This is the first time NetGalley locked me out of a work so I didn’t finish but immediately the voice is fresh and fun, a strangely natural mix of slang, cursing, low and high brow diction in a funny stream of consciousness / emotions / commentary. The setting is what sells me: a grimy but potentially cute business/bonding experience w/ fam or friends or lovers.

This is another taboo forbidden romance book that I have recently read and thoroughly enjoyed. Dad’s best friend, age gap and the neurodiverse character representation really help to set this book apart.

I struggled to put this book down. It is so well written and Mr Wilder! Where did that dirty mouth come from?! I was not expecting this.

If I am honest I started this because I read laser tag as a trope and was intrigued and oh my - that scene! It is so fun and well written. The representation and description of mental health is spot on.

Please pick this up and give it a go!

#youreit #chloewhite #currentlyreading #bookreview #bookreader #bookstagram #bookstagramer #ilovebooks #fantasyreader #romance #netgalley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Tropes to expect:
- Dad's Best Friend
- Age Gap
- Neurodivergent Characters
- Spicy Laser Tag
- Opposites Attract

If I'm being honest, I saw 'Spicy Laser Tag' as a trope and my curiosity got the better of me. I'm glad I have a curious mind, because this book was the biggest breath of fresh air I required this week.

In this book we follow Savvy and Darwin. Savvy's father passes away and leaves her with a business in financial ruin, and in order to save it she has no choice but to team up his best friend, also the man she has been helplessly in love since she was a teenager.

Savvy and Darwin have their flaws, and I think their imperfections are what made me build a bond with this book so easily. It wasn't all rainbows and ponies, but it was real and it was raw and that had me hooked. Darwin with his OCD and Savvy with her lack of self-worth. A great journey of self discovery, whilst also developing together.

The spice in this book was a nice surprise having not read Cleo's writing before. The inset of this book had me expecting some fade to black scenes, but nope... we hit the jackpot! Cleo did a great job of building their chemistry and sexual tension, and there was some hilarious banter between them as an added bonus.

I was really sad to let this book go, but on the other hand really happy that I found a new author I like, and can explore further. Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for granting me a copy of this book!

You’re It by Cleo White is a dad‘s best friend and age gap romance novel. This was a fun read. Sometimes books written about dad‘s best friend can be hard for me to read but this one was enjoyable. Maybe with her dad passing there wasn’t the fact she had to explain it all to him. No matter what I really liked this story. The chemistry between Savvy and Darwin is steamy and believable.
Both characters have a lot to deal with after the death of Savvy’s dad and Darwin’s best friend. As they help each through it they also discover feelings and passion for each other.
Cleo White did an excellent job dealing with some very serious issues in this book. I really enjoyed reading it and hope to read more by her.

You're It is a playful and steamy romance that delivers on all fronts. The author combines forbidden attraction with a unique backdrop of laser tag, creating a story that's as exhilarating as it is irresistible. With sizzling chemistry and dynamic characters, this book kept me hooked from start to finish. It's a perfect blend of heat, humor, and heart, making it a great read for fans of contemporary romance looking for a little extra excitement.

QUICK INFO:
* FINAL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* SERIES or STANDALONE: standalone
* GENRE: age gap romance
* POV: dual
* TROPES: dads best friend, age gap
* SETTING: Minneapolis
* TW: loss of parent, left with debt
* LOVE TRIANGLE: no
* MAIN ROMANCE: M/F
* THIRD ACT BREAKUP: yes
* SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
* TYPE OF ENDING: HEA
FINAL THOUGHTS:

This was a sexy short story. I read “Out of Sight” by Cleo White a few months ago and loved it. You get a wee little glimpse of that couple in this story and it was nice touch. I’m a slut for an age gap romance. They just get me every time.

The scene in the laser tag arena….gooooood lawd 🥵 it gave me all the ideas 🤣

<b> I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy every day.</b>

Overall, it was a short, fun, spicy quick read and I would recommend it.

Thank you NetGallery for allowing me to read this ARC and provide my honest review.

The cover is what drew my eye, but the neurospicy characters are what really caught my attention and it was done so well. I could not put it down, it was such a great story. I love everything about this book. Being clumsy and accident prone myself I really related to Savvy, so much more than I have any other MFC. I was not expecting the wonderfully, deliciously, dirty mouth on Mr. Wilder but oh man was it hot. I never have wanted to play laser tag as much as I did read this book.

To be quite honest, it was the 'laser tag' trope that drew me to this book.

I can't help it, my curiosity will get the better of me, that's for sure, but not today because this book has turned out to be a wonderful discovery. We follow in the footsteps of Savvy, the FMC, in her quest for a more stable and successful life.

Faced with the debts left by her father, she has no choice but to team up with his best friend to raise from the ashes the business her father left behind: a laser tag to which he had devoted his entire life.

The catch: Darwin, 18 years her senior, is also the man she was madly in love with 9 years earlier before a 'mysterious' event broke off all contact between them.

I'm not a big fan of clumsy, disaster-prone female characters, but I loved Savvy. Perhaps because the 'disaster' part is ultimately her distorted view of herself and not necessarily reality. I found her brave, clever, resilient, and passionate. She also has a very soft side, which shines through in her interactions with Darwin.

Darwin was also a very pleasant surprise. When you start a romance with a big age gap between the characters, you expect a certain type of male character and I was surprised to see that he breaks most of those clichés. The fact that he suffers from significant obsessive-compulsive disorder makes him a unique character and his development was incredible to watch.
His disorders are a real obstacle to his life, happiness, and relationships, so to witness how he overcomes them to be with Savvy was really great.

You’re It by Cleo White is about a girl who inherited a business from her fathers death. Who also has history with the co-owner of said business, which happens to be her dad’s best friend. Savvy has to not only fight to get the business running, but to also to fight her feelings for Darwin. I absolutely loved the banter between the two characters, it felt so real and had me giggling. This is book three in a series, there was some information that didn’t quite make sense in regards to some history of Savvy. Overall it is a standalone book. Their story truly displayed that love concurs all. If you’re someone who enjoys some quirky writing and an age gap romance, I highly recommend this book. Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley co-op for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book! I finished it in one day, I couldn't put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed the representation of mental health and neurodiversity. I have never related so much to a fmc.

I also need to add...

I'm sitting here reading, kicking my toes. It's cute. It's adorable. I'm blushing... and then BAM! SPICE. I was NOT PREPARED for Mr. Wilder's dirty mouth. WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?! Solid 4.5/5🌶️🌶️

I have to say, when I started this book I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to finish it, because I wasn’t immediately drawn in. However, there was something in the beginning of the book that I had to find out (I won’t spoil what that was though). Because of that, I had to keep reading, and I’m glad I did. Shortly after having the thought of not finishing the book, there was a scene in the book that had me laughing sooo hard, and at that moment I was hooked! This book is funny, sweet, and a tad spicy! This is a definite must read!

This book was different from anything I've ever read before. I thought the author did really well at not only showing Darwin's OCD but explaining his compulsions and why his brain thinks the way that it does. We LOVE a good, accurate mental health representation.

Savvy is such a strong, determined FMC and I love that about her. The way she just put her head down and was determined to do what she needed to do in order to get the laser tag place back up and running was admirable.

Savvy is so kind and understanding towards Dar and his OCD and it warmed my heart.

I enjoyed this book! I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

I absolutely Love this story so much! I’m a big fan of age gap romance and stories that toe the line of taboo or not taboo (hello Dads best friend!). So that alone made this an easy enjoyable read, BUT there is also so so so much more that this story has to offer!

Cleo’s characters are funny, clever, sexy and downright relatable with the way that they’re written. I could absolutely see my friends and bits of myself in the characters of this book. Cleo really brings to life the struggles and the hardships that come from living with neurological differences with Dar’s OCD and Sav’s ADHD representation.

Overall, their story had a whole lot of heart and equal parts spice! 🔥

5⭐️/3🌶️

A super fast read. A spicy game of laser tag. Two hot mess all over the place characters, you're it has it all. It was a super fun book it read, i read it in one time. I'll deff add this to my reread list if i need a fluffy spicy story.

I thought the setting for this story and the character development was very interesting! It’s not like a lot of other romance books which I enjoyed.

oh this was so fucking good!

aside from the romance which was so perfectly taboo and amazing, the mental health representation is 100% unmatched. it was so well done and i honestly could not hype it up enough! there was no miracle fix for ocd like some stories may show and i loved every minute of it. its so real. there wasn’t anything unrealistic about this romance. everything moved at a good pace, the struggles with mental health, loss and grief, and finances were all so realistic.

now onto the good stuff, HE IS SO HOT! Darwin is so filthy when we get into his head. Before they even start having sex, he is just so delicious.

I truly enjoyed this arc and I’m so glad I’ve been introduced to a new author. Thank you Net Galley and Cleo White!

I don't normally go for age-gap or dad's best friend, but something about this just made me want to read it. Savvy sounded like a fun character to get to know, and that made me want to read.

My instincts were right - this was pretty fun. Savvy is a very quippy character and has a lot of internal WTF moments that made me laugh. Darwin moves past some things that he's dealing with a bit too quickly, but overall his reasons for doing so feel real. They both need connection, and he lost his lifeline when her dad died.

I also felt oddly accomplished at the end, reading through them taking the broken down Galactic Guild and fixing it up, changing it for the better, and embracing their place in the community. It definitely feels like Savvy is repairing herself as much as she's repairing GG.

I enjoyed the to do list that evolves as the book goes on, and especially the very last thing that gets crossed off the list. That had me laughing pretty hard.

I’m in love with the relationship between Sav and Darwin. This book was so fun to read.
Cleo really has a way with words, her writing is so unique and it’s what really drew me into the book. I would’ve never thought that I would read a book about hot and sexy laser tag but this book got me! The spice in this was so good. 10/10 will recommend

This is not my first Cleo White rodeo and her books and writing style keep getting better and better. And 'You're It' just proves Cleo is a wonderful writer who is able to address some very complicated matters in a very delicate way. To show you that there will always be people in your life that care enough about you to take care of you.

And this is exactly what Savvy shows Darwin. Than even though a small hiccup made her keep her distance for nine long years, when they meet again they soon realise that they can't keep away from each other, even if Darwin's condition scared him he wasn't able to.

The spice, as usual, is off the charts! I'll be there for your next book Cleo, I just love the stories and characters you write about.

ARC review

Spicy laser tag? Who knew that was something I needed in my life!

⭐️ 4.5
🌶️ 2.5

👾Age Gap
📝 Dads Best Friend
👾 OCD rep
📝 Duel POV
👾 Renovation Vibes
📝 Opposites Attract

Dad’s best friend was the hook for me here and I’m so glad it got me because I loved Savvy and Dar’s story!

Savvy is chaos incarnate, jumping from project to project and Dar, due to his severe OCD, lives his life to a very strict routine with minimal contact from outside his very small circle.

There is a bit of bad blood between Savvy and Dar due to a decade old incident so when Savvy’s dad passes away and she finds out that the decaying arcade he left her is half owed by Dar she is not happy!

But after a bit of a rocky start these two start to rebuild their relationship and Dar starts to push his boundaries when he realises he wants to have a chance with Savvy.

I absolutely loved the lengths these two went for each other and themselves. And let me just say THE spicy laser tag scene was something else 😮‍💨🫠