It's been a long time since I picked up a romance novel this good - I could not put it down, and read it all in one sitting!

Celebrities dating normal people is one of my favourite tropes, so I went in with high expectations, but the second-chance romance aspect ended up being the highlight for me. Lindsay did an a great job showing us how Lexi and Jake have both grown and changed, which really made me fall in love with them both as individuals, and as a couple. Lexi was every bit the disaster I was at 24 (father-daughter relationship issues included), and that character arc in particular really resonated with me. They are such an easy couple to root for.

The only criticism I have is that the ending felt too abrupt - it would have been nice to be able to enjoy their happiness for a little while longer. Regardless, this was a really fun read, and I'm looking forward to more from this author!

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

I really loved the cover. Insta - love romances are not for me. I wish there was more character development. I wasn’t connected enough to root for their second chance. It had much more of a YA vibe which I wasn’t anticipating. Overall I do absolutely love the cover, that was my favorite part.

Jake and Lexi could have had a more swoon-w0rthy story. They had a weekend fling filled with lots of chemistry, but that part was written too fast. The fallout and aftermath was all of the place. She's a Michelein star chef and he's a rockstar musician that ends up ghosting her... a predictble, unoriginal, young-adult storyline.

I felt their characterization was immature and selfish. Instead of caring about their relationship and if they end up together, I did not feel connected their story because they were unlikeable.

Other people will like this. I was disappointed and cannot recommend it except for the cover and their first meeting.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lindsay Hammeroff and St MArtins's Press Griffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 2/20/2024

This was a really fun book to read - read it in one day! The story kept me coming back and I loved the realness of the relationship and the situation. Feeling this passion, as Lexi felt for cooking and Jake felt for singing and performing, and then stopping at nothing to pursue it.

I think how Lexi and Jake met made perfect sense - Lexi is very glued to her five year plan, so of course the one night she deviates slightly from that plan is when she meets the love of her life. Jake was such a sweet career and despite Lexi's lack of faith at times in their relationship given his rising fame, his loyalty and love had him reminding her that they were meant to be and he would always be there for her.

I really enjoyed seeing Lexi grow into herself, and honestly would have loved to see a few chapters from Jake's POV too. This book is a single POV from Lexi's perspective. I loved her friends - Chloe, Ali, and Mia - and would love to see their stories one day too!

My one critique is that this book overall felt borderline YA to me at times. Everything is closed door and the slight lack of banter made it feel a bit YA to me at times, just right on the edge.

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

Til There Was You is a fun 2nd chance at romance novel featuring an aspiring chef and a soon to be music star. I loved the meet cute turned steamy weekend at the beginning. The chemistry between the main characters was 🔥.
When Jake leaves to pursue his music, Lexi puts her focus into making her dream of being a chef in a Michelin-star restaurant come true.
This is were my interest decreased just a little bit. I thought plot lines were forced and would have wanted to see more of Jake's rise to stardom. The characters were great and I rooted for them both individually and together. Lexi's friend group was BFF goals.
Definitely a great book to get lost in. Perfect for those looking to clean their palate so to say after a heavy book.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an early digital copy to read and honestly review.

"Till There Was You" was definitely an experience. The pacing in the book is not always consistent and it makes it a little confusing and unrealistic. The fact that they felt an instant connection felt rushed and the way they reconnected was also a bit odd seeing as we didn't see them spend as much time together in this second chance rom-com. With this, the characters had some development such as Lexi, the main character, but it was still very surface level. I feel like we didn't really get to uncover what the characters were about on the inside. Even the side characters like her two best friends felt sort of like they were just following a script. However, I did enjoy the book and there were some moments that you could feel the chemistry between Lexi and Jake. It was an interesting trope with a pop star and a chef that I hadn't read before, but there was more that could have been added to make the book even better. It was a cute romance and a nice sort of quick read/palate cleanser type of book. A little too light and fluffy in my opinion. Overall still a nice book.

Till There Was You was a cute, fast-paced, second chance romance. Lexi & Jake meet and immediately you feel their instant connection. Jake gets famous overnight and basically ghosts Lexi. When they are reunited I did feel that the explanations were not fleshed out enough, but I loved them navigating their way back to each other. Could’ve done without the celebrity drama and the dreaded 3rd act breakup- and Jake’s naivety when it came to Vinny and Madison (blinders anyone??) but it was a fun read that had my heart pounding.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the creativity in it. Lexi was a really great character and I loved how she went after her dreams to be a chef. She is highly independent and, for the most part, has her life together. Jake seems like a fun time and that exactly what he is after they meet and have excellent chemistry! However, things change nearly overnight for Jake as he becomes a celebrity. I think the young chef/celebrity pairing is a rare one so I enjoyed seeing it. I think the author could’ve left out some of the details of food/the kitchen because it made it feel slightly forced. However, I like that the author didn’t write song lyrics and kinda left hearing the music up to the reader. I really enjoyed the overall plot of the book even if some of the ending was highly predictable. I could’ve done without the 3rd act breakup, but I didn’t mind it as much with the celebrity trope in this book. The supportive best friends and family made this book more enjoyable and I only wish there was more time with Jake’s family. Overall, this was a really fun and relaxing read although some of the romance scenes just didn’t work (don’t write detail if you feel uncomfortable writing it because I felt awkward to read). 3.75⭐️, 2.25🌶

In Till There Was You, Lexi and Jake serendipitously meet at a New York City bar when they’re both on the cusp of fulfilling their dreams: Jake as a singer/songwriter and Lexi as a professional chef. After spending a steamy weekend together where they formed a strong emotional bond, he heads to LA to record a demo album and she returns to her culinary school classroom, both hoping to take up where they left off when he returns, but fate has other plans. What are the chances that an overnight sensation and a fledgling chef can carve a path to happily-ever-after, especially when everything from Jake’s self-serving agent to a promise Lexi made to her late mother are pushing them in the wrong direction?

The relationship that Hameroff created for these two is honest, fun, supportive, trusting and heartwarming, so readers will root for them to fall in love, despite circumstances and choices that pull them apart. As Lexi’s insecurities over her mother’s death and her father’s abandonment (when he quickly remarries and moves away) have her convinced that Jake won’t stick around as his star ascends, he sees her as a grounding influence, a muse, and the only person who truly cares about him, not his celebrity. So, when the third act break-up inevitably happens, although it is not what either want, it’s not due to a frustrating lack of communication or wrong assumptions authors often use gratuitously. It’s because these two need time to figure out if they’re pursuing the right dream and if they can prioritize the love that’s been so evident from the beginning. For readers who like insta-love, second chance romances with a bit of spice and a lot of heartfelt emotion, this one hits all the marks.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This is a fun, entertaining read. Jake and Lexi are interesting, relatable, captivating, entertaining, intriguing characters. I enjoyed them as individuals and as a couple. I enjoyed their on-page time together from the start. Jake, I wanted more of him 😊. The various secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. Hopefully we’ll get more of some of these side character – Ali, Choe and Mia – in future books 😊. I love the family and friendship in the story and the roles they played. I did want more to the ending than what we got. The story is easy to get into and read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Till There Was You follows Lexi who wants to become an executive chef in a Michelin star restaurant. She is not going to let anyone get in the way of her dreams. Then she meets Jake Taylor at a dive bar who is an up and coming musician. They spend one weekend together before Jake leaves for LA. Lexi never expects to see him again. Soon Jake releases a song that is about Lexi. But she finally is getting closer to her dreams and thinks nothing of it. But then Jake turns up at her doorstep one night and throws her plans for a loop. Has Jake gets more famous so does his feelings for Lexi. And they have to decide if it is worth being together.

This was a really cute book. This was one I read because I thought the cover was cute. I did feel like this was similar to other romance books I have read. But this was a really good book for being written by a debut author. I do look forward to reading other books by her in the future. I did feel like this book was lacking some plot development. I felt like it seemed rushed in some points. But overall I really enjoyed it.

A wonderful story of growth, maturing and finding that special someone. Lexi and Jake are perfect together.

What a FANTASTIC debut! I absolutely love celebrity romances, and this one was fun, charming, heartwarming, funny and real. I enjoyed every moment of it and stayed up way too late finishing it. It made me laugh (many, many times), it made me cry, and it made me extremely hungry. My next order of business is finding some blueberry pancakes at the earliest opportunity. I can't wait to see what Hameroff does next!

This was a great debut. I enjoyed the writing, the premise, and the banter. It was instalove. There no burn. There was no groveling. They were just in love. I will pick up more from this author.

“Till There Was You” is the perfect celebrity romance to pick up this Valentine’s season! Lexi and Nathan are endearing as individual characters and as a couple. The spicy scenes are well executed, and the romance feels so authentic and believable. This was such a fun book to read, and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of “Till There Was You.” Overall, I enjoyed this book which detailed the romance between chef Lexi and musician Jake. The conflict seemed believable, if not a bit predictable (meddling manager + scheming colleagues definitely make an appearance). I liked the scenes with the characters families and think both Lexi and Jake showed growth over the course of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins press for this early release of Til There Was You. Unfortunately this one was not for me. I’m not a fan of romances where the couples meet and fall into bed instantly and this one was fully in that category. Seemed a lot of a stretch and just not my vibe. I’m sure it would be great for many romance readers.

Ooo such a good book! I loved the premise and the characters! Jake and Lexi have such a good friendship that you can’t help but root for them when they are in the same scene. Jake truly cares for Lexi and you can see it even though you never get his POV which really says something about the writing!

Lexi is so strong but stubborn and she needed someone like Jake to push her through and make changes in her life! Both characters fight for their dreams and I love how respectful of each other’ works out so well!

The Deuxmoi sighting was random and had no build up or brought up again, that wasn’t necessary, it just felt odd and misplaced but other than that I loved the book!

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @stmartinspress for an early copy of Till There Was You by @lindsayhameroff. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Release date: February 20th, 2024

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127281207-till-there-was-you?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=1jWJijkJCh&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

Lexi and Jake’s chemistry in Till There Was You was phenomenal. Despite only having the weekend together before going their separate ways, there’s a promise that their relationship, or at least palpable attraction for each other, isn’t going to be forgotten anytime soon. Like most celebrity falls for normal girl romance novels, this one is also shrouded by the social/fame status gap.

I empathized with Lexi for the majority of the book, how hurt she felt when Jake ghosted her after their spectacular and amazing weekend together, how after his instant fame, he finally finds his way back to her and feels confused and happy at the same time, and most especially when she felt so stressed, emotional, and insecure, thinking that Jake should be with someone as famous and glamorous as he is.

For a debut novel, the author had me engaged throughout the book, and she made me so emotional as she wove through the story with such compelling and passionate characters. She also gave them the character growth I was looking for, albeit making me teary-eyed during most of it.

I most definitely enjoyed reading Till There Was You and loved all the Broadway references and the banter. I’m looking forward to reading more of Lindsay Hameroff’s work in the future!

What a sweet and adorable romance! I really enjoyed this book — the characters were cute, their second chance at love was realistic and the romance was swoon-worthy. I also loved the food aspect — both the home cooking and in the professional kitchen. Lexi's friends were supportive and really entertaining too! There was some miscommunication in the book that I felt was repetitive and a little overdone, but it didn't deter my overall enjoyment of the book. I can't wait to read more from Lindsay Hameroff in the future!