Roni Loren is an automatic buy for me.. however, I love her other one more, but all her books are top-notch and have the best spice. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone. There is some humor, honor, cooking, and of course romance. Not as good as Yes & I love you but still a good follow-up and a must-read for anyone for loves Roni Loren. I will be picking up a physical copy of this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Whew this book was red hot. Roni Loren is now an automatic buy for me, I'll read anywhere writes because I know it'll be brilliant and sensitive and steamy af 🔥

Love Roni Loren! Such a fantastic, heartfelt romance. It has everything I ever wanted in a romance: great characters, engaging plot and a sizzling romance.

What If You & Me is the second book in Loren's Say Everything series and I really enjoyed it. It's still not totally perfect, but I really loved Andi and Hill as characters. Loren's character work in developing Andi and Hill was really well done as they felt like real people to me. Andi is a horror writer and host of a true crime podcast that's supposed to help people learn how to be safe, while Hill is a retired firefighter dealing with his new physical disability of having an amputated leg. The two are neighbors who meet when Hill thinks that Andi is being murdered because of a horror movie she's watching on television. Andi has a lot of hang ups about men, for good reason, and is hesitant to allow Hill into her life, but slowly their acquaintanceship turns to friendship, which turns to friends with benefits, and more.

This book took me a long time to read and I still can't parse out if that's my fault or the books fault, but I think it's probably mine. I haven't been reading quickly or consistently lately because I'll either read a book in one go or it will take me AGES to chip away at it until I finish it. I still enjoyed this book every time I picked it up, I just wasn't compelled to pick it up again when I would sit it down. The book is good, the romance was definitely believable, and I liked a lot of the choices the author made. I really liked the way she addressed trauma. I even like the way she handled the ex-girlfriend even though at first I was like, "ugh, this trope?!" But, there were just a few things besides the pacing that just irked me enough to keep me from giving this book four stars. But in a different mood? I could definitely see me rating this higher.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that the anxiety rep was well done, in my opinion, although I didn't love that Andi gets therapy from her best friend? My best friend is also a therapist and although sometimes she helps me reframe what my therapist tells me into something that actually makes sense or gently suggests I unpack something WITH my therapist, she is very careful to not give me therapy. It's an ethics thing and also kind of a friendship thing if we're being honest. Anyway, the representation itself felt really nice to see. Also, I loved, LOVED how both Andi and Hill worked through a lot of internalized ableism because that was pretty great to see on page. It didn't feel like too much for me, but if that's likely to be something that would be frustrating to you, maybe steer clear!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!

Another really great emotional yet steamy romance from Roni Loren! This was like a love letter to horror film/novel enthusiasts mixed with a wonderful story about two people trying to work through their individual traumas while also falling in love with one another. This also has some grumpy/sunshine goodness and great disability rep (Hill lost part of his leg on the job as a firefighter).

CW: PTSD, past abusive relationship with a serial killer, doxing, attempted assault on the heroine towards the end

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

I adored Roni Loren's previous title, and was so excited for this stand alone sequel. It did not disappoint. It's horror fan girl meets romance in the perfect blend! I loved all of the horror movie title drops, and that whole side of Andi. What If You and Me is a fun and light romantic read.

This was Roni Loren at her absolute finest, blending humor and heart with a lot of heat. I loved both of these character and rooted for them so hard, leading to an incredibly well-earned HEA. I know romcoms are the thing right now, but no one does a rom-com-dram quite like Roni Loren. More please!

Meet Andi Lockley: horror novelist, true crime podcaster, and all around bundle of extrovert energy.
Meet Hill Dawson: former firefighter, next door neighbor, and all around sexy grump.

What If You & Me had everything that I could have asked for in a romance: Sunshine/Grump pairing, pure alpha energy while being a total cinnamon roll underneath, and a slow burn that totally paid off. The banter between Andi and Hill is top notch and their relationship felt completely natural.

I have to applaud Roni Loren for all the representation she's put into this book in terms of mental health. Both Andi and Hill suffer from PTSD, while Andi also deals with anxiety. These were woven seamlessly into the story and I loved seeing how they leaned on each other and learned to be the other's safe space.

The side characters were equally amazing and I can't wait for the next in the series!

I absolutely loved Andi and Hill! I did not know this was related to Hollyn and Jasper’s story and I loved the small appearances they made throughout the book! Andi and Hill both have their inner demons that they are working through and I love that they were able to lean on each other even though it was tough. There was humor, horror movies, cooking (my favorite!), self discovery and love. I loved seeing both of them grow and found Andi to be relatable with her anxiety. I totally recommend this one!

Roni Loren does it again! I loved this tory. Andi and Hill's story was a wonderful treat for me to read. I loved how the author went about bringing these two together in a way that fit their past and felt real for the reader. Both Andi and Hill had issues that kept them from engaging in a relationship and while their journey into love wasn't angsty and packed-full on drama, it was emotional and touched on some important issues. I loved the way their friendship came about and how their connection settled and grew front here. I also appreciated the fact that the author made the effort of balancing all the elements throughout the story. There were some serious conversations, entertaining bickering, laugh out loud moments and flirty banter. All this, paired with a wide range in emotion and steamy moments made Andi and Hill's story an amazing read.

Although this is the second book in the Say Everything series, this book can be read as a stand alone. Having said that, I do recommend reading the first book of the series because like this one, YES & I LOVE YOU is a fantastic read.

All in all, a sweet yet emotional read about overcoming our demons and allowing ourselves the chance to find love.

I struggled with how to rate this book; there were parts of it I really loved and parts that just didn’t work for me. After a strong start to the Say Anything series, this one was a bit of a letdown. Both characters have suffered trauma although very differently, but that gives them the ability to understand one another even though they have completely different personalities. She is outgoing and bubbly, a ray of sunshine to all who meet her. He is grumpy, avoids social contact, and only really sees one friend on a regular basis. After a bit of a funny met cute, a bit of a misunderstanding, an incident brings them closer together and a friendship forms, so begins What If You and Me by Roni Loren.

Andi Lockley is a suspense/horror writer and has a fairly successful true crime podcast called “What Can We Learn from This?” where she hopes to educate her audience on how to look for signs that will keep them safe from lunatics and predators something Andi has real life experience with. She’s getting settled in her new home, a duplex that comes with a neighbor who thumps around in the night. One might think it’s strange for someone who survived a horrible situation to have affection for horror, but it actually helps her put things in perspective and has taught her to look at situations from all angles.

Hill Dawson is still trying to move forward from losing part of his leg and the burns he suffered on the job as a firefighter, but when he thinks his new neighbor is in danger he jumps right in to help even though it turns out to be a misunderstanding. Hill is immediately drawn to her but knows keeping his distance is the best thing, he just doesn’t realize how hard that will be.

I enjoyed the friendship that Andi and Hill forged early on and the way they slowly peeled back each other’s layers. The downside to that is because they held themselves back for a good half of this book, I didn’t feel the intense attraction between them and so when they got physical it seemed like too much at once. I do think they were well matched, that Andi forced Hill to be a bit more outgoing and to look at things in a different way and Hill helped Andi to realize she was strong, capable, and could trust her instincts.

The secondary characters once again played a big part in this story and I enjoyed seeing Hollyn and Jasper’s (couple from book 1) relationship progressing, as well was Hollyn having a girl’s night with Andi and Eliza (Andi’s friend who gives her free therapy). Hill’s friend Ramsey was a bit of comic relief but also instrumental in helping Hill since his accident reclaim his life.

I appreciated that neither character’s trauma was glossed over, that they both could understand somewhat where the other one was coming from, but also knew when to push to keep each other moving forward.

What If You and Me had a great cast of characters, an interesting plot, and while it fell a bit short for me on the romance, it was still an enjoyable story.

I really liked Yes & I Love You, but I LOVED What If You & Me (and I can't wait for the third book, For You & No One Else). Andi intrigued me in the first book, so I was really looking forward to learning more about her in her book. I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared for aspects of her back story (um, literal serial killer ex-boyfriend holy shit) but I loved so much watching her work to move beyond that. Which, naturally, wasn't easy. Hill played an important part in her growth, especially when it came to trust and intimacy. Though their past traumas were different, they could relate to each other. It was a beautiful book with a wonderful romance.

You know how sometimes you just need a book that you can settle in with and, even though it has its ups and downs, it will make you feel good in the end? This was that book for me when I needed one.
One of my favorite things about this book was that the heroine did not need to be saved; she was not a damsel in distress and could save herself.
I didn't know this was a series when I read this book. I immediately went back and read the first one and now cannot wait for the second!

This is now a must read author for me. I love her balance of real life struggles and how she has the characters navigate their relationship through them. The characters in this book felt real and even though I have never been through what they had I could empathize with them. It was never too heavy, has a good balance of light humor, romance and real life stuff in them. Really like this and would recommend for readers of romance that like a bit of depth to their stories.

What If You & Me by Roni Loren is the perfect balance of steamy, sweet, and satisfying. The heroine, Andi, seems to be the consummate tough girl on the outside. She hosts a true crime podcast, is an unabashed lover of all things horror, and has the punk look down to a T. Hill is an ex-fireman, has muscles for days, is an accomplished chef, and he has his injuries on full view. He lost a leg rescuing victims of a fire. They don’t seem to have much in common, but sharing a duplex.

Both have secrets and their shared trauma brings them into a friendship that quickly escalates to both wanting to be more than friends. However, barriers exist and Loren tackles tough issues with grace. What ensues next is a wonderful story of true growth that is unusual in this genre. The gyrations between Ali and Hill will have you rooting that they can find their own happily ever after, but it is far from a sure thing.

I did mention above that the book was steamy, so you have been warned. My husband benefited from some of the more descriptive passages!

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

I loved the romance and characters in this story! The writing was fantastic and I was totally sucked in. It’s easy for romance books to have awkward dialogue from time to time but I didn’t see any of that in this novel. I loved it from start to finish!

I don't know how to say this but I love it yet I don't love it. You know. I did enjoy reading this book but at the same time, I got really annoyed with the main character. She was just not it for me. I tried my hardest in convincing myself to give her a chance. She just acted too much for my taste. Yes, I know I sound a bit judgy. But she always had to refer to her past as a coping mechanism and always judge people's flaws. No one is perfect in life but not everyone is going to hurt you. I just could not get over her consistent back and forth.

𝟞 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀𝕗 𝕐𝕠𝕦 & 𝕄𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥:

1. ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀᴡ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴀɴᴅɪ & ʜɪʟʟ'ꜱ ꜱɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴅᴏ
2. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪꜱᴛʀʏ... ᴏᴏᴏᴏ
3. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴀʀᴄ'ꜱ
4. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴜʀᴘʀɪꜱɪɴɢ ᴡᴀʏ ʀᴏɴɪ ʟᴏʀᴇɴ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴛᴏᴘɪᴄꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ʟᴇꜱꜱᴏɴ
5. ꜱᴇᴀᴍʟᴇꜱꜱ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴡᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜꜱ ʙᴇʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ
6. ᴛʜᴇ... ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ.

This book was lovely, exhilarating, and quite honestly saddening.

Roni Loren was able to show both the good and the bad sides to being extra vigilant in your personal safety, to a degree that was both enlightening and saddening; especially when you think about how many people these types of acts happen to. Roni Loren was also able to readily convey the mental stress and emotions from someone who has experienced the darker side of humanity in ways that were highly accurate and thought provoking.

Andi & Hill were a great combination and I loved seeing them grow and overcome setbacks. They were quirky and funny, and I loved how their individual personalities were used to highlight each other. Another thing I appreciated was that Roni Loren did an excellent job of making the setbacks they experienced seem like realistic setbacks, rather than dramatized ones I so often read about. Overall, her portrayal of the characters was wonderful, and I loved getting to see past characters and future characters come out to play.

Combining the deeply sensitive topics, the gravitating characters, and the well laid out story, I definitely recommend picking up this book to read; and reading the first book too!

What if You and Me was such a fun and adorable read. It is one of those stories that will have the reader smiling from ear to ear. You will know what I mean when you meet Hill and Andie.


This is the second book in the Say Everything series. Having met Andie in the previous book, Yes and I Love You, I looked forward to her story.


Andie is a true crime podcaster, and a published author in the horror genre. I would never have guessed that this  outgoing true crime podcaster and published author and  suffered from anxiety. The deeper we get into the story, the more we learn of the traumatic event that led to the development of her anxiety. Because of her anxiety she doesn’t date and she never allows a man to sleep over. Then she meets Hill, her new neighbour and landlord.

Hill is a retired firefighter who lost his leg and his fiancée in one fell swoop. His life has not been same since. He suffers from PTSD because of the accident that led to him losing his leg. He also struggled with low self-esteem which manifested after being dumped by his fiancée. However, meeting Andie would bring new meaning to his life and brighten his bleak days.


Andie and Hill were great characters, and I enjoyed spending time with them. From their initial meeting, these two had me laughing. They brought out the best in each other. The grumpy hero never stood a chance against the ray of sunshine that entered his life. The development of their slow burn romance, while they navigate their issues, had me swooning and smiling throughout the story. They shared so many sweet moments that I never had experienced a dull moment in the story. 

I loved the heroine’s fighting spirit and her determination to overcome the issues associated with her anxiety. I found Hill’s honesty and his protective and supportive nature endearing, however I was not pleased with his actions near to the end. Thank goodness he came to his senses.

The story is free of drama and angst. Loren included an element of suspense that added a different layer to the story. It played  minor role in the scheme of things, but it was important to the story.

Conclusion/Recommendation

What If You and Me hit all the spots for me. I enjoyed my time spent with these awesome characters and I am looking forward to what next the author has to offer. Hands down Hill and Addie are my favourite couple for the year. Fans of contemporary romance should consider adding this to their summer reading list.

This book is one of the few where I would actually say it could be a bit shorter. The writing was strong and I liked the characters for the most part but I found it starting to drag pretty early on in the story. It had a lot of promise but didn't quite hit it for me. I'd give this author another try though because the writing itself was pretty good.