Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This was a funny, smart, sweet debut novel that I highly recommend for fans of When Harry Met Sally, as well as just great romantic comedies. Ari is a struggling comedian coming off of a divorce when she reconnects with an old personal nemesis, Josh. They hated each other, and then became friends, and then became more - a story as old as time, based in the backdrop of New York City. I saw something on Goodreads that said this book is “like Emily Henry if the people were worse, and I mean that as a huge compliment” and I definitely agree. Ari and Josh are totally messy, complicated, flawed people who find each other in their messiest of times and though challenging to watch them fall apart at times, a totally thoughtful and funny read. This book isn’t perfect, but ultimately it gets a solid 5 stars from me due to the vibe, but also the fact that I laughed out loud multiple times throughout this story, and what a delight to belly laugh at a book. Goldbeck is great at banter, and I loved the wink to Nora Ephron, with this queer (Ari is bisexual) and modern When Harry Met Sally retelling. This has definitely made me want to rewatch this movie soon. I have to admit this might make me biased - though a flawed movie, it was a formative viewing experience for my love of romantic comedy for me, watching this movie in high school for the first time. So all of that said, I highly recommend this book for fans of Nora Ephron, romantic comedy, and queer New York City contemporary romances.

🍁𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰🍁

𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭, 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐑𝐊! 𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐢 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐲, 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐘𝐂. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 😋

𝐀𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐀𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦.

𝐀𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐩. 𝐌𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨.

🍂𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞. 🍂

🍁𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 @thedialpress and @penguinrandomhouse 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.🍁

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 🔥🔥🔥

loved this when harry meet sally romance book with ari who is polyamorist and loves both sexes and josh who is uptight. she wants to get into comedy and he is a chef. they meet at a store and then comes over for dinner to see her roommate. they meet each over time and slowly becomes friends but then even more. loved the slow burn romance and that they became more. loved his sister briar and ari friend ry .

I don't know that I've ever disliked two characters more. And the timeline jumped way too much. Hard no for me.

It’s no secret that “You, Again” is a retelling of When Harry Met Sally, and while I like the Nora Ephron classic, I was absolutely blown away by “You, Again.”

“You, Again” literally made me feel all of the feels and fall in love with Ari from the moment she yelled, “I’m on a fucking call!” before slamming the door on Josh.

I also love how Ari and Josh are polar opposites in how they see the world but are able to bond over universal experiences.

If you are looking for a book that gives you all of the cozy feels this Autumn with a side order of real life, then you need to read "You, Again" by Kate Goldbeck. It's a dual POV, but it changes back and forth between the MCs when they share scenes without being labeled in other books. I absolutely loved how seamlessly these changes in POV happened, and I have not read a book written that way.

Does anyone else find a book that is so good that they have difficulty talking about it? Ari and Josh are total opposites; he aspires to have a Michelin star and be in a long-term relationship with his soul mate, and she aspires to sleep with whoever she wants, whenever she wants, with no strings attached while pursuing a comedy career. Fate intervenes and keeps pushing Ari and Josh together. Still, nothing sticks until Josh is too sad to cook and Ari is too sad to fuck anyone (their words, not mine), allowing them to learn to navigate heartbreak while developing the first platonic relationship.
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Yes, this book is swoony, and spicy, and HILARIOUS, but it is also heartbreaking; like when Ari is pretending to be Josh's wife to save him from a bad date, but her complaints sound like they are more directed at her ex than Josh. Or her questioning if there is more to her than nipple piercings and bong vapor.

Please do yourself a favor and get a copy of "You, Again" by Kate Goldbeck as soon as you can

Thank you @thedialpress @netgalley for a copy of this book. This story spans several years as Ari and Josh keeps meeting randomly and their interactions. This is a story with adults that don't quite have their life together and become friends to support each other. The banter between Ari and Josh is great and I love seeing their relationship transform.

"You, Again" by Kate Goldbeck is precisely the kind of contemporary romance that leaves me craving for more. It's a story filled with messy drama, heartbreak, angst, and those poignant moments that tug at the heartstrings, creating an emotional rollercoaster that's impossible to resist.

What sets "You, Again" apart from the typical contemporary romance is its deliberate avoidance of the instant meet-and-date trope. Instead, Goldbeck crafts a beautifully paced narrative that spans months to years, allowing readers to witness the growth of the lead characters, Ari and Josh. Their paths cross at just the right moment, and from there, their story unfolds with a delightful blend of banter and friendship evolving into something deeper and more profound.

One random, albeit amusing, observation is the striking resemblance of the male lead to none other than Adam Driver. This is the 3rd book I’ve read in the span of 2 months where the male lead has a striking resemblance to Adam Driver and I am not even mad about it lol. 🤣 🤣.

Kate Goldbeck's debut novel is a refreshing take on contemporary romance, offering a slow-burning, emotionally charged journey that fans of the genre will savor. This is a book that reminds us that love can be complicated, messy, and utterly enchanting.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Random House, for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25

A modern twist to a Nora Ephron classic, ‘You, Again’ is a gender-bent reimagination of the 80s classic, ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ Ari is a charismatic and struggling comedian who is deeply anti-monogamous or really any form of romantic commitment. Josh is an ambitious (and somewhat grumpy) chef who believes everyone has a perfect ‘other half’ out there. The only thing connecting these two is the woman they are both sleeping with. Over the course of 10 years and several run-ins, Ari and Josh bond over heartbreak in ways they never thought possible. But how long can their benefit-less friendship last?

Kate Goldbeck did Nora Ephron justice with this incredible debut. With impeccable comedic timing and some of the most charming characters I’ve read, it really embodied the essence of the original movie in such a lovable way.

Often, with reimaginations, authors rely on the original work to do a lot of the heavy lifting regarding character development since we already know who these people are. Kate Goldbeck, however, created entirely new characters and took us on a journey of individual growth through their struggles and anxieties that were both compelling and uniquely progressed the storyline. I found myself resonating with both characters in different ways.

While the romance is definitely swoon-worthy, it is essential to note that the narrative structure of this story doesn’t entirely centre around their romantic relationship with a focus on the messiness of relationships as a whole.

I recommend this one for fans of Emily Henry, ‘Normal People,’ and ‘Alone with You in the Ether.’

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this E-arc!

Rating: 3.5

I went into this excited since the marketing has pushed this as a "When Harry Met Sally" remix with modern characters. However, I think going into this with that notion sets it up for failure in my eyes because it's more than that. Josh and Ari are relatable characters that are trying to figure out what love and relationships mean to them. Josh is very idealistic where Ari is a bit more realistic and pessimistic at times. My biggest issue with this story is the miscommunication. It was getting very annoying after a while because we would have moments where the characters would take a step in the right direction. Then randomly they would argue and take five steps back. I didn't think either needed to be in a relationship with each other. Ari and Josh should have spent more time figuring out their life paths since it was one of the stressors in their relationship. Overall, I think this book definitely takes the foundations of "When Harry Met Sally" and made it better. However, the relationship was hard to root for .

In You, Again by Kate Goldbeck, Ari and Josh start off as bitter enemies, both with vastly different dating philosophies. However, as they navigate heartbreak and forge an unexpected friendship, their once-hostile relationship evolves into something more, blurring the lines between friendship and romance in this witty debut romantic comedy.

When I heard that You, Again can be described as a modernized version of When Harry Met Sally, I was immediately drawn to it! This book deserves all the stars! I ended up listening to the audiobook which had me easily envision the story being adapted into a movie. What truly stood out to me was the beautifully messy and complex characters of Ari and Josh. Watching them evolve and mature over the course of the story and through the time lapses was a delight. The supporting characters, particularly Radhya, Briar, and Gabe, added depth and charm to the narrative. I loved that Kate was skillfully able to progress Ari and Josh’s relationship from enemies to acquaintances to friends to lovers in an exceptional way which kept me throughly engaged. I appreciated that the book didn't just focus on love but also delved into the struggles of career growth, nurturing friendships, and family responsibilities. There were moments when I wanted to shake some sense into Ari or Josh, yet other times I found myself sympathizing with their dilemmas. For anyone who has a soft spot for When Harry Met Sally, I highly recommend giving You, Again a read. I can’t wait to see what Kate writes next! I’m hoping for Radhya to have her own love story explored in a future book!

Ok so I kept seeing "When Harry Met Sally Vibes" and .... this was not it.

Ari is a struggling comedian who loves to keep things casual. Josh is an ambitious want to be chef who just wants to cook for THE ONE. It's hate at first site. This could be because they are both sleeping with the same woman, but I digress.

This book took place over many years and many disappointments and many life upheavals for both of our characters. And over time it slowly...and I mean SLOWLY, morphs from enemies to friends to lovers.

Guys, this book was exhausting. I have read the other reviews and I know people love it but my GOD Ari was so much work I honestly couldn't understand why Josh kept trying.

The only thing that kept me going was that this was so beautifully written. I just had to finish it.

It gets 3 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own

this book was a satisfactory and at points even good enemies to lovers romance, featuring two complicated and hard to like (in a good way) characters. but it was not when harry met sally, nor, beyond being an enemies to friends to lovers story set in new york, was it a retelling. these characters weren't them, the story wasn't theirs, and altogether this very pop culturey and improv comedy-y romance didn't even remind me of the all time greatest romcom.

although it wasn't bad! i am just left confused.

I jumped on this because When Harry Met Sally is objectively one of the greatest movies ever made, and this promised to basically be that in book form. Here’s the thing. When Harry Met Sally works for me because of Harry and because of Sally. I like them both separately and I like them even more together. You Again is not When Harry Met Sally for me. Josh and Ari are two people I don’t like separately and disliked even more together. Josh is a gigantic dick (he expects to be addressed as “Chef” in every sentence uttered by his kitchen staff) and Ari is one of those people who wants to see how many times she can make other people uncomfortable every single time she interacts with another human. What I did get was How I Met Your Mother/Father - two people who are totally obnoxious in very different ways meet each other in a weird way and then proceed to will-they-won’t-they for a decade or so while surrounded by a cast of equally obnoxious friends (in New York, of course). Anyway, so my verdict is, if you want Harry and Sally, this isn’t it, but if you want Ted and Robin or Charlie and Val, this is the book for you.

DNF at 34%.

This book was so hard for me to even get to 34%. It was a dragging 150 pages. I couldn’t imagine having to read 300 more. It didn’t really feel like there was much of a plot. Maybe there was, but it was obscured by how messy the characters are. I’m all for realistic messy, but I did not relate to the characters at all. Pretty much every conversation centered on alcohol, drugs, sex, and being unable to have a normal relationship. Like, you can’t be in the same room watching a movie with someone, and not have sex with them…? Maybe this gets better as you get further into it, but I’m just not sure where that would happen.

I really loved this cute little enemies to best friends to lovers story. I thought the characters were so well-developed and I enjoyed reading about both the main relationship AND the outside relationships between the main characters and their friends/family. I thought the whole *When Harry Met Sally with a twist* idea was so cute and definitely felt the vibes of that movie while reading this book. Also, I have to say, this book has probably the BEST first kiss scene I have ever read...it was so good and even better, in my opinion, than the other love scenes! I tend to enjoy a slow-burn, especially one that involves the romantic interests becoming super good friends before anything else develops, but I will say that I was a bit frustrated by the female lead towards the end of the story; this part was a pretty short excerpt of the book in the grand scheme of things, though, so I can look past it! Overall, I really enjoyed this romance - one of the best I've read this year - and would definitely recommend if you are looking for a cozy little read this fall!

I enjoyed the novel and the inclusiveness of it but it just took too long to get to the ending. I enjoyed Ari’s free spirit and Josh’s self-appreciation. There seemed to be genuine affection between them but I’m not sure I bought that they should be together.

You, again is a retelling of When Harry Met Sally, but I felt the characters lacked the charm that Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan bring to the original. In the movie, they were both unlikeable, but you couldn’t help root for them, whereas the characters in the book often just annoyed me. The writing itself was excellent. I didn’t feel like I was reading a debut novel. The middle did drag a bit. I feel like the book could be shortened by around 75 pages and it would have been more enjoyable. The ending was very cute, and I felt like it made it worth the read in the end. Thanks for the copy NetGalley!

this was mixed for me, I love a when harry met sally framing, and in this it was great, the meet ups and interactions over years were great, and then it took a while to really figure out why they should be together and if I even wanted it!

When Ari, commitment-phobic aspiring comedian, meets Josh, an uptight, privileged, but romantic aspiring chef, she hates him instantly. And the feeling is mutual. Over the years they keep bumping into each other, and eventually reconnect after both have gone through painful breakups. They start a friendship that inevitably ends up in will they or won’t they territory.

I keep seeing this book billed as a romcom, and I think I was expecting something a bit lighter going in. This has funny parts and there is great banter in moments, but I had a sense of dread while reading (this is completely a compliment because I was really invested in the characters) that I wasn’t going to get a happy ending. That isn’t my usually experience reading a typical romcom.

What I think I loved most is that both Ari and Josh were flawed characters. They were lovely and there was a lot to like about them, but they both played a significant role in messing up their relationship. I’m really sick of reading books where one of the characters is perfect and understanding and does everything right and gives the other character tons of space to fly off the handle and act irrationally. It’s not realistic. You, Again is not that book. A case could be made that both characters messed up big time in the most fitting ways for who they were and I loved it.

I also loved that both were having moments of career blocks. The way they each handled things not working out the way they wanted resonated deeply with me.
The audio for this one was great, but it was a single narrator and the book jumped around a bit between Josh and Ari’s POVs so having a physical copy to refer to might be helpful. But I loved listening and getting lost in these characters.

I’d definitely recommend this one to romance fans, but know that it’s a heavier book than you might expect and the characters feel very real.

I was sooooo excited about this book! With the fall vibes and especially the update on one of my fave movies ever - When Harry Met Sally! Ughhhh. I don’t think I’ve ever tried so hard and failed to like a book!

I really seriously struggled to make it though the first half, but I pushed through because there are so many 5 star reviews! The second half did give some redemption. I enjoyed watching both characters growth over time, but ultimately they were both so unlikeable and unrelateable to me!

What to expect::
•Opposites attract/Grumpy X sunshine
•Enemies to friends to lovers
•NYC setting
•Repeated run-ins over many years
•Jewish and Bi rep