You Had Me At Happy Hour by Timothy Javonsky follows Julien, an aspiring sommelier, as he struggles to help keep his family’s failing restaurant afloat all the while navigating his feelings towards Greg, a famous tik tok star who takes a job bartending to help promote business at the restaurant.

Not a lot of books can keep me as entertained and engaged as this one and after a while, I had a hard time convincing myself to put it down. The characters were all interesting in their own ways and I found myself rooting for them up until the very end. The author very clearly knew what he was talking about which was something I found very evident the further along I got.

I loved how the author handled the topics of OCD and anxiety and found it very heartwarming how much care was taken into account for every character who endured it. Would highly recommend.

Julien is a small-town sommelier looking to move toward bigger and better opportunities while Greg is a TikTok star looking to find a home and community that embraces him. When they come together to put on happy hour events to help promote Julien’s family restaurant, sparks begin to fly.
I think the leads are both well developed and have their own differing motivations which are strong and help make the story interesting. The spicy scenes were fun and at points more nuanced than some other similar books – especially while dealing with OCD, ED, and intimacy issues. As usual, when things fall apart, Greg and Julien both make choices that are disappointing, but I think that helps make the payoff at the end of the book more special.
With the clearly different motivations at the beginning of the book, it becomes apparent as you move through the book that what they’re actually looking for isn’t that different and I think that is part of what makes them so enjoyable as characters.
Timothy Janovsky is one of my favorite authors for this kind of book and this one doesn’t disappoint! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book!

If you love a good grumpy/flirty trope story that is delightfully spicy, with a side of anxiety, OCD, and parental issues, this is the book for you!

It can sometimes take me a bit to get into a book, but that didn’t happen with this one. I was hooked from the very beginning.

Julien and Greg have great chemistry together. The way they are able to accept each other’s insecurities is really nice. Both men have some mental health struggles, and they are able to be open with each other about them, which is refreshing to read.

Did I mention it was spicy? That part was very well written as well, if that’s your thing!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher providing the ARC for this book!

I have really enjoyed everything that I have read of Timothy Janovsky's so far and was very excited to be selected to get to read this new story. "You Had Me at Happy Hour" was just as great as everything else. I really enjoyed the discussions around mental health and mental wellness. It was refreshing to have characters embrace that aspect of themselves so fully. The character build up in this book was great. The spiciness was done very well. I gravitated more towards Greg in the story but definitely liked Julien by the end as well. Overall great read.

I recently read the book You had me at happy hour by Timothy Javonsky and found it to be an enjoyable and steamy romance novel. The story follows Julien Boire, an aspiring master sommelier who is focused on his career and avoiding distractions. But when he meets Greg Harlow, the hot new hire at his aunt and uncle's restaurant, he can't help but be drawn to him.

The characters in the book are well-developed, and I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between Julien and Greg. Their chemistry is palpable from the start, and the author does a great job of building tension and anticipation as they navigate their no-strings sex pact.

What sets this book apart, however, is its focus on the world of wine and mixology. The author clearly has a deep knowledge of these subjects and incorporates them into the story in a way that is both informative and entertaining. I found myself learning about different types of wine and cocktails while also enjoying the romance between Julien and Greg.

Overall, I would highly recommend You had me at happy hour to anyone looking for a fun and steamy romance novel with a unique setting. The book is well-written and engaging, and the characters are likable and relatable. Whether you're a wine aficionado or just looking for a fun read, this book is sure to satisfy.

This LGBTQIA+ romance story serves its readers a delicious mix of rivalry and attraction. The characters go into emotional depth that, overall, was unexpected for them. The small town but big dreams is a trope I love to read about. It's always something I could kinda relate to. The story was so cute and such a great read for those struggling with emotional vulnerability.

A spicy workplace rivals queer romance between a bartender and a sommelier was the perfect nightcap to spend my evenings with! Greg and Julien were both relatable (in very different ways), and everyone will be able to find something of themselves in them.

I, like Greg, gravitate towards introverted people. I liked how Greg and Julien were able to recognize themselves in each other, even with their different personalities. We do get some classic romance novel tropes, but experienced through the lens of mental health representation- for example, how might a neurodivergent, OCD, or general anxiety disorder brain lead to the miscommunication trope?

The one area where there is no miscommunication is the sex - it was refreshing to have clear communication and boundaries between set by the characters to ensure everyone’s needs were met. The sex in this book is different than any other queer romance I’ve read before. Because of one character’s ED and the other’s OCD, there are lots of creative work arounds for everyone’s pleasure. This is definitely a harlequin romance!

I think this would make a great vacation read. It’s light and fun and makes you want to drink responsibly. A great summer read.

Thanks to Harlequin Books and Net Galley, I was able to secure an eARC of ‘You Had Me At Happy Hour’. #YouHadMeatHappyHour #NetGalley
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Julien, a grumpy sommelier in training, is working as a server at his Aunt and Uncle’s restaurant, Martin’s Place. When the restaurant takes a dip in popularity, Martin hires Greg, a flirty TikTok mixologist, to help liven up the place. A few weeks into working together, Martin assigns them to create a series of Happy Hours, hoping they will further drive business. Neither Julien or Greg are looking for a relationship, but that’s doesn’t stop them from creating a no-strings sex pact.
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The chemistry and banter between Julien and Greg is electric; I was locked in from the start! Rooting for and loving these characters comes so easily. Almost every interaction between the two had me giggling and kicking my feet. All of the characters felt like real and relatable individuals. I loved every second of this novel. ‘You Had Me At Happy Hour’ is a (very) steamy workplace romance with great OCD and anxiety representation. Be on the lookout for this new release on July 23!

You Had Me At Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky

The Boy Meets Boy series from Janovsky is very cute and sweet and I love it, but it is a bit low on the spice scale. And then he started writing for Harlequin and I was warned (promised?) spice. First was Fake Dating Game, which scorched my face off, while still having the same charm and heart of his previous books. You Had Me at Happy Hour keeps the high scorch and introduces toys. Yes, please, more toys in romance thank you. But still kept me engaged with very real people with real issues and heart. Balance! Like a fine wine. See what I did there?

Julien Boire is a sommelier at his aunt and uncle’s restaurant, the aunt and uncle who raised him after his alcoholic parents lost parental rights. And you go, what, he’s a sommelier? But the way Julien tries to control the world and his life so no other bad things can surprise him, it makes total sense. Enter Greg, a former TikTok star, and new mixologist at the restaurant. Greg is charming and Julien has no time for this. But then they are forced by his aunt and uncle to work together for the restaurant. I just loved these two. I also really appreciated a story that included the effects of SRIs on a sex drive and the very kind and judgment free way Julien approached that. And also the very hot way lol. And while yes this was sold to me as hotter than Fake Dating Game, this one really got me in the feels. There’s a scene where Julien is talking with his aunt and I just cried. Anyways, a full spectrum of feels going on in this book. PLUS A CHARACTER NAMED AFTER ME. How could I not mention that part? She’s pretty great. And sparkly.

You Had Me at Happy Hour is out July 23, 2024.

my opinions kept going very back and forth about this book from loving it to meh, and back and forth and so on. however, i did overall enjoy this one, the ocd and anxiety representation was really amazing and awesome to read.

Loved this one so much! The mental health representation alone won it for me. But then there's aspects of men's health, emotional development, and the spicy scenes were extra spicy and full of all kinds of consent-driven dialogue. Loved it all so much.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early!

This was a fun read and I loved that it touched on the sensitive topics of mental health in a realistic and healthy way. I almost wish there had been a little more plot geared towards the restaurant and the actually happy hours, and just a little less talk of intimacy when they weren't in the moment. But overall, this was cute and fun and definitely a good read!

This is a long and angry-ish review so buckle up.

Now, I have OCD. I was hesitant about the OCD rep going into this, because very few romance books get OCD right— it’s just a sad fact, OCD always gets “cured” by love. I was actually starting to think this book would be different (aside from being a little stereotypical, the OCD rep was decent) but then a single line ruined it all: “OCD be damned”. Basically, without spoilers, Julien “turns off” his OCD in order to pursue a romantic relationship/take the next step. Thats 👏🏻 not 👏🏻 how 👏🏻 OCD 👏🏻 works 👏🏻! I got so angry reading that line. If I could just say “ocd be damned” every time I want to turn it off, my life would be so much easier! I also would have loved more of Julien’s POV to include his intrusive thoughts. I get it’s a romance book and that may “turn off” readers, but if you’re going to include an ugly disease, you gotta include the actual ugly. Instead, we just get one or two compulsions here and there with no real mental rumination or obsession over his triggers. Again, I get that’s it’s a romance book, but mental health rep matters.

I also didn’t feel the chemistry right away, because the entire relationship apart from the very very end seems to be only about lust. Sure there were emotional conversations, but immediately the two were comfortable with each other simply because they were attracted to one another? Where was the buildup? The end was nice, where there was a bit more depth to the relationship and we get to see the real feelings, but 75% of the book is just lust lust lust.

One thing I did love about the book was the consent and conversations around trauma and familial relationships. The consent was not just in the physical relationship but in every aspect of the relationship. There was (mostly) open communication, and that made me really happy to see.

Usually books surrounding wine and sommeliers come off as pretentious, but I genuinely felt Julien’s passion and there wasn’t pages upon pages of wine descriptions like another book I just read, which I won’t be mentioning due to the SMP boycott going on as I write this. It just felt like another career path the character was passionate about, and wanted to excel in.

Overall, I do recommend this book but with a HEAVY asterisk… please don’t take this as good OCD representation coming from someone with ocd. I get that everyone’s ocd looks different and I can appreciate that, but no one’s ocd is cured by love. Read it, enjoy the romance, but keep this in mind.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin romances for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

This book was such a good one! I fully immersed myself in the story of Julien and Greg, who both work at a bar and restaurant that is struggling a bit. They are tasked with working together on happy hour to try and mitigate some of the issues they’ve been having and one thing leads to another…(some spoilers below so be warned!)

Things I loved about this book:
First of all - I love how I can relate to something SO HaRD in every @timothyjanovsky book and this one is no exception. The anxiety is so real and as an alcoholic, I really appreciated how this story was handled and addressed.
I loved Julien. I loved that he was grumpy but also like the absolute sweetest man in the world. I wanted to hug him. With permission.
Greg - hiding a little behind his sunshine flirty personality. I see you!!! I see your heart. Greg’s side effects from medication had me hurting for him. He was doing his best. Ugh I just loved him so much.
I liked Julien’s aunt and uncle so much. They were great support. That story at the end by his aunt had me tearing up.
Loved Russell and Jessica. They made me giggle with their work nemesis stories.
I LOVE the sexy sweetness of this story. Like, this is some of the sweetest romance and then BAM dahs of spice and it’s always so hot and consensual and has me like 🌶️🥵👌🏻.
Also both of those silly boys realizing their feelings and being afraid. Relatable!!
That grand gesture had me swoooooooning.
Oh my GOD that epilogue 🫡🥵.

@timothyjanovsky you are a gem. I loved this story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely AMAZING. I would have never thought of a sommelier-bartender romance, but it works so well. I love the mental health representation and all of the things that come with it, and even though I have almost nothing in common with the main characters, I still loved it nevertheless. Now that’s a sign of a good book. 💗

4.5 ⭐️
Found family
LGBTQIA+ representation
Mental health representation
Men’s health representation

I enjoyed this book so much. Greg and Julien were beautiful together and so good at communicating about their mental/physical health. They were also so good about at helping one another and making sure they were comfortable. The way Julien handled the spicy situations was absolutely beautiful. The only thing they weren’t good at was communicating about their feelings and relationship. However, the miscommunication was handled wonderfully and was actually realistic. I would absolutely recommend this to others.

This was fine. I wasn’t really invested in the characters as a couple. I wish they were just friends instead. They really didn’t even seem to like each other outside of sex until ¾ of the way into the book. They did not communicate well at all and it honestly just got irritating as the book went on. I also don’t really like cheating in books and Greg basically cheated on Julien. He was thinking about kissing Stryker and slept over at his house while the two mmcs where still together and then immediately hooked up with Stryker when he went back to NYC? It kind of made their reunion less meaningful because he was just with another man that he still had feelings for. This would’ve just been better if they were friends because I did enjoy their time together, but I don’t think they are well suited as a couple.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'd give this book 4.5 stars if I could. I really like this author and I think I've read everything by him to date. After loving his first three books, I wasn't as enthused by "The Fake Dating Game". This one was better and I think it is due to the fact that I connected better with the characters. The last couple books have had a lot more spice to them which isn't my faveorite thing in books. Especially when I like the characters, I feel like I'm seeing something so intimate that I shouldn't be there. I appreciate the 'found family' vibes this book had as well as the topics that the book dealt with including anxiety and sexual disorders. I also had a few laugh out loud moments which is also a definite plus.

✰3.5-3.75 stars✰ rounded up

Julien is a sommelier with big aspirations, he wants to save his money and get out of his town for something bigger and better where he has more opportunities. Greg on the other hand feels like he had his moment of bigger and better and just wants to settle down in a place where he feels like he belongs and save his money to make up for the debt living in New York caused.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the representation and break from cookie cutter main characters. Julien has OCD and Greg has chronic anxiety. Julien prefers a very specific routine before hooking up with someone, and he feels that his quirks make it hard to find a casual one night stand on an app. Greg takes medication for his anxiety that occasionally causes ED and he’s a bit self conscious about it. While paired together to plan a happy hour for Julien’s families restaurant, they end up opening up about their sex quirks and decide to hook up with each other in a sex pact.

This book was shaping up to be at least four stars for me, maybe even a little higher… and then we get to the third act and Greg makes some No-Good-Very-Bad-Choices that feel out of character. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll be vague here.
The first choice he makes and fields Julien with in the car I can understand. Juliens reaction is obviously supportive but more so out of self preservation, a fact that Greg doesn’t catch and thinks Julien just doesn’t like him any deeper than sex.
Greg then makes a series of questionable choices and observations. They felt way, way out of character. They felt a little dirty almost or made it feel like Julien was actually not as important to Greg because he made the choice to do X, Y and Z in the first place rather than talking to Julien or even fighting for him. I didn’t get it and it put a big hole in their forming relationship for me. I could understand the first choice because he was worried about money and it was a defense and worked for the plot. The rest felt unnecessary to the plot and actually messed with some relationship strength in my opinion. I could have seriously done without, like what the hell Greg?

It was almost enough for me to rate this 3 stars because I was so thrown off. I rated 3.5 because of how much I appreciated non cookie cutter characters and how much I love this author. But damn am I bummed about a few moments there in the last chunk.

I don’t think it’ll ever be a comfort re-read for me solely because of that last bit (and it could have been otherwise), but the first 2/3’s are cute and fun and I loved that part. So in my head I’m cutting out some moments and pretending they didn’t happen so I can love these two the way they deserve.