Jude and Molly. They grew up together and spend most of their time making snarky comments, pranking each other, and fighting. Till they don't. Molly sees a softer side of Jude and he realizes why Molly needs to be perfect. There was a definite immaturity in the beginning of the book, but they grew on me as the story progressed. A cute romance that comes with the ideal HEA.

Did I pick this up because of the cover? You bet I did!
Did it meet expectations? To be honest, only someone. I enjoyed the premise of childhood next door enemies reuniting to plan a party for their parents, while unconsciously dating each's doppelgänger. This did prove to be an entertaining read, and I appreciated some of the themes Schorr explores as each character is still trying to define themselves at 30. There is also a scene where the MMC shows up to take care of our FMC when she is sick that is just adorable. The book is full of funny and sweet moments in the midst of a complicated family dynamic and plot.

However I am not one for pranks and the way the characters treated each other in the past and at the beginning of the book. For me there were places in the book that crossed the line between pranks and bullying. I was uncomfortable as to how easily the characters descend into humiliating each other, only to make and about face 1/2 through. "He picks on you b/c he likes you" is a problematic trope. To be fair, Schorr addresses this and some of the consequences figure central to the plot, but even the resolution comes a bit too easy for my taste.

Overall this is still an enjoyable romance that addresses a lot of important issues. But perhaps Schorr tried to do too much in one story.

Many thanks to Forever publishing and NetGalley for access to an eArC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

This BOOK! I loved it so much! I LOVE Esther!!! She is the absolute best! Enemies to lovers is always my favourite trope and Meredith has done such a great job! As a Jewish woman I love seeing representation in different genres and this is fantastic! I love this book so so much.

If you want a swoonworthy romance then this is the perfect one for you!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

✨ PRINCEMAN ARC REVIEW ✨

📝 The Stark and Blum families have always been stuck at the hip. They're not only neighbors but also best friends who celebrate even the holidays together. In fact, the 6 Stark and Blum kids have been raised more like siblings than friends. Well...except for Jude and Molly who have been nemesis's since they were 6 years old. When all the siblings get together to plan for their parents' co-wedding anniversaries, Jude and Molly are thrown together. They may be 27, but this rivalry brings out the worst in them, pranking one another like their school days. But, will their competitiveness grow their hatred, or bring them closer together?

What I 🤍:
🥊 Pranking Banter
🔥 Sizzling Chemistry
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Family Connections
👧 Childhood Nemesis's
🐰 Fast, Quick Chapters
🐕 Hair-Tie Eating Labordoodle

I could not put this book down! Schorr has written another masterpiece! You know when two people are so feisty with one another that they are either going to A. kill each other or B. rip one another's clothes off...well this is the later and I WAS HERE FOR IT! 👏 Yes, their fights and pranks made them come off immature at times, but that's what was so fun about watching this love story develop. Also, the whole storyline of knowing one another since birth is literally the cutest idea ever.

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Passion: 🔥🔥🔥 (Partial Open Door Scenes)
Read if ➡️: You love the enemies to lovers trope.
Read 📅: Anytime of Year (Year Round Story)
CW. ⚠️: Separation of Parents

I really loved the family aspect of this book, and how connected all the siblings were with one another. I laughed so much during this book, and it left me smiling in the end. If you're a Swiftie or Beatles fan, you'll love all the references in this book. 😊

Someone Just Like You is out July 25, and is a stand-alone romance. Meredith's first book, As Seen on TV is another storyline altogether.

Thank you to Meredith Schorr and Forever Publishing for a copy of this book!

Someone Just Like You
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Meredith Schorr

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Jude Stark is the bane of Molly Blum's existence. The former neighbors and complete opposites began a rivalry in grade school that continued all the way through high school, consisting of fights, pranks, and generally one‑upping each other—until one over-the-top prank changed everything. A decade later, their siblings have forced them to collaborate on a surprise co‑wedding anniversary celebration for their parents, and soon Molly and Jude are reverting to their old tricks.

But eventually, a reluctant friendship develops…along with an unexpected spark of sexual tension. The two come to discover they have more in common than they thought, including continually dating doppelgängers of each other, raising the question why are they seeking in romantic partners what they claim to hate about each other. They finally give in to their growing feelings, but will that old competitive spirit take over, or will they finally realize being on the same team is a lot more fun?

My Thoughts: Jude and Molly have known each other since they were walking. Sometime during school, they began prank wars on each other but they have not seen each other in many years. Both of the families’ parents are celebrating milestone anniversaries so the adult children want to do a combined special anniversary party. They put Molly and Jude in charge of the venue. They pick up on the prank wars where they left off. After Molly catches a cold, they become friends and eventually… The tropes followed are an enemies to lovers and opposites attrack.

The story is narrated by Molly. I really had a hard time of Molly and Jude, in the adult arena, acting like they were five. The characters had not evolved since grad school, they were stuck in this live or die prank war. Prank wars is okay for children, teens, and even young adults, but not when you planning your parent’s special anniversary party. Having said that, after getting past the prank wars vibe, the characters did have witty banter and chemistry. The on again and off again was too bumpy for my liking. I do favor a third act breakup, but this was some beyond that. The author did a great job with the Jewish representation and detailing New York.

I have come to love Schorr’s writing, however, this one fell a little flat for me. The intentional miscommunication to an event as important as a golden anniversary party was beyond the scope of pranking, and even as adults, pranking seems a tad immature. Maybe other readers who enjoy pranks will have a better reading experience. I do understand that pranks go way into adulthood, I am just not a fan. Overall, this was a good read that I would recommend to others, maybe listening to the audiobook would enrich the reading experience versus reading the actual book.

This is a cute romance with Molly and Jude, members of two close families. Instead of being childhood friends they turned into rivals who have played many pranks on each other over the years.
When they’re nominated by their respective families to find a venue for a big anniversary party, they start out as usual with passive aggressive comments and, of course, pranks.
As they spend time together and take the time to get to know each other as adults, attraction blooms between them. It turns out they’ve both been dating lookalikes of each other without realizing it. .
Can the former rivals become something more?
This is fun read. The pranks they played as adults bothered me, especially when the pranks came at the expense of the job they were supposed to be doing. 3.5 stars.

This was pretty cute! An easy read that I binged in one day. The pranks and juvenile behavior was a little annoying in the beginning, but I appreciate that the characters acknowledged their immaturity and this didn’t last too long. There are also some minor Parent Trap vibes as a short side plot. I enjoyed Meredith’s writing style and will definitely be reading her backlist book As Seen on TV that’s been on my TBR for a while!

Someone Just Like You
Author Meredith Schorr
Available now!

Thank you, @getredpr, @netgalley, @grandcentralpub, and @meredithschorr, for my #giftedebook! How cute is this cover?!

There's been a little bit of a shift this summer as I have been reading a few rom- com's, which is a genre that I rarely read! But even more exciting is that I have been loving them - Someone Just Like You included!

Someone Just Like You is packed with hilarious family drama, clever banter, a few unexpected but realistic twists, both sweet and steamy romance, entertaining pranks and antics, and everything that fans of enemies to lovers expect! It was fun, silly, and light- hearted, and such a quick read that I read it in two sittings!

Two childhood rivals, whose families are so close as they grew up together, Molly and Jude, are thrown together by their elder siblings to pick a venue in NYC for their parents' surprise anniversary party.

After not speaking for several years, the two pick up right where they left off with their bickering, sarcasm, and hilarious pranks. But underneath all the jokes and antics, a friendship begins to rekindle as the two spend more time together and realize that maybe they've been looking for the other all along.

Molly and Jude were perfectly flawed and realistic, and I loved each and every one of the rest of their friends and family! Their siblings, parents, and friends were supportive and loving, and they were a perfect fit for this sweet rom- com filled with humor and, oh, so much heart! PS. I love epilogues. Thank you, Meredith, for wrapping it up and not leaving us hanging!

I liked a lot about this one, but I didn’t like some stuff too. The NYC setting was fun, hearing about different restaurants and bars. I love enemies to lovers romance. I liked the authors writing style and actually really enjoyed the flow and pacing of the book.

The biggest gripe I have is that the main characters pranked each other so much!! And that sounds silly, but I’m just saying, I could never love someone that purposefully told me the wrong dates and times of when to show up somewhere and wasted my time like that. Some of the pranks were silly and harmless, but some were big and serious! I think we all want to fall in love with the characters when we read, especially in a romance. I liked Molly and Jude, I really did, and the family dynamic with their siblings was entertaining, but I couldn’t imagine myself in their relationship.

Take out the pranks, and I would really love this one I think. I will read more from this author and am curious about what she has coming next.

Thank you to @netgalley @readforeverpub and @grandcentralpub for the ARC!

I LOVE an enemies-to-lovers trope, so when I saw this was an archnemesis to lovers, I couldn't sign up fast enough! I wanted to like this book so badly, but it just fell flat for me. Honestly, I considered DNF-ing at several points along the way, but held out hope that it would get better.

What I Liked:
- Esther is the true star of the show! I hope we get a spin-off of her story one day.
- Loved how both our MMC & MFC came from large chaotic families. It was so fun to see how they all interacted with themselves and intermingled between families.

What I Didn't Like:
- The immaturity of our main characters: The never-ending pranks, the grudge-holding, the trying to solve everyone else's problems (Molly's parents and Jude's), the binder (IYKYK). It all made the main characters really unlikeable for me, which in turn made it difficult to get into their romance. Our main characters are in their late 20's, which I realize is not old by any stretch of the imagination, but it is old enough to act like an adult in public.
- The banter was a level of cringe I was not prepared for. If a man ever pulled out a condom and uttered the word 'Abracadabra!', he would need way more than a genie in a lamp with three wishes to ever get back in my good graces.
- The subplot of Molly's parents being separated seemed unnecessary. There were other areas of conflict in Molly's life that this felt unneeded. Plus her reaction was over the top. Now, as someone who was devastated when her parents divorced, I completely understand the shock and pain this can cause. But locking her parents in the basement at Thanksgiving goes back to my earlier comment about immaturity. Especially, when both parents were so amicable about the split.

Overall, this just wasn't the book for me.

------
Thank you NetGalley & Forever Pub for this ARC. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book wasn’t for me! I’m a big fan of banter, but this banter fell flat for me. Second half of the book was a lot better and made up for it, making it a three star read.

I think the book is great for someone just not me. Happy to leave a Goodreads and Instagram review once the book has been out for a little while longer and has time to find its perfect audience! ❤️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book: Someone just like you
Author: Meredith Schorr
Genre: Romance, Rom Com.

Synopsis: ( From NetGalley & Amazon )

Two childhood rivals are forced to work together to plan their parents’ anniversary party in “this pitch-perfect enemies-to-lovers rom-com.” (BookPage)

My thoughts:

I love this book so much I didn't want to stop reading. It made me laugh. It made me smile. I loved how the story takes place in New York and with a cute dog.

Read if you love:
• Cute dogs
• New York
• Forced Proximity
• Enemies to lovers
• Opposities attract
• Family dynamics
• Jewish representation
• Cute nicknames

Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Romance: 🩷🩷🩷🩷

Taylor Swift and The Beatles representation.

My favourite annotations:

Humming "Karma" by Taylor Swift

"His face! I wished I could bottle it".

I highly recommend reading this book!!!

MD.

"Someone Just Like You" by Meredith Schorr is a book that I absolutely adored. This novel forged a heartfelt connection with me from the very beginning, leaving me with a sense of warmth and contentment that only a truly wonderful story can evoke.

Schorr's writing style is engaging and relatable, making the characters and their experiences come alive on the page. Her ability to capture the nuances of human relationships and emotions is truly impressive, and it's what made this book such a joy to read.

The heart of the narrative lies in the exploration of identity, friendship, and the unexpected twists that life often presents. The characters' journeys of self-discovery are portrayed with authenticity, and their interactions are brimming with emotion and depth.

"Someone Just Like You" is a testament to Schorr's talent for crafting stories that resonate with readers on a personal level. The relatable situations and relatable characters create a sense of camaraderie, as if you're sharing in their joys and challenges.

In conclusion, "Someone Just Like You" is a novel that touched my heart and stayed with me long after I finished reading. If you're looking for a book that's both heartwarming and thought-provoking, this is undoubtedly a must-read. Meredith Schorr has once again delivered a captivating story that I wholeheartedly loved.

I didn't love this one as much as Meredith Schorr's first book but it's still an enjoyable read! Funny, lighthearted, and a perfect quick read!

3.5 STARS

I had high hopes for this book, being a huge fan of enemies-to-lovers stories. The idea of archenemies teaming up intrigued me, and I couldn’t wait to dive into this story (I also really loved the cover of this book)!

Molly and Jude, despite being enemies since grade school, felt stuck in their immaturity. The character growth was lacking, which made it hard to connect or root for their romance. The concept had potential, I did enjoy the realization that they were dating “clones” of each other, but the execution of this story just didn’t deliver for me.

I’m open to reading more from the author, but this one just missed the mark for me.

🤍 Thank you so much to the publisher @readforeverpub and @netgalley for this advanced reader copy!

⚠️TW: bullying, toxic relationship, alcohol, emotional abuse, gaslighting

Someone Just Like You was such a sweet read. I love stories that center around a family event, so the forced proximity during a joint anniversary party for the FMC and MMC’s parents was perfect.

Meredith has the best Jewish representation in her books, and the NYC setting was great.

I thought that the realization that they’ve both been dating versions of each other was hilarious. During one scene, the doppelgängers they’ve brought to a party hit it off, which was hilarious.

Some of their pranks were a little juvenile, but I’m not a prank puller. I would’ve liked a bit more character development, but overall this was a quick read and enjoyable story.

Thank you to Forever for an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Molly and Jude have known each other for what feels like forever. Their families have always been entrenched in one another's lives and they can't remember a time when they didn't make fun of each other or pull pranks. They've always been in one another's lives in some way. But now their siblings have decided that they should work together to plan their parents' combined anniversary party and Molly isn't sure that she can trust Jude to plan anything with him - - let alone an event like this.

But as they start spending more and more time together, she starts noticing things that surprise her - - like that she kind of enjoys being around Jude. That he actually has good qualities when he isn't trying to "pull one over on her." But it always seems like there is some other woman hanging around him and Molly knows he doesn't feel anything for her. He pranks her too often.

But as you go through the story, it become more glaringly noticeable that they both have types....and their types closely resemble each other. Everyone else can see it, but they don't.

This is a cute story with some elements thrown in that will tug a little at the heartstrings too. Nicely done. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Thank you to the publisher and Meredith Schorr for the opportunity to read the ARC of 'Someone Just Like You'. I have read Schorr's work before and was not disappointed, so I was confident this would be another winner. And let me tell you... it was!
A good enemy to lovers/second chance romance can't go wrong! The two main characters grew up in families who were very close growing up. Initially best friends, then enemies at a young age and into adulthood. After being paired up by their siblings to work on their parent's joint anniversary party, sparks fly and they realize they might not hate eachother as much as they think they do.
For me, this was a past-paced, enjoyable read. I loved the characters and all the pranks they pull on eachother throughout the story. Schorr was able to express/discuss divorce and years of hidden guilt in a way that any reader could feel what these characters were going through. I would highly recommend this book!

4 starssss!

meredith schorr did such a great job with this enemies to lovers trope! their past of childhood neighbors and enemies leading to their adulthood where their families are still close and friends was such an interesting detail to their story. i loved reading molly and jude with their banter and pranks and how they unraveled.

schorr was able to write a balance of romance with life and it made the story that much better. i adored molly’s search for a true career while trying to divert from her workaholic/best daughter routine while jude’s laidback lifestyle was able to inspire and teach meredith. they balanced each other so well and i loved that it wasn’t just for the relationship but an extension of it.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review!

The Blums and the Starks have been neighbors forever.  The parents are best friends, the kids are best friends, and then... the younger set of kids, Molly and Jude, are enemies.  Forced together to plan a combined wedding anniversary party for the parents, Molly and Jude re-ignite their childhood rivalry. Full of pranks and backstory, will the party be a success?

This rom-com was a success!  Who doesn't love an enemies-to-lovers trope?  This was my first novel by Schorr and I'm ready to read them all.

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