"You are my safe place."

I really enjoyed this one. Age gap is one of my favorite tropes. I knew as soon as I saw that, I wanted to read this book.

Both characters were unique and quirky. I loved how the author portrayed their difference and how they worked through those problems together.

Savvy made me laugh on multiple occasions with her inner monologue.

And Darwin had quite the mouth. A quiet, grumpy man who finally loses control and goes feral is my favorite micro-trope. I am weak for it. And Darwin just did it for me.

You're It was a quick read and I devoured it. I look forward to reading more of Cleo White's books.

You’re It is a steamy age gap romance that is full of humour and two very likeable main characters.
When Savvy’s father dies she is left with his dilapidated laser tag business property and all his debts. She discovers that the business is also co owned by her fathers friend Darwin, a highly successful sci fi writer with severe OCD. At one time they were friends but an bad event between them means they haven’t seen each other for a number of years.
Asking for his help Savvy and Darwin work together to restore the business, they realise they still have very strong feeling for each other.
The developing relationship is lovely and Darwin’s mental health issues are well described and handled sympathetically.
A really lovely story, the age gap is really just incidental as these two are meant for each other.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Very spicy contemporary romance with lots of humor and heart. I almost didn't read this because of the cover and being an age gap romance but I'm SO glad I did. I deeply appreciated that both leads had fully developed frontal lobes! Older guys and young women aren't my thing but these were two adults with a real connection. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and she handled the heavier bits beautifully.
(My one and only pet peeve is phase/phases were used instead of faze/fazes; I wish I has been a beta reader...) Loved this story and will be looking for more from this author!!

The story of Savvy and Darwin made my hear swoon. If you are looking for an Age Gap romance where he falls hard and fast look no further. Darwin may have broke her heart 9 years ago but he is more than capable of fixing it and making it bigger.

When Savvy has to confront the man that ruined her at 18 she never thought her feelings for him would be just as strong from the last time she saw him 9 years ago.

This book had a great plot and I really loved how it navigated through the MMC OCD. I absolutely went through a wide range of emotions while reading this book. It was crazy funny and Savvy was just a girl trying to make it through the world like all of us. The book had a good amount of spice that really tied into the plot and fit in perfectly.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Another 5/5 for Cleo White, but I'm not surprised. Let's start with the overall tone of the book. It's 242 pages, but the pacing and the tone didn't make the story feel rushed at all. Everything took place very organically and very realistically, in my opinion. All the while, it was hilarious. We stay in the FMC's mind for the majority of the book and what a mind to be in, but I'll get to that in a minute. I found it super funny without being cringey, which can be a difficult line to walk because sometimes humor just doesn't translate well in print.

We meet Savvy, our FMC first. Savvy felt so relatable. Her emotions, her journey, her worries and fears. I loved her from page one. I don't know if it was the author's intention to write a character with ADHD, but as someone who has ADHD, I saw a lot of myself in Savvy which really helped me get into the book and develop a love for her as an FMC. I think most romance books focus really heavily in making a MMC that is swoon-worthy and sexy and likeable - or even unlikeable to the point they're likeable again - which is fine, but I genuinely enjoyed the time Cleo took to establish Savvy as an individual outside of her romantic relationship.

Savvy takes us to meet Darwin and their chemistry is off the charts, even if my heart physically ached for them for the first half of the book. Darwin has OCD and the way it was written and handled was incredible. He's another character that we really get a feel for separate of his relationship, which I really appreciated. I couldn't decide who I felt for more - him or Savvy and I really enjoyed reading his journey as well.

Their relationship together was such an incredible tale as well. I liked that it wasn't a Love Cures Everything situation and they still had their unique struggles and difficulties finding their place with one another, all while communicating so well and effectively. (I abhor the miscommunication trope). The flashbacks made me literally cry because the emotions were so well written and palpable.

And then there was the smut. Jeez, I don't know why I wasn't expecting the smut to be off the charts - since I've read other books by Cleo - but who knew this innocent little Fix Up the Arcade Together book would pack such a PUNCH. Darwin may have been inexperienced starting out but he sure didn't take long to rock Savvy's world! Like highkey jealous of Savvy at this point.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm super appreciative I was able to read an ARC as I've been pretty excited about it since I was introduced to Cleo's work. I can't wait to read more of her backlog and the rest that she puts out in the future.

P.S. the cameos in the epilogue? I squealed.

A fun, sexy, age-gap romance that somehow also manages to tackle a man’s struggle with mental illness and a young woman finding purpose and confidence after the loss of her father. Dar is an endearing love-interest, but Savvy is really the star of this story — her feistiness, agency, and big ideas combined with her empathetic heart make her a relatable millennial heroine and keeps the power dynamic between these two very balanced despite the age gap. Would love to read more from Cleo White!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll be honest, I had no idea what to expect from this - but I actually really loved this story! I’m not usually a huge fan of the father’s best friend trope but this was actually done really well and I really believed the chemistry and the love between Darwin and Savvy. The mental health representation was so different to what I’ve seen in books in the past and I think it was executed perfectly. This was fast paced and kept my attention and also - this was SPICY!!!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC! I absolutely LOOOOOVE this. The dual POV, the flashbacks, the spice! Cleo is an amazing romance storyteller. And that epilogue?!?? Omg.. having just re-read Out of Sight made me lose my mind. What a perfect story beginning to end.

I just finished You’re it by Cleo White thank you #netgalley and the publishers for an ARC copy of this book.

Within this book you will find the following
-Slow burn
-Dads best friend
-age gap she’s 27 he’s 45
-workplace romance

I requested this book cause I absolutely love age gap romances what sets this apart from many of them is he doesn’t mention any of those feelings before she was 18. She is also well into adult hood being 27, and still not freshly legal while the MMC is incredibly older than her. This book has a lot of moments that had me laughing out loud the banter is great. Each character has their own issues that they overcome within the book. Normally in many age gap especially dads best friend romances such as this one that is the main focus within the book and I didn’t feel that way with this one. I was able to finish it the same day as it kept me intrigued the entire time the spice is great but it is a slow burn so you don’t experience it for awhile but you don’t miss it with the tension between them. Overall I absolutely loved this book and would read again.

Spicy laser tag? Welp, I didn’t know I needed this in my life!

I’ve never read Cleo White before, but this book was such a delight that I will absolutely be picking up more from her!

What I liked about the book:
1. I genuinely liked both of our MCs. They were both deeply flawed individuals, but they were perfect for one another, which is my favorite thing to see in MCs.

2. Age gap romances, especially of the dad’s best friend kind, are my Achilles’ heel! I absolutely fall over myself to pick up books with this trope (let’s not look into why that is too much…). There were a couple of things that made this one stand apart from similar books though that I would like to mention.

- Savvy Being 27/28 years old was SO IMPORTANT! A lot of books in this trope have a 40-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman. Seeing an older FMC not only made the book more relatable to me, a 31-year-old woman, but it made her ability to clean up and get the business successful more believable AND it made the age difference less problematic from a power dynamic perspective. Fantastic character creation here on White’s part.

- I loved that Darwin at no point mentioned having an attraction to her until she was legal, and it didn’t happen like predictable clockwork on her 18th birthday. His dismissal of her right after she turned 18 was an incredibly smart move on White’s part to help clear up any power dynamic issues as well.

3. I loved the OCD representation in this book. Darwin’s inability to leave his house, his constant obsession with germs to the point of scrubbing his hands raw, and his overall opposition to socialization were dove into very well that there were times I started feeling second-hand embarrassment for him as he went through his processes but was also guilty for doing them. I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be ok!

White was able to craft a level of comfort Darwin found in Savvy that he couldn’t find in anyone else because of his disorder that was believable and authentic. I loved every moment of his trials and successes of letting her in.

4. I loved how Darwin was described as a realistic looking 45-year-old man. He wasn’t a model with a six pack and bulging Captain America muscles, but he was sturdy, strong, and fit. Oh, and of course he had a beard!!!

5. Although they played a small part, I loved the high school kids that wanted to help get the place running. I really hope we see them again in the future, especially with Marley staying around in the epilogue.

6. While not a romcom, the book was definitely funny and had me chuckling throughout. Savvy was hilarious, especially in her sarcasm towards everything going wrong for her. Despite hitting quite a few road bumps in the unfair situation she was handed, she did well adjusting and following through on probably the first thing she ever had. I was very proud of her ❤️

Also, how could someone not love the Caleb revenge???? So good!

7. Finally, I was not expecting as much spice and Darwin dirty talk (hawt damn!) as we got, but I ate up every tasty morsel! On top of that, he ALWAYS took care of her and dressed her after every intimate encounter. Freaking swoon!!!

What I wasn’t a fan of:
1. I wish some of the background characters had a bit more page time. Savvy’s best friend Raven was barely in the book, despite seeming like an ok person and having a family that I would read a spin off of for sure. I also wish the high school kids had a bit more page time, but I would settle for spin offs for them now that they are in college as of the epilogue 😉

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Cleo White for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

You’re It hooked me with the forbidden age gap and sucked me in with its fast paced plot, hilarity, and spice.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.

Your It is a fast pace, forbidden love, age gap romance. I’m not usually one for age gap romances, but this one may have changed my mind. It’s hot, it has a plot, and she she has a pet name. “Little Tornado”

This story also touches on some mental health and grief from loss of a parent.

You’re It by Cleo White
Rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 3/5
Publication Date:18 April 2024
Tropes: Slow Burn, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity, Age Gap, Father’s Best Friend

After her father dies, Savvy finds herself with a bucket load of debt and a game arcade/laser tag business that has definitely seen better days. What makes it worse is that when she tries to sell it, she finds out that her father had previously sold half the business to his best friend, Darwin, the very same man who had rejected her advances nine years earlier. Wanting to sell the business to pay off the looming debts, both Savvy and Darwin find themselves having to face their pasts in order to move on with their lives.

Personally, I feel the author could do with a better cover for this book. Had I not been recommended it by another reviewer, I would have skimmed right past and not been bothered one bit.

However, with that said this was a very enjoyable quick read. I would not say that it was an overly dark romance, but the author did broach mental health issues and the constraints and effects it has on not only the person who lives with it 24/7 but also on those around them, which gave it a dark feeling. The mental health aspect plays a very large part of this novel, so be warned.

The characters were well written and the story thankfully moved very quickly. Although marked as an age gap novel, I’m glad that this wasn’t the entire focus of the story either.

Overall, I would recommend this read. The spice is crazy and literally carries on until the last page, the romance is cute and cosy, and the end is just perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I loved this book, the writing, the mental health rep, the spicy laser-tag—it was *almost* perfect….I for some reason had the *ick* because of the “Caleb Caca” thing….but other than that, which I guess was to provide comic relief but was otherwise irrelevant, the book was GREAT!

Title:You’re It By Cleo White

Release Date: April ,18th, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

Get ready to turn up the heat with "You’re It" by Cleo White! This dark romance delivers a deliciously forbidden love story that will leave you hot and breathless.

Savvy finds herself inheriting her father's failing laser tag business, adding to her already chaotic life. Teaming up with her dad's best friend, Darwin Wilder, a famous author with whom she shares a complicated history, she faces the challenge of saving the business. Despite their past animosity and the age gap between them, sparks fly between the two as they navigate their partnership. The book explores themes of redemption, forbidden romance, and overcoming personal flaws, promising a steamy and passionate love story filled with sizzling chemistry and emotional depth.

The chemistry between Savvy and Darwin sizzles off the pages, igniting a passion that's as intense as it is taboo. With its spicy plot and irresistible characters, this book is not for the faint of heart. I loved every second of it and would be ready to read more if this was part of a series. *hint hint* Cleo.

If you're craving a steamy read that pushes the boundaries, then "You’re It" is the perfect choice.

Tropes:

Forbidden Romance
Age Gap Romance
Dark Romance
Slow Burn
Taboo Relationship
Steamy Chemistry


Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, The author Cleo White & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

This is brilliant! I love love love this book! First off, the dedication is spot on - I would buy a seven foot tall game show wheel for fifty bucks. Secondly, the mental health rep is honestly unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The OCD representation is bang on and how it manifests in Darwin is super interesting as well as how he lives with it and manages it, especially as the book progresses. From experience, I feel that Dar’s is an accurate depiction. Next - our girl Savvy. Her reactions to the initial events in the book are hilarious, her to-do lists are entertaining, she has been fearless and reckless at times and is impulsive, not able to finish one thing before jumping to the next and I very much feel all of that.

I really enjoyed this, it hooked me and I read it in a day! There’s plenty of spice and dirty talk as well as real relationship development. “I’ve somehow stumbled into fifty shades of holy crap.”
The character growth and of Savvy and Dar is special and feels authentic because it doesn’t go right straight away and there aren’t any magic cures or immediate fixes.
“It’s good for the plot, Dar.”