Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Such a cute, quirky rom-com! Amnesia and Fake engagement.. what could go wrong!

I really enjoyed this novel! Fake dating and fake engagement is one of my favorite tropes and I thought the author did it so well with this novel.

I was rooting for Ellie and Theo and I thought it was so cute that Theo had noticed her when they were in school even though she didn’t know it.

Having Theo’s ex show up added so much tension and anticipation to the story and I was there for it.

This was such a good book and I definitely look forward to more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of "Love You Mean It" by Jilly Gagnon. Gagnon's writing style in this romantic comedy is witty and sharp, filled with clever dialogue and humorous observations. The story follows a charmingly flawed protagonist navigating the complexities of love and friendship in a refreshingly realistic way. While the plot is predictable at times, the dynamic characters and snappy banter make for an entertaining read. Gagnon captures the essence of modern relationships with authenticity and humor, making "Love You Mean It" a delightful choice for anyone seeking a light-hearted yet thoughtful romance novel.

A little romance-trope heavy, Love You, Mean It is still a heartwarming, engaging, and playful romance perfect for rom-com enthusiasts everywhere! The slow-burn romance and beautiful writing are the sprinkles on top of an already delicious dessert of a book.

Quick rom com read!

What I liked:
1. The homage to "While I Was Sleeping".
2. Great premise and promised to be fun.
3. Loved the ex-girlfriend.

What I didn't like:
1. The main character was terrible - grumpy, angry, self-deprecating and not at all fun.
2. Just didn't feel the chemistry between the two characters as you usually do in a rom com.


Thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for providing me with this digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

"Love You, Mean It" is a delightful contemporary romance with a classic enemies-to-lovers plot. The story line is engaging and most of the characters are charming and well-developed. However, I found it difficult to connect with one of the main characters, which slightly dampened my overall enjoyment. Despite this, I couldn't put the book down because I was eager to see how the story unfolded. The writing is solid, and I appreciated this book even more than Gagnon's first novel.

Thank you #NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own and freely submitted.

#BookReview #LoveYouMeanIt #ContemporaryRomance #EnemiesToLovers #ARC #BookLovers 📖💕

Love You, Mean It is a remake of While You Were Sleeping but not as great. I've read a few novels with this premise, and they can be done well, but I have to actually like the main character. Ellie is negative, has the self-confidence of a gnat, and is generally hard to like. Theo is cold, but I could warm up to him.

Overall, I just didn't click with these characters.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The beginning was extremely slow, and I mean it took me soooo long to get into this book. I’m pretty sure the initial plot didn’t start until like 30% into it, and at that point I wasn’t even interested anymore.

I’m also firstly certain I’ve never felt the class difference between characters before, but this book made me feel just how absolutely different these two main characters were living. The fact that Ellie felt so judged when Theo first saw her place was not good. Then, when he reassures her because he lived somewhere “scary and rough”, and Ellie thought that the only way he would live somewhere like that willingly was “as some sort of long-term gentrification plan” was absolutely the most wild comment she could’ve made. She also just had no other thoughts about that afterwards, like it would make sense for this man to live somewhere so he could gentrify it. That is where I decided to DNF this book.

I do want to thank the publisher for sending to me, but ultimately I will not be finishing it or recommending it to anyone else.

I thought this book would get better but it didn't, after soft DNFing it originally, I'm gonna say I powered through but decided to rate this 2 stars.

Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon is a delightful rom com. It starts out with fun, quirky characters that will interest you quickly. With a misunderstanding, amnesia, and unexpected attraction, this novel will thrill readers of rom coms. It is a fun summer or weekend read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Ellie Greco has one responsibility to her family and her late father, keep her family deli open. So when she is threatened by the Taylor group opening up a large scale Italian deli and eatery, she must work together with Theo Taylor to convince his father the plan is a bad idea. And their plan, while good in theory, causes more complications than either of them thought possible. In a highly predictable but effortless read, this book takes you on a journey of finding love in the least expected of places and understanding what is truly important to maintaining happiness.

Thank you to Ballentine and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

This was a cute romance about two people who enter an engagement of convenience, only to fall for each other (naturally). I liked Ellie and Theo together, though at times I got really lost in what was supposed to be happening to get them to their goals, especially when Theo's ex gets in on the game. Ellie trying to play double agent with the ex and Theo was honestly strange and unbelievable at points. No one can be that delusional about their feelings or the situation. I wish we got Theo's point of view in all of this honestly, he comes off as well meaning but I wish he had more depth as a character.

Sadly this was a case of "great premise, characters I could not get behind." At times I found the ex more enjoyable than our female lead.

This was a fun and reasonably engaging story with a good dash of fake dating, opposite attraction, family drama, hot chemistry, love for family and friends, sexual tension, coming home again, small town setting, and redemption. Elly and Theo come up with a plan to save Elly’s family’s deli and Theo’s dream of remaking a historic building into a vibrant town space. All they have to do is pretend to be engaged and make Theo’s dad believe it. I won’t add spoilers but of course the path goes both smoothly and roughly at different times. The lead characters and support cast were interesting, but the wrap-up was a little rushed. I enjoyed the book. Warning that there is a little graphic sex but you can easily skip those scenes without losing anything of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dell for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

3 1/2 stars.

This was a sweet, fun story with main characters who start off with seemingly opposite goals. Elle is in charge of her family's deli business after a dream career in costume designing following her father's death.
When she finds out the landlord plans to rent to a competitor, putting the deli in danger, she tries to deal with Theo to convince him to stop it.

After a situation reminiscent of While You Were Sleeping, they end up agreeing to fake-date to help each other. There's a lot of cute moments, and some misunderstandings as well.

I would have liked to see an epilogue for an update on the characters.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this my honest opinion.

For me, describing a book as a pool or beach read is one of the BEST compliments I can give. There are few things I enjoy. more than laying by the water and devouring a book from cover to cover.

Love You, Mean It was the first book I read on the Canary Island leg of my vacation, and it was an EXCELLENT POOL read. I couldn't out it down, and found myself cackling throughout. What more can a vacation gal ask for?

Ellie is stuck in her hometown out of circumstance - her father passed away suddenly, and she moved home from NYC to take over the family deli. When she gets word that a massive competitor may be coming to town, she vows to do whatever it takes to ensure the family deli won't be forced to close... even if that means pleading her case to Theo, the son of the local real estate magnate.

At her meeting with Theo, a freak accident results in Theo being concussed and losing his short term memory. Ellie wants to ensure she can go to the hospital with Theo, so she claims to be his fiancé. While the amnesia is short lived, the two hatch a plot to keep the engagement ruse going. Ellie isn't worried, because there's no way she could fall for THIS guy... right?!?!

This was my first Jilly Gagnon book, but it will not be my last! The characters, including the supporting cast were great, and y'all know how much I love an enemies to lovers story with humor and FIRE chemistry. What a perfect summer read!! Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC :)

Will post to Goodreads, my bookstagram @scottonreads and retail sites

I really enjoyed this book. It had some of my favorite tropes (amnesia, a fake engagement). I thought it was well written and I liked the main characters. It was a lot of fun and a quick read.

I had fun reading Jilly Gagnon’s Love You, Mean It. There is a lot going on in this book including short-term amnesia, a fake engagement, a scheme to get two exes back together, and an attempt to save the family business. If you’re exhausted just reading that, imagine how main character Ellie feels!

I loved Ellie and Theo’s banter and enjoyed the fake dating scenes very much. Ellie’s subsequent friendship with Samantha was another bonus, but the lack of communication on Ellie’s end sent me into an emotional tailspin. I wanted to throttle her when both Theo and Sam gave her multiple opportunities to be honest about her feelings but she continued to bottle everything up. I also wished there had been more resolution at the end of the novel. I felt like I still had unanswered questions and wanted to see an epilogue or time jump to see how the characters were doing.

All in all, this was a very cute romance full of hijinks and familial love. Also, Ellie runs a deli and my mouth was watering picturing the various meats, cheeses and prepared dishes they offered!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell and NetGalley for providing me with this digital ARC.

Ellie Greco has been running her family’s deli, but when she finds out a major competitor is coming to town so she has to fight her way to keep her dad’s legacy. This had a While You Were Sleeping vibe and I liked the banter between Theo and Ellie, and I loved Ellie’s family. I would have loved to root more for Ellie but she was extremely negative and has a lot self-worth issues and would have liked to see more of her growth throughout the book. I would’ve liked more moments beyond the fake dating that didn't really resolve until the end. I liked Theo’s warmth a lot. The enemies to lovers was a lot of fun. I just wanted more overall from the romance and story.

3.5 stars

I was really a fan of how this book started out: the enemies to lovers vibes, the brief amnesia, fake engagement….but I feel like the book quickly lost its steam about halfway through.

I really wasn’t a fan of the main conflict and the sec scenes felt like they came out of nowhere…where was the sexual tension????

I really wanted to like it.