Thank you to @netgalley @dreamscapesmedia @roniloren @sourcebookscasablanca for the free ALC reviewer copy.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Audiobook: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧(0-5) Excellent even with one narrator
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) friends with benefits and some phone fun

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 I did not read the first two books in the series. It was totally fine. I did enjoy meeting Hollyn and Andi in this book. Great friends!!!
🤩 Forbidden romance—workplace, prior circumstances, and younger guy
🤩 Interesting careers: Beckam is a computer programmer. Eliza is a counselor/therapist.
🤩 Affectionately shortened names: Beck & Eli
🤩 Amazing MCs trying to overcome adult and child trauma and hardships (off page only).
🤩 MCs sweetly trying to take care of the other person.
🤩 Pet lovers will be smitten, especially with Trent the cat.
🤩 Fabulous in person banter plus flirty texting.
🤩 Usually I prefer reading texting in books; but, it was amazing even in the audiobook.
🤩 Star Wars co-watching . . . turns into Star Wars and chill.
🤩 Secret club hosts an adult, singles 80s pajama party.
🤩 Beckam requests a steamy romance book read aloud from Eliza.
🤩 Finding your person.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Who knew phishing and hacking in books could be a trigger for anxiety (now that I’ve been phished and hacked)?! I should probably describe it as more heightened awareness. But, in this book, it was all for good and totally against the bad guy.

4.5/5 (rounded up) - Book #3 of the Say Everything Series; Audiobook via eARC access

Ugh I LOVEDDD THIS Series! You get an enemies to friends to lovers situation-ship, with real life problems, and what I think is a really realistic romantic reunion and HEA. I seriously love that Eli and Beckham had a cool friendship that buds into a friends with benefits agreement. Both of their character problems were s unique that it kept me really engaged in the book! I also loved that the Epilogue gives us endings for Hollyn and Jasper, and Andi and Hill.

Overall an amazing series I totally recommend for any contemporary romance reader!

Brief Plot: On her second Christmas without her parents, Eliza goes into work, and ends up asking her crabby work neighbor to go with her to the pet store to adopt a dog. As she gets to know Beckham more, their friendship blooms when she needs him to hack a guys computer who posted a defamatory video about her, putting her job in danger. As they continue to get closer, their chemistry grow, but with Beckham keeping his life a secret, and Eliza wanting a relationship and family plan, how could the two possibly work together?

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for early access to For You & No One Else, by Roni Loren, narrated by Desiree Ketchum. This is my honest review!

LOVED!!!! I loved this book so much and I can’t wait to reread it. Eliza is a successful therapist who is ready to find love. However the apps aren’t working for her. She ends up making a bet with Beck who works in the office next to hers. She will give up all social media and dating apps for 6 months. Beck agrees to help teach her about meeting people in real life.

Even though they both feel the attraction between them - they know they are in different places and looking for different things. Beck doesn’t want anything serious and doesn’t believe in marriage. Eliza doesn’t want anything casual and is ready to be committed to one person.

Listen - every person reading this can guess where things will go. But that’s not the point. The point is the road taken to get to the ending. I absolutely love a new trend I’m noticing in romance where there is discussion of the joys of being single and that there isn’t just one definition of a happy ending. I loved the way these characters helped each other grow. I’ve enjoyed this whole series but this is definitely my favorite so far!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the free audiobook to review.

For You & No One Else

I have adored all of the books in the Say Everything series, and this third installement is no different. Roni Loren has an incredible talent for writing the most beautiful yet flawed characters and creating these incredible stories that not only entertain, but teach me and also deal with tougher topics. I highly recommend reading this entire series if you haven’t already.

For You & No One Else introduces us to Eliza, a therapist who works really hard to appear to have it all together despite struggling with the grief of losing her parents. After a HORRIBLE first date from a dating app that led to a career-damaging video being posted of her online, Eliza asks her techy office neighbor, Beck for help. He gets the video down and also challenges her to go analog for a while. They start spending more time together in the process, but spending more time with Beck also means Eliza is spending less time trying to put herself out there and meet her perfect match.

Oh Eliza and Beck….what amazing characters. I loved them and all of their imperfections. How they bonded and watching their relationship develop was beautiful. And the individual growth each character made was incredible. Truly there was just so much to love about this book. The sprinkle on top was getting little cameos by the characters from the first two books.

I flipped between the ebook and audiobook and adored the narration by Desiree Ketchum.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

I absolutely loved the first two books in this series and therefore, I was anxiously waiting this follow-up. While “For You & No One Else” is not a bad book, it didn’t have the same excitement and characters to root for like the first two. The protagonists’ love story just came about with less exciting development than those in the predecessor books. I didn’t love the main characters and just found this story to be rather “ho-hum” and lacking in the humor department. 3 stars ⭐️ rating for this one. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

For You & No One Else is book 3 of the Say Everything series by author Roni Loren. It's a contemporary romance, dual POV with a HEA.
Tropes:
- friends to lovers
- tortured hero
- age gap
- big city
- workplace romance

By the numbers quick review:
★ Performance.: 👤👤👤👤
★ Character dev.: 👤👤👤👤
★ Plot: 📚📚📚📚
★ World building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎
★ Romance: 💕💕💕💕
★ Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥
★ Overall Rating: 3.6

The main reason I read this story is because I had heard/read so many great stories about the previous two books in this series. Especially the first book. When I realized I could get an audio ARC of this I took the chance right away.

The performance by Desiree Ketchum was incredible. She did both Eliza the therapist heroine is who desperately wants to find THE ONE and Beck the hero who found himself helping Eliza out over and over until they fall in a no strings arrangement and then in love was incredible. I was hooked by her performance from the start and I was reluctant to press pause.

The story however will stay with me for different reasons. Mainly two: Eliza’s bad date going viral and Beck’s backstory which was… interesting to say the least.

I really liked Beck and Eli’s friendship. From their Christmas pet adoption adventures to their no-phone get together. It was apparent they became close and enjoyed each other’s company which then translated into an intense physical and attraction.

I will for sure be making time to read or listen to the previous book in this series.

Roni Loren has become one of my favorite authors, after reading the first two books in this series. For You & No One Else was a book I couldn’t put down.

Eliza has the perfect life…online. As she builds her career as a therapist she has to make it seem like she has it all together. But after a first date ends with a viral video of her, her online (and real) life starts to fall apart. Which is where Beck comes in and encourages Eliza to take a social media break and go analog for six months. Somewhere along the way, Beck and Eliza become friends with steamy benefits. As it continues lines get blurred and they start to form more of an emotional connection then just a physical connection.

CW: mental health, alcohol addiction, the loss of loved ones, escaping a religious cult, and suicidal thoughts.

Eliza and Beck were opposites. They had such different views on their online presences; which is somewhat similar to my partners and my dynamic. I enjoyed the relationship building as the steam built, it made for an authentic and emotional connection. I only wanted the best for both Eliza and Beck and couldn’t help but root for them!

I enjoyed getting the glimpses into Hollyn and Andi’s lives (and the epilogue was a nice finale).

I loved that For You & No One Else explored internet privacy, being authentic, and loving for yourself and no one else.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Roni Loren book and it won't be my last - I LOVED this book. I hadn't realized this was part of a series (fortunately it is a standalone and I will go back to read the others!) Romcoms can be predictable, but this story had a lot of 'oh wow" twist and turns moments, which I really liked - it keeps you on your toes (If I had read this as a paperback/ebook, it would definitely be a page turner!) Steamy, heartwarming and emotional, real world problems and mental health representation for very relatable characters and lots of character development. I loved the banter, humour and reverse age gap as well. The epilogue was perfection.

The narrator was also on point and had a flirty vibe, I listened to it at 1.5x speed for my ideal flow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this incredible advanced audio!

I LOVED this book! I would recommend that anyone that likes rom coms read it. I honestly thought that it was going to be fairly predictable, but it wasn’t and I really appreciated that. This book kept me on my toes the entire read, and the epilogue brought me a lot of closure and was the perfect way to end the book. I feel like a lot of people could relate to the main character, Eliza, and how she feels throughout the book. Beckham brings some mystery and an interesting background to the book. One thing I was not prepared for was how many ~love~ scenes there would be, but they did not bother me- I just did expect there to be so many scenes. 5/5 would recommend! I will definitely be looking into this author and the narrator was amazing!

Therapist Eliza has been building her online presence to grow her business. But after a man she dates gets her drunk and posts a video online, co-worker Beck convinces her to go on a social media hiatus. He helps her adjust to living in the real world, and they enter into a friends with benefits arrangement. He breaks through her walls in ways she never expected—and forces her to decide whether she can live as her true self instead of the curated version she thinks the world wants her to be.

The characters in this novel are vibrant and relatable, the plot heartwarming, steamy, and emotional. The mood flows from light and fun, to something deeper, and back again. I've been a Roni Loren fan for ten years, and the books just get better and better. The audio narration is enjoyable and flows well.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

For You & No One Else by Roni Loren
3rd in the Say Anything series. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Eliza and Beck are neighbors in a rent-an-office building. She has a private practice as a psychologist and does social media posts encouraging healthy living habits. Beck is an internet security expert and refuses any personal social media. Their attraction grows as they get to know each other even though their goals are conflicting.

Fun romance with typical dating fails and very real personal issues as Beck and Eliza grow closer. I totally understood each stance on social media and it was interesting how they worked together to get over the hurtles.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Desiree Ketchum. I found the performance engaging and flirty. There were distinct voices for two main characters. I listened to this at 1.3 which is my preferred speed for conversational comfort.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media

While I connected to What If You & Me from the start (it was one of my favorite books of 2021), there was something missing for me with For You & No One Else, and the back half just made me feel completely disconnected from the characters. I liked both characters individually; they had great friend-chemistry, and there are some cute moments along the way. But I've never been a fan of friends with benefits relationships, and this one was particularly rough for me. That friend-chemistry didn't translate into the swoons, especially since they managed to (mostly) keep feelings out of the equation until VERY late into the book. There are some really interesting and unique concepts explored in the (potentially triggering) story, and I think this had the potential to be excellent. It simply didn't come together in a fulfilling way - and that was exceedingly disappointing.

The story follows Eliza, a therapist who hasn't had any luck in her dating life. She's 32 now and ready for something real, but finding the right guy - who is ready for commitment - is a struggle. Her office neighbor is a sweet yet sexy twenty-something, and the two soon discover that they're great as friends. While Beckham (25) is incredibly attracted to Eliza, he's not in the market for a relationship, and crossing the line with her would make him like all of the other commitment-phobic guys she's been dating recently. They're better as friends (or possibly friends with benefits), but that doesn't mean that it's always easy to remember all of the very real reasons they should keep it that way.

This series has excelled at exploring real, heavy situations in a way that's authentic but also uplifting. Be sure to check the content warnings on this one, as there were a LOT of things that popped up unexpectedly. I liked that both Eliza and Beckham have good reasons for seeking out specific types of relationships, and that adds plenty of friction as they both try to stand by those positions. That part of the story worked for me in a big way. I do wish that we'd gotten to know Beckham's backstory better early on, because it was like a punch to the gut when the revelations came to light - too much, too over-the-top, too late in the story. I can see why he wanted to stick to a friends with benefits situation, but there were certain aspects that really rubbed me the wrong way. (MINOR SPOILER) Personally, I think that setting your friend up with a girl and then being friends with benefits with her in secret while she starts dating him is... not okay. And that doesn't happen until late into the story either. There were other situations that made me uncomfortable too, and certain things become bigger issues when the character is a therapist - she should know better. Yes, I liked that it showed that therapists are flawed humans too, but I do think certain things should've been handled differently. Ultimately, I liked the foundation of the story a whole lot, but every time I was settling into the romance, something else would bug me.

Audio note: The audio was simple - a single narrator reading a third person/dual perspective story without a lot of inflection in her voice. I had trouble distinguishing between the characters; Ketchum isn't "performing" much, she's simply reading the text. That made it easy to switch back and forth between the text and audio, but I wouldn't say that the audiobook added anything to the experience. While I like Ketchum's voice, I vastly prefer audiobooks that enhance the reading experience through great performances. The story works well in audio though - the tone is upbeat, with a slower-burn romance and not a ton of heat. You could listen to a lot of this at the office, though there is some steam in the back half. The runtime also works well for a workday listen, especially if you increase the speed a little. It's around 10 hours long, so probably more than one sitting, but manageable in a single day. If you're someone who prefers audio, then it's well done and easygoing, but this isn't a remarkable performance that will encourage you to switch to the format.

Roni Loren does it again, y’all. Her writing style, the characters, the mental health rep, their real-world problems… I hold these books among my top reads and the final installment wraps a perfectly tied bow around the series.

Eliza needs a social media break after a disaster date goes viral, threatening her work as a therapist as well as her own dreams of being married and starting a family. Beck works in the office next door as a cybersecurity analyst, and after they become unlikely friends over their unconventional Christmas day visit to the animal shelter, Beck helps Eliza learn to live a disconnected life. As their chemistry builds, Beck and Eliza know they are not only in different stages in life but also want different paths for their futures, so they’re in a constant battle of “should we or shouldn’t we?”

I could barely put this book down – the chemistry, the humor, and the heartfelt moments are all just so captivating. I’m also a sucker for when animals prove to be fun side characters in the story too. I loved seeing the characters from Yes & I Love You and What If You & Me weaved into this book – although you do not need to read these first, I highly recommend this whole series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

This strangers to friends to lovers story was an enjoyable listen. It was one of those I kept wanting people to leave me alone for. I just wanted to keep listening! 🤷🏻‍♀️

I liked that the main characters started their relationship based on the need for connection and that they gave in to attraction. It wasn’t a forced instant love connection; they were just into each other and that was realistic.

The part that bothered me in this book was that a primary conflict was secret-keeping. It was obvious that keeping things from people would result in problems but the characters kept doing so. It was frustrating.

Overall, however, an enjoyable story with some 🔥🔥🔥 scenes. Also, the epilogue was really cute! Definitely a creative approach and great for the reader. ☺️

What I liked :
• The writing and narration of this book / audiobook was great.
• Loved that it had a dual POV and the reverse age gap.
• The banter!
• The mental health representation and the way the author dealt with heavier topics in the book.

What could have been better for me:
• The character development was lacking a bit for me.
• I felt like the storyline was all over the place at times and the audiobook couldn’t quite keep my attention throughout the book.

Overall, I do recommend checking out this book. & also book 1 & 2! Yes & I Love You was one of my top books from last year!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For You & No One Else - brought to you by Lip Smackers, Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally, analogue life, and NoPho.

Book 3 in the spectacular Say Everything series, I think this is Roni Loren's best work yet, and I absolutely adored the first 2 books. I didn't think she could outshine Hollyn's book, and then she wrote Andi's and it was better - and now Eliza's book tops both of the others! These three, this series, have to be among my top books of all times. If anyone hasn't read them yet, you are totally missing out and have to read them, all three, right now! Roni Loren is such a completely talented author and I plan to read her back catalogue asap! So completely brilliant!

Roni Loren brings up some very difficult topics (book 1 is Tourette's, book 2 is past abuse, and book 3, this one, deals with loss of family, posting videos and non-consent, plus escaping from an insane childhood that I can't go into further without giving away too much), handles them beautifully, and after a very, very drawn out, slow burn, friends to lovers plot line, sorts out a lot of issues, and Eliza's therapist self is able to get herself figured out, as well as helps to get Beckham and his mixed up self sorted out.

This is a very beautiful story that goes through a lot of angst, a lot of twists and turns, and so very many beautiful friendships (plus we get some great visits from the past 2 book main characters, Andi and Hollyn, which is excellent). I highly recommend this book for everyone, whether they have experienced online bully trauma and are past it or still working through it or not (this book might help see it from a different perspective?), friends with benefits going in a weird direction, or just plain enjoy Roni Loren or a really well written friends to lovers, slow burn romance. You won't be disappointed with this book!

I had both the e-book and audiobook advance copies, so was able to listen while I read along. It was narrated by a long-time favourite, Desiree Ketchum, who I always enjoy so much. She did an absolutely brilliant, 5-star job! I love her voice, and she doesn't an excellent job with the different voices (I listened to her on book 2 as well - I love when an author gets the same narrator for an entire series!).

I received an advance review and listen copy from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, and this is my honest feedback. Thank you!

Love love love. Roni is a genius. I loved beck and Eli so much. Their fun friendship, their sexy romance & their whitty conversations. Becks pay definitely added a nice twist however I wish it would of come earlier in the story not towards the end. I truly enjoyed the experiment that Eli was doing and how beck was showing her all these things that brought her a new perspective on relationships and life. I cannot wait for roni’s next book!

My Summary

📚Thanks @dreamscape_media
for sending me this great read by @roniloren. I truly enjoyed this read, Denise Catchem did a great job narrating. The love story of two opposites attracting. Co workers Eliza and Beckham both close to work on Christmas end sparking a forever love. He an IT guy and her being a psychologist you would think an unlikely pairing. But this book has so much passion, flirtatious, and sexy energy it made it impossible to put down.

⚜️Likes/Dislikes

📚I enjoyed the character development

📚Dislikes-None

⚜️Favorite/Least Favorite Part

📚The end! I loved it!

⚜️Would I recommend?

📚Yes, a great read.

DNF @ 26%. I switched back and forth between the print and audiobook and so far I liked the setup, but I’m just not in the mood for a guy in agreement with the restaurant owner to over-serve his date (emphasizing that there’s a drink meant to go with every course and that it’s designed to lower the effects of the alcohol while secretly drinking non-alcoholic drinks himself) so he can clearly take advantage of her intoxication AND THEN film and post a video of her realizing what he’s done and telling him off in the restaurant — without context of course so it looks like she’s drunk and “crazy” — and then essentially doxxing her so that the internet trolls discover who she is and it affects her therapy business. Not in the mood today.

I can’t vouch for this myself, but based on other reviews I’ve read it seems that there are no consequences for the guy and:
- another woman being coerced into having sex and then it being filmed and shared without her consent
- it being suggested that the woman who was coerced into sex should have been more vocal about her aversion to it
- there’s a character very against marriage and they could have gone for a solid partnership without having to make it legal but apparently marriage is still the goal (even for people who originally didn’t want it… “if you find the right person, you’ll want to get married”)

Y’all know that Roni Loren’s Say Everything series, is one of my favorites, so I was beyond excited to dive into book 3, For You & No One Else!

What appealed to you the most in this story?

Loren always comes to the table with a romcom that checks everything off my list:

Smart, strong, funny and witty female lead

Lead character stays true to herself while still growing as an individual

Laugh out loud moments (lots)

Funny, supportive, smart and real friends

An actual plot with the storyline that kept moving along at a steady pace

A real conflict situation that threatens the relationship that is believable

How was the romance?

Both Eliza and Beck were smart, real, flawed and humorous, so watching their relationship develop along with their characters kept me invested in the story. Plus, their chemistry was palpable, the steamy scenes were ooh la la divine, and they clearly worked well with each other (“worked” being the key word…wink, wink). I liked seeing them both step out of their comfort zone in the relationship realm.

Steam level: Some amazingly steamy sex scenes (mama likes her steam). Multiple “door blown off the hinges” sex scenes too (don’t judge me).

How was the audio?

I knew that I would not want to stop reading this book once I started, so I snagged the audio so I could keep going when I had to set the physical book down. Desiree Ketchum is a phenomenal narrator, and she really brought so much more life to the story and characters!

How was the pace?

This was a steady-paced story.

Do you recommend this book?

Overall, I think fans of romcom novels enjoy this book, and if you are not a normal reader of the genre, this could be a perfect book to read when you need a break from heavier books.

Now to attempt to patiently wait for book 4 of this series…

Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca, for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.