With or Without You was a unique contemporary romance that surprised me, but in a good way. Just from the cover alone, I wouldn’t have guessed this book would be about two teenagers who are sort of “star crossed lovers” in a modern Romeo & Juliet type situation. Well, not quite exactly. But if you read it, you’ll see what I mean.

The competition of the food truck off and the fake fighting and enemies to lovers vibes the two put on for onlookers is quite cute and comical. But when a producer turns it into a reality tv show, the fake fighting reached a new level. And I didn’t like it, but I think that’s the point trying to be made.

It led to real fighting and some of the insults and actions the two pulled on each other were very hurtful in my opinion. I didn’t like all of the manipulation from adults in this book, seeing as these two main characters were newly graduated from high school. That part felt wrong. But I guess, that’s a reality for some people! I think the Cindy and Jared situation was awful, and found it to be quite betraying. I agreed with some of the feelings Cindy had, but she shouldn’t have let it go that far.

I won’t spoil it, but I will say I thought this book had a great turn around and an ending I did not quite expect! The last few chapters I didn’t see coming, and I found that unpredictability and surprise factor to be quite brilliantly tied up at the end.

Overall, I rate this one:

🌟🌟🌟 Stars (3/5)

Overall Thoughts 𐙚
God I did not like this one bit... this was beyond disappointing :/ The plot was so different and interesting, and I really wish things had played out differently. I had many issues with this book which I will mention later in my review but one of the most important and vital one was believing that this two mc should not have been together in the first place. Throughout the story I wasn't able to find any ounce of chemistry between the two, the mfc has to be one of the most unlikable, annoying characters I have read about. She was just awful, selfish and.... DRUMROLLLL... one of my biggest pet peeves ever... a CHEATER?/?? how could i possibly want her to have good things when she's lying, being a hypocrite and kissing other boys? I was so ready to DNF around the 45% mark but again, I decide to keep going. It did not get better, and I really wish I had just DNF'ed it when I said I would.

Other things I did not like
⟡ the whole love triangle situation wasn't needed
⟡ the jealous gf scene when the gf was the one who was catching feelings for someone else
⟡ where the plot went
⟡ secret relationship but had no chemistry whatsoever
⟡ ANNOYING FMC
⟡ did not care about the MMC

This was such a fun, sweet, YA romcom! I loved the banter between the characters, the hijinks they get up to in their food truck war, and the humor I've come to expect from Smith. Loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC of this!

"Enemies" to lovers was an intriguing take on the typical trope, this gave modern day Romeo and Juliet vibes. I thought though, that both kids took it too far and I was never really rooting for them to go for each other. They just made a lot of complications for themself instead of fooling other people.

Every Eric Smith book makes me long to live in Philly. From the small touches of food jokes to references to my favorite bands, this book was so fun and cute. So much boiled down to miscommunication between Jordan and Cindy, but it was still a sweet romcom.

A food truck war between two close-knit Philly families who fake a feud to pander to the tourists has their friendship being tested in unimaginable ways as they are picked up to shoot a reality tv competition pilot. But as the show runners manipulate them, past hurts get dragged to the surface bring up real animosity.

Throw in a love triangle between their secretly in love teens who have to pretend to hate each and the new boy working on the set adds extra drama. Perfect for fans of books like Emma Lord's Tweet cute, Sher Lee's Fake dates and mooncakes or Rebecca Carvalho's Salt and Sugar. It was also good on audio narrated by Elena Rey and Gary Tiedemann. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I had to dnf at 38%. The premise is super interesting and is what initially drew me in. Sadly, I could not connect with the characters or their families. I think this is do to there being a lot of side characters and side plots.

With or Without You
By Eric Smith
Published Nov 7th, 2023

If you like rom-coms then this one's for you. Jordan runs his family's food truck and dreams on one day buying his own truck and traveling while making people's hearts happy with his simple, but amazing food. Cindy runs her family's food truck on the same block and is Jordan's main competitor, offering organic and healthy food choices, but wants to leave the food world behind to work in entertainment, specifically podcasting and reality TV. Both are teenagers who have graduated and have their futures mapped out.
Their families are at war over the food trucks and often Jordan and Cindy are the main characters..they've even gone viral for some of their truck spats. When their family feud is picked up by a reality TV producer, everything becomes bigger and wilder. Here's the catch...Jordan and Cindy have been secretly dating for quiet a while and their families are good friends.
Sure, there's some truth in the feud, but they've gotten over that, right? As the reality show takes off, Cindy and Jordan try even harder to hide the one thing they were looking forward to no longer having hide, their true selves and discover things about their family and themselves they didn't know.
Can their relationship survive?

I’ve read several books by this author and always know to expect certain elements in his stories: music references, a strong sense of family and community, humor, and a little romance.

I enjoyed this premise – a food truck rivalry between the Plazas and Ortiz families and public insults over each other’s food – but it’s all an act for tourists and customers designed to bring more attention to their businesses which equals more money. In reality, Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz have been secretly dating (their parents and close friends know the truth) for a year, and their families are friendly. The families agree to be in a reality TV show pilot which could be financially beneficial, but it takes an unexpected toll on their lives and may not be worth the fallout from their decision.

Jordan and Cindy are recent high school graduates with plans to take a gap year and drive a food truck across the country. But that’s Jordan’s dream. Cindy’s dream is to go to college in Boston with her friends (where she’s originally from) and eventually work behind the scenes in reality TV. She just hasn’t communicated this very well to Jordan, and he hasn’t exactly been listening.

I’m not a fan of reality TV, and its pros and cons are showcased here. If viewers understand it’s manipulated and scripted and don’t take it seriously, it can be a fun escape. It can also damage relationships of the people in these shows. Especially if your relationship is one thing behind the scenes and another to the world. Although neither are blameless in the whole scheme of things, I thought Jordan handled things better than Cindy. Her actions nearly turned me against her completely, but she is a teenager still learning life lessons. I loved the relationships between the parents and teens. With their conflicting viewpoints, arguments, and problems, their families feel genuine, and there’s no doubt the love is there.

The ending is perfect in my opinion. Things fall into place while also leaving a little to reader imagination. If you’re looking for a light-hearted read that’s a little bit coming of age, strong family themes, and lots of food references (which I loved), check out this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed the fun twist this book had where the two main characters were already in a real relationship but had a fake feud going on. I knew going in this would lead to some drama between them and their families. My issue comes with the fact that most of the drama seemed to make one character in particular into the "bad guy" and honestly made me start to dislike them.

I was happy with the way the story ended though. I did feel like it was a little bit rushed and I would have enjoyed getting more of a look into the future.

One other aspect that I thought was particularly well done was the setting and atmosphere.

Overall, I would recommend this especially to fans of YA and teens on the cusp of change within their lives.

I received a digital ARC from Inkyard Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this story. It had both heart, and humor.

This book has a lot going for it: rival families, secret romance, recent graduates trying to figure out what to do with their lives. But it's just... I don't even know. Slow? Uninteresting? I really had to force myself to sit and read it, and I'd read one chapter and reward myself with another book for a while, so it took forever to get through it. I'm sure it would be more engaging for someone, but it just didn't do it for me. I read a ton of YA books and work with high schoolers so I'm generally a YA fan, I just really had a hard time getting through this one.

I think my favorite thing about this book is that it gives you a standalone romance storyline, but the kind of plot you don’t usually get unless you read a series. Jordan and Cindy are together at the start of the story, so there’s none of the figuring out if the other person has feelings. It’s all about the tension between the public rivalry between Cindy and Jordan and their families and their private lives, which include a romantic relationship.

There’s a lot of cool stuff happening in this book, too. From loads of musical references to very different approaches to food truck fare and ingredients, I felt like I got the characters and could easily picture their reactions to things that happened.

I also think the story has a great balance in focus on its characters. Both Jordan’s and Cindy’s parents have unique personalities, but none of them dominate the story. Understanding their characters helps us better understand Cindy and Jordan, but they also feel like fully developed characters on their own.

One of my favorite things about the book (besides the excellent breakdown of a perfect breakfast sandwich) is the banter between the characters. I loved the snarky comments and goofy exchanges with friends. Those scenes felt natural and made me laugh out loud more than once.

I think readers who enjoy books about food and friendships or reality TV and sweet romance will find so much to love in this fun tribute to Philadelphia and food truck life.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

I'm an absolute sucker for anything food competition related and this one is all about food trucks! Okay, there's family and drama too, but food trucks! I especially enjoyed all the food related puns. I thought Eric did a great job portraying the behind the scenes issues each character and their family faced and how everything played out during the taping of their reality show. I also found the book to be a love letter to Philadelphia. People who love that city really love it.

I will caution you against reading this book while hungry. The cheesebreak (read it to understand) sounds so amazing and I was drooling while reading. The author owes me a new Kindle now, haha.

I love Eric Smith's writing and the pace of the story. Once I saw this book, I moved it to the top of my TBR pile immediately. I can't wait to see everyone else love it as much as me.

Thank you #partner for the #freebook @coloredpagesbt, @epicreads, @inkyardpress, and @ericsmithrocks for including me on the tour.

#gifted #Sponsored #WithorWithoutYouTour #coloredpagesbooktours #WithorWithoutYou #ericsmith #bookreviewers

Rating 4/5
Hardback
367 pages
Pub day November 7, 2023 - out today!!
Inkyard Press
Gr avg. 3.60/5⭐

I just finished this book this morning and I am still smiling like a fool.

This was such a cute and fun read. Love a Romeo and Juliette retelling but with a twist. All the Philly steak sandwich foodtruck talk had me wondering why I've never tried one. My hubby and I will be on the hunt to find a place nearby this weekend.

Suggest picking it up if you enjoy YA

3.5/5☆

I'm a big fan of food, secret romances, and reality TV. It's set in Philadelphia. The story revolves around Cindy and Jordan, two teens working on their family's rival food trucks. Cindy's family puts a healthy twist on cheesesteaks inspired by their urban farm in Boston, while Jordan's family sticks to the classic Philly recipe, drawing on their diner roots.

The families are like modern-day Montagues and Capulets, with their trucks parked close by and the kids playing up their rivalry for tourists. But behind the scenes, Cindy and Jordan are secretly in love. This twist of fate catches the eye of a reality TV producer who decides to feature their rivalry in a food truck competition show.

The book is a fun read, switching between Cindy and Jordan's perspectives, complete with mock reality TV confessionals. Eric Smith's writing style is engaging, making the characters' experiences in the reality show setting both amusing and insightful. The story explores the challenges of being on reality TV, showing how it can distort reality and impact personal relationships.

The ending brings everything together nicely. The final chapters provide a sweet wrap-up to the main story, leaving me satisfied yet wishing for a bit more closure on the reality show front. Overall, it's a delightful read, especially if you're into food and reality TV drama.

I loved this book! The writing was great and the characters were wonderful! The author has great imagination and I love a good romance novel!

This book has such a fun premisse, but I didn't feel like the execution was quite up there. The writing felt somewhat dry to me, which made the book feel a lot less fun than it could have. The confessionals as part of the reality show were really fun inserts, and I wish the rest of the book had held on to the same level of fun. There was just so much potential that I don't feel was reached.

I am obsessed with how brilliantly Philly-centric this book was! I truly felt like I was *there* at all times. And the food! I loved it. This is a fun book with a deeply satisfying ending!