I really thought I'd love this one but that wasn't the case. I'm just starting to learn tarot and that's part of what drew me to this, and I did enjoy the bits where I learned more about the cards!

Unfortunately though, the characters felt flat to me, and I know a lot of the characters in this book were influencers but they felt a little too cariacture-esque to me. I didn't buy the romance between Kit and Julia as well. It was a really cute premise, I just don't think the wedding setting was the right place for their reconnection to play out. So much of their "romance" was sidetracked by the wedding party who weren't the most likeable. With all that being said, I think the 2020 version of me would've loved this book - if you're a big Taylor Swift/pop culture fan you'll love all the references and overall vibes.

I will say I love seeing bi characters in books and I think it's a really under represented group so I'm glad another book exists with a character that explicitly states her bisexuality!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the earc.

I wanted to love it, I wanted to adore it but in the end, The Lovers fell flat for me.

Kit is a tarot reader, having a fan base of over a million subscribers on YouTube. She is what you call an influencer from LA. Julia is a type A, can’t release control, wedding planner.

Kit and Julia were best friends in high school until they do something that is more than friends worthy, freaking Kit out and essentially disappearing from Julia’s life.

Ten years later, as fate would have it, and there were many mentions of fate, Julia is the wedding planner of an influencer who hires Kit (or Mystic Maven) to read tarot cards.

BAM. We’re now sucked into a Second Chance romance. Did I mention this wedding is in the middle of this desert resort in Joshua Tree? BAM FORCED PROXIMITY.

I liked the story but I’ll be honest… the content made me want to scrub my skin raw. If I ever hear Manic Pixie Dream Girl in my life ever again, it will be too soon. Also, reading about influencers in LA is icky to me because it hits too close to home 🥲

These are very nit picky things and is not a testament to the writing or the talent Rebekah has. It was a very fun read. I enjoyed Julia’s growth. I wish I believed Kit’s growth a little more. ALSO PIPER?? What the heck? It was so strange to me having a high school bully like character in a story about almost 30 year olds. That threw me.

If you love tarot readings, witchy vibes, wedding planning and a few Taylor swift references, then yes pick this book up!

Such a cute and fun read. It did get cringy for me a few times but don’t all rom-coms have some of that? And the spicy scenes were extremely repetitive despite leaving a lot open to interpretation. Like, describing eyes being dilated was mentioned 7 times. Yes, seven separate times! And I know it was in relation to that TikTok “love test” trend. Taylor Swift lyrics were quoted randomly several times with the characters acknowledging the source which felt like a quick cash grab. There is nothing interesting about simply name-dropping. Overall, it’s a very trendy and cutesy story just like a rom-com movie today. Kit & Julia are adorable.

A sweet story firmly set in the spiritual world without it feeling forced or overdone. I appreciated how the shifting first-person POV helped me get a real feeling for who Kit and Julia are, and all the ways they fit together that the reader gets to see before they do. It was sweet and fun and deeply enjoyable to read.

I'm a sucker for a second chance romance, so hoped I would love this one, and it definitely delivered. This was a great sapphic rom com. I did enjoy the second half of the book a bit more than the first half. Overall, this book was definitely worth picking up when it is released later on this year.

I enjoyed the majority of this novel but struggled with Kit's character for the most of it. The internalized biphobia in her character was refreshing to read and I understand how different people have vastly different experiences when it comes to their queerness, but she was in a very privileged position and had nothing stopping her. I couldn't understand where her issues came from.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for approving me of this arc!!

Y’all!!!!! My queer heart is crying so many tears right now!!!! 🥹

This was such a beautiful story. It’s very character oriented which I really loved. The characters have such depth and there’s diversity, which I loved.

Kit, in a lot of ways, is who I am. In this story, she’s in her late 20’s but also still coming to terms with her queerness. She had this sort of mindset instilled in her by her parents and that kind of made her afraid to break from the mold, and be comfortable with her desires and attraction to women.

It’s easy to be frustrated at some things Kit did in the beginning of the story and when we learn of what happened in the past. However, that’s sort of what I love about this book.

It shows that people all live different queer identities and it may be difficult to some and not difficult to others. It’s a very REAL book that I think a lot of people will connect with.

Enter Julia, Kit’s best friend turned lover from high school who she essentially ghosted because she wasn’t ready to be out publicly.

I felt so bad for Julia that she went through so much after high school to present time. She is dealing with a VERY emotional abusive ex, so I would definitely be careful reading if that’s a trigger for anyone. (Who wants to come with me to throw Piper in the garbage???)

Julia is a sort of control-freak, which totally contrasts with her high school self. It just goes to show that a lot can change in ten years, but also show the effect of being in an emotional toxic relationship. I loved Julia in every single way. The growth she had after letting go was everything. (THE ENDING WAS SO CUTE TOO!!!)

Obviously, tarot cards play a huge role in this and I loved it. Although I am not a tarot card reader or anything, this made me want to get my cards read immediately. This whole incorporation into the story was so CUTE!!! I always think I believe in fate and this book just sealed that belief.

Best friends turned kind of strangers turned lovers! Coming into your queer identity! I just think this is going to be one of my top queer/bisexual books ever. It’s just everything to me, as someone who knows what it’s like to have to fit yourself into who your parents expect you to be. This story cut deep and I loved it.

Nina was also one of my favorite characters. I loved how she was apologetically herself and so supportive of Kit. Healthy friendships are everything!!!

Last but not least, the little spice that we got was top tier. No notes. 😮‍💨

As always, please do check trigger warnings and stay safe loves.

xx,
Z

3.75⭐️ rounded up to 4 for the app.

Kinda slow start with a *ton* of inner monologing, but the second half of the story was great! Open door, but lower on the spice scale. Second chance romance, childhood friends to lovers, story of self acceptance and coming out in late 20s. Wedding planner x tarot card reader.

Kit (tarot card reader) and Julie (wedding planner) were best friends in high school who “went all the way” their senior year and then Kit freaked out about what that mean for her sexuality and identity and life-plan and ghosted Julie when she went away to college. This story takes place ten years later when Kit is hired to work a new-agey wedding that Julia is planning and orchestrating. Spending a long weekend in the desert together forces them to confront their feelings (good and bad, old and new) and try to decide if what a tarot card reader told them back when they were 18 could actually be true (that they’re twin flames, destined to always find their way back to each other; soulmates.)

CW: Mental health representation (anxiety and panic attacks), and parents divorcing later in life. Emotionally manipulative ex (side character in this story) plays a big role in how one of the FMCs feels about herself. Quite a bit of internalized homophobia from the other FMC despite living in Los Angeles and having liberal parents.

there wasn't anything specifically wrong with this book, it just fell super flat for me. the romance, the plot, the chemistry. everything was just eh

Unfortunately had to DNF at about the 70% mark. Just wasn't for me, no matter how hard I tried to push through. I also never have a hard time remembering which character's POV is which, but for whatever reason, I really struggled to remember whose head I was in while reading.

This is such a beautiful romance book about finding your way back to love. But this also is a book about healing and accepting yourself for who you are. It's very honest about that journey, especially for queer people. Everyone should read this book!

I don’t know if it’s contemporary romance lately or perhaps it’s just this book but it wasn’t for me. The writing wasn’t what I needed it to be and I couldn’t finish it.

If you love second-chance queer romances then "The Lovers" is a must read! The personalities of both main characters just shine, and, through it all, make the reader want to root for them to end up together. There are tropes that readers will loves (like forced proximity) but Faubion brings her own fresh voice to the story that makes it something all her own.

When they were 12 years old, a psychic told best friends Kit and Julia that they were twin flames. At the age of 18, they developed romantic feelings for each other. However, Kit, who was not yet ready to accept her bisexual identity, abruptly cut off contact with Julia, causing both of them immense heartbreak.

Fast forward to about a decade later, and Kit is now a New Age influencer and professional tarot card reader, while Julia is a successful and buttoned up wedding planner. When Kit is invited to work a gig at a destination wedding in the California desert, the last person she thinks she’ll run into is Julia, who’s in charge of the event.

As their paths continue to cross, they can’t ignore the feeling that fate has brought them back together again. But Kit still isn’t out, and Julia doesn’t know if she can trust Kit with her heart again. The otherworldly Joshua Tree setting only enhances the mystical feels in this sapphic romcom.

Readers will enjoy this debut novel about living and loving authentically whether or not they usually read books that feature spiritual plotlines.

Bonus points for the absolutely gorgeous cover art.

An irresistible contemporary romance with a charming storyline and relatable characters. The author captures the essence of modern love with humor and sensitivity. A delightful and an uplifting read!

Who would’ve thought a tarot card reader and a wedding planner would be the perfect friends to lovers for me? I usually don’t read this trope as it’s not particularly one of my favorites but Rebekah delivers! Gorgeous cover, amazing characters and a beautiful story! I can’t wait for it to be out to add it to my shelves!

Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for a review!

4 ★ A sapphic second chance romance about a closeted tarot reader & a Type A wedding planner? This book was so far up my alley, it’s wild. I loved Julia & Kit’s so much! I resonated so much with this story. It was so, so beautiful and I loved every second of it. I don’t have many critiques, other than a few grammatical errors and misuse of certain words. I hope everyone will pick this up when it comes out in September!

The Lovers is a swoony romance novel told from the dual points of view of Kit and Julia, one struggling to come to terms with her identity and one healing from the emotional wreckage brought on by a toxic ex. The two MCs find safety and refuge in each other as they take a leap of faith to reconnect with their once foretold twin flame. The connection between the two is genuine and sweet and this second chance romance features forced proximity as Kit and Julia find themselves working at the same stylish and trendy wedding in the California desert.

An adorable second chance romance! I love the characters and how the author allows them to work through their anxieties and mental blocks around their relationship instead of love magically making them better.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC via Net Galley

When they were 12, Kit and Julia had a tarot reading that revealed them to be twin flames who'd part and come back together. At 18, they grew closer as more than friends, and after one night together, Kit ghosted Julia, went away to college and later became a paid tarot card reader who only dated men. Julia, heartbroken, came out and later became involved with a woman who she later realized was manipulating her for her own purposes. A year after that breakup, Julia, now a wedding planner, is in charge of a long-weekend wedding celebration in the Joshua Tree desert, a wedding in which her recent ex has become a bridesmaid and Kit has been hired to read tarot.

In this entertaining and engaging (for the most part) book, the author walks the line between satire and true believer of, not only tarot, but all the other spiritual practices integrated into this wedding. I'm not a big fan of rom-com romances (as opposed to rom-com films, which I love) mostly because the comic, satiric voice of these books usually irritates me. But I soon got over this here and decided to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Both Julia and Kit have issues to overcome and grow from, notably living as their true selves. Kit seems to have grown up thinking that she had to follow some kind of Meg Ryan rom-com script that only included relationships with men that led to a perfect ending. I found this a bit hard to believe at times, but the author really tried to make the case, placing responsibility on Kit's parents and their seemingly storybook marriage and her father's determination to sell a rom-com script. It kind of worked. Julia's arc had to do with loosening up and letting go of her controlling instincts, returning to the more easygoing, punk-like version of herself from high school.

Overall, this is a solid second chance romance. The crisis conflict in the last few chapters doesn't quite rise to the level of a crisis as one would expect in a romance, but instead serves as an opportunity for Kit to have to face her fears on her own.

I'm going with 4.5 stars rounded down to 4, though I highly recommend this book.