While FROM THE JUMP started a wee bit slow for me, I loved the latter half of the book and the development of the relationship between the two MCs. Additionally, I loved the development of the FMC - transitioning from what she thought she wanted and putting so much pressure on what she thought others wanted, to learning to let go of a bit of control and actually working towards her own wants and needs.

This was my first Waldon and would definitely be open to more reads! While there was minimal steam (although, what there was was nice),I really enjoyed these characters and the story beyond the relationship - which is not always the case for romances.

I love Lacie Waldon. This book had me giggling and swooning and just super lonely, as all good romances should make me feel haha.

This was such a timely book for me! Liv is at a point where she hasn't stepped out of her comfort zone or broken the mold in anyway, and the one time she takes a spontaneous trip of a lifetime she comes home to her life entirely ruined. Luckily her best and long-time friend is there to take her in, and from there romantic love is able to bloom from what was their longstanding platonic love. I think the friend group left me wanting, and I just generally felt like some things were forgiven a bit too quickly. Overall, solid read

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was... alright. Cute but predictable. It's a fast read but I enjoyed it overall!

I sadly didn’t have time to read the arc but just finished this book now. Loved the characters and story line! Great book to help escape this cold, windy weather! Going to add her other book to my reading wish list!

Do you want to escape to an island and still have the romantic comedy tingly feelings? Then this book is for you. The descriptions of the island are so vivid that you really think you are there.

From the Jump has a lot of great qualities, but overall, fell a bit flat for me. The characters were a little one-dimensional, which made their chemistry feel forced at times. Liv's personality especially was so laser-focused on appearance that it came off as unrealistic.

All of that said, there's still a lot to like about the novel. I love the friend group and the gorgeous setting. While this wasn't my favorite of Lacie Waldon's books, I still remain of fan of hers.

What an adorable rom com. Friends to lovers has always been one of my favorite tropes. Quick fun beach read!

Liv Bakersfield keeps her life strictly inside the boundaries she creates for herself to feel safe after an uncertain childhood, following the advice of various magazines and gurus. Yet when her job, where she is overworked and underpaid, is about to make her miss a trip with her friends to South Africa, she decides to take a chance. She quits her job and gets a last-minute flight to join her friends, the one solid thing in her life. There, she learns to loosen up while trying to contain her crush on the emotionally unavailable Lucas Deiss. When she returns home, Liv discovers that she literally has nothing – everything has been stoled from her flat; her bank account is empty, and her cat is missing. Deiss welcomes Liv into his home while she gets back on her feet, and Liv takes the time to figure out what she’s willing to go for in life.

I loved this romcom! Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, so I couldn’t resist requesting this book. I loved that their friend group remained close even after college, even if I questioned why they were friends with Simone. I recommend checking this book out when you want a heartwarming read and/or a chance to “travel” to South Africa by book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

This was a fun and steamy read. The tension and banter were great. This is one of those where all of the major characters look like models (one of them actually is 😂) and it’s mentioned quite a few times how beautiful they are. Even so, this was a fast and enjoyable read!

Gahhhh I loved this book. My first by Lacie Waldon & definitely going to read all of her books now. Love the characters & the storyline. I listened to the audio and really enjoyed the narration.

A delightful read with a great cast of characters. The friendships really stole the show in From the Jump! I loved the traveling aspects in this book and loved experiencing South Africa through the writing. This was probably the strongest element of the book.

Liv Bakersfield is used to living her life in “shoulds.” Be fit. Be financially responsible. Be your best self. An overworked graphic designer, she’s stretched so thin that she’s about to miss yet another vacation with her beloved group of college friends. But when Liv finally decides to start saying no, it feels good…good enough to leap straight into quitting her job and hopping on a plane to join them in South Africa.

Amid the exotic landscape and unforgettable sights, Liv expects sun and safari animals and an easy time with her best friends. But such close proximity makes everything more complicated, especially with the emotionally unavailable Lucas Deiss. Their friendship is the only thing in her life that's still solid, and she vows to do anything she can to keep the group together. But once they get back to LA, Liv discovers that her leap of faith has become a freefall, sending her crashing into Deiss's arms. With the trust of the people she loves most on the line, Liv must decide between doing what she should … and risking everything for what she shouldn’t want.

From The Jump
By LaCie Waldron
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfect summer read!
If you love
•friends to lovers
•sweet romance
•funny
• and main characters doing things out of their comfort zone.
Then this book is for you! Highly recommend it was such a great read!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t yet read The Layover, but after finishing this, I’m really looking forward to picking it up.

Waldon writes a GREAT one-bed, friends-to-lovers trope!! The “miscommunication” trope is one I really dislike, but Waldon writes hers differently. I was able to more easily understand why there was miscommunication and confusion rather than my normal frustration at the obvious.

The build, up between the two main characters is intense. Their attraction is definitely full of sparks! When the air is finally cleared of the confusion …. 🥵

Obviously, the cover is gorgeous! I love how it looks with The Layover. BUT, I don’t like how it doesn’t have anything to do with the story. I wish it had an African safari themed cover with elephants instead. IYKYK

For some reason I had trouble keeping the female characters, Phoebe and Simone, separate in my head. Honestly, I didn’t really like either one of them, and I really disliked the jealousy that seemed to suddenly spring up from two girls that were meant to be longstanding friends.

I was happy with the pace of the book up until the end. After such a strong buildup, it felt rushed, leaving me with a bit of an incomplete feeling.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

All the stars for this fun rom-com that somehow manages to both hit all the feels and be incredibly fun while doing so.
Liv has spent her life toeing the line and doing whatever it takes to appear perfect and in control when the words of one of her oldest friends push her to say no to a boring project at work and head off last minute to Africa to join her friends for a week of fun. She returns to find her life in shambles and everything she's worked for falling apart around her, but it just might be exactly what she needed.
First of all, it's great to see such a close group of friends still being there for each other. That's one element of the story that helped me love this book. It's not perfect and they all make mistakes over the course of the story, but I loved the idea of such a tight-knit group of friends staying together for so long.
And then there is, of course, the wonderful friends-to-lovers story of Liv and Deiss as they both slowly (and charmingly) accept the fact that they want to be more than friends. It's incredibly sweet and perfectly romantic.
I highly recommend this one for anyone looking for fun characters, crazy happenings, and delightful relationships to go with their rom-com.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the delighful read!

I loved the characters in this book! They were very likeable, and I loved the ending. This is my second book I have read by Lacie Waldon, and I will definitely be reading more in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Short synopsis: Liv lives her life by the rules, but after one night of over indulging in alcohol she learns she can say no. She books a flight with her besties of 11 years to go to Africa and ends up spending a lot of time with Deiss, one of her hunky long time friends.

My thoughts: This was a cute lighthearted romance with some friends to lovers, Forced proximity, and grumpy cats. I love strong friendships, and really wish I could join in on the 3rd Thursday of the month traditions.

Liv was a cautious character, but I really enjoyed watching her grow and blossom to her full potential. I think Elena was a great friend to help her push through some childhood insecurities.

I wish we’d have gotten more time in Africa, the setting sounded amazing and I just wanted a little more. I’d also have loved to have gotten more from the famous friends trips Liv always passed on.

The romance was cute, and the ending was just the best. I’d like to see a spin-off of Simone to see where she ends up. Over all, great summer romance read.

Read if you love:
* Forced proximity and friends to lovers
* Grumpy cats with punny names
* Traveling the world
* Character growth

Thank you Putnam and PRH Audio for the complimentary books in exchange for a honest review.

Slow burn friends to lover with a high strung woman in the lead. This was cute probably 3.5 stars. Nothing amazing but a cute beach read. I liked the friendships and a woman discovering how to open herself up.

This was an easy, lighthearted quick read. It took me a little bit to get into it but flew through it after that. This was a fun summer friends to lovers romance. I enjoyed Lacie’s first book The Layover and this one did not disappoint either. I enjoyed Liv’s journey of self-acceptance and seeing her relationship with Deiss evolve. Overall, this was a 4.25 for me!