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.

This book was so cute. The cover caught my eye and im so glad! I love romcoms and this one hit the mark for me! I love me some "Love at first pancake" action haha

Super cute! So excited to have read this one and meet the author before it was released! I cannot wait to start reading the next book by Lindsay Hameroff.

Twenty-four-year-old Lexi Berman is a dedicated culinary student with her sights set on becoming an executive chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Romance isn’t on her radar, as she’s fully focused on her career.

That is, until she meets Jake Taylor, a musician playing gigs at a dive bar. Despite her strict no-dating rule, she makes an exception and spends a passionate weekend with him. But when Jake heads off to L.A. to record his demo, Lexi assumes they’ve parted ways for good, which fits perfectly with her plans.

However, she never expects Jake to skyrocket to fame after his breakout single, “Blueberry,” takes the music world by storm. And, as it turns out, the song is most likely inspired by her famous blueberry pancakes—the breakfast she made for him after their first night together.

Despite being linked to a famous pop star, could it be that Lexi and Jake are the ones meant to be together?

This sweet and spicy insta-love romance will resonate most with readers in their twenties. Unfortunately, as I’m not in that age group, it felt more like a YA story to me.

The dialogue between Lexi and her two best friends felt a bit immature, with the author’s attempts at humor coming across as forced. There were plenty of giggles, snorts, and cackles as they discussed dating and *ahem* more intimate topics (their words, not mine).

Jake, on the other hand, seemed a bit older than his twenties and almost too perfect, with his dimpled smile often being mentioned.

While the book provided an enjoyable glimpse into the worlds of culinary arts and pop stardom, I missed the more mature, sharp banter that I usually enjoy in rom-coms. The book would have fit better in the YA category, in my opinion.

3.5 stars.

I love rom coms and this should have been great, but it was just okay. I’m not a huge fan of insta-love, but the one night stand trope/weekend together makes sense. I feel like it dragged a bit in the middle, but overall it was decent.

I really enjoyed reading this one. I think the fact that they met over pancakes and that he just disappeared really played into their story and helped with the second chance trope even more than I was expecting. I really enjoyed the pacing of this and couldn't put it down.

4.5 stars

Really enjoyed this book! I am a sucker for a celebrity romance and this book was so wholesome. Jake is so down-to-earth and balances out Lexi so well. I loved the subtle Jewish rep as well. It was so fun to see Jake and Lexi on their journeys within their careers and how they help each other be the best they can be while also navigating their relationship. I did appreciate the side characters and the pieces about their families. I would definitely recommend this book. It was a fast paced, easy, and enjoyable read.

This was a fine read - but it ended up falling into the 'not for me' category. Over the past year, I've really honed in on my personal reading tastes regarding celebrity and this book just didn't hit the mark for my personal preferences. I remember almost not requesting this ARC due to the fact that the MMC is a celebrity but I ended up giving in since I do generally enjoy chef/cooking romance books. I also found the timeline to be a bit too much to try and fit into one book. Our MCs meet one night and have a 'perfect weekend' together before they end up not speaking for a year. Then, they are reunited and the book continues from there to have a full-blast romance plot arc. It felt like the first section was meant to be a prologue but grew and ended up being the first 20% of the book. I loved the 'perfect weekend' set up but I think there was too much time between that and the romance rekindling that it made the book feel like it was dragging on and on. I did really enjoy both characters exploring their relationship with the reality of their dream jobs and familial expectations and I would read from this author again.

Tropes: Celebrity, Second Chance, One Night Stand to More

Standalone

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. Publication date was February 20, 2024.