⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🐕🐈‍⬛🩺🤳🏻🍂

Not Just Gal Pals is a cute romcom about Jenny and Blake. Jenny, a social media influencer, goes back to her hometown to attend her best friend's wedding, but also to have a break from LA due to a scandal with her social media. Armed with just her and her gorgeous dog, Walter, she returns thinking she'll go to the wedding and have a well-deserved break. She definitely didn't think she would run into an old childhood friend-who-wasn't-really-a-friend-because-she-found-her-rude-and-abrupt-friend, Blake. She definitely didn't think she would be forced to work with Blake, who happens to be a hot, butch, lesbian reincarnate of Mr. Darcy, who she can't stop thinking about.

Blake, having returned to her hometown to start her own medical practice is more than grateful to see her childhood crush return home. Though of course, she can't stop being awkward around her, often coming up as short and abrupt, or even somewhat rude, when she can't find the right words to say. Luckily she has the chance to redeem herself, with many moments resulting in her and Jenny getting to work together to help save the wedding of their mutual friend.

This book is super cute. It's slow burn, spicy relationship when it finally gets there and so humbling that the whole town is rooting for them to be together. I loved the way the universe kept forcing them together like it was meant to be. Walter and Fred (Blake's cat) were super cute too. The representation is great - Jenny is Bisexual, and Blake is a Lesbian. There is another lesbian side character, George who is an amazing friend. The book is well-written, definitely gives that hallmark movie vibes, even though it is set in the fall.

Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Elizabeth Luly for a copy of the ebook, This review is left voluntarily.

This was such a cute and hilarious book that I had so much fun reading. The cosy small town vibes combined with the autumn and then winter setting made this the perfect read to snuggle up in bed with. Plus there's a cafe and book shop run by a lesbian who is extremely good at baking so what's not to love? Oh how I'd love to visit Novel Gossip. The relationship between Jenny and Blake was really sweet, seriously sexy and very funny. I basically had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading this. And I now desperately need to read the second book about George.

This book was exactly what it said it was - a cosy sapphic small-town romance.

Jenny is an influencer living in LA who's had some bad luck and been hit by cancel culture, so she goes back to stay with her parents in a small-town on the East Coast. There she is reunited with Blake, who seems to have everything Jenny doesn't in terms of a stable respected career. Just a shame the two don't get on, as they're both bridesmaids in their friend's wedding.

I had a great time reading this one. Does it do anything particularly new or groundbreaking? No. But it's a great example of a sapphic contemporary romance with the highs and lows of small-town life.

Jenny's relationship with social media as an influencer was portrayed really well. I appreciated topics that were discussed around cancel culture and the different types of career influencers.

It was great reading their relationship build, with neither one wanting to commit to anything long-term (for different reasons) but also not wanting to have to let the other one go.

The side characters in this one are great, particularly George who runs the bookstore/coffee shop (which sounds amazing).

In terms of rep, Jenny is bi and Blake is a lesbian (explicitly stated on multiple occasions).
Read this one if you want a cosy autumn/fall romance to curl up with.

4.5 stars, rounded to 5.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read Not Just Gal Pals! A super cute fall sapphic love story between a doctor and a social media star. The little small town the characters are in is super adorable and is just the perfect setting for this story. I could absolutely picture so many of the settings and I especially enjoyed the cutsy cake baking scene!

Unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before the archive date, and will not be providing feedback on the advanced edition.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this lighhearted romcom style book

an influencer
a doctor

jenny lynton and blake mitchell grew up with each other whereas jenny the influence had loads of confidence blake was more reserved and took life seriously

but blake also came unglued whenever she came into contact with jenny....which also came across as gruff as she tried to compensate...

jennys job as an influence had come a bit unstuck and she found herself back home in sapphire springs where blake had set up her new doctors surgery

and things were about to change for blake and jenny in the funniest of way

a lighthearted romp that reminds me of a romcom film... very christmassy feel to it

This was an enjoyable and light holiday read from an author I hadn’t read before. The two characters had great chemistry right from the start, and the fact that the story was told from both POVs really contributed to the romantic storyline, which was paced well. Both lead characters were funny, relatable and sweet. Despite not being a fan of social influencers I found myself rooting for Jenny as she tried to sort out her life. The small town setting made me feel like I was there. Overall it was a well written book, although there was a bit of an insta-love vibe which is why I didn’t rate it 5 stars.

My review on Goodreads:

"Is the title cringy and would any other name fit better? Yes. Did I enjoy this more than possibly any other book I read this year? Also yes. You get: suits but also regency dresses, Jane Austen parties, a dog even I like, a small town setting, autumn, a cafe that's called 'Novel Gossip' and so much baking and pastries, heck you even get them in an Eras tour t-shirt and it snows and I could not read this during lunch break at work because I would laugh so much and I do not know what more I need to say for you to read it, gay Gilmore Girls meets Beth O'Leary?"

Before you judge by the rating I would absolutely recommend this book to some people because it's a very traditional romance with an interesting Hallmark-y premise but it's also very bland in the way that it's not very innovative and the characters are nothing more than you'd expect (or there are less like Blake who lack a personality)

It's fine, it's an average sapphic romance that is tailored made to be turned into a romance movie with mixed reception and would get people on twitter saying "let queer people have bad movies" (that was mean sorry)

It's a dog influencer who's being cancelled for promoting unethical brands (but she didn't know!!) and she goes home for a wedding and falls for a doctor lumberjane.

I'm going to be honest I read it for the butch rep and it was fine and honestly I'm glad with have one more butch on the cover it feels nice.

All of this to say it's a decent romance that's not very deep but will do the job for some people and it hits all the right movie tropes so it would be better suited to the screen honestly

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5**

The perfect sapphic romcom for fall!

Jenny Lynton, an influencer who is laying low after a minor PR scandal, returns to her small hometown for her best friend’s wedding. Back in town, she crosses paths with Blake Mitchell—the town’s only doctor, who has forever been awkward around Jenny due to a long-harbored secret crush from high school. As the two are forced to work together to save a friend’s Bachelorette Party, they find themselves increasingly more attracted to each other, even as they both fight their own demons that brought them back to town in the first place.

I loved the dynamic between Jenny and Blake, and I was a big fan of the dual POV as I looked forward to hearing from both characters. Their romance was sweet, spicy, and funny in all of the right ways, and the book was overall well-paced. In addition to the romance, both characters navigated different paths of personal struggle and self-discovery in a way that felt satisfying, but not over-burdening for the reader, which kept the overall tone of the book fairly light and fun.

I would recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a cozy, fall romance with a little bit of spice. There have been so many excellent queer romances coming out in the past couple of years and I will definitely add this one to my list I recommend to friends and patrons alike. I can’t wait for George’s story in the next book!

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you, NetGalley and West Brunswick Press, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

This was a nice read. It was dual POV, autumn vibes, sapphic romance. I enjoyed the banter between Jenny and Blake and the development of their relationship. The town, Sapphire Springs, was a character in itself and was a wonderful addition to the story. The mis-communication became a bit tedious for me personally, but I'm happy with how the story ended.

Overall a cute, hallmark movie vibe to it! The relationship between Jenny and Blake was sweet but not a stand out to me. This is a cute fall sapphic book I would recommend to people as a started book to get you into sapphic romances.

The two of them were so stupid at the beginning and I loved it. They had no idea that they had feelings for each other and it was so funny. Jenny and Blake just fell into such a good routine, they were never casual.

I received an arc through netgalley.

If your a lover a fall and “we fell in love in October” by Girl in Red than you will love this book.

What an amazing sapphic fall hallmark like adult romance!

It follows a dual pov of Jenny and Blake reunited for their best friends weddings but on awkward terms as they don’t exactly get along.
Jenny is facing a scandal as an LA influencer and plans to come back for the wedding and stay until Christmas. Blake is a doctor with a long, 17-year-long, crush on Jenny that lives in Sapphire Springs, where they grew up.
They team up to plan their friends wedding but the attraction and chemistry is undeniable.

It was refreshing to read a slow built chemistry in-fueled sapphic romance.

It was absolutely adorable with all the fall dates but not dates, dates (if you’re queer than you know what I mean).

I highly recommend reading this under a fluffy blanket with a pumpkin spice coffee to get the full effect of what the author wanted!

Gosh I love a cozy read! The characters felt so real and fun. I really enjoyed this. The romance was great and the characters formed such a great connection.

Star: 4/5
Spice: 1.5/5

Thank you to Elizabeth Luly and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I quite enjoyed this fall-themed rom-com about an unlikely pairing between a doctor and a social media influencer. This has a ton of cozy elements that give it Hallmark-vibes, while also discussing some themes that give this book depth.

After reading another fall-based rom-com ARC I was looking for another book to scratch that itch and this definitely succeeded. I absolutely loved the way Luly wrote about the small town of Sapphire Springs, the beautiful lush autumn foliage, the community bookstore-café that everyone in the town frequents and the fall-themed activities that were featured.

I really loved that the author chose to represent Jenny’s career as a socially acceptable choice, and one that requires a lot of work at that. No matter what people choose as their careers, no job is more acceptable than another.

I thought the romance between Jenny and Blake was great albeit a little rushed. It felt as though they were really quite cold toward each other and then quickly got together with little obstacle. The time they spend together however, is incredibly sweet. If you are a fan of farms in autumn (*cough* corn mazes, apple-flavoured doughnuts, tractor-rides *cough*) then you’ll love this book.

I was unfortunately underwhelmed by this book. The premise is good; an "enemies"-to-lovers sapphic holiday romance is never a wrong move. But between Jenny's obsession with internet fame (yes, I know she's an influencer, but it's just a bit much) and everyone else's obsession with Blake being an amazing healthcare hero, it doesn't leave as much room for substance. It felt like too many cliches shoved together ("Gay girls LOVE lesbians in flannel at Christmas!"), without the real emotions. Not to mention it felt like a direct copy of 'In the Event of Love,' by Courtney Kae.

There is something about small town romances that makes me want to pick them up-and that cover helped too. In Not Just Gal Pals, you are following an influencer city girl, Jenny, who comes back to Sapphire Springs for a couple months after being almost canceled, where she collides with the girl who hated her when they were in college, Blake Mitchell.


I adore having that main character who is so awful at talking with their crush that their crush ends up thinking the MC hates them- like the love of my life Lan Wanji. Only the forced proximity of having to plan their common friend’s wedding gave Blake the time she needed to stop being a mess around Jenny. But once they realized their attraction is not one-sided, there is another problem: Jenny is going back to the city in a couple of months, and Blake has her clinic and her whole life built in Sapphire Springs. Neither of them wants to have their heart broken at the end, they already know what it’s like falling in love with the wrong person but, wouldn’t it be a shame not using the time they have to explore the person they are obsessed with?


My favorite thing about this book is how much Jenny and Blake supported each other. The way Blake not only took Jenny’s pictures, but kept coming up with ideas for her, treating Jenny’s job as an influencer with the same respect everyone treated Blake’s job as a doctor. The way Jenny knew that Blake wasn’t good at social interactions and paperwork, and organized an entire fundraiser to help her patients get the help they needed. Also, Jenny was such a fun POV to follow and Blake's inability to text her crush like a normal person cracked me up every single time.


↬Exhibit A:
Jenny: Thanks again for coming out tonight. You were a huge help, and I had a really nice time.
Remembering George’s and Amanda’s urgings to use more emojis, I scrolled through the options available on my phone. Love heart. Nope, that seemed way too romantic. Smiley face. Nah, that didn’t really convey my agreement to her words. And then I spotted the thumbs up emoji and smiled.
Perfect .


↬Exhibit B:
Her navy hiking pants clung to it in an extremely flattering way, accentuating how round and firm it was. Like a dog having a treat dangled in front of it, Blake’s butt kept me going, reminding me why I was on this damn hike in the first place.


Overall, Not Just Gal Pals fulfills its promise: A light-hearted sapphic fall rom com that’ll make you want to cozy up in front of a log fire As someone who lately tends to gravitate around light-hearted books that are a bit angsty when they need to be, I would have made the third act a bit more dramatic. Without going into spoilers, the main character found the solution a bit too fast for my taste. I would have found it more realistic if she struggled more to figure out what to do, because it was quite a life-changing decision and it seemed even easy. That being said, I know there are people out there able to make huge decisions in the blink of an eye, so I wasn’t extremely mad about it either.


I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

(Gifted ARC) Not just gal pals by Elizabeth July

Synopsis - Jenny Lynton never planned to be an influencer. It just sort of…happened. When an unfortunate post results in Jenny being “almost canceled,” she extends her stay in her hometown, Sapphire Springs, New York, to wait out the storm. Jenny's agent suggests a fling with a flannel-wearing lumberjack might be just the thing to distract her. But after a string of disastrous dates, Jenny has sworn off flings. And lumberjacks are in short supply in Sapphire Springs. Lumberjanes, on the other hand...
Blake Mitchell is Sapphire Spring’s only doctor. She’s also had a crush on Jenny since high school. A crush that makes her a socially awkward mess whenever she’s around Jenny. Blake moved back home to avoid being hurt by another relationship–there’s not exactly a lot of dating options for lesbians in Sapphire Springs–but Blake can’t stop thinking about Jenny now she’s back in town.
When Jenny and Blake are forced to work together to save a friend’s bachelorette party, sparks fly. But with Jenny’s return to LA a ticking time-bomb, is it wise for them to explore their feelings for each other, or do they risk being hurt yet again?

OH MY GOD! This is probably the best romance novel I’ve read in a while. It got me out of a slump. I loved it, it made me feel all the feelings. The autumnal setting, the dual POV - THE GLORIOUS SAPPHIC ANGST. I loved Jenny, I loved the way she felt the need to help everyone, and loved getting involved with her community again. (Also, I can completely relate with the utter weirdness of seeing a teacher you used to dread dealing with, years later when you’re a grown up, and realising they are actually a nice, and real human being?!) Blake was the sweetest, harbouring a 16 year long crush but being so awkward she couldn’t really talk to the recipient of said crush without fumbling over her words. I’ve been there gal, I’ve been there. THE SCENE IN THE LAKE?! I loved the romance in this book, the spice was INSANELY hot, and I adored the friendships and bonds that were displayed. It also made me so happy that we got a glimpse into our HEA in the epilogue! I’m so excited for George’s book and the rest of the Sapphire Spring series, and I’m hoping Jenny and Blake get a cameo in the next one! (Also, the relationship between Walter and Fred is probably the most adorable and unexpected surprise). This book was perfection, the sweetest and loveliest autumn rom com! Please pick it up once it’s published, and settle down with a nice cup of coffee and a slice of lemon and blueberry cake - you won’t regret it! (I loved this book so much I’ve immediately ordered the paperback for me and one of my queer besties.)

This was cute! Not exactly my cup of tea — I didn’t really care for the annoying kids who showed up a few times LOL. It was only a couple scenes but they were the WORST!! The main couple had some sweet scenes, but it kind of lost me on the whole “influencer getting cancelled” storyline. However, if you don’t mind an influencer MC (and kids), and are looking for a quick small town romance, you should check it out!