The concept was so great, but the execution just wasn’t great for me.

I liked the idea of following our main character, Lucy, as she joins a flat share with 7 other people. She is smitten with one of the roommates, Henry but he is only there one weekend of the month.

The story takes place on that one weekend each month for a year. When the roommates come together for a fun weekend activity. You see Lucy and Henry moving closer then having some troubles pop up.

I think I would have wanted to see more. I felt like I just didn’t get enough of a story from only seeing the characters for a couple days during each chapter. I did not understand the progression of the relationship and why Lucy and Henry felt such a strong connection. The arguments they had about their relationship just felt odd and I was just frustrated.

I loved the scenes with all the roommates. It was fun to see how they interacted and the activities they did together.

Overall this one was just fine.

When Lucy has to find a new place to live quickly, she agrees to move in with her college bestie in a warehouse conversion with several others. Although she has misgivings, the roommates are exactly what she needs as she navigates a changing work situation at the florist shop where she works.

But there's Henry. Henry, unlike the others, is only in the apartment one weekend a month, the weekend the roommates take turns planning group activities. Lucy can't ignore her attraction to Henry and neither can the other roommates. But the relationship does not progress in a linear fashion. Henry's travel schedule plus his inexperience with relationships hamper any true progress. But of course, ultimately it all works out.

This was a fun book. The only problem was that although Henry was likable as a person, about halfway through, I thought Lucy should give up on him and move on. His fickleness was annoying. But he does get his act together and becomes worthy of Lucy. #WeekendsWithYou #NetGalley

Alexandra Paige’s debut novel is a romantic story about found family that tells the tale of a couple that lives together in a flat with several others. The fun flat mates choose monthly events to celebrate “warehouse weekends”. While these adventures are entertaining, the romance between the 2 main characters falls flat.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon-Harper voyage for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for allowing me to read and review Weekends with You on NetGalley.

Published: 04/09/24

Stars: 2.5 (rounding up)

Not for me, however, there is an audience.

I'm too old for the childish and idiotic bantering and behavior. I wasn't that girl, but I had friends who were. (I had a father, they didn't. Is that the difference?).

How does a person dream of a lifelong future when they spend a day here and there that is based on half-truths. Is it loneliness? Insecurities? Lack of maturity? What pushes a person to repeatedly hurt and yearn over clear truths? I don't know.

I just wanted the book to end. It wasn't believable for me. It doesn't work as satire. I found myself begrudgingly turning pages. For others this will be an escape and I do believe there are some who will be entertained.

Kudos for swearing without the F word. I give Paige credit for that stance. I will consider recommending this to a young reader with a gentle ignore and don't employ the swearing reminder, while enjoying the unrealistic fun story.

I liked the set up of this contemporary romance novel; the monthly interactions are a novel idea and, at times, a novelty that works at the beginning but sort of irritated me later in the book. It's interesting to lay a book out like this with a miscommunication trope as the central conflict when the digital age allows all sorts of opportunities for long distance relationships to grow and flourish and sustain. Overall, I liked the characters, I just wish they were a little more developed, a little more complex, and that their pining was revealed more throughout the book.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

Lucy moves in with 7 other roommates into a flat in London and is instantly attracted to Henry, one of her new flatmates, Henry is a traveling photographer and is only in town one weekend a month. Each chapter of the book is told about each of those weekends over the course of the year where Lucy and her flatmates adventure through London. Found family is one of my favorite book tropes and this did not disappoint . I felt like I was apart of the "warehouse weekends" gang.

I loved the romance between Lucy and Henry. The pining was there, I just wish there wasn't so much miscommunication.

Lucy Bernstein has been working for several years at a lovely independent flower shop, The Lotus. It’s owned by an older woman who is close to retirement, and Lucy is getting a little nervous about how the shop is doing. She has a lot of big ideas for what they could do to grow, but the owner is reticent.

She’s been lucky to have a nice little apartment of her own, even in the big city of London, but then she is booted out and she has to find a new place. One of her best friends lives with seven other people in an apartment converted from warehouse space. So Lucy finds herself going from living alone to sharing a place with a bunch of new people. But they all get along, and it works out.

Right away, she finds herself attracted to one of the roommates, Henry. Sure, it could be a bit complicated to fall for a roommate. But what’s worse is that Henry is barely ever home. He’s a photographer who travels all the time and only comes to London for a weekend each month.

The roommates have a tradition where each month, one plans a fun weekend for the whole group to enjoy. So Henry is present for these big group events, which vary from trivia nights at the local pub to axe-throwing and charcuterie-making.

A part of Lucy wants to pursue something with Henry, and the logical part knows it’s a terrible idea. So the book essentially shows us how over the course of a year she (and Henry) go back and forth on it. I honestly didn’t think it was a great idea, either, but it seemed OK and then it wasn’t, and then it wasn’t. I got tired of it, and in real life I would definitely have told Lucy, Enough!

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about how a book like this actually ended, because it is a romance book, after all. I’d just say it didn’t quite work for me.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If we are talking star rating, I would give this book a 3.5 - 3.75/5 stars. While I enjoyed the story and the chapters being each month in a full year, there were things I was hoping would happen, that didn't, and I saw some parts of the ending coming early on in the book.

I enjoyed the main character, Lucy, her friendships and finding her way once moving into a new apartment with roommates. I loved that they dedicated the time once a month to spend getting to know/catch up with each other.

I wished that her romance with Henry wasn't as drawn out as it was, or there had been a bigger "shocking" situation when she surprised him in Amsterdam. I'm not sure I loved Henry for Lucy. I cried when the chef made his grand gesture and really wanted to see where that went.

I feel conflicted after reading this as I loved parts, and then others not so much. It really is one of those books that I can say I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it, but I don't know if this would be a book in my top-10 of 2024.

Weekends with You was a wonderful story by an equally wonderful debut novelist!

This story was a pleasure to read, and I really enjoyed the timeline of a year in the life of our protagonists, Lucy and Henry, along with their many quirky flatmates. I appreciated the themes of found family and new love, as well as the depiction of personal growth and self-discovery for many of the characters. I would categorize this as a slow burn romance of sorts, and while I found myself wanting more clear communication between Lucy and Henry at times, I think that their storyline and progression played very well into the miscommunication trope.

Overall, I highly recommend that you add this book to your TBR and give the author her flowers (floral reference/pun intended)! Thank you so much to Alexandra Paige, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this wonderful book!

~Alissa R.

Lucy has recently become the latest of eight flatmates living in a London warehouse turned apartment. 7 roommates is complicated enough, but her instant attraction to Henry, one of her new flatmates, really complicates things. Henry is a traveling photographer and is only in town one weekend a month, those monthly weekends dubbed “warehouse weekends” are a time for the flatmates to bond, taking turns picking an activity for them all to do each month.

Each chapter of this story is one weekend a month over the course of a year - 12 warehouse weekends where Lucy and her new flatmates spend time together adventuring through London. I loved the way this was written and the glimpses into one weekend a month made the mundane parts of life fly by while still giving readers the opportunity to see how things progressed in Lucy’s life, as well as fun looks into some of the activity London has to offer. I adore books about found family, in your early adulthood those friends turned into family are so pivotal and important, and the flatmates really captured that special bond. As for the romance, there was a lot of pining and some miscommunication that frustrated me at times, but it also felt true to the stage of life the characters were in. What really made this book was Lucy’s journey to really grow up and find her way. I was rooting for her from the beginning and I was so excited to see where she ended up through the course of the year.

Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I LOVED the idea of this book. With the monthly themes, this one really leaned in on the chosen family trope and I could’ve read an entire book just about the friends and their monthly escapades! The romance, though? Skip it. The male main character is untrustworthy and I REALLY wanted a different ending where she knows her worth and walks away.

Weekends With You is a sweet, clean romance. It’s the story of two people trying to find themselves in London while sharing a flat with six other roommates. Henry, a traveling photographer, is only home one weekend a month, so the roommates dubbed this warehouse weekend and vowed to spend that weekend together to catch up on their individual lives. Lucy, the newest roommate, is an American florist living in London. When Lucy and Henry meet, sparks fly, but Henry’s work comes in between them and their romance struggles.

I liked the idea of this book. It was beautifully written and kept my interest, but I never felt any real chemistry between Henry and Lucy. They didn’t spend much time alone together, so it was difficult to see them as a couple. The novel focused more on Lucy’s career and her development of it. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but wish the ending was different.

** spoiler alert ** First things first...BIG thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Now for the review....
I wanted to love this book so much. I love the concept of each chapter representing a new month and a new weekend together but OMG, Lucy, who seems to be very talented is so ridiculous when it comes to Henry. The book was so repetitive when it comes to their make ups and break ups...after they break up the time in Ireland I was really hoping she'd wise up but I also had a feeling that since the book was almost over, she wouldn't and I was right. The sudden rush of the ownership of the flower shop and the idea that MAYBE her and Henry could actually work THIS time, were so rushed and ridiculous. I don't think I'd suggest this one to my friends because I like my friends enough to not give them the whiplash of all the back and fourth. I think if there had been a side storyline of the roommates, it would have been better...many of them seem to have better personalities.

A cozy and heartwarming love story that blooms over time. I loved the connection to flowers and the atmospheric setting of London. The pacing was a bit slow in spots, but overall a good read.
Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC!

I had a hard time getting into this book... It felt confusing, but I kept going. As for the romantic dynamic, I would have preferred the FMC to either be alone or with the other love interest. There was a lack of chemistry between the two main characters and the MMC was just unlikable. However, I really enjoyed flower aspect in the story, as I love their symbolism.

I feel that I will need to reread this book at some point.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, Alexandra Paige and @NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Weekends With You. This book was a delightful and heartwarming read that I didn’t want to end.

I look forward to exploring more of Alexandra Paige’s works in the future, as her characters in this book were so wonderfully unique and entertaining. Many thanks again for the ARC - it was a lovely read!

Weekends with You by Alexandra Paige is a beautiful story about friendship, found family and star-crossed love that sees two friends with undeniable chemistry never being able to figure out how to be together in the same city and still pursue the careers they are both passionate about. Lucy, a florist in London, moves into a warehouse flat with seven other roommates; quickly falling for one of the roommates. Henry is a traveling photographer, only in London one weekend a month, which makes having a relationship quite difficult. Each chapter is a weekend in the roommates’ lives. I enjoyed the friendships between roommates and found those relationships and storylines to be more enjoyable than the romance between Lucy and Henry. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read with a bit of chaos and romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#Avon #NetGalley

There are a few too many roommates in the house and they're all introduced at the same time so I keep getting confused about who is who. The chemistry is a little off, the writing feels forced. The interactions are cold and 50% through the book and I'm literally wondering if the love interest is even actually the love interest or if they're going to spin in a new character for the HEA.

When Lucy’s landlord raises her rent, she needs to find a new place to live - fast. She turns to her best friend Raja, who immediately offers Lucy an available room in the warehouse space Raja shares with six other flat mates. Having lived on her own since college, Lucy is a little apprehensive, but with no other option, she accepts Raja’s offer. She needn’t have worried as she fits right in.

The flat mates all live busy lives. So each month they get together for a weekend of fun and to catch up. They fondly call it “Warehouse Weekend”. Henry keeps his room at the flat to have a home base, as he travels most of each month in his work as a photographer. But he makes sure he's back for Warehouse Weekend each month. It's during Lucy's first weekend that she meets Henry. Their attraction is instant, But Henry is searching for something that he can't quite identify. Lucy is concentrating on her career as a florist, hoping to raise the profile of the little boutique shop where she works. Despite the heat they each feel, the time apart each month makes their efforts at a relationship a struggle.

Setting up the book to revolve around a year of warehouse weekends was a unique idea. Unfortunately, after the first few chapters, I found it distracted from the continuity of the story. Though the flat mates take the time to provide a quick catch up each weekend, we really don't know what happens to any of the characters between weekends. A lack of continuity makes it difficult to become absorbed in the story. The secondary characters are, for the most part, one dimensional and serve to act only as a foil for Henry and Lucy to play off. There is only slightly more depth to Lucy and Henry. We really have no clue who each of them are, their backgrounds or motivations.

I think this story had potential, but it never quite reached what it could have been.

Weekends with you was an adorable, sweet romcom that kept me entertained on a long plane ride! Lucy and Henry's chemistry was phenemonal and the premise of their story was so good!

Lucy moves into a new flat with lots of roommates, and while one of the roommates, Henry, is gone most of the month, the roommates all get together once a month for a fun-filled weekend together. They are a sweet found family, and as the months go on Lucy and Henry grow closer and closer, even as Henry is trying to figure out where he wants to settle down in the world. Lucy and Henry are both hard workers trying to find their place in the world, while also finding love and they are super relatable!

Pick this book up for some good feels and a quick read!