jump revolves around the friendship of five friends who met in college. They meet on the third Thursday of every month. Liv is dubbed the ice queen, Deiss the ladies' man, Mac the model, Phoebe the it girl, and Simone is self-absorbed.

Liv never says no and is always chasing perfection, until one day she realizes she can say no and decides to do the unthinkable and step away from her job to join her friends on a trip to South Africa. Deiss picks her up from the airport and they spend some one-on-one time together for the first time. There isn't a lot that happens on their vacation and I wish that would have been explored more.

When they get home, Liv finds her home robbed and Deiss offers her a place to stay while she gets back on her feet. Liv has always been attracted to Deiss, but has never acted on it because of fear of ruining their friend group. It's clear Deiss is attracted to her too, especially when they're under the same roof. Can Liv learn to let her hair down and live a little? Maybe Deiss is the answer, but should they risk their friendship for something more?

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Lacie Waldon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

From the Jump is my second Lacie Waldon book, and I am such a fan of her writing! She writes smart, sweet, very readable romance novels, and they are just a pleasure to read. Plus she is a master at creating a great sense of place. South Africa, anyone? From the Jump was a slow burn, friends-to-lovers gem that was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

After an unpredictable childhood, Liv lives her adult life with ultimate control over every aspect. It doesn't allow for any spontaneity but at least she's safe and secure. When she's about to miss out on a college friend trip yet again and gets a crappy assignment at work, she blows it all up and takes a leap into the unknown. This book was a story of Liv figuring out who she wants to be. She had a great personal character growth arc and I loved seeing her come into her own. I loved her slow burn relationship with Lucas Deiss, one of her best friends from college. I felt like it progressed in a believable way while giving the necessary attention to the dynamic change that would occur in their friend group if they were to get together. I also loved the friend group in this book (minus Simone).

Two things that didn't work as well for me. 1) I didn't care for the semi fade to black sex scene. It just straddled a weird line of almost going full open door and then pulling back at the last minute. I'd suggest that the author pick a lane. 2) The money plot line was a little much. I think she could have established the same thing with her apartment flooding or being contaminated, and did away with the "you got robbed of every single one of your possessions" story line.

From the Jump is a perfect beach read! I definitely recommend this sweet, tension filled, romantic comedy. Lacie Waldon is on my must read shelf! 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a highly anticipated read for me because I loved The Layover. From the Jump did not disappoint! I am a big fan of the college flashbacks, but I also liked that it didn't go back and forth every chapter, just a few key times! Loved Liv and Deiss and their friends. The mysteriousness of Deiss' character as well as the magnetism of these two had me hooked! Very satisfying!

I received a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Lacie Waldon and everything she does. The Layover was the perfect summer read and this summer she produced another one. It reminded me a lot of Shipped by Angie Hockman in all the best ways. It's the perfect romcom to read on vacation and completely forget about your life.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of From the Jump.

This book was so much fun! OH MY HEART! Lacie Waldon I cannot wait to see what else you're going to write!

This book was enjoyable from start to finish - a romance novel that will hook you from page one and keep you wanting more as you finish! I loved the characters, they have depth, they are easy to connect with, likable and relatable! The love connection is full of chemistry! And as a traveler myself, the wanderlust aspect just drove this story home for me. Full of relatable tropes (family found, friends to lovers) the romance between Liv and Lucas is believable and left me feeling good. It was hard to put down and very enjoyable!

I DNF this book. I had a hard time getting into the plot, finding it realistic, feeling true character connection.

Was much more impressed with this book than The Layover. I thought the premise was really something unique and the characters were lovable! I’m a fan.

Adorable quick read - perfect for your first pool day this summer! 😎

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.

💭 Loved, loved, loved this MC! It’s so easy to get lost in your daily routine, and it can be pretty lonely. I just waned to high five her for telling her boss no and taking off to Africa! Felt the chemistry between the characters on the trip and things just took off after that.

Gotta love a sweet friends to lovers romance! ❤️

I read Lacie Waldron’s debut earlier this year and found myself longing for another. I almost cried with joy when I found From the Jump on NetGalley and got approved. Waldon writes with humor and heart. I was sucked in from the very first line and did not want this journey to end. Her writing is clever and the story takes the reader on a journey they will love. It’s a binge-worthy read and I can’t wait for Waldron’s next.

What if learning to say no at work finally helped you change everything? What if one trip changed your whole life? What if everything could not be kept in a pretty little package anymore?

These are questions that Olivia has to answer now.

This book had me hooked the the whole way through. I loved watching Liv break her mold. You learn about the gang “then” and “now” and you can see they were a pretty solid group of friends. There are some moments that stood out in the book with Liv and her friends, but it was the trip moments with Liv and Deiss that were the best moments. Even when it wasn’t flirting, it was always flirty. You practically spend the book jumping and down to see if they ever get together. Will they?

All the characters grow throughout the book, but I think poor Simone remains the same. I wish she could have been better, but I guess that would have been a different story.

Thank you for my advanced copy and exchange for an honest review!

I have now read both of this author's books and enjoyed them equally, which is to say very much! From the Jump is a delightful contemporary romance and wonderful escape. Parts of it, specifically the scenes in S. Africa and St. Lucia, felt like a virtual vacation. The chemistry between Liv and Deiss was there right off the bat, and the platonic relationships and dynamics of the group friendship felt authentic. I loved the banter and consistent witty dialogue throughout. The slow burn development of Liv and Deiss's relationship was perfectly paced. Deiss is...well, Deiss is *chef's kiss*. This author excels in creating depth in her characters while keeping the general tone light and breezy. I will encourage my friends to toss this one in their beach bag this summer!

I DNFd it 😬 I read the first chapter and couldn’t get into it. But I might not have been in the right headspace