I want to carry this book with me everywhere I go. The rom-com of what dreams are made of, cannot count the number of times I laughed out loud. The MCs the side characters it was glorious.

Honestly, no.

I mean, I like the premises of the book, Ali, FMC meets her one night stand from eight years ago while she was in London, in Baltimore, her hometown. They had a bet eight years prior that ended on a draw and they got mathing tattoos. That's cool.

Cue to eight years later, she's working as a wedding planner back home and her first big account is - of course - Graham, the English boy from back to London. Again, nice. Except that he is marrying someone else.

I don't want to go into details and give too many spoilers, but no. No matter the circumstances he was still set to marry someone else. I didnt DNF the book just because Ali is quite nice and funny.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

#arc #arcreview #arcreviewer #arcreader #neverplannedonyou #lindsayhameroff #netgalley #readingchallenge2025 #arcteam #contemporaryromance #romcom #romance #secondchance #closeproximity #drama #feistyheroine #friendstolovers #hefallsfirst #meetcute #newadult #secretlove #spicy

Ali Rubin has a reputation for spontaneity born of drunken bets that result in horrible tattoos and last-minute decisions to change careers. But she's set on party planning as her definite career, and she's ready to wow her boss into giving her a permanent position with the work she'll do with their latest client. But the match to her horrible tattoo turns out to be the groom in that wedding, and the feelings she had thought she'd built up are small compared to what she feels when they are together.

It started really strong with an excellent and memorable meet-cute but somehow lost me right when things were supposed to start getting interesting. Ali's seesawing between being a super confident, take-charge woman and an insecure almost teenager in her expectations that ignoring something will make it fix itself made it hard for me to get invested in her story. Hameroff does a solid job of setting the whys of it, yet her personality never meshed with the tone of the story. And then there's Graham, who presents as the caring man who only wants to do good, but annoyed the H out of me because they're all adults that could have just sat down for five minutes to solve everything. It felt like he was hoping to push all the hard choices and actions on Ali so he wouldn't be the bad guy.
Ironically, my favorite parts were the ones that had nothing to do with the romance. Be it Ali's relationship with her New York friends and how wonderfully they support each other or the heartfelt talk she eventually has with her sister. The story feels more focused and heartfelt when it is not centered on the romance.
In the end, it wasn't for me, despite how much I enjoyed the other book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the read.

Well, Never Planned On You had similar vibes. A bet gone wrong in college leading to 2 matching tattoos and then years later, a wedding planner is reunited with her tattoo buddy but only because he is the groom. There are twists in this one that made it stand out and not be a total remake but same kind of trope. It was really cute, it made me so hungry, especially for the yummy Jewish holiday meals that she ate with her family and it was overall just a sweet and giggle inducing second chance romance. With some Harry Styles references to boot. And some pop in visits characters from the first book - Till There Was You. How does this author always describe food so perfectly??

I love a good second chance romance, and the second chance premise of this one intrigued me. I also feel that the author painted such a realistic and relatable picture of what being in your late twenties and trying to figure out who you are and where you belong feels and looks like. Ali and Graham were complex and compelling characters. Ali was funny, caring, and determined. Graham was charming, sweet, and a little lost. Their banter was hilarious. The spice was perfectly timed. Things between them were messy and complicated, so it was interesting to watch their story unfold. The plot sucked me in and kept me turning pages. The ending was unexpectedly funny and fit the characters so well. The epilogue brought things full circle nicely!

Never Planned on You was a fun second chance romance.
Soooo much family drama!
It was interesting learning about the Jewish family traditions and holidays. Oh my goodness….the “older” generations antics was so engaging and funny!
I would say this is a perfect book for fans of a quick, funny rom-com.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

ok so i was not able to finish this book as soon as their was an inkling of cheating. i totally overlooked the marriage of convenience part on the description but i also feel like that doesn’t mean automatically cheat? the writing was good but i just can’t get over cheating tropes unfortunately.

i get that graham is in a marriage of convenience but i truly believe there should’ve been no cheating, especially because ali was literally working on planning their wedding!!

overall, the beginning was cute and i loved ali and grahams back story but its a no from me because of the cheating.

thank you netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is exactly what I needed after all of the angst I’ve been reading. The PERFECT romcom!

These characters were amazing. I have nothing bad to say about any of them—which is rare! From the side characters to our MCs, everyone was AHmazing. Ali is a hoot—she’s free-spirited, hilarious, witty, and overall such a fun character, and it was so refreshing to finally have an FMC that isn’t unbearable in the slightest. Graham is downright adorable! The way he’s so down-to-earth was EVERYTHING. He’s a bit of a grump, but when it comes to Ali, he’s such a softie. I had hearts in my eyes for this man.

Ali and Graham are such a fun and cutesy couple. I had so much fun tagging along with these two! I was completely along for the ride; there was never a dull moment!

Overall, this was a hilarious, fateful romcom, and I’m shocked at how much I loved it; it exceeded my expectations! I’m in loooove, I’m obsessed.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!

Spicy, male female, contemporary romance. This book has great chemistry and a bit of angst that bothered me because cheating/secrets bugs me (though ultimately it's not cheating). It was still a cozy perfect length read with great characters and banter.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Loved this one. Great characters I’d follow anywhere. Great plot and pacing and just enough spice level for my liking!

In Lindsay Hameroff’s sophomore novel, Never Planned on You, on the last day of Ali’s study abroad program a raucous night turns into matching tattoos and a British one-night stand. Eight years later, Ali has returned to her hometown of Baltimore and is coming into her own as a wedding planner when she unexpectedly bumps into her British tattoo twin at a coffee shop. What happens when you get a second chance with the one you have always wondered what-if?

Lindsay Hameroff is a new author for me, but my interest was peaked based upon the synopsis. I am so glad it did, because I feel like Never Planned on You is an unexpected gem that not enough people are talking about.

Never Planned on You is an endearing, funny, and well-plotted novel that expertly balances tension, passion, and sweetness. In addition to a unique plot, this book benefits from having two protagonists that have great chemistry and zinging banter. I actually laughed out loud a few times, which is a rarity. I loved that the story incorporates both Ali and Graham’s families and friends. I particularly enjoyed that Ali has strong female friendships that feature into the pot. It was nice to read a book where the main characters were fully formed people with things going on outside the romance. If you are a fan of grand (not necessarily showy) gestures, you will love Graham’s heartwarming gesture to win Ali.

I found Never Planned on You refreshing when it came to the protagonists. Both Ali and Graham are mature adults with emotional depth and whose problems are not petty or miscommunications. Ali has a bit of a coming-of-age/discovering what really makes you happy arc during the novel. It was delightful to see a female main character coming into her own, not based upon the romance, over the course of a book. Even Graham grew during it, which I think is pretty rare for male protagonists. The only thing I was not wild about was Ali’s emphasis on being the younger sister and how wearisome it felt.

As someone who formerly lived in Baltimore, I loved all the references and incorporation of Charm City into the story. It was the first book I have read set there! Never Planned on You also features Jewish representation and just enough spice before fading to black.

Overall, Never Happened to You is a humorous, poignant romance with a unique plot. I highly recommend giving it a chance. Although it is technically, the second book in a series; it easily stands on its own.

This book is like The Wedding Planner meets Emily in Paris so I really wanted to love it. The book is very well written, the audio narration is good considering it’s a single narrator and I’m giving bonus points for the exceptionally cute cover.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get over the cheating aspect of it. Sure, it’s not what it seems but Ali doesn’t know that and the sneaking around is just gross. Combine that with a 3rd act breakup and I’m just not a fan.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a refreshing and captivating experience, and I found the writing to be both engaging and accessible. The story flowed smoothly, making it easy to stay connected to the plot and characters without feeling lost or overwhelmed. The author struck a perfect balance, keeping things interesting while still making the content feel approachable. Overall, it was a wonderful read, and I would definitely recommend it to others who are looking for an enjoyable and easy-to-digest book.

I did not read Lindsay Hameroff's debut release so I was not sure what to expect from Never Planned on You. This is a second-chance rom-com.

Ali and Graham meet in London when Ali is ready to leave after her semester of studying abroad. Instant sparks, a bet, and a twin tattoo with the thought Ali would never see Graham again. Imagine Ali's shock when she sees Graham standing in from of her in Baltimore at her favorite coffee shop.

The sparks and banter are still as sharp as ever despite the years it has been since they have seen each other. This was a fun quick vacation type book.

This would have been a 4 star read for me but this is an "open-door" romance and I would prefer there to be a warning or notice.

I received the ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for an e-ARC of this title to read and review. Because -wow, I really loved this! I didn't realize it was a vaguely interconnected standalone for the characters (there were only a few references to the friend group throughout that clued me in, and I realized I already own "Til There Was You" so I will definitely read that next for Lexi and Jake's story!) This was creeping up to the line of a cheating trope - which I do not enjoy or endorse - but the way it was done was compelling. Ali and Graham have these matching tattoos they got the first day they met in a fated dare, and they've been apart ever since -- you KNOW there's going to be a strong connection between them and some wild reveal for when others discover their chaotic coordinating ink. The writing was really fun, the dialogue felt real and witty, and the whole book is a delightful love letter to Baltimore. I could've sworn this was a shorter novella for how quickly I flew through it, but the characters were entertaining and I kept wanting to see what twists or developments would be revealed.

Thanks to St. Martin's Publishing Group for the widget on this book. This was such a fast and easy book to read. Not gonna lie there were moments where I was like NOOOOOOO this cant be happening but overall I was here for the MMC and FMC. I love when the secondary characters either make or break the book and all the secondary characters here just made the book so much more. More laughs, more sweet moments, and more tears.

Never Planned on You is GOLD. I had so much fun easing back into reading following Onyx Storm with this cozy, romantic comedy by Lindsay Hammeroff.

Ali is the fun, “fly by the seat of her pants” member of the Rubin family. When she returns home to Baltimore following a short-lived career as a chef in New York City, she is ready to embrace adulthood and to become a serious wedding and event planner.

Her boss gives her the opportunity of a lifetime planning the wedding of the decade for a Baltimore hotel heir. In a twist of fate, the wedding is being planned for none other than her British tattoo twin whom she thought she’d never see again. It turns out, Graham and his fiancé are planning a wedding of convenience.

Will the wedding of the decade take off without a hitch? Or will Ali and Graham’s history light a spark they can’t contain?

Ali and Graham had phenomenal banter. I loved the Rubin family as a whole. I’m so excited for the rest of the world to enjoy this super sweet story at home on February 18th!

Okay, so, lemme give you the lowdown on this super cute read! 💖 I totally binged this book, and it was a whole mood. Imagine "The Wedding Planner" but with a major plot twist!

Our girl Ali, a total queen and event planner, runs into Graham, this charming Brit 🇬🇧 she had a wild night with ages ago. Guess what? He's her new client! She's gotta plan his wedding! Talk about awkward vibes!

The whole "fake engagement" thing had me like, "Wait, is this cheating?" 🤔 My brain was doing flips! But honestly, the chemistry between Ali and Graham? Off the charts! Their banter was everything.

This book was seriously adorable! The characters were so relatable, and the family drama? Spot on!

Okay, my only tiny gripe? The third-act drama was a bit much. 🙄 Like, can we chill? And I secretly wanted a longer ending! But overall, this book was a total win! It's funny, it's sweet, and it'll give you all the feels! Definitely a must-read if you're looking for a sweet and spicy rom-com!

A huge thanks to NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! You guys are the best! 🙏✨

Thanks NetGalley for this advanced copy!
It gives The Wedding Planner feels (which is such a cute movie). While it was pretty predictable, it still kept me wanting to read it so I enjoyed it and would recommend it! Read it in a couple days.

🎂 Book Review 🎂

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: Out now!

Rating: It was okay!

There are some things that definitely worked for me. I found the writing easy and relatable! I looked forward to diving in after a hard day at work. I also loved the opposites attract trope between Ali and Graham.

What didn’t work for me was the miscommunication (or withholding information in this case) and the cheating trope. I could tell the author tried to handle it carefully but it’s a hard trope to write about regardless.

Overall, I found this book okay! I loved the writing style and characters, just not the circumstances in the story.

For fans of:
🎂 First person POV
🔔 Light hearted
🎂 Humorous
🔔 LGBTQIA+ rep
🎂 Jewish rep
🔔 Right person wrong time
🎂 Marriage of co convenience
🔔 Cheating trope
🎂 Easy writing

🌟 What to read Next 🌟

💫 Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right by Chloe Liese (opposites & similar writing style)