Thank you to the publisher and author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this reading experience! The pacing was great, the characters were imperfect, and the holiday charm was there. The only bad thing I can say is that I regret that I couldn't save it to read for the holidays. But I encourage you to check this one out for the 2024 holiday season!

Murphy is my best friend. It feels so good to read a romance about a normal hometown lesbian going to community college working her ass off for an attainable Happily For Now. Becca Grischow's debut has the strength and vibrance of an experienced voice in romance.

I had a good time reading this! The romance wasn't exactly what I expected, but Murph's personal growth and discovering who she is on her own was really heartwarming. I am always down for a good queer romance, and I do really appreciate that their relationship felt like it moved at a realistic pace. However, I wish the entire book took place over a longer timeline, some parts of the plot felt like they were happening so fast and didn't get the depth they deserved. This will be a great cozy/winter read just in time for the holidays!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publishers who sent me this ARC to read & review! <3

I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. The drama seemed a little young for the supposed age of the characters.

Oh I loved this book. More than I thought I was going to. This is a surprising entry for top of my Queermas in July readathon. I hadn't heard anything around this book but it popped up in the new in your categories on Netgalley and thank God it did. It felt so natural to be in Muprhy's head, I found myself welling with emotions right alongside her, feeling the anxieties and heartbreak so acutely I had a hard time putting the book down before I could reach the resolution, and managed to clock back in from my break several minutes late. It was fun and hijinks filled and raw and human and sapphic and steamy and I loved every page. I will absolutely be watching Grischow for whatever they do next.

This was a fun quick rom-com with endearing characters and a well paced plot. I almost didn’t continue after chapter one where the main character came off so not endearingly needy and whiney but I’m glad I kept reading. Strongly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin books or an advanced reader copy.

A charming homerun of a queer holiday romance where two former classmates’ plan to fake-date their way to freedom goes immediately awry—but, perhaps, exactly the way they need it to.Murphy was supposed to be settling into her junior year at the University of Illinois with her best friend, Kat. Instead, she’s stuck in the suburbs living with her parents, failing the same class that kept her from graduating the first time around, and making minimum wage at the same coffee shop she’s worked at since she was sixteen. It doesn't help that the dating pool for a twenty-one-year-old lesbian in the tiny town of Geneva, Illinois, is anemic at best. When her and Kat’s long-awaited reunion is plagued by stuttering conversation and uninvited guests, Murphy’s resentment threatens to boil over. That is, until a miracle appears in the form of Ellie Meyers, a former classmate who is way cuter and not nearly as straight as Murphy remembers. Their heavy flirting holds the promise of something more… until Murphy learns that Ellie’s mom is the very professor preparing to flunk Murphy for a second semester in a row. Talk about killing the vibe.Romance might be off the table, but Ellie could be Murphy’s key to getting into Professor Meyers’ good graces and finally getting out of Geneva. And Murphy—well-versed in defying parental expectations—might be Ellie’s chance to get her mother onboard with her own dreams. Together, they hatch a fake a relationship for a holiday weekend at the Meyers’ house. If everything goes according to plan, Ellie will be living her dream halfway across the country, and Murphy will finally be able to graduate community college and start her life in earnest. So, the fact that Murphy can’t stop thinking about Ellie’s lips on hers isn't relevant. It’s just a part played well.Right?

This is a very delightful book. A sweet, easy read. Main characters and supporting characters are represented well.

Just enough angst. Just enough fun. Just enough of everything.

It's low on the steam factor, but not everything needs a ton of steam.

Murphy wants out of Geneva, her best friend and, now crush, all go to University of Illinois and she feels stuck. She's failing the one class that she needs in order to transfer from the Community College to U of I. Can she do it? Not without some help.

Young(ish) college students trying to navigate young adult life. Sometimes the problems feel mundane, but they are common amongst the early 20s age group.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

🎨I’ll Get Back To You☕️

SUMMARY:

A charming home run of a queer holiday romance where two former classmates’ plan to fake-date their way to freedom goes immediately awry—but, perhaps, exactly the way they need it to.

REVIEW: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me this absolutely amazing ARC read! This is the best queer holiday rom com I’ve ever read, and I have read a few. It wasn’t too cheesy, and it felt absolutely authentic.

Murphy is a 21 year old lesbian living with her parents in a small town, trying to pass her accounting class to be able to transfer to a University.

Her character growth is *chefs kiss* just wonderful, and this author perfectly captures the struggle of finding yourself in your 20s.

Then there’s Ellie, a bisexual Art School student who struggles to get her parent’s approval for a Master’s in New York to pursue Art.

Ellie is going through a breakup, and is worried her parents won’t help fund her schooling if she doesn’t seem as stable as her brother and his fiancé are. Her frustration and determination throughout the novel was well written, and I loved her bubbly personality.

Ellie and Murphy are the perfect example of queer friendship becoming something more. I absolutely adored the jokes, the banter, and the growth seen in these two.

There were real emotions throughout the novel, centered around friendship and building a life for yourself.

One of my favorite parts about this book were the side characters! None felt shallow or underdone. I felt connected to every character as they came across each page.


Becca Grischow describes this book as a queer Emily Henry book, and she is absolutely right!! It’s cozy, fun, and as she says, it feels like a love letter to yourself - about bravery and opening up your heart to possibility.

Highly recommend!! 📚

🦇 I'll Get Back to You Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What items from your childhood have you held onto? ❓

🦇 Murphy was supposed to be settling into her junior year at the University of Illinois with her best friend, Kat. Instead, she’s stuck in a hellish suburban holding living with her parents, failing the same class that kept her from graduating the first time around, and making minimum wage at the same coffee shop she’s worked at since she was sixteen. That is, until a miracle appears in the form of Ellie Meyers, a former classmate who is way cuter and not nearly as straight as Murphy remembers. Their heavy flirting holds the promise of something more until Murphy learns that Ellie’s mom is the very professor preparing to flunk Murphy for a second semester in a row. Together, they hatch a fake relationship for a holiday weekend at the Meyers’ house. If everything goes according to plan, Ellie will be living her dream halfway across the country, and Murphy will finally be able to graduate community college and start her life in earnest. So what if they catch feelings along the way?

💜 The book had all the promise of a cute, cuddly coming-of-age story perfect for anyone looking for a queer holiday read. On the surface, it's exactly that; cute, albeit dense. Murphy is a college student on the brink of so much character development. She's a little stuck, clinging onto her high school years while desperately trying to pass her accounting class. Ellie, on the other hand, is rushing into the future and trying to get everyone on her page. It sounds like they'd be the perfect pair: Ellie could help Murphy focus on the future while Murphy could ground Ellie in the present. For the most part, they help each other get there...by lying.

💙 Usually, the fake dating trope is well-meaning. It forces to MCs together, helping them realize their feelings for one another. There's a spark between Murphy and Ellie at the story's start, but it's snuffed out the moment Ellie starts pushing the fake dating ploy. Her idea to take advantage of Murphy's need to improve her grade to get her way about going to grad school is a little too manipulative. It instantly put a bad taste in my mouth. Honestly, Kat is frustrating from the moment she steps into the bar, too. Creating a cast of unlikeable characters (instead of making them loveable characters with real flaws) from the beginning starts the story on a bad page. The fake dating trope doesn't help us fall in love with them; if anything, it shows us all the ways these two young women don't work well together. Then there's the bombshell from Murphy's parents, who are forcing her to grow up and move out. This would have been key to Murphy's character development if it didn't seem so unnaturally placed. Really, we should have seen Murphy and Ellie own the lie they told Ellie's family. We also needed so much more to build their chemistry. The tiny moments we get aren't enough to eclipse the lying. The prose is also very lackluster; it doesn't draw you in or paint the picture of the little town Muprhy is holding onto. There's no winter wonderland or holiday cheer here.

🦇 Recommended to fans of Sarah Dessen.

✨ The Vibes ✨
⚾ Queer/Sapphic Romance
☕ Young Adult Contemporary
❄ Holiday Vibes
🎀 Single POV
❄ Fake Dating
☕ Coming-of-Age
⚾ Closed Door

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #IllGetBacktoYou

💬 Quotes
❝ She tastes like coffee, and I’d drink her all afternoon if she would let me. ❞
❝ Kissing Ellie feels like hope, like coming home, and I never want to go anywhere else. ❞

I'll Get Back to You is a charming, if insubstantial, genre treat. Though sometimes repetitive, Becca Grischow's writing is sprightly, efficient, and readable, and her characters are likable and easy to root for. Young adult and romance readers will find a lot to love in this tale of transitional periods, surprising connections, and holiday cheer -- though due to an incredibly forgettable title and fairly unoriginal plot concept, they may not remember it for long.

Ok listen who doesn't love a little queer romance around the holidays I know I do. Also can I just say a fake dating relationship formed over a letter grade in a class is really creative I haven't seen this plot line yet. I loved everything about this the characters were really sweet and I kept wanting them to get together foreal very early on in the book. This will be a reread for me around christmas time. Thank you for letting me read and review this book five stars all around.

As an avid fan of holiday romances, especially sapphic ones, I was excited to dive into "This is Not a Holiday Romance" by Camilla Isley. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm quickly waned.

The protagonist, though in her twenties like myself, felt notably young and inexperienced. The writing style, too, seemed to target a younger audience, focusing heavily on the early stages of adulthood, college dilemmas, and the awkwardness of finding one's footing in life. While this might resonate well with readers in their late teens or early twenties, it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and their journey. The story leaned towards a more innocent and tame portrayal of romance, lacking the spicy, messy elements I often enjoy in such narratives. The fake dating trope, typically a favorite of mine, felt more juvenile and less playful than I had hoped.

This one was unfortunately a miss for me. I loved the synopsis and was really looking forward to the read, but unfortunately it fell flat from the start.

First - it’s a NA book, but it reads very YA. All of the characters, but especially Murph, behave in very juvenile ways. It’s particularly annoying since Murph is our lead and the biggest offender.

Second - the fake dating trope is so specific and really was not delivered here.

Finally - it’s not a romance! The romance doesn’t kick in until the very end, and even then it’s pretty mild.

2.5 stars rounded down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I found this to be a wonderful sapphic romance. The banter is god tier and the characters were so relatable. I'm in my 30's but I still found myself relating to this coming of age story. I will say that typically fake-dating is not my cup of tea but something about this hit just right. I honestly loved it!

This one was cute but not super believable in the romance dept imo. I enjoyed reading the family dynamics and interpersonal hardships. Idk that I was really rooting for Murphy or Ellie though!

Constantly watching Drag Race, fair. I love small town romances with young adults who don’t know what they’re doing with their lives. It makes me have hope for the future because I also don’t know what I want to do with my life. The relationships and friendships between Kat and Daniel and Kat and Murphy were so relatable and wholesome. Ellie you were super great at sending mixed messages. Kara, as strict as you are as a teacher you are a great parent. Ellie and Murphy your relationship started off kind of weak, but I grew to love it once you were honest about your feelings.

Cute, sweet , holiday romance that will make you smile and perhaps fondly remember the mess of being 21 and not really having anything figured out.
I enjoyed this very much!

This is adorable Rob, with a lot of heart. I’ve never read this author before, but I will be watching for more. I loved the side characters and all of this humor in her book! The cover is so cute and the book is adorable as well! This is a must read this summer!!!!

Not for me (Maybe I’m just too old for it? 27F)
🌟🌟🌟
I was super excited about this one, holiday romances are my thing. This being a sapphic holiday romance it was meant to be my kryptonite. However, I found myself drifting on the first chapter itself.

There was something about the writing that felt… too young? I think the character is 21 so technically we’re both in our 20’s but they just felt so you g. Maybe it’s the whole figuring out adulthood, college, etc.

I feel like this would be great for a younger crowd and it might seem sweeter and even ‘daring’ at points. However… I didn’t really sense any of the spicy mess, etc. I saw Ashley Blake recommended it and I love the Bright Fall series but… this one just wasn’t for me. Had a hard time finishing it since I didn’t love the characters and it just felt like a childish fake dating rather than a more playful silly plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penquin books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f new adult contemporary
-fake dating
-holiday romance
-coming of age

This book gave me Sarah Dessen vibes in the best way. Of writing one of those in between moments in life. In between high school and adult life post-college and what that looks like. Growing with your friends as things change, being home at the holidays, and dealing with your parents. I just ate up the snark in this book. Murphy goes through so many growing pains. Watching her best friend end up in a relationship and figuring out their new dynamic. Trying to figure out what she wants in her own life, and just not being perfcet and jut a bit messy.

Enter in Ellie, a bit older and osmeone she never really knew but suddenly aving her from an awkward experience. Ellie is going through her own struggles, so why not fake date and solve everything. This was such a soft romance, with growing pains all around it. There is an effortlessness to the writing in this book that jut makes it impossible to put down. A hallmark movie in the best way, queer, and just that feeling of do I still belong here or where do I belong in the world.