Never Planned On You was an interesting take on JLo's Wedding Planner flick.
This was a quick read with a promising beginning. But as the story unfolded, the more I began to quickly back away from rooting for the two main characters, Ali and Graham. I didn't connect to the FMC Ali. She seemed really entitled and always got her way regardless of the self destruction pile of 💩she somehow finds herself in. From her family, her job, her friendships, and love life she seemed to find a way for it all to work out.
Now let's talk about the lack of backbone MMC Graham. The only thing that is holding that guy up is his Mr. Rogers sweaters and oxford frames. I think Ali was going to spontaneously combust if she got ahold of Graham's sweaters. She seems to always reference them during their interactions and it got real old, real fast.
Overall it was an okay story, I just wish for more growth on both characters based on their choices and the aftermath this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Can you imagine being able to rekindle a romance with someone you only met once? Sounds like a dream and I'm sure a desire for many which is what makes this book so special. But what happens when you find out that the man you'd like to see again turns out to be getting married and you're the wedding planner?
How do you handle that? Do you pretend not to like the guy or watch the person you love marry someone else? This was a cute and funny read , I truly enjoyed it.

Never Planned on You is a delightful second chance romance. Lindsay Hameroff creates tons of great characters, quips and banter, and terrific Jewish representation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Event planner Ali is back home in Baltimore after life as a New York City chef. But things get interesting when she runs into Graham, a one night stand from eight years ago with whom she has a matching tattoo after their bet. She thinks they are clicking, but then Graham pulls back. She doesn’t understand until she sees him again, with his fiancé as her next wedding planning client. And while he eventually reveals it’s only a marriage of convenience, it becomes harder for them to ignore their reignited chemistry.

This book was fun to read. Ali is a great character and it’s easy to root for her, especially when she’s creating delicious-sounding dishes. I adore the Jewish rep in this story too. Ali’s family, and her experience living in a close knit Maryland community feels realistic and relatable. And characters like her grandmother are funny and charming without being stereotypes.

My only quibble, and what keeps this book from being a five star read for me, is that Graham waits way too long to reveal his secret to Ali. And while it’s the major conflict in the story, the ongoing issue of keeping secrets/cheating left me feeling uncomfortable at times. This book is told solely from Ali’s POV, so the reader has a tougher time understanding Graham’s motivations.

Never Planned on You is an enjoyable romcom with delightful characters. Lindsay Hameroff is becoming one of my favorite authors when it comes to weaving amazing food into a romance plot with amusing banter, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This would make such an amazing movie. Seriously, someone do it. This is the perfect recipe for a rom-com. I laughed and just fell in love with Ali and Graham. I enjoyed the drama and reading to all unfold.

Thank you so much to St. Martin Griffin and NetGalley for this ARC!

This is my second novel by Hameroff and I loved it as much as I did the first in the series. Ali is such a great relatable character. You empathize with her struggles to find her place. And her go with the flow fun vibes is hard not to make you want her as a part of your own friend group. You just know she'd bring the good times. And I loved the initial meet cute between her and Graham. I'm a sucker for a good dare.

I do struggle a bit with the cheating trope in the book. I know its a bit of a grey area on if its cheating since Graham does ( eventually) tell Ali its a marriage of convenience and they both agreed seeing other people was ok. But still feels like cheating to me which I abhor. That being said I do love the chemistry between our 2 MC's, it gelt very authentic albeit a little rushed. Even if the timing was misplaced.

Tropes:
- one night stand
- marriage of convenience
- memorable meet cute
- opposites attract

I think for most rom com lovers this will be a hit if you get past the possible ick factor of the "cheating"

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins publishing for my advanced copy in return for an honest review!

Second chance romance, gorgeous book boyfriend with a killer British accent, and plenty of steam? Yes, please! After loving Hameroff’s Till There was You, I was excited to read Never Planned on You, and it didn’t disappoint.

On the night before Ali is due to return home to Baltimore after her semester in London, she finally meets her friend Artie’s reclusive roommate Graham. What starts as a friendly darts competition leads to matching horrendous tattoos and a night neither will forget. Flash forward eight years, and they run into each at her local coffee shop. The spark is still there, but the timing is all wrong, yet again. Will it ever be the right time?

This is a wonderfully swoon-worthy romance, the perfect read for Valentine’s Day. Both MCs were endearing, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. I really enjoyed Ali’s family and the way 3 generations of Rubin women and Graham’s grandmother play matchmaker for these two misguided soulmates. Highly recommended!

3 stars

This one perplexed me a bit. A very major plot point in the synopsis isn’t revealed to the FMC/reader until after the halfway point and because it was revealed so late, it was hard to root for her. She kept being alone with the MMC and even kissed thinking he was in a real engagement. And then when she does find out and he tells her he never wants a serious relationship, they still put so much at risk (her career, his best friends green card, the hotel, the event planning company even) for a fling. Maybe I am too demi to understand that being worth it. And then when he makes his decision, it’s hard to root for them to get back together (but less so than the FMC in the beginning). So while I didn’t have a bad time persay, I just think it would have made more sense if she knew the situation earlier and if they didn’t hide it from the fiancé for SO LONG.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Thank you to Lindsay Hameroff, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for an ARC of Never Planned on You! All opinions are my own.

This is my first Lindsay Hameroff book but I will definitely be going back to read her other published work because if it's even half as entertaining as this one, I'll love it. I stayed up way too late to finish this in on sitting, and loved Ali as a FMC so much. She has her flaws but that made her even more relatable and easy to love. While I don't really condone the slightly suspicious actions of both the MCs, I did understand it when presented with the full facts, and thought the way it resolved was really well done. Graham is such a little cinnamon roll and he and Ali are a perfect match!

POV: first person singular

You can expect: second chance, engagement of convenience (to someone else), wedding planner FMC, aspiring hotelier MMC, one night stand, forced proximity, secret relationship.

Rep: queer side characters, Jewish main character, claustrophobia, grief, depression.

Spice: 2.5 (on page, but decently vague)

CW: death of a grandparent.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I really enjoyed this one. I loved Till There was You and I was so excited to read this. This gave me the Wedding Planner starring JLo vibes and I was here for it. Our MMC was dreamy and I enjoyed seeing them figure themselves out.

Never Planned On You was a quick read and is the perfect book for you if you loved The Wedding Planner movie (not the same plot but has a bunch of similarities).

Ali and Graham had a cute meeting on the last night of her study abroad trip. It’s not until years later and a chance meeting in a coffee shop, that they see each other again. Little did they know Ali would be one of the planners for Graham’s wedding.

While the book was very easy to get into and a fast read, I did struggle to connect with them and the situationship they find themselves in. It brought me out of the story because I was getting a bit of the ick (because he’s engaged). However, if you can get around that the story is actually quite fun and in the end enjoyable. -i

Read if you like:
▪️The Wedding Planner
▪️Second Chance
▪️Quick Read
▪️Fluffy Romance

I flew through this book and adored every second! The family dynamics were hilarious and sweet, the romance was perfection, and it all just came together really well. I can’t lie, it was giving “The Wedding Planner” hardcore for a hot minute, but I was happy it wasn’t a carbon copy. The fresh take was so much fun to read and the spice was deliciously unexpected! I’ll definitely be recommending to friends!

Ali has returned home to Baltimore to intern as an event planner after deciding that being a chef or a teacher were not quite what she wanted to do in her life. When out getting lunch one day, she sees a guy that she has not seen since she the last day of her study abroad in London eight years ago. It turns out that Graham is in town helping his grandmother get her business finances straightened out. This is an enjoyable quick read about love and family.

Never Planned On You is an amazing follow up to Lindsay Hameroff’s debut Till There Was You. Ali and Graham stole my heart from the very beginning and had me rooting for their HEA throughout. I cheered, swooned and cackled my way through NPOY. After TTWY Lindsay has been an auto-read for my TBR and her follow up absolutely killed it.

ARC via Net Galley

Goodreads review

4 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Lindsay Hameroff for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This book, WOW!! I definitely loved reading this and it exceeded any expectations I had + the pop references that were in here were fun! One Direction was mentioned and as a fan of them since 2011, I freaked 🤭 This read really keeps me believing in the right person, wrong time aspect in life.

Tropes:
- Second Chance Romance
- Opposites Attract
- Workplace Romance
- Jewish Representation

🤍Thank you @smpromance for the arc of Never Planned on You 🤍

Second chance romance is my JAM and I was so excited for this one that had such strong vibes from one of my favorite romcoms!

And let me just say, the chemistry between Ali and Graham sizzled. It was undeniable and I was obsessed with it.

If you seen The Wedding Planner you know there are some lines that get a little blurry, as does this book—but in my opinion I think the author handled it really well.

Steam: open door

This story made me laugh out loud and tear up more than once. As a Jewish woman, I absolutely love seeing Jewish representation in books. There’s something so special about watching my culture and traditions come to life on the page—Shabbat dinners, feisty family dynamics, and warm, loving bubbies.

Lindsay Hameroff has a gift for writing stories that feel like a cozy hug. Never Planned on You sparkles with humor, heart, and charm. Her characters are vibrant, her romance swoon-worthy, and her portrayal of Jewish family life is both authentic and deeply touching.

A light and easy read with splashes of humor, this heartfelt second chance romance was filled with angst, sizzling chemistry, self-doubt, a few questionable choices, and a bet that’ll make you giggle. Ali wears her heart on her sleeve and loves to make people happy, though this is sometimes unseen as a result of her spontaneity. Meanwhile Graham’s steadfast determination to always be there and follow through on commitments and family means he is more serious and reserved but his heart is always in the right place. And did I mention he’s British?! I’m a sucker for an accent so this just fit. The combination is electric especially when you consider Ali and Graham’s first encounter 8 years earlier that resulted in a memorable night and a wager that everyone wins even as they lose (that will make sense when you read the book).

A quick read with lots of pop culture references, “Never Planned on You” is a contemporary romance that’ll warm the heart with its banter, family relationships (and angst), friend vibes, character growth, wedding planning, and food references (you’ll want snacks on hand as you read).

⭐️: 5
🌶️: 3

🎂 wedding planner FMC
🎂 forbidden love
🎂 second chance
🎂 marriage of convenience
🎂 opposite attract

If you are a fan of J Lo’s The Wedding Planner, or really any early 00’s rom-com, you will DEVOUR this.

Ali and Graham had an undeniable chemistry from the moment they met and had a one night stand many years ago. When fate reconnected them in one of the most ill-fated of ways, their mutual pining was impossible to ignore. The author wrote their story perfectly, keeping the reader guessing whether Graham was simply unfaithful or if there was something deeper between him and Claire that would soon come to light. The hints of the truth sprinkled throughout kept me entertained and wondering how this could possibly end well for all parties!

This was my first, and most certainly not my last, book by Lindsay Hameroff. Excited to see what she writes next.

🌶️🌶️🌶️ = open door, multiple scenes, not descriptive

♥︎ Thank you NetGalley, St Martins Press and Lindsay Hameroff for the ARC of Never Planned on You.

The main character of this novel, Ali, has recently moved back home (literally) to Baltimore to try to work as an events planner. One day at a coffee shop she runs into Graham, a British guy she had one amazing night with many years ago during her semester abroad, and immediately she feels a connection again. So boy is she surprised when he turns out to be the groom in a wedding she is planning.

I loved Lindsay Hameroff’s debut last year, Till There Was You, so I’m sorry to say I didn’t feel the same way about this one. The main relationship was just so problematic in many ways - hard to discuss without a spoiler even though a plot point is totally spoiled by the publisher blurb though not til more than halfway through the book (though I guessed it verrry early without reading the blurb). But even once semi-resolved I still found it problematic in other ways. That being said, I loved the Jewish representation, I enjoyed the family and friends (including appearances by Lexi from her first book), and the writing was really cute. So I definitely would still read her next book.

3.5 stars

Never Planned on You is the second novel by new-to-me author Lindsay Hameroff. Being a rom-com fan, the description of this book felt right up my alley and I wasn't wrong.

Ali and Graham met years ago in Europe and they spent one amazing night together. Now, Ali is a wedding planner in Baltimore and she and Graham end up reconnecting after running into one another. When Ali lands the biggest wedding she has planned to date, the irony is that when the groom shows up it is none other than Graham! Definitely not an ideal situation!

I really was not sure what to think of the whole "Graham is engaged to someone else" deal, but I have to say, Hammeroff turned the marriage into one of convenience, which made it much more plausible. Also, the humor that went along with all of this made it so enjoyable.

Overall this was a cute and wonderful read!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**