Love You, Mean It was a cute fun rom-com with enemies to lovers an amnesia trope thrown in. I really enjoyed reading this book and could connect to Ellie the main character and loved her family dynamic and the family business. I would definitely read more romances from Jilly Gagnon and could see her writing about other characters from this story. Rating this 3/3.5 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

After a glamorous stint in New York City, Ellie Greco finds herself running her family’s deli in the small town of Milborough after her beloved father’s death. She’s (mostly) resigned herself to her fate, with her sewing machine gathering dust and the day-to-day deli operations monotonous. However, with the impending sale of a local building to Mangea, an upscale Italian supply store, Ellie has to team up with an unlikely ally to maybe make both of their dreams come true.

While I’m confident there is something for everyone in LOVE YOU MEAN IT (this book has so many tropes it’s almost eye watering), it missed the mark with me. As a protagonist, Ellie had a frustrating amount of self-sabotage and martyrdom– and while her chemistry with the MMC was impressive, her overall poor decision making made it difficult to see a way the two of them fit (without a lot of therapy and open communication).

Additionally, rather than being quick and peppy– this book seemed to drag on and on and on. Rather than focusing on one or two themes, it felt as many tropes as possible were crammed into this story which made the entire story feel bogged down. And some of the major plot points weren’t even resolved at the end <spoiler> I mean, they were still engaged at the end of the book. Were they going to get married? Keep up the charade of an engagement until they became officially engaged? What was their plan there?? </spoiler>

Overall, LOVE YOU MEAN IT had the makings of something really special– but it felt like it bit off more than it could chew.

This was a sweet and fun romance that helped pull me out of a book slump post-HOFAS. With a similar trope of "While You Were Sleeping", Ellie and Theo's story is a classic enemies-to-lovers who find themselves in a mutually beneficial fake-relationship.

Ellie, determined to save her upscale gourmet deli, faces Theo and his estranged father, Ted, the wealthy property owners of a soon-to-be upscale gourmet superstore. When her tour of the building goes awry due to a freak accident, Ellie follows Theo to the hospital and, to her own surprise, blurts of that she is Theo's fiancée while they wait for treatment. Theo's short-term memory loss doesn't last long, but rather than resent Ellie for her deception, Theo proposes that the two pretend to be engaged: this would salvage Ellie's business from being overrun by Magia while allowing Theo to develop the building his own way. Each are hesitant to trust the other, but they reluctantly agree to play along as twists such as Theo's overbearing father and the entrance of his ex-girlfriend, Sam.

This romance was my first foray into the "While You Were Sleeping" trope and honestly, I'm glad that it didn't last the whole novel, with Theo instead playing along until coming clean to Ellie. I love a good enemies-to-lovers, too, but it didn't seem as natural between Ellie and Theo, if only because of the former. Ellie was a tough character to like: she had an overwhelming tendency to bury her feelings and deny any kind of emotion, leading to overly dramatic situations that left me exasperated. I also would have rather seen Sam, Theo's ex, as less of an adversary and someone more in on the schtick. I think it created an unnecessary extra layer of drama for Ellie especially to work through.

Overall, this was cute and a quick read that I enjoyed and would absolutely recommend.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Overall, this was a cute, relatively light read! I did find the pacing to be a little off at some parts, and I think Ellie and Theo’s relationship could’ve been fleshed out a lot more — they really went from “enemies” (though not really), to a brief memory lapse, to agreeing to fake date, to actually hooking up, to loving each other, but it wasn’t as seamless as I’d hoped. I did enjoy the writing of the author, but I wish I’d liked the characters a bit more (though I love Sam and thought her and Ellie’s banter was better than Theo’s). Thanks for the arc!

Thank you Netgalley and Dell Publishing for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really, really wanted to love this one but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me and I was dreading the last half of the book. The premise of an amnesia-induced fake engagement scheme was super fun. I'm extremely happy that this part of the story wasn't (unethically) dragged out longer than it needed to and the fun banter between the two characters was well done.

My biggest issue(s) were with the main characters and the secondary plot that overshadowed the originally story. Sam's (Theo's ex) purpose in stirring up drama didn't really serve its intended purpose and by the second half of the book, I was actually rooting for her instead of Ellie, the FMC. The third act conflict was so stress-inducing and its eventual resolution felt choppy and rushed. I'm a raging feminist but I've never been so frustrated with a female character. Me??? Siding with a MAN? 😮‍💨 I honestly would not have been surprised if the main characters didn't end up together or if they didn't stay together past the book, which I don't love feeling after reading a romance book. 😕

This was a cute, easy read, but it didn’t hold my attention and I found myself putting it down a lot. I’m not sure why - maybe it was the characters, maybe because it was predictable - but I don’t think I would read it again.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4

the slowburn was slowburning pls the first time they kissed was 50ish% through the book. I didn't love this book but I liked it enough that I might reread it at some point in the future. (probably when I get the physical copy I preordered)

I liked the vibe between her and Sam and I love that she ended up realizing that she could care about the deli and follow her passion by creating clothes at the same time, that those aren't mutually exclusive paths. we love bella (not just bc that's my name) she was trying her hardest to make sure it all worked out and she was prepared for anything.

idk what it says about Theos judgement that he went along with it but ig he had a head injury so it's excusable.

i didn't love her hate all the rich viewpoint bc it seemed like she just hated anyone who was rich or popular in high school like those aren't defining characteristics in someone's personality they should have no sway on how you treat someone. she was right about some of them but characterizing a large group based on the actions of few is not right. maybe the outliers are actually the people like Paul or Ted and most people are nice.

I also hated the way Theo acted when he was on the defensive during that one fight - that's not the way you treat people you love and his actions afterwards made me not like him

chase = 💔💔💔
ellies dad = 💔💔💔

I was crying actual tears at like 3 points in the book but idk if that says something about the book or me.

yk what I think both ellie and Theo would benefit from? a therapist. they need to talk out their issues and fix them. they both need to work on their coping mechanisms.

This book was a great read and refreshingly had more to offer than the standard romance story. Knowing the genre and how most enemy to lover books goes, it was easy to predict the outcome of the book from the very beginning. The stage is set early to address the main conflict in the story, but there was surprising turns in the characters and their traits. Each part leaves you wanting to know what happens next as both main characters become more vulnerable to the reader and most importantly each other.

The premise of this book sounded interesting (they are fake engaged to save her family business), but it did not work for me.

The characters were my biggest issue. Theo (MMC) was fine, I guess. He had a backstory that could've been explored a lot more, but instead fell flat. He sometimes came off as cold. Ellie (FMC) was unlikable. She was negative and judgmental and I could've understand why she did some of the things she did. Her friendship with Sam (Theo's ex) was something I could've done without. Sam was annoying. It was shitty to say she'd only help Ellie save her family business if she helped her get back together with Theo.... who is an adult and made it clear he didn't want to get back together with her.

Overall, the book was very frustrating and if it wasn't an arc, I would've DNFed it. I think with more likable characters and losing the ex storyline (or ending it earlier), I would've enjoyed it more.

So this was the first book that I have read from Jilly Gagnon. When I first started it, Ellie was annoying, and I had to put it down. Then once I picked it up again, I was able to continue. Basically this was a good book. I do like the fake engagement story line, as well as when Theo lost his memory for a short time and then still going along with the fake engagement. I thought Theo was great but I had a hard time with Ellie. She seemed a very immature and caused drama. So that was one thing I wished she was different. It really had some cute parts too though. I did enjoy reading it and would recommend.

you're telling me Jilly Gagnon the mystery writer is writing an enemies to lovers with amnesia and fake dating? okay sign me up. yes please. i'm here for it. 1000 percent. it was super fun. i needed this so much

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun book. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers, but this book was even better because there's amnesia AND a fake engagement. The characters were so well-rounded as well.

I recommend this book to fans of dislike to love, fake engagements/dating, and strong side characters.

DNF at 60%. I kept with this book until the secondary plot was introduced of the MMC's old girlfriend wanting the FMC to help her get back with him. But mostly, I really didn't like the FMC's personality and her potty mouth did not add anything except to make me dislike her more. The relationship between the couple didn't seem to work and the sex just felt like an add in.

This one was hard for me to get into but I'm glad I picked it back up. I really enjoyed the tropes and the eventual progress of the characters.

This is a romantic comedy with flair. It has interesting characters who are willing to do almost anything to get what they want. Ellie and Theo embark on a fake engagement that will leave readers turning the pages and laughing. They will entertain and surprise readers at every turn. Readers will love how the story concludes as Ellie and Theo falls in love.

Deeply enjoyed how this was a real estate book and gourmet foods book in addition to being a fun and fizzy enemies-to-lovers romp. Bonus points for how well the snooby WASPs and peculiar geographies of suburban Massachusetts are captured.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Ellie Greco and Theo Taylor are an unlikely duo for anything, never mind posing as an engaged couple. Ellie is working in her father's legacy deli, trying to keep it from going out of business with the threat of superstore Mangia coming to town per Theo Taylor's father's development deal. At first glance, Ellie is a little bit scrappy and direct with no desire to beat around the bush or mince words. Theo, on the other hand, comes from wealth and privilege and oozes class and seems all business with a time is money attitude.

One concussion and falsehood gone viral later, they are posing as significant others because it could benefit both of them. Ellie can potentially save her deli and Theo can focus on a different real estate project of interest. Selling the lie isn't as difficult or as fake as it seems except when Theo's dad or ex begin to meddle. I really didn't think I could believe in their building chemistry, but I was absolutely sold on it and appreciating how much Theo cared for Ellie. Even more amusing is how much Ellie tries to distance herself from buying into the authenticity of their mutual feelings and making a bit of a mess of it all. However, I enjoyed watching Ellie struggle and fail only to see her finally connect the dots and realize that she has to confront her feelings and make the effort to pull herself out of her self-imposed rut to achieve her goals. Theo continued to surprise me in the best ways and didn't disappoint with his business negotiations even at the very end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️From Random House Publishing: Ellie Greco wishes she weren’t stuck in Milborough. For a few brief, shining years, she escaped her hometown to pursue her dream career—until her father's death five years ago called her home to run the family's decades-old deli. 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.

When an accident leaves 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 but seeing no other option, she reluctantly agrees.

Then Sam, Theo’s ex-fiancée, reappears on the scene. Not only does she see through their ruse, but she proposes an arrangement of her own, forcing Ellie to decide between a blossoming friendship, her family legacy, and the burgeoning romance she frankly never asked for.
*********************
My review: Ellie and Theo are both flawed and hurt. Both wanting to do something to keep the past alive. While Ellie's initial "I'm the fiancée" declaration was super trite and silly, it worked because Theo is not as oblivious, amnesiac, and shallow as she thought.
Ex girlfriend Sam is fun...you never know whether to trust her or not. Is she a help for Ellie's self proclaimed fish-out-of-water persona, or not? The author kept me wondering how and if Ellie, Theo and Sam could pull off the plan to benefit all of them.

I liked the fun, witty banter and humor throughout the book. The story interested me but I wish Ellie had a bit more self confidence and was a little more likeable. She stands up for herself at times but spends too much time thinking about being the fish-out-of-water. With that attitude it was a stretch to see how Theo saw her any other way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

Love You, Mean It...
Overall this was a good book. I do like the fake engagement trope, along with Theo losing his memory for a short time and then still going along with the fake engagement. I thought Theo was great but I struggled with Ellie. She just seemed a little immature and caused drama. So that was one thing I wish was different. It really had some cute moments though. I think this book will hit well with some and not so well with others. I did enjoy reading it and would recommend.