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!

4 stars! I will ALWAYS be a second chance girl!! Loved the plot and the characters were enjoyable! This was a super light and fluffy book and it was really good!

I try really really hard but I’m just not a fan of instalove or celebrity crush. But in this debut’s defense, it was still a cute and light hearted romance

The book is well written! But it took me several attempts to really get into. Lexi and Jake were cute; however, something was lacking for me to feel the real connection with them. It was a struggle to complete this book. There were times in the book that I thought everything was going to really start taking off, but I never got the full grab your attention, can't put this down feeling.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this arc.

Thank you Netgalley and Lindsay Hameroff for my free ARC of Till There Was You. It is a light-hearted, new adult, contemporary romance centered around Lexi, a culinary student with dreams of becoming a renowned chef, and Jake, a musician on the brink of fame. After a whirlwind weekend together, Jake leaves for Los Angeles to pursue his music career, leaving Lexi behind. A year later, with Jake now a famous musician, they reconnect and try to navigate a second chance at love amidst the challenges of fame, career ambitions, and personal growth.

It was definitely a bit insta-love at first; for my liking, but I do always enjoy a second chance romance trope. This was definitely a low-stakes read.

PS Jake is a total heartthrob.

Jake and Lexi were perfection!
While they did have some miscommunication, it was easily resolved.
I really enjoyed this book!!

This book is right up my alley as a fame-meets-regular-person romance. While at times the main character, Lexi Berman seems young, she is young and grows throughout the book. "Till There Was You" delivers something a story that recognizes her professional aspirations as well as her romantic ones.

The novel's strength lies in its commitment to Lexi's career aspirations. Her focus on becoming an executive chef never takes a backseat to the romance, and her decisions feel authentic to someone trying to establish themselves in a demanding industry. While the premise might be unlikely, Lexi's reactions and challenges remain grounded and relatable.

Hameroff's pacing makes this book hard to put down, striking a solid balance between the romance and professional storylines. It's an engaging read that doesn't sacrifice character development for drama, even when dealing with tabloids and celebrity gossip.

I am gonna start off this review by saying that I really enjoyed this book and oh boy does it have drama drama drama..
Main characters: Lexi and Jack. Lexi is working on being a chef and Jack is a drive bar musician turned famous and a popular song of his sounds very familiar to Lexie, is this song made from her encounter with him? Did he create a song for her?!?!?!
This is a sweet Insta-love type book. These 2 are adorable with each other but so many things happen that it keeps pushing them away from each other, just wait til you read all the drama.
I am not a fan of Lexi and her friends' conversations they are kinda immature and annoying but its all part of the story I guess. These characters are kinda young and this story def shows you that in so many aspects. I love how Lexi is connected to her family and that plays an important part in her life and life choices, and I love how she loves to cook and make people feel good with her food.
Now onto Jake, he is a bit more mature. He also has his immature actions, which are a bit funny. He is such a great guy and tries his best to do the right thing but he has a bit of anxiety I believe.
Still its a good book and I really enjoyed reading it.

This was an easy and cute read. Definitely predictable. I found myself not really reaching for it because it was a little cliche, but I still devoured it!

The characters felt cutesy and the storyline felt young and teenage dream like. Another one of those that you wish would happen to you.

Thanks so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

2.5 Stars

I’ve been looking for a good foodie romance for a while and I was hoping this would be it. Unfortunately, I don’t know if I was the right demographic for it. It read a little young, and there’s a mix of insta-love and second chance romance, neither of which I’m a huge fan of. However, I can’t deny the chemistry that Lexi and Jake had and I would definitely read something by this author in the future. In the right hands, this is a five-star book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lindsay Hameroff for the opportunity to arc read this book!

It was a very cute palette cleanser but not necessarily one that will stick in my head for months to come. Overall, a fun time!