So cute! Instantly fell in love with Ellie and her raw, spicy attitude! A fun romcom with very likable characters. And very unlikable characters. This was a quick and fun read!

I really enjoyed "Love You, Mean It" and the story line. This was such a cute read with unexpected romance and comedy. I really enjoyed this story!

A playful romantic comedy featuring dueling delis, fake dating, a shockingly awesome ex, and just the right amount of amnesia.

Ellie Greco wishes she weren’t stuck in Milborough. For a few brief, shining years, she escaped her hometown to pursue her dream career—designing beautiful, elaborate costumes for theater—until her father's death five years ago called her home to run the family's decades-old deli. Yes, she loves the place, but she’d always thought she was meant for more exciting things than stocking the right tinned fish. But when Ellie hears that a local landlord is planning to rent to Mangia, the glitzy gourmet food department store, Greco's Deli's very existence is suddenly in jeopardy.

She tries to plead her case to Theo Taylor, scion of the property management firm about to put her out of business, but their meeting goes from bad (it’s not her fault he’s infuriating) to worse (no one expects the ceiling to literally fall in).

With Theo out cold, Ellie panics and claims to be his fiancée… and almost passes out herself when amnesia means Theo seems to actually believe her. Soon, the effects of the head injury wear off, but Theo proposes that their “engagement” stick around. If they manage to convince enough people they might both get what they an end to the Mangia deal. Ellie doesn’t trust him (after all, if Theo Taylor wants it, how can it be good for her?) but seeing no other option, reluctantly agrees.

And miraculously, the fake engagement seems to be working—even Ted, Theo’s shrewd, cold father seems convinced—that is until Sam, Theo’s ex-fiancé, reappears on the scene. Not only does she see through their ruse, but she also proposes an arrangement of her own, forcing Ellie to decide between blossoming friendship, her family legacy, and the burgeoning romance she frankly never asked for. (Goodreads Synopsis)

I guess these stories aren’t for me. I could not stand Ellie. She was the one acting like such a jerk and a brat. I honestly just wanted to smack her. Theo was okay (given his fictional background), but there was something lacking with him. I almost wanted him with a completely different character. I was glad that the author chose not to do the whole “Overboard” thing with the amnesia. I’m beginning to feel like amnesia is overdone.

Overall, I rate this novel 2 out of 5 stars.

2.5 Stars

Ellie came back home after her father’s death to help run the family’s deli. She loves the small town, but she never dreamt of staying here. Her concerns are not leaving her hometown but fighting for her family business when a big gourmet deli threatens to move into the neighborhood and push her small business out. She has to convince the son of the property management firm to find somewhere else to go. Things just don’t go as she plans.

I was immediately drawn to the blurb of the book. Who doesn’t love a small-town/ fake romance? However, this story instantly fell short on multiple levels. The romance didn’t hold a heavy punch, and I didn’t care for the characters.

Ellie sets out to meet Theo to convince him to move on, but he has a freak accident at the site. Ellie has to pretend that she is his fiancé to go along with him to the hospital. Theo has a short stunt of amnesia and confesses that he doesn’t really believe in the gourmet deli moving into the small town. He asks Ellie to agree to pretend they are engaged in order to play on his father’s heartstrings. Of course, his father wouldn’t want to put his daughter-in-law out of business, so Ellie agrees.

This all sounds good at this point until other characters start to come into play. Sam is Theo’s ex-girlfriend who shows up and befriend Ellie after she recognizes the scam going on with their so-called engagement. She wants Theo back, and Ellie agrees to help her. Why? I guess to create this love triangle. I felt bad for Sam, and I didn’t like how Ellie handled that situation at all. She lost any potential of me liking her.

Then, towards the end of the book, Theo’s behavior shows that he isn’t the nicest person. He ends up being a jerk. I thought he ended up showing that he is a typical rich man, unaware of how he speaks to others.

Overall, the book started off promising and lost a bit of its spark. Fans who don’t mind some of the small nuances may like this more.

~ Samantha

What happens when the jerk from high school tries to take over your family’s business? Well obviously you become fiancés in a mutually beneficial arrangement.

What I liked: this books is a classic trope-filled romance novel that has something for everyone. Theo is such a fun character, and the inclusion of all of the different personalities in his family really added depth to the story.

Other thoughts: Theo’s ex-girlfriend Sam was so much more likable than Ellie, our main character. And Sam was supposed to be a villain! Ellie just kept making mistake after mistake and was in denial about everything in her life. It got to a point where I just did not care if Ellie got her happily ever after. This book was just a normal romance novel that needed something more to separate it from all of the other books coming out.

Rating: 3⭐️ I finished this book, I enjoyed reading it, but I probably won’t read it again. If you are looking for an easy read, this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc to read, rate, and review.

This had many troupes in it, including fake dating (which is my favorite), but the FMC and her love interest fell flat for me. They weren't entirely likeable as a couple or as separate individuals.

Fake dating, amnesia, AND enemies to lovers? Who could resist?!

First of all, I loved the cover art. It grabbed my attention immediately. The story was super cute and had all of my favorite tropes. And most importantly, I LOVED Ellie and Theo. Perfect summer read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I read this book in one sitting, it was so cute, a really good rom com. There's fake dating, the bater between the fmc and mmc. There was even a little bit of spice.

I adored this book. I couldn’t put it down, I read it in one sitting. The characters, the plot, the ending! 10/10 recommend

Gagnon's Love You, Mean It is a cute romance involving fake engagement, family affairs, and opposites attracting.

I was excited to find that the plot wasn't completely predictable from the beginning. The characters are likable enough, though it doesn't really delve to deep into them as characters. It is a quick read that is sure to keep most rom-com readers interested and satisfied by the end.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

This was really a cute story and one that I enjoyed reading. The fake dating trope is so overdone but I didn't feel that with this at all!

Love You, Mean It
⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Author: Jilly Gagnon

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Ellie Greco wishes she weren’t stuck in Milborough. For a few brief, shining years, she escaped her hometown to pursue her dream career—designing beautiful, elaborate costumes for theater—until her father's death five years ago called her home to run the family's decades-old deli. Yes, she loves the place, but she’d always thought she was meant for more exciting things than stocking the right tinned fish. But when Ellie hears that a local landlord is planning to rent to Mangia, the glitzy gourmet food department store, Greco's Deli's very existence is suddenly in jeopardy.

She tries to plead her case to Theo Taylor, scion of the property management firm about to put her out of business, but their meeting goes from bad (it’s not her fault he’s infuriating) to worse (no one expects the ceiling to literally fall in).

With Theo out cold, Ellie panics and claims to be his fiancée… and almost passes out herself when amnesia means Theo seems to actually believe her. Soon, the effects of the head injury wear off, but Theo proposes that their “engagement” stick around. If they manage to convince enough people they might both get what they an end to the Mangia deal. Ellie doesn’t trust him (after all, if Theo Taylor wants it, how can it be good for her?) but seeing no other option, reluctantly agrees.

And miraculously, the fake engagement seems to be working—even Ted, Theo’s shrewd, cold father seems convinced—that is until Sam, Theo’s ex-fiancee, reappears on the scene. Not only does she see through their ruse, she proposes an arrangement of her own, forcing Ellie to decide between blossoming friendship, her family legacy, and the burgeoning romance she frankly never asked for.

My Thoughts: Ellie left the small town for a few years and lived her dream, designing theatre costumes. When her father died, she came back to run the family business, a deli. However, when Ellie finds out that her landlord may be renting out to a fancy gourmet deli, it will put her out of business and will put an end to her family’s legacy. Ellie is meeting with the landlord/property manger, Theo, about renting to the fancy deli. The ceiling literally falls on top of Theo, knocking him out cold. Ellie then panics and says Theo is her fiancee. He then has amnesia from being knocked out, so he actually believes her. After he regains his memory, he wants to keep the engagement ruse up for a little while to benefit them both until they can end the Magig deal. Two problems arise, his cold father and then Theo’s ex-finance, Sam, shows up out of the blue. The ex-finance proposes her own deal, one that makes Ellie have to decide what is her priority, the beautiful friendship with Sam, the romance that she did not realize she was missing, or the end of her family’s legacy. It seems this year, I have read more than usual of the faking dating / Sleeping in Seattle type of books. Faking dating is one of my favorite tropes for a romance novel. This follows the tropes of fake dating and enemies to lovers.

I really wanted to like Ellie’s character, but I had a hard time connecting. Ellie could not make a solid decision on anything, she was too wavering; she was negative, she was very judgmental, and could not believe anyone would like her; she also had a tendency to compartmentalize her feelings and deny herself what is right in front of her. Sam, while initially you want to dislike her for disrupting what Ellie and Theo had going, grew on me and I connected with her. Having said that, the characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, sometimes over the top angst, definite chemistry, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, creative, funny, had appropriate tension, and was engaging.

While I love the premise, I felt like the plot execution fell a little short. This was my first read by Gagnon. While I did not love the storyline, I would give other books by this author a try. I felt like the ending was rushed and abrupt. This book had romance, friendships, self-worth, standing in your truth, business rivals, angst, drama (sometimes unnecessarily), and of course, business arrangements. I would recommend to other readers as it was a fun story overall.

Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon is the super cute romcom story of Ellie Greco and her plight to save her family's business, Greco's Deli. Unfortunately for Ellie, a wealthy, local family has decided to bring an upscale, ritzy deli department store to town, something that is sure to put Greco's out of business. The story begins with Ellie going to meet with Theo Taylor, the son of the aforementioned wealthy family to plead her case. The meeting turns out to be an actual disaster with a ceiling collapsing and a touch of amnesia on the side. From here there are misunderstandings that take place kicking off a whole new round of chaos. The story held my attention from beginning to end and was quite enjoyable.

Even though this was a cute and enjoyable read, I think I would have enjoyed it more as a Hallmark movie. For me, rom coms in book form need to have a little more meat to them, whereas a movie can get away with being a bit more fluffy and cheesy. I struggled with the main character, Ellie, and how so many of her personality traits were painful to watch, without much growth by the end. Overall it was an enjoyable read but one that I won't remember.

This is a fun, predictable romcom of a fake engagement leading to interesting consequences. Ellie & Theo have known each other a long time. Theo even dated Ellie’s cousin Bella in high school. Now they’re all grown up and are scheming together. They decide a fake engagement can help both of them solve the problem of a large chain store moving to their small town. Theo’s dad is all for turning an old building into said store but Ted has other ideas. Ellie doesn’t want the store to come as it would run her family deli out of business. Theo says his dad can’t let it happen if she’s about to become family. Hence the “engagement.” This leads to some very interesting interactions between them and family. Highly recommend this one if you’re looking for a comfortable and enjoyable read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This was cute and started off well. I actually liked the While You Were Sleeping vibes, although it seems like I've read a few of these lately, and it's starting to get old.

It had a lot of potential with fake dating and enemies to lovers tropes but ultimately just fell flat. I just wasn't very interested, and Ellie was frustrating.

Overall, it was a quick read that had some nice moments but just wasn't for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This tale was not deep, but that's not the reason why I read books like this. To me, it's acts as fluff reading that gives my brain a break. Theo and Ellie aren't the most likable of characters at the beginning, she taking offense at the littlest thing and him being an entitled rich white man despite not wanting to be like his awful father. But no one is perfect and I do like how their relationship changes over time, although I thought the big blow-up was unnecessarily dramatic. Still, I liked that the ones closest to her were the ones who pointed out to her without feeling judgy just how much she had missed about herself. I could see the genuine care from her best friend/cousin, even while pointing out where she had messed up. Despite some of these issues, the writing was solid, and I enjoyed some of the side characters. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and would consider another story by this author.

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

This was cute and started out really strong. I loved the little bit of amnesia and how Theo played with it a little bit. I also thought Theo and Ellie had great chemistry, but then the story just stalled out. I love a reverse grump, but Ellie was over the top and she showed very little growth by the end. I also loved Sam and I didn’t like how dishonest Ellie was with her. This had the potential to be great, but ended up falling flat.

Thank you to Random House - Dell for a gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

This cute romantic comedy arrived just in time for summer reading season. This would be a great one to pick up for a beach trip or pool day. It has While You Were Sleeping vibes, with a hint of You've Got Mail, and centers on Ellie's work to save her family's small business and her budding enemies-to-lovers relationship with the mean property manager Theo. Usually the grumpy-sunshine trope does not work for me, but in this book it fit with the cute plot. I found Ellie a little wishy-washy and annoying - she needed a dose of Kathleen Kelly.

This was cute. I will caution any readers - eat before you read! I suggest pizza or any Italian. The MC worked in her deli and enjoys her favorite pizza several times, and the writing makes it sound drool-worthy. I'd shop at her deli for sure. I did enjoy it though the main character frustrated me towards the end. What I thought was going to be the fake-engagement trope turned into something different. And while I applaud the effort to switch it up, the SPOILER Ex-GF asking for help and the MC offering to do it was just too much. Were we ever supposed to believe that was a good idea, that it was going to happen? I know romance is predictable, it's one of the reasons it works, but the point of that plotline was missing and it felt unnecessary. Because of that, I got really annoyed at the MC while the love-interest was clearly being genuine. In fact, they arrive at the same conclusion mid-way through, they both have feelings for each other! But the MC decides to help the ex the next day anyway? I suppose I'm supposed to feel better when she "learns her lesson" and realizes she's flawed and tries to better herself, but I was lost by then. I do like Jilly Gagnon and will read her other works, but her romance is not for me.