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 :)

This book was such a ride!
I loved that the MCs had such fun and interesting careers (probably because I love the show Chopped) and it was fun to be in a restaurant setting. The details of the food were… *chefs kiss*
The characters were so much fun in this book! I loved Jake, his family and Lexi’s friends. I absolutely adored Jake and loved that the MC met before he was famous. I’ve read many celebrity romances this year and this was one of my favorites although the ending really helped boost its rating.
The middle 50% was a rollercoaster ride I could have done without. I honestly felt like a ping pong ball with whiplash. Lexi couldn’t decide how she felt the entire middle portion of the book which was a little exhausting…
I was mostly frustrated by the miscommunication when the MMC tried multiple times to have open and honest talks with the FMC. It just made the FMC seem that much more immature.
Fortunately the last 15% or so really made up for the middle of this book and pushed my rating up to 4.25 stars!
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

“The problem wasn’t that I didn’t love her. It was that I loved her so much I didn’t know how to live without her.”

I absolutely devoured this book. I love a silly Jewish heroine learning that she doesn’t have to fulfil her parent’s dreams for her. I feel like some of the references were a little too obscure for non-Jews, but I wouldn’t know because I was raised on this stuff!

I wish we got a bit more of Ali, and I am dying for a Chloe/Mia spin off, but overall, such a fun and light read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute fluffy romance! What intrigued me the most to read this book was the cute cover! Would’ve been a higher rating but the connection between the two main characters, Lexi and Jake, fell alittle short to me considering they were instantly attracted to each other. The last 15% of the book is why I rated this book higher, because I was at 3 stars before that part of the book! The ending definitely made me want to read another book by this author!

▪️bar meet cute
▪️celebrity romance
▪️opposites attract
▪️insta love

The way i devoured this fcking book— Lexi & Jake meet at a bar, spend a whirlwind weekend together and then Jake’s music career takes off. Jake is a bubbly and spontaneous musician while Lexi is a schedule-oriented, organized chef. This was such an easy read, done in less than 24 hours, and such a cute romcom with a badass friend group.

This is a story of a rollercoaster ride towards love. Lexi is a culinary student with a clearly mapped out career path. Jake is a musician hoping to hit the big times. The plot of the story explores the conflict that arises between choosing career over love. There is also the dissonance of living a public and a private life. The characters are interesting and well developed. The pacing is great and the dialogue is easy to read.

This was such a cute celebrity romance. I loved how the couple met before he was famous. Very cute and like that it has a happy ending!

Dnf at 35%

Review will be posted when SMP and Wednesday Books make action to correct the harm their employee has caused with their racism and Zionism.

Lexi and Jake are the definition of finding "the one". They have an almost instant connection and natural communication, making their one weekend together seem like the beginning of something special. Lexi considers lifting her ban on dating as she waits for Jake to return from recording his demo in LA; however, he doesn't come back. She is constantly haunted by the one-hit-wonder she inspired and sees the ghost of her past decisons on her doorstep over ten months later.

Tropes:
Insta-Love
Normal girl-Celebrity
One Night Stand
Second Chance Romance
Third Act Breakup

Review (Spoilers):
Overall, Till There Was You was an enjoyable read. Lexi is only twenty four years old and is hitting her quarter-life crisis and pretty early on. She doesn't know what she wants and has allowed her childhood trauma to consume her. I really enjuoyed her true love moments with Jake and his overarchingly calm and lovable demeanor. He is the golden retriever.
It was at abgout 70% that things started to feel repetitive. Every mental roadblock Lexi had involved her mother. While the loss of a parent is devestating, it felt like an excuse at that point. How would her mother handle this? What would her mother think? My mother would never abandon me? Which by the time I made it to about 95% this issue was addressed. Lexi held back her entire life because she was so obsessed with making her mother proud she put her own dreams aside, without even realizing she had any.
There are also alot of interactions with celebrity icons we know today. I am personally one for little splashes of pop culture references, but almost every celebrity mentioned in relevant only to today. I like when a book can be kept as timeless as possible but still relatable.
Till There was you feels like your average Rom-Com movie. It was funny and cute, but still cheesey. Everyone will get their Happily Ever After. How Jake Taylor's life was altered at the ending was not my favorite, but it does make for a compromise the characters needed to grow together as a couple.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC Copy!

Till There Was You
Lindsay Hameroff
4⭐️

I adored this one. An aspiring chef, an aspiring musician, blueberry pancakes, and NYC… yes please.

Till There Was You surprised me in a great way. It was sweet, romantic, funny, and filled with so much drool worthy food. I loved watching Lexi and Jake chase their own dreams as well as one another in this emotional second chance romance. A fun debut by Hameroff and I look forward to more from her.

What I enjoyed;
🥞 Second Chance Romance
🥞 Mouth Watering Food
🥞 NYC Restaurants
🥞 Celebrity Drama

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.