My favorite parts of this sweet romcom were the bits behind the scenes of the restaurant and music industries, as both have always fascinated me. It’s a lovely story (with some admittedly slow sections) that shows the importance of finding and holding onto what truly brings you happiness. I’d call it a successful debut!

The first book of 2024 and it did not disappoint and I look forward to reading more from her int he future. Till There Was You is a fun second chance romance between a budding culinary student and a future superstar that gives you a peek at some of the less than great sides of being famous. For me, I would have liked more of the "after", see what Lexi and Mia do, the family relationships and more of Lexi and Jake (I'd give up some of the in between back and forth and unnecessary drama). Overall Till There Was You is an easy read that grabbed and kept my attention until the end.
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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I actually really enjoyed this one, especially for a debut novel! Loved the trope, and there were some hilarious moments in this book. However, as the book went on, the pacing struggled and I just got a little...bored.

I really enjoyed this charming debut. The chemistry between Lexi and Jake was (pardon the pun) chef's kiss perfection and had me rooting for them all the way through. I also really enjoyed the secondary cast of characters and how they played into the main storyline.

I'll definitely be picking up Hameroff's next book.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advance reading copy.

I absolutely loved this book! There were so many sweet moments and the relationship between the two characters had me hooked. They had such a beautiful connection. I enjoyed all the pop culture references and it was definitely different from a lot of romances which really made it stand out. There were plenty of funny and swoon worthy moments along with a grand gesture.

Till There Was You is a fun rom-com. Jake and Lexi have an amazing weekend romance before Jake heads to California to record a demo record. He hits it big in California, leaving Lexi behind to finishing culinary school. After no contact for a time, Jake returns, hiding from fame and both realize they still have feelings for each other, but Lexi is hesitant because she's in NYC and he's not.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my review copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

After a whirlwind weekend romance, Jake heads to California to record a demo and ends up hitting it big, leaving Lexi behind, finishing culinary school and wondering if she imagined the feelings they shared. When Jake returns, hiding from fame, feelings are rekindled, but Lexi is hesitant to upend what she thinks is her dream chef life. As much as you'll enjoy the romantic line of the story, the jargon and descriptions of day-t0-day life of a chef were eye opening.

Till There Was You was honestly so cute and fun! I seriously could not put this down and loved every minute of it.

I would love to give this a full length review . I love and adore this author very much. However, SMP needs to take accountability for the harmful things that were said by an employee. I will still be reading this book and sharing it privately with those who want to read it

4-4.5 stars. Lexi Berman refuses to get sidetracked in her career path as a blossoming chef. She wants to be an executive chef and own a restaurant someday. She doesn't have time for a relationship because there's only room for one marriage and that's her job. Lexi always has a plan and knows the rules, she is not one to be flexible and go outside of the boundaries. Enter Jake Taylor, a guitarist with a beautiful singing voice, who shows are a weekend of fun and spontaneity. Their chemistry is off the charts, but neither of them are looking for a serious commitment even though they can't stay away from one another. I loved their playful dialogue and how easy going everything was between them, it was obvious they felt like they could be their real selves with one another and still be seen. So when Jake leaves for an audition and doesn't come back or get in touch with Lexi, it leaves a lasting imprint of hurt as she struggles to move and refocus on cooking. However, that is not the last of Jake and when they meet again, there's old wounds to rehash as they try friendship in their new roles. They resumed their cute banter and I was pleasantly surprised that underneath the fame, Jake was still the same guy as before who has hearts in his eyes for only one girl. This is a story about bending the rules and pursuing love and that creative passion that isn't boxed in a conventional package. Could Lexi and Jake really have it all between a relationship and 2 different jobs that require every bit of energy out of them? Although Jake was a perhaps a little too much golden retriever in his vibes in the latter part of the book, he did have the guts to tell Lexi what was holding her back and I applauded him for that. As for Lexi, she always handled everything so carefully, but when there aren't enough hours in a day and she has to choose what makes her happiest and most fulfilled, she takes that much needed leap of faith in discovering her new path. What I appreciated about this couple was how far they went to support one another and that these kinds of gestures is what romance is all about, showing up and being there.

2023 really solidified what I look for in a Romance genre…

🫐🥞🫐🥞🫐

Till There Was You kept checking my boxes!

Bits..
Ambitious Creatives
Young chef
Musician
Manhattan setting
Falls after one weekend
Blueberry pancakes
& other scrumptious food talk
Second chance
Celeb drama

I loved this book!!! Everything listed above is my weakness in a RomCom. It’s obviously a romance but I love reading about characters passions for work or even hobbies… whether it was Lexi chatting about the culinary lifestyle or Jake sharing his struggles with balancing fame and doing what he loves… I was here for it all!

Thank you St. Martins Griffin for the advanced e-copy!
Releases: 2/20

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

I’m a sucker for cute little romances, so I knew I had to request this one. I absolutely devoured this book. It was funny, cute, romantic, and it even made me cry a little. I loved the main characters and the side characters. I feel like the characters were likable and relatable.

If you’re looking for a fast pace and fun read, then I highly suggest you pick this one up!

Tropes
-famous/normal
-he fell first
-instant connection
-musician
-2nd chance romance
And more!

This book releases February 20th!

🍳🥞🎶❤️🫐

Thank you St. Martin Press and netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute! The character development of both Jake and Lexi individually and as a couple was done so well in this book. I am a real sucker for second chance romances and I enjoyed this one so much! The angst and anticipation in this book was *chefs kiss* - pun intended.

It was a super fun, light hearted read to start off the new year! Highly recommend!

Till There Was You: ★★★★☆ (4)

Pub date: Feb 20, 2024 - preorder yours now!!

Celebrity romance + opposites attract + second chance ish.

Lexi is determined to make her mama proud by graduating from culinary school and becoming an executive chef at a Michelin-Star restaurant.

Until Jake, a dive bar musician, disrupts her plans. After a weekend together, Jake leaves for LA to record a demo. Turns out his breakout single, that launches him into being an overnight celebrity, is about her blueberry pancakes.

And then Jake disrupts her life again, months later, when he shows up on her doorstep in the middle of the night. They try for friendship, but they both have feelings.

Read if you love…
- FMC chef
- multi-night stand -> strangers -> friends -> lovers
- MMC music artist
- second chance ish
- Broadway & pop culture references
- NYC
- texts on page
- opposites attract
- Jewish food
- forced proximity

Overall, I enjoyed this one! It was a quick easy read and had all the celebrity romance + big city vibes!

I really liked the side cast of characters.
The food scene / chef life was so interesting to read.

It was interesting to see how Lexi & Jake understood each other, and how that played out throughout the book. Lexi kept Jake humble and feeling like a “normal human” while Jake understood her grief and what she wasn’t working through / ignoring.

My biggest gripe with the book is the conflict was entirely predictable, and there are so many ways that could have been avoided if things had been done differently.

Shoutout to St Martins Press & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

PUB day: February 20th!

Location: New York
Representation: Jewish FMC; queer best friend
Content: death of a parent, cancer, past; grief; strained relationship with parents

This was a sweet and steamy second chance romance. I loved the weekend-together-to-strangers-to-lovers aspect of it - and especially loved the fact that Jake's hit song was about her blueberry pancakes. I loved a bit of the behind the scenes looks at the culinary and music industries, and really likes the banter these two characters had. It was a fun romcom with some heart, and overall a great read!

Such a cute romance… it was the perfect airport read over a holiday weekend. I was hooked from the first page. I will say… there were some pacing issues with the middle and the end felt like it wrapped up way too fast! But, I didn’t want it to end, so that’s saying something! :) I do feel like this could be marketed as YA or New Adult YA? Loved its sweetness and the celebrity trope.

I loved this one! I started this book even though I wasn't really in the mood, and I ended up staying up all night reading. While many of the plot points were nothing new (e.g., dating a celebrity, living in NYC, career uncertainty), I didn't mind because it was well written and the main characters had great chemistry. The supposed "one night stand" was also well done. It's hard to make a single event meaningful enough that the characters would be believably hung up on each other, but Hameroff was able to pull it off.

I will say that it dragged on a bit in the middle and I think the end was tied up a little to quickly, but this is more me nitpicking than a legitimate issue. Overall, this book was adorable and I just wanted to keep these kids in their own happy little love-bubble. Also, bonus points for supportive and funny gal pals. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Till There Was You is a fun romance that explores two people who seem meant to be together, but their careers seem destined to keep them apart. Lexi has always loved to cook, and the path to a job as a head chef is full of long and lonely days if she wants to have any chance of succeeding. But Jake’s world as a successful pop star makes their relationship even more difficult. It’s not just the schedule, but the travel, the machinations of his manager, everyone that wants a piece of him, and the toxic world of social media (never read the comments). Hameroff certainly makes the idea of trying to be a normal person dating a celebrity seem incredibly unappealing for any person that fantasizes about it. And Lexi doesn’t, but she and Jake love each other so much that something has to give if the two want to be together. This is a fun romance that explores the evolution of personal passions and how they may change over time. I can’t say that it ever really pulled at my heartstrings, but I still enjoyed it. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

-Opposites Attract
-Celebrity Romance
-Strong Friendships / Supporting Characters
-Second Chance

If you're looking for a super cute cozy romance, I'd recommend checking "Till There Was You" out!

I thought author did a great job crafting likeable characters that you wanted to root for. I don't mind an insta-love swoony romance when it's done well and I think the author definitely achieved that.

The story had a really nice flow to it, I read the entire book one sitting. It's exactly what someone would want to dive into when you need that fluffy romance that's going to put a smile on your smile.

Thank you Lindsay Hameroff, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The idea of Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff was cute and had potential. Where the characters were supposed to be written in their twenties, this overall story felt like it could've been marketed as YA.

There were some hilarious moments, but there were also times when it felt like Hameroff was trying too hard to make this rom-com comedic.

Overall, this story was light, fluffy, and, at some parts, really fun. It's a pretty okay read. Also the cover is SO CUTE. So brownie points for that :)