This was a really cute rom-com. I always love the combination of enemies-to-lover and fake dating, and this was no exception. The characters were lovable, and I really enjoyed the FMC managing a deli instead of a flower shop or bookstore. (Don't get me wrong, I love those too, but it's fun to see women running other businesses!)

This was a four star read for me because there were just a few things that took me out of the story, or strings I feel like were never tied up. (Did those two characters ever become friends? What happened to that family heirloom?) And the third act drama seemed to resolve very quickly, in a way that almost felt unrealistic.

I think I was really missing an epilogue, I loved these characters and I wanted that "1 year later" peek at their lives! But even still, this book was a fun read and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get my hands on it early! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is one of the best fake dating trope romance booksbive read. It is definitely in my top 5. I loved this so much! The characters were amazing and the story line was unique and I loved every last word of this! 5 out of 5 stars!!
I just reviewed Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon. #LoveYouMeanIt #NetGalley
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This is a fast read with plenty of romance tropes. If you enjoy

Fake dating
Fake fiancé
Strangers to lovers
Close family
Best friends
Love triangle
What am I doing with my life?
Domineering parent
Miscommunication
Push and pull romance

then this book might be for you!

Unfortunately, the fmc was a bit too unlikeable for me. She did not communicate well with the mmc, she was hot and cold in how she reacted to him, and she was just too whiny overall. I also felt that the 3rd person coming in to the love triangle was not needed at all and could have just been a friend. There was plenty of drama without that plot point. Not my preferred type of romance but I’m sure others will love it for the small town vibe and satisfying ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

The cute cover of this book got me interested. The story kept me.

I really enjoyed this story. I found it funny at times, and emotional at others. There was good flow to the story and as the story progressed, I became more interested in the characters and the goals that they had, the emotions they were feeling, and the uncertainty they expressed.

When the book first started, I was curious if this was going to be like 'While You Were Sleeping' because it gave off that vibe. I would have been happy with that, because I love that movie. Though it didn't end up like that, I was pleased with what was presented to me.

COMMUNICATION! How may times do I need to say this? Communication is key. But, I do know that that can be difficult at times. I just feel like Ellie and Theo could really have benefited from clear communication.

I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters, but I at the same time, wanted to punch Ellie! Theo was committed to making his actions speak loudly, and Ellie in turn just made up a bunch of stuff and frustrated and confused her own self.

It was a great, fun, and quick read for me. I recommend!

P.S.- Can someone please make the restaurant Post an actual thing? I think it would be awesome to share a meal inside of an old post office!

I read Gagnon's book, Scenes of the Crime last year, and didn't love it, but I wanted to give her another try through a different genre. However, the problem was still there in the lack of substance.

So, at first, I thought the author had watched too many movies. The Shop Around the Corner devolved into While You Were Sleeping into some other rom-com I can't remember the name of right now. And I wasn’t sure it was going to work because the heroine was so...full of opinions...that the comparison to Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock wasn’t flattering.

But then the story finally morphed into its own thing, and Ellie had some growth, and it turned out ok in the end.

A couple other minor quibbles:

Why are all the old women incredibly crass? Is that supposed to be character?

Guns N Roses is classic rock, not "oldies" and Sweet Child O Mine is not their "biggest banger" (the heck? It's practically a ballad.)

But well enough written if you're in the mood for a rom-com.

Book: Love You Mean It
Author: Jilly Gagnon
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Dell, for sending me an ARC. This was a very difficult one to rate. While I did enjoy it, there were just some things that made me lower my rating.

In this one, we follow Ellie, who has given up her dreams in the city to move back to her hometown to take over her family’s deli. She doesn’t want to and views it has a burden. That is until she finds out that a big chain grocery store could be setting up shop in her town. It would completely destroy the deli, which has been in her family for years. She decides to take matters into her own hands. She cannot allow her family’s history to be destroyed by this. She sets up a meeting with Theo Taylor, who is that man-the former gold child, rich, and beautiful. However, during their meeting, Theo is hit in the head and knocked out. When he wakes up, he doesn’t remember anything. Ellie panics and tells everyone that she is his fiancé. Theo’s memories quickly come back, but they decide to keep up the game. After all, this could be benefit both of them.

The fake dating troupe is one of my favourites, especially when our main characters do end up falling for each other. I don’t know what it is about this troupe that I enjoy so much, but I do. I love the idea of having these characters who are drawn to each other in a way that is not romantic at first, but for personal gain. We have that here. Ellie is using Theo to save her deli, while Theo is using Ellie to escape his father. Now, it may seem like Ellie is using Theo more, but that is not the case. Theo’s father is a bully, among other things. He will not listen to what his son wants and thinks about the business. He just pushes through. Theo needs Ellie to get his father to see what he is doing. As time goes on, feelings do start to develop. Ellie tries to deny it. After all, Theo is everything that she’s not. He’s rich, set in life, and knows how he is. She is not. She is the opposite in fact. They both bring out the best in each other though.

Both characters do have some major character growth. Theo is the type of person who looks down on people like Ellie. At least, that is how Ellie views it. Whenever he makes comments about her life, she views it as typical of rich people's behaviour. She does not see that he sees what she wants most in life. She keeps telling herself that she gave up her dream of being a costume designer in New York City to come back to run the deli. Theo knows that while she keeps telling herself this, it may not be true. He can tell that Ellie truly loves the deli and being back home. She’s afraid to admit it because she thinks that it will mean that she’s a failure. He makes her see what she thinks she wants in life is not really what she wants. Ellie also encourages Theo to live out his dream. Theo has been running the family business and does have some great ideas. Yet, he is always been steamrolled by his father. He tells what he wants to Ellie, who thinks it is a great idea. Theo gets the courage to tell his father and ends up taking charge. Without Ellie, this would not have happened. (I cannot tell you more about Theo, because his dream is a huge part of the plot.)

The storyline was solid, but it is the reason that I did end up lowering my reading. The bits with Ellie and Theo were good, as well as the family drama on both sides. There were parts that I felt could have been edited down a little-especially just over the halfway point. There were a few sequences that I felt slowed down the progression of the story. I get why these scenes were there, but it felt like they went on for too long.

Overall, I did have fun while reading this one. It’s not the most perfect book out there, but I had fun with it.

This book comes out on April 30, 2024.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/og59FcdP2VA

This was such an unexpectedly fun read! It took the meaning of “meat” cute to a whole new level!

If there was one thing Ellie loved it was her family. She graciously took over running the family deli after her father passed away and it became her everything, putting a hold on her dreams of pursuing a fashion career. You can imagine how crushed Ellie was when former classmate, Theo introduced a plan to bring a massive supermarket to the small town. This would put all small businesses, especially hers, out of business.

Ellie knew she had to do something about it and immediately went to meet with Theo. Things took yet another turn though when Theo was smashed in the head and concussed. Ellie needed to think fast so she told the EMT’s that she was his fiancée. He was essentially stuck with her until he would hear her out about why this can’t happen.

The kicker? Theo LIKED the idea of being engaged. Her mastermind idea would work both ways. Their fake dating scenario was amazing! They nailed it and their chemistry was addicting. They were total opposites which made it even better. Beyond just the supermarket, the two faced a few other issues including ex-girlfriends, traumatic deaths and keeping up an appearance that everyone would believe.

Fun and breezy, but lacking in depth. Subplots pop up here and there and get resolved in ways that feel contrived, especially the 'pair the spares' secondary pairing. Additionally the ending felt quite rushed.

Good for beach or comfort reading.

Love You, Mean It (Paperback)
by Jilly Gagnon

Modern small town romance. Two local townies have returned to town after years of personal growth. They were not friends in high school but knew of each other. Neither thought much of the other. Because of an accident at the job site, they are forced together to change the imitate plans of bringing a big box store that will take over the economy. The rollercoaster of lies and personal struggle make a sweet romantic book of opposite attracts. Nice romantic interludes, and mistaken motives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an egalley of this title to read and give an honest review.
Ellie and her family's deli are in trouble, the big moguls are coming in and they will be pushed out because of this new chain store. But Ellie wants to stop it. She makes a pact with Theo, the real estate head's son, who also happens to work for the company, to be fake engaged to him so they can both get their end game: her deli remains and he gets to do other things with the property in question. Will they fall for each other in the process?
I love the idea of fake dating in a book. It always leads to so much more.
I really wanted to love this one because of the tropes; fake dating, enemies to lovers. Two people united in the same cause and slowly becoming attracted to each other. But it just didn't work for me.
First, what I liked. I liked the idea of the big family and how close the FMC was with them. I liked their support of her. I liked that she was willing to give up her dream in order to make sure her family's legacy was ok.
Now on to the things that really made this title cringe worthy for me.
My first issue with this title is the writing. It's super prolific, which would be great if it wasn't supposed to be a fun romance. There were huge descriptions right in the middle of characters having conversations. I can understand interjecting with information, but these were long and drawn out descriptions that were paragraphs long. It totally took me out of the story. I kept forgetting what the characters were even discussing. And then the dialogue seemed super forced between the MMC and FMC.
My next issue was the romance. It just didn't seem genuine or organic. I didn't feel the chemistry at all. The couple went from scheming together to sex in no time, with no lead up. Did the FMC give an inkling she might be attracted to him, yes. Some tingles and stomach dropping. But I didn't see that from the MMC at all. Zero attraction to lead to what happened.
And then there's the character development. It just was not there. Not only as stated with the romance above, but also with the characters in general. I just didn't see who they were. And the FMC was super negative and whiny.
Then there's the introduction of the sub story with another girl who wants to be with the MMC and the FMC is going to help her. And the FMC agrees, even though she clearly has some feels for the MMC. And this is after she's already had sex with him, as well. I just didn't understand the need for this subplot at all.
I will admit I skimmed from about 70% on. I was hoping the characters and plot would be redeemed but it just didn't happen. The theme was just so unbelievable, the characters flat, the pacing super slow, the writing unnecessarily wordy.
Overall, this one was just not for me.

Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon was a quick and cute read with so many OMG moments. This romantic comedy is set in the small town, of Milborough, and follows Ellie Greco, who's just trying to run her family's deli. The unexpected twists in this story had me hooked from start to finish.

I loved how the author seamlessly blended small-town charm with a plot full of surprises. Ellie's love for her family deli made the story even more real, and the fake engagement with Theo Taylor, the heir to the property management firm causing all the chaos, added a hilarious touch. Love You, Mean It is not your typical small-town fake dating romance; it's a rollercoaster of emotions with twists and moments that'll keep you turning the pages. This was a quick and easy read and all the characters were so much fun!

Thank you, NetGalley, Jilly Gagnon, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Dell for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Love You, Mean It releases April 30th 2024.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had been sick for a couple weeks and hadn’t picked up anything, this was a fun and fresh read to jump back in. A fake dating adventure in which Ellie and Theo team up in order to save her family business, I enjoyed the dimension in the both main characters and the supporting cast. The third act break-up and wrap up were a little rushed, but overall it was a great read!
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a very cute trope. It started differently then many I've read. It is fast paced and an easy read. The characters are well developed (even the small parts). My only downside is it seemed to wrap up quickly. I think the resolution could have taken more time. Definitely worth the read!

A fun romcom with a few tropes coming into play: enemies to lovers, fake relationship, amnesia.
I enjoyed all of the characters in this book. Mimi is a firecracker who I wouldn't be upset to get more of in the book. Ellie is at wits end about her life and her future, but she's uber talented and has a great sense of humor (and some of Mimi's firecracker personality too). Theo has more to him than meets the eye. Ted, Theo's dad, you'll enjoy despising. I found this to be a quick read with only a very few moments that slowed a bit. I really enjoyed the quick wit and snarky humor. There are a couple of spicy scenes, and they really like the F bomb, so reader beware if that's not your thing. Otherwise, this is a delightful read, and I really don't even understand the few low star rankings some reviewers have given this book. It's a romcom. It's not supposed to be reality - it's purely for enjoyment.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

i really wanted to like this one, i’m a lover of fake dating and thought the plot sounded cute. unfortunately, i was on the verge of dnfing this multiple times.

let me first say the two things i did like about this book:
- theo!!, he was so sweet and i felt like i could genuinely tell he cared about ellie, i wish we got to see his pov
- bella!! she was such an amazing cousin & support system, i wish we got to see even more of her

now onto the things i disliked about this book:
- everything moved soooo fast, i think this would’ve worked way better as a slow burn, it would’ve given the time to fully give depth to the characters & their relationship
- it was a pretty big point that ellie was close with her family, but we only really saw her relationship with bella, and even that wasn’t really given a lot of depth. i liked in the beginning how we got to see the whole family, and how it was clear how much they meant to her. but then it felt like we barely saw them again.
- everything about the sam plot line i absolutely DESPISED. it was so unnecessary, i would’ve been fine with sam & ellie being friends but they just completely ruined it and it was really annoying. everytime that plot line was brought back up i had the urge to dnf
- i honestly could not stand ellie and her push and pull with theo. she did not trust him but continued to hook up & give him the impression that they were more than just a fake relationship. and yet every single time something happened she would pull away and regret it. i totally understand having trust and commitment issues, but she never communicated anything with him until the third-act breakup, where everything just blew up and honestly ruined the whole book for me. i thought this could still maybe be a 3 star read, but once i got to that part, it immediately went down because i was so miserable & just trying to get to the end

This book started really slow for me, it took me a few chapters to actually be interested in the plot. Saying that the amnesia trope… if that’s a thing was something I really wanted it to lean more heavily into. The characters were likable enough and I liked the strong family that was shown through the whole book.

Normally I am a sucker for fake dating, but this book fell a little flat for me. I think my biggest obstacle was that I really did not like the female main character. I found her annoying and well, she complained endlessly, and it just grated on my nerves. She also seemed to self-sabotage then get upset about it. It was confusing to me. Theo on the other hand seemed like a decent enough of a character, but he couldn’t carry the whole book. I also struggled with the pacing. The book started off with a nice clip to it, then it fizzled and came to a screeching slow down, much like hitting rush hour traffic, which is also frustrating. I also struggled with how Theo lied to Sam about his relationship with Ellie. While they were “fake dating” they did actually hook-up rather quickly despite not liking each other, and then Theo told Sam nothing was going on. That just rubbed me the wrong way. The chemistry between Theo and Ellie was also lacking, and I just couldn’t root for them in the end.

While I was hoping to get a nice fluffy rom-com to cleanse my palate, I got a book that will stick with me, but not good the best reasons.

While this book was a miss for me, it might not be for you so take this review with a grain of salt.

Thank you to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I do with this book all the success it deserves.

*This book was gifted by netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*
IF✨YOU✨LOVE✨HALLMARK✨MOVIES✨READ✨THIS✨ASAP!!!!!!! This was a super cute fast read. I would describe it as reverse grumpy/sunshine romance. The main character Ellie Greco is a self made fashion designer who gave up her dreams to take the reins for her family deli business. The love interest Theo ‘Trip’ Taylor is a family business man working for his families, specifically his douchebag tycoon father’s, real-estate company . In a turn of events these two people are thrust into a spontaneous fake dating engagement arrangement. It’s so incredibly cute and I recommend everyone add it to their tbr. The chemistry between the two characters is everything and the quips and banter between them had me grinning so much my cheeks hurt. The end also had me on the edge of my seat the turn of events had me gasping and crossing my fingers that everything was be okay😭 I recommend 100%.

It’s complicated. But, if it was a perfect love story, we probably would be bored.

Ellie, 28, left her dream world in NY as a costume designer when her father died. She immediately decided to stay in the town near Boston to manage the beloved family deli. However, after some time, there was news that the owner of the sports store nearby was retiring and emptying all assets. There was a rumor that the space was set to become an organic market of sorts. If that happened, her small deli could be in trouble – making her overly nervous.

Ellie discovered that the Taylor Family was the landlord and had a reputation of one goal: to make money. She found out a familiar face from her high school, Theo Taylor,r was managing the lease. He was one of those unreachable handsome rich kids, now 30. She needed to figure out a plan fast to convince Theo and his father to lease this space to someone else. The question was: how?

It’s always fun to read a fast-paced steamy romance story that can easily lead into a long evening. There were only a few key characters to keep track of from two families. One needed a good imagination to feel the attraction of the love birds -- two totally opposite personalities. It’s one of those romantic comedies that is totally predictable but that’s okay. It’s a good book to take to the beach.

My thanks to Dell Publishing Company and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 30, 2024.