This was so stinking cute! I was definitely drawn to this for the cover and I was not disappointed. While I really liked all the characters and the peaks into the restaurant/kitchen world I was most impressed by how much the author was able to pack into this book. So much happened but it never felt too long, dragged out, or like something wasn’t relevant.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, second chance romance I recommend picking this one up! I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Till There Was You!

I recently read Till There Was You, an adorable Romance by Lindsay Hameroff. We follow Lexi, who is focused on making her mark in culinary school in NYC. While out one night, she meets Jake, a musician and they have an intense fling. After the weekend together, he has to go to LA but swears he’ll be in touch. Of course, he goes AWOL only to reappear months later as a major star.⁣
⁣
This was a very cute story and although I’m not a fan of insta love, this was a bit believable to me. The friendships that they have with others were wonderful and I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at both the culinary world and the music industry. ⁣
⁣
Would not recommend if you’re going low carb because they mention Lexi’s famous blueberry pancakes ALL THE TIME! It gave me a serious craving 🥞. I will definitely read more from this author.⁣
⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
⁣
Thank you @Netgalley and @StMartinPress @StMartinGriffin for the opportunity to review this ARC.

This was such a sweet story that had me feeling all the feels. I absolutely loved the male main character, Jake. He makes his mistakes but he bounces back from them so well. And the main character, Lexi, was so relatable. She was confident and insecure all at the same time. I wish there was an epilogue….we got our HEA but I needed a bit more.

Have you ever read a book and immediately became so wrapped up and in love with the characters and their relationship from the very moment they meet?
Well that's what Till There Was You was for me.

This book is not just about the romantic relationships, but all the other relationships in Lexi's life.
Lexi lost her mother at a very young age, and held onto this belief that her mother would be disappointed if she didn't follow her dream of being a chef.

Everything Lexi has ever worked for is for her mother, and she doesn't have time to be distracted.
She has a very strained relationship with her father, keeping him at an arms length. She felt betrayed when her father remarried and moved away after
the loss of her mother. She never really tried having a relationship with
her mother-in-law, who was never able to have kids of her own, and just wants to be a mother figure to Lexi.

Despite Lexi pushes them both away, they respect her boundaries and are patient and kind with her. Which is why when Lexi wants to run and push away Jake I can understand that would happen more than once. It's not easy healing from our traumas and not being triggered by the little things. Especially when Jake hurt her once already.

Speaking of relationships...we will get to Jake and the grand gestures, but man, I loved Ali and Chloe so much!
They are the kind of friends we all strive to have. They are the friends that are with you at your lowest, and to help you feel like a boss when you just want to stay home in sweatpants and watch Golden Girls. The girlies that will go with you to help you make a grand gesture no matter how convenient. They were so awesome. Lexi was also a good friend despite everything she was going through. She always made time for her girls and made sure they knew that their lives were just as important.

That's what I loved about Lexi. She had such a kind heart full of empathy. She was also willing to give people a chance, but she was also not afraid to stand up for herself when push came to shove.

Now onto the main part of the story. Her and Jake meet and it's instant attraction. You want these two so desperately to be together and find a way back to each other. There were also so many grand gestures, and I loved everyone one of them.
There were so many sweet scenes with them where both of them were learning how to be honest with each other. My favorite scene reminded me of Thirteen Going on 30, and that is never a bad thing. I could go on and on, but that would spoil the book. One of my favorite parts about their love story was the way they were able to be silly and themselves with each other, and how they both shared a loved for musical theater.

Reading this book filled me with so many amazing, beautiful, wonderful feelings

In this story Lexi learns that sometimes you have to adjust your dreams when you get older, and that it's OK. Life can be messy and complicated, but you have to live for yourself and not others. When you find the one your soul was meant to find you hold on tight and never let go.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for approving this arc.

Sexy, charming, and full of beloved pop culture references, “Till There Was You” is a rom-com that played right into my interests. The behind the scenes peek at the life of an aspiring chef was well written in contrast to the fast rising fame of a musician/ pop star. I wanted a bit more from the subplots involving Ethan & Madison though. Ultimately those conflicts felt a little thin. The found family girl tribe that Lexi has gathered are great; the kind of support we all want. The wild conclusion made me chuckle. Overall this was a fun, entertaining read that I would recommend to foodies and lovers of celebrity alike. It has heart and spice in equal measure

This was a perfect rom-com! I enjoyed Lex and Jake! This had everything I wanted in a rom-com with the second chance romance and insta-love connection. The banter and humor fell felt for me and I felt it was a but much throughout the book. I appreciate that it was more of a closed door romance which makes for a light read. I'm excited to read more from the author!

Thank you NetGalley, Lindsay Hameroff and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. Thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5/5

relatable FMC
Normie/Celebrity
Grand gesture
1st POV FMC Lexie
Jewish rep
Comedic timing *chefs kiss*
Insta love

This sweet romcom is another perfect read for summer. Light and fluffy should be in the description. While there is a lack of depth I think people will still enjoy this for the comedic moments, mouth savoring food, and the glitter and glitz of dating a celebrity. I would've loved to see a little more character depth but overall a decent read.

dnf 17% I am just not enjoying this one. I absolutely love the color, but I'm not connecting with the characters and I keep finding little tiny things to nitpick so I think I just need to stop in stead of forcing myself to finish a book I'm not enjoying. There's nothing "wrong" with the book, it just isn't working for me.

Till There Was You is a cute medium spice romance featuring a young chef and her impulsive fling with a dive bar musician turned overnight rockstar. I felt the chemistry throughout and loved how they prioritized their careers when need be and didn't when they chose to prioritize each other. I appreciated the insight into culinary school and first kitchen jobs and what it takes to make it in the restaurant industry. The cast of supporting characters was diverse and quirky, and I can only hope for a few follow-up books to explore Lexi's besties' romantic escapades!

Great debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Celebrity x Chef that I didn't know that I needed.

Lexi sometimes annoyed me but it was a believable internal conflict that she was going through. Jake Taylor...the fictional man that you are.

Just the right amount of down-to-earth and celebrity.

An all-over good time.

This was wild!

Let me start by saying this book made me hungry countless times so let that be your warning. Now, with that said, "Till There Was You" by Lindsay Hameroff gives us the story of Lexi and Jake who after having a weekend long (YES, you read that right) supposed one night stand, fall in love. But fame, endless hours in the restaurant kitchen, and lots of paparazzi put at risk the blooming relationship.

I had a fun tine reading this book, the drama was non stop and I related a lot to Lexi and her insecurities. I also really loved Jake's mom, literally my favorite character. Now, this book also deals with the grief and loss of a parent so if that is something triggering to you, maybe skip this one.

Going to a dive bar with her friends, Lexi Berman stayed for a while after her friends left. That is when she met Jake Taylor, who was there to sing. They seemed to have chemistry and spent the weekend together. Jake has an opportunity to record a demo in LA and leaves on Monday with a promise to see her soon. Unfortunately, he is an overnight sensation and forgets all about Lexi. She never told anyone who she spent the weekend with, so she shares her heartache alone. What makes it harder is his hit song was about her. She has now graduated culinary school and now working at a restaurant hoping to work her way up to head chef. The last thing she ever expected was for Jake to show up at her doorstep now a year later. Their relationship showed they needed each other but with the press, his agent, and rumors caused their relationship to be hard for both of them. They tried to protect each other and at the same time wanted to be together. I liked how her friends stood by her and when she needed them, they were there for her.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy.

As someone who loves celebrity romances, breakfast food, Jewish rep and NYC this was the perfect read for me! From the very first page, I was sucked in and enamored by Lexi and her friends. I loved how emotionally intelligent Jake was and I loved getting to know the whole cast of characters. I loved when Lexi and Jake met Jake's mom, Trish and those small private moments throughout the book. The writing was fun and I loved the whole story. If Chloe were straight, I'd love a story about her and Chad. This was so much fun and I'm looking forward to more from this author!

Cute. Chef swore off dating but decides to break it for a musician. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Review - 3.5 stars (rounding up to 4 for review sites)

After meeting & having a one night stand (that turns into a one weekend-stand) Lexi & Jake have a connection, but he's leaving to try to pursue his music career + she's working on her lifelong dream of being a chef. Fast forward one year-ish later, one hit song that made Jake famous & Lexi is finally working her way towards being a chef & Jake finds Lexi again - can they pick up where they left off or will stardom & a very rigorous work schedule keep them apart?

I enjoyed this one a lot & it left a smile on my face. I love the celebrity/regular person trope + the behind the scenes of the chef life (I adored the show The Bear & this reminded me a tinyyyyy bit of that). Jake is extremely swoony & Lexi is sweet. This was a nice easy read & hit me right when I needed it. Pick this one up if you crave blueberry pancakes or just adore cinnamon roll musicians!!

Huge thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

Solid 3.5 rounded up to 4

The premise of the book was a lot of fun but it wasn't a homerun for me. I felt like the MMC was a bit flat and didn't have much appeal besides his apparent good looks. The FMC was the more likeable character and I found myself rooting for her, with or without the guy. I also wasn't a big fan of the rehashing of every major interaction with her friends and, as the reader, having to essentially read the same thing twice with the addition of some BFF quips. I just usually don't like gossipy friends in books to begin with.

It was a fun read that made me hungry but didn't convince me that the two main characters were meant for each other.

Till There Was You is exactly the type of rom-com that I enjoy.

One night culinary student Lexi Berman goes out with her friends to let off some steam. Later in the evening she interacts with a local musician, Jake Taylor. After a magical night in NYC together they end up spending the weekend together. On Monday, Jake is off to LA to record a demo and Lexi is back to school. Later in the week when she gets a late night call from Jake played a gig at an open mic night and someone from a recording agency heard him and wants to sign him. That's the last time Lexi heard from Jake until a year later when he turns up at her door. Now Jake is a well-known pop-country star and Lexi is working her way up in the restaurant agency and trying to forget the magical weekend she had with Jake. She never thought she'd see him again, but him at her door changes everything.

I love storylines where a famous person dates a "normal" person. Isn't that the dream at one point that your celeb crush will see you in a crowd and say "that's the person I want to be with". Well Till There Was You is just like that or at least gave me those feelings. Jake and Lexi have immediate chemistry with each other that you can't help but cheer for them to get back together. Besides the romantic elements, it makes both characters think about what makes them happy. Is Lexi happy in her restaurant situation? Is fame all Jake thought it would be cracked up to be? What does happiness mean?

Thank you to Netgalley and Griffin for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

I love a good rom-com full of all the cheesy, lovey goodness that just makes me smile. Til There Was You is just that. It’s a feel-good, laugh out loud, cry at the grand-gesture ending, smile at the corny insta-love, story that doesn’t need to be anything more than it is. Just enjoy it! But seriously- that ending!!! Swoon-worthy.

Lexi and Jake have instant chemistry, but ultimately a love that’s years in the making. It’s really adorable to read, and would be the perfect book to bring on a plane or on vacation. It’s light and satisfying, and overall was a pleasure to read. 3.75 ⭐️

A note…. I read a review mentioning the language the author uses as being very YA, which made me really confused. The examples were that Lexi and her friends “snort, cackle and giggle”, and that the rhetoric basically was too juvenile. For reference, I’m 40 and I cackle and giggle with my bestie non-stop and absolutely use all 3 of those terms on the daily. The characters may be in their mid 20s, but love is enjoyable for all and it’s ok to read books for any age, at any age.

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC, in exchange for my unbiased review.

I wanted to like one. It has some great tropes and sounds so good. Unfortunately, the execution didn't deliver for me.
I am not a huge fan of insta love, though I do feel Lexi and Jake had great chemistry.
Her friends were constantly saying things like all men suck got old very quickly. They came off more like 19-year-olds. Jake is really the only character I liked, and he even has some major faults.
I think the overuse of pop culture was also a tad much.
Ultimately, this one just isn't for me.

Lexi had a whirlwind weekend with a cute guy singing in a bar, Jake. When Jake leaves to record his demo in LA, he promises Lexi he'll keep in touch. Lexi doesn't hear back from Jake, and slowly attempts to heal her broken heart, while being haunted by Jake's rising star around every corner, on every radio and on every bus.

Months later, Jake shows up on her doorstep with nothing but his guitar, looking for a place to crash. With Jake's tour looming, Lexi has to decide if she should give Jake another chance or if he's only using her for new material- as suggested by his rumored pop star girlfriend. Sparks fly in this adorable second chance romance!