I love a good friends-to-lovers story and From the Jump had all the best elements. The story centers around Liv, who is always striving for perfection and has her entire life planned out. On a whim, after being asked to take a break at work, she joins her friends on their trip to South Africa where she is forced to stray away from all things planned and perfect in her life.

The trip to South Africa really makes her realize all she is missing out on. Once she's back in California, she starts doing more of what she wants including spending more time with friends. I won't say anymore because no spoilers, but the story is so incredibly sweet. I loved watching Liv's character evolve and go from this person always chasing perfection to embracing life and its imperfections. It's just a wonderful story.

Lacie Waldon has definitely become an auto-buy author for me. I love her writing style. Definitely check this one.

Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
4.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed everything about this book! The little snippets from the past interweaving with the present… but honestly just the friend group as a whole, that dynamic, the depth of their friendship. It was so perfectly done. And the PINING! That man had been pining for ELEVEN YEARS?!

I loved of Deiss helped Liv realize there was so much more to life than trying to be her version of perfect and “by the book”, her journey to realizing what she needed and got going after it.. so good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Following a close-knit group of friends from college, From the Jump, is a delightful friends-to-lovers rom-com full of witty, sarcastic banter. I could honestly relate to Liz- the pressure to be perfect your whole life can shape you into becoming someone you aren't happy with. It’s easy to feel like you’re living life how you should, instead of how you want and this book serves as that reminder to figure out what you want and go for it, even if you experience a few hiccups along the way.

I loved the author's previous book “The Layover” and I’m looking forward to reading her future books.

After binge reading The Layover last year in a day, I had high hopes for From the Jump and it did not disappoint! I loved Liv and her journey to finally learning to say no.

Liv impulsively quits her job and sets off to Africa to join her college friends on vacation. Little does she know this will set off a series of events that will change her life. I loved Lucas, Phoebe and Mac but honestly the main reason this was not a five star read was Simone. I get her purpose but I could not see why she was so loved by the group.

This book is the perfect summer read and I cannot wait to read what else Lacie Waldon writes! I sped through this one but also did not want it to end!

Olivia Bakersfield is the ultimate perfectionist; perfect hair, perfect finances, perfect body, perfect clothes. Every decision she makes in her life, both professional and personal, is calculated and planned with the guidance of self-help books. Her job as a graphic designer has lost its allure as she is forced to work on dull ad campaigns and for the first time in her life, she says no. No to the assignment at work, no to her controlled diet, no to missing another vacation with her college friends. Liv begins to realize that she doesn’t even know what she wants anymore.

So, she takes the trip to South Africa with her 4 closest friends, quits her job and starts living for herself. When she gets back she has to decide if the jump was worth it, especially after she starts falling for one of her best friends, Lucas Deiss.

My thoughts:
There were some parts of this book I really liked. Phoebe and Mac were great characters, and I could really feel their connection. This book also had more spice than The Layover which was a pleasant surprise.
However, I did struggle with a few things. Firstly, I had a really hard time connecting with Liv’s character. I think more information about her past would have been helpful in relating to her personality. She just felt so robotic to me, which was the point, but I wish her voice had been more vulnerable to the reader.

And don’t get me started on Simone. I honestly don’t know what redeeming qualities she had; she was only referred to as rich and snobby. At times I struggled to see what Simone and Liv added to the friend group.

I also think I would have enjoyed this book with less side stories. Since there were so many of them, a lot of the resolutions were skimmed over. I would have really liked to see Liv confront her mom. I think her character ARC would have been more believable if she had been able to unpack some of the childhood trauma.

Overall, I do like Waldon’s writing style, but I think I needed more character depth and less side stories.

Reviews have been posted to IG and Goodreads.

his book had potential to be a fun 5 ⭐️ read, but a few things kept it from being that for me. I had a hard time connecting to any characters and believing their friendship. None of them seemed to be good friends to each other. If that didn't work, a romance definitely didn't. I enjoyed seeing Liv find herself, but all of her issues were brought on by herself. I also had a hard time following this story and banter at times. I felt like I needed to know the inside jokes to really get it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the chemistry between Liv and Deiss, I loved this group of friends, and as someone who has the word 'wanderlust' tattooed on my body, I loved the trip to South Africa. I also love reading and experiencing a character's growth and From the Jump had that in spades. Now I will say, I'm not typically a slow burn fan, but this was just perfect. I simply couldn't put it down.

This was my first book from the author. I had not read The Layover, but I will certainly be doing so now.

3.5/5 stars

Olivia (Liv) Bakersfield has tried all her life to obtain perfection, living life as she presumed, she was expected to. As a graphic designer for her company, she feels overworked as she is about to yet again miss out on her college friend’s annual trip. After an epiphany, she finally decides to take live by the reigns and do what she wants, starting with leaving her job and joining her friends on their trip to South Africa. Together Liv, Phoebe, Mac, Simone, and Lucas (Deiss) reunite all while Liv tries to push down the growing attraction and feelings, she feels for Diess to protect their friendship. When they all return home, unforeseen circumstances cause Liv to stay with Diess making her efforts at hiding her feelings next to impossible. Liv must decide if she willing to take the jump even if it means risking her closest friendships.

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This was a cute friends-to-lovers with characters I became super invested in! I got to say Simone’s character did leave a bad taste in my mouth but it was interesting to see the friend circle evolve over time between flashbacks to college and the present. In the beginning I was a little annoyed by our MC Liv, this is one of those situations where a lot could have been avoided with communication, but I did love seeing her character growth. My favorite characters hands down had to be Phoebe and Mac 🥹 I would read a book all about them in a heartbeat. I gotta say I was a little confused because I thought most of the story would take place in South Africa and was excited for that setting however, their trip is only a small part in the story and most takes place back in their hometown. Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review, this title is now available for purchase!

In spite of being cute, From the Jump by Lacie Waldon was a bit slow to read! Maybe the tone didn't match my mood, but it was an okay reading experience!

Do you feel like you are always pleasing everyone but yourself? If you answered yes then this book is for you.

I loved Layover so I was not sure if this book could top it. However, I have to say it was really good, very relatable. In the beginning I was not a big fan of Liv or her friends, so I was not sure it this book was for me. But, once I got more back story and character development then I was hooked.

This is a great beach read with friend drama we can all relate to but also about what happens if stop trying to be prefect and let our guard down. I liked the go with the flow attitude, I think sometimes we think work is the only thing that defines us. But once we realize hey that's not who I am or what I really want my life to be, I want to really live in the moment. That is what this book is about opening up a whole side of yourself you lost somewhere along the way. Can you get it back and not hurt the ones you love or is it worth the risk?

Liv is a follow the rules person, not moving from her comfort zone. Her friends that she loves so much are the opposite. They are going on a group trip again without her because she is so busy at work. She decides she is going to go because she can't miss yet another trip with her friends. So she starts by quitting her job and hopping on airplane. Once she gets there everything starts to change and she likes herself without rules. But will it all change when she gets back home or can she hang on to this new Liv and maybe open up to love?

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for copy of this book for my honest review.

I loved the characters in this book! They were very likeable, and I loved the ending. This is my second book I have read by Lacie Waldon, and I will definitely be reading more in the future!

A sweet friends to lovers romance on the outside, but also hits deeper themes like perfectionism, self worth, and so much more!

Liv is the embodiment of everything that everyone told her she should be, without thinking of what she actually wants to be. When she gives it all up on a whim and flies to Africa to crash her friends’ vacation what could go wrong?

The friend group dynamic of Liv, Diess, Phoebe, Simone and Mac is honestly as realistic as it gets. The couple who has dated and broken up, but still love each other. The friend who is pining for another one but knows it will never happen. And the friend who came from a completely different world than the rest and has to adapt to what her friends can have.

Also, Diess had me drooling thinking about what a hunk he would be. But then you get deeper and see where he came from and what his story is and fall in love with him.

I could not have loved this book more! Perfect for a beach read, or a plane read! Grab it today!

Thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to like this one but found it just ok. I almost DNF-ed it several times. I'm really not sure why it didn't work for me, but I just wasn't invested in the story and kept putting it down and picking up other books. I switched to audio which did make me finish, but this one just wasn't a win for me overall.

Thanks for my gifted copy!!

From the Jump was a sweet and light beach read. As a person with anxiety, this book was fun because it showed how much fun can happen if you sometimes throw caution to the wind. Overall, the book was fun, but I didn't really "click" with any of the main characters.

*ARC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. I want to express a thank you to the valued author, the publisher who took a chance on the author, and Netgalley for providing a copy.*

Lacie Waldon is quickly becoming an auto read author for me. I love her summery, rom-com books mixed with a great travel destination. From the Jump follows Liv Bakersfield, the ultimate yes girl, who finally discovers how fun life can be when she stops living how she thinks she should and starts living how she wants.

There were so many great things about this book. I loved the travel and thought South Africa made for a fun and exciting backdrop to the annual friend vacation that Liv finds herself on for the first time with her friend group from college. I loved the buildup and tension between our two main characters and their ultimate romance. The way Deiss stood up for Liv over and over again made me swoon! I loved the group of friends, but thought the dynamic was interesting. They’re portrayed as a tight knit group for 11 years, but there seems to be a lot of distance and secrets kept. Later on there are some major betrayals and it seems to be glossed over or not really resolved all in the name of friendship.

Overall, I thought this was a great read and follow up to her debut, The Layover. I love the author’s writing and can’t wait to see what she puts out next.

So I’m not sure if this just was a case of wrong time or not, but this book is really not for me. The MC annoys me, I don’t understand their group, and the plot is too over the top. I like the growth the MC is going through, but I can’t get over that she can’t even let her best friend see her without the perfect outfit or makeup. Also, the male lead’s secret seems very hard to hide from a group of best friends. I normally don’t mind corny and over the top romances, but I’m just not into this one. I was hoping the setting would help, and it did, but it wasn’t enough. I loved the authors other books so I’m pretty sad.

Deiss, you are a book boyfriend if I've ever known one. Definitely the male MC that we all know and love. Brooding, likes music, hot, and a little mysterious...sounds like a sure thing! Liz, I mean Liv, you were a little boring. EEK. I think your character was supposed to have a full self discovery in these pages and I'll admit, you came far, but jeesh...not the brightest bulb in the box huh?? I wanted to love this book and I did for about 50% of it...30-50% and 65-95% is where it's at. The focus on this friendship group was so good, soooo good, but Simone messed up big time and I can't imagine forgiving so quickly after that betrayal. Lastly, the ending...so impulsive. Why?

Anyways, read The Layover...it's amazing.

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and author for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have always enjoyed a story from Lacie Waldon. It’s always very intriguing and engaging. Easy and quick read! Highly recommend

This one was middle of the road for me. I found Liv, the main character, to be unlikable. Her and her friends were still immature and some of the banter was childish and felt annoying. I liked Liv’s love interest Lucas Diess and enjoyed his part of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lacie Waldon’s debut The Layover last year (you can read my review here)and I am so excited I had a chance to read and review her latest! Just like her debut, From the Jump was a quick, lighthearted rom com that was comfortable in its predictability. Each member of this friend group has a quirk or trait that reminds me of someone I know.

I felt Liv was completely relatable! She holds her friends at an almost professional distance earning her the title of Ice Queen. Her persona is carefully crafted for perfection; the perfection upheld by self-help books anyway. She has a plan for her life, complete with steps/stages to complete, and this plan is the only thing that’s important. Until she snaps and Liv decides its time for a change and some spontaneity.

Queue an impromptu trip to South Africa that sounds positively dreamy! The entire situation with Liv’s belongings post-trip is a bit dramatic but it set up the latter half of the story well and gave me more of that forced proximity that I adore. Deiss is delightful! The longer we spent in his company the more I enjoyed the layers of his character and background. I just wish we had a little more time for the bonds between Deiss and Liv to deepen. But I know that I can be rather greedy when reading a couple that I thoroughly enjoy!

It really felt like they started more as acquaintances rather than best buds from college. And really that extended to the entire group. Liv seemed to be the odd one out; probably due to her impersonal touch to relationships throughout most the story. I wasn’t sure what kept this group of college friends in touch. Their personalities complemented each other well but something felt a little off. Simone was the hardest one to like, but she had her place both in the group and the story.

From the Jump was absolutely delightful and was the light, beach-read that I hoped it would be! Forced proximity, friends-to-lovers, and personal growth take readers on a warm, wholly relatable journey. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Waldon’s future work!