Ari is a commitment-phobe after a relationship goes horribly wrong. She's the queen of meaningless hook-ups, a struggling comedian who works all kinds of low paying jobs from waiter to dog-walker. Josh is hopeless romantic who thinks he's found his Person so many times, only to have the relationship collapse. He's a chef who has high aspirations, a real-estate mogul mother, and impossible standards.

Over the course of 8 years they run into each other but their first, second, and third impressions are not good. When they meet again, both at the very lowest points in their lives, their mutual heartbreak allows them to forge a friendship. They are friends-without-benefits which is new to Ari and hard for Josh. As they begin to open up to each other, the chemistry starts to build, and they find that maybe, just maybe, there can be more?

To say this book grew on me is an understatement. These two characters couldn't be more insufferable if they tried. But then their hard outer shells crack, and their wounds come to the surface, and I'm hooked. Give me a broken character clawing their way out of a toxic pattern any day. Josh's optimism makes him naive sometimes but it's part of his charm. Ari's tough exterior makes her annoying sometimes, but it's part of her charm. And together they just work...there's so many nuances and layers in this novel. I'll definitely be rereading this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love “When Harry Met Sally.” If you don’t love it then I don’t really care for your opinions on romcoms. Anyways, this book is clearly inspired by the film and I am not mad about it. I literal watch the movie every year especially when the leaves start changing and a cool breeze in the air. I liked this book. Aly and Josh’s dynamics were a lot like Harry and Sally’s, which was great. This book was of course a little bit more dramatic and more slow burn than the movie and it was a lot more complex in regards to Aly and Josh’s characteristics. Not gonna lie, sometimes I find myself hating them individually but not as a couple. They just don’t know how to give each other the space they needed, especially Josh. Sometimes I feel like this was a little bit too slow burn than what was needed. It felt unnecessary at times. But I guess it made it a little realistic.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The more I sit on this book and the more I think about it, the more I like it. It’s an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story that is full of angst and tension and it’s a romance that is perfect for the fall season.

First things first, When Harry Met Sally is probably my favorite rom-com. Ever (right next to While You Were Sleeping, but this isn’t the conversation for that). Recognizing so many of the beats and elements to my favorite rom-com was so much fun, but what made this book so special is that the author still added a unique spin on it. I loved that Ari was more like Harry while Josh shared a lot of similarities with Sally.

Both characters are deeply flawed in their own ways, and I like that there were moments to highlight that throughout the story. There was never one person completely in the wrong, rather they both had a fair share of issues they had to work out, which made for a complex love story that I appreciated.

Briar and Radhya really stood out to me as supporting characters, and I really wish we got more of them interacting with Ari and Josh, but I’ll take what I can get. They brought so much fun and lightness to the story, especially in the second half.

Overall, this book lived up to the hype for me, and it’s one I definitely recommend you check out!

I’m so conflicted on how to review this book! I loved the crisp writing and snappy dialogue. There were many laugh out loud moments. But I also really did not like either main character, I found them so whiney and gross. All that to say, I wanted to keep reading and see how it was all resolved (and then I hated the ending 😳).

Four stars. Wonderful characters and plot. Fun Rom Com!! Will be recommending and reading anything in the future from this author. Thank you for the title.

This story is something else. Definitely stands out in the romcom genre and I would love to see it as a movie. Or even a TV show, the details and NY vibe is so real!

That being said, I had a hard time getting into it, mostly because of the writing style. It felt overflowing somehow, with weird semantics and too many adverbs. In fact, until the 25ish% mark I really struggled not to DNF - luckily, my OCD and obsession with unfinished books pushed me forward. And I'm glad I gave it another chance, these characters slowly but surely got under my skin to the point I was living the book and feeling, smelling, seeing everything. It's very slow burn and we keep getting these time jumps when they meet at different times and stages of their lives - at first, each one of those is a meet-disaster. Until they reach the lowest point of their adult lives and they are like let's be lonely and depressed and failing at everything together. And thats when the friendship, the bond, the feels and the love are born. It's where this story shines. In their interactions, their banter, their opposites attract tension, in their walks through Manhattan, in the little moments. Eventually their feelings (and the tension omg) explode... and lines are crossed, things are said, old insecurities pop up and it all goes up in flames. Or does it? Is it a omg what did I do I'm a disaster, we shouldn't have or is it a We should have done this long ago? The healing process, accepting and depth or their feelings pull them together again. Will they be strong enough to conquer their fears - of neglect, of commitment, of failure, of not going through that heartbreak again and live HEA? Maybe, it's a Romance after all - but the road there is not easy. And each struggle is heartbreaking, realistic and totally relatable.

This books is very layered and a testament to New York and the movie When Hally Met Sally. It has that classic romcom vibe and I could totally see it as a movie. It's not the usual fluff and banter - it's young adults juggling NY lifestyle and jobs, it's saying the wrong thing and the wrong time to a person that is undeniably meant for you, it's about failing at relationships, marrige, dating, expressing feelings, finding yourself, losing your passion and trying to recalibrate, it's friendships and family and getting another - and another, and another chance at making it right.

*thank you for the ARC

Spicy: R, some explicit scenes and conversations

Will you like this book? You might if you like:

Nora Ephron films
Enemies to friends to lovers
Complex and messy MCs
Snappy dialogue

Warning: Spoilers
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Ari and Josh meet in 2014 when he comes to cook for her roommate, Natalie, because he is a chef and in search of his soul mate. Ari is a comedian who is in search of her next hook-up and improv set. Turns out they are both hooking up with Natalie, but that is about all they have in common. In a nod to When Harry Met Sally, Goldbeck’s two protagonists continue to meet at various times over the next nine years and eventually they become friends as they bond over the demise of their last respective relationships. Oh New Year’s Eve, it’s almost like its own character.

The story moves along at a clip, ranging from time and place, and Ari and Josh slowly realize that they mean quite a bit to each other. Their interactions are electric and Goldbeck gives them snappy dialogue. But though there are some serious laugh-out-loud moments, Ari is a comedian after all, both of these people are really struggling. Ari’s various starts as a working comedian have all fizzled and Josh’s once promising career as a chef went down in flames. On top of that, Josh, who has only ever wanted to be in a long-term relationship, is no closer to that even after years of dating Sophie. And Ari, who never wanted that, is now going through a divorce that threatens to break her. These are not two people with their shit together. They are both messy and after nine years, they haven’t evolved all that much, Josh is still condescending and Ari is still emotionally closed off. The reader doesn’t always love them, in fact, you might want to kill them both. But they are real, they are so messy, so complicated. When they take a chance and expose themselves you hold your breath, you worry that it might not be a happily-ever after. In fact, I wasn’t sure if they would get together!

I got this as an ARC from NetGalley because I had seen a few other people praising it. And it turned up as a Book of the Month selection for September so I hope it gets a lot of press because it is, as I said, a great romance, one that is so relatable. Goldbeck really took some risks and I hope other authors will follow her lead.

I'm always pleasantly surprised when I pick up what looks like a "normal" romance read-which in itself is wonderful-and discover a really thoughtful character-driven story incorporated into normal tropes like hate-to-love, enemies become friends become lovers, etc. This book delivered all that and more. Ari is a struggling comedian and she instantly rubs Josh (a chef) the wrong way. He's a hopeless romantic who lives for order and she's a mess- bluntly stated. Ari has an active sex life but no interest in commitment. They meet-hate a number of times before running into each other in an adult toy shop when both are depressed after recent breakups. They are too sad to hate each other and too sad to care about sex and their banter evolves into a great friendship. Around this time in the book, I started to notice the "When Harry Met Sally" vibes and this story definitely is an homage to that movie. I won't spoil the story but saying more but it had just enough angst to suit me with a side helping of some fun friends and family.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I found the change in POV to be confusing and hard to follow. This felt like a stream of consciousness at times and I wished that things had moved faster or just made more sense in my head timeline wise.

4.5⭐️

Enemies-to friends- to lovers romance that’s a modernized, role-reversed take on When Harry Met Sally? Sign me up. Even when I didn’t love Ari and Josh, I loved Ari and Josh. I enjoyed every angsty, hilarious, off-beat, swoon-worthy moment of this story.

Thank you Kate Goldbeck, Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This had no business being this cute AND this sexy. I really enjoyed this one. I love that Ari was messy but in a self-acknowledging way. She knew the messes she was getting into and wanted them (for the most part). She's unapologetic in who she is but also how she's not perfect. AND GIVE IT UP FOR JOSH. Is he the new supreme Josh? Maybe. Love a guy who comes across tough and strong but really has anxiety. I get it.

This homage to When Harry Met Sally is for any romcom lover!

This story had be laughing out loud. Ari and Josh first meet and immediately dislike each other. Little do they know, they will end up meeting again and again. They develop such a quirky friendship if you can even call it that, but then the lines between friendship and romance start to blur. This book had be laughing out loud and then sometimes cringe in my seat (in a good way). The banter was so witty ( I had many laugh out loud moments). Ari was so unpredictable with no filter. These characters felt so real, not sugarcoating the ups and downs of a friendship / relationship in modern times. I loved this story. Thank you to Random House for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This was a funny, smart, sweet debut novel that I highly recommend for fans of When Harry Met Sally, as well as just great romantic comedies. Ari is a struggling comedian coming off of a divorce when she reconnects with an old personal nemesis, Josh. They hated each other, and then became friends, and then became more - a story as old as time, based in the backdrop of New York City. I saw something on Goodreads that said this book is “like Emily Henry if the people were worse, and I mean that as a huge compliment” and I definitely agree. Ari and Josh are totally messy, complicated, flawed people who find each other in their messiest of times and though challenging to watch them fall apart at times, a totally thoughtful and funny read. This book isn’t perfect, but ultimately it gets a solid 5 stars from me due to the vibe, but also the fact that I laughed out loud multiple times throughout this story, and what a delight to belly laugh at a book. Goldbeck is great at banter, and I loved the wink to Nora Ephron, with this queer (Ari is bisexual) and modern When Harry Met Sally retelling. This has definitely made me want to rewatch this movie soon. I have to admit this might make me biased - though a flawed movie, it was a formative viewing experience for my love of romantic comedy for me, watching this movie in high school for the first time. So all of that said, I highly recommend this book for fans of Nora Ephron, romantic comedy, and queer New York City contemporary romances.

🍁𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰🍁

𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭, 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐑𝐊! 𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐢 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐲, 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐘𝐂. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 😋

𝐀𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐀𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦.

𝐀𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐩. 𝐌𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨.

🍂𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞. 🍂

🍁𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 @thedialpress and @penguinrandomhouse 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.🍁

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 🔥🔥🔥

loved this when harry meet sally romance book with ari who is polyamorist and loves both sexes and josh who is uptight. she wants to get into comedy and he is a chef. they meet at a store and then comes over for dinner to see her roommate. they meet each over time and slowly becomes friends but then even more. loved the slow burn romance and that they became more. loved his sister briar and ari friend ry .

I don't know that I've ever disliked two characters more. And the timeline jumped way too much. Hard no for me.

It’s no secret that “You, Again” is a retelling of When Harry Met Sally, and while I like the Nora Ephron classic, I was absolutely blown away by “You, Again.”

“You, Again” literally made me feel all of the feels and fall in love with Ari from the moment she yelled, “I’m on a fucking call!” before slamming the door on Josh.

I also love how Ari and Josh are polar opposites in how they see the world but are able to bond over universal experiences.

If you are looking for a book that gives you all of the cozy feels this Autumn with a side order of real life, then you need to read "You, Again" by Kate Goldbeck. It's a dual POV, but it changes back and forth between the MCs when they share scenes without being labeled in other books. I absolutely loved how seamlessly these changes in POV happened, and I have not read a book written that way.

Does anyone else find a book that is so good that they have difficulty talking about it? Ari and Josh are total opposites; he aspires to have a Michelin star and be in a long-term relationship with his soul mate, and she aspires to sleep with whoever she wants, whenever she wants, with no strings attached while pursuing a comedy career. Fate intervenes and keeps pushing Ari and Josh together. Still, nothing sticks until Josh is too sad to cook and Ari is too sad to fuck anyone (their words, not mine), allowing them to learn to navigate heartbreak while developing the first platonic relationship.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
********Spoiler-ish content warning*******

Yes, this book is swoony, and spicy, and HILARIOUS, but it is also heartbreaking; like when Ari is pretending to be Josh's wife to save him from a bad date, but her complaints sound like they are more directed at her ex than Josh. Or her questioning if there is more to her than nipple piercings and bong vapor.

Please do yourself a favor and get a copy of "You, Again" by Kate Goldbeck as soon as you can

Thank you @thedialpress @netgalley for a copy of this book. This story spans several years as Ari and Josh keeps meeting randomly and their interactions. This is a story with adults that don't quite have their life together and become friends to support each other. The banter between Ari and Josh is great and I love seeing their relationship transform.

"You, Again" by Kate Goldbeck is precisely the kind of contemporary romance that leaves me craving for more. It's a story filled with messy drama, heartbreak, angst, and those poignant moments that tug at the heartstrings, creating an emotional rollercoaster that's impossible to resist.

What sets "You, Again" apart from the typical contemporary romance is its deliberate avoidance of the instant meet-and-date trope. Instead, Goldbeck crafts a beautifully paced narrative that spans months to years, allowing readers to witness the growth of the lead characters, Ari and Josh. Their paths cross at just the right moment, and from there, their story unfolds with a delightful blend of banter and friendship evolving into something deeper and more profound.

One random, albeit amusing, observation is the striking resemblance of the male lead to none other than Adam Driver. This is the 3rd book I’ve read in the span of 2 months where the male lead has a striking resemblance to Adam Driver and I am not even mad about it lol. 🤣 🤣.

Kate Goldbeck's debut novel is a refreshing take on contemporary romance, offering a slow-burning, emotionally charged journey that fans of the genre will savor. This is a book that reminds us that love can be complicated, messy, and utterly enchanting.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Random House, for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25

A modern twist to a Nora Ephron classic, ‘You, Again’ is a gender-bent reimagination of the 80s classic, ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ Ari is a charismatic and struggling comedian who is deeply anti-monogamous or really any form of romantic commitment. Josh is an ambitious (and somewhat grumpy) chef who believes everyone has a perfect ‘other half’ out there. The only thing connecting these two is the woman they are both sleeping with. Over the course of 10 years and several run-ins, Ari and Josh bond over heartbreak in ways they never thought possible. But how long can their benefit-less friendship last?

Kate Goldbeck did Nora Ephron justice with this incredible debut. With impeccable comedic timing and some of the most charming characters I’ve read, it really embodied the essence of the original movie in such a lovable way.

Often, with reimaginations, authors rely on the original work to do a lot of the heavy lifting regarding character development since we already know who these people are. Kate Goldbeck, however, created entirely new characters and took us on a journey of individual growth through their struggles and anxieties that were both compelling and uniquely progressed the storyline. I found myself resonating with both characters in different ways.

While the romance is definitely swoon-worthy, it is essential to note that the narrative structure of this story doesn’t entirely centre around their romantic relationship with a focus on the messiness of relationships as a whole.

I recommend this one for fans of Emily Henry, ‘Normal People,’ and ‘Alone with You in the Ether.’