Such a great and funny book! Absolutely adored Hollyn! Author did such an amazing job with getting you vested at the onset! Well written!

Part of me really does want to rate this as 5 stars, because there are so many great moments in it. I loved the representation of our heroine, a woman whose tics have made her feel self conscious and less than, as well as the depiction of our hero, a sweet, vulnerable guy with insecurities of his own. They make for an honest and real couple - even though I didn't always agree with their actions. The writing is solid and the tone remains light yet heartfelt, making this the kind of read that's easy to get lost in. There were a few minor things that bugged me, but I sincerely enjoyed it overall.

The story follows Hollyn, a woman with Tourette's who prefers to stay behind the scenes. She is a reviewer who has built up quite an audience, but she's done it all while keeping her anonymity intact. In real life, Hollyn is not the confident, outgoing woman she seems to be in her reviews - she's awkward, insecure, and generally unwilling to interact with others. When the new guy at her office, Jasper, tries to strike up a conversation, their initial meeting doesn't go as planned. They start off on the wrong foot, but slowly get to know each other better. And while neither one is in the right mindset for a relationship, that doesn't mean there isn't attraction between them.

It's been awhile since I've read anything by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but this was a very satisfying read. It reads like a rom com but has serious undertones, and I loved the complexity of the characters. Both Hollyn and Jasper are extremely likable, though they each have things they struggle with. It's a slow burn that builds along the way, and our couple remains the focal point throughout. For me, the back half is what loses this a star. I always struggle with characters who think they can keep feelings out of the equation, especially when they're clearly already involved. The subplot revolving around Hollyn's best friend also distracted from the romance, though I can see why it was included - it adds a touch of nuance to the relationship that's important, but I can't say that I particularly enjoyed it. Overall, this was very solid and a great start to a new series. I received an early copy via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review of this slow burn romance.

This was such an unexpected treat.
I really loved the main characters Hollyn and Jasper. Once they start getting to know each other and communicate what they need they are such couple goals.
I also love the mental health representation here. We have characters with social anxiety, anxiety, ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome. Each character was treated with care and not just there for the diversity factor.
The story flows really well. The writing is great and I definitely could tell the difference between the two POVs.
I will definitely be recommending this to others.

Do we really know the people behind our favorite social media stars? As this book explores - probably not... but Hollyn is being forced from behind the keyboard to behind the camera, something she's not keen to do. Enter handsome helper Jasper. As an actor, he knows all about being behind the camera. Realizing that they can benefit from each other, they team up to bring Hollyn out of her shell.

What follows is a fun, flirty romance. It was predictable, but aren't most romances? I enjoyed the social media connection and applied it to my own life at times. The characters were interesting and I felt the chemistry.

You know that feeling when you pick up a book and it is such a pleasant surprise you just can’t stop thinking about it? That was Yes & I Love You for me last week. I adored this light-hearted, emotional romance between an improv actor and an entertainment blogger. It was a bit different from a typical romance; which, when you read a lot of romance, can be so refreshing.

The Tourette's and ADHD rep was excellent and handled in such an inclusive way - not just for the sake of adding representation, but to give a portrayal of a life that may not be known to many.

The main characters (Hollyn and Jasper) were extremely likeable, and I appreciated that it wasn’t bogged down in unnecessary drama, but they acted liked true adults in an adult relationship. I thought Jasper was so sweet to Hollyn, both as friends and lovers, and supported her journey to finding her voice. She, in turn, encouraged Jasper to follow his dreams. As two people who felt isolated and stuck in their current state of life, Hollyn and Jasper learned to find their own feet while supporting one another.

I also loved the secondary characters in this book, and can’t wait to read more about them in future books (it’s going to be a series!). This is a sweet but steamy read (in a good way). The beginning was a bit slow, but overall, I liked this book and would recommend to romance lovers!

A clever and endearing romcom about a girl with Tourette’s falling for her newly developed friend and improv teacher Jasper, an aspiring actor who can’t seem to get his life together. An intoxicating book that covers five different tropes, delves into issues that aren’t talked about often, and brings all the feels. This is a story I want to hug, and own, and give all the praise!

Hollyn is trying to put herself out there by working in public, so when she meets the charming Jasper, who also does improv, she decides to take lessons from him whilst pursuing a friends with benefits relationship. The only problem with their arrangement is that Hollyn is catching some feelings.

When a book has characters with quirks and disorders that cause struggles, I’m full on interested. Loren, who is already one of my favorites, writes about Jasper and Hollyn’s characters with insight, growth, and vulnerability. There are a slew of adorable and charming qualities in these two and we see so much growth by the end of the book. A refreshing love story that really can’t be put into a box. A unique and refreshing twist on two oddballs falling in love!

Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a breath of fresh air, about two characters who each bring some problems to the table (her: extreme anxiety and Tourette's syndrom, him: ADHD) and are both trying to make a life for themselves. Both are quirky and creative by nature and profession, and their interaction is great. Fun, lots of humor and snark, great chemistry- up to steaming hot - and each makes decisive moves forward in their lives thanks to the other. And yet their problems are not front and center and used as a crutch for character development. The author gives insight into the issues you might face in living with something like this, but also makes it perfectly clear that it doesn't define someone either.

I absolutely loved this book! It was fun, quirky, steamy and so entertaining! The fake relationship trope reminded me a little bit of The Roommate (but I loved this book more). The banter and chemistry between the two leads was on point. I found Hollyn so lovable and was rooting for her hard. I found it refreshing to have leads that had various disorders (Tourette, anxiety, ADHD) and I loved the story’s overall message. This book was so unique and included all the elements (and more) that I love in a rom-com. I’m beyond thrilled to learn that there will be a sequel and can’t wait to hear more of Andi’s story next! I highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 💫 4.5/5 stars

I LOVED Roni Loren’s The Ones Who Got Away series and was so excited to see she had a new series coming out. Yes & I Love You is completely different from her previous series and I loved it just as much.

Yes & I Love You tells the story of Hollyn, a successful writer with the online persona of Miz Poppy. Hollyn has severe social anxiety and Tourette’s, so when her boss demands that she “reveal” herself to the public, she panics. Jasper is a struggling improv actor who dreams of starting his own theater. When the two meet, they help each other and are just adorable in general.

Roni Loren is so good at finding the perfect balance between rom-com and rom-dram. I loved both of the characters and their romance. Each are fully developed characters and you are invested in each of their stories. I also enjoyed the pop culture references and interesting side characters. I cannot wait to see who the main character is in the next book.

Overall, Yes & I Love You is a sweet, emotional love story that is perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert and Emily Henry. Definitely preorder this one before it releases on 3/2/2021!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Miz Poppy is a popular reviewer. Everyone loves her reviews about the New Orleans night life. But what no one knows is that Hollyn is really Miz Poppy. When her employer informs her that she needs to add video content to her blog, it kicks her anxiety into high gear. Not only does she have anxiety, but she also has Tourette's syndrome.

When the new barista, Jasper Dears brings her coffee, things get uncomfortable and strange. Jasper cannot imagine what he did. But soon after their encounter, they meet again, and their friendship begins. Jasper is an improv actor who agrees to help Hollyn/Miz Poppy as he sees that helping her will be a win-win. She will do her video and he will get recognition as an actor.

As with most romance books, you know where this is going. The writing is on the proverbial wall. It is the journey that is important. I found this to be an enjoyable journey with two likeable characters who have their own struggles.

This book is a nice way to escape the world for a while. The author has a master’s degree in social work and put her knowledge and skills to use in creating a believable character with anxiety and Tourette's syndrome. One minor character in this book will be featured in the next book. You will have to read that one to find out who!

An enjoyable yet predictable read. I do like that nothing in this book felt rushed and the book did not end abruptly. That is my biggest complaint with romance books. I will happily read the next book in the series.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the best romance books of 2021!

What’s not to love about this book?

The Writing- This is my first Loren book and if all of her books are this well written and engaging then count me in for reading her entire library of books.

She makes writing seem so effortless with character dialogue that is just superb and with excellent story pacing.

Genuine Characters – I adored Hollyn and Jasper. Both had pasts and mental health issues affecting their past, present and futures and yet Loren did not make the story all about their “issues,” showcasing that they are more than their social anxiety disorder, Tourettes syndrome and ADHD.

Those aspects of their personalities did not have to define them or hold them back.

Hollyn could have easily been written into this box as the quiet, shy heroine but she really blossomed in this story in a real and authentic way.

Jasper was an amazing character and I just loved him. His humor and carefree attitude made him extremely likeable.

I absolutely loved how Loren portrayed this character and ate up everything this guy had to say. He was so sweet to Hollyn and the best book boyfriend to her.

The Story – While the storyline of an outgoing hero helping the shy girl may not be original, I thought this story stepped out of the box and was something original all its own.

I appreciated Jasper’s backstory, giving him his own vulnerability, and I also liked the addition of Cal to Hollyn’s story arc.

Loren didn’t need to resort to excess drama to move the storyline which was refreshing.

Kudos to Loren for writing a fantastic romance with diverse characters and an engaging story that had me captivated from start to finish. I can’t recommend it enough.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Hollyn Tate has a job as Miz Poppy, an on-line reviewer of the entertainment business in New Orleans. This job is perfect because she can be her sassy self without anyone actually seeing her and wondering what is wrong with her. Hollyn has Tourette's and cannot help all of her facial tics that randomly happen. After being made fun of most of her life when she was younger, Hollyn tends to stay away from other people. When Hollyn's therapist urges her to put herself out there, she ends up finding an office space in a creative community. Proud of herself for even leaving the house, Hollyn is actually putting herself out there and has met a few people, including the cute new barista, Jasper Deares.

All is going well until her boss tells her that he wants her to start doing a vlog of her column instead. When Jasper, also part of an actual improv group offers to give her free, private lessons to help her out in the guise of being her fake boyfriend, things start to really heat up. The more time these two spend together, the less fake their relationship is becoming until they both finally realize that they have way deeper feelings than they ever thought they would.

Just when it looks like everything is coming together perfectly and Hollyn is ready to make her big reveal, everything comes crashing down. It will take a huge leap of faith by Hollyn to really put herself out there, but in the end, her happy ending will be all worth it.

I just adored this story. I loved both Hollyn and Jasper. Both of these characters had difficult childhoods but together they were learning to help each other overcome their greatest fears. This story made me laugh, cry and swoon....all the great feels of a perfectly told story. I also learned a lot about Tourette's that I never really knew before. Overall a wonderful book that I highly recommend.

Yes & I Love You is a light romance with flawed characters and an abundance of positive messages to live by. Hollyn's blogging allows her to do what she loves, giving her a platform to showcase how smart and witty she is but it also protects her from interacting with people. She needs an extra push to find her voice outside of her very popular online persona Miz Poppy. While she would like to meet people and be "normal," her social anxiety and her self-consciousness over having Tourette's serve as barriers. Jasper is a nice, aspiring actor looking for his big break. He has a strong tendency to want people to like him, a disposition he attributes to being a foster child, and he also has ADHD. He gives off the perception that he doesn't have his life together, and to an extent, he doesn't, but he is doing what he loves so what "together" means can be subjective here as well as what "normal" actually is. Despite a disastrous beginning, their relationship is one filled with positive reinforcement. I loved the positive messages relayed to each other throughout their relationship--messages I needed to also hear myself. (3.5 stars rounded to 4)

Everyone knows Miz Poppy, the vibrant reviewer whose commentary brightens the New Orleans nightlife. But no one knows Hollyn, the real face behind the media star...or the fear that keeps her isolated. When her boss tells her she needs to add video to her blog or lose her job, she's forced to rely on an unexpected source to help her face her fears.

When aspiring actor Jasper Deares finds out the shy woman who orders coffee every day is actually Miz Poppy, he realizes he has a golden opportunity to get the media attention his acting career needs. All he has to do is help Hollyn come out of her shell...and through their growing connection, finally find her voice.


This was just a sweet romance. I love Hollyn, she is sweet and spirited. And Jasper is just a good guy. Maybe they are not a obvious match, but they are just right.
I love this one.
Four stars for me

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for letting me read an e-ARC of Yes & I Love You! I requested this book on Netgalley without really reading the summary- I just saw the cover (and loved it) and saw that it was from Sourcebooks Casablanca, and I've liked every book of theirs that I've read so far, so I figured why not. In general, it was an OK decision.

Yes & I Love You 3.5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

Everyone knows Miz Poppy, the vibrant reviewer whose commentary brightens the New Orleans nightlife. But no one knows Hollyn, the real face behind the media star...or the fear that keeps her isolated. When her boss tells her she needs to add video to her blog or lose her job, she's forced to rely on an unexpected source to help her face her fears.
When aspiring actor Jasper Deares finds out the shy woman who orders coffee every day is actually Miz Poppy, he realizes he has a golden opportunity to get the media attention his acting career needs. All he has to do is help Hollyn come out of her shell…and through their growing connection, finally find her voice.

I really liked Hollyn and the beginning of the book and the end of the book, but the middle of the book fell a little flat for me. It's probably because Jasper was just very meh for me and I hated the whole love triangle thing that was added in for what felt like no reason at all. I really like how Hollyn grew as a person throughout the book and she seemed to be able to really do that without Jasper, which I was a big fan of. And Andi! I love Andi and I'm so excited that book two is going to be about her, so I hope we get to see more of Andi and Hollyn's budding friendship in book 2! I don't have Tourettes, so I don't want to say that the representation was done well, but as someone who has known people with Tourettes since high school (my high school orchestra teacher had it and one of my orchestra classmates also had it, so after getting his permission, our teacher would always spend like 5-10 minutes one class near the beginning of the year talking about what Tourettes was and why him and our classmate might sometimes have these tics and that it wasn't a big deal but if anyone made them into a big deal, they would be in trouble- but that was also a time where we could ask questions about Tourettes in general and do quick research and I always felt like it was a really good way for us to get that out into the open so that the inconsiderate people were warned that they couldn't make fun of that kid), I know that people are cruel and I really liked the way that Hollyn's story was told and how her tics were handled and how Cal's tics were handled too. I liked all of the Work Around people we met, so even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Hollyn and Jasper's story, I'm really excited to read Andi's story and hopefully even more set in this world! Yes & I love you came out on March 2nd, so make sure you check it out ASAP!

A brilliant romance about self-acceptance and claiming the love you deserve. One of the absolute best romances that I've read in 2021.

A great romance story with a lot of humor. I really loved Hollyn. She was the right mix of vulnerable and feisty. Jasper is sweet, vulnerable and a little immature. They seemed to be a mismatch on paper, but turned out to be perfect for each other. I appreciated their honest communication and the way they encouraged each other. The book was full of fun characters and a lot of humor. The story was empowering and a great reminder that you shouldn't give up on your dreams. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Y'all. This book was SO close to being perfect for me and I'm just a tiny bit frustrated that it faltered right at the finish line!! But before we get to that, let's talk about what this book is and all the things I loved.

Hollyn has Tourette's Syndrome and anxiety. She's been working with her therapist for a while and is trying to be more social to fight the inertia that could easily lead to her becoming a shut in. So, Hollyn has an office at a co-working space where she works on her writing for Miz Poppy, an anonymous entertainment reviewer that is very popular in New Orleans. Her entire routine is thrown off track when she comes in one day and the woman who usually works at the coffee shop is not there and so begins Hollyn really stretching outside of her comfort zone and taking risks.

This book really does belong to Hollyn for all that it's a dual narrative and for all that it's Jasper's storyline that really contributes to the ultimate conflict. Jasper is a sweetheart with ADHD and he's a bit of a mess. He's back in New Orleans, living with his sister, and has rejoined the improv group he sort of abandoned when he went out to LA with the woman who broke his heart. He's also the barista at the co-working space Hollyn works out of. The two of them sort of get off on the wrong foot, but as things are wont to do in a romance novel, they work things out.

So let's talk about what I love. The two main characters are both really engaging and interesting. Ultimately, I do think Hollyn is more fleshed out that Jasper and the book suffers a little because of it since the second big conflict centers around Jasper. But Jasper's messiness and Hollyn's bravery are both very appealing and I love how the two of them really do bring out the best in one another. I think this book was really great at demonstrating that in very clear ways.

The side characters are all great, but I'm most obsessed with Andi, a bubbly and enthusiastic fellow co-worker, who also happens to have gone so far down the rabbit hole on her true crime podcast that now she's sort of freaked herself out about dating. She's incredibly relatable and I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series because it's her book! She's just such a great and fun character and I just want to be her friend.

The improv scenes and also the intimate scenes are all amazing and really well done, in my opinion. Plus!!! Intimate scenes really take off once Hollyn is like, "Hello, please use me because I need to practice romantic relationships so I won't be alone forever." And (a) you already know what's going to happen and trust me, that ride to get there is as delightful as the trope implies and (b) yes, Hollyn, you tell him exactly what's what!!! I was so proud of her in that moment because feeling things is hard and expressing feelings is EVEN worse somehow. But she did it and her boldness is <b>rewarded</b> and so <i>we</i> are rewarded. Loved it. Oh, and then later there's fake dating and some of my favorite parts of the trope play out so that was delightful also!

But. And this is a pretty big but. The way this book builds felt really well paced. Like I wasn't bored, I was very engaged, but it is a relatively slow build. And then you get to the two specific tropes I mentioned above and I really hit a groove only to be catapulted into a wall as our first conflict comes up. And I mean, I liked that conflict. It made sense with the way the book was going and I was like, "Alright, I can get behind this." But then we move past that one and it was easy! Smooth sailing. I was like, "well, Idk what's going to happen now because I think we're golden," but then BAM. Conflict again. And this conflict!!!! This conflict I kind of hated. First of all, I'm not that forgiving of a person and I had a real hard time with the way this entire second conflict was handled and I can't say much obviously because I don't want to spoil it for you, but... It did sort of keep the end from really working for me.

So, overall, I loved it and I hated the ending. At this point, I should be pretty used to this because this keeps happening to me. But... I am not. I just want romance editors to be like, "Jenica, this is how this book ends. Are you going to be okay with that?" so that I can STOP putting myself through the torture of loving the first 70%-80% of a book and then having it let me down! Okay, I'm going to stop being dramatic now and tell you that honestly I do really recommend this. Especially because there's something really incredible at seeing Hollyn overcome her anxiety. The book sort of walks that line about a miracle cure, but honestly, I think Loren did a great job at putting Hollyn in a place where giving her a few shoves really helped her. And it's a great reminder that hobbies can be super helpful and maybe I should have some.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an egalley of Yes & I Love You.

Give me all the real life romance tropes! Hollyn is the anonymous author behind the famous Miz Poppy reviews. In print, she is funny, sarcastic, and sassy. In reality, Hollyn has Tourettes and a huge fear of new people. But she is working through this with her therapist. Enter a coworking space - Hollyn's concession to "trying" to meet new people. Jasper is the new barista at the coffee cart. As an improv actor, he's never met a stranger he couldn't talk to - and this unnerves Hollyn.

Eventually, some walls come down (just a little bit), and Hollyn ask Jasper to help her get more comfortable in front of the camera and talking to people. What starts off as an innocent you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours soon leads to something that is decidedly more.

4.5 stars. Wow-Yes & I Love You is lovely. And I just now got what the title means... Anyways.

Highly engaging and fun story with a well rounded cast of characters and great mental health rep. The only aspect of the story I didn’t like is there is a teeny, tiny love triangle but it’s definitely not a huge part of the plot. The build up to the resolution and grand gesture was a bit chaotic but all’s well that ends well. To date, I’ve enjoyed every single book by Roni Loren I’ve read.

Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC!