Ellie is stuck running the family deli after her dad dies. In comes a management company representative, the maddening Theo, who won’t listen to Ellie’s plea’s that the mega store proposed will put the town’s small proprietors out of business. But when a ceiling falls on top of him at that property and he develops amnesia (yep) Ellie convinces him he’s her fiancé to get him on her side. When he realizes she’s lied he amazingly convinces her to carry on the fiancé charade so they can together fight his family’s management company on this issue. She doesn’t quite trust him but the fake starts to turn into… something.

Love me some fake relationship novels and this one doesn’t disappoint. This fake relationship is very believable and realistic. These are multidimensional characters- well written, quirky, and appealing. It’s a sometimes fun and sometimes serious but ultimately delightful story. And there are some really nice naughty bits!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

“Love You, Mean It” is a rom-com by Jilly Gagnon. I liked the synopsis of this book - it seemed like a rather cute one. Overall, this had fake dating, amnesia (though used effectively I thought), family business, a bit of spice, and some cute one-liners. What I didn’t like was all the focus of the main character on her lack of bust (okay, it wasn’t a huge focus but it was mentioned enough times to remind me how bothersome I found the focus), the over-the-topness of a parent, and the fact that a minor character (I thought) at times was more interesting than the main female lead. This book wasn’t perfect - and it had its moments - but it was an okay read. 3.25 stars overall.

Ellie learns that an Italian marketplace type shop is coming soon to town and is afraid it will run her little family-owned deli out of business. She goes to talk to the guy in charge of the project about it and things take a wild turn when he suffers a concussion which results in temporary amnesia. Ellie pretends to be his fiancee so that she make make sure he's okay, but then he suggests they continue to pretend because neither of them want Mangia to take over the building in question. Ellie agreees, but the lines begin to blur as she spends time with him and gets to know him. Is this fake engagement turning real or is it all in her head?

It's a cute fake dating story with plenty of spice.

Love You, Mean It, by Jilly Gagon, is a fun romantic read with a few good twists. When Ellie goes to plead with the head of a big corporation that threatens to put her small-town business out of business, an accident seems to hand her the answer to saving her family's deli. It seems to be working until her "fiance's" ex shows up and threatens to complicate things. Twists and laughable situations keep things moving. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook to read for this review. My opinions are all my own.

I enjoyed this one for what it was, I liked the idea of the plot!

but truly I didn’t love the involvement of Theo’s ex….that is where my main issue came from. I also just didn’t feel like I could connect to the main characters as much as I would have liked too. but I will say I thoroughly enjoyed the authors writing. while I didn’t love the story, I like how she wrote the story! the chemistry felt slightly off to me as well. I just never felt like it was believable or felt anything between Ellie & Theo unfortunately.

but it definitely doesn’t deter me from reading more from this author in the future, I feel she is a very strong writer & I just unfortunately didn’t connect to this book as much as I thought I would.

This was a light read. It's an enjoyable story with characters to love and characters to hate, but the characterization of the protagonist was uneven- there were several times where I was pulled out of the book by the thought that this character would not do this or believe this or think this. That made it harder to stay invested in the plot. Also, given what happens, I felt the resolution of the various conflicts came a little too easily. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, though.

Love you mean it!

I am not typically a romance fan but I immediately loved the title. Then after reading the synopsis, I thought I would give it a shot. And I am so glad I did! This was like While You were Sleeping meets You Got Mail.

Ellie comes home to run her family’s deli after her father dies and has feelings of being stuck. But when her beloved deli is threatened by a big box store, she does whatever she can to save it. Including the fake engagement to Theo, property manager and guy who is trying to bring the big box store to her town.

Theo also has feelings of being stuck in a job he hates so when he ends up getting hurt at the job site and gets temporary amnesia, he just happens to figure out a way to get what he and Ellie both want.
There are a few pretty cool side characters that help the FMC realize what she actually wants in life.
Spice level is pretty tame too and somewhat helps the reader see the growing feelings that are unspoken.

so unfortunately, i did not love this. i didn't connect at all with the FMC ellie, and then it felt like the whole story was building-building-building only to ultimately wrap up in mere moments with a magic like apology accepted! yay! and done. there wasn't enough resolution or payoff and i left the story feeling blah.

rating: 4 stars

this is like a while you were sleeping x you've got mail wet dream like i'm seriously so in love with this concept and this book does it so much justice i had so so so much fun reading this <3 and with the movie the other zoey coming out ??? this is literally PERFECT

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 want: 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-fiance, 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.

From deli dilemmas to amnesia antics, Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gignon had me hooked from the first page!

Ellie's determination to save her family's generations-old deli is inspiring. In a changing world, she's navigating new paths to keep the deli relevant in her beloved neighborhood.

Then enters Theo, whose family is about to make a decision that could jeopardize Ellie's family deli – selling their empty building to the imposing Mangia conglomerate. It's a recipe for disaster until fate takes the reins.

In an unexpected twist, Ellie's confrontation with Theo leads to an accident that erases his memory. Seizing the moment, she poses as his fiancée to stay close, but little does she know, amnesia isn't the only surprise in this delightful story.

A chance encounter and a faux engagement lead to a charming rollercoaster of emotions. As the facade of their engagement continues, Ellie begins to question whether this arrangement is merely business. Can she trust Theo with her heart as well as her family's legacy?

With each "date" they share, doubts grow, and the stage is set for a love story that is as deliciously complicated as it is heartwarming.

Love You, Mean It serves up a captivating blend of romance, humor, and the power of second chances. You won't be able to put it down!

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishers and Jilly Gagnon for an advanced e-book copy. Love You, Mean it comes out April 30,2024.

I received this one as a granted wish and I'm SO glad I did! This is your standard friends-to-lovers story that has a very Hallmark-esque setting of her family's deli. Of COURSE she butts heads with the competing owner and winds up in a situation she never pictured herself in. The storyline really dove into their relationship from the start, keeping me hooked within the first few chapters. Their development felt realistic and I enjoyed their chemistry with just the right amount of spice - the perfect feel-good rom-com to get anyone out of a reading slump!

This book was 90’s rom com movies but in print form. I found it a tad too cheesy in some parts.

I did appreciate the enemies to lovers trope.

I liked this more than I expected to! Very cute story, genuinely interesting characters, and a really fun journey from enemies to lovers. Would love to check out more from this author!

Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon is an adorable rom-com although the main characters don't plan it like that! Theo wants to fake date Ellie once he has his memory restored after a freak accident so he can show his rich, obnoxious father what he really wants. Ellie is trying to save her family deli. But what happens when sparks fly during this fake relationship? Can they get the job done and save the family deli? A fun read, don't miss it! Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun romcom, and I really liked the premise of how the main characters meet. Ellie and Theo meet while Ellie is trying to save her family business, the ceiling falls which leads her to get amnesia and claim that Theo is her finance. The meet-cute happened pretty early in the book and hooked me. After that, the book's pace slowed but was still enjoyable. There is a bit of business rivalry, drama, dislike to love, business deals, and lovely, heartwarming friendships. I liked the romance, especially because I felt like the characters had a lot of time to develop their friendship and the relationship. Definitely read this if you like sweet romcoms with good characters and a smidge of steam.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for this arc for an honest review.

Love You, Mean It was fun and exactly what I needed as a palate cleanse to the darker themed books I've been devouring.

Ellie and Theo come from completely opposite worlds but find they have more in common than they thought when they team up against Theo's father for a common cause.

The question is… can those two people, from those different worlds really work?

I was not overly invested in Ellie or Theo but do think that this was a perfect quick romance read that was satisfying throughout right up until the ending and found myself wishing Ellie & Theo the happily ever after they both deserve.

Thank you, thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of Love You, Mean It.

Unfortunately, I struggled to finish this book. I found the main character and her antagonist turned love interest to both be pretty unbearable. It’s hard to read a story when you don’t like either of the main characters. I also didn’t feel like the romance made sense as both characters are pretty cold and it didn’t feel like they had chemistry.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5942198737


I received a copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


This romantic comedy was such a joy to read. Ellie and Theo have a history so when she reaches out to save her family's deli, things surely go awry. An amnesia-fueled fake dating scheme is also insanely interesting.

When Theo proposed to continue their fake engagement, Ellie is hesitant but will do what she can to save her business. But what happens when Theo's ex-fiance arrives on the scene?

If you want a quick, witty read, I would absolutely recommend this book.

Love you, Mean it was a fun, easy read! A bit of a hallmark story so there were predictable aspects, but it was still enjoyable. Ellie Greco is on a quest to save her family's deli and enlists the help of Theo, whose own father is the one trying to bring in a new company that would put Ellie's family out of business. They team up, pretending to be engaged, only to fall for each other in the process. The characters were likable, the book was light hearted, all in all a good read. 3.5 stars rounding up to 4.
Thank you to Net Galley, the author and Random House Publishing for access to this ARC.

This one was not for me. There was a lot of profanity right off the bar that I didn't appreciate.
The parts I read gave me a Big Fat Greek Wedding vibe and so I think that fans of the movie might enjoy this one!