I loved this book so much! I read this and her debut back to back and both were too good! This one had me laughing and feeling so much emotion!

3.5

I’m in the minority here. Everybody else seemed to love it, but it was just okay for me. I just couldn’t connect with Ali. She’s always running hot and cold. I do love her quick wit and sense of humour. The way she always teases Graham was cute.

As an outsider, I also enjoyed all the nod to Baltimore (I think this was the first book that I’ve read that was set in Baltimore), all the Jewish holidays and traditions. They were very nice personal touches.

Loved Bubbuleh! For me, she was the star of the story! I wish she was in it more. Claire was also a great side character.

Overall, it was a good, fun, and easy read. There were lots of tears welling up from characters, blushes, and mentions of plump lips (at least in the beginning). For me it felt like that the angst just kept going around in circles. In my opinion, the issue with her sister was unwarranted. The ending was a cheesy, but cute. Those who love pop culture references will enjoy this book.

ARC provided by NetGalley. Much appreciated.

I absolutely loved this book! Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This feel-good, second-chance, “it’s complicated” romance gave me all the Wedding Planner (JLo) vibes. The story follows Ali—spirited, impulsive, and hilarious—who’s chasing her dream of becoming an event planner. But things take a turn when her latest client is none other than Graham, the guy she shared a magical night with eight years ago and never forgot. Their chemistry is undeniable, but Graham's upcoming wedding may not be as straightforward as it seems.

The humor and banter are reminiscent of Abby Jimenez’s style, so fans of hers will love this. Overall, this book made my heart so happy!

Ali left her study abroad from England and never expected to see Graham again. And then there he was in Baltimore. They get reconnected through the process of planning his wedding, which is a twist that Ali didn't plan on. Ali and her Jewish family are fun and witty. Sweet rom-com.

Not only did I enjoy this book but Ali is a character after my own heart. She is free spirited and quick witted. The banter and steamy scenes were great and I was entertained by the plot.

I really enjoyed this story! The characters were really fun! It felt fresh and not too trope heavy which is really a nice change. The steamy scenes were well paced and very hot!

I had a fun time reading this! 🎂

I'm not a huge fan of British books. Unless they are regency romances. So this book didn't really tickle my fancy. I also wasn't a fan of the writing. I thought it would be funnier than it actually was.

Great book! Ali and Graham are both so concerned about not letting other people down that they put themselves last. Their story is both funny and sad, but it is truly compelling. I highly recommend this book.


I received an e-arc from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book. I very much appreciate it.

I really enjoyed this author’s debut novel, and this is a strong follow up. She has a gift for creating likable characters, laugh out loud scenes with witty banter, and lots of pop-culture references. This was a feel good story that made me smile; I can’t wait for this author’s next book.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this! I adored Lindsay Hameroff's first book Till There was You, so I came into this expecting big things.
I absolutely ADORED this from start to finish and flew through it.
Ali (I do love when characters make reappearances!) is a wedding planner not quite set in her day to day life and ready to finally hit it big on her first real project, only to have the groom be Graham, the British one-night-stand who never quite got out of her head. The chemistry from the get go is palpable and the humor is top notch. Barreling towards the wedding, the story circles around their clear adoration for each other, his marriage of convenience (THANK YOU for not making this cheating, and thank you for making Claire her own powerhouse of a character), both of their expectations of life and purpose in career, and just the right amount of steam and spice.
I think what works so well is how much you are rooting for these two but also fully understanding why they can't quite be together: it never once felt forced. You never hate Claire, which so many of these tropes do, and you are left wondering how they're gunna get together in the end. I loved so many of the female characters in this story (welcome back Lexi!, Asha, Trudy, Bubbie, even Sarah) and how friendship can be defined in so many different avenues of our lives. Its got wholesomeness running through out it.
This book was laugh out loud funny at times and the pop culture references are fantastic. Thank you for putting one of my favorite drinking games absolutely front and center, while also being an ode to Baltimore, Jewish culture, and of course food.

Ali is a free spirited woman looking to improve her life - I knew I loved her within the first couple pages. She’s shocked when a one night fling shows up 8 years later and is even more shocked when she finds out the circumstances as to why. A realistic cast of characters and situations make this even better.
A second chance romance book that will make you laugh, cry, audibly say aww and give you all the feels with the perfect amount of spice. There were a handful of moments where I wasn’t sure where things were going, but they all sorted themselves out in a beautiful way.

Thank you Netgalley and Lindsay Hameroff for the ARC! I can’t wait to get the book when it’s officially out.

Give me all the books with a wedding! This was a fun story. I think many people will be interested just from the cover and then happily surprised by the writing! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this one! I thought it was going in one direction and then completely went a different way and I loved it so much. The cultural references in this book really worked for me and to me they were funny. I liked her first book but I loved this one.

This was such a highly anticipated read, after LOVING the first book and giving it 5 stars, I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on this one. And it was SUCH a fun story, with incredible and witty writing.

- Once again, this book throws every single pop culture reference at me, and they all seem perfectly tailored to who I am as a person. The Price is Right, Taylor Swift, One Direction, the list goes on and it's all amazing.
- Ali and Graham are such a fascinating duo - while we strictly see things from Ali's perspective, I do feel like we get a really nice glimpse into Graham enough to piece things together as the story unfolds.
- This romance has some very complicated dynamics and at first, I wasn't sure where we were gonna go, but I charged forward and was not disappointed with the way some of the really tricky matters were handled. The secrecy was so intense and I loved it.
- Claire was such a fun character, and her lovability really made things more... complicated? But I love the kind of wrench this threw into things.
- I love Graham and his Bob Barker vibes, okay??
- Sarah was horrible for so much of the book and she kind of gets redemption but it felt a little forced. But I'm all for family growth.
- Here's where I'm still unsure how to feel: the final 25% of the book was a rollercoaster. Lots of truths revealed, lots of drama, and I feel like so much of it was handled well (as well as could be given the circumstances). BUT Ali was slightly irritating throughout the process, I feel like her approach to the resolution was stiff and hard to understand given her stance on everything throughout the entirety of the book.

There aren’t words for how much I loved this book. I laughed, I cried, I swooned so hard. This is everything I want in a romcom!

Pick this up immediately if you love the following:

***Second chance romance
***The type of longing described that you can feel in your bones
***A FMC that is so witty, and extremely relatable.
***A MMC that is just a perfect hunk
***A great, original storyline
***Steam scenes that are fire!
***The type of novel you can’t put down - I devoured it.

I have already preordered my own copy when this comes out in February! This will definitely be one of those stories I read again and again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lindsay Hameroff for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Ali Rubin is our fun and driven FMC with a history of spontaneity, followed by a string of different careers all before her late 20’s. She meets a handsome and mysterious stranger during her end of study abroad in London and ends the night with hideous matching tattoos. Eight years later, she runs into him at a cafe, and it feels like destiny. But alas, he’s taken.

Never Planned on You is a fun romance novel that I could not put down! It was such a quick and good read that makes you want to turn the page just to keep falling in love with the couple. It was exactly what I would want in a rom com movie: strong female lead who is finding herself, male lead who feels stuck between his responsibilities and wants, and a cute and quirky grandmother shipping the two. I like that there are no villains in this story, and you can focus on the couples story progression. This books is kinda spicy, so if you’re looking for that with a side of pining and fluff, this is the perfect book for you. Will definitely be looking out for other books from this author.

Lindsay’s sophomore novel, Never Planned on You, is another home run!

NPoY focuses on Ali Rubin (who was a side character in Hameroff’s debut Till There Was You) who recently moves back home to Baltimore. The story starts some years previous where we find Ali on her semester abroad in England winning a bet and getting a random tattoo with a stranger. Fast forward to today, and Ali randomly runs into her tattoo twin…. And this is where the story begins!

Lindsay’s quick and witty humor, and ability to write indescribable chemistry for Ali and Graham will have you feeling all the feels. Ali and Graham are clearly attracted to each other… can they get their second chance at romance while succeeding in their everyday lives??

I was so happy to see Ali’s besties make a cameo in NPoY, including rock star heartthrob Jake! They are all hilarious and the best side kicks!

I also LOVED Lindsay’s ode to Bartenura wines (the Blue Shabbat wine bottle, IYKYK), Ali’s cooking (we need more recipes, Lindsay!. The line about the Halloween shop was laugh out loud funny! And her sister Sarah’s melt down in the mini-van relatable to anyone who’s ever been there.

I am a fan, and will read anything Lindsay puts out there!

Thank you to the publishers (St Martin’s Griffin) and Lindsay Hameroff for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Great book. Well written. Believable plot and characters that you root for from beginning to end. I would Read another book by this author

This book was amazing and I devoured it in one sitting! I loved character development and how romance progressed. Overall fun read that is easy to read.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay so my feelings about this are WILD but I cannot deny that Lindsay knows how to write a heartbreaker.

I really struggled with 90% of Graham and Ali’s relationship, even if Claire was okay with it. That’s a personal thing for me - it felt icky that it was so secretive and hush-hush. Especially at the beginning when Ali didn’t know the truth. I was basically ☹️ even while I was almost in tears.

I’m glad Ali made the choices she did at the end - VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD - it was ESSENTIAL that she put herself first here. The entirety of their relationship was so unbalanced and unsteady that she was absolutely right to say that love alone wasn’t enough.

Phenomenally written and brought me to tears multiple times. My personal ick factor about cheating (or whatever the heck this was lol) made it complicated for me, but at the end of it all it was still an incredible read!