2.5 for me sadly. Their relationship fizzled out pretty quickly for me and they just got to be annoying. They felt far too insta-lovey for me. Lexi busts her butt in culinary school, to ultimately flub the opportunity she earns over a guy.

Jake is constantly forcing her into his life with no consideration for it will affect hers in return. Expecting her to drop everything and go with him every time he mentions something.

I DNFed around 18%. I tried to stick with it, but Lexi was hard to care about in general. The breaking point was finding out she had been accepted to and graduated from culinary school with never having worked in any type of restaurant. Yes, we knew she came from money, but even suspending reality made that too unbelievable.

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff is a heartwarming and emotional romance that explores the complexities of love, second chances, and self-discovery. The novel follows two characters with deep emotional baggage who must confront their pasts in order to build a future together. Hameroff’s writing captures the tender moments between the leads, and their chemistry is undeniable.

However, the plot sometimes feels predictable, with a few clichés that may not stand out for readers familiar with the genre. Despite this, Till There Was You offers a satisfying, feel-good story with relatable characters, making it a great pick for fans of contemporary romance looking for an easy, enjoyable read.

Till There Was You is a story about Lexi, a culinary student and aspiring chef, and Jake, a musician trying to get his big break. They have a whirlwind weekend then lose touch as their lives go in opposite directions. A year later, Jake shows up at Lexi’s door hopeful for another chance.

This was sweet and kept me hooked the whole time. Lexi was a well rounded character, I liked her group of friends, and I felt like I was in the kitchen cooking with her. Jake was decent, but I don’t think the rockstar love interest is for me. And I didn’t necessarily care for the added drama with his dad. There was already enough going on with the story.

Overall, I enjoyed Lindsay’s writing style and would love to pick up her new book, Never Planned on You, when it’s released in 2025.

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Second chance at love as well as chef vibes?! That is a recipe (lil pun intended) for a feel good romance read. Quick, fast paced and fun to read ( because the chemistry was really working for me)

4/5

I did not expect this to be as wonderful as it was.

Immediately pictured Luke Grimes as Jake. And the rest is history.

Love the chemistry, the second chance, the aspects of the music/celebrity world.

Wish I hadn’t waited so long to read this one.

Sweet romcom with some LOL moments courtesy of Lexi’s besties. A quick and enjoyable read for romance fans.

Thanks, St. Martin’s Griffin and Libro.FM, for the arc and ALC!

“And in that moment, I know Jake Taylor and I will never be just friends.” That’s the line that hooked me in the first chapter of TILL THERE WAS YOU by Lindsay Hameroff, and I knew I was in trouble of finding a new romance book I would love. Was I right? Yes. And this is another book I’m happy I waited for the audiobook to read!

I picked up the arc a few times but never caught on to reading it, even with that line in the opening chapter. When I heard it on audio, it was like a totally different book, and I was excited about it. And that line, along with the rest of the book, was so well narrated by Erin Bennett.

I liked how Hameroff spread Lexi and Jake’s situationship over time. Sure, some of it was frustrating, but it let them grow as individuals and together. Plus, we got to know some great side characters that I hope we might see later 🤞🏻

I don’t mind miscommunication if it’s necessary and done well. I saw why it was needed in this story, but I think it could been executed better. That was my biggest frustration.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the book. It made me smile and feel the love. A great romance debut - I can’t wait to read what Lindsay Hamerhof writes next!

Content warnings: familial death, cancer, sexual harassment, bullying, grief

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Despite this book having some tropes I don’t initially lean toward, I found the premise of this story enjoyable. There’s something about not expecting to meet someone and then spending the weekend with them that, while not realistic for me, pushes on that little romantic kernel of hope deep inside my chest.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff follows Lexi, an aspiring chef, and Jake, a rising music star, as they navigate the complexities of their careers and their budding relationship. If you're looking for a feel-good romance with a sprinkle of celebrity drama, Till There Was You is the perfect choice.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This was a cute read that just fell a little flat for me. I liked the premise and was surprised that I didn't mind how the timeline of the book was laid out even with the couple time jumps that happened. I did kind of love the insta-love which is something that can go either way for me but played into the story quite nicely, and also love that Jake never pushed too hard when he came back into Lexi's life. I appreciate that he always tried to respect her wished to the best he could even with how he felt for her the whole time. I will say I think there could've been more open communication between the characters, there wasn't that much miscommunication but there did feel like there was just a lack of communication happening. If things didn't feel easy they often gave up a little too quickly instead of trying to work through things and talk to each other. I do think there's more potential in Lindsay's writing and I would be curious to read more in the future.

Till There Was You was the perfect mix of romance, spice, drama, and growth. I can't remember a romance where the main characters were so likable and decent humans for the majority of the story. The surprise of this book... I laughed a lot! I can't remember a romance that made me laugh as much as swoon so that was a huge plus. The story was so engaging I read it in one sitting which is a rarity for me nowadays.

The only downside is it could have been a bit longer just to flesh out what happened with Jake's parents/dad's feelings and Lexi's business. I would definitely read a sequel with Chloe and Mia after that excited morsel that was dropped right at the very end of the book.

Can't wait for the author's next book!

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Despite her vow to never date, Lexi, a culinary student, meets Jake one evening and ends up spending the entire weekend together. After that, Jake leaves for Los Angeles with hopes of becoming a musical star, which he eventually becomes. Lexi keeps Jake's success a secret, especially because his hit song is about her. One year after he departed, Jake is back at her door demanding her return. Although she is unsure, they eventually start dating, and Lexi is thrust into the spotlight, jeopardizing her job in the process. As Jake's tour draws near, Lexi has to determine whether she truly wants Jake.

This was a rather intriguing book. It's absolutely one of those things where you'll need to be in the appropriate frame of mind, in my opinion. It's a light-hearted, fluffy rom-com about insta-love and second chances.

I absolutely loved this book. The way the character development continued to evolve throughout the story was perfect! Once I started reading this book I literally could not put it down (I tried i really did). I can't wait till I can read more from this author

When this book starts, Lexi is a culinary student who meets singer Jake at a bar he is performing at. They have an immediate connection, but then he ghosts her - only to the become a famous singer who has written several songs clearly about her. When he reappears a year or so later, Lexi has to decide if she can forgive him, and whether a relationship is compatible with her restaurant career.

This was just a super cute romance. Celebrity romance is possibly my favorite romance trope, plus I love books about musicians and books about restaurants - and this book had that all! Plus good side characters and I enjoyed the NYC setting and the Jewish representation too.

This was a really fun read and I really enjoyed listening to it on audiobook. It’s a little bit of a famous person/regular person romance, a little bit of a second chance romance, and it was so heartwarming. I was cheering for Jake and Lexi to make it work because they were so obviously meant for each other!

Loved everything about this! I had such an enjoyable time reading. Celebrity & chef, second chance romance—so cute and a little cheesy. Exactly the vibe I was looking for. The characters were so genuine and heartwarming, and I loved her relationship with her friends. The little Jewish food references were also a fun bonus. I definitely want blueberry pancakes now!

Book 26 of 2024 - ✅! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and Lindsay Hammerof for an ARC of Till There Was You, by Lindsay Hammerof.

As I continue to my quest to get to 80% review rate on NetGalley (I was so close, then I request and was accepted to read 4 more books), Till There Was You was one of the ones up next on my list. This cute rom-com mostly takes place in the ultimate rom-com city: New York. Alexa “Lexi” Berman - budding chef - meet Jake Taylor: star on the rise, over karaoke. They spend a magical weekend together, Lexi becomes Jake’s muse, and then…poof, Jake is gone. After a year of no contact, Jake tried to make his way back into Lexi’s life, though he’s hit superstardom as one of the biggest names in pop. Through the highs and lows of both of their careers, they come back to each other in the end.

This was a quick read, and as other reviewers have pointed out - a bit reminiscent of The Idea of You (never read the book, but I enjoyed the movie). There are some steamy-scenes, but not as many as in other books I’ve read, and I suppose not as many as I was expecting. I was also hoping that we’d learn more about what Lexi was going to do toward the end of the book as her work situation changed, and while this is a romance and it’s very much the center of the book, I thought her work plans could have been added in a sentence or two to further flesh out her character’s ending. As far as rep goes, Lexi, the FMC, is Jewish, her best friend is a Lesbian and there’s diversity in the additional characters we meet.

3/5 ⭐️ overall, and 2 🌶️ - I would read Hameroff’s future books, and recommend this one to someone looking for a light romance. 🥞 🎤 🫐 #NetGalley #TillThereWasYou

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for providing me this Advanced Readers Copy of Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff!

This was cute! I really enjoyed the characters and the romance! This was my first story by Hameroff and I'm excited to see what she writes next!