Eliza and Graham have lost their spark. Married for five years, they are struggling to maintain their connection. Luckily Graham's parents have gifted them a week away for their anniversary and although they are both nervous about it, it may be just the thing they need. Upon arriving, the receptionist informs them that two rooms have accidentally been booked instead of the one suite. Eliza jumps at the chance to keep the second room to give them each a bit of space. Later, when she meets Graham for dinner, his new friend David mistakes Eliza for a guest of the singles workshop. When Graham doesn't correct him and introduce her as his wife, she plays along and makes up a whole new persona. Graham also takes the bait and they both realize they can banter like they used to when within these new roles. From here, starts a week of rediscovering each other through their new characters, while slipping in some of the issues that have lead them to where they are today. Can they reconnect and fix their relationship issues while reinventing first dates and first kisses? Can they bring this spark and ease of conversation back into their regular lives?

This was a cute quick paced read. I really enjoyed the plot and felt that this might inspire other couples who are struggling to step out of their comfort zones to reconnect. The introduction of David helped bring the story along and added in a bit of humor. I also liked that the story was told in alternating perspectives so we got to learn what each of them was feeling and why. I especially loved that Eliza and Graham still loved each other and felt their marriage was worth saving no matter how ridiculous the pretenses to do so. It was a great new way of presenting a second chance romance. Although I loved it, I would rank The Roughest Draft slightly higher. This was my second Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka read and I'm looking forward to more stories by this couple! Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Romance for my gifted eARC!

I love this duo’s writing, The Roughest Draft is a must read for non-rom-com emotionally immersive and complicated romance. But I don’t think DO I KNOW YOU? was entirely for me. It still maintains that level of relationship exploration that the authors excel at, but the details didn’t keep my interest.

It’s essentially a second-chance romance, which admittedly is not one of my favorite tropes, but with a fascinating twist. A married couple trying to reconnect. And while I appreciate the depth of discovery as they “first date again”, all I could think was, just go to couples therapy already. Seriously. It’s all seems so easy if they just communicate with a professional to guide them.

The heat kicks off in a public bathroom and that’s a no from me. I never find it sexy, especially if it’s in a stall, even in a fancy resort. Nope. Any subsequent sexual encounter after that felt contaminated because it was stuck in my head.

I loved the characters together. They’re clearly meant to be. They had issues individually that manifested into relationship problems. It’s a great exploration on confidence and communication. But I also thought it was too repetitive. It really is the same exact thoughts over and over again from beginning to end. I got bored.

So overall, I think this is a great book for someone else. It just had too many of my pet peeves written into the plot.

Do I Know You? is about Eliza and Graham, a couple celebrating their 5-year anniversary, but their marriage has gotten a little... stale. So, when a hotel guest assumes they're strangers and introduces them to one another, they go with it as a way of reconnecting with each other and spicing things up.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but the story dragged in several places and lacked memorability (as in, I finished this book three days ago and I've already forgotten the MC's names). There was an inordinate amount of set up to get to the point of action, so it was full of fits and starts. There were also a lot of moments of miscommunication and assumptions made by the characters, which is a pet peeve of mine in books and drives me bonkers--ESPECIALLY in romance. If people just communicated, a lot of the unnecessary tension wouldn't exist.

The peek into a married couple's relationship was fun and I appreciate the authors normalizing the doldrums of marriage. Because it happens! And I so loved the male friendship that Graham formed and explored throughout the book (I'll say no more to avoid spoilers). I'm also impressed by the seamlessness of the story given it's written by two authors, a wife-and-husband team (wow @ the talent in that relationship)!

WOW.WHAT.A.BOOK! I loved this book so much. It's a mix of a different type of second chance romance and I am down for it! I get a real life vibe from Emily and Austin. As I was reading I was like OMG this could totally happen to me, and I feel like it kind of sparked something in my real life!

Do I Know You? is a must read for 2023 and I love forward to reading more from Emily and Austin!

I love a good marriage on the rocks/ second chance type romance. I was incredibly excited for this second book by Emily and Austin. I loved The Roughest Draft SO MUCH!

While the premise for this book was interesting, and the story was light, sweet, and fun, I felt like it missed touching on some key points (I really think couples counseling should have been brought up for their future). Communication is HARD, I struggle with it, which made this story relatable, but it’s hard to get that open and honest communication piece flowing without some counseling (IMO).

If you’re looking for a light romance, pick this one up!

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC!

Eliza and Graham are about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary and have never felt more like strangers than they do now. Can a trip to the Northern California coastline reignite their spark? When a hotel gust assumes they’re single and introduces them to each other, they don’t correct him. When pretending to be strangers turns out to be fun, Eliza and Graham find themselves flirting like it’s the first date and anxiously waiting for a text back. But what happens when the games come to an end?

Emily and Austin have done it again! As much as I enjoyed The Roughest Draft, I loved Do I Know You? SO MUCH MORE! From the first page to the last, I just couldn’t get enough of this couple. I loved everything about this book and the fact that it was written by a real life couple made it that much better. I haven’t read a romance where the main characters are already married and I really enjoyed the twist they added to this second chance romance. And they met on a dating on app! I really enjoyed that part of the story since it’s how I met my husband. I always love books with dual POVs and this one was no exception. It was so refreshing reading a story about realistic martial issues and seeing it from each character’s perspective. I’m ready for the next one from this duo! Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, Emily Wibberly, and Austin Siegemund-Broka for my gifted copy!

I read this in about 2 days because I could not put it down! These two broken people who loved each other so much were so addicting to follow. I loved reading both perspectives. Their problems were relatable and I loved the role playing. It really makes you think about what you could do to keep the spark alive in your own relationship. I loved rooting for Graham and Eliza! This is the second book I’ve read from this amazing duo and I can’t wait to read more from them! Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review!

🏝️💍 Do I Know You? by Emily Webberley and Austin Siegmund-Broka 💼🎤

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5

👉🏼 Publishes 1/24/23

Genre: RomCom
Trope: Second chance romance
⚠️ TWs: Strained sibling relationship, marital issues

📖 Read If You Like 📖
⏱️ Short chapters
✌🏼 Second chance romance
🏝️ Tropical setting
🔀 Dual POV
💍 Marriage in crisis

💭 My thoughts:
This is hands down the best second chance romance I’ve read. This was a raw look at marriage, including how to communicate and work through issues. I enjoyed this duo’s debut, The Roughest Draft, and I loved this one even more! It was definitely a more “realistic” romance book, and I enjoyed the dual POV and seeing both Eliza and Graham’s thoughts as the plot progressed. This book was beautifully executed, and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much. Like. Just the entire concept of falling in love with your spouse again as strangers--it's adorbs, and it was used to help mend the actual relationship.
I will protect David with my life. I will also protect Graham and Eliza
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
TS Song: Exile (but only a little bit--like in the hypothetical sense), and like....maybe a little bit of Message in a Bottle

I am here to shout from the rooftops my love for this absolutely incredible novel! This story follows Eliza and Graham on their five year anniversary getaway - the only problem? Their relationship has been struggling for a while, and they’re missing that spark that brought them together all those years ago. 

The marriage in crisis trope is one that I don’t read very often, but that Wibberly and Siegemund-Broka execute very well here. This is my first book of theirs, and I was beyond impressed by their talent. This story felt so realistic and raw, and I loved getting to see the dual POV between our two partners.

Eliza and Graham are two characters that you will root for, and that you will also want to conk on the head because of how oblivious they can be sometimes. Their banter is playful and sexy, and the chemistry is off the charts - but you can also feel the pain of their miscommunication and hurt. Their love for each other is NEVER in question - you can see it right on the page. But the problem is they are now strangers to each other, and you never want to feel that way about the person you love. 

What I appreciated most about this story is how Wibberly and Siegemund-Broka were very direct and to-the-point when it came to Eliza and Graham’s issues. Relationships require work - and sometimes that work falls off the wayside, and can become overwhelming when you realize it. It becomes scary to think that your partner is becoming a stranger to you, and you may feel hopeless that your relationship can’t come back from it. The love is there, but what is there to do when you are no longer being open and honest with your partner? 

Wibberly and Siegemund-Broka also do a great job of being realistic with how Eliza and Graham work through their issues, and for presenting and tackling very real, very strong, and VERY hard emotions that real-life couples face in their own long-term relationships. As someone who teaches youth about how to have healthy romantic relationships, it was refreshing to see so much of what I teach on a daily basis reflected in a romance book.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I cannot wait to read The Roughest Draft!

I read Do I Know You at the same time that I was watching White Lotus and I was definitely internalizing marital issues from both.
Do I Know You is the story of a married couple, Eliza and Graham, headed up the coast to celebrate their 5 year anniversary but after a booking error, they end up with 2 rooms. Given the distance and lack of connection felt in their marriage, they each take a room instead and use the week to get to know each other again, as if they were strangers. While it started heavy, this book warmed my heart. It was so fulfilling to see such personal growth as both characters found their own inner peace, allowing them to be happy and love again. It was full of entertaining and witty quips and dialogue, endearing supporting characters and Eliza and Graham felt so relatable. It all felt so real and raw - a real romance and not a romanticized, unattainable situation. I just loved it.

4.5 Stars

Eliza and Graham go on a getaway for their fifth wedding anniversary. They feel more like strangers then a married couple, so they come up with a plan to stay in separate rooms, role-play and date. Will this little game reignite the passion and save their marriage?

This is a second chance romance with a married couple. It’s a relatable book with realistic characters who have marriage problems. I loved seeing Eliza and Graham getting to know each other again and remembering why like fell in love the first place. It was such a unique, heart-warming romance filled with vulnerability.

Loved it!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka have another winner on their hands with their latest novel, Do I Know You? I always enjoy a good second chance romance, but I especially enjoyed this one because it features a couple who have become estranged but who are hoping to find their way back to each other. I really enjoyed this fresh take on what sometimes happens after the happily ever after.

The story follows Eliza and Graham, who are on their way to spend a weeklong vacation at a romantic resort in Northern California. A relative has treated them to this trip to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. They feel obligated to go, but it’s obvious from the first chapter that neither of them is really excited about the trip. They’re stiff and awkward and can barely make even the most basic small talk with one another. There’s no hostility, but it’s clear that something is just off between them. They’re both secretly hoping that this trip will help reignite the spark between them, but neither knows where to even begin. When a mix-up at the hotel leaves them staying in two separate rooms, they decide to embrace this as an opportunity for a second chance. They begin a flirtatious game of role play where they pretend to be strangers meeting again for the first time. At first, there’s skepticism but then both Graham and Eliza realize how freeing something about their newfound situation is and so they go for it.

As a married woman whose relationship has definitely had many ups and downs over the years, I related to Graham and Eliza’s situation so much. I also especially loved that the story was presented from both of their perspectives so that even though they were struggling to communicate with one another, we get that inside look at what they’re each thinking and feeling, and what they wish they could say to one another. It was equal parts heartening and frustrating because those inner thoughts reveal not only how madly in love with one another they really are, but also how tightly they have each bottled up their emotions. Part of me wanted to yell at them to just have a big fight already and get all of those emotions out on the table.

I really enjoyed both characters though. Eliza is a voice actress who narrates audio books so she really goes all out when she and Graham decide to engage in this flirty role play adventure. I really enjoyed some of the schemes she comes up with along the way to win back the Graham she originally fell in love with. I loved Graham too. He’s a handsome successful guy who has somehow developed a major case of low self-esteem and feels completely unworthy of Eliza and her love. His inner thoughts, especially early on in the book, really broke my heart, and I just wanted to give him a big hug so many times along the way.

While Do I Know You? definitely has a healthy dose of angst and raw emotion because it centers on a marriage in crisis, there’s also a nice balance of fun and flirty moments as Eliza and Graham begin dating anew and take part in some of the resort’s romantic activities. They also meet some new friends while there that also adds to the entertainment factor.

Filled with smart, sexy dialogue, complex well drawn characters, and a very relatable and realistic relationship in crisis scenario, Do I Know You? has a little something for every romance fan.

Warm, heartfelt, and full of vulnerability, Do I Know You? centers on the strong bond of marriage—and how relationships can change and grow over time.

After being married for five years, Eliza and Graham set off on an anniversary getaway but soon realize all their unspoken worries, insecurities, and fears have made them distant. When a misunderstanding at the hotel bar provides them with an opportunity to ignite that spark between them, they decide to forego the rest of the vacation as a couple and act like strangers to get to know each other once more.

Again, this writing pair has captured the essence of romance in a truly beautiful, well-rounded journey. (I also LOVE that the authors are married in real life! How cool is that?!) Throughout this story, there were many ups and downs for our couple, and each was heavy with emotions—from vulnerability to loneliness to happiness and beyond. Each balanced out the fantasy, role-playing part of the narrative and made the story in its entirety very honest and endearing.

If you’re looking for a sweet romance that will make your heart melt, with a mix of lighthearted fun and a deep, emotionally charged story, definitely keep this new read on your radar!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I loved this book. I don’t think I’ve hurt more or rooted harder for any book couple. I love that the authors met in high school, my husband and I met in Fall of our senior year. We’ve been married now for decades. You have to adapt and change as a couple as you mature and grow as individuals. I was uncomfortable with the initial separation during the resort stay, but I was so happy with their progress and closeness that resulted. I won’t say more, trying to avoid spoilers!

This is the 2nd book I've read by them and I love the way they weave a story.
This is a married couple on an anniversary trip but they gave disconnected. As they fake date eachother and rekindle their love they delve into the root of their issues.
It's so important to date your spouse. Everyone changes as they grow and mature. Work and life can get in the way but it's important that you don't lose sight of your relationship. You may end up just sharing a space with someone you don't know.
This was such a sweet book! Loved their new buddy and his instalove mentality. He definitely helped out both of them.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵."

Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka are a husband/wife writing team whose adult books examine complicated romantic relationships from both sides in a way that's relatable, raw and thought-provoking. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 was one of my favorite books of 2022, and this is a terrific follow-up.

𝗗𝗢 𝗜 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨? is a unique second-chance romance focusing on a couple, Eliza and Graham, whose marriage is in crisis. When they go away to celebrate their fifth anniversary, a mix-up at the hotel leads to them engaging in role-play for the week and essentially dating again. It's an unflinching look at how even couples who love each other and want to be together can grow apart and the challenges of trying to reconnect. As Eliza muses, "It hasn't made me worry that I married the wrong person. It's made me worry I messed everything up with the right person, which is so so much worse."

The characters in this story are grown-ups, and I loved getting their he said / she said POVs. Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka write realistic romances where the couples could be people you know, and it's refreshing to read one that's not just about falling in love but dives into the good, the bad and the ugly of staying in love.

I alternated between reading this ebook and listening to the audiobook, and the narration was fantastic! Thanks to Berkeley Publishing for the copy to review.

Read if you like:
❤️ Second Chance Romances
❤️ Marriage in trouble trope
❤️ fake dating
❤️ falling in love again
❤️ the little things
❤️ relationship & character growth

This book was absolutely stunning and I’m not going to lie it hit me right in the feels several times. As someone like Eliza who has been with their spouse for 6 years and has had the feelings of being invisible to the routine of everyday life, this one definitely got me bawling when I was feeling what Eliza was feeling at several points.

This book truly looks at marriage as not just a forgone conclusion, but that effort and dating your spouse can’t end when the rings go on the fingers.

I absolutely loved the way we got the dual POV and the heartbreak that both characters were facing because they were still so madly in love but struggling to communicate it and their needs to allow their relationship to soar.

This one was absolutely heartbreaking but put my heart back together in the end with a feeling of possibility… I can’t wait for these authors next books as they have knocked their sophomore book out of the park for me.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for my ARC copy of this one in exchange for my honest feedback- now to go snuggle with my husband and have some us time in honor of Eliza and Graham.

I had a lot of big hopes for this book, but they were let down - it's very similar to THE ROUGHEST DRAFT, where two people who clearly love each other let their refusal to talk things through get in their way until a third party is like "hey, what if you did... not that." I also think a key element to a second chance/marriage in trouble romance is the characters' ability to clearly identify what drove them apart in the first place and how they'll avoid that in the future, and that didn't fully happen to me here. I also just didn't get the really sparkling prose here that we had in TRD.

I'd love to see something NOT second chance from this duo! I'd give that a try.

Several years ago I heard a sermon on marriage. The pastor said, "How do you know you are married to the right person?" (This, of course, does not apply in relationships where there is abuse or illegal activity.) The punch line: "You're married to them." A simple, but profound conclusion that came to mind as I read this book by a husband/wife author duo. Graham and Eliza are "celebrating" five years together -- in separate rooms. They fall into a role-playing strategy as while spending a week at a resort. The goal is to find their way back to a happy relationship. Marriage is hard work -- my husband and I have been together almost thirty more years than the characters in this book. Our children are the same age as the main characters. I still found I could relate to their struggles, although I was a bit surprised at their initial reactions to Graham's parents. In the end, I want to praise this book for upholding the value of keeping your marriage vows. The "for better or worse" bit is easy to say when you are on the wedding day high, not so easy when your spouse gets a new interest you don't understand or an unexpected cancer diagnosis. I would also note that this is a bit above my spice level and the plot seemed to get a bit circular for a bit.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.