Another win by Roni Loren! She has quickly become an auto-buy romance writer for me - not only are her stories steamy with highly relatable characters, she also tackles important mental health issues. This story features Andi, a true crime podcaster and horror writer with anxiety and her hot neighbor, Hale, an ex-firefighter with an amputated leg and a passion for cooking. Together the two bond over classic horror movies and work through their respective traumas and sexual insecurities. I can't emphasize enough how refreshing it is to read about characters dealing with real life issues. Both Hale and Andi go to therapy to work on their issues (anxiety and depression) and are gentle with one another's emotional roadblocks to love. Their journey to a happily ever after was the perfect listen on this hot summer day. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy of this great new book. I cannot recommend this one more, especially for fans of Float plan, Seven days in June or Life's too short. This is a standalone book but is set in the same world as Yes & I love you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, Dreamscape, and Libro.Fm for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: anxiety, description of past sexual assault, PTSD, ableism, past toxic relationship (not MC), past cheating (not MC), past parental abandonment

I loved the first book in the series but this definitely can be read as a standalone or out of order

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f friends to lovers
-grump/sunshine
-nieghbors
-this is just a hookup
-sex education
-a crime podcaster that is relationship reluctant
-a former firefighter with abandonment issues
-a bachelor auction

I adored this one. Two people who are survivors, not victims, overcoming, and finding themselves and each other. This was all about intimacy and letting yourself be vulnerable with someone else. I was already a fan of Andi from Book 1 but now with a full picture of her I just adore her. That she turned something so difficult into not only a career but a way to help other women. Her ability to ask for what she wants, to set boundaries.

And sweet, sweet gruff Hill. I loved how protective he was of Andi, not because she wasn't capable but because he cared so much for her. How she slowly opened him up. The sex in this one is steamy but all about pushing the physical and emotional intimacy. It was just excellent. I cannot wait for the next addition to this series.

I did a mix of listening and reading. The narrator was fine, not bad but not excellent either.

Rating: 4.5
Steam: 4

Looking over my reading spreadsheet for the year, I noticed that Romi Loren is the only author who has gotten two five star ratings from me. I loved Yes & I love you and I was also a huge fan of this one. I didn't remember a ton about Andi from the first book except that she was Hollyn's new extroverted friend with a true crime podcast. It was great to see her fleshed out a lot more, and to understand why she is so set on learning from true crime stories and horror movies (her podcast is called "What Can We Learn From This?"). I loved the non-traditional meet cute that introduced Andi to her duplex neighbor, Hill. He hears her watching Scream and bangs on her door when Drew Barrymore starts screaming her head off, not realizing that it's just a movie. He's a retired firefighter who lost part of his leg in a house fire and is still recovering from that physical and emotional trauma. Andi has PTSD as well, but from a truly terrifying romantic relationship she was in as a teen (like, very very deeply messed up, way beyond what I was expecting). They become friends, and then friends with benefits, and then predictably one of the catches feelings and handles it poorly. This is a contemporary romance after all. Just like in Hollyn's story, I felt that Loren handled both Andi and Hill very deftly and carefully as characters dealing with serious shit, and I just loved the whole thing.

I loved loved this book. It’s a great romance with lovable but real characters and a good dose of steam. I haven’t read the first in the series, and I plan on doing so soon, but you don’t have to in order to love this one.
Both the characters have so much to overcome. It’s hard to read at times (CW sexual assault history, serial killers, doxing), but it’s told so well that even the hard parts are not hard to read.
After reading this I cannot wait to go back and read the first in the series and then am anxiously waiting for more!

Roni Loren's Yes& I Love You is one of my favorite romances of 2021. So naturally I squealed when I was approved for this Arc. 

I love romance with "heft". Give me two people with huge baggage learning to let go of their insecurities and to trust someone again and I am a goner. Andi and Hill have to deal with more than their insecurities though. Andi suffers from anxiety caused by a traumatic experience in her teens while Hill is trying to learn to live as an amputee and suffers from PTSD and depression. Roni Loren treats the issues with such reverence.

The progress of their relationship from neighbors to friends to friends-with-benefits is gradual. Their romance is slow-burn. These two are so good together. They are both so vulnerable and sweet. I loved the time Andi and Hill spent together like Hill teaching Andi how to cook and Andi educating Hill about horror movies There are 2-3 open-door scenes after the 60% mark. If you like smut you certainly won't be disappointed. On the other hand if that is not your thing, you can certainly skip those scenes but just know there is so much this book offers other than those steamy scenes. Where the book shines is the open communication between the characters. Andi and Hill communicate so clearly about what they are ready for in the relationship physically, psychologically & emotionally and what they need from each other.

I loved the way Andi compares and contrasts rom-coms and horror movies. I'll never look at Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Clueless and Grease the same way again. Listen to Andi's argument: "Sleepless in Seattle- Lady hears a dude on the radio talking about his dead wife and then totally stalks him and his kid. Creepy. Reverse the genders on that one, and it would've been a horror movie for sure,  Next, You've Got Mail- Tom Hanks catfishes Meg Ryan and destroys her business. Then he basically gaslights her into thinking that was a good thing. Horror stories and love stories are two sides of the same coin. Both can involve obsession. Being overtaken by feelings you can't control. Being driven to doing crazy, out-of-character stuff. Being at someone's mercy"

#Sayeverthing series is slowly making its way into my favorite romance series. I loved seeing Hollyn and Jasper and I am looking forward to reading Eliza's story next.

SUMMARY: Andi is an outgoing horror writer/podcaster who’s been through trauma. Hill is her hot neighbor/landlord working through his own PTSD following an on-the-job accident as a firefighter. Sparks fly, but are they ready to find love in one another?
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I really liked this one! It’s not action-packed, but instead, just two people independently dealing with their trauma and finding happiness in one another. That sounds heavy—and there are references to what they sent through—but for the most part, it’s flirtatious conversations between charming characters.
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This is the follow-up to Yes & I Love You, which I also read and loved. It’s set in the same universe (Hollyn and Andi are friends), but there’s no need to read one before the other. I liked both books because I felt like they showcased real people with real issues to navigate. If you like The Bergman Brother series by @chloe_liese you’d probably enjoy these as well.
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Check it out if you’re into:
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💖 Neighbors/friends to lovers
💖 Overcoming past trauma
💖 Open door romance with 🔥
💖 Pop culture references to Horror
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Because of what they’ve been through, there are a bunch of content warnings, but nothing takes place “on screen” so do with that what you will. CW: sexual assault, attempted physical assault, loss of limb, disability, infidelity.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thanks to @sourcebookscasa @netgalley and @roniloren for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review! This book comes out tomorrow, July 6!

Roni Loren really knows how to address the heavy stuff without making her stories unbearably angsty. It's always the exact right dose. What If You & Me in her new Say Everything series is a fabulous addition to this series.

If you've read the first book in this series, Yes & I Love You, you've met quirky Andi, who faces her past by writing horror books (and loving horror movies) and being a true crime podcaster. I loved her already in book 1 - she was adorable and easy to love. Thankfully this is exactly the personality we get in What If You & Me. She is resilient, strong, and has an inert kindness and sense of humor that sets her apart from other women. At least for Hill. After a traumatic relationship she has given up on a future with a man. She just doesn't know whether to trust them and having been wrong before she doesn't trust her instincts any longer.
“Andi’s like an eighty-year-old woman with a nose ring.”

Hill is the brooding guy next door, a man who spends a lot of time in his own head and with low self esteem (yeah, that's a thing, apparently). A former fireman, who lost one of his legs while being a hero and saving people, had his heart broken after when his fiancée cheated on him while recovering from the accident. Add a bit of depression and lack of direction after the tragedy and this is a set up for heartbreak. Especially when you think you're the "practice guy" for your cute neighbor.
Hill and Andi become friends and their connection is everything. Hill is very protective of Andi and a rock when she needs one, likewise, Andi's sunny nature drags Hill out of his funk more and more often. The chemistry quickly turns from sizzling to ember-red but don't expect them to be moving fast. This is a delicious slow burn.
The way he viewed himself made her heart hurt. All those people in that room tonight had looked at him as a hero, as someone who’d sacrificed for the good of others.

I enjoyed this installment as much as the first book. Roni Loren has hit a home run with her new series. The humor is on point, so are the emotions and all characters I've met so far are likable, even Hill's cheating witch of an ex. My guess is that the heroine of the next book is Eliza, Andi's friend and the hero Hill's firefighter bestie Ramsey. Can't wait to find out!
“You’ve completely ruined my life plan to be a grumpy hermit. I would’ve been so good at it.”

This is definitely a more intense and deep romance - the storyline is intense, but still fun and well-balanced. There was good contrast between the characters and steamy, fun scenes. Another winner from Roni Loren, who is quickly becoming a must-read romance author for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“If I want comfort, I’m going straight to all the dark and scary stuff. That makes real life seem better because no matter what’s happening in my life, at least a psycho with razor fingers isn’t trying to kill me in my sleep and a demon’s not trying to steal my soul.”

“He wasn’t anyone’s good time. He was a goddamned charity case at best, a pity fuck at worst.”

Andi Lockley’s anxiety tells her the world is a very scary place. As a teen, she narrowly escaped a very dangerous man whom she thought she loved. But Andi took that fear and channeled it into a career as a true crime podcaster and horror novelist. Enter Hill Dawson, her sexy af new neighbor. Battling demons of his own, Hill finds himself drawn to Andi but keeps a safe distance. Then a late night break in at Andi’s shows Hill not only how deep her fears run, but that his protective nature may not be enough to protect his own heart.

What If You & Me is the sequel to Yes & I Love You, which I did not know going in. And it doesn’t matter! So even if you haven’t read the first installment, you can still enjoy this one. I was gifted both the print and audio version, and the audio was fantastic! The narrator did a great job capturing emotion, fear, and, ahem, the sexy bits too.🔥

And be warned ladies, this book is 🥵. Beach Read was one of my favorites last year and this book gave it a run for its money. It has everything! It deals with dark issues, but in the most beautiful and compassionate way. The grumpy/sunshine trope works well with the very real, current, and relevant issues that are dealt with. Two broken people coming together in a healthy way makes for a beautiful love story. 💞

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

Earlier this year, I fell in love with the first book in Roni Loren’s Say Anything series, “Yes & I Love You” and I was thrilled to get the ALC & ARC for the sophomore book in the series, “What If You & Me.” This series continues to blow me away with how real and raw the characters are written. Like, I almost can’t describe how much I love this series.
I highly recommend it to anyone who loves emotional (open-door) romance stories with a side of humor. Also the series continues to feature disability reps which I love seeing. This book features anxiety, PTSD, and a partial amputee. We’re blessed as readers to have gotten these two books only months apart. I really hope this series continues. It’s in my top reads of the year.

Just like the first book in the series. Andi’s story deals with mental health. And also Roni handles the story with a deftness of touch that’s amazing while not taking away the romantic aspects of it. Honestly, this was such a great book and Andi and Hill were a couple that I cheered for every step of the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for the ARC!

This is the second book in the “Say Everything” series, but can be read as a stand-alone. An emotional forced proximity romance with a horror writer and crime podcaster living next door to a former firefighter, both trying to overcome past trauma and move on with their lives. A book that broke my heart and then put it back together. A grumpy and sunshine trope that will be in my top ten for the year!

𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚛𝚋: Andi has been trying to make it on her own as a horror writer and true crime podcaster, moving on from a haunted past. So when Andi moves into her new house and meets her gruff and grumpy neighbor Hill Dawson, she builds a friendship based on food and horror movie nights. The two help each other heal from their hang-ups. It turns into a companionship full of love and safety and a relationship worth fighting for.

This book is amazing because I’m a sucker for a firefighter and then give me a firefighter who is broken and I’m instantly in love. Hill is everything I want in a book boyfriend and the sweet, alpha, strong silent-type who makes Andi feel safe in every moment. I loved the focused theme of consent in this romance and the authors ability to show healthy communication in a relationship. This is just all around a wonderful and beautiful book that I want to hug and own and give all the praise!!!

Wow. Roni is a new to me author. I think I picked the right book to now make them an auto buy. This book was riveting. One complaint I do have ((and I love me some smut) the sex came out of nowhere, hit hard & then disappeared. I feel like I needed it to not be so in your face and be throughout the book instead of 60% in for a few chapters then nothing. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the audio because the narrator was super breathy. But overall a great book & the author is clever & fantastic.

4.5 out of 5 stars!

This book features a heroine who has a debilitating past experience that is stopping her from moving forward in a certain part of her life. It also has a struggling hero that hasn't gotten over the devitalizing accident that changed his life. These two met under a thrilling misunderstanding that helped them get closer together in the first step towards their transformative journey as a couple and as individuals.

I thoroughly enjoyed this second book to the Say Everything series. I adore the couple, two flawed characters that grew in the story progression both as individuals and as a couple. I liked the couple's support group as they offered friendship and comedic relief in the story. I did need some more details for a few significant events in the story for better absolutions, but that's a personal preference of mine. Overall, I highly recommend this entertainingly wonderful romantic story and I look forward to reading more Roni Loren books in the future.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

This book was a combination of everything I could hope for - emotional, sexy, respectful, courageous and full of heat!

I loved Roni Loren’s first book, Yes & I Love You, and knew I wanted to read this book. Well, imagine my delight when I fell for this book even harder than the first. I listened to this on audio and the narration was great. I easily got lost in the book, hours passing, only coming up for air when I heard the word “epilogue” and realized I’d hit the end. Isn’t that the best feeling? I love getting so lost in a book that you lose all track of time.

Loren has a gift for taking imperfect characters and putting them in situations that turn their worlds upside down, in the best way! In this book, horror novelist and true crime podcaster Andi (who we met in book1!) has lived in fear of getting too close to someone romantically after a traumatic experience in her teens. Yet, she can’t help the pull she feels for her neighbor, retired firefighter Dawson Hill who is battling his own demons after surviving a fire that claimed his lower leg. Y’all these two were just so good together - vulnerable, sweet, unsure and so damn HOT!

This book deals with some heavier topics including depression, anxiety trauma and violence but it does so with a positive focus on healing, consent, self-discovery and growth. Loren deals with both disability and mental health both realistically and respectfully. The storyline was emotional, fun and red hot! In short, I highly recommend What If You & Me!

Well well well, this book is cute! I completely missed the “steamy” bit in the blurb and thought it would be a cute romance, but whew, it really is steamy! And cute?? Which is so satisfying.

Andi is the manic pixie type of girl who writes horror novels and records a true crime podcast, and she’s the best friend I need in my life. She really does NOT trust men, and once you learn about her history you can hardly blame her. Enter hot neighbor guy Hill Dawson- a retired firefighter struggling to sleep because of nightmares and flashbacks to the day he lost his lower leg in a building collapse. They become friends, horror movie buddies, trauma buddies, cooking buddies, and ofcourse.. there’s some benefits.

It’s hot and steamy but also cute and really deals with a lot of heavy stuff in the meantime. It talks of stalking, sexual assault, trauma, depression, anxiety and probably some more. So just be prepared!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this title. All opinions are honest and my own.

This is one of the best adult romance novels I've read this year. I went into the first in this series, Yes & I Love You, blind, without knowing anything about Loren's stellar writing or her past experience in erotica. But after falling in love with Yes & I Love You, I had extremely high expectations for What If You & Me. And it knocked them out of the park.

In What If You & Me, podcaster and horror writer Andi is still grappling with trauma from her past when her next-door neighbor and former firefighter Hill, helps her when someone breaks into her house. Of course, Hill is dealing with his own trauma and dealing with the "former" part of former firefighter. Can these two help each other face their own demons?

This is such a beautiful story. While it has its many moments of levity, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a rom-com, and instead lean towards just romance. There's a lot of triggers in this book (assault, sexual assault, loss of limb, burns, PTSD, depression), and both characters have their share of trauma before and during the book. But the way Andi and Hill come together is magical and the book ends on such a positive and uplifting note. Loren brings her signature steam, enough to light the page alight, and weaves it into the narrative beautifully. Loren has quickly become an auto-buy author for me.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casa for my eARC and Libro.fm for my ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

4.5 STARS
What If You & Me is the second book in Roni Loren’s Say Everything series and it is my favourite of the two. It can function as a stand-alone, but there are mentions of
the couple from the first novel and the outcome of their relationship.

In this book we get to meet Andi, a bubbly and extroverted horror novelist and true crime podcast host. From the outside, she is vibrant and friendly, but underneath she is struggling with severe PTSD and anxiety from an incident with an ex-boyfriend. She has closed herself off to intimate relationships and channels her energy into her podcast, where she teaches women how to keep themselves safe. Her neighbour, Hill, is dealing with his own demons. He also suffers from PTSD and a crippling depression after losing his leg, his job as a firefighter, and his fiancé. There is clearly a connection between the two, but can they push past their issues and let each other in?

I absolutely loved the representation in this book. I truly believe that everyone deserves to see themselves in a love story. It was refreshing to see not one, but both characters struggle with mental illness. Loren’s experience as a social worker is evident in her delicate, yet relatable descriptions of what it is like to struggle with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. I personally struggle with PTSD stemming from an assault, and her descriptions of flashbacks were spot on. Just the wrong words, the wrong touch, the wrong smell can send you back to that moment.

The chemistry between Andi and Hill was just oozing off the page and their slow-burn romance was befitting to their characters. This book was quite spicy, but Loren wrote very healthy love scenes with clear discussions of boundaries between both characters. Is there anything more sexy than consent and respecting boundaries? I think not.

Roni Loren really knows how to take some difficult topics, treat them with care, and give us one hell of a swoon-worthy love story. I look forward to her next book in this series!

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: trauma/PTSD/triggers (experienced by the main characters), life-altering fire accident, murder (mentioned but not detailed), physical assault

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I first saw Roni Loren's name on instagram when @abrokebookworm posted about "Yes & I Love You," giving it rave reviews and recommending it to fans of Colleen Hoover and Talia Hibbert. So, when I saw another Roni Loren book available for request on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it! Readers, this book did not disappoint.

Andi writes horror novels and has a true crime podcast. With a traumatic experience in her teenage past, she wants to make sure that people are more prepared than she was. Her neighbor Hill is a retired firefighter and a below-the-knee amputee after a rescue mission left him trapped and burned, and all he wants is to find some purpose. When their paths cross, they keep saying the wrong things, but neither can deny that there's something between them. What will it take to start working through the hard stuff and figure out if there's something there?

I am so glad I picked this up. It's romantic in a way that you think you'll see the ending coming, but it isn't boring or super predictable. The characters are relatable and even though they're going through stuff, they aren't unlikable in the way that some frustrated MCs can be. There was some implied steam and some spelled out (very open door), and there was a bunch of banter and sass that kept it from being extremely heavy, given some of the content.

TL;DR: This book was really great. It releases this week. GO READ IT!

The first book in this series was my first read by author Roni Loren. It was so amazing that I snatched up WHAT IF YOU & ME, hoping for the same magic. And Roni delivered.

Grumpy + Sunshine. CHECK.
Quirky and Badass Heroine. CHECK.
Complex Characters. CHECK.
Swoon for days. CHECK.
Hot sex scenes. CHECKITY CHECK CHECK.

Andi is the best female lead! Quirky, sweet, smart, and vulnerable. You will instantly love her! And Hill. GEEZ. His cranky gruffness hides an achingly sweet and dizzyingly swoony book boyfriend! His transformation in this story is perfectly wonderful.

You know I love a book that includes professional therapy and destigmatizes mental health issues and Roni Lauren is perfection when handling those sensitive topics.

WHAT IF YOU & ME also has amazing female friendships, a complex antagonist whose story has a believable and sweet resolution, and shares a hopeful view of healing and finding love after loss.

5 FREAKING STARS to this wonderful book!