Wow! I really loved this book! Nothing beats a BLACK, feel good Romance book. This book had me gasping, swooning, laughing, and screaming internally to find out what happened next. Kaliya and Danny’s love story definitely had a little struggle in it with the waiting but wow. When you’re attracted to someone and they’re your person, you just can’t deny that. I also loved Kaliya and Neha’s friendship. I hope we get Neha’s story next. I can’t wait to deep dive into the authors other work. This book had me missing sleep to find out what happened next and that’s the recipe for a great book! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I really loved it!!

Kaliya and Danny be still my heart! I love a good second chance romance and this one was done so well. It also highlights the inequity found in the workforce for Black women specifically. It was raw and real and dealt with so many topics, and did it WELL. The only thing I would have liked is a dual POV, but that's just a personal preference.

DNF @50%

When I Think of You has so many amazing aspects, but I have unfortunately hit my level of grievances where I simply cannot forgive the book and continue on. It does not matter how good the second half of this book is, I’m too annoyed.

This book is for fans of stories like Sex and the City - where we watch a woman who is well into her career, but still has room for growth, and is still working on finding love. Kaliya is a really fascinating character, with a wonderful friend group, and an interesting film that she’s hired to work on.

Under the spoiler tag is my list of grievances that are definitely spoilers for specific plot moments:

1 - When the story starts, our love interest Danny is in a seemingly happy, long-term relationship. This continued for at least the first 40% of the story, so when Kaliya is thinking of them together, it gave me cheating energy (even though there is no cheating). While the text never explicitly says that Kaliya feels like she’d be better for Danny than his current relationship, it’s definitely implied. As a reader, this made me really uncomfortable.

2 - This is a second chance romance, and in the flashbacks young Kaliya is sexually inexperienced, which is often described as her being “pure.” I personally feel uncomfortable with the narrative of purity culture, and a dichotomy of virgin/pure and experienced/unpure or dirty.

3 - Kaliya finally finds out that Danny and his girlfriend broke up, and then goes on a date with his best friend. Again, I was just so uncomfortable with the introduction of this new potential relationships at 50% in the book. On the date, the best friend IMMEDIATELY starts questioning Kaliya about her past with Danny, and then decides FOR HER that she is currently still hung up on him.

For a different reader, this might feel really nitpicky. I wanted to see Danny and Kaliya spend more time together, and see a lot of the film industry. I was able to go to an author talk about this book and was really intrigued that the author had experience in the film industry.

As a romance reader, I really like romances where the two lovers get to spend a lot of on page time together throughout the entire book, so the focus being more on Kaliya’s journey then their journey together ended up not working for me.

I was in absolute awe of Myah Ariel’s debut novel. Kaliya and Danny’s second chance romance set amidst a film set while fighting back against racism, imposter syndrome and so much more tells a beautiful romance but also brings forth some very important topics.

I cannot wait to read more from this amazing new voice in the future.

Wow, what a gorgeous debut from Myah Ariel.

This book had me locked in from page one, and I loved falling deep into Kaliya and Danny's story. It was simultaneously heart-wrenching and funny, tender and angsty. I loved watching the author's background in film shine through in Kaliya's career in the field, and the commentary on diversity and equity in the industry. I also appreciated the authentic growth of these characters and how the author developed their voices and personalities throughout the story. Myah is truly an author to follow!

I did struggle with the pacing of the book at times, and felt like the last 15% of the book wrapped up too tidily, making it feel too fast and a bit unsatisfactory. And while I struggled with some of the character's decisions (the story didn't sell me on Danny until the very end, tbh), I recognize the realness of mistakes and personal development that the author was able to convey through her characters. It felt like a genuine love story.

Overall, a thoroughly readable, page-turning stunner of a story.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. WHEN I THINK OF YOU is out 4/16.

DNF at 15%. Between the authors note/CWs and the way the couple reunites, I'm not sure this book will be for me. However, I imagine this would be a good book for people who like Hollywood/movie behind the scenes and second chance romances. Thank you to PRH Audio and Berkley for review copies.

Thank you to Myah Ariel and to Netgalley for the ARC! This is a romance written by a film lover and it shows in all the best ways from movie references (Mo' Better Blues; Bamboozled; Carmen Jones) to the intimate description of being in a movie theater, film studies class, and making a film.

FMC Kaliya has been 'paying her dues' in Hollywood as the administrative go-to at a production company for years. She's often tasked with sorting packages while she dreams of being a producer. During her front desk shift, in walks MMC Danny, son of an Oscar winning director and Kaliya's former college boyfriend. Danny offers Kaliya a job on his newest film he is making about his parent's story as he (correctly!) suspects that she still dreams of being a filmmaker.

When I Think of You infuses Danny and Kaliya's past as college students in New York to their present as colleagues in Los Angeles. Both are unsure why things ended the way they did between them, but before they can explore a future together, they both need to understand their past. Each character is navigating their own stuff - Danny, his grief, and Kaliya, her so close yet so far dreams - which impact the way they can show up for one another. This book reminds us that true love will always have its time - it may not be as long as we'd want (like Danny's parents) or in the timing we'd prefer (like Danny & Kaliya), but its impact is forever.

This book does not just contain a love story between two people, but also a love story between a person and film. We see Kaliya's ambition and frustration in an industry that is not without its flaws. Myah tackles these excellently from nepotism to performative commitment to diversity & inclusion (with no intention of supporting underrepresented storytellers) to the harmful notion of being "too green" and needing to paying your dues.

As a woman living in LA and working in film, this book was extremely relatable and encouraging. It is a beautiful, but weird and intimidating environment to be in and Myah captured it perfectly - no doubt from her own experiences of working in Hollywood. Kaliya wants to be further along in her career by now, but despite her cinema studies degree, student film experience, and working at the Producers Guild, she continues to be dismissed. Kaliya's career journey gave me a lot to think about.

Thank you, Myah, for sharing your cinematic romance with us. Cannot wait wait for what is to come next <3 P.S. While writing this review and looking back through my book highlights, I was tearing up because this book is that lovely and heartfelt.

Loves:
- The parallels between Danny's parents' relationship to Danny and Kaliya's relationship. Danny's parents were different races - his dad was white and his mom was Black. Danny and Kaliya come from different backgrounds - Danny was born into a film family while Kaliya was not.
- Film references: from the Academy Awards, location scouting, staying seated through the credits, & "tell me your favorite movie, the best movie you've seen, and the best movie you haven't seen yet"
- Danny's curiosity and attunement to Kaliya: "I'm missing something here. Tell me." / "What are you not saying right now?"
- This book tackles dreams and grief and is also so FUNNY! Many laugh out loud while reading moments

LINK TO REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6154519068

What an amazingly well written second chance romance! The author's writing style, word arrangements, and over all plot were absolutely engaging start from finish. It was a little hard to keep fighting for the two character's with Kaliya constantly not believing Danny and running away. However the set up was perfect for the ending and I found myself smiling and really hoping she would get herself together. This is my first book by this author and I will be keeping an eye out for more!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc of When I Think of You, I really do appreciate this opportunity.

Unfortunately, this read didn't grasp my attention/keep it as I had hoped it would. The author has a lovely way of telling a story and keeping the theme on point, I think for me I just couldn't vibe with this second chance trope. I only reached 30% and just had to stop because it seems like it's taking me ages to continue on.

I did enjoy the banter, hearing about past moments between them and learning about Danny's family story/ his parents relationship. But, that's about all I have to say. Nothing about this book was awful, I just don't think it was for me. With that being said, I'll rate it a 3/5 because it has really great substance and I'm sure so many people will enjoy this read + all of the tropes that are included.

This book does single POV sooo well. Honestly, it is a masterclass in a writer understanding that not every romance book needs dual POV. The author Myah Ariel works in the film industry and she layered this book with so much insider knowledge -- it made a real difference in the world building. I didn't feel like I had to suspend belief. It was also refreshing to see a MMC who was willing to "fight" for the woman he loved and cared for even if she was a runner. This is a must read.

Read this if you like:
•second chance romance
•workplace romance
•debut novels

2024 is the year of second chance romance books and I’m here for it. This gives you a fun behind the scenes look at Hollywood. The audiobook was really well done and I enjoyed it!!

Thank you Berkley for eARC!

I love the story although I would have liked to hear it from Danny’s POV as well. The main character overcame so many obstacles with love, work and society. I enjoyed all of the different topics that were mentioned in this book from different race relationships to woman struggling to make it in Hollywood on an honest level vs sleeping their way to the top, good friendships. This book covered a lot and got better the further I read. I feel some points could have been brought out more but all In all it was a good read. In the end it sounds to me that this is the author’s story with a twist.

If you are looking for a book that gives Jasmine Guillory *vibes* with mixing hard topics with a romance that is more than fluffy feeling, I’d recommend you check out this new debut author Myah Ariel & her book When I Think of You!

Read if you like:
✊🏿 Books that talk about Racism
🖤 Black Love
🥈 Second Chance Romances
🎥 BTS of Hollywood
🔥 Slow-burn Romances
💻 Workplace Romances

If you are looking for a raw and emotional romance with some dabbling in the past and mostly in the present with a second chance romance that burned hot and flamed out just as quickly the first time around, I’d recommend picking this one up.

Second chance romances are inherently messy, but even more so when you reconnect and one is dating another person on the project and clearly neither of them have quite gotten over their romance from college, it’s even more messy when complications arise in the workplace.

All in all, this was a romance with grit and emotion and I think many will love it! Thank you so much Berkley for my ARC and PRHA for my gifted audiobook in exchange for my review!

I really wanted to like this book. The writing is beautiful and I am generally a big fan of second chance romance. The set up of this story also held a lot of promise. But a lack of character development and an over-reliance on an outdated trope contributes to this one falling flat for me.

Danny and Kaliya meet in film school where they work together on Danny’s thesis film. They’re reunited seven years later when the studio where Kaliya is the receptionist is producing Danny’s new blockbuster film. Once back in each other’s orbits, it’s hard for these two not to confront their history and ongoing feelings.

The pattern that Danny and Kaliya repeat over and over again in this book got old quickly. The over reliance on Celine as the evil ex girlfriend also felt tired after a while. It was clear both Danny and Kaliya had a lot of growing up to do, and I really wanted to see them do that on page. Instead the author uses a series of significant time jumps in the last 20% of the book that result in her just telling us about the development and not showing it to us. For the first two thirds of the book, the main characters barely spend any time together on the page so it was just hard to feel invested in their romance.

Content flags: Danny’s father died and his grief is a major theme

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I love Hollywood romance and this one was so fun because I really loved the behind the scenes aspects of it. The second chance romance was rife with tension and I loved watching these two find their way back to each other. A stellar debut!

Kaliya’s feeling of being stuck in a job that you give more to than you get from was one that hit incredibly close to home for me. It’s as though Myah took a conversation I’ve had with my fellow twenty something friends and put a face to it. The idea that this feeling leads to a better opportunity and love was an outcome that made me happy to see as a reader.

That being said, this is a romance that just did not connect with me. I kept waiting for the moment that I’d feel that second chance to grasp love between Kaliya and Danny would come, but it just didn’t. I enjoyed Myah’s easy writing style and will likely revisit this book in the future after I’ve had more time to sit with it.

For this to be a debut, it was done well. I just wish I had the ability to connect to the characters and their story on a deeper level.

*3.5 rounded up to 4*

My jaw (and tissues) are on the floor from how much I enjoyed (and cried over) this book. The emotional depth of Kaliyah and Danny’s relationship was so breathtaking. The way the kept losing then finding and fighting their way back to each other was heartbreaking and mending all at the same time.
The central plot of Danny trying to make a movie about his parents’ story was unique and beautifully told! I was just as sold on their relationship and am desperately seeking a prequel!
Kaliyah as a main character was compelling, relatable, strong, gorgeous, and so so lovable. I was rooting for her like she was my best friend!
When I Think of You is a beautiful, honest, and raw depiction of loving someone when the timing is wrong, right, and all the moments in between. I absolutely loved it!

This is the story of Kaliyah, the female main character and Danny the male main character and how they are able to reunite many years after their first go around to have a second chance romance. Now this being said, there were a lot of topics that the author brought into the book as well there was the relationship issues of Kailiyah's best friend, there was the love story of Danny's parents that he was trying to bring into the big screen with his movie, there was racism due to his father being white and his mom being black and how they were viewed during the Jim Crow times, there was dealing with grief, and there was the inequalities that black women face in Hollywood. I felt with her trying to cover all of these topics it took a little away from the Kaliyah and Danny storyline.

With the way in which the story was written surrounding Kaliyah and Danny's love, I wanted more information at the beginning of the book as to how they were before and how they broke up and then fast forward into the present day but we didn't get that until midway into the book. Also, there was one point where they decided to focus on themselves before being together and I wanted more information or details into what exactly they did to do just that. I also wanted to know how Kaliyah winded up as a receptionist instead of behind the camera like she wanted to in college which is something else we didn't learn until midway in the book.

Overall it was a nice debut book and I would read more from this author but due to my personal preferences on the timelines and how the story was written I gave it 3.5 stars. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgallery and Berkley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“I used to think that falling in love meant risking losing more than I could ever gain. Well, I’ve lost you more than once in my life and still, I wouldn’t change a thing. Because finding you, again and again, makes everything else worth it.”

Read if you like:
- Second Chance Romance
- Pop-culture references (AMAZING ONES, may I add)
- Slow burn (SLOW!)
- Workplace romance
- Forbidden romance

Brief Synopsis:

The story revolves around Kaliya Wilson, who has spent years working behind the reception desk at a film studio, all the while harboring dreams of becoming a filmmaker. A surprise reunion with her college flame, Danny Prescott, presents her with a potential career breakthrough. As they navigate their professional collaboration, they begin to open up to each other, fostering the possibility of rekindling their love.

Amidst the blossoming romance, Hollywood politics and scandal threaten both the production and Kaliya's career, she is faced with a very difficult choice: to stand up for what she believes in, even if it means risking her newfound love and career success.

Review:

Let me start of by saying that I might as well add Myah Ariel to the list of auto-read books, because if this is her debut, I can almost guarantee that her books will keep getting better. This book is an excellent debut, very entertaining and endearing. Not saying this one was perfect, and that there went't things I didn't like in this story, but I truly enjoyed how it was written and the style of story telling. Can't wait to read more from her.

I love the "behind the scenes" aspect of this book. A look into movies/producing them and the politics behind it. The sad truth about many horrible things like racism, misogyny, within that industry is greatly depicted in the book. Grief is another topic of the story, and its also so beautifully presented, in a way that all the emotions, and actions felt real.

Their love develops SLOWLY, but it was so beautiful to see. They clearly had a lot of love for each other, and the chemistry was there but somethings needed to be resolved, some questions needed to be answered in order to get back together. Not going to lie, certain events had me SCARED (I won't give out spoilers, but there is a certain trope I was scared to see here, thankfully there wasn't.) and the back and forth between the main characters was a bit maddening, but at the same time, it was understandable. It also helped that the author explained the why they break up back then, the way it was handled and most importantly, how finding each other again had to take some time, patience and growth on both parts. The love Danny and Kaylia had for each other felt real, and pure, so I didn't mind at all that they took their time to actually get back to each other. It made it all worth it.

I really enjoyed this one, and look forward to more from this author. Thanks to Netgallery and Berkley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

PS: Trigger warnings - Please check triggers. While the story has a HAE, there are some topics that can be difficult to read for some. Talks about racism, sexism, death of a parent, grief, minor insinuation of cheating. And while yes, those topics are heavy, I do believe that the author does a great job presenting them with respect and thoughtfulness.

This was such a steamy, tension-filled, heart-warming journey of both self empowerment and romantic happiness. I love this second-chance romance, and the grounding in Hollywood really made it for me!