Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3)⁠
Scroll vortex: 🌀 (1)⁠
Jaw-clench: 😬😬 (2)⁠
Format read: 📱 (ebook - NetGalley)⁠
Days read: 🗓🗓 (2) ⁠
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When her roommate-with-benefits invites a boyfriend over to cook dinner, Ari meets Josh for the first time. In a city of millions, Ari and Josh’s paths continue to cross several times over the course of years. Years in, a friendship forms as they bond over the recent losses of their long-term relationships. But is frenemies all they want to be?
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👍 Thumbs up:⁠
- grand gesture at the end on a holiday
- these characters deal with grief and depression but the story wasn’t too heavy
- bisexual main character
- ties up all the loose ends, characters land on their feet
- main character is a chef!!! we love chef books!
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👎 Thumbs down: ⁠
- less “New York in the fall” and more “cringey lonely big city” vibes
- this is a new year / spring book, not a fall book
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I fell for the cover of this book. The cover leads you to believe this is a lighthearted, cozy romance. And it is a romance! But I’d put it on my “romance that gives you a twinge of anxiety while exploring other big topics (ie grief)” shelf. Don’t get me wrong, this book was super enjoyable and I read it so quick. I just think there was a disconnect between what I was expecting vs. what it was.

Bisexual version of When Harry Met Sally and I absolutely ate this up. This book is exceedingly romantic with a heavy dose of wit. This is the ultimate enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine novel; Nora Ephron would be proud.

5/5 stars

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, The Dial Press and Penguin Random House for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not a fan of this book. I thought it was poorly written and felt like fan-fiction. I would not recommend to other readers.

I loved this book so much. The banter is top notch. Josh and Ari as good for each other as they are at being their own worst enemies, which is to say perfect. It was emotional being in their heads, especially in their immediate heartbreak but it never felt overbearing or annoying. I could see this so easily bring a Netflix rom com, and I would eat it up with a spoon.

"You, Again" is a surprisingly realistic romance that almost borders more on the contemporary fiction genre. Relatively entertaining, funny, nuanced, deep, real and raw with characters that are so genuine they're kind of unlikeable at times.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

This one isn’t for me.
I’m not into a romance where you hear about both MCs attraction to other people. As I read this one it quickly became clear that I was going to have a hard time rooting for these two.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This book was a lot more than I expected it to be to be completely honest, but I definitely don't mean that in a bad way! I saw this being marketed as a reimagining of "When Harry Met Sally," and while that's true and technically correct, I went into this read thinking it would be pretty standard romcom-fare (again, not necessarily a bad thing, but there are things I have grown to expect ha). Overall, I loved how much angst was in this book, and how real the story felt. Things were undeniably quite messy at some points, other parts laugh-out-loud funny, and just— there was so much more heart (and sass) here, I enjoyed every bit of it and would definitely rec this one out to others!

Is this as good as everyone says? Yes. Did my “when Harry met Sally” heart enjoy this? Absolutely. It took me a while to get through (a 400 page romance novel? I’m dying; it’s a bit too long in my opinion) but it was worth it. I’m glad that they both managed to see the light. And I am proud of the characters for growing.

This was a classic case of falling prey to Internet hype and I nearly instantly regretted it. 2.5-ish ⭐️, simply because of the multiple Taylor Swift references.

It was an easy read, but it was longer than it needed to be and I didn’t love the writing style. I felt little to no connection with any of the characters and I found the FMC, Ari, especially insufferable. The more I think about it, the less I like it. I’m sure this will be for plenty of people, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I liked this book; I didn't love this book. Mostly because I didn't like the character of Ari. Even throughout all the years, she didn't seem to mature or grow up. I didn't like how she was so wrapped up in herself all of the time that she pushed people away and then wanted them back on her terms. It came across as really selfish and I'm shocked that her friends - and Josh - put up with it.

Josh seemed too... pathetic? I don't know the right word. He seemed like the perfect guy on paper, and he went out with these perfect girls, but it wasn't ever right. Until he met Ari and he loved her on and off for years? I don't know... I just didn't see the draw for him to be so hung up on her based on the way she treated him.

I get the When Harry Met Sally nod, and I did appreciate it... but this didn't do justice to the movie. I loved both Harry and Sally and was just waiting for them to both realize they'd be perfect together. Ari and Josh? I don't see it. Still.

This was a pretty good book. I can see the "When Harry Met Sally" references included in the storyline. The cover is one to fall in love with for sure.

My feelings about You, Again are mixed. I enjoyed the first third, felt indifferent to the middle third, and then cried my way through the final third. I even set it down around 60% because I just wasn’t into it. After reading a few other books in a different genre, I came back to it and am glad I did.

I must admit, I have never watched When Harry Met Sally. I’m not quite sure how that happened since it is a classic and I love Meg Ryan, but I never got around to it. I don’t know if that impacted how I felt about the first parts of the book. Might be time to actually watch it and see!

I had a really hard time connecting with either main character. Their decisions, while maybe ‘real’, were frustrating and made me want to shake them both repeatedly. I don’t mind bad choices, interactions, etc, as long as there is learning, but they went ages in the same patterns. Neither one treated people very well and didn’t try to take any responsibility for it. Josh at least started to grow while their friendship grew, but Ari didn’t seem to until the very end, which then made it feel rushed.

While the growth felt a little hurried, it was still very impactful. Their vulnerability was heartbreaking and raw, especially when the other wasn’t in a place to hear it yet. It finally helped me to connect with the characters and instead of wanting to shake them, I just wanted to hold them.

An absolutely heart-wrenchingly wonderful modern day retelling of When Harry Met Sally.

This book firmly encompasses all of the amazing feelings of watching a Nora Ephron movie. (I rewatched a few of her movies between episodes of reading this book and it honestly compared so well).

These flawed, beautiful characters fly off the page. You want to both shake them by the shoulders while simultaneously holding them together a La Mike Tyson saying “now kiss”. I actually had to message the author to tell her she was an evil genius for all of the emotional edging she put me through.

This will be one I revisit. Absolutely perfect fall in New York vibes. Perfectly encompasses the nostalgic feeling while bringing it into the modern world without making it feel disruptive. Brava!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 - Well, this is absolutely one of my favorite books of all time! I simply loved it.

A modern day When Harry Met Sally (actually!) that, dare I say, takes it to the next level when it comes to depth and character development. Despite being fanfic, this felt new and fresh and different. And I adore WHMS, so that’s saying something! This is a nuanced, awkward, honest and emotional story about two people who meet again and again - accidentally? Serendipitously? - over a period of ten years. Strangers to enemies to friends to lovers to enemies to… I can’t get into it. You have to see for yourself.

The main characters are SO good. They are messy and complicated. Josh and Ari’s quirks and neuroses are complex and funny and relatable. I loved the internal dialogue SO MUCH. And the banter! Epic! Even the side characters were so freaking fun and the dynamics between everyone - unparalleled. Meaningful and purposeful side characters can be challenging but Goldbeck crushed them.

I’m a sucker for a love story set in NYC and this was no exception. Despite the present day timeline it still feels nostalgic and emotional. I can’t imagine any other backdrop for this story. So much of who Ari and Josh are as individuals and as a couple comes back to this unique and chaotic place.

My only bugaboo was that the book is in third person. I just reaaaaally like dual POV in first person, it feels more intimate.

Read this book!!!! Also the Author’s Note! You won’t regret it. Thank you to @netgalley, Random House and Kate Goldbeck for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you like reading about mid 30 year olds act like 17 year olds then this book is for you!

If you like books that claim to be like When Harry Met Sally, but are not even close then this book is for you!

If you like books that are longer than they should be then this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

“Maybe being in love is knowing that you’d live it all over again—every part, suffering included—to get right back to the place where you’re standing.”

this story reminded me of the movie When Harry Met Sally, which I loved! While it reminded me of it with the time jumps and a slow friendship, it still had its own unique storyline. I enjoyed the story and I liked the characters, however it did take me a while to get through it. It was a little bit too long for me personally. I would definitely recommend this one for a fall romance read. It was cozy and heartwarming and funny!

The only way this book is a re-imagining of When Harry Met Sally is if the point is to stip away all the charm, banter, wit, and sense of the movie. The story and the characters have nothing to do with the movie. Meg Ryan and Billy Cristal are extremely charming as Sally and Harry, we believe in their friendship and we see their chemistry. We follow how their friendship grows. And more importantly they are likeable. This book had none of that.

I don't think I read a book this year with a main character as obnoxious, annoying, and self-righteous as Ari. The only other characteristcs that she has is that she likes sex and to get high. And she doesn't change throughout the whole story. She is exactly the same person that she was in the beginning of the book. Her character is supposed to be this ground-breaking woman, who is so foward thinking and progressive when she's really a tired cliche at this point spewing Twitter (sorry, X) talking points with no depth. Josh wasn't as annoying, but he sure wasn't likeable nor charming. He didn't even have a personality aside from wanting to step out of his father shadow and that's it.

Their relationship was so childish. They decided to hate each other in the beginning just because. And had the most immature and cringe conversations. Then they decided to become sort of friends just because. And decided to fall in love just because.

I hated everything about this book and I just finished it to be able to review it. But I'm still mad about finishing it.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

I DNFed this book. I tried several times, but nope, I just couldn't do it. I didn't care for the main characters. They were so unlikable. I'm shocked people are comparing it to When Harry Met Sally, because it doesn't even come close.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Random House for the E-ARC

This book was super cute and thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!
 
You Again takes place over a large span of time (I forget the total lol) and follows Ari, a self-proclaimed commitment-avoider, and Josh, a self-proclaimed monogamist. After their initial run-in where Josh is dating Ari’s roommate (who Ari also happens to be sleeping with), they keep bumping into each other over the next couple years (oooh a Harry Met Sally retelling!!). The bulk of their story ends up taking place after Josh’s break-up with his long-term girlfriend and Ari’s divorce after her wife left her. They bond over feeling alone and unsuccessful and become each other’s support system. Watching the two of them navigate this new friendship is wildly entertaining. I love both characters and loved how they stayed true to themselves and managed to grow throughout their book.
 
I really enjoyed this book and am so happy to have gotten an advanced copy. If you’re a fan of When Harry Met Sally, I think you’ll enjoy this book!

As someone who admittedly counts romantic comedy as a "guilty pleasure" genre, I am often disappointed by the many one note romances, all with similar covers, that I have to choose from when I want to cozy up with a feel-good book. There is always something I feel is missing in popular books of this genre. It's easy for the emotions of the characters to feel flat as you inch towards an inevitable ending. As a romance author, that is no doubt the most difficult part of writing a believable story. You must pen two compelling characters who /choose/ to be together. In a good romance, the inevitability won't feel merely fated. It will feel chosen. In life, there is no inevitability. There is only muddy choice, and that nuance is what gives true romance its profundity. Without it, the romance falls flat.

It was for these reasons, when I read the summary for "You, Again" and saw its comparisons to Nora Ephron's "When Harry Met Sally", I had high hopes that it might fill my romance gap. I hoped it might contain satirical social commentary ala Austen, charismatic and more profound explorations of connections and relationships, and the things that solidified Ephron's romance as a classic.

I am elated to have not been disappointed. More than a romance, this book is an exploration. It's fun, curious, more than just two people inevitably falling in love. It's easy, in a romance, to simply write two characters "in love", believing that the reader will fill in the blanks of what love means. Perhaps its safer, as an author seeking to define something that is so deeply personal to every human, to err on the side of generic so as not to alienate.

What sets "You, Again" apart is that its characters boldly choose to explore and define what love means to them, and make decisions based on the minutiae of their worldview. The characters jump off of the page, real people with everchanging and subjective ideas about what it means to be with someone else. The novel includes the perfect level of corniness, yet still feels unflinchingly fresh. This is the best romance I have read in a long, long time, and I am grateful to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.