I enjoyed this book. When the amnesia was introduced I got a bit nervous because I don't really care for stories with that aspect but that concern was quickly resolved in an enjoyable way. I liked the chemistry between and Theo and Ellie. I thought the story was well written. I love fake dating and this one was really fun. From time to time I forgot they were supposed to be faking. Ellie made me want to scream with her denial of her feelings but I also loved her. I thought the ending was very sweet even though the third act break up did destroy me a little.

I received an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this book. It's a fun romance with some interesting twists. As usual, this author writes a very captivating book!

I think I need to come back to this book at a later date and reread because I feel conflicted. Maybe it was just an off month for me, because romance is hands down my favorite genre ever. I literally devour any and every romance book. It doesn't matter what trope the romance falls under, I enjoy it. This book, however, has me conflicted.

I don't want to rate it negatively, because again, maybe it was just an off month for me. I'll come back to this book and read it again when my life isn't so chaotic. This was a crazy month for me, so that very well could be what stopped me from fully enjoying the book. It literally has tropes that I tend to always love.

Take this review with a grain of salt though. Don't let my review stop you from giving it a chance. I might even fall completely in love with it on my second read. Go into this book with an open mind and try to enjoy the ride.

I'll most likely be coming back and editing my review. Hopefully I'll be bumping the review as well. I still think others should give this book a chance. 3 stars for now, will most likely change though.

I am a massive fan of the saying, “Three times is a charm.” I like to apply to almost everything in my life, including reading. I have read (and reviewed) two previous books by Jilly Gagnon. Saying I wasn’t impressed with them is an understatement. Keeping that saying in mind, I read and reviewed Love You, Mean It. Well, the saying worked. The third time is the charm. I enjoyed reading Love You, Mean It.

The main storyline of Love You, Mean It is centered on Ellie, Theo, and their plan to stop Theo’s father from building a Walmart-type store in downtown Milborough. That would mean a slow death for the small businesses (including the deli that Ellie runs), and Ellie is determined to find a way to stop it. I found the storyline to be heart-grabbing, well-written, and poignant. Love You, Mean It kept me glued to the book until the wee hours of the morning.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Ellie but she did grow on me. She was a freaking mess at the beginning of the book. Her attitude sucked, and she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She gets more bearable after Theo regains his memory and goes along with her fake fiancee scheme (all to get his father to stop his plans). But even then, she was forced to act a certain way towards a man she despised (Theo’s father). I felt that the only authentic glimpses of Ellie were given during her family dinners, certain moments with Theo and Sam, and when she was remembering what it was like before her father died.

I did like Theo. There was a brief moment when I wondered if he wouldn’t regain his memory, but the author pretty much takes that idea and stomps on it. Theo’s reasons for not wanting the business downtown were very personal. But I was surprised when he decided to team up with Ellie to stop his father. Also, Theo wears his heart on his sleeve, and I guessed his true feelings toward Ellie early in the book. Well, not so much guessed, but called it.

Theo’s father was the ultimate villain in this book. He used his wealth and upper-class manners to try to intimidate Ellie. He had the audacity to ask Theo if Ellie was pregnant during their first meeting and then inferred she was a gold digger. Both were shot down by Theo and Ellie, but still, I felt the need to clean my Kindle every time he appeared on a page.

Sam became a considerable part of the book fairly early on. While I liked her, what she asked Ellie to do was pretty low (knowing the circumstances of Theo and Ellie’s fake relationship). Also, I wouldn’t say I liked how Sam treated Ellie after the engagement party or when Ellie went to Theo’s house to make up. The whole I want to be your friend now so you can have him vibe at the end of the book frustrated me to no end because it wasn’t needed!!!

The romance angle was cute. I liked how Ellie was dragged, kicking and screaming, into having feelings for Theo. Of course, those feelings made Ellie’s mouth run, and I thought she had ruined her chance with him for a hot minute. I also do need to discuss the sex. Ellie and Theo have mind-numbly hot sex from the middle of the book on. I honestly wasn’t expecting the sex scenes to be so good.

The end of Love You, Mean It was a happily ever after for now ending ( so, HEAFN?). I liked how Ellie and Theo ended up back together. I also hope the author has more books written in this universe. A few people were featured (secondary characters) that I want to see have their HEA.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam, Dell, and Jilly Gagnon for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Love You, Mean It. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

This was such a cute rom com. Dueling delis is such a weird concept but it was executed so cutely! This book had so many of my favorite tropes and was an adorable enemies to lovers story. The characters felt mostly fully fleshed out and honestly, their backstories were the most intriguing part. I felt like I was able to get to know the characters and really care about them. There was a lot of "real world" in this book, which did lessen the enjoyableness, but it didn't make it bad. It was just jarring at times.

Thank you to Dell & Netgalley for this fun ARC!

I am rating this one 2.5 stars out of 5.

This is may first by Jilly Gagnon and I loved that the book took place in Massachusetts and centered around an Italian-American family. Having been raised in New York and deep in the trenches of Italian-American upbringing, I loved the nostalgia of Mimi being the strong-willed matriarch of the family.

This book was a classic enemies-to-lovers set up with a fake engagement thrown in to benefit both parties. Our FMC is Ellie Greco, (her full name is Eleanor and that warmed my heart because I have a daughter with the same name) and she has moved back to her small town after striking out in NYC for a career in fashion design. She now is the owner and sole proprietor of her families longstanding deli. After news breaks that the wealthier family in town, the Taylors, are in the works to sell one of their properties to a huge Italian inspired grocery chain ( think whole foods but all Italian) Ellie is desperate to try and save her families deli from going under if this giant moves into town.

She meets up with Theo Taylor, the son of the Real Estate Mogul Ted Taylor, and tries to convince him to not bring the giant chain store into town. Theo went to school with Ellie and even dated her best friend and cousin Bella (which seems weird to me later on). After failing to convince Theo to stop the sale, he accidentally gets hit hard in the head by crumbling infrastructure, resulting in memory loss. Ellie partly wanting to save her business and partly not wanting him to go to the hospital alone, tells the paramedic she is his fiance. After realizing Theo has amnesia, she tries to back out of her words but soon realizes he isn't so lost as she might think. The two strike up a plan to mutually help one another stop the big chain store from coming into town and hi-jinx ensue.

One problem, Theo's ex-girlfriend Sam shows up at the hospital and starts questioning whether or not if their engagement is real. Unfortunately, Ellie really likes Sam and wants to befriend her but once Sam realizes their engagement is fake, she asks Ellie to help her win Theo back. No big deal, except Sam is named the new CFO of Theo's dads company and the pressure is on to stop the big chain from coming to town but also has a risk of Ellie failing if she can't get Theo to fall back in love with Sam.

While I enjoyed this book, it felt at times like one big overly dramatic kids show. Ellie refusing to accept she has feelings for Theo and trying to help Sam, his ex-girlfriend, get back together with him felt just unnecessary. There were too many moving pieces at play that messed with the flow of the story. One minute Ellie is telling herself Theo is too different from her, she has to push him away, and the next they're engaged in intercourse and she can't accept she likes him. It felt like Ellie needed to just come clean and tell Theo she liked him rather than keep shoving her feelings down deep. Also, this man was dating her cousin Bella in high school and idk but that feels weird to me. I couldn't really see pass that.

Theo has his own trauma and baggage that he brings to the table. His little brother passed away in a tragic accident and he has a strong tie to the Taylor building they're trying to save from the big chain grocery store. He tried to break away from his overbearing father Ted, but after his brothers death he sort of gave up on his dreams. While I felt like Ellie's situation I understood because the Deli was her deceased fathers and grandfathers store before she took over, with Theo I wish he would have had a stronger background explaining himself more. It just felt surface level to me.

The friendship between Ellie and Sam was my main focal point. The two women complimented each other so well and Sam giving Ellie the idea to expand her business that allowed her to appreciate her life in her small town was truly heartwarming. I wish these two weren't pitted against each other over a MAN. Of all the things in this world...

The conflict resolution at the end with Ellie and Theo was satisfying and I am glad they got their happy ending,

Ellie Greco did not think she would find herself back in Millborough, let alone back running the family deli. After her dad died, she had to go back and be there for family. She loves the deli, but hidden away, has always had dreams of fashion design. Ellie finds out that a local developer is bringing in Mangia, the big time gourmet food department that would surely shut her family deli down. She takes things into her own hands by pleading with Theo Taylor to call the deal off. However, during their meeting at a project site, things go from bad to worse when Theo is hit with falling debris and is knocked out. Going to the hospital with him, she calls herself his fiancee so that she can try and help him. However, once he realizes the truth, he actually asks to keep it going to help him. Now that they have a fake engagement on the books, they both begin to use each other for their own personal gains. It’s only inevitable though that the more they might fake the engagement, the more they might actually begin to like each other.

This fake dating trope had it all. Exes. Work. Families and more. I thoroughly enjoyed Ellie and Theo through this entire book. They were very true to the opposites attract standard. It was great to see the family dynamics on both sides and how opposite they were as well. It was a quick, easy read and certainly one to grab if you’re a fan of the fake dating.

Meet-cute. Enemies to Lovers. A cute rom-com overall that kept me entertained. Gagnon definitely set the stage for a second book.

I must admit that a book of this kind is not my usual read. But, I found this one a really nice break from all the serious reading that I normally do. The main characters are Ellie and Theo and each bring their own family dynamics with them. I found the story very, very predictable and I really expected it to be that way. The saucy banter with friends, family and each other are delightful. As the reader peels away the many layers of the story you will find a smile on your face. If you need a book for fun and laughter you will really likes this one. I liked all the characters and the author pulled me into the story quickly and held my interest.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House – Ballantine Books - Dell Publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a fun rom-com - full of humor, quips, and amazing chemistry between two people who aren’t each other’s types on paper. It starts with a sprinkle of While You Were Sleeping and a dash of You’ve Got Mail energies and evolves in some unexpected and delightful ways.

Ellie has many talents, including fashion design, which she has largely put on hold to run the deli that’s been in her family for generations. When it seems like a famous gourmet food department store Mangia is about to open a branch in town, Ellie is determined to put a stop to it and save her and other local businesses. Her plan is to persuade real estate scion (and former high school classmate) Theo not to rent the building. Theo has his own reasons for not renting to Mangia and soon Ellie and Theo are embarking on a fake dating/engagement adventure that might prove they make a surprisingly good team.

This was an enjoyable read! I was captivated by Ellie and loved how her relationship with Theo progressed and her own understanding of what she wants out of life. I appreciated the vivid descriptions of the clothes Ellie made and all the delicious food everyone was constantly eating. There was a bit of an out of character moment for me toward the end but the story ultimately wraps up in a satisfying manner. Recommended to fans of opposites attract and/or faking dating tropes and readers looking for a warm and entertaining rom-com. 4.5 stars.

Thank you very much to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Not gonna lie, this is basically a Hallmark movie in book form. I liked Ellie’s big boisterous family, especially her cousin Bella and her Grandmother Mimi. The amnesia was a little over-the-top, but it didn’t last long. Also, the whole thing with Theo’s ex felt weird to me. Overall, though I did like it. It was a fun, quick read.

I’ve never read anything by this author and I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. Theo and Ellie are opposite in every way, but actually work well together. When she has a meeting with him and he gets hurt, she acts as his fiancé so she can make sure he is ok. Even though he loses his memory he gets it back quickly and they decide to use it to their advantage where his father is concerned.

As they work together to achieve their common goal they end up falling for each other, but she pushes him away. Here is one of my irritations with this book: for adults they both seem to be slow to realize their true feelings. Although, in my opinion, he had a crush on her when they were in younger but never told her. Another issue is her constant belief that he was to stuck up to actually want to help her, even when he showed her and told her his reasonings.

Their relationship was cute, if not frustrating at times. His ex threw a little bit of a wrench and I wish there would have been some chapters from Theo’s pov because I would have liked to have seen his interactions with the ex. Overall, this was a good book and I would definitely read another book by this author. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was cute, fun and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and will look for other books by this author.

For readers who:

- like a good cliche romance
- love the pretending-to-be-dating trope
- like just a leeeeeetle spice in their books
- want an easy beach read for summer

SYNOPSIS: Ellie tried the whole costume designer in NYC thing, but 5 years ago, when her dad died, she came back to her small hometown to run the family deli. When she discovers that a local property management firm is going to open an upscale gourmet food department store, she knows it's the end of the deli. Until she has a run-in with Theo, and next thing she knows, they're fake engaged and planning to save the deli.

MY THOUGHTS: This reads like a Hallmark movie, in the best of ways. Cute, small town girl returns home from big city and has funny best-friend sidekick. Meets rich guy, ends up fake-dating, and the rest is history. It's sweet, it's cheesy, it's a fun read. Not life changing, but certainly entertaining fluff.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy through my email from the publisher and I absolutely loved it!!! Ending my month with a super fun and sweet 5 star read?? Yes, please!! This book officially released today and if you like romcoms, fake dating, enemies to lovers or banter— this is the read for you! Quick and enjoyable! I couldn’t put it down!

This was cute but it wasn’t exciting or something that had me wanting more. I liked the fake dating tropes and some of the characters but I felt underwhelmed.

“Love You, Mean It” by Jilly Gagnon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 4/30

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I really enjoyed this one. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie plot!
Five years ago Ellie’s father passed away unexpectedly and she moved home to Milborough to run her families deli! She already felt like a failure after not having a breakthrough in New York costume design. This is a new low.
When a well known rich family is looking to bring in a big market to fill an empty space Ellie has to do something otherwise her family business will be at risk. Ellie does the only thing she can do she confronts Theo. Theo’s father Ted wants the deal to go through. Theo has other plans.
Can these two work together? Theo comes up with a plan to fake date Ellie so his dad will feel inclined to keep the business of his son’s girlfriend afloat mostly for appearances.

While I liked the basic premise behind Love You, Mean It and it featured a fair number of classic romcom tropes I tend to enjoy, a few things did bother me. Namely Ellie. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but there was just something about her that I couldn’t connect with. I freely admit this could just be me. And while it didn’t really work for me, there’s still plenty to like in terms of the story itself, and I’d suggest romcom fans give it a go and decide for themselves. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Love you, Mean It.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1MFN6OOANFYD5/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

A fan of the movie Overboard, mention amnesia and a fake marriage, and I'm there for it. This book took a turn from what I was expecting though.

Ellie Greco runs her family's deli that has been in their family for generations. Now, with talk of the superstore Mangia moving in just down the road, Ellie's at risk of losing everything her family's worked for. The person in charge of the project is none other than Theo Taylor, whom her cousin Bella dated in high school. Taking a risk, Ellie get's Theo's information, and nails down a meeting.

The last thing she was expecting out of their meeting was for him to get knocked out at the building site. Ellie doesn't want to leave him alone, but the only way to stay with him in the ambulance is to pretend that she's his fiancée. A lie that the hospital staff helpfully relays to Theo - who's lost the last 6 years of his life, and his very real, very fabulous, very concerned ex Sam when she shows up after getting the emergency call.

Ellie comes clean to Theo as soon as she can, but to her surprise, he wants to continue with the fake engagement. He has his own reasons for wanting to keep Mangia from moving into town, and they join forces to convince his father and the board of directors why it's a bad move.

When flickers of feelings start coming into play, Ellie does what she can to protect herself. Plus, Sam has let her know that she knows the engagement is fake, and that she'll be happy to help in their efforts if Ellie puts in a good word with Theo to give their relationship a second chance. Sam and Theo are perfect together, everything you'd expect when you look at the two of them. But is Ellie sabotaging her chance at something real?

A fun contemporary romance, with very likable characters you want to root for and be friends with. And very unlikable characters standing in the way of everyone's happiness. Once I got started on it, this was a quick read, and I loved the way Ellie was able to grow and take the tough advice that came her way. Even if the timing wasn't always what she'd have hoped for.

Thank you to the publishers through NetGalley for the ARC.

Normally I am noooot here for the fake dating but this one was actually okay. I guess because I could find reason with it and it made sense to me 😂.

I thought the amnesia head injury thing was going to play a bigger part here but that was gone and over with fairly quickly.

This is your pretty standard rom-com, while it was medium paced, I did feel like there was a LOT of long internal narration from Ellie that I started to skim because it was too much. I don’t know that we needed all that. Like pages of long paragraphs it felt like.

I also wish we had the dual POV with Theo, it’s so rare to have a rom-com with just one POV now, I missed knowing that the other guy was thinking.

I also wish we had gotten a public takedown of the villain at the town-hall meeting 😂, and does everyone think they’re still engaged after the third act breakup?

Overall this was a fun time with some minor flaws, but it’s fairly lighthearted, and a lil spicy. If you enjoy a fake dating rom-com you’ll like this one.