Spicy dual point of view second chance fake dating mf romance. This was a quick cozy read with a fun premise. I enjoyed their back stories and loved the male lead.

“We’re in this together. You jump, I jump.” Kit was always right there with Andie, every step of the way. I loved it.

5 stars for making me cry. Books do not make me cry and I had silent tears as I read this one.

2nd chance romance on a dating show.

Synopsis: Andie and Kit dated for 4 months 10 years ago and all but fell in love. Kit’s father died and he ran away from his feelings foe Andie. When he decided he wanted to come back, Andie wouldn’t let him. Fast forward, they both sign up for a dating show (essentially Married at First Sight) and they’re matched. Andie needs the divorce money for her career & Kit is trying to make it work as his dying mother’s last wish. Will it work out in the end?

I felt like this story was real. Also, it’s a miscommunication trope done right. Both parties were communicating with each other, but not fully saying what they were trying to say. I love wholesome reality dating shows & this one is it. We do get mentions of the other couples on the show, but we never get their POV. There is so much more to this story than the reality dating show.

There is love, there is heart break, there are some big emotions and I was here for it all. 🥹

Read this one if you like:
🎬 Reality TV
🥰 Second chance romance
👯‍♀️ friendships (there’s a lot of people caring for each other)
😅 Witty banter and swoon-worthy moments

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this one in exchange for an honest review. I will be buying it for friends!

Not You Again started off strong. As a fan of reality tv, I liked that this book was a play on the quick marriage shows. I liked how Pierce set-up the storyline with Andie and Kit. I thought Pierce did a great job with the second chance romance trope. Kit and Andie were a cute couple. I enjoyed their banter, especially during the honeymoon. The "sweet potato" bit was adorable! I did struggle with Andie and Kit's past relationship. It was a little hard to believe that their quick relationship in college had that big of an impact on their lives. I think it would have been more believable if Andie and Kit's past relationship was at least a year long. Although the other contestants were fun to read about, they didn't add a whole ton to the story as side characters. I wanted to see more of a resolution with the other couples, specifically Jamie and Leslie. I wasn't the biggest fan of the third-act drama. Honestly, the last 25% of the book felt unnecessary. I'm not sure what happened, but the last quarter of the story read differently to me. Overall, this was an okay book. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

I was leaning towards rating this as 4 stars until I actually sat down to write my review, and then I realized that - though I enjoyed much of the story - I had quite a few pretty big issues with the relationship at the heart of it. Let's talk about the good for a minute, because there's a solid amount of it. I liked the premise of two people getting matched on a Married at First Sight-style dating show, only to discover that their supposed "ideal" partner is the person who broke their heart years ago. They had a messy breakup back in college and left things very unresolved between them, so they have different levels of enthusiasm about their present day match. I always love "he falls first" vibes and a man who knows he needs to win over his girl, so that part worked for me. I also thought the reality show aspect added a fresh, unique feel to the typical second chance romance setup, and it was easy to feel the connection that still sparked between our couple. I'll get into the things that didn't work for me in a minute, but this was the kind of debut that makes me excited to check out more from the author in the future, as her writing continues to grow.

The story follows Andie, a wedding dress designer who is resistant to letting love into her life. After having her heart broken in college and after spending years watching her mom drift from one man to another, the last thing Andie is looking for is a relationship. But she does need money to grow her business, so when a friend tells Andie about a loophole in a reality show's contract, it sparks an idea. Andie will get married to a stranger, and when they part ways she'll receive a check large enough to grow her business. Unfortunately, that plan goes awry as soon as Andie meets her groom - Kit, her college sweetheart. They only dated for a few months, but Andie let herself fall for him... only to be shattered to pieces when he unexpectedly disappeared from her life. Ten years later, Kit is ecstatic to discover that his new bride is Andie. He sees it as a second chance to get things right, even if she wants nothing to do with him.

I'm not the biggest fan of second chance romances, but I love a reality TV romance book, so I was excited to see how this one played out. The writing was pretty good, not amazing but certainly enough to pull me in. Where this one stumbled is with the endless, exhausting miscommunication. The reason for their breakup kinda drove me crazy, but even worse was that they continued to struggle with communication in the present day. Though Kit is excited for another chance to get things right with Andie, their relationship felt lust-focused to me. In the past AND the present. They both refuse to open up and repair old wounds, even though Kit says he's willing to. There were SO MANY missed opportunities for them to work on the emotional side of their relationship, but things still felt unresolved by the time we got the HEA. I think I probably could've bumped this up to a 4-star rating had the third act not been quite so messy, but it just made me feel even less confident that these two could make it in the long run. Ultimately, there's a ton of potential here, and I think a few tweaks could've really done wonders for the story.

This is a dual pov story following Andie and Kit as they are matched in a reality TV show -that neither of them really wants to be a part of-, which requires them to get married as strangers, spend 8 weeks together and then decide if they want to stay married or opt for divorce. The thing is Andie and Kit aren't strangers, 10 years ago they were each other's everything until things got complicated and hearts were broken.

I loved Andie and Kit. Loved their personalities, their jobs, their chemistry, their second chance story and Kit gave big why-don't-guys-like-this-exist-in-real-life vibes. However, something was off and by that I mean that if you gave these characters and the main points of this story to Emily Henry and make her rewrite it, I am 100% convinced I would give it 5 stars. I loved the characters and the idea behind it, but something was not right. I'm not sure if it's the writing itself or the fact that both times Andie and Kit break up is because of a dumb miscommunication issue.

I enjoyed it but I know I will forget all about it in 2 weeks, which is unfortunate because this story had the potential to live rent-free in my mind forever.

Thank you so very much to alcove press and Netgalley for this audio copy! I have some mixed feelings about this one.

This is immediately set up for an incredibly fun ride: a reality show arranged marriage, but the catch is that THIS couple has dated before. I really enjoyed the writing itself, I thought it was eloquent and thoughtful, and handles some of the more heavy topics quite well.

I think my biggest problem is that I just couldn’t get past the miscommunication between our main couple. Both of them behave really immaturely, not only in their past relationship but in the present iteration of it as well. They make a lot of decisions that don’t seem very clearly explored to the reader until well after the fact, and while that may be a personal preference, it really just made me so frustrated that I felt pulled out of the story more often than not.

I do think this author has some serious potential, so I will consider coming back to her. It is a very heartfelt story, and I could see myself enjoying something of its like if only the miscommunication wasn’t the main feature. I think this could be a standout romance for some, but it didn’t work terribly well for me.

ooooooh I just finished Not You Again by Ingrid Pierce and have a HUGE smile on my face! This second chance romance is a take on reality tv show 'married at first sight.' where two former partners both sign up for a reality tv show for their own reasons, and are shocked to find out at the altar that they are marrying each other! Kit and Andie were so fun to get to know. I grew to love them both and root for their love the entire way! If you are looking for a romance with a lot of heart, a little spice, and some fun along the way, pick this up immediately!

As much as I hate reality TV shows in real life, I quite enjoy them in books - it's the getting to know the behind the scenes in books, vs getting the edited version on screen.
I loved the premise - two persons who reunite on a married-at-first-sight tv show, after a decade since the short and intense relationship they had in college.
I liked Kit, he was in since the first moment, and more accepting of his feelings than Andie. Andie was a tough nut, fiercely independent and super protective of her feelings after what happened the last time they were together.
I am amongst those who don't usually mind some miscommunication between main protagonists, but Andie and Kit take it to a new level. They were both so burned by their pasts, at a vulnerable moment in both of their lives, that it takes them a lot of courage to go for a future together. It's a tough path to that, but they make it!
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, even though not all of it clicked for me. But that's a me problem.

Thank you to the author for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was an absolute surprise to me. I went in thinking this would be a cute and fun read, but it was so much more.

It was funny, emotional, heartbreaking, and beautiful.

Definitely lower on the spice level for what I read, but still a five star read for me. I will highly recommend this to everyone!

Thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for a review.

This book is perfect for fans of reality TV. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. The second hand embarrassment that I get from watching reality TV still happened with this story and while I loved the characters and it was a very interesting plot, I didn't love it enough to get past how awkward I felt "watching" these characters get married at first sight.

Wedding gown designer Andie Dresser is hanging on by a thread. Gaining a following on TikTok for her one-of-a-kind fairytale gowns has earned her a spot at Atlanta’s Fashion Week, but the costs to design a full bridal line have stretched her to her limit. When her best friend suggests she sign up for a reality show with a potential $100,000 prize, she realizes the money could allow her to hire some desperately needed help. All she needs to do is marry a stranger—sight unseen—and opt for divorce at the end of filming. No big deal, right?
Architect Kit Watson just returned to Atlanta to help his loving but stubborn mother through a health crisis. However, she’ll only accept his help if he agrees to settle down, insisting he sign up for a matchmaking reality show. Willing to do anything for his mom, he finds himself at the altar—on camera—staring at Andie, the woman he abruptly left without explanation ten years ago.
With producers out to prove they're the perfect match, Kit and Andie join in on the reality show hijinks, cameras following their every move. Somewhere between zip-lining and ax-throwing therapy sessions, their feelings for each other grow under the spotlight. But with decision day and Fashion Week looming, Andie needs to decide if the manufactured scenarios for TV are enough to choose loving Kit over her dreams of success.

Not You Again by Ingrid Pierce is a captivating novel that tells the story of a magical second-chance romance filled with sizzling chemistry and heart-wrenching emotion. This charming read captivated me with its compelling storyline and well-developed characters.

When I came across this book on NetGalley I was so excited, the premise sounded amazing and I was really looking forward to it.

Unfortunately, this book just didn’t really work for me. I loved the dating show plot line, I thought it was really unique how it was used to enhance the second chance aspect of the romance between Andie and Kit. I really enjoyed the supporting characters as well. Andie’s job was also really fun to read about.
Unfortunately that’s the extent of my enjoyment of this book. Andie and Kit just did not work together. They didn’t know how to, and refused to communicate. They had boatloads of trauma from their individual lives and from their relationship the first time neither of them took responsibility for to work through. It was just really hard to read when they were both being stubborn just to be stubborn.

This is a debut novel, so I am still excited to see where the author goes in the future with their work. Unfortunately this romance just was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 7/9/24

This second-chance romance features a young woman who wants to save her wedding gown business so much that she joins a Married at First Sight style reality show. There she is matched with her old college boyfriend, Kit, who walked away from her 10 years ago.

These two characters are nursing some pretty serious hurts - Andie has built a wall around her heart and Kit seems to be overwhelmed by his mother's battle with cancer. They both know that they have to stay on the show for different reasons and try to make it work. Maybe Kit tries a little harder than Andie.

The premise was interesting and the writing solid. Maybe it was just the mood I was in, but I didn't really believe the character development or feel much about the characters.

A nice read if you are in the mood for a steamy, reality show based read.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Full disclosure- I loved Married At First Sight so when this was approved for me I tore through it quickly. Andie's dream of becoming a wedding gown designer is what originally catapults her into the limelight marrying a (not so) stranger on live television. When it is revealed that it's Kit, her former boyfriend who she hasn't seen in 10 years, things get interesting. Kit is viewing this as a second chance to rekindle what was lost but Andie just wants to make it through filming and get a divorce. Kit is so supportive and sweet with Andie, but he does have his demons. What I liked was that both characters had flaws but they were perfect for each other together. The drama, the tension, the television production constraints? All deliciously fantastic additions to this second chance romance.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!! I loved the premise of this book and I'm not sure about the ins and outs of reality tv show making, but I think I was convinced?? I've been reading a lot of second-chance romances lately, but I'm not a big fan of the "I'm not good enough for you so let's break up." I thought there were good ideas here though but I wasn't sure if it was executed that greatly.

I really enjoyed reading this rom-com! It's the precise level of romance I love. I don't tend to like second-chance romance as a trope but I felt it was really well done and it felt believable with a fun reality TV twist.

Ingrid Pierce's writing is easy to follow and the book was a very quick and fun read.

I .hate givinga a books a little stars rating, but what can I say I just didn't feel this one.
I didn't connect to the MCs, to the storyline.
It was cute, but not for me.
3 stars

One of my guilty pleasures is Married at First Sight, so when I saw the description for this book I knew I had to read it!! I don't normally gravitate towards second-chance romances but this one was done so well, I loved the fighting attraction between them and growing to trust each other again. Andie's a wedding gown designer and honestly all that was missing for me was I need pictures of some of the designs in this book because holy man they sound so beautiful!! Kit is an architect (is there a hotter profession? I don't think so) who just wants to take care of his mom and Andie and it's so sweet! I loved their story, there was a third act breakup but it was handled so well and my heart broke for them!! The writing was so well done, and you really get a great insight to the characters motivations and why they make the decisions they do!

I thought this book was just okay. It was very similar to other books I have read. But overall it was a cute romance book.

I love the idea of this book, but I just didn't love it. It felt very slow to me, and the pacing left me struggling to stay engaged in the story. I do think people would like it, I just didn't love it.