This was a cute Sapphic holiday fake dating romcom that sees two college aged queer girls teaming up over Thanksgiving to achieve mutual goals. A touch angsty and more new adulty than adult love story, this is definitely geared towards a younger audience and felt a bit too dramatic for my tastes. Recommended for fans of books like Kiss her once for me by Alison Cochrun. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: fade to black/closed door

I had a hard time reading this book. The age group of the main characters were difficult for me to connect with. This book was unfortunately not for me.

I'll Get Back to You perfectly captures the new adult feeling of uncertainty and being in the in between.

We follow Murphy, a 21-year-old who is living at home, going to community college and working as a marketing manager/barista at a local coffee shop. She is planning to transfer to a 4 year college to join her best friend Kat, if only she can just pass accounting. The night before Thanksgiving, Murphy is meeting Kat at a bar in their home town. The night takes a spin when Kat brings her boyfriend Daniel, and Murphy ends up re-meeting an old high school classmate Ellie and hitting it off with her.

I felt for Murphy through out the course of this book. Early 20s is a tricky time, where it is easy to feel behind or lost, especially if you aren't following the same path as everyone around you. I loved that this book centered around Thanksgiving, a perfect read for between spooky season and Christmas. I also really resonated with Murphy's friendship with Kat and the struggles they faced felt very real and genuine.

As far as the romance plot, I felt like it was bumpy and not fully developed. I like both Murphy and Ellie, but things felt very stop and go to the point of whiplash and the fake dating plot was very very contrived and shoe horned in. This definitely fits more as a coming of age story than a romance.

3.5 stars

Murphy is a 21-year-old living in parents’ home while attending community college. Her immediate goal is to transfer to the University of Illinois next semester. However, there is one small obstacle standing in her way - she failed her accounting class and is taking it again in hopes of a miracle. Standing in her way is Professor Meyers who doesn’t like her. As the book opens, it’s Thanksgiving week and Murphy’s best friend is coming back to their small hometown and they will be spending quality time together. Their girls-night-out plans go awry. There is a silver lining to the disastrous night - Murphy meets Ellie Meyers. Ellin convinces Murphy to pretend to be her girlfriend at her family’s Thanksgiving dinner. What could possibly go wrong with that plan?

Grischow has written a fake-romance novel that is sweet and full of angst. The story is told in the first person, however, and none of the characters, including Murphy, are really well developed. Murphy, for instance, comes off as an immature teenager for the first third of the book with too much self pity rather than the young adult the author wants her to be. Being written in the first person, this novel reads like a very long narrative with little to no character development, little to no plot development and too much angst. The ending is rather vague - both characters wants to see where their nascent romance can go, but the reader can’t be sure what they’re going to do to make that happen. The bottom line here is that the book lacks substance.

If you’re a fan of books written in the first person with lots of internal dialogue, and a goodly amount of angst, this book is for you.

My thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an eARC.

Cute, fun & easy read. I really liked Murphy, she was relateable. Definitely felt like a YA read, which Im not used to but this book has left me interested in reading more sapphic romance, adult & ya!

This book felt less like a romance and more of a story of self discovery for our main character Murphy. The romance never really felt like it was properly developed. The fake dating trope had the potential to really up the tension and show the compatibility of Ellie and Murphy, but instead felt underwhelming. The cutest moment of romance in the book ended up being staged by Ellie's mother, which cheapened the impact for me. I think for me to really root for this romance it needed to start picking up well before 60%.

The best part of this story ended up being the relationship between Kat and Murphy. The conflict between them at the beginning and learning how to navigate a friendship when a significant other is added into the mix was a lovely story to explore. I did think this overwhelmed the romance and didn't give it the space to breathe. I didn't really feel the characters should be together until the last 5% and then it was over and I left feeling disappointed.

I’ll Get Back To You by Becca Grischow is a nice take on the classic holiday fake dating trope. Murphy, feeling left behind by her best friend Kat at their shared birthday celebration, runs into former classmate Ellie. Ellie is home for Thanksgiving and fresh off a breakup. A misunderstanding with Ellie’s parents results in Murphy and Ellie pretending to be a couple to achieve mutual goals.

While this book has all the comfort of the familiar, it delivered enough originality to keep me interested throughout the story. There was a nice twist early on regarding the fake dating dynamic and the book dealt with broader themes of feeling like you’re not enough, finding yourself, and changing relationships.
There was one chapter that involved two of the characters smoking weed. Personally, I don’t enjoy this in books but I will say that it wasn’t gratuitous and that the scene was used to further character development.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you’re a fan of fake dating and holiday vibes then this is a good book to choose.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Books, and Becca Grischow for the ARC.

What happens when your best friend suddenly gets a boyfriend and you're left as a third wheel.... and then you meet a girl who needs you to be her fake girlfriend but you might actually be falling for her? Murphy and Kat are best friends, they do everything together and were suppose to spend the holidays together and even go to college together... but when Kat brings her new boyfriend uninvited to hang out with Murph, Murph just knows things are changing and she is not happy. At that same disastrous meeting Murph meets Ellie, a cute girl whose mom just happens to be the one professor who is about to flunk Murph. Ellie has just gotten out of a relationship and isn't looking for something serious, she does however need a fake girlfriend to help convince her parents to fund her art grad school mission. Ellie and Murph strike up a deal: if Murph helps Ellie by pretending to be her girlfriend and advocate for Ellie to go to grad school, Ellie will help Murph pass her mom's class. Yet the more time they spend together the more Murph is beginning to fall for Ellie despite how complicated Ellie's current situation is, and then there's the issue of how Murph has to deal with her own extremely codependent relationship with her best friend Kat. This is a story about friendship and growing out of our codependency and learning to have a healthy amount of space with our friends. The queer romance was okay, despite how much I wish it was better, it was just fine. This book just felt a bit bland and I didn't really feel all that connected to the characters. I didn't really feel the spark with this book unfortunately and honestly I was so close to Dnfing it. it's a cozy enough new adult sapphic romance but it felt very YA to me.

Release Date: September 17,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books | Penguin Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A very cute premise - but unfortunately, just not for me. It read a bit too young, and I struggled to get into it and appreciate the stakes.

I'm sad to report that this didn't work for me. The pacing was off and I didn't feel a spark from the romance, and the fake dating ploy seemed more manipulative than charming. The writing is also very plain and the dialogue stilted. I ended up quitting around the halfway mark.

This is cozy, Sapphic, love story with some of the most lovable and relatable characters I've ever read.

I feel like all of the relationship dynamics between the characters felt very realistic--especially between Murphy and Kat. I appreciated the representation of some of the changes that naturally occur in friendships as people move through different points in their lives.

Grischow wrote beautifully and in a way where you could relate to Murphy or Kat or even Ellie. has a way of pairing seemingly mundane things like struggling to pass a class or packing for a move and weaving them into a wonderful love story. These everyday experiences ground the story in a way that feels like these characters are raw and real.

The book takes place around Thanksgiving, but doesn't completely revolve around the holiday.

Overall, this was a pretty good book that I would recommend. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

I’ll Get Back to You follows Murphy, a 21 year old community college student who dreams of passing her accounting class to transfer to the University of Illinois for a marketing degree.

I really liked the dynamics between all of the characters. It was easy to tell that Murphy and Kat had been best friends for most of their lives and the chemistry between Murphy and Ellie was clear in the first scene. However, I found it very difficult to like any of the characters because of the way they were written, Kat especially. The book also moved very fast and there wasn’t enough time to let the new character relationships develop. But, the fake dating plot and Ellie and Murphy’s side plots were interesting enough to continue reading.

Thank you Penguin and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

For me, this was too much introspection and not enough action. If you like angsty new adult books, this one might appeal to you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

When it comes to the atmosphere and the so-genuinely-Illinois elements of I'll Get Back To You, this book felt like a warm hug of nostalgia. I didn't grow up in Geneva, but you can easily swap one suburb for another and the setting feels so familiar. Grischow's writing only further supports this feeling, as her style feels easy to understand, humorous, and light, like sinking down to a meal with an old high school friend. Ultimately, the writing style and setting of this book really helped it along because I might have otherwise put it down. While I loved the main character, Murphy and her quirks, I found it hard to root for the main couple as no one moment during their time together did I hit the "aha!" moment which would sell me on their relationship. Some of this might be that books with shorter timelines (this takes place mostly during Thanksgiving break and a few following weeks). I ended up being more interested in the resolution between Murphy and Kat (I did NOT like Kat from the start, but over the book, I liked her more).

I'm excited to read this author's next book because I think she'll be able to build off the good bones here and build something (hopefully sapphic again) I'll really enjoy.

After devouring this heartwarming and hilarious coming of age story, I think I’ve found my new favorite author! I was in a reading slump for a little while and this wonderful story was just what the hopeless romantic in me needed in order to bounce right back. I have so much love for Murphy because I could easily relate to her struggles with feeling left out while her best friend went off to college and she had so many new experiences with other people and Murphy wasn’t a part of that. I also enjoyed the cozy setting the author created with the Thanksgiving holiday and the fake dating shenanigans between Ellie and Murphy. The author did a fabulous job of bringing all the characters to life for me and I could easily picture myself befriending Murphy and Ellie. If I could have given this delightful story more than five stars I would have because I enjoyed every single word of it!

I’ll Get Back to You had the warm and cozy charm of all my favorite holiday romance movies only better, because it was also an adorable sapphic romance. Murphy’s character was like looking in a mirror, there were so many times I felt connected to her and could relate to her. As a fellow 20 something girl who went to community college, was a barista, and now works in marketing, we feel like kindred spirits. I also appreciated seeing her relationship with her best friend and how it’s changing in adulthood. While I loved the atmosphere and main character I did feel like romance plot was slightly lacking. I did enjoy and Ellie and Murphy together, I just wish there had been more of it. Overall, this was a really enjoyable, well written, queer holiday romance that’s perfect for reading in front of the fire. I look forward to reading more from Becca Grischow.

This was such an unexpectedly good cozy sapphic read. Also, super funny. A lot funnier than I truly expected and I'm not mad about it. If you're looking for a cozy holiday read this will be out just in time for cozy season!

3.5!

This was a very cute read, and it is perfect for those who like a low stakes, cozy romance that also has a little existential feeling thrown into it.

Ellie and Murphy are adorable characters, and Grischow really sells the small town feel of Geneva, IL, especially at the time of year that the book takes place, which is Thanksgiving and a little bit of Christmas. The beginning of the book feels a little tropey, butI think that's to be expected, and not in a bad way! This is a fake dating trope to a T, but sapphic.

The parts that were stronger for me were the times when Murphy had to grapple with big growing up changes. She didnt always handle them well, which is to be expected from a 21 year old, but Grischow makes her discovery and comeing to understand that things change while others stay the same, grounded in reality.

The characters in this book are in the midst of college (sophomores and juniors), and the plot and issues the characters are facing just feel very college. I personally had a hard time getting into the story, and never really was convinced that the protagonists should be together. There’s a lot of miscommunication, and it feels like that’s the main thing going on.

I did really enjoy the bisexual x lesbian rep, and the holiday-centric story that wasn’t specifically Christmas.

I appreciated that it was a short read, and I found myself flying through it, even if I wasn’t particularly engaged.

I found this author’s writing style super engaging. The vast majority of this story takes place over Thanksgiving weekend and I thought it had great pacing. So much of the dialogue between the MC with her best friend and LI was entertaining and had me smiling. I’m a sucker for good banter and extra points for flirty banter.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t rooting for this couple in the beginning. I even had to check the synopsis because I was bummed about the LI. But honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with the way the romance developed. I ended up really liking the LI and was hoping for them to work out even if all the cards are stacked against them.

I loved seeing their intimacy. From the smallest everyday touches to their time in the bedroom. I’m calling the intimacy door cracked open, because there is an on page scene but it’s not graphic or highly detailed. I really enjoyed the way it was written and their chemistry.

Overall, I adored all these characters and loved this story. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a holiday romance!