I enjoyed this book for the fantastic character development and original twist on classic tropes. I found Ari's life a bit depressing. Even though she may be perceived a sex-positive, her sexuality didn't seem rooted in self confidence but the opposite. I found her hard to relate to, but I liked how well thought out the characters were, flaws and all. It may not have given me the escapism I look for in a romance, but it made for an interesting read that had me engaged throughout.

If you love spicy rom-coms with more friends-to-lovers aspects, this book is for you! Unfortunately, I am quite picky when it comes to romance novels, and this story wasn’t quite what I was looking for. The time lines keep the story flowing, but I found myself disconnecting from the town's main characters. The characters each have their own issues, and we don’t quite get to see the pasts that shaped the way they act now. I would have loved to see the author dig deeper into what made Ari so emotionally unavailable and her past before the story began. That being said, the representation in this book is amazing. Ari is a sex positive queer woman, while Josh subverts male tropes and is more of a quiet, reserved, hopeless romantic. They each share a fun banter that makes the novel easy to get into. With all of that, I would give this book an overall rating of 3/5, but I encourage any romance fanatics to get their hands on it when it’s released in September.


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Loved. Capital L loved. I knew I would, honestly, because I preordered it a month or so before it showed up here on NetGalley. I was prepared for it to be good, but it was even better than I expected.
I was so happy with the progression of Ari and Josh’s relationship from dislike to love. It never felt trope-y, always fresh. The main characters came off as flawed and realistic, which I adored. There’s nothing worse than a story with two perfect people complaining about how imperfect they are. The characters grew as the story progressed, instead of being stagnant boy/girl stereotypes.
The slow burn was so rewarding, and the spicy scenes were top notch.
I’ll happily read this again when I receive my copy on release day, and recommend it to other readers.
Were I as talented a writer as the author, I’d have more eloquent ways to describe how happy this book made me. So I’ll just say this - fabulous! Kate Goldbeck is an amazing writer and I’ll follow her career with great interest.
And thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC, it made my month!

I enjoyed this book and liked that our FMC was the commitment-phobe and our MMC was the hopeless romantic. I appreciated the author allowing the story of these two to expand over quite an amount of time and organically bringing them back together.

I got a little frustrated with Ari's lack of maturity and wished we had a little more insight into her background to understand her being so guarded (we only got surface-level insight), but I appreciated her growth at the end. The last 30% of the book is where I truly became invested in these two.

I do wish we would have had a little more time with Ari and Josh together and had the opportunity to dive more into their relationship as it evolved (it felt a little rushed and sometimes disconnected). Overall a cute read with some fun banter.

Ari, who is afraid of commitment and Josh the hopefully romantic first meet when Josh is dating her roommate and didnt exactly hit it off . After many random run in over the years and both reeling from major break ups they decide to become friends without any benefits. But how long with the sexual tension last between them before they give in.

What a great debut novel featuring some of my favorite tropes, enemies to loves and grumpy and sunshine. And bonus this romance novel is told in dual pov.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review

✨Emotionally unavailable✨ but make it HER problem. I’ve never had a book make me drool. I was literally wiping spit from the corners of my lips because of the slow burn that is this masterpiece. Holy cannoli.

If you’re someone that likes to boil things down to tropes, this is enemies-to-friends-to-lovers and it. does. it. all. And it does it well. Bonus points for the most epic sex-positivity. Every time I thought it couldn’t be written better, it got better.

Near perfection on so many levels. I’m just sad it doesn’t come out until September 2023. My brain cannot comprehend that this is a debut novel but I can tell you I’ll be the first to order anything Kate Goldbeck writes.

I LOVED this book. It has things I really value in a romance: zippy dialogue and witty banter, complicated and complex characters, and steamy scenes that have excellent tension and emotional resonance. I'd call it more of an homage to When Harry Met Sally than a retelling, but it's definitely there. Excellent setting, writing, and characters with the perfect balance of angst and steam. I can see some people not jiving with how modern and edgy it is, but it really worked for me. Avoid if you prefer fluffy and PG romances but give it a go if you appreciate the messy and nuanced side of modern love stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dial Press for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review. I WILL be preordering this to have on my shelf so I can revisit it and also admire the gorgeous Autumn cover.

PS I read this when it was originally a fanfic and really liked it then, but have to get credit to the author, agent, and editor for shining this up to make work as a published novel. It has really been elevated.

Ari and Josh can't stop running into each other. After years of awkward situations they become friends only to wonder if there's really another reason why fate keeps pushing them together.

I liked this book a lot. It's told over the course of years so there is a lot to follow but the author does a good job keeping us curious.

It's a very different writing style that took a little time to get used to. It 3rd person but rotating point of view. So sometimes I wasn't quite sure which character it was. I do wish the author would have included the names in the chapters or mid chapter segment instead of an image as a transition but may have only been because it's an arc! I did love the rotating point of view! (also this is just a personal opinion... just couldn't relate to the unique sexual energy of this book; threesomes, hooking up with couples, etc. it did throw me off a bit!)

I would definitely recommend the book! I loved the banter, the sweet moments and the real life perspectives! I laughed and cried a lot! Can't wait to read more from this author!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of the book for an honest review!

okay the when harry met sally cover got me and it ended up being very similar which I LOVED. the enemies to friends to lovers was amazing and their relationship felt real to me. their dialogue was great and the banter was 10/10. It was a little hard for me to root for the MC, Ari, at times. I do wish the characters had done more work to get emotionally healthy. and the final 1/3 of the book was drawn out a bit but i loved the actual ending. so many sweet moments, found myself finishing it in one sitting!

(also this is just a personal opinion...I just couldn't relate to the unique sexual energy of this book; threesomes, hooking up with couples, etc. it did throw me off a bit!)

Easily one of the best books I have read this year!

I am so excited to see what Kate Goldbeck does next because this is a debut and I am OBSESSED. The way I fell for these two characters was SWIFT and FAST.

Spanning over almost a decade, this follows Ari and Josh, two people who just can’t stop running into each other. And it’s always some level of hell when they do. They cannot stand one another and it’s hilarious! When they both go through terrible breakups and bump into each other again, a tentative friendship forms in the throes of their respective heartbreaks…

This book has some of the best dialogue. I was cackling… when I wasn’t freaking sobbing!!! This book truly whips you around through the gamut of emotions. The evolution of the relationship between Josh and Ari is incredible. Goldbeck does NOT go easy on us. This book shredded me. And I loved every single moment.

I absolutely adored this book. I’m not normally a huge fan of books that take place over the course of multiple years but the way the author navigated this format was perfect. I loved the dual point of views from both main characters and how it gave us a chance to really dig into their thoughts and feelings through the story.

This book felt like a warm hug and I really can’t wait for more of my friends to be able to read it so I can gush about it with them.

This is a dialogue heavy book which I adore and the conversations between Ari and Josh were lovely, even when they we’re doing things that made me want to grab them by the shoulders and shake them. I love that this is so much more than just a love story but a story of growth and friendship between them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and the author Kate Goldbeck for providing me a e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will 100% be recommending this book when it’s released in September!

Kate Goldbeck smashed this debit like Josh and Ari smashed my heart.

I adored this story. For anyone who loved When Harry Met Sally (me) you’ll be pleased by the homage but thrilled with the originality.

This story has humor, sadness, joy, and the type of chemistry that will knock readers off their axis.

I enjoyed every part of the evolution of Ari and Josh’s relationship. There is an authenticity to their trajectory which is carried through in the friendships and familial relationships as well.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the advanced copy. I’ve already started talking about this book to my co-workers. We can’t wait to bring in “You, Again” this fall.

Ari and Josh can't stop running into each other. After years of awkward situations they become friends only to wonder if there's really another reason why fate keeps pushing them together.

I liked this book a lot. It's told over the course of years so there is a lot to follow but the author does a good job keeping us curious.

It's a very different writing style that took a little time to get used to. It 3rd person but rotating point of view. So sometimes I wasn't quite sure which character it was. I do wish the author would have included the names in the chapters or mid chapter segment instead of an image as a transition but may have only been because it's an arc! I did love the rotating point of view!

I would definitely recommend the book! I loved the banter, the sweet moments and the real life perspectives! I laughed and cried a lot! Can't wait to read more from this author!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of the book for an honest review!

This was angsty and sarcastic and emotional and fun. It definitely didn't have anything unique compared to other romances but it was just an entertaining time.

This is absolutely my kind of sassy, smart, sarcastic, extra emotional, and angsty, yet entertaining, unique, modern love story that takes place in my all-time favorite city in the world: New York! Did I mention it also includes my favorite tropes, including enemies to lovers and grumpy meets the sunshine (or a pretentious chef meets a gamophobic comedian suffering from commitment issues)?

The story follows Ari, a quick-witted, direct, smart, sassy, and sunshiny aspiring comedian who moves to New York. However, instead of performing, she mostly serves drinks, babysits children, works as a cashier, or takes assistant jobs, while working with an improvising theater team in her spare time. Josh is an aspiring chef who wants to take over the culinary world with his ambitious plans, including finding the love of his life to prepare breakfast for every morning. His father owns East Village’s famous kosher deli, Brodsky, but Josh has no intention of working in the family business. He has bigger plans!

Two of them meet in the wrong place at the wrong time. When Ari plans for an uneventful night with an appointment to her vibrator, she receives a text from her roommate Natalie, whom she casually hooks up with, saying that she is stuck in traffic and needs her to welcome her special visitor. Ari realizes the visitor is the same Tall Sweater Nightmare Man who rejected to make a donation for bobcats and argued with her in the middle of the street on the same night. The same guy enters their apartment with his grocery bags to cook a special dinner for Natalie. He insists he’s Natalie’s boyfriend, even though Ari and Natalie are still friends with benefits! Of course, loathing at first sight eventually blooms between them after Josh’s condemning attitude and Ari’s smart-ass comments. The night ends with a disastrous argument.

A few years later, they meet again, and as expected, their fight ends as Ari says the last word (let’s rephrase: she takes the last unforgettable action).

The third time is not a charm. But at least they don’t kill each other.

A few years later, they meet at their lowest points and cling to each other to keep their heads above the water. Their long phone calls, texts, and movie marathons slowly turn into a special friendship. And even more, but both of them still suffer from their worst breakups. Could they heal, destroy their own emotional barriers, and give a chance for happiness?

This is a fantastic debut! I laughed so hard! I fell in love with the cover, especially the male character’s resemblance to Adam Driver on the cover, which is a marvelous detail. If this book is adapted into a Netflix movie, it will be one of my classics that I watch more than five times, reciting each line (of course, Adam Driver would be a great choice as Josh, and Selena Gomez might be a great Ari; at least, the girl on the cover looks like her!), crying and laughing out loud at the most powerful scenes. I know I’m rambling, but when you find something special, you want to talk about how it makes you feel, and honestly, this book made me ecstatic! My emotions are all over the place! Thank you, Kate Goldbeck, for writing this book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press Trade Paperback for sharing this amazing book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A great "When Harry Met Sally" modern re-telling. The `~enemies~ part does drag a little, where the conversation does seem to antagonize the other person past the point of wanting to respond. I think my biggest qualm with the book is that it's very long, and the long chunks of chapters and text makes it a little difficult to get through. Other than that, the plot points parallel to the movie, making it an enjoyable read.

It has been a long time since there has been a book that I couldn't put down and read almost entirely in one sitting and You, Again by Kate Goldbeck was one of those books. From the start it draws you in following Ari at one of her odd jobs, trying to drum up support for bobcats conservation, while Josh, the male lead, is just trying to get away. She goes home only to find out that he is her roommates boyfriend and he is making dinner for her.

What follows is a years long tumultuous acquintanceship that slowly turns into a friendship. If you think we will be missing out on romance, however, we do get to see a peek into their romantic lives outside of each other and how they are coping with their significant others.

What I loved most about the book was how three dimensional the characters were. They felt like fully fleshed out people, and someone that I would want to know. The only thing that seemed off was that we never see Josh with any friends, just family or Ari and her friends. I kept expecting someone to pop up at one point, but there wasn't anyone. Ari's friendships, however, were always fun to see and reminded me of the ones that I have with my friends were you know each other so well you can be honest with each other and tell each other the truth even if it might hurt a little.

The different dynamics of the book are fascinating to see unfold, and it is like the best roller coaster that you never want to get off of. I am sure you will enjoy the ride too.

4 out of 5 stars
**Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review**

I’ve always been a person who feels too much, I guess that’s why words have always been a solace to lean back on and let it wash over me. Always a handy tool to express feelings too big down on a piece paper. I guess that’s why books will always be a main stay even if the rug is pulled out from under me.

So when I received an arc, hunkered down and got lost in the pages of Josh and Ari’s story — everything felt like a movie projector of my own life passing by. I immediately found refuge in Josh — this convoluted man who wants to idealize love in its purest form. To protect its essence that calls any two people here on Earth to seek the flexibility of its shape around the life they can supposedly build together. To chase a dream and not pay mind to the stubbornness of a parent whose affection was probably a little too severe than all consuming growing up.

Then Ari, who takes the details of my life of being a New York transplant, chasing a dream in a far away island that wasn’t originally home. Skating by, making the best of living situations that will inevitably price you out until you look for another fix.

All these details culminated in the best way, in the most heart rendering way to peel the layers of what so many of us are afraid to see with eyes open wide. All of our failures, our hopes, what they mean in the aggregate of a world where hustle culture is packaged as the most updated cruel joke of bootstrap theory.

Kate’s voice sells it like no other. She captures and envisions it with memorable dialogue, breath defying scenes that musters all the squeals and laughs. She does it ten times over and leads you to the finish line with a hydrated drink in hand, wishing you a job well done. This cast and crew of characters with Ari and Josh leading the charge will stay with me, calling me to open a dog eared page in the middle of the night when I’m lonely or cynical, exasperated from the trenches of finding love — and realize it’ll be worth it. Finding your person even if it takes several chances. Because in the end when you realize… I’ll let you finish the sentence.

Thank you so much to Random House, and to Kate for sharing her lovely words with a world that need it most.