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.

I loved the premise and idea for Someone Like You, Meredith Schorr's sophomore novel. However; I found the characters, (Molly and Jude), to have any chemistry and their pranks in their adult years to be childish. The storyline felt like it kept moving back and forth between ideas and it wasn't one I was interested in continuing. Sadly, I "did not finish" this novel at thirty eight percent.

Childhood friends to enemies to lovers is always a journey but I'm here for it! Jude & Molly have known each other forever, love constant competition, and play pranks on each other. Like As Seen On TV, the characters were really well developed and had a solid storyline, this one fell a little short for me. I just struggled to enjoy some of the games that Molly and Jude played, which really played into their characters. I just never felt like I saw the relationship between the two. It was still a fun read and I liked the side characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh Jude and Molly. I do love them. They’re so immature but I do love them. Jude and Molly have known each other their whole lives and have spent most of that time in constant battle with each other and you can feel that in each one of their interactions.

I loved how messy and fun and unhinged they were and I had a ton of fun reading this.

3 stars.

"Someone Just Like You" by Meredith Schorr is a relatively cute read that will also leave you pulling your hair out at the actions of the main characters. Molly and Jude may have been friends when they were very little, but have been antagonists and enemies for many, many years now. They constantly try to play jokes and pull pranks on each other with increasingly higher stakes. When they get reluctantly paired up to help find a location for their parents' surprise joint anniversary party, they agree to form a truce to get the job done. When Molly starts seeing a new guy, she slowly realizes that her type is exactly Jude...and discovers that Jude often dates women who look exactly like her, too. As they are forced to spend more time together, and their walls slowly crumble, they might just realize they have been right for each other all along.

This is a forced proximity childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers that kind of reminded me of a less successful, less chemistry-filled version of "The Plus One" by Mazey Eddings. While the premise is solid, the characters are mostly well-written, and the banter is pretty good, I just couldn't get past the childish games Molly and Jude played on each other throughout the whole book. Am I supposed to believe that a former lawyer/current legal recruiter really cares about pwning (yes, pwning) their childhood enemy so he goes to the wrong location of a restaurant late?! It just felt so silly and immature to me. Jude's gags and pranks are equally as infantile. It also felt like there were too many tricks being played between the two of them. The doppelganger subplot is also a little silly and made me roll my eyes. The dialogue ranges from being really good to cheesy and hide-your-face-in-your-pillow embarrassingly cringe. The slow-burning romance felt more realistic the longer the two main characters grew up over the course of the story if you can agree that they did, in fact, grow and learn from their rivalry...jury's still out (HAHAH GET IT, LAWYER HUMOR). I didn't totally care for the ending, but it wraps up fine in the end. Still, I did not absolutely hate reading this, so that's got to count for something, but I also don't recommend it as essential reading, either.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Meredith Schorr for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

Summary
Molly and Jude's families have been best friends for their whole lives, but the two of them have been enemies. Now the siblings from both families want to throw both sets of parents a joint surprise anniversary party and Molly and Jude have been tasked with working together to secure a location. After years of avoiding each other, they are forced to spend time together and the fighting, pranking and arguing picks right back up.

Review
I read As Seen on TV last year and while I enjoyed it, I didn't feel like it reached it's full potential. Someone Just Like You hit that potential and more! The tension between Molly and Jude was perfection. I loved the 'I hate you, but everyone I date is similar to you' vibes. The story is perfect for those who like the tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Childhood Friends (to enemies)
Opposites Attract
Molly and Jude both have some insecurities they hold on to that they need to do process and work through so they can move forward with each other. While I enjoyed the story, the pranking went on for a bit too long and I wish there was more communication as Molly and Jude transitioned into a relationship. It went from hating each other, to realizing they date each other's doppelgängers to being head over heels. Feel like they needed a bit of transition time. Overall, the banter was on point and it was an enjoyable story with heart and laughs.

Someone Just Like You is an adorable read! It's a sweet childhood friends to lovers story that pulled me in from the beginning. The pranks were funny and the side characters were exciting as well. The romance was sweet but there were moments where it just didn't feel like the two really connected with one another. I kept wishing that the romance between them could have been a bit stronger. Overall, it was enjoyable and sweet and I am definitely looking forward to whatever Meredith Schorr releases next!

This was cute while a bit immature. I found the pranks and playfulness to be endearing. Discovering that your childhood rival and neighbor is your soulmate and then unconsciously pursuing someone who resembles them is pretty intriguing.⁠ Definitely worth a read. Highly recommend for people who like more closed door books. There are two spicy scenes but they are short and not overly descriptive.

Thanks so much NetGalley for the ARC! Honestly this book was not my fave but not because of the writing or plot really, it just wasn’t something I was necessarily interested in but I wanted to give a try.

Someone Just Like You is Meredith Schorr’s second published book and to say I was excited for it is an understatement. As I said in my review of As Seen on TV (here), I’ve been reading Schorr’s books for years (she’d self-published and worked with small presses before being published with Forever) and she’s always been a favourite. Her latest is perfect for all the rom-com lovers out there who are looking for a new book to devour this summer.

Here’s the book’s description:
New Yorker Molly Blum knows everything about her lifelong nemesis, Jude Stark. With their families so close, they should have been best friends. Instead, she thinks he’s a too-charming slacker, and he thinks she’s allergic to fun. After years of one-upping each other’s pranks (chocolate-dipped cat treats are not as delicious as they appear), one high school joke went too far, and they stopped speaking completely. But now that they’re supposed to help plan a massive party for their parents—together—there’s no better time to resume their war.
And it is on. Only somewhere between all the sniping and harmless hijinks, a reluctant friendship develops, along with an unexpected spark of sexual tension. It might have to do with the fact that she’s been dating Jude-lookalikes and he’s been dating Molly doppelgangers. Or the fact that neither of them is nearly as horrible as they thought. All Molly and Jude know is that they’ve mastered the art of hating each other. Falling in love, on the other hand, is a whole new battlefield.
Molly and Jude are far from perfect. The story’s told from Molly’s point of view but you can get a really good sense of Jude based on her stories and what she shares about their past. I couldn’t really get behind their hatred of each other, how it started, and how long it lasted. The pair are 27 at the start of the novel and, to paraphrase Molly’s mom, their prank war wasn’t a cute look for them. They had their moments of realizing how ridiculous they were being and things were a lot smoother once they figured out their animosity seemed to be covering up years of pent up lust. Enemies to lovers isn’t always a favourite trope of mine but the history between Molly and Jude had me convinced they really were meant to be together. As Nani tells Molly, she needs Jude so she can loosen up, and he needs her because she helps keep him on track. She just has to let go a little of her plans and he has to stop acting like a teenage boy. You know. Easy stuff!

The pace of the novel worked really well. I knew when Schorr was going to hit the highlights of a typical rom-com (including, yes, the third-act breakup) but I wasn’t at all bothered by it. It showed that Schorr knows her stuff and knows how to write a rom-com that readers will be satisfied with from the first page to the last.

There’s a solid cast of secondary characters without it getting too overwhelming. I loved that the families grew up together and were all still so close, both within their own units but with each other too. Jude has two roommates who are clearly good for him and Molly’s best friend Esther is perfection. (You know, as perfect as a human can be which actually means that she’s not “perfect.”) There’s a lot of love surrounding both Molly and Jude and that made me happy.

I really enjoyed reading Someone Just Like You. I think readers will be more than pleased with Meredith Schorr’s second novel - I know I liked it more than the last. It’s the rom-com you need if you want to laugh, cringe, and swoon while reading this - perhaps poolside?

*An egalley was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me this Advanced Readers Copy of Someone Just Like You by Meredith Schorr!

“What if this has been a prank all along? His biggest one yet. Making Molly ‘Mole’ Blum fall for him so he could break my heart.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parental divorce and parental separation. Talks about life-changing physical injuries after an accident. Contains sexual content.

“Someone Just Like You” follows Molly Blum and Jude Stark, two childhood frenemies who now, a decade later, have to cooperate through the planning of their parent’s conjoined wedding anniversary celebration. But what if their rivalry and dislike came from a place of love and not so much of hate? That’s for them to decide.

This was a fun and relatively fast-paced read, yet I couldn’t look past how immature the main characters were most of the time. They were supposed to be in their late twenties/early thirties but it felt more like late teens to me. There is just no way someone my age would act the way they were acting, is all. This made it a little harder to read along but all in all it wasn’t a bad read.

Definitely grab this book if you’re a fan of the childhood enemies to lovers trope, you won’t regret it.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Forever Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 25, 2023

A witty, romantic, fun loving read that inspires you to open your heart and mind to all the possibilities of life.

I really enjoyed this book! From the start, it held my attention, and the quick wit humor made it a fast page turner for me.

• Forced Proximity
• Friends to Enemies to Lovers 🙃
• Witty Banter
• Slow Burn Romance
• Family Dynamic

Grab this one to lay by the pool with when you need a stress-free read 🙌🏼

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book! This one is out NOW for you to grab and check it out for yourself!

I really, really disliked this book which I hate saying because it had so much potential. Childhood antagonists to reluctant allies to lovers. Subconsciously dating people exactly like the other. All great in theory but it just did not work. The main characters were so deeply unlikeable and childish and there was no real growth throughout the book. The conflicts seemed so easily resolved when they did come up without too much effort (even though it was written like a grand gesture). Don’t even get me started on the sex scenes. Just why? Why even have on page sex? It was so perfunctory and strange, I would have actually preferred it to be closed door and I don’t usually say that.

All that being said, I didn’t DNF it so I guess that’s worth something.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

1.5⭐️ 1🌶

Big thanks to Grand Central Publishing, Meredith Schorr and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Honestly, IDK why I even finished this book. I had to FORCE myself through this one. It was just not for me... and I should of known better than to see an author that Helena Hunting gave her vote of approval to considering I HATED A Love Catastrope.

CRINGE. CRINGE. CRINGE. That's all I have to say about this one. Both the MCs are annoying as fuck with their childish pranks and the whole doppelganger plot point was super cheesy and unrealistic (shoot me for saying a romance is unrealistic but IDC because this one was off the charts STUPID). I felt this should have been a high school-level romance instead with all the teenage-level shit going on.

1.5-stars rounded up and that is being GENEROUS. Between the cringy dialogue, awful characters, the doppelgangers, that AWFUL poem (iykyk), and that epilogue - I will never get my time back from actually finishing this book.


*Pulls up Kindle notes to prove point*

SPOILERS BELOW - Read at your own risk!




"Cover your stump before you hump." "No glove, no love!"
WHO SAYS THIS??? WHO SAYS THIS? I can't. Should have just quit here...

"I bucked against his hand. 'Jude Star is making me come!'"
WHO YELLS THIS DURING SEX?!!!!! If I was him I would have gotten up, left and NEVER returned.

"I pulled him to me. 'I want you closer.' He reached under the pillow and flashed a wrapped condom. 'Abracadabra!' I snorted. 'And we didn't even need to leave a tooth.'"
Honestly they fucking deserve each other with this lame dialogue. If a man said Abracadabra to me when we were about to get it on I would have left him right then. DIVORCE, DUMPED, LEFT IN A HOTEL TO FEND FOR HIMSELF.

After not finishing AS SEEN ON TV, I was concerned about this one. I have loved pervious work from this author, but it seems the style has changed a bit with the switch to main stream publishing. I found Molly to be obnoxious with her planning and timelines, and her pranks with Jude were very immature. I didn't believe they would truly end up together, and it felt forced.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

2.5 stars- The premise of this book was interesting and it started off well, but I just couldn’t get connected to the characters, especially Jude. There wasn’t much of them together (before getting together) where it showed them starting to like each other- especially on his end. They got together, then it didn’t have much of them falling in love. Even though the book is told from her point of view, the reader should still see hints that he’s falling for her as well in order for it to draw you in and build that tension. It just wasn’t there. He just wasn’t even that likable until close to the end. He just acted like a child. But for some reason (not well explained to the reader) she finds him amazing.
The writing overall was fine, but there were times when the dialogue was cheesy or unrealistic. It really took me out of the story. Also, although I’m sure it was at least partly intentional, the scene with her reading the “poem” she wrote was way too cringey. You get the impression it’s supposed to be a little cringey, but it went beyond that to just silly. That entire part of the book, she just ends up coming across as unhinged.
I liked this book enough to finish it, but not enough to recommend it or to read anything else by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley for access to this eArc for my honest opinion!

This was such a FUN read!
In a classic tale of enemies to lovers, Jude and Molly grew up together, beginning as childhood friends whose families live next door to one another. Suddenly turned rivals, the two face off through years of pranks and one-upping each other, until their siblings assign them to work together on finding a venue for their parents combined anniversary party.
This was my first time reading anything by Meredith Schorr and I can’t wait to pick up more! I loved the characters and Molly’s story navigating her career changes! “Even more satisfying than creating the perfect plan was changing it to create the perfect life.”
If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers and opposites attract, this is the read for you!

I loved many aspects of this book and was hooked for the first three-quarters, though the ending lost me a little. The premise and Jewish representation were fantastic, but the conflict at the end felt one-sided without a dual-POV. Molly’s actions lacked maturity, and I wanted more perspective from Jude. Despite this, the book’s characters and writing style were enjoyable.

The story revolves around childhood enemies planning their parents’ anniversary party, which leads to hijinks and banter. While some pranks felt childish, I still found the book overall good, especially the forced proximity sparking something between the characters. The enemies-to-lovers theme was engaging, and I appreciated the clever and organic progression of their relationship, even if the pranks were sometimes excessive.

In the end, the book’s story and the characters’ underlying feelings made it an enjoyable read for fans of enemies-to-lovers themes.

This is a very sweet childhood frenemies to lovers. We all make mistakes in life and very few of us get to make peace to help find your HEA. Molly and Jude find know their best and their worst, when they finally accept their love from each other it is the sweetest reward