3.5 Stars- This was a contemporary romance with two very opposite main characters. Ellie runs her family's deli and is willing to do whatever it takes in order to save it. The deli is in trouble when a potential big box store is about to move into the neighborhood and would put her family's deli out of business. Ellie sets out to contact the owner of the building to see if she might be able to stop the sale. The owner turns out to be someone she knows from high school., Theo. He is rich and privileged, and Ellie does not think things are going to turn out well. When she meets Theo things seem to go from bad to worse when he gets hit in the head and suffers from amnesia. The story unfolds into one that keeps you wondering what is going to happen next and if the two of them could actually save the deli and have a relationship.

The book did fool me when I started I thought it was going to go a certain way when Theo, gets hurt. It was a pleasant surprise when I realized I was wrong and the book went in a completely different direction. There were many interesting aspects to this book but I also found the book a little slow in parts. Overall, an interesting contemporary romance.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit that the premise made me a tad skeptical before I dove in, but the reviews had me hopeful. Unfortunately, the incredibly unrealistic plot just barely had me hanging on. I pushed myself to get through it, but there were many moments that I considered giving up.

Basically, the whole in a coma/pretend fiancee/let's keep pretending/I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine/opposites attract thing was simply ridiculous. However, I had a small hope that Ellie would actually just end up by herself in the end with a new sense of self-confidence, family pride, and purpose. I was incredibly disappointed that it followed the paint-by-number plotline where the female lead just HAS to end up with the guy. (Insert groan/eye roll).

Simply put, not for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Dell for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

This was amazing!! Fun and playful and funny. I love me a good rom com and this certainly did not disappoint at all

This was a sweet one! I was hesitant where the story was going in the beginning, but it pulled through with a fast paced, charming romance. It's easy to root for Ellie and Theo! Tropes include fake relationship, enemies to lovers. The restaurant-foodie angle was unique in the world of rom-coms. Quick read!

Thank you to RandomHouse and NetGalley for this ARC.

A charming romantic comedy that has been compared to You've Got Mail and Little Shop Around the Corner.

Ellie returned home to Chicago after her father's death so that she could run the family deli. Now it looks as though a major competitor may be moving in. She vows to fight it and will have to deal with the wealthy local family behind it. She tries to work with the son of the family but he is unwilling or unable to listen.. An accident ends up forcing Ellie and Theo to work together. Along the way, Ellie slowly finds out just what it is that is her true calling.

Lots of twists and turns on the path to the ending, it is a fun and worthwhile read.

I liked all of the female characters in this story! Quick read which is great but the story was a little rushed while being sweet and light hearted

Love You, Mean It is a contemporary romance with While You Were Sleeping vibes. Underneath the playful romantic vibes, author Jilly Gagnon introduces a community with a history that both main characters have a deep connection to.
Ellie and Theo are the main characters, they both grew up in the same town but under very different circumstances. Ellie grew up surrounded by a loving family that is close. Theo seems to be the typical rich guy whose family is dysfunctional. Ellie is running her family's small deli which has been theirs for four generations. Theo's family owns much of the town as they are in real estate.
Ellie is running the deli though she feels it is an obligation to her family. She's a little resentful of that. However, when Theo and his family look into bringing a mega grocer into the area, Ellie realizes that the deli isn't just an obligation. It's also a place she's come to love. Eillie isn't my favorite female character in the book. She is a bit self-sabotaging. She is no-nonsense and strong in other areas which is nice to read.
Theo. Sometimes dive into these stories just assuming you're going to hate the billionaire off the bat. I didn't. He, like Ellie, is no-nonsense. He's running his family's business and has no support from his father (who is the classic jerk in these billionaire tropes, only he doesn't get better).
Overall I would recommend this book for a light read. It isn't a romantic comedy to me. More contemporary romance, romance.

Description
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 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.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this early, I thoroughly enjoyed Theo & Ellie's story. Ellie runs her family's small town deli after her father's death & giving up her artistic dreams in NYC. Theo's family company wants to bring in a grocery giant who will threaten not only Ellie's deli but the entire downtown. An accident & small lie result in the 2 of them pretending to be engaged in order to stop the gentrification. If they can put aside their differences they might realize they're the perfect match, sometimes opposites aren't what they seem. Warning, this does have a few sex scenes & cursing, so if that's not your thing you can avoid.

Loved this very fun romance! Ellie runs her family deli business, and Theo and his family are threatening it's future with a deal from a much larger Deli. Ellie and Theo decide to fake an engagement, even though they are essentially strangers, in order to prevent the deal from happening. They experience ups and downs along the way, as they pretend to have a relationship. Theo's old girlfriend enters the fray, and the story proceeds in a playful way.

Love You, Mean It is a great vacay read, with short chapters and a manageable number of characters. The story is light but somewhat predictable. The ending is satisfying, and left a smile on my face.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review Love You, Mean It.

I am a sucker for the fake dating trope and this book did not disappoint. Ellie and Theo were both funny and lighthearted and made you fall in love with them from the start. Add in the family drama and it was a “can’t put down” book. One issue is it’s a little hard to tell who is speaking when but once you get used to each characters dialogue style then it’s easier to tell. A really great romcom overall!

Love You, Mean It is a funny, fast-paced rom-com. Our main character, Ellie, has moved back home from NYC to take over her family's deli (NOT because her dreams of being a costume designer weren't working out). Ellie is sarcastic and a bit pessimistic when we first meet her, but shows her soft side when her family is around. When the deli's future is put into question, thanks to one Trip/Theo Taylor and his rich family, Ellie decides to take matters into her own hands. However, things go horribly awry when Theo loses his memory after an accident during their conversation. Ellie, for totally altruistic reasons, poses as his fiancée and Theo has no reason not to believe her when he wakes up. Once Theo regains his memories, he proposes a plan to keep the engagement standing so they can BOTH get something out of this deal - saving the deli for Ellie, and giving Theo what he really wants to create in the building space.

This was a very witty, fast-paced read. I grew to really like Ellie, even though my first impression of her was a bit sour. Ellie and Theo had great tension and banter and there were a few spicy scenes throughout the book. I thought the drama and self-discovery was done very well and seemed realistic. ALSO, please note that this book will make you hungry with all the food descriptions, it definitely made me go to my own local Italian market after I finished!

I also LOVED the attention paid to female friendships in this story. Ellie's journey and healing was not solely dependent on Theo, but finding her own way and girl-friends as well. It didn't take away from Ellie and Theo's love story, and made the whole story and Ellie's growth more realistic and complex to me.

I do wish that we had gotten an Epilogue to learn more about Ellie and Theo's story after the present-day event close. I also wish we would've gotten some chapters or scenes with Theo meeting Ellie's family on a private scale to develop that a bit better. We get a good amount of Ellie/Theo's family, which makes sense for the story, but knowing how important family is to Ellie, I think it would've shown us a bit more to Theo and their developing relationship.

The ending was a bit quick and slightly unexpected (slight spoilers ahead!). I really thought Ellie was going to expand the Deli into the Taylor Building so she can grow her business (including her designs) while keeping the deli's authenticity - but alas, it was not to be!

Overall, I did enjoy this read, even though it was a bit slow to start. I think Ellie and Theo's story was cute and the author did a great job developing their physical and emotional relationship. I would definitely read another book by Jilly Gagnon, even if rom-com isn't her normal genre, and would recommend this book to anyone looking for a rom-com with a leading character with blazing wit and a strong personality.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

This was a quick, easy read that was somewhat predictable. It reminded me of the plot of several popular rom com movies I've seen which is what I kept visualizing while reading; otherwise, I would have rated it a little higher.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon.

About the book from Amazon:

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.

My review:
I found this book and its characters to be adorable. I loved the connection and banter between Ellie and Theo. I loved watching Ellie grow and discover herself throughout the book as well as watching Theo come into himself. Both of them had a lot of growing up to do that they were able to figure out how to do together. The storyline was wacky at times, but it kept me entertained which is what matters most.

OMG, I absolutely love love and loved this book! I'm a bug fan of this author and can't wait to see what's next. Thanks for the ARC

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC, all opinions are my own! Unfortunately this book was not for me. It is a romantic comedy about a fake engagement that blossoms into something more. The writing was well done but the back and forth dialogue was a little overwhelming and I felt went into too much detail. When the overall story gets lost to too much witty banter and dialogue the story falls flat for me. Maybe add some more introspection. The comedy was ok but I didn’t really find it too amusing. I found the main character Ellie to be quite frustrating and annoying. Aside from this the writing is well done, the plot was good and easy to follow. The book is a decent work of fiction if you love romantic comedies with a ton of dialogue and reading about detailed accounts of her daily life.

I enjoyed Jilly Gagnon’s book – All Dressed Up – and thoroughly enjoyed the book, the writing style and the characters. When I was asked to read this rom-com, I have to admit I wasn’t overly thrilled. Rom-coms are generally not a favorite genre, but I was optimized since Jilly Gagnon wrote it. I’m so glad I did. Not only did I enjoy this read, I would recommend it. Fun story, the characters had great chemistry with each other, a wee bit of drama, some oo-la-la romps, but not overly graphic, just a good read.

Ellie Greco manages her family’s deli, since her father died. The deli represents family, tradition and especially her father. So when rumors that a modern hip, uber upscale deli franchise, Mangia is coming to a location close by, Ellie is determined to put a stop to Mangia. When she learns, an old classmate, Theo (Trick) Taylor is the developer working on the project, she seeks him out to have a discussion. At the meeting, Theo is accidentally hit in the head by a falling piece of ceiling and has a head injury. Ellie accompanies Theo to the hospital and here is where the fun begins. Mix in some amnesia, a fake engagement, some real feelings, an ex-girlfriend, and a good look at oneself and you get a fun, engaging read. Pick a sunny spot and enjoy.

I’m sitting here in a cruise, and this was a cute book to read while relaxing. It was a quick read and enjoyable but there wasn’t a wow factor for me. The author took the rom com checklist picked her fake dating trope and went with it.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you for the chance to read this early. Ellie has returned to her hometown to run the family deli. Things get tense when she learns a local man is planning to rent to Mangia-her competition. She goes to the property manager, Theo, to talk him out of it. But a freak accident causes a case of amnesia and in order to know his condition, Ellie says she’s his fiancé. One the “amnesia” is cured, they decide to stay “engaged” to help both of them end the potential Mangia deal. What I liked: dialogue between Ellie and Theo, Ellie’s relationship with family (particularly her grandmother). What I didn’t like: Theo’s ex, Sam. I just couldn’t buy her attempts at friendship with Ellie.

“Love You, Mean It” is a fun romcom that is reminiscent of its predecessors in the genre: the enemies to lovers trope, someone developing amnesia, and an ex who is still in love with the male love interest. It’s a pretty easy and low-stakes read!

Truthfully, I wouldn’t recommend this one unless you are committed to the genre in its highs and its lows. While I am a big supporter of women’s wrongs, the main character (Ellie) is a hard one to root for. The book would probably have been about 1/3 shorter if she wasn’t so committed to hurting the relationships she makes (both romantic and platonic). I found myself supporting the aforementioned ex for the majority of the plot; this would have been a cute way to subvert the typical happy ending, but sadly that was not the outcome.

“Love You, Mean It” will be out next year on April 30th—and thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC to review!

3.5 stars!

Recap:
Ellie had dreams of being a costume designer. She moves back to her home town of Milborough after her father passed to run the family deli. In comes Theo Taylor, who threatens to bring the upscale market Mangia to town, which would put Ellie's deli out of business. She decides to ask him to stop, but a freak workplace accident causes him to have temporary amnesia. Ellie pretends to be his fiancé in an attempt to go with him to the hospital but the lie gets out of hand. Once his memory returns, they agree to stay fake engaged so they both get what they want out of this deal - Ellie keeps her deli and Theo gets to do what he wants with the building.

Review:
Ellie and Theo are portrayed as rivals or opposites, when in fact you can tell they are attracted to each other. Ellie thinks of him as a stuck up, country club, rich boy and she sees herself as a failure, stuck in a job she does not want, living a life that was not for her. Throughout the story, Ellie gets to discover who she is and what her purpose is, but not without a struggle. Side characters like Sam and Bella added charm to the story. Ellie had a really low sense of self, which was sad to watch. She did not care about her home or had friends, mostly because it looked like she did not think she deserved them. It made it hard for her to accept Theo's love.

Spoilers:
While I agree with their third act breakup, I do feel like Ellie did all the groveling. I feel like even though Sam was direct to her about her feelings for Theo, and gave her an out more than once, I do feel like Ellie saw her in a position of power and did not feel confident with expressing her own emotions. I don't think it was fair for Sam to go and ask what she did of Ellie, and she should have apologized for it. Ellie owned up to her side of the problem, but I don't think Sam did. Also, Theo said some shitty things to Ellie towards the end when they broke up, and he apologized in the car but never said anything more about it, while both Sam and Theo made Ellie grovel.

Read if you like
opposites attract
fake dating
enemies to lovers
small town romance

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!