3.5/5 stars
*Minor spoiler alert*
What drew me to request this novel was the cover, I absolutely love how bright the color of the background is and the illustration is fresh and something I'd never seen before; the second reason why is the author: I'd already read The Ones Who Got Away and I thought I might enjoy this too which is what happened.

So the story is about Hollyn, an entertainment writer/blogger in her twenties who has Tourette's syndrome and social anxiety, because of this she has little social life and struggles in particular with face to face interactions. Now she works in a shared working space where she rents an office. The love interest and hero Jasper, who's 25 and an improv actor, is currently working as the new barista in the cafeteria of Hollyn's working place. Their meet-cute was anything but cute, it was actually awkward: Hollyn has some facial tics that make her self-conscious and weary of other people's reactions, plus she gets anxious around people she doesn't know. Jasper is one of those people, he's an extrovert, quite friendly and also has ADHD (which wasn't mentioned often). Of course when they met for the first time, it didn't go well because he took her by surprise, she panicked and couldn't act natural at all. This caused Jasper to think she could barely tolerate him but in reality Hollyn couldn't control her facial expressions because of her Tourette's syndrome. I found this meet-cute very realistic and honest. It is definitely one of my favorite things about this novel.

As the story progressed, they managed to form a friendship, Hollyn almost immediately told Jasper about her social anxiety and Tourette's syndrome and he was extremely understanding and accepting which is the bare minimum but the fact that I noticed, makes me think we need more of that in books and real life. Their communication skills were excellent, every time I worried there was going to be a dramatic miscommunication moment, there wasn't and I really want to hug the author for that, they always talked through any issue or insecurity they had, like giving into their attraction, thus becoming friends with benefits (no feelings involved… sure) or pretending to be together to help Hollyn become more confident in her social skills.

A list of all the other things that made me enjoy this: the sex positivity, the secondary characters, the hero and heroine's inside jokes, not having your whole life figured out by 25, the heroine being slut-shamed and immediately calling out the person who shamed her, how romantic the ending was.

While I really appreciated Jasper's attentiveness toward Hollyn's needs, I also found him too unconvincing and fickle at times, yes he said that himself too but that didn't make it less frustrating, he would say how much he cared about Hollyn and the next moment he was moving on with his life, pursuing his carrier without looking back once. The fact that he often acted this way, influenced their relationship's credibility negatively to the point where at 70% into the story I was starting to think there was going to be a second book where they strengthened their bond because to me their love story was still on pretty shaky ground. I did change my mind in the end though I didn't love that aspect.

Moreover I would've loved for the sexual tension to be stronger and a bit more drawn-out but I can't really complain about that because the steamy scenes were multiple and I loved each one of them.
Moving on, another thing that didn't completely convince was the social anxiety representation, as someone who has social anxiety, I understand that everyone has a different experience but I still felt like Hollyn experienced just a tiny stereotyped part of what social anxiety actually is and it's not only struggling with social interactions.
One last thing I want to mention is the HP reference present in the book, it was brief yet unnecessary, that series doesn't deserve to be promoted in any way, especially not in a book like Yes & I Love You that uplifts voices that are often bullied or pitied.

That said, I will absolutely read the next book in the series, I hope it is as original as this one.

I love when a book represents characters you don't see everyday. This book did just that, and made me smile the whole way through.
Hollyn writes under a psudonym as Miz Poppy and does entertainment reviews. No one knows what Miz Poppy looks like and that is part of the mystery. It lets her go undetected to these events, but it also lets her hide away. Hollyn has tourettes and often cannot control her facial tics so people misread her expressions. Her therapist has been working with her to get out more, so she starts working at a building with other people who do columns and podcasts so she can be a bit more social.
Enter Jasper, the new coffee guy. He is back from an epic fail in LA. He is an improv actor and followed his longtime partner and girlfriend to LA, only to find out that once she got her big break and he didn't, he was very expendable. Jasper meets the "decaf handsome" girl at his building and her instant distaste for him has him wondering what he can do to get her to like him. As he tries to rebuild his life in NOLA, he joins the improv group he left high and dry before and finds an ally in an old friend from school. The last thing he needs is a relationship when his focus needs to be on his career right now.
Hollyn has been told that they want Miz Poppy to reveal herself and she knows she cannot do that, but with a little help she might be willing to try.
It was pretty clear right away that Jasper and Hollyn were gone for each other, more so with Hollyn, but I did like that Jasper was very honest. I felt so much for Hollyn and I absolutely loved her character. She was so open and it was refreshing. We don't have time to beat around the bush, we need to just communicate and put everything out there, Hollyn was a great example of this.
I enjoyed this book very much. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Netgalley and the author for an early copy.

Thank you so much SourcebooksCasa & Netgalley for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my gosh, this book was amazing! I read this all in one sitting. I had such a fun time reading this. The romance in it was soooo cute!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

This was a sweet story that reminded me of the Kiss Quotient. The main female MC was not super likeable, but I really enjoyed her love interest.

Roni Loren is back with a story of self-confidence and taking risks for love.

Hollyn was used to fading into the backdrop, it made it easier to go unnoticed and write her brutally honest reviews for a New Orleans magazine. By existing in the background, Hollyn also ensured that no one noticed her facial tics. When her boss told her that she had to start vlogging her nightlife reviews or find a new job, Hollyn turned to barista and improv professional Jasper to help her feel more comfortable in front of the camera.

Yes and I Love You was a very different story from readers who are familiar with Roni Loren’s The Ones That Got Away series. Yes and I Love You was much lighter with some sizzling tension between Hollyn and Jasper. I gravitated toward Hollyn from the first page because I understood her severe social anxiety and how her Tourette’s affected her comfort in social situations. Jasper was her complete opposite and while the two worked, I was never interested in Jasper and his background. My lack of interest in Jasper affected my enjoyment of the two as they came together. Objectively, I understood why Jasper and Hollyn worked for each other, but he didn’t interest me.

Yes and I Love You didn’t work for me but it will appeal to fans of New Orleans Rush.

“I want to be with you. You want to be with me. That’s… pretty f*cking wonderful.”

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Roni Loren and Netgalley for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review!

I went into this book completely blind. I only requested it from Netgalley because it was a @lovearctually pick and everyone else seemed super excited about it. And oh my gosh, I’m so glad I did!

This book was heartwarming and charming. I loved the chemistry between Hollyn and Jasper. Jasper initially comes off as this flaky, f*ckboy but he was just so sweet and had a hidden depth to him that I loved.

And Hollyn is a badass. I’ve never read a book where the main character has Tourette’s and I learned so much from Hollyn. She grows so much in her confidence as the book progresses and you just can’t help but root for her!

Also holy steam batman! I did not expect the level of sexiness in this book at all… but I’m not mad about it!

Yes & I Love You is out on March 2nd!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLrqBjagwsd/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3844638440?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I will also do a pub day post on 3/2/21

This book was different and so interesting. The story is about Miz Poppy who is a nightlife reviewer in New Orleans that is known for her snark and wit, when she writes. Hollyn is the woman behind her and she is not snarky and witty, she’s a mess and avoids people at all costs. Jasper who is an improv cool guy, meets her and helps to try to bring her out of her shell so she can keep her job. It is a contemporary romance with some unexpected twists and turns.

This is such a unique story. There is nothing else like this out there right now. When I finished I immediately wanted to read more. I loved the side characters and I really wanted to hear more of their story. But I just loved Hollyn and Jasper together. Everyone needs a Jasper to help them realize how amazing they can be. I could 100% relate to Hollyn because I write on Instagram. I don’t vlog or do booktok or have a you tube channel. I focus everything on writing here so I don’t have to talk myself. I could completely understand that aspect.

Overall this was a new and unique storyline with quirky characters that I won’t soon forget. I enjoyed the romance parts and there were quite a few steamy bits too. Go grab this if you are looking for something different in the romance genre. I really enjoyed it!

5 Stars for this emotional quirky romance!

This book is so much more than a love story, it delves into how people with Tourettes, anxiety, ADHD, etc. cope with everyday living ... it really made me think. The characters are so realistic because they aren't perfect, they have flaws like everyday people do. Hollyn and Jasper drew me in right from the very beginning ... I just loved them ... Hollyn with all her tics and Jasper not being able to shut his mouth. By the way, I have never heard the name Hollyn before and I just love it! I also really loved that it wasn't love at first sight between Hollyn and Jasper ... in fact, their first couple of meetings were quite awkward. There are so many characters that worked at the WorkAround that are a little quirky and I know they all have a story to be told. This is a great start to a new series and I can't wait for the next book!

Hollyn has Tourettes and her mother has protected her from the world almost her whole life. In her early 20s Hollyn moves to the city in hopes of overcoming her fears, but she's not making much headway ... that is until she meets the office's new barista. Jasper was a foster kid with ADHD, so he was never in one place for long. Now at 25, he's sleeping on his sister's couch and doing improv. He takes a job as a barista to make ends meet ... he just never thought that it would change his life's trajectory.

I received an early copy courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Part way through I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, though, because it has some super steamy open door scenes. I much prefer closed door romances. I could have also done without the cursing. That said the storyline was really good and I was able to skim through the parts I didn’t want to read.

What the synopsis doesn’t tell you is that Hollyn has Tourette’s, as does her best friend, Cal. I haven’t read a book with any character having Tourette’s before. The author does a great job of incorporating their tics into their characters without it feeling like the tics were on display.

Hollyn’s character development throughout the story was impressive. She starts off as a super introverted woman who keeps solely to herself, but she blossoms throughout the book into a very confident woman, taking control of her life.

Hollyn has hid from the world behind her very popular Miz Poppy column, where she could be herself. Witty and a great entertainment reviewer. She had a huge following but no one knew her as Hollyn. With her Tourette’s Syndrome she had enough of the teasing and bullying in school before her mom pulled her out to home school her. So sheltered she didn’t have confidence to date or have close friends. She did get out of her house and get a private office where she could do her writing and reviewing that in itself was a big step. However her therapist wanted her to branch out and maybe make friends with others. Then her job was going to make her do video reviews. This she felt she couldn’t do. Jasper was the new coffee barrister at her office building, an aspiring and talented improv actor who grew up in Foster homes with ADHD and not always making the best decisions. He offers to help her overcome her fears and be able to do the video required. Can she? It’s a big leap to even talk with him. Can she work with him when he is so apple along to her? He is excited to help as he thinks she is amazing. They can help each other and grow themselves. I like the honesty between them even if they are fake daring. There are very steamy scenes along with budding romance. But an honesty with each other that is refreshing. The story tells of the strength of a woman to overcome fears and repressed desires. It tells of a guy who can slow down and help another. Thank you NetGalley, Roni Loren and Sourcebooks Casablanca publishers for allowing me to read this eARC this is my honest review of this book as always. Featuring two imperfect people struggling to be their best. The book is very well written and a good story.

What a sweet story that borders on both enemies to lovers and fake relationship with a dash of forced proximity. I loved Hollyn and Jasper's separate, yet intertwined, journeys. Both of them not necessarily looking for romance, but more striving to figure out who they are and what they want their careers to look like.
It seemed like Hollyn and Cal's Tourettes were handled with care. I hope there was a sensitivity reader involved, though, as I do not have the experience to properly judge if it was or not. That being said, I loved how Hollyn came into her own in regards to being more public and open about her Tourettes and her tics. It was great that Jasper didn't ignore her tics, but he made it clear that they didn't make Hollyn who she was, and did not detract from how wonderful she was in any way.
Jasper's story about feeling unwanted or like he was never chosen hurt my heart. It also made me wish he had a therapist he was working with like Hollyn. It seems his trust issues could have been a barrier to the HEA.
As a former improver, this was really fun to read. I loved hearing about the Hail Yes performances. I think Monique should really have become the group leader, though, since it seemed clear that they did not all trust him to stick around.. But the scenes with the improv games and performances were some of my favorites in the book.
The steam level of this book was perfect, to me. Jasper and Hollyn had fantastic chemistry. There was a bit of an exhibitionist edge to some of their scenes too, which was unexpected and enjoyable.
Overall, this book was a fun read! I think it would be fantastic to get more of Cal's story next. Fingers crossed!

I fell in love with Yes & I Love You by Roni Loren. I appreciated that this novel featured a neurodiverse lead and delved into topics including gaining confidence, acceptance, loss, and therapy. I love the fake dating trope, and I loved that this book featured a fake relationship that quickly transitioned into real feelings. I'm usually frustrated in romance novels when the characters could have solved problems or furthered relationships just by communicating, and the honesty between the characters in Yes & I Love You was perfect and very much appreciated. Hollyn and Jasper's characters were well developed and likable. I loved seeing both of them grow over the course of the story. The chemistry between the characters was off the charts as well. This book was a spectacular read for me, and it was the first book I've read by Roni Loren. I will definitely seek out the author's other works!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an ARC via NetGalley. This did not affect the contents of my voluntary review, and all opinions are honest and my own.

I have to preface this review by sharing that I have a daughter with special needs. Because she's a girl, I'm here for all of the books featuring body positivity and encouraging girls to kick butt and take names. Because she has special needs, I adore heroines that kick butt and have a disability like Autism or, as is in this case, Tourette's.
Hollyn's alter ego, Miz Poppy, is all that is snarky and fun and popular. She lives a quiet life in the shadows but, with the encouragement of her therapist and her best friend, Hollyn looks for ways to expand her horizons. She encounters two people, Jasper and Andi, who shake up all of her beliefs on how people will treat her based on her childhood bullies.
Yes & I Love You is the perfect medley of character growth, relationship arc, and humor. My one complaint is that the steam took away some of that beauty for me. I would have loved it to be closed door as the lead ups were enough to show how Hollyn pushed herself out of her comfort zone and grew. I think the steam took away from the brilliance of Hollyn.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

“Yes and” is a key building block of comedy and Yes & I Love You was a fantastic ode to the power of improv and of saying yes.

Hollyn is a well-known entertainment reviewer of arts, but all her success is under the anonymous persona of Miz Poppy. In real life, Hollyn’s Tourette’s Syndrome keeps her isolated and anxious about meeting new people. When her boss tells her the only way to keep her job is to start posting video content, Hollyn turns to the new coffee guy at her workshare, Jasper, an improv actor with insecurities of his own. Jasper wants to open his own theater and a good review from Hollyn could change everything.

I loved this book! It was much steamier than I was expecting—although I can’t say why I had any expectations going in. But the relationship build between the characters is just lovely and, while there is definitely angst, there isn’t a lot of crazy miscommunication or people making decisions for the other one or nonsense built into books to add conflict. Both main characters were funny and considerate and willing to talk about their feelings in a way that was refreshing and so fun to read.

There is some very real trauma in both character’s pasts. Hollyn is still processing bullying from when she was in school and an inability to trust that anyone could want her tics and all, and Jasper grew up in the foster care system, and has abandonment issues along with a fear that he really his too impulsive after dealing with ADHD his whole life. All of this is handled in a very sweet, open, and honest way.

Jasper is definitely book boyfriend material. He reminded me a lot of Josh in The Roommate, and in some ways the two books share a lot of the same themes. Being a theater kid, I loved the way improv was threaded through the whole book, and Hollyn’s pop culture blog posts were really fun to read.
I’d recommend this one to anybody who loves an open-door romance.

Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion. Yes & I Love You comes out March 2. I can’t wait for the sequel from @roniloren in July, and I’m so excited to chat about this one in March with the author and @lovearctually!

Yes & I Love You is one of the most brilliant and unique novels I have read in a long time. Hollyn is the opposite of her online persona, Miz Poppy. She works to keep herself safe and rarely interacts with the public, even co-workers. Until she meets Jasper who opens her up in more ways than one.

The novel is an emotionally diverse story for 2021. All the stars.

Roni Loren has become one of my new favorite authors! I will be reading more of her books for sure. I absolutely loved this book and its portrayal of someone with Tourettes! I wish we had more books like this. I have told all my friends to read it.

Yes & I Love You is one of those books you put down at 10:30 p.m. and grab again within 15 minutes of opening your eyes the next morning.

It's a millennial romance that takes place in a co-working space in New Orleans between a woman who writes an entertainment review column and an improv performer/ office barista. Hollyn, the writer, has social anxiety and Tourette's and part of her MO in using the co-working space is to overcome that anxiety and start interacting with more.

Jasper, the improv guy, has been in that in-between space of trying on careers, but nothing quite sticks. But he knows he loves improv.

A tentative friendship turns into a practice dating arrangement turns into more than either of them planned on. Yes & I Love You normalizes neurodivergence, handling it forthrightly as Hollyn works through her anxiety,

It's sensitive, swoony, and sexy -- everything I've come to l0ve in a Roni Loren story.

I was surprised by how much I liked this new release, and I think you will be too!
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SUMMARY: Despite dealing with severe anxiety and facial tics stemming from Tourette’s Syndrome, Hollyn is working hard to build a happy life. She loves her job as a freelance writer, but now her boss wants her to become the on-camera face of New Orleans entertainment journalism! Will her hot new friend—who’s well-versed in improv—help build her confidence both on and off camera?
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I loved this atypical heroine who had a lot to deal with but still had a really positive attitude! I was rooting for her throughout and loved how willing she was to take risks in pursuit of happiness. Including engaging in a classic fake relationship!
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So often in Romance, the drama arises from some miscommunication—intentional or otherwise. It was refreshing that this was not the case here. It was just two people with feelings for one another who also had their individual crap to work through—just like real life!
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I’d recommend this book if you’re a fan of:
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❤️ Inclusive storytelling
❤️ Young adults figuring out life
❤️ Fake dating/instructive relationship
❤️ Stories set in cities other than NYC
❤️ Improv
❤️ 🔥🔥🔥

This novel was pure slow-burn goodness! Okay, it may not have been that pure, but you know what I mean. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than a novel that builds a reader’s anticipation. If you’re a patient reader, you’ll love Yes & I Love You. If patience is not your forte, trust me, keep reading it, you’ll fall in love with this book, too.

It was easy to let myself get wrapped up in this story. The characters were interesting and likable. They had challenges that I haven’t read about in fiction before, so it felt fresh and new to me, and I was all in. I read fiction to escape real life, but I still want the characters in the books that I read to be as realistic as possible, complete with flaws, insecurities, and issues.

Hollyn and Jasper were opposites in every sense of the word. Where Hollyn was introverted, shy, and unsure of herself around strangers, Jasper was extroverted, friendly, flirtatious, energetic, and unfiltered. While Hollyn had to work hard to put herself out there, Jasper was already there waiting in the wings. Hollyn felt more at ease just blending in on the sidelines, living a quiet, subdued life. Jasper, on the other hand, thrived off of attention. The one thing that they did have in common was that they both needed a bit of help with their careers, and they realized that they might be able to scratch each other’s backs and provide that boost that they each needed.

Hollyn and Jasper had great chemistry, banter, and a good rapport that I was immediately connected to. But what I enjoyed the most was that the author didn’t just give her readers an easy, smooth story. Despite Jasper’s charm and good intentions, he didn’t always make the best decisions and I was often finding myself incensed on Hollyn’s behalf, but for me, that‘s half the fun. If my feelings get ravaged by the characters’ actions, I’m always ready. Bring it on.

Yes & I Love You has a good story, depth, intriguing characters, plenty of romance, and a generous serving of angst. I felt on edge with the relationship that was transpiring. I never really knew how it would all go. The author dished out situations that made my heart pound, my stomach flutter, and kept my nerves and anticipation on high alert. I was in my happy place.

Before I was even finished reading Yes & I Love You, I was already adding the next book in this series to my to-be-read list.

*4.5 Stars