I don't have much to say about this book, it was sickeningly sweet in the best way, and so very queer. I loved it!
It was funny and heart warming, and had representation for the whole rainbow.

Jo having diabetes was treated so well. It written with compassion and care, very informative, and actually mattered to the plot.
I kinda felt like Hunter's ADHD was brought up once out of the blue at the start, then forgotten about until it was used to explain something at the end, and wasn't really as well thought out as Jo's diabetes.

First loves reconnecting and working through their issues separately and together is always nice to see.
You can clearly see both characters taking their mental health seriously and actually communicating. Do I say that a lot? Yes. But I'll never get tired of it. I'm a sucker for good communication.

I'm a little sad it wasn't quite the bi rep I was hoping for, but compulsive heternormativity is a bitch, and I guess I understand people also deserve to have representation of not knowing quite where they stand and having to unlearn decades of brainwashing ;P

Oh and I can't forget that I'm pretty sure Duggan wrote a remix to Our Song by Taylor Swift, and it was seamlessly worked into it. Or maybe that was just me...

The spice was spicy and yummy. I was slightly confused by the drastic change Jo had inside the bedroom, it seemed like a totally different character then, and after they started having sex, but I guess that could be explained by her being emboldened. I just didn't quite see it.

DNF @ 20%

I really wanted to enjoy this book, I really liked the concept but for me the execution was just not it.

I really struggle with contemporary books that reference modern day things so the constant references to Taylor Swift etc bugged me so much. I’ve never read a book with a playlist attached but I didn’t really like the whole listen-to-this-song-while-reading-this-chapter vibe with the song title at the beginning of each chapter. The chapters were also really short, probably the duration of said songs which I didn’t really like.

Within the first few pages there was already a handful of spelling and grammar issues and with the plot on top I just couldn’t read on.

Jo and Hunter didn’t feel like very well thought out people. For people in their late twenties they feel painfully immature in their words and actions and I just didn’t enjoy it. The writing style felt like it was going for sexy but just came across as crude.

The constant references to Bridgerton made it obvious that that’s what the author is trying to do with the whole queer siblings series thing. Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

I received an ARC of Back to Me from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this spicy contemporary sapphic romance! Back to Me is a beautiful celebration of found family and the kind of supportive, protective love that embraces you for precisely who you are. The alternating points of view between Hunter and Jo and the fact that each chapter began with a song title added a unique touch to the story! As someone with multiple disabilities, I also appreciated the authentic and positive disability representation (Type 1 diabetes, Major depressive disorder, ADHD). However, it should be noted those identities are not my own. Overall, Duggan and her romance novel skillfully balanced a humorous and light tone with deeper, weightier themes (ableism, emotional abuse, depression, religious bigotry, homophobia, fatphobia, diet culture, and family and religious trauma) with respect and without being preachy. #BacktoMeKatieDuggan #NetGalley

“Life’s funny that way. It throws you someone from your past and they become your soul’s reason.”

This was my first book by Katie Duggan and it was such a sweet romance! I loved that this was a second chance romance but also dealt with deeper topics including major depressive disorder, diabetes, and mental health. Katie manages to weave these tough topics into the story while maintaining the balance of the second chance romance. Jo and Hunter were so sweet with each other but my favorite part is how they CARED for each other. Between healthily communicating, giving each other space when they needed it, being there for each other in their individual lows, you could feel the love they had for each other every page. The flashback “that summer” scenes provided amazing backstory and warmth as we saw them first fall in love. This book was so so sweet!

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is a first by this author but will not be my last! I read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.

This was the first book I’ve read by the author and it didn’t disappoint. While it read easy, there are deeper topics such as mental health, physical health, and homophobia. The author did a good job at weaving them into the story and providing a delicate balance between not enough and too much. I’m also always a sucker for when one MC calls the other by their full name when no one else does, so the times she didn’t I was thrown off because I enjoyed it so much.

This books comes with a content warning, why? Honestly I don’t know.. I understand how some of the events can be triggering to some people, but surely the content warning is a bit much.

I didn’t mind the story, nor did I really like it. Now I wonder if that might have been influenced by the content warning, it had me expecting something more intense than this repetitive and mediocre story. I do like how the body types are different from most of these books. The support between our two mains is excellent, although it’s a tad unbelievable and over the top.

Mediocre book with different than usual representation.

I want to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this book was really adorable! I loved how the 2 mains kept telling each other how they felt and were always opened and honest with one another. The communication with them was really well done. I just find there were to many other characters and their back stories involved that it was kind of confusing at times to follow allll of that.. other than that, very cute read!

Omg I loved this book! Absolutely devoured it in a day.

•WLW romance
•Second chance
•Forced proximity
•Fake dating
•Grumpyish/Sunshine
•Mental Health representation
•Diabetes representation
•Plus-size MC

🎶These are a few of my favourite thingsss🎶

And honestly, it was also downright sexy🔥
Highly recommend this sapphic romance 🏳️‍🌈

I enjoyed this second chances are some of my favourite romance books and this didn’t disappoint
I adored hunter
I adored their relationship
I loved the wedding planing the friendship the setting it was so beautiful
Lovely happy sweet book

Sometimes first love if meant to be forever but at the time you aren't aware of the power of one's first love. Jo and Hunter meet up years later and realize their is so much more than what meets the eye.

Back to Me is a sweet second chance sapphic romance with impeccable ADHD rep, a rowdy menacing family with hearts of gold, and a mechanical bull scene. (!!) The communication in this series is just SO good - the main characters treat each other with respect and care. The spicy scenes are unbelievably excellent. I liked the spins on the various microtropes that popped up - one-bed and grand gestures in particular.
This book is great for everyone, but especially anyone who has felt like they’re too much or not deserving of love; for those afraid to take up space; and for those who have ever wanted to name a bearded dragon Dolly Parton.

Here is my review as posted on Instagram @readknitcoffee and StoryGraph @queenlaserbeam. I’m so happy our next Quibling book was Jo! In From the Start, we got to meet Jo bc she lived with Nic and gave Josh a hard time 😂 I loved seeing the book club continue on and how romance books were involved in this book as well. While Jo might be my fave in the family, NO ONE can top Hunter! She is incredible, a force to be reckoned with, and the sweetest/most thoughtful ever. I loved their dynamic and understanding of one another.
Katie’s books tackle mental health in a very relatable and thoughtful way. I felt seen throughout all of the discussions and situations and felt the care and compassion from her understanding their importance. Katie’s books should be on everyone’s fall TBRs bc they are cozy and warm love stories.

Katie, you have convinced me that I need to actively seek out more second chance romances, which are not my top choice! I cannot wait to see what else pops up with this family, and I’m really hoping it’s with Kat🫣

I cannot express my excitement for the second Quiblings book! Jo and Hunter are my girls and I love them with my whole heart. What can I say, other than I loved this book so much? Because I really did. Jo and Hunter got together when they were teenagers, but Jo's dad walked in on them, and they never spoke again, losing touch. Now, Jo is the wedding planner for her ex, while Hunter is the photographer for the same wedding, and they find each other again, but things aren't exactly the same and both girls struggle with their feelings, the past, and their current lives. First and foremost, I really loved the representation in this book. Jo struggles with Type 1 diabetes, as well as MDD (major despressive disorder) and Hunter struggles with ADHD. Both of them are queer, fat girls and reading about women like this is really important to me, and others. There were some great caretaking scenes, and both Jo and Hunter just seemed to get each other and know what each other needed. The support and care and love was so beautiful. The spicy scenes were intimate, hot, and also poignant and meaningful and beautiful. I really loved that the author included a playlist! I love getting to see what songs inspired the author and their writing. I also loved the side characters, with a special shoutout to the Quinn family; they are amazing and so hilarious! They are the kind of family I would love to have. Jo and Hunter have such a raw, genuine, and deep love that was really palpable. Their chemistry was off the charts! I loved that their got their second chance at a happy ending.

Jo and Hunter were a thing as teenagers, until they broke up when Jo's dad walked in on them having sex.

Now Jo is a wedding planner and Hunter a photographer, and have found themselves together at a friend's wedding.

Six months later, her sister surprises her by suggesting Hunter should be Jo's new roommate...

(There's a minor continuity issue. Jo tells Nic and Josh about wedding planning for her ex, then tells them AGAIN a few chapters later. I assume it'll get fixed?)

Good read, a lot of humor. The relatives, especially, had me chuckling a lot.

This is the second in the Quinn siblings series. This book deals with fat representation, fat phobia, parental abandonment, homophobia, chronic illness, mental health representation and on page therapy. This is also a second chance romance, as Hunter and Jo were childhood loves. There was so much internalizing in this book as there was in the first, as there usually is when a character is dealing with mental health issues but it is done in what I consider the proper way. It is done so beautifully. You literally see the growth Jo does from the beginning of the book to the end and if you read the 1st book you even get to see if from then it was absolutely beautiful to witness.

The fat representation is just always so on point in these books as well. It was also so inspiring to watch Hunter's growth as well. What I really loved was them being loved by the other as they were growing throughout their issues. Katie Duggan, does a beautiful job of representing chronic ill and mental health in her books so please give them a read.


I was given and ARC by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review, as always, all words are my won.

How to start other than saying I LOVED this book!!! I am a chronically ill ADHD girlie so I saw bits of myself represented in both main characters. Katie Duggan once again wrote a loving, safe story that feels like a validating hug. And I love her for it!

Both Jo and Hunter are fat queer girls with brains that work different than what is considered the norm. And that made them very compassionate and understanding of each other. So so lovely! 'Back to me' is really a story about learning to show yourself the kindness you show other loved ones.

Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes, and this story did not disappoint! I loved the reason for the fake dating. It was not to make an ex jealous or to get financial security or to get family to back off. They decided to fake-date to show her ex she had moved on. And I really loved that. Especially since Hunter is such a protective person and really gave the nasty ex a run for her money. Yaaay!

It was never labled as emotional abuse, but in my opinion Jo was emotionally abused by her ex. She was made to feel small, an inconvenience. She was belittled and disregarded. There was no love there, only manipulation. Jo really got hurt in their relationships and is still emotionally healing with the help of therapy amongst other things. She works really hard to get back to the person she was before her nasty relationship, 'back to me' so to speak. It shows how well the title fits!

Hunter is also growing and healing. Also in therapy. I love it when a book speaks so positive about therapy!! Hunter was disowned by her family after coming out and is grappleing that loss yet also celebrating the freedom of finally being able to be herself. Her loud, excited, protective, sapphic self. The relationship she forms with Jo and her family was really nice to see and I'm so happy she found safe people who love her for who she is!
Her ADHD was also portrayed so well!! The special interests, the hyperfocus, the struggle with a lack of structure. Her creativity and bluntness. Also I laughed so hard (because I relate so much) when she spoke out of turn to disrupt someone because she was so excited to speak about a special interest and then realised it was not the right moment and let them continue on speaking. None shamed her for her behaviour and they celebrated her instead, as they should! Her family did not handle her ADHD well tho. It was mentioned but there were never given concrete comments about what they'd say to her in the past. So it was acknowlegded that not everyone handles ADHD traits well, but overall the tone was very positive and uplifting without dismissing the struggles of having a neurodivergent brain.

Jo has type 1 Diabetes and was made to feel like an inconvenience by her ex. Like it was such a bother for other people SHE has diabetes. And also belittled like she could not take care of herself. But she can perfectly manage her own health conditions. That does not mean she always should do it alone. This also applies to her Major Depressive Disorder, she has one lower period on page and lets Hunter take care of her because there is trust, love and understanding. The caretaking scenes were really kind, caring and hopeful. On page she also has one alarmingly low (bloodsugar), she was awake enough she could have managed on her own, but she felt safe enough to let Hunter take care of her. And I loved that. There was enormous growth there!! And it really shows how the right partner will want to hold your hand through hard/low moments. Will want to take care of you because they love you. It gives readers a new perspective if they also see or saw themselves as an inconvenience. Like they have to do the hard stuff alone because they dont want to be a bother or burden. But having health conditions does not make you a burden or any less lovable. 'Back to me' showcases that beautifully!

If you like a book that includes a shitty ex, love, trauma, honey, cowboy boots and dysfunction families this is for you.
This is such a beautiful book. I’ve never read a book that has a playlist before and I think it’s really cool.

Having chronic illness representation in a book is amazing especially when it’s not the main focus of the book, it’s just a daily life thing.

‘controlling my chronic illnesses and simply existing into the mix, and you have one burnt out Jo Quinn.’ I felt that so deep and my maiden name is Quinn so it did make me laugh

‘ i still want you. Even when I'm depressed, or down. Even when I don't seem like I do, I still want you. I'm not going to be perfect at showing it or giving you what you need, but I promise to work at it and be better’

this was beautiful and it really got across how much they understood relationships aren’t perfect, i hate when a book makes everything in a relationship perfect so this was a breath of fresh air to read.

P.s love that you included cross stitch, one of my many hobbies

First off, I loved that Katie Duggan included both Clit Notes and a playlist related to Jo and Hunter in her book. She’s definitely the people’s author!

Something that really stood out to me was the fact that she added resources alongside her content warnings. She might not be the first author to do this, but she’s the first I’ve noticed, and I think it’s such a thoughtful gesture that could really help someone who needs it.

Now, about the story itself—I wanted to like it more, but a few things didn’t quite work for me. There were some typos and formatting mistakes that pulled me out of the story, and the 'breaking the fourth wall' writing style wasn’t my preference. It felt a bit too juvenile for my taste.

The romance didn’t feel super realistic to me either. The whole “I haven’t seen you in 12 years, but the moment I see you, I’m drooling all over you and fantasizing about our past” felt more like something teenagers would do, not grown women. I was hoping for a bit more of a mature slow-burn, getting-to-know-you-again story.

That said, I have to give props where they’re due. This is the first sapphic romance I’ve read where one of the main characters has MDD and Type 1 diabetes, and Duggan handles both with a lot of care and clearly did her research, which I really appreciated.

I also liked the little touches like the design of the text bubbles and phone chats. It’s small stuff, but it made the reading experience more enjoyable.