grief x big Italian family x sassy Italian grandma x fashion design x cynical, sarcastic female lead x guarded but secretly a Labrador male lead x FAKE ENGAGEMENT?!
…sign me up. Please.

I’m starting to question my own sanity because nearly all of the Penguin and/or their imprint/s’ ARCs I’ve read these last few weeks have just blown me out of the water. Maybe my romcom era has just taken over in full force—but it’s highly likely that these books are just!!! so!! good!!

I admit that I may have taken a peek at the other reviews post read, just because I had an inkling that some would find Ellie’s character a little jarring. She’s a bit of a cynical, no bs kind of female lead, which I personally really enjoyed. I love it when leads have the no nonsense, strong personality (the kind that they don’t change or “grow” out of), just because it’s one aspect I haven’t seen around too much. I found her lovable in her own way—and a part of me resonated with how much she prioritized her family! Theo, on the other hand, reiterated my love for men named Theo (my firstborn son will likely be named Theo at this point 🤣)—he was just so charming, without being overly cheesy or anything like that! These two had really amazing chemistry—though I reckon I would’ve loved to see the latter conflict be expounded on a bit more (though I understand that romance books are intentionally kept a bit shorter on purpose). Overall, really enjoyed this book and the kind of themes it tackles! Honestly wish it were longer because I would’ve loved to see a more definitive resolution (or maybe I just want more SWOON LOL. I gasped audibly when I realized there was no epilogue). 4.25!

In Love You, Mean It, Ellie Greco returned to her hometown five years ago due to the death of her father and giving up her dream to design costumes for the New York theater. Now, the wealthiest family in town has decided to lease an older building to an expensive gourmet food store, putting the family deli into jeopardy. Ellie meets with Theo Taylor, the son of the wealthy family. An unfortunate accident occurs while Ellie is meeting with Theo which results in Theo having amnesia. Ellie had accompanied him to the hospital and she said she was his fiancee in order to make sure he was ok. The engagement is then continued much to the dismay and speculation of Ellie and Theo's families. Ellie's family knows Ellie's reasons for what she is doing. Although, they are very different, and Ellie does not expect to have any feelings for Theo, she begins to view things differently as time goes on. This is a fun romantic comedy infused with Jilly Gagnon's humor. It is a quick read with interesting characters in addition to Ellie and Theo that keeps the story from being stale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read the ARC of Love You, Mean It.

This book was such an unexpected surprise! The characters were well written, easy to like and empathize with. From amnesia to fake engagements to charcuterie this book made me laugh, kept me entertained and made me feel for the main characters as they learned a lot about themselves along the way. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. This was truly a fun read!

I was so excited to read the newest book from Jilly Gagnon and was pleasantly surprised how different it was from the galley I've read previously! Ellie Greco is devoted to her family. Leaving her dreams to pursue the family business, she's the dutiful daughter and granddaughter her family expects and loves dearly. When Ellie and her family realize that a grocery store on steroids is heading their way, she decides to take things up with the source- Theo Taylor, the son of the property management company that threatens everything Ellie has worked so hard for.

The two are like oil and water, even though they both have more in common than they think. Gagnon weaves a web of entanglement between the two that will have you laughing and crying in the same chapter.

A romcom that will leave you wanting more; Gagnon knocked it out of the park with this one!

Love You, Mean It

4.25 ⭐️

This was my first Jilly Gagnon book and it looks like her first romance so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was surprisingly cute!

Ellie is trying to save her family owned deli from going out of business due to another larger chain coming into town. Theo’s family is selling the building they own to the chain, when Ellie tries to convince him otherwise and they get caught in a construction accident. She ends up faking to be his fiancé help at the hospital and they decide to keep the fake engagement to force Theo’s family away from the deal.

I really enjoyed this cute story with great character growth from Ellie. I wish it had been dual perspective because I missed Theo’s voice, but still found it a fast enjoyable book!

What a tangled web we've got here! "Love You, Mean It" by Jilly Gagnon was my first dive into this author's work, and it was quite the ride.
Ellie Greco, on the brink of breaking into the New Year fashion scene as a designer, finds herself unexpectedly drawn back to her family's deli after her father's passing five years ago. Feeling trapped in time but determined to keep the family business afloat, Ellie's plans are threatened when she learns of a local landlord's intention to rent to a major gourmet grocer.
Enter Theo Taylor, son of one of the town's wealthiest families and the landlord in question. Ellie, anticipating Theo's type, confronts him at a jobsite to plead her case. However, their encounter takes an unforeseen turn when Theo is injured and ends up in the hospital.

Ellie doesn’t know what to do and heads to the hospital too. They will only let family in so Ellie claims to be his fiance. As soon as she gets back to his room, her lie is compounded - Theo has amnesia and thinks she really is his fiance. Luckily his memory returns, but that’s not the end. Theo proposes they continue the fake engagement to help each other - the Mangia deal to stop. Theo’s father is the one pushing for it and he surely wouldn’t put his soon-to-be daughter in law out of business.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the story unfold and getting to know the characters on a deeper level. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantime for granting me the opportunity to read this novel before its official publication date in exchange for my honest review.

What an adorable book! I've read a few books lately with the fake fiancé plot, and it can sometimes be a miss. Love You, Mean It was certainly not a miss and I thought Gagnon did a wonderful job bringing the story of Ellie and Theo to life.

I like that the plot also centered around a small-town in Massachusetts where Ellie runs her family deli after the passing of her father, and it's facing major competition with an Eataly-type company potentially moving into one of the beautiful old buildings in town, which Theo's family owns.

There is a lot of depth to this story, despite it being a quick read. Both characters are dealing with grief in some way, both are dealing with family drama, albeit very different types, and both are trying to figure out what they want in life.

It's a lovely story and I fully enjoyed my time with it.
Thank you, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Single POV
Fake fiancée
Small town
A dash of amnesia
Enemies-to-lovers
Opposites attract

This book is not what I was expecting based on the cover and synopsis. I was annoyed when I realizes it would be single POV, but I was rather turned off for the first part of the book. Partly because it felt slow, partly because the negativity radiating off the page from the FMC, but mostly because the constant mention and complaints of people being rich came off as just….stupid? It felt like the author’s personal grudge and it really took away from the story.

I do think this will be a success, and it is perfect for anyone looking for a book to read over vacation.

I really hope the final copy of this book includes an epilogue because I feel like I was watching a show and got cut off before the best part.

Cute story featruing Ellie and Theo. The two enter into a fake engagement which will hopefully
save Ellie's family deli and allow Theo to repurpose a building that will benefit the community.
Ellie needs to acknowledge if maintaining the family legacy is what she really wants to do and Theo
needs to let go of the guilt that keeps him attached to his family's buusiness.
#LoveYouMeanIt #NetGalley

✨Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon✨

Genre: Romance
Pages: 320
Pub date: April 30th

📚Ellie Greco wishes she weren’t stuck in Milborough. For a few brief, shining years, she escaped her hometown to pursue her dream career—designing beautiful, elaborate costumes for theater—until her father’s death five years ago called her home to run the family’s decades-old deli. Yes, she loves the place, but she’d always thought she was meant for more exciting things than stocking the right tinned fish. But when Ellie hears that a local landlord is planning to rent to Mangia, the glitzy gourmet food department store, the very existence of Greco’s Deli is suddenly in jeopardy.

She tries to plead her case to Theo Taylor, scion of the property management firm that is about to put her out of business, but their meeting goes from bad (it’s not her fault he’s infuriating) to worse (no one expects the ceiling to literally fall in).

With Theo out cold, Ellie panics and claims to be his fiancée . . . and almost passes out herself when amnesia means Theo seems to actually believe her. Soon, the effects of the head injury wear off, but Theo proposes that their “engagement” stick around. If they manage to convince enough people, they might both get what they want: an end to the Mangia deal. Ellie doesn’t trust him (after all, if Theo Taylor wants it, how can it be good for her?) but seeing no other option, she reluctantly agrees.

📝This book seemed to blend the amnesia/fake relationship from “While You Were Sleeping” and the business competition/enemies to lovers from “You’ve Got Mail.” Was it as good as either as these classics? No, but that would be a big ask. Still, I thought Ellie and Theo were cute and the story was an entertaining read.

💫Thank you to @netgalley for my egalley💫

Love You, Mean It was a fun romcom. I enjoyed Ellie and Theo's interactions and relationship. This makes a great beach read. There were times a laugh burst out of me before I could stop it. The characters were well rounded and likeable, except for Theo's father. I enjoyed Love You, Mean It so much I read it in two days. I couldn't put it down.

Love You, Mean It is a single POV fake-dating romance centered on Ellie Greco, a woman determined to keep her family’s deli from being run out of town by a large chain. To do that, she has to make nice with the son of the enemy, Theo Taylor and, through a series of mishaps winds up in a fake engagement with him!

This was a fun, if not entirely realistic, romantic comedy! I liked both Ellie and Theo and the side characters really helped to make the story. I’ll definitely look for more from this author in the future!

Read dates: 03/09/2024- 03/10/2024
Goodreads review: 03/10/2024
Instagram review: 03/11/2024
Blog review: 04/30/2024

While you were sleeping is my favorite rom com. I was so exited by the initial set up but it turned fairly quickly. These two had little chemistry and the overall story just fell flat.

Family drama. Fake romance. A touch of amnesia. What else does a good romance need? This was a light, fun read. Thanks #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishing #Ballantine

3.5 stars

Readable but improbably plotted romance featuring Ellie Greco who has returned from unsuccessfully chasing her costume designer dreams in NYC to run the family deli outside Boston. Ellie feels obligated after her father's death to take on the business and is resentful. When she hears that a fancy Italian chain deli/food court business might be coming to town, she panics, knowing that would probably be the end of her small business.

She contacts the management/construction company and meets with Theo Taylor who first appears to be just another wealthy entitled guy working for his dad's company. But before they can get very far, a construction accident causes Theo to lose consciousness and wake up with amnesia. Ellie tells the paramedics she is his fiance, and the confusion begins. When Theo wakes up in the hospital, he is also told they are engaged.

His memory returns quickly, but he proposes that they continue the fake engagement. It turns out he is not so sold on destroying the beautiful old building to bring in a chain so he and Ellie collaborate.

The story has its cute moments but won't bear much scrutiny. Ellie has tons of baggage and Theo is saddled with family disapproval and expectations. Their feelings for each other don't quite ring true and the character development is choppy. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Eleanor "Ellie" Greco came home five years ago to take over her family's deli after her father passed away. She was trying to fulfill her dreams in New York, but was stuck and the opportunity to return home and help her family out seemed more promising. The deli is important to her and her family's legacy, and after she finds out that a local property development company is planning to add a food department store in the town, this addition could put her out of business.

Ellie meets with one of the executives, Theo Taylor, from the development company so that she can try to convince him to stop the building of this department store when an accident happens to Theo. When Theo ends up in the hospital because of the accident, Ellie wants to make sure he's okay, so she poses as his fiancee so she can get into the hospital during Theo's brief period of amnesia. Once his memory returns, they must convince their families that they are in love. Ellie could benefit from this in order to save her deli, but she realizes how dishonest her feelings have been about the last five years and about Theo.

At first, I thought that the story was going to be a little cringey, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish it. However, it picked up quickly and the tension between Ellie and Theo kept the pages turning. I loved the dynamics between these two characters in addition to their families and supporting characters. I really liked Ellie's family and how close they were as well.

The author included several romance tropes in the story, like enemies-to-lovers and fake dating, and sometimes it can be too much for a contemporary romance. However, this story was executed beautifully with the inclusion of these tropes. My only complaint was that there wasn't an epilogue. I was hoping that there would be additional resolution between Ellie and Theo a year or so later when they actually get engaged.

This is a cute, small-town romance with heart, tension and a little spiciness. Highly recommended!

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine / Dell and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Love You, Mean It.

Beach reads have entered the chat. It's that time of year when we all need a quick feel-good romcom to lift our spirits or get us out of our reading slumps. This is just that novel!

Giving up her dreams of costume design in New York, Ellie Greco returned to her hometown after her father passed away to run their family-owned deli. While she loves the deli, this is not what she pictured herself doing for the rest of her life. One night at a family dinner, her grandmother comes home from a city council meeting only to share that their landlord who owns most of their small town is planning on bringing a big-name deli right down the street. This isn't just any other deli. Mangia is known for its huge stores with massive offerings, and it can offer lower prices. This deal would for sure shut down the Greco Deli and possibly mean disaster to the other mom-and-pop shops in their area. Ellie has to find a way to get Theo, the right-hand man of the company that owns the buildings, to put a stop to the Mangia deal, and to her surprise, he wants the same thing but will have to find a way to convince his father, owner of said company that owns buildings. What better way to do that than to fake an engagement? How could daddy dearest possibly bring in a company that would shut down his future daughter-in-love's family business? But wait, what if we throw in Theo's ex-fiance into the mix? Uh oh. Disaster pending....

Love You, Mean It is a romantic comedy that's as delightful as stumbling upon the hidden gem of a small town deli. Ellie Greco, torn between her dreams and saving her family's deli, takes fake engagements to a whole new level when she pretends to be the fiancée of Theo Taylor, the guy trying to put her out of business. With clever schemes, and a touch of chaos, this romp keeps you guessing until the last slice of prosciutto. Four stars for a sweet and quirk-filled tale that proves sometimes love (and a good deli sandwich) can be found in the most unexpected places. Love you, mean it, and definitely love this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Ah, a classic enemies to lovers, fake dating scenario. This was a fun contemporary romance to read. The book moves at a pretty fast clip and I can't recall a single scene I wasn't fully engaged in, which is rare. It took me a bit to get into the book because at the beginning the FMC is suuuuper negative and frankly hard to root for. But, it was worth the read when I pushed through!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Love You, Mean It is a book with potential that has some issues holding me back from fully enjoying it–including an off-note ending that made me feel like I too had gotten bonked in the head.

The initial opening left me feeling like the author was clearing her throat–no big deal, that’s pretty typical of first chapters, and I can ignore it as long as the book improves. But the problems only continued and grew.

This book is exceptionally heavy-handed on description, with whole pages spent telling readers what a given place, person, or outfit looks like, even though said descriptions don’t really improve the story whatsoever. It takes a special author–and very special prose–to make heavy description worthwhile. Unfortunately, the prose in Love You, Mean It was uninspiring on that front, and I quickly began to skim these unnecessary details. Surely just a few sentences telling us that a country club looks expensive is enough?? Why do we need an entire page about what the ceiling and the molding and the chandeliers look like? Same for almost every place and person in the book. Even brief side characters would get excessive amounts of physical description accompanying them. I do consider it an exception when something actually adds to the story or characterization–for example, the description of Ellie’s apartment and her cheap furniture, since that is an important part of her life and represents her emotions and choices, or details about the clothing she has made.

There’s also a strange overabundance of italics used in the dialogue that I can only hope will be edited out before pub date. Readers do not need to be hand-held so much in order to understand where the emphasis lands in a given sentence.

Next, we have the characters… Ellie is mean, Theo is a bit opaque, and the “shockingly awesome ex” (according to the blurb) is manipulative and only exists for unrealistic plot convenience. Is Sam “shockingly awesome” because she’s not a massively vindictive bitch, and the narrative chooses not to vilify her? (Honestly, I wished it would have vilified her a little more.) She still conspires with Ellie to manipulate Theo into getting back together with her, which felt so odd (only exists for the plot, there’s absolutely no way a person would ask someone’s pretend fiance to matchmake them) and gross from both Sam and Ellie, given that he had been pretty clear about his feelings already.

The connection between Ellie and Theo is pretty tenuous–it’s not very evident why either of them is into the other, beyond lust/attraction. Ellie’s insecurity regarding him ever wanting something real and lasting with her was grating, and her insistence that anything romantic between them was a mistake felt like nonsense.

There’s one true strong point in this book, and that’s Ellie’s emotional development and movement in the third act. I’m bummed because ultimately the emotional work and her whole realization–about her creativity and failed fashion career, about the deli and her place in the town, etc.–had really good bones. In a better book it could have been a slam dunk for me, but with everything else going wrong here it was just too little too late.

And for the worst of all… Honestly I was vacillating between giving this book two or three stars, and the last chapter ensured that it would be two. The fact that during the third act breakup Theo actually gives his manipulative ex another shot?? This is referenced as both "a date” and also “trying it on for size,” and it made me feel like I’d been bonked in the head just like Theo had at the beginning of the book. I truly don’t know what the author–or editors–were thinking. Theo had already been clear earlier in the book that there was nothing romantic there anymore!! Ellie misinterpreting what was going on between them is one thing–sure, give her that angst–but to actually have it happen? It put a serious tinge on the happy ending and certainly will not jive well with romance reader expectations. Top it all off with the fact that the book ends with their fake engagement completely unresolved (will they tell their community it was pretend? keep faking?) and that there’s no “I love you” between Theo and Ellie (or even just the fact that if ILYs had been exchanged they wouldn’t have been very believable) and we’ve got a book that ultimately left me disappointed.