I fancied reading something very different to my usual choices so remembered seeing good things about this author. I suppose you could describe this as a friend's to lovers trope although initially the protagonists are merely just slightly acquainted. Eliza has dreaded Christmas and told everyone including herself that she would treat it as a normal day and not make a big deal out of it. Yep that doesn't last long so she goes into the office and finds Beck the cyber security expert down the hall has also avoided all the festivities. When Eliza blurts out she's hoping to adopt a dog Beck kindly offers to go with her and so begins a friendship that challenges Eliza to start to live life very differently and make things a lot more interesting !
This is a sweet, playful romance although as Eliza is apparently a therapist she does make odd choices. Beck has secrets which although revealed I perhaps would have preferred more depth and details. This couple do become friends and in point of fact become friends with benefits which I found distasteful as Eliza was actually dating one of Becks friends at the time ! Yet the story held my attention as I did want them to get a happy ending but heavens they do put themselves through the wringer to get there. Bottom line is I did enjoy this book and would look for more from this new to me author.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

**Quick Ratings:**

Writing: 4/5

Story: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Chemistry: 3/5

Ending: 3/5

Would I reread this? No - it was fine, but the story or characters haven’t stayed with me.

Would I recommend this to someone? Hmm, maybe, if I thought they would enjoy it, but I probably wouldn’t rave about it to others.

**Review:**

I started off quite strong with this one, I liked the main character and enjoyed the writing style, but I think after their interactions I just wasn’t feeling it. I feel like this is on me though, I don’t really like reading blurbs of books so I don’t get the wrong impression and I saw it was described as a women struggling to find her place in the world and I just jumped on that without seeing the rest! So, was expecting/hoping for more self-growth and less friends with benefits I guess haha.

The characters were okay…but I didn’t really enjoy their chemistry, I think it was a bit of a forced grumpy/sunshine trope (if the author/characters use those words to describe each other it’s too on the nose for me) and it almost felt a bit too insta-lovey for me, and this was only 10% in. This was emphasised by the characters both being very focused on physical attraction and imagining each other naked at pretty much their first interaction, which I wasn’t a fan off. I really struggled to believe the characters had any emotional connection to each other - especially at the NoPho party where Beckham admitted he didn’t want to kiss Eliza in front of everyone because he wants to sleep with her and wouldn’t be able to stop himself…gross.

I thought I would go into a few reasons why I didn’t really like Beckham:

- He almost immediately and pretty much unprompted offered to be Eliza’s friends with benefits even though she said it is something she doesn’t want (and also assumes she would accept it from him?)
- He seemed to constantly be at work super late and *happened* to see her return from dates
- He kept saying all these things to Eliza and assuming she wants him - and I don’t get how that made him any different from Ryan really.
- When he said “I am human and male” as if that was his excuse for constantly being aroused and crossing the line when Eliza wants to be friends and all he sees is her body and that he wants to sleep with her. Like please, he got hard when she was reading a book??
- Felt like he kept pushing boundaries, like when Eliza said she didn’t want to do FWB anymore he insisted on coming over…like, take a hint.
- Wasn’t a fan on how he made Eliza feel bad about not asking about his past (when he is very clearly a private person and probably wouldn’t have told her anyway) when he had never asked about her past either???

And I guess Eliza too:

- It really frustrated me that she just immediately shut down all her social media after the incident with Ryan - I feel like she should have made a response video telling her story, this could have been really helpful for other people who have been in a similar situation and would have given her an opportunity to defend herself.
- Plus, she mentioned how she was hoping to get sponsorships and help her business, etc - shutting this all down (I assume) would have a major impact on that!!
- Her ‘goal’ was go spend 6 months dating and meeting people offline, but we saw her go to 1 event (meet someone but make out with someone else) and then make no other efforts to meet anyone or go on any other dates.
- I felt like her confession about giving up her dreams of being married and all that was very out of the blue and somehow blamed it on social media……eh.
- I don’t think she needed to write a book - but it was clear it was meant to be the main conflict because she could have just written down her feelings in like a journal - I think I would have felt more genuine if that was the case.
-

The story itself didn’t compel me too much - the idea of going 6 months without social media, I guess is an interesting concept - but trying to write a book about it - I totally agree with Beckham’s original comment that it felt performative and was glad he said it. I feel like her ‘journey’ with this wasn’t actually explored much. Similarly, trying to date not online…is not an uncommon thing? Especially if she is 30, she would have been in her early 20’s before Tinder was a thing so (I assume) she would have had some experience in dating in the ‘real world’.

I felt as though we didn’t get much background on Eliza at all - why hadn’t she met someone, had their been a lot of hurt in the past? When Beckham brought up her past and saying she was scared and judging guys when we had no evidence of that, so that comment seemed out of the blue.

The timeline wasn’t very clear in this book - Christmas, New Years and Valentine’s Day are mentioned - plus the 6 month goal, but I never really knew how much time had passed. I felt like if they had separated it into periods of each month during her detox it would have been easier to follow.

Overall, this book was well written and had some good concepts and nice scenes, but I unfortunately I wasn’t really sold on the characters and their relationship.

I was looking forward to read this book like any Roni Loren book. Unfortunately this one did not do it for me. Her writing and the issues that she bring forward are always compelling. The chemistry between the two leads was very flat, I did not feel it. The author wanted to establish a friendship first but in my opinion their first kiss came way to late into the book and their sex scenes were too predictable. Not to say that someone else is not going to like it so it's still worth reading.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. The opinions expressed here are all mine.

I wanted to like this book. It had tropes in it that I really like, from friends to lovers to lets just have hot sex and leave the feelings out of it to oops I've fallen in love. But after finishing the book, I thought about the characters and I had some major issues.

First of all, let's take Eliza, the therapist and FMC. For someone who is a therapist and an actual trained expert on human emotions, she sure did lack a lot of self-awareness. And I don't begrudge her that - but I do wonder why Eliza herself never sought therapy. She has ample reason to (aside from the fact that I think everyone should have therapy regardless of whether they have trauma in their lives). But when the book starts, it's only a couple of years since Eliza suddenly lost both her parents to a car accident. She's got no siblings and is, by all accounts, alone in the world in terms of family. That would cause a lot of trauma and grief, I imagine. The book literally opens on Christmas Day with Eliza trying very hard to not have an emotional breakdown because she's all alone. A prime candidate for therapy if I ever saw one.

Eliza is also described as a "sexy Latina" in the book, in what could best be described almost as a throwaway line from a secondary minor character. That is the ONLY time her heritage is mentioned. And literally, if it weren't for that one throwaway line, nothing in the book would suggest that she's Latina. So...why even include it? What is the point of that line if that is the only time it's ever brought up or referenced? I guess I don't understand the point of including one single throwaway line that mentions she's Latina and then never ever refers back to it.

There's a scene in the book where Eliza's best friends, Hollyn and Andi have come over to commiserate with a depressed Eliza after the dark moment in the book. Andi delivers a line that really resonated with me when Eliza comments about shouldn't she want a happy ending for herself?

"Honey," Andi said with a little laugh, "a happy ending is the one that makes YOU happy. The hard part is figuring out what that is."

The whole conversation seems to suggest that Eliza already has her life together and doesn't really need a husband and a child to complete that picture, even though it's what society seems to tell her she should need or want. And maybe that's the reason Eliza always pushes men away is because she doesn't actually NEED them. It was a really interesting conversation and I loved the idea of a romance novel giving us a happy ending ending that wasn't about marriage and children, that maybe Eliza could define and find her own happiness on her own terms. But then, cut to the epilogue and there it is: marriage, a kid, the hallmarks of a traditional HEA. And I had to wonder, what that conversation was even about when the epilogue just gave us the traditional HEA. And yes, it's a romance and it's SUPPOSED to have an HEA but there is nothing in the romance rulebooks to suggest that the HEA has to include marriage and kids. I would have loved to have seen Eliza define her own HEA as one where she and the MMC are in love but never really feel like they need or want marriage or kids.

And that leads me to the MMC. Beckham, formerly known as Matthew Joseph Lakeman. In his past life, Beckham was the oldest of 7 kids raised in a fundamental Christian church that his father led. (Think of the Duggars but with way less kids). They starred in a reality tv show but Beckham always rebelled against the church and his father's dictatorial teachings. He has premarital sex with his girlfriend, someone catches it on tape and leaks it and he is forced to marry his girlfriend to save her reputation. It's....a lot. Cut to present day, Beckham has left his wife, annulled his marriage, is estranged from his family, and continues to allow his father to control his life...this time by doing the opposite of everything his father wanted him to do. He is a recovering alcoholic, has tons of tattoos and a nipple piercing, doesn't believe in marriage, and is a professional corporate hacker, making sure big businesses have websites that are safe from being hacked. He is also an absolute sticker for privacy, having had his own privacy violated at such a early age.

All of this comes to a head when in a scene that is really off-putting, Beckham breaches Eliza's privacy. I already had issues with Eliza by that point but in that moment, I couldn't really figure out Beckham and why he made that choice because his backstory was still such a mystery. And even when it is all revealed in a scene that is brought about because Beckham's ex-wife shows up, demanding he return to her or else she's going to kill herself, it just seems so much to take. Honestly, the end of the book falls apart because of all the external influences that have to coalesce to bring Eliza and Beckham back together.

At the very least, Beckham decides he needs therapy to deal with his long-standing issues and asks Eliza to wait for him. Eliza though, isn't down with that. She wants to be with him NOW. For a therapist, she makes a lot of choices that I don't really agree with or understand and while the book ends with a HEA and an epilogue that involves a glance several years down the line to them married and with a kid, it also leaves me doubting their HEA. Because it all cones to easy and too quickly for two people who have a whole host of issues that only one of them ended up dealing with because there is never any mention made of Eliza ever seeking therapy for her own issues.

All that to say, the premise had potential but the execution just fell apart for me.

ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley, opinions are all mine.

Content notes: older woman, younger man, Beckham was an alcoholic, fundamental Christian church upbringing, off page parental death, breach of privacy, Eliza's date gets her drunk and videos her having a total meltdown, Beckham's ex wife shows up and threatens to kill herself if he doesn't return to her; I'm sure there's more I've left out but I think these are the big ones.

'It's time for the therapist, to have some therapy in For You & No One Else by Roni Loren. And Beck Carter is the man for the job.' -- The British Bibliophile

I'm back with my second Roni Loren read and third book in her 'Say Everything' series, For You & No One Else. I signed up to read this book because I was impressed with my first Roni Loren read, a paperback ARC of What If You & Me, which was one of my top reads last year. I was keen for more and was eager to see if this read would deliver the same thrill and enjoyment.

Focus shifts away from our former main characters, Andi Lockley & Hill Dawson, shifting now to Eliza Catalano & Beck Carter. If, like me, you've read What If You & Me, you'll be somewhat already familiar with Eliza, now is the chance for you all to get to know her and where this story takes her and Beck with this read.

As a therapist, people expect you to have it together to help others in their own lives, the character of Eliza goes to prove and show how much we mask as people outwardly in society. Those in positions such as therapists often are struggling themselves with something as at the end of the day, they are as human as we are, and Eliza's own insecurities and pitfalls display--at least to Beck--what she is battling while on a quest to better the lives of those who are in her clientele. Where I can see some might criticise her character and her behaviour, there should be a moment also to pause and remember that this is fiction, and a character crafted by an author that can be taken anywhere and be anything. She is a character that represents a lot of us in means of how reliant, connected and accustom to social media we are, and the potential downfalls of going viral and/or having content published that might not put us in the best light and will ultimately give us a negative view and experience. Seeing her tackle the challenge ahead of her, thanks to Beck's help, was enjoyable to read and watch play out.

Did I wish there was a bit more steam between the two? Yes. The intimate scene were far and few between but again, this is the way Roni has chose to write their story and ultimately her goal and focus was not on their intimacy, but them in the world that demands so much out of each and every one of us. In a world where we're all connected in one big web, two people were to navigate it off-the-grid. Many messages and lessons came through from reading For You & No One Else which you'll discover as you read the book, and Roni has to be applauded for weaving them into the story.

Now the question is posed. What happens after the six months are up in which Eliza has vowed to give up social media? Will she be sucked in and return to life as before Beck came along? Or will she stay the course with a man who has turned both her world and her heart upside down and inside out? The result won't disappoint.

If you're looking for a read that steps outside of confines of real world circumstances, situations, characters and is a genuinely entertaining, comical and at times surprising, this is the book for you.

I enjoyed this one! A fun friends to lovers story from Roni Loren. Like all the books in this series, Loren does a great job of developing characters with emotional back stories and "baggage." Eliza is a therapist struggling to cope with the trauma of losing her parents in a car accident and trying desperately to maintain appearances. Beck is an analog only survivor of a cult who is dedicated to personal privacy. They work at the same coworking space and share a Christmas Day adventure when they realize they are the only two people in the building. The steam level was great and the chemistry was on point. I'd definitely recommend anything she writes to a customer!

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored the first two books in this series by Roni Loren so I was pumped to receive an advanced copy of For You & No One Else. Unfortunately, this book was not at all what I was expecting and I had a lot of trouble getting into it. It ended up being a DNF for me just over 1/2 way through. As always, Loren tackles difficult issues with grace and her writing is engaging, but the plot of the story was a let down to me. [spoiler ahead] At the 1/2 way mark, the FMC is dating the MMC's good friend, while hooking up causally with the MMC, who is not interested in a relationship. This arrangement is known to both MMC and FMC and they think this is a good idea? I will definitely read more books by Roni Loren, but not this one. If you are interested, I would say skip this one, but the first two in the series are great--highly recommend!

Thank you so much for an advanced review copy of For You & No One Else. This book was amazing!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: July 5, 2022

Roni Loren has done it again with For You & No One Else, the third book in the Say Everything series. This book was phenomenal, and it was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my reading slump.

First, Roni Loren puts her gift to showcase people with identifiable backstories, relatable issues, and true, soulful connections. Eliza and Beckham are perfectly imperfectly matched, and their chemistry dances off the pages of this book. I really didn't think I could love a book more than the first two in this series, but For You and No One Else is firmly cemented in my heart now. I thought Beckham's backstory was really unique and provided a sensitive way to examine the potentially damaging effects of growing up with a strong focus on conservative religion. I also thought Eliza's backstory of trauma with dating woes, being publicly humiliated, and the loss of her parents was really identifiable. I felt like I knew both Beck and Eli, even though I personally hadn't experienced what they had.

Second, the CHEMISTRY. Roni Loren knows her way about some chemistry in a book, and the connection between Beck and Eli was instant. What I really liked, though, was that the love wasn't instant, but the attraction was. I think that is much more relatable than instant love. I think we've all felt instant attraction, so we can all understand it. This book also has a bit more of a slow burn on the steamy side of things than the previous two books, but boy, does Roni Loren make it count when it happens. And that ending chapter with the blindfold? I was sweating, let me tell you. 😂

Third, this book just made me happy. I literally could not put it down. I read the first 60% of the story in one sitting, and I would have finished the whole book if not for you know, needing to sleep. I was swept away into the world she has created with the characters I've fallen in love with from the previous two stories. This book is contemporary romance perfection.

If you haven't read the first two books in this series, Yes & I Love You and What If You & I, I highly encourage you to read them before this one. There aren't major plot spoilers, but you will kind of know the gist of what happens in them if you don't. If you don't mind that, you could definitely read this one as a stand-alone, although I think it hits better knowing the backstory of the couples in the first two books.

This is the third book in the Say Everything Series by Roni Loren and I am beyond grateful to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read this if you:

Want a quick and engaging read
Enjoy a book that highlights mental health topics
Are looking for swoon-worthy well developed characters
Want a romance that is a mix of emotions, steamy, fun and sweet moments

My Thoughts:

The characters in this book were well developed with background stories that highlighted very well their personalities. I loved how both Eliza and Beck grew throughout the novel and how they helped each other become the best version of themselves.

I really enjoyed the focus on mental health in this book. I think that one of the most important lessons to take out of this book would be to not be afraid to let go of people and environments that are toxic for you.

Sometimes people may not realize how important it is to be surrounded by people who encourage them to be their true self. This book sends a powerful message to everyone who needs a little push to put themselves first and let go of the past that doesn’t serve them anymore.

Also, if you feel too social media drained, this book encourages you to take a break from social media and it shows you that there are other “oldie but goldie” ways in which to have fun and meet new people.

Eliza and Beck are incredibly cute together. I believe that they had a unique chemistry between them. I was rooting for them to get together but I also enjoyed the fact that they took a bit of a more non-traditional path to get there, which worked really well for them. They had a bit of everything: fun moments, sweet moments, emotional scenes and steamy scenes. I enjoyed witnessing their whole journey!

Something else I loved about this book was the ending. I think it was very well done and it felt really special and emotional because it wasn’t just the end of this novel but the end of the whole series. I loved that the author offered readers a glimpse into the future of the characters of all the books in the series. The last pages of the book felt like browsing through a photo album of some close friends I’ve known for years. It was truly magical!

I really recommend this whole series to all the romance fans out there! I promise you won’t regret picking these novels up. My favorite of the series would have to be For You & No One Else, but all three of them have their own special beauty.

I love a workplace romance with an age gap! And throw in friends to lovers and I’m even more sold. This book really held my interest the whole time and that’s what makes me love some books more than others. Eliza and Beckham were swoonworthy! Each of them working through their own insecurities and each making questionable decisions. But it was def worth it.

4.5 Stars. - Every book in this series gets better and better. I truly loved Eliza and Becks relationship. I usually dislike friends to lovers troupe however Roni Loren did a great job here. The tenderness and heartfelt relationship was truly inspiring to read. I also really enjoyed how they initially bonded, on Christmas Day which was typically a traumatized induced day for them. I loved Eliza's blind date from the dating app w/ Rye. I think Rye being the villain in this story was perfection. I think Roni did a great job at describing and writing the potential hazards & toxicity of dating apps. Rye was the perfect character to call to just how creepy and toxic men can be. He basically gets her plastered at their first date so he can take her home and take advantage of her. If this isn't a real life situation, then idk what is. I've seen some reviews that discuss Eliza being a therapist and how a therapist in real life would never act this way - but I think that's extremely unfair. Therapists are humans too. They are going to mess up, they're going to need help from their friends and emotional support system. I actually really enjoyed that Roni made Eliza a 'non-perfect' character. I also loved the depth of Beck and how we get to learn more about him throughout the book. Honestly, the epilogue was pure genius. Definitely recommend this one & all in the series

Roni Loren is an author I've been wanting to read for a while and I'm so glad I finally did! Only You & No One Else was a great read full of raw emotion, depth and complexity. Its characters were compelling and relatable and so well-written. I really enjoyed getting to know Eliza and Beck, and I loved seeing Eliza's friends, Andi and Hollyn (I'm very much looking forward to going back to read their stories too).

This story focuses on a lot of heavier topics including mental health, addiction, grief, escaping a religious cult, family death, and more. I'd recommend checking a full list of TWs beforehand. That being said, I felt the topics were handled well and allowed for realistic character growth, relationship development and story progression.

Overall, I enjoyed every minute of this story and would highly recommend this story.

An impromptu meeting turns into friends with benefits!

This follows Eliza, a therapist and youtuber with a mental health awareness channel who has her life together except for her love life and her co-worker Beckham who is an ethical hacker with a secret past.

I must say I really loved how impromptu Eliza and Beck were. Also, the NoPho party (following Eliza's social media detox) was such a great idea, I really want it to be a real thing. The friendship between Eliza, Andi and Hollyn was so sweet and it was great to see all three queens together! The only thing I didn't care about was Beck's past and the secrets that he had. It took too much page time which got a little boring to me. Other than that, I really really really loved the style in which the epilogue was written! Usually I don't care for epilogues but this style was really good.

I would recommend this for a quick romance read! And the series as a whole was wrapped up sweetly. I loved it! I would like get to other series by the author soon!

I cannot say enough good things about For You & No One Else or the other books in this series. These are my favorite kinds of love stories because they are emotionally-raw, have realistic mental-health/therapy-positive portrayals, and the connections between the characters are extremely well-written. I immediately fell in love with Beck and Eliza’s dynamic, and I couldn’t get enough. I also could completely relate to Eliza’s frustration with the dating app world (such a love-hate dynamic), and I found the push to connect “off grid” to be an important one in today’s overly connected society. That said, I wouldn’t be with my boyfriend if I hadn’t been on dating apps so… Overall, there were some cheesy moments, but I just loved this book so very much.

Crying because this series isn't allowed to be over!!! Each of the three books have my heart and are the types I immediately want to flip back to Chapter 1 after I've finished. *sigh*

For You & No One Else is about Eliza, a relationship therapist ready to get married and start a family. The internet security guy, Beckham, who works next door to her office also happens to be working on Christmas and she invites him to join her to pick out a dog at the petstore. (Spoiler but not really Alert: things do not go as planned! 😁) They quickly realize they don't see the world in the same way, and though likely incompatible, they form a friendship. I'm not giving away anything else!! Read it!

These characters learn so much about themselves through their relationship. I loved that Beckham remained a mystery to the reader until the big reveals. I love who he became on his own and I love who he became when he fell in love with Eliza even more. Good lord, I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about them anytime soon.

As with each book in this series, the communication and maturity of the characters is 👩‍🍳 💋 🤌! That's CHEF'S KISS, people!!!

What else?
Trent, one of my favorite side characters 😉
The nicknames: Eli and Beck
Beckham hacking a website to help Eliza take down a video satisfied my competence kink for a good long while 🔥
Very nerdy original hero, relatable heroine
The "let's get it out of our systems" trope
So much chemistry and beautiful steam with emotion, vulnerability, and heat!
*Nerdy* dirty talk, banter that makes you giddy
Writing style and pace that makes you read way too fast and then gives you a huge book hangover but it's also worth it and you just live in a dreamworld of Beck and Eli basically writing their fanfiction between the last chapter and epilogue all day long in your head forever and ever.

5 stars! Highly recommend!!!!!!

I found the horrible date and viral video really hard to read so I'll admit that I skimmed those parts of the book. They were blessedly short and once they were dealt with, they didn't really make an appearance in the rest of the book.

I liked the dynamic that Eliza and Beckham ended up falling into. They skipped all of the nonsense dating parts and fell into a genuine friendship they ended up building onto. I wanted far more of his backstory but I am hopeful that Jess can make an appearance in a future book. I would read the heck out of her story.

I LOVED the scenes at the end of the book.

I have truly enjoyed this series and would recommend it for everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

I loooove this series. It quickly became one of my favorite contemporary romance series, What I like about the most is the dialogue. The characters actually talk, they have grown up conversations, there is little room for miscommunication.

Eliza wants a relationship, a meaningful one, at 32 she is tired of dating apps, she is looking for real connection, Then she meets Beckham at their workplace. They are office neighbors. Beck is not looking for a relationship. He is pretty firm about it. He has his reasons. This two became friends first. Their first date, but it really is not a date, is to a animal shelter to adopt fur friends. Beck introduces Eliza to his no-phone friend group and encourages her to try meeting people and making connections. But he cannot help but feel a pull towards Eliza. He is conflicted because he knows he is not what she is looking for. Then they decide to try being friends with benefits and you can guess how that goes. To nobody's surprise they catch feelings.

I do not like friends with benefit trope but when Roni does it, it is different. The chemistry is off the charts. The dialogue, I already mentioned, is great. Eliza is a girl's girl, You'd want to be friends with her. Beck's cool, mature beyond his age, (he is 7 years Eliza's junior) and you just want them to be together.

For you & no one else was one of my most anticipated reads and though I enjoyed many parts of it, something was unfortunately missing. It was on the heavier side emotionally at times (please see CW’s), but there were lots of laughs and nerdy humor too. The story features tropes like reverse age gap (7 years), workplace/office romance, friends to lovers, and friends with benefits. I appreciated the discussion about the darker side of social media and I thought the concept of NoPho gatherings was really interesting. The banter between Eliza and Beckham was a highlight, but I wasn’t totally sold on their romantic connection. Their progression from friends to friends with benefits felt a bit forced, but their scenes were definitely spicy!

Perhaps my expectations were too high after reading and loving what if you & me, which was one of my favorite reads of 2021. I felt that certain plot points weren’t fully developed or explored, especially Beckham’s past and the resulting trauma. The ending felt very rushed and I wasn’t a fan of the conflict/late stage drama. It was wonderful to see the previous couples and get updates on their lives though and I loved each time they were on the page. The epilogue had me smiling ear to ear and completely warmed my heart. It was the perfect way to bring this series to a close. Overall, a good read, but sadly I didn’t love it.

CW: discussions of mental health, anxiety/panic attacks, death of parents (past, drunk driving related), grief, alcohol addiction (past), escaping a religious cult, suicidal thoughts, revenge porn/release of sex tape (past), FMC is intentionally overserved alcohol and is recorded in a drunken viral video

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

I can’t express how disappointed in this book I am. Roni Loren is one of my favorite romance authors, and I trust her to create sweet romances between troubled people. There are still troubled characters, but the selfishness displayed by the main characters turned me off. I didn’t care that they lived happily ever after. The epilogue made it feel as if this was the ending to the romance series, and it’s a shame it ended on such a sour note.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

This was a refreshing rom-com story! I do not think I could go offline, hence I would not be able to enjoy this story thanks to Net Galley. That is the only spoiler I will drop. It was a fun read over a long weekend.