Molly and Jude's families have been friends and neighbors since they were children. The two of them on the other hand have been rivals for that time. Their relationship has been more about oneupmanship than anything else.

The siblings in both families have decided to throw their parents an anniversary party and Molly and Jude have been chosen to find the venue for the festivities. Of course this means that the two of them are going to be seeing more of one another than they could have hoped. It also means that we are treated to all sorts of banter, pranks and the hints of feelings that likely had been hiding for longer than either one of them ever would have wanted to admit.

This book had a bit of everything - it was funny, there was romance, there were dogs and obviously there were hijinks too! It was a fun read.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I enjoyed this book. There's banter with an enemies to lovers vibe. I really like that Jude and Molly know how to do a good fun prank. I just really wish Molly would have come clean about the one that ended up with Jude hurt WAY sooner.

I liked that Molly pushed Jude to pursue his dream but I wish she wasn't so naggy and that it hadn't led to yet another "break" for them. On one hand, one thing that bugged me, was Molly about her parents relationship. She needed to stay out of it as a grown woman and as they are a grown couple, they can make their choices.

I was expecting a third act break up type thing (because it always seems to happen) but we got like 3 different ones in it. A little awkward at times and it drug the ending out a bit too long.

Someone Just Like You by Meredith Schorr is a hate to love romance between childhood friends.

Molly and Jude's families grew up as neighbors and practically family. They were best friends until grade school, when they turn into nemesis'. Constantly playing pranks and one upping each other. As adults, not much has changed. Forced to work together to help plan each of their parent's a surprise anniversary party, doesn't stop the tricks . The more time they spend together, the more Molly realizes maybe all the guys she's been dating have been stand-ins for the one she really wants, and the same goes for Jude. But will their difference keep them from making a go at it.

I really enjoyed our female lead, Molly, she doesn't deny that she's flawed, but she seems to be trying her best. She genuinely cares about people and is torn between her job and her morals. I think she's a strong main character who grows as the story progresses, and I loved that she falls first and puts herself out there when it comes to her feelings for Jude.

Unfortunately, I didn't love Jude . I think perhaps he would have grown on me more if we had been given his POV, but since that wasn't the case and he just came across as immature and cowardly. I honestly think the story would have benefitted significantly from his point of view.

Overall Someone Just Like You is an entertaining hate to love romantic comedy with Jewish Rep, family, a cute pup, pranks, doppelgänger dating, grand gestures, pursuing your dreams, low steam, and a HEA.

3.5

I’ve followed Meredith Schorr on Twitter for years—and I absolutely loved her last rom com, As Seen on TV—so I was grateful to be able to recently read and review an advanced copy of her new book, Someone Just Like You. Releasing on July 25, 2023, you’re going to want to grab this one if you love a good rom com with scheming rivals.

Molly Blum has spent practically her entire life at odds with Jude Stark. Growing up as neighbors, their parents and siblings are all great friends, but Molly and Jude’s friendship went sideways in grade school and never recovered.

Molly thinks Jude is a slacker who’s gotten through life solely on charm, while he thinks she’s a goody two-shoes who’s only ever made him look bad. Their lives have been filled with a continuous stream of one-upmanship in the form of pranks, some of which went a little too far. After a high school joke went too far, they’ve managed to steer clear of one another.

Now, however, they’ve found themselves thrown together again to help plan a huge joint anniversary party for their parents, reigniting their rivalry. Amidst the snide remarks and playful mischief, an unexpected development occurs—Molly and Jude form a hesitant friendship, and an underlying spark of sexual tension begins to emerge. Perhaps it’s because both have been dating people who resemble the other, or maybe it’s due to the realization that neither is as awful as they once believed.

Without a doubt, Molly and Jude have become experts in the fine art of despising each other. However, learning how to navigate their new feelings for one another might just be the challenge of a lifetime.

If you love rom coms—especially those with lots of A+ scheming—you’re going to love this one!

This was a very cute childhood friends to rivals to lovers story. Molly and Jude’s banter was great at the beginning and I loved them pulling pranks on each other.

The dynamic between both families was so fun, though I wish we had seen more of them in the latter half of the book. I would’ve loved to see Jude’s parents reaction to him opening his restaurant.

It’s very obvious that our two main characters are very different. They both said hurtful (but true) things to each other around the three quarter mark, which they apologized for. I think that both helps and hurts the believability of them staying together long term.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the story. The family dynamics and the early banter were my favorite parts.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

So excited about this one! I loved her last book so I can't wait to fly through this one! Very very intrigued so far! Full review to come....

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a lot of romance books, and I feel like I am able to spot a good book within the first 50 pages. I was genuinely bored and/or annoyed for the majority of this book. There were so many repetitions of the exact same phrases over and over again, I could barely pay attention to anything else. I also felt like the story and characters were not developed enough. I did not feel connected to Molly or Jude, and I really didn’t get the impression that they were a good connection for the other even with their shared history.

DNF @ 15%

There were two things I just couldn’t get past with this book. The first was the writing and the second was how childish the main characters were. I love a good prank war, but this was beyond juvenile. Coupled with the immaturity of how they were written, it unfortunately made this a DNF for me.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I had high hopes for "Someone Just Like You" and I'm going to just put it out there... I was disappointed.

Molly and Jude - grew up next door to one another. Their parents are best friends, they are both the youngest of three, and they have hated one another since they were six years old.

Jump 20 years later - and Molly and Jude are tasked with finding a location for the party their siblings are planning to celebrate both set of parents wedding anniversaries. And so begins the pranks, teasing and 100% obnoxious behaviour.

The entire book is told through Molly's perspective and I think that is one of the reasons I got annoyed with it. I did not find Molly a sympathetic character - she seemed stuck in the past. Without giving any of the plot away - her reaction to a family situation; even her attitude towards work - all of it felt juvenile. I KNOW that she is supposed to be a goody-goody two shoes, but I felt like there was no self development/ taking accountability for her actions.

SIgh.

I really dislike leaving a negative review, but I just didn't jive with these characters or with this story.

Sorry! This could also simply be a me thing and not a book thing.

What happens when your life plan gets turned around?
Jude and Molly have known each other for their whole lives. They were neighbors whose families were really close. Early on in life Jude started hating Molly and pulling mean pranks on her and she would try to retaliate only for it to backfire. Fast forward 20+ years, they are forced to work together to plan part of their parent's wedding anniversaries. What they discover during this process is that each has really loved the other for their whole lives. Always choosing people to date who look just like the other person. Jude and Molly are total opposites though. Jude is a whatever goes types who hates a plan and Molly is trying to follow her life plan. He wants Molly to loosen up and she wants him to have a plan. In the end, both discover that they can each gain from the other's lifestyle.
Forced proximity, enemies to lovers, family, HEA
Spice level: Open door but not graphic. I give it a 1 out of 5 on the spice level.

A cute read with several tropes: enemies to lovers, pranksters to partners.
At times I thought the jokes went a bit too far. A good joke is fine, but constant pranks wears thin.
Both characters had to mature and realize they weren’t each going to get their way,
I like the ending the best since it tidies things up and both families are still close and stronger than ever.

I am usually a HUGE fan of a enemies to lovers trope, but this one completely fell short for me unfortunately. I had such a hard time connecting with Molly and Jude as they were adults that acted like complete children for the first 35% of the book. By that point I was frustrated and found myself skimming through the rest of the story. There was so much potential based on the posted synopsis, but it just didn’t carry through.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve come the conclusion after 2 of this authors books that they are unfortunately not a fit for me. I love cutesy romance books and Hallmark-vibes, but the characters and storyline is not captivating enough to keep my attention and make me invested. And it pains me as a Jewish reviewer to say this about an OwnVoices book, especially when Jewish rom coms don’t dominate the category. I found Molly and Jude both incredibly immature and their antics too childish after a while.

The editors blurb sounded like this would be a funny light read. It sort of was, but not wholly. The Blums and Starks were neighbors who became so close they considered each other family. As the parents wedding anniversaries are nearing, it is decided that a joint party would be a great idea. The issue is that more often than not, when families are back together most people revert to who they were as children. As Molly and Jude are thrown back together to help plan things, they both not only revert to their childlike antics, but take their pranks and antics to new levels of ridiculousness and immaturity. I found them to be over the top and also that their chemistry was just eh so the ending, though absolutely expected didn’t ring true. This was not my favorite by this terrific author.

I thoroughly enjoyed Meredith Schorr’s new book, Someone Just Like You. It’s a nemesis to lovers story where childhood rivals Molly and Jude’s families are organizing a joint anniversary party for both sets of parents, who have been neighbours and best friends for all of their married lives. The older siblings have only tasked Molly and Jude with one mission: to secure a venue for the party. Surely they can get along long enough to do that, right? Wrong! In no time flat, both are back to their teenage ways of pranking each other in a hilarious battle of one uppery. My favorite element of the book though, is that Molly and Jude are unknowingly dating each other’s doppelgängers, and as their siblings not so subtly point out, they've been doing so for years. There is so much to smile about while reading this book—Beatles puns, Hart of Dixie references, and of course, a happily ever after that really feels earned, both in the romance aspect and in each of the main characters personal lives. Pick this one up if you love childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, forced collaboration, and fun side characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the early copy!
Pub Date: July 25, 2023

You all know that I love a good rom com, especially one with a Jewish author and with Jewish main characters. I read Meredith Schorr’s first book, As Seen on TV, and loved it. I felt so seen by her writing, and the same was true of her second book.

I saw a lot of myself in Molly. Like Molly, I am a people pleaser. She is also someone who likes to organize and plan like I am. Of course, she is also Jewish like me. It made me smile to read about the Blum and Stark families celebrating Hanukkah and that Molly’s grandma peppers Yiddish words into her speech. While reading, I felt like I really understood Molly, which made her story come alive for me.

Molly and Jude’s relationship is so engaging. They’ve known each other for so long that they can revert to their immature childhood selves around each other. As they spend more time together as adults, their relationship shifts. They learn about each other’s career goals and give each other advice and encouragement.

I love how central the familial relationships are in Schorr’s books. The whole premise of the book is centered around Jude and Molly’s families and the relationships between their respective families. The reader not only gets to understand the Stark and Blum family dynamics separately, but Schorr also focuses on how the members of the families interact.

Childhood trauma often bubbles up to the surface in romance novels, and it is especially prevalent in Someone Like You as a story centering around people who have known each other since childhood. Molly and Jude are forced to work through several issues from their childhood like Molly’s feelings around her parents’ separation when she was eight and Jude’s injury that ended his prospective baseball career. It was therapeutic to read them address these moments from their childhoods.

Someone Like You is a delightful and cozy rom com. There is something so homey about Schorr’s stories and her writing. I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

My first book by Meredith Schorr did not disappoint!

Synopsis
Molly Blum has had one enemy since childhood, and that is Jude Stark. Growing up, their parents were best friends, but they sure were not. They argued constantly and were forever pranking one another. Now, all the Blum and Stark kids are coming together to make their parents' anniversary party the best night ever. Unfortunately, that means Jude and Molly will need to collaborate and work together to find the perfect venue.

But for some reason, Molly keeps seeing Jude in a new light. A light that has him actually looking rather attractive. When the sparks start to fly, Molly is reminded of the secret she has kept for years. A secret that may very well ruin everything.

Review
I love a good enemies to lovers, especially when it also ties into a childhood friendship. I enjoyed watching the sparks fly between Molly and Jude, and I enjoyed their witty banter. The growth throughout the novel, both individually and together, kept me engaged. What got me hung up a bit was the fourth act breakup. It just felt like it kept going and going, something kept stopping them from being together. I wish it had just ended sooner instead.

Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favourite romance tropes and this one did not disappoint. The characters are well-developed and likeable and the story is charming.

Molly Blum and Jude Stark are each the youngest of the three children in their families. At one time they were very close. Then, the two began a relationship filled with arguments and pranks despite the friendship between their parents.

The Blums and Starks are approaching anniversary milestones, and their children decide to combine these events by throwing them a party. Molly and Jude are assigned to work together to find the venue. Their childhood pranks continue and with the party fast approaching, their ability to choose a venue in time is fading.

Eventually, the two finally come together enough to start making a decision. What began as hostility towards one another becomes physical attraction. It is pointed out to them that they’ve been dating a series of doppelgangers for each other. Will the two finally let down their guards and let their relationship mature?

While the story is somewhat predictable, I enjoyed it nevertheless. There are some funny moments and some personal growth with these two characters. I recommend this book to those readers who enjoy romance.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

This book was cute. I think that was my big takeaway. It was a cute, quick, fun read, but not really one that's going to stick with me. Molly was fine as a lead, but I didn't find her story especially exciting. Her family and most of the supporting characters felt either flat or underutilized.

In particular, I loved Jude. I thought he had the potential to be so interesting if we saw deeper than surface level about him and his life and his worries. He went zero to sixty from adversary to object of lust/love, and I almost wish there had been a level of slow burn building feelings between him and Molly in between those two extremes. I would have loved a few more deep and meaningful conversations between him and Molly where they actually get to know each other as adults for real.

Someone Just Like You is Meredith Schorr’s latest enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy set in New York. It’s perfect for fans of Helena Hunting and Sally Thorne.

27-year-old Molly Blum didn’t like practicing law so she became a legal recruiter. Her older sisters, Michelle and Nicole, enlist her help in planning their parents’ 35th wedding anniversary party., Coincidentally the party will also be a celebration for the 40th wedding anniversary of their neighbors and best friends, the Starks. Unfortunately for Molly, the Stark children, including her personal nemesis, Jude, will join in the preparations.

27-year-old Jude Stark is a bartender who dreams of opening his own pub one day. His successful older siblings make him look like a slacker, and that opinion is shared by stick-up-her-butt Molly “Mole” Blum. Molly and Jude were close childhood friends until a prank got out of hand, and then they became enemies and rivals.

As Molly and Jude are forced to spend time together, they continue to bicker and play pranks on each other. Soon they realize that Molly has been dating Jude-lookalikes and he’s been dating Molly wanna-bes. Their sexual tension explodes and they have to decide if they can become friends and then transition to a more stable romantic relationship.

I liked Someone Just Like You because it was an original premise and was entertaining. Interestingly all of the characters are Jewish but it’s not a Jewish book. I recommend it to readers who enjoy a good enemies-to-lovers story with excellent banter.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Forever for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.