LOVE YOU, MEAN IT by Jilly Gagnon @jillygagnon
This book is a must read! Absolutely delightful! Sprint to the deli!

Thanks @netgalley for the ARC of this delightful rom-com!!! I remember seeing the Publishers Marketplace announcement for this book back in June and reading “salty deli owner,” “fake dating,” and “amnesia” and thinking, I must read this immediately!!! And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I laughed from start to finish, had my heart warmed by the sweet relationships between Ellie and her family, and of course, swooned over the one and only Theo. Not to mention the mouth-watering food descriptions! Consider this your warning not to read this book while hungry! (Or maybe do and then sprint your local deli!)

Love You, Mean It releases April 30, 2024 and you can preorder now at the link in @jillygagnon ’s bio! But in the meantime, why not check out her other fabulous books Scenes of the Crime and All Dressed Up :)

I loved this book! I fell in love with the characters immediately. There were definitely times when I wanted to shake them, especially having the privilege of reading Josie’s thoughts, but I loved them.

The book’s timeline was so unique—I loved the way the flashbacks were set up; something would be mentioned from their collective past but then we wouldn’t get to see that flashback until much later. Sometimes flashbacks just serve as a way to read the same thing twice (not in a good way, but repetitively) but these flashbacks were done well and done in a way that showed us depth and history.

I give this 4.5 stars for the ending (a little too neat) and for some of the cheesiness in the nicknames between the characters. I think their love story was *very* obvious from the beginning and a little bit more tension would have made me love this book even more. I mean, he calls her Sunbeam, of course he is madly in love with her.

I related so much to the main character’s health anxiety. I, too, am a victim of Dr. Google, who has convinced me many times that I have weeks—IF NOT DAYS—to live. I felt like Josie was an enneagram six (SAME) so the constant fear and worry and worst-case-scenario thinking was like looking in a mirror. However, I loved her and thoroughly enjoyed all the characters.

This was a fun romcom that I really liked! The way Ellie and Theo met was acute, and I was was sucked right in. I loved how Ellie initially used Theo's amnesia for her own benefit and then he turned it on her.

While the pace of the book slowed down a bit after the initial meet-cute, it was still a very good story. I loved the mix of business rivalry, drama, and how the author wove the hate into love into the story.

The romance itself was sweet and heartwarming, and I loved how Ellie and Theo's connection deepened over time. They had great chemistry, and I was rooting for them from the start of the book.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romcoms with good characters and a little bit of rivalry. It's a lighthearted fun story that left me feeling happy.

This was such a cute romantic comedy. I love small town romances, it’s the perfect mix of While You Were Sleeping and You”be Got Mail. I will definitely be looking out for other books written by the author! This book comes out in April 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited to read this romcom, but after starting it, I got a bit discouraged. The meet cute (even though they technically have known each other for a while) was really fun, a trope that alsways works for me. Ellie & Theo are enemies, who turn fake fiancé after an accident that results in amnesia. Love that. Give me Overboard. Give me While You We’re Sleeping. But why go through the trouble of writing that “meet cute” in, if you’re just going to waste it?! I was so let down when I read that the amnesia went away after a day. That really could have been a larger plot device, and been much more successful. *sigh* But, the MCs move on quickly and decide to keep their false engagement going to appease family. I love this trope too, so I was willing to keep going with the hopes that it would really pick up. Unfortunately, Ellie spends most of the book trying to help another girl (our hero’s ex) to get with Theo. For NO good reason. I suppose we are supposed to think our FMC is just really nice? Insecure? Dumb as a doorbell? I’m really not sure. I think the multiple plot points really convoluted each other and weren’t contributing much to the story. The fake fiancé situation was lacking stakes. The amnesia went literally nowhere. The side character trying to create a love triangle(?) was bizarre to me. However, there are sweet moments and I really wanted to like the book. It just wasn’t for me. 2.75 ⭐️

My first read from Jilly and WOW I’m about to be on my kindle all weekend. What a sweet story !!! Such a real narrative of flawed human beings who are willing to forgive and truly have each other’s backs. Absolutely loved this one & can’t wait for more from Jilly.

Love You, Mean It, is a cute romance perfect for a rainy afternoon. Ellie Greco is determined to save her family’s deli when a local property developer threatens to bring in a large chain Italian grocery. An accident while meeting with Theo, the handsome son of the developer, leads Ellie to impulsively claim to be his fiancee while he is unconscious. Theo awakens with amnesia and Ellie must awkwardly continue the charade. But Theo has an agenda of his own and, when his memory returns, suggests they keep up the charade to serve both of their purposes.

While the characters are very likable, the plot is a bit thin. However, all in all, this was an enjoyable book.

This was a cute romance novel, that gave me “you’ve got mail” vibes at first which I loved. However, if you’re looking for an original romance story, this is not it…all the typical stereotypes and tropes were inserted making it a predictable but fast and easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for sharing this ARC!

Love You, Mean It is a super cute Hallmark-y romance. If you (like me) enjoy a "While You Were Sleeping"-esque amnesia story you will enjoy this book. I don't think that this story is necessarily breaking any new ground when it comes to fake dating/miscommunication/enemies to lovers tropes but if you are looking for something that is easy and quick to read that will make you smile, you should definitely check out this book!

I was on the verge of DNFing this book till Theo finally got amnesia. I love the trope but I'm not a fan of how it was executed in the story. It also did remind me of 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall.

I can't say that I hated the remainder of the novel coz I was pretty entertained, but I do have my complaints. The build-up to the climax and the climax was unnecessarily dramatic and just didn't feel real or relatable. Ellie wasn't necessarily the best MC, her actions affecting so many people around her. Theo wasn't great either and mostly presented as an entitled idiot.

There are some good tropes in here, so I can't be too harsh. I have hopes for future works from the author because the writing in this wasn't too bad.

This was a super quick read and I breezed through it. Publication date: April 2024

The plot is your typical Hallmark movie. Ellie gave up on her dreams of costume design to take over the family deli business after the death of her father. Theo works in the family business of commercial real estate and could cause Ellie to lose it all. One tiny work accident and a brief memory loss later, the two ends up with a fake engagement and a messy web of entanglement.

Was this book cheesy and predictable? Yes. But life has been exhausting recently and this was just the perfect little escape I needed. Add in a few likable characters, this was a worthy way to spend 3 hours!

I absolutely adored this book! I had such a fun time with this story. It was a quick, cute read that I did not want to put down.

I enjoyed the way Ellie and Theo pushed each other and led them to their true selves throughout the book. Their relationship growth was very believable to me and it didn't feel rushed like some fake dating romances can be. By the end of the story I felt invested into their relationship and I needed to see how it played out.

I do wish that there was an epilogue to give us a little insight of how things were going after everything. I also expected a little more update on the Taylor Building and what the future held for it. I did think that we would hear about Ellie expanding her business as well so I was a little surprised at how cut off the ending was.

Overall this was my kind of book. It had all the fun romcom vibes that I want to see, especially in a fake dating romance. I will definitely recommend this!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Normally I find romance novels with the fake dating troupe to be over played and cliché, but I really enjoyed this one. I liked the characters and setting of this story, I would definitely read a sequel to Theo and Ellie. I appreciated that they both had personal reasons for their end goal, but that in the end they each had some strong internal realizations.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

What happens when the job you dislike is at risk of being taken away from you? Would you agree to a fake engagement, even though technically you started that lie? Would you risk getting emotionally involved though he comes from money and you don't? It's a cute quick read 2.75 stars.


****************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.************************

Love you, mean it was a quick and cute romance book to read. It has fake pages engagement dating which is always fun to see how the couple covers their butts when a curveball hits. I enjoyed Ellie (Eleanor) and Theo personalities and the sassy comments.

Ellie is trying to save her business and Theo is trying to make his own way. There is spice in this book. I do wish there was a little information on how they dealt with revealing the fake engagement. Overall I enjoyed the book and thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an electronic ARC of this book.

I have been in a bit of a slump lately and this one was just what I needed to pull myself out. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one!

An adorable read that touches on enemies-to-lovers and fake dating in an interesting circumstance.

Ellie left her dreams behind to take over her family's deli when her father died. The future of the deli is put in jeopardy when she finds out a local landlord, Theo, is planning to bring in a large food department store - which would ultimately mean the end of her family deli. Hatching a plan to try and save the deli goes awry when an accident causes Theo to have amnesia and Ellie claims to be his fiancée. After recovering, Theo suggests they keep up the ruse which leads them down a path of finding out they have more in common than Ellie initially thought and discovering truths about themselves that neither would face before.

Love You, Mean It is a delightful romance driven by both the circumstance and internal character struggles. It includes enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes and executes both of these wonderfully. It is one of those books that frustrates me because the characters can't admit the truth but makes me keep turning the pages to see how it all turns out.

This novel was an easy read that had me really rooting for both of the characters, despite how much Ellie's denial of her feelings made me want to just grab her and shake some sense into her. There were a few spicy scenes that were tastefully done to add just enough to the novel without overdoing it. It was a quick read that I recommend checking it out if the fake dating and enemies-to-lovers tropes are your thing!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Randall House Publishing - Ballantine for allowing this ARC reader to read this book prior to publication. It was a fun read and a mash up of two of my favorite chic flicks, While You Were Sleeping and You've GotvMail. I appreciated the lengths Ellie would go to to save her family business, the local deli, from an incoming big box fancy grocery store. In her pursuit of what's right for her family legacy, she and Theo Taylor, the landlord of the building that would house the fancy grocer, strike up an unlikely relationship. I loved that Ellie didn't lose her voice or her spunk, and Theo came out from under the thumb of his father and past trauma to do the right thing for himself and Ellie. I recommend this read!

Love You, Mean It was a so-so romantic comedy. Though it was a quick read, it was a bit boring. The male lead didn't seem to have much character and the female lead was really immature and judgmental. The combination of the two just made me wonder why they were so attracted to each other in the first place. It was really hard to root for this couple.

I thought this was a cute book. I did make the mistake of looking at previous reviews that made me hesitant if I would like it or not. But once I got through 30% of the book I realized that it wasn’t at all like the other reviews I read. I loved the relationship development between the main characters. Theo was such a sweetheart and I loved how he basically feel first. When they were referencing stuff from high school, I thought at one point it was going to be said that Theo always had a thing for her since back then. I do wish there was most descriptive moments when it came to the characters. I had a hard time imagining what they looked like! I loved Sam’s character a lot. I’m glad she wasn’t a mean ex. Overall I really enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to others!