<i>*This book was given to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review*</i>

Gahhh! I wanted to like this more! I knew what I was getting into, workplace romance, fake dating, secret pining, yep, I'll eat it up. I did find some funny/sweet moments, but overall it just wasn't there for me. The connection fell flat, and I really had a hard time sinking into the story.

I did not like these characters... ugh. i also found this to be sort of boring and not as fun as other workplace romances I had read before. From the beginning when I am not into characters and a storyline, I kind of check out but i always have to finish a book. This was one of those situations.

Super cute workplace romcom! Cadence and Matt go from friends to lovers as they balance their careers and family life. Their cute banter makes it a fun and easy read, even when the more serious parts come about. You can see how their relationship grows, as they support each other through complicated family dynamics. Their love is sweet and this was a very enjoyable read!

A fun, cute workplace romance. Friends to love is rarely appreciated enough, in my opinion, and adding the fake dating trope sealed the deal for me. Candace and Matt each had their own issues as well as their workplace issues that stood in the way of them sealing the deal with their relationship, but you did root for them the whole time.
Both characters, and their relationship, was refreshingly realistic.

I did not finish this book, I DNFed it around 40 percent. Nothing was inherently wrong with it but absolutely nothing stood out. I wasn't attached to the characters or the plot. This could be for someone else but not me.

This was a fun read. you could tell the characters each liked each other but because of work just kept getting in the way of themselves and wanted to be cautious. Each has family issues which we can all relate to and watching these characters deal with that and deal with feeling with each other and being co-workers was interesting.

I really enjoyed this workplace, friends-to-lovers story! Their relationship and the challenges they faced were realistic, and I loved that we got to explore these characters' family relationships!

Julie Tieu is definitely an author I'm going to keep my eyes on, since I've now enjoyed both of their books!

The Donut Trap was really good so I was kinda expecting more from this one, but I was disappointed. I'm always a fan of the fake dating trope but here it just felt weird after 40% like I didn't understand why they had to fake date after one point. And the plot started dragging a bit in the second half and it was hard to keep my interest.

The story is well-written and engaging, with relatable characters and a realistic portrayal of modern-day relationships. Cadence and Matt's relationship is built on a foundation of trust and friendship, making it easy for readers to root for them as they navigate the challenges that come with their evolving feelings for each other.

Overall, "Circling Back to You" is a delightful romance novel with a satisfying ending. It is a perfect read for those who enjoy heartwarming stories of friendship, family, and love.

Friends to lovers with a fake dating trope? You got me! This read I really enjoyed! There’s something about a work place romance that has a hold on my heart. Where this book fell a bit short for me was the quick intro. I feel like the characters and everything was moving too fast for me to be able to wrap my head around. I also didn’t connect well with Cadence. She just turned me off a bit with her attitude towards the end. Overall, could have used some more character development in terms of both main characters.

Well this one was just okay. It has a typical friends to lovers troupe which I usually love, but it didn’t move me as other have. It was a bit predictable and the characters didn’t were too serious. Sorry, it just was okay.

I really enjoyed Julie Tieu’s Donut Trap but this one was just— meh. I didn’t really feel anything for the main characters and kept waiting for those butterflies in my gut. While I usually enjoy workplace romance and the banter and longing that come with it, this was just a bit flat for me.

3/5 stars

Workplace Romance with a bit of cute banter. Our main characters are Matt and Cadence who work at the same reality office. Everything was just ok. I started getting a little bored, and the romance just wasn't my favorite. I would say this is a great book for those who don't read a lot of romance or for someone who needs an in-between book. Overall, everything was very average but still a decent romance

This book was a super cute take on the office romance/return to hometown/fake dating/semi-forced proximity trope. Now, I know that sounds like a lot, but Jukie Tieu totally makes it work! With these two co-workers, returning to their hometown and pretending to date while competing for the same promotion, the plot is truly adorable to watch play out! I love the multi cultural sub plot and the diversity written into this book! And as always, any book that even mentions San Francisco or California owns my heart. This author already had me reeled in before with the Donut Trap, so I already knew the writing style I was in for. I do feel like this book started full steam ahead, and then quickly plateaus and hits the breaks. Before the halfway mark I feel readers are already losing interest. It drags from there and takes its time to conclude. Overall, it is a cute book, but did need a little push in the back to keep moving!

Julie Tieu has become one of my favorites to read and I was really thankful to be accepted and allowed to read this book early! I always seem to learn so much, culturally, from her books and really enjoy how she writes her characters and setting. The banter and dialogue simultaneously come from the heart but remain witty and never become stale. I will read anything she publishes!

A nice diverse and sweet read! Matt and Cadence work at a Real Estate company and are the main characters. They are working together and create a sweet friendship that morphs into a fake dating situation when they are sent to Matt's hometown for business!

There are many forks in their path, family problems, a looming promotion, pick out of a hat and its there.
The plot was predictable, but cute still nonetheless.

I wouldn't say you are missing out too much if you don't read this one, but I do recommend it since it is pretty sweet! 3.5/5

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC

As someone that grew up in San Francisco this just made my heart happy. There is something about the fake dating trope that has me convinced all I need to do is get someone to pretend to date me... but I also know that isnt how it works in real life lol. Overall this was a really sweet fun read with a lot of extra substance.

Friends to lovers is my favorite trope but I think that here it felt flat. The writing was nice and I think the characters had a lot of potential but it wasn't anything special for me, unfortunately.

I devoured THE DONUT TRAP by Julie Tieu some weeks ago and then I saw she had a new book coming out and immediately requested it (thx @netgalley & @avonbooks for the advanced e-read). I lovedddddd every page of THE DONUT TRAP but I didn’t feel the same about CIRCLING BACK TO YOU. In CBTY, Cadence and Matt are coworkers at a real estate firm— Cadence is a smart and sassy analyst and Matt is a charismatic & high-performing broker. It seemed pretty obvious from the get-go their animosity/teasing would turn into something more steamy.
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I feel like TDT is more of a family drama/coming-of-age kind of book and isn’t actually a true romance romance book (kind of like Helen Hoang’s books) bc there are so other interpersonal conflicts and fraught family/generational dynamics that are instrumental to the plot. On the other hand, CBTY is a true coworkers-to-lovers romance romance book. I felt like I didn’t truly get a sense of what the supporting characters’ personalities were like — e.g. the brother seems like he would be instrumental to the aging parent conflict but I feel like he was kind of written off the pages and super subdued.
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Anyway I’m all for Asian rep in romance lit and that was a major plus! If you haven’t picked up Julie Tieu’s THE DONUT TRAP, here’s my gentle nudge. And happy publication week to CIRCLING BACK TO YOU (out 7/12)!

This friends to lovers via fake dating trope was not as engaging as I was hoping. I really appreciated the banter between characters and there were snippets of hilarious dialogue. However the overall plot fell a bit flat for me.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & Avon for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.