Timothy Janovsky has become one of my most anticipated authors. His book The Merriest Misters is one of my favorite romances. Once Upon You and Me is not quite at that level, but I enjoyed it. It has Janovsky’s charm and excellent storytelling.

Ethan is a divorced dad managing Storybook Endings Resort, the fairytale themed family resort in the Catskills that he used to own with his ex-wife, Amy. Taylor is Amy’s personal assistant, who has come to the resort to get it ready for a weekend long birthday celebration for Ethan and Amy’s daughter, Samara. Ethan is exploring his bisexuality and coming to grips with his ADHD diagnosis. Taylor is considerably younger, and as much as he likes working for Amy, he wants to advance professionally. He also seems to be allergic to underwear. Ethan finds this very distracting. Both are lovely characters who make each other braver. I did enjoy their love story.

Amy, the boss and ex-wife, loomed large, even when she wasn’t there. She starts out in bad guy territory, but evolves. Amy is strong willed and particular, and she doesn’t seem to have much respect for Ethan. Ethan and Taylor are correct to be concerned about Amy’s response to a relationship between them. Amy as a barrier to their relationship wasn’t my favorite part. I do appreciate that people are complicated and what Janovsky is showing is that people change and grow. Everyone in Once Upon You and Me makes mistakes and makes amends.

Once Upon You and Me is a quiet story with talks by the fire, shared wine, and reading aloud fairy tales. There is a third act breakup, and then some solid growing up. It’s sweet and lovely.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Afterglow Books and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Once upon a time there were two charming princes looking unironically for their happily ever afters. Spoiler alert: they found them! 🤴🏻💘🤴🏼

What a lovely fairy tale come true! Amazing, adorable premise, Timothy’s inimitably detailed and luscious writing, fabulous characters (Ethan and Taylor, of course, and also Samara and Sasha and Gabriel and Nana (named for the Darlings’ dog), and even Amy, although she was tough to love) and lush east coast and west coast settings. 🏡🏄‍♂️

Ethan Golding is the general manager at his ex-wife’s Catskills resort, NAME HERE. Taylor is the ex-wife’s (Amy Lu’s) personal assistant who wants nothing more than to leave his PA work and actually get into the hospitality business. 🦄

He’s sent out by Amy (from California) to the resort to do week-long advance work for Samara’s (Ethan’s and Amy’s daughter’s) sweet 16 birthday party and he and Ethan meet and, well, have a hot and heavy fling. That is, until Amy gets there and catches them together and fires Taylor. Ugh that hurt. 😫

The start of Ethan’s and Taylor’s relationship was quick - and did I say hot? - and being forcibly separated was ultimately good for them. They took a long time and a long distance coming back together - aided by voice notes of them reading fairy tales to each other - but they got their own fairy tale ending, as well. With each other, with their extended families, with their professions, and with their happily ever after. 📚

The epilogue made me cry. And now I want a Snow White cabin. Actually, make mine a Cinderella cottage, please! 👸🏻

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC. 🧚🏼‍♂️

DNF @ 34%
Thank you so much to Afterglow, Harlequin Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copies of this book. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I've had a hit or miss relationship with Timothy Janovsky's romances and sadly this one was a miss for me. I thought the premise and setup were really great, but I just didn't love the character dynamics or the pacing of the romance.

My biggest issue with this book was the (seemingly) villainization of the heroes ex-wife. Now I didn't finish the book, so I have no idea if this continues or gets resolved, but the first 1/3 of this made me really uncomfortable with how it depicted the ex.

The hero and his ex split when she wants to expand their business and focus on her career while he wants to stay small and local. It drives a wedge in their relationship and eventually the expansion takes her and their daughter to the other side of the country.

And all of it is painted to be her doing. That wanting this step was inherently terrible. Or that she "didn't understand the hero" when she literally never knew about his ADHD diagnosis. I don't know, the whole thing rubbed me the wrong way. Especially as the love interest, her personal assistant, started to be swayed against her.

I easily could have looked past it if the rest of the story had me committed. But I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters and dialogue/writing itself felt stilted and awkward.

While this book wasn't bad by any stretch, it was at most going to be a 3 star read. And with all the books on my tbr, it just wasn't worth pushing through for me.

I will also say that I didn't enjoy the audio narration for this one. As far as I can tell, the only books this narrator has done are Janovsky's HQ books. But I found he voices to be over acted and cringey.

Timothy does it again with another swoon worthy romance! When Ethan starts to crush on his ex-wives assistant Taylor, they have an enchanted pull toward one another at the Once Upon A Time resort. This book is full of so much yearning and desire between the two main characters. And Ethan being a beefy, bi, romantic, single dad…enough said!

Like most of Timothy’s books, this one is full of pop culture references and punny jokes throughout. His wit and charm shines through the story of Ethan and Taylor so brightly.

And if you are looking for a spicer book from Tim, this one is it! The spice was spicing and it just caused the yearning and desire to elevate to the next level.

I do slightly wish there was a bit more of the resolution at the end. I loved where every character ended and how they grew, just wish I got to see a bit more how they got there.

Don’t be a Sleeping Beauty and sleep on this new release from @timothyjanovsky!

Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for this advance copy!

This book was a perfect sweet and easy romance. I'm not sure there were outstanding moments but all of the beats hit right and the end made me feel cozy. I loved the idea of the happy ending hotel and there were a lot of strong plot points. Overallnstill hit really in the middle for a romance

3.5 ⭐️ - rounding up to 4.

Timothy Janovsky is such a consistent writer that I’ve never really been disappointed in his books. This one is no exception.

Ethan works at Storybook Endings Resort, which is a vacation spot themed around fairy tales. Taylor is sent there by Ethan’s ex-wife Amy, who is also his boss, to prepare for their daughter’s birthday weekend. Sparks fly and the question is: will Ethan and Taylor get their happily ever after?

This was cute and a little spicy, but not overly so. I would say probably like a 1.5 🌶️ Ethan is such a soft bear of a man and Taylor was so thoughtful. I absolutely loved his friendship with Samara, Ethan’s daughter. The ADHD representation was handled very well and really contributed to adding depth to Ethan’s character.

They did get into a little argument over nothing that I thought was a bit dramatic, but it was resolved fairly quickly. I also wished there was a little more interaction between Ethan and his daughter to really add to their bond.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for an eArc of this book.

I really struggled with this read. I think it was the writing style - it was just really hard to stay in the story. I loved the premise… but it was choppy and continuity was rough.

Once Upon You and Me
By Timothy Janovsky

I have read Timothy Janovsky’s books before and will keep reading and recommending them. Once Upon You and Me may be my favorite for now. I loved the leads, Ethan and Taylor so much. I am a caretaker like Taylor and an ADHD fixer like Ethan. Half my family is on the West Coast while I’m East. I know what it’s like to miss someone like Ethan misses his daughter, Samara.

Ethan manages the original East coast happily ever after wedding resort that his ex wife, Amy is making into a hospitality empire on the West coast. Along comes her assistant, Taylor to plan their daughter’s sweet sixteen extravaganza and Ethan and Taylor are smitten with each other. I loved the setting and how it lent itself to the story. I like the other characters as well. Maybe Taylor’s Sis is my favorite after Nana, the dog. I love how Taylor supports Samara as the ever growing woman she is. He walks the line between brother or friend but gives solid support.

I was rooting for these Ethan and Taylor. I love how the author helps the MCs find themselves and not make other characters villains to do it. The world would be a better place if we helped each feel loved and be better.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author, Harlequin and Afterglow Books for an advanced readers digital copy to review.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

To begin this review, I want to emphasize the positive aspects of this book, including its setting, characters, and cover. Firstly, the setting captivated me with its enchanting blend of fairy tale magic and nature, making me wish it were a real place to visit. Regarding the characters, I found Ethan and Taylor to be charming and full of potential for development; however, I felt they were somewhat underdeveloped and lacked relatability, as they seemed to be defined primarily by their stereotypes—the older woodsy ADHD bisexual man and the quirky city twink. As for the cover, while I think it is cute, it comes across as somewhat simplistic and lacks a striking visual appeal. Honestly, if it weren't for the clear male-male romance theme, I might not have been drawn to the cover. Additionally, the plot was promising, but it fell short in certain areas, such as the steamy scenes, and the ending felt a bit disappointing. In summary, although this was an enjoyable read, I believe it did not fully realize its potential.

I loved this story so much! Taylor and Ethan are so incredibly perfect for one another despite outward differences in age and experience. they fit together so well, as friends and as lovers. I love the way they both genuinely try to do the right thing, and eventually find it in each other. there’s so much love, acceptance, healing, protection, and growth in this story, it’s just so beautiful. and also spicy and hilarious, can’t leave that out bc it really is the romcom trifecta of beauty, spice, and hilarity!!!

This was a cute story. I liked the setting. Storybook Endings Resort sounded like a fun place, and I thought the story of why Ethan and his then-wife, Amy, created it was very sweet. Taylor, Amy’s assistant, is sent to the Catskills location where Ethan works to help prep for Ethan and Amy's daughter’s sweet sixteen party. It’s his first time meeting Ethan, and the two hit it off pretty quickly. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other and the little ways they helped each other out. There was a bit of an age gap between them, which I didn’t notice most of the time because Taylor was fairly mature for his age. Probably as a result of having to care for his siblings as they were growing up. Every so often, the age gap would be mentioned, and I would be like "oh yeah”.

After his divorce, Ethan had been skeptical of finding love again, so it was nice to see him open his heart to Taylor. There was the predictable angst in the third act. If you read the blurb, I’m sure you can guess exactly what happens. The ending was sweet, though. I was happy with how everything turned out.

I really liked Ethan’s daughter, Samara, and I especially liked her relationship with Taylor. I was less a fan of Ethan’s ex-wife, Amy. I didn’t like the way she treated Ethan or the way she spoke about him to others. Taylor was continually surprised by the reality of Ethan vs what he thought he’d be like based on what Amy said about him. She also wasn’t that great to Taylor, and she certainly didn’t appreciate him enough for all he did for her. She sort of redeems herself by the end, but I still wasn’t her biggest fan. Aside from that, though, overall this was a sweet and easy read, and I was glad Ethan and Taylor got their HEA.

Thank you NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for access to the e-ARC, and thank you Harlequin Romance for the physical ARC, all in exchange for an honest review!
Honestly, this book had me swooning SO MUCH. I was not expecting to fall in love with Ethan and Taylor and their love story, but I fell and I fell hard. I loved their bonding moments together, and all the personality the other characters brought the book together so well. I would honestly say there is a found family component to this book. And the YEARNING, oh gosh, it was making me blush to say the least 🥵. This book was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and I highly recommend it! This was my first by Janovsky, and I'm so excited that I have been approved for an e-ARC of his next novel coming out!

Thank you to Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the eARC.

Once Upon You and Me was a sweet (and sexy) queer romance.

I really loved how it doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. Ethan is so open about his plus size, and very clear about his needs and boundaries during sexy times. It’s so healthy and wholesome and a breath of fresh air. There’s also discussion about loneliness after divorce, the parentification (and abandonment) that Taylor went through. It almost felt like this story was more about their friendship than the romance.

But the romance was still there. It felt natural, despite their age gap and the forbidden aspect. I really grew to love these characters while watching them fall in love.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read and I’ll keep Timothy Janovsky on my list!

I have admittedly been out of the romance reading game a bit recently but couldn’t resist Timothy’s newest book! And I’m so glad I read it. This was a mature yet fun story and the adhd rep was great (from my outsider perspective). The characters were realistic and the miscommunication, an awful but seemingly necessary bit in these novels, was relatively painless but also realistic. As an “older” reader I loved the more mature approach this story takes.

I adore Timothy Janovsky but this book needed some serious editing and style work before its release. I found it really hard to read and generally frusterating. Our characters weren't interesting and I just stopped caring about them. It was also so hateful on his ex wife, and kept calling her by her full name, and it felt strange.

Once Upon You and Me is a really cute and generally light hearted read. There are some heavier moments but generally a sweet romcom. (and by sweet I mean sweet not no spice, it’s definitely spicy). I really enjoy Timothy Janovsky‘s books and this one is up there for me if I were to rank his books in my head!

Who wouldn't want a storybook romance set in an actual storybook setting?

I knew I was going to like this book after reading the blurb, especially after reading that there was an age gap. I adored Ethan and Taylor's romance even though I think it happened a little too quickly, but I loved the happy ever after we get in the epilogue. I wasn't the biggest fan of Ethan's ex-wife Amy in the beginning, but I'm glad she came around in the end.

While I enjoyed the ADHD representation and how Ethan struggles with it, I understand how other readers are disappointed by the representation, especially since ADHD is different for everyone.

I really liked this story and will be keeping an eye out for future books as well as looking into Janovsky's backlog and looking for other books of his to read.

Also, I would die for Nana.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

“Hurt happens to all of us. It’s unavoidable. Sometimes we cause it and sometimes we receive it, but there’s not way to seal ourselves off from it unless we stop living.”

I will read anything Timothy Janovksy writes. This book feels like a warm hug with a side of spice, which was exactly what I needed. The setting felt magical and the entire dynamic between Ethan and Taylor was just fantastic.

Ethan and Taylor seem so different, but from the moment they meet you can feel their chemistry. There is a valiant effort to keep their relationship purely professional, but a storm and some bad luck forces them together. The forced proximity works so well to keep them in each other’s path and it opens up moment for them to be open and vulnerable. I love seeing these kinds of conversations in books because it feels realistic and genuine. There's such a great connection between them that really jumps off the pages.

The hesitation they have in continuing their relationship is understandable. Their lives are intertwined to begin with, and it seems like there are more obstacles to overcome. I love that it’s Samara, Ethan’s daughter, who puts everything into perspective. She wants both of her parents to be happy, and she also wants to see Taylor happy. All of the conflicts and incidents feel realistic and they flow into the story for a purpose and not just to have some kind of excitement. Every new moment shows Ethan and Taylor a little but more about the other and the attraction keeps growing for them both.

I particularly loved the resolution because we get to see these great conversations that propel Ethan and Taylor into going after what they want. When Ethan’s daughter tells him that he has the chance to be happier with Taylor, I was internally kicking my legs. She can see a happier future for her father, and that’s all she wants. It was also so satisfying for Taylor to get recognized for all of his hard work. It's so easy to fall back into old habits, like Taylor does with Amy since he cared for his siblings. But even she realizes in the end that he's destined to do more with his career instead of just being her assistant. I appreciated all of the honest, vulnerable conversations that happen at the end of the book. While we get the happy ending, we also see everything else resolved in real ways that make the whole story come together.

This is just such a sweet story and I can’t wait until it’s out in the world.

Falling for your ex wife's younger assistant is definitely not what this resort owner had on his agenda. Ethan Golding is dealing with a failing resort after his wife divorced him and took his resort and made it into her own enterprise and his daughter as well. Ethan's Storybook Endings Resort in Catskill isn't the happily ever after he had wanted it to be but then something magical happens when his ex wife's younger assistant, Taylor Frost appears to help plan Ethan's teen daughter's sweet sixteen...and Ethan is starting to fall for him despite how forbidden it might be. Taylor Frost dreams about getting a bigger job from his strict boss Amy, he dreams about making his place in hospitality... and when his boss asks him to plan her daughter's birthday at her ex's resort he can't say no, what he doesn't expect is to be working with the hot rugged older man... who is his boss's ex. Ethan and Taylor are perfect together... but if Amy finds out than not only will Taylor be fired but it could spell even bigger disaster for everyone. Yet Taylor and Ethan can't seem to stay away from each other... but can they make a relationship work when so much is at stake? This was an okay romance for me, I wasn't sucked into the romance despite being a huge fan of forbidden and age gap romances. I wish I did like it more but it just felt okay for me. I do think others will have a fun time with it but it just didn't hit the mark for me necessarily. It's not bad, it just didn't wow me.

Release Date: April 29, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Harlequin - Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

New to Timothy Janovsky's work, I was excited to read another MM romance written by a queer man! While I absolutely love MM romances written by women, one of the common criticisms I’ve read from the queer community is that female authors sometimes have a tendency to romanticize these relationships rather than keeping them true to life. Of course, as contemporary romances are works of fiction, that is bound to happen regardless of the author's identity. Still, I was curious to make a comparison.

Once upon a time, there lived a man who had lost faith in happily-ever-afters five years ago. Divorced and separated from his daughter, Ethan spent his days managing Storybook Endings Resort and passing the time with his loyal dog, Nana. Then, one day, a handsome assistant to his ex-wife arrived at the resort to plan Ethan's daughter's sixteenth birthday party.

As far as Ethan was concerned, Taylor was the fairest in the land - but completely off-limits. Yet a smile, a glance, some wine, and a violent storm later, the magic of Storybook intertwined the hearts of the resort manager and the personal assistant.

But would their connection survive the disapproval of Taylor’s boss - Ethan’s ex-wife? Or would she forbid them from finding their own happily-ever-after?

I appreciated the realistic portrayal of the characters. Ethan wasn’t some heartthrob with a perfect figure, chiseled muscles, or the kind of looks you'd see in a magazine. He was simply a man trying to navigate life after his own happily-ever-after came to an unexpected end. I also really enjoyed how much depth we were given about each character in the story - learning what shaped them and made them who they were.

As much as I’m all for an MM romance, this one didn’t quite resonate with me. The story had a very passive tone, focusing on two people whose lives revolved around pleasing others. While the premise - two people who always put others' happiness first finally deciding to prioritize themselves - was sweet in theory, it didn’t fully capture my attention and, at times, felt a bit underwhelming.

Even the steamier moments carried the same reserved energy as the rest of the book. While they aligned with the characters' emotions, the passiveness of their personalities seeped into these moments as well - evoking more of a yawning effect than a yearning one.

That being said, I did admire how the story delved into the consequences of being a people-pleaser.

While I did enjoy Once Upon You and Me, the slower, more anti-climactic pace of the book felt underwhelming compared to other MM romances I've read, whether written by queer men or women. Still, while this will likely be the only book I read by Timothy, I genuinely appreciated the heart and soul of his characters. They felt like people I could walk past on the street - real people with real problems forming real connections. And that authenticity is what leaves a lasting impression.