I really wanted to like this book, at first it started off great. I enjoyed the rom com feel, the references that we know. But then I felt like it was dragging on.

Lindsay Hameroff’s *Never Planned on You* is a delightful mix of charm, wit, and emotional depth. The novel effortlessly pulls you into the lives of its characters, who feel so real and relatable that they seem to leap off the page. This is not your average contemporary romance—it’s a story about self-discovery, second chances, and the beautiful messiness of life.

The protagonist is refreshingly authentic, with flaws and quirks that make her easy to root for. Hameroff does an exceptional job of building a romance that feels earned and organic, with sizzling chemistry and plenty of heart-melting moments. The dialogue is sharp and engaging, often peppered with humor that keeps the tone light without detracting from the emotional weight of the story.

What sets *Never Planned on You* apart is its ability to balance romance with deeper themes like personal growth and overcoming the unexpected. Hameroff’s writing is evocative yet easy to read, making it hard to put the book down. She captures both the thrill of falling in love and the vulnerability that comes with it.

Fans of heartfelt romances with strong character development will find this book a treasure. It’s an uplifting reminder that life doesn’t always go according to plan—but sometimes, the unplanned turns out to be exactly what we need.

If you’re a fan of authors like Emily Henry or Christina Lauren, this book deserves a spot on your TBR list!

I absolutely loved Never Planned on You! It's an adorable second chance romance, stemming from a meet cute night to remember - and with the tattoos to never forget it! 🤣 Ali and Graham have amazing page-sizzling chemistry, with a well written and plotted storyline to go with it. Can't wait to read Hameroff's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Feel-good romance vibes, second chances, and a touch of “it’s complicated” drama? This story checks all the boxes! 🥰💍✨
If you’re a fan of heartfelt romances with a sprinkle of nostalgia, this one will make you swoon! It gave me serious “The Wedding Planner” JLo vibes (you know, the perfect mix of fun, drama, and swoony moments) 🎥🌸—but with its own unique flair.

Ali, our spirited and impulsive leading lady, is chasing her latest dream of becoming an event planner. 🌟 She’s determined, hilarious, and so easy to root for! But just as she starts gaining her footing, fate throws a wrench in her plans: her newest client, the groom-to-be, is none other than Graham, the guy she shared a magical evening with eight years ago. 💫🔥 A moment that clearly left a lasting impression on both of them… and me as a reader!

Graham hasn’t forgotten Ali either (seriously, who could forget Ali?! 😍). Their chemistry is off the charts, sizzling and sweet all at once. ⚡💖 But here’s the kicker: his upcoming marriage? Yeah, let’s just say it’s not exactly what it seems. 👀💔 Cue the drama, the longing, and all the delicious romantic tension!

One of the standout elements of this book is the humor. I found myself laughing out loud at the banter, which reminded me so much of Abby Jimenez’s style—witty, sharp, and perfectly timed. 🤭💬 It added so much charm to the story and made it such an enjoyable read!

The romance is heartfelt and full of all the feels—hope, heartbreak, second chances, and a beautiful reminder that sometimes love is worth fighting for. 🥹💕 By the end, my heart felt so full and happy. If you’re looking for a swoony romance with characters you’ll root for and a story that will keep you smiling, this one is an absolute winner. 🌟📖

This was nice followup to this author’s debut, and features some characters from her first book. If you grew up loving the movie The Wedding Planner but now see some red flags upon rewatching, give this book a read. A Baltimore event planner is coordinating a wedding and the groom happens to be a British man she’d met 8 years prior. During their one-night fling, they ended up with a nice memory and horrible matching tattoos. Now her tattoo twin is back but getting married in an elaborate ceremony he hopes will his grandparents’ hotel. This was a quick read about two people learning how to live life according to their own expectations and not others’ goals. Overall, very cute.

Never Planned on You was such a sweet second chance romance! I adored Ali and Graham so much. Wish I could give this all the stars!

the romance was pretty good and i liked the main characters. i found the vibes pretty good too although the base story was a little meh. 4 stars. tysm for thea rc.

Wedding planner Ali is trying to make a name for herself after returning to her hometown. What she doesn't need is to be planning the wedding of one of the most influential names in the Baltimore hotel business who also happens to be her college one night stand,

Hameroff is so good at creating romcom characters and plots that just suck you in! Here's what I loved with this one:

Ali: She is my spirit animal. The humor she brought to this story was amazing. I rooted for her while I laughed out loud. She's a perfect romcom FMC.

Graham: Book boyfriend for sure. He's one of these guys that will always do the right thing, no matter how hard it is. I loved seeing him tackle how to help his family and friends while also falling so hard for Ali. The two of them balanced each other out so well.

The cast of characters: This takes place in the same universe of Hameroff's previous novel and it was great to see all of those characters again. Along with them, I adored Ali's family. They are loud and hilarious.

All in all, an amazing romcom!

Thank you to the publisher and author for the gifted copy!

What to expect:
- second chance romance (they met while studying abroad)
- opposites attract
- coffee shop meet-cute (the second time around)
- she's a wedding planner... planning his marriage of convenience!
- focus on romance & personal growth
- sizzling chemistry

The book is shaped so that you fall for Ali, Graham, and Claire (his fiancee). Ali is full of life, impulsive, and witty – always up for an adventure. Meanwhile, Graham oozes British charm. Fortunately, the ending ties the characters together beautifully. If you want a fun, swoon-worthy second-chance romance that has The Wedding Planner (iconic JLo) vibes, I recommend checking out Never Planned on You.

I went into this book with no expectations and was sufficiently charmed. Anytime you give me witty banter, I'm hooked and Ali's smart mouth had me laughing. The family dynamics were realistic and the ending had the potential to be cheesy but came across so sweet. 4.5 stars.

On the night they met fueled by alcohol, a game of darts and a bet, Ali and Graham ended up with ridiculous matching tattoos and a night neither of them forgot. Now eight years later, Ali is back in her hometown of Baltimore trying her hand at wedding planning after leaving her cooking days behind in New York. When Ali runs into Graham at her local coffee shop she couldn’t believe her eyes and that fluttery connection she felt all those years ago returned only to have the rug pulled out from underneath her when she discovers what Graham is doing in Baltimore. Graham happens to be one half of the couple who’s wedding Ali just agreed to plan and as much as she tried to remain professional it became even harder when she learned it was just a marriage of convenience between Graham and his bride.

At first I didn’t know what to think about the situation and didn’t want it to be a love triangle story but I can say it’s not so I was relieved. I wish Ali was real because I really want to be her friend- she has a fun lightness about her that radiates joy to everyone she encounters and you can really see it through her connection with Graham. He is stoic and reserved but when he’s with Ali you can see him come out of his shell while still being himself. The array of emotions Ali and Graham went through to get to their happily ever after was a lot but it was the right at times but it was the right journey for them to both be happy individually and together.


Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

Oh my goodness what a cute story! I loved the tangled storylines and the connection between the main characters. I loved the drama too. All characters were very likeable and I loved the ending. Thank you!

Thanks @netgalley @stmartinspress and my friend @lindsayhameroff for the chance to read Lindsay's sophomore book, Never Planned on You. It releases on February 18, 2025.

You can always tell Lindsay cut her teeth as a humor writer by the fizz, pop, bang of her banter and the hilarious situations she puts her characters into. This book is the warmest of hugs and perfect for fans of 90s rom-coms ❤️

Wedding planner Ali lives at home in Baltimore with her parents and dreams of a day when she earns enough money to have her own place. Her boss says that if she pulls off a major local wedding, the promotion is hers. The only problem is the groom is Graham, a sexy Brit with whom she had a memorable one night stand during her study abroad years earlier. They can't ignore the simmering chemistry between them, especially when it's revealed that Graham's wedding is a marriage of convenience. Giving into their feelings could ruin everything, but can they stay away?

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: second chance romance, marriage of convenience, opposites attract, forced proximity, matching tattoos

I really enjoyed Lindsay's first book 'Till There Was You' and this novel didn't disappoint!

A wedding planner runs into the guy she had a one-night stand with as she plans his wedding. Sparks re-ignite and the calamity that comes with trying to plan his wedding while harboring strong feelings for him.

This book was super lighthearted and an easy read! You can easily read it in one sitting and is the perfect palette cleanser.

What I didn't like was that it was closed door. I think having it as an open door, especially during the flash back of their one night stand, would have solidified their relationship and the tension between them.

I was excited to read another book from Lindsay Hameroff! NEVER PLANNED ON YOU introduces us to Ali, a wedding planner who hooked up with a British guy named Graham years ago and they also got matching tattoos. Ali bumps into Graham years later when she is planning his wedding. This rom com read was so fun and lighthearted. I enjoyed all the pop culture references in the book (the nostalgia!) and the humor. I couldn’t put down this book! You’ll want to put this on your TBR - perfect read for Valentine’s Day. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you St Martin's for the review copy! I really loved Lindsay Hameroff's previous book Till There was You, it was a surprise win on the romcom list for me last year and was so excited to read her new book! Never Planned on You brings back characters from till there was you, though you don't need to read that book to follow this one, kind of an expansion on the universe (though spoilers for the Till there was You!) and explores a variation on the Wedding Planner movie tropes, with a few welcome twists on those tropes and notes of inclusion and identity and some strong themes on family relationships which really added nice depth to the read. I admit I struggle with plots that have someone cheating on another person, even though I knew there was likely a reason or way the plot would go that would reduce the discomfort, and did appreciate how that aspect of the plot was handled and developed. At times the plot felt a bit slow, perhaps because it was a little too predictable, and I found I missed the role of the friend theme that for me was so great in Till There was You but the story was overall a charming banter and chemistry filled read, one that I enjoyed!

The writing is engaging, but this is just not working for me as a reader right now.

I think the set up seems super fun. I didn't love the initial closed door intimacy because I feel like we didn't get as much of their chemistry on page to set up for the second chance meeting. I think our FMCs family seems really interesting and engaging too but again something is not working for my brain with this one right now.

I've been in a slump - working too much, reading but not feeling like I couldn't wait to get back the story. This book changed that for me. I loved the story and couldn't wait to see how everything unfolded. Ali met Graham on her last night in London while studying abroad. They share an amazing night together and she leaves the next day as planned with no plans of seeing Graham again. She does have a memento of the evening, they both got the same terrible tattoo. Eight years later, Ali is back in Baltimore, working at another new career and she runs into Graham at a coffee shop. Read this book to see what happens.. 4 1/2 stars

Nothing I love more than when a character from a previous book I love gets to be the main character in their own novel and that’s exactly what I got with Ali 🙌🏻🙌🏻

I love Ali and Graham’s chemistry and humor/ there were so many moments that had be truly laughing out loud to their quick wit. The entire prologue of how they met in college and their drunken escapades really grabbed me and I couldn’t wait to see how these crosses passed later in life

As a PA native I loved all the little comments of PA towns like Harrisburg and this taking placing in our rival of Baltimore.
And Lindsay did such a great job tossing in little There were so many little pop culture reference to popular Taylor swift songs or tv shows I love.

I should have know that I would become absolutely obsessed with Lindsay Hameroff’s Never Planned on You when the books opens with the two main characters getting matching tattoos.

Ali is enjoying her last night in London drinking beers and playing Kings with friends in a pub. After a couple of rounds, Alfie, one of Ali’s friends, wrangles his buttoned up, grandfather-like flatmate, Graham, into playing. The game soon goes off the rails with Ali and Graham making a drunken bet—loser gets a tattoo. I couldn’t help but smirk when the game ends in a tie and they both get a hideous half pig, half unicorn (uni-pig, pig-icorn) tattooed on them. Afterwards, Ali and Graham share one night together with Ali leaving in the morning sans saying goodbye.

Fast forward eight years, Ali is back home in Baltimore, interning with a wedding planning company. She’s tasked with ensuring a big wedding goes smoothly in order to secure a permanent place on the team. Easy peasy, right? You’d be so wrong. The groom turns out to be no other than Graham, the guy Ali shared a drunken night with back in London.

Without giving too much away, I loved how Lindsay wrapped up Ali and Graham’s story. This book is full of wit, spice, and happiness. Definitely a book you’ll want to pick up on 2/18.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!