I stumbled upon this book with just a hint of what it might hold, and the prologue's ending immediately pulled me in. Before I knew it, nearly two hours had passed, and I found myself at the story's end—it's one of those reads that just sucks you in. It's not exactly your typical romance; it feels more like Women's Fiction, with a love story weaving its way through.

What really got me was the old flame narrative between Rachel and her high school sweetheart. I craved more of their present-day interactions, but most of it played out in these nostalgic flashbacks, painting a vivid picture of how they met and fell in love. You root for them without seeing much of their now.

What struck me most was how the author navigated Rachel's married life. Unexpected flashbacks about her and her husband added this unexpected layer, revealing a marriage with its own set of cracks. It was like peeling back layers, and it took me by surprise.

Then there's Jack, the one who slipped away abruptly. He's been popping in and out of Rachel's life over the years, but when their history comes to light, it's the perfect excuse for him to step back in. I just wished we had more of them in the present. We got all this history, but I wanted to see how they'd navigate something real now. Still, I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see if they'd reignite that old flame.

"Love, Me" is more than a story; it's a heartfelt journey that grabbed me from the start. I was hooked, holding my breath to see if Rachel and her love interests would or wouldn't find their way.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishing company for hooking me up with this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Grateful for the opportunity to dive into this story early.

Love, Me focused on two things that I love in a book: a famous person/non-famous person romance and a second-chance romance. I especially liked that the main character had kids, and a job, and a kind of normal life. It reminded me of Nora Goes Off Script in the absolute best way. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

I really enjoyed this story. The storyline was relatable and was easy to follow along. The characters were also quite easy to keep track of and follow throughout.

I loved this! I could not stop reading this book. I loved every word of this. I love love loved this book!
I just reviewed Love, Me by Jessica Saunders. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Jessica Saunders' debut novel is a a tale of what is, what was and what could be. A trip back and forth in time to revisit bygone years of high school and college, where everything was simpler and just more fun. Reminiscing about first loves that would last forever and friendships that would stand the test of time.
Yet, when reality strikes, present and past colliding by an act of betrayal the characters need to face real life choices that have them thrown off their axis and are made to rethink the adult life they have carved out for themselves. Realizing that for every action good or bad there are consequences.

Smartly written and loaded with 90's nostalgia, Jessica Saunders gives her characters realistic voices that are truly relatable.

Thank you Net Galley and Union Square Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for a good celebrity/ordinary individual story, let alone one with a Jewish FMC - so I was thrilled to delve into Jessica Saunders debut - Love Me.

You may have noticed I did not call this a celebrity romance - and that's because our FMC, Rachel, is married and the celeb in question was her childhood sweetheart - but this story doesn't take the path you'd assume.

I adored this debut and look forward to reading more from Saunders in the future.

Thank you to Union Sq. for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was fun, flirty, fresh and just the right amount of believable drama.
I enjoyed the story line, the issues our MC faced and how we got through all of it.

The difference between those rose-colored glasses of nostalgia & pragmaticism. If you're reading this for the romance.. you might be disappointed.. but then you'll be happy you read it anyway because that's not the point. The point is that we all have to make choices and look at our lives where they are now, and THAT's what I love about our heroine Rachel.

Rachel is a lawyer whose marriage is slipping by until she starts realizing that she and her husband aren't as connected as they used to be. Upon realizing that her latest misfortune.. the press leak of private photos and letters of her childhood first love (who just happens to be a movie star now), is a result of her husband's greedy habits - Rachel starts taking a really hard look at her life. What has she been living with in terms of satisfaction? Is she really happy? And if she's not happy... what's a woman to do?

When I started reading this... I was hoping for a specific outcome in Rachel's life.. but as I progressed quickly through the flashbacks of the past and Rachel's present struggles, I realized that her romance(s) aren't the main point of this book. She's worked hard, become successful, and is raising two children -- those things, in combination with figuring out what kind of woman she wanted to be, are what defined her. Not what man she 'chose'.

NOTES:
- CWs: gambling addictions

**Thank you to Union Square & Co. & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

3.5***

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for allowing me to read an ARC of Love, Me by Jessica Saunders in exchange for my honest review.

I mostly loved this book. I loved the story itself, as well as the dialog and writing style.

I loved all of the characters; they were all engaging and relatable. I could almost picture myself with them.

*SPOILER BELOW*
<spoiler>
I didn't like that Rachel cheated on her husband. I didn't see that coming, and was extremely disappointed.</spoiler>

I also didn't like the way the book ended. I read the last page before the epilogue and thought maybe I was missing a page or chapter, and felt the ending was very abrupt and unfinished.

Love, Me by Jessica Saunders is a delightful story on second chances and what ifs, with a "the-one-that-got-away" love story that will tug your heart-strings.

Rachel is a mom of two and wife who's always tackling everything without much help from her husband, as well as building a career as a lawyer. Despite her workload in the office and at home, she believes she has a good life, until someone very close to her betrays her and throws her life upside down.

Suddenly, her romance in risky photos and letters with her now famous high school sweetheart turns into a public spectacle, and it changes the trajectory of her life and everything she thought she knew.

"Ever since you came back into my life, things have finally made sense again."

I went into this book not knowing much about it, but the ending of the prologue peaked my interest. Almost two hours later, I had reached the end! It's definitely a bingeable read. I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as Romance, seeing as it reads more like a Women's Fiction. It did have a building love story with an old flame that had me hooked!

I wish there had been more present interactions between Rachel and her high school sweetheart. The flashbacks chapters of how they met and their relationship added so much background and a nostalgia that had me rooting for them in the present time. Unfortunately, the reader doesn't experience much of them outside of those chapters.

It was so interesting to me how the author navigated Rachel's married life, and the way she went about it. It took me by surprise to read flashbacks about Rachel and how she met her husband; they certainly added an added depth to the story and a better insight to this marriage that seems to falling through the cracks.

Jack, the one who got away in a very abrupt manner, has sporadically appeared in Rachel's life throughout the years, but with their history being aired out, it's finally the excuse he needs to officially insert himself in her life. Again, I wish Jack and Rachel had gotten more page time during the present chapters. We get so much of their history and very little of how they could navigate something more. Still, I was exceedingly invested in finding out if they'd rekindle their romance.

Overall, Love, Me is a heartfelt and poignant story that drew me from the very beginning, keeping me hooked and waiting on my bated breath for the will-they-won't they love story.

Side note: The writing style gave me Tracey Garvis Graves' Heard It In A Love Song vibes.

Although I liked this book, it really wasn't for me. I can see why it would be a great read for other people though. I know there are patrons at my library that will enjoy this book so I will still recommend my library bring it in for circulation.

This book is as bingeable as they come! You'll be immediately pulled into suburban mom-lawyer Rachel Miller's life, wondering if the Hollywood scandal she finds herself in will lead to a second chance with an old high school boyfriend. I devoured this smartly written debut. This is a contemporary women's fiction novel with underpinnings of romance.

This is a good book about a lawyer named Rachel who is in a stale marriage to Dan. One day, photos and love letters between Rachel and her old love Jack, who is now a famous actor. The novel jumps between time periods (the past with Jack and Dan, and the present). The plot has a lot going for it especially if yo love “regular girl/Hollywood” storylines. The old relationship is a nice foil for the new relationship, and the impetus for Rachel to ask herself if the life she has is the life she wants. The problem is that neither male character are really all that interesting. Dan basically ignores Rachel, and then gambles their money away secretly. And Jack seems really childish. His love letters don’t quite reach swoon status.

I love the idea of this book, and I’d be willing to try Jessica Saunder’s next novel.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Love, Me by Jessica Saunders is an interesting take on a second chance romance. Her husband betrays her by selling her private photos to pay off gambling debts. Her high school turned college boyfriend ghosts her for a dumb reason. And her best friend lies to her/ withholds that her love of her life ex wanted to get back with her for years.

Super problematic discussions of addiction, misogyny, and queer characters.

Also Tara needs a better intro, I had to go back and reread pages to figure out who she was.

Also also this books has weird prejudice against Greek life for the amount of greek life tropes it leans on.

It was an addicting book but I was unsatisfied with the ending. Give me a happily ever after second epilogue please.

An enchanting journey through vividly imagined worlds and compelling characters. This fiction gem weaves a tapestry of emotions, adventure, and unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages. The author's masterful storytelling evokes a powerful connection, making this book an absolute delight to read. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a captivating escape into a richly crafted story!

Rachael, has a textbook conventional life: as a married suburban mom in her 40’s and a successful lawyer she usually has zero surprises. But when risque photos and letters of her and her ex-boyfriend Jack show up in the tabloids, her whole life gets upended. Jack, now a celebrity and Rachael’s first love is the one that got away. They had a serious relationship that ended abruptly years ago and they’ve had little contact since. Now with the unrelenting media attention, and with the mystery of how these personal items got leaked, she reconnects with Jack. In each other’s company, the years apart recede and they realize their flame is still very much alive. But Rachael isn’t a teenager anymore, and she has to think about her husband, children and her career. When a devastating secret is revealed, she is forced to take stock of her life and figure out what will truly make her happy, staying in her routine and unfulfilling role, or giving her high school sweetheart a second chance. With multiple flashbacks to the 90’s and plenty of character growth, this romance will appeal to nostalgic readers, those that enjoy mature storylines and novels featuring celebrities.
This book felt more like relationship fiction than a romance, but it was an entertaining read nonetheless.