You Had Me At Happy Hour was a different read for me. I felt for both Greg and Julien as they navigated their lives from where they were to where they *thought* they should end up. I loved the slow burn of their relationship, it seemed very real to me. Also, as someone who has worked in the service industry for the better part of 2 decades, I found those aspects to be very true to form.

Timothy Janovsky has been a new instant read author from me from his debut novel o ward, and You Had Me At Happy hour continues to have his wit and humor along with deep meaningful topics that draw me as a reader in. Greg’s struggle with ED is something I haven’t had the chance to read about but resonates with anyone on mental health medication and the feeling of inadequacy that comes with it. Julien’s had a rough life and as a result has done anything in his power to not repeat his parents mistakes, something that is also easily relatable. The third act break up was a big miscommunication, which I’m not a fan of, but this is one of the few times I was left wondering if the resolution was actually coming. A resounding addition to Timothys body of work

2.5 rounded up. The back half of this is better than the front half but I don’t know that it really saved it for me. I mostly thought Timothy Janovsky felt like he had something to teach me and that kind of instructional romance novel just isn’t what I’m looking for. I also wasn’t sure about how the OCD was written— it felt very convenient for the romance and the story but never came up in the actual restaurant which, as someone who has worked in restaurants, doesn’t really make much sense.

I did like the third act misunderstanding (which is hard to pull off, genuinely) but I wish their resolution was a little more exciting. Not the worst of this kind of book I’ve read (I liked it more than New Adult, for example!) but still fairly forgettable.

I think this book was good. . The cast of characters was interesting and all so different from one another. I love the setting and environment this book created it really helped to create well rounded and dynamic characters. I love the chemistry between them and how their relationship built over time.

3.5/5 ⭐

This book was enough fun for me to debate learning to review it like a bottle of wine. Considering I’m neither a sommelier nor a fan of wine in general, I’d say that this is great praise for this enjoyable, fairly low-stress romance!

While I’m not usually interested in novels with a modern setting, I was pleasantly surprised by You Had Me at Happy Hour and am glad that I gave it a chance. What makes this book shine, to me, is the depiction of both main characters’ experiences with mental illness and neurodivergence. For example, this is the first time I’ve read a novel that was open about the side effects that medications like SSRIs can have in a sexual context. I really appreciated having that familiar, but often unspoken element of managing mental illness normalized here.

I’m also really delighted by the inclusion of non-normative sex, and even kink in this novel. That was a breath of fresh air, and not only made it more fun to read, but more honest to the range of sexual experiences & preferences folks can have – especially in the LGBTQ+ community, where heteronormative sex is often projected onto us. This choice made Julien and Greg feel more real, and relatable as well.

Unfortunately, I did struggle to get past some of the references to TikTok and social media and could struggle to stay engaged when it was mentioned. I was also a little confused by the book’s ending, which felt like it celebrated sexual development more than romance. The novel also suffers from the classic, “extremely easily solvable conflict between romcom leads,” which caused any issues to wrap up swiftly. However, none of these criticisms make or break the book if you’re just looking for a fun romantic read!

I loved this MM book and all of the representation in it. Both characters are neurodivergent and I love how mental health rep was talked about. This is such a cute story with lovable characters. I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope and thought it worked well here. It was laugh out loud funny with so many hilarious moments, and the spice was really there, which I appreciated! I love that these two had "regular" jobs and were just trying to make it in this world. I didn't like that this book was in the third person POV, but overall, it was a cute and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Timothy Janovsky, and Harlequin for an eARC of this book.

I've enjoyed all of Timothy Janovsky's books, and You Had Me at Happy Hour is my favorite one yet. Five huge stars!

The characters are quirky and unique. Janovsky delves deeply into each of these guys' issues, and makes them completely real and so interesting.

There's wonderful chemistry between Julien and Greg. From the moment they meet, it's clear that they're going to make a great team. The pacing on the romance is just perfect. Janovsky doesn't waste any time getting these two into a physical romance (yay), and the build to the happily ever after is beautifully paced.

You Had Me at Happy Hour is an absolute pleasure!

This book had a lot going for it, but I felt as if it needed a stronger big-picture edit. (I try to overlook minor flaws such as typos in an ARC, but I think it's fair to comment on other stuff.)

I started off disliking Julien when he steamrolled over the customers in the first scene. Yes, it turns out his neurodivergence affects his behavior, but I'd have liked him to be more aware of that internally, even if he couldn't control what he said. Then Greg goes and does essentially the same thing with regard to Julien's choice not to drink—something any decent human, and particularly a bartender, should know better than to do. So that's two strikes right off the bat.

After that, well, meh. Three cheers for the mental health awareness/rep—that was a bright point. But I didn't feel the relationship growing organically. It seemed herky-jerky, with things happening because they're supposed to happen X way in a romance rather than because they seemed natural for these characters. Overall, I never ended up caring much for either of the guys, and without that, there's not much point. So... decent but disappointing.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I recently discovered Timothy Janovsky's books and have enjoyed them all that I read so far. So when I saw his newest book on Netgalley I jumped on requesting an opportunity to read it early. And I’m so glad that I got the chance. I loved this story. I adored Greg and Julian. Seeing how the characters cooped with their personal trauma. I thought the way mental health was talked about in the book was well thought out and handled great. I couldn’t stop rooting for both characters. This book gave me all the feels and I couldn’t put the book down. I would highly recommend this book.

I wish authors would ramp up drama with something other than the third act breakup, but other than that, I really enjoyed this! Both MCs are flavors of neurodivergent and they're both so likable as characters. I also really liked the conversations on mental health.

Timothy Janovsky's YOU HAD ME AT HAPPY HOUR is a one-sitting kind of read that's gay, steamy and explores topics like OCD, ED, abandonment, alcoholism and more. Ultimately the prose and writing style isn't necessarily a stand out for me, but I appreciate any and all queer stories. For the most part.

This just doesn't quite work. There are some good bits and pieces that could make for a lovely romance story, but it just really doesn't come together.

As some other reviewers have described -- the charater arcs don't quite... arc. The characters don't seem internally consistent sometimes / their goals & personalities too changeable. The romance itself is weirdly paced & also doesn't work. The early anticipation of Greg & Julien is good, but the way they intially get together and then how the relationship progresses kinda loses all spark. And the 11th hour 'obstacles' are just weird -- there's this big deal of Julien going away, but it's for a THREE day trip, and then Greg goes totally off the rails with his previously stated goals/new plans for his life & does a 180 to go back to NYC with very little deliberation or rationale. There's not even miscommunication during the latter part of the book - just NO communication.

And it tries to cover too much -- we've got OCD, Generalized anxiety disorder, childhood trauma, ED due to SSRI prescription ...... all legit representations, but perhaps trying to pack a bit much in, but then there's Julien having this passion to be a sommelier....but never drinking alcohol. I know we're in romance-land here, and we should all pursue our dreams but...... really?

I like the premise and the whole bartender/somm antagonism -- enemies to friends to lovers etc; and family restaurant, and even Greg's 'escape from the city' storyline and Julien's 'growing into taking over the restaurant someday' storyline could all work -- but some significant reworking/editing/changes from its current state would be needed.

Fun read - was able to read it in one quick sitting. Entertaining, but not something I am likely to re-read time and time again.

This was sweet and complex, with a lot to like. Julien is a sommelier at his aunt and uncle’s restaurant and feeling rather stuck, looking for a way to take the next step in his career. Greg is a TikTok famous bartender whose views have tanked and he’s looking for a fresh start. When he’s hired on at Martin’s Place to mix custom cocktails and hopefully bring in a fresh young clientele, he immediately clashes with Julien and it takes them a while to get comfortable.

I found Julien a bit hard to understand, and I think that was purposeful. He did not drink due to trauma from his neglectful, alcoholic parents, and mistrusts Greg on instinct due to his work with hard liquor. It felt a bit odd that Julien would choose a career as a sommelier which involved selling wine that he refused to drink. Julien also has OCD, fear of abandonment and some social anxiety, but he grew on you.

Greg was a little more straightforward, but had GAD and was facing some heavy debt he’d incurred living above his means. Sex was a challenge for him due to side effects from his SSRI. The beginning of his and Julien’s sexual relationship was basically like “hey, we’re both kinda quirky with sex, let’s see if our quirks are compatible” which was an odd beginning but it worked. Of course as they spent more time together, in bed, filming TikToks and hosting happy hours, they developed feelings.

I absolutely loved the mental health representation, and it was great to see characters with realistic sex issues still have great sex. They used a plethora of toys to make things work in the beginning which was a lot of fun to read. Also both had some character growth over the course of the book, although neither felt completely like the healthiest version of themself.

The book lost a bit for me because the characters have motivations that are never quite resolved- Julien keeps saying that he wants to leave but then he doesn’t, and Greg said all he wanted was to stay but he ran away at the first opportunity. I also didn’t love that Greg hooked up with an ex during the 80% breakup, it felt coerced and off to me. I still enjoyed the story and characters overall, though.

Timothy Janovsky had done it again! Honestly, by this point, I can't imagine one his books ever letting me down. You Had Me at Happy Hour won me over from the very first page and I was fully invested immediately. I absolutely adored the characters, especially Julien. They were so supportive and understanding of each other and I LOVED them both so much. I love the way Janovsky incorporated real life situations like Julien's OCD and family history and Greg's anxiety and trouble in the bedroom while still crafting a wonderful and captivating romance at the center that helped me escape the real world for a couple hours. As someone who is also nuerodivergent, I found the characters relatable and endearing.

This was honestly an amazing read and I cannot recommend it enough.

thank you to net galley and harlequin - romance for this eARC!

i enjoyed this book i think. it took a sec but by the end i was definitely having a good time. i think i had really high expectations and then the beginning just didn’t quite hit that. however i really dont think that the book is to be blamed, i think thats just how books are. especially because i didn’t love this writing style, i just didn’t know the characters well enough or care about them enough to be able to ignore that. that said, once i did care about them it was very easy for me to speed through the book. i do really like these characters, however i feel like the character development at the end was maybe a bit rushed? if thats the kind of thing you care about 🤷‍♀️ it didn’t really get in the way of my enjoyment. really, the book was good, i dont know if i’d read it again and the end was a little fast, but it was definitely good and i enjoyed myself.

Thank you to Harlequin Romance and Netgalley for this ARC. Timothy's writing is admittedly a little all over the place book to book. Never Been Kissed is probably at the top of my favorite queer books list while The Fake Dating Game would...not be on that list. This one falls somewhere between the two. Julien and Greg are nice and believable characters with interesting neurodivergent layers to explore. But miscommunication is my most loathed and upsetting trope and it played into this story in a big way. The spice was a nice touch that was complex and like nothing I've read before which was a great touch. The back third of the book just left me a little bit angrier than I would have wanted to be. Still an enjoyable read!

I read this in one sitting, it was that good. Such a cute story with lovable characters.

There was the grumpy x sunshine dynamic with the main characters so of course I liked this book. The relationship was written nicely and really showed how much they cared for and respected the other. Going from rivals to friends to having a sex pack, could it lead to more? No spoilers but the last few chapters were a bit of a roller coaster, though I think it ended rather well.

Overall, it was a pretty lighthearted and humorous read. Also the cover to this looks amazing, probably one of my favorite covers so far.

You Had Me at Happy Hour was objectively a good romance book.

It had all the right bits but somehow the sum of its parts didn’t entirely lead me to a satisfying whole. It’s difficult to describe why this has been my take but I’ve narrowed it down to the immediate attraction of it all. I highly enjoyed the fact that Julien and Greg were both messy characters experiencing completely different, but very realistic struggles. There was no overstated perfection that also really helped them feel real. I found the existence and eventual resolution of the plot behind the romance to be satisfying and important to keep up the element of realism. In short, this has a more plot-over-vibes approach which I think fits well into the narrative.

And yet I’m a thrill chaser. I wished there had existed more initial dislike, followed by eventual pining instead of vice-versa. I longed for more heated interactions or some slower development of their relationship. I did particularly enjoy the angst towards the third act, not the lack of communication per se, but I thrived in the hurt of it all (not sure what’s wrong with me either, sorry).

In all, I had a good time reading You Had Me at Happy Hour and I will be purchasing the physical edition of when it’s released in July 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing access to this ARC! What a fun romcom! The dual narrators, Julien and Greg, are equally endearing. The author did a good job portraying their neurodivergence and complexity amidst the lightness of the rivals-to-friends-to-lovers romance. The predictable misunderstanding was predictably resolved but still enjoyable. I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a book that’s both sweet and spicy. (It’s too spicy for my students but I’ll definitely recommend it to my friends and colleagues)