This was a fun book centered around a white lie that became...not so white? Definitely recommend to any romcoms lovers! 4 stars

This was a really cute book! I loved the banter between the two MC’s and thought they were both very likable characters. The small town story had lots of charm and nostalgia. Overall, it’s a really strong 4/4.5 stars!

Love You, Mean It definitely checks off multiple romance novel tropes. Enemies-to-lovers? Check. Fake dating? Check. Woman trying to save her charming family business from going out of business when a big conglomerate comes in? Check. But Jilly Gagnon does a great job of bringing the tropes together for a novel that's charming. Both Ellie and Theo have their moments. Ellie can come off as abrasive, and Theo can come off as cold and arrogant, but the combination of the two of them fosters the better qualities in each other. Theo's dad Ted is clearly the villain, who is only concerned about dollar signs, but Sam is an unpredictable element I enjoyed. She makes an appearance early on as Theo's ex, and she figures out pretty quickly that Ellie and Sam are staging a show to keep Ted from bringing in a big box store. Since their relationship is fake, she tells Ellie that once the gig is up she wants another chance at Theo - but only if Ellie and Theo don't actually have feelings for each other. But it increasingly heads that direction, and with Sam taking on a major role in Theo's family business Ellie isn't sure if Sam really means it when she says she'll back off. Is Sam a friend, an enemy or a frenemy? There are places where it feels like it could use some cleaning up - like more about Theo's relationship with his brother Chase. And for as much time as Ellie spends with Theo's cold, rich family, it really feels like there should be a scene where she takes him home to one of her family dinners that's the complete opposite of his. I also would have liked it if Gagnon had provided more closure about Ellie's love for her family's shop and her love for designing clothes, but all in all I had a fun time reading this one. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you're a lover of the super adorable Hallmark style of movies, you'll love this popcorn fake dating (fake engagement) romance! Complete with an ex-fiance worth loathing and a small town deli that needs saving. Because absolutely no one in their right mind doesn't want the local deli with delicious sammiches to make it!

Perfect for a quick pool side read!

**Thank you to Ballantine, Dell & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

The premise of Love You, Mean It was pretty good. The characters were not the most likeable ones I've encountered, but I liked them enough to stick with it. I was a little worried about the amnesia being taken too far, but it was resolved before things got too morally uncomfortable for me. It gave the book just what it needed for the fake engagement to take hold without anyone being taken advantage of in an over-the-top way.

I liked that Ellie and Theo ended up working together to keep a big corporate company from taking over some of the small business in their small town. I also appreciated that Theo, even though he works for a company that has an interest in these kinds of deals, is trying to forge his own path away from that kind of business.

Out of all the characters I probably liked Sam the most. I was irritated that she kept being lied to, and felt that she deserved to know the truth. I'm glad she ended up with someone who seems to deserve her.

Overall this book is good for a light weekend read. It has some good tropes, good food, and a charming Italian family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

I am a first time Jilly Gagnon reader. I enjoyed this story; learning about what makes Ellie tick and, being half Italian, I definitely relate to her Italian family and roots. A story about how two lost souls; that don't even realize they are lost, and from "opposite sides of the track" to boot, come together for a mutually beneficial cause. Now if that's not a story in the making; I don't know what is. What begins as pretend, burgeons into something neither one is ready to examine. Ellie has emotional issues; same as Theo, but different.

Great character development and wonderful secondary characters that should now have their own story.
I loved reading about small town Milborough in the vicinity of Boston. Ellie's family deli is a character too :p.
The author built a lovely community with small town charm and nostalgia.

I will be looking for additional books by this author.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Dell for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on April 30, 2024.

When I started this book, I was very intrigued! I got excited when the "while you were sleeping"/"overboard" plot began to form, but if I am being honest, the book got really slow IMO and missed the mark on being a great romance. I think for me, it just lacked anything that allowed me to connect with the characters, and began to feel like a very long read and even after finishing, I just found it underwhelming. I actually ended up taking a break from this book to finish another...
I will say that there were some positives for any readers looking to see if this book is for them, I really loved the "while you were sleeping"/"overboard" plot when it first started to play out. This book has a great, happy ending... and I wouldn't be surprised if the author did another book for Sam and Everett's romance.
If you are not a fan of spice, this is a great choice as well, as there is very little spice in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

Love You, Mean It is a fun, breezy rom-com with a few tropes, friends to lovers, fake dating, and amnesia. It's a cute story with an unexpected twist that is resolved. It's a good book for a quick weekend read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for my review copy.

This was sweet but a dnf for me—I didn’t connect to the characters and setting. I may pick it up at another time but I have a lot of books to read and it can be hard to stick with a book I don’t connect to. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Ellie Greco runs her long-standing, family-owned deli. When she hears of a huge competitor scoping out a nearby building, she is determined to put a stop to it. Theo Taylor is the guy in charge of this potential deal; his family also owns the building in question. Ellie plans a meeting with him, hoping he’ll hear her out and help keep the small-town charm in their community. Their meeting goes very wrong, but they soon find themselves scheming a fake engagement because Theo admits he doesn’t want the deal to go through either. If they can convince Theo’s family that they’re the real deal, maybe the Taylors will be sympathetic towards Ellie and the legacy of her family’s business.

I love a good fake dating scheme! The ‘While You Were Sleeping’ vibes at the beginning had me cracking up. Overall, a great read!

Thank you to Jilly Gagnon, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, and NetGalley for the copy in exchange of my honest review.

I had a slightly difficult time with this one. I loved the premise. I love both While You Were Sleeping and You've Got Mail, both which the book seem to be based off of. However, the main characters were just so darn unlikeable. They had overall terrible attitudes and very surface level thoughts, making it hard to root for them. I hope to read more from Jilly in the future!

An enemies to lovers romance with a little amnesia thrown in. Itwas a fun and entertaining read.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

An easy to read sweet and sexy romance in the fake fiancé trope. 4 1/2 stars

Ellie is from a large Italian family, having given up her struggling career in fashion/costume design to run the family deli after her father passed away. Fast forward 5 years and suddenly a large "big box" deli, Mangia, is eyeing her town for its expansion. In a desperate bid to save her family business, Ellie reaches out to Theo, whose family's company owns the real estate Mangia is looking to purchase. An accident and a short bout with amnesia later, Ellie and Theo are pretending to be engaged to stop the Mangia-incursion.

Overall, highly enjoyable read with great characters and good pacing. I especially liked some of the supporting characters (i.e. Sam) and how they contributed to Ellie's growth during the book - though I would have like to have seen a bit more growth from Theo. I encourage you to add this to your "to read" list!

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Dell for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First off, there was A LOT going on in this book! That being said, it somehow worked. I loved the chemistry between Ellie and Theo. I will say, I am sick of the “I’m not good enough” trope used for the female main characters in these books. The character of Sam was better in that way, she was confident and knew what she both wanted and deserved. I was actually rooting for Sam at one point!
I loved the New England setting, being from RI, any book set even AROUND here makes me happy! Also, the small town/family business aspect I really enjoyed. Overall, this was a cute story with likable characters with maybe just a bit too much going on. This will release on April 30th, so check it out then!

How could you not put this down? There is so much to like! Enemies to lovers, fake dating, with of course the drama! I would have liked a little more steam, but I felt that the build up of the friendship to lovers was good. I enjoyed this book I wouldn’t mind a sequel to Theo and Ellie!

3.75 Stars
Ellie runs a deli in her town that has been in her family for three generations. She comes home from New York, giving up her dream of being a costume designer, when her father dies, in order to take over. But now the possibility that a large specialty food department store will be coming to town has her and her family concerned about the future. Ellie goes to meet with Theo, the son of the building owner to convince him that this is a bad move for the community. There is an accident while she is there and Theo gets a head injury and develops amnesia. Ellie wants to go to the hospital with him so that he doesn't blame her for the injury and is allowed to accompany him when she says she is Theo's fiancé. When he awakes with no memories of the last six years, the nurse introduces Ellie to him and explains that they are engaged.

What ensues is a pretty predictable rom com, including a judgmental father, worried grandmother, beautiful former fiancé, lots of misunderstandings and burgeoning feelings. While the story is predictable, it is also written well enough to be enjoyable. I liked most of the characters that I was supposed to like and really enjoyed the descriptions of the clothing designing and food/deli business. These felt very authentic. If you enjoy a romantic comedy then you should pick this up!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

👍 Fake dating, enemies to lovers, foodie culture.
This book follows FMC Ellie who is trying to save the legacy of her family deli by going toe to toe with Theo. Theo’s family is wanting to put in a competing store that will sink her business. After and accident and some light amnesia, the two embark on a fake finance scheme so they can both get what they want. The plan was convoluted in a good way, and we even get a slight love triangle in the form of Sam, Theo’s ex who becomes involved in the plan. Sam was awesome, and I loved her dynamic with Ellie. I really appreciated all the foodie talk in this book as well. The book has some good spicy scenes, as well as good banter between the FMC and MMC. Although things get pretty tense in regard to their future there towards the end, I liked the character growth they both experience when they stop lying to themselves.

I've been on such a romance kick, so I was super excited when the publishers sent this over to me. Sadly, I just couldn't get into it. I skimmed through a lot of the time. I think I couldn't get into this because I really didn't like the main character. She wasn't being true to herself and others and it just annoyed me. It got addressed in the end but it felt rushed. I just wanted a little more time of the characters being annoyed at her. I'm really bummed about this because I've been really enjoying the fake dating trope but couldn't do it for this one. I'm really bummed about this one.

Cute story, but wish it focused more on Ellie rather than Sam. I liked the premise of landlord vs. store owner, and how they’d certainly be enemies and then go to lovers because of how much time spent together… but it didn’t work out all that well. Also ended up kind of like a love triangle of sorts? Also lacked in warmth and happiness as it was marred in a ton of negativity. Hard to get into, but has the right ideas! Thanks for the opportunity to read!