4.5 stars

Hello?? Insta love and I’m still here? Yes.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Griffin for an early copy of this book; all opinions are my own.

I can’t believe I waited so long to read this. I’m not sure what I was thinking. We follow Lexi, who is an aspiring chef in culinary school, and Jake, who is an aspiring singer/songwriter, as their two worlds collide in a kaleidoscope of hot and steamy romance - IN THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK. Immediately I was so suspicious but I was like, “There has to be a reason for this; something is going to happen.”

Turns out, it does. Almost overnight, after Jake flies to LA and shoots his shot with a song (“blueberry”) written about his favorite blueberry pancake-making chef, he becomes an instant viral celebrity and virtually never speaks to her again. That is, until the celebrity life catches up to him and he realizes the only time he’s ever been happy was with his favorite chef in her swanky little apartment. Unfortunately for him, Lexi has graduated culinary school and is working unbelievable hours in a restaurant that is as demanding as it is tiring for her.

The navigation of the relationship in this book is actually very interesting and I really enjoyed the way that these two characters interacted through the hurdles they faced almost every step of the way. I loved watching them both grow and realize what they want from life, and thought the romance was sweet through to the end.

This book surprised me in the best way. I was quickly drawn into the story and completely invested in the characters. I loved the pacing and the story. The relationship developed beautifully as well.

I loved how Lexi and Jake met and the immediate connection they had. I struggled with some of the middle portions and was frustrated with the behavior of both characters at points. It almost felt like Lexi lost herself at one point and I wasn't sure where the author would take it. I definitely feel like it managed to redeem itself by the end.

This has absolutely left me curious enough that I would love to read more of this authors writing.

Set against the backdrop of NYC's vibrant food scene and the chaos of fame, the novel offers a delightful mix of humor, romance, and self-discovery. Lexi's journey is relatable, especially for those striving to balance personal and professional aspirations. While some readers may find the pacing uneven and the romance a bit rushed, the book's heartwarming moments and engaging characters make it an enjoyable read for fans of contemporary romance.

This one starts off hot and snagged me right into the story! Then the middle came and it was pretty boring for all of that fluff. Jake’s mom was the best part about this section of the book. I wish there had been more to their relationship because I didn’t REALLY feel that connection like I wanted to. The ending picks back up and that Times Square scene had me tearing up so giving an extra ⭐️ for that! Still recommend, just push through that middle section!

This book wasn't my favorite! The characters weren't that great to connect with! I personally love the cover but didn't love the story. I hope others like this book!

Lexi is a culinary student with dreams of becoming the executive chef at a Michelin-star restaurant. Her dreams don’t leave much time for dating, but breaks that for one magical weekend with Jake, a musician she meets in a dive bar. After their weekend together, Jake leaves for LA to chase his dreams, and Lexi expects to never hear from him again. But when Jake’s single about blueberry pancakes is clearly written about their weekend together takes off, Lexi is shocked when Jake shows up at her door wanting to give their relationship a real shot. I loved the premise and the first half of this book, but in the second half I was frustrated by both characters at times. They acted a bit immature. That being said, I loved the food and the pop culture, I loved their families, and I really enjoyed the writing in this story. I will definitely read more from Lindsay Hameroff.
Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book.
The whirlwind romance, the pining, the heartbreak and friendships were all on point.
And there is a lot of food discussed with tasty flavour combinations all up in here.
There was a quite a bit of "extra" bits in the middle that made the book drag, but then it picked back up.
The last chunk of the book circled back to a great pace again and overall I enjoyed it.
Much love to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, LibroFM and SMP Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-one weekend stand
-second chance
-celebrity
-food is my love language

This was excellent on audio. Just the right amount of angst, that also had me guessing as to how these two were going to make it work. Unlocked a new obsession of one weekend stand. I just adored the glimpse that we got of what these two could be before it was ripped away and we watched them slowly figure it out (and slowly get out of their own ways) to earn that HEA. An incredible debut.

SUPER cute + made me want to learn to cook, swoony and hopeful, poignant and genuine. I'll be returning to reread this one for sure.

The miscommunication trope in contemporary romance drives me up the wall so it's no surprise that it affected my overall rating with this one. That being said, however, TILL THERE WAS YOU was a sweet and entertaining read in the end.

I think readers that enjoy getting glimpses into the glittery lifestyles of celebrities/pop stars will really enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to the e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick, sweet read. The characters were enjoyable, I liked the plot- although celebrity/cooking isn’t my all time favorite- I still thought it was cute. The side characters were funny too. Overall, like I said, a cute read but not a favorite of mine.

I loved this book! It was so sweet. It caught my attention with the title being a song that I adore from The Music Man, and I loved that thread throughout the book.

This was cute but it had a trope I am not usually a fan of, and that is insta love. Some of the dialogue and character choices were a little juvenile. I did enjoy the culinary and pop star worlds merging and the storyline was fun.

The perfect hallmark romance. Some parts were blah but overall I loved the story. Really rooted for the main characters and loved their chemistry.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the ARC. This book definitely had it's positive moments -- enough that I was intrigued to keep reading and finish the book. However, in the end, I felt that it was an ok story with characters that were kind of all over the place. I didn’t really care for the way he treated their relationship throughout the last half/third of the book -- It felt super hot/cold and immature, not often taking responsibility for his actions.

A super cute romance with a touch of spice. Characters were lovable and it was a super quick read. The ending was satisfying and the third act breakup didn’t bother me like it usually does. Adorable.

You meet a guy and you're instantly captivated with each other. You spend the whole weekend together before he has to go to LA to record an album. The weekend is intimate in a way people dream of, the stuff people write songs about even because he starts writing one about you. So you both make promises but then he ghosts you?

I want to make the sandwich that Lexi and her best friend eat as comfort food but I'm not a big fan of Nutella. (It's a Nutella, strawberry and banana sandwich.)

I enjoyed this one. I love books with food and music and this one has both! It's a second chance romance and I was rooting for them the whole way. Hell, I was hurt with Lexi when Jake ghosted her. The chemistry is electrifying, the characters truly felt like they were meant to be. So much so that I as mad whenever they messed up. Great palette cleanser with some spice. 3.75 stars

Spice: 2-3 open door scenes
TW: loss of parent
Tropes: second chance, famous musician MMC, chef FMC

This book was so cute! I'm a sucker for an insta-love story. Jake and Lexi were adorable. I love these Hallmark-esque reads, because they make me feel all light and bubbly.
Lexi and Jake's love story was so cute. Getting to "see" it unwind and morph into something beautiful, was so sweet. I can't even imagine how it would feel to date a famous person! I'd hate having my name in the tabloids.
My only two issues with this book, were: the banter was kind of cringey at times. It was giving more "teenagers" than "young adults". The other thing, was we didn't REALLY get to know Lexi or Jake. There wasn't a lot of backstory, or any at all. I would have liked to know more about both of them, rather than just getting to know surface-level details and not who they are and WHY.

Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I was really hoping for a feel good romance, and I just couldn't really connect with the characters.

*Thank you partner @smpromance for the #gifted e-galley.*

Overall, this was a fine romance. The beginning was definitely stronger than the rest of the book. I personally struggle with insta love a bit and the jealousy aspect when both of them had only spent about 2 days together was a bit off putting. I also didn’t love the light love triangle aspect. I did love scenes with Alexa and her friends.