•Fake dating
•Rivals to lovers
•Grump Vs. Sunshine
•Opposites attract

This one was cute. Like Hallmark cute. Thank you to the publisher for granting my wish! 3.5 stars.

Love You, Mean It, Jilly Gagnon, 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ellie was a costume designer for high end productions until her father died. He ran the family deli, and Ellie moves back to manage it herself. She hears a rumor that a large nationwide gourmet market is going to take over a nearby building. Ellie is talking to Theo Taylor, who represents the management company, when the ceiling literally falls in on them. At the hospital Ellie says she’s his fiancee, which leads them into a period of fake dating. Everyone believes in their engagement, and they’re both starting to believe it themselves, when Theo’s ex shows up. Can they convince her too?

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ellie runs an Italian Deli and, on the side, designs clothes. Her cousin, Belle, tells her that a property company is in the process of buying a large building near her Deli and that they must stop it. Ellie sets up a meeting with Theo, the representative of the property company. The meeting turned into a shouting match and Theo left the room to take a phone call. There is a loud bang and Ellie finds him unconscious on the floor. They call for help and Ellie tells the EMTs that she is his fiancee. This is the start of the story. It is pure Chick Lit and will make good beach reading. Thanks to Net Galley and Bantam Dell for an ARC for an honest review.

Thanks to Random House Ballantine Books Dell and NetGalley for a review copy of Love You, Mean It in exchange for my honest opinion. This is a cute fake-dating romcom by a new-to-me author.
Along the lines of one of my favorite movies While You Were Sleeping, Ellie says she is Theo’s fiance to get into his hospital room after a head injury. Ellie and Theo are not strangers, having grown up together, and had been meeting about business, as Theo’s father was involved in a deal to bring a gourmet food megastore to the small town, which would be in direct competition with the deli Ellie ran. (I just realized that deli and Ellie rhyme - ha!) There is some amnesia involved with the hospital stay, leading to a fake engagement, which made sense in the context of the story. I thought the book’s premise was cute, and even though it is written from Ellie’s single POV, as a reader I was able to understand Theo’s perspective, too. This cover is bright and fun, too! I switched back and forth between reading and listening, and I recommend the narrator, Amanda Ronconi. I believe she was a new-to-me narrator, too.

4 Stars! ⭐️

A big thank you to the Dell team at Random House Publishing for the ARC!

✨ fake fiancé / engagement
✨ a touch of amnesia
✨ enemies/ rivals to lovers
✨ witty banter

This was such a cute & funny read - Jilly's sense of humor shines throughout the book which I really enjoyed! I also loved the message in the author's note that "the salty, the smart-alecks, the sarcastic", the imperfect people deserve happy ending just as much as everyone else!

I'm looking forward to future romance releases from Jilly Gagnon!

Ellie is difficult to root for as a main character. She's very judgmental and negative about everything! There's a difference between being complex and just a jerk! Theo didn't do it for me, either, though he was more tolerable than Ellie. They both have quite a bit of baggage, which is fine, but it doesn't feel like they learn anything by the book's end. I also did not buy their chemistry with one another because they don't have any to begin with! You can't make sparkles out of fizzles, and their "love" was all fizzle. I didn't ever believe that they were romantically interested in one another.

Such a unique take on the Fake Dating trope, that was full of laughs! Overall, a super enjoyable Rom Com that was a quick and easy read!

LOVE YOU, MEAN IT - Jilly Gagnon

A COMPLICATED ROMANCE - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Ellie Greco would rather be designing beautiful costumes for theater, but her father's death five years ago called her home to run the family's deli. When Ellie hears that a local landlord is planning to rent to Mangia, the glitzy gourmet food department store, Greco's Deli's very existence is suddenly in jeopardy. Through some crazy circumstances, Ellie and Theo decide to fake an engagement, which will help them both. Ellie doesn’t trust him, but oddly enough, things seem to be working out.

Writing - 4 stars - This is a new-to-me author, and she caught my attention right from the first page. She created a complicated but interesting plotline, and peopled it with entertaining characters.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Ellie is a strong and capable character, but she also hides her vulnerabilities by closing off when things get too emotional. She has friends and a close family, but she also finds that she's limiting herself and her goals. Theo, although wealthy and a go-getter, has lived his life under his arrogant father's thumb, especially since his brother's death. He's finally ready to go out on his own, and he discovers that Ellie is just the support structure that he needs. Soon he also discovers that she is also what he wants.

Title - 3.5 stars - I guess this means that there's not a lot of trust between Ellie and Theo (and the rest of the characters, for that matter), so there's always a bit of doubt about their feelings.

Cover - 3.5 stars - Again, with the trendy cartoon-y cover. I'm not a fan, but this one is cute and bright and catches the eye.

Overall - 4 stars - As a new-to-me author, I didn't have any particular expectations, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Bailey provided an unusual story that kept my interest throughout. I liked Ellie as a main character and enjoyed watching her discover more about herself and grow into an even stronger woman.

I was excited for the premise of the book and fake-dating is one of my favorite tropes! However...the "other side of the tracks" story line sort of fell flat for me. There was a lot of negative (racial) commentary and demeaning focus on Theo's background. while Ellie herself is the offspring of a successful multi-generational family business. It read like a Hallmark movie plot with spice, but lacked the warmth of tangible character connections that wraps the viewer in a cocoon of "happy".

Ellie is uber-judgemental and lacks humility. She was difficult to connect with and root for. Theo was warm and certainly more likeable than Ellie. I'm not a fan of the 3rd act breakup, either. Even less so when it feels rushed and forced. I think there was a lot of potential for this book, but it felt kind of surface level. I certainly felt the physical chemistry but the emotional chemistry didn’t match its intensity, in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the title of this book and I enjoyed every moment of its cuteness! I highly recommend reading it in one sitting! You won’t want to put it down!

Okay, I was a little hesitant when I started this story, but it was actually pretty dang cute! It was a cute mix of While You Were Sleeping and a bit of You’ve Got Mail haha maybe I’m watching too many 90’s movies lately? I loved that the FMC was the one running the family deli, it’s not very often you see a gal in that role! Her repartee with the MMC was just the right amount and their slow burn was great 🙌🏻 I couldn’t put it down once I started, though some parts were a little slow moving. The side characters pretty much all amazing as well. Definitely make sure to give this read a chance!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I loved "While You Were You Were Sleeping" so I had high expectations for this trope to be part of the storyline. This theme was only an abbreviated part of the plot, however. And I did not like our couple! Fake dating tropes which turn real are usually something I enjoy. The execution this time just did not get me invested in our couple. The lies about the relationship just went beyond what was necessary. While I was not routing for the ex-girlfriend, I actually liked her character more than Ellie our main lead.

2.5 stars

Ellie, the most stubborn Greco daughter returns home to run the family business after her father passes away. She leaves her dreams of costume design and NYC behind. Theo Taylor, son of the wealthy Taylor family who owns properties all over Millborough doesn't see eye to eye with his dads investments and taking away small town family business charm in exchange for big box stores. Ellie and Theo team up together to stop Mangia from running out small businesses.

In a cute will they wont they, guy gets girl, girl loses guy, do they find themselves back together again rom com, this was a good beach read and well paced.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Felt like a Hallmark movie in a book. It was just OK. If you are feeling like watching a Hallmark movie then pick this book up instead. I think I was looking for something a little deeper and more funny. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

3.5 stars

This was a cute rom com and my first book by this author. Ellie is trying to save her family business so she enlists the help from Theo, a guy she went to high school with. Theo's family is planning on bringing Mangia, a corporate business into Milborough that will undermine small businesses like Ellie's. An accident happens, fake engagement/dating ensues and some amnesia takes place.

There were few parts that shocked me. I wasn't expecting at all. There's some spice. There's some betrayal going on. I didn't like how some of the characters acted out. Some of their decisions were very frustrating. I thought some of the stuff could have been handled differently. However, I did enjoy Ellie's self discovery for forging a new path for her future. I also enjoyed the fake dating aspect. Ellie and Theo were cute together. In the end I just wanted a little more.

Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon

Ellie Greco, once a costume designer, is now running her family’s deli in Milborough after her father's death. She loves the deli but longs for a more exciting life. When she learns the landlord plans to rent to Mangia, her rival, she tries to negotiate with the property management firm. But, her meeting with Theo Thompson goes badly when a ceiling collapse in the prospective building leaves Theo with amnesia. Impulsively, Ellie claims to be his fiancée. After he regains his whereabouts, Theo proposes the two keep up the ruse in order to stop the Mangia deal. Ellie reluctantly agrees despite mistrusting Theo. Their fake engagement seems to work until Theo’s ex-fiancée, Sam, returns and uncovers their deception. Sam proposes a deal of her own and forces Ellie to choose between her growing feelings for Theo, her family's deli, and a potential new friendship.

This book reminded me of the movie "While You Were Sleeping." It was a cute rom-com with a fake-dating trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Press for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This one is definitely low drama, so if you are a Sarah Adams/low drama fan, stay away. I was on edge through most of this because I just knew things were going to go wrong. I didn't love the behind the back sneak attach with Sam and Ellie; this one just had a little too much drama going on for me.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

Enemies to lovers, fake dating tropes to save the FMC business. Not much to say about this one except it's cute, but I ended up skimming the last 1/4 because I kind of lost interest. It is better than several romcoms I've read lately, and the chemistry between Ellie and Theo is more believable. The writing is pretty good too. I will definitely read more from this author.

3.5 stars

This was a fun book, with an original twist on the fake dating/marriage of convenience trope.

Love You, Mean It was a cute romance, but I wish we had gotten to see more of a connection between the main characters.

Overall, I would recommend this, especially if looking for a fake dating romance!

Love You Mean It by Jilly Gagnon
Genre: romance

🩷fake dating
🩷rom com
🩷trying to save family business
🩷MMCs have very different upbringings
🩷small business vs. big corporation

I sadly liked the idea of this more than the actuality! It didn’t suck me in like I wanted it to. I was at almost 40% and still not feeling connected to the characters so I decided to stop reading.

Thank you to Dell for my eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!