Taylor flies across the country to one of his boss's many resort locations to prepare for her daughter's sixteenth birthday. Things are going smoothly, until a falling tree breaks the window of his cabin and he has to stay with his boss's ex-husband who he can't help feeling attracted to.

I liked Ethan and Taylor, and I thought the stakes of their respective relationships with Amy made for good conflict within the book.

Just like the rest of Janoveky’s books, it is a heart warming love story that will leave you smiling.

It was a nice change of pace to read a more realistic age gap relationship especially with a bigger guy. I loved the fairytale aspect without it veering too much into the cheesy territory.

Thank you so much for letting me read this ARC! I really enjoyed the book! This is my first time reading Timothy Janovsky's work and I will definitely be reading more!

The story was super sweet!

First and foremost, UGH THESE TWO. They are SO adorkable and so cute. Their chemistry and interactions are still living rent-free in my brain. This is a modern-day fairytale romance, it is even set at a fairytale-themed resort, people. The story is not trying to hide what it is that is for sure, and I am here for it. Ethan and Taylor, on paper, have everything stacked against them from minute one in the book, but as the story unfolds and they get to know each other, you can see how well matched they are and how much sense they can make together.

Ethan has struggled with maintaining his ADHD for years, those struggles were something he felt his ex, Amy, wasn’t supportive of. It can be hard for the neurotypical partner, especially if no one else in their life has been neurodivergent. Taylor helped raise his neurodivergent sibling, though, so it turns out he gets Ethan in a way no one ever has before, and Ethan treats Taylor in a way no one in his life has treated him – like he’s important and that his needs and wants matter too.

Watching the guys go from pining from afar, to pining while Taylor sleeps in Ethan’s daughter's old bed in his cottage, to the progress of sharing Ethan’s bed and then eventually his life, is such a sweet and emotional journey. But it’s also hilarious, especially when Taylor has to be Ethan’s right hand, literally, for a bit.

I’ve never come across another author who could make a blended family work as well as this one, especially given the weirdness around the workplace aspects of the various relationships between the characters.

⭐️:️ 5/5
🌶️: open door scenes

💭 what I loved about Once Upon You & Me:
- The sensitive portrayal of adult ADHD.
- The banter and teasing and flirting between Ethan and Taylor. Their chemistry is amazing from the moment they meet.
- The improvement of Ethan and Amy's co-parenting relationship by the end of the book.
- Taylor's relationship with Ethan's daughter Sam; so wholesome. The only thing this book was missing was more scenes between Ethan, Taylor and Sam.

✦ tropes etc.:
- Achillean mlm
- age-gap
- boss's ex
- third act break-up
- mutual pining
- resort
- divorced
- workplace romance
- neurodivergence
- forbidden romance
- body positive
- family drama

“𝘛𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘤. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.”⁣⁣⁣
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QOTD: what was your favorite fairy tale growing up? ⁣
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AOTD: Beauty and the Beast! ⁣
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Thank you so much to @harlequinpublicityteam @harlequinbooks @afterglow_books and @timothyjanovsky for my #gifted ARC of 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 & 𝐌𝐞!⁣
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I really loved this age-gap, small town #romance , and I especially loved the #neurodivergent rep (ADHD) which I feel was really well explored in the context of Ethan’s character. I also really loved how fairytales fit into the narrative of the story, with the emphasis on Grimm’s fairy-tales, and how while not all of them have a happy ending, they all have something to teach us.⁣
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This story does have an #HEA, so don’t fret, and it will be released on April 29! Swipe over to read more about this one and preorder your copy now from wherever you buy books!!

Once upon a time there were two charming princes looking unironically for their happily ever afters. Spoiler alert: they found them! 🤴🏻💘🤴🏼

What a lovely fairy tale come true! Amazing, adorable premise, Timothy’s inimitably detailed and luscious writing, fabulous characters (Ethan and Taylor, of course, and also Samara and Sasha and Gabriel and Nana (named for the Darlings’ dog), and even Amy, although she was tough to love) and lush east coast and west coast settings. 🏡🏄‍♂️

Ethan Golding is the general manager at his ex-wife’s Catskills resort, Storybook Endings. Taylor is the ex-wife’s (Amy Lu’s) personal assistant who wants nothing more than to leave his PA work and actually get into the hospitality business. 🦄

He’s sent out by Amy (from California) to the resort to do week-long advance work for Samara’s (Ethan’s and Amy’s daughter’s) sweet 16 birthday party and he and Ethan meet and, well, have a hot and heavy fling. That is, until Amy gets there and catches them together and fires Taylor. Ugh that hurt. 😫

The start of Ethan’s and Taylor’s relationship was quick - and did I say hot? - and being forcibly separated was ultimately good for them. They took a long time and a long distance coming back together - aided by voice notes of them reading fairy tales to each other - but they got their own fairy tale ending, as well. With each other, with their extended families, with their professions, and with their happily ever after. 📚

The epilogue made me cry. And now I want a Snow White cabin. Actually, make mine a Cinderella cottage, please! 👸🏻

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC. 🧚🏼‍♂️

This is the third book I’ve read by Timothy Janovsky and I think it’s my favorite one yet! I will definitely have to check out his other books.

In this novel, Ethan (a divorced dad of a teenage daughter) falls for Taylor (his ex-wife’s personal assistant who happens to be thirteen years his junior). The two men instantly find each other attractive, and the author does a great job of showing how that visceral physical attraction builds into an emotional admiration and connection.

Their physical attraction is so believable. The two men are physically very different than each other – Ethan is plus-size and hairy, while Taylor fits the stereotype of the slim surfer. They are so genuinely into each other bodies, which was so delightful to read about.

I think this author has a special talent for writing open door spicy scenes that really capture the humanness and vulnerability of intimacy, while still being sexy. I adored the open-door scenes in this book.

This book also contains some commentary on biphobia amongst some gay men, because Ethan faces rude comments from a potential romantic partner early in the book once he realizes that Ethan was previously married to a woman.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you like reading about characters who don’t believe in fairy tales finding their own happily-ever-after. The characters reading fairy tales to each other is so heart-warming and the spice delivered exactly what I wanted. Overall, this was a great and body-positive read!

I also wanted to briefly comment on the age gap. I find some age gap romances feature power imbalances, but that wasn’t the case here. Ethan is 40 and Taylor is 27, but both are adults and treat each other as equals. They have a realistic conversation about their age difference, but it doesn’t play a big role in their relationship.

Highlights:
- gay x bi
- body positive
- reading fairy tales out loud to each other
- plus-size divorced dad falls for his ex-wife’s personal assistant

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book!

This was a really enjoyable m/m romance set in a fairytale nature wonderland. I really liked the diversity between the main characters (both physically and emotionally), and the nature camp-y setting. This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last!

Another sweet and emotional read from this author!

I enjoyed this age gap forbidden romance quite a bit. The MCs were absolutely adorable together and it was easy to forget why they shouldn't be a "thing"--until Ethan's ex/Taylor's boss shows up, that is. Amy was a bit OTT of an antagonist, but she did get better by the end. No notes on Ethan and Amy's daughter--she was an absolutely lovely character.

As long as Mr. Janovsky keeps writing for HQN, I'll keep reading them! I haven't been disappointed yet :)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

4.5 stars

This is a new-to-me author, and I’ll definitely be reading more from him. This book felt like a warm hug. Not that there aren’t problems and some angst, but Ethan and Taylor are such lovable and kind characters that I couldn’t get enough.

I love that these characters have been emailing for three years (Taylor is Ethan’s ex-wife’s assistant) but never met in person. Because of the nature of their relationship, neither thought too highly of the other. Ethan thought Taylor would be frigid and boring, and Taylor thought Ethan would be stubborn and rude. Not only are they both wrong, but they also feel an instant connection once they finally meet face to face. Yet, neither of them wants that connection. It would be nothing but a complication to act on their chemistry. It may be a challenge for them, but it’s a joy for the reader!

Taylor and Ethan are both caregivers. They thrive at taking care of others in different ways. When they are put together, those differences complement one another. They’re great at helping others, but not so great at speaking up for what they want and need. That makes the growth of their relationship much harder than it has to be, yet the relationship still grows because of the strength of their chemistry. These two are meant to be.

It was hard for me to see Amy, Ethan’s ex and Taylor’s boss, the way they saw her. Frankly, I didn’t like her. I knew a lot of the issue was her being too in her own head, and she has a bit of a redemption toward the end, but she was quite selfish and was always the foil to the natural progression of the relationship between this couple.

I appreciate that Taylor and Ethan got their HEA, even though it took some time. True love is worth fighting for, and it’s also worth waiting for.

Super cute and fun read! I loved the coming-out story and I enjoyed the whimsical elements as well as the real life hard elements!

This was such a fun read. I really enjoyed the character development and pacing on the romance aspect. Taylor’s relationships were so real and genuine and just made the story that much better. He was my absolute favorite character, well maybe Nana was too.

Once Upon You and Me was an enjoyable read. Taylor and Ethan are two souls looking for something more and It was fun watching them find each other and themselves. I didn’t like the ex wife at all and even when trying to redeem her character I still didn’t like her.

Need a quick, sweet book this is it

Timothy Janovsky does it again. After discovering one of his books entirely by accident, he’s now an auto buy author for me. He’s just so consistently good and this book was exactly what I’ve come to expect from him. The story was so cute, I adored the setting and the fairy tale references. A real missed opportunity for a joke about happy endings and sex, but I’ll forgive. I love Ethan and Taylor; they’re wonderfully flawed lovable humans. I really liked how the age gap wasn’t a huge deal. They’re just two people who fall in love. I love the bi AND ADHD rep, something there’s not enough of in books!! The spice was spicing, as always. Overall, a wonderfully classic romance and I can’t wait for the next one!

By the time I was a tenth of the way into this I had highlighted two dozen lines to which the only possible response was "WUT":

Snickering is simpler than attacking the hurt feelings whirring like an out-of-control chainsaw within Ethan. [a chainsaw, sure]

laying the timber wood frame [is there some other kind of timber, or some wood that is not made of timber? youth wants to know]

[A cottage is] ensconced by balsam trees [which I think is supposed to mean it's surrounded by them???]

The white, pumpkin-shaped contraption invades Ethan’s peripheral vision and plunks down the gravel [are we at war, and if so why? and unless the contraption is dropping the gravel, somebody, not naming names, doesn't know what "plunks" means] [also, the driver of this invading wagon is holding the "reigns" and yes I did silently scream]

the resort has solidified itself as a mainstay [previously, the resort had no existence on the material plane]

the curve of the road, which is artfully concealed by the exacting brush. [I'm so baffled by "exacting" here that I can't even get sarcastic, because I can't tell what I'm being sarcastic about.]

Five years ago his marriage ended, and five months ago his thirties ended. [Bathos. It's a thing. Timothy Janovsky should look it up.]

Taylor Frost sits in the driver’s seat of his bluish silver used sedan [I'm so glad he's in the driver's seat, considering that he's driving. This sentence is an excellent example of an attempt to set a scene by cramming in detail. Not illuminating detail, mind you, just detail. Who cares that Taylor's car is bluish silver? Show of hands, please?]

Something new to lure and appease Taylor’s eye. [Why is Taylor's eye angry?]

the doors to the school clamber open [*pictures the doors rappelling up the side of the school*]


Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A sweet and heartfelt romance with humor, spice and emotional depth mixed in

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Age gap
Emotional depth
Divorced dad
Forced proximity
Whimsical resort setting
Found family
Opposites attract
Hallmark movie vibes
Cozy reads

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
ADHD rep
Plus size male rep

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
The conflict resolution was tied up a little too fast
The characters could have been a little more developed

This was a cute read. I really enjoyed the storybook aspect and loved these two me. falling in love. I did feel like the side characters were pretty flat and the ex wife was just written as a villain. Overall it was a cute book.

A sweet and charming spin on the age-gap romance trope. I enjoyed the picturesque setting of a resort and the undeniable chemistry between the MCs. I appreciated the books inclusion of themes like neurodivergence, which adds a layer of complexity to the characters. Overall it was a light and fluffy romance and quick read.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rated up.

Honestly, this was cute but at the same time, felt a little meh to me. I really liked the premise, but felt the character of Amy was so unfleshed out that it was almost a stereotype, and the two leads were just kind of boring. I really loved Samara's relationship with Taylor though. I don't really have a lot more to say...it wasn't terrible, just a little forgettable.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Thank you very much to the publishers and NetGalley for a copy. The book is funny to read and quite entertaining. I highly recommend reading it.