THIS is the kind of romance I love which is probably something I should unpack with a therapist. There was tension and romance with an underlying sadness and that mix just really gets me. You, Again was SUCH a great pick to start easing into fall reading. I read it essentially in two days and when I wasn’t reading it, I wished that I was, sneaking in chapters during every spare moment that I could.

I loved the gender swapping of the original When Harry Met Sally set up, and how well Kate Goldbeck modernized the story, adding in queer characters along with creating a realistic view of the dating app world. The writing was sharp and propulsive. It moved back and forth seamlessly between Ari’s perspective and Josh’s, which I always love.

I struggled with both Ari and Josh for a while in that way as a reader when you see characters making questionable or poor decisions and you just want to SHAKE them. But as frustrated as I was with them, I felt like I understood them and could see them growing little by little. This was ultimate opposites attract, grumpy-sunshine tension and I will eat that up every time. I loved seeing their relationship morph from outright disdain for each other to a true understanding.

I’ve only been to NYC once, and to be honest I wasn’t in love with it like some people are, but this book made me think maybe I need to go back. I felt like I was strolling through the city right alongside Ari and Josh. The book felt cinematic to me and I could easily see this being adapted for screen.

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

The plot was great, the gradual shift from enemies-to-friends-to-lovers was excellent. What hampered my enjoyment was Ari. Her character could have been an amalgamation of the four main characters from HBO's Girls. The constant drug use, bad decision making, the general aimlessness in life did little to endear her to me. At times, I almost wished Josh would stay away, for his own sanity.

In the end, the end was lovely and I was happy for Josh and Ari at that moment. Do I think this couple has a chance in the long run? Highly doubtful.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster in the best way. It destroyed me and put me back together again. I cried, I laughed, I yelled, I swooned. This story of two people finding each other again and again is the definition of soulmates to me. I think this book really got to me because I have, at different points in my life, been a Josh and an Ari. I absolutely loved them both, even when I was frustrated with their actions. They were complex and beautiful and imperfectly perfect.
I highly recommend this book!

This book is a re-imagining of When Harry Met Sally, which is one of my all time favorite movies. This book tells the story of Ari and Josh, two fairly unlikeable and unsuccessful people, living and wandering through Manhattan. I absolutely loved the New York setting, it had such a strong sense of place and reminded me of my own NYC days.

Even though Ari and Josh were pretty miserable and anxious, there story was so satisfying and if at times frustrating, it ultimately made sense (though, tbh, Ari could have used a lot of therapy.) This book took a little bit of time to get going but once it did it really took off and was so enjoyable. It was such a refreshing take on the romance genre and didn’t seem like a retread of some trope like many rom-coms do. I will definitely be looking forward to Kate Goldbeck’s next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Dial Press Trade Paperback for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Ari and Josh first meet, they get off on the ENTIRELY wrong foot. But fate or some other force keeps bringing them back to each other in chance encounters, and they eventually develop a friendship that leads to something more.

Any time a romance book makes me cry and hold it to my chest at the end, it’s an IMMEDIATE five stars. But, let me be clear, this book gave me five-star feelings throughout.

I’m an avid romance reader and this type of story is a bit out of my comfort zone in that the characters can be unlikeable at times. But that’s what made this story magical.

It was so raw and emotional. It felt like “When Harry Met Sally” and Emily Henry books had a baby, but with characters that are way messier and more complex.

Ari and Josh are so interesting in that they are completely different from one another in some ways (a commitment-phobe and a hopeless romantic), but also very similar in others. They are both trying, and often failing, to deal with their traumas and flaws in the way they approach relationships. Depression and mental health also play a role in this story, as both characters have to come to terms with what they are dealing with before they are truly ready to let another person fully into their life.

Long story short, I will NEVER shut up about this book. It is a new all-time favorite, if not the best book I’ve ever read. Any romance fan, especially readers who love emotional stories with depth, needs to add it to their TBR immediately!

4.5!

I’m at a loss for words. truly.

Definitely gave big “When Harry Met Sally” vibes. There were many pop culture references including queen Taylor Swift. Plus, it read like a true witty rom com. The humor and Josh and Ari’s banter were TOP TIER and was my favorite part. The characters (Josh and Ari) were a little infuriating at times, SPECIFICALLY Ari. The only thing I wish is that we could’ve gotten more backstory on Ari and why she is the way she is with her noncommittal issues. Because that way a KEY point in her character. Besides that, this book was perfection. Perfect fall/winter read as well<3

Thank you, RandomHouse and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of You, Again.

Kate Goldbeck swung for the fences with this novel and got a grand slam. I loved it! I’ve read some reviews that say this is like When Harry Met Sally, but I’m going to be honest with you and tell you I’ve never watched that movie. This book has made me want to watch that movie though! I instantly missed Ari and Josh after I finished the novel! Pick this one up today!!!

Ari is not living her best life. Renting, taking the odd job here and there, bouncing from bed to bed… Josh in the other hand is a masterful chef and searching for his soulmate. These two go from enemies to friends, but when that line crosses into potential lovers, things get a little weird between them. Will they get out of their own ways to have a great love story or will one (or both) mess it up only to be destined to a life of loneliness?

wow. what a lovely book. YOU, AGAIN captured modern romance in a way that not many current romcoms do (and I say this as a reader who loves the current romcom genre—this just hit different).

this was not an escapist fantasy of a romcom, but instead a very tangible, very real, very possible story about people who are rough around the edges. our leads Josh and Ari are assholes. and I say this as a compliment because they weren’t malicious assholes, but assholes in the mundane way of people bumbling around trying to find themselves who are a touch too self-absorbed to care about who they hurt along way. I found them both very compelling and real, and even when I wanted to slap them for making bad choices I understood why they were making them.

Josh and Ari had great individual growth arcs and part of their conflict was the fact that loving each other couldn’t fix their individual internal problems they were dealing with and they needed to address those on their own in order to love each other fully. I thought this was a mature take on the self-help that we sometimes see go awry in the genre. also the lengthy timeline & time jumps helped their growth and connection feel very real, which is something I particularly appreciate because I have a hard time suspending my disbelief with accelerated timelines.

along with all the serious stuff, there was a great sense of humor carrying this story and Josh & Ari’s connection along that made this such an enjoyable read.

this wasn’t an overly sentimental or cheesy book (I would describe it as more honest or up-front), but every now and then there would be a sentence that was just the perfect amount of swoonily romantic, so it really did it all and did it all very well.

other notes: the bisexual and Jewish representation were great to see; is there anything more perfect for fall than Nora Ephron and people walking around the city in chill weather?

I was really excited for this book, because who doesn't love When Harry Met Sally? But it fell a little flat for me. The banter was fun, the idea was great. But I found Josh utterly unlikable- he wasn't just misunderstood, he was a downright jerk. And Ari's drug use bothered me - I dislike when drug use (more than weed) is portrayed so casually, like it should just be considered normal.
I saw lots of positive reviews for this one, so I think this is just a case of its good, but it's not the right book for me. 2.5 stars

I thought this would be a cute read. Gave it a shot and was shocked by how much I loved it. I basically laughed the whole time I read it and found myself not wanting to put it down. It was cute and hilarious and I loved all the characters. This is definitely a must read for the fall!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

I have a funny relationship with romance books - I'm either dizzy with the amount of times I roll my eyes, or I'm constantly gushing and smiling. I'm pleased to report my reading experience of You, Again was of the gushing/smiling variety. It wasn't cloyingly sweet; in fact, it was fairly snarky and dirty, which I loved.

I've never seen When Harry Met Sally (I know, I know), but I really enjoyed the way this book explored male and female friendships. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, and we saw just how heartbreaking yet fulfilling these relationships can be. The dynamic between Ari and Josh was a joy to read. I'm always a fan of great banter, and this book really nailed it.

I absolutely loved this. It was one of my most anticipated romance releases of the year and it totally lived up to my self-established hype! Between the When Harry Met Sally vibes, the supporting characters, and the fact that both main characters had full lives outside of the relationship, this checked a lot of boxes for me. There were some quirks with POV shifts but I got used to it. This was such a great read!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 Stars.

It pains me to rate this book as low as I did as I was looking forward to it so much. I think this may have been a situation where I'm just not the intended audience for this book.

This book follows relationship prone Ari and looking for love Josh as they navigate relationships and one another over the course of 9ish years. Starting off as enemies to eventually friends to lovers, the pair find themselves constantly drawn to one another. I think the big problem for me was that I didn't feel connected to Ari - a lot of her decisions made me mad and I just wanted to shake her a bit. I did like Josh's character a lot and how he was able to handle Ari. The book did pick up in the last 30% or so, but by that point I just wasn't invested in the characters all too much.

Overall, an okay read for me, but definitely left me wanting more.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and Kate Goldbeck for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is for "When Harry Met Sally" fans with unlikable/grumpy main characters. It was an interesting twist on a story I know really well, but it felt kind of long to me and I didn't love the two main characters. They kept making terrible life choices. I am rounding down from 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley & The Dial Press / Random House for the advanced reader copy!

This was the epitome of a 90s romcom! Goldbeck definitely did Nora Ephron proud.

What’s the phrase for coming of age when the characters are mid 20s to 30s? Because that’s what this was and I loved every second of it. Ari and Josh were both lost souls for a while and I enjoyed the commiseration they shared. Their banter was reminiscent of Gilmore Girls and I ate it up.

It was a little slow going in the middle but thought it still progressed nicely. With all the time jumps and love over the years vibes, I expected the story to be more emotionally devastating, but that came through more in the characters’ personal outlook. The self-loathing and angst was bit much for me at times, but I understand the journey the fmc had to go through.

Overall really enjoyed this book! It’s such a lovely, swoony debut novel and can’t wait to read more from Goldbeck!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

This book is a When Harry Met Sally retelling that follows Ari, a brazen young woman who's an aspiring comedian, and Josh, an elitist chef who believes in doing everything the proper way. Over the course of many years, they continue bumping into one another amongst bad breakups and odd jobs, until they finally realize they're just who the other is looking for in a friend...and maybe even something more.

I have a love-hate relationship with this book where I both liked how realistic it was, yet found it a little TOO realistic for it to be enjoyable at times. The concept of a romance between two people that are complete messes was really interesting and refreshing to see, but I just didn't particularly like either main character. They frustrated me often and I never got too invested in their storylines. And, while I can appreciate the realistic timeline for their relationship, after seeing Ari and Josh hit such low points over the course of eight years, it was a little hard for me to root for them. However, they did have many cute scenes together and I did really like the snarky banter + bisexual representation. Overall, I feel like it had a lot of potential to be a new favorite of mine, but it just wasn't my thing in the end.

The Ali Hazelwood blurb made me really want to read this book, but it was a disappointment. I see how it was similar to When Harry Met Sally, but I actually liked the main characters in When Harry Met Sally. Neither one of the main two characters was likeable at all. This book had so much potential. I'd read Goldbeck again, but only if I knew I'd like the characters. 2.5 stars

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"That was you?" Josh sets the grocery bag down on the stoop.
"Un-fucking-believable, right? There's a full Chesire cat grin on her face now. Nothing coy about it.

I would like to thank Dial Press of Random House and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this eARC. Do I mention I'm a Reylo in my bio on NetGalley in hopes it helps me get my favorite fanfic authors debuts, early? Yes. Am I going to credit it for the reason I keep getting granted them? Also yes.

One of the fun things about picking up a book solely based on the author, is having no idea what story you are getting yourself into, but knowing you will adore the ride no matter what. Kate is a queen of banter, and from the first chapter I was far more invested than I should have been. I got half way through chapter one, and had to pause to go look at the synopsis for any kind of spoiler because I was that obsessed with the dynamic.

This book takes several jumps through time and while the caught me off guard at first, they set the stage perfectly to build the animosity of Josh and Ari. I have hundreds of lines of banter saved in my ebook annotations and I am itching to get my hands on a physical copy to transcribe them all over. Watching their relationship build from enemies, to acquaintances, to reluctant friends, to each others "person" had me at the edge of my seat, and when we got to the inevitable moment where it came crashing down...boy. I took a tumble with them all.

If you ask most of my friends they'll tell you I'm an angst gremlin. I will literally take anything that promises to rip my heart out, throw it in a paper shredder, and try to super glue it back together.

I was so unprepared for this climax in the best way. Ari's struggles and how it affected her and Josh as well as their reunions--Yes, multiple reunions--My husband had to ask me several times if I was okay while I sniffled in a corner of my couch curling around my ereader protectively as though it didn't just destroy me.

But... of the moments that hurt me, there were so many more that had me bursting out laughing or blushing as I turned my screen away from nosy over-the-shoulder readers. Because, lordy. If anyone in my family knew exactly what I was reading out in the open while perfecting a straight face... I'd never live it down. Holy hell that climax was a climax if you get my drift... Ari would agree too, I think, if she wasn't running away from a little three word phrase she let slip.

Anywho... I'm going to stop gushing and go rear chapter 18 again. iykyk.

One of the best contemporary romances I’ve ever read…very different than a lot of others.

The MMC isn’t a complete hunk - really, he’s basically described as Adam Driver. The FMC is a bisexual commitment phobe. Instead of grumpy-sunshine, it’s more grumpy-chaos.
Truly believable enemies to lovers and a delectable slow burn. Great supporting characters. The themes are friggin’ great. It was described as “fresh,witty, and utterly romantic” by Ali Hazelwood and I completely agree. 5⭐️

If you’re a romance fan, this is for you. Oh and the spicy scenes are top tier.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

You, Again was inspired by When Harry Met Sally and takes place over years with a slowly changing relationship. At the start, Ari is an aspiring comedian, and Josh is a chef with plans for his own Michelin star restaurant. From their very first interaction, they don't get along, making this enemies-to-friends-to-lovers-to...

From the beginning, we get brief glimpses over a series of years with neither of them at their best. As a result, I didn't particularly like or care about either Ari or Josh. And that makes it very tough for me to connect with a plot.

I appreciated the bisexual representation and the long timeline of the book. And I came to appreciate many of their friends and family as side characters, as the book continued. But overall, this wasn't a great fit for me. I would have liked to see less immaturity and faster growth from both of the main characters. I recommend it for those who like snarky humor. And check out other reviews, as I know many who loved this one.

Kristen DiMercurio remains one of my favorite narrators and did well with this book. The audiobook lasts about 11 hours.