3.5/5

relatable FMC
Normie/Celebrity
Grand gesture
1st POV FMC Lexie
Jewish rep
Comedic timing *chefs kiss*
Insta love

This sweet romcom is another perfect read for summer. Light and fluffy should be in the description. While there is a lack of depth I think people will still enjoy this for the comedic moments, mouth savoring food, and the glitter and glitz of dating a celebrity. I would've loved to see a little more character depth but overall a decent read.

dnf 17% I am just not enjoying this one. I absolutely love the color, but I'm not connecting with the characters and I keep finding little tiny things to nitpick so I think I just need to stop in stead of forcing myself to finish a book I'm not enjoying. There's nothing "wrong" with the book, it just isn't working for me.

Till There Was You is a cute medium spice romance featuring a young chef and her impulsive fling with a dive bar musician turned overnight rockstar. I felt the chemistry throughout and loved how they prioritized their careers when need be and didn't when they chose to prioritize each other. I appreciated the insight into culinary school and first kitchen jobs and what it takes to make it in the restaurant industry. The cast of supporting characters was diverse and quirky, and I can only hope for a few follow-up books to explore Lexi's besties' romantic escapades!

Great debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Celebrity x Chef that I didn't know that I needed.

Lexi sometimes annoyed me but it was a believable internal conflict that she was going through. Jake Taylor...the fictional man that you are.

Just the right amount of down-to-earth and celebrity.

An all-over good time.

This was wild!

Let me start by saying this book made me hungry countless times so let that be your warning. Now, with that said, "Till There Was You" by Lindsay Hameroff gives us the story of Lexi and Jake who after having a weekend long (YES, you read that right) supposed one night stand, fall in love. But fame, endless hours in the restaurant kitchen, and lots of paparazzi put at risk the blooming relationship.

I had a fun tine reading this book, the drama was non stop and I related a lot to Lexi and her insecurities. I also really loved Jake's mom, literally my favorite character. Now, this book also deals with the grief and loss of a parent so if that is something triggering to you, maybe skip this one.

Going to a dive bar with her friends, Lexi Berman stayed for a while after her friends left. That is when she met Jake Taylor, who was there to sing. They seemed to have chemistry and spent the weekend together. Jake has an opportunity to record a demo in LA and leaves on Monday with a promise to see her soon. Unfortunately, he is an overnight sensation and forgets all about Lexi. She never told anyone who she spent the weekend with, so she shares her heartache alone. What makes it harder is his hit song was about her. She has now graduated culinary school and now working at a restaurant hoping to work her way up to head chef. The last thing she ever expected was for Jake to show up at her doorstep now a year later. Their relationship showed they needed each other but with the press, his agent, and rumors caused their relationship to be hard for both of them. They tried to protect each other and at the same time wanted to be together. I liked how her friends stood by her and when she needed them, they were there for her.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy.

As someone who loves celebrity romances, breakfast food, Jewish rep and NYC this was the perfect read for me! From the very first page, I was sucked in and enamored by Lexi and her friends. I loved how emotionally intelligent Jake was and I loved getting to know the whole cast of characters. I loved when Lexi and Jake met Jake's mom, Trish and those small private moments throughout the book. The writing was fun and I loved the whole story. If Chloe were straight, I'd love a story about her and Chad. This was so much fun and I'm looking forward to more from this author!

Cute. Chef swore off dating but decides to break it for a musician. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Review - 3.5 stars (rounding up to 4 for review sites)

After meeting & having a one night stand (that turns into a one weekend-stand) Lexi & Jake have a connection, but he's leaving to try to pursue his music career + she's working on her lifelong dream of being a chef. Fast forward one year-ish later, one hit song that made Jake famous & Lexi is finally working her way towards being a chef & Jake finds Lexi again - can they pick up where they left off or will stardom & a very rigorous work schedule keep them apart?

I enjoyed this one a lot & it left a smile on my face. I love the celebrity/regular person trope + the behind the scenes of the chef life (I adored the show The Bear & this reminded me a tinyyyyy bit of that). Jake is extremely swoony & Lexi is sweet. This was a nice easy read & hit me right when I needed it. Pick this one up if you crave blueberry pancakes or just adore cinnamon roll musicians!!

Huge thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

Solid 3.5 rounded up to 4

The premise of the book was a lot of fun but it wasn't a homerun for me. I felt like the MMC was a bit flat and didn't have much appeal besides his apparent good looks. The FMC was the more likeable character and I found myself rooting for her, with or without the guy. I also wasn't a big fan of the rehashing of every major interaction with her friends and, as the reader, having to essentially read the same thing twice with the addition of some BFF quips. I just usually don't like gossipy friends in books to begin with.

It was a fun read that made me hungry but didn't convince me that the two main characters were meant for each other.

Till There Was You is exactly the type of rom-com that I enjoy.

One night culinary student Lexi Berman goes out with her friends to let off some steam. Later in the evening she interacts with a local musician, Jake Taylor. After a magical night in NYC together they end up spending the weekend together. On Monday, Jake is off to LA to record a demo and Lexi is back to school. Later in the week when she gets a late night call from Jake played a gig at an open mic night and someone from a recording agency heard him and wants to sign him. That's the last time Lexi heard from Jake until a year later when he turns up at her door. Now Jake is a well-known pop-country star and Lexi is working her way up in the restaurant agency and trying to forget the magical weekend she had with Jake. She never thought she'd see him again, but him at her door changes everything.

I love storylines where a famous person dates a "normal" person. Isn't that the dream at one point that your celeb crush will see you in a crowd and say "that's the person I want to be with". Well Till There Was You is just like that or at least gave me those feelings. Jake and Lexi have immediate chemistry with each other that you can't help but cheer for them to get back together. Besides the romantic elements, it makes both characters think about what makes them happy. Is Lexi happy in her restaurant situation? Is fame all Jake thought it would be cracked up to be? What does happiness mean?

Thank you to Netgalley and Griffin for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

I love a good rom-com full of all the cheesy, lovey goodness that just makes me smile. Til There Was You is just that. It’s a feel-good, laugh out loud, cry at the grand-gesture ending, smile at the corny insta-love, story that doesn’t need to be anything more than it is. Just enjoy it! But seriously- that ending!!! Swoon-worthy.

Lexi and Jake have instant chemistry, but ultimately a love that’s years in the making. It’s really adorable to read, and would be the perfect book to bring on a plane or on vacation. It’s light and satisfying, and overall was a pleasure to read. 3.75 ⭐️

A note…. I read a review mentioning the language the author uses as being very YA, which made me really confused. The examples were that Lexi and her friends “snort, cackle and giggle”, and that the rhetoric basically was too juvenile. For reference, I’m 40 and I cackle and giggle with my bestie non-stop and absolutely use all 3 of those terms on the daily. The characters may be in their mid 20s, but love is enjoyable for all and it’s ok to read books for any age, at any age.

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC, in exchange for my unbiased review.

I wanted to like one. It has some great tropes and sounds so good. Unfortunately, the execution didn't deliver for me.
I am not a huge fan of insta love, though I do feel Lexi and Jake had great chemistry.
Her friends were constantly saying things like all men suck got old very quickly. They came off more like 19-year-olds. Jake is really the only character I liked, and he even has some major faults.
I think the overuse of pop culture was also a tad much.
Ultimately, this one just isn't for me.

Lexi had a whirlwind weekend with a cute guy singing in a bar, Jake. When Jake leaves to record his demo in LA, he promises Lexi he'll keep in touch. Lexi doesn't hear back from Jake, and slowly attempts to heal her broken heart, while being haunted by Jake's rising star around every corner, on every radio and on every bus.

Months later, Jake shows up on her doorstep with nothing but his guitar, looking for a place to crash. With Jake's tour looming, Lexi has to decide if she should give Jake another chance or if he's only using her for new material- as suggested by his rumored pop star girlfriend. Sparks fly in this adorable second chance romance!

Lexi Berman has one goal: to become an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant. She isn’t going to let anything get in the way of her goal. Then she meets Jake Taylor, a struggling musician and she makes an exception to her no-dating rule. After a weekend together, Jake leaves for L.A. for fame and fortune, and Lexi never expects to see him again. He becomes an overnight celebrity, with a breakout single that’s got to be about her famous blueberry pancake recipe.

Jake becomes famous and the world speculates about the subject of his song. Lexi keeps the affair to herself because she’s finally found her niche in a restaurant and nothing is going to interfere with that. Then Jake turns up on her doorstep late one night and her plans are thrown for a loop. Though she and Jake try the friend zone but things between them soon heat up. A relationship with Jake means risking her career. Lexi must decide if holding onto her drams is worth walking away from what could be her one true love.

A charming and entertaining story.

3.5 This was really cute and sweet. However it did play a large part in my own personal discovery that I don’t like romances about celebrities.

Another issue I had with this was the trope of insta-love. Again, this is a trope that I personally don’t enjoy, but someone else might.

The characters felt young and there was a definite tone of YA rather than adult.

Overall, this just wasn’t my bag, but it does have an audience and it didn’t offend me in any way.

3.5/5 ⭐️ A quick and fun read that I finished in just a few hours!

Summary
One night, culinary student, Lexi Berman, meets Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician who she has undeniable chemistry with. After spending the whole weekend together, Lexi is already at risk of falling for this guy. But on Monday, Jake leaves for L.A. to record his first demo. He unexpectedly becomes an overnight sensation with a breakout single that is almost certainly about her. As Jake’s star rises, the two lose touch and time goes by.

Now graduated from culinary school and in her first restaurant job, the last thing she expects is for Jake to turn up on her doorstep late one night. Though she and Jake try to be friends, things between them soon reheat. But a relationship with Jake means risking her face in tabloids, people who want to tear them apart, and worst of all, jeopardizing her career.

Thoughts
With Twilight and other references early on, I knew this author would be one I could easily enjoy! The tropes in this book were some of my favorites - 2nd chance romance and forced proximity. Since the initial romance was insta-attraction/insta-love, taking place over a single weekend, it was perfect that they decided to be friends the second time around. Obviously you can't get rid of that attraction and chemistry, but I'm glad that we could put a reset button on the romance to see how they fall in love at a deeper level.

This review is posted to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram (@_bookish.brittany)

Here's an instalove I couldn't help but like. It was physical attraction accompanied by the feeling that rare feeling of having known each other forever. The weekend established their chemistry so well that I was all in for Jake and Lexi.

I expected the difficulties their relationship would encounter, but it was still hard to see them struggle, especially Lexi. While Jake was navigating his success, Lexi was still chasing her dreams and trying to balance it with their high-profile relationship. I was as frustrated with Jake as she was at times, but also disheartened by some of her decisions regarding work.

While there isn't anything new here and it is formulaic, I did not mind. It was exactly what I needed when I picked it up. Their chemistry was palpable with realistic relationship struggles. This is good pick for those looking for a light romance that is a quick read. (3.5 rounded to 4 stars)

🎸eARC Book Review🎸

“When was the last time you were happy? And the next thing I knew, I was standing outside your apartment building..”

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff
Pub Date: February 20, 2024
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟(4/5)
Spice: 🌶🫑(1.5/5)

Review:

One night out with friends during culinary school Lexi stays alone at the bar a little later than her friends. That night she meets Jake, a southern boy with a whole lot of charm. Enough to charm Lexi into going out with him after his music set at the bar. They end up spending a magical weekend together topped with Lexi’s own blueberry pancakes. But their time together is fleeting as Jake is headed to LA to record his first album. After we hear about their wonderful weekend, and a little time after the story jumps to a year and a half later, when Lexi is starting her professional chefs career. Jake’s musical career has really taken off and his face is everywhere, but she hasn’t told any of her friends about their weekend together.

I truly loved Lindsay Hameroffs writing style. I was hooked the whole story. I love how she incorporates, Judaism casually and Lexi Berman’s life. She mentions yartzites and bat mitzvahs. She brings in Jewish holidays casually I really just overall enjoyed that.

I love a good inside look at industry and the way she describes both kitchens and the recording industry is very fun and very engaging.

If you like:
- Golden Girls
- Blueberry Pancakes
- New York City
- Musicians

QOTD: what is your favorite breakfast dish?

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for proving me with an eARC of this novel.

#bookstagram #instabook #igreads #bookish #booksta #bookworm #romance #romancebooks #ireadromance #romcomreads #romcombooks #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookrec #netgalley #stmartinspress

If you are looking for a cute romcom book to get you out of a slump Till There Was You is your book; a beautiful reminder of the power of love and to trust in your feelings!

From the moment Lexi and Jake’s eye meet you feel the cosmic connection they have for one another, and as their story progresses, even when my heart was breaking for them to do outside circumstances, you know that these two would find a way and the universe would pull them back together because of their deep bond.

I love the meet cute that took place between these two especially when Lexi had sworn off dating to focus on her career as a chef! They just clicked and it was funny how much hell they gave each other. Being so different as far as career choices and personalities, they still had so much in common and even the things they disagreed on helped to balance them out.

I identified with Lexi so much. Her need for order and rules but yet when give the right circumstances how care free she could be just spoke to me. I loved the spark between these two. I love when a story is so good you feel like it’s happening to you and that’s exactly what this story felt like! A super great fun and fast read!

Happy publishing day!!!! Congrats to @lindsayhameroff and @stmartinspress on a great novel! And to @netgalley for the digital ARC