Although I am a fan of Timothy, I just couldn’t get into this one. That was definitely a me problem.

Ethan and Taylor are two of the best characters I’ve ever read. Taylor is the sweetest and most loyal person, but I have a soft spot for Ethan as someone with ADHD. I really resonated with the way Ethan felt about his ADHD before Taylor showed him grace and helped him reframe his thoughts to be more kind to himself.

Timothy Janovsky is always an auto buy for me and I've been looking forward to this release for a long time! This book was such a charming, feel-good read! Janovsky always knows how to mix heart, humor, and just the right amount of magic to create a story that pulls you in from the start. The characters felt so real and lovable in all the best ways, and the romance was full of warmth and chemistry. It’s the kind of story that leaves you smiling long after the last page.

A feel good romance with an age gap and body positivity. I'm grateful to Timothy Janovsky for bringing us these important queer love stories.

Taylor is focused and professional, flying across the country to organize a sweet sixteen party for his boss's daughter. Ethan is the rugged, recently diagnosed-with-ADHD resort manager who also happens to be the birthday girl's dad.

Their connection is instant and surprisingly easy, and the way their personalities complement each other was one of my favorite parts.

The setting at the Storybook Endings Resort added a perfect bit of magic. It gave the characters time and space to build something real. There was no drawn-out awkwardness, just a natural bond that felt honest and grounded. Ethan’s quiet loneliness and struggle to reconnect with life after divorce made his emotional growth hit especially hard.

The ex-wife dynamic was definitely uncomfortable at times, but it created tension that felt believable. The romance stayed the focus, and watching Ethan and Taylor find comfort and understanding in each other was really satisfying.

Anthony Myatt did a great job narrating. His tone, pacing, and delivery pulled me right into the story.

This one is warm, reflective, a little spicy, and full of hope.
A lovely story about second chances, quiet bravery, and finding love in unexpected places.

I loved the fairytale aspects in this story. It was very fun and made Ethan’s and Taylor’s growing relationship magical. It was very cute. I was smiling non stop and I loved the age gap forbidden romance.

The voice actor was great. He had a great pace for the story and embodied the characters well.

I have always enjoyed Timothy Janovsky’s writing and this is no exception. The story was definitely interesting and I felt that both the characters were sympathetic. I enjoyed being in both of their points of view. I found myself frustrated with the ex-wife and the situation they’d found themselves in. I sort of wish we’d seen her realize how difficult her life would be without her personal assistant, or that maybe her daughter could’ve spoken up more? Overall though, I really enjoyed it!

So cute! Different to what I’ve read before! Refreshing and fun! I loved it! It was definitely a lot deeper than you’d think with the cute fun whimsical cover! There were themes here that were handled with care and I loved each and every character and their development!

Review: Once Upon You & Me 🏹

Thank you @harlequinbooks for this #gifted book and all of these goodies! 😘

Written By: Timothy Janovsky
Published: April 29, 2025

Taylor Frost is sent by his boss, Amy, to organize her daughter’s sweet sixteen at Storybrook Endings Resort, a fairytale themed resort. Taylor is excellent at his job, but probably shouldn’t flirt with the resort’s rugged manager, Ethan Golding—who happens to be Amy’s ex-husband and the birthday girl’s father. As sparks fly between Taylor and Ethan, their growing connection threatens to stir drama with Amy, who wouldn’t be happy with the chemistry brewing.

Welllllll, is it hot in here or is it just me? 🥵

Talk about a swoony and spicy romance! I devoured this book in one sitting because I could just not put it down. Taylor’s charming, meticulous, and flirty. Ethan’s a rugged mountain-man, whose heart is a little guarded from his divorce. Together, I loved them.

There’s so many romance tropes in this one. An age gap (Ethan’s older), forbidden romance (because Amy may have divorced Ethan, but she still feels some sense of ownership over him), workplace romance (because Amy’s Taylor and Ethan’s boss), single dad (Ethan’s trying to do his best with what time Amy gives him), grumpy sunshine (Taylor see the warm and fuzzy side peaking out from Ethan’s gruff exterior), only one bed (👀), small town setting (Storybrook sounds ADORABLE), slow burn to spicy (truly this might be Janovsky’s spiciest book yet), and MAYBE a happily ever after? You’d need to read it find that one out yourself!

There’s so much to love about this one! I was giggling, swooning, and sweating throughout. This might be my favorite Janovsky yet!

And, yes, if you couldn’t already guess, I didn’t like Amy. 🤣🤷🏻‍♂️

Verdict: Loved 😍

Timothy Janovsky has become an auto read author for me this latest book, Once Upon You and Me was an absolute delight!

Featuring an age gap romance, between a resort manager and his ex-wife’s young assistant - this one packs the heat and the sweet romance!

Ethan Goulding is a resort manager at a fairytale themed resort. He used to run with his ex-wife, she’s moved on to bigger and better things creating a resort empire, while he still remains at the original location. It’s his daughter 16th birthday and to celebrate they are throwing a party weekend at the resort, to get ready her mother sends her assistant, Taylor Frost to the resort in advance to get things ready for the party.

More than party planning occurs as an immediate spark lights up between Taylor and Ethan! But this romance is a little taboo and neither knows if they can make it work or if it’s just a fling.

I absolutely adored both of these opposite characters. They made such a great pairing providing just what the other one needed. I don’t think I’ve seen two guys so deserving of a happily ever after than these in a long time! Both are such givers and I loved seeing them finally receive something in return.

I listen to the audiobook narrated by Anthony Myatt and really enjoyed his voice work. He did for the two MMC’s. Great differentiation between the characters that really embodied the essence of each character. He also did a great job bringing the secondary characters to life as well. It was a very enjoyable listen.

I absolutely loved this book and Timothy still remains on my must read TBR list!

Once Upon You And Me is sadly the first book by Timothy Janovsky that I haven't given five stars to.

I somehow had a disconnect with this one, needing to constantly restart the audiobook (one time after 25%). I simply couldn't grasp who these characters were, making it really difficult as this is a dual perspective romance. And although the audiobook narrator did a fine job, I felt that their voice was too monotone for such a conceptually fun plot; it felt like they were reading the story to me, rather than experiencing it for themselves. (Which, I mean, might work given the fairy tail concept... but the narration didn't fully give that vibe either.)

After realizing that this narrator and I might not be jiving, I purchased this book and had the words in front of me while the audiobook played in my ears (which is my favourite way to read); I restarted the book yet another time, and although I had a slightly better grasp, I still felt disconnected from these characters and this story. I'm not sure if (maybe) two narrators would have solved my confusion, helping to distinguish Taylor from Ethan, and Ethan from Taylor!

Overall, I liked the concept of this fairy tale, but felt it lacked a bit of character development and the charm that is a typical Janovsky book!

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the complimentary audio copy to read and review.

Sweet, romantic, and absolutely darling. A modern fairytale, with two sweet heroes and a cozy plot. If you are looking for a swoony, true rom-com, this is the book for you!

I am going to try to read this on my own. I love the narrator's voice and performance but since it was written in 3rd person, it's really hard for me to engage with as an audiobook. I'm too aware that one person is telling me this story, instead of sinking into the story.

The set up is really cute. Ethan is doing his best to move on in life after his divorce (40), but he's really bitter about his ex-wife walking away with their daughter and business. It works because it doesn't feel like he still has romantic feelings for her. He's just struggling with feelings of abandonment. Meanwhile, her assistant Taylor (27) spends a lot of time with Ethan's daughter as part of his responsibilities. He's sent down to Ethan's resort to help with preparations for her big birthday weekend. And the attraction between Ethan and Taylor is immediate! The magical setting of a fairy tale themed resort doesn't hurt either. I'm curious as to where their romance with go.

✨MM Romance
✨Aged Gap
✨Forbidden
✨Forced proximity

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️


Ethan’s daughter is having her sweet sixteen birthday party, and her mom sends her assistant, Taylor, to make sure everything is ready.

Taylor and Ethan end up spending a lot of time together, and their chemistry is so strong it had me blushing.

It was a cute fairytale retelling!

Loved it

This was a truly wonderful story set in the most charming, fairytale-inspired setting.

Ethan, a plus-sized, divorced, bisexual dad to a soon-to-be 16-year-old daughter with ADHD, was such a unicorn of a character. We don't get many like him and from the start, I knew I was going to love him (and Taylor!) with my whole heart.

Taylor is younger (but not in an icky way!) and works as a PA to Ethan’s ex-wife, who also co-runs the company Ethan helped build. Taylor isn’t naïve, he knows who he is and what he wants, but he struggles with confidence and often feels like he has to prove himself, even when he shouldn’t have to.

The setting adds a touch of magic: a fairytale-inspired “summer camp” retreat that Ethan and Ethan and his ex-wife originally built for their princess-obsessed daughter. It creates this lovely, secluded bubble where the real world seems far away.

Ethan’s ex-wife starts out pretty awful, but even she gets a small redemption arc by the end. The daughter is absolutely adorable, and her bond with Taylor is so sweet and heartwarming.

Ethan and Taylor’s relationship (starting with email correspondence for work) to awkwardly sharing a bunk, is a slow-burn journey, and I was genuinely happy they got their HEA. My only critique is that some of their emotional connection felt a bit “off-page” and we’re told it’s there, but I wanted to see more of it unfold in real time.

Anthony Myatt did a fantastic job with the narration. Every character had a distinct voice, and it was never confusing.

Thank you to Timothy, NetGalley, and Harlequin Audio for the ALC!

Ethan has been needed a change. He’s a bisexual divorcee whose ex Amy owns the fairytale cottage he manages.

Taylor works for Amy as her personal assistant, he has aspirations of working in the hospitality industry, and was promised advancement, although that hasn’t quite happened yet.

When Taylor is tasked to fly out to the Catskills to get the fairytale cottage ready for her daughter’s birthday, he meets Ethan and sparks fly.

Maybe Taylor was the change Ethan has been needing.

This was so sweet, every time I listened I found myself smiling. The story wrapped me in, the characters felt developed, the romance and chemistry was believable, and the setting was lovely.

This is the type of book that the LGBTQ+ romance scene has been wanting.

(Disclosure: I'm a Harlequin author) This was a very sweet and heartfelt romance, with lots of nods to lots of fairy tales!

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.

I really enjoy Timothy Janovsky’s books and this one was a fun take on a gay age-gap bear/twink relationship. I always love a good age-gap storyline and this one was a fun lighthearted story for me. It was a little more subdued for me in terms of angsty moments, but it was still a fun read. I’d say this is a good book to read at the beach or pool.

Story: 3.5 ⭐️
Steam: 3 🔥
Audio: 5 🎧

I thought this was super cute! I was a little worried it would be super sad when the opening was all about divorce and his family leaving him but it perked up pretty quick. The characters were sweet and well written. My only complaint was that the romance seemed fairly quick. They were immediately attracted which is fine but then it was like BAM they’re together. I wish there was more longing and pining. The forced proximity was fun though!

The narrator did a great job! Even though both the leads were male I was easily able to tell them apart. He did a great job bringing each of them to life.