While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

You Had Me At Happy Hour is a fun and spicy mm romance that has you falling head over heels for Julien and Greg.

These two in the beginning could not be any more different. But that is that magic of Janovsky’ work because these two go together like the ingredients to the best cocktail ever. Julien is a sweet and insecure fireball of emotions and cannot help but wear his emotions on his sleeves and Greg is the beautiful bartender hunk that really needs a break to get his life back on track financially, socially and romantically after his recent breakup. Ultimately they both need their fresh new start, Greg needs to make money at his new gig to get his debt under control and Julien needs to get through his sommelier program and get out of his aunt and uncles hair.

I’ve read several of Janovsky’s work and to date this has to be my favorite one. The overall storyline was so engaging but what had me was how intimate it was romantically and sexually. I loved getting to see mm sex and romance look different than traditional dynamics. You Had Me At Happy Hour has a raw and unique look into varying sexual relationships and dynamics while also breaking down the stereotypes gay men and even straight men experience in the bedroom.

I loved the characters, the spice, and the love that Julien and Greg found for one another. This was a 4.5 star read for me and a stand out amongst Janovksy’s other work for me.

Parts of this I adored. But others fell quite little flat..

First of all, I enjoy a good "unlikeable" character. Especially when they go through a great arc. I did think that there were times Julien pushed it a little too far (that opening scene with the wine for instance). But overall I enjoyed the characters.

I appreciated the neurodiversity rep, the discussions on social media, and trying to find your place in the world.

I HATED the entire 3rd act...

Overall this author seems to be hit or miss for me. While this one wasn't all bad, it definitely fell more into the 'miss' category.

This was a fast and satisfying read, the slow-burn friendship/relationship development and the cautious mental health discussions followed by the unguarded acceptances were so wholesome to read 🥲

TWs - OCD on page (Julien), anxiety on page (Greg), DUI and accident with a child in the car (Julien's past)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I'm appreciating the relatable neurodiversity rep in romance right now, and this book really leans into an opposites attract dynamic that works well for their personalities. Julien's OCD, stuffy disposition, and distaste for interpersonal relationships are initially off putting, but getting to know him through his interactions with Greg, the likeable, fun, yet vulnerable mixologist battling anxiety really had me invested in their happiness. I liked them together, especially as they started to peel away the protective layers and became more vulnerable. And I think the sexual chemistry and honest friendship they build really elevate the dynamic. I also really enjoyed the side characters, especially Julien's aunt and uncle and Greg's cousin and girlfriend. I'd gladly visit them at happy hour any time!

Thank you @harlequinbooks, @afterglow_books, and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.

sigh. Not my favorite of Timothy Janovsky's tbh. I actively despise the last third of this book and it had me questioning the characters, which was rough since I wasn't like in love with them to begin with. I read You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince and really loved that one, but this one just didn't have the same spark for me with the characters. Not my fav, but I did like it a good amount before that third act.

Wow! First off the communication in this book about all their bigger issues was absolutely fantastic ! Truly it has been awhile since I have seen such open communication done well in a book! I'll even be kind about the third act break up because they both had a lot trauma that they were processing and didn't want the risk of heartbreak! Also I am huge sucker for bartender and anything set in restuarants !

Rounded up from 4.5 stars 🌟

"𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘻𝘻, 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘥, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵."


This was such an incredibly deep and sweet story (under all the spicy scenes LOL) - but it's about friends with benefits, so you know, that's expected 😅

Also, let me tell you how utterly DISORIENTING it is to read a book that is set where you live LOL I don't live IN Bethlehem, but I frequent it, and I can vividly picture exactly where everything was as I was reading/listening.

🍷 LGBTQ+ Romance
🥃 Opposites Attract
🍷 Anxiety/OCD Rep
🥃 Sommelier/Bartender
🍷 Friends With Benefits
🥃 Not So Meet Cute
🍷 Realizing What's Important

A big thank you to @harlequinbooks, @afterglow_books and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this review! Audiobook narrated by @itsmarksanderlin 🎶
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#bookstagram #booksta #books #booksbooksbooks #avidreader #ilovereading #thetwistedlibrarian #professionalbookworm #youhadmeathappyhour #timothyjanovsky #book87of2024 #whatsnikkireading #whatsnikkilisteningto #lgbtqiap #romance #anxiety #ocd #oppositesattract #friendswithbenefits #sommelier #bartender #notsomeetcute #realizingwhatsimportant #bethlehempa #allentownpa

I loved this book, I felt like these characters were real and I want them to be my friends and now that I'm done I miss them! But beyond that this is definitly one of my top reads of the year, the story kept me guessing I was surprised and loved the way it ended! a must read!

Timothy Janovsky is a magical human being who always writes the messiest characters who are just MADE for each other! I especially love how his characters have such depth and are often dealing with challenges that can be pretty heavy, but they always treat each other with grace and respect. I especially love the conversation Julien and Greg have about Greg's ED, and how they experiment with different ways to have a connective, and fulfilling sex life together while also navigating Julien's OCD. Don't ask me why, but I found it hilarious that this book walked the line of the miscommunication trope multiple times but never actually crossed into that trope. pretty meta if you ask me.

The content warning was very helpful and tasteful as well.

If you’re looking for a romance that blends heart, heat, and heartfelt mental health representation, YHMAHH delivers it all. This story follows a bartender and a wine sommelier who, despite their different worlds and the baggage they carry, find an intoxicating connection in each other. Janovsky crafts their love story with a tenderness that balances passion with genuine care, creating a story that’s both incredibly steamy and deeply sweet.

Janovsky’s books always resonate with me, but this one stands out for its perfect blend of humor, sweetness, and heart. It’s a love story that will stay with you, and if you’re already a fan of Janovsky, this book is sure to become a favorite.

“You Had Me at Happy Hour” is a romance between a mixologist and a sommelier who have to pair up and plan happy hours together. Julien and Greg are initially at odds with each other, but as they work together they start a friends with benefits relationship that eventually turns to love. Both men have mental health issues, which I felt the author handled well. The relationship between the two men was sweet, although there were plenty of steamy scenes to enjoy. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, so you reallyunderstand how both men feel. There were also plenty of interesting side characters to add debth to the story. I liked this story and rate it four stars.

This is a short and predictable romance (which I don't say as a critique necessarily) that builds the relationship between the two main characters using strong communication skills, especially in the bedroom. However, the major conflict hinges on miscommunication and resolves itself far too easily over a fairly short conversation. Overall, this is an okay romance and a lot steamier than the other Janovsky romance I've read; I'll continue reading his romances, but this book hasn't pushed his others up my TBR.

After the fake dating game, Timothy Janovsky had literal miles to climb to meet any of my expectations again. I hated that book so much that I was actually skeptical to read anything else by him. But my love for never been kissed and new adult led me to give this one a chance. If he can write a great debut and follow up then surely not all of their books can be bad. And this book isn't bad not necessarily. It's also not that good.

I feel like this book thrives on the first two parts and absolutely crumbles for the last third. I really loved the OCD representation as well as the anxiety representation and the medicated representation we get from both of our main characters. I was intrigued by the concept that both of them served alcohol for a living but didn't drink very much. As someone who has worked in hospitality for over a decade, I enjoyed the hospitality aspect. I even liked their sex pact but the ending of this book totally lost me.

Someone else mentioned that this author is more dedicated to quantity over quality at this point and I am on the verge of agreeing. It feels like he constantly has a new book out yet I don't think that he's spending enough time with each book. This could have been so much better than it was. I also feel like the queer representation is getting really pigeonholed. His first couple books had more dynamic queer representation and now it really just reads as a sex-obsessed cis gay man and I am kind of over it truly.

2.5 stars

I have been in the biggest reading slump the past few months, especially when it comes to romance , so I'm just getting to reading this one. I'm glad I waited till I got my groove back because I thoroughly enjoyed this one .

You Had Me at Happy Hour is an MM romance by Timothy Janovsky with heart and steam. Quality mental health rep with both our main characters. Julien has OCD and Greg has anxiety . Both their conditions affect them int he bedroom which actually ends up making them a perfect match when it comes to intimacy.

Overall You Had me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky is an opposites attract , hook up to more romance between a bartender and a sommelier filled with found family, mental health rep, a sex pact, toys, steam, TikToks, a bit of miscommunication, and a happy ending.

Janovsky always writes interesting characters with plots that feel realistic. It's almost as if hearing a story told by a close friend of a past experience that lead them to finding their partner. With happy ever afters for characters that deserve that calmness you can count on "You Had Me at Happy Hour" to deliver the same.

Love everything Timothy writes!!! Highly recommend for fans of his work and anyone really who loves a queer romcom.

Being forced to work closely with your work nemesis always leads to more.
At least in books.
Greg & Julien are both great characters I loved watching them unravel the mysteries surrounding each other.
Add in some tasty sounding mixed drinks and a cute small town setting and you have a winner.
Much love to NetGalley & Harlequin - Romance for my ARC.

3.5 stars. I enjoy Janovsky's writing as it's easy to relate to the characters. This one was short and sweet. I did feel like a lot of the plot was summarized in one sentence when I would have rather had it play out on page. There were some very confusing decisions the characters made and time jumps that I wish were fleshed out more. But overall, another cute read!

You Had Me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky is a delightful romantic comedy that expertly blends humor and heartfelt moments. The story follows two characters navigating the ups and downs of love and friendship in the vibrant backdrop of a bar scene. Janovsky’s witty dialogue and relatable situations make for an engaging read, while the exploration of self-discovery and personal growth adds depth to the narrative. This charming tale is perfect for fans of lighthearted romances that leave you with a smile.