I cannot contain my overwhelming obsession with this book. Every step of the way, I was fully engrossed in the story, absolutely in love with the characters, and completely anxious over what would happen to them in this book.
Not to mention the fact that this was debut?? Call me a fan because I will be looking eagerly for her next book!!

The following thoughts will be semi coherent screaming because I am completely in love with this book. But they will be spoiler free thoughts:
- I was, with no exaggeration whatsoever, laying on my floor kicking my feet while reading this book. I was squealing and texting my friend in all caps over how much I was loving reading this.
- Lexi was completely relatable - minus the stellar cooking skills of which I have none - which made her so fun to read about, knowing that she was making genuinely believable life choices and facing consequences of those choices.
- Jake is perfect? I got to the end of a romcom and didn't utterly despise the lead... I'm as shocked as you are!
- A chef and a celebrity singer?? I needed it and now that I have it I want to treasure it forever.
- This was basically the plot of every celebrity fanfiction ever, but did that take away from how much I was obsessed? Not one bit.
- This book was so tastefully romantic. The spice was so very minimal and I loved it. I can't say it was necessarily closed door, but I would say the door is only cracked open.
- The romantic scenes were beautiful and I could not get over how thoughtful both Lexi and Jake were. They had genuinely meaningful conversations and for much of the book, they actually communicated well to avoid pointless drama (a breath of fresh air for romcoms honestly)
- THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES!!! I could not stop squealing at how every reference felt somehow personally tailored to me individually - Twilight, Broadway, Les Mis, Golden Girls, Titanic, The Price is Right, and THE BACKSTREET BOYS?? Literally could not have written a book that was better suited to me as a person. (Did I accidentally write this book somehow??)

Was this perfect by everyone's standards? No. But was it perfect for my standards? YES.

✩°｡⋆Till There Was You⋆｡°✩
4⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️

An aspiring chef and an up-and-coming singer, mix that with a bit of drama and romance. Lexi and Jacob (Jake Taylor) met one night while he sings at a bar, from there their one week romance blooms. She inspired his number one song, he made her feel like herself and become her old self.

Jake leaves for LA to pursue his singing career while Lexi stays in New York to pursue her dream of becoming a chef at a Michelin restaurant. A year passes and both have no contact with each other until Lexi likes one of Jake’s pictures.

Lexi is cautious of Jake when he shows up in her life after having ghosted her in the past, but was he really to blame for the ghosting? They rekindle their romance, but Lexi is unsure if she can handle what being with Jake really entails.
- - - - -
I liked that you Lindsey showed a glimpse of what it’s like behind the scenes of working at a restaurants kitchen. Even though there were setbacks with Lexi’s life, she didn’t let it stop her completely, she took time when she needed it and moved on from the huddles. She also found inspiration when working in the kitchen made her no longer love cooking

This was so good! I loved this book, it was a 4.5/5 for me. I loved both of the characters and I could definitely feel their chemistry throughout the entire book.


*spoilers from here*
The only reason it's not a 5 is because I felt like a few things were missing, namely in the end. This book really needed an epilogue! I didn't understand how she was running her new business while on tour. I wanted to see how they made it work maybe 1 or 3 years in the future. I also wish we would have gotten to see Vinny get punished (fired, exposed, whatever) because he was like the villain of the story in a way and we never got the satisfaction of seeing him pay for his actions. I know Jake says at the end that he realized Vinny played him, but he never says what he did about it or what happened after. Epilogue could have solved this and also given us proper HEA instead of a HFN.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc! Definitely would read this author in the future.

Culinary student Lexi meets musician Jake. Sparks fly after their weekend together and Lexi is certain that it means something more to both but then Jake gets a lead in his career out in Los Angeles. Lexi doesn’t hear from him again except his voice on a hit song about Blueberry pancakes, like the kind she made him during their magical weekend. That is until he is one of the biggest musicians on the planet and back in New York looking to rekindle the romance with the girl he mistakenly got away.

In my experience, second chance romances always pick up on the second chance. Very rarely do we witness the big miss or relationship ruining moment from the very beginning. Till There Was You definitely approaches a well-known romance trope from an interesting perspective. Their initial meeting was full of banter and chemistry. Unfortunately the time they spent together is so rushed that I’m not sure why either looks back on it wanting more, particularly after the way it sort of fell apart. The novel briefly covers their time apart but the action picks up more during Jake’s return. Perhaps if Lexi and Jake had spent more than a weekend or rather a few short chapters together I could have bought into it more. Instead it makes for some odd pacing and what follows after his return felt like mostly filler content with brief moments that felt real or that we were getting somewhere between the two.

Truthfully, I never really bought into their feelings being more than nostalgia for something that could have been. The two both seemed keen on spending time with each other immediately upon his return to New York and yet they (mostly Lexi) let trivial things keep them apart.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advanced reading copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A cute story that rang very similarly to an Abby Jimenez read I recently finished. Will be a hit with true rom-com fans!

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a cute, easy read. For a debut novel, this was pretty great! It was polished and well-planned. I liked the characters, the rockstar/normal girl trope. I was nervous that there would be a love triangle, given the way the synopsis was written, but there wasn’t, really. I also really liked Lexi’s character growth by the end of the book and how she owned her mistakes.

It was a pretty straightforward romance plot, nothing you’ll be surprised by. There was enough drama to build the story, but not an excessive amount of contrived situations, for which I was grateful. That stuff annoys me. Instead, it was believable problems with reasonable solutions and great character growth, as I mentioned.

The romance was more sweet than spicy. There were a few on-page spicy scenes but they were pretty low-key, not graphic at all.

While I really enjoyed it, I'm not sure I’ll remember much about it after posting this review, but it's no less enjoyable and totally worth it!

A captivating lighthearted romance, seamlessly interwoven with unexpected depth. The protagonists are endearing, making it effortless for readers to invest in both their individual journeys and the evolving dynamics of their relationship. The inclusion of quirky side characters contributes a charming layer to the narrative. Furthermore, the well-managed pacing ensures an engaging experience, maintaining reader investment without sacrificing narrative coherence.

I am participating in the St Martin’s Press boycott. I will not publicly be reviewing this title until St. Martin’s Press addresses reader concerns.

Till There Was You is a super cute heartfelt romantic comedy about a chef and a famous singer that had me flipping pages faster than Lexi flipped her blueberry pancakes.

When Lexi meets Jake, he’s a singer in a dive bar but that quickly changes after their weekend together — an overnight sensation, Jake’s star is on the rise while Lexi complete’s chef school and starts the grind in the kitchen of Olive & Pomegranate.

After almost a year apart, Jake shows back up in Lexi’s life and together they have to navigate his newfound fame and the realities of the demanding nature of her job.

I really felt there was a lot of heart in the story. The romance was cute and I loved the banter. But, it was Lexi’s family situation and her inability to truly move past a loss in her life that really made the story shine for me. I enjoyed the cast of characters and really did like Lexi and Jake together. The various real life celebrities were at times jarring, but it truly was a cute read!

Thank you SMP Romance for the chance to read early!

I’m so incredibly disappointed. I’ve never read of more outrageously naive and selfish characters than what I’ve encountered with this book.

Also, these tropes are so tired. I feel like this book was really unnecessary for an overestimated market. If you’re going to write a celebrity romance, it needs to be fresh and interesting and this was not that.

Thanks, I guess, to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The story of Lexi a chef and Jake the singer. They both spend a weekend together. After that weekend Jake ends up ghosting Lexi. Jake moves on to become a famous singer. Queue in second chance romance. Lexi and Jake reconnect about a year later. They rekindle their friendship which quickly escalated into a romance. Even after such a great reconnection can Lexi ultimately forgive Jake for ghosting her after that first weekend they spent together?
Overall I really enjoyed this cute romcom. I loved the connection between the characters. There were so many times I caught myself smiling and laughing. This was my first read by this author and I would consider reading another book by Lindsay Hameroff. I love the book cover also!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Perfect combination of Wattpad fanfiction and Hallmark Channel romances. Anyone who has ever had a fantasy of a rockstar falling in love with and writing songs about them will adore Till There Was You. There's not too much contrived drama or conflict. Jack and Lexi always feel real and grounded even as the world around them is a fantasy romcom. I laughed so hard reading Till There Was You. It's an absolute delight.

I really enjoyed Lexi and Jake and their story. Sometimes you just need a fun and fluffy read and this was just that.

I was truly anticipating this debut from Lindsay, and there was so much I enjoyed. The writing made me want to keep reading as it was fast paced and very enjoyable. I love books that start with a one night stand and this had a second chance element that made me root very hard for Lexi and Jake. The little time jump surprised me but it was logical taking into account Jake’s unexpected stardom. I also loved reading about Lexi’s experiences working as a chef. I love cooking but I don’t think I could ever handle the stress of working at a restaurant!

I enjoyed the romance at first, but in the second half I started feeling a bit disconnected. Sometimes I felt like both Lexi and Jake were a bit immature, and their relationship dragged to the inevitable breakup for too many chapters. I couldn’t see a way for it to work out and neither did Lexi, so that negativity got to me at some point. I liked the way it was written, but I couldn’t shake the “this isn’t gonna work” feeling.

TW: Death of a parent (cancer, past)

Rating: 3.5/5
Steam level: Open door, 3-4 scenes, medium level of detail

ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

3.5 stars!
This book has an interesting take on romance, being second chance romance with the celebrity trope. I found the combination of a chef and overnight celebrity unusual and quite brilliant. Honestly speaking, I love how this book didn't make it look like all fun and games, clearly depicting the brutality of a chef's work life.

What I liked-
Authenticity
Intensity of the low moments
Relatable internal conflict
Initial chemistry and banter

What I didn't like-
Uneven pacing
Insta love
Unexplained gap in storyline
Awkwardly sitting plot
Lexi's blind trust in Jake

I genuinely feel like this book was too planned and plotted, leaving no space to go with the flow. I mean come on, no one is so naive and trusting in real life. The book felt like a maze of tropes and plot points just connected to form a story. To be clear, this is so much more a plot-driven story than character-driven. Yes, we get that a lot of times we don't have any control over our circumstances, but I'm sorry this one felt a lot like the MCs were just puppets, particularly Lexi. This is not to say that Hameroff isn't a good author and I look forward to reading her future novels.

Very insta-love at first sight.

Lexi is a highly ambitious culinary student who has no room for romance. When she meets Jack , an unknown musician on the NY scene, sparks seems to fly. A magically weekend together - soulmates? But when Jake leaves for LA to pursue his music career, Lexi never hears from him again until he is everywhere- radio, billboards, ads, ect.

The execution of this story was good however it was a tad repetitive. It’s a storyline that has been done before so easy to predict.

One thing that Hameroff introduces is how both characters don’t really have strong relationships with their dads. At the end, Lexi communicates with her dad but Jake’s relationship isn’t really address. Plot wise I think there were a lot of characters and scenes that just felt added because this is how a typical rockstar and norm relationship are suppose to go. Did not endear me to them.

The insecurity is understandable but the big fight fell flat to me and the big gesture seems sorta cope out. Insta forgive too.

It’s a decent story. I liked the beginning when they were in their own little world at her apartment.

Thank you for this earc for an honest review!

I loved Lexi and Jake's story. It was such a fun read. Honestly, no notes. It was heart-warming and exactly like type of read I love.

A whirlwind second chance romance between and sous chef and a musician that doesn't shy away from all the difficulties and complications that come with a celebrity romance. Warm, sexy, and heartfelt, this book will have you kicking your feet and giggling.

Lexi & Jake are meant to be, but the obstacles in their way to happiness are pretty massive. It all stars with a perfect weekend together that inspires his hit songs & new album. After a year of radio silence, one accidental Instagram like leads to a second chance at this whirlwind romance.

I enjoyed how the characters developed both separately and together, but I think that the author could have focused on one or two fewer pitfalls in their HEA. Was Madison necessary? It seemed like Vinny was holding down the role of antagonist. And what was the purpose of the father/son conflict? It didn't seem like a must have mirror to Lexi's father/daughter conflict. I liked the restaurant job arc, but it felt like the author was also using it to make a point about misogyny in the professional kitchen that didn't seem to have a purpose in the novel.

Overall, a much more enjoyable read than I was anticipating from reading the blurb.

Absolutely devoured this! My favorite tropes, easy to read and loved connection with the characters.