my jaw was literally on the floor when I got the approval for this arc. HBY does it AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

this book has that trademark HBY feel that she has honed so well (esp over the last 2-3 books). you really feel for the characters and what they are going through. it's clear that HBY is meticulous in her research and tells stories with such care. plus the romance is always SO GOOD.

I CANT WAIT FOR PEOPLE PLEASING

Hmmmm…. not my favorite Hannah Bonam-Young book, but I did eat this up in just a few days !! Dual POV was executed excellently, and as always, HBY’s characters are just so very real and so relatable - Milo’s insecurities and trauma, and Prue’s experiences (or lack thereof). Regardless of the insta-love factor (which I never care for) HBY knows how to write a stunning love story!!!!


And dare I say… I think we’re gonna get Nad’s and Alek’s story next???

Hannah does it again!! What a beautiful book that acknowledges that families can be the hardest thing in our life and also the best. The romance had me giggling, twirling my hair, and also SWEATING, and I loved watching both Milo and Prue blossom into better versions of themselves around one another. An amazing book, spicy and sweet but also so much more and so much deeper than a simple romance. I cannot wait for pub date so that I can make my whole book club read it!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for the eARC of this book.

first off, let me say, I let out an embarrassing squeal when I got this ARC because HBY is one of my absolute favorite authors. And for me, this book did not disappoint

Prue and Milo are as opposite as 2 people can get, who just happen to collide into each other’s lives at the right time, and the rest is history. This book felt like a book of poetry to me, as much as it did a novel. knowing the inner workings of both Milo and Prue’s minds was so tragically beautiful. knowing how much they were both struggling, but finding peace and comfort within one another while they fight their own battles, just amazing.

I feel a sequel coming on with Milo’s siblings, and I already can’t wait for glimpses of Milo and Prue of the future. HBY, you never cease to amaze me

Let’s start with what I liked about this book: the gorgeous cover….. that is absolutely it. Now onto what I didn’t like. This book just throws trope after trope at you. You have insta lust, sex lessons, virigin x manwhore, 3rd act breakup, and almost every trauma you can think of.
Now let’s start with the star of the show, our MMC Milo. He is bisexual who has slept with 200 + people including orgies and threesomes. This man would not know what consent is if it smacked him on the face. On top of all of those red flags he is just an icky person. I felt grossed out even reading his pov cause of all his disgusting thoughts.
Now we have Prue who lives at home to take care of her mother with Alzheimer’s. It is stated very early on that she is a virgin and that is basically her whole personality. Honestly I don’t have much to say about her because this is genuinely all that is talked about: she’s a virgin who takes care of her mother. Oh wait she also writes poetry but that seems to never come up again so what was the point.
Now the actual romance was insta lust mania. I have never seen two characters that just honestly have no chemistry and don’t belong together. You get whip lash on how quick they love each other but don’t even see a buildup.
Lastly the timeline of this book is super confusing. It’s stated that Milo and his sister are going to stay with his brother for 2 month but the book reads like it’s been 2 weeks. The pacing does not add up to their relationship.
I would absolutely never recommend this book to anyone but I know there will be people out there who like it.

Hannah Bonam-Young has a way of connecting seemingly incompatible people that stuns me. It’s like she takes two opposing magnets and flips them over as if it’s nothing, then gives us the gift of watching them connect with a force no one saw coming.

In People Watching, Milo and Prue are pulled together in much the same manner — and man, is it fun. This is Hannah’s spiciest book to date, but her patented humor and heart don’t suffer for it. There’s an emotional weight to all of Hannah’s writing, and she finds a beautiful balance here between what is lost and what is found. Milo and Prue’s dynamic is fun and pure and sexy as hell — and it’s also absolutely lovely. I really enjoyed their story.

Wow, can this woman write dialogue! I love HBY’s books in part because the banter between characters is always so engaging and written so descriptively, you feel like you're viewing it. Not to mention, the steaminess level is off-the-charts...

The small-town setting was great, and I loved the fact that it was based on the author's own experience in a town of the same name. This book does what many of her other ones do, too, by featuring characters who are working through past trauma and dealing with challenging life situations in ways that are uplifting and healing.

However, while I can understand that the Kablukov siblings' journey to healing will take some time, I was disappointed that Milo didn't share much about his background with Prue, especially because you know it's going to impact things for them as a couple down the road. I was kind of surprised she didn't ask more about his parents, since he obviously grew up in the area and his siblings are there in town. I hope the rationale for not including it is because there is a forthcoming companion book that will share Nadia & Aleks' story, and that book will include more about their background and healing process.

This was my first read by Hannah Bonam-Young. I've heard amazing things about her writing and, honestly, everyone is right. The care in which Hannah writes her characters and sensitive topics is incredible. There is nothing I love more than imperfect characters. Nothing in this story felt forced. The discussion around alzheimers felt tactful. I read another anticipated release early this year that dealt with alzheimers and the character in that story felt cast out and like she was a thing, not a person. I applaud Hannah for how she depicts Prue's mom. We can very clearly see the struggle the family is facing, but she's still depicted as a person. I adore how Milo and Prue both have something the other struggles with. I cannot shout my praises for this story loud enough.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

This is going to be my favorite romance book this year. I know its only July, but Milo and Prue have so much pure chemistry. Not only does the chemistry feel authentic, but the character development is so thorough and well done. I loved Milo, and the way he YEARNED for Prue. And I love that Prue throughout the book became more and more confident. Milo and Prue brought out the best in each other.

Not only all of that but Hannah's writing is just... beautiful and poetic in ways I was not expecting. I truly loved this book.

LOVED it!!! Obsessed with Milo & Prue. Young’s writing style is great - first one I read by her. Honestly felt like some of the spice scenes were a little much for Prue’s innocence, but personally didn’t take away from five stars. Will be diving straight into out on a limb! <3 pub date 9-9 so definitely add to your tbr! Thank you so much Dell Romance & Penguin Random House for the EARC!!

In this charming rom com, Prue serves as a caretaker for her mother who has early onset Alzheimer’s. She doesn’t do much for herself, or for fun. Milo returns to town and remembers her mother from when she taught art. He has his own traumatic past that keeps him from having long term relationships. They form a friendship and Milo agrees to help Prue become more experienced in romantic relations.

This was my first book from this author, but I look forward to reading her backlist now! I appreciated how she balanced serious topics like early onset Alzheimer’s, caretaking, cancer diagnosis, and traumatic childhood with moments of levity through banter and spice. Milo was kind, helpful, and uplifting, and didn’t let his past define him. The only thing that kept me from rating it even higher was the amount of heavy topics seemed a bit too much at times, and the insta-love trope definitely was strong here. Although I don’t mind this trope, their relationship could use a bit more time given the amount of trauma both characters are experiencing. However, the storyline is still enjoyable, sweet, and filled with heart.

Thank you to Hannah Bonham-Young and Dell Romance for the opportunity to be an early reader and review this book.

In People Watching, Hannah Bonam-Young returns with a romance that’s emotionally tender, occasionally awkward, and unabashedly messy. Set against the backdrop of a quaint Northern Ontario town, this novel explores love, grief, identity, and healing through the unlikely bond between Prudence Welch—an introverted poet and caregiver—and Milo Kablukov—a charismatic drifter with a van full of baggage (and bumper stickers to match).
Bonam-Young deserves credit for taking big swings: early-onset Alzheimer’s, sexual agency, childhood trauma, and small-town expectations are all in play here. At her best, she shines in portraying characters who feel deeply human in their flaws and tenderness. Prue’s quiet resilience and Milo’s performative bravado are a study in contrast, and when the story slows down enough to let them simply be, the emotional undercurrents are compelling.
However, this book also teeters under the weight of its tropes. The "teach me how to have sex" premise—often a fan-favorite—is undercut here by odd pacing, overly saccharine dialogue, and a sense that neither character is emotionally ready for the intimacy they rush into. Some readers may find the spice gratuitous or tonally mismatched with the heavier themes, while others will find the open-door scenes affirming and raw.

The character of Prue vacillates between fiercely mature and frustratingly naïve. Milo, meanwhile, is burdened with so many backstory checkboxes—bisexual, poly-adjacent, traumatized, multilingual—that his authenticity sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Their chemistry, while occasionally sweet, feels rushed and unearned in places.

Still, Bonam-Young’s prose is accessible and warm, and she nails the complexity of caregiving with empathy. The novel’s heart lies not just in romance, but in community, familial responsibility, and the quiet power of witnessing someone—flaws and all.

Recommended for: Fans of steamy, emotional small-town romances who don’t mind a little insta-lust, love their heroes cinnamon-roll-soft, and are prepared to wade through some uneven terrain for the emotional payoff.

Skip if: You’re sensitive to stories with minimal character development, rushed relationship pacing, or prefer your spice to be grounded in emotional intimacy.

Bottom line: People Watching is a bit like falling for someone at the wrong time in your life—it’s a little confusing, a little thrilling, and not always easy to explain.

People Watching
by Helena Bonam-Young

Out on a Limb was one of my favorite books of the year last week and there’s just no way to compare these. This was very different from both previous works.

The book did not start of well, I don’t even know what exactly I didn’t like but I felt zero connection or interest in the MMC. The insta love was insanely intense and such a big turn off. I did not feel a genuine connection between them and everything felt so forced. Prue’s behavior was so immature and childish for someone who was supposed to be so self sacrificing and mature. My frustration with her when her dad is trying to have a serious conversation about her moms care was insane.

The type of spice in this book is literally my bread and butter and should have saved this book. For me personally, there are few tropes better than the “make a deal and teach me how to be good at s*x” but it was such a fail here. Prue is a 25 (?) year old woman who was so infantilized that all smutty moments were just gross. The concept of time was missing because it feels like this book happens in the span of 8 days when it may actually be weeks? I honestly did not enjoy almost anything, I finished it because I didn't want to dnf an arc.

This is the most harsh review I've written in a while so I'd like to make it clear that this is strictly about the book and not the author herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell/Ballantine for this gifted arc.

First book I’ve read by this author. This a cute, easy read. Slow burn to start and then it picks up. I liked the banter between the characters. Not a fan of the format when the characters would text. I wish there was a little more background on the MMC. Seemed to be a lot of other information thrown in all at once. Overall, a decent read.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Listen, I know people love books by this author, but this book should come with a long long list of trigger warnings. A man who can't keep his hands to himself and a virgin, with no chemistry, we are supposed to believe this? This was less of a love story and more of a beware of this kind of man story.

Beautiful, heartfelt, and extremely relevant. Hannah Bonam -Young is a master in her class. This was simply breathtaking,

2.5/5 stars, This is my first foray into HBY's books. I'm not impressed. DNF at 40%.

Tropes: virgin-heroine, experienced-hero, moustached-hero, small-town-romance, Alzheimer

This book was just a collection of stereotypes. It's like the author made a checklist and checked off all things on it, without any regards to whether they made any sense or not.

1. Bisexual hero? Check
2. Virgin heroine? Check
3. Bi hero who has had 200 partners? AND mentions it to the virgin heroine? Check?
4. Hero who is (INSTANTLY TURNED ON) by the virgin heroine? Check?
5. Hero's (slight. ahem) sexual experience attracts heroine (REALLY, she didn't think that he has commitment issues? Like, at all? She was immediately turned on?)
6. Hero has had threesomes and thinks of them at opportune times, especially when he feels some sort of way about the heroine? Check. This one really made me feel the ick.
7. He speaks russian oh-so-fluently with the heroine's dad? Check

At first I DEFINITELY thought I would despise Milo. I really hate f*ck boy energy, even when they suddenly become down bad. I still don't fully get the WHY of why he turned into a f*ck boy, when it seems like his siblings handled it a bit better. However, he really is a cinnamon roll and made me see that he is a good guy at heart. Some things definitely worked for me as far as the smut goes, while not my top HBY novel, it's probably top 3.

thank you to the netgalley and the publisher for this arc! it was a cute story, and i had fun while reading.

Hannah Bonam-Young always delivers an emotional, tender, and realistic feeling love story. This was no different from her usual, but what I loved about People Watching was both Prue and Milo, and really, Milo's siblings, and Prue's dad felt so messy. This was a messy story with some wrong-doing, some highly emotional reactions, and a lot of growing up. I absolutely loved it. These characters felt like such a realistic depiction of flawed humans coming from, or living in really tough circumstances and learning how to love themselves and love each other wholly.
I will forever read and recommend anything HBY writes and I HOPE her next book is what I think it is!!!
Thank you to Dell for the eARC in exchange for my honest review