Ratings:
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🚫

Tropes: 
Forced proximity
Found family
Friends to lovers
Long distance relationship
Florist x photographer

Summary:
Weekends With You is Alexandra Paige’s debut novel about Lucy Bernstein living in a London flat with 7 other people. Every month, each flat mate is in charge of “Warehouse Weekend” in which a group outing is planned. She gets romantically involved with one of her flat mates, Henry who is a travel photographer and is away on business more than actually living in the flat. All while learning how to juggle a long distance and on and off again relationship she also has to keep her flower shop in business.

My thoughts:
Absolutely loved the flower symbolism and Weekends With You is a good book to read during the springtime. Everyone’s dynamics with each other kind of reminded me of the TV show Friends, which I enjoyed. Unfortunately, for me, this book left more to be desired. I usually eat up the found family trope and was hoping it would save the book for me. It sort of dragged on for me and felt as though Lucy and Henry’s “relationship” was in a loop throughout the entire book. I enjoyed Lucy’s character, she’s more mature compared to the regular FMC you come across. Henry was the most unlikeable and came across as immature. *spoiler* I was hoping Lucy would actually end up alone or with someone else.

I encourage you to read this book if you need a feel good spring novel!

I got to say, I really loved this book! Lucy has become of my favorite characters; she’s sweet and kind, but also sticks up for herself in her way. Sometimes standing up for yourself is done calmly and quietly, exactly as Lucy does it. She’s clearly passionate for her friends, even if she’s a bit more introverted than all of them. Beyond that, I loved the way the book is structured. It’s a unique set-up, focusing on one weekend each month, and keeps the story moving along at a fast pace. It also has the added effect of being able to keep the character group tight, so we can easily keep track of all of Lucy’s roommates.

I totally recommend this book to fans of slow burn, sweet friends to lovers, and cozy romances!

It was interesting to see Lucy and Henry fall in love while only seeing each other face-to-face one weekend a month. I thought their romance was cute, and I loved seeing them together. I just wish we would have seen more of their text messages to each other and FaceTime calls in more detail. I adored all of the roommates. I loved the banter between them and how they supported one another even while giving each other a hard time. I enjoyed this book as it was unique to other books that I typically read, and it was fun and cute.

I spent my weekend reading Weekends With You, the debut novel from Alexandra Paige. This novel perfectly captures what it feels like to be in your twenties - the chaos, the highs and lows, the relationships, the uncertainty.

To save money, aspiring florist Lucy moves into a warehouse with 7 roommates. All eight of the roommates live busy lives, so they institute Warehouse Weekends - once a month, they gather together and spend time as a group, taking turns planning the activities. These weekends are strategically scheduled to ensure that Henry, the traveling photographer roommate, can attend, and thus the novel's structure is born. Each chapter represents one weekend out of a month, the one weekend Henry returns to London and sees his roommates.

Sparks fly between Lucy and Henry immediately, but they struggle to figure out how to proceed given that they only get to see each other once a month. To make things worse, Henry is actively trying to find what feels like home to him; all he knows is that London isn't it, and he plans to move out by the following summer. With this expiration date on their time as roommates, Lucy questions whether she should take the risk and pursue anything with Henry - but will their chemistry prove too much to resist?

I'll be honest: I didn't immediately fall for Henry. I had to remind myself that these characters are all in their 20s, and none of them have anything figured out. Henry definitely reminded me of every slightly self-centered, generally clueless man I dated when I was in my 20s, which definitely wasn't the most flattering comparison! However, rest assured that these two do find their way to a HEA... it just takes a while to get there.

I love when a book does the found family trope well, and Paige absolutely nails it. I wanted to know more about every single one of the roommates, and I loved the banter between them. She really understands how to capture the turbulence of early adulthood, while setting it against all the joyful moments: nights spent out with friends, maybe having a bit too much to drink, maybe kissing a stranger, experimenting and finding what feels right, even if it means trying plenty of things that don't work along the way.

I hope you'll give this book a shot, and that you'll find yourself rooting for Lucy just like I did!

With 8 young 20 something year olds living in a warehouse apartment it makes for an interesting read.

Lucy Bernstein is living in London working as a florist and is falling for one of her roommates Henry Baker, who works as a traveling photographer not home very often. Henry seems to lack a likable quality in my opinion, so after reading this book I'm interested in reading what other opinions are.

This book was a good read, and the story line was very interesting, it was not as romantic as I would have liked but in all it was a good flowing read that did keep my interest.

I would recommend this book for anyone that loves a light read with no heavy drama.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this story! I love the premise: American woman living alone in London has to move into a warehouse with seven flatmates. One of those flatmates is a handsome photographer that travels for work and is only home one weekend per month? SIGN ME UP.

I really loved the cast of characters in this story. I was worried I wasn't going to be able to keep track of everyone, but each flatmate was defined and has their own unique personality. This story is ultimately about found family, and it was a joy to watch Lucy find her place within the warehouse.

When it comes to the romance, I absolutely felt the chemistry between Lucy and Henry, but their back and forth caused whiplash. I felt that they would reconcile, break up, and then reconcile again really quickly, and it happened more times than I expected. I really struggled with the Amsterdam scene and the aftermath. I know people are complicated, but Henry just seemed immature and indecisive to me. Don't say things you don't mean!

I was worried, but in the end, there was an HEA, which I was grateful for. I'd definitely read future books by Alexandra Paige.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Spicy Romance
Heat Level: Sex on the page
Representation: Gay side character

WEEKENDS WITH YOU is a light romance.

I liked:

- The flat of roommates
- Florist shop
- Oliver
- The main character, Lucy

Sadly, I didn't connect with the love interest. I thought he was too wishy-washy and disrespectful of Lucy. If we learned why Henry (the love interest) was so set on moving away from London and England, I missed it. Maybe if I'd known, I'd have more empathy for his behavior. I was all for Lucy finding someone else who was ready for a committed relationship. BUT there are cute moments, and I'm sure there are readers who will love this book.

Happy reading!

Weekends With You by Alexandra Paige
3 stars ⭐️
Thank you, netgalley, and HarperCollins for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lucy needs to move out of her flat immediately because of rent hikes, and the best option for her is to move into a warehouse apartment with 7 other people living there. Henry lives in the flat for a weekend a month, traveling for work for the rest of the month. The connection between Lucy and Henry was instantaneous, but can they be together when their lives are so different?
I liked some parts of this book and really disliked others. I liked the friends that Lucy made in the warehouse, and I enjoyed seeing how they all interacted with each other. I also liked Lucy's job as a florist and reading about how she continuously strived to better the shop. What I didn't like was Henry. He was severely frustrating and really immature. He strung Lucy along for the entire book and just didn't seem to understand where she was coming from. In a romance book, I don't want to read about toxic men who put their partner on the back burner. This is the one time I did not want an HEA.

What a cute debut from Alexandra Paige!

I feel like the best way to describe this book is love at first sight meets missed connections. The story revolves Lucy, an ex-Pat living in England who has the creative flair and passion as a florist at a small, local shop. The book starts off with her needing to find a new place to live as her landlords are selling her place. She quickly finds a solution, living with her best friend, Raja. Oh, and six other people! The setup is an old warehouse converted to large apartments with multiple rooms. In this case, it fits eight. Immediately it seems like chaos in the best way.

On move-in day, Lucy's new roommates all come to help her out. This is where she meets Henry, a very attractive traveling photographer. Here is where the love at first sight meets missed connections. While Lucy and Henry might have immediately felt an instant spark, there is an issue. He is only home ONE weekend a month. He is testing this out as a part of his job, and less than a year to decide if this works for him.

Due to this odd arrangement, the eight roommates come up with Warehouse Weekends, where all roommates come together for the entire weekend, with one roommate assigned to come up with the plans. Honestly, I wanted to be invited to these weekends! The activities sound like a total blast. As the months go on, both Lucy and Henry have to figure out what is important to them. Is it their careers? Where is home truly located? Are they really just setting themselves up to crash and burn?

For a debut, I thought this was excellent. It was a fun, quick, lovely romance. The characters were charming, even outside of the main characters. The scenes were fun. It felt like watching an adult truly become an adult and all the angst that comes with it. I absolutely loved having the main stage being an apartment shared by so many vastly different personalities. I hope this is just book one of an eventual series so I can see more around the other characters, especially Raja. There might even be a love connection brewing between some other roomies...hmmm. ; )

Lucy, I’ve had the urge to kiss you since I met you” 💓🩷

Weekends With You gives me “FRIENDS” vibes but in London. This story is told over the course of a year in monthly increments- based around the “Warehouse Weekend” where each person at the flat gets a weekend in a month to pick the outing. Throughout the story, Lucy gets immersed in the found family aspect of her flatmates. One person in particular caught her eye.. Henry. Henry is a travel photographer who is away more than he is home… but that doesn’t stop their relationship from sparking.

At some points, I found myself relating to Lucy so much that I was getting mad at myself, because I felt that she deserved better. I felt that she was being dragged along in a relationship and that hurt to see and read, and I just wanted her to love herself first and to not allow that to happen. She kept wanting to fight for herself but kept caving in. Ultimately, things worked out for her and Henry but it sure was a rollercoaster. I felt this was very real and genuine- and despite having some negative thoughts about their relationship it didn’t deter away from my overall enjoyment of the story. I liked seeing character progression, and I’d love to have another book with all the flatmates getting together still once a month now that their lives have all developed and changed.

I wish I could pop into The Lotus and chat up Lucy and get a customized floral bouquet 💐 This book goes to show that no matter where life takes you or how busy you are, you always have time for friends 🩷

This one was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the FMC's character arc. Lucy is a London transplant, originally hailing from Long Island, who has settled herself in the city. We start with her having to find housing and agreeing to live with her best friend in a converted warehouse with seven other adults. (I instantly was stressed for her.)

Those seven adults form a strong found family. They were honestly my favorite part of the book. Although you don't get to know each of them very intimately, they all feel like their own characters and have separate personalities. The antics that the group gets up to was unique but felt like something that would absolutely occur within a large friend group.

My biggest issue with the story was actually the romance. Although I loved the chemistry and banter between Lucy and Henry, by the end I was almost not rooting for them. I was almost hoping that Lucy would tell him to go screw and stay single. Ultimately, I knew this was a HEA romance so that wouldn't happen, but this one was heavy on the miscommunication/no communication, and a lot of it stemmed from Henry's side. Lucy wasn't perfect, but his unwillingness to communicate and make the same mistakes repeatedly became frustrating, especially because you were only focused on the two of them during their weekends each month.

All in all, I really did enjoy reading this one, and it was a sweet story. With this being the author's debut, I really hope to read more from them in the future!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute and adorable debut!
Lucy & Henry's relationship was filled with "will-they-wont-they" moments. I loved the gang of roommates and their connections with each other.

This British rom-com reminded me so much of "We Met in December," by Rosie Curtis.
Overall it was really sweet!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book for a review, all thoughts are my own. Lucy runs a flower shop and is barley making ends meet. She has to leave her flat when a new management company is taking over and her rent will be doubled. She moves in with her friend Raja from Dubai who has a warehouse with several units that she rents out. One of her tenants is Henry who is pop star photographer and is only there once a month. Right off the bat, sparks fly between Lucy and Henry. I loved the characters in this book, they all were funny, quirky and you wouldn't mind being part of this group. Loved this book.

Weekends with You was a fun and quick read. Set in London with a warehouse turned apartments with 7 residents on the second floor, Lucy has decided to move in as the 8th on recommendation from her best friend from college. Her passion is flowers. She has the best job but just doesn't make that much money so she needs cheaper rent. That she gets by sharing space with 7 others.

Warehouse Weekend is the most important event each month where all 8 get together and carry out the plans of one of the residents. Lucy is very attracted to Henry, who unfortunately is only around on Warehouse Weekends. He travels for work, and this poses a problem for Lucy as she wants a relationship with someone who is around most of the time.

Lucy is very relatable. Her insecurities about the status of her job and how a long distance relationship could work cause her to not be in the moment and enjoy life as it comes. Aren't we all like that? When I thought her back and forth was a bit annoying, I realized that I've been in that same situation and reacted the same. Truth can hit you hard sometimes!

Weekends with You was a sweet, but not very steamy romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Weekends with you was a cute/sweet story, but in my opinion, not very memorable. I was much more invested in the friendships and the floral design aspects than the romance. I thought the layout & pacing were interesting, having one chapter for each month. Overall, I enjoyed it, and would definitely check out Alexandria Paige’s follow-ups, but I can’t picture myself wanting to reread this one.

Weekends with You is a debut romance by new author Alexandra Paige. I liked the roommate adventures and the MC Lucy's growth in finding herself take on more responsibilities in her career as a florist. I did not care so much for Henry as her romantic interest... like many young men in their 20s, he was selfish and immature and frankly is not someone I would have wished to associate myself with at that age. There were a few inconsistencies which didn't sit well with me. Lucy is from the US, yet there is a casual comment about meeting he parents for dinner one Friday night. She is also supposedly a vegetarian which is a key point for an early scene when meeting Henry, yet she sits down to a roast chicken dinner and Irish lamb stew later in the book and even adamantly demands a hot dog near the end with no discussion of her changing her diet. She is also an only child who had been living solo for several years, and as an only child myself, I can think of nothing more horrifying than to move in with 7 other flatmates. We have never learned to share, particularly not on that level, and there would definitely have been at least some drama surrounding that.

I think those who crave nostalgia of living with roommates they loved will like this book more, as will younger readers in their teens/20s. As a professional woman in her 40s, I am perhaps not the target demographic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

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.