Listen part of this is on me because this is a celebrity romance which is decidedly one of my least favorite tropes. I thought the beginning 25% was pretty cute but ultimately the last 75% didn't end up working for me.

Lexi is focused on her new career as a chef and her first real job in a kitchen after graduating from culinary school. She has no intention of pursuing anything other than cooking, when she meets Jake out at a bar and they go home together and end up spending the weekend together until Jake needs to leave to go to LA to meet with a music exec. Lexi never hears from Jake again despite his assurances that she would and not long later, she hears his new hit single on the radio which is surely inspired by her/her blueberry pancake recipe. After a year of not hearing from him, Jake shows back up to Lexi's apartment.

I liked their chemistry in the beginning and thought the writing was well done!

I didn't like... a whole lot of anything else unfortunately. Basically what it ends up boiling down to for me is that I could see the third act breakup coming from several miles away. It's the breakup that happens in basically every celebrity romance. I just wanted something with a little more depth (all of the "issues" were wrapped up pretty rapidly).

I also needed way more from the sex scenes. Honestly those scenes read like the author was uncomfortable with what she was writing unfortunately. There was basically zero foreplay also which just...listen in 2024 we deserve better my gals and pals.

I thought both characters were really naiive and immature in the last half of the book - like DUH you don't get unlimited PTO with your job and DUH you hanging out with your ex is going to upset your current girlfriend. Jake also says some incredibly shitty things to her as they're breaking up that he absolutely needed to grovel for and he did not.

Thank you to Netgalley and SMP for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Very cute little romcom. It did take me a little bit to read through it. There wasn't anything too special about this one but I did appreciate the writing and thought it was a fun read.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Honestly? These two just gave off red flags for the entirety of this book.

Till There Was You opens with our two main characters, Lexi and Jake, meeting at a bar. While the two instantly find a connection and are immediately obsessed with the other, I found it off-putting that Jake invites himself to stay at Lexi’s apartment for a few days after the two had a one night stand.

This isn’t the last time our male main character pushes his own ideas on our female main character. Throughout the book, as Jake’s music career begins to take off and he becomes a celebrity, there are multiple moments where he tells Lexi what to think about their relationship. When she begins doubting staying with him amidst the paparazzi and the hit her own career is taking, he tells her that being with a celebrity is difficult, but they need to stick with it because she makes him feel “normal”.

By the time I was 100 pages of the way through this story, I already felt like it should have began to wrap up the plot, only for there to be another 200 pages left! Till There Was You is a story that drags on, to the point where I needed to take a three week long reading break before I could finish this story!

Ultimately, I finished it, but I definitely wasn’t enjoying myself as I read Lexi begin to act irrational and second guess every aspect of her life because of this relationship. This book felt more like Jake was taking advantage of Lexi than it did a romance, though I never got the urge to DNF and fully give up on this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
🌶️🌶️ 2/5

I had a lot going on in life when I first picked this one up, so it did take me a few days to get invested, but overall, this was such a cute read!

I’m a total sucker for celebrity romances, especially when the FMC is just a normal, every day person. I love the drama brought on by money-hungry managers, jealous exes, nosy paparazzi, and all the other things that come with fame. I also really enjoyed the chemistry that built up between Lexi and Jake. Their whirlwind one night stand turned weekend made me giddy, but I just KNEW something would happen once they returned to their lives.

I can’t wait to see what Lindsay writes next!

Till There Was You was the first official book club pick for the @lazylitloves! It was so much fun reading this book together and getting to discuss it at our book retreat last weekend at @thebookhousehotels! We even made blueberry pancakes before we had to check out on Sunday!

As a little surprise to my girls, I reached out to the author and she graciously sent us a few signed name plates and a recipe card for Lexi’s blueberry pancakes! I will definitely have to give these a try! 🥞

Thank you to Lindsay Hameroff, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Culinary student Lexi is focused on reaching her goal of becoming an executive chef at a Michelin-star restaurant and making her late mother proud. But when she shares a drink (and a one-night stand) with handsome Jake, her meticulously scheduled plans are upended.

Jake and Lexi have an undeniable connection, but it’s put on hold while Jake heads to LA to record his music, and then he’s catapulted into music stardom. A year later, he’s back on Lexi’s doorstep wanting another chance at love. Will she risk her career to be with Jake, or will she deny her feelings and all the drama that comes with dating a celebrity to follow her own dreams?

This book was just as sweet and light/fluffy as Lexi’s blueberry pancakes, and I absolutely adored the relationship between Jake and Lexi. This book gave me The Idea of You vibes, and I love a good celebrity dating trope. I also really enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at two very different careers and the difficult paths both characters must take to achieve their dreams. I cannot wait to see what Lindsay comes up with next. This one was such a delight.

Thank you to Lindsay Hameroff, St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley for an early e-copy of the book for an honest review.

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff is a contemporary instalove/second chance romance.

Culinary student Lexi has sworn off dating but then meets Jake, a dive bar musician who loves Golden Girls and musicals. Following a magical weekend, she doesn't hear from him again.

One night, he shows up at her door... but can she move past being left behind.

It's a solid debut novel. I'm interested to see what comes next from this author.

This was a great debut! I’m not a huge insta-love fan, but the author did a great job building Jake and Lexi’s chemistry so it worked for me here!

Jake was such a sweet cinnamon roll love interest. I really liked that we got to know him before and after his singing career took off, which was a fun twist on a celeb romance. I love stories (and shows) about chefs, and I really enjoyed all the food talk here! This book made me want to cook, which is nothing short of miraculous.

My only complaint was that dreaded third act break up. I wanted to knock some sense into Lexi. Come on, girl! Get it together! It’s Jake Taylor!! Luckily, it didn’t last long—my kindle can only handle so much shaking.


𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝗼𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
☝️ Single POV
🤩/👩‍🍳 Celebrity/chef romance
2️⃣ Second chance romance
🚕 New York setting
👯‍♀️ Strong female friendships
🌶️🌶️

"𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 ... 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦. 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦-𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘔&𝘔 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵."


The first thing I will say is that I so, so, so wish I had this book at a different time in life. Last month was just horrific, and I fell into such a reading slump that is took me FOR. EVER. to finish this.

But it had nothing to do with the book! I actually really really loved the book! It was a wonderful story! It made me quite hungry, honestly LOL especially for blueberry pancakes! It also made me really wanna go visit NYC.

Also, I don't say this often, but I think Jake might be a new book boyfriend - he's just so precious. Too precious for the music industry and all the terrible things they put him through!

A huge thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this review!
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#bookstagram #booksta #books #booksbooksbooks #avidreader #ilovereading #thetwistedlibrarian #professionalbookworm #tilltherewasyou #lindsayhameroff #book19of2024 #whatsnikkireading #newyorkcity #chef #musician #unexpectedlove #learningtotrust #stmartinspress #netgally #arc

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance! In addition to a romance, you get a look behind the scenes at two very different ways to make a living: a rock/pop celebrity and a professional chef in a restaurant. Lexi is a culinary student in New York City when she meets Jake at a bar, where he’s going to perform. They hit it off immediately and spend a fabulous weekend together. Unfortunately for their relationship, he is flying to LA right after the weekend to record a demo in the hope of getting a recording contract. Jake turns into an overnight success, with a hit single that he wrote about Lexi and her homemade blueberry pancakes. You might call this a second-chance romance because things fall apart right away, due to Jake’s success and the people who are managing him and his time. They do get a second chance to form a relationship but it’s incredibly hard, given their professional commitments and lives.

The scenes at the culinary school and at the restaurant seemed very realistic - the next time you go out to eat, be sure to spare a thought for the folks who work so hard to get that beautiful dish on your table! It’s a real contrast with the celebrity life. Jake can’t go anywhere without paparazzi dogging him.

I thought that Lexi needed to find a way to move on from the death of her mother (years before) and to fix her relationship with her father, and I was happy to see her personal growth by the end of the book. I loved Lexi’s best friends, Ali and Chloe, and I was glad to see she formed a new friendship with Mia, who she met at the restaurant where they both worked. The story is told from Lexi’s POV and so we don’t get inside Jake’s head. That’s one thing I would have liked - a couple of chapters from Jake’s POV. I enjoyed the low-key Jewish rep in the story: references to sitting shiva for Lexi’s mom, her making chicken matzah ball soup, and so forth.

The big ending was delightful, although you really had to suspend your disbelief at how it went down. I can’t say more without it being a spoiler, so you’ll just have to read it to see what I’m talking about!

I love music and I love good food, so this was a great combination for me. It was hard to believe that this is a debut novel and I’ll be looking for more books by Lindsay Hameroff, for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Boring and contrived I did not connect with the romance. The conflict didn’t make sense and the resolution was annoying

I'm smiling as I write this review because of how stinking cute this book was. I adored the romance between the main two characters. Also the cover is so cute!! The writing and conversations in the book was a bit more young adult than adult, but I didn't mind. I found myself laughing out loud and it reminded me of how my best friends would talk while we were younger. Overall, a CUTE romance story that's fast-paced and easy to get into! HIGHLY recommend.

This won't be my last time reading a book by this author! I can't wait to see more of the books she writes

What’s not to love with this one? You mix food and an aspiring chef with a musician and sprinkle in some romance. The end result is a witty, charming, lovable book for any romcom reader! I loved it!!!

This is the debut novel by Lindsay Hameroff and I enjoyed the romantic comedy element of this book. Lexi is out to accomplish her goal as an executive chef making her late mom proud of her. As Lexi is accomplishing her goal she has no time for the dating scene and she is staying focused. Jake is a sexy irresistible night club singer. Jake and Lexi have a sizzling hot one-night stand together and neither expected to see each other again. But we know that anything is possible in the game of love. Jake and Lexi are such a cute couple and they have their moments but it all works for them.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Second chance romances are a must read for me. I absolutely adore the chef/celebrity dynamic I really enjoyed being able to see them shine individually before reconnecting. Not super spicy in my opinion but it was generally really pleasant.

I will not be reviewing this book until St Martins Press addresses the demands of the SMP boycott. At that time, I am happy to post my honest review.

For years, Lexi Berman has had her hopes of becoming a Micheline-star chef. After graduating from culinary school, Lexi is determined to make a great impression at her first restaurant job in New York City. But that all goes south when Jake Taylor, a dreamy musician with whom she happened to have a steamy romantic weekend with months earlier, shows up at her door. As Lexi and Jake try to be friends, there’s an undeniable pull between the pair. Can they maintain a relationship between Jake’s rise to stardom, upcoming tour demands, cruel internet comments and Lexi’s gruelling work schedule? They must decide what they are willing to walk away from in the name of love. If you love New York City backdrops, second chance love and a bit of drama, Lindsay Hammeroff’s Till There Was You has cooked up the sweetest romance.

I was really excited for this one until the FMC kept lowering her standards for this dude. He was not it. Nothing about him was attractive to me, and she kept giving him every chance in the world. It was so frustrating when he was giving nothing in return. Once I stopped counting on the love interest to provide anything of value, the plot became pretty boring.

I love when a new author surprises you, especially this much. “Till There Was You” by Lindsay Hameroff was a delightful read, featuring the tropes of “celebrity and regular person” and “second chances” set against the backdrop of New York City. Culinary student Lexi goes out one night and meets gorgeous singer Jake, and their one night stand turns into a weekend. Then he leaves, and fast forward to her working in a restaurant while Jake is a megastar singer. The connection between Lexi and Jake was really well-established, and what was really relatable were the fears they each had about re-connecting and the struggles of figuring out how to be together while each pursuing their dreams. There is humor, delicious sounding food, and adorable romance. While I think the author is Jewish, there isn't a lot of Jewish representation in the characters. Overall though, I loved this one and encourage you to pick it up! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review is my opinion and my opinion only. I did received this ARC from Netgalley. This is my first story by Lindsay Hameroff, it won’t be my last. This is a second chance story about Lexi and Jake.
Lexi has dreams of owning her own restaurant, and Jake wants to be a famous singer. They met at a bar before Jake was suppose to perform, but Lexi didn’t know he was the performer. They had an intense weekend then lost touch as they chased their dreams. Jake’s dream comes true, but at what cost?
Lindsay Hameroff is a quality writer. She knows how to pull the reader into the story. This rom-com is an emotional read. I’m giving it four stars because the ending was a little too unbelievable for me, but of course this is why we read fictions.