Where to start? I really wanted to like this book and I started off really enjoying it and the banter between the characters.

Cadence Lim is very smart and a hard worker, she has worked hard for her career and to be the best at what she does. I really like her dedication to her career.

Cadence works closely with Matt and always helps him when he needs it. It helps that he's kind and requests her help instead of demanding it. She also has a crush on Matt.

So up until this point I am still very interested in this book, but than Cadence takes a turn and is kinda mean to Matt which I don’t get if she has a crush on him. It seemed a bit juvenile to me, if you like someone be mean to them.

And then she wasn’t really nice to her family, and I get that every family has issues but it seemed like she was abrupt and distance both emotionally and physically.

This turned me away from the book a little because I didn’t like how she treated people in the book and I couldn’t understand how you can like someone that’s mean to you.

Matt was a super nice guy that was friendly with everyone. He genuinely likes people and likes to talk to them. This also seemed like something Cadence didn’t like. Even going to the point of saying "not everyone can talk incessantly like you".

And it seems like nothing she said got to him, which is fine but also unreasonable, if you keep putting someone down there not going to take it that light whether they like you or not.

Matt definitely has a soft spot for Cadence and let her walk all over him. I was annoyed for him at some points in the book.

And Matt has a big rambunctious family that that is nothing like what Cadence is use to but gets along so well with them. I didn’t understand how she could be nice to some people and then flat out mean to other people that were supposed to be close to her.

This made the chemistry off for me. I couldn’t feel like connection with them because of the lack of relationship. Then the conflict seemed very forced to me, and was blown way out of proportion.

It was wrapped up super fast in the end like things just magically started to get better and relationships were healed. Up to 90% of the book Cadence was still at odds with her family.

I just could understand the characters and why they were attracted to each other. This one wasn’t for me.

When I first read the synopsis I thought SHE DID IT FOR ME and I’m very happy that I got to read an early copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager!

Let me just start off by saying that I love friends to lovers so I’m very picky when it comes to this trope, I always like when the author makes you fall in love with their friendship before making you fall in love with them as a couple and even though I did loved their friendship I didn’t connect with them as a couple, yes they’re cute but they weren’t IT for me. One of the bests aspects of this book is the family dynamics, Julie did a very good job describing these situations that would for sure happen in real life and it was really fun to read.

Not a lot to complain, I did enjoy this read but if I’m being completely honest sometimes I got bored about the workplace plot and I kinda expected more. But hey, it was nice and fun! I might stick around to see what’s next for Julie Tieu!

Thanks to NetGalley for sharing this arc !
This book was good. I enjoyed the whole book. It was well written, fun and it’s a contemporary romance.
I totally recommend! Also the Arthur has another book you should totally read. The donut trap

I got an arc from net galley. The story was good and compelling however the two main characters didnt have much in the way of chemistry. They didnt play off one another as well as i feel they could have. Their relationship seemed stilted and forced in several places. It did get better towards the end.

**Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are completely my own.** 

2-2.5 stars. Feels like it is in the preliminary draft stages and sorely needs some serious reworking and stylistic editing.

I'll be honest - this was not a good read and it just was not for me. Before you say I'm a Negative Nancy, I'll let you know that I do not give out bad reviews lightly. In fact, I try to be as generous as possible within the limits of my honesty. 

There were several issues that immediately jumped out at me as soon as I started chapter one. 

WRITING STYLE/GRAMMATICAL ISSUES: I have a problem with the grammar in this book. We all know that if used correctly, grammar can greatly enhance the "flow" of a sentence. But within the first chapter, we encounter issues where the grammar just brings the entire sentence to a screeching halt, such as mixing past and present tenses together in one sentence (i.e. "A was running, B was laughing, and C walks."). There is also the misuse of "would/could" when it should be "will/can." In sum, not a big deal, but little issues like this start to pile up and ruin the flow of the story. Every time I thought, "Okay, this sentence has a nice flow, I like where this is going," it was immediately butchered by one of the above issues.  

Personally, when I write, I literally sit down, print out a physical copy of my draft, and make edits right there on the paper. Yes, this means that I have to go through a LOT of drafts when I do this. But each time I come back to my revised draft, I find something new to fix. This type of attention to detail and repetitive editing was something that this book sorely needed - and COMPLETELY lacked. There were so many trouble areas, issues, and sentences that could have been tightened up and made snappier, if someone had just sat down and fixed the grammar and tone of the story. Of course, I know that this story must have gone through many drafts - which only makes it more disappointing. Please - someone get a new pair of eyes on this and fix it up!

CHOPPY/UNEVEN FLASHBACKS: Not only was the grammar lacking, but there were also randomly inserted flashbacks in the middle of the plot that did not add to the storyline. I completely get the use of a well-placed flashback, but here, it seemed like the author just lobbed in flashbacks at random, instead of tying memories in cohesively. 

BADLY EXECUTED HUMOR: I'll preface this by saying I enjoy a good laugh, I really do. We all know that to tell a joke, especially through writing, it's got to be a bit snappy and "release" the joke at just the right time, instead of building up and fumbling the joke. Unfortunately, a lot of the jokes in this book were really lame and dragged on for too long. There was nothing satisfying or snappy about the jokes here. Seriously, some of the jokes took like 2 paragraphs to build up, and even then, they weren't even funny. 

TLDR; Honestly, I feel like this could still use a lot of work. Can someone please "circle back" to this book and give it the serious reworking it needs?

Thank you netgalley for this arc!! Here is my VERY honest review. I just want to preface this with the warning that my feelings about this book can be summed up by saying its my fault, not the books. Wrong person right time anyone?

Let me start by saying this: I love Matt and Cadence. I really think they're great characters and I loved the energy between them. You would think this is the most important part of a romance book, right?

Wrong. Oh so very wrong.

I love friends to lovers. I love co-workers to friends to lovers. My own fiancé and I were once coworkers. It's the cutest thing in the world.

I have now discovered I do NOT care for fancy office place romances. It just wasn't fun, and honestly it detracted from the story a lot. My other big issues were with the background characters and the writing. I also felt like a lot of the situations Cadence and Matt got into were a big cringe (the dancing scene was an actual nightmare for me to read).

Did I love this? No. Am I the pickiest person I know when it comes to romance books? Yes. I've only ever really loved one romance novel and I've read a good amount of them.

I will absolutely keep my eye out for other books from Julie Tieu in the future. Again, the part I loved the most about this was the central couple. If she can keep that energy but in a different setting then I know it'll be a wonderful time.

This was a cute story with adorable characters. The romance was great and I enjoyed the trope as well! This was a well written book that was a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review. I began this book with hopes. I loved the Hating Game and thought this story gave off similar vibes in the description. Honestly, less than 10% in and I did end up DNFing this story. I lost interest with the characters and plot and just needed to step away to read other things that would be enjoyable and more to my taste.
I’m sure that this book will have a amazing following for those who enjoy the romance genre.

(I’ll say more like 3.5)

This started off great. The chemistry, the pining, the banter! Matt and Cadence make you want to root for them. I personally love the “straight forward almost mean” and the “hopelessly endeared” pairing. It works well with them. So many of Matt’s lines had me laughing, he made a really good love interest. All really good buildup for nothing really. Once you hit the halfway mark the story loses a lot of steam.

I’m only giving it 3.5 because of how much I enjoyed the first half of the story. It could’ve been amazing if the entire book felt like that beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Circling Back To You is cute and fun, and exactly what you would expect based on the synopsis. It certainly isn't award winning writing, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment.

The Good: I loved the family dynamics that were explored here, and Cadence and Matt's differing family experiences. I also really enjoyed the split perspectives, and thought their inner voices balanced each other out well.

The Less Good: The middle part of this book was a bit of a slog, and I really wish it had moved at a faster pace. My only other complaint was that I felt like this 100% read like a YA novel, which is fine, but it's promoted for adults, so I expected the language to be a bit more geared toward adult readers.

If you're always down to read a rom-com, pick this up right away!

💗 E- Arc Book Review 💗

Thank you to @netgalley and @julietieuwrites for the chance to read your upcoming release! I’m such a sucker for a quick & light romcom.

I loved the MCs and their whole dynamic. They developed well throughout the story and I loved that they took their relationship to the next level earlier on the book. I enjoyed seeing them grow as characters TOGETHER.

Cadence is a hard working woman who spends all of her time focused on that instead of her family.
Matt is a very likeable co-worker who does everything in his power to make Cadence happy!
When they are set to spend time together working in California, they are forced to share a hotel suite together. Even with separate rooms, they must work closely together on an assignment and the proximity affects them, in more ways than one. Cadence and Matt must push throw work obstacles as well as family obstacles to grow stronger together.

Release Date: July 12,2022
Genre: romcom
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Mark your calendars now! You don’t want to miss this one ☺️

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

Julie is VERY QUICKLY becoming one of my favorite romance writers. She's just so great at chemistry and the complexity of family. Five stars. As always.

Circling Back to You not only gave me one of the cutest couples I have read, but also one that deals with challenges that are pretty realistic in my view, and which don't usually show up as often in other rom-coms.
I'll start with the aspect of it that made me smile like a dumb person at my kindle: the romance. I truly enjoyed Matt and Cadence's dynamic, I feel like they were so supportive of each other as friends and I thought that was great! Also, I really liked how the author portrayed the dynamic of each character with their respective families and then with that of the other. Though I feel like there could have been a bit more moments that strengthened their connection as a couple, I do think that their relationship was well-developed.

Now, the aspect of the book that truly added more significance to their story was the whole concept of family. Julie Tieu provides us with two contrasting relationships between the main characters and their families and I like that they were intentional. While we were able to see Matt and some of the routines and dynamic with his cousins, parents, and grandma, we also see the distant relationship that Cadence has with her father and brother and the way in which she managed her grief on her own. I could see the growth of the characters throughout the book and the way their families contributed to this. All in all, I'd really recommend this book for anyone looking for a cute work place romance that also dives a little into the challenges that sometimes come with family and how two characters are able to improve both for themselves and for the other.

This book was a fun read. I enjoyed following Matt and Cadence's story, though it fell flat in some places. As a reader, I wanted to connect with them but found myself unable to in light of what I felt were missing details. Still, I recommend it for fans of the workplace romance.

Honestly one of the best romcoms I've read last year! The chemistry between the two characters is impeccable. The pacing in this book isn't slow but isn't also fast, it's in a normal pace which gives us readers enjoyment and satisfaction in exploring the relationship of the main leads. I gotta say, as a Filipino, I am quite happy that the author gave justice in representing us. Needless to say, I'm really happy I've got to read this before publish. Thank you so much for giving me this ARC!

Starting the year off strong with this amazing book. I’m not usually one for office romances, but I really enjoyed reading this. I really enjoyed reading this book. I really liked Cadence as a character. Matt was such a good match for her. His warmth matched her coldness so well. This book was well written and entertaining. I would definitely recommend if you are into romance novels!

What's this book about?
Cadence and Matt have worked at the same company for 5 years; they're cubicle buddies, separated by a small partition, with an established friendly and supportive rapport. Cadence is a type-A analyst; she keeps everyone at arm's length and insists on keeping her personal and professional life separate. Matt is the charismatic and gregarious guy in the office, a superstar broker gunning for a promotion. They're secretly attracted to each other but work keeps them busy so they don't pursue anything more. That is until they're dispatched on a work trip to secure a deal with a big ticket client. In LA, forced to share a hotel suite, the two navigate their newfound relationship while dealing with pressure from their colleagues, family, and personal ambitions.

My Thoughts:
I cannot get over how cute this book is! I caught myself smiling while reading more than once, mostly because of Matt's personality and sweet gestures. The writing is charming and a little quirky, and the amount of relatability in this book is awesome! I felt so seen, especially in regards to Cadence's disposition and background: from her habit of changing out of her outside clothes as soon as she gets home, to the distant relationship she has with her father and brother and her struggle with filial piety. Her family is juxtaposed with Matt's large yet tight-knit family, depictions of which were akin to the dynamics I've seen with my own Filipinx friends' relatives. I appreciate how straightforward Cadence and Matt are and I loved reading their fun and flirty dialogue. The main characters truly have each other's backs and best interest as a priority. They've known each other for years, albeit shallowly, so it makes sense that when they decide to be romantic, they don't follow the typical dating timeline. Their relationship progresses relatively quickly, going from amiable colleagues to cohabitating lovers in less than a week, but the obstacles they face are realistic and the resolution was satisfying.

This was a delightful read, teeming with heart and Asian representation. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of grump/sunshine, friends to lovers, and/or workplace romances!

Rating: 3.5, rounded up to 4, out of 5 stars.

I’m not sure what it was about this book but I couldn’t get into it which is saying something because I usually love this type of book. I don’t know if it was the writing style (which isn’t the author’s fault) Or just that this book really wasn’t for me but it was difficult for me to get through.

CIRCLING BACK TO YOU is a workplace romcom with a dual POV between analyst Cadence Lim and top broker Matt Escanilla. This fun and lighthearted story follows their coworker to friends to lovers journey while they work together to secure a deal with a high profile client that would help Matt land a promotion. When the negotiation is in jeopardy, Cadence is recruited to tag along with Matt to LA to close the deal. Going to LA brings them to their hometowns where they both have to contend with their families and varying expectations while also working together to juggle competing professional interests.