Friends to enemies to lovers. My review will contain some spoilers, so if you're looking forward to reading this book, stop reading my review now. You've been warned.

I really liked the friends to enemies to lovers. Molly and Jude grew up with each other, so they've known just about every embarrassing thing the other had gone through. But somewhere along the lines, feelings towards one another changed. If I had to guess, Jude developed feelings for Molly, but being a boy, he picked on her as a way to show he liked her. But at a young age, children don't see that as affection, but rather bullying, so Molly thought it was the start of the end of their friendship.

As they get older, the pranks and teasing continue, generally instigated by Jude with Molly trying to retaliate. But when they're forced to work with one another planning a party, they realize their feelings are deeper than either care to admit.

I really did enjoy the banter and the pranks between the two. In my family, that truly is a sign of affection when you get teased. However, I didn't like how Molly ended up hurting Jude when they were in high school. I know that wasn't her intention and she wouldn't have done it had she known the outcome. I understand that had to be done to throw some friction between the pair. If I could change one thing about the book, it would be that.

Overall, I give it 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Someone Just Like You is out 7/25!

When Molly chose the wrong friend in elementary school to hang out with it changed the trajectory of her friendship with Jude. Only she didn't know that's what started their hate/hate relationship. These childhood friends turned frenemies were forced to work together to find a venue for a combined wedding anniversary celebration for their respective parents. The prank wars went into full effect and it became a game to see who could one up the other better. But somewhere along the way Molly and Jude started to confide in each other. Her constant striving for perfection and people pleasing tendencies weren't for her benefit, but Jude also suffered because of it, always being compared to the good-two-shoes Molly. Ironically, every person they each dated was some semblance of the other. It took a while for their brains to catch up with their subconscious to realize they sought partners who were like each other.These two opposites were so perfect for each other. They balanced out one another and showed that there really is a fine line between love and hate. I had a great time reading this book by a new to me author!

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

This book was so toxic. It was painful to read and I kept hoping it got better and there was something that redeemed the story and the characters. But nothing ever did.

I didn’t see how there was ever going to be a relationship between the two of them. They were horrible to each other. They bullied and harassed each other for 21 years!! How were they ever going to trust each other? There is no part of me that believes these two characters would last together.

I did not like the reason behind Jude ending his friendship with Molly as kids. He thought she was too perfect and had to bring her down a level? Really? He made her life hell for years and bullied her because he didn’t like that she was the perfect child? That’s disgusting.

Almost half of the book was them being together for a bit then breaking up because of their arguments and not being able to properly communicate. I agreed that Jude had a right to be upset with Molly when she came clean about the bike incident, but he took it too far. That in my opinion should've been the only breakup between them. The other ones were pointless and just added to the toxicity between them.

And then with the end they basically condone and accept their son bullying and mocking Esther/Jerry's daughter the way Jude did to Molly. You would think they would teach their kids to be kinder and not horrible to people

Someone Just Like You was a fun, quick romance to read! Molly and Jude have been enemies since childhood, despite their families being extremely close. Their relationship is nothing but a giant prank war. Years later, they’re tasked with helping to plan a joint anniversary party for their parents. A reluctant friendship forms after they call a truce and their feelings evolve from there!

It started off on a bit of an immature note with all the pranking between Molly and Jude. And I didn’t think that the characters really grew all that much in that regard throughout the book (even once the pranks stopped). I enjoyed the family dynamics that played a part in the story and appreciated all the side characters. I just couldn’t 100% get behind Molly and Jude’s relationship. It all felt pretty childish and that made it hard to believe they had any real connection. I found myself annoyed with them often throughout the book, especially during the last parts of the story.

Overall, not my favorite read, but definitely give it a try if you like :
-Enemies to lovers / opposites attract
-Serious pranking with some cute banter
-Interesting family dynamics

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🍸eARC Book Review🍸

“And this is Molly. She’s a singer in a band.”

Someone Just Like You by Meredith Schorr
Pub Date: July 25th, 2023
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟✨(3.5/5)
Spice: 🌶(1/5)

Review:

Molly Blum and Jude stark are childhood neighbors and nemesis’s. Planner Molly left her job in big law to become a legal recruiter but she just got a new boss who takes a different approach to recruiting than Molly. Spontaneous Jude is a bar tender and sommelier at a fancy restaurant. Molly and Jude get paired together to find the venue for their parents joint anniversary party. However, they have a history of hi-jinx that resurfaces.

I love the Jewish rep in this story. Meredith did a great job showing what it’s like being a reform jew in the city. I loved the Desmond and Molly Jones puns. I loved yogi. But Molly Blum as a character was not it for me. She was too type-A for me. It was hard to believe that she truly couldn’t see the family issues going on. Especially as a grown up late 20s character. Her behavior I would expect for from a 22/23 year old. As a child of divorce myself, the way she copes just didn’t feel natural. The will they won’t they romance is great. I love Jude’s character development. I wish we would have gotten more of him supporting Molly and being there for her when she breaks down.

Would absolutely recommend this as a fun summer read!


If you like:
- Casual Judaism
- Family drama
- Dogs
- Beatles Puns

QOTD: What is your favorite Beatles song?

Thank you to Net Galley and
Forever/Grand Central Publishing for proving me with an eARC of this novel.

Jude and Molly are the bane of each other’s existence. They have always competed in school and still a decades later are at it. They are teamed up to co-host a wedding surprise for their parents. Suddenly the enemy-friendship turns romantic and they don’t know what to do but let it take course.

I love friends or enemies to lovers. And I love the feeling of being neighbors who play pranks together to find love. Sadly this story just fell flat for me. The characters just came off a little too immature for me. I get it they’re supposed to be this way but something about it was annoying to me actually and it was hard to move past that. I will say I liked the Jewish rep the story had.

All in all, it’s light and fluffy and a day read if anyone’s looking for that!

I enjoy enemies to lovers-it’s one of my favorite tropes but this was too much! These were grown adults acting like 5 year olds and it got on my nerves so fast and for so much of the book I wanted to DNF. Instead I found myself skimming and telling them to “grow up” and “act your age for Pete’s sake!” Once they finally called a truce on their ridiculous behavior, the book took a turn for the better and I’m glad I stuck with it.
Molly and Jude’s family’s have been friends since before they were born. All their siblings get along with each other and their parents are best friends. But Molly and Jude are rivals and have spent their entire lives playing pranks on each other trying to top the other one. Including Molly playing a major one that changed Jude’s entire future, but she never admitted to it and it lives with her to this day. But now they are all planning a join anniversary celebration for both sets of parents and Molly and Jude have to work together without acting like the juveniles they typically do. In the process the finally realize that maybe there’s feelings underlying all the nonsense and once they discover that, the gloves come off and the condom goes on.
Ok. Fun moments once they got together.
Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Thank you to Forever for my complimentary eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Someone Just Like You was a quick and enjoyable read. Though I was a bit put off in the early chapters by all the childish antics between Molly and Jude. Eventually I gave in to their spontaneous behavior and binged the book in an afternoon.


Perfect if you enjoy:
Friends (enemies) to Lovers
Opposites attract
Family Drama

Thank you to the author, Meredith Schorr, Forever Publishing, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on July 25, 2023.

For the most part, I enjoyed my time reading this! A lot of times when there’s a side plot of the FMC dealing with work life I don’t enjoy reading it, but I was interested in learning more about that. I also enjoyed the romance between the MCs with their childhood rivals to lovers dynamic.

My only thing about the book was that after their first argument once they got together, I was fine with the story ending there. Once it got the the second and third argument, I was uninterested.

Molly and Jude have been neighborly enemies since childhood, but are forced to work together to host a surprise co-anniversary celebration for their parents.

I usually like an enemies-t0-lovers story but the pranking felt very immature and they kept harping on being opposites. I was intrigued by Jude and Molly continually dating each other's doppleganger, but there was no background to where this connection may have stemmed from in childhood. I liked some of the softer moments as they developed a friendship, but I kept waiting for more from the story (thought it was over at about 60% through). I could relate to Molly always following a plan and struggling navigating her career.

If you enjoy a lighthearted romance and don't mind some pranking, this may be up your alley. Thanks Forever and NetGalley for my advance copy.

If you enjoy drama, pranks, and an enemies-to-lovers trope, you may enjoy this one! Our main characters have known each other since the day they were born, but that doesn't stop them from being arch-nemeses. The many pranks pulled on each other over the years have wreaked havoc on their relationship. What starts out as another good old-fashioned pranking begins into something more. The more time they spend together meaningfully, the more time they realize that maybe they should've been more than friends all along.

This read wasn't totally it for me. I personally wish there would've been less drama from the main characters. I also didn't fully buy in to their feelings for one another. I still enjoyed the writing style of this book and am not holding it against the author. I will definitely check out more of her books and think you should too!

thank you to netgalley for my advanced reader copy!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the childhood friends- to disliking each other as adults- to romantic partners trope, I think Meredith did it really well here! I felt like Jude and Molly were really well-fleshed out characters and I had a lot of fun to them!

I loved the close family/friends of the family tropes and the caring community around both Jude and Molly and how everyone rooted for them. Of course, I also have to shout out the Jewish rep in this book, as I loved to see it!

I can’t wait to see what Meredith writes next. Thank you also to Forever for my physical galley they sent as well!! I’m happy to have both physical and e-editions.

REVIEW FOR SOMEONE JUST LIKE YOU

4 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Pub for the gifted copy!

When I first started reading this book, I was unsure. I really disliked Jude- I thought he was a bully and while this was their relationship from a young age, I just didn't understand why someone got off on sabotaging another's life. By the end I still didn't like him, but I softened to him a bit. With that said, upon starting the book I immediately thought I would not be able to stomach finishing this. But I kept reading, and reading, and ended up finishing it in a day lol. It was such an easy read that flowed beautifully. The short chapters kept you intrigued, and I really was curious to where this story was going. It had spice without being crass (for those who like spice without a ton of descriptions) but wasn't prudish (there was some swearing). I'm so glad I didn't end up putting this down.

Was there things that could be improved? Yes (like Jude's whole personality lol and the FMC Molly's uppity-ness) but it was fun and flirty and if you like softer rom-coms, this would be for you.

I was so excited to read Meredith Schorr's latest book, and it did not disappoint! This book is such a perfect enemies to lovers story. All of the conflict and emotions that came up were so believable, and I felt like I was right there with them. The book was so easy to read, a true romantic comedy. Maybe it'll be a movie one day! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Let’s be honest-I’m a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers story.
This follows Molly and Jude, former neighbors and childhood rivals with a passion for pranks, insults, and besting each other. When brought together to help plan a joint-anniversary celebration for their parents, friendship soon overpowers the hate, and progressing even further beyond that, they begin to realize that maybe something more has been there all along - especially when it becomes clear that looking back at their dating history, each ex is awfully similar to the other. But even with romance, it’s not all sunshine and can they really let those past rivalries be bygones?
This is a fun, quick read by Meredith Schorr. My only complaint is with the last third where it felt like a roller coaster with no real resolution that made sense.
Thank you to Forever for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This will release on 7/25.

Can we just get all Meredith's book as Hallmark movies? They are just exactly perfect. Fun characters, perfect settings and happy endings. I want more! Loved it.

Molly and Jude are the youngest of three siblings from families that grew up together. As children, they were enemies and they are forced to come together to plan a joint anniversary party for their respective parents.

How I love enemies to friends to lovers and I feel like this book did it so perfectly. I was really rooting for Molly and Jude throughout. There were a few moments when I thought we weren’t going to get a HEA because of miscommunication and other silliness.

Overall, an enjoyable read! I look forward to reading Meredith Schorr’s other books.

This was a really cute friend to lover Tom com. Molly was both overbearing and relatable and while I wanted to yell at her at times, it was interesting to hear from her perspective the whole story.

I wanted to like this but I think I found it a bit boring. I didn't really understand why she wouldn't just quit her job even though she clearly hated it. It also felt like she didn't fully understand where Jude was coming from but that didn't matter much. Molly and Jude were cute but I don't feel like we actually saw them develop. They kind of just happened and then they got in a fight. There was progression but we weren't shown it.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This is a very lighthearted read about two childhood friends turned enemies who end up sharing the duty to find a venue for their parents double anniversary party. While their relationship was based on revenge and pranks in their adult life, the quickly find out they’ve been seeking more from one another than just tolerating each other.

While the idea of the story was very cute, I do think it could have been executed better. I couldn’t connect with either of the main characters. They were both approaching 30 years old but they act as if they have the mental maturity of a small child. The bickering and the pranks were way too much. I also couldn’t get past the fact that they refer to each other by their full names 90% of the time.

One main thing I did really love about the book is Molly and Jude’s ability to confront their changing feelings. Once the pranks and immaturity stopped, I was interested in seeing what went on between the characters and how they’d grow together.

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.