Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got major ick reading this. I did not like Ali at all. Girl, take accountability. I did not find myself invested in Graham and Ali, I wasn't rooting for them and I really really struggled to enjoy this. The writing was fine, and funny at times - but I could not get over the cheating.

Rating: 5/5
I received the eARC for my honest opinion.

Who doesn’t just love sitting down to read a cute romcom, with second chances, workplace romance, Jewish traditions, opposites attract, matching tattoos, great banter and so much more. You will love the plot of the book, along with the characters will make you feel as though you are part of their family.

This book starts off with a flash back on when Ali met Graham for the first time. All due to a drinking game that led to these two crazy colleges getting matching cute unicorn pig tattoos on their hips, and after that they spend a memorable night together. Even years later these two still thought of each other but always thought they would never see each other again, until that one day in Baltimore while standing in line for coffee. When Ali recognizes the voice of the gentlemen in front of her, Graham. How is he here? When did he get here? They promise to get together and catch up but when they run into each other at Ali work... oh did I mention that Ali is a wedding planner?

This book was everything that I wanted in a book; it had all the emotions that I love reading. The hurt, the longing, the I can handle this, the I need you; I can’t have you. I love a good second-chance romance, and this author delivered the best one to the readers. I loved the plot with the flash back to their meetup, then to the future with them running into each other but the worst time possible. The chemistry between the characters was top notch. I enjoyed how the author handled the topic of, he is engaged to someone else, and how they’re acting around each other and in private but the way the author handles this topic with the right amount of you might feel gross at first but Hameroff will come right back and make you understand the situation and you won’t be feeling like that. I never felt icky or wrong or grossed by it and I believe that is all due to how she handled the situation. I enjoyed getting to read all the Jewish Traditions that the Ali's family celebrates and how Graham was able to fit in with her family. I enjoyed all the moments where Bubbie was just swooning over Graham and the gusters that Graham goes through to show Ali and her family that he cares about her.

The characters in this book were flawed, and I loved that I was able to relate to them/connect with them. I loved that I felt as though I knew Ali, and I was there with her during the whole book. With Graham I would love to have a friend like him that would do whatever he could to help me. I loved that this book brought characters from Till There Was You into it and it was great getting to see how they were doing.

I can’t wait to see what Hameroff will bring us readers next.

I want to thank NetGalley and SMP for the opportunity to review this book.

Between Never Planned on You and Bk Borison's First Time Caller, I love that Baltimore is getting a renaissance as a rom com destination. Never Planned on You really puts Baltimore at the heart of the book, exploring the funky and artsy side of a town which is too often considered the one note home of The Wire. I love how our two main characters, Ali and Graham, bond over the local history and culture of the place. The book spends a lot of time at the fictional Baltimore hotel Black-Eyed Susan, and there is clearly an appreciation of Baltimore history in Hameroff's writing. This Delaware girl loves seeing more books set in the mid-Atlantic area and hope this will continue!

I also really appreciate how the character of Claire, Graham's best friend was written. I think in a lot of books, she would be portrayed as a one note villain, instead of a kind and loyal friend who really wants her bestie to be happy. I do wish we'd gotten to spend more time with Claire and Graham interacting, but I enjoyed Claire and sometimes wanted to follow her off screen.

While I was obviously grumpy that Hameroff referred to Niall Horan as British (the worst nightmare of every Irishman), the book had a lot of fun pop culture references, which really made this a laugh out loud read. I'd recommend to fans of Tessa Bailey or Baltimore's own BK Borison.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff!

This is the first book I’ve read by Lindsay Hameroff and let me say this: it did NOT disappoint! From the first chapter I was hooked into the story and eager to learn and read more about Ali and Graham. With a story line like this it definitely is a hard feat to do all the characters involved justice, given the complexities of the situation, but the author managed to do just that. While the chapters were a longer length than Im used to, the fast pace of the story truly made them fly by! You go on a bit of an angsty ride, at least towards the end of the book, but it’s completely worth it!

I just finished Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff, and I’m officially in love! This book had me hooked from the very first page with its perfect mix of heart, humor, and swoon-worthy romance. The chemistry between the characters was electric, and their journey from unexpected circumstances to something deep and real had me grinning, swooning, and maybe even tearing up a little.

The banter was top-tier, the emotions hit just right, and the way the story unfolded felt both fresh and deeply satisfying. If you love a romance that surprises you in all the best ways, this one is an absolute must-read! Lindsay Hameroff has earned a permanent spot on my TBR.

The plot:
Ali is a spontaneous girl living life on the edge. She's the younger of 2 daughters and has switched careers a few times. Once in college during her study abroad in London she bet a tattoo with a hot British guy she then had a one night stand with. Most recently she's been a professional chef living in NYC, but packed up her life to relocate back to her hometown (Baltimore) to pursue yet another career switch into being a party planner. At her favorite Baltimore coffee shop she bumps into the hot British guy from college - with whom she shares a matching tattoo with to date. She never expected to rekindle things after that one night in London but it turns out she is planning his wedding. If the wedding goes perfectly as planned Ali will be a given a full time job offer as an event planner at one of Balitmore's best party planning companies. The chemistry that follows Ali and said hot British guy (Graham) is spicy. The book follows their rekindling and Ali's spontaneous decision making throughout. It's laugh out loud funny and a great light romantic comedy.

SPOILERS/THOUGHTS/FEEDBACK***:
I'm giving this book 4-4.5 out of 5 stars. It kept me super engaged throughout and I read within just a few short hours. It was light, feel good and laugh out loud funny throughout. I was glued in from the moment I started reading. I'm nothing like Ali's spontaneous character but Hameroff did a wonderful job at making her sooo relatable throughout. The plot was cliche and predictable but done so well that I never felt annoyed. The spin for the greencard was a slight surprise and I loved the ending. It wrapped up quickly but not too quick and nothing was left unanswered. Loved all of the Jewish American references throughout. Graham's character was likable and evenf all in loveable. I loved Ali's sister Sarah. Her character was relatable and even putting in some character development for her when she had her breakdown was beautifully done. I laughed out loud more times than i could count. This was a great quick, light, funny, feel good, romantic comedy read with some spicy to keep you coming back to for more!! Thank you Hameroff this was wonderful!

Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff captured my heart completely! I anticipated a light read, and I was absolutely correct. The reunion of Ali and Graham years after their adventurous night in Europe is filled with humor, sweetness, and romance, making it a fantastic second-chance love story.

I enjoyed this cute book. Lighthearted and fun, Ali and Graham's story really brightened my day and left my heart feeling lighter. This couple was really just perfect for each other.

This story was so cute. An adorable meet-cute turned one night stand with tattoos turns into a real meet up a continent and almost a decade later. This was lighthearted and spicy and you fall in love with Ali, Graham and Ali’s adorable family.

Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the free arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Never Planned On You was phenomenal. Utterly charming. The perfect blend of swoon and steam, this second-chance romance had me grinning and kicking my feet. Lindsay Hameroff knocked this one completely out of the park. Also, the Jewish rep? Top tier. This is truly the epitome of “feel good romance.”

On her last night of her college study abroad program, Ali meets Graham, and a drinking game leads to bizarre matching tattoos and a night neither of them can ever forget. Years later, they bump into each other in a Baltimore cafe, and their connection hasn’t dimmed—but then Ali makes the horrifying discovery that Graham is the groom of her newest wedding planning client. (What she doesn’t know, at least at first, is that it’s a marriage of convenience so the bride can get a green card.) Given the situation, they try to keep their distance, but with a connection as strong as theirs, that proves harder than they expect.

Thank you so much SMP for the ARC. I loved this book with my whole heart.

I love a second chance romance, and Lindsay Hameroff delivered charm and wit and swoon with Never Planned on You. Ali and Graham have great chemistry, which drives the book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I so enjoy a second chance romance!

8 years ago on a fun night out in London, Ali meets a guy named Graham and they end up with matching tattoos. They laugh it off, expecting to never see each other again. Now here he is in a coffee shop and their incredible spark comes right back. Normally this would be great, they finally get together, book done. But not in this case. Turns out Ali, who is now an event planner, is helping plan a wedding and guess who is the groom?

The more time they spend together, the more neither one can deny there is something between them. But is Ali going to risk her career?

Lots of laughs and heart in this book! Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this fun, messy, emotional book. I really connected with Ali as a character and even though she did some dumb things (been there, done that) I was still rooting for her the whole time.

And honestly Graham was adorable, even if he was also frustrating.

Unfortunately I couldn't get past chapter 3 on this one. Ali is written as a very young, 28 year old messy character but she reads like a teenager. I truly couldn't believe she and Graham would ever work out. I wanted to love this one for Baltimore and New York references, but I couldn't get past this adult book reading like a YA novel.

Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff
Contemporary romance. Second chance troupe.
Ali Rubin recently moved to Baltimore to intern as a wedding planner. While standing in line for coffee, she recognizes the man in front of her as her wild, last night fling in London years ago. They had been flirting heavily and ended up spending the night together after making a bet and both of them up crazy unicorn pig tattoo on a hip. She left the country the next day but has thought of Graham often over the years. They have coffee together and briefly catch up with a promise of getting together soon.
Ali is the wedding planner in charge of a high profile wedding at a historic hotel and was excited about the opportunity to shine until she finds out the groom is Graham. He makes their renewed attraction more complicated when he admits it’s a marriage of convenience and he wants to continue a relationship with Ali. The wedding publicity will also help the struggling family hotel and neither wants to jeopardize that. A relationship between Ali and Graham will cause conflicts all over the place. They need to just walk away. If only for a few years while he marries? There has to be a better solution.

Both Ali and Graham want to be together. They want a relationship but between a wedding he made a promise on and a strong need to reinvigorate the old hotel have them both trying to figure out the future. Maybe they just aren’t meant to be. Yet their chemistry is so strong.

Lots of banter, lots of loving, plenty of guilt knowing they can’t go forward together. You’ll want to cheer for the couple while also realizing if he’s who we want him to be, he won’t walk away from either the bride-to-be or his grandmother and the hotel.
Ahhh, the stress.
But it’s really a wonderful and lighthearted romance! I loved the fun of their tattoos and knowing both wanted more. The families added humor and depth.
Captivating and charming.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

That was a cute and fun romance. I wasn't too sure about it when I first starting, because it can be seen as being a kind of cheating/dishonesty (while it is a marriage of convienence, and they have an agreement that they can see other people), but I do think that presented in a way that worked for me (if that makes sense).
Graham and Ali were cute and fun together. They definitely had chemistry, and I think it is why I could see work, even with the whole marriage of convenience to someone else. I think it was a quick fun read that was great if you are looking for a read to make you laugh and cheer on for the main couple.
I do have to say that I did find myself being a little annoyed with both Ali and Graham, because both of them were kind of overly people pleaser, and it felt like other people's were so overly important. Especially for Graham, but I also think Ali.
Honestly, I had a fun time reading it. I'll definitely check out Till There Was You, which is in the same world, because it was a fun read.

This was SUCH a cute read. While I didn't love the "cheating", this second-chance romance was super cute, the characters were well drawn with off the charts chemistry, and I really enjoyed this author's writing style. This is my first read by Lindsay Hameroff but it won't be my last.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Never Planned on You is a delightful second chance romance. Ali was struggling to find herself, and I enjoyed watching her journey. Graham is an all-around good guy and a swoony MMC. Given the marriage of convenience I wasn't sure how everything was going to turn out, but I was very happily satisfied with the ending. I would definitely recommend this book if you are in the mood for a fun, swoony rom-com, second chance romance, an FMC trying to find what makes her happy, and a big family with the accompanying tricky family dynamics.

Thank you to Lindsay Hameroff and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Never Planned On You
⭐️⭐️⭐️½ | 💉 Tattoos, weddings & inconvenient chemistry

Okay but why is there something so delicious about watching a proper British gentleman completely lose his composure for exactly ONE chaotic woman? Graham with his floppy hair and glasses is giving rom-com dream guy energy!

Hameroff nails creating characters I'd actually want in my group chat. Ali's whole "I'm not just the spontaneous mess my family thinks I am" journey? Been there, felt that! And don't get me started on those sibling dynamics - too realistic for comfort.

The vibes we're tracking:
🇬🇧 Accent that makes bad ideas sound good
🍸 Characters who'd judge your exes properly
😬 That awkward "wait, you're ENGAGED?" moment

Still worth the read when you need some British charm and wedding hijinks as your weekend escape!