Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮!

Don’t ask me what kind of magic she uses, but Lindsay Hameroff’s books keep getting more and more irresistible! If her previous novel, 𝐓𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 was an enjoyable stack of blueberry pancakes, this standalone sequel is a slice of wedding cake that makes you want to track down the baker! 💕

Read if you enjoy:
• 💞 Second Chance Romance
• ✡️ Jewish Representation
• 💍 Engagement of Convenience
• 🍷 Shabbat Dinners with Nosey Bubbies

This book is packed with so many of my favorite tropes— I can’t believe I waited so long to read it! Graham’s old-soul charm and British accent are seriously swoonworthy, so it’s no surprise Ali hasn’t found anyone better since that unforgettable night in their past. ❤️‍🔥 Their chemistry is off the charts from start to finish, and while their secret relationship is full of tension, I appreciated that Graham and his fiancée’s engagement is purely one of convenience, so there’s no actual cheating involved. (Before anyone comes for me in the comments, this is in the blurb and not a spoiler!)

Maybe it’s because Passover starts tomorrow, but I especially love the scenes with Ali’s family. They remind me a lot of my own: a little nosey when it comes to matchmaking, but good at heart! Her bubbie had me laughing out loud with her comments about Graham. 🤣

If you’re looking for a romance novel that’s a love letter to Baltimore, long distance friendships, and reinventing yourself, be sure to grab a copy of 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 at your favorite local bookstore! 🌼💖

I love romance and this book made me remember why. The joy of love and finding the one especially when it comes with the ups and downs that only exist in books. So glad I read this.

Ali has a reputation for spontaneity and its one of her best qualities, allowing her to live every day to its fullest and following her dreams wherever they take her. She’s left her NYC career as a chef to return to her home of Baltimore to intern as a wedding planner. Eight years ago, Ali made a drunken bet in London with a British man that led to them getting matching tattoos and then never seeing each other again, until one day she bumps into him at the local café. Graham’s family owns the once-grand hotel, the Black-Eyed Susan, which is now struggling and he has returned to Baltimore to help his grandmother get it back on its feet. Ali’s working on a high-profile wedding at the Black-Eyed Susan and is promised a full-time position if the event goes off without a hitch. Everything seems to be going smoothly, until Ali discovers that Graham is the groom.

This is Hameroff’s sophomore novel, and I was absolutely gripped by the storyline and the characters from the get-go. It’s such a cute and messy second chance romance with a unique twist on a marriage of convenience. The audiobook narration is very well done, bringing the characters and their world to life.

Ali is such a fun protagonist. She’s messy, passionate, and follows her heart and dreams wherever it may lead her. It’s so beautiful to witness her throw herself into her passions unconditionally. Graham is a sweet, thoughtful, and kind man. I loved the flashback to how Ali and Graham met, it was so silly and fun. The relationship that builds between them is beautiful, culminating into an alluring romance with some open-door spice.

I love that Hameroff adds touches of Jewish culture, foods, and celebrations through Ali’s character and her family. I think this was really well done and a very nice addition to the story. Ali’s family is a lot of fun and I loved every scene they were featured in.

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

Ali Rubin has always lived life to the fullest. When a night of drunken fun in London leads to matching tattoos with a stranger, followed by a passionate and memorable one-night stand, Ali has trouble leaving Graham behind. Now, eight years later, Ali’s joie de vivre has taken her from NYC to Baltimore, where she is one wedding away from being a successful wedding planner. Unfortunately for them both, the groom just so happens to be her one-night stand, Graham.

With such a cute cover and an author that’s been on my to-be-read list for more than a minute, I went into this one wanting so badly to love it. And yet, not every book is for every person, and unfortunately, that is the case with me and this book. Although it didn’t work for me, I can definitely appreciate the love others have for Lindsay Hameroff and this story.

While the premise sounds amazing along with all of the tropes, something didn’t work as well for me in the execution, almost right off the bat. To start with, this really isn’t my definition of second-chance romance, as they had only spent one evening together 8 years prior (granted it was an action-filled evening 😉😂) And because their relationship is therefore built on insta-love, I struggled to have any kind of emotional attachment to their relationship in the present. I mean, eight years later and she’s still carrying a torch??!?? I really had to suspend quite a bit of disbelief. There is a fun twist on the marriage-of-convenience trope, and that pulled me back in a little bit; however, ultimately, this just wasn’t a love for me.

Read if you like:
▪️second chance romance
▪️wedding planning
▪️forced proximity
▪️forbidden romance
▪️marriage of convenience

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and You Had Me At HEA for the gifted copy.

**3-Star Review of *Never Planned on You* by Lindsay Hameroff**

*Never Planned on You* by Lindsay Hameroff offers a heartfelt look at love, loss, and unexpected second chances. The story follows Lily, a woman who’s focused on her career and personal goals, only to find her life turned upside down when she reconnects with an old flame. The book touches on themes of fate, timing, and the emotional complexity of relationships.

The writing is engaging, and Hameroff does a good job of capturing the internal struggles of the protagonist as she navigates her feelings. The chemistry between Lily and her love interest is palpable, and their journey together is filled with emotional moments. However, some of the plot points feel a bit predictable, and certain character developments don’t feel as fleshed out as they could be. The pacing also slows down in parts, making the book feel longer than it needs to be.

Overall, *Never Planned on You* is an enjoyable read for those who appreciate a sweet, contemporary romance, but it lacks the depth and surprises that would elevate it from a typical romance novel to something more memorable. It’s a nice, easy read for fans of the genre, but it doesn’t offer much beyond the standard tropes.

lighthearted medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly, I had trouble getting past the premise of this one. The initial meeting and re-meeting were so cute, but once it started to hint at infidelity — even if not literally the case — it felt off putting. I think the resolution took too long to figure out. I do think the main characters are a good match and I did love seeing how they worked together at the hotel. That was perfect.

OKAY. The fated soulmates/pining/angst in this story got me GOOD.

Ali and Graham meet while Ali is studying abroad in London. They make a drunken bet, which results in the two of them getting matching tattoos (of a design which sounds frankly horrifying, haha), and end up spending the night together. Fast-forward several years later, and Ali and Graham run into each other in Baltimore. After another magical night, Ali thinks her romantic life is looking up. Unfortunately, that comes to an abrupt end when she realizes that Graham is the groom for the high profile wedding she is planning at a historic hotel. Later, we learn that it's a marriage of convenience - Graham and his fiance are platonic best friends, but Ali and Graham still have to overcome a lot to find their happily ever after.

I think this was really well done. The stakes are INCREDIBLY high. Ali is up for a promotion at work, but on top of trying to impress her new boss and make her family friend proud, she's also trying to prove herself to her family. On the other hand, Graham is trying to help his best friend achieve her career goals while also saving his grandmother's business after the devastating loss of his grandfather. On top of that, Graham doesn't want to be like his father, who left his mother and him behind when he was young. He wants to be dependable and reliable for the people he loves.

If Ali and Graham give into their feelings, so much can go wrong and so many people could be disappointed. This results in massive amounts of pining and angst, which made my chest hurt. (THE COOKBOOK?! HELLO!!!!) Fortunately, this is a romance, so you know they're going to find their HEA, but the journey hurt so good.

I realized this story is connected to Lindsay's debut, Till There Was You. I now need to backtrack to read Lexi and Jake's story. I look forward to more from Lindsay Hameroff!

A special thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Lindsay Hameroff for this advance copy of Never Planned on You in exchange for this review. This one is Hameroff's follow-up to her debut and is available now.

I love a good rom com, and the author had me chuckling with Ali and Graham's interactions - what starts off as a hookup when Ali is abroad in England and ends with drunken matching tattoos, Ali is surprised when Graham shows up again in the states as the groom of a wedding she's been tasked to plan. This one was so easy to read, although if you prefer more of a slow burn, this one won't be for you - our leads jump right in, and there's a sense of "is this wrong?" right off the bat. One minor thing that was a bit of a miss for me was how open Claire, Graham's fiance was towards Ali - it was stressed that Ali wants to be friends with her and how much they click, but I'm not sure if that's realistic, fake marriage troupe or not. Overall, I definitely loved this writing, and I'll definitely be reading more of Hameroff's works. I'm not Jewish, but this also has a strong Jewish representation in the book, and I learned a lot! (Hameroff is Jewish, I had the opportunity to meet her at an author signing, and she seemed so sweet!)

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ali and Graham meet randomly one night years ago and a drunken bet leads to embarrassing tattoos. They never thought they’d see each other again, so when they meet years later in a coffee shop, they are surprised. Ali is interning as a wedding planner and planning the wedding of the season, Graham’s. As the two try to work together while fighting their attraction to each other, it leads to a lot of conflict.

I enjoyed the characters, especially Graham, whose charming ways made me smile. I didn’t love the hidden relationship while he was engaged to someone else. That should’ve been resolved before they jumped in. I also didn’t really buy the reasons they couldn’t be together, but there was a nice resolution to it all. Overall, Lindsay Hameroff writes romance novels I love to read.

I had some high hopes in the beginning of this book but once I found out the rest of the story, I wasn't intersted. I loved Ali, the MFC but upon finding out she becomes pretty much the mistress to an engaged man, I was over it. I finished the book but wasn't happy. In the end, it was a happy ending but it was rough for me.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the copy to read and review!

2.5 rounding to 3
This felt so much like cheating to me and felt icky. I’d give this author another try, but this trope just wasn’t for me.

I really liked both the main characters of this, but I had some real issues with the fact that Graham was engaged for basically the whole book. It’s in the description, but I did expect it to be handled earlier or in a more acceptable (to me at least) way. I thought Ali was funny and likable and that Graham was endearing and sweet, and I absolutely believed their connection. But I just couldn’t excuse the way their relationship developed while Graham was technically committed to someone else.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I enjoyed the author's last book. I was looking forward to this one, but I did not enjoy it. Cheating trope is forever gross. Yea it's all explained away, but it doesn't take away from the lying & messing around with a soon to be married man before knowing the circumstances.

A classic romcom. The witty banter between Graham and Ali was perfect. The tension was great. The writing is engaging, and the pacing kept me invested from start to finish. My only small critique is that certain parts felt a bit predictable, but honestly, that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. If you love contemporary romance with a heartfelt story, this one is definitely worth picking up!

3/5⭐
1.5/5🌶️

A fun rom-com with a risky twist! I was nervous about this going to the wrong side of second chance.

Thank you for the ARC #netgalley and #stmartinspress

Tropes:
✧ Second Chance Romance
✧ Workplace Romance
✧ Marriage of Convenience

I am such a sucker for romcoms it’s actually unhealthy at this point. But this book? This book was the epitome of romcom for me. It had everything you could want and more. It made me laugh out loud, it made me fall in love with every single character you came across, and it absolutely shattered my heart and put it back together. I’m pretty sure I will be comparing this book to other books for the foreseeable future. It was just so top tier for me.

Ali is honestly someone who I would compare to how I see myself. You just want everyone to have a good time and make them laugh and did my girl make me laugh. Some of the things that went through her mind or she said out loud really did make me laugh out loud and her constantly calling Graham an old man really did make me laugh. The way she would describe him, I could actually picture him in my head and see him as an old man trapped in a young man’s body.

At last we come to Graham. Oh little old man Graham. He was the absolute cutest thing and I honestly I could have read more about their romance for another 300 pages. I honestly didn’t want this book to end it was just my absolute favorite. If you read this book and realize why Graham is getting married, you honestly love him a little more. Like how could you hate a guy like that? My point is, if you love rom com, second chance romance, two very lost MC who find each other and fall so in love it makes you sick, then this is the book for you.

*Thank you so so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!*

🌶️/5

3.5 Stars.

Whenever one of the main tropes in a romantic-comedy book is second chance it instantly become very enjoyable read for me.

Missed opportunities, pre-wedding hi-jinx and ridiculous tattoos.... the making of the perfect rom-com. Gave Wedding Planner vibes but so so much better - wish this was a movie! Ali and Graham were delightful characters and this was a fun read.

This is such a great rom-com!!! I laughed out loud, swooned over the romance, and it has one of the best meet cutes ever!

I adored Lindsay's first book, so I was eager to read this one. It did not disappoint. You get right into the story. Second chance romance with a twist! I love that Ali and Graham met over drinks, darts and tattoos.

The characters are so well rounded. I can identify with Ali with switching careers but not being sure you are making the right choice. There is steam in this book but it's not raunchy. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Lindsay Hameroff for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.