Cover Image: Fancy Meeting You Here

Fancy Meeting You Here

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Was this review helpful?

This one was so so insanely cringy!! Using the phrase "that's so gay" is absolutely NOT okay. I could not look past that. I was appalled that a homophonic phrase was not corrected in the editing stages. The connection between Nick and Shelby was very surface level. I like for my romance books to have depth and this lacked so much of it. Also, this book focused so much on appearances, another huge no no in my book. Again, this book was way too surface level for me....

Was this review helpful?

This was such an incredible book! I was hooked from the start—really enjoyed the storytelling, I couldn’t put it down and can’t recommend it enough!

Was this review helpful?

vey pleasantly surprised by this one. I hadn't heard anything about it but decided to jump in anyway and im not disappointed. this book deserves way more hype. super cute.

Was this review helpful?

Fancy Meeting You Here is a sweet second chance romance where Shelby and Nick cross paths at a couples baby shower and start to rethink why they broke up in the first place. This is a book in a series but I hadn't read any of the others and did not feel confused at all so it can definitely be read as a stand alone.

What I loved:
- Shelby & Nick's origin story, I love when authors write clichés really well and how this relationship originally started is a well written cliché
- Family, Nick's family is very important to him and plays a big role in his life which just makes him loveable
- Friends, Shelby has a found family in her four roommates from college and they seem like the best and remind me of my close friends group
- Short chapters, I don't know about anyone else but I LOVE short chapters. It makes me feel like the story is moving quicker and I can sneak more reading in during the day when I take short mental breaks

This was a sweet second chance romance that was a quick read that I enjoyed immensely. This is a story for the romance readers who is looking for a great character building story and completely closed door. I will definitely take a look at the backlog for this series as I cannot wait to learn more about Nick's family and Shelby's friends.

Was this review helpful?

Eh. Not my favorite by any means. It had potential to develop and be something good, but it was so… juvenile.

The banter and the communication between Nick and Shelby had potential, but it fizzled fast. They’re both so kid-like and use phrases that have long since been “unacceptable” in today’s society. The relationship development never went past physical description and physical want, no deeper conversations or slightly admiring someone for qualities other than physical attributes. This shallowness made it difficult to read.

Overall, the story itself flowed well and the author did a great job showcasing immature characters, but I wouldn’t read this one again or recommend it to friends!

Was this review helpful?

It was a good book and really enjoyed it all and rooted for this couple to make it. Love it all. must read it today.

Was this review helpful?

Shelby and Nick's story is a part of the Kiss and Tell series. I hadn't read any of the previous stories in this series but this can be read as a standalone.

Though I had several questions and comments about few aspects (including why the aversion to modeling, shouldn't they be happy instead of jealous or envious about other couples? Ah these two come out as clueless and immature when they say/ do this! Etc etc.), I read this at one shot without putting down the book. So that's saying something.

Overall a good read.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and CAH LLC for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. This honest review was based off my experience reading an ARC, which in no way biased me.

This is my first time reading a book by this author. The Kiss & Tell series included 6 interconnected standalones.

This book was not for me, not one bit, and to be honest I wanted to DNF out of sheer boredom if not (a bad annoyed) frustration with the MCs.

This line though solidified the fact that I needed to finish this book if not just to write this review.

There is a scene where Nick, the MMC, is on the phone with one of his male friends, and Nick is telling the friend that Nick’s brother and his wife were having a couple’s baby shower. The friend’s response was “Why would your brother throw a couples’ shower? That’s totally gay.” (Chapter 13)

Now, this is a review for the ARC copy, I cannot confirm that this line made it into the final published copy or not. But the fact that this line even made it into the ARC copy is concerning. Having this line was unnecessary and a CHOICE. Not having Nick comment on his friend’s obvious homophobia was also a choice.

There is also another situation later in the book that was questionable. Nick is comparing his feelings for Shelby as a drug. “Nick spent his youth partying and having fun. He’d never done drugs-he’d never understood the appeal of losing total control-but if Shelby were an illegal substance, he’d be addicted. He’d shoot her into his system and wear a ‘Rehab is for Quitters’ for life.” (Chapter 43)

😬 is all I have to say. Again, I cannot confirm this scene/snippet made it into the published edition, but the presence of this in the ARC copy is again, concerning.

There were some interesting tropes, but it overall lacked the proper execution to make this an engaging read for me.

This is a closed door romance, but I feel like this should be mentioned somewhere so people are aware.

Both the FMC and MMC’s (third person) POVs were not enjoyable to read. Both felt like they were overcompensating the “single life/no commitments” publicly, and being super, well whiny for lack of a better term when they were alone (or the reader is stuck in their heads).

For being a 291 page book, this read a lot longer and denser.


This was not for me, but it might be someone’s cup of tea.

Was this review helpful?

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

Was this review helpful?

This book is a second chance romance, but one of the best parts of second chances is seeing how the romance was before and what went wrong. Here, we were just told that their was a romance and Shelby broke it off because it got to serious.

I think one of the biggest problems with the book was that I just didn't connect with either of the characters. They seemed very one dimensional and lacked personality or many features. I also felt that histories of both characters (separate and apart) were mentioned, but not going into as much in depth as I would have liked. We know Shelby hates modelling, but why is it such a big deal to her? It is touched on briefly, but not explored nearly in depth enough.

This book was dubbed as a romance, but we got very little romance. The couple (as they always do) eventually get together, but we get very little insight into the HEA. Even more, it happened so suddenly. Shelby went from not wanting to be in a relationship, to wanting a commitment (marriage) so quickly! It didn't seem believable at all.

I also struggled with some of the (what seemed to me) unnecessary comments. Why were people (more than once) so interested in Shelby's ancestry, and the comments on her "darker complexion" and being able to "pass" as Hispanic in modelling because people "like diversity". Why was that comment even necessary? There was also an off colour joke about Shelby's place not looking good and it's relation to the Minneapolis riots.

I guess there were lots of things that bothered me about this book and it was just not right for me. I'm not sure who I would recommend it to either. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All opinions are 100% mine.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I do wish that the happy part at the end was a bit longer because there was so much time spent dragging out Nick pining for Shelby and Shelby being too scared and having her guard up. I didn't fully understand why. I did not realize this book was part of a series so I have not read any of the others so maybe if I had, I'd have a better background of the characters.

Was this review helpful?

Nick and Shelby seem like total opposites, but Nick is determined to find a way to make it work, Shelby is determined to make it not work. Even through the schemes Nick is respectful and they’re both in love with each other.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for this ARC.

Read as a stand alone - a massive miss in my mind. I won't be back to read the others.

Comparing a run down apartment to Minneapolis after the riots? Race comments that don't hit? Y I K E S.

I don't have much more to say about this - I read this purely out of stubbornness and the ability to keep my DNF to zero.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed reading this one! I was really intrigued by the plot so I tried it and it’s one of my good reads this year✨ This book has such good feela that you would totally enjoy every chapter. Thank you for granting me an eArc!

Was this review helpful?

This was my first book by Ms Hayes and I had really nice time reading it. The plot was great and had such fun moments, it kept me intrigued and anxious to see what happened next. The characters were well-developed and endearing, with relatable and realistic qualities and you can't help but fall in love with them. I really got drawn into Shelby and Nick's story and couldn't wait to see how it ended. It was a charming and entertaining read and I enjoyed it all the way through. Wonderful characters and an engaging storyline will keep you captivated till the end. This is a lovely, quick and light story and am happy to to have had the opportunity to read it. I am hoping to read more by this author in the future.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Was this review helpful?

This was so good! Going into this, I didn't know this was part of a series but thank god it can be read as a standalone. (I might have to read the other books in the series?)
I love Nick. He was so sweet and I really enjoyed reading his POV. Shelby was an okay female lead, at times she was kind of annoying. But the conversation she has with Nick's dad sort of makes up for her constant fear of commitment.
I love some second chance romances. Especially with the sort of hatred at the beginning. Loved. It. That first scene in the bridal store really set this up to be amazing for me.
The ending was so cute and the epilogue was close to perfection. I couldn't have asked for a better ending.
However, I didn't really care for the modeling aspect of this, I just felt like it wasn't explained why she had a bad experience beforehand.
Overall, almost perfection but OMG I really enjoyed this.

Was this review helpful?

If I could rate this book a zero I would. The sheer amount of harmful comments in this book is astounding.

2% into the book and the one character is stereotyping a gay character and is disappointed that he doesn’t live up to her preconceived stereotype
3% in ‘what are you Hispanic’ to a girl that has a darker complexion. She says she’s Italian but why is this even a comment?
8% I’m already annoyed at this point due to the above and there’s some weird aneurysm, stroke, and like 50 other medical issues jokes that just don’t hit.
9% ‘making a joke because this guy had some emotion’
20% ‘I’d have said middle eastern. You could also pass for hispanic. Diversity is good. Your dubious ethnicity checks a lot of boxes.’
77% ‘saying her place looked good was like saying Minneapolis looked good after the riots.’

Also, as a born and raised Minneapolis native — it’s clear this author has NEVER been to Minneapolis.

Was this review helpful?

Shelby and Nick's story is a part of the Kiss and Tell series. I hadn't read any of the previous stories in this series but this can be read as a standalone.

Though I had several questions and comments about few aspects (including why the aversion to modeling, shouldn't they be happy instead of jealous or envious about other couples? Ah these two come out as clueless and immature when they say/ do this! Etc etc.), I read this at one shot without putting down the book. So that's saying something.

Overall a good read.

Was this review helpful?

The 6th story in the Kiss and Tell series, we finally get to see how the youngest Chamberlain brother deals with being head over heels in love!

If you'd told me at the start of this series that Nick's one true love would turn out to be Shelby, I would never have believed you. That said, their connection was palpable on the page, right from the opening chapters. I love a bit of miscommunication, so their initial moments in the bridal boutique immediately hooked me. Overall, I enjoyed the subsequent push and pull, as they renavigate their relationship, and understood how Shelby's vulnerabilities made her overly cautious, to the point of self-sabotage.

I wished, however, that the conflict over modelling had been a bit more fleshed out. There were a lot of 'modelling is degrading' vibes, and clearly, Shelby's college modelling experience was bad, but we never *really* got what was so bad about it, other than men looking at her. I think I know where the author was going with this, but there was a lot of 'I know you hate modelling' conversations without it being explained. I also would have LOVED some of the much-promised teasing from Zach and Dylan. Maybe we could get a bonus chapter or outtake? Pretty, pretty please?

Those things aside, I loved their chemistry and the final chapters, and I especially enjoyed the role of a certain parent. Plus, the epilogue wraps the series up perfectly.

Overall Rating: ❤❤❤❤
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 😢😍😂💓

*Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

Was this review helpful?