I enjoyed the banter between the characters along with a love for the side characters but other than that I kind of hated it. The book felt about 100 pages too long as no romance occurred until over halfway through the book. I felt that the FMC was very annoying and in general, this book is nothing like When Harry Met Sally!

I loooooved this book. I knew I would as soon as I realized it was compared to When Harry Met Sally. Ari and Josh are both walking disasters and I loved them. The book is super funny but also sad. I loved every messy second.

A when Harry met Sally inspired rom com. Keep in mind when reading this book this is set over 9 or 10 years (give or take). This book took me on a ride. I grew to love the characters. They’re real, they’re flawed, they’re lost. And who isn’t? The banter in this book is top tier!

Tropes:
Slow burn
Enemies to friends to lovers
Chef and comedian
Bi FMC

I loved the journey this took me on even if I was yelling at my kindle while reading😅

Wow, I think I just found my new favorite rom-com. I received the ARC of this book this morning and I already finished it. I could not put it down. I love Ari and Josh so much. There is so much character development and so many relationships that they both navigated and in the end it was all worth it. I cried, I laughed, I smiled and giggled. The chemistry between Ari and Josh is off the charts. It started off with snarky comments and comebacks and it just kept going despite their many interactions and eventual relationship.

Thank you NetGalley and Kate Goldbeck for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my god this book is everything. I absolutely loved Ari. She was so funny & witty and kept Josh on his toes. This book was like a big hug. I will never stop recommending this work of art to other readers. Thank you for the ARC

"You, Again" is a funny, charming, update to "When Harry Met Sally" or maybe it's more When Sally Met Harry this time around. Ari is a bi-wild child trying to make her way in the competitive world of New York comedy. Josh is the heir apparent of a NY staple deli and restaurant. When they meet the first time, it's pure mutual animosity. But they meet again a few years later, and then again some years after that, until they meet, both at probably the lowest point in their lives and finally connect on a completely different level. But it's not love, it's more like commiserating. It's not until both of them get past their individual pasts that they can finally come together.

Funny, emotional, sexy, racy, and very New York, "You, Again" is a fantastic rom-com read. Both well written and well edited, the story makes you want to keep reading to find out what happens next, like a thriller in the best possible way. Ari and Josh are equally messy, although it doesn't appear to be that way at first. They are wonderfully combative and very spicy. While they have times of being lost in their career paths and feeling unconnected to their families, they both seem to know what they like in bed and that's actually very refreshing. I laughed a lot during this one.

4.5 stars!

I loved "You, Again" by Kate Goldbeck so, so much. I absolutely devoured this book and could not put it down. I read it in a day! From the first instance where Josh and Ari meet, I was hooked on their years-long enemies-to-lovers story. Their tale is full of humor, drama, cooking, roommates, loneliness, toys, running (literally and figuratively), loathing, mutual pining, mutual pain... the entire time I was reading this, I was simultaneously obsessed and wrecked. I rooted for them to be together, and I rooted for them to stay the heck away from each other! Some might say that Ari and Josh don't feel realistic, that they don't feel like fully realized people... I'm here to tell you I've known Aris and I've known Joshs. Their messiness, their unlikeability, their brokenness, and their drama are honest, refreshing, and real. The side characters, the setting, the grief, the friendship, the flaws, the bad decisions, the lack of hindsight, the late-novel realizations...everything about this book feels vulnerable and raw and authentic. I adored this book. It will punch you in the gut and make you believe in love at the same time. I cannot wait for Kate Goldebeck's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Goldbeck, Random House Publishing Group, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

“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.”

For a while I couldn’t decide if I hated this book or loved it. I found both Ari and Josh to be completely unlikeable. And I think they agreed. But as the book progressed, I fell in love with them just as they quietly fell in love with each other.

This wasn’t the easy rom com I was expecting. But really, is real life romance ever easy? It’s rarely the cliche boy meets girl, boy gets girl, a third act breakup occurs over a miscommunication, they rekindle the romance a chapter later. Instead, this book, as like real life, is messy. It’s raw. It’s authentic.

Ari is aimlessly wandering around life telling jokes on stage and off while she deflects her real emotions. Josh is seeking perfection to a fault. He’s a chef with lofty goals and uptight ideals. They don’t fit at all but, without trying, they go from enemies to friends to lovers. I really enjoyed seeing them evolve over the years. And although I found them both unlikeable to start, they’re both deeply relatable.

In short, read this book for
-mental health rep
-Jewish rep
-bisexual rep
-cooking
-comedy
-enemies to friends to lovers
-steam

In the immortal words of Nora Ephron, "Someone is staring at you in 'personal growth'."

This book felt like a warm hug but also that feeling you get right after you spend ten minutes sobbing on your kitchen floor. In other word, I loved it. I'm always down for a when harry met sally retelling and this book was just perfect. It was a great mix of the formula of the movie that I love so dearly with the author's own personal twists. The characters of Ari and Josh popped out on the page in such a way that they felt like real people, not just some characters in a book. Flawed, frustrating, but also lovable, I was hooked from their first meeting and throughout their entire relationship.

Things I loved:
-the perfectly imperfect characters that felt so real.
-the banter. I know I say this every time, but banter does make an excellent romance. If the two characters aren't exchanging sarcastic remarks with each other then what's the point??
-the nods to when harry met sally. I know this was inspired by the actual movie, but it still made me squeal with happiness every time I would come across a reference.
-watching movies together over the phone, the phrase 'i think i'm coming down with something', walking through museums together, and sprinting across town on new years eve.

I feel like Kate Goldbeck really captured the essence of when harry met sally and made it her own, while at the same time, respecting the original. As a movie that I rewatch multiple times a year in the fall, this book made me so so happy. Emotionally exhausted at times, but so happy.

I can't wait for whatever Kate Goldbeck writes next!

🍁 You, Again 🍾

Y’all are going to be seeing this everywhere and it’s worth all the space and hype it’s receiving!

Imagine a When Harry Met Sally story, with all the favorite vibes of park arches, New York delis, two people who hate each other at first, but keep re-meeting over the years, late night movie watching over phone, and giving it a contemporary feel, and you have this amazing debut.

And ok, I loved all that, but I LOVED the banter. So much wit, sharp and sassy banter. Josh and Ari were not glossed over. They were messy, grumpy and grumpier, real, full of mistakes and angst and emotions and self-discovery and I loved that and them!! While there’s a lot of humor, this story is also greatly about grief - grief of relationships, careers, family members, the idea of who you wanted to be, the grief of dreams that didn’t come true, and bonding over mutual misery.

Meg Ryan gave us that infamous scene and that steamy and sex-positive element runs throughout this story. The first time Josh and Ari meet, they discover they are both sleeping with the same girl. The third time they meet again is in a sex shop. There’s as much fire in this book as there is sass and heart and vulnerability. Swoon!

I look forward to whatever this author writes next.

Thank you to Random House/Dial Press for sending me an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

A sweet, funny, and romantic story! I loved the tension and sass between the characters. They had great chemistry and even greater dialogue. It was messy, sexy, and fun. Love!

Amazing! This is my first novel based off a book, so I was curious how it would turn out. I was thrilled with the pacing of the story, feeling the drama and anticipation like in When Harry Met Sally, while also feeling like a contemporary romance novel. The author's choices to honor the original material while updating for the 2020s were so well done. Gender swapping the roles. Loved it. By not literally matching the original film step by step, but including details that felt like the essence of the original story, it really read like something Nora Ephron would have loved. Replacing Sharper Image with the Strand was 10/10 perfect. Original, but a story as old as time. Can a man and woman really just be friends?

Great for lovers of Ali Hazelwood and Ashley Poston. Smart characters, empathetic stories, spicy love scenes, and really sharp, funny writing.

<b>A commitment-phobe and a hopeless romantic clash over and over again--until heartbreak and unexpected chemistry bring them together in this clever enemies-to-friends-to-lovers debut romance.</b>

This book was so good! I heard it was a modern retelling of "When Harry Met Sally" and I have to admit I've never seen the movie. Which of course, I immediately watched after finishing this book.

I can't find one fault with this book at all. The characters were perfect, the plot was perfect, the ending was perfect. It is very similar to the movie and I think Kate Goldbeck did a fantastic job with this retelling.

This story takes place over 12 years or so. Ari and Josh become friends after some depressing events and they bond over wallowing in life together. Though it sounds depressing it actually wasn't. I mean we get to see them navigating through life after Ari's divorce and a Josh's total failure in his career. But there is also witty banter and the real angst that people suffer when navigating life after these unsuccessful events.

10/10 recommend!

A new take on When Harry Met Sally with a dash of You're the Worst (FX). A fun and romantic story featuring a commitment-phoebe comedian who is chaos personified and a hopelessly romantic chef who lives his life neatly, who both end up meeting only to realize they are both sleeping with the same woman. Told through different spans of time, the story follows free-spirited go getter Ari, who is working to become a comedian and Josh, an ambitious chef. They were never suppose to meet but end up meeting when the woman they're both sleeping with dips and they have a pretty bad first meeting. The next time they meet, they're again at another low in their own perspective love lives, Ari doesn't believe in true love and is always the first to leave... except now she's getting a divorce, while Josh wants nothing more than to find true love but keeps finding himself in relationships that end badly. Ari and Josh end up bonding and soon realize that they have connections and could be friends, and soon find themselves bonding, watching movies together, going furniture shopping, helping each other out... but something else is happening between them. Can they both work it out before it's a missed opportunity or will they break apart? This was such a fun twist on When Harry Met Sally, especially since the gender role reversals (which I loved), but it was also reminding me of a show I absolutely love called You're the Worst (FX) and it was just the perfect mixture of both and I had so much fun with this book. I couldn't put it down and I was laughing and also crying over these characters, Ari and Josh have their own issues, but they work together so well, their friendship is so sweet and they care about each other so much. Seriously, it was great that you got to see them fall for each other and the genuine friendship between them. I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a fun romance read about two messy people with a dash of opposites attract, and enemies to friends to lovers!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

So, the initial premise in the description for Kate Goldbeck’s upcoming novel, You, Again, was want caught my eye and made me want to read it. Though that initial premise might have been a little bit of a misrepresentation (it was not as prominent or significant a dynamic as the description led me to believe), the characters, the dynamic, and the execution were more than enough to keep me invested. While You, Again was lighter in tone than some of what I’ve read lately, it didn’t swing too far in the other direction either, striking a poignant balance as it explores issues where it can be tricky to find the right combination of solemnity and humor (grieving failed relationships, facing professional failures, navigating friendships through delicate patches, etc.). There is a lot of humor to the situation and there are moments where it can get downright silly, but Goldbeck knows where and how to hit those notes so that they resonate and don’t completely take over.

The first time Ari and Josh meet… it’s awkward. They’re both sort of seeing the same person, Ari’s roommate. Each makes an impression, neither caring what the other thinks since they’ll never see each other again. Except, a few years later, they do meet again when Josh (unjustifiably) fires Ari’s new roommate and one of her closest friends. Their poor first impressions become decidedly bad and they hope they never have to see one another again. A few more years pass before they run into one another again, this time at a New Year’s Eve party where Josh learns Ari is now married to his sister’s favorite professor and Ari catches him sneaking off to place a risqué call to his out-of-town girlfriend. It’s the next time they meet when Ari is dealing with her stalled career and devastating divorce as Josh copes with his own career implosion and breakup that they decide they can bond over their mutual misery. But is it a friendship that can last once they start putting their lives back together? Or will their past differences drive them apart in the end or bring them even closer together?

A few chapters in, I realized that what You, Again reminded me of was an updated version of When Harry Met Sally (which was then explicitly referenced as an inspiration in the Acknowledgments section). But where the movie focuses so heavily on the relationship between Harry and Sally, I feel like You, Again goes further beyond their immediate interactions and relationship. In the first third of the book, it is those encounters that serve as an anchor point, but the real attention is on the characters themselves and generally on their professional aspirations and family relationships (in Ari’s case, her relationships with her found family). And when they decide to bond over their misery, a lot of the focus is the way that their romantic implosions relate to the state of their professional careers. Additionally, there is as much time and focus spent on their family/found family and the tensions there (a number of times I found myself more invested in the state of those relationships than in Ari and Josh’s friendship/relationship).

Though the humor of the novel is often at the forefront, I think one of the elements it deals with best is grief. It particularly focuses on the grief of shattered dreams – sometimes a romantic relationship but more often just the vision the characters had for what their lives and careers would look like. And it doesn’t push the idea of replacing one dream with a new dream either. You, Again drives home the process to becoming okay with life following a new path that may not be as glamorous or grand as your original dreams. And yes, that’s sometimes because dreams change, but sometimes it’s because the dream didn’t actually fit right in the first place. Sometimes dreams need to be put on hold or postponed. Of course, failure is also an option and it sucks but it also isn’t the end. So, what comes next? How do you move on to something else?

You, Again will be available September 12, 2023.

Gaaaaaahl this book felt like a sucker punch to the throat. It made me so dang emotional over the whole thing. 🥹 I finished in less than 24 hours.

Here’s the thing, this book was filled with so many of my favorite things. New York. Enemies to fiends to lovers. Manhattan food scene. Chance encounters over the span of years. BANTER. The best dang banter. But raunchy banter. 😂 Harry/Sally vibes. NYC during the holidays. Characters that just feel your heart to the brim!!!

And while I loved this. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t parts that were hard to swallow. The characters were so messy and so broken at times, that I forced myself to just keep going. I’m so glad it did because it was such a good redemption story for both main characters. But there were parts that I had a hard time stomaching, but I’m not sure if others felt the same or if it was just triggering to me for personal reasons?

Bottom line, I would 100% recommend this book. The writing was phenomenal. I can’t believe it’s Kate’s debut novel?! Like WHAT. She’s so talented and I’m excited to see what else she comes out with. Ari and Josh came alive in her words. They are the perfect embodiment of our flaws and how we can overcome them. 🫶🏼😭💕

I will be posting my review on 9/11/23 on Instagram. Link below.

Goldbeck’s debut is a work of art, just like the film it plays homage to.

“You, Again” follows Josh, a hopeless romantic, and Ari, a commitment-phobe, who first meet after learning that they are both sleeping with the same woman. The wrong kind of sparks fly and the two are not eager to cross paths again. But years later, as they’re both nursing breakups and heartache, a chance encounter leads to friendship. Before they know it the lines of their platonic relationship begin to blur.

It is no secret that this novel is a “When Harry Met Sally” retelling and I am totally here for it! Like the film, Goldbeck’s timeline jumps forward, capturing the pair’s chance encounters and most pivotal moments. I like how these moments are not only comprised of their highest points in life, but also their lowest points. Goldbeck is also intentional in leaving out any mundane details that will overwhelm the reader as she guides them through a large span of time, which I appreciated.

Just as we are able to get glimpses of both Harry and Sally’s thoughts and feelings in the film, each chapter of the book alternates between Josh and Ari’s perspectives. I loved reading from both points-of-view because they exposed me to their raw emotions, making me emotional in turn when they came to the realization that they were right for each other at the wrong time. It hit me so hard because I became fully invested in their development from enemies to friends to lovers and only wanted them to get their happily ever after.

Goldbeck is certainly one to watch in the romance space! I look forward to reading what she puts out next!

4-4.5 stars. When Josh first meets Ari, it’s immediately apparent how little they share in common. Josh is a chef, living in a very orderly world and has a life plan. Ari is a comedian and trying to find her big break, with little luck so far. Josh likes structure and intends to make his mark in the culinary world by taking cuisine to the next level. As for Ari, she is living day to day like a free spirit but otherwise a commitment phobe. These two do not hit it off as friends, but their dialogue is gold.

And as such, they antagonize each other and bump into one another over the years, always witnessing the other in a poignant moment. I loved the friendship development. By the time this happens, they have both received a hard dose of reality and their individual hopes and dreams have taken a turn for the worse. What better way to bond than commiserating at rock bottom. The fact that they are not seeing each other at their best is what makes the relationship flourish into a solid connection.

Watching these two grow over the years and witnessing each other’s personal failures yet cheer the other one on, it then becomes obvious how much they truly do have in common compared to the first encounter. It’s a recipe for a love match. I adored the journey to get there because Ari and Josh have separate hang ups, so becoming a couple isn’t as easy as it would seem without some self growth and obstacles. Great story and dialogue with a fantastic cast of secondary characters.

review from goodreads:

dnf at 32%

to start, i want to thank netgalley and random house publishing group for this ARC.

overall this book was such a drag for me. i just could not get through it and did not find the plot interesting. the characters were unlikeable, annoying, and blander than a piece of white bread. up until i stopped reading, the conversations among the characters consisted of four things in total: sex, cooking, weed, and alcohol. every other page was something along the lines of those topics, and there was no way i was going to read 400+ pages of adults acting like they’re still in high school.

i’m disappointed as this was a very anticipated read for me :(

Wow, this book was an absolute treat. Goldbeck’s characters are so fully realized, it feels like I know this entire crew IRL. Can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy for a re-read (maybe in the lead up to NYE?).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!