The Lovers starts off with our main character: Kit, finding out that her parents with a picture-perfect marriage are getting divorced. Coupled with the fact that she’s had some recent bad luck, things can’t seem to get any worse. We also find out pretty quickly that Kit’s mother has a girlfriend and is bisexual while Kit hasn’t even opened up her about sexuality to anyone, let alone her parents.

Since she’s already dealing with a rough time, she agrees to be a tarot reader at an influencer’s wedding. Once there, she is reunited with Julia, the wedding planner, and her former best friend/childhood sweetheart. Kit ghosted Julia after high school and the two haven’t spoken since, making for some delicious tension.

There’s also the fact that Julia’s ex is now at the wedding party and is desperate to get back with her. Even though it seems like a lot to keep up with, you’ll eventually get everything straightened out and it’s the ride of a lifetime. Julia and Kit are trying to be professional but the attraction between them is scorching.

While the third-act conflict was downright cruel on one character’s part, it was a great catalyst for the story. Since the two meet up at an influencer’s wedding, a lot of time is spent, doing wedding activities but once that is over, the story feels more rooted in reality. Honestly, I adored how things worked out in the end, and considering that I haven’t read many books featuring tarot in them, it was a cool addition.

No matter if you’re on the hunt for sapphic romance or just love a good soapy story, then The Lovers has your name all over it.

I liked the pop culture references and had fun but I wasn't a fan of the characters that I found a bit spoiled.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Lovers is a heartwarming Sapphic second-chance romance that explores the complexities of teenage relationships and the power of destiny. Kit, a tarot influencer, and Julia, a wedding planner, reunite after years apart, destined to navigate their feelings and confront their past challenges.

While the premise of tarot and twin flames is intriguing, the execution falls short of expectations. The forced outing of a character is a significant flaw, though the support they receive is commendable. The characters feel younger than their intended age, making it difficult to connect with their experiences fully.

Despite these shortcomings, The Lovers offers a light and enjoyable read. The romance is believable and sweet, and the occasional dash of spice adds depth to the story. If you're looking for a quick and easy romance with a touch of magic, this book might be worth checking out.

This is a sweet Sapphic second chance romance about two teenage sweethearts finding their way back to each other.

Kit is a tarot influencer whose Rom Com parents have just announced their separation. To escape, Kit takes on a job doing tarot at a wedding. Julia is the wedding planner who has to contend with her toxic ex as part of the bridal party. Kit and Julia, predicted to be twin flames as teens before Kit ghosted, may just find their way back to each other.

This was a solidly okay read. I love the premise of tarot and Twin Flames, but it didn't make as much of an impact as I thought it would. I despise someone being outed, so be warned that it's a thing here. (But the one who is outed is very much supported.) The characters read a bit younger than I think they're supposed to be, which made it a bit hard to get through, but the romance was mostly believable and sweet.

If you want a light, airy romance with a small dash of spice, this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I'm really struggling with my review for this book. There were some things I liked and there were some things that I really did not.

The writing, while not terrible, was pretty repetitive with certain phrases. If I never hear the phrase "manic pixie dream girl" again it will be too soon. This book used that phrase (mostly unironically?) 9 times. There was also a repeated phrase quite a bit about "the perfect rom com relationship".

The other major part of this book that I struggled with was Kit's internalized biphobia. It was actually quite hard for me to read at times. I went back and forth on if it felt realistic and why I was having such a hard time reading it. And I think ultimately 2 things stuck out for me personally. 1 - These characters live in California which is incredibly liberal and queer. That's not to say that people could and do choose not to be out, because of course they could. But I just didn't get it for Kit - her parents seemed pretty supportive or at least didn't give any indications that they wouldn't be. We don't get a super good look at Kit's life but her best friend is queer so it's not like she doesn't have access to queer culture. IDK I struggled with writing this part of the review because I recognize that internalized biphobia is absolutely a thing but it was just really hard for me to reconcile it with the character I was reading about. 2 - I think generally this internalized biphobia just reads younger to me. Again, I recognize that people of any age can experience these feelings but the level to which she was experiencing them and not unpacking them just...felt so young to me despite this being an adult book.

I also struggled with the reality of this book which is not something I'm typically worried about when reading. It's probably because I was thinking so much about the above that I just really got into my head so take this with a grain of salt. But Kit ghosts Julia in high school, they don't talk for years, and then meet back up at this wedding, spend 3-4 (ish?) days together, and are ready to seemingly spend the rest of their lives with each other? That just seems...wild.

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Give me more coming out when you're in your 20s or 30s stories. Give me more bisexual chaos. I liked this book because it was messy and really felt multifaceted in how it explores queerness. The main character, Kit, really struggles with her sexuality not necessarily because she's afraid the people in her life won't love and accept her. Her fear is more based on letting go of what she always envisioned as her perfect Rom Com happily ever after. Being queer never fit in that imaginary future so she forced herself into a box of heteronormativity. Julia is more comfortable with her sexuality, but she got out of a toxic relationship where her partner Piper was firmly in the closet and was happy to shove Julia into whatever box best suited Piper.

Kit and Julia were best friends in high school and their friendship ended when Kit broke Julia's heart. Now they're forced to work together on a wedding. Julia is the no-nonsense wedding planner and Kit is Mystic Maven, a tarot card reader. And of course, to add an extra wrench into the mix, Piper (Julia's closeted ex) is a bridesmaid. The evolution of Kit and Julia mending their friendship is so lovely and it felt natural. The romantic nature is a little sped up to me, but to be fair they are sequestered in the desert for a weekend. Forced proximity does tend to make things work out.

The reason this wasn't a 5-star read for me is that a lot of the inner dialogue, especially for Kit, was so immature to me. It just felt like we were supposed to watch Kit grow in comfortability in her sexuality, but she felt so juvenile it was hard for me to relate or really like her as a character. Julia really stood out more as a fleshed-out character. She had actually overcome obstacles and grown, where Kit felt still stuck in high school.

Overall, this is a cute sapphic friends to lover's story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This cover is stunningly gorgeous! Whoever designed this, bravo!

The Lovers is a fun second chance romance filled with amazing characters, angst and hot chemistry. I liked the concept with the tarot cards and mystic elements. I think it added a unique twist to this romcom. It was also incorporated into the story well.

I liked the author's writing style and was impressed this is a debut book. I was engrossed the entire time while reading.

I enjoyed the romance between the characters. It felt realistic. I liked their chemistry a lot and they definitely delivered on the angst! The sexual tension between these two was palpable. Truly enjoyed watching their romance blossom from friendship to love.

Would recommend for fans of second chance, friends to lovers, forced proximity, and angst.

A delightful debut romcom!

A sapphic romance centered on heartbreak and healing, so if you’re in the mood for something that tugs at your heartstrings--- look within.

The Lovers by Rebekah Faubion beautifully intertwines themes of second chances and fated love, capturing the journey of two characters whose love was foretold in the cards. With elements of mental health representation, opposites attract, and friends-to-lovers dynamics, this book will resonate with readers who appreciate a witchy vibe with a dash of tarot magic. It is an enchanting story that promises a rich tapestry of romance and personal growth. It was my favorite read of 2024 so far, and I HIGHLY SUGGEST IT FOR EVERYONE.


Tropes:
-Friends to Lovers
-Fated Love
-First Love
-Opposites Attract
-Mental Health Rep

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own. I have pre-ordered my own copy.

DNF
I plead guilty on the conviction of picking up a book solely for the cover.
I had no idea what to expect when I picked this one up other than it was (i assumed) sapphic and witchy.
Instead, we got social media influencers, crystal shop level witchy, and multiple page long descriptions of the scenery.
I felt like I understood the setting better than I did the characters. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book was for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC of this book.

This book is sapphic, sensual, and SO worth the read. I read this book in one sitting and will be recommending it to anyone and everyone. The two main characters have such incredible chemistry. 5 stars!

My first traveling ARC experience and it was fun! I almost never mark up books unless its for school or now work- but it was fun to see what people loved and said- towards the end it would be super cool!!
One big reason I loooove romance is not only do we get that HEA but we get to step into someone's shoes even if it's fiction and learn the good, bad, and ugly from their point of view. This one was super interesting for me to see the internal Biphobia but then in the end her accepting and coming out her way. There is some drama with ex girlfriends - one horrible lady you want to dump your drink on as well. Amazing side characters and a super fun hip setting- made me want to go on a road trip! I also learned a lot about Tarot cards and now want a reading!!

Great second chance, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺 and best friends to lovers queer romance!!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an early copy.

I was instantly drawn to the cover and the influences of tarot. I found the tarot elements and the twin flame the best part of this book. Unfortunately, I wanted more development from Kit and Julia's characters and relationship. This did read like a debut, so I'm interested to see Rebekah Faubion's growth as an author.

This is a great book for fans of Haley Cass and Alison Cochrun.

Though not a new favorite for me, I'm likely to recommend "The Lovers" to fans of sapphic contemporary romance. Left reeling from the news that her parents' rom-com worthy romance has imploded, Kit needs to get out of the city. She agrees to a 3-day tarot gig at wedding in the desert, hoping to clear her head. This plan backfires when Kit runs right into the wedding planner, Julia, her former best friend turned one-time lover. Kit, who grew up believing that loving a woman was incompatible with the life her parents wanted for her, must come to terms with the decisions she made that ended her relationship with Julia. Julia, desperate for this wedding to be a success as she gears up to start her own business, is forced to face the woman who broke her heart and disappeared all those years ago, all while attempting to evade her manipulative ex-girlfriend in the bridal party.

"The Lovers" was a quick, fun read albeit not wholly memorable. Kit and Julia were likeable, mostly well-rounded characters. However, there was a lot of repetition in terms of motifs and even phrases. I am not a fan of the copious amounts of pop culture references found in so many contemporary romances (they are SO easily dated) and "The Lovers" unfortunately fell victim to a few too many. I could have done with one or two (or three) less references to Taylor Swift. The references to Kit's idea of the "rom-com ideal" were also overly plentiful. As a reader, I understood what she was talking about, I didn't need the exact same phrase regurgitated every 25 pages. There were also notable spelling/grammatical errors that I'm hopeful will be corrected before this is sent to final print. Overall, this was a 3.5/5 for me -- a great beach poolside read!

So I loved the couple and their relationship, but I hated everything else 😂

I am not usually a fan of second chance romance but I really liked the dynamic between our two MCs. They are two women that were best friends in high school and eventually fell in love before parting ways when going to college. The story follows them meeting again as they both work a high profile influencer wedding. One as a wedding planner and the other as a tarot reader. The forced proximity and spiritual elements had me sold. I loved their moments together and was rooting for them from the beginning.

Although I inhaled this book I don't think this is going to age well. It is very white, wealthy, southern California influencer and girl boss focused. All the characters we meet, aside from our two MCs, are caricatures of instagram influencers. Everyone is wealthy, thin, and fed into their own influencer stereotypes. I am also on the fence about how uncomfortable I was by the bi representation in this. I could see how it could be interpreted as internalized biphobia of one of the MCs that is coming to terms with her own sexuality. However, from the very beginning, the bi characters were represented as untrustworthy, closeted, and let's not forget, selfish cheaters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Lovers makes a point to emphasize the journey that the main character, Kit, is going on; not becoming a stereotypical rom-com protagonist. That she's not a character in some story, but a real person with her own feelings. But god, did this book hit all the cheesy rom-com notes in a joyful, self-aware way.

I'm a sucker for a second chance romance, and The Lovers serves it in spades, with Kit and Julia—high school best friends who hooked up once before Kit ghosted, unprepared to face her burgeoning queerness, leaving Julia heartbroken and without a best friend.

Cut to ten years later, where Kit is working as a tarot reader (walk with me), and Julia an uptight wedding planner. Kit is hired for the typical Southern California influencer desert wedding that Julia's planning, and, well—you get the vibe of the rest.

The strongest part of this book for me was the way that Kit and Julia's journeys were built into their second chance at love. Kit, daughter of a screenwriter going through a divorce, has been preached about the movie perfect life and romance and struggles with the pressure that applies on her life. Julia slowly lost herself over the years, with the nail in the coffin being a sociopathic ex-girlfriend she broke up with a year prior to the story who made her lose her sense of self and become a control freak in most aspects of her life.

Watching both characters break out of the mold—Kit realizing that she doesn't have to run away from things that scare her because they aren't what's expected, and Julia realizing she can let go a little bit and trust the people she cares about and refinding her sense of self—as they found each other again was such a joy.

All of this was framed with playful jabs at your typical "spiritual influencers" that never felt mean. Though I think tarot is fun, anything too deep beyond that is out of my realm—but I'm not about to judge people who care about it, and neither is this book. While sometimes poking fun, the bride and her gaggle of bridesmaids are never made out to be complete fools, just a little silly, and genuinely girls who care about each other even if they also care deeply about the photo op. They become important towards the end and a part of me wishes that some of them had had a little more development, but I know there's not always space for that in a romance.

The book is very "of now"—that is, the modern pop culture references are plentiful and can sometimes seem a little heavy-handed (in the last quarter of the book there's at least five Taylor Swift references that all seem to come in a row, which was fun as a Swiftie but should have maybe been a little more paced through the entire book), the plot with Kit's parents and their divorce needed a little more nuance to make the message clear (it's not bad because she was with a woman, it's bad because she was cheating), and the antagonist was admittedly a mixed bag for me and I wasn't entirely sure until the ending what the author wanted me to feel about her.

I also feel like the end of the book felt off; for a couple with insecurities about losing each other and a lack of communication, (spoilers!) having one of the characters leave and then not speak to the other for an entire month feels completely off track even if the message was to trust that she would come back this time. And then waiting another week after that just for the sake of a dramatic gesture? It was all very sweet in the end, but I don't know that it fit for the journey that these characters were supposed to be on.

All in all though, this had the makings of a joyful, cheesy rom-com and a lovely summer read.

I really thought I'd love this one but that wasn't the case. I'm just starting to learn tarot and that's part of what drew me to this, and I did enjoy the bits where I learned more about the cards!

Unfortunately though, the characters felt flat to me, and I know a lot of the characters in this book were influencers but they felt a little too cariacture-esque to me. I didn't buy the romance between Kit and Julia as well. It was a really cute premise, I just don't think the wedding setting was the right place for their reconnection to play out. So much of their "romance" was sidetracked by the wedding party who weren't the most likeable. With all that being said, I think the 2020 version of me would've loved this book - if you're a big Taylor Swift/pop culture fan you'll love all the references and overall vibes.

I will say I love seeing bi characters in books and I think it's a really under represented group so I'm glad another book exists with a character that explicitly states her bisexuality!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the earc.

I wanted to love it, I wanted to adore it but in the end, The Lovers fell flat for me.

Kit is a tarot reader, having a fan base of over a million subscribers on YouTube. She is what you call an influencer from LA. Julia is a type A, can’t release control, wedding planner.

Kit and Julia were best friends in high school until they do something that is more than friends worthy, freaking Kit out and essentially disappearing from Julia’s life.

Ten years later, as fate would have it, and there were many mentions of fate, Julia is the wedding planner of an influencer who hires Kit (or Mystic Maven) to read tarot cards.

BAM. We’re now sucked into a Second Chance romance. Did I mention this wedding is in the middle of this desert resort in Joshua Tree? BAM FORCED PROXIMITY.

I liked the story but I’ll be honest… the content made me want to scrub my skin raw. If I ever hear Manic Pixie Dream Girl in my life ever again, it will be too soon. Also, reading about influencers in LA is icky to me because it hits too close to home 🥲

These are very nit picky things and is not a testament to the writing or the talent Rebekah has. It was a very fun read. I enjoyed Julia’s growth. I wish I believed Kit’s growth a little more. ALSO PIPER?? What the heck? It was so strange to me having a high school bully like character in a story about almost 30 year olds. That threw me.

If you love tarot readings, witchy vibes, wedding planning and a few Taylor swift references, then yes pick this book up!

Such a cute and fun read. It did get cringy for me a few times but don’t all rom-coms have some of that? And the spicy scenes were extremely repetitive despite leaving a lot open to interpretation. Like, describing eyes being dilated was mentioned 7 times. Yes, seven separate times! And I know it was in relation to that TikTok “love test” trend. Taylor Swift lyrics were quoted randomly several times with the characters acknowledging the source which felt like a quick cash grab. There is nothing interesting about simply name-dropping. Overall, it’s a very trendy and cutesy story just like a rom-com movie today. Kit & Julia are adorable.

A sweet story firmly set in the spiritual world without it feeling forced or overdone. I appreciated how the shifting first-person POV helped me get a real feeling for who Kit and Julia are, and all the ways they fit together that the reader gets to see before they do. It was sweet and fun and deeply enjoyable to read.