I wasn’t prepared to be hit with so much nostalgia, but it totally gave me the same swoony feeling I had watching While You Were Sleeping when I was younger. Alice is chaotic in the best way, and even though I wanted to shake her when she kept digging herself in deeper, I couldn’t stop cheering her on. The family was ridiculously sweet, and the slow burn with Van had me grinning.

It’s funny, heartfelt, and a little messy, just like real love is. Definitely will read again!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Five words for you: Sapphic While You Were Sleeping. (are you screaming, I'm screaming!!)

This delivered on EXACTLY what I was looking for (and then some). Huge thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.

I really loved this one!! While You Were Sleeping is one of my favorite Christmas movies so I was so excited to read a sapphic retelling. Although it's a good story on it's own, I think it followed the movie really well & gave me exactly what I'd want in a retelling. This story was so heartwarming - just a perfect cozy read. There were more serious happenings (I mean the "fake boyfriend" was in a coma after all), and a character dealing with a medical disability, and some other topics - but it was all handled well. It really had everything you'd want in a book - cute romance (loved Van so much), a welcoming chaotic family, fun plot, good conversations, some steam, a cute dog, some laughs, and just a lot of heart! This is now among my favorite sapphic books.

Read if you like:
- Sapphic romances (Bisexual/lesbian)
- the movie, While You Were Sleeping
- Books set around Chanukah/Christmas time
- Big families
- Disability rep
- Are a foodie
- Books set in Portland
- Fall for the sister

Grab a cup of tea, latke, & get cozy while you read this heartwarming story. You are all going to want to pick this up and it'll be a perfect read for late fall/Chanukah/Christmas time! Releases 10/28.

* Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review *

What an absolute delight this was. Almost impossible to put down, I read ¾ of it in one sitting.

I have to believe Van's name (and maybe even the entire premise) is a nod to Yellowjackets and will not be entertaining any objections.

I got really sucked into the last quarter of this book, but up until that point I could have put it down no problem, and I think that’s mostly because if you’ve watched While You Were Sleeping, you can probably guess what’s going to happen. An adaptation of while you were sleeping where - a story of a woman who lies about dating a man in a coma - where she falls for the sister instead is a fun premise, but I wish it had added a couple twists or gotten me more invested in the characters. Really, I think I would have been invested if I was rooting for the characters more, but I came away unsure - like, does Van not deserve someone who’s better to her?

The main character has a lot of trauma related to sick family members so it would be understandable that being in the hospital is hard, but she’s consistently making really terrible decisions and only really half heartedly apologizing for them. Ideally in a romcom I’d want to read bother characters learning and growing because of each other, but I don’t think I saw Van’s character arc. Mostly she accepted Alice’s apologies over and over and over. The fights felt quick to come up and quick to disappear.

There were interesting discussions of mental health, identity and being accepted/understood by your family, and chronic illnesses and I’d love to have heard a little more about how the character’s relations to these issues were not only obstacles, but things they worked through together and affected them getting to their ultimate happily ever after.

=

Thank you to the publisher for reaching out to me to write an honest review in exchange for an eARC!

Alice Rue Evades the Truth by Emily Zipps follows Alice after she saves the life of her crush Nolan and is mistaken for his girlfriend by his kind family, becoming one of them in process as they wait for Nolan to wake up from a coma. As the lie (or “evasion of the truth” as Alice sees it) spirals out of control, Alice must decide whether to fess up or continue growing closer to Nolan’s family, including his sister, Van, who she’s falling for.

This book was incredibly frustrating. Alice’s insistence that she’s “evading the truth” instead of lying grated on my nerves. Lies by omission are a thing! I find it hard to believe that she was forgiven so quickly and thoroughly.

That being said, I see a lot of potential in Zipps as an author. She writes compelling characters and gives Alice and Van undeniable chemistry. Because of this, I do want to give Zipps another try in the future. It was the plot of this that annoyed me so much, not Zipps’s writing.

Also, it’s so refreshing to have a truly butch love interest in a romance novel! More butches, please!

When Alice saves Nolan Altman 's (her long time unattainable crush) life after he collapses in their work lobby there's a misunderstanding that she's actually his girlfriend (she very much is not). Nolan's whole family quickly drags Alice into their folds and the lie keeps spiraling and Alice see's no way out. Problem is Nolan has a very hot, very butch sister that Alice is falling for. As it says, this is a sapphic homage to While You Were Sleeping.

You can totally see how Alice could get swept up in this new found family, as she doesn't have much family of her own. She works overnights and doesn't have any friends. Just a sad, small apartment and a lot of trauma. She instantly has a spark with Van, Nolan's sister. And the more she learns about this family the more she finds out that Nolan may not actually be a very good guy.

One major gripe I had with the story is how often Alice's weight is mentioned. She calls herself overweight but that is most certainly NOT reflected on the cover of this book, where she is quite skinny. If you're going to have a fat MC then OWN IT! Otherwise she's just another skinny girl with a complex. It also felt that most of Van and Alice's bonding was basically trauma dumping.

Overall this was a silly romcom of Alice trying to get herself out of the problem she created while also trying to deal with her feelings for Van. I really enjoyed Alice's cousin Isabella and Alice's new found work friends and wish we got to see more of them. Van's family seems to be pretty typical boomer-aged folks, although Van's sister was also delightful. Bonus points for Frank the dog! I enjoyed the story and would give it 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC! This was a fun, sweet bi retelling of While You Were Sleeping, so if you're a fan of a 90s romcom vibe, this is a fun hang.

Ultimately, the insta-love felt a little too unearned for me, which prevented the chemistry from really drawing me in as much as I would want from a rom-com. The supporting characters are all hilarious though, and you can really understand why main character Alice is so willing to continue the insane lie (saying she's dating a man she barely met) that kicks off the story. Alice has been through a wild amount of trauma in her life, and this wacky family is a perfect safe place to land.

full offense to Alice, Van deserves better. the longer the book went on, the less i enjoyed the main character. there were some things i really liked. the amount of yearning, and the way it was written was good. i liked the themes of grief and found family. i also liked the way Van was a fully realized character that just happened to have a disability and watching Alice walk through what that would be like in the future felt really real. in terms of what i didnt like, i just found it difficult to connect with Alice especially since she was justifying herself until the very end. them forgiving her felt rushed, and didnt feel very realistic, but i lnow we had to have a happy ending. i just wish they would have made her work a little harder for it. i get that coma man wasnt a good guy, but still. his whole family was just like "sure, she lied to us for months, but we liiike her" if I were him id have an issue with that. overall, this was a fun time, you just have to turn your brain off a bit.

It’s giving while you were sleeping movie vibes but she falls for his sister instead. It’s messy and romantic and the characters are likable. This wasn’t my favorite but I’m happy with the outcome of this book.

A sapphic “While You Were Sleeping”? Sign me up! Alice Rue Evades the Truth follows Alice, who has had a crush for years on Nolan Altman, who works in the same building where she is the night shift receptionist. Nolan collapses in the lobby and she performs CPR to save his life. An EMT mistakenly thinks Alice is Nolan’s girlfriend and shares this with Nolan’s family. While Nolan is in a coma, Alice gets close to his family and in particular his sister Van. The chemistry between Alice and Van was great and I absolutely loved the found family element with the Altmans and Isabella and her kids.
I recommend this book for people who love the feel of a 90s rom com. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A tender, modern reimagining of While You Were Sleeping, Give Alice Rue a Shot is a heartfelt story of loneliness, chosen family, and slow healing. Alice, isolated and full of quiet grief, finds herself swept into the chaotic warmth of the Altman family after saving Nolan’s life. What starts as an accidental lie becomes the spark for a deeply moving journey toward self-worth and connection. This book shines in its emotional depth and layered, believable relationships, especially the slow-burn bond between Alice and Frankie. It’s honest, messy, and full of love. A cozy, queer holiday read that stays with you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the opportunity to read and review this book, unfortunately I am DNFing this book at 40%.

This book which is the sapphic version of While You Were Sleeping is so bogged down by unlikable and stiff characters that I cannot bring myself to finish it. This has none of the charm of the movie at all. There is nothing I can think of happening in this book that would make me want to continue reading any further.

I am old enough to remember the movie When you were sleeping and this story is almost identical to that with the same sex twist. Alice meets Van after saving her brother and is engulfed into her family during his recovery. It is clear that Alice needs a family and Vans is more than willing to love and accept her. The writing was lovely but the story was too much the same.

3.75 ⭐️
Thank you for this ARC!

I have never watched While You Were Sleeping all the way through but I’ve watched enough to get it. Alice is definitely my favorite. I really like how the author developed the character, taking some pretty deep issues and showing us how they helped to make Alice who she is and still keeping this a romance.

The Altman’s (overall) arw funny and sweet and easy to see how Alice could fall in love with them so quickly. I love the dynamics between Alice and the Altmans

The down side for me is the insta-love. It’s a genre I just don’t like and will put me offf a book pretty quickly. But also the actual relationship between Alice and Van didn’t feel that deep at all. They barely interacted and when they did they just rehashed their past trauma to each other over and over again.

I was auto-approved for this arc, I enjoyed the authors strong writing style and flow of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. The premise was clear from the jump, but the ride was a great one. Alice is relatable — a real history but in a way that makes her genuine. And the Altmann family is quite the cast of characters. This book was fun, funny, sweet, with a plot and writing that kept me hooked. Strong recommend!

While there were parts of this book I enjoyed, I ultimately had a difficult time getting to this one. There felt a lack of depth for some of the heavier topics this book dealt with. I just felt rather neutral about the romantic aspect of this book it felt like Alice’s life was the main plot.

Plot: 7/10
Pace: 5/10
Ending: 5/10
Characters: 3/10
Enjoyability: 3/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Would I Recommend? No
Favorite Character: n/a

Favorite Quote: ❝"Did you know you liked girls before this, or are we also having an identity crisis right now?"❞

Described as a sapphic homage to While You Were Sleeping, this definitely hit that nail on the head and gave me all the swoony feels. In this book we meet Alice, our big-hearted bisexual queen who is traumatized but trying and technically not lying. As well as Van, the beautifully handsome new crush with a secret and who also just so happens to be the sister of Nolan, the guy whose family has been convinced him and Alice are dating when they’ve actually never even exchanged names. It’s a story of grief, healing, giving yourself permission to take chances, creating the family you need, and learning to be vulnerable again. I’m so excited to buy my own copy come release day! :)

While You Were Sleeping is one of my favorite romcoms, and Emily Zipps completely wins with this sapphic retelling. Alice Rue is a night-shift receptionist who covets her moments in the morning when she sees Nolan Altman of the 14th floor. When he collapses in the lobby and she performs CPR, an EMT mistakenly informs Nolan's family that Alice is his girlfriend. Alice, who watched both her mother and father die before age 19, doesn't have much belief that Nolan will ever wake up, so why break his family's hearts by informing them that he didn't, in fact, spend his last moments with his girlfriend? The Altmans are a riotous clan of whirlwind women and interchangeable men who Alice immediately falls in love with. Amongst their chaotic energy is quiet, steady Van, Nolan's hot butch sister. Alice gets wrapped up in her web of lies as she falls deeper into family holiday celebrations - and Van's arms. Zipps writes a compelling romcom with an amazing, dapper love interest in Van and hilarious side characters, like loud Aunt Sheila and little sister Marie. She also writes Alice's loneliness and lonesomeness in such a deep and heartbreaking way that it's so easy to understand why she is desperate to keep the Altman family in her life. If you love 90s romcoms and dreamy butches, you'll love this story!

A modern re-telling of While You Were Sleeping. This book takes a bisexual character and makes them the star of a 90s style rom-com novel. A great and fun romantic read, with messy characters,

A story of a woman healing from trauma, and her life that happens along the way. The pacing was a bit slow for my typical liking, but it worked in this novel! You wanted to savour the moments with the characters!

A wonderful debut novel! Congrats Emily Zipps! Well done!