This review is my opinion and my opinion only. I did received this ARC from Netgalley. This is my first story by Lindsay Hameroff, it won’t be my last. This is a second chance story about Lexi and Jake.
Lexi has dreams of owning her own restaurant, and Jake wants to be a famous singer. They met at a bar before Jake was suppose to perform, but Lexi didn’t know he was the performer. They had an intense weekend then lost touch as they chased their dreams. Jake’s dream comes true, but at what cost?
Lindsay Hameroff is a quality writer. She knows how to pull the reader into the story. This rom-com is an emotional read. I’m giving it four stars because the ending was a little too unbelievable for me, but of course this is why we read fictions.

An enjoyable read, I finished it in one day. I like culinary mysteries, so I took a chance on a culinary romance. I like the characters, like the premise but the actual story felt unfinished. There seemed to be bits of the story of Jake & Lexi missing, I wish I could put my finger on it but it just felt off. Love at first sight works & long distance relationship problems too. I was irritated by her friend Ali, I'd have told her off by the second chapter. I also felt the actual story was similar to another book I'd read about a baker & a singer. Despite the few cons I have all in all I liked the book.

#Netgalley #TillThereWasYou #LindsayHameroff #St.Martin'sGriffin #culinaryromance #romance

I loved every second of this closed-door rockstar/celebrity romance. It's fun and flirty, with a bit of second-chance romance vibes. This book had me kicking my feet and giggling, but it also made me crave food.
Lexi and Jake spend a fun weekend together just before Jake gets famous. After he has risen to fame, he shows up on Lexi's doorstep in search of a true connection. I honestly love every second of this. My only issue is the third-act breakup. I hate them, but I had such a fun time with this read that I can get over it.

I love a celebrity / rockstar romance. I loved the pop culture references. I didn't love how surface the personality of the characters were. I felt like Lexi loved her career as a chef and she was just expected to give up her love for Jake. I felt like their struggles were portrayed nicely. This was a closed door rom-com. Jake was a cinnamon roll where he always protected Lexi especially when she ended up in the tabloids on his behalf. I loved that it took place in NYC. Read this if you need a sweet, closed door celebrity/ introvert book as a good palette cleanser.

I really liked this book. It was super fun! I liked that the MC and LI knew each other right before his rise to fame instead of meeting after he was famous. I thought they had good chemistry together and it was totally believable that they had genuine feelings for each other even if they only speant a weekend together before Jake's rise to fame.
However, Lexi's own personal flaws were frustrating at the end because it was pretty clear to the reader how in love Jake was with her and that the root of their big fight was a setup. I'm not a fan of the 3rd act breakup in general so that was meh. The ending in general did feel a bit rushed, but I can overlook that because I did like the book a lot and had a tonof fun reading it. It was also nice to see Lexi reconcile a bit with her dad in the end.

A sweet romcom that will leave you craving some good food. Lexi has sworn off fating until she meets Jake. She's a culinary student and he's about to head to LA to try and make it big in the music industry. They spend the whole weekend together. As Jake's star rises, Lexi never tells anyone about their weekend together. Do they end up dating and jeopardizing her career when he comes around on his tour, of course. I found this book a little too light and fluffy. It's initially and insta-love plot that turns into a second chance romance. But there was no depth to the characters and having no backstory hindered the plot. I found the book a little predictable even though it was a quick fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

A fun & flirty, second chance romantic comedy! This was a quick and easy read for me, with witty banter and a charming Hallmark-like storyline. If you enjoy Emily Henry & Lynn Painter, this will toe the same line. The writing isn’t quite at the same level as Emily & Lynn, but as far as keeping you interested and happy along the way, this did a good job.
I love the hope and optimism that comes with a second chance romance, and Lindsay Hameroff delivered on that. Pick this up for a light and quick YA read!

3.5 stars

The book was cute but I found the mfc so unlikable.

I was very into the romance and the love connection between Jake and Lexi was so so sweet. I loved the little things that he remembered about her!! Also, the song was super cheesy, but all in all, super cute.

My main problem with this book was Lexi. As a character in her mid twenties, i felt like her actions were too juvenile. It felt like she was overreacting to many of the events that happened in this book and not to mention how many times she was just so unprofessional and selfish with her job. If I was her boss, I would have fired her sooner. She needed to untwist her panties and get her shit together.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff
Contemporary romance. New adult or just past that age.
Lexi Berman is a culinary student in New York, living alone in her family’s owned apartment. Her goal in life is to make her late mother proud by becoming a chef with her own renowned restaurant and making people happy with her cooking. As the last to leave after a night out with friends, Lexi meets a local musician who makes her laugh and charms her writing a song about the blueberry pancakes she makes him that weekend. Jake’s life becomes a whirlwind shortly after their weekend together, and though they both fell a little in love at the time, he ends up ghosting her. A year later, he’s famous, she’s an in-training chef, and they try again for a relationship though hours and lifestyles are now worlds apart. Can they figure out what each wants in life? And will it be together?

Heartbreakingly star crossed beginning as they each must self assess. Is love enough to work around scheduling conflicts or must someone give up and change? This story asks that question. Fortunately we have enough input and background from both Lexi and Jake that the reader will see and cheer on the characters as they self assess.
It’s gooey and steamy and delightful as Lexi and Jake find their hea with each other and their careers.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 Stars

Happy Publication to Lindsay Hameroff and Till There Was You. Thank you to Lindsay Hameroff, @stmartinspress, and @netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Till There Was You for an honest review!

📆This book was published on Tuesday, February 20, 2025 and can be purchased at your local bookstore or on Amazon!📆

Aspiring Chef, Lexi, has a dream to become an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant as a tribute to her late mother.

Aspiring musician, Jake, is traveling from one dive bar to the next so that he can make money to pay for rent and food.

Lexi and Jake instantly fall for one another, spending the most magical weekend together…sharing ambitions, secrets, and blueberry pancakes. Can they find their way back to one another with trust and devotion as they attempt to fulfill their very different dreams?

Tropes
💕 Second Chance Romance
💕 Opposites Attract
💕 Wrong Timing
💕 Miscommunication
💕 Soulmates

What I liked about the book:
📖 How hopeful it left me throughout.
📖 The Second Chance Romance trope.
📖 The instant and genuine connection between Lexi and Jake.
📖 The wide array of emotions, including frustration, the reader experiences.
📖 The happy ending.

A cute, yet thought provoking, romance that I’d recommend to anyone that enjoys learning about the struggles of a relationship but is constantly team happy ending!

Boy meets girl. They have a magical weekend. Boy promises to call, but when his dreams start coming true, boy disappears. Unsurprisingly, success turned him into someone very different than he used to be and Lexi did all she could to move forward. She knows she is stuck, but she’s been stuck for years and doesn’t even know if the dream she pursuing is even still her dream. There’s a lot of back and forth, truth, lies, lots of amazing food that all lead to exactly where we expect it to. It was an easy, light read.

3.5 stars. This book started off so good. I was hooked and there was so much potential. But it felt like Jake’s character was one dimensional. And their arguments were always about the same thing. It never really felt like they worked through the biggest issue, Lexi’s insecurity.

I liked some of the main parts of the story, but I found the sexual encounters to be took many and unnecessary

This was cute. I don’t love a second chance romance (usually a little too sappy for me), but this had a pretty epic third act breakup that gave me all the feels - and a pretty perfect romcom ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this cute book in exchange for my honest review!

If you enjoy cutesy insta-love romance stories, you’ll really like this one! It wasn’t my favorite story, I think the restaurant storyline was the best part but I still enjoyed it!

3.5 stars

I have been so off of fluffy romances that I went into this with low expectations, but I loved this book. I read half of it the first time I picked it up and it didn’t take me much longer to finish it. It’s the epitome of a rom-com and I loved it so freaking much!!

Jake and Lexi are everything! Jake is such a good book boyfriend, I honestly wish we got to know him more! And Lexi is every proud, stubborn girl ever.

Such and addicting and lovely quick read! Definitely recommend.

<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

3.75

I enjoyed this! I laughed out loud several times, I read particularly witty lines to my fiancé, and for once I didn't hate the insta-love aspect of it.

But there are areas that fell short or needed a bit more work. First, I would've completely bought into the insta-love if that part hadn't been rushed. I would've been nice to see a bit more of their weekend together, as well as the time immediately after Jake leaves for LA. It would've helped us readers understand and believe their feelings more.

Second, Lexi reads young. Yes, she's 23 when the book starts but the interactions between her and her friends just come across as young and immature. It was a little off-putting. It felt like they were trying to seem older and wiser than their years but it missed the mark.

Third, the conflict at the end was forced and rang false. I expected something to come but while it seemed moderately in keeping with Lexi's character, it felt weird coming from Jake. I didn't buy it.

I think there's a lot of potential here and it's a solid debut. I'd recommend this to my younger friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsay Hameroff, and Griffin Publsihing for my digital ARC. I was loving the FMC being a chef and trying to find her way through the culinary arts just to be interrupted by an up-and-coming musician that hits it big! I loved how their friendship grew, but I was kinda hopping that more would come. I think I needed a little more spice or chemistry, which lacked in this area. I think this would be a good romance novel for some people, but it just wasn’t enough for me. I’m still on the lookout for more LH’s novels!

This was a lovely book with a few tropes rolled into one. It had a bit of init-love, some rockstar romance and of course a second chance romance.

Lexi and Jake met by accident on a random night out and instantly clicked. Unfortunately for her, he was already scheduled to leave town in the attempt to record and hopefully be discovered. He thought he'd only be gone for a few weeks. But it was much longer than that and they lost touch. And of course, he broke her heart.

So, Lexi threw herself into focusing on becoming the best chef possible which had been her plan all along. The real question was whether or not it was truly her love or something she was doing to fulfill a goal she'd set with her mother who'd passed away. When Jake shows up again, it throws Lexi's world into chaos. Will she allow him a second chance to possibly hurt her again? Or shut him down?

I really enjoyed this book. There were a few things about it that irritated me but for the most part I found it quite enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

This book started out great but then it lost me. There was a lot of insta-love, which I can handle. But the characters had some sort of personality transplant from the beginning of the book to the middle. Lexi became jealous and apathetic to every other part of her life. There was no chemistry between the characters. It ended well, but the middle of the book was just not speaking to me at all.