I never quite have the words to describe the beauty of Hannah’s books or the feelings that I get from reading them but, as always, I need to give it a try because this book was phenomenal! I’ve rated all of Hannah’s books 5 stars but I never thought anything could top Next to You (one of my fave books of all time) but OMG THIS IS ONE OF MY NEW FAVOURITE BOOKS EVER!

“Go, question, and find”

This is a story about growth in more ways than one. Milo experiences deep emotional growth, Prue experiences sexual growth (SCREAMS), and every single relationship in the book grows from beginning to end. This book is about family and lasting, unconditional love. It teaches us about the value of home and creating a safe place with the people you love. Milo and Prue prove that sometimes you have to leave but that’s it’s also okay to stay. That you can find a happy and fulfilling life by staying in the same place. This book broke my heart and then sewed it right back up. It was heart wrenching, funny, and unbelievably sexy at the same time. I will never be the same now that I’ve known Milo, Prue, and their love story.

If you want a perfect fall read, you MUST read this book! If you want a perfect read period, you MUST read this book!!! That is a direct order! Thank you to Hannah and Dell for the e-ARC🫶

A sweet and sexy romance from Hannah Bonam-Young! I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between Prue & Milo; I'm a sucker for a sex lessons deal. The way that Bonam-Young handled Prue's mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis and care was very well done. I know this will be an easy handsell in store this fall.

What a book
I love HBY
At first I was scared to read this my grandmother had dementia but it was so beautifully written that I couldnt put it down

I enjoyed this book a lot! Bonam-Young hits a lot of the same notes I've liked in her other work, I love her nuanced takes on hard topics and interpersonal conflicts. Normally not big on any age gap, but this one worked for me, and I loved both protagonists!

Thank you to Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

People Watching is a story about a small town boy who got out into the world, and a small town girl who'll do anything for her family. Prue is 24, lives at home, and provides round the clock care for her sick mother. Milo is 28, a self-proclaimed slut who can't sit still, who's come to stay with his older brother Nik and his family while he starts up a business. The two develop a friendship that very quickly turns into more, while both come to face the reality of what really goes on in life. My favorite part of Hannah Bonam-Young's books is how she writes the characters feeling. When Milo realizes how he cares for Prue I felt it in my heart, when Prue learns about her future and Milo learns about his past I wanted to cry with them. It's vulnerable, and it's emotional, and it makes the romance that much more worth it. And Milo and Prue's friendship/relationship feels so real! Some aspects of it feel very fictional sure, but sending 5 texts in a row with no response because you feel like you said something weird is the most relatable thing I've ever seen in a romance! And on top of all of that, now I'm impatiently looking forward to a future Nadia and Aleks book

There’s something about Hannah’s writing that keeps me coming back, and I think I’ve finally figured it out. They feel *real*. They’re not unreachable, even though they’re fictional. There are ways to relate to every one of her characters, some more deeply than others, and People Watching is no different.

I finished this beautiful book in one evening. I truly could not put it down. These two beautiful souls and their flaws and how they mesh together were wonderful. I wanted everyone to be happy. I was rooting for every love story, even the well established ones. (I will also sell my soul for Nadia and Aleks, thank you very much.)

My heart was broken and put back together so many times. It was everything.

Thank you to Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion. Please read Hannah’s author’s note for trigger warnings as there are some heavy underlying themes. 🩵

I have been a huge fan of this author and honestly I have mixed feelings about this book. The obsession with a virgin and saying that he isnt going to pressure her but is picturing her naked from the beginning was a bit much. I did really like the family side with our FMC but the MMC family dynamics were kind of weird. This author does such a beautiful job with inclusion and connecting you with the characters but parts of this just missed the mark.

Wow add this to the short list of books with the ability to make me feel feral. I am a sucker for an MMC who is a little slutty yet the moment he lays eye on the FMC he knows he's done for and Milo and Prue were the embodiment of this trope. Milo was so slutty (in the perfect way) and his confidence and charisma had me melting into a puddle. I loved how Prue was able to be herself and let go around Milo.
Their chemistry was explosive from their very first meeting to the moment were they finally give into their attraction and things get steamy. (excuse while I fan myself) This book also had so many soft sweet moments that melted my heart. The way their relationship slowly developed was perfectly done. Seeing them go to strangers to friends to something more made perfect sense for the characters and their circumstances. Their dynamic was full of banter, vulnerability and passion. Milo's description and perception of Prue was everything to me and it actually had me screaming and wishing someone would see me like that.
The side characters were so well developed and I can't wait to see more of them in future books. While this story did touch on some heavier topics it did so with care. Additionally there's an absurd amount of humor in this book especially from Milo and it actually made me laugh out loud.
This book felt like seeing a new side of Hannah Bonam-Young that is more raw, messy and passionate while still being sweet, warm and vulnerable. Absolutely ate this one up!

I adore HBY, especially the immense care Hannah takes when broaching more serious topics and the lengths gone to make sure that any and all representation is an authentic lived experience where readers will see their own lives presented on page. Hannah’s writing is excellent and this book, story, and characters are MESSY and flawed (they’re humans with real struggles, anxieties, and past pain), but there is beauty in the imperfections and mess. There are an abundance of relatable moments and as always, Hannah excels at having her characters actually talk. Milo and Prue’s communication, especially in bed, was very open and there was no pretense. They were vulnerable and honest.

While there were many things in People Watching I greatly enjoyed and appreciated, I struggled with the consent piece. What I love most about Hannah’s writing is how consent forward and centered intimacy is… unfortunately, that was not the case here. In the first few pages, Milo makes it known that he thrives on the chase and he can’t be held responsible for the actions of his body because they have a mind of their own. Ummm, no. He also doesn’t take no for an answer and justifies his harassment of Prue because she “hesitated” when saying no. Red flag. No means no, my dude. Milo, after knowing Prue for a hot minute, believing himself to know her true heart and desires to then justify him pursuing her gave me the ick. I struggled with their intimacy after that because it felt tainted. In general, Milo struggles with boundaries and at one point even changed and “drops trow” in front of his sister in law - yes, she has her back to him, but what?!

I do think this story will resonate with many readers, especially if you love a story full of mess and perfectly imperfect characters.

I could not put this book down! Hannah Bonam-Young writes my kind of romance.

Prue is content living in her small hometown, working at her Dad’s store, caring for her mom and writing poetry when she has time. Then one day Milo comes to town. He’s a free spirit with golden retriever energy who doesn’t like to be tied to one place for too long. Despite Prue’s protests, their attraction is immediate, however, they decide on a casual friendship but with a steamy deal. But as their deal gets more and more intense, their relationship becomes so much more than friendship.

I adored Prue and Milo’s story! It was heavy and emotional but also funny and steamy. The characters were relatable and the banter and with was flawless. This book navigated difficult family situations and complex relationships among the characters. And the chemistry and spice was perfect for the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine/Dell for the opportunity to read an ARC of People Watching in exchange for my honest review.

I love HBY's writing and this was no exception. The internal and external conflicts all felt very real, and I really enjoyed the dynamic between Prue and Milo. I appreciated the author's note in regards to content warnings as well.

HBY always brings big emotions in her romance stories! Prue and Milo are no different! These characters have rich emotional backstories and I loved watching their paths collide. Like all HBY stories, the steam was off the charts! ❤️

I HAVE BEEN BEGGING FOR THIS BOOK FOR SO LONG!
I loved this book with all of my heart and it is by far my favorite book that she has written.
I didn’t know Hannah could write spicy scenes this good 🤪

this book had a lot of heart and a lot of baggage. it's technically a romance, but what worked best for me wasn't the love story. it was the deeply human thread of watching someone you love fade through illness. prue's relationship with her parents, especially her mom who has early-onset alzheimer's, was the emotional center of the book. as someone caring for an aging parent, i felt the weight of it. the guilt, the exhaustion, the small daily griefs. the book captured that part with quiet honesty and tenderness.

where it didn't work for me was in the romance. milo, the love interest, is a bisexual man with over 200 past partners. that number alone wouldn't be an issue, but the book leans into his promiscuity so heavily that it becomes a defining trait. the way it's written felt egregious, almost like his bisexuality was being used as shorthand for hypersexuality. it crossed the line into biphobia. we're told he's emotionally detached, always on the move, not the type to settle down. but then he instantly falls for prue with barely any real conversation. it didn't make sense, and worse, it relied on tired, harmful stereotypes about bi men being unable to commit.

the virgin trope also weighed the story down. prue is written as naive and innocent, which the book plays up during the sex scenes. instead of feeling awkward or exploratory, their intimacy is written to be hot from the jump. it didn't feel like a story about two people learning each other, it felt like a fantasy. that would be fine in a different book, but here, it clashed with the grounded emotional realism of the caregiving plot. the contrast was jarring.

the third-act breakup felt especially unnecessary. it seemed like it was included simply because that's what romance books are supposed to have. i think there was a missed opportunity here to skip it and add more heart to the story instead. it pulled me out of the narrative just when i wanted to feel most connected.

still, i don't regret reading it. the depiction of caregiving, especially the tension between love and resentment, was strong. i liked the moments between prue and her father, the conversations about guilt and independence, the difficulty of choosing care facilities. the book was best when it focused on that human core.

i just wish it had trusted that to carry more of the story. the romance felt misaligned in tone, and milo's character relied too heavily on reductive traits that left a bad taste. there is a much better book hidden under the tropes.

People Watching was an absolute delight to read. Milo is such golden retriever, he’s completely gone for Prue in the sweetest way, and I couldn’t get enough of him.

Their story is just so charming. The “sex lessons” trope was done so well (and yes, the spicy scenes were 🔥), and every character felt multi-dimensional and relatable. One of the things I love about Hannah Bonam-Young’s writing is how realistic her characters’ reactions to conflict feel, no frustrating miscommunication tropes here. I also really enjoyed seeing how both Milo and Prue grew throughout the book.

Overall, I adored this book. It’s sweet, funny, romantic, and just leaves you smiling.

📖 Book Review 📖 Do you ever just start a book and connect with the characters and story right away? Hannah Bonam-Young’s whole vibes in her latest novel absolutely swept me away, appreciating the nostalgic setting of Northern Ontario (where my family had a lake home) to the struggle of watching a parent get ill far too young. Life is not always the journey we expect and unfortunately for Prue, that lesson comes at far too young and tender of an age. People Watching hits all of the bittersweet notes of loving a parent so much that you are willing to sacrifice so much of yourself for their care. And if you’re lucky enough, you’ll find a partner to weather the adventure through sickness and health. Kudos to Hannah Bonham-Young for tackling some really tough, relatable, topics in a cathartically beautiful and swoon-worthy read!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read in exchange for a review. Anything Hannah writes I am devouring and speaking to the masses. People Watching will be NO exception. This is her best work yet! ALSO THANK YOU FOR CREATING THE HOTTEST MUSTACHED TATTOED GREEN FLAG GUY.

6 stars…. I want this book injected in my veins. I want this book tattooed on my skin. Milo & Prue, i love you. I am so grateful for this ARC. this book had me laughing, crying, smiling, giggling, kicking my feet..... unbelievable work WOW

This book is a charming and witty romantic comedy that perfectly captures the awkward, hilarious, and sweet moments of falling in love when you least expect it. With sharp dialogue, quirky characters, and plenty of laugh-out-loud scenes, this book is a breath of fresh air for anyone who loves heartfelt stories about connection and self-discovery. Bonam-Young’s storytelling shines with humor and warmth, making People Watching a must-read for fans of contemporary romance with a delightful twist. I loved this book so much!! I cannot wait to have a physical copy of it for my bookshelf.

Milo has become one of my favorite MMC. He grew a lot throughout the book and I’m so glad he got his happy ending. To have such a rocky childhood and still turn out to be a good person says a lot. I liked that Jules’ illness was a part of the book, but it didn’t take up the whole plot. My favorite part of the book was when Prue noticed her handwriting on Milo’s arm and then they realized they’ve always been connected without knowing it.