You, Again by @kategoldbeck : ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release Date: September 12

Thank you so much to @netgalley @thedialpress for the chance to read this wonderful novel early.

Kate Goldbecks debut novel, quick witted, banter filled, and brimming with chemistry is an absolute SMASH. Its refreshingly modern take on When Harry Met Sally and while it stays true to the tropes that made me fall in love with that movie it’s gives it such new life.

I absolutely loved watching Ari and Josh, two people who are as opposite as opposite CAN be, run in to each other again and again like magnets, until … ✨friendship✨.

I love how this navigates the modern dating world and really sheds light on two extremes, the naive romantic and the unattached commitment- phobe. It made me think of my own relationships, my own views, how I myself navigate dating and relationships today. It made me feel like I was running around New York.

Highly HIGHLY recommend and I can’t wait to hold a physical copy in my hands🥹

Enemies- to reluctant friends to lovers 🤍 open door (graphic) 🔥 Banter 🤍 Friendship🤍 the no fail airport run 🤍

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck is an absorbing love story that left me thoroughly enthralled. While I haven't had the chance to watch the film When Harry Met Sally, this book has made me want to finally check out the iconic movie. The story's brilliance shines on its own, and I was captivated with its wit and charm from the first page.

Set in the bustling backdrop of New York, Goldbeck's descriptive prose paints a lucid picture of the city I've only ever dreamed of living in. The characters are inventively crafted, exuding intelligence and flaws that make them feel like real people. As the two main characters navigate opposite beliefs about love—one a commitment-phobe versus a believer in true soulmates—they find themselves entangled in a mesmerizing slow-burn romance. I do not usually read slow burn romances, and this book is undeniably a slow-burn romance. And while it gradually envelops you, and once the sparks start flying, I couldn't put it down, devouring it in one sitting.

The banter between the characters is razor-sharp and utterly absorbing, drawing out laughter and tears alike. Goldbeck's adept storytelling captures the essence of burgeoning friendship that grows into love and the alchemy of New York in a way that I'll never get over.

You, Again is a heartwarming and emotional rollercoaster that tugged at my heartstrings. I would gladly allow Goldbeck to break my heart and put it back together any day. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a smart, engaging, and unforgettable love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with this Advanced Reader Copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of You, Again by Kate Goldbeck!

This is going to be another it's-me-not-you book rating because I just really couldn't vibe with it. The writing is great and I might even check out the author's next book, but the two main characters in this were just...not great. I didn't find either of them likable in the least. It's ok to have flawed characters, or to even start out with unlikable characters, but characters also need to grow and develop over a story. Unfortunately, I didn't see that with Josh or Ari.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ear ! My first Kate Goldbeck book and I gotta say I loved her style. This romance spans a decade and I loved that it was messy and real and the complex characters. I loved them all despite their flaws and their relationships felt true. Ari and Josh meet as enemies, develop an unlikely friendship over the years and eventually fall in love despite themselves. I give this 5 stars. It was heartfelt and believable. This could easily be adapted into a movie romantic drama.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: September 12, 2023

Rating: 2.5 stars (rounded to 3)

For a debut, this was a fun book to be introduced to Goldbeck! I'll definitely keep my eyes out for her next books. A lot of reviews are saying that this book is just like the movie "When Harry Met Sally"- but I actually haven't seen that one. The low rating has to do with the plot more than anything.

I really struggled with both the main characters- Josh and Ari. They are opposites and keep ending up in each other's orbit. I honestly could not stand these characters. They were both annoying in their own ways to me as a reader.

I will say their banter made me snicker and some of those comments were hilarious. I love that this book was more for today's readers with more representation. Goldbeck's writing was also easy to follow along, however, I personally struggled with the plot line.

This book follows Ari and Josh over a period years, where they have a definitely NOT meet cute, to having an actual meet cute, and we see their friendship grow and change into two people who are in love with each other but also scared to do anything about it.

You can 100% tell this one was influenced by my favorite rom-com When Harry Met Sally, from the gorgeous cover (way more beautiful in color than on my Kindle, sadly) to the witty and entertaining banter. While miscommunication or lack of communication is absolutely one of my least favorite tropes, I really liked how this one worked through it.. eventually. I’d recommend it. A sweet romance about friends to lovers.

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

2.5, rounded up.

I think I enjoyed this book and I can't figure out if that's because it's basically REYLO fanfiction, because it's inspired by one of my favourite movies of all time, or because it's set in NYC and I basically have Stockholm syndrome with that place.

If you like the classic early 2000's rom-com, Nora Ephron, grumpy-sunshine, boy falls first and he falls hard, then you will love this.

My only qualms with the book, and they become glaring after a while, is that the story truly dragged on for soo long when this book has no plot whatsoever and that after some time, both Ari and Josh's lack of proper, non-snarky, non-witty conversations start to get frustrating and annoying. We follow them for many, many years it seems (I started to lose track of their ages at one point) but both of their maturity levels remain the same as when they first met each other. None of them have any character development and Ari starts to grate my nerves with her immaturity. Not every conversation in a rom-com needs to be witty and funny and I will stand by this. We need authentic, real conversations to add some depth to the story.

The first 60% of the book was great but then after a while, I was just waiting for the buildup in their relationship to just happen, for the tension to simmer and explode, so we could have some plot development. I hated the third act, felt it was a super immature way to handle the conflict, and I detested the way they got to each other. These two are grown adults but the way Josh acts towards her after the third act conflict made me really uncomfortable and gave me a major ick.


Also, the way Josh acted towards the one POC character...major red flag that I would never be okay with no matter if he apologized after a while. Especially because his reaction was unjustified and he was def. in the wrong to act that way.

IDK, maybe I should rate this lower, but it is what it is. NYC has me down bad, I guess.

Either way, read this if you too are being held hostage by NYC and miss Nora Ephron.

I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers rom coms. It's actually my favorite rom com troupe. And I loved this one. It had the perfect balance of snark, humor and romance.

I loved this book because it felt really unique and different. Sure it had some common romance tropes but just felt like it dug so deep into emotions and feelings and complications. We really got to know Ari and Josh and I really liked how it spanned so much time.

You, Again follows Ari, who encapsulates the type of character that I would defend with my life. Ari is struggling through her career and anxiety over following through with the career she loves: comedy. My sassy, witty wife. Josh is the ultimate book boyfriend. He is ambitious and driven. He WANTS love. My sweet hopeless romantic man. In the unlikely turn of events that lead Ari and Josh to each other, readers follow them over the time it takes for this relationship to develop.

I fell head over heels for both Ari and Josh. Ari encouraged my unhinged behavior, and I loved feeling seen. Josh appealed to the hopeless romantic in me. When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite movies of all time, so when I realized the connections between it and this book, I was ecstatic. Secondly, this book depicts my new favorites version of a meet-cute. Readers will laugh at the modern comedic references, gasp at the chaos, and possibly even sob during moments where you love these characters that you want to shake sense into!!! You, Again is THE book to read this fall. Could not have loved it more

This book made me cry over a BOWL.

I enjoyed this so much! I’m admittedly not the biggest When Harry Met Sally fan, but I had such a delightful time reading this book! Ari and Josh were both so much fun together and it grabbed me from the very beginning when I was in a book slump, which is always a big win in my books.

Their relationship was so adorable and heart-warming, and like I mentioned, they even got me crying a couple times. I also really loved Ari and Radhya’s friendship! I anticipated the last 20% of the book but was still a tad bit let down by it, so I’d rate this closer to a 4.5. I will definitely be looking out for books by this author in the future though!

I was really excited about the premise of this book, but unfortunately it was a miss for me, mostly because I didn’t find either the male or female main characters likable or worth rooting for. It may just boil down to personal preference and others may enjoy the story more than I did.

I don't even know how to write a review of You Again! It was everything I didn't expect and more. The modern day Nora Ephron romcom of my dreams. The characters and the dialog felt so real. I love a book that gives me ALL of the feels - exactly like your favorite romcom of decades past. You'll reluctantly fall in love with Ari and Josh. They will drive you crazy, make you laugh, make you cry, make you cringe. Just like your favorite romcom.

Definitely read the author's note and the author's conversation with Kate Robb. I did not know about Kate Goldbeck's inspiration for this book from When Harry Met Sally and Reylo (Rey and Kylo Ren from Star Wars) but it made a lot of things make sense for me as a reader - including the cover art which features Josh as a Kylo Ren/Adam Driver LOOK-ALIKE! It was hard to erase that picture from my mind as a reader.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for an electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review.

THIS IS THE BOOK FOR ME!!!!!! I love rom coms, specifically Meg Ryan rom coms! Also this is spicy, deep, believable, and oh so enjoyable! The characters feel real and so does the setting. This is the most real New York romance I have ever read in my life. This book has the heartbreak, the real friendships, the real issues that happen in life, the family stuff, and an amazing friends to lovers will they won;t they relationship to boot. I cried ! I giggled! I blushed! Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC

3.5 stars rounded up.

I wanted to love this book because the character development was so rich (I especially liked Ari in the earlier years), and the dialogue was witty and sharp. I found the love story pretty tedious. It stretched on and on, with the male lead being mostly insufferable. The author likely dragged out the story to make it feel realistic that their appreciation for each other would grow over time… but I kept putting down the book. That never happens with rom-coms!

Overall, I liked the writing style enough to pick up whatever the author was writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback (Random House) for the early review copy!

This book was a rollercoaster in the sence that I started liking it, then hating it, then taking turns between the two emotions until the end. I loved some aspects of this book, such as the bi rep, the funny jokes, and the description of New York City. What I didn't like were the fast forward chapters near the end, and the fact that Josh and Radhya forgave Ari so easily. The amount of times I wanted to shake and yell at her to go to therapy is insane.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an earc in exchange for my honest review!

What a fantastic debut novel!!! This book made me feel so many different emotions. I wanted to shake some sense into our main characters and simultaneously give them the biggest hug. A few words to describe them: swoony, angsty, aggravating, witty, MESSY, grumpy, queer. Killer combo.

This is the definition of a perfectly executed slow burn romance. The tension was off the charts and the author was truly able to portray the complexities of modern dating.

Thank you NetGalley and Diall Press/Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

THIS. BOOK. 👏🏻

You, Again pays homage to When Harry Met Sally and boy did it deliver! It follows Ari, an aspiring comedian and Josh, the wound tight chef. They couldn’t be more opposite— Ari is chaotic, witty, hilarious, and unapologetically herself. She is vehemently against commitment, but she’s so secure in who she is and that was so refreshing. She is also completely against commitment. Josh is the complete opposite— pretentious, a perfectionist, grumpy, and on the hunt for his soulmate.

These two are an unlikely pair that fate kept throwing at each other over and over again. This novel gave such a realistic look into how two very different lives can still come together— even after years of wrongly timed meetings, painful breakups, and career failures. Ari and Josh’s newfound friendship is tentative and tumultuous at best, as they hung out with each other because they were both depressed and they did not have anyone else in their lives who understood their pain and sadness. Through dual POV we get to learn what makes Ari and Josh who they are and as they go, their chemistry literally jumps off the pages. The will they/won’t they was quite the adventure and had me hanging on to every single word.

Now for my fave part— the BANTER. Oh my goodness, it was top tier! You never knew what would come out of Ari’s mouth and Josh’s one liners were 10/10. I found myself laughing and giggling out loud so many times through this book! I love a good romcom and You, Again may be one of the funniest I’ve ever read.

The way the MCs felt so REAL & human was incredible. What they felt, I felt. My heart shattered and healed over and over. I’ve never cheered for fictional characters so hard! Every character felt like someone you would want to know IRL! I just love how this didn’t have the typical meet cute and it wasn’t the usual HEA. It shows the realities of a relationship (friendships, too) and how much work and sacrifice it takes from both parties. I truly appreciated the honesty and angst in this novel. I read so many romcoms but this was so different in all the best ways!

You, Again put me through every emotion under the sun so buckle up friends! Kate knocked it out of the park with this debut. I can’t wait to dive into the next world she creates!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this incredible ARC!

This book is enemies to lovers, with a dose of “I don’t know what I’m doing with my life”, wrapped up in a spicy package.

Ari is a free-spirited struggling comedian who is just not into serious relationships. Josh, an ambitious chef, most definitely is. So when they cross paths initially, they immediately hate one another. But then, they just keep running into one another over the years. Then finally, years after their first meeting, they are both recovering from heartache and run into one another yet again - and this time they’re determined to help the other get back on their feet as they mend their own broken hearts. They become friends, helping out on dating apps, watching movies together, and doing couple-y things, without being a couple. But of course, lines begin to blur a bit and suddenly their friendship might be more than they expected.

At over 350 pages, I wasn’t sure that this romance could hold my attention - but it never felt too long. I really loved the Ari character, her humor and free spirit really made me smile even if sometimes I wanted to smack her upside her head for her choices. And Josh, though initially I was turned off by him, grew on me by the end of the book.

But I think what I liked best was the idea of trying to find your place in the world. Both Ari and Josh are feeling stuck in their lives, they’re not going in the direction they wanted, and I think that’s such a relatable feeling for readers.

This was romance with more - a romance that wasn’t just the fluffy, happy love parts. It gave you pause even as you were rooting for these two to figure out that they were actually perfect for one another.

This book will be featured on an upcoming episode of Reading Through Life podcast.