If there’s any book I’ve read recently that would be an amazing new rom-com feature flick, it would be this one. Ali’s extremely relatable, Graham is the new love of my life, and the side characters are the best. I’d definitely recommend this one.

Never Planned on You is a cute romcom about a spontaneous, outgoing younger sister who never seems to live up to expectations, and the straight-laced Brit she can't help but fall for. They met on her last day of a study abroad in London, and get matching tattoos after they tie on a bet . Eight years later she has moved back home to restart a career as an event planner and runs into him again, but are held back from truly being together.

I enjoyed Ali and Graham's banter and growing connection. As with book one, there is a lot of focus on delicious food, and I like the event planning details as well. The conflict wasn't my favorite though and pulled me out of the story too much. <spoiler>I called the marriage of convenience aspect from the first double date and just didn't enjoy how it was handled most the time.</spoiler> I was rooting for the couple and it did turn out cute in the end.

This is an interconnected stand alone and the FMC from book one helps Ali out quite a lot, as her BFF, so it was fun to see a little bit more of where they are. You do not need to have read their story to follow, and I really don't remember learning much about Ali in book one. It seems like the third friend is mostly settled down too, and most of the other side characters, so no one else is sticking out as the MC for a sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for providing an eARC for my honest opinion.

This books was among my highly anticipated reads for 2025 and it did not disappoint. I could not put the book down and stayed up close to 2AM for two straight days, definitely making it hard to perform daily tasks 😆.
The story is full of heart, friendships, longing, love, culture and pop culture references, and self-discovery.
The chemistry between Ali and Graham is fire and the book contains a good amount of intimacy and spice. These two characters connect in such a profound way and bring out the best in each other.
While sometimes pop culture references can take away from the enjoyment of a book - they don’t always age well - the ones in here hit close to my heart, since so many of them are from the late 1990s and early 2000s. This is definitely a great read for gen-x-ers or older millennials. Let’s not forget the pure gold that is Bubbie and her very likeness of Grandma Yeti from The Nanny - that show is my childhood and brought me back.
Sometimes a third act breakup can feel like a bit of a cop out, however in this book it is absolutely necessary for the characters to realize what they really want and need to do. It was also necessary for us to be able to get one heck of a grand gesture. This one is definitely in my top five.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun laugh out loud read.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honestly and my own.

4.5⭐️

this is an adorable, tender story!

Graham and Ali are such a sweet, fun opposites attract couple! I absolutely love the prologue and their first meeting!!! their lives have taken different turns but their paths cross again years later and they are both still so genuinely fun and sweet. I didn’t know how I’d like this plot, worried for a second it would be almost-cheating (don’t worry it’s not!) and ended up loving their story so much!!!!

Graham is such a sweet, dedicated, devoted person. he loves so deeply, he’ll do anything for the people in his life. and Ali is determined, passionate, and unable to be contained by what she “should” be doing. I love the way they come together in this story with their hearts and intentions first. Graham holds Ali back from diving head first off cliffs and Ali proves to Graham he can have what he wants and makes him happy without being selfish or forgetting the people he loves. they truly bring out the absolute best in each other, it is so special to read.

this story worked so well for these characters. I feel like that sentiment is true in every story, but it’s so prevalent in this one. there is so much love, devotion, tenderness, friendship, and passion in this story, it all comes together so perfectly. 🥹🫶

NEVER PLANNED ON YOU is one of the best romance books I’ve read so far this year!

Second chance romance is my favorite trope, so it’s probably no surprise that I loved this one. BUT it was so unique and there’s a fun twist to the marriage of convenience trope!

Ali and Graham were the perfect opposites attract match and I loved their “meet cute” that involved them getting tattoos as complete strangers 😂

The banter was so. good. 👏 Lindsay’s writing is so stinking good and FUNNY.

I can’t recommend this one enough!

Not going to lie I thought I was going to love this one as the premise sounded interesting. Until I realized that this one had a slight love triangle. I don't care that the hero and his fiancé were only have a marriage of convince you don't have the heroine falling for someone who's engaged regardless of how it came about. It's still bad if the persons dating someone else but it's still easier to get a character out of a dating relationship than an engaged one.

Lindsay just keeps getting better! Her sophomore novel, Never Planned on You, was such a delightful read full of charm, second chances and chasing your dreams.

Ali Rubin is spontaneous. Her joie de vivre is one of her best qualities and makes for a life full of adventure and fun. A matching tattoo with a stranger one drunken night in London? Why not?! It will make for a great story, right?

When her dreams take her from her NYC chef career back home to Baltimore to intern as a wedding planner and back into her childhood bedroom, things are fine. With her family thinking Ali’s career aspirations have failed, she’s hellbent on proving them wrong. But when she runs into the British stranger with her same tattoo while snagging a latte, her life seems to be aligning more perfectly than she intended. That is, until she meets the groom of the high-profile wedding that could make (or break) her career. It’s none other than her tattoo twin, Graham. What’s a girl to do?

This second-chance romance was so fun to read. Lindsay’s style of writing is so engaging and her way with banter is perfection. I adored the cast of characters and enjoyed reading a book set in a location that isn’t often represented. It was a refreshing story, full of feel-good charm and rich sense of place. I loved Graham and his selflessness, even if at his own detriment. And Ali. She was full of spunk and assuredness in herself and her wants/needs. Very well done.

Thank you to Lindsay Hameroff, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book for an honest review.

Never Planned on You is a one-night stand to second-chance contemporary romance featuring a teacher turned chef turned wedding planner who is ironically engaged to plan a wedding for her study abroad matching tattoo one night beau. For me, this story never quite did it for me. Graham was my kind of male romantic lead, nerdy with a secret alcohol-induced wild side. But Ali was too much of a female hot mess express for me... I just couldn't relate to her or cheer her on. She's the sort of girl I wouldn't be friends with and makes me wonder why so many guys fall for women who don't have their 💩 together and continue to make poor choices.

3.5 stars for being a cute read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Ali has been bouncing from different careers and now is an event planner. She gets the opportunity to plan this huge wedding with a huge budget, and if she pulls it off she’ll be promoted. That same day she runs into Graham, a guy she met in college during study abroad in London and got a matching tattoo with after losing a bet, at a coffee shop and asks him out. The two have a great night but he kind of blows her off at the end. She has another meeting with the bride, and this time the groom is there and he is none other than Graham. But there seems to be something fishy about this marriage, are Claire and Graham actually in love with each other? Are there some sparks flying still between Ali and Graham?

This was such a cute book! The concepts were so interesting and really hooked me in. I love a good secret relationship so you know this was right up my alley. The plot twist in this was INSANE but I loved it. I feel like we knew a lot about Ali’s character, but Graham’s didn’t seem fully developed to me. Nonetheless I was still rooting for them. If you want a fun, lighthearted, easy to read romance, this is perfect! I read it in under 24 hours so super light and fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this E-ARC for my honest review

A briskly paced, breezy, joyful, funny read from Hammeroff, full of reader favourite tropes and fun pop culture references. Readers who’ve read book 1 will enjoy all the references to those characters as they appear throughout this book, but for those who haven’t read book 1, this one also works well as a standalone. Hammeroff sets up her leads with no shortage of obstacles. Her heroine has a lot of personal and professional reasons for not getting involved with the groom of the wedding she’s planning. The groom has a lot of personal and professional reasons for not getting involved with his wedding planner. And yet . . .
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I suspect reader enjoyment of the story largely depends on whether or not the tension of “we really, really shouldn’t but we can’t help ourselves” feels like a fun escape, or if the ethics of keeping secrets and telling lies that could have a lot of harmful consequences impacts the reader’s ability to root for the central relationship. Reviews so far suggest most readers are up for the ride, and had a blast watching Hameroff’s leads flirt and banter their way toward their HEA.

Lindsay Hameroff is back with her signature humor and charm. Never Planned on You is a delicious romcom filled with so many laugh-out-laugh and swoony moments. I loved the Jewish rep that was seamlessly weaved into the story without taking over. Ali and Graham's chemistry nearly burned my eyeballs and the secondary characters, especially Bubbe, were wonderful! Loved seeing Lexi, Jake, and Claire again too!! This one is way steamier than the first and I'm not complaining. Can't wait to read her third book next year!!

3.75 Stars

This book honestly took me a little bit to get into, but everything really came together at the end. Second chance romance can be hit or miss but I felt that this was done well. I enjoyed the cameos from the characters from the author's first book. I am excited for more books from this author and I always love a Jewish rep in books.

Never Planned on You is a second chance romance with a lot of ill-timing and that made a lot of this story just not sit right with me. Most of the plot leans into cheating territory, and that is not something I'm interested in reading in a romance. The female main character, Ali, also has that "I'm not like other girls" energy that I found off-putting. The writing itself was fine, those plot points just didn't work for me, so if either of these things bother you as well, I would look elsewhere.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the digital review copy of this one, which came out on February 18th.

Never Planned On You Synopsis

In Never Planned On You, Ali Rubin is trying to leave her reputation for impulsive decisions behind. This whole event planner career needs to stick, and if she plays her cards right with this wedding planning internship, it will. But then, a man from her past unexpectedly shows up in her hometown. She thinks fate has brought them back together, until she realizes he's the groom for the wedding that just might be her big break. Can she resist the temptation of their powerful chemistry and shared past?

Never Planned On You Review

The setup for this one is incredibly fun. I love that Ali and Graham shared a drunken bet that results in matching tattoos and that they reunite because they both have connections to the same city. It's a believable way of making it feel like fate brought these ocean-crossed lovers back together.

Watching Ali try to figure out who she is and get her family to see her as a capable adult is a huge part of the story, which I appreciated. I love a romance that acknowledges that finding a partner isn't ever a person's entire goal. The same goes for Graham, who has friendship and family motivations to uphold.

The beginning of this book totally grabbed me and pulled me in. I love Ali's narration and her banter with Graham. Initially, I thought I would race right through this one. However, there is a bit of a pacing problem with one key plot detail. Given that the "marriage of convenience" angle is right on the tin in the synopsis, it takes a long time for Graham to fess up to it. Since I already knew it was coming, the "oh no I couldn't possibly, he's engaged" thing felt like it dragged a bit.

This feeling carried through to them trying to decide when and if they should tell the fake fiance about their relationship, which did take some of the fun out of it for me. The same was true for "how will we ever solve this problem?!" Again, the solution became pretty apparent early on, and waiting for Ali and Graham to catch up was a bit frustrating at times.

That said, the eventual path to happy ever after was a fun one, which the right amount of drama and goofiness to create a satisfying ending even if I struggled through a few chapters due to pacing. I also enjoyed the cameos of characters from Hameroff's previous book, and the side characters in general. Lots of fun personalities that really leap off the page.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Never Planned On You is a fun second-chance romance with some interesting twists thrown in. I appreciate that the stakes for both main characters are about more than just their love story, but about their careers and hopes and dreams. The side characters were well-rendered and interesting, as well. Though there were some pacing issues that bugged me personally, it's still got plenty of heartwarming and funny moments to carry you through.

If you like a good second-chance romance and a little bit of drama, this book will almost surely deliver.

Never Planned on You was a fun read! We start with Ali and Graham in London. They connect on her last night there, which led to them getting matching tattoos. Eight years later Ali is a wedding planner, and Graham run into each other in Baltimore and have another magical evening. She soon learns that the big wedding that she is helping to plan is Graham’s.

This story reminded me of the movie The Wedding Plannerr, which I enjoyed. The sparks between Ali and Graham are hard to ignore. And there is more to Graham’s relationship with his fiancée. I also enjoyed the yummy food descriptions and all the references to Baltimore after living in the area for over 15 years.

Read this if you enjoy:
🩷 Second chance
🩷 Slow burn
🩷 Jewish rep
🩷 Open door romance

I adored this book!

Ali and Graham have a wild night together the last day of her study abroad program. They end up with matching tattoos and sleep together. She leaves before he wakes up never expecting to see him again.

8 years later she bumps into him in line for coffee and they reconnect. But it turns out she was just hired to help plan his wedding.

There’s so much chemistry and longing between them and I ate it all up. There are some cameos from her friend from the authors previous book which is always a nice little surprise. I’m looking forward to whatever comes next.

Ali and Graham had one memorable night as college students, and they reconnect by chance a decade later. It’s unfortunate, then, that Ali is starting her career as a wedding planner, and Graham turns out to be the groom in the wedding of the year.

Look: It’s right there in the book description… “especially when it’s revealed that Graham and his fiancée are planning a marriage of convenience.” Under more literary circumstances, one might think this is a setup for some well-told dramatic irony. Here, it feels suspiciously close to dishonest, since Graham has no real justifiable reason to keep this information from Ali. So the book claims not to be telling a story about infidelity, even though Graham neglects to come clean either with Ali or with his fiancée (who would have been fine with it!!).

It’s really too bad. Because I like Lindsay Hameroff a lot, and I wanted to like this book more than I did. Would have been a 4 star read, maybe even higher, if Graham had been honest. Then again, so much of the book’s plot is driven by the forbidden nature of their romance that it would have been a completely different book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up not enjoying this one. Although I liked the representation and the family seemed sweet I wasn’t a fan of the MC or her love interest. The relationship felt purely physical and I just did not see a deeper connection at all. Normally, I like a bit of mess but this felt just all kinds of wrong especially with two characters that barely had anything between them besides the past. Not really a book for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Tropes:
Second chance romance
Slow burn
Banter
Open door

This book was so fun! I loved the characters, the premise, the chemistry, it was all so well done!

This was my first book by Hameroff, but it won't be my last!

If you are looking for a fun and spicy read, check this one out.

I absolutely loved Lindsay's first book, and I was so excited to learn this second book would be all about Ali, who I adored as a side character. And wow, did this book deliver! I absolutely loved it! I adored Ali and Graham! Their meet cute was so cute, and now I want my own hot British nerd to get a matching tattoo with! I also loved how Ali grew emotionally during the story, and how she came to realize her worth! I also loved the grand gesture at the end (it might even beat Jake's at the end of Til There Was You! ) I also adored the Jewish rep in this book. Ali's family felt like my family, and it was so nice to feel seen.