A light romance that would make for a great beach read. There were multiple aspects of the book that I enjoyed - the backdrop of a reality tv show, our FMC being a wedding dress designer and female business owner, and I am a fan of visiting Atlanta so it was fun to read a book set there and to recognize some of the shoutouts. I thought our male and female main characters were well developed, but the secondary characters were definitely lacking in development, and I often got them confused and really never connected with them. I liked the way the plot unfolded for the most part, and the ending was what we all would want!

This is a cute second chance, reality show romance. While enjoyable, it did not stand out to me and had trouble relating to the MMC. This character is one that struggles with always doing for others and not himself, but he comes off as very controlling and it rubbed me the wrong way. This was not the fault of the narrator, but rather, the way the character was originally written. His Nickname for the FMC is "sweet potato" and while we do get an explanation for why he calls her that I still HATED it and cringed every time I heard it. I enjoyed the story overall, but after reading a great deal of romances there is nothing new here and many that do what is here better.

This was so damn good
Enjoyed every part of it , very well done.
I love Andie energy and her bossiness.
Kit was adorable and so attentive. Like that is his way to show love. Unfortunately someone needs to learn to use words.
Definitely a rollercoaster but so worth it. Will be recommending for sure

If you like the show, love is blind or any of those dating reality TV shows you’re gonna like this book! I did feel like it was a little predictable which took it down a star for me and I didn’t care for the third act break up even though I knew it was coming. But if you need like a fluffy little romance to get you happy again this is like the perfect book for that.

NOT YOU AGAIN has all the makings of cute rom-com. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and, when combined with the guilty pleasure of reality tv, it held so much promise.

Andie Dresser and Kit Watson were involved during college. They thought it was the real thing - until Kit disappeared without explanation. A decade later they are matched up on a reality tv show where couples marry and have eight weeks to decide whether or not to stay married or divorce. Andie is in it for the clause that pays $100,000 if they divorce - money she needs to keep her business afloat. Kit signed up for the show to please his mother who wants him to settle down. Neither expected to see the other when they arrived at the altar.

Over the course of eight weeks, their passion for each other is reignited and they begin to unravel the miscommunication that kept them apart the first time. Told via dual POVs, Andie and Kit continue to be their own worst enemies. Miscommunication is a pet peeve for me and this book is loaded with it. Fortunately, there are enough tender moments to counterbalance that. Also, there’s a spicy scene that comes out of nowhere that definitely got my attention. 🌶️

These narrators were both new to me and I thought they did a good job with their characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the eALC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Great premise, characters, and story. I loved Andi and appreciated where she was coming from through the whole story. I also really loved how much both characters' upbringing and family history came to play in the way they viewed love and relationships. Can't wait to read another book by this author!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was such a cute book. Two people who dated in college get matched in a reality dating show. This was such a fun story and the perfect beach or pool read.

Title: Not You Again
Author: Ingrid Pierce
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Kelsey Navarro Foster and John William Maddux

Andie (Andrea) Dresser is an aptly named wedding dress designer in Atlanta. Kit Watson is a successful architect who is used to traveling a lot for his job, but staying in Atlanta for a little to take care of his mother.

They've independently signed up to participate in a reality tv show that marries them on first sight, though because they just so happened to have dated in college, they become married at second sight. At the end of the show, they have to decide if they want to call it quits again, or live out their happily ever after together.

Pros:
-I loved the reality show premise. Reality dating shows are my guilty pleasure, and this easily reads like one. It includes interactions with the host and producers. Having cheesy lines being read between scenes was a nice touch.
-I liked all the descriptions on fabrics and clothing. I haven't seen a book that focuses on those details before, down to the pocket squares, so it felt unique and helped me get into Andie's mindspace.

Cons:
-I didn't really like the characters. Andie was really shut off. Kit went on too much about their breakup, and I just wanted to slap him and tell him to vocalize things more to Andie. If they had a conversation right at the beginning, everything would have been squared up.
-I also thought it was a put-off that Kit would do things for Andie with the best of intentions that he thought was in her best interest, but wasn't always. I never like it when someone assumes they know what's best for someone else. Like, just talk to them, don't treat them like a child and make decisions for them.

When I watch reality dating shows, it's a relaxing time for me to unwind and watch something that makes me believe true love might exist in the world. (And to feel better about myself since my life doesn't involve that much drama.) I think this book is really good for those moments. It's probably not for those who want to read about a dreamy book boyfriend or once in a lifetime kind of relationship.

Audiobook Impressions:
I think the audio was fine. It had two narrators for the male and female dual POVs which is always a treat. I think when the female did male voices in her chapters and the male did female voices in his chapters, it could have been better, so that was a little distracting. But overall, I'd listen to both of them again!

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In the blink of an eye, Kit and Andie tie the knot on TV for the world to see. Now, they must live together for eight weeks with cameras following their every move. But as the newlyweds reconnect and sift through their past, old feelings females spark…and old grudges cast a shadow over their “marriage”. With decision day looming, Andie must decide if forgiving Kit for his mistakes—past and present—is worth more than her dreams of success.

I love that the main characters have realistic flaws. This tale is one of romance and laughter. The chemistry feel real and the world is well built and inviting. I am looking forward to reading more from Ingrid Pierce.

This was a fun second chance romance romcom. Did it hugely break new ground? No. But I still had fun on the ride. I liked our main characters and the story was well narrated and easy to listen to. I don't generally watch dating-based reality tv (or much of any reality tv beyond cooking shows for that matter), but I do like how it works as a plot driver. The TikTok fame paired with the dating show was a good partnership. However, I was expecting the show to be more of a driving factor of a major plot developments than it really was. Overall, a cute, fun book to read on audio.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you Alcove Press for the #gifted ARC and thank you Dreamscape Media for the #gifted ALC of Not You Again!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐮𝐱
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

After reading the description, I knew I was going to love this book! I used to be obsessed with watching shows like Say Yes To The Dress, so when I could see something like this playing out in my head with a reality TV show twist. I loved Andie and the entire second chance romance concept with Kit and his matchmaking mother. There was so much chemistry in this one and everything felt so real as it was playing out. I truly loved everything about this book! It was fun and flirty and unique and if it’s not on your radar, I urge you to add this one to your TBR!

👰Dual POV
👰Second Chance Romance
👰Reality TV Show
👰Contemporary Romance
👰Lots of Chemistry

🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook. Not You Again consisted of dual narrators, Kelsey Navarro Foster and John William Maddux. I thought they both did an amazing job with this one! While I’ve listened to audiobooks in the past that have been narrated by both of these narrators, I was excited to get to listen to an audiobook with these two together. These two were a perfect pair and I really enjoyed my time listening to this one! I highly recommend the audiobook if you are looking for a fun second chance romance!

Posted on Goodreads on July 7, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 8, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 9, 2024
**-will post on designated date

This is a fun second chance romance that takes places during a reality TV show contest. Andi and Kit dated in college and he broke her heart. Fast forward a number of years and the producers pair them together to get married and see if it creates a love match over a period of several weeks. The dialog is fun, but the romance is filled with miscommunication and hurt feelings prevent them to being able to fully trust each other. As time passes though, the activities required for the show bring them closer together and with one final glitch they finally find their HEA. The audiobook is narrated by Kelsey Navarro Foster and John William Maddux and is a delightful way to enjoy this contemporary romance.

Oh how I love a good second chance romance. Add to it that there’s forced proximity? Done for. I am done for.
Kit and Andi dated in college for a few months but haven’t seen each other in 10 years since he left unexpectedly after her love confession. That is, until she’s walking down the aisle to him at their televised wedding.
I can say with certainty that Andi took the surprise of marrying her ex at first sight a lot better than I would have.
I honestly wish this was a real show (though I played it out in my mind like it was) because I would be hanging on every week to see what happens next. I wanted to watch every little detail between them.
I did not, however enjoy how Kit handled the third act. The miscommunication was… a mess. The ending felt rushed.
As for the audio aspect, I thought it was produced amazingly. The voice actors were perfect and it had me wanting to press play on the next chapter even when I knew I didn’t have time to listen to more.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for this ALC.
all thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I mean, it was...fine?
I didn't hate it, and i think some people would definitely enjoy this, but it was pretty bland in my opinion (which is saying something given this book was advertised with all the tropes I LOVE--fake dating, second chance romance, lovers to enemies to lovers again, etc.)

Unfortunately I never felt any chemistry from the couple AT ALL it just felt so dry from minute one and everything felt forced. The author kept telling us they were attracted to each other or hated each other but I never felt that either was true at all. They felt like two random characters that were thrown together with no connection.

I think a large part of that might be down to the cringe dialogue (think "millennial" humour) that made me groan. The humour in general kind of took me out of the story because it was so ridiculous, for example in one scene the FL stuck her tongue out at the ML after he made a comment and he nearly 'choked on his food' from laughing so hard at her reaction sticking her tongue out....like babes bffr that wasn't funny!! 😭🙏🏻 another was shouting at the top of her lungs (while supposedly outwardly despising this man) "Kit Watson has thighs that should be illegal!!!"....girl I got the ick!!!

also I felt like there was a bit of an issue with the creativity/originality given that the same words and phrases or concepts are reused and overused SO much, like the FL's main personality trait is flipping everyone off its used SO often.

All in all, I've read FAR worse and it wasn't a BAD book by any means, I just didn't have much personal interest in it.

Kit is reeling with the news that his mom is sick and he wants to help her with the financial burden of her hospital bills and home nurse. The only way she'll allow that is to see him finally settle down by signing up for a matchmaking reality show.
Andi is struggling to make ends meet with her dressmaking business and the perfect solution is to join a matchmaking reality show. Marry a stranger at first sight, live together with cameras catching their every waking move, and at the end file for divorce and cash the check.
Neither of them expected to see each other again after their abrupt split ten years ago when he left and broke her heart. They definitely didn't expect to be married...
This was an emotional roller coaster ride of a second chance, marriage for convenience story. Their miscommunication from years ago caused hurt feelings on both sides that they struggle to get through. Their situation seems impossible since they both want different things from the marriage. I like how real the characters felt with their imperfections, the baggage they both brought into the relationship and the real world issues they're each struggling with. I listened to the audiobook version and the dual narration was smooth and easy to understand.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not Over You is a debut novel, and one with a very interesting premise. Imagine you agree to participate in a reality TV where you get married to a complete stranger at first sight and then spend the next 8 weeks trying to make it work with them! This setup is already nuts (though I’m sure shows like that exist), but then imagine that you come down the aisle and the man waiting for you at the end is your ex! Now, you know me, I live for a second chance romance ❤️‍🔥

I was a bit worried that the reality TV aspect would overpower the relationship development with over-the-top drama — I don’t watch reality shows, unless it’s anything cooking or baking related — but surprisingly, the cameras played both roles, as obstacles and as bonding mechanism.

I loved Kit, he really tried to make it good with Andie. He knew her well, and he took care of her while being patient and admiring her for everything she was, even the things that stood in the way of their relationship. He had his issues, though, so Andie took a while to warm up to him. And it took a while for me to warm up to her. I have to admit I wanted to shake her multiple times throughout the book. The narration also made it sound like she was annoyed with everything, which didn’t help tbh. Nevertheless, I respect Andie, she works hard and she achieved so much all on her own. It’s her strength and her weakness.

I’m not sure I understood the stakes fully: Andie needs money for her business, because she doesn’t want to use anyone else’s money. BUT then she uses her ex to get that money. In the beginning it was justified but with time started looking like she was taking advantage of him.

There was a lot of misunderstandings between our heroes, and their doubts prevented them from expressing their feelings for a while. But they both grew a lot, and their HEA was hard-earned 💕💕

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️ (spice hits you out of nowhere, but boy that mirror scene was 🥵🥵🥵)
❤️❤️❤️

I love second chance romances but the reason they broke up the first time didn't make sense to me. They could've resolved it very easily and moved forward.

I also couldn't get over the fact that Kit gave Andie so much grief for not being all in but when she finally started to make an effort to be there for him, he pushed her away.

The third act breakup didn't need to happen. That too could've been resolved with a simple conversation.

I didn't enjoy the audio unfortunately. For some reason the female narrator grated on my nerves and the male narrator had a weird "girl" voice 😅 I know others might enjoy this story, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was cute! Sometimes, I feel iffy about reality tv show books, but I enjoyed this one. Especially because it was basically Married at First Sight (a reality show I used to be obsessed with!)

This second-chance romance delivered on angst and tension, while also having fun. The reality tv portion of this book was fun and more believable. It was nice that we were able to focus on our two main characters without having loads of side characters constantly trying to steal the attention (which is how I often feel with other reality TV plots).

I liked our two main characters, Andie and Kit. I think I wanted just a smidge more background on them, but I was okay with what I got. They had blazing hot chemistry and kept fighting this rekindling of their relationship. Their personalities were also complete opposites which kept things interesting and moving along. I will admit, the third act breakup could have been stronger since things started feeling wishy-washy, but I won't nitpick.

The narrators were good. For some reason, I didn't fully connect with either one, but I don't have a good reason as to why. They both had great inflection in their voices and portrayed strong emotions well. I just didn't find myself loving them as narrators. I think it's just an unknown and unidentifiable preference of mine.

Overall, I enjoyed this one! It was good in the way you don't have to put in a lot of effort or concentration to enjoy.

DNF @ 31%

I couldn't make it through this. Neither character are likeable from the start, and I gave it some time but it did not improve. The FMC in particular is so contrary, and her audio narrator speaks in a very droll, sarcastic voice even in internal monologue that is just so off-putting. The entire attraction seems to be physical and also contradictory -- he doesn't have a gym-slave's body, but later he's 'soooo ripped,' they barely touch each other and thoughts immediately go to pants feelings... which I have no problem with, but when there is no emotional connection or heart feelings to go with it, it got old fast.

Finally at 31% I realized that I didn't care at all about these people. I was really intrigued by the premise and particularly the FMC's career and motivations, but alas.

This audio arc was provided by NetGalley for a fair review, thank you to the publisher for the opportunity!

3.75 ⭐️ -- 10 years ago, Kit and Andie dated in college but one night, everything ended. Until they both find themselves in front of the alter to be married, sight 'unseen'. And they have 8-weeks to make it work...or not.

The premise of the book itself had me excited enough to request this ALC but I didn't think I'd enjoy it this much! I love a cute rom-com; they're the perfect palate cleansers between intense world building and heart-wrenching stories.

Now to nobody's surprise, Andie, a wedding dress design, does not believe in love. Kit is so absorbed by his work and doing everything right, he becomes obnoxiously perfectly imperfect. And while the characters themselves weren't super original, their struggles felt real. At times, both felt too stubborn for their (and my) own good. But mostly, they just felt very relatable and I love that in a romance book.

Kit and Andie's small gestures had me swoooooning: it really is those small little things that make the heart grow fonder and the love everlasting.

The audiobook production was dual pov as well. I do prefer when the each narrator does their own voice vs doing the other person's voice during their chapter, but alas, we can't always have it all. I thought the narrators were perfect choices for the roles and really enjoyed the flow of it overall ☺️

Tropes:
✨ Second Chance Romance
✨ Reality TV
✨ Dual POV
✨ Miscommunication
✨ 3rd act breakup
✨ "My Wife"
✨ One Room / Forced Proximity
✨ Low spice