Full of bittersweet nostalgia, sweeping romance, and an adventure for the books, You, with a View was not only an addicting read, but it also made me laugh, shed some tears and fall hopelessly in love with this story about relationships, loss, and finding the courage to move on.

After the passing of her grandmother, Noelle happens upon old love letters and photos sent from an unknown suitor. Determined to find out more about her grandmother’s past, she posts a video online sharing these discoveries. When someone reaches out claiming the man in the photos is his grandfather, she leaps at the chance to connect. Only, when she does, she finds out that someone is the person she least expected…her high school nemesis.

From beginning to end, this book solely captured my attention. Instantly I was enamored by Noelle’s quick-witted inter monologue, her downright hilarious (and so spot-on) banter with Theo, and her truly incredible journey.

I always love when books have an element of the outdoors, and I just enjoyed seeing our couple fall in love while out on an adventure, mapping out new paths for themselves and opening up about their internal struggles. (My heart!!)

The nods to photography and the bravery it takes to go after your passion and find happiness spoke to me. Photography has been such an outlet for me, and it was special to see a story weave that into its theme while showing it’s so much more than taking photos. It’s capturing the big moments, the soft moments, and the unspoken moments—and it’s so personal.

As a whole, this was a truly layered story, highlighting the chapters of life and how to embrace every aspect to the fullest. I adore it and can’t wait to see what Joyce will write next! (My rivals to lovers friends, this one is for you!)

4.5/5

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

You, with a View is going to be one of "the" books to read this summer!

Noelle is living with her parents and mourning the loss of her grandmother when she discovers long ago photos and a letter of her grandmother with another male. Knowing she has to solve this mystery, she creates a TikTok video to figure out who he is. What she doesn't expect is for the grandson to be Theo Spencer, her high school enemy.

Once Noelle meets Theo's grandfather, she knows that this was fate brought on by her grandmother. Learning that her grandmother's tries to elope Theo's grandfather were stopped, she yearns to know more about the love they had. Paul, the grandfather, agrees to go on one condition: Theo has to come too.

While Noelle is discovering her grandfather's past, she discovers a secret that Theo has been hiding for a long time. Will this road trip bring up the past and everything that was supposed to stay hidden?

I adored You, with a View and didn't want to put down Jessica Joyce's debut. I felt all the emotions while reading and felt an instant connection with Theo. This book made me want to hug my ninety-five year old grandmother tight and listen to all the stories she has to share. I urge others to put this on their TBR list or just go out and find the version of this book that pleases you. Trust me, you won't regret it!

YOU, WITH A VIEW, is a magical multi-generational journey of love, loss, and everything in between. Seen through the talented lens of Noelle's camera, what started as a search to try to get to know her recently departed grandmother better turns into an adventurous road trip with a long time rival. And there's only one bed.

This is When Harry Met Sally for the modern age. Both Ari and Josh can be a bit obnoxious and obtuse, but then again, so can Harry and Sally. The story made me desperately want to visit New York.

Ate this baby up in one sitting. This book was so freaking good. The banter, the sexual tension, the grandparents of it all, the tenderness all of it was just chefs kiss.

I love a story with a meddling grandparent and Paul was everything. This is a tribute to grandparents - their love, their guidance and our special bond. This deals with a lot of grief so please take care of yourself as you read this.

Theo and Noelle are just fated. Not only did they “hate” each others guts in high school but they both strive to be perfect in front of one another and when they start to open up and fall in love your whole heart will melt.

This is the perfect summer read! I hope you fall in love with these characters like I did!

Since finding out about this book I have been dying to read it! The cover is just gorgeous and I am all for a plot about a trip. When you put rivals together it just sounds like it was made for me and although I did like aspects I found myself not enjoying it as much as I had wanted.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Noelle. There are also letters included from her Gram’s past relationship and they were very sweet to read and also give another plotline that flows well with everything else that is going on.

Noelle is a woman who is trying to get her life back on track but it’s hard. Her mom doesn’t really seem to have faith in her and when she sees her high school rival doing well it puts her in a slump. She goes through personal growth and finds out what is really important to her and turning a hobby into something more. Self doubt and grief play a key role in her story.

The romance was okay at the beginning. I liked the banter between them. It was really fun! As the story progressed it became insta-lust and finding every way to not break the rules they had set up for themselves. Others won’t have a problem with this but I felt like once it hit 50% it was all about physical and the developmental growth slowed. There are cute moments between them though and they learn to rely on one another and realize there’s more to each other than they had thought.

I also was disappointed with the traveling. I thought because of the tiktok video and everything that was talked about leading up to the trip that there would be more to it. I just wanted more descriptions and nature to be a bigger part.

Overall, this was a good summer read and i think many will enjoy it.

I believe You, with a View is Jessica Joyce's debut novel and wow did she deliver.

I absolutely loved everything about Noelle and Theo's story. The incredible chemistry between the former high school rivals who are now all grown up and very obviously attracted to one another, the banter between the two, the fact that they call each other by their last names; Shepard and Spencer.

Theo and Noelle are forced together by a road trip that Noelle embarks on with Theo's grandfather, Paul, with the hope of feeling closer to the grandmother she adored and whose loss she still grieves. While on the road we get to witness the chemistry and unresolved sexual tension between Theo and Noelle, and it was so satisfying to finally see them come together. I adored Theo's grandfather Paul and his very not-subtle matchmaking attempts.

You, with a View was a fun, spicy, and surprisingly emotional story about love, loss, grief and finding oneself. I am so excited to read more from Jessica Joyce.

This story has all my favorite things: a road trip adventure, witty banter, wonderful characters, a psychic, and a sweet romance making this one of the best romance books I’ve read this year.
Noelle Shepherd has hit rock bottom. She is twenty eight, laid off from her job, had to move back home with her parents, and is grieving the loss of her grandmother (Gram). At her parent's home, she discovers old black and white photos of her Gram with a man from her past along with a love letter from someone named Paul. She creates a TikTok of the photos and asks if anyone knows who he is. She is thrilled when his grandson responds and stunned to find out the grandson is her old high school nemesis, Theo Spencer.

Theo is on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. He is the CFO of Where to Next, a travel app that includes flights, places to stay, and specializes in off-season deals. Theo is the cofounder along with two of his college friends. He is funny, sarcastic, and good looking. Noelle thinks he has everything: a cool car, house, great job, and a life with direction. In high school they competed with each other every chance they got and they were both voted most likely to succeed. Now, Noelle avoids telling Theo that she doesn’t have a job because she is embarrassed. This actually creates some very funny moments.

Noelle, Paul, and Theo meet at a coffee shop where Paul shares that he and her Gram were planning to elope but were stopped by her parents. Paul has letters along with a map outlining the honeymoon trip they had planned to take. Paul invites Noelle over for lunch, along with Theo, and she finds comfort reading the letters and having someone to talk to about her Gram.

Noelle has a small inheritance from her grandmother to use for something that inspires her and she thinks taking a two week road trip is just the thing she needs right now. She decides she wants to take a road trip her Gram and Paul had planned. Her brother, Thomas and his girlfriend, Sadie encourage her to take along her camera and share pictures from the trip on TikTok. Her now viral TikTok video of her Gram and Paul has two million views and her followers want to know what happened next after Noelle met Paul. Paul asks if he can come along, which Noelle loves, and then Theo decides he’s coming too.

Theo spent every summer with his grandfather growing up and they are close. Noelle remembers Theo’s father being hard on him in high school. Theo felt no matter what he did, he wasn’t good enough in his father’s eyes. Noelle and Theo meet to discuss their trip and she notices Theo has secretive phone calls that upset him which makes her wonder what’s going on with him. She also notices how good he smells and how fine he looks until he opens his mouth and says something sarcastic. They are still competitive and tease each other throughout the book, which is fun. Paul shares one of Gram’s letters each day and I enjoyed reading about their love story. And, as one would expect in a romance, as the miles go, by the attraction heats up between Noelle and Theo.

Noelle decides to open up to Theo and she tells him how she lost her job and what she's been going through and he was such a good listener, so kind and supportive. But Theo has secrets of his own and Noelle senses something is wrong. He seems distracted but says everything’s OK when she asks him about it. That is, until his secrets are exposed. Noelle is crushed to realize Theo has been keeping big things from her and not sharing what’s going on in his life even though she opened up to him and told him about her struggles. She thought they had a connection. She wants all of him, through the good times and the hard times meanwhile Theo is afraid to trust and open up and my heart went out to him. He reminded me of Josh from The Hating Game.

My favorite parts of the book are when they explore incredible scenery as they hike on trails, boat through canyons and take a jeep tour with breathtaking views. You, With a View is so good, I highly recommend it and can’t wait to see what this debut author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an ARC of this title for review.

Looking for purpose after the death of her beloved grandmother, Kathleen, Noelle Shepherd creates a viral TikTok asking the internet for more information about her gram’s first love, Paul. When Paul’s grandson unexpectedly replies, Noelle sets out to meet Paul and his grandson, only to discover that Paul’s grandson is her high school nemesis, Theo. With TikTok clamoring for more information about Kathleen and Paul’s thwarted romance, Noelle, Paul, and Theo set out to take the honeymoon that Kathleen and Paul had planned, and Noelle and Theo find themselves in close quarters– shared cars, shared beds– and learn that there is a thin line between love and rivalry.

I’m such a sucker for a road-trip romance— I love the fast-moving plot, the forced proximity, the emotional intimacy it invites– and this is a great example of what I love most about this trope. The writing was beautiful– Joyce did an incredible job of fleshing out each of our three characters, two different love stories, two journeys of change and grief, and a road trip without the prose feeling shallow or overstuffed. You, with a View is definitely one of my favorite contemporary romances I’ve read in 2023, and one I’ll be thinking about for a long time. This was a fantastic debut, and I can’t wait to read what Joyce writes next. This one is definitely a great fit for our collection, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to our patrons and book clubs. 5 stars.

(Review will be posted publicly within one week of book’s release date.)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Road Trip
- One Bed

In my opinion, this is a perfect romance novel. Noelle and Theo's story is full of banter, chemistry and will have you feeling just about every emotion. In addition to the romance, You, With a View explored grief, healing and letting yourself forget all expectations of you and follow your own dreams/path.

Not only do you get to experience Noelle and Theo's love story but there is a bonus love story of Kathleen (Noelle's grandmother) and Paul (Theo's grandfather). The telling of Kathleen and Paul's love story, through old love letters, juxtaposed with the ever changing and developing relationship between Noelle and Theo was brilliant!

Summer 2023 is going to be the summer of book boyfriends and Theo is right on top - even with his constant Radiohead sad boy music.

Thank you Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were well thought out and the plot was paced in a way that made sense. I would recommend this book to others and would enjoy reading other novels by this author.

THIS BOOK YALL!! This. Book. 👏👏 I don’t know what Jessica Joyce puts in her writing but I’ll take a million times more of it. I’m not sure the last time I was this ADDICTED to a story. Once I got into it, I could not put it down.

I'm literally obsessed with these two idiots. Noelle and Theo are iconic, I swear I’ve never been so feral for a couple. THE BANTER! Watching them regress into bickering teenagers was just so much fun, and reminds me of how I used to bicker with my high school nemesis (who I definitely did not have a crush on, not at all 👀 Sadly unrequited.) But it’s ok because these two basically just fulfilled my teenage self and I'm HERE FOR IT. And when they do finally go from nemesis to lovers? 🥵 Heat advisory warning, because these two BURN through the pages. Their chemistry is literally flammable.

But this book told two love stories. It wasn’t just Noelle and Theo. It was a love story between Noelle and her grandmother who passed. 🥺 As Joyce wrote “Twins separated by fifty or so years. Soulmates born in different decades.” Because “ A soulmate doesn’t have to be romantic and can serve a very specific need in your life. You can have one your whole life or many.”. And Noelle is one of the lucky ones who had two soulmates 😭😭

This story healed me and broke me all in the same go. The depictions of grief are so raw and real. And the relationship that Noelle had with her grandma reminds me so much of mine. She was my favorite person, and although she passed when I was only 8 and I never got to experience an adult relationship with her, if I had I know it would have been just like theirs

Please. Just go read this book. You’ll thank me later.

Noelle is twenty-eight years old and back living with her parents. To say this was not on her vision board is a massive understatement. She also recently lost her best friend, her grandmother. They told each other everything. At least, that's what Noelle believed — until she discovered an old love letter and photos of her twenty-year-old grandmother with a mysterious young man. Noelle did what any millennial would do. She tic tac'd, no, sorry, TikTok'd the photos anonymously. When Noelle's annoyingly handsome and seemingly perfect high school nemesis, Theo, responds to her TikTok post with information about the mysterious man in the photos — she could not have imagined the path it would set her on.

 
✔️ Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ One Bed
✔️ Road Trip
✔️ Shutterbug Fun
✔️ Sprinkles of Spice


You, with a View transported me back to nine years old on a Tennessee summer day picking strawberries with my grandpa and fighting over the biggest ones. I felt connected to the story and Noelle.
 
The banter and chemistry leapt off the page. If Theo and Noelle aren't volleying barbs and jabs, they are probably sneaking lingering glances when the other is unaware. The tension had me panting. I liked that the third-act complication was resolved with ease. The HEA was sweet perfection.
 
I LOVED everything about this book! The writing, the plot, the pacing, the tropes, the characters, the relationships, the banter, and the spice came together beautifully to create an unforgettable reading experience. I cannot believe this is Jessica Joyce's debut! She is an author to keep an eye on. I will undoubtedly reread this and add it to my display shelf. Trust me, you want to pick this one up.    
 
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted ARC.

Thank you Netgally and Berkley for this ARC! I really enjoyed this debut rivals-to-lovers romance! Admittedly the beginning felt a little slow for me but once we got on the road with the characters I was all in. The different settings for each stop was so fun to read about and picture the characters in.

The thing that really sold this book for me was the chemistry and tension between Theo and Noelle. At first they banter back and forth quite a bit (they are rivals after all!), and then give in to their feelings of attraction. Thankfully that chemistry doesn’t go away! It reminds through the whole book. I loved that they didn’t try to deny their attraction or the fact that they wanted to be together. Sometimes there’s nothing more frustrating than characters who want to be together but refuse to actually say it?? This didn’t happen here which made me so happy.

While Theo and Noelle are what initially sold me, I loved the story about Paul and Kathleen that is a big plot point throughout the book. It also provides a beautiful healing and sort of closure journey for Noelle. Paul was such a great side character, along with Thomas and Sadie! I loved this cast of characters.

I got a little frustrated towards the end with the third act conflict, but it was realistic enough for me to not get TOO mad :) overall, had a great time with the debut novel and will definitely read more from this author!

LOVE LOVE LOVE, this is a 100% yes. I just finished it and I'm already itching to reread. It was one of the most well-executed rivals-to-lovers plots that I've ever read.

Reading You With a View was like getting a warm hug from a dear friend—the prose was welcoming, voicy in the best way, and worked beautifully to immerse the reader in the settings of the road trip. It made me long to take one of my own. I loved getting to experience this coming of age in adulthood story with Noelle and Theo, and really fell so hard for both of them. The journey of trusting yourself to pursue the life you truly want is so relatable. And the steam!! EXCUSE ME?!?! The multiple sexy times we get were just right. Sweet, sensual, and making great use of the "theres only one bed" trope. This book made me a Jessica Joyce fan for life!

A road trip romance with lots of adventurous pitstops, heartfelt letters, and an absolutely precious grandfather. Grandpa Paul will steal your heart.

High school rivals Noelle and Theo find themselves together ten years later. Thanks to TikTok and fate, Noelle learns of a cancelled elopement and honeymoon trip her late grandmother once planned with Theo's grandfather. With her grief still fresh, Noelle will do anything to connect with the one person she misses dearly—leading her on a two-week road trip down memory lane with Paul and his infuriating grandson.

There were parts I enjoyed, without a doubt. I loved the poetic way photography was incorporated. Within that, it's a beautiful story of wanting something so bad yet equally being afraid to chase it. And finding those people who will support you through.

I slowly lost interest, unfortunately. While the initial banter between Noelle and Theo was amazing, the relationship started to feel more focused on feeding their sexual tension. Some of the language used was just … not for me. But I'm sure other readers will enjoy!

You, With a View came into my life at a complicated time. I honestly thought there's no way I can enjoy a book about grieving a grandma, so close to losing mine. Throw in a reading and emotional slump, and you have the mess I currently am.

Was it a smart choice to read about Noelle finding out her recently deceased grandma she adored, had a secret fiancé, whose grandson Theo is her arch nemesis? Then follow them on a road trip as she reconnects with her grandma through letters. Oh, and Noelle's a hot mess but pretending not to be. So... smart?

No.

Yet, I devoured this in less than 48 hours. Perfection. No notes. Shut up and take my money.

This review is 100% vibes based. This book made my millennial nostalgia cup runneth over. To the point that I embarrassed myself, and slid into Jessica's DMs to verify a reference. Sorry, again. There's also my favorite tropes. Enemies to lovers in forced proximity, and I feel there was also "it was always you" vibes.

I will caution, if you lost someone close to well, ever, you this will dredge up lots of those healing moments. I have high hubris levels, and thought I'd be fine. But, the last letter caught me off guard and absolutely shattered me. But in a good way?

Intergenerational romance with a former childhood rival? Yes, please. Because that's pretty much all I can say about the plot without spoiling much, even though the story essentially writes itself.

Although I have a standard of asking "What would the plot be even if the FMC and MMC never got together?" and I think the plot would still hold even if there was no romantic interest. Did I think it was a little too insta-love? Yeah, maybe. But even the FMC thought it and what her friends said made sense. I loved Paul as a character, and I wish he was real and could be my best friend.

I could not-and still can't-believe this is a debut novel. If this is Jessica Joyce starting out, I'll have to read literally everything she comes out with.

This book did so many things super well. My new favourite trope is enemies to lovers who are openly thirsting over each other the whole time. Noelle and Theo were both learning how to let their guards down and give themselves and each other grace and understanding, which isn't always easy when life hasn't let you believe you deserve it.

Grief and what life looks like in the aftermath of loss is handled in such a gentle, thoughtful way. I adored Noelle and Theo's banter, but I also loved Noelle's love for her gram, and I could not get enough of Theo and Paul! The only thing that could have made this better would have been Theo's POV...but Noelle was so captivating so I was perfectly happy living in her mind, and I kind of loved getting to know Theo as she did!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this lovely book.