I loved the backstory of the Italian deli that had been Ellie’s family for generations, and how it helped to shape the entire narrative. It was an overall cute enemies to lovers story. Nothing new, but fun.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this review in exchange for my honest review.

✨ Love You, Mean It ✨

Thank you to {Partners} PRH Audio + Random House Publishing + Netgalley for this ARC and ALC.

Let the Deli Wars begin! Ellie came back to her hometown to run her family's beloved deli after her father passes away from a heart attack. She is determined to make it a success by adding her personal touch to the deli that has been a part of the town for generations, but her plan could be completely derailed when the huge, big box deli, Mangia, plans to move in right down the street. To save the Deli, she has to team up with handsome, rich, real estate investor, Theo. But can their plan actually keep Mangia out? And is that really what Ellie wants?

✨ Fake Dating
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine (she's the grump)
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Amnesia
✨ Opposites Attract
✨ Deli Wars

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️

The audiobook was narrated by Amanda Ronconi and was such a fun listen!

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ sexual content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

If you are not head-butting with your family, there are probably limited things you won't do to save them and/or anything belongs them. Ellie did exactly that! When a "conglomerate" decided to take over her small town and threaten to destroy her family business, she decided to play a dangerous game with that conglomerate.

Theo was going to be her salvation. She went to pretty much beg him to not to kill her family's deli, but she left his side as his fiancée. How did things end up like that? One big accident! Aftermath of her engagement to Theo muddied waters even further in this little town. Families start to clash, emotions start to clash. At the end enemies of course turned lovers.

I'm not big on romance, but I needed a palate cleanser between crazy horror and thrillers. If you are into thrillers and enemies to lovers, you'll love this book

Didn't connect with this one as much as I was hoping too. Cute but a bit slow and there are so many books just like it, unfortunately.

The contemporary romance "Love You, Mean It" by Jilly Gagnon weaves in familiar romance themes such as enemies to lovers, a bit of the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, opposites attracting, and the ever-popular fake dating scenario. The story revolves around Ellie Greco, who had always aspired to be a costume designer. However, when her father passed, her dreams were suddenly put on hold, and shifted to managing the family business, Greco’s Deli, in her hometown of Milborough. Ellie has since put her heart and soul into the deli, being fully devoted to it and keeping the business afloat.

Trouble arises when Ellie discovers a local landlord's plan that would threaten the deli’s survival. Determined to save her family's business, Ellie confronts Theo Taylor to explore any possible solutions. Unexpectedly, this leads to them entering a fake relationship, which they hope will mutually benefit both parties.

I'm usually quite fond of the fake dating trope, and love a good opposites attract, but I found myself struggling with this novel. It was not as fluffy as I thought, and the heavy dose of the real-world - while entirely relatable - detracted me from fully engaging with the plot and rooting for the characters' love story to the end. Consequently, while some readers might appreciate this blend of romance and real-world issues, it didn’t quite resonate with me.

Overall, I’d rate "Love You, Mean It" two stars. The book had its moments, but it was a bit challenging to get through, and the integration of certain themes made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

#loveyoumeanit was a cute romcom that I really enjoyed. I really liked the main characters, charming comes to mind. The story was well thought out. I will be suggesting this to friends and family. Thanks #netgalley for giving me the chance to read this story.

I was immediately hooked as I began to read this book, but about halfway thru I got bored and put it aside. I recently went back to it and finished it and thought it was very cute, while predictable.

This just read like every single other book I’ve ever read. It didn’t feel very original to me. I was hoping for more. It was just okay in my opinion!

So, I love a good fake dating trope, pseudo-enemies to lovers, and the whole "While You Were Sleeping"-esque situation that the story had going on. I'm also a sucker for a small-town romance and the early 2000s romcom feeling this gave me!
I really appreciated Ellie's journey of finding her new direction through her grief and coming to terms with her life not going exactly the way she'd planned and Theo trying to save something meaningful that his father just sees as a possibility for profit. I think where things fell short for me was the lack of communication between the pair. Ellie spent so much of her inner-dialogue saying that she wasn't going to fall for Theo, I feel like we missed when it actually happened. It felt very sudden at the end when she finally realized that she wanted to be with him, and that was a little jarring.
I really loved Sam and Bella's characters and I hope we see more of them in future books if the author plans to expand this little universe.
Overall, I wish I could give half-stars because I think this is solidly a 3.5! I enjoyed it but found myself frustrated which kept pulling me out of the groove of reading. Despite that, I loved the writing style and really look forward to reading more books from Jilly Gagnon!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, the author, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my review!

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🌶️🌶️
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Small town romance, fake engagement, opposites attract, reversed grumpy x sunshine

This is my first time with this author and I really enjoyed this book, it had a good amount of my favorite tropes.

I enjoyed the mischievousness & chemistry between Theo and Ellie. When the situation required it, they were both able to put their feelings aside and be there for each other. The side characters were funny and relatable, and I particularly appreciated the authenticity of Ellie's family and their willingness to express their strong opinions. The story begins with Ellie going to meet with Theo Taylor, the son of the wealthy family opening an upscale deli to plead her case for her families deli. 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.

I liked the concept and premise, but Ellie and Theo were tough to root for, especially Ellie. She was really cute negative without any self confidence but we lingered there for too long instead of seeing growth. I liked the writing and the idea of the story, but the characters weren't for me.

Ellie gave up her own dreams to take over the family deli when her father passed away. She did it because she was needed and didn’t want to let her family down. She has put her heart and soul into making it the best it can be regardless of the occasion customer who drives her nutty! When the businesses future is put in jeopardy she pleads her case and gets things don’t exactly go as planned. When the ceiling falls in, both literally and figuratively Ellie takes advantage of the situation. A little bit of subterfuge, some humor, temporary amnesia, a fake relationship, this opposites attract, enemies to possibly more rom com was a sweet read. No big surprises, but a nice read with a lovely happily ever after.

"Love You, Mean It" by Jilly Gagnon is a fresh addition to contemporary romance literature, rich with familiar tropes such as enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, opposites attracting, and fake dating.

Ellie Greco had always dreamed of a career as a costume designer, but five years ago after her father's passing she returned to her hometown of Milborough and began to manage the family business, Greco’s Deli.

However, trouble looms as the Taylor family, local landlords, plan to lease space to a large box store that threatens the deli's existence. Determined to save her family's business, Ellie confronts Theo Taylor, hoping to negotiate a solution. Unexpectedly, their meeting leads to a fake relationship proposal, potentially beneficial to both parties.

The topics got a little too deep and took away from the light hearted romance I was looking for. While "Love You, Mean It" may resonate with some readers, it ultimately didn't align with my preferences.

When Ellie returned to her home town after failing to make it in the big city, she was content to take over her family's deli. Then Theo presented his family business's plan to bring a mega store to town that would make the deli obsolete. This is a classic enemy to lovers trope where the couple must work together to get the things they both desire. Of course, that ends up being each other, but there are sure to be many bumps in the road on the way. Jilly Gagnon plays the slow burn well and builds tension between Ellie and Theo. She utilizes misunderstandings and missteps to keep the "happily ever after" from happening too soon. There are a few spicy scenes that leave the reader wanting more.

I have such mixed feelings about this book! I liked the idea that the FMC didn't have to be the nicest, sweetest girl to be worthy of a love story. That said, I found it so hard to root for her when she was so mean to everyone in her life and blamed others for all her choices (there was slight growth there but could have used some more). I would like more from Sam though!

Fake dating! Amnesia! Drama! This fun and light hearted read was a great palette cleanser romcom. FMC was a little too dramatic at times. I think I would've enjoyed this more if I loved their relationship just a bit more. It didn't feel as believable as I would've liked. But overall, a good time!

Ellie Greco’s life in Milborough is a colorful mix of small-town charm and big-city dreams. The deli she runs, a family legacy, is full of warmth and character, but it’s facing a serious threat from a glitzy new gourmet store. Meanwhile, Theo Taylor's world is all sleek, corporate gloss, and his plans to turn Ellie’s deli into a casualty of progress create a real clash of worlds.

The story does a great job of highlighting the contrast between Ellie’s cozy, familiar deli and Theo’s upscale business empire. This setting makes Ellie’s struggle to save her family’s business feel urgent and personal. The quirky details of Milborough and the high-stakes tension with Theo add depth to the plot, making Ellie’s fake engagement and the evolving romance feel both entertaining and relatable.

This book is a playful rom-com featuring dueling delis, fake dating, a surprisingly awesome ex, and a dash of amnesia. The story follows Ellie Greco, who’s back in her hometown running the family deli after her father’s death. Things take a wild turn when a fancy gourmet store, Mangia, threatens her deli’s survival. Enter Theo Taylor, the landlord’s heir, who ends up with a bump on the head and some convenient amnesia, leading Ellie to claim they’re engaged.

The premise sounds like a lot of fun, and it does have its moments. The fake engagement and the antics that follow are amusing, and the dynamic between Ellie and Theo has some sparks. However, I have to admit, I didn’t really connect with Ellie as much as I hoped. She’s got her charm, but something about her just didn’t click for me. As for the execution of the plot, it felt a bit off. What sounded like a fun, quirky setup didn’t quite live up to its potential. The pacing was uneven, and some plot twists felt forced rather than organic. The reappearance of Theo’s ex-fiancé, Sam, added some drama, but it wasn’t enough to fully salvage the story for me.

That said, there are definitely some enjoyable parts. The small-town setting is cozy, and the dueling delis aspect brings a unique flavor to the rom-com genre. Theo’s character has some nice development, and the fake dating trope does lead to some genuinely funny and sweet moments.

Overall, this was a 3 star read for me. It’s a light, entertaining book that’s perfect for a lazy afternoon, but it didn’t quite hit the high notes I was hoping for. If you’re a fan of rom-coms with a twist, it might still be worth checking out.

Thanks so much to Random House, Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book!

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

“[A] delightfully tropey rom-com . . . This is a sweet confection.”—Publishers Weekly

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, the very existence of Greco’s Deli is suddenly in jeopardy.

She tries to plead her case to Theo Taylor, scion of the property management firm that is 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, she 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-fiancée, reappears on the scene. Not only does she see through their ruse, but she proposes an arrangement of her own, forcing Ellie to decide between a blossoming friendship, her family legacy, and the burgeoning romance she frankly never asked for.

Another book that disappointed me this spring! Could not get attached to the characters or the story, and it just didn't work for me!