Ellie gives the impression that she has sacrificed her life in the city to come home and take over the family deli after the unexpected death of her father. She has put her heart into running the deli and making improvements here and there. When word is out that a large gourmet retail like grocery moving into town, Ellie hopes to persuade one of the property owners, Theo to stop the sale. Instead, an accident and a lie transcend into a fake engagement!
This one covers a plethora of tropes! Rivals to lovers, fake dating, small town romance. There were some very likeable and fun side characters and ones you will love to hate. I enjoyed the banter and would have liked more of it, as well as more focus on the development of the romance. It was a bit slow in the middle, Ellie was all over the place in what she wanted, and I found myself rooting for Theo more than Ellie. A good story resulting in a predictable HEA.

A new contemporary romance, Love You, Mean It covers many tropes - enemies to lovers/grump x sunshine/opposites/fake dating.

Ellie is an incredibly unlikable character - she's negative, not confident, acts surprised when she makes friends, and is highly judgmental. Her self-worth is based on what she doesn't have rather than what she does have. Her warmth is frosty at best. Questioned how Theo could even remotely find her attractive enough to pursue a relationship. This was not a believable romance, and the best character was Theo's ex.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell

If you are looking for a fun lovin' romance novel with an enemies-to-lovers trope, check this one out. 

Ellie has come back to this small town to help run the family deli. She has talents in other areas, but family means everything to her. So when the deli is threatened, she does what she needs to do to save it. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love and find her happily ever after.

Ellie is likable, and we might see something of ourselves in her. She is loyal to her family, but she is still something of a loner with few friends. Her journey in this novel helps her realize that she needs to learn to trust and seek out others that will enrich her life. When she ends up in a fake relationship with Theo (aka Trip from high school), she learns more about herself and what she needs to do to become a better person. 

I loved Ellie and Theo's interactions. It is obvious that they both have trust issues at different times, but they do make a surprisingly fun couple. And their relationship does sizzle at times.

I will admit that it took me some time to get into the groove of the story. But once I did, I enjoyed the banter, deception, and strong family ties. I really liked how Ellie wasn't afraid to speak her mind, even when she should potentially curb her tongue. Considering who was on the receiving end, it was actually probably a good thing. 

I liked Sam and Everett's characters. I don't know if they are going to get a book, but maybe they should! Their competitive nature draws them together despite Sam's desire to get back with Theo. 

I enjoyed reading about Ellie's clothing designs. I am not talented in this area, but reading the descriptions of what she designed for herself allowed me to envision it in my head. 

Despite the bumpy start to the book (for me), we give this 4 paws up.

With a magnitude of incredible tropes from small-town romance, fake dating (or in this case fake engagement), opposites attract, a bit of rivals/hate to lovers, and You’ve Got Mail vibes, Love You, Mean It swept me away and into a romance that I couldn’t help but gush over.

After moving back home and taking over her family’s iconic deli, Ellie finds out there may be a new department store opening up soon that would be in direct competition and possibly put her out of business. To fight for her business, she confronts the head of the property management, Theo—her opposite in every way and her ex-classmate. But what happens when he’s not exactly the opponent she thought he was?

This was such a cute read! I loved seeing the dynamics change between the two, and the chemistry was literally off the charts! *whew!* I also loved the aspect of struggling to find friends and take chances on your dreams as you get older, as well as the pressure of expectations.

If you need a great rom-com pick-me-up read, definitely keep this read in mind!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

After putting her own dreams on hold after the death of her father, Ellie comes home to run the family deli. After a town council meeting, a big box Italian store plans to come in and run out small businesses. After learning that her cousin’s ex, Theo, is in charge of the new development, they develop a plan that mutually benefits each of them. From there after starts the fake engagement plan. But does it stay fake or do real feelings develop?
This is a fun sorry about finding your own dream and living for it. The romance is excellent as well. A little slow at times but overall, an enjoyable story!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!

This story was only OK. It felt a little bit all over the place. The summary seemed to do a lot of heavy lifting, so after reading it prior to starting the book, it felt like the whole first quarter was a repeat and went by rather slowly. However, it somehow also felt like things were happening too quickly: The amnesia plot was over way too quickly, the real feelings came on too fast after they started to fake date, the Sam stuff came up at a random time when it felt like there were already enough obstacles in the way, and Theo and Ellie were hardly enemies at all in the enemies to lovers trope. I also felt like while the story was squarely about saving Ellie’s family’s deli, we didn’t get nearly enough time with the deli itself. Sure, there were scenes there, but I expected it to be a much bigger part. Maybe I shouldn’t have assumed.

Overall, the romance itself in this story was cute, but it didn’t make up for the rather unorganized and rushed plot of the rest of the book.

This book is humorous and witty, in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. I saw it mainly as a commentary on family commitments and fake relationships, but it was so much more. Ellie Greco is reluctantly in charge of the family’s deli, and her reluctance is evident but her commitment to her family’s business is admirable. When a large chain is threatening to move into the area and put the Greco Deli out of business, Ellie has to resort to appealing to the head of the property management firm to hold steady and not let the other business get a foothold. While Theo is talking with Ellie, there is a big fiasco accident, he ends up with amnesia and she decides that the best way to solve her problem is to let Theo think that they are engaged. The action speeds up, the characters are funny and very irreverent in their conversations and there are a few surprises along the way. This book is originally entertaining but I did not enjoy all of the coarse language that was frequent and distracting. I did like the characters, at least for the most part, although I did not consider them relatable or particularly likable. The ending was predictable in a roundabout way…the ending was what I thought it would be but not how I thought it would come about. I give this book a solid 3.5 stars, rounding it up to four because of the entertainment value of a good rom-com, just not a great one.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Love You, Mean It written by Jilly Gagnon is a cute, but familiar, predictable book about "fake engagement" turning into true love. The book centers on Ellie and Theo. The supporting characters need to be more developed. Not my favorite rom-com but it did keep me interested. As previously stated the the outcome was predictable, but I did feel invested In Ellie and Theo's "romance". Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC!

Love You, Mean It is a cute enemies-to-lovers, fake engagement romance in which Ellie, the proprietor of a small-town deli, and Theo, the son of the town’s wealthy real estate developer, fake an engagement in order to save Ellie’s business, the deli she came back home to run after her dad’s untimely death. Following an accident that lands Theo in the hospital with amnesia, Ellie goes a la While You Were Sleeping and claims Theo as her fiancé. A brief bout of amnesia later, they realize staying fake engaged could get them what they both want: To stop a high-end food emporium from moving into a building Theo’s family owns - competition that would almost certainly spell the end of the deli, destroying the character of the downtown. It’s a perfect arrangement - fool Theo’s piece of work dad that Ellie is about to become family, and get the deal off the table - if only Ellie can keep from catching feelings for the rich bro-y guy who’s absolutely wrong for her. Right?

There’s a lot to like here. Theo is sweet and sexy, and Ellie’s Italian family is a hoot. There’s a nice thread of women standing up for other women that’s you love to see, with the unfortunate exception of Sam, Theo’s ex. Not that Sam isn’t great - she is! But I hate the trope when two people ostensibly work out between them which one will get to date a third, never mind the third person’s feelings on the matter. Sam wants to try getting back together with Theo, and Ellie - pretending to herself more than anyone that she doesn’t want Theo for herself - agrees to help Sam win him, no matter that Theo gives every sign he doesn’t want to get back with his ex.

Overall, a sweet, fun romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars rounded down

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Dell for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of fake dating, but this one fell a bit flat for me. Ellie and Theo are just not characters I gelled with and had a hard time rooting for them. This might be the first time I actually rooted for the ex-girlfriend, rather than the main character, to end up with the guy.

This could totally be a “me” thing though, so I encourage you to find out for yourself!

I almost didn't read this book. The reviews on it were divided. But I have to say, I really liked it. Ellie and Theo started out pretending to be together, but started developing feelings for each other. Her ex, Sam wanted him back,but not if Ellie was in to him. She didn't want to admit she was into him, so she agreed to help Sam. Theo was trying to help her save her family deli and a property he didn't want to see commercialized their small town. It was a good story. Some romance, some misunderstandings, and a HEA.

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I didn’t love this one. The writing itself was well done and easy to get into, but there were several plot points that really didn’t work for me.

Spoiler: it really really bothered me that Ellie had sex with Theo and then still meets up with Sam to pursue the plan of getting THEM back together. It felt really gross. I also really didn’t like how much lying Ellie did, especially when Sam asked her outright if she had feelings for Theo when she clearly did. I also don’t know that it was believable that Theo was so open to working things out with Ellie when she essentially lied to and manipulated him for her own purposes.

3.5 rounded down

I thought this story was super cute and I was immediately hooked from the very first page. I found it heartwarming and funny at times and the banter between Ellie and Theo was my favorite part.
However, as the story went on, I feel as though this book didn’t know what it wanted to be. I can’t really say too much without giving things away, but it was almost as though multiple tropes and/or different situations were just thrown in on a whim to fluff things up a bit. I also hated Ellie, who was the MC, so that really drove the reading experience down for me. As the story went on, I found her to be extremely immature, annoying, and selfish. On the other hand, though, hating her made me like Theo more 🤣 That guy seriously deserves the world for putting up with her shenanigans 🤦🏻‍♀️

Thank you NetGalley & Dell for a #gifted eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Love You, Mean It is a cute fake engagement story. Ellie invents the story when Theo gets a head injury that causes him temporarily amnesia. Theo decides to keep up the act since he can work it to his advantage. They both have the same goal.

Overall I enjoyed Love You, Mean It. There are other books with a similar story that I think are better but I'd still recommend if fake dating/engagement is your trope.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC copy to read and review!

Ellie Greco is wanna be designer who, after the death of her father, was forced to create something entirely different. That’s how, for the past five years, Ellie came to takeover Greco’s Deli, her family’s literal bread and butter. Although being sidelined with subs instead of swatches was never Ellie’s dream, it has provided steady income, and a way to keep her father’s memory alive.

Then Ellie gets word that the deli is in danger of being pushed out by big business. Distraught, Ellie reaches out to Theo Taylor, the son of the man behind the deal. But the meeting ends in disaster, and an injured Theo acquiring a case of amnesia. Interestingly, Ellie takes advantage of Theo’s compromised state, announcing herself as his fiancée. But while the memory loss is short lived, Theo surprisingly doubles down on their fake relationship.

As Theo and Ellie work to save the business while simultaneously keeping up the ruse of romance, things grow increasingly complicated including the disapproval of Theo’s fastidious father and the involvement of Theo’s too good to be true ex, Sam. All of this, in addition to Ellie’s own growing feelings for Theo, leaves her sandwiched between what she thought she wanted and what she never dreamed to wish for.

Love You, Mean It wasn’t a particularly long read and yet, by the end I felt like I had read multiple books. In the beginning it’s setup as little guy vs the man scenario, served with a side of opposites attract ambition. Ironically, I forgot the brief loss of memory until I sat down to gather my thoughts for this review. This awkwardly segues into a fake relationship and the sickeningly sweet Sam who I suppose is there to add complexity, but only dishes out an oddly plated diversion.

Just as in food as it can be with fiction, I fear Gagnon bit off more than she could chew with this confusing and convoluted charcuterie.

Love You, Mean It started out so promising, and I really really enjoyed the first 25% of the book. The rest of the book just relied too heavily on some of my least favorite tropes, and while it wasn't the worst usage of those tropes, it really took away from the book.

Love You, Mean It is told from the perspective of Ellie Greco, who, after living in New York and not really making it as a costume designer, returns home after her father's death to run the family deli. At a town meeting, it's announced that the Taylor family, who owns basically the whole town, is considering bringing in Mangia, an Italian corporate conglomeration of restaurants and wine cellars and all kinds of things that threaten to put the deli out of business. Ellie decides to reach out to Theo Taylor, who she went to school with, to ask to talk about not bringing Mangia to the town. They meet, and he's acting the part of the corporate asshole that she's expecting him to play. But as they walk around the potential space, he starts to open up to her, except, oops, something falls out of the ceiling and hits him in the head. Ellie feels extremely bad, and she wants to go to the hospital to make sure Theo's okay, except they only let family come in the ambulance, so she lies and says she's his fiancée. Foolproof! At the hospital, Theo wakes up, except, oops again, he's got short-term amnesia, thinks he's 6 years in the past, and is obviously shocked to learn Ellie is his fiancée. But so is she.

Luckily, the amnesia subplot only lasts for about a chapter (the appropriate length for an amneisa subplot). But Theo suggests they continue to be engaged, which might be the only way to convince his asshole dad to not go through with the Mangia deal and to give Theo some autonomy.

Here's where the book started to go downhill. Obviously Theo and Ellie catch feels for each other, but because they're from such different worlds, Ellie is convinced that Theo doesn't actually like her. Even after he says as much. Which is so frustrating to read. There's also a subplot involving his ex, who ends up befriending Ellie but also tells her that she wants to win Theo back, but "only if Ellie actually isn't interested in Theo." So Ellie lies to Sam and agrees to help her. Which obviously blows up in her face. To the author's credit, Sam isn't an actual villain here, which is a trope that I hate. But the lack of communication on Ellie's part, even as Theo is trying to communicate with her, was just annoying.

There are some really cute and tender moments between Theo and Ellie (including him teaching her how to play tennis, very up close and personal), which made the miscommunication that much more heartbreaking.

This is Jilly Gagnon's adult romance debut, and there was enough in here that I'd absolutely read future adult romances she writes. But this book relied too heavily on some of the more frustrating, and admittedly sometimes staple, tropes of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Dell for providing me with an eARC of Love You, Mean It in exchange for my honest review.

Love You, Mean It is a cute story I just couldn’t put down. It kept entertained and I really enjoy Ellie’s character growth but the book just ended to abruptly for my liking.

THIS IS FEEDBACK FOR THE PUBLISHER AND NOT A PUBLICLY POSTED REVIEW.

Chapter One:

It’s not a great start to a book when I have to look up a word within the first sentence. Not being Italian I had no idea what a “mortadella” was nor had I ever heard the term. Then a few paragraphs down using “rictus” for a grin? Come on. Let’s set the thesaurus aside.

Immediately Ellie comes off as a bitch and not someone I’d be interested in reading about.

She locked the door behind Mrs. Pinsky but a few paragraphs later the bell rang (for the door) and someone came in.

If this wasn’t an ARC I would’ve ended the book right there as a DNF (It ended up being a DNF for me. Sorry).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

📖 Small Town
📖 Fake engagement
📖 Opposites Attract
📖 Single POV

Oh my goodness! I don’t even know where to begin! This book completely caught me by surprise. I went in expecting to enjoy it, but found myself engrossed in this story. What I really enjoyed was that this story takes off really quickly with Ellie meeting up with Theo to try and pursued him to not sign a deal that would inevitably ruin her family’s business. Expect their meeting didn’t go very far before Theo is involved in an accident on the job sight. With Theo in the hospital with a case of amnesia, Ellie must quickly find an excuse to be allowed in his room. Well they can’t turn his “fiance” away now can they? After this exciting start to this book it does slow down a bit, but with that being said it was definitely enjoyable throughout. I enjoyed learning more about Ellie and Theo and their personal struggles throughout this story. It’s clear that these two may not be as different as they were lead to believe and that this “fake relationship” may not come with fake feelings.
This was such an enjoyable read that helped out of a reading slump. This book will definitely take you through many emotions, from laughing out loud to wanting to scream and I did my fair share of both. I will say my only issue with this story is that the ending felt a bit abrupt. I’d definitely love to see another book take place in this town so we could maybe get some more of Ellie and Theo! Overall, I would 100% recommend if you are looking for a witty small town romcom!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this e-ARC! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was a blend of humor with grief in a way that the grief didn't feel as heavy as you'd expect. Ellie & Theo's (present day) meet-cute was hilarious. Both at each other's throats, this almost turned into "While You Were Sleeping," but with a twist. I really enjoyed the banter between these two & how the story showed their relationship with their respective families.

While the premise was entertaining, some aspects of the book gave me confusion. A lot of the times, scenes jumped from one another without actually resolving what happened a few seconds ago. And at times, both Theo & Ellie were mean or arrogant, that didn't sit right with me.

This was a short book compared to others & I really had a good time. Looking forward to what's next from the author!

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.