Thank you @lindsayhameroff and @netgalley for the early read of TILL THERE WAS YOU!! 🥞🎶
I absolutely adored this delightful romance. 🎶 It’s swoony, spicy, funny, and so heartwarming! ✨ Lexi and Jake have crackling chemistry—I couldn’t put it down!! 🫐
And after reading, I am off to make some blueberry pancakes… 🫐🥞
On sale February 20, 2024–visit @lindsayhameroff ‘s profile to pre-order your copy now!! ✨🫐

Set your sights on Ms. Hameroff's new book, TILL THERE WAS YOU, because it is deliciously filled with tasty food, a chaotic romance, and wonderfully funny characters. It stars a culinary student, Lexi Berman, who has set her goals on finishing school and securing a job at one of New York's premier restaurants hoping to become a Michelin-star chef. She meets dreamy Jake Taylor, a musician, in a bar one evening. When they spend an incredible weekend together, Lexi and Jake connect on a deep level. Will they fall in love?

Jake leaves for L.A. to record a demo and Lexi doesn't expect to see or hear from him again. Lexi is stunned to discover he writes a song about her, as it goes viral. Jake instantly becomes famous. When he shows up unexpectedly at her door a year later, she doesn't know what to think. Their feelings for each other are undeniable. Maybe the timing is crap and their love is complicated, but their chemistry is off the charts hot! Is this the right recipe for romance? Or will their relationship be toast?

TILL THERE WAS YOU is a lovely story about a couple, Lexi and Jake, who stubbornly fight their growing attraction to one another. They are passionate about their careers, but support one another in their goals. Ms. Hameroff perfectly blends an accurate amount of angst and desire in the story. Lexi and Jake have their share of issues, navigating celebrity stardom, relationship woes, along with a cast of colorful, encouraging, comedic characters. I learned what it truly means to follow your dreams, no matter what other people think. This a feel good story that will warm your heart.

Loved this swoon-worthy rom-com so much! Lexi is a delightfully relatable heroine, a young chef searching for authenticity in Manhattan . . . while accidentally falling for an overnight sensation, musician Jake Taylor. Hameroff does a stellar job exploring the emotional ups and downs of a hot-and-heavy romance between a normie and a celebrity. Both Lexi and the reader are pulled into a swirl of glittery lights and intense scrutiny—a world turned upside down thanks to the fragility of first love and the wow-factor of dating music’s newest heartthrob. This book was impossible to put down, with a rom-com grand gesture that left me grinning from ear-to-ear.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!

The central relationship of this book was so good. I thought their banter was great and they had very clear chemistry. I also like that they were both focused on their dreams as well as each other, and worked to make those dreams come true in a way that was best for them. The spice level was thankfully not too much, it was just right!

I feel the author did great research on the life of a chef, I feel I learned a lot about cooking terms and foods!

The side relationships were also great! I could see some great possible follow ups to this that focus on her friends finding love.

I do feel that the ending was really abrupt, an epilogue or just an extra 20 pages would have gone a long way with me. It followed a lot of the typical tropes and pacing, but I don’t consider that to be bad. It’s popular for a reason! It just didn’t stand out from other romances as better.

I read a review by Jennifer Close and it was completely actuate - Jake and Lexi’s story definitely had The Idea of You and Happy Place vibes. Thank goodness for the HEA or I wouldn’t have recovered. One thing I did love is while there was insta-love they had to WORK at it. Rockstar romance with second chances and compromise. It showed the relationship building and the couple having normal life moments. That is missing from so many rom-coms right now.

I think the length of the book was prefect for their story! And for their stories in particular I really love how Lexi and Jake both ended up not having the end game life they envisioned for themselves without regrets! They both had jumped some stepping stones for towards their dreams only to realize they wanted to take a different path!

Now the ending- yes YES it was so cheesy but I WANTED IT! I really really wanted that bubbling over silly happy ending feeling and I got it!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin for the Arc!

Lindsay Hameroff explores the pitfalls of dating a celebrity in this sweet, second chance debut, 'Till There Was You'.

It's insta-love between culinary student Lexi and musician Jake after meeting at a dive bar where he's performing. The two fall fast for each other over a weekend spent together before he goes to Los Angeles to record his debut album. Despite assurances from Jake to remain in touch, Lexi is left reminded of her heartbreak on the radio after his debut song, inspired by the blueberry pancakes she made for him, becomes a huge hit. When Jake, overwhelmed by fame and his manager's demands, finally returns seeking forgiveness Lexi is extremely reluctant to date someone famous, knowing she will be judged publicly by the virtue of being his girlfriend.

I love reading an exploration of fame. Lexi is stubbornly determined not to give Jake a second chance despite the attraction burning hot. At times though, I felt her stubbornness dragged out the story too much and the emotional beats fell a bit flat. I'd have liked to see an earlier resolution regarding Lexi's professional life with respect to why she was a chef and how its tied with her grief, plus her distant relationship with her father. I also think we were missing more from Jake’s side, especially the conflict between him and his manager which seemed one dimensional at times. It had promise but it, too, didn’t quite ignite for me. Overall, this was a charming, solid and easy escape. I look forward to reading more from Lindsay Hameroff in the coming years.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

What if the dreams you are chasing are not the right ones? And what price are you willing to pay for those dreams to come true? Alexa (Lexi) Berman is an aspiring chef in culinary school and Jake Taylor is a musician looking for his big break. A meet cute turns into a magical weekend. After the weekend, their paths diverge, with a trip to LA resulting in Jake's big break, bolstered by an inspired song about blueberry pancakes. When they next meet, Jake is struggling with the celebrity lifestyle. It certainly has its perks, but his life is heavily stage-managed, he is not sure who he can trust (including his manager), and he is spending less time than he expected actually practicing his craft, doing the things that drew him to music in the first place. Lexi has graduated culinary school and found a job. She knew the work would require long hours and that she would have to start out at the bottom of the kitchen pecking order and work her way up to executive chef over time. She has no problem with hard work or paying her dues. However, what she loves about cooking is creating new recipes and bringing comfort to others with her food, which is not what her job allows her to do. Jake and Lexi will attempt a relationship but the pressures of their jobs and lifestyles will interfere.

There is a great supporting cast in Ali, Chloe, Mia, and Lionel. The story has some amusing moments, and some very tender moments.

Unfortunately, this will be an unpopular opinion, but I couldn't go through the first three chapters, the MC was on and on about recipes, and nothing happened like nothing, just thinking about food. Usually, I'm a bit more patient but this book wasn't for me...

I was captivated with this story, it left me with a desire to cook and the feeling anything is possible. A sweet romance met with many challenges. Not much angst but there is Drama!

Here you will find
- Celebrity romance
- Follow your dreams
- On the page spice
- Swoony dates
- Press drama

Overall I really like the characters and the story. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the ARC.

Girl meets boy, boy becomes famous, ~drama~. I don’t typically enjoy the instalove trope, so that was one miss for me in this story. I did like the arc of the characters and their relationship, though! Overall like not love.

This story was swoon-worthy. I actually liked both characters! The relationship intrigue and dilemma felt very plausible and not just people being difficult and whiny -- which is usually the case in most romance stories. If you've ever fantasized about a love story with a celebrity or the most fascinating man you'v ever met writing a song for you, you're going to love this one. You'll also be very hungry and feel the strong urge to listen to your favorite love song simultaneously. Very fun and dreamy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute story of second chance romance. I liked Lexi and Jake and the first weekend they met and got together. The middle of the book was ok, I think Lexi gave Jake too many chances. But it had a sweet ending.

Lexi is in culinary school and her dream is to become a chef. Jake’s dream is to become a rock star. While Lexi is sitting at the bar, Jake moves over and talks with her. She is very surprised when he gets up to sing, amazed at his voice. He walked her home and ended up spending the weekend with her. Then he was off to L.A. to hopefully cut a record. I really liked this book. Lexi struggles with a new job at a restaurant, frustrated that all she does is cut up vegetables. She believed her mother who died of cancer wanted her to be a chef. Jake is overwhelmed when his record hits it big and he is shoved into interviews, concerts, and the need to meet the right people. Once Jake leaves after the weekend, Lexi does not hear from him until he turns up at her door over a year later. I loved Jake’s effort to make sure Lexi realized he cared for her even though she has trouble believing him. Both struggle until they realize what makes them happy. Lexi’s friends helped make this a great book. Great love story.

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff is a cute novel about an aspiring chef who has a weekend fling with an up and coming musician. He makes it big with a song he wrote about her blueberry pancakes as she styles into a new job and starts a romance with a coworker. But there's chaos when he comes back into her life. Cute, but nothing earthshaking here.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Lexi and Jake's story. The writing was just the right amount of detail mixed with dialogue and description. There were a lot of layers to Jake and Lexi to unpack throughout the story and sometimes I was screaming at them both because of their dumb decisions! I will admit I wish there was less information about her in the kitchen and just the job in the restaurant, but that is my personal preference. I would have liked to have seen her chase her own dreams a little sooner, but I suppose all that crap in the kitchen makes her stronger. Their trip to Georgia might have been one of the best parts of the book because I really felt like I was there with them. This was a cute contemporary read about a new-found rock start and an aspiring chef who meet in unlikely circumstances and never give up on their dreams and themselves. Thank you NetGallery for the ARC, all reviews are my own.

I really like this novel, which tells the story of a cute and funny romance between a pop star and a culinary student. The story had heart and comedy, and it was interesting and fascinating. Particularly Lexi and Jake, who were endearing and relatable, I liked the characters and their relationship. I particularly like the connections to music and cuisine, which gave the narrative depth and humor.

But I also thought the book was perhaps a little too long and repetitive. A few of the fights and scenes appeared pointless or drawn out, and a few of the plot lines seemed cliched or predictable. In addition, I believed that some of the supporting characters lacked development or were clichéd, and that the ending was too quick and facile. I wanted Lexi had more control and independence in her professional and personal lives, and that the author had covered more of the difficulties and negative effects of dating a celebrity.

Overall, this was a delightful and enjoyable read, with a charming heroine, a swoony hero, and a delicious romance. I would recommend it to fans of contemporary romance who are looking for a light-hearted and feel-good story.

I read TILL THERE WAS YOU in a single day. Lexi and Jake's love story is fast-paced, swoony, and perfectly banter-filled. With plenty of pop culture references and fun celebrity vibes, the book blends together some of my favorite tropes: second-chance romance, found family, and a famous love interest. New York City and Lexi's job in a fancy restaurant make for great backdrops to the story, and the larger cast of characters had me genuinely laughing out loud. (Team Ali all day.) Overall, the book feels cinematic, with a grand-scale ending reminiscent of rom-coms from the early 2000s.

This book was so sweet and fresh to read. I've been reading a lot of high fantasy books and so reading this was a nice break to find something fluffy and light to enjoy. The chemistry between the two characters were cute. I thought it was a bit of insta-love at the beginning and I am always used to having that from the start slow burn, but nonetheless it was enjoyable and really SWEET! I love the second chance romance trope though, and it was evident they had that instant connection in the beginning. 4.5/5 stars

This book absorbed my every thought for days until I could finish it. It starts with a whirlwind romance that i was rooting for because I was so head over heals in love with Jake right away! Lexi and Jake met at a dive bar and hit it off immediately. When he went to record his record in LA she never thought she would see him again so she kept the whole encounter to herself.
Without giving too much away, this is a sort of second chance romance with a boy who became a music sensation and a chef who wants to make her late mom proud.
The characters are relatable, the romance is believable, and the chaos of fame is addicting.

I will be excitedly awaiting another title from this debut offer. This was one of my favorite reads in a while! I received this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 rounded up. So I enjoyed this book, and I thought that Lexi was a good character. I just wish there had been more development of relationship itself, rather than the outside forces related to Jake being famous. And I would have liked to get to know the side characters better.

Free ARC received in exchange for potential review.