I want to preface this with I wanted to love this book so much more than I did. There were moments that were definitely entertaining! But, honestly, this felt like reading a first draft, one that hadn't yet been edited and needed someone to come in and point out the inconsistencies: from the length of time Kian and Hudson were together the first time, to Kian's age. The story itself felt disjointed, and the characters felt hollow. There was no reason for the reader to root for them as a couple — what little glimpses we got into their relationship and their feelings all revolved around sex, and while that is a valid basis for a relationship, it hits weirdly with how hurt the two characters are supposed to be.

Characterizations of the characters are also hit or miss. Olivia seemed to run entirely hot and cold, Hudson swung back and forth between extraordinarily insightful and extremely offputting. Kian is unsympathetic as a character.

All in all, it's an okay book. It's definitely worth a read if you want well written spicy scenes (because those were definitely well written!).

Still reeling from their excruciating break-up, aspiring journalist Kian is stumped when his ex-boyfriend Hudson reaches out to him, asking for a favour: be his date to a family event with his ultra-rich parents to appease them. Kian is torn: On the one hand, he doesn’t want to let Hudson down but on the other, he doesn’t want to get his heart broken all over again. As the two grow closer again, the question arises: is fake dating your ex maybe the perfect segue into getting back together?

The premise of this book sounded amazing—two exes pretending to date to appease one’s parents? Sign me up! What a way to spin one of my all-time favourite romance tropes—fake dating—into something original. And there were lots of elements to the story I really enjoyed.

There are some really nuanced discussions about intersectionality, race and class (in the workplace and in day-to-day-life) that I thought were so intriguing and showcased Jackson’s talent as a writer. Hudson comes from a well-off family while Kian is struggling to make ends meet as he pursues his dream of becoming a well-acclaimed journalist. Heads butt together more than once and I loved these moments. Beyond that, there is a great cast of diverse secondary characters that could have warranted their own books with all the tidbits we learn about them. Divya, Kian’s best friend, for example, was an absolute highlight for me in this story. I would love to learn more about her in future books. On top of that, if you’re a fan of pop culture references and snappy one-liners, being in Kian’s mind will be a good time for you. Despite some repetitive narration, Kian was actually such a sweetheart to follow. Jackson really showcased the pain yet undeniable attraction Kian was still feeling for Hudson even after all those months. Kian also has this dry wit to him that made me chuckle to myself a few times and definitely made him a unique voice to follow.

Where things kind of fell apart for me was the actual second-chance romance part of this whole novel. This is obviously only my subjective experience, but for me to understand and enjoy a second-chance romance, I need to know what happened the first time around and why one party or both actually want to give their relationship another try. While we learn that it was Hudson who broke up with Kian, not knowing the reason made it hard for me to root for them to get back together. Similarly, we never really learn the motives for Hudson reaching out again and we don’t ever see a real apology for what has happened in the past or real resolution of the hurt that still lingers between them even though it causes Kian to lash out several times. I also had a hard time understanding why Kian would expose himself to all this pain again considering how devastated he was by the breakup. I wish we would have learned about their reasons for breaking up because not knowing made me feel like I was out of my depth and not really invested in Kian and Hudson getting back together. There is so much potential in this story but as a whole, I found myself wishing subplots—as well as the romantic past between Kian and Hudson—had been resolved in more detail instead of simply offering glimpses. Yet there’s still a lot about this story to love and I bet that readers will enjoy the banter between Hudson and Kian and the witty narrative voice!

Putting a fun twist on the beloved fake dating trope, Jackson’s romcom debut I’m So (Not) Over You offers snappy writing, complex characters and an ode to pop culture!

I received a gifted galley of I’M SO (NOT) OVER YOU by Kosoko Jackson for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the opportunity!

I’M SO (NOT) OVER YOU follows Kian, a young man still nursing a heartbreak after his ex Hudson dumped him. He knows he should cut him off entirely, but when Hudson reaches out, Kian can’t help but respond. It turns out that Hudson needs a plus one for a family engagement. Hudson has connections that Kian doesn’t, connections which might just help him land the fellowship he’s been dreaming of, so Kian eventually gives in and agrees to be a fake boyfriend.

Kian and Hudson are very different, coming from different families and different economic backgrounds. Hudson comes from the family behind a popular brewery empire, a family where business comes before anything personal. Hudson has been trying to break out of the family mold, but the breakup with Kian and the fake dating shows he’s still struggling. Kian is still very hung up on Hudson, but it isn’t clear initially if the feelings are reciprocated.

I do think this story may have benefitted from a bit more of the backstory between the pair. We know that Kian still loves Hudson, but everyone around him seems very against him veering back toward Hudson. In the back half of the book, the relationship comes quite a bit more clear, though. I was hoping for good things for the pair.

listen, there's some questions i never got answered but i don't even care. this was a delight from start to finish.

Okay, I still don't really know what to say about this book. I'm not sure that I've ever felt this conflicted about rating and reviewing a book.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I mostly liked the characters, though Kian was a bit annoying with how in his own head he always was. I liked the romance storyline, I think there is a lot of good here, but there is also a lot of things that slightly took away from my enjoyment of this book.
I know that this is an advanced copy, so it's not 100% done, I get that. But, there were SO many errors throughout the book, it's by far the worst I've seen and I've now reviewed 70+ NetGalley ARCs. There wasn't much consistency with regards to time; at one point they'd been broken up for 3 months, but then Kian had spent the last year avoiding anything Hudson related. Then, I think it was stated that they had dated for 1.5 years before breaking up, but then towards the end of the book it said they had only dated for 6 months. Timelines were constantly changing and it was hard to get a good idea of what was going on because of that. Also, there are errors with names. Near the beginning of the book Kian goes on a date with Wallace, but then Kian goes to a wedding and the bride's name is Wallace? But it's actually Danni? Wallace is also a lawyer at the beginning of the book, but at the end he's a doctor. There were just SO many errors, it made it a bit difficult to read.
Another thing I had a difficult time with was what I've seen mentioned in another review, in that there is no explanation or exploration of why Kian and Hudson broke up in the first place. It mentions that Hudson dumped Kian and Kian was heartbroken, but it never explains why Hudson dumped him. And throughout the book, almost right from the beginning, it seems like Hudson is still totally in love in Kian, he's talking about how it's only ever been Kian for him, that they are end game. But then WHY did you dump him??? There is just nothing to explain what happened there, and it makes it hard to understand Hudson and his motives. Like, if Kian had dumped Hudson, it would make more sense, I think? Maybe? Then towards the end of the book Hudson's sister tells Kian that the only reason Hudson has stayed in Boston (he's from Georgia) is because of Kian, but then WHY BREAK UP WITH HIM??? It just seems like there is this huge cloud hanging over their relationship that I can't get out from under because I don't understand what the fuck happened!
Throughout the book is feels like there is a lot of backstory that is hinted at, but never explained, and it really impacted on how I understood the characters and what was going on. Almost as though this were the second book in a series and I hadn't read the first one that explained everything.
A couple things that are specifically me problems, and are on the whole fairly small, are that the word "mhm" was used A LOT, and the mention of HP. Sorry, but I feel like queer books written recently should not be mentioning HP.
So, I don't know if I've adequately explained my incredibly mixed feelings about this book. I did genuinely liked it, and if all of the errors were fixed, I would definitely rate it higher, but as it stands in the version I got, it needs some work.

If fake dating is your fav trope, this will be for you. While I don’t mind that, I am definitely not the target audience for this particular story and had I not been buddy reading, I would have DNF’d. Not saying the story is bad, it’s just not for me. Very graphic sex scenes. A lot of graphic language. There are good things though, family bonds and the family you make for yourself, second chance romance, self discovery.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.
Publication date: February 22, 2022

“I want to be your boyfriend. I want to give us another try. I want to stop thinking about you every waking moment, and actually know you’re mine every waking moment. I want to be yours.”

I’M SO (NOT) OVER YOU is a queer romantic comedy about two ex-boyfriends who flip the script on their breakup with a healthy dose of fake dating. Hudson and Kian met in college and fell hard for each other, and when Hudson breaks things off two years later, Kian is heartbroken. But then Hudson comes back asking for Kian’s help to keep his parents’ good opinion by pretending to be boyfriends at a family wedding. Y’all know what happens next!

This was a mixed bag for me. I loved reading a romance about two Black queer men written by a Black queer man; it’s hilarious, sexy, and deeply real, and we need more books like this. Kian and Hudson have really great chemistry throughout and I liked how Jackson explores classism and colorism through their relationship and interactions with others. The side characters, especially Kian’s best friend Divya, are well-done, and Kian’s goofy persona keeps the tone light and fun, even when shit gets more serious. As a former Bostonian, Jackson’s descriptions of those classic New England bars had me nostalgic - and he doesn’t neglect the city’s strong undercurrent of racism, either.

The writing felt a bit choppy to me, though: some inconsistencies with the characters and their actions, lots of pop culture references that didn’t always land (though some definitely, hilariously did), the dialogue a bit stilted in parts, the descriptions sometimes rambling and pulling me out of the moment. The relationship was a struggle for me too; sometimes it felt like Kian and Hudson were just getting to know each other, sometimes they felt like exes with two years of history. Also, I didn’t ever get why they broke up, so it was hard to find the central conflict compelling; like, all of a sudden Hudson wants to date Kian again and I didn’t know what had changed or why! Which left me feeling unsatisfied about both the individual character growth and the arc of the relationship.

Overall it felt like the ingredients were there but it didn’t come together smoothly for me. Thanks to Berkley for the eARC!

Content warnings: racism, colorism, homophobia, sexual harassment, alcohol addiction/drunk driving, one small HP reference

I found this book to have a ton of good things going for it. Our leads are well-developed (though without a dual POV, Kian is obviously more developed than Hudson) and both are sympathetic characters. They have good chemistry, great banter, and the reader will always root for them to have their HEA. The supporting cast is great: Kian's ride-or-die bestie, Divya, is a trip, Hudson's sister Olivia is a bad-ass ball-buster, and I am completely in love with Hudson's grandmother and want to be that kind of tough as nails matriarch when I'm her age.

But here's where I stumbled with this book. Our premise is that Hudson broke up with Kian a few months back, and now Hudson has come back to ask Kian to play his fake boyfriend for his cousin's upcoming wedding, because he never bothered to tell his family that they broke up. Which, fine, I can get behind a fake dating trope and a second chance romance. And the story arc that follows is mostly fine? But there are just some gaping holes in this story for me. The biggest question throughout this book was, why did they break up in the first place? This is never addressed at all. It's just stated as a fact with no context. And then as a follow-up question: how the heck do you decide to get back together with someone who has never actually explained or apologized for his actions surrounding this breakup? I mean, sure, go ahead and be his fake date for the wedding, fine, but really? Letting him back into your life and more importantly, into your heart, without having a discussion about what happened that caused the breakup? And making him at least apologize or ideally grovel for forgiveness or something? And what are the ground rules for ensuring that this never happens again? None of this ever gets discussed at any point and I have a hard time believing that any person who has ever been on the losing end of a breakup would allow this to happen.

Am I discouraging you from reading this book because of the flaws mentioned above? Absolutely not. I think the rest of the book more than makes up for its shortcomings, and overall it is an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I may not have been the target audience for this novel, I did enjoy it very much.

I like how both Kian and Hudson’s families are there for them. Even though they may not have agreed with them getting back together, they let them figure it out on their own. I did not like how Hudson kept saying things would be different, yet they break up again!

I wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into Kian. But I get it, when you are young and in love, you will do everything and anything to be with the person you love. I got the feeling Kian was more vested in making their relationship work, while Hudson was going through the motions and saying all the right things.

I was cheering for them to have their happily ever after but since Kian and Hudson come from very different backgrounds will the course of true love be quick and easy? Kian has had to fight for everything he has wanted, while Hudson has been given everything. Maybe, just maybe, if Hudson would fight a bit harder for Kian, they would not need to have a fake relationship.

Thank you to @berittalksbooks, @thephdivabooks, @dg_reads, Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the early review copy! While the author and I share publishers this in no way influenced my opinions, which are all my own.

Kian and Hudson's story was a satisfying mix of second chance romance and fake dating that I found really refreshing and enjoyable. Their tension yet undeniable chemistry even in the wake of a break up was palpable in every page. Jackson's wit and voice is distinct, sharp, and wry. I also truly enjoyed the way he drew us deep into Kian's point of view, leaving Hudson very much a mystery who we (re)learn alongside Kian as these two discover safety, trust, and happiness together more than ever before.

I'm really excited to see what Kosoko Jackson gives us next!

I absolutely loved this book! I laughed out loud more than once, like a lot more than once, and I was immediately captivated by Kosoko's unique voice and sharp wit. I loved all of the characters, though I think Divya might be my favorite. And I really loved watching Kian and Hudson find their way back to each other. Kosoko really captured the different levels of their relationship, balancing the past and present with a deft hand. I did not want to stop reading once I started, and I am reading looking forward to reading more rom coms from Kosoko in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

When I heard this was a fake dating trope that’s m/m and involves a wedding, I was so excited. However, this just did not work for me. First, we are never told why they broke up. Not once are we given an explanation. We also don’t get to see how they were with each other in the past. It’s single POV so we aren’t in the head of Hudson, just Kian. Secondly, I did not like being in Kians head. I found him annoying with no filter. He complained all the time about Hudson’s family and their lifestyle yet wanted to be apart of his family? Also, most romances that involve a wedding, usually have more scenes taking place AT the wedding but this did not. The wedding plot almost didn’t need to exist. Kian was extremely judgmental and I didn’t like him because of that. He judged Hudson so much that I honestly didn’t understand why he even wanted him and there didn’t seem to be a connection that second chance romances have.

However, I did like the talks about race and sexism. It just didn’t work for me

So glad to read more queer romances featuring Black men who love Black men. It’s the representation that we need to see in Romance. Not to mention it was funny and charming. Slow in parts and kian was a bit insufferable lol but otherwise a great story.

Hudson broke up with Kian. But then he texted him to meet up, so he could ask Kian to pose as his fake boyfriend to impress his parents. Kian still has a lot of baggage from the breakup, and his friends discourage him from becoming involved with Hudson again.

The story centers class differences, as Kian is middle class, and Hudson's family is extremely wealthy, owning a billion dollar brewery. I found the set-up somewhat implausible. Given the emphasis on class differences and Kian's feelings of outsider status, I didn't understand why Hudson dating Kian would help Hudson gain respect from his parents.

This is first person from Kian's perspective, and I found it so readable. I flew through it without noticing time passing. The voice is sharp and funny. Kian is an aspiring journalist, and I found his description of the future of journalism fascinating. There are also tons of popular culture references sprinkled throughout, some quite subtly and others with mention of the source. They help the book feel very current.

I was quite pleased with the writing and the critiques of racism and homophobia. But parts of Kian and Hudson's relationship and motivations didn't make sense for me. It wasn't clear why Hudson ended things with Kian, so it wasn't clear to me how a second chance would address the problems in their relationship. All told, I enjoyed the prose more than the larger story.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up

A swift, fun read, and Jackson imbues every page with heart and humour. As other reviewers have already noted, second chance romances generally rely on some knowledge of the first chance, what didn't work and why, so as readers we understand the obstacles to the romance, and so the characters are forced to change in order to make things work this time. Jackson makes the unique choice to withhold information about the couple's breakup (other than a brief mention of some conflict around Kian's judgment of Hudson's family, judgment that remains throughout the book), so we're left a bit at sea in understanding the characters' journey on the page. That said, the physical attraction is very clear, and builds naturally to the steamy scenes. I really enjoyed the secondary characters in this one and I'd be eager to read a spin-off story with Olivia or Divya at centre. I also enjoyed the ways Jackson wove themes about race, class, and queerness into the work, while retaining an overall joyous tone perfect for avid rom-com readers.

I really want to like this book because the cover and the pitch feels perfect for my jam but ten chapters in and I can't feel any attachment to the MC and their voice.

Will post my full review on Goodreads once released.

This second chance romance was adorable! I loved the characters, and there were some very important issues addressed, like familial expectations and doing what is right for you. I loved the two settings, thought the characters were great (even and especially the side characters), and I had fun reading about our confused, but in love MCs.

I hope that Kosoko Jackson writes more adult romcoms because I think he's fantastic at doing so!

There are things I loved about this book - two gay, educated early twenties men who dated and loved each other broke up a couple of months before the story begins. Kian struggles to find employment with his degree in journalism; Hudson with a psychology degree, figuring things out while living in his swanky brownstone curtesy of his Wealthy family (yes, the capital W is necessary, lol). Both still Boston, working out their futures. Single and very hung up on each other.
Until Hudson needs a favor. Kian barely holds his anger back - his bestie Divya isn't shy about expressing it, while listening to Hudson beg Kian to be his boyfriend. For pretend. Hudson's parents are coming to Boston for a visit - they love Kian. And Hudson hasn't told them they broke up.
Kian returns to Hudson's life - flirting, wearing high end designer clothing to fit in. But where does he stand in Hudson's life?
Certainly most of us have been there - devastated when the one we thought was The One breaks our heart, struggling with How Will I Go On? We all have desperately hoped Fate would bring us back together, another chance to convince our love to return, admit to never stop loving us. This book certainly started that way - I just couldn't get over Kian and his naiveté. He's young, his first love - but I honestly struggled with supporting this character make himself so vulnerable.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and boy am I lucky. I loved this book. The voice is hilarious, snarky, sexy, vulnerable, and smart -- I would be laughing out loud one minute, nodding my head in agreement the next, and gasping and holding my heart a minute later. Jackson's narrator Kian fills the page with an insight-fullness that is at once tender and cutting, and I was hanging on every word, never sure if the next snappy joke would be about Shakespeare, Star Trek, or Beyonce. And as Alexis Hall said in another review, the themes, voice, and action in this book are inseparable from its queerness and Blackness. Kian never shies from talking truthfully about life as a queer Black man, and the story always feels uniquely its own.

I would have loved a little more exploration, between Kian and Hudson, about their first go round of the relationship, to give their coming back together further depth and understanding. That said, I found this book really satisfying and an absolute joy to read. So glad Jackson tried his hand at a romcom and I really hope this is not the last!

Sadly, I did not finish this book. I got about halfway through it before putting it down because it just wasn't for me. Although the plot and premise are promising, I couldn't connect with the writing style or the main character. The novel is doused in pop culture references and sometimes they fit in really naturally, but other times they didn't and I'm just a person who doesn't like that many references in her book. Kian sometimes frustrated me because he was just letting Hudson dictate their "fake relationship!" It was hard to connect to him and invest in his story at times too, so unfortunately, I put it down.

HOWEVER, just because I didn't love this book doesn't mean you won't either! If you like peppy, fresh voices who are in tune with pop culture, second chance romance, and fake dating, definitely check this one out!