What She's Having by Laura Moher is a second-chance romance with a perfect blend of small-town charm. The book discusses some heavy topics, but the author writes them in a way that doesn't feel that dark. I just wish the writing was a little better.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

July and Joe have a lot of history, dating at 16, and now 20 years have passed since the last time they saw each other. Oh which that was the night they lost their virginity.

The story has a lot of heavy topics (eating disorder, depression, physical abuse by a parent, spousal abuse, verbal abuse, etc.). This is discussed a lot throughout the entire novel, so if these are triggers for you, this might not be your cup of tea.

The novels main focus is of course around Joe and July, a will they or won't they so to speak.

It will make you frustrated, want to be mad at the characters (for the obvious reasons mentioned above), and then also want to grab some tissues. There are some head tilt scratcher, like when July is sick that just make you go "huh". I feel like part of that scene was maybe a bit too far? Maybe that's just me.

Overall this was a good read, heavier topics, but still easy to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, Sourcebooks Casablanca (publisher) for my ARC!

3.5 Stars Storygraph, 3 Stars Goodreads

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! I just couldn't get in the mood for this one, but I do love this author!

This one was slight spicy sweet rom com about second chances that actually worked, because of lot of second chance romances and rom com tend to fall flat.

What a heartwarming second chance romance. I really really hated what his parents did to him, and in turn them by moving to Germany and hiding the letters. Absolutely infuriating. The secondary story with the teenagers added depth to the story and was very well done. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series.

I don't know what to say. I didn't like this. why would you want to rekindle with a guy who disappeared 20 years ago. I loved the setting and the side characters but just not the MCs.

“I reach to touch her, but her gaze practically withers my hand.”

What She’s Having is a sweet contemporary/New Adult Romance. Both Joe and July have hard hearts that they are desperate to protect. After years of miscommunication started by Joe’s parents, he returns to July’s small town home. He finds July happy on the outside, but jaded and lonely on the inside. He must fight to try to win her back.

Easy to read, sweet story. Well written with lovable characters. Relatable and a touch angsty. Typically in romances the banter leaves me giddy and this may have been lacking that quality. But I was surprised with the character depth and satisfied with the ending!!

What She’s Having by Laura Moher is a heartfelt romance about healing, vulnerability, and second chances. July Tate is a strong, independent woman haunted by a past love, unwilling to risk her heart again. Enter Joe Anderson, her first love, who returns to town years later, determined to make amends and win her back. As their chemistry reignites, July must confront her fears of love and loss. Moher expertly weaves emotional depth and genuine connection into a story that highlights the power of love and the courage it takes to be vulnerable. This book will resonate with readers who enjoy romance with emotional complexity and personal growth.

This is a good book. The two main characters are July and Joe. They meet when they were teenagers. There was an instant attraction. They dated, until one day Joe was gone. His family moved to Germany, he couldn’t tell July he was moving. There was no time to tell her. He wrote her letters. Later he found out they were never mailed. When his mother was passing, she gave the letters to him. He went looking for July. He found her. They fought to get back what they had as teenagers. They fell in love.

When I started this book, I thought it would be an all time fave. It started SO. GOOD with the beginnings of a second chance soulmate story of two troubled people who found their way back to each other.

And while that is true, after depicting a disastrous date, the story falls a little flat to me as it is rife with misunderstanding. Also packed with a litany of different traumas including the passing of a parent that was dealt with WAY too fast.

I would still say I enjoyed this book but it had so much potential but the characters have so much baggage that I don't think was completely unpacked by the end of the book.

July Tate is a force to be reckoned with—a big, strong blond with a heart the size of her whole town—but beneath her capable exterior lie the scars of a devastating lost love. To July, love equals vulnerability, and she can't afford either.

Joe Anderson knew from the first moment he saw her that July was The One. Now, after years apart, he's back, driven by the need to explain his disappearance. In search of the girl who filled his teenage dreams, he finds instead a powerhouse woman who steals his heart and soul.

Joe embodies everything July has been missing, and together they spark as brightly as ever. But with Joe around, July, who can usually outwork four men is suddenly making mistakes right and left. And that scares her. Because if July falls again, this time her beloved town could go down with her.
Loved it. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

*2.5

I liked the first 20 percent and then the very end but that's about it. It was a lot of telling me what was happening rather than showing me. They didn't talk that much and it was really annoying. The one sex scene that happens before they actually get together was really weird and I did not like it. It's strange because I really like the first book but this one missed the mark.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Laura Moher does it again! I thoroughly enjoyed July and Joe's story and revisiting the town of Galway. Lost young love may have broken their hearts but these two, even after years apart, truly do fit together like long lost puzzle pieces. I love these characters and their lovely town, Galway.
I can't wait to read her next book, Hard to Get, coming out next year!

I loved Laura Moher's debut romance and was delighted to see this follow-up novel! "What She's Having" was less focused on the romance storyline, but was a good community story featuring multiple hard childhoods as strong plot points, The highlight here was the sweet found-family stories with the side characters.

July and Joe's romance was a little bogged down by miscommunication, but I appreciated that they were adults about their time apart. It was also a nice change of pace to read about a couple in their thirties! I only wish the romance hadn't come together so late. And I would love to see more serious consideration for mental health - this would have been a great addition to July's character growth.

Moher is a great writer and her stories are very heartfelt. I would love to see more from this series!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

What She’s Having is everything I could have hoped for in a Southern second-chance romance! July Tate is such a powerhouse heroine—strong, capable, and carrying more than her fair share of burdens. Watching her wrestle with the scars of her past and the return of Joe Anderson, the man who broke her heart, is emotional and gripping. Joe is just as irresistible, and the chemistry between them literally lights this book on fire. I loved how their history added so much depth to their connection, making their journey to reconciliation all the more satisfying.

What really made this book special for me was the seamless inclusion of the characters from Curves for Days. Seeing how they're still woven into the fabric of this new story gave it a richness and a sense of continuity that I adored. It felt like catching up with old friends while falling in love with new ones!

Now, I’m counting down the days until book 3—I can’t wait to see what Laura Moher has in store for us next!

I didn't know this was the second book of a series but I don't think you have to read the first one to understand this one. Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book! It's not because that the cover is so cute that it can't be heavy for some people. It was a fast paced, sweet and emotional book and I enjoyed reading it. It was such a quick read, I recommend this book if you're looking for something to get out of a reading slump.

A wonderful continuation of the Big Love From Galway series. July and Joe's second chance romance sparkles!

After loving Curves for Days by Laura Moher, I was so excited to step back into the lovely and supportive small town that is Galway, North Carolina. And of course What She's Having did not disappoint. Hinted at in the first book, this sequel follows restaurant owner and town do-gooder July after her summer high school fling from 20 years before shows back up in her town with an explanation of what happened all those years ago.

I really enjoyed this book. It has all the charm of a small town romance while also tackling some heavy issues such as parental abandonment/abuse, minor emancipation, and depression/mental health. The central relationship felt real and caring while also working through their issues instead of just sweeping it under the rug in the name of lust as is a complaint I have in some other romance novels. Truly, I loved this book and can not wait for the third book in the Galway series!

💫 Small town romance, second chance! The MCs loved each other in high school but we're tragically separated, and now, decades later, they have their chance again!
💫 So much raw emotion in this book 😭 I really loved the MCs' journey towards trusting each other again, and going from long-term missing each other longing/hate to hesitant friends to lovers
💫 Same universe as the author's first book, Curves for Days! We also see the first book's couple, and they are still so swoonily in love, I love them 😭
💫 Hurt/comfort! Found family!

TWs - domestic abuse faced by the MMC as a kid from his father, on page and flashbacks of depression faced by the FMC, homelessness faced by a teen character due to homophobia, death of a teen's sole parent, bullying faced by teens

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I could not connect with the story, it was a slow pace and very unrealistic storyline to keep up with.