3.5⭐️

I enjoyed this one as it gives off soap opera vibes. I love the communal living and the idea of Warehouse Weekend was ‘wicked’.

Weekends With You follows the story of Lucy, an American florist living in London, and her seven flatmates. There is also a focus on Lucy’s budding romance with Henry, one of her flatmates, who she sees one weekend a month.

I love the idea of replacing the chapters with months. It helped me keep track of the residents and their shenanigans.

The love story between Henry and Lucy made me cringe. I was actually rooting for Oliver as he seems to have a good head on his shoulders and knows what he wants.

However, there are some things that I didn’t quite understand or things that didn’t add up. Lucy’s parents live in the US, how was she able to have dinner with them during Raja’s weekend. Also, Venmo is not used in the UK. There were also continuous use of words which are not used in the UK.

If you love found family, shenanigans and drama then I’d recommend this.

WEEKENDS WITH YOU – Alexandra Paige
Avon
ISBN: 978-0063316522
April 9, 2024
Contemporary Romance

London, England – Present Day

After living alone and needing a cheaper place to live, Lucy moves into a warehouse converted into eight flats and will share with seven other single roommates. Each of them gets their own bedroom, but they share the common areas and once a month, they have a weekend get-together with all the flat mates. Her best friend happens to be one of her roommates. Another roommate, Henry Baker, travels as a photographer and is only there once a month. Lucy soon finds herself attracted to Henry. While there is no rule against getting involved with one of your roommates, she recognizes that it might cause a complication should they later break up. But that doesn’t stop Lucy from flirting with Henry.

The chapters in WEEKENDS WITH YOU are divided by the twelve months of the year. Lucy and Henry start out getting to know each other. She works in a florist shop and loves her job, though she wonders how long the small shop can stay open as it competes with the bigger ones. Henry travels to some interesting countries, including the Netherlands, and she loves listening to his tales of traveling abroad. A romantic relationship between them would mean it is a long-distance one, but Lucy thinks they can do it. Others have! They keep their feelings for each other secret at first but there is no way her closest friend at the warehouse flats cannot know Lucy has a big crush on Henry. How long will it be before the rest find out? With his traveling adventures abroad and Lucy firmly entrenched in London, is there any way their romance will go very far?

WEEKENDS WITH YOU is sort of like a tale about a single girl who enjoys her life in London and has lots of angst before she finds true love. For Lucy, love wasn’t kind to her in the past. Her romance with Henry sputters along the way and she meets another guy who just might be perfect. Will she be dithering over two men, or will she end up with none? There are obstacles along the way for Lucy and Henry, and it doesn’t look good for them. Will they find happiness together? It is an interesting tale that keeps you engrossed right from the start. If you like big city, single women contemporary set romances, then WEEKENDS WITH YOU is the perfect read.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This book combined elements from some of my favorites such as the book The Language of Flowers and the television series Friends. How refreshing it is to see a group of young people living together and forming a family of sorts rather than the virtual existence so common today.
I will be watching for more books from this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

I was kind of disappointed in this book. I really enjoyed the main character, Lucy. She had an interesting career as a florist and I looked up each flower that she spoke of. I enjoyed her strong friendship with Raj and her grandmothery relationship with Renee. What I couldn't stand was Henry. I was angry at him for being so daft and continuing to hurt Lucy again and again. He'd say one thing and then do the opposite. I can't believe Lucy kept falling for it. That part of the book was disappointing. Lucy was strong and I wanted her to show her strength by walking away not giving back in to Henry.

Lucy is a florist at a small shop in London and due to the rent on her tiny studio doubling under new owners, she is moving into a warehouse apartment where her best friend Raja lives. After living on her own, she is not looking forward to living with seven others. The concept of how the story is told is not something that I have come across before. Most of the chapters correspond to a monthly Warehouse Weekend, where once each month, a different resident chooses the activities for the weekend that everyone participates in. One of the residents, Henry, is only around that weekend and is in different countries for the rest of the month photographing bands. Lucy is attracted to Henry, but is hard to develop a relationship with someone who is only there for one weekend a month. Read the story to find out how it turns out.

I was surprised to learn this was Alexandra Paige’s debut novel, because it did not read as such to me. I absolutely loved this book and its characters. They were all relatable and the situations did not seem unrealistic.

I loved how Lucy, and her 7 roommates took the time to catch up and come together once a month. Regardless of what was going on, one weekend a month was all about them and celebrating each other. They truly became their own little found family. Supporting each other and rooting for each other. That is something I actually do with my friends. It helps you stay connected when adult lives get too busy.

I really enjoyed how each chapter jumped to each weekend, so we were learning about their stories the same way they would catch each other up on things. We see the ups and downs of their friendships, their relationships, their careers. The strain that may bring into the group and how they always managed to come on top.

Lucy and Henry were the perfect main characters, the way they orbit toward each other but are also focused on their individual lives was a breath of fresh air in a romance book. Their honesty toward each other too. I do wish we could have seen them both explore that individuality a bit more and their relationships outside of the Warehouse Group, but I still loved their story. I ate it up in a day!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy’s life consists of flowers and her flatmates. She is worried about her job in a struggling florist shop but has just moved in to a flat with many roommates, including roving photographer Henry.
I,loved all the parts about the flowers and the different arrangements Lucy did plus all the effort she put into enhancing the shop’s business and growth.
Raja was my favorite character because she just was herself and was able to tell Lucy what she thought.
I wasn’t sold on Henry. Yes. I liked the concept of he and Lucy, but I felt like he strung her along too much in the book. The disastrous trip to Amsterdam made me cringe, I felt so bad for Lucy. The paltry excuses offered by Henry, especially the hated “I need more time” made me groan out loud. And he did it numerous times!!
Lucy needed to discover her own worth and I think Henry took advantage of her. I’m unconvinced they will last. I was rooting for someone else for Lucy to have.

Weekends with You was a fun, light read. Set up in one-weekend-a-month snapshots, I found this a really intriguing way to approach a romance and a story of found family. I really loved the characters. They were all so interesting and had depth to them. I could easily see a book about each of the rest of them. I liked that the relationship between Lucy and Henry was not straightforward. There was miscommunication and struggles. It was messy, but that made it feel more real. Relationships are not perfect or always pretty, and I think this nailed that aspect of it really well. I also think this book did a really good job of pointing out their individual growth as well as their relationship growth. They were both necessary for it to end happily, and I think that worked really well. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Ah London! I have become quite enamored with this setting since my daughter has studied abroad there and we were able to visit. I thought this was a good book. I enjoyed the relationship between Lucy and her flatmates more than the romantic relationship with Henry. That relationship didn't hit for me. I think this is a good debut novel, and I will look for others by this author in the future.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I loved the premise of this book and it totally gave me One Day vibes.

Lucy and Henry were fun and relatable, if a little infuriating - they really needed to get it together! It's a very slow burn, but it needed to be so you could see their growth.

The found family aspect was really well done and the cast of secondary characters was complimentary to the plot. The support for each other was evident even through their good-natured banter.

I could have done with maybe one less breakup (there were about 3) but the HEA in the end was worth the tears! It's honestly been a while since a book made me cry and I really love when a book makes me feel something.

A quirky rom-com about two roommates who only see each other one weekend a month - trying to make a relationship work. Lots of back and forth and miscommunication.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for the review copy!

As someone who has been in London for a few months I fell in love with this story. I feel like it is perfect for people in their 20s just trying to find their way with a group of friends with different personalities but have become your family. Although Henry’s and Lucy’s relationship could be frustrating and confusing at times, it feels extremely real. Also I applaud the author for having main characters that may be struggling for money but are pursuing jobs in their true passions.

The format of this book was very unique, but works perfectly. Getting a glimpses into these characters life for one weekend made me so excited to pick up the book again and again to see what the new month brings.

“Flowers have always been the best communicators. [...] They do not rush. They do not bloom before their time. They do not take without giving in return.”

Weekends with You is a solid debut from Alexandra Paige and is the perfect book to jump into spring! Lucy Bernstein lives in a London flat with seven other roommates and ends up falling hard for one of them. She is also trying to keep her flower shop, The Lotus, afloat.

I found Lucy to be very relatable and really enjoyed seeing her relationships with her flatmates. I also loved the London setting. Alexandra has a lovely writing style that really helps the reader paint a picture of each scene.

I wasn’t too keen on Lucy and Henry’s relationship. I felt it was a bit too much of a rollercoaster. I just wanted Henry to make up his mind and stick to it.

I’ll definitely look to read future books by the author!

Thank you so much to @prbookgirl, @alexandrapaigewrites, @netgalley, @avonbooks, and @harpercollins for this advanced copy in exchange for my review. Weekends with You hits bookshelves on April 9, 2024!

Lucy moves into the warehouse with 7 other roommates. One weekend a month, we get a glimpse into her life.

I thought this was a very sweet, no spice, romance between Lucy and her roommate Henry, a traveling photographer that only comes back home one weekend a month. At times, he seemed like a real ass though. He'd say things to Lucy to make her feel like he wanted to be with her, then tell her the plan was always to move out. I was feeling very frustrated right along with Lucy.

I really enjoyed the weekend that the roommates would spend together. And I loved their friendship.

Weekends with You is a captivating story set in a charming backdrop. Its captivating hero will leave you swooning. This story transported me into its pages, evoking a London love story reminiscent of the beloved films Love Actually and Notting Hill.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

Alexandra's style of writing is my favorite! I loved the chapters being broken up by month too. Very easy to read and immediately made me want to know what happens next. I was a bit nervous when all of the characters were introduced, I thought they'd be hard to keep up with. Surprisingly, the story flowed so well that this wasn't the case. Just enough info was given on each character and it made you feel like you really knew them and their role.

However, Henry was a bit disappointing of a character. I grew quite frustrated with him and his immaturity. I don't know why Lucy kept going back to him! I wish the story could have explored the relationship with Oliver a bit more -- IMO he was far better for Lucy and actually showed real interest in her.

Overall, it was a cute story and I'm thankful to have read it early!

Found family, flower power, and Funny. What more could I ask for when it comes to a romance?

I always like it when authors play with structure and this was really beautiful to watch a love story play out a weekend a month. It added to the intensity, the swoon-worthy moments, and the hilarious friendship.

The beginning tells you, you’re about to watch a rom-com the cacophony of the flatmates which sounds like a home well loved, to the furtive glances the main characters start giving to each other, to the intense moments between the two MCs, to the nosy flatmates.

It’s giving Notting Hill and What a Girl Wants but has nothing to do with the plot and everything to do with the vibes.

If you’re looking for a British rom-com you’ve come to the right place!

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.

Set in London, this debut novel is romantic and fun. I truly enjoyed reading this one and would absolutely read another by this author. Not just mushy romance, Paige kept me completely engaged in Lucy Bernstein’s life and future.

Lucy is a twenty something living on her own and pursuing her dream of being a florist. When her flat is no longer hers to rent, she is offered a room in a warehouse apartment that is shared by 7 others. Her college roommate Raj is the one to offer, and though Lucy knows none of the other flatmates, she has no choice but to accept.

Little does Lucy know that one of the flatmates, Henry, is quite handsome and charming, and on the road most of the time for work. Lucy becomes smitten, and looks forward to the one weekend a month that Henry will be home.

In the rest of the time she is busy trying to keep her flower shop - The Lotus - afloat. It’s really not hers. It belongs to a wonderful older woman who is slowing down. Lucy worries constantly that the shop cannot be kept running, and that she will soon find herself out of work. Lucy dreams of floral arrangements for huge events, but her boss feels too old to take them on.

Lucy has big dreams, but can she dream big enough to trust herself with everything she wants to have and achieve?

Such a delightful novel. I adored all of Lucy’s quirks and concerns. I loved the chapters being broken into months that the flatmates would all spend a weekend together, engaged in one flatmates idea of the perfect weekend. Normally reserved and independent Lucy having to blend in with seven other humans. It was all so charming and enjoyable. I wish I could travel back to my 20s and move in with this bunch.

You know how sometimes you fall for the guy who you know is not good for you, is going to string you along (repeatedly), and yet you still keep falling for him over and over thinking this time will be different? Well, meet Lucy and Henry. I guess in that sense, this book really did remind me of my 20s. But mostly I wanted to shake Lucy and tell het to move on.

The rest of the concept of the book, I really liked, I wish there had been more focus on the 8 roommate who share a warehouse flat in London and make sure to spend one weekend together each month, with each roommate taking a. turn at planning that weekend. I would have liked ot gotten to know more about these roommates and their stories and relationships. I also really liked that Lucy and her friend Raja both were ambitious and had career goals, and that they weren't willing to sacrifice them for the sake of men who may or may not be ready to commit to them.

I am always interested when a main character is Jewish and like seeing (reading) Jewish representation. But other than a couple of side mentions about it, it did not play a factor in the book and certainly not in her relationship with Henry, and I think that could have been another avenue to explore.

Overall, I enjoyed Weekend with You but just wish either (a) Henry had more redeeming qualities other than the instant attraction Lucy obviously felt upon meeting him so that I'd be more invested in their potential relationship and/or (b) that the focus was more on the friendships in the warehouse loft vs. the romance that may or may not happen.

NOTE: Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher fofr an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

When American Lucy is kicked out of her London apartment, she moves in with her bestie Raj and her roommates in a converted warehouse in North London. The group of roommates spend one weekend a month hanging out together on whatever weekend Henry, a photographer and one of the roommates, is in town. Each chapter of the book follows the group on their warehouse weekends and the course of a relationship between Lucy and Henry.

I love London. I was lucky enough to live there for a semester during college and have traveled back several times, so I was super excited for this book. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The author is American and I could tell. There were several small mistakes that show me she has never lived in London. Things like references to Venmo / Venmoing (Venmo doesn’t exist in the U.K.), references to clearly American medications like Tylenol (brand does not exist in the U.K) and bottles of ibuprofen (its sold in blister packs not bottles in the U.K.), and illogical directions (taking a tube from Borough Market to s instead of a bus) among other details drove me crazy and I don’t know if I should blame the author or the editor who let it slide (I read a finished copy so I know this will not be fixed between the release of the ARC and the book). Also as someone who has had several fiends try to navigate the absolute nightmare that is the U.K.’s work visa system, there is no way Lucy would have been able to have a job as a florist in the U.K. Look I know contemporary romances are set in fantasy / idealized versions of their setting but they have to be in touch with reality.

Okay, now on to the romance… or lack there of. I’m not a fan of Henry. He is absolutely awful to Lucy and there is no way their HEA will last. The format of the book does not lend itself to a romance at all because we’re not seeing the pair together. In one chapter they begin to date and by the next one they’re breaking up. We’re told they have been texting and Facetiming in the month between chapters but because we don’t have any of that content we as readers have no emotional investment in their relationship. Could they be adorable together? sure. Do we see any of that to know? no. To be honest, Lucy is also not that great. Henry at least was honest about where he was emotionally whereas Lucy couldn’t make up her damn mind and is prone to jumping to conclusions based on nothing, which comes across as immature. Actually both of them come across as extremely immature in their relationship. I honestly don’t get what they see in each other, because again the format of the book does not fit a romance.

The best parts of the book were the group of friends having fun together on their warehouse weekends and Lucy’s florist job. I would have loved a book that was just that. That could have been a wonderful women’s fiction book. I found the friendship dynamics to be fun and they lend themselves well to the format of the book only showing us one weekend a month. I would have loved to learn more about this fun quirky cast of characters and have the story develop Lucy’s relationship with the group as a whole. The writing itself was easy to read and I essentially read the whole thing in two evenings, so I have hope for Alexandra’s future as an author, but this one just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to Avon for the gifted copy, and Avon and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.