Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Ellie Greco is stuck in Milborough. After her dad died, she took over the beloved family deli and had to move home from NYC, giving up her fashion-based hopes and dreams. At least, that’s the story she’s been telling herself.

When a local property management firm, run by the rich (handsome) snob from high school, threatens to bring a posh food hall into her space, Ellie is forced to rethink her priorities, and the story of her life.

Tropes include fake dating, a charming family business, and enemies to lovers. I thought Gagnon did a great job emphasizing the female friendships and how Ellie valued finding new friends as much as she valued romance. Milborough felt charming and real, and I loved the family interactions, which weren’t as saccharine as they sometimes can be.

I’d call this a solid romance. I thought the slow burn was steamy and I was invested in the outcome.

I give it 7.5/10 stars and recommend it to anyone who loves a good modern romance that’s sweet but not sickly so.

Ellie runs a deli in a small town and is loving her life that is heavily involving her Italian family....that is until she finds out that a rival store is coming to town that could disrupt everything. The project is spearheaded by Theo; a man with a complicated past and very business driven. Ellie tries to talk to Theo, but an encounter leaves Theo developing amnesia....from here calamity ensues, along with a spark that the two of them cannot deny!
Overall I enjoyed the book. It was giving me While you were Sleeping Vibes mixed with a fake dating trope. Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for a cute romance!

I was so excited when someone from Random House reached out to me and asked me to read this book. I love a good romance book and will jump at the chance to read new authors. This book was right up my alley and fun to read. I like to read for fun and to escape, so these type of books are enjoyable for me. I thought Ellie and Theo were cute and I enjoyed their story. Like most romance books, it was cheesy and silly at times, but I still enjoyed the read.

I read this book in a day and I never looked back! The twist and the plot were pretty easy to identify but the different POV's kept me intrigued to see how everything was going to unfold. A couple of the characters were so unlikable that it made it hard to feel bad or connect with them in any way. I do wish that the ending would've given a little more, I wanted to know how the characters dealt with the aftermath.


*I received a copy of this eARC via NetGalley*

A beautiful and exciting story! I loved the characters and was rooting for them the whole time. A must read!

The synopsis sounded like a good rom-com to get into. I read through chapter 5 and decided to not continue. I pushed through chapter 5, it failed to grab me from the start. Ellie’s negative and not very likeable. She felt flat to me during those first couple of chapters.

This is the first time I don’t finish an ARC. I always like to provide my feedback after finishing a book. Sadly, this one didn’t do it for me.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was super cute!! It had lighthearted moments, business talk, family drama and even some sex thrown in.

Ellie and Theo aren't a match. At least not an obvious one. When life unexpectedly (read: Ellie steps in and immediately gets in over her head) throws them together they come to a mutual agreement to benefit them both, business wise.

I truly enjoyed this book. I only wish the ending took more time to really enjoy how they come back together. I also think this book could use a sequel/followup. It could be about Sam & Everett but, if course, would give updates on Ellie and Theo as well.

I would recommend this book!

Really fun story with well developed characters. It felt believable throughout and not forced. I enjoyed it and would not mind reading it again.

this was pretty mid. we’ve all heard the story of the fmc trying to save such and such, falls in love along the way, and they live hea. unfortunately this didn’t bring anything new to the table. i enjoyed it for what it was but i wouldn’t go out of my to recommend or read again

Ellie is stuck running the family deli after her dad dies. In comes a management company representative, the maddening Theo, who won’t listen to Ellie’s plea’s that the mega store proposed will put the town’s small proprietors out of business. But when a ceiling falls on top of him at that property and he develops amnesia (yep) Ellie convinces him he’s her fiancé to get him on her side. When he realizes she’s lied he amazingly convinces her to carry on the fiancé charade so they can together fight his family’s management company on this issue. She doesn’t quite trust him but the fake starts to turn into… something.

Love me some fake relationship novels and this one doesn’t disappoint. This fake relationship is very believable and realistic. These are multidimensional characters- well written, quirky, and appealing. It’s a sometimes fun and sometimes serious but ultimately delightful story. And there are some really nice naughty bits!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

“Love You, Mean It” is a rom-com by Jilly Gagnon. I liked the synopsis of this book - it seemed like a rather cute one. Overall, this had fake dating, amnesia (though used effectively I thought), family business, a bit of spice, and some cute one-liners. What I didn’t like was all the focus of the main character on her lack of bust (okay, it wasn’t a huge focus but it was mentioned enough times to remind me how bothersome I found the focus), the over-the-topness of a parent, and the fact that a minor character (I thought) at times was more interesting than the main female lead. This book wasn’t perfect - and it had its moments - but it was an okay read. 3.25 stars overall.

Ellie learns that an Italian marketplace type shop is coming soon to town and is afraid it will run her little family-owned deli out of business. She goes to talk to the guy in charge of the project about it and things take a wild turn when he suffers a concussion which results in temporary amnesia. Ellie pretends to be his fiancee so that she make make sure he's okay, but then he suggests they continue to pretend because neither of them want Mangia to take over the building in question. Ellie agreees, but the lines begin to blur as she spends time with him and gets to know him. Is this fake engagement turning real or is it all in her head?

It's a cute fake dating story with plenty of spice.

Love You, Mean It, by Jilly Gagon, is a fun romantic read with a few good twists. When Ellie goes to plead with the head of a big corporation that threatens to put her small-town business out of business, an accident seems to hand her the answer to saving her family's deli. It seems to be working until her "fiance's" ex shows up and threatens to complicate things. Twists and laughable situations keep things moving. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook to read for this review. My opinions are all my own.

I enjoyed this one for what it was, I liked the idea of the plot!

but truly I didn’t love the involvement of Theo’s ex….that is where my main issue came from. I also just didn’t feel like I could connect to the main characters as much as I would have liked too. but I will say I thoroughly enjoyed the authors writing. while I didn’t love the story, I like how she wrote the story! the chemistry felt slightly off to me as well. I just never felt like it was believable or felt anything between Ellie & Theo unfortunately.

but it definitely doesn’t deter me from reading more from this author in the future, I feel she is a very strong writer & I just unfortunately didn’t connect to this book as much as I thought I would.

This was a light read. It's an enjoyable story with characters to love and characters to hate, but the characterization of the protagonist was uneven- there were several times where I was pulled out of the book by the thought that this character would not do this or believe this or think this. That made it harder to stay invested in the plot. Also, given what happens, I felt the resolution of the various conflicts came a little too easily. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, though.

Love you mean it!

I am not typically a romance fan but I immediately loved the title. Then after reading the synopsis, I thought I would give it a shot. And I am so glad I did! This was like While You were Sleeping meets You Got Mail.

Ellie comes home to run her family’s deli after her father dies and has feelings of being stuck. But when her beloved deli is threatened by a big box store, she does whatever she can to save it. Including the fake engagement to Theo, property manager and guy who is trying to bring the big box store to her town.

Theo also has feelings of being stuck in a job he hates so when he ends up getting hurt at the job site and gets temporary amnesia, he just happens to figure out a way to get what he and Ellie both want.
There are a few pretty cool side characters that help the FMC realize what she actually wants in life.
Spice level is pretty tame too and somewhat helps the reader see the growing feelings that are unspoken.

so unfortunately, i did not love this. i didn't connect at all with the FMC ellie, and then it felt like the whole story was building-building-building only to ultimately wrap up in mere moments with a magic like apology accepted! yay! and done. there wasn't enough resolution or payoff and i left the story feeling blah.

rating: 4 stars

this is like a while you were sleeping x you've got mail wet dream like i'm seriously so in love with this concept and this book does it so much justice i had so so so much fun reading this <3 and with the movie the other zoey coming out ??? this is literally PERFECT

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, Greco's Deli's very existence is suddenly in jeopardy.

She tries to plead her case to Theo Taylor, scion of the property management firm 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, reluctantly agrees.

And miraculously, the fake engagement seems to be working—even Ted, Theo’s shrewd, cold father seems convinced—that is until Sam, Theo’s ex-fiance, reappears on the scene. Not only does she see through their ruse, she proposes an arrangement of her own, forcing Ellie to decide between blossoming friendship, her family legacy, and the burgeoning romance she frankly never asked for.

From deli dilemmas to amnesia antics, Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gignon had me hooked from the first page!

Ellie's determination to save her family's generations-old deli is inspiring. In a changing world, she's navigating new paths to keep the deli relevant in her beloved neighborhood.

Then enters Theo, whose family is about to make a decision that could jeopardize Ellie's family deli – selling their empty building to the imposing Mangia conglomerate. It's a recipe for disaster until fate takes the reins.

In an unexpected twist, Ellie's confrontation with Theo leads to an accident that erases his memory. Seizing the moment, she poses as his fiancée to stay close, but little does she know, amnesia isn't the only surprise in this delightful story.

A chance encounter and a faux engagement lead to a charming rollercoaster of emotions. As the facade of their engagement continues, Ellie begins to question whether this arrangement is merely business. Can she trust Theo with her heart as well as her family's legacy?

With each "date" they share, doubts grow, and the stage is set for a love story that is as deliciously complicated as it is heartwarming.

Love You, Mean It serves up a captivating blend of romance, humor, and the power of second chances. You won't be able to put it down!

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishers and Jilly Gagnon for an advanced e-book copy. Love You, Mean it comes out April 30,2024.

I received this one as a granted wish and I'm SO glad I did! This is your standard friends-to-lovers story that has a very Hallmark-esque setting of her family's deli. Of COURSE she butts heads with the competing owner and winds up in a situation she never pictured herself in. The storyline really dove into their relationship from the start, keeping me hooked within the first few chapters. Their development felt realistic and I enjoyed their chemistry with just the right amount of spice - the perfect feel-good rom-com to get anyone out of a reading slump!