I would love to support your authors, but unfortunately it seems as though St. Martin's Press and Wednesday books would prefer to stay quiet about the vile posts made by your employee. These statements were anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, Queerphobic, and made even more vile by the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. Your influencers want to know that St. Martin’s Press is committed to the safety and well being of ALL of their influencers, employees, and authors.

This is not a reflection on the author or the story in any way, shape, or form.

So, despite the Elder Millennial obsession, a QUEER WOMAN (side character) is shocked to find "another human being" who likes The Golden Girls? Come on.

I felt like this about every reference, every conversation, including internal ones.

This dude literally can't cut potatoes and thinks saying "prologue" is impressive. He ghosted a woman he liked for barely any reason. I don't need mediocre men in my books.

I say this as the daughter of a musician: meh

DNF 35ish%

Til There Was You is a cute insta-love, second-chance romance story. Despite the few tropes and some slightly silly parts that I had to overlook, it was a nice story and was entertaining.

**Spoilers ahead:** There were some parts in the story that frustrated me like Jake (MMC) essentially ghosting Lexi (FMC) after he got signed with a record label and the reason behind that, and then at the end when Lexi realizes after Jake brings it up that being a chef or being an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant isn't her thing or her dream. I found that to be a little weird since she seemed to genuinely like her career path throughout the entire book. I never picked up any hint that it wasn't her thing. So it felt like a quick way for the author to "fix" the issue of her career path not meshing well with his and touring the world etc. That being said, I did enjoy reading this story and my nitpicks about certain aspects in the story weren't terrible enough, in my opinion, that it warrants a lower star rating.

4.5/5 ⭐️

Grab a stack of blueberry pancakes and a tall glass of iced sweet tea to sip on while diving into the love story of two pressured souls in the busiest industries in the world: the culinary (Lexi) and music (Jake) industries. Their romance moves fast which causes conflict when their careers do too. Will Jake’s fame keep her from her dreams? Or will they find that they both are unhappy and only happy when together?

Overall a pretty short read where love is simple and real but life is complicated. I loved the conflict and reality in their romance. Real life sometimes makes it hard to find time and space for love, and this very much shows it. (To an exaggerated extent.)

Also, we get a Gordon Ramsey reference…but a scene where Jake cooks for her and she calls him an “IDIOT!” 🤬 because it’s missing salt or something would have been hilarious!

This book was AMAZING!!! Till There Was You was honestly my most anticipated read of 2024, and it did not disappoint! It's a chef/rockstar romance, instalove but also second chance! I loved Lexi and Jake, and their love story was so swoon worthy! I do wish we had gotten to see some of Jake's POV, but I really loved Lexi's character arc throughout the book. I also loved the side characters, and I hope we get to see their stories in the future! This book also made me so hungry, so make sure you don't read on an empty stomach. You will be craving blueberry pancakes throughout. I highly recommend this book!
Also: We need more Chad.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I quite liked this book in parts and would say it was a solid 3.5 stars for a debut. Till There was You is a cute rom com type book. Lexi is an aspiring chef, and Jake Taylor is an aspiring musician. They meet at a dive bar after an outing with Lexi's friends. Jake is there to perform - just before he goes to record a demo in L. A. They spend a magical weekend together, in which Lexi makes him blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

After a weekend, which was an instant like, Lexi doesn't hear from Jake again. She finishes culinary school and gets a job as a line cook in a popular Mediterranean restaurant. From watching Food Network, I know work in a kitchen is a hierarchy, and it takes years to move up to sous chef. Lexi finds Jake at her door one night, as he's back in town to record his second album. They have it out, Jake apologies, They decide to be friends. Honestly, he's cute but it wears off. He's pretty much a golden retriever in human form but also immature and a little selfish. When Jake and Lexi start up again, she puts her job in a secondary priority. I get that chopping vegetables isn't glamorous or creative, but it's paying dues. Lexi seems to be a good chef but creative? I've read other cheffy books that were more interesting. The dishes she makes her friends sound good, but nothing original or her own.

I had a hard time with the romance because I didn't feel like they quite meshed. Maybe I liked Jake's mom more than him? Lexi's mom died of cancer when she was 16, and then her dad moved on, remarried, and moved to Florida. Her main friendships with Chloe and Ali were fine, I just felt like they were a little 2 dimensional. While I enjoyed the ending, I also rolled my eyes at the rich famous beautiful people in Jake's life. The comparison was very black and white. I also enjoyed the Jewish representation, but it wasn't the focus of the book. I truly don't understand the folks giving this author 1 star reviews. She says nothing in this book about Israel or the Middle East. It takes place entirely in NYC with trips to LA and Georgia. Goodreads needs to do bette4 on removing fake reviews. Anyway, I liked this book - 3.5 stars out on Feb 20, 2024. Trigger warning for childhood loss of mother to cancer, awful famous people, discussing sexual harassment in kitchens.

This. Book!

I smiled. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to shake some sense into some characters, high five others, and maybe throat punch some too. This book had me all over the feels spectrum and is a new favorite.

With a debut novel, Lindsay Hameroff launched herself to the top of my instant buy list—I am ecstatic for what’s to come in the future from this incredible author.

I got maybe halfway before I took a break. The story is cute, but also a little corny at times. I'm not sure I will get back to reading this book, but I might before it comes out. It was definitely a case of "it's not you, it's me."

The spices lingering in the air, mixed with the heat from the oven, gave her a warmth in her heart that made her smile. Cooking was therapeutic and made her feel at home. It almost made her feel as good as the guy on stage singing lyrics all about her.

Till There Was You is a romance following Lexi, an aspiring chef who meets a guy at a bar who winds up becoming a famous singer. His overnight celebrity status after their one weekend of passion sets her life onto a path she never expected.

One thing I liked about this book was the food descriptions and Lexi in the kitchen cooking. It gave food network show feels and I enjoyed that aspect. I wish there had been more of that. Other than the cooking, I wasn’t a fan of the rest of the story. I couldn’t root for Jake and Lexi… didn’t like how he treated her and how she would just accept him right back. Didn’t like how he would just plop himself in her life with a disregard to how his actions affected her. I just didn’t feel their chemistry. I was hoping to love this one because the premise sounds so cute, but this one was a miss for me.

If you’re a fan of strangers to lovers, one of them is famous, cooking shows, and music… then you may enjoy this one.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for sending me this ARC!

I loved this book, I loved the romance between Jake and Lexi and there rocky road to happily ever after. I really enjoyed Lexi’s inner turmoil over the choice between her career and love and Jake’s unrelenting support, I really liked the closure Lexi got with her father and the loss of her mother as well, and all of the secondary characters in the book were so funny and well rounded, and I would love to see another book about them. I did feel like the book was too long overall and could have been shortened for continuity and pacing purposes but I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend

I was really hoping to love this one but it ended up being just okay for me. I love books about celebrity/fame so that aspect was right up my alley. I also love books about food/cooking so this combination should have been the perfect recipe, pun intended.
Ultimately I didn’t really love the romance and the rest of the plot lines didn’t do enough to support the mediocre romantic storyline. The romance definitely felt like instalove to me and I didn’t feel connected enough to the couple to really root for their second chance. The plot felt slow and the conversations and conflicts got repetitive.
This was cute but a bit boring. It was a nice story and I enjoyed the NYC setting. I do think this author has some promise and, knowing that this is only her debut novel, I’d be interested in trying out a future novel of hers.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goshhhh! Here we are 7 days into the new year and I already know this book will be in my top 10 of 2024. This is one romance you won’t want to miss out on…and a new author to be on the lookout for!

After an incredibly cute run in with a hot musician at a bar, Lexi was completely stunned to hear him singing a broadway song…and here’s the catch: it was all for her. Lexi and Jake quickly discovered that although they were complete opposites, they had a lot of similar interests like broadway shows and The Golden Girls.

The had an insta-love that was so beautiful to watch unfold. Jake stayed with Lexi for the weekend and the rest was, quite literally, history. He left after the weekend to go sign a record deal in LA and never returned.

Fast forward 15 months and Jake’s back. Meanwhile Lexi is hurt and confused why he just up and left with no explanation. Oh, and did I mention Jake wrote multiple hit songs ABOUT LEXI while he was away. He was an overnight sensation that the entire world was obsessed with while Lexi was struggling to work her way up the ladder at work and become a chef. A chart topping celeb and a normal-person chef. Complete opposites.

Though famous, Jake was always so caring and wanted the best for Lexi. Their relationship was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Of course, there was a lot of drama that came with the fame and it truly made Lexi question everything on several occasions. I truly wasn’t sure whether we’d get the happy ending we all wanted or if Jake would walk away and be consumed by the fame.

If I can recommend one thing, make sure you preorder this book or be on the lookout for it in stores on February 20th. I can’t wait to add this one to my physical collection! I can’t wait to see more from this author in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

A cute foodie romance about an ambitious culinary student, Lexi, who has a steamy night with dive bar musician, Jake. Things take a turn when Jake becomes an overnight celebrity with a hit song about her blueberry pancakes. Can they make it work?

This was a sweet, quick romcom with plenty of instalove and celebrity romance vibes. I enjoyed the humor and the food aspect.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

i am participating in the publicity boycott of saint martins press and all it’s imprints. therefore, I will not review this book until SMP speaks up on the matter and reassures the concerns and security of all it’s readers. This is in no way meant to harm the author. Thank you for the oppurtunity.

Culinary student Lexi Berman, 24, has one goal: to make her late mother proud by becoming an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant. And she isn’t going to let anything–or anyone–get in the way. But when she meets Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician who charms her with show tunes, she makes a rare exception to her no-dating rule. After a steamy weekend together, Jake leaves for L.A. to record his demo, and Lexi never expects to see him again. And she definitely doesn’t expect him to become an overnight celebrity, with a breakout single that’s almost certainly about her famous blueberry pancake recipe.

As Jake’s star rises and the world speculates about the subject of his song, Lexi keeps the affair to herself. After all, she’s finally found her footing at her new restaurant job, and even has a prospective romance with her coworker. But when a distraught Jake turns up on her doorstep late one night, her carefully-laid plans are thrown for a loop. Though she and Jake try to be friends, things between them soon reheat faster than a bowl of Lexi's matzah ball soup. But a relationship with Jake means risking her face in tabloids, withstanding cruel internet comments, and worst of all, jeopardizing her career. As Jake’s upcoming tour approaches, and rumors swirl about him and another pop star, Lexi has to decide if holding onto her meticulously-planned future is worth walking away from what could be the perfect recipe for love.

Set both in the chaos of fame and the high stakes world of New York City restaurants, this novel sprinkles in a second chance at love and a dollop of celebrity drama to create a romantic romp that will make even the most jaded reader smile.
4.5 stars
Such a sweet and romantic read.
My heart melts like ice cream while reading this

Loved this so much. I really liked the story line and it was such a cute romance. I thought the time jump was great and then the way they come back together. Really liked the chemistry between the two. Anything involving food and music sign me up.

This was a cute story that combined two of my favorite things food and cute musicians that play guitar. Jake and Lexi meet while she is in culinary school and he is performing at a bar. They spend a weekend together and then lose touch. There’s a time jump and he becomes a famous musician and has a hit song about her and she is working to make her dreams of being a chef come true. I thought this book was cute, and I’m a sucker for wavy haired men that play guitar. But, I did find this a little repetitive at times and it was a bit predictable. But I was entertained and liked the story overall.

Lexi Berman is an aspiring chef, specifically aspiring to be an executive chef in a Michelin star restaurant. Nothing is going to stand in her way of that, which means no dating and no distractions whatsoever. Jake Taylor is a dive bar musician aspiring for the big leagues.
Their paths cross on a perfect, spicy weekend but then Jake disappears from Lexi’s life and she expects to never see him again. Especially not his face on billboards all across New York City. 15 months later, the now stunningly famous Jake Taylor ends up on Lexi’s doorstep again. But everything is different now and Lexi has no idea how to keep her life balanced. Will their love be the perfect recipe or will it go up in flames?

I DEVOURED this book (literally in like less than a day).
Two big indicators of how much I liked this book: 1. I LOVED Jake 2. I actually cried real tears. This really really surprised me!! There is far more depth in Till There Was You than I ever expected and I was so pleasantly surprised. Learning that this is a debut novel is also super surprising to me but makes me all the more impressed.

This book is perfect for you if you like:
- Insta love
- Second chance romances
- Cinnamon roll heros
- Cooking shows
- Strong female friendships
- New York City
- Blueberry pancakes specifically

Thank you to Lindsay Hameroff, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so cute! I really enjoyed the story and the authors writing style. My only complaint is the third act breakup, but I know that’s a classic trope in romance books these days. I also felt the pace was a bit slow and unclear.

Thank you so much to Lindsay Hameroff and St. Martian's Press for the ARC of this book. This is my first read by Lindsay and it was such a treat! I could not put this book down! Lexi and Jake's love story is addictive. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves romances.