Usually I do not DNF, but I just couldn’t get into this one unfortunately. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read!

From the cute cover to plot synopsis, I was looking forward to reading this romantic, feel good story. Love You Mean it fell short of my expectations. The female main character was really negative and the language throughout book was ugly (lots of f-bombs). The chemistry between the characters really wasn’t working they go from enemies to “wildcats”

Thanks For the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was an okay read. I had a really hard time connecting with the female protagonist and didn’t feel much chemistry between the two leads.

Enjoyable rom com with main characters at odds due to small business vs big business. The setting in the deli helped make the book enjoyable. Ellie and Theo are two likeable characters that one hopes finds their way to each other. Overall likeable. I do wish I could have connected with the characters a bit more. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review.

Thanks, Ballantine | Dell, for the review copy via NetGalley.

This dueling delis romance started sketchy (“While You Were Sleeping”-style fake engagement while the MMC has temporary amnesia), then gets compelling (fun family members, an intriguing ex-girlfriend, funny grandmother, legit steam between the MCs), but eventually bogs down and gets repetitive. One reviewer commented that Ellie is all over the place, like the pacing. I pushed through to the end and promptly forgot almost everything about it.

With that being said, I came away with a good feeling about the story and would definitely read her next book.

Ended up DNFing around a quarter through. Nothing outwardly wrong with the book, but just didn't grab my attention. Wouldnt NOT recommend

I wanted to love this book, but I couldn't get more than a few chapters in. It just couldn't keep my attention

Stuck in her quaint hometown of Milborough, Ellie finds herself torn between duty and desire. She once lived her dream of designing stunning theatrical costumes, but her father's untimely death brought her back to run the family deli. While she loves Greco’s Deli, she yearns for the excitement and creativity she left behind.

The story takes a dramatic turn when a posh gourmet store, Mangia, threatens the very existence of her beloved deli. Ellie’s desperate attempt to save the family business leads her to an unexpected and hilarious encounter with Theo Taylor, the man behind the lease of the rival store. What starts as a disastrous meeting turns into a rollercoaster of misunderstandings and unintended consequences, culminating in Ellie claiming to be Theo's fiancée after an unfortunate accident leaves him with amnesia.

Ellie’s journey from deception to reluctant agreement with Theo’s plan to keep up the charade is both touching and amusing. Their chemistry is palpable, and readers will find themselves rooting for this unlikely pair. Theo’s initial infuriating demeanor softens, revealing layers of vulnerability and charm that perfectly complement Ellie’s fiery and determined nature.

The plot thickens with the reappearance of Sam, Theo’s ex-fiancée, adding a delicious twist that forces Ellie to navigate the complexities of her fake engagement, burgeoning friendship with Theo, and her loyalty to her family’s legacy. The author skillfully weaves themes of love, sacrifice, and self-discovery, making this novel much more than just a romantic comedy.

Love You Mean It is a testament to the power of following one’s heart and the beauty of finding love and purpose in the most unexpected places. With its witty dialogue, endearing characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this book is a joyous read from start to finish. Fans of heartfelt romance and clever storytelling will find Ellie’s adventure to be an absolute gem.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4 on here)

I really loved the start of this book and how the characters/storyline are similar to While You Were Sleeping. I used to love that movie so I thought it was really cute that the author kind of used a similar set up for that in the novel! I really enjoyed the business rivalry in the book and how the main characters utilized their fake dating to kind of help both characters with their agenda. I did think that the FMC had some growth in the book, but I do feel like she could have used a lot more as she was just kind of frustrating at times. Overall, this is a very lighthearted book that was quick to read and I feel like it is a good pallet cleanser to read between books!

Love you, Mean it by Jilly Gagnon is an easy to read enjoyable book that takes place in a fictional suburb of Boston, MA. The charters are well developed and relatable. A great summer read.

Such a fun twist on a classic rom com! Loved the rivals to lovers aspect as well but hated the ex's involvement.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I will definitely read more of her books.

This is a cute romcom with a brief bout of amnesia and a fake dating relationship. Fake relationships seem to be popular lately.

Ellie Greco returned home to Milborough, Massachusetts five years ago after trying to establish a career as a theatre costume designer in New York City. Her father’s sudden death has brought her home to run the family deli. Ellie comes from a close knit Italian family.

Theo Taylor works in Milborough for his father’s company. It is not the job he wants. Theo’s father wants to bring in a food department store that would most likely close down Greco’s Deli.

A freak accident and a bout of amnesia lead to Ellie and Theo entering into a fake dating relationship. They believe their scheme will save Ellie’s family deli and help Theo land the job he really wants.

This is a story about being true to yourself and stop blaming others for the path your life has taken.

“We’ve already established the meet-cute, Theo. Get ready to lose at pool.”

This was a cute idea, and I wanted to love it a lot more than I did. Ellie runs her family deli in a Boston suburb after the death of her father took her away from her New York art school. Her family's legacy is threatened when Mangia, an Italian megamarket, is slated to come in to town. Ellie decides to try and talk sense into Theo, the wealthy heir to the property management firm in question. But when she goes to talk to him, everything goes sideways and after a freak accident, he ends up with temporary amnesia. "While You Were Sleeping" hijinks ensue, but only briefly. Then the two decide that continuing the farce that they are engaged would benefit them both, keeping Theo's father from putting Ellie's deli out of business.

Things I liked: I always love an ode to While You Were Sleeping. The setting was cute. I liked that Sam was allowed to be a cutthroat businesswoman without being the bad guy.

Things I didn't like: This was just not super memorable for me. The spice felt juvenile and it annoyed me. I'd still recommend it as a solid rom com, but it didn't feel *special*

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This teeters between a 2.5 and 3 star so I rounded up.

First, I want to thank the publishers are Random House-Ballantine for the incredible opportunity to review Love You, Mean it by Jilly Gagnon. Based on the synopsis, I thought I would love it because it was FAKE DATING and I usually love fake dating. However, this did not do it for me. I felt like Ellie was awful. I did not connect with her at all. I found myself rolling my eyes when she would say and do things WHICH NEVER HAPPENS. I rarely ever feel that level of annoyance with a character but I just couldn't stand her. Theo really wasn't any better for me either. It's hard to love a story when the characters are not your vibe. WITH THAT BEING SAID THOUGH... I still really enjoyed the premise of the book. I thought it was a great concept. There were some real laugh out loud moments throughout this one that really redeemed it for me.

First I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of Ellie, former costume designer and current deli owner, who comes home to Milborough to take over the deli after the death of her father. When she learns a local landlord, Theo Taylor, is planning to rent to a gourmet food department store Ellie decides to confront Theo in person. During their meeting Theo sustains a head injury and she tells the medial staff she is his fiancé. Once Theo regains his memory he decides he wants Ellie to continue to be his fake fiancé since he doesn't want to rent to the department store. As they continue the farce Ellie meets more people in Theo's life including his former fiancé Sam, who wants to rekindle things with Theo for real, which makes Ellie's life difficult since she is developing real feelings for Theo. As time goes on the farce starts becoming to real and Ellie has to decide if saving the family deli is worth the potential heartbreak.

What I Liked:
- Fake dating, since Ellie took advantage of Theo's reduced mental capacity after the accident I love that Theo keeps giving her crap for saying it in the first place cause it make her squirm
- Theo/Ellie, even though its a fake relationship I do enjoy the moments its just the two of them and they really get to know each other and start pushing the other to do what they love
- Ellie's clothes, throughout the story Ellie starts wearing her own designs and I would LOVE to see them IRL cause they sound absolutely amazing
- Ellie's family, they are a close group that doesn't allow any BS between then and I just love a family that has no problem checking each other

Overall I did enjoy the book, there were a lot of times where I just wanted to shake Ellie cause she just refused to communicate and it got annoying at times. If you like a fake dating, small town, he falls first romance then I think this is a story worth checking out!

Ellie Greco and Theo Taylor bumps head on their first meeting. Although they knew of each other in HS they didn’t interact. But when Ellie is trying to same her family’s deli and Theo brushes her off it doesn’t help them.

But when Theo suffers from a work place accident in front of Ellie she goes into protective mode and fakes as his fiancée to make sure he is ok.

There are some genuinely funny parts. And there are some parts where you want to shake some common sense into Ellie. But it’s a solid romance with drama, wit, and the eventual happy ending.

2.5 stars (rounded up).

"Love You, Mean It" by Jilly Gagnon is nothing spectacularly amazing or amazingly bad, it's just mediocre. The book starts strongly enough. While I absolutely love fake dating as a trope, the ball gets dropped repeatedly here. I did not love the characters. While I appreciate when female characters are complex, layered, ornery, and not at all sunshiney, Ellie is difficult to root for as a main character. She's very judgmental and overwhelmingly negative about everything! There's a difference between being complex and just being 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. Their situation never fully grasped my attention. I think the concept of this book worked, but the execution is severely lacking.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jilly Gagnon, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

📚 ARC Review📚

One of my favorite movies of all time is While You Were Sleeping. This book has those vibes plus enemies to lovers/fake dating. It’s a cute feel good rom-com that will be the perfect pick if you want a fluffy beach read!

I enjoyed this book a lot and will definitely try another by this author. Thank you to NetGalley, The Publisher and Author for the ARC

I had high hopes for Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon, but this one unfortunately fell a little flat for me. The "while you were sleeping" trope just did not pan out for me and I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon this was a new author for me which I am always willing to try. In general I found the book to be funny, but the language was more than I enjoy seeing in a book. There were parts of the story line that I enjoyed but others that I did not. Having said that I would still recommend to others, because I realize not everyone enjoys the same books.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.