This was a delightfully swoony book about two members of a group of friends from undergrad realizing they have more than platonic feelings for each other. The main couple is well-rounded with back stories that pay off their relationship quirks. I would have liked to go a bit deeper with the peripheral friends, which would have helped illustrate why they all stayed such good friends over the years. Overall, very worth the read.

From the Jump by Lacie Waldon
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Genre: 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
Format: 𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
Trigger Warnings: 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐃 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 - 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬
Tropes: 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘥𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

"𝘉𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺. 𝘉𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘉𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯."

From the Jump asks the question of what happens when you stop doing everything you think you’re supposed to do and just start living your life. Olivia is defined by being the girl that follows the rules. She’s your typical people pleaser who doesn’t know how to say no. Then one day everything changes - Olivia finds herself without a job and on a plane to explore Africa with her closest friends.

Best thing about this book is Deiss to me. I love his sense of humor and his carefree attitude - he’s a perfect example of a man written by a woman! Overall, the friend group was wonderful, but Simone is a bad friend and I don’t forgive her for the things that she has done and I wish the other characters would hold her more responsible for her behavior and mistakes.

If you’re reading this book for romance I think it’s only fair that you know this book is a slooooooowburn romance. I’m not going to lie I would have appreciated more romance throughout the book. But I truly enjoyed Deiss and Olivia’s buildup, everything between them felt genuine. I loved that Deiss knew Olivia so well that he could just see things about her that other’s couldn’t.

I mentioned earlier about the triggers but I want to state again that Olivia is very restrictive about her eating and she does talk a lot about her appearance. This could be triggering for someone who currently or has struggled with ED.

This book was so cute, I really loved the main romance in it, but I also really loved the story of the side characters as well. It's really nice to see a group of college friends grow up and the dynamics of the friendships and relationships between them, even though they all have different lives and careers. Liv and Deiss’s relationship and romance are so cute I could read about them all day. Thank you so much NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for a chance to read this!

I loved the Layover so I was pumped to get the chance to read this book! This was a great slow burn friends-to-lovers trope! I loved the witty banter and dialogue between all the character. Deiss has definitely made it onto my book boyfriend list 😍🔥

Publication Date: July 19, 2022

Thank you so much to both Putnam Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book as it delved into friendships and how the characters interact with each other. It was more focused on the relationships and friendships and not the romance so it was a nice surprise.

I enjoyed Waldon’s first book, but this entire story felt off to me. The feasibility of the setup of this story felt so unrealistic; her entire life is stolen? C’mon. I can believe a good deal, but this was a severe stretch. I felt no romantic chemistry, and the 11 year friendships just didn’t feel genuine. I found myself rooting for no one by the end.

Hoping this was just a sophomore slump. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lacie Waldon pulls through for me again! The last month has been a major slog in reading for me, but this week I’ve found SO many good books to devour. Finding a book I can add to my favorites list is always a heart fluttering moment for me, and From the Jump takes its rightful place on that shelf!
Olivia and Deiss are slow burn on excellence! Aloof friends to lovers?? An Ice Queen and a Too Cool for School player?? It truly delivers.
Watching the two of them slowly open up about their pasts with each other and watching as they relearn who they really are was sooo gratifying. They’re two people who learn how to live fully, together, for the first time in their lives.
Lacie Waldon just knows how to write hot books with very little spice- a master of tension and emotional intimacy.
There is also a large friend group with very distinct personalities that work off each other expertly. I’m a sucker for a wacky friend group and this delivers.
Lacie Waldon is solidified as an insta-buy author for me now.
Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was a huge fan of The Layover, so getting approved for an ARC of From The Jump was very exciting. And guys—this was a one-sitting read for me. I only put the book down for quick breaks but finished in a few hours.

The book had three main areas of focus (at least IMO): individual growth, friendships, and romance. As expected, all were entwined to tell the whole story that had me hooked. Liv was not a character I (or many others, I imagine) could relate to. Every day, every decision was so methodical all for the purpose of achieving perfection. Shortly after the book starts, she gets a major wake up call that has her saying no, quitting her job, and jumping on a plane to travel for the first time (internationally, no less!). Side note: huge admiration! While these are all big changes, Liv doesn’t become a new character overnight. She still has to struggle with her past and present issues, figure out her future, and generally seek direction. It was very empowering but in a more untraditional sense. In essence, this was one of the best character developments I’ve read in awhile.

Liv belonged to a friend group that she labeled as more of a family. Again, it was difficult to relate to this group because although she considered them family, no one ever really opened up to each other (at least at first 😉). I struggled for a long time to figure out why she actually considered them family. Until it hit me. You can choose your friends, but your family? Those are the people you’re stuck with for life. Each person was so different, but they stuck with each other, something I found to be heartwarming and valuable.

Finally, the romance. This has got a few great tropes: friends-to-lovers, forbidden love, one bed, etc. It was beautiful. From the glimpses to their past and then the present interactions, I instantly found myself rooting for Liv and Deiss. He helped to contribute so much to Liv’s story, but it was never in an intrusive, controlling way. Some of the dialogue hit me straight in the heart.

Overall? This is not a book to miss out on! Pick it up when it comes out next July!

It’s easy to feel like you’re living life how you should, instead of how you want - this book serves as that reminder to figure out what you want and go for it, even if you experience a few hiccups (or your whole life falling apart, or maybe even falling together?) like Liv. This was a really fun read (so much so that I made myself stop when I knew it was about to take a turn bc I wasn’t mentally ready), and it has plenty of chemistry between Liv and Deiss that has you rooting for them the whole way! The characters in this book were so fun - I caught myself wishing I was apart of this friend group and laughing out loud to the dialogue and their jokes as if I were in on them! It did feel like everything rushed together a bit with the ending which took some of the fun out of it for me, and I really wanted an epilogue to see what happened to the group but I unfortunately wasn’t so lucky. Overall a really colorful read ideal for anyone on a beach trip or just looking for an escape from their dreary reality (like Liv)!

Ok. One, I love love love this books! I love how Waldon portrayed the characters and had that build up. It was a medium to slow burn, friends to lovers, roomates, book. I’m not gonna lie at first I was a little hesitant but then I really got to reading it and I love how Lucy Walden helped show how live got outside of her comfort zone and how she changed and grew as a person. The character development within this book was astronomical and I absolutely love it I have not been able to find a great book with amazing character development that is obvious and this book had that. I will totally read this book 5 stars and recommend it to all of my friends which I probably will end up doing. However I would have liked to see more of Mac and Phoebe‘s relationship but I love how she did portray it.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I have never hit pre-order so quickly after finishing a book in my LIFE! Earlier this year, I read the Layover by the same author, and I liked it but didn't love it; this one I enjoyed so much more. From the Jump follows Liv, a total perfectionist trying to live up to her mother's standards for her until one day, she has finally had enough. Liv quits her job and joins her four best friends on a trip to Africa, which ends up being a catalyst to Liv discovering herself and who she truly wants to be. I liked Liv as the main character. I understood her to need to protect her friend group and many of the things she was dealing with throughout the book. I also really loved Deiss, the main love interest was so sweet, and honestly, everyone deserves to have a Deiss in their lives. Some of the events that took place did seem a little unrealistic to me, so that's why I ended up rating it lower than 5! I can't wait to reread this book when it comes out in July!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

From the Jump by Lacie Waldon was a delight! I loved The Layover and was excited to see she had a new book out! This one follows a group of friends from college. Liv has always followed a plan and played by the rules but it’s gotten her work she hates and a life that feels uncomfortably tight like her unforgiving suits. One day things go sideways and she decides to join her friends on a trip to Africa after all. I loved seeing the two parts of this book: travel and friends to lovers upon return. This book would pair perfectly with the beach, a cup of tea or a glass of wine! I love that it includes discussion questions making it an easy book club choice!

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

Read this book if:

✨You've ever wanted a cat named Cat Stevens
✨You've ever mixed alcohol and ice cream
✨You've ever taken a spontaneous trip to Africa

✨Brief Summary✨
Liv is a perfectionist to the very core. She eats the right foods, says the right things, and saves the right money. Until one day she decides to say no to her boss. Liv puts in her notice and follows her friends across the world on a trip to Africa. When she returns, the one no she gave turns her entire world upside down. She returns home to find she has lost her money, her home, her job, and even her cat. At least she had her college friends to keep her company. Lucas Deiss generously allows Liv to stay with him until she gets on her two feet again. But will she ever return to the yes woman she was before?

✨My Thoughts✨

This was a sweet friends to lovers romance novel. I liked the budding romance between Liv and Deiss. I was rooting for them from the very beginning of their sparring in Africa. I thought the forced proximity also added a nice element to the story.

I also enjoyed how close the college group of friends were. It kind of reminded me of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife in a strange way. I liked that we got to see the characters develop by witnessing their college days and the present.

Unfortunately, some of the items in this novel were completely unrealistic. Who buys a plane ticket to Africa and jumps on a plane the very next day? Who says no to their boss and quits their job on a whim? And how does one lost cat lead to Liv losing all her money and her furniture? I know it was a romance novel, but the events that took place were pretty far fetched.

I think it was worth the read despite some of the unbelievable events that took place. I'd recommend adding to your TBR list for Summer 2022 for a light hearted beach read!

Have you read The Layover?

Honestly, this was just okay for me. The main character was pretty annoying and I don't think there was a clear reason that the love interest would be harboring such intense feelings for her -- and there really wasn't a clear reason why he kept those feelings to himself for so long and suddenly decided now was the time to do something about it. That being said, I did like the dialogue and witty banter between the friends.

Lacie Waldron hits it out of the park again with From the Jump! This is such a sweet read with funny moments that just have you laughing and laughing. I enjoyed the light banter between the characters. Overall a great read!

Thank you @netgalley @putnambooks and @allaboutthat_lace for this eARC in exchange of my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Liv Bakersfield has a pretty set plan for her life. One she’s put into place to ensure that she doesn’t wind up like her mother. One that goes up in flames the day she finally decides to tell her boss no, quits her job and hops on a plane to meet her group of best friends in Africa. Including her emotionally unavailable friend, Lucas Deiss.

When they return from their trip, Liv finds her life completely turned upside down. She finds herself questioning her choices and relying on Deiss. For the first time in their eleven year friendship, she even sees him opening up, and it leaves her feeling things she knows she shouldn’t. Will falling for him tear their group apart and wind up with her heartbroken?

First of all, can I join this group? The banter between the characters in this was so much fun to follow! This was just the lighthearted read I needed. In fact, I read it in one sitting. I loved following along with Liv and Deiss as they got to know one another. It happened so organically and never seemed forced. If you like a funny and lighthearted rom-com, then this is for you!

From the Jump publishes in July 2022!

This review will also be posted to www.goodreads.com/blissfullyread

I have really loved Waldon in the past, but this book didn't do it for me in the way that I hoped it would. I liked our main character, but there were times when I felt like she was distant from the reader. I wanted more from her as a main character than she was giving.

A group of five friends have stayed connected for years and formed a bond of closeness. The story is about two of them, Lucas ( Deiss) and Liv who finally find themselves in a relationship that has a chance to thrive if it does not break up the friends’ bond first. Creatively written with extremely interesting characters and plot.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

From the Jump by Lacie Waldon is a sweet, friends to lovers romance. However, the best part was really watching Liv come out of her shell and realizing how to live for herself rather than other people. If you enjoyed Waldon's first title, The Layover, you should also read this one- Waldon is excellent at putting a bit of adventure in her books, as well as developing her characters in a meaningful way.

The one sticking point in this came at the end. I recognize that forgiveness is important, but was it really deserved? I don't want to spoil anything, but once you read the book you will understand what I am getting at.

4.5 ✩ // Book Preview: Liv, is a perfectionist and an achiever, but when she starts saying “no” instead of “yes,” she discovers a thrill of excitement! She also discovers some underlying feelings for one of her friends, but she cannot imagine ruining her friend group’s dynamic by acting on those feelings.

My Thoughts: Originally, I was drawn to the cover, and after reading the synopsis, I knew this would be a book I would enjoy. From the Jump is the first book I’ve read by the author, Lacie Waldon, but it certainly won’t be my last.

I relate to Liv because I’m an enneagram 1, which is the “perfectionist” or “reformer.” I strive to be my best self, and I can easily become caught up in the “I shoulds” instead of the “that sounds fun” activities, just like Liv.

The romance side of this story is one of my favorites! I enjoyed the banter and flirting so much, and the slow burn was very well written. I would recommend this book to any of my friends who are looking for a cutesy, contemporary romance. I think it would make the perfect beach read too.

Playlist:
Atlas: One, Sleeping at Last
This is Me Trying, Taylor Swift
comethru, Jeremy Zucker
Roses, Genevra Munoa
If I Didn’t Have You, BANNERS
I Think He Knows, Taylor Swift
Love You Like That, Dagny

Format: ebook
Trigger Warnings: homelessness, body dysmorphia, eating disorders

Thank you again, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam. A small preview of my thoughts along with the playlist will be posted on my bookstagram in the upcoming week (https://www.instagram.com/bookish.life.of.hal.mcclain/).

As requested, my full review will be publicly posted near publication date. The full review will be posted on my Goodreads page (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/39047855-halle-mcclain) and on my bookstagram (https://www.instagram.com/bookish.life.of.hal.mcclain/).