****UNPOPULAR OPINION*****

I usually like fake dating rom-coms but this book was a struggle to read. I really liked Theo and Sam as the strong male characters. However, Ellie is terrible. She is negative, judgmental andvery much unlikeable. It had hard to care about anything she did. I found myself judging her and felt any karma she received back was justified because of her poor decisions and lack of empathy or compassion to other people.

This book was a waste of my time. Not for me. Cannot recommend it.

Thanks to Jilly Gagnon, Random HOuse Publishing Group Ballantine Books and Netgallet for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/30/2024

This was a very sweet love story. Ellie is the current owner of the family business, a cute Italian deli she took over after her father passed away. At the beginning of the story the family finds out the big town developers are trying to bring an upscale Italian grocery and deli that will compete with and negate the need for their small deli to town. Desperate to save the family legacy and her business Ellie contacts the son Theo who she went to high school with to try to convince him to stop the deal. When Ellie and Theo meet, things do not go as planned and Theo ends up in the hospital. From there things escalate, and the two cook up a fake engagement scheme to see if they can stop the business deal from going through, both for very different reasons. I enjoyed all the food, and fashion, and the side characters were fantastic. I love enemies to lovers, and fake relationship stories, and this book did not disappoint. I hope a book about Bella or Sam are in the works in the future. I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

Started out so cute and kind of fizzled for me. I really wish the characters had more uniqueness and ability to hold my attention. I feel like since I am very picky about contemporary romances, this one just didn't do it for me.

4.5 - OK!! I did not expect to love this book as much as I did but, WOW, something about this book really hit perfectly for me. Love You, Mean It is a book about Ellie and Theo, who knew each other when they were younger, but are brought together when Theo's family business is attempting to take over the businesses where Ellie's family's small deli operates. This is a typical enemies to lovers, fake dating trope, but something about these characters, their vulnerabilities, the CHEMISTRY and the story hit different for me.

Ellie is someone who has lost her way in life, after losing her father and being forced to take over running her family's small business. She left behind her life and dreams of being a costume designer/working in fashion in New York City and instead got stuck what she always dreamed of escaping: staying in her hometown to run her family's deli. When Ellie is informed that the Taylor family business empire is planning to buy out a lot of the local buildings to build a shopping mall and essentially run her deli out of business, she is forced to confront Theo Taylor to try and persuade him to stop the deal. Theo is a very vulnerable man, someone who also is still struggling with the tragic loss of his younger brother and working with his father, who he doesn't see eye to eye with. Theo hasn't chosen his career or his path either, but refuses to allow his father to run the business in a destructive way. Ellie and Theo make a deal after an accident lands Theo in the hospital: they will pretend to be engaged in the hopes that they can persuade the Taylor family business from pursuing the shopping mall deal.

I think one of the main reasons I loved this romance was because the chemistry was OFF THE CHARTS. I love it when there is the good old enemies to lovers trope, especially when both characters really do not like each other or trust at each other at the beginning, but slowlyyyy you see them tearing their walls down. Ellie and Theo really completed and complemented each other so well and I was living for the moments where you could see one person slowly falling for the other. Honestly, I could have read another 100 pages of this book! I loved the confrontation and how the way that the two felt about each other forced them to truly examine themselves and the mistakes they had been making in their own lives. There was so much growth in this book, with both characters individually and as a couple. I cannot recommend this romance enough and I hope everyone checks this book out when it is released on April 30th!!

Thank you NetGalley and Dell Romance for providing me with this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!!

🥪 Book Review 🥪

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: April 30, 2024

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

This is my second book by Gagnon and this one was definitely better and easier to fall into than her previous thriller.

I loved the writing style because I was able to easily get swept away with the story. I did have to remind myself that both Theo and Ellie were in their 30’s. There were times that they seemed more juvenile. Also, the dialogue sounded too similar that I struggled with who was talking.

I do have to say the dislike between Theo and Ellie were 🤌. I found myself snickering when they would get heated at each other.

Perfect for fans of:
🥪 1st person POV (Ellie)
🥗 Fake engagement
🥪 A dash of amnesia
🥗 Dislike to lovers
🥪 Business rivalry
🥗 Small town
🥪 Predictable romcom plot line
🥗 Comfort read

This was just not for me. The first 30% I was really interested. I loved the dichotomy of a black cat artsy FMC running a deli (and genuinely enjoying running it). The amnesia aspect isn't overdone and when they both test each other it was honestly quite humorous. There is no amnesia lying weirdness where he is with her under false pretenses, it really is used as a set up for fake dating between them.

My biggest issue with this is how one dimensional the MMC was. Even with single POV I know it's possible to develop the other love interest. He is first presented as a frat-y tech-y dudebro kind of a guy and I'm totally following and ready to see a different side to him. There's initially some animosity hinted at with his father. And yes, there are aspects of him that surprise the FMC and set him apart, he finds value in original structures and supporting the arts for example. But the actual chemistry between them? Nonexistent. I really never believed he was interested in her.

My favorite side character was Sam, the MMC's ex. At first I loved that she clearly communicated no interest in any other woman drama and I thought her and the FMC would become fast friends. But the FMC pretty much ruins all of that by lying to her and basically creating the other woman drama herself. And this book commits a romance ick of mine, warning SPOILER: near the third act breakup the MMC and his ex Sam actually try again (off page). It's one thing to me to have a single date that lacks chemistry during a third act breakup, create some angst that way etc. But no, you're telling me they really tried to make it work? But I'm supposed to believe the MMC ever was and now still is into the FMC and not Sam? This also ends pretty abruptly so there's no settled resolution or epilogue to make you really believe in their love or HFN/HEA. Give me a romance with Sam and this guy (as much as I like and respect the FMC as a person).

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for this eARC.

A couple fake being engaged to get what they both want. He wants to be free from his rich family's business to pursue his own interests. She wants to protect her family's deli shop.

In "Love You, Mean It," Jilly Gagnon delivers a delightfully charming and witty romantic comedy that will have readers laughing out loud and rooting for the unlikely pairing of Ellie Greco and Theo Taylor. With a premise that hooks you from the start, this novel is a delightful escape into the world of fake engagements, family legacies, and unexpected love.

Gagnon's strengths lie in her ability to craft vibrant, likable characters and infuse their interactions with plenty of humor and heart. Ellie's determination to save her family's deli is admirable, and her reluctant partnership with the infuriatingly handsome Theo is a source of endless entertainment. Their banter crackles with wit and chemistry, making even the most far-fetched situations feel plausible and endearing.

The supporting cast is equally well-developed, with Theo's ex-fiancée, Sam, adding an intriguing layer of complexity to the plot. Gagnon deftly navigates the dynamics between the three protagonists, creating a delightful web of misunderstandings, secrets, and genuine emotional connections.

While the premise of a fake engagement may be familiar territory in the romantic comedy genre, Gagnon infuses it with fresh twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged and eager to see how the characters will untangle the web they've woven. The stakes are high, not just for Ellie's deli but also for her own heart, adding depth and emotional resonance to the narrative.

Gagnon's writing style is breezy and engaging, with a perfect balance of humor, romance, and heartfelt moments. Her descriptions of the small-town setting and the mouthwatering descriptions of the deli's offerings add an extra layer of charm and authenticity to the story.

While the pacing occasionally lags in a few spots, the overall momentum and the chemistry between the characters more than make up for these minor lulls. The resolution, though somewhat predictable, is nonetheless satisfying and leaves the reader with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Overall, "Love You, Mean It" is a delightful and entertaining read that will appeal to fans of romantic comedies and anyone seeking a feel-good escape. With its witty banter, lovable characters, and heartwarming moments, this novel deserves a solid 4-star rating for its ability to charm and delight.

"Love You, Mean It" by Jilly Gagnon offers a fresh spin on the "While You Were Sleeping" premise, blending it seamlessly with the fake dating trope. While I enjoyed the story, I found myself frustrated with Ellie's reluctance to confront her true feelings, despite the evident growth and self-reflection needed. It was intriguing to see Theo taking the lead in the relationship, but Ellie's inability to reciprocate, despite his clear affection, left me sympathizing with him and questioning Theo's quick forgiveness in the third-act breakup. I felt so bad for Sam, who tried to give Ellie an out sooo many times and she just wouldn't take it. Despite these flaws, "Love You, Mean It" delivers an enjoyable read with a flawed but relatable female protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A quirkily funny romcom

Ellie Greco feels stuck in her life. Having returned to her hometown from New York City five years prior she took over running the family deli after her beloved father’s passing. As the one remaining place where she still feels his presence in her life it is a labor of love, if not necessity. When she hears rumblings of the wealthy Taylor family’s plans to bring the popular Mangia mega store into a vacant commercial space she is panicked. If the family successfully lures the popular chain to Millborough this could threaten not only her family’s business but many other little mom and pops that make her home unique. When she seeks out Theo, the son in charge of the acquisition, her plans are to talk him out of the deal but a freak accident at the site ends with Theo stricken with amnesia and thinking Ellie is his fiancé. While not the most optimum of situations Ellie tries her best to play it off but she is soon caught when Theo regains his memory but wants to continue the charade. His father may have put him in charge of the Mangia operation, but he is just as opposed to it as Ellie for different reasons. As the pair begin their deception, they have to convince Theo’s skeptical father among others, but it’s not easy especially when the lines become blurred and real feelings start to seep in.
Love You Mean It is the newest book by author Jilly Gagnon and can be best described as a classic chick lit that incorporates a “complete strangers to co-conspirators to enemies to lovers” concept. It’s a very easy and entertaining read that sees our main character (Ellie) initially lying her way into Theo’s ambulance when he is struck on the head and loses consciousness. With the hospital staff and a temporary amnesiac Theo convinced of this there is no real graceful way out of it. And then when Theo regains his memory and suggests the pair continue the farce, it all seems to be too easy. But Theo is no ordinary person, he is the son of one of the wealthiest men in Millborough who rightfully is suspicious of Ellie from jump. Add in Samantha, Theo’s savvy ex-fiancé who seems all too willing to help the pair pull the charade off as long she gets a second shot with Theo and what was a tight situation becomes even stickier. The book is seriously unserious, and I loved every minute of it. As a person who is a fan of K-Drama, Love You, Mean It has many of the tried-and-true tropes that make the dramas so addicting, and I was there for it.
This is the second book by Jilly Gagnon that I have read with the first being last September’s Scenes of the Crime, and while this was a completely different feel and genre, both offerings kept me interested and entertained. If you like K-Dramas and tropey RomComs, Love You, Mean It will be right up your alley.

Thank you To NetGalley, Jilly Gagnon, Dell for granting my wish for a copy in exchange for an honest review. Love You Mean It is scheduled for an April 2024 release

This was a good rivals to lovers romcom with a fun nod to one of my favorite movies, While You Were Sleeping.
Ellie manages the small deli that’s been in her family for generations, Theo is the son of an extremely wealthy property manager. When it comes to her attention that a large food department store is in talks to come to their town, a deal being brokered by Theo’s dad, Ellie knows she has to try and plead her case. But when an opportunity for her to use the good old fashioned “I’m his fiancée” line arises, Ellie takes it. Soon, Theo proposes that they try the fake engagement scheme out, and both of their lives are irreversibly changed.
I did enjoy this one, although I’ll admit the scenes with the side characters were the ones I loved the most. I wish we had more of Ellie’s family - especially the dynamic between her grandparents - and I really liked Sam, Theo’s ex-fiancée. And the miscommunication was a bit too much for me, the fact that Theo knowingly let her believe the worst at the end for awhile irritated me a bit.
I’d definitely try another book by this author in the future!

Thank you to Jilly Gagnon, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love the cover, the colors instantly caught my eye. Unfortunately, I wasn't a big fan of this book.

I didn't like Ellie. There was just something about her. I also found this book slow and boring at times. Just wasn't for me.

A truly enjoyable romcom. I truly enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for sending this to me

I’ll start with the positives. I really liked Ellie as a character and Theo was fine too. I would have liked more of Ellie’s regular life, though. I really enjoyed the scenes of her running the deli and with Bella and her family. I also really liked seeing her embark on this quest to form more friendships. It would have been nice to see more of her and Jenna from that perspective. I appreciated that Sam wasn’t just some catty, jealous ex. She handled everything maturely and with full transparency.

Now the things I didn’t love. I liked Ellie being a designer/seamstress (not sure what the appropriate term is), but I had a very hard time envisioning the pieces as they were being described. I don’t know if that’s just my lack of sewing knowledge, or if the descriptions were poor, but I had literally no idea what any of her pieces looked like.

My second issue was the Theo and Ellie relationship. Or, I guess, more specifically how Ellie was in the relationship. I never understand these books where the characters can’t physically control themselves. The go in committed to being strong and resisting all temptation and then wind up throwing that immediately out the window as soon as they get a whiff of the other person’s perfume/cologne. I just can’t personally relate to that lack of control, so I always find it a little off putting.

Lastly, the plot is predictable. And that’s totally fine! Nothing wrong with that. I knew exactly what I was going to get when I started this book and it delivered while also providing likable characters that you wanted to root for. However, I’m never going to rate a book over 3 stars unless it surprises me in some way. Did I like this book? Sure, but was I surprised by anything? No. Overall, this book is exactly what you think it’s going to be.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a great read. Though the ending seemed predictable, I was excited to keep reading to find out exactly how it would go down. I will definitely recommend this book to my students as I think many of them will enjoy it!

Oh I so needed this. I have been in such a romance slump lately. This book started out strong and finish like a sweet kiss. I had to stay up late to finish it because I couldn't stop reading. I don't know why I love an amnesia storyline ( maybe because I adore the movie Overboard). I loved how she got herself all stuck in a 'fake' relationship and my absolute favorite scene was them in the car, each knowing the other is lying and seeing how far it is going to go. Absolutely laugh out loud moment. The story is so fast paced, and it just moved so smoothly into the mutual fake finance storyline to save her deli. While this story could have had the normal "fake' dating issues, with her not fitting into his world, families not getting along, perfect ex back in his life and while it had all that it didn't follow the normal safe tropes. I hate a girl bashing book and this steered clear of that by making 'the evil ex" as one of my favorite characters. She pulled no punches and played no games. Same is such an amazing character that defies the mean girl, and I loved Ellie and her friendship that bloomed throughout the book.
The romance could have had the 'miscommunication' where they couldn't understand what was happening but instead, we were thrust into Ellie's head as she had to figure out her life before she could trust her feelings for Theo. I feel like they had really could communication and even as their relationship changes and they grow closer together I never felt they mistook what was happening between them.
I love stories that show such great character growth. At the beginning in the story I felt like she was grieving her old life, her dad and her future but when the deli was threatened and as she fell in love with Theo and her friendship grew with Sam, she was able to find herself and make a new life for herself. She really bloomed.
Fun, Cute, Sexy, great family dynamics, great chemistry, great characters growth. Chef Kiss for a perfect romantic comedy. It literally plays out as a movie in your head.

PS I am also dying for Mimi's Lasagna recipe.

Starts out as a While You Were Sleeping turns into fake dating. Which as a premise sounded really good.

It just didn’t work for me, unfortunately.

I didn’t like the characters- I found their personalities and decisions were a bit insufferable. Miscommunication is ever a fav and the way the conflict worked out kind of didn’t make sense. They seemed incompatible on many levels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC for an honest review.

I always love a fake dating trope, and felt this one was well-done. I got a little frustrated with Ellie for not communicating how she was feeling (but that's expected with the fake dating) and her tendency to self-doubt made her a little hard to root for. I did enjoy the beginning meet-cute, which had me hooked at the beginning. The pace slowed a bit after that, but I liked all of the characters. Overall, a cute read that I recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a very cute read. It starts off with a While You Were Sleeping (such an underrated 90s classic rom com) premise, that quickly turns into a fake dating romance.

Small business owner Ellie learns that a big box store is going to be moving in and potentially putting her and other small businesses out. She meets up with the property manager, Theo, to discuss this business, but an accident causes him to briefly get amnesia. From there, chaos ensues, and things quickly escalate for Ellie.

This book checks off a lot of romance tropes. It was very lighthearted and sweet. I wish the characters were fleshed out a bit more. These two knew each other in high school, and Theo actually dated Ellie’s cousin, which was kind of strange, and most of that was brushed over. And there’s a whole subplot with another of Theo’s exes that I could’ve done without. But overall a quick, fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Ellie Greco left her small hometown of Milborough for the bright lights of New York to pursue her dream of costume design but five years before, when her father died, she returned home to temporarily run the family deli... and has been stuck there since. Greco's deli is the only place left that makes her feel closer to her dad and when a big foodie department store threatens to come to town and put her business at risk, she's determined to do whatever it takes to squash the deal.
Theo Taylor is in charge of the sale of the building for his father's real estate business. He has plans of his own for this building and agrees to meet with Ellie, but before they can even discuss things he gets hit in the head in a freak accident and wakes up in the hospital with amnesia and Ellie claiming to be his fiance. When his memories come back though, he decides this fake engagement could be just the thing to put his own plans in place. Can they convincingly pull it off without catching real feelings?
There was plenty of judgement from both sides to cause drama and tension over money and class, plus the ex who just seems like a better fit and wants another try with Theo. I like all the funny banter and sexual tension between the two that they try so hard to deny. They both learned a hard life lesson through their heartbreak and eventually found a hopeful HEA. I thought this was a sweet opposites attract, enemies to lovers romance with just enough spice.
Thanks to Random House - Ballantine through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.