Within the first 20 pages of TILL THERE WAS YOU by Lindsay Hameroff, I knew I’d enjoy this read! A sweet rom-com about a chef and a musician. Only the musician disappears after an intense weekend together. I enjoyed how this didn’t focus on the romance, but the friendship and other connections (family). There was more that I loved: Jewish rep, blueberry pancakes, the nostalgia (pop culture references/Golden Girls) and NYC setting. I adored it so much that I’m planning to get a physical copy of the book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved the first 1/4 of this book, it was fun and romantic. The rest of the book was a struggle that I wish I gave up on sooner. The pacing was so odd and the entire middle of the book was incredibly slow. The occasional entertaining moment mixed in with a whole bunch of predictable moments. Plus I ended up strongly disliking the guy.

In Brief
Pairing food and music, Till There Was You had the makings for a fun, sweet, and mature romance, but it missed the mark with an overall lack of communication and a naive female lead. Lexi, a culinary student trying to make her late mother proud, and Jake, a rising musician, meet by chance in a bar, but, after a weekend together, Jake leaves to record his demo in LA, and Lexi never really hears from him again. Until his hit song that rockets him to fame turns out to be about the blueberry pancakes she made him. Eventually, he does walk back into her life, essentially wanting to pick up where they left off, but now Lexi is working her way up the kitchen ladder, and Jake’s new lifestyle threatens to tip over her professional and personal lives. Till There Was You had strong promise, offering an excellent and sweet start to both the book and the romance. But, by the second half, Lexi’s character begins to fall apart, and she never really turns to the friends who could really help her out despite one of them being perfectly poised to do just that. As she and Jake deal with his rising star and the demands that come with that lifestyle, Lexi proves herself to be naive and Jake proves he could be annoyingly mopey and sometimes little more than a puppy when it came to her. Unfortunately, where the standout characters were Lexi’s friends, this failed to offer a satisfactory romance, though Lexi’s culinary career shone.

Extended Thoughts
It’s no secret I adore books with food. It was the pancakes on the cover that did it for me, and only later did I realize Till There Was You is a romance between a young chef and a musician with a rising star. Having lived most of my life in LA County, and living several years in an area where people are constantly trying to break into the entertainment industry and where filming happens now and then (there’s currently what looks like a filming site less than a block from where I live and it’s definitely disruptive), I enjoy books with celebrities once in a while. Till There was You is set in New York City, which was a nice change of pace for me. I enjoyed all the food and Lexi’s journey to becoming a chef, but the romance itself suffered from communication break downs and a naive female lead.

After losing her mother, Lexi is determined to get her culinary degree and work her way up to become an executive chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant. But, one night, she walks into a dive bar and strikes up a conversation with a young man, who turns out to be a talented musician about to head to LA to record a demo. After spending a weekend together, Lexi wishes Jake well, and is later surprised to see him rocket to fame with a song about her blueberry pancakes. But Jake never really gets in touch with her again. As time passes, Lexi graduates culinary school and starts her slow climb, entering a cutthroat kitchen that doesn’t allow her to innovate and truly showcase her skills. And then Jake walks back into her life and they start a slow dance around each other, Jake wanting more than anything for another shot and Lexi warily letting him back in her life, creating havoc in her personal and professional life.

As a romance, the focus is on the characters. Told from Lexi’s point of view, the reader is given a deep dive into what she feels and thinks, which should be particularly interesting once she figures out Jake’s hit song is about her literal pancakes. Unfortunately, after a strong start, I was not a fan of Lexi. I liked her at the beginning, and I enjoyed her culinary journey, but, by the second half when Jake is back in her life, her naivety just tasted sour in my mouth. She had such a good head on her shoulders during the first half. I did like the commentary on what life might be like when one is dating a huge celebrity, but she never really stopped to consider what her life would be like and the sacrifices she might have to make or the sacrifices she’d have to ask him to make. Despite being in her mid-twenties, she felt much younger and always seemed to expect Jake to either be there for her or understand everything she was going through, and completely ignored everything he was going through.

I really have to hand it to Jake; he really tried when he was given the opportunity to. Of course, he could have done more, but I thought he did a decent job of balancing Lexi and his career. I liked him. He seemed like a decent sort of guy, and that shone through now and then throughout the novel. But things broke down between him and Lexi because of his lack of communication. During the first half, he never really tried to reach out and prove to Lexi she was important to him, so I understood her misgivings and demands, but he did try as much as he could later on. Again, thanks to Lexi’s naivety and inability to think about someone other than herself, she made things harder on the both of them than they had to be. I liked Jake better than Lexi, but he also tended to be annoyingly mopey and sometimes came off as more of a lost puppy, so I was really torn by the end.

The part that did shine for me, though, was Lexi’s friends, especially Chloe. She’s in PR and really did her best to do damage control and take care of Lexi, but it was also just her job that was a lot of fun. Being in PR, the reader gets a glimpse into her life and career, and a part of it was just really fun as she had to deal with one of her clients. I adored her. She was smart and fast, but I wish she’d done more to help Lexi prepare for a new life as the girlfriend of a popular musician. Ali was a bit forgettable as she was little more than just a friend (though she did have quite a bad streak with dates), but, together, the two of them kept me entertained and I really liked when they were on page.

Till There Was You started off really strong. I loved the point where Lexi and Jake met. It was a very sweet, albeit brief romance. I also appreciated the focus on Lexi’s career. I liked how working in a kitchen didn’t turn out to be what she expected, but she powered through it the best she could. But, once Lexi and Jake reconnected, the story fell apart for me. Lexi suddenly switched from having a good head on her shoulders to being annoyingly naive even though her friend probably could have, and should have, helped her navigate the celebrity lifestyle. Jake was fun and sweet, but things went down hill with their communication problems and his mopiness. The second half was littered with instances where they could not get on the same page, could not communicate, and could not mature to become adults who knew how to compromise and have discussions. If it weren’t for Lexi’s friends, I don’t think this book would have ended well, and, honestly, they saved the story for me when Lexi and Jake couldn’t but should have.

As a book about food, I really enjoyed this one. The food shone for me, and, even though I don’t like blueberries, I really loved the idea of Lexi’s blueberry pancakes being so heavenly. I also appreciated her journey throughout the book, and how she tried so hard to make her late mother proud of her. Unfortunately, the romance left a lot to be desired. There was far too much miscommunication and overall lack of conversation. I also was not a big fan of Lexi and Jake, but I thought Jake’s celebrity life and all the trials that come with that to be well-described and plausible. Overall, though, this had too many problems for me to truly enjoy.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Quick Summary: A rock star romance

My Review: Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff is a standalone romantic fiction novel.

About the Book: After a chance encounter, Lexi and Jake experienced one of those rare moments in time when you unexpectedly find your soulmate. Unfortunately, celebrity, the pressures of life and work, and insecurities separated them. When they are given a second chance at being together, they grab on with both hands. No one ever said the road to true love would be easy, however. Will it take a great loss in order for them to find their way back to their forever love?

My Final Say: This novel gets a hidden gem rating. It was sigh worthy. I confess that I dropped a few tears while I read. Lexi and Jake were so sweet and so innocent. I couldn't help cheering for them. In my opinion, the story had tones of The Happily Ever After Playlist (which just so happens to be one of my absolute favorite romances of all time). I loved it.

Other: Readers who enjoy emotional pieces and/or stories with second-third chances will adore this book.

I would love to hear this via an audiobook. It would be incredible!

Rating: 4.75/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA to A
Status/Level: 🍬💞💎
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to this title in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful for the opportunity.

I started out loving this book with the instant attraction between Jake and Lexi, their amazing weekend together, and him making up a cute song about her blueberry pancakes. But then he goes to LA to record his demo promising to keep in touch... and then totally ghosts her for a year. To make things worse, that cute little song he wrote for her becomes a number one single!! After a year he shows back up on her doorstep, all apologies and I never forgot yous with a really lame explanation of why. I just couldn't feel the same about their second chance and it felt like it just dragged on after that.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

It’s a cute and sweet story about a couple that meets right before they go off and begin their adult lives and adventures on opposite sides of the country, but never forget the weekend they spent together… and the blueberry pancakes she made for him (he even writes a hit song about them and her).

It’s a fun read and a good debut - a solid 4-star. A new rockstar and a struggling chef - a very different story than most out there! If you’re looking for something quick and cute to read, this would be a good one. It’s sweet but nothing too exciting.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and this is my honest feedback.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was super cute and an easy read. I don't really have much to say about it.

Jake and Lexi are a great couple. They have good chemistry and I like the fact that they actually talked when problems came up. Until the standard third act breakup of course.

This was a fun read, but also so stressful! When they got together at the beginning, I knew it was going to be a wide range of emotions for the rest of the story!

It broke my heart to see how Lexi was so determined to be a chef even though you could tell from the beginning that she only did it because she thought her mom wanted it. How the story ended for her made my heart so happy!

And Jake? He is a golden retriever, good old southern boy and I adored him. He struggled a lot to get it right, but all he wanted was to be himself and just be able to trust people. He deserves the world.

This was such a great portrayal of any relationship really. How hard it is if you don’t communicate and how seamless the best ones can be no matter what’s is going on. Relationships are compromise and love and trust and going in 100/100 and that’s what Lexi and Jake found in each other - can someone say swoon?

This book was okay. I had a very hard time connecting with the story. I found the dialogue a bit childish and it read more like a YA book to me. Overall it was an average read. I'm rating it 3 stars because while it wasn't the book for me it might be the perfect book for someone else.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

The way I ATE. THIS. UP. Oh my gosh, whatever Lindsay put in this, I need it injected into my veins. It was the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, silly and so much swoon.

Lexi has a goal of becoming an executive chef to make her late mother proud. As she swears off boys to focus on her studies, here comes Jake, a dive bar musician with all the charm. A one night stand turns into a weekend together, but as Jake leaves to make his dreams come true in LA, the pair lose touch. His first hit song is totally about her, but it takes a whole year for them to reunite. Can they be friends when their chemistry feels like home, or will the stresses of their lives tear them apart again?

Lexi’s determination and grit to achiever her dreams was so admirable, and I totally related when she wasn’t sure her dreams were right for her anymore. She had so much courage to work through her fears in her professional and personal aspects, she was just the best. I also loved her relationship with her besties, it made me miss my long-distance girlies!

JAKE! I fell for him the minute he showed up, and I don’t think I ever stopped loving him! He was such a sweet cinnamon roll, even when he had to do hard things to protect Lexi. Do I agree with everything he did? Not necessarily, but the lack of malicious intent on his part made it easier to work around. He just fell so hard for Lexi and stole my heart.

My only sad part was how much miscommunication and doubt happened between them! I get they both had things to work through that would impact their relationship, but it broke my heart every time they would hit a road block. I just wanted them to be happy together sooner because I loved them.

I need so much more of Lindsay’s work ASAP! She had such a fun and relatable voice and the cutest plot. Keep your eyes on her!!

I loved this unique take on a second chance romance! Jake Taylor is just a guy in a bar and Lexi Berman is just a culinary student trying to remember to season her soup. Except that these two hit it off in what ends up being a beautiful weekend of love making, pancake eating and Golden Girls watching. And then Jake heads out to LA to see if he can record a demo and EVERYTHING changes.

When he finally makes it back to NYC and knocks at Lexi's door eighteen months later she's accepted a date from Ethan, graduated and found a new job and Jake has made it big. I love how much this is a food and finding yourself novel (no secret that I'm a fan of these!). I do find the main characters to be a bit mature for their age BUT Lexi certainly has been through a lot with the death of a parent and the apparent decamping of the other to sunny Florida. I love the cast of supporting characters including Mia and Ali. I enjoyed the subtle sub plots but overall the focus is really on Jake and Lexi as they navigate their demanding careers - hers in the kitchen and his on the stage.

4 Blueberry Pancakes Stars!!

This was my first book by Ms. Hameroff and it was an enjoyable read. We get immersed into two different worlds; that of Lexi an up and coming chef and a singer, Jake who has a breakout single thanks to a weekend spent with Lexi. Little did either of them know that their one weekend together would affect their futures both individually and potentially as a couple.

I’ve not read too many books that a chef is one of the main characters so I really adored the attention to detail that Ms. Hameroff provided when Lexi was in the kitchen. This girl has dreams and won’t let anyone or anything get in her way. Until Jake enters the picture so she gives in to her attraction and spends a weekend with him and making him her specialty blueberry pancakes after their first night together.

Once they part ways, Lexi goes on to chase her dream of working in a Michelin star restaurant and Jake goes to LA for his big break…and Lexi’s pancakes become the reason Jake’s dream is coming true. I loved that we get to see how Jake changes as the book progresses. There’s a definite connection between these two and I had a smile on my face the entire time I read this book because I’m a believer in second chances and if two people ever belonged together it’s the chef and the rock star!

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the eARC! This was a cute book with unrealistic components, a hit song about blueberry pancakes? What in the world, but this was still a sweet romance.

I enjoyed the culinary setting, but wasn’t feeling the connection between the two leads very much. I’m interested to see what this author does next!

Synopsis in a sentence (or two):
Instant love occurs when Lexi meets Jake. What neither expects is Jake’s immediate rise to stardom following their weekend affair.

Highlights:
Characters:
♥️ Lexi and Jake are a cute couple, and their relationship, though somewhat unbelievable, was easy to root for.
♥️ I adored Lexi’s relationship with her two best friends Ali and Chloe.

Pacing/Storyline
♥️ Jake and Lexi’s relationship & subsequent issues kept me flipping pages eager to see how the story would wrap up.
♥️ The storyline follows the quintessential simple girl meets famous boy trope. The unique spin to this one is that Lexi briefly meets Jake days before his rise to fame and then reunites with him once he’s famous.
♥️ I’ve been on a foodie novel kick lately when reading romances. I loved that Hameroff showed the dedication and struggles required in starting a new career like becoming a chef.

Lowlights:
This one dealt heavily with Lexi’s grief surrounding her mother’s death from uterine cancer. For personal reasons, those parts were extremely difficult and at times I wanted to put it down indefinitely.

Overall:
I recommend this one to readers who love Jasmine Guillory, Sariah Wilson, and Emily Giffin.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclosure:
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Digital Review Copy of Til There Was You. All opinions are my own.

Till There Was You starts with the familiar premise of a famous person dating a "normal" person -- a favorite of rom-communists everywhere. This version isn't bad, but it could use some work. It left me feeling like it needs more of everything.

* We need more of Jake and Lexi's relationship before he gets to be famous. A weekend fling is not a believable basis for this story.
* We need more of Lexi's frustrations with her career choice and how it isn't really what she wants.
* We need more of why Jake ghosted Lexi to begin with -- the story he gives her doesn't hold up. In the acknowledgements, the author thanks the person who helped her figure that part out, but it doesn't seem to me that they figured it out at all. Jake's excuse is lame.
* We need more build-up of Jake's career -- one hit song doesn't get you an appearance on Fallon.
* We need more of Lexi's relationship with her dad -- her reasons for being angry with him don't hold up, especially when one conversation fixed it. Really? You've been holding him at arm's length for years over something that was fixed in ten minutes?
* The misunderstanding with Lexi's mom about Lexi's career goals needs to be more pronounced. We need a bigger a-ha moment.
* We need more of the story after the Happily Ever After -- an epilogue or something would have been nice.
* We need more references to the show tunes alluded to in the title -- they should have been a much bigger part of Lexi and Jake's relationship so that the HEA makes more sense. Maybe instead of tap-dancing as a kid, Jake could have been a theater nerd.

TL,DR -- it's like somebody told the author she had to stay within a certain word count, and in doing that, she failed to develop parts of the story. I say screw the word count and add some of this stuff in that will take this from a 3-star read to a 4-star read.

Quirks that irritated me:
* The token lesbian friend. You get points for including someone who isn't straight. Now use that as part of the plot instead of throwing it in as an afterthought. Let's see more of Chloe and Mia!
* Jake's dad -- why is this conflict there? It doesn't get resolved.
* The Ethan thing is awkward. Why does she feel guilty about going out with him or not going out with him? She's not doing anything wrong so why the weird scene where Jake insists on meeting Ethan? And why is Ethan mad about it?
* Lexi is 24 -- why is her dad described as a boomer? He's probably Gen X, especially if he's listening to Springsteen. Don't insult Gen X by calling us boomers.
* Don't let the redhead be the one who tells Lexi to give Josh another chance -- why should Lexi listen to her?
* Why are there two marginal characters named Amir?
* Why would any author, in the year of our lord 2023, name a character Alexa?

Lexi and Jake are likeable and easy to root for, and the basic structure is there. It just needs some help. I look forward to Lindsay Hameroff's next effort. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

Edited to add: I'm seeing some talk of a plagiarized scene in this book. I've read The Idea of You, and loved it. I don't recall the scene in question from either book, so I don't have an opinion on their similarities. But if that's true, and both author and publisher have failed to address it, that negates any support I'd give this book.

I enjoyed Lexi and Jake's story. Their romance was funny, charming and emotional. Tugged at my heartstrings and gave me some solid feels as their story unfolded.

This was such a delightful rom com! I loved the the musician and chef main characters and going behind the scenes with each of them in their professions. This book had a great setting, friendships, emotions, humor, good pacing and just the right amount of steam. Definitely recommend this book and I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Till There Was You is a romcom about a single woman, Lexi, finishing up culinary school in New York when she has a romantic weekend with a guy. Only for him to ghost her and wind up being the next hot rock star. This book was pure fun and the whole rock star, life in the public eye was entertaining but it was also a journey of growing up, forgiveness, resilience and finding what makes you happy. My only annoyance was that Lexi was so quick to ask for time off work or not be on her best at work and then act like it was an injustice. I am a GenX lawyer and all too familiar with this… but setting that aside, I flew through this one and got all the warm fuzzies. And it made me hungry for blueberry pancakes.

I had high hopes for Till There Was You. I was sucked in right away to this insta love book, it was cute and who doesn't love a good reference to The Golden Girls! However, the FMC bothered me. I felt Lexi was very immature. She wanted it all, to be able to travel with Jake, to start work as a executive chef. She was irritated when her boss denied her time off when she had already taken all her leave for the year. I did enjoy the chapters where Jake took her home. I would have liked to have seen more of that type of interaction in this book. I did think this book was cute and fun, typical for this time of trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for an ARC of Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff for an honest review.

This was a good rom-com with a nice amount of spice. I liked the second-chance aspect and the celebrity part was also really fun.