You, Again gives us a bit of a unique spin on the "enemies to friends to lovers" trope, in that instead of meeting the characters in present day and learning about their relationship in flashback scenes or expository paragraphs, we meet them on the day of their first disastrous meeting, and every subsequent run-in thereafter until they finally click and begin the slow shift from enemies to friends. Evocative of "When Harry Met Sally" in the best possible ways, this book is a roller coaster of emotion from start to finish. I especially love how we get to see our male and female lead characters grow and change over a period of several years. Can't wait to buy this one in physical form to put on my "favorite romances" bookshelf.

I loved this queer enemies-to-lovers romance. It made me fall in love with Ari, Josh, and New York. Goldbeck's work is now a permanent mainstay of my authors to watch list.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you netgalley for this arc!

Am i in a romancé era? Enemies to lovers? Queer rep? Yes to all three.

I was really torn on what to rate this book. If we had half stars I’d say 3.5 but since we don’t I gave it a three.

It took me a bit to get into the story because tbh, the characters are not likable at all, but I think that’s part of what makes the book work.

To say this relationship has its ups and downs is the understatement of the year. That makes it so frustrating to read, because you want to shake the characters and talk some since into them.

Overall it was a solid read. And depending on the reader, I would suggest this read to them.

I have complicated feelings on this. I liked the writing, representation of different sexualities, and a lot of the dialogue. But I had a hard time liking either main character, which made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story. I appreciate that the author created messy characters that felt truer to life than many other book characters, but it didn't click for me in this instance.

I would like to give an enormous, massive, gargantuan thank you to The Dial Press, Netgalley, And Kate Goldbeck for the eARC of this book. This review (and all subsequent screaming) is my own opinion.

This is tied for first place of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. Like, the kind of book I want to gift to people favorite. It very much feels like an old school romantic comedy, but modernized, brought forward through time but retaining the inherent banter and wittiness of the genre.

You, Again feels like New York condensed into a book (I say this having been only once) or like every piece of media in the city I’ve consumed pressed down into a 5x8 rectangle. It’s not the kind of book that breaks you and puts you back together, because you’re seeing it happen to two people who are desperately broken and finding their own pieces to put back together.

The banter, the locations, the descriptions. All of it is so delicious and rich and it’s like you’re right there with them in the kitchen or walking to the bodega and honestly this book made me want to just lie starfishing on the floor. It made me feel things OKAY?

Anyway. It was wonderful, and you should read it.

I love, love, love this book. One MILLION stars.

I put this down at 21%. I did not find the main characters likeable or compelling. Ari, a bi-sexual stand-up comedian, is brash and extroverted; chef Josh is more shy, ambitious and refined. Their initial meet-cute is hate at first sight, and over the course of years, they keep bumping into one another and never getting along--until they do. I'm a foodie and love a New York City / new adult setting as much as the next person, but the time jumps were abrupt, and I just couldn't get into the book. Cover art was not attractive, with fall leaves setting and giant bright yellow text. Other reviews are comparing this to the brilliant Harry Met Sally, but it doesn't come close. Tried several times, DNF.

Really enjoyed this book, loved the references and the characters were great. I loved the ending, what a great debut can’t wait to read what comes next from this author.

This is a new favourite romance of all time! I was nervous at first about the time jumps, because there are a few at the beginning, I was expecting their interactions to be closer together, but the different times that Ari and Josh find each other, at those specific moments in their individual lives is so good, so intentional, and makes their meets so incredible.

I love Ari. She's a comedian (at least trying to be, in the first part of the novel), and while I wish we saw more of that, it was completely relatable to see her love this one thing, but have to do other work to survive! Josh was so great. At first, a completely arrogant asshole, but he really grows once reality hits him square in the face.

God. Their chemistry! I'm not one for friends to lovers, it's never been a favourite trope of mine, but Goldbeck navigated enemies to friends to lovers so believably that I truly enjoyed the time in the novel where Ari and Josh were just friends. I loved them so much. Once their relationship crosses over into not-friends territory...YALL!!!! The intimate moments.......I cannot believe. Their chemistry and banter is unmatched!!!

I cant wait to rerererererererererereread!!!

I really liked that the characters were so emotionally complex and that it was a dual pov, it added so much more to the book to be able to read both their perspectives specially bc they’re so different, it was refreshing to read a female mc that was as messy as ari, but still very likeable and having josh as the hopeless romantic character was also something i don’t see often in romance books lately.
their chemistry was so fun and realistic, and the pace of the book was fast enough to keep me engaged thru it.

I enjoyed the characters and their arcs a lot. Josh and Ari met several times under different, yet disarming and antagonistic, and seeing them come together each time and then finally falling into being friends (and later, more) was refreshing. Both characters were total messes and that was a big plot point for them each to overcome and it was done very well. The side characters were also interesting and had their own development throughout the book as well, which is always nice to see.
<spoiler> Personally, I am not a fan of third act break ups, but in this case that was something the characters needed and it was very well done. Still not my favorite trope, but I appreciated the gracefulness of the execution. </spoiler>

This book is already top 5 of the year so far. I LOVED everything about it.

Recap -
Ari is a standup comedian struggling in NYC. Josh is a chef, child of a famous deli owner in NY. Two people who could not be more different. They meet by chance - and find themselves having a conversation in her apartment when they both discover they are sleeping with the same woman.
through the next several years, they have random, awkward encounters, that do not go past a short conversation. (or argument, depending on the day).
Until one day, when they are both heartbroken, finding themselves in their lowest lows, they find each other again - and form a friendship. Through uncomfortable conversations, late night phone calls, non romantic movies, and long walks, Ari and Josh form a friendship. But what happens when the friendship crosses the line and moves into another stage?

Review -
This modern day story loosely based on When Harry Met Sally will give you all the feelings. I was laughing, crying (literally, tears), I found myself anxious and nervous wanting to know what happens to Ari and Josh. This book is so well written - keeping jokes going throughout the years, keeping the reader engaged in not only the love story of Ari and Josh, but the friendships and stories along the way. I was able to identify with Ari's anxiety of letting herself feel loved and accepted, and Josh's Type A quirkiness and fear of failing when he has always been in control. I loved this book so much. I really, really hope you read it because it will fill you with joy.

Read if you like -
Dual POV
Long Term Friendships
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy / Sunshine

thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

This is a gender reversed when Harry Met Sally, even down to the cover of the book, but it doesn’t feel like a good version of it.

Ari (a pothead unsuccessful comedian Harry Burns) and Josh (a chef Sally Albright) meet once, then again a few years later while in long-term relationships, then again another few years later once those relationships have imploded, and they become friends.

As much as i love the movie and wanted to love this book, it was a slog for me. It attempted the witty dialogue of When Harry Met Sally but instead was a little too cynical and caustic, and certainly without the chemistry and the joy of two people who actually challenge each other in a positive way and enjoy spending time together. Instead of it feeling like they’re growing and each giving the other the thing they were missing and becoming genuine friends, it feels like exactly what Rhadya (Ari’s best friend) tells Josh it is: two people simply treading water together.

On top of that, the two characters simply aren’t likable. They both handle breakups (and friend and family dynamics) in the most avoidant way possible. What I guess is supposed to feel equivalent to Harry and Sally doing karaoke with “Surry with the Fringe On Top” while running into Helen, we get Ari’s ex wife and new fiancé running into them in an elevator and Ari being asked to please stop sending the nude pictures. It’s just dark and depressing and while the structure and beats of the story are the same as the inspiration (and I have to assume it is because it’s just too close if not) the tone is wildly different in a way that’s just depressing.

Structurally, at times it felt like choppy vignettes because of how much time they weren’t together when we needed updates on where they were 3 years later or 3 months later from whatever last run-in or nasty fight they’d had.

The brief middle where they get together also didn’t feel right, somehow. It felt like there wasn’t enough buildup or even inkling they even liked each other and weren’t just being miserable together because there was no one else. It wasn’t earned for me. I was left feeling like I didn’t really get it and didn’t actually see how they made sense together.

I really appreciate the attempt and I hate to go so hard into a book like this, but while I am questioning whether it’s fair to hold this to the standard of When Harry Met Sally, you can’t do this close of an homage to it without drawing the comparison. I really hope this finds the right readers (and based on other reviewers, it seems like it has). I just wasn’t it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review.
I think I am struggling to give this an accurate score because of a few small issues I had. I am hanging between a 3.5 and 4.
Here’s why:
1. It took me awhile to warm up to Ari. She was a bit too “manic pixie dream girl”-ish for me. I mean she was just literally lost, going from one adventure and bed to the next. I don’t care when MCs are involved with other people while they slowly (or quickly) work their way toward each other. That’s honestly not the issue. I think her trouble (for me) was for someone who so decidedly is against love/commitment, it was really just her having past trauma and needing therapy or even recognizing that what may have happened in her past is truly detrimental to her and her views on love and relationships and commitment and sex. (I know this is a lot to ask from a book, but I have REASONS.)
2. Josh was obviously supposed to be the “perfect book boyfriend” and don’t get me wrong, he almost was. Buuuuuuuut, I really, really hated how he dealt with his feelings for Ari. I felt he ended up being pushy up to the point I almost put the book down because of it.
The side characters were ok, but not really much depth, but I don’t think the book was that deep to be honest, so I am not surprised.
I know the above is critical, so I want to finish by saying: I DID enjoy the book. The first half-ish was a little rough for me, but their friendship was sweet. She really needed a friend at the time he really needed a friend… I almost wish it would have stayed that way, except, hot damn… the 🌶️ was 🌶️y and 🔥… like, DAMN, Josh!

Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (Round up to 4)
h- 💅🏻💅🏻.5/5 (I just really struggled with her)
H-🧑🏻‍🍳🧑🏻‍🍳🧑🏻‍🍳🧑🏻‍🍳/5 (The 🌶️ gave him an edge)
S- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (I want MOAR!)

4.5 stars. A clever, contemporary take on When Harry Met Sally. Josh and Ari meet several times over the years in New York before they become friends by bonding over their mutual breakups. But there’s always an undercurrent of something more, and if they ever dare to act on it, it might ruin everything. Or it might be the great risk ever.

There are a lot of subtle Easter eggs in this book for people like me who’ve seen WHMS dozens of times. The story doesn’t follow the exact beats of the movie, but it has a similar snappiness and affection.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Characters « 9 »
••• Each was unique. Even the side characters.
••• The role swapping of the mains was. So. Refreshing!
••• The “big dude, small woman” trope was a little disappointing, but thankfully not a big focus point.

Atmosphere « 10 »
••• Could tell it was written by someone who actually lived in NYC. Love.
••• Could easily envision each scene.
••• Felt all the lows, the highs, and everything inbetween.

Writing « 8.5 »
••• Felt very contemporary with lots of text messages to break up walls of writing.
••• For an ARC, well-formatted and no glaring, immersion-breaking errors.
The first spicy scene felt a little off to me but I’m newish to “open door”.

Plot « 9 »
••• Great pacing, the slower bits not boring and felt necessary.
••• Bittersweet ending (for me, not them), wanted more of them.
••• Not exactly original at its bare bones but makes up for it with everything else.

Intrigue « 10 »
••• Even when MCs weren’t together, every scene felt exciting.
••• Couldn’t put it down. (I mean, sometimes I had to, but didn’t want to.)

Logic « 10 »
••• Experience dictates accuracy in the rocky terrain of “best friends-to-lovers” trope.
••• Nothing felt extrenuous, every moment fit.

Enjoyment « 10 »
••• Didn’t cry or anything but a lot of traits and even settings/scenarios hit (sometimes uncomfortably) close to home.
••• Great HEA ending but damn, wanted more.

Whew. Man, I’m so glad I got to read this early. Although, I will say the actual release date for You, Again is pretty much perfect. It feels like a crisp, autumn comfort read. Not that all the content is cozy because it’s definitely not. But it’s one of those that even the more dreary scenes would be less so with a fuzzy blanket, a bonfire, and/or nice cup of apple cider (or a Pumpkin Spice latte, if you prefer). Add in a cuddly cat on your lap, if you’re into that.

The book starts us off right off the flip with Ari’s very first abysmal encounter with Josh. I want to point out how refreshing this was for me. I’ve been reading plenty of romance lately and been getting kind of tired of having to slosh through chapters of backstory before the main characters even meet each other. I’m so appreciative for that. Also the fact that this is turned the “grumpy/sunshine” trope on its head. Josh is the “grumpy” one but isn’t the jilted lover who doesn’t believe in love anymore. It hooked me in immediately and kept me hooked because…

Throughout the entire thing, we learn Ari’s and Josh’s backstories and personalities as they meet and are interacting with each other. There isn’t any info-dumping about where they grew up, how they grew up, their past relationships. You learn them as they talk to each other about them. There is some additional tidbits that are learned through their (infrequent) solo adventures but the important stuff is all about them, through them.

I also appreciated the fact that it’s in third-person and not first. It didn’t detract from the emotions I felt at all. Honestly, if anything, it helped. I didn’t feel like I had to try and fit myself in Ari’s gaudy peacoat (typically, romance is written from the woman’s POV in my experience with them). Which is perfectly fine! I still could relate to her on certain aspects or events of her life or her personality without feeling disappointed or put off since I don’t understand completely. I’ve never done drugs, I’ve never been married. I don’t want to feel like I have. I am 100% okay about witnessing someone else’s experiences about them.

Besides the main characters, even the side characters were charming and fit perfectly into the story. We’ve all had a Rad or a Gabe in our lives at some point, I think.

Another thing that helped with the immersion despite the perspective it’s written in is the fact that Goldbeck actually lived in NYC. Each brief description of their walks, of actual locations, are twinged with familiarity (which the characters would have since they live there also) but there’s also enough that people who’ve never been to New York City aren’t struggling to try and picture it in their heads (at least for me. But I’ve been to NYC a few times).

Oooh, let’s talk about the spice. It was a little more than what I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to in romance but it didn’t detract from anything. It added to their story. Everything had a purpose.

I found, through a personal experience of mine, that Goldbeck really nailed the rocky terrain that is a “best friends-to-lovers” rollercoaster. However—unlike You, Again—mine didn’t have the same ending. I’m so happy for them. I wanted to see more of them finally being happy.

This is actually my 3rd time reading this story. This last, publish ready versions is by far my favorite. Honestly one of the best books I've read in a long time. The characters feel so real and their world so lived in. You root for them even as they fail and cheer when they finally get it right. I look forward to this becoming my new go to read. An absolutely outstanding debut!!!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was refreshing. I can honestly say I have never read anything like this before and now I really want more!

Ari and Josh start as enemies and then down the line, they meet again and take a stab at being friends. There is a lot of character development here, which was fun and heartwarming to read. These characters have tangible change and as someone who loves character-driven books, this was incredible to read. These two characters have a lot of mental blocks along the way and it's easy to become frustrated with them—and at times I was—but they were so very human that you kept reading it anyway. I really liked it.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is my first book by Kate Goldbeck and it did not disappoint. The writing and character development was perfect for me.

The main characters Ari and Josh meet and they do not like each other. Years down the line when they meet again they connect on their love-lives. Their relationship went from enemies-to-friends-to-lovers and the flow fit. During their relationship changes the character development made me root for them more. There were several times I laughed out loud and several times I had to not cry like a baby.

I enjoyed the time lapse shown where we see characters age. It made connecting with them for me a little easier. I would love to read more from Kate.

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never have loved at all?

You, Again is the debut novel by Kate Goldbeck that takes When Harry Met Sally and makes it (somehow) even better? Is it possible? YES.

Ari is a struggling comedian, a little wild child, our sunshine in the grumpy sunshine dynamic. She never spends the night after some Netflix and meaningless sex, always keeping people at a distance. Over the years, she encounters “Tall Sweater Nightmare Man,” Josh. He is an ambitious chef who wants to outgrow the shadow of his famous deli-owning father. And find the woman to share this life with.

About a chapter into the book, I already knew this was one of the best romcom books I’ve read in a long time. It’s not easy to show us a woman who is a human disaster and a man who never smiles and makes us root for them from the start, but Goldbeck does this thing where those traits are endearing without giving them redeeming qualities (yet). I think it’s their immediate chemistry and banter together, but we’ll get to all that in a sec.

I love this book so much because I identify with Ari. Wants to make a career by being funny? (check!) Lived out of a duffel bag on different couches for a long time? (check) Always keeps people at arm's length so she doesn’t get hurt? (AND CHECK!) She’s so hard to not love, honestly. Thinking back now, it’s genius, actually. Because Ari is unserious most of the time, even when her thoughts and feelings are emotional and when she finally becomes vulnerable? It’s very moving.

And Josh. OH JOSH. I also identify with Tall Sweater Nightmare Man because I was a line chef for a while, and I GET his ambition and passion for cooking. His character arc is so good too. He comes into the book so cocky and with a chip on his shoulder and gets knocked down to earth so hard that I can’t help but sympathize with the poor guy.

SPOILERS

I’m trying to decide which part is my favorite.

The beginning might be the funniest part of the book. Because they hate each other so much and they keep running into each other in embarrassing or compromising positions.

Then there’s the part where they’re starting to be friends because they’re both miserable. (Ari is going through a divorce, and Josh is going through a career meltdown) This may be the cutest. It’s so nice and comforting to see two good people trying their best and bonding over their misery. Candy for the self-loathing soul.

Oh, when they start fighting because they’re catching feelings, and it’s not where Ari wants it to go? That’s when I was reading with tears in my eyes the whole time. I found myself saying, “She can’t help it! She’s trying her best!” God. It was heart-wrenching, but I couldn’t put the book down.

And then the end when it all comes together. The denouement. The way (in my experience) very few books stick the landing with this and the way Goldbeck NAILED it. It’s like you’re crying because you’re so happy, and you’re crying because all the things from the whole book that were emotional are coming back, and YOU ARE IN IT. You are THERE for Ari and Josh. You’ve seen them fight, you’ve seen them cry, you’ve seen them fall in love, and now you get the prize of it all.

Okay, so I don’t have a favorite part, but I do have a new favorite writer. Goldbeck’s voice is fresh and witty etc.., all the great things they say about good writing. But it’s also clever and sharp. It’s sympathetic and understanding. It’s like listening to Meredith Grey in the Russian Doll universe.

There’s this part in the book that I keep thinking about. Ari has one bowl that she owns. A specific cereal bowl that she seems to treasure. And when she got divorced, her ex-wife took the bowl. It really hurt me when Ari told Josh this story because I’m a one-bowl kind of girl. A one-bowl, one-purse, one-pair-of-shoes girl, and if someone took my bowl, I’d mourn it. But then….. Josh finds her a bowl as much like it as he could find and gifts it to her. The story has so many other poignant parts, but this struck me so hard.

This book asks us what love is, and if love is worth it, and who you should marry, etc. To me, I think one should marry the person who finds you your bowl.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley and Kate Goldbeck for the Advanced Reader Copy. All thoughts and opinions above are my own.