While the premise for this book had me interested, the story overall did not quite did it for me. I was left feeling underwhelmed by the end. At times I felt disconnected from the plot and the characters. I seldomly DNF books which is why I kept reading.

Read if you enjoy:
- Friends to lovers
- South Africa Setting
- Slow Burn Romance
- Banter

I love a good friends to lovers romance and this was perfect. The story takes us to South Africa. This is a slow burn with the perfect banter between lovers keeping us excited for what’s to come. I wish the relationship was more developed, but it was a solid romance.

This book follows Liv, a graphic designer who is a workaholic and is about to miss yet another vacation with her group of friends from college because of her job. She decides to start saying no and living for what makes her happy in life and quits her job to join her friends on their safari in South Africa.

Waldon’s writing is super engaging, and she does a fantastic job of capturing the ups and downs of relationships and self-discovery. Liv is a relatable character, and you can’t help but root for her as she navigates love, friendship, and the challenges of adulthood. What I really enjoyed about this book is how it balances the themes of love with personal growth. Liv's journey isn’t just about her romance with Lucas; it’s also about figuring out who she is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of "From the Jump" by Lacie Waldon.

"A chronic yes-woman finally admits to what—and who—she really wants in this unforgettable and heartfelt romantic comedy, by the author of The Layover." This is a classic romcom and fits everything I wanted!

*From the Jump* by Lacie Waldon is a disappointing and uninspired read. The premise of a woman trying to navigate her life and career after a sudden breakup could have been engaging, but the execution falls flat. The protagonist feels shallow and overly predictable, and her journey lacks depth or emotional growth. The romance, which should have added intrigue, feels forced and lacks chemistry. The pacing is slow, and the dialogue is clichéd, making it hard to stay engaged. Despite its attempt at humor and heart, the book never fully delivers, leaving me bored and uninterested by the end.

This was swoony! I like it. It’s a sweet books to read during the summer, I’m trying to get through all my summerish books. I would read more books by the Author.

This was a cute summer romance! I will say I had a hard time getting through it, it just didn't grab my attention.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was cute! I absolutely loved The layover, the author’s book just before this, so I was very excited to read this one. Friends to lovers. Some positive growth of the main character. It was entertaining and quick to read.

I started reading this a year ago and couldnt get into it but I gave it a second chance and I am SO glad I did! I loved the friendship between the main characters and the second romance within the friend group. It was like rooting on two relationships at once! Deiss was a dream boat and I loved how no matter what Olivia did or was thinking he knew her better then she knew herself and showed up exactly how she needed him too. A sweet sweet rom-com with wonderful characters and believable progression. Spice level is low for those looking for something hot 🥵

I wanted to like this one so much but there was something about the FMC that just felt off to me. I'm also not a huge fan of friends to lovers (what can I say, I love tension) so this one was a bit of a miss. Loved the setting though.

From the Jump by Lacie Waldon. Pub Date: July 19, 2022. Rating: 3 stars. In this novel set in South Africa, the reader gets to witness to growth of a woman who is a constant people pleaser and a "yes woman." She is learning how to say no and discovering her true self worth. There is a slow burn friends to lovers romance to the story as well. She travels to South Africa with a group of prior college friends, but I found the friendships to be shallow and lack substance. I think I would have enjoyed this novel more if the cast of characters was less and the story was more focused on Liv and Deiss. Thanks to #netgalley and #penguingroupputnam for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

This book felt exciting and messy and what I imagine saying yes to something out of pocket would feel. This has a friends (more like life long acquaintance) to lovers. I liked how their relationship progressed and how they first started being close friends and the intimacy of that lead to becoming lovers. The ending felt kind of patched together but also very the friend group as well. Overall, it felt like a great beach read!

From the Jump by Lacie Waldon is a delightful read perfect for fans of lighthearted, romantic comedies who enjoy stories about the complexities of friendship, the thrill of taking risks, and the journey of self-discovery, as they will be swept away by Liv's relatable struggles and the swoon-worthy romance that unfolds.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

From the Jump is a sweet friends to lovers story. Liv has a series of unfortunate events and finds herself unexpectedly joining her friends on their trip to South Africa. Forced to room with Lucas, Liv struggles to ignore her feelings for him, and realizes that their friend group isn't exactly what she thought it was. This is a really slow burn, there's lots of denial and "we're just friends". The pacing felt a little slow at some points, but overall it's cute, low-ish drama, and has some humor.

From the Jump was such a fun, light read to kick off the summer months. If you’re looking for a great beach/pool read look no further!

Liv constantly says yes to everything work related and sometimes that puts a damper on her personal life, especially the annual trip her beloved friend group takes every summer. But enough is enough! Liv quits her job to join the gang on their trip to South Africa and over the course of the novel sparks fly with Diess, someone who was once off limits. I loved the South African setting and the dynamic between Liv and her friend group.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for a review copy.

I absolutely enjoyed Lacie's first book The Layover, so I was very excited to read this one and it did not disappoint! It was a lighthearted read and a perfect book to read, especially when you want something quick. It was swoon worthy and gives us the perfect friends to lovers romance!

This is the second Lacie Waldon book I've read and I enjoy them so much! I also especially love the gorgeous, vibrant cover - what a delight!

I loved Lacie's book Layover, and I loved that the setting for this one was South America! But the rest sort of fell flat.

This story follows Liv, who is a rigid perfectionist type, who is about to miss out on another vacation with her friends when she decides to quit her job and join them in South Africa. From there, a series of unfortunate events happens to her and she ends up crashing with her friend, Deiss, back in LA. As you can imagine in a romance, romance ensues.

So I kinda feel like this story felt very disjointed - like two separate stories combined. The South Africa trip and then the LA bits - plus there were flashbacks to the past with the friend group. I really liked the romance part of the book - it's a friends to lovers type of situation. A semi-unrequited love deal. Really sweet. I truly hated the friend group. They were awful people. All-in-all the plot felt a bit all over the place with the beginning LA, South Africa vacation, return to LA, and flashbacks, but I enjoyed Liv & Deiss as characters, so I probably would have rated this 3.75 stars if I did quarter star ratings. It's a high 3.5 star rating!