DNF
I wanted to be interested in this one however felt it was taking too long to get anywhere and that lost my interest overall

In this funny and charming new romance novel, readers follow line cook and fanfiction author Diana as she juggles her new Tumblr story and her family’s French cafe’s risky position. As her story grows more popular with her online fans -- including the mysterious superfan S -- Diana’s two lives collide when the real Sam Raymond shows up at the family’s cafe for brunch, putting additional pressure on her lemon creme crepes, but the crepes are a hit As Diana and Sam’s friendship grows, Sam’s secrets -- as well as his conversations with a brilliant new fanfiction writer -- start to bleed over into his friendship with Diana. Both keeping secrets and trying to separate their two selves and lives, Diana and Sam run the risk of losing everything as time passes. With two brilliantly complex characters alternating perspectives and living double lives, readers will love this brilliant new romcom for the tangible chemistry, the idyllic Upper West Side French bistro and setting, and the entertaining character development. Charming and heartwarming, their struggles are deeply relatable and incredibly written, while the emotional core of the novel is very strong and immersive. Detailed, vibrant, and exciting, romance readers will love this double-lives friends to lovers novel from Molly Dunn.

The way I laughed, cried, audibly gasped all while reading this book! So beautifully written and with twists and turns I truly didn’t see coming

I really, truly wanted to love this book, but, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I feel as though the premise had a lot of potential; however, the characters and pacing of the plot fell flat for me.

This was yet another 24 hour read for me because I simply could not put it down. I just wanted to keep reading to know what happens next with Diana and Sam, D and S. This book played at all my fangirl heartstrings so well and every fangirl can relate that this would be such a dream. The flirting, the banter, all the tropes I love in one book. It leaves me wanting so much more of Diana and Sam. "There are no Saturdays left" - 5 words to shatter my heart in pieces but held such a heavy weight and meaning. The spice took a while to come but the wait was so SO worth it. I can't wait to look into more of Molly Dunn's work!

The concept for this book was just so stinking adorable. I just maybe wasn’t the right audience for the way this book played out. This book has an incredibly slow burn romance. For me, it went past tantalizingly slow and all the way into frustration. Though, it was equal parts delightful and frustrating to know that Dianna and Sam were messaging each other when neither of them had realized it yet. I’m not sure if the tense changes were intentional or not, but those and the asides to the reader were another pain point for me. However, I loved the Happy Ever After our leading couple got. In fact, I would have loved to see a bit more of what happened after “and they lived happily ever after.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley.

-(♟️) 1st read • 5 stars ⊹

꒰🏷️ ⊹ Spoiler free review | romance

౨ৎ.ᐟ tropes:
↝ slow burn
↝ celebrity mmc
↝ cutesy romance

꒰🖇️ ⊹ Tu es mignon quand tu es ivre (You’re cute when you’re drunk)

౨ৎ.ᐟ plot summary:

Meet Diana, a chef by day and a fan-fiction writer at night. How will she react when her favourite musician and her muse walks into her family owned french café? Will their friendship be tainted due to her nighttime activities or will their relationship blossom?

Meet Sam Raymond, everyone’s favourite musician, until he sustains a vocal injury. Will his recovery be long and painful? Or will a certain chef be able to make his journey to recovery swift?

꒰🖇️ ⊹ I have to make the best crépes of my goddamn life

౨ৎ.ᐟ overview and thoughts:

This book was AMAZING! This story touched deep to my heart as I loved reading fan-fiction and therefore this storyline is right up my alley! Diana and Sam’s story is very touching and loving. There were moments that made me cry, laugh, smile, and even shout at the characters for not noticing all the hints that pointed them to each other. This was my first book from Molly Dunn but I would love to read more in the upcoming future.

I was really drawn to the premise of this book—a line cook secretly writing fanfiction, only to have the rockstar she’s been writing about walk into her café? That’s such a fun and unique setup! However, while the concept had so much potential, the execution didn’t fully work for me.

The pacing felt slow, and while I usually enjoy a good slow burn, this one dragged a bit too much. The in-person interactions between Diana and Sam were enjoyable, but their online dynamic lacked the chemistry I was hoping for. The flirting often felt juvenile, more like middle-school banter than the charged, swoon-worthy connection I wanted.

I also felt the romance was lacking overall. Since Diana’s emotional connection with S played such a big role in the story, I wish we had seen more of those interactions to really feel the weight of that reveal later on. Without that, some of the emotional beats didn’t hit as hard as they could have.

That said, if you love extremely slow-burn romances and a unique setup, this might be a great fit for you! While it wasn’t quite what I hoped for, I can see how others might enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

a heartfelt romance perfect for gen z and millenials. this is a truly modern romance that readers will find enjoyable and true to life.

Thank you 8th note press for this copy. It initially was something I thought I might enjoy, but I unfortunately did not. I rated it 2.5 stars. This book was very confusing because our two main characters know each other in real life but also as online personas. Their online personas are referred to with initials which was confusing for the first half of the book, but also other online people are referred to with initials and we don’t know their real name and are lead to feel like we’ve missed characters. Their online personas amount of characters in this book was astounding. I couldn’t keep up with all of them. I could see where the author was going with this book but it was so disjointed and clunky that it never got to that feel good rom com book I was looking for.

This was such a cute read. I love a good slow burn and this was definitely the epitome of a slow burn. It was the slowest of the burns. This definitely gave You’ve Got Mail vibes with all of the flirty texting. This book is dual POV and really brings forth all the feelings.

“Next time we do this, we're gonna make it to the bed. And I'm gonna take my time. I want to unravel you.”

A very special thank you to netgalley and 8th note press for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun read, I really loved everything about this book. I was so thankful to get to read it.

Oh wow, such a great story. This book was everything I expected and more. Love the story , the set up , the dynamic. Enjoyed every second of it . Recommending 100%

When writing fanfiction and your real-life celebrity muse, who happens to be a member of the fandom, lands in your family restaurant, what do you do?

This is a sweet story. Easy to read and the author should be complimented for not following the plot timing du jour.
This story rolls along allowing our FMX, Diana and MMC, Sam, to meet, to get to know each other and to be the friend they each need in that moment of their lives. The support Sam received through his return to the stage and Diana to the next chapter of her life were important messy, real experiences the author gave page time to. Nothing felt rushed. The friendship Diana and Sam developed was a lovely vehicle to carry their subtle romance. The extended family aspect was delightful and I could fully imagine the loving chaos around the family table in the restaurant kitchen. There is secret identity and misrepresentation to drive tension and the author has made the choices that best fit her characters.

With thanks to 8th Note Press, the author, Molly Dun and NetGalley for a copy of the eARC to read and review.

I thought this book was going to be silly and a bit ridiculous (but very fun). But what it ended up being was an inexplicably heartwarming story about family, learning to be yourself, and how to be honest with those you love. I adored the chaotic inner workings of Diana's French family and all the emotions tied up in their family restaurant nestled in the heart of New York. It was delightful watching Sam get swallowed up in their warm glow and learn how to be human again. The story was beautiful and fun and silly and a genuine delight to read.

Book Rating: 3/5

This was an okay read for me. The premise was interesting, but at times, the story dragged, and I struggled to connect with some of the scenarios.

This is totally a me thing, but I think I’ve just moved past a certain stage in my reading where some aspects felt a bit unrealistic. I could see this being more popular with a younger audience, though! A lot of my hiccups came down to personal preference, which is why I’m giving it a three star rating.

That said, I know there are readers out there who would love this and rate it much higher. So if a fanfic author meeting her muse in real life sounds like your thing, definitely give it a try!

This was just amazing! I literally couldn't get enough of it.
Diana and Sam were both amazing characters. Diana was easily my favorite. I just loved how Diana was able to meet the person she wrote fanfics of in person. Their entire friendship was heartwarming, and it was easy to see that they had chemistry between them. I was literally rooting for them the entire time.


This is definitely a must-read book!



Thank you 8th Note Press for the copy!

This is a fun, entertaining read. Sam and Diana are interesting, relatable, intriguing, caring, strong, wounded, complex, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. These two are fun to spend time with. I enjoyed the family and friends aspects of the story. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a 3.5 stars. It was a cute book the characters of lovely. The only thing is that the slow burn is really slow. But I really love the characters and the chemistry between them. Also, I was laughing out loud with all the references to the actual real celebrities.

I'll admit that when I first started this book I thought it was going to be a DNF for me but it quickly changes and I was able to get right into it. I ended up really liking this story and I thought it was romantic and sweet. I wasn't quite sure how the author would end this one but I was happy with the ending and I am happy for Sam and Diana.

This was every fanfic writer's dream come true.

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.