Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This book…it was perfection! Ari and Josh are EVERYTHING and I love them. Everything about them, their relationship and their world of friends, work and quirks was an absolute delight to read.

If you want an enemies-to-lovers, grumpy / neurotic with lots of baggage, NYC love story - this is the book for you. The banter was witty, the writing was smart, the tension was thick, the spice was spicy and the entire story had me wanting more. I already want to read it again.

Katie Goldbeck, I can wait to read anything by you, again!

“You, Again” by Kate Goldbeck

3.5⭐️/5⭐️
3🌶/5🌶

“She’s so fucking frustrating in the way she forces him to be exactly what she needs while disregarding what he wants, or how he feels about any of it.”

Through a series of comedic (and somewhat tragic) interactions, Ari and Josh continually find themselves at differing parts of their lives. What starts as antagonistic acquaintances slowly turns to neutral acquaintances, casual friends, best friends, and finally lovers. But how can two opposite people, who are in such different paths in their lives, come together and establish a healthy relationship?

-This is a difficult book to rate. I’ve never watched “When Harry Met Sally”, which is the inspiration behind the plot, so maybe I’m missing something (?) from the relationship between the MMC and FMC. The author is obviously a talented writer, and for the most part I enjoyed the story. There are a few qualms I have with the characters and story, but I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading the book. This review might come across as more critical than positive, so if you loved the book and connected with the characters, that’s great! I’m so glad you loved this book, there are many incredible pieces of writing and dialogue. My review and rating for this book isn’t going to negatively influence whether I read the author’s next book or not, I know I’ll continue to read their materials.

-For a contemporary romance that seems like a romantic comedy based on the blurb, it’s more like a tragic comedy. And the romance felt minimal compared to the struggles each character faces. I think the book veered too much into the ‘this is real life, and this is real pain’ territory. Which, I suppose is also a compliment, this is one of the most realistic romance novels I’ve ever read. There are many types of pain and suffering explored, familial grief, divorce, heartbreak, self destruction, etc.

-What did I like? Many parts! I especially loved the writing style, the story flowed beautifully, and the time jumps were all very coherent (and there are a LOT of time jumps). There are some amazing one liners that made me laugh out loud, or stare off into space because I couldn’t believe I read *THAT*. The smut was so intense, it was a wonderful build up to that point and executed perfectly. The story structure felt very cinematic, almost like I was reading a script rather than a book, which is always such a fun reading experience.

-What didn’t I like?...

-I found it very difficult to connect with Ari. Her personality is very different from who I am as a person, which is fine! Part of why I love reading romance novels is due to varying character arcs. I want to read about all types of people. But with Ari, by the end of the book I still didn’t feel like I truly understood her. She is extremely extroverted, chatty, uses humor as a coping method, and loves having casual sex. A lot. Like, it’s hard to separate who she is from her sexual adventures. I saw many reviews saying Ari lacked depth, and unfortunately I agree with them. The way she treats her friends is really confusing, and I don’t think it would be unfair to call her self-centered. There are so many moments in the book where it seems like she doesn’t think about the way her words and actions affect the other person, and that was frustrating.

-I’ve read many books where one character is heartbroken over a failed relationship, and part of their healing journey is processing the loss of love and eventually moving on. But Ari’s reaction to Cass almost felt tortuous. It just kept going on and on, she’s sobbing about Cass breaking her heart, she’s sending nude photos to Cass in the hopes that she garners a reaction, she can’t bring herself to throw away Cass’ old t-shirts, etc. At a certain point the romance between Josh and Ari felt lost within Ari’s personal journey. When I read a romance book, I don’t necessarily want to read a copious amount of chapters dealing with a DIFFERENT relationship.

-This is such a small complaint, but the chapters themselves felt very long, and I think that’s due to the amount of content stuffed into each one. When I started reading the book, I couldn’t believe I only read one chapter given how much had happened. Perhaps there’s too much dialogue.

-I was going to rate this four stars, but what ultimately brought it down to three and a half is that I didn’t feel convinced of Ari and Josh’s relationship at the end of the book. I didn’t feel like I could count on their HEA, it still felt like they each needed to work on themselves before throwing themselves in a serious relationship.

I was sold on this book the second I saw that it was inspired by When Harry Met Sally. This book reads and feels like a classic rom-com. Ari has a major fear of commitment while Josh is looking for "The One" and when the two meet, they instantly dislike each other. I'll be honest, I found both characters chaotic and making wild decisions but I rooted for them throughout the whole story. I loved how it played out over the years of the two coming together and then going their separate ways to see how both Ari and Josh have grown over time. The writing was so bittersweet and witty and it just kept me reading. The cast of side characters was fun and I wish we got to see more of them throughout the story as all of the character's lives were constantly intertwining. I finished it in one sitting due to how hooked I became. There is a good amount of the miscommunication trope and towards the end, I began feeling like the two just needed to honestly talk to each other which ended up lowering my rating a bit. Overall, I really enjoyed this debut and would be interested to see what Kate Goldbeck writes next!

Read this if you like:
- A Meg Ryan rom-com & Nora Ephron fans
- Flawed main characters
- New York City essentially being a character
-Food descriptions
- Bi representation

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was disappointed this one wasn't for me. I just really enjoy characters that are kind and the first chunk of the book has both characters being totally awful to each other... and it's written in 3rd person so you really have no inner monologue about why they are just so terrible. It wasn't my cup of tea!

I LOVED THIS BOOK.

It felt like such a classic romcom in the best way. The mcs intro to each other had me screaming it was so good!

Their banter was so relatable. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy

Time after time Ari and Josh meet and each time their relationship changes until the enemies who became friends who became more than friends, become.......Ari's a struggling comedienne and Josh a chef, They both have trust issues about relationships and, as you might expect, differing outlooks about life (yes, sunny versus serious). That said, this rom-com based a bit on When Harry Met Sally has nice twists on that original, starting with the LGBTQI representation. It's also humorous. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A light fun read.

As someone who reads a lot of romance, this one stood out for how fresh it felt. It is more or less an updated When Harry Met Sally but the main characters are both pretty much monsters. It’s to the author’s credit that all of their inane decisions and frustrating actions were ultimately completely understandable. Of course by the end you are rooting for them and enjoying every minute of the quite cinematic ending. Added bonus that it’s quite funny.

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The synopsis got my attention and I thought this was going to be a fun read. When I started to read it I got even more excited because I love great banter. But major of this book there is nothing happening. It is really easy to put this book and not pick it up again.
I also found Ari to be frustrating at times for example she didn't like the idea of Josh dating but at the same time didn't want a relationship with him either.
Anyways I finished it. If you are looking for slow and steady this is a perfect book.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of You, Again in exchange go an honest review.

Ari
- Bisexual who is sassy and funny
- Raised by her grandmother who was not affectionate
- Mother was super flaky
- Doesn't believe in a relationship because of her past.

Josh
- Jewish who is smart and grumpy
- has a good relationship with his mother and sister
- Had an estranged relationship with his father
- Hopeless romantic

I’m speechless. I’m absolutely blown away by You, Again. I don’t think I’ve read a modern romance, which such depth in a really long time. You, Again felt like a novel length version of the New York Times modern love column, mixed with a updated version of When Harry Met Sally (a.k.a. the greatest romcom movie of all time!). How do you get better than that? Seriously! I cannot believe this is Kate Goldbeck‘s debut novel. The writing, the tension, the wit, the banter…. all of it together was just perfection!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ok… I can barely even put into words all the feelings I have for this book. Like you could basically light me on fire right now and all I would do is try jam this book down your throat until you’re in love with it as much as I am. I’m obsessed with these characters. Ari and Josh had incredible chemistry. Full of angst, sass, and witty banter. So good. One of the best rom coms I’ve read this year. Really reinforced my belief that everyone has a perfect someone. Plus there was a grand gesture in this that was *chefs kiss (maybe pun intended 👨‍🍳?). All the stars on this one!

**Thank you NetGalley and randomhouse publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!**


5/5 ⭐️

I loved this modern nod to When Harry Met Sally. Great humor, excellent pacing, high heat. I'd definitely watch this story on the silver screen.

Okay first of all, I am so glad I requested this book. Second of all, I will most definitely be reading all of Kate Goldbeck’s writing from here on out. Goldbeck is a new to me author and her debut novel was absolutely spectacular and brilliant.

You, Again tells the story of Ari, an aspiring comedian and Josh, an ambitious chef. Both are trying to achieve more in their careers while simultaneously navigating obstacles and overcoming circumstances that life throws at them. Ari and Josh’s first meet wasn’t ideal. Ari needed one more signature to meet her donation quota for the bobcat habitat when she approached Josh who was in the middle of a phone call. She asked for his donation along with a sip of his coffee to which Josh rudely rejected her. Later that day, a chance encounter between the two occurred at Ari’s apartment when Josh arrived to cook dinner for his girlfriend who is also Ari’s roommate with benefits. The two started to bicker and ended with Ari leaving her apartment. The years will pass and Ari and Josh will continuously meet and lose contact. Their final encounter occurred when both characters are struggling and overcoming difficulties in life: Ari with her divorce and Josh with his restaurant.

This novel is an ode to When Harry Met Sally. Goldbeck writes about the trials and tribunes of life, personal growth, and the struggles of success, relationships, and careers. There is bleakness in Goldbeck’s writing yet there also lies an undercurrent of comfort that ensure readers that gradually things will eventually work out. This novel is so special and bittersweet with how Goldbeck incorporates humor, wit, and banter within her writing. Additionally, the emotional vulnerability and the aversion to rejection and commitment Goldbeck showcases within her characters were written with such delicateness and grace that it humanizes the two main characters. Moreover, it also made this reading experience an poignant one for me. This novel was such an ingenious and profound debut that I am I awe of her writing but more than that, I am anticipating on what is to come from Goldbeck future works.

Thank you so, so much to NetGalley and Random House/ Dial Press Trade for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really have to stop giving in to social media hype. I read such great reviews on this new, fresh romcom that I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, I could tell from the beginning that this was not going to be the book for me. It was really hard to root for Ari or Josh. I didn't like them in the beginning. The more they kept running into each other, the more I didn't like either of them.

I kept going, though I felt like DNF. At almost the 50% point was where it got a little more interesting for me. I was really feeling for Josh and the emotions he was feeling about Ari. I still didn't warm up to her.

This was just an okay read for me in the end, but not one I would ever want to re-read. Too many ups and downs.

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a When Harry Met Sally fan's dream of a book! I love the twist on the familiar story and I really enjoyed watching these two characters find their way to each other. And the fall in New York vibes are immaculate!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
You, Again releases on September 12th, 2023
3.5/5 Stars

You, Again was pitched to me as a modern-day "When Harry Met Sally", which happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies. Unfortunately the comparison was to the detriment of the book as I found myself longing for the deliciously slow but very earned burn of that relationship, which built up from strangers who disliked each other to unlikely friends to lovers. By the end of the movie I was desperate for Harry & Sally to get together, but at the end of You, Again I honestly can't say that I was rooting for Ari & Josh to end up together.

I did enjoy the book in the beginning as the author established the antagonistic dynamic between Ari and Josh. I appreciated the creativity in how these characters showed up in each others' lives throughout the years and found the banter between them to be very fun. I also liked that both Ari and Josh are full-fledged characters that are deeply flawed and broken in their own unique ways. Both had other friends/family members outside of each other that were not simply sounding boards for their feeling about each other but served the overarching story in other ways.

I think my big problem was with just one of the characters themselves. As I continued reading, I found myself feeling much more sympathetic and won-over by Josh and his character development but struggled to connect with Ari as her story progressed. I have a tough time enjoying books where I don't find the main character likable/redeemable, and I was not convinced by Ari's character arc that she and Josh were really meant for each other (though I will say that I found the running scene on New Year's to be really and truly delightful).

The pacing was also a bit off at times. I could have done without one or two of the time jumps/check-ins with the characters in the middle and would have liked to see more of Ari's development before the resolution in the end.

All of that being said, overall I do think a lot of people will enjoy this book and the modern take on a classic movie. It just wasn't fully the one for me.

You, Again focuses on the relationship between Ari and Josh as they go from strangers to enemies to friends to lovers over a period of years. After both are dumped by long term partners, they bond over their loneliness and become tentative friends. Things get messy quickly, and we get to watch each of them go through heartache, career woes, and periods of self discovery.

I really enjoyed the way the book showed us the original meeting of the two, along with several other times they met and disliked each other in the past. It gave a great history for exactly why these two couldn’t stand each other, and it felt very realistic (especially after Ari told Josh she was also messing around with his girlfriend!). I liked seeing them become friends and bond over their shared melancholy, as sometimes you really do need to talk to someone who understands exactly what you are going through.

I found the career woes to be interesting side stories. Josh is trying to prove himself as a chef after a restaurant debacle, and Ari is a wannabe comedienne who is busy doing gig work. These jobs brought some interesting personalities into the mix!

The romance left me a little cold though. I think this is purely because Ari felt like a female Peter Pan who never wanted to grow up. At that point, they had known each other for years and she had even been married, but she felt no more mature or developed than she was in chapter one. It was an extreme amount of angst and brought me down a bit, making the middle of the story drag.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I’m rounding this one up to a 4.

You, Again was a bit of a letdown for me. I was immediately captivated into the storyline and all the not so "meet cutes" between Ari and Josh. I thought Goldbeck did a wonderful job of creating initial tension and chemistry between the two main characters. Unfortunately, as the story continued, the elements I liked at the beginning felt off. As I got to know Ari, I felt less interested in her and Josh getting together. It was hard to get past my dislike for Ari....I found her unlikable and immature. Although this book wasn't for me, I can see its appeal for other romance readers. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

You will like this book if you like: enemies to enemies to enemies to friends to lovers, bi representation, grumpy x grumpy, and the phrase “yes, chef”
🏳️‍🌈👨🏻‍🍳

It’s a great read while you’re waiting for the next Emily Henry!

I loved this! It was fun and sexy and unexpectedly moved me to tears a couple of times. It felt like a perfect modern adaptation of When Harry Met Sally. I was so so excited that these characters had lives and friends outside of each other. Even the side characters were richly developed and I loved them all.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC! This was a sassy, fun, and cozy enemies-to-lovers/ grumpy/sunshine romance. The characters felt very real, flaws and all, and Josh gave me MAJOR Carmy from The Bear vibes. I thought it was justttt a bit too long, but overall I loved reading it and the ending had me squealing.