Thanks so much NetGalley for the ARC! Honestly this book was not my fave but not because of the writing or plot really, it just wasn’t something I was necessarily interested in but I wanted to give a try.

Someone Just Like You is Meredith Schorr’s second published book and to say I was excited for it is an understatement. As I said in my review of As Seen on TV (here), I’ve been reading Schorr’s books for years (she’d self-published and worked with small presses before being published with Forever) and she’s always been a favourite. Her latest is perfect for all the rom-com lovers out there who are looking for a new book to devour this summer.

Here’s the book’s description:
New Yorker Molly Blum knows everything about her lifelong nemesis, Jude Stark. With their families so close, they should have been best friends. Instead, she thinks he’s a too-charming slacker, and he thinks she’s allergic to fun. After years of one-upping each other’s pranks (chocolate-dipped cat treats are not as delicious as they appear), one high school joke went too far, and they stopped speaking completely. But now that they’re supposed to help plan a massive party for their parents—together—there’s no better time to resume their war.
And it is on. Only somewhere between all the sniping and harmless hijinks, a reluctant friendship develops, along with an unexpected spark of sexual tension. It might have to do with the fact that she’s been dating Jude-lookalikes and he’s been dating Molly doppelgangers. Or the fact that neither of them is nearly as horrible as they thought. All Molly and Jude know is that they’ve mastered the art of hating each other. Falling in love, on the other hand, is a whole new battlefield.
Molly and Jude are far from perfect. The story’s told from Molly’s point of view but you can get a really good sense of Jude based on her stories and what she shares about their past. I couldn’t really get behind their hatred of each other, how it started, and how long it lasted. The pair are 27 at the start of the novel and, to paraphrase Molly’s mom, their prank war wasn’t a cute look for them. They had their moments of realizing how ridiculous they were being and things were a lot smoother once they figured out their animosity seemed to be covering up years of pent up lust. Enemies to lovers isn’t always a favourite trope of mine but the history between Molly and Jude had me convinced they really were meant to be together. As Nani tells Molly, she needs Jude so she can loosen up, and he needs her because she helps keep him on track. She just has to let go a little of her plans and he has to stop acting like a teenage boy. You know. Easy stuff!

The pace of the novel worked really well. I knew when Schorr was going to hit the highlights of a typical rom-com (including, yes, the third-act breakup) but I wasn’t at all bothered by it. It showed that Schorr knows her stuff and knows how to write a rom-com that readers will be satisfied with from the first page to the last.

There’s a solid cast of secondary characters without it getting too overwhelming. I loved that the families grew up together and were all still so close, both within their own units but with each other too. Jude has two roommates who are clearly good for him and Molly’s best friend Esther is perfection. (You know, as perfect as a human can be which actually means that she’s not “perfect.”) There’s a lot of love surrounding both Molly and Jude and that made me happy.

I really enjoyed reading Someone Just Like You. I think readers will be more than pleased with Meredith Schorr’s second novel - I know I liked it more than the last. It’s the rom-com you need if you want to laugh, cringe, and swoon while reading this - perhaps poolside?

*An egalley was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me this Advanced Readers Copy of Someone Just Like You by Meredith Schorr!

“What if this has been a prank all along? His biggest one yet. Making Molly ‘Mole’ Blum fall for him so he could break my heart.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parental divorce and parental separation. Talks about life-changing physical injuries after an accident. Contains sexual content.

“Someone Just Like You” follows Molly Blum and Jude Stark, two childhood frenemies who now, a decade later, have to cooperate through the planning of their parent’s conjoined wedding anniversary celebration. But what if their rivalry and dislike came from a place of love and not so much of hate? That’s for them to decide.

This was a fun and relatively fast-paced read, yet I couldn’t look past how immature the main characters were most of the time. They were supposed to be in their late twenties/early thirties but it felt more like late teens to me. There is just no way someone my age would act the way they were acting, is all. This made it a little harder to read along but all in all it wasn’t a bad read.

Definitely grab this book if you’re a fan of the childhood enemies to lovers trope, you won’t regret it.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Forever Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 25, 2023

A witty, romantic, fun loving read that inspires you to open your heart and mind to all the possibilities of life.

I really enjoyed this book! From the start, it held my attention, and the quick wit humor made it a fast page turner for me.

• Forced Proximity
• Friends to Enemies to Lovers 🙃
• Witty Banter
• Slow Burn Romance
• Family Dynamic

Grab this one to lay by the pool with when you need a stress-free read 🙌🏼

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book! This one is out NOW for you to grab and check it out for yourself!

I really, really disliked this book which I hate saying because it had so much potential. Childhood antagonists to reluctant allies to lovers. Subconsciously dating people exactly like the other. All great in theory but it just did not work. The main characters were so deeply unlikeable and childish and there was no real growth throughout the book. The conflicts seemed so easily resolved when they did come up without too much effort (even though it was written like a grand gesture). Don’t even get me started on the sex scenes. Just why? Why even have on page sex? It was so perfunctory and strange, I would have actually preferred it to be closed door and I don’t usually say that.

All that being said, I didn’t DNF it so I guess that’s worth something.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

1.5⭐️ 1🌶

Big thanks to Grand Central Publishing, Meredith Schorr and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Honestly, IDK why I even finished this book. I had to FORCE myself through this one. It was just not for me... and I should of known better than to see an author that Helena Hunting gave her vote of approval to considering I HATED A Love Catastrope.

CRINGE. CRINGE. CRINGE. That's all I have to say about this one. Both the MCs are annoying as fuck with their childish pranks and the whole doppelganger plot point was super cheesy and unrealistic (shoot me for saying a romance is unrealistic but IDC because this one was off the charts STUPID). I felt this should have been a high school-level romance instead with all the teenage-level shit going on.

1.5-stars rounded up and that is being GENEROUS. Between the cringy dialogue, awful characters, the doppelgangers, that AWFUL poem (iykyk), and that epilogue - I will never get my time back from actually finishing this book.


*Pulls up Kindle notes to prove point*

SPOILERS BELOW - Read at your own risk!




"Cover your stump before you hump." "No glove, no love!"
WHO SAYS THIS??? WHO SAYS THIS? I can't. Should have just quit here...

"I bucked against his hand. 'Jude Star is making me come!'"
WHO YELLS THIS DURING SEX?!!!!! If I was him I would have gotten up, left and NEVER returned.

"I pulled him to me. 'I want you closer.' He reached under the pillow and flashed a wrapped condom. 'Abracadabra!' I snorted. 'And we didn't even need to leave a tooth.'"
Honestly they fucking deserve each other with this lame dialogue. If a man said Abracadabra to me when we were about to get it on I would have left him right then. DIVORCE, DUMPED, LEFT IN A HOTEL TO FEND FOR HIMSELF.

After not finishing AS SEEN ON TV, I was concerned about this one. I have loved pervious work from this author, but it seems the style has changed a bit with the switch to main stream publishing. I found Molly to be obnoxious with her planning and timelines, and her pranks with Jude were very immature. I didn't believe they would truly end up together, and it felt forced.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

2.5 stars- The premise of this book was interesting and it started off well, but I just couldn’t get connected to the characters, especially Jude. There wasn’t much of them together (before getting together) where it showed them starting to like each other- especially on his end. They got together, then it didn’t have much of them falling in love. Even though the book is told from her point of view, the reader should still see hints that he’s falling for her as well in order for it to draw you in and build that tension. It just wasn’t there. He just wasn’t even that likable until close to the end. He just acted like a child. But for some reason (not well explained to the reader) she finds him amazing.
The writing overall was fine, but there were times when the dialogue was cheesy or unrealistic. It really took me out of the story. Also, although I’m sure it was at least partly intentional, the scene with her reading the “poem” she wrote was way too cringey. You get the impression it’s supposed to be a little cringey, but it went beyond that to just silly. That entire part of the book, she just ends up coming across as unhinged.
I liked this book enough to finish it, but not enough to recommend it or to read anything else by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley for access to this eArc for my honest opinion!

This was such a FUN read!
In a classic tale of enemies to lovers, Jude and Molly grew up together, beginning as childhood friends whose families live next door to one another. Suddenly turned rivals, the two face off through years of pranks and one-upping each other, until their siblings assign them to work together on finding a venue for their parents combined anniversary party.
This was my first time reading anything by Meredith Schorr and I can’t wait to pick up more! I loved the characters and Molly’s story navigating her career changes! “Even more satisfying than creating the perfect plan was changing it to create the perfect life.”
If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers and opposites attract, this is the read for you!

I loved many aspects of this book and was hooked for the first three-quarters, though the ending lost me a little. The premise and Jewish representation were fantastic, but the conflict at the end felt one-sided without a dual-POV. Molly’s actions lacked maturity, and I wanted more perspective from Jude. Despite this, the book’s characters and writing style were enjoyable.

The story revolves around childhood enemies planning their parents’ anniversary party, which leads to hijinks and banter. While some pranks felt childish, I still found the book overall good, especially the forced proximity sparking something between the characters. The enemies-to-lovers theme was engaging, and I appreciated the clever and organic progression of their relationship, even if the pranks were sometimes excessive.

In the end, the book’s story and the characters’ underlying feelings made it an enjoyable read for fans of enemies-to-lovers themes.

This is a very sweet childhood frenemies to lovers. We all make mistakes in life and very few of us get to make peace to help find your HEA. Molly and Jude find know their best and their worst, when they finally accept their love from each other it is the sweetest reward

Thank you Netgally and Forever Publishing for the arc! Molly and Jude are childhood friends to enemies who get forced together to plan a wedding anniversary party for their parents who have been friends for years. Slowly they begin to realize that they are dating different versions of the other unknowingly and they slowly begin to realize maybe they don’t hate the other as much as they thought… the enemies to lovers, banter, and side characters all made this book! I didn’t love the end conflict but overall, I definitely recommend!

What I liked:
-The premise is unique - the two MCs, Molly and Jude, grew up across the street from each other and were best friends until age 6, when they started a prank war that continued to escalate throughout high school and never resolved. In the story, they’re thrown together to plan a joint anniversary party for their parents, who are still neighbors and best friends
-NYC plays a big role in the story and the author does a fantastic job of bringing the reader right onto the streets of New York.

What didn’t work for me:
-I didn’t buy the HEA (cringe). Molly and Jude have been enemies forever, and even after getting to know each other more, realize they aren’t compatible. Nevertheless, they decide “love is enough” and ride off into the sunset. Like, no it’s not. These two are going to be divorced in a few years. This is hard to get past in a romance novel...

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and the author for the gifted copy.

I liked the enemies to lovers storyline but the characters seemed a little childish to me. Molly’s confession of love scene was a little cringy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

There were so many things I loved about this book and it had me hooked through the first three quarters, but it lost me a little at the end.

I loved the premise, and it had fantastic Jewish representation (even if Molly's bagel order is atrocious). I loved the tension between Molly and Jude and seeing how their feelings for each other developed. However, I think that the book would have benefitting from being dual-POV.

In the conflict at the end, I think Molly was far more in the wrong than Jude, several times over. Her actions didn't show much maturity, and I wish we saw his perspective of it (especially since he was the one who ended up apologizing in the end?) While Molly's friends and loved ones were somewhat honest with her about her actions, I wish they were more straightforward with her about where she went wrong. Given the back and forth, I wasn't totally convinced by the reconciliation in the end, even if I really wanted to be.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved Meredith's book As Seen on TV and when I saw this book was coming out I was very excited. I really enjoy her writing style and the characters in her books. They're well developed and fun to read.

This book's premise is two childhood enemies that have to work together to plan their parents' anniversary party. As kids they always pushed each other's buttons through pranks, but one day they went too far and they stopped talking. Their personalities are complete opposites, Jude thinks Molly is uptight and Molly thinks Jude is a slacker. Turn the clock a few years and they have to work together to throw a party for their parents.

I liked the hijinks that ensued and the banter when they were older, but I didn't love all the pranks that occurred. Some were a bit outlandish and made the MCs seem childish. While I liked As Seen on TV more, I still think the totality of the book was good and I look forward to Meredith's next book.

Someone Just Like You by Meredith Schorr
Contemporary romance. Enemies to lovers.
Once toddler buddies, Jude and Molly have been enemies from childhood. Because their parents have been lifetime friends, Jude and Molly defaulted into a relationship of pranks and public arguments. Forced together by siblings to collaborate on planning a party for their parents, after a series of pranks and misdirection, they settle into a tentative agreement which takes them from careful friends to feverish lovers. Is a future for them in the cards or will old habits come back to have them go separate directions?

People enjoy pranks. They do entire television series with them. So others may enjoy reading the games in the first half of this book. It just wasn’t for me. And more than one on-again, off-again scenario makes me not want to invest emotions on the couple.
Stupid and childish pranks from childhood into adulthood. And secrets kept. And then more arguing. After the first few chapters of the one-upmanship, I skimmed the story until Jude and Molly entered the second phase of the their new relationship where they can’t keep their hands off each other. By their fighting and jabs continue. Not what I want in escapism romance.
There is a happy ending and an epilogue that shows it lasts.
2.5

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Childhood friends to lovers is great, it’s also my favourite. But you know what hits different? Childhood ENEMIES to lovers. It’s fun learning how they tortured each other and they’re each others’ bane of existence. I definitely like this book better than Meredith Schorr’s “As Seen on TV.” I enjoyed reading this. It thankfully put me out of my reading slump. Jude and Molly were actually best friends since birth. Until one day early into their childhood, maybe around 7 years old, Jude started his infamous pranks on Molly. What did Molly do? She of course retaliated. Although confused on why she and Jude weren’t best friends anymore, she couldn’t let Jude win. Their rivalry went on for years even well into their adulthood. But when one of them started dating, their respective partners somehow reminded them of the other. I love this doppelgänger subplot. Shows just how ridiculous Jude and Molly are. I loved this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

POV: Single (FMC)
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

I really enjoyed this author’s debut novel so I’ve been looking forward to this one! I appreciated that it included her brand of humor with Jewish rep and the premise was interesting in that Molly or Jude were dating versions of each other even though they’ve been enemies almost their entire lives. Even better that it was inspired by a Friends episode!

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the pranks these two play on each other, I really did think they were cute together once they figured everything out. My only issue is that by the end of the book, due to a couple of arguments/break ups, I wasn’t even sure if I should be rooting for them anymore. It’s not often I’m left wondering if the main couple should even be together, and even though you can rest easy knowing there is a HEA, it just didn’t feel as good for me as it normally would!