Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

From the Jump by Lacie Waldon felt like it ended with a warm hug, Waldon wrapped this book up perfectly. This book centers around Liv who is hyper focused on being perfect. Her life starts to change when she throws caution to the wind and says no to her boss from work, spurring a 6 week unpaid 'vacation' from work and Liv impulsively buying a plane ticket to South Africa to join her friends on vacation. From there we watch her relationship with Deiss start to spark. Waldon did a really good job with the slow burn, unrequited love, and the eventual get together, while weaving in complex friend dynamics for 5 friends from college. I enjoyed watching Liv grow from the unfortunate event that happened when she got back from South Africa and pushing herself outside her comfort zone. She met new people, changed her ways, and figured out she didn't need to be perfect all the time. I also loved how her change corresponded with her growing relationship with Deiss, which, much like the Love Hypothesis and the Spanish Love Deception, had unrequited feels for Liv all along.

I loved Lacie Waldon't first book, The Layover, and really enjoyed this one as well. The friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this one was well done.

I was so excited to read this one after Lacie Waldon’s The Layover and I was not disappointed! This was such a fun read! A chronic “yes woman” who is overworked, tired, and living with the “shoulds” decides to leave the country on a trip and put herself first—sign me up for this sweet ride of a novel over and over again because it was fantastic. This book has it all—romance, adventure, friendship and putting it together with comedy, great writing, and great characters was fantastically done by the author. Great book!

Enjoyable friends to lovers trope as the main character finds her way
Lots of friend drama - fun vacation read

Waldon will always be a go-to for reading travel,  earlier in the year we took a trip to Belize and now it's South Africa! From sightseeing exotic landscapes and animals to them *elephants* invading your campsite, this book was a chaotic once-in-a-lifetime kind of FUN.

I don't think I've ever referred to a book as sexy before but this book could be it. It was sexy as in how Liv carried herself, with strutting confidence, which wavered from time to time but was always present; sexy in the way Diess was so kind and understanding towards her, yet maintained his mystique and well...plain charm.

While this story is essentially about Liv and how after years of holding herself to mostly other people's perspective of perfect, she's given up and now lives in accord to her own will, it's also at its heart a book about five college kids who've grown up together and seen each other through thick n thin, fell in love, fell out and have still always stuck, basically it is at its heart a book about the beauty of friendships.
And if I'm done rambling about how this book was all levels of awesome, then I'd say preorder it cuz it's definitely worth :)

4.57/5✩

A big thanks to Putnam Books & Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book, which I voluntarily read & reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought this was a really cute and fun book. I loved the chosen family aspect of the book and that you got to see all their friendships develop over time. I think this is more of a fiction book than a romance book I personally thought the romance was more of a subplot mostly because it took them so long to get together. But overall I definitely liked this book and would recommend!!

Loved Lacies first book The Layover, but loved this one even more! I really related to the theme of stepping away from doing what is expected and doing what your heart actually wants. The slow burn of the love story makes for the perfect vacation read. Already looking forward to the next books that Lacie writes!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for this ARC!

After loving Lacie Waldon’s first book, THE LAYOVER, I was so excited to receive an ARC of her next book and, unsurprisingly, I loved it just as much, if not more than its predecessor. FROM THE JUMP follows Liv, an extremely regimented graphic designer, who has a group of close friends from college—close in that they meet up at least once a month on a specific day and take extravagant vacations together, not that Liv has allowed herself to participate. However, after finally reaching a breaking point, she breaks free of her routines and rules. What follows completely changes her life.

It was so easy to relate to Liv’s struggles, things I’m sure will resonate with many readers, but I especially loved seeing how she rolled with the punches (with the help and encouragement of my newest book boyfriend, Lucas Deiss) and was able to become the woman she never realized she actually wanted to be.

There were also so many more incredible aspects to the story that had me devouring it in a little over a day including, but not limited to, the outstanding banter between the friend group as a whole and between Deiss and Liv themselves, the TENSION!, and the abundant descriptions that had me feeling as if I was immersed in this world. Even the ending left me more than satisfied, despite not finding out for sure if Liv’s major problem had been resolved.

I’m so looking forward to reading more from Lacie Waldon!

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book. The main character is Liv, a character whose intense need to be liked and validated hugely impacts her personality, her life, and her relationships with others. Though it's definitely frustrating reading her perspective in the beginning, her growth is incredible, and it was mostly her character development that kept me hooked. I really liked a lot of other components of the book, too, like the found family trope and the unique plot points.

There were a few aspects of the book that I wasn't a huge fan of. Her entire life changes because one person (who she's not even very close to) tells her it's okay to say no - it felt a little unrealistic to me, especially considering her entire character revolved around living by very scripted interactions and rules. I also felt like there were some scenes/ actions that were completely glossed over, which felt a little odd.

Also, this may be more of a personal thing, but I felt like we didn't get much time to see much of the main characters' relationship after they got together. I would've loved to see more of them as a couple, though I did appreciate how much tension the author built around them before they got together.

Despite this, though, overall I did enjoy the book a lot, and I'll definitely be re-reading it sometime in the future!

I am excited to share my review of From the Jump by Lacie Waldon. This was such a fun book to read and a nice break for my brain after reading Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. This was the first book I read by Lacie Waldon, but now I’m excited to read what was her debut novel, The Layover.

Lacie Waldon creates a world within From the Jump that made me root for all of the characters, especially Liv. I loved getting to know why Liv put up all the walls around her, but I do wish there was just a bit more depth. Liv’s friend group and other secondary characters add to the camaraderie and experience of the book.

I give this book a 4 out of 5. I was so close to giving it a 5 out of 5, but the ending left me feeling a little dissatisfied. There were also a few moments that felt a little rushed, but for the most part, it was a great book.

For spice, I think this book is only a 2 out of 5 peppers. There is one sex scene, but it doesn’t go into too much detail. Other than that, most of the intimacy is mentioned in passing.

What I Loved

Liv: The main character in this novel, Liv, was such a fun character to get invested in. I appreciated her journey of self-rediscovery. I enjoyed seeing her layers of protection fall off.

Deiss: I love the interactions between Liv and Deiss. I almost wish the book were longer to experience more of Deiss. He is so confident, which is balanced with the vulnerability we start to see.

Romance: The romance in this book was light and kept this out of the spicy category. I do love spice, but this was a lovely read and something that readers who aren’t into spice can read without feeling uncomfortable.

Not So Much

Quick Ending: Without giving anything away, the ending happens super quickly. While I don’t necessarily mind a quick ending, I think this one could have benefitted from at least another chapter or a prologue to neatly wrap up the ending.

Depth: I really appreciated that this was a light read. However, I do think this book could have benefitted from just a bit more depth to truly understand the characters in Liv’s friend group It makes me wonder if this book will prompt a series with POVs from other members of the friend group. I hope I’m right!

Overall, I loved From the Jump and highly recommend it. It’s especially great for an easy Sunday read or a beach read.

I really enjoyed this book. I read the author's previous book, The Layover, at the beginning of the year, so when I saw she had another, I was thrilled to get an ARC. From the Jump took a little while for me to get into it, but once I did I was hooked and read it in two days. I really loved all of the characters and the dynamics between the five friends. It felt very realistic and made it easy to connect to each of the friends and become invested in their story and journey together. I am looking forward to Lacie Waldon's next book!

I was OBSESSED with Lacie Waldon's debut novel "The Layover." I loved the travel, the romance, the wit.

I just knew I had to have this one too. Thank you Putnam and Netgalley for the ebook arc. I wanted to hold off closer to the pub date before reading. I tried holding off. I just couldn't.

I devoured this in one sitting. I couldn't stop. This was just perfection. We had familial crisis, nonlinear timelines (I wanted more of that), slow burn romance, and a bit of steam!

It was so good. Also, Waldon treats us with a bit more in the travel world. It's her specialty.

Again, thanks for the advanced copy. This review is my own words and has not had any outside influence.

OHMYGOODNESS!! What a cute story!! I absolutely adored Deiss and Liv’s relationship plus I also loved having the second-chance romance with Mac and Phoebe. I would DIE if we ever got a book with the two of them. I also loved the friendship and “found family” aspect of the whole thing. I wish that there was more scenes from Africa and I wish that some of their struggles were a bit more realistic/relatable. But all-in-all, such a cute cute cute book!!! 4/5 ⭐️‘s 0.2/5 🌶’s

While a book about romance, this is also a story about friendship and discovering new versions of yourself. This book romanticizes love, but also going on a vacation with your best friends of a decade and that feeling when you finally stop caring about what other people think of you and do what makes you happy.

Olivia, or Liv, lives her life by her personal playbook for success. Climbing the ladder at a graphic design job that offers more financial security than creative joy. Presenting herself as close to society's definition of perfect as can be. Only dating men who meet a certain pre-planned criteria. When her college best friends, who without fail meet up every third Thursday of the month to hang out, plan a trip to South Africa, Liv is put to the test. One that will literally change her life forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, finishing it in a few sittings. It wasn't exactly what I expected based on the cover, but still good. It really almost felt like two books to me- one through the South Africa trip and one after. The plot kept me on my toes, but still managed to hit all the tropes I love about romance novels. I mean, who doesn't love a good friends-to-lovers arc? The entire friend group reminded me a lot of the gang from the TV show 'Friends' and each character stuck out in their own unique way. There were a couple of things plot wise that struck me as a tad unbelievable, but I was engaged in the characters enough to overlook it. Having read this, I'm looking forward to reading other works by Lacie Waldon and have already started talking about this title with other reader friends.

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars
I loved The Layover, and I somehow loved this one even more!!!

What I loved:
- The prologue of this book because it really helps the reader understand the initial connection
- The chemistry and banter between Liv and Deiss
- The friendships between the characters
- The jumping timelines to get a glimpse into their 11 year long friendship
- Elephants, monkeys and kittens!

**spoilerish**
What I didn't like:
- Semi-closed door romance. I needed more!!
- I wanted more out of the roommate trope where they go on dates and make each other jealous
- single POV
- Simone! She never fit in with the group, and was a jealous horrible friend to Liv

Thank you so much Putnam and Netgalley for my early eARC in exchange for a honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lacie Waldon’s sophomore novel strikes a perfect balance between romance, friendship, family and discovering who we all are once we drop our carefully crafted facade.

Liv sets out to live a life completely unlike her mother. She’s determined not to be perceived as weak, needy, or emotional by anyone including her very closest friends who fondly refer to her as the Ice Queen. Her goal is to control everything around her and to achieve the idea of perfection all her various self-help books seem to subscribe to. Then one day, instead of her usual “yes”, she says “no”, and inadvertently changes the entire course of her life and the world around her. From the vacation she takes to South Africa with her tight knit group of friends, to a new apartment, and a new career, things in her life suddenly improve (granted with a bit of stress and anxiety and a whole lot of entertainment) as she finds herself wanting to be happy, far more than she wants to be perfect.

With multidimensional characters, witty dialogue and a fun, fast plot that at times can make you swoon, and then the next second cry, Waldon’s latest book is a must read. A definite 5 stars and one I’ll be adding to my yearly reading list!

Lacie has done it again! I had a hunch she would be an author to watch after I devoured her other book, The Layover. From the Jump was just as wonderful - I didn't want it to end. I've already purchased this title for our library. I can't wait for others to read this one.

I honestly related to Liz so much. The pressure to be perfect your whole life can shape it into being something you aren't actually happy with. We just need to take "the Jump" and shake it up a little! I enjoyed the dynamic of the group of friends, they were so much fun. I loved how Deiss is writer, as another reviewer said he is the perfect example of a man written by a woman. This was such a fun read!!

Thank you Net Galley, Putnam Books and Lacie for an ARC of this book!

Brief Synopsis: Liv is the quintessential girl who lives by doing the right thing, things people should do. She is also workaholic a graphic designer. She meets up with her college friends for their monthly dinner and discovers that they are going on another vacation. Liv has never been able to afford to go on these trips and she is disappointed and has a case of FOMO. Eventually, she discovers something has to give, and she quits her job and flies to meet up with her friends in South Africa. Unfortunately, there are not enough rooms and she forced to room with Lucas, the playboy who never commits. Things are awkward on the trip and become more awkward when they return stateside, when she has to leave her apartment and moves into Luca’s extra bedroom.

My Thoughts: Read this if you want to take a trip to South Africa, love get-togethers with old friends, or if you’re in the mood for a good friends to lovers trope attract romance. I enjoyed this easy light romance. I read this one in a couple of hours, it was that enjoyable.

An overarching theme that I've found in both The Layover and now From The Jump is the impact parents' choices have on their children as they become adults.

It seems to be one of the things that leads Liv to finding the perfect, tight knit group of family in college that remains just the same well into adulthood. I enjoyed reading their dynamic, how each one added something to the other. Whether it was the aloofness and childlike glee that Mac offered in spades or the spontaneity & freedom Deiss provided, the foundation that Phoebe brought to level out the others, or the naivety gained from Simone, each one offers something to the group dynamic that links them together. That strong bond gets tested by old feelings morphing with time.

Each character felt tangible in their individual personalities, easy to connect with and enjoy, though I found it hard to really sympathize with Simone when the cards didn't fell in her favor in the latter half of the book— especially with the choices made thereafter. Though I found it hard to believe how quickly the group rebound from perceived grievances, some more real than others, I enjoyed how they ultimately found what they wanted from one another, being honesty.

Olivia's journey from trying to craft a life she thought she should want based on her childhood into what would bring her happiness as an adult, was the best to read as it developed. I feel like I would have enjoyed the ending had it been spread across two chapters rather than the conclusion being condensed into one, as there were a few plot points that weren't resolved entirely and not fully addressed among the core group, but it was by far an enjoyable ride that I couldn't put down.