Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I am a big fan of rock star romances and love reading books which have chefs/cooks in leading roles, so this was definitely a book I had to read.

There is a lot of backstory as to why Lexie wants to be a chef, and I think that the descriptions of her studies in culinary school and her experiences at the veg station are really well written, and undoubtedly will resonate with chefs everywhere! I also recognised the Chef and the impossibility of having a life outside the confines of the kitchen or the team. It builds the tension on how she is going to imagine a relationship could work – and it is indeed not something she truly believes can happen.

A chance meeting with Jake turns out to be a time to take risks and cook blueberry pancakes... little could she imagine that her life would be upended nearly as much as his so soon!

I liked the tension, the unpleasant agent, the beautiful co-star, and as Jake is going through his reinvention as a rock star, Lexie also has a posse who have their own adventures and provide her with different meaning to events unfolding.

I am confident that you will enjoy the unexpected romance between a dedicated musician and career chef.

As a fan of both celebrity and chef romances, I knew this romcom and I would be a perfect pair!

As a fan of both celebrity and chef romances, I knew this romcom and I would be a perfect pair!

Culinary student Lexi Berman and takes center stage with her goal of becoming an executive chef to honor her late mother. But when she meets the charming musician Jake Taylor, her carefully crafted plans take an unexpected turn. What follows is a whirlwind romance filled with humor, heart, and a dash of celebrity drama!

Lindsay Hameroff’s engaging writing style and lovable characters make this a must-read for fans of feel-good fiction. Lexi’s career aspirations with her budding relationship with Jake are balanced excellently, creating a story that’s as satisfying as Lexi’s famous blueberry pancakes.

While the story moves at a brisk pace, Hameroff’s witty prose and relatable characters keep you hooked the entire time. Whether you’re a fan of romantic comedies or simply craving a feel-good read, “Till There Was You” is sure to satisfy your literary appetite and leave you eagerly turning the pages until the very end!

This book was the absolute sweetest! I loved Jake and Lexi's story - the whirlwind falling, the second chances, the deeply introspective questions of whether you chase the same dream you always had or follow the fairy tale. These characters were so lovable and I was rooting for them so hard to figure out how they could make it work, be together, and figure out their own baggage along the way. Sprinkled with plenty of swoons, the book is also very funny - a true rom com that gave me all the best early 2000s movie vibes. I loved that the story honored grief and closure but wasn't mired in it - highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a rom com with a lot of heart and plenty of laughs!

I was invested in this story from the start. From the first kiss I was drawn in immediately. Jake running up the stairs just to kiss her was so swoon-worthy!

Let me backtrack just a bit, Lexi meets Jake at a bar and they hang out the whole night. Jake is a gentleman and drops her off at her building to make sure she gets in safely. Cue one of my favorite kisses I ever read in a book!

They end up hanging out all weekend. We learn that Jake is heading to LA the next week to record a demo in hopes of becoming a musician. Lexi is in culinary school with hopes of becoming an executive chef. Jake’s career picks up immediately to the point where Lexi barely gets to speak to him. A year later, he shows up at her door.

I loved that Jake was so genuine and truthful with Lexi. I feel like that doesn’t happen very often with some guy main characters. So he easily joins the ranks of one of my favorite book guys. They had such great chemistry together that you will be rooting for them to end up together. The book was so easy to visualize that I could see this becoming an adorable movie.

I loved this book so much! It is a perfect romance! All the characters are so likable, except for Vinny of course.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute and quick story about those once in a lifetime romances. Both MCs had great chemistry and I appreciate how Jake was more communicative than Lexi. The portrayal of both the music and restaurant industries seemed to be pretty accurate (says me, who has never been in the music or restaurant industries lol) and I enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes aspects of Jake’s career. If you need a quick pick-me-up that will make you hungry then grab this one!

I enjoyed this cute, mostly lighthearted romance featuring Lexi and Jake who meet as they are on the cusp of significant career advancements. They spend an amazing, whirlwind weekend together. I loved seeing this couple experiencing the best weekend of their lives.

“This thing between us. It’s been perfect. And maybe that’s all it was ever meant to be. One brief, perfect affair that we’ll remember fondly when we’re old and gray.”

Lexi and Jake are reunited over a year later. Jake’s music career has taken off and Lexi is working in a top NYC restaurant. They face the realities of their very different lifestyles and past baggage. Most importantly, both Lexi and Jake experience personal growth.

In addition to Lexi and Jake, there’s a wonderful group of side characters. I really liked them all, especially Lexi’s best friends and Jake’s mom.

While I’m not a fan of the third act break up, I enjoyed everything after this one. If you are a fan of over the top grand gestures, this ending is for you. I was cheering for them and smiling throughout.

This was such a cute book. It's a fun romcom that had me smiling and rooting for the main characters the whole time. Jake and Lexi are two really good people who find each other at a moment when each is chasing their dreams. This brings complications, insecurities get in the way. but they are meant to be together and its end to see them get there. Add to the two lovable main characters a full cast of friends, family and coworkers that bring this book to life, and I was completely charmed .

This is a great book if you want to read every romance cliche ever.
It all felt a bit "half-baked" to me. As if there was just very basic research done and it was more of a fanfic than a fully fleshed-out novel.
The characters were underdeveloped and one-dimensional.
I know there will be plenty of romance readers who eat this up but unfortunately, it missed the mark for me.

I was immediately hooked with the main romantic couple, and enjoyed seeing their relationship develop over a long period of time. However, this was a long read for a romantic comedy. I think it would have benefited from removing some scenes and dialogue that did not help move the story along. On the other hand, it was nice to have a story be fully developed and not rushed the way so many romcoms are lately.

This was a good blend of romantic escapism and boring reality – the challenges of working in professional kitchens, the instant kismet connection with someone who becomes rich and famous, the thrill of finding each other in the crowd in Time Square on New Year’s Eve.

The book almost felt like a YA romance, given how young the characters are – each are trying to settle into adult life, learning how to manage careers and romantic relationships.

If you like celebrity coupled with a “regular person” romance, then I would recommend this book.

I received an ARC of this novel, but the review is my own.

Till There Was You was a really cute rom-com that is part insta love part second chance and part celebrity romance. The book cover caught my attention first but the chemistry between Lexi, a chef, and musician Jake was there from the start and I loved it.

I enjoyed the banter, friendships with Lexi's bffs and steam. They both had insecurities and ups and downs but it was a fun journey for the reader to see them find their HEA. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

This story took me a little time to get into the characters, especially Lexi, but I'm glad I stuck it out. I ended up really enjoying the story. Lexi grew on me and Jake was an interesting character. The book gave a bit of his rise to stardom story and how it was hard to stay grounded. Also a little glimpse into what it might be like for those that live in a celebrity world. Lexi working in the restaurant definitely made me think of the show "The Bear." Lexi's friends, Ali & Chloe are fun as well. This book shows how second chances might not give you what you want but might take you on new adventures. Highly recommend reading this one to see where the story takes all of them.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I was immediately charmed by Lexi and Jake, and quickly fell in love with the idea of their relationship. I loved seeing the supportive people they had in their corner, but the ones out to ruin what they could have, broke my heart. I loved seeing that this story was about both of them making changes in order to make the connection between them flourish, and that apologies came from both halves of the couple. After getting to know the friends and family that surrounded this pair, I’m nowhere near ready to let go of them just yet, and I hope we’ll see more of Lexi, Jake, and those supporting cast members again in the future.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

Jake and Lexi are so cute! Lexi is more practical while Jake has energy to spare, but they have a good pace and great chemistry from the start. I love the buildup and the backstory - we get to see the origins rather than being dropped in the middle. I also appreciate that it’s not one of those quick fix stories - there are conversations and apologies.
Admittedly, I was a little bit disappointed that this novel plays into the “star-crossed lovers” trope, but I love that it comes down to being with the one who feels like home.
Comfort food and a comfortable blanket; the perfect recipe for reading this comfort romance novel.

Until the following items are met by the SMP team, I will be withholding any promotion or review of any St. Martin's Press titles (including SMP Romance and Wednesday Book titles):

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobia/racism from your employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how you're going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how moving forward, you will support and protect your Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to your BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This was a new author to me, and I enjoyed this romance with an interesting premise. Lexi is a culinary student with a dream to fulfill for her deceased mother. Jake is a musician trying to make a go of his talent. The two have an instant connection and an amazing weekend...then are separated when Jake gets a big break, and he basically ghosts her. While I wasn't a fan of what felt kind of a lame reason for the separation, I was still routing for the second chance romance. Both our leads were solid characters, and they eventually get their acts together and communicate their wants and needs, leading to the happily ever after.

3.5 stars

A seriously good read. The story of instant love, that becomes deeper is perfection. The main characters — Lexi and Jake— are realistic and well defined. You really wind up rooting for them to make it as a couple. In fact I have plotted book #2 in my head already. That’s how invested in the story I became! If only all romance books could be so well done

4.5 stars. LOVE! Celebrity romances always do it for me and having Jake be the sweetest ever was perfect. Lexi was so relatable, and her character growth was so wonderful to see. I loved how she and Jake brought out the best in each other and pushed each other to be the best versions of themselves. This book just made me so happy, and I’d definitely recommend for a cute romance!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet and steamy debut story between a chef (Lexi) and a musician (Jake). It was filled with great friendships, food, tension and longing, charming moments, and some great one liners.

And while I really wanted to love this one, however, the writing and some of the witty dialogue fell a little flat for me. Especially the conversations between Lexi and her friends, they just felt a little immature and tried too hard to be funny. This made it seem more of like YA romcom with some steamy scenes.

The author does do a great job exploring the ups and downs of a relationship between a celebrity and normal nyc chef, and how they are both finding their way in life. I enjoyed reading about the two different worlds they are immersed in and how their lives collided. And while I’m not typically a fan of the insta love trope, Hameroff gave it a certain charm that just added a zap of flavour to this second chance romance.

“Aren’t you worried about getting recognized?”
“Some people are worth the risk.”

Overall, it was an okay read, if a bit boring in parts. It gave a good peek into the celebrity and culinary worlds, and while it has some tropes I enjoy reading and seeing how well they tie in with the heartwarming and charming moments, I just didn’t feel connected with the characters and the story enough.

I definitely think that the author has promise and I understand that this is a debut novel, so knowing this I would be interested in checking out Hameroff’s future novels.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Overall, I could tell this book wasn't for me. I think it skews towards a younger audience, and at this point in my life I don't seek that out in romance novels. The base of the plot rides on the fact that you believe in the insta-love connection between Jake and Lexi, and I just didn't see it.