Thank you to Harlequin for this e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion! I loved this book! Timothy Janovsky does charm and tenderness so well - I've loved almost everything I've read by him and this is no exception. In Once Upon You and Me, we get the sweetest age gap romance between Ethan, a divorcee in his 40's, and Taylor, his ex-wife's youthful assistant. They're both a little lost until they find each other and it was such a joy to see the sparks fly between them as their friendship and relationship developed. The emotional connection they had felt so deep and so real and I was rooting for them so hard - set against this adorable fairy tale resort, I was kicking my little feet the whole time.

Dreams really do come true in this fairy tale-esque, age gap romance where a single dad finds a second chance at love with his ex-wife’s assistant. When Taylor Frost travels to Storybook Endings to prepare for his boss’s daughter’s upcoming Sweet Sixteen, the last thing he expects to find is happily ever after. But from the moment he meets Ethan Golding, there’s romance in the air and a connection that won’t be denied. Falling for Ethan is easy - until reality comes crashing back in.

I loved every second of this low angst, heartfelt story from the humor and wit to the fairy tale lore. Timothy Janovsky is a gifted storyteller who seamlessly crafts a cleverly woven tale of complex characters, romance, and emotion. The easy attraction and chemistry between Ethan & Taylor leads to a slow building tension that’s as sweet as it is satisfying. Theirs is a story that’ll tug at your heartstrings and have you rooting for their happy ending every step of the way.

This book exceeded my expectations; it was both emotional and heartwarming, and the characters were so memorable. I was totally engaged throughout the entire novel.
The book was full of vivid descriptions and vivid imagery to the point where I felt like I had slipped into the pages.

Cheesy as HELL but very camp and fun. While it was weird for me once i realized i know the author personally from college, it was still a good time

Another adorable, spicy story from Timothy Janovsky! I loved all the tropes, age gap, forbidden (bosses ex), and opposites attract. The beefy, older hunk of a man becoming obsessed with the soft sexy young twink is one of my favorite pairings. Ethan and Taylor have instant chemistry and end up being so compatible. Of course, the ex-wife/ boss is awful. But I appreciated the men handling the situation with a somewhat less dramatic and more mature process than just running away from each other. Eventually. The ending was totally worth it.
I also love the found family and bi rep.

A huge thank you to @harlequinbooks
@harlequinpublicityteam for my ARC and audiobook.
The audiobook narrator, Anthony Myatt, did a great job, making this one a quick, enjoyable read. I recommend the audiobook for sure.❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Timothy Janovsky and this book is why! We have a plus sized burly hero who is a divorced single dad forced to work with his ex-wives adorable assistant on his daughters birthday party! That right there is enough but add in slow burn, bi awakening, spice and the sweetest fairytale-esque moments and I was swooning and giggling through the enite book. This book makes me believe that love is always possible no matter you age or what life has looked like until now. And true happiness is being true to yourself and your heart.

Thank you to Harlequin - Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was playful and light-hearted, but I unfortunately won't remember a damn thing about it as soon as I finish this review.

There wasn't anything super compelling about either MC (except maybe for Nana 🐶), and while this was really fast-paced which I enjoy, it left a lot to be desired for character depth and connection.

✨ Review ✨ Once Upon You and Me by Timothy Janovsky; Narrated by Anthony Myatt

Thanks to Afterglow Books by Harlequin, Harlequin Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I loved this M/M romance set in the Catskills at a fairytale resort. Single dad Ethan manages the resort, and Taylor works for his ex-wife as his personal assistant. They’re brought together when Taylor arrives to prep for his boss and Ethan’s daughter’s birthday party at the resort. When Taylor's cabin has a window broken in the storm, he moves into Ethan's home to stay while it's being repaired. The two quickly find a sense of camaraderie and connection.

This brings together great tropes including single dad, age-gap, forced proximity, and forbidden romance.

Both are forced to reckon with their relationships to work, family, and friends, while they talk about passions in sports (archery and surfing) and (for Taylor) hospital management. Will they get their fairytale ending that they both deserve?

There was something that wasn't quite relatable about the lifestyle of Amy (the ex-wife) and their daughter, and by extension, Taylor...there was something about it that felt too good to be true, but this is really just a minor quibble.

🎧 The audio narration was really enjoyable, and while I alternated between audio and the physical book, I read this in one sitting, I was so hooked.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.25)
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Setting: the Catskills
Length: 6 hours 48 minutes
Pub Date: Apr 29 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ age-gap and single parent romances
⭕️ rural/remote settings
⭕️ ex-wife drama
⭕️ mid-luxury resorts and fairytale experiences

Once Upon You and Me is an adult romance by Timothy Janovsky . An age gap romance between a divorced single dad and his ex wife's personal assistant. With body positivity, ADHD rep, bi rep, characters with depth, a slow burn, and a charming setting make this a well rounded romance.

3.5 stars

This was a quick romance story. I enjoyed it but compared to Timothy Janovsky's other books, it didn't hold up. I liked the setting and the teen daughter was a fun character.

*thank you Afterglow Books by Harlequin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Always enjoy Timothy’s books!
A mm age gap with your boss's ex husband. I love when books have bisexual representation. Ethan co-parents and runs a fairytale themed resort in the Catskills while his ex-wife runs the other resorts similar to this one and their daughter lives with her full time.
So many dynamics in their relationship were noticed when they came to visit for their teen daughters birthday and he started to speak up for himself.
Relationships good and bad change people and they sometimes need to process to see who they are in or outside it.
Starting a new relationship can happen quickly and the exwifes assistant Taylor was already lusting after Ethan from the website. So he already knew he was his type. I loved their chemistry and their communication. Loved how Taylor was like Ethan’s daughter's fun guncle.
That ending was just the sweetest!
If you haven’t read Timothy’s books, you should check them out!

Thank you to Harlequin for my gifted eARC. My opinions are my own.
Released 29 April 2025

Synopsis: A charming fairy tale meets spicy bedtime story in this deliciously enchanting age-gap LGBTQIA+ romance

Read for:
- age gap
- selling happy ever after
- archery
- planning an over the top sweet sixteen
- bisexual/gay mm romance
- a little bit of insta lust/love

My thoughts: I have read several of Timothy’s books and honestly this was not my favorite by a long shot. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it didn’t hit my sweet spot that I was looking for after the lovely You Had Me At Happy Hour. There wasn’t a lot of build up to the relationship, but there was some lovely discussions about sex and consent, which is always a good thing to have. I did like how the story ended because Taylor needed that time to grow from out of Amy’s shadow, and Ethan needed to stand up to Amy.

I do recommend this, it was well written and the characters are fun, it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me at this moment in time.

Once Upon You & Me by Timothy Janovsky
Pub Date: 4/29/25
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oooooh I love Timothy’s books and this was no exception! This romance was heartfelt and humorous with such lovable main characters!

Taylor finds himself falling for his boss’ ex husband Ethan when he flies out to help prepare for her daughter’s birthday party. Let’s just say there is forced proximity & age gap goodness and emotional vulnerability isn’t all they’re sharing during their time together! Even with this being a lighter and shorter book, I feel like we truly see growth from both main characters and you’re rooting for them big time. I really loved our supporting characters and the setting so much also.

If you are looking for a book with storybook vibes, awesome bi representation, fun banter, & a mature conflict that feels genuine…this book is for you!

This is an absolute fairy tale of a romance. A perfectly done age-gap with a side of Bear rep. It was equally sweet and spicy, perfect for the setting of a hotel based on fairy tales. I loved the relationship between Ethan and Taylor, even as they fought their attraction because of Ethan's ex-wife, Taylor's boss. But the romance of it was just too much. Especially all the references.

Overall rating is somewhere between 4.5-5 stars. This was probably one of the cutest romance novels I've ever read. It's the perfect mix of sweet and spice. I was hooked from the first chapter, and I was tearing up by the end of the epilogue.

I love how genuine and authentic both Taylor and Ethan were as characters. They expressed themselves in ways that made them feel real. Especially as a bi reader myself, Ethan living his truth and not having to hide it the whole time was so refreshing. (Also, I know there's a content warning for biphobia, but it was maybe only a few lines in one chapter towards the beginning. I was worried about that myself, but please don't let it stop you from reading this book!)

I hope Timothy Janovsky knows he has something special here, and I'll definitely be checking out more of his works in the future.

DNF - 36%

I have loved all of Janovsky’s books that I’ve read before this one, so I was really surprised to find myself not connecting with it.

First, the audiobook. I read mostly by audio, and I had a hard time with this narrator. I felt like the character’s voices were clearly different when speaking, but there wasn’t much of a change between the 2 POVs, so it was harder to distinguish whose chapter we were in. The performance wasn’t quite dynamic enough and it didn’t feel like there was emotion behind the performance.

Then, I tried to read the book with my eyes. I found this to be much more enjoyable than the audiobook, and could clearly understand whose chapter we were in.

My main issue with Once Upon You & Me is that it is very low-stakes, which some readers might really enjoy. But without some more tension or conflict, I’m just not feeling compelled to read the story.

I would recommend this to readers who want a fluffy, lighthearted story with an age gap, one MMC who is plus sized, divorced, and has ADHD, and another who was parentified child of a large family. There is some great forced proximity while they feel like they can’t be together because Taylor works for Ethan’s ex-wife.

★ ★ ★ ★

Books like this is the reason why I love reading


This was such an enjoyable read for me. I loved all the character, even Amy who I learned to understand. The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the ending which felt kinda rushed. Other than that this was an amazing book and I can’t wait to read more from Timothy Janovksy.

This felt cozy and heartwarming and sexy and sweet all in one. There was a delicious element of forbidden romance, with Ethan being Taylor’s boss’s ex-husband. The instant attraction for both was sweet and the tension between them was believable with a really great payoff! I loved the unique setting and thought that a guy who doesn’t really believe in love anymore running a fairytale themed resort was such an original plot. There were a lot of great things about the story like the male friendships, the small town vibe, Taylor’s relationship with Samara, and how Ethan’s ex-wife (she was very unlikable throughout) had a bit of a redemption at the end. All in all, this was a fast and fun read for me that left me smiling.

I loved this age-gap MM romance so much. I found myself rooting for both of them in their own ways. Janovsky creates compelling characters that have you feeling like you're in the story with them, and then does the incredible job of tantalizing us with the sublime dynamics between them.

OMG This book!!

The romance between Taylor and Ethan was so realistic, and the fact we had a big burly hero was amazing! Trying to start a new romance with a partner who works so close to your ex will DEFINITLEY have its negative moments.

I loved how the story progressed and I was clutching my pearls, rooting for two the whole time. I'm so happy I got the opportunity to read this!

This was my first book by Timothy and it definitely wont be my last!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!