4.25/5 stars!

This book was such a fun read! It made me smile, laugh, shake some sense into some characters, and left me feeling happy and hopeful. 

We meet Greg, our charming social media guru, whose recent financial hardship has landed him in Pennsylvania, and Julien, our taciturn wine aficionado who just wants to rush through  to become an expert sommelier. Watching these two bicker and come together was quite the experience. 


I absolutely loved the dynamic between these characters. A highlight for me was how good they were at communicating their needs and meeting each other in those needs and wishes. They were such amazing conversations to witness, so of course you have to laugh when they stumble around actually talking to each other about their feelings for one another. The humanness of it all leaves you content and rooting for them throughout the book.  

I would highly recommend you pick up this book, especially if you love grumpy sunshine and characters who celebrate each other's differences! Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After having such a fun time with You're A Mean One, Matthew Prince and New Adult, I was so excited to get an ARC of You Had Me At Happy Hour! Once again Timothy Janovsky gave me a delightful romance with a fun premise, complex characters, and so much heart.

I've read quite a few books with various mental illness representation, but this had a slightly different angle to it. In these other books, characters with ADHD, anxiety, and/or OCD might reckon with the impact their mental health has on the way they relate to others and understand themselves, but Janovsky takes it a step further to show the impact that medication for a mental illness might have on a character's physical ability to build intimacy (something that might exist in other stories but I haven't read them before). Julien and Greg were really compelling characters, and while the 3rd act breakup was one of my least favorite tropes - just talk to each other you silly boys and don't assume what it is the other wants! - I was really rooting for their love story.

This was an enjoyable read. Definitely learned a lot about what wines should be paired with. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

I requested and received an eARC of You Had Me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky via NetGalley. I’m a huge fan of his other books (You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince is a personal favorite) and was so happy to see this title! In this novel, Janovsky introduces readers to Julien, a waiter and aspiring master sommelier. Both Julien and Martin’s Place, the restaurant where he works, have seen better days. When Greg Harlow, a TikTok mixologist, is hired to revive interest in Martin’s Place, he also captures Julien’s interest. Although neither of the men want a relationship, they can both agree on a little after hours fun. Will a happy hour special be enough to pull Julien and the restaurant out of their funk?

I cannot get over how amazing this book was! I absolutely fell in love with the characters. I was admittedly skeptical after Julien’s first chapter, but once some of the blanks regarding his character started being filled in, I quickly developed an appreciation for how well written his character truly is. Another surprise was how lovely Greg turned out to be! From the plot description, I was expecting someone cocky and perhaps a little condescending (a prejudicial assumption based on my indifference to TikTok/TikTok culture) but was instead treated to someone who totally defied my preconceived notions. While communication issues do play a role in the plot (would it be a romance novel if they didn’t!?) this novel really shines by allowing Julien and Greg to be honest and vulnerable with one another in some pretty difficult conversations.

The plot itself is generic, but Janovsky heightens this through the complexity of Julien and Greg’s characters. The book opens with a warning that You Had Me at Happy Hour depicts OCD, erectile dysfunction, anxiety, debt, and addiction. As the characters navigate these difficult themes, they demonstrate a tenderness and an understanding that should serve as an example to any writer in the romance genre. These issues do not detract from the joy or the humor of the novel, but they do manage to make this read an even more rewarding and meaningful experience. Oh, and as a bonus….Janovsky definitely wrote one of the hottest spicy scenes I have ever read. This might just be his best work yet!

This was a solid, enjoyable read. While the writing style wasn't completely to my personal taste, I appreciated the way the story handles issues like OCD, GAD, and ED, and thought the romance between Greg and Julien was very sweet.

When I read the synopsis I was excited for this book. While I enjoyed the story I found the writing style to not be to my taste. Julien is an aspiring Master Sommelier with OCD and Greg is a TikTok bartender with anxiety and a lot of debt. I loved the way that their relationship came together (rivals to lovers anyone?) and the handling of mental illness. As someone who recently started taking an anxiety medication it was lovely to see it handled with such care. The miscommunication was a bit painful to get through but I loved how it ended. While the plot was good I just couldn’t get into the writing style. I found it to be a lot of telling and a bit clunky. It never quite flowed the way that I wanted which was sad since I genuinely liked the characters and the plot.

This book was the perfect 21st birthday book! It made me crave both cocktails and wine, and of course amazing food to pair with them both. The descriptions of them were nothing short of decadent. Especially the twist on the old fashioned. I need that drink in my life for real! Of course, the rest of the book was also amazing. I loved the main characters so much. I really enjoyed the alternating points of views between both the characters and getting to see inside both of their heads. Their neurodivergence was very well portrayed and I loved how accepting they were of each other’s differences and how they found solutions that worked well for both of them. They also both made each other better both at work and in their personal lives. Of course there was also good angst as both Greg and Julien had to come to terms with their feelings. But in the end they made it work, and while the ending was pretty open, I liked it a lot and thought it fit the characters with where they were in life and their relationship. I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book and have enjoyed other books by this author. The last chapter/epilogue had a surprise kink I was not at all expecting.

This is so cute!!! If you like reading romances that feel like characters are existing and working in the real world but it doesn't get too depressing with income insecurity this is the book for you. Sometimes you have to take a break from the millionaire/billionaire escapism and find some relatable stories of people who are doing their best in a world where capitalism isn't always on their side.

One of my favorite tropes in this is the friends with benefits. It's been forever since I've read this. It's not even overly angsty either, they are both having a great time and the spice is plentiful and varied. Also, if you are looking for antidepressant rep when it affects libido and get annoyed when that is in so many romances where that particular partner somehow magically cures it, this book is actually realistic! They have to openly communicate about this and their work around is fire.

Overall, I would recommend. This book also went by so fast. Thank you to Harlequin for the eARC.

I am not connecting with either character and by 35% of the way in, I should be there with one of them. The writing is dragging out basic day to day interactions and I’m really just not seeing how these two are going to end up together.

IM OBSESSED !!!! really really good and it’s always good to see some accurate representation :) definitely reading it again soon

This book was fantastic and exactly the type of book I've come to expect from Timothy Janovsky. The story itself was great, well paced, and easy to follow. The MMCs are the perfect foils to one another and I absolutely loved seeing how they interacted. The side characters were great too, perfectly bolstering the story and adding to the fun of the book. I really appreciated the way both Julian and Greg's mental health was portrayed - it wasn't highlighted or diminished, it just was part of who they were and was part of the story. I didn't even mind the miscommunication trope making an appearance because it fit really well with who the characters were and the assumptions they would have drawn. And the spice? Incredible. So well written. SO spicy. It's cute, it's queer, and it's an easy, quick read - what's not to love?

Timothy Janovsky is an auto buy author for me, I always love his books! Meet Me at Happy Hour might be my favorite of his so far.
Julien Boire is a sommelier at his aunt and uncle's restaurant. He is an introvert with OCD that demands he steer clear of all distractions that could get in the way of him becoming a master sommelier. He is intent on getting out of this town and on to bigger and better things.
Enter Greg Harlow, Tikitok mixologist. He is hot, charming and confident. All things Julien is not. But Greg struggles with his anxiety and recently left the city to get away and try to start over and get out of debt.
After a rocky start, the two are forced together to host a couple of weekly happy hours, to help improve traffic to the restaurant. They find they hit it off better then they thought and they start to trust each other. Julien's OCD means he has very specific needs in the bedroom. And Greg's anxiety meds effect his libido, and causing ED that he is self-conscious about. But both of them agree they don't want a relationship. So they agree to a no-strings attached sex pact. But of course things start to feel more than just sex really fast.
I appreciated so many things about the mental health representation. Especially showing how your sex life can be effected by your meds. You don't see couples talking about that enough. Julien is so understanding and I love how he helps Greg try new things in the bedroom to improve his confidence. Their sexual chemistry is amazing! I really liked both of the MCs separately. They both had interesting backstories and I wanted to see them happy.
I did have a couple of complaints. *SPOILERS* The miscommunication trope where they keep putting off talking about their feelings to each other was maddening. And when Greg was effected by one thing Julien said he went all the way back to NYC and was going to start his life over again. He went back to his ex and all these things that felt so out of character after all his growth. So the whole third act pseudo break up thing was kinda annoying. But once they were reunited I loved them together so much I didn't really care anymore. I couldn't put it down until I was done. I loved the epilogue.
So if you like enemies to lovers, with mental health rep and very steamy bedroom scenes then you will love this one.
A huge thank you to Harlequin Afterglow and the author for this ARC.

This review has some spoilers!
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1. I love me a good gay romcom where NONE of the conflict comes from their queerness itself.
2. It had really good neurodivergent and mental health rep in it. One main character had anxiety and depression and the other had OCD. And it actively affected how they behaved and interacted with each other in a realistic way.
3. The guy who had anxiety and depression was on an SSRI that regularly caused him ED issues and made him self conscious in the bedroom. But he wasn't willing to go off the meds because he knew he needed them. But the other main character was so supportive and understanding and showed him how much fun they could have regardless of his erection or ability to get off. I feel a LOT of people would have felt seen through that entire plot line.
4. The spice was more than I expected and it was 🔥🔥🔥

My only critique was that some of the internal monologue did get a bit long and repetitive at times. It felt like I read the same thoughts over and over in certain parts. However, that also makes sense given the anxiety and OCD the main characters had. So while it did get a bit boring in those parts, I also felt it was accurate of those brain patterns.

Overall, LOVED this.

Small town, enemies to lovers, Mental health rep (anxiety, OCD), MM romance

Julien is trying to keep his head down, work as a sommelier in his aunt & uncle's small-town restaurant and save money for the next sommelier class.

Greg is new to town, staying with his cousin, and will be the new mixologist at Martin's Place. He's got issues of his own and seems to be running from something.

They are forced to team up for 2 nights a week - one wine happy hour and one mixed drink happy hour. They also come to a FWB agreement with lots of rules and boundaries.
 
The twist here is that neither of them drink - for different reasons but to be in the beverage industry and not drink is wild to me.

Great writing and chemistry! Watch out for the 3rd act though!

Timothy oh Timothy you did it again! You knocked it out of the park! The chemistry between Greg and Julien was on point, the progression of the book was great as well. The build up to their hea was perfect.

You Had Me at Happy Hour is a tantalizing tale of rivalry and unexpected connections in a quaint Pennsylvania town. As Julien and Greg navigate their complex relationship, readers are drawn into a world of passion and uncertainty. With intriguing characters and surprising twists, this novel is full of delight.

This is the third Timothy Janovsky I've read and he is very consist with mixing light heartedness with more difficult topics. This one in particular has a MC with OCD and one with depression and anxiety.

Things I liked:
Greg's character
Julian's Aunt
The mental health rep and tackling of more difficult topics

What I didn't care for:
Julian- I really struggled to like his character and I think it's because he's written very well and he's just the type of person I wouldn't get along with well (so this is actually a positive on the characterization front.)
The at times choppy pacing
The 3rd act conflict drove me bonkers-this was very heavy on the "we just aren't going to talk to each other so now there's all of these misunderstandings" plot device
Greg hooking up with his ex while in New York, that one really made me sad
The ending in general felt off, something about the pacing and it felt almost rushed

Overall this is a good romance, not a new favorite but I'm going to put it on my recommendation shelf at my library because I think this will appeal to many romance readers!

This was a fun read - I was hooked pretty quickly and fell in love with Greg right away. It took me a little longer to love Julien, but when he did I was rooting hard for them.

Things I loved:
Neurodivergent Rep
Anxiety rep
Medication for mental health
ED rep
Sex toy rep (but like.. For functional use because of the ED)
All the sex talk around the ED rep
Juliens patience and reassurance in the bedroom (he was so sweet!)
Russell & Jessica
Once they started kissing (cute cute cute!)
Julien’s aunt & uncle
the ending & the grand gesture.

What I didn’t love
How some of their relationship development/friendship growth was really fast forwarded over. It felt a little like they suddenly were besties, and ole’ friends with benefits.
The Whiplash, when Greg suddenly was wanting his NYC life back, the third act breakup (sort of?)
Maybe some cheating, or at least walking a fine line of it. All because of some miscommunications, or omissions. (my least favorite trope)

A fun overall read - kept me hooked until the last 25%, and then I was just like ugh, miscommunication breakup!? I still wanted to finis and see their HEA/HFN, and if this is your jam you’ll love it! Overall -- I say... Fun vacation read, lots of great rep that we need in books.

3.5 Stars
3.5 peppers for spice

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin for the ARC copy of this book

A Light-Hearted Spicy Rom-Com with Charming Characters:

"You Had Me at Happy Hour" by Timothy Janovsky is an endearing rom-com that follows the journey of two protagonists, Julien and Greg, as they navigate love, friendship, and personal growth. Julien, a sommelier-in-training, grapples with extreme OCD while dealing with neglectful parents. He finds solace in the supportive home of his aunt and uncle. Greg, a mixologist and TikTok influencer, faces challenges with anxiety and prescriptions that affects his libido. Together, their contrasting yet complementary personalities create a delightful romantic comedy, with some spicy bits.

While the story presents opportunities for emotional depth and character exploration, it occasionally falls short in its execution. Julien's sommelier course is depicted as a pivotal moment in his life, causing him to hesitate about a long-term relationship with Greg. However, since the course only requires him to be away for four days, the buildup surrounding it seems overemphasized and anticlimactic. This lessens the impact of the conflict between Julien and Greg and leaves the reader wanting more depth in the narrative.

Janovsky's writing style captures the essence of a light-hearted, enjoyable rom-com. However, the initial meeting between Julien and Greg could benefit from a smoother approach. The first few chapters, where the characters meet, include frequent backtracking to capture each character’s thoughts during their interaction. This technique can disrupt the narrative’s pace and make the conversation feel choppy.

Despite these minor narrative challenges, the novel offers an engaging experience with a heartwarming happily ever after. For readers seeking a sweet, easy-going romantic comedy that brings smiles, "You Had Me at Happy Hour" is an enjoyable choice. Its quirks and charming moments make it a worthwhile read for those looking for an escape into a world of love, passion, and humor.

Thank you Afterglow Books by Harlequin, NetGalley, and Timothy Janovsky for this eARC