this was my first book by this author, although surely not my last! I’ll be checking out her backlist soon. The premise of this book sounded so good and it was! I loved the execution and the characters, would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes romance and early 2000’s rom coms!

Prudence Welch ha encontrado consuelo en su vida introvertida en Baysville, una encantadora ciudad turística en el norte de Ontario. A pesar de que una vez soñaba con una vida más allá de sus fronteras, ahora encuentra satisfacción en sus rutinas: trabajar en la gasolinera de su padre, escribir poesía y cuidar de su madre, a quien le diagnosticaron la enfermedad de Alzheimer poco después del decimonoveno cumpleaños de Prue. Pero a medida que la condición de su madre empeora y las preocupaciones de su padre sobre su propio futuro se intensifican, Prue siente que su mundo se sale de control.

Entra Milo Kablukov, un enigmático vagabundo cuya maltratada camioneta cubierta de pegatinas de parachoques desaconsejadas llega a la ciudad justo cuando Prue necesita un cambio. Es demasiado fácil dejarlo ir, y Prue no puede evitar entablar una improbable amistad con Milo, lo que lleva a un acuerdo salvaje y sexy entre ellos.

Milo, un hombre de muchas aventuras e innumerables historias, no es de los que se asientan. Sin embargo, la urgente necesidad de ayuda de su hermano lo ha llevado a Baysville, y ahora el intrigante Prue le ha dado más razones para quedarse, especialmente una vez que comienzan a pasar más tiempo juntos, su química se intensifica y las lecciones de sexo casual comienzan a petición de Prue.

Pero a medida que su arreglo temporal florece en algo más profundo, Prue y Milo descubren que salir de sus zonas de confort es una cosa... dar ese salto juntos es algo completamente diferente.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

thank you dell and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
i went into this book thinking it’d be a top contender for my favorite book of the year but it might just be the biggest disappointment :/ admittedly, the whole “lessons in sex” trope is far from a favorite of mine but HBY has a way of taking my least favorite tropes and turning them into stories that make me sob, so i wanted to give it a chance. however, right off the bat, the instant lust at first sight turned me away from the book and it was really hard to get back into it. the chemistry and dynamic between milo and prue felt really forced and there was no substance to them at all. also i kinda just didn’t like either of them? i think there was potential, especially with milo, but the way he was written just rubbed me the wrong way and the whole innocent x corrupted dynamic was just not needed. some things i did like were the side characters - tom was a fun character to read about along with nik, sef, aleks, and nadia. and i appreciated the way HBY portrayed julia’s alzheimer’s. overall, i think this book really did have a lot of potential but unfortunately fell flat

3.5 stars

HBY is one of my favorite authors, but this one didn't quite hit for me sadly. Milo and Prue's relationship felt too insta-lovey for me, and it felt more like a sexual relationship rather than romantic. I don't think it was the intention, but it rubbed me the wrong way how Milo is bisexual and of course the one with more experience, it just felt like a bad stereotype. And there were also a few times where he crossed the line with consent that I didn't like.

For positives: it was well written and a fast read, and I liked the small town elements. As someone who has a family member with Alzheimer's, I think that storyline felt raw and realistic. I liked both characters (most of the time) and they had good banter and tension. I'm excited to read Alek's and Nadia's story next!

People Watching ARC Review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@authorhannahby has done it again, made me sob swoon and pine for a man who doesn’t exists.

Thank you @dellromance, @netgalley and @authorhannahby for the Advanced copy!

We all Know I’m a HBY stan. This was so much more than i expected. we follow Milo and Prue in the small town of Baysville ON.
Milo is back with his sibling after receiving an SOS from his brother & Prue lioves in her hometown taking care of her mum and having a cozy life. Very Experienced Milo Meets inexpereinced Prue and lets just say i’ in love with both of them.

People watching was tender, romantic and eveyrthing I could have ever wanted. Small town meets, sex lessons and creates the most perfect book of 2025.

Prue is taking care of both her parents and milo definitely gives her the time off she deserves. This is for all the shy girls who like tattooed men. Oh also Milo is Bi🏳️‍🌈 and he’s so F***ing hot!!!

@mitrakats for the original gorg art of Prue and Milo. Please go look at her gorg work!!

If this isnt on your “to Buy” list it better go on it right now, Hannah Deserves so much more attention. She writes beautiful prose and even begttger characters. I love her to death.

Thank you to Hannah and all of team! You did perfectly with this!

This novel was such a heartwarming and emotional read! I had no idea that going into this romance novel that it was going to make me have so many deep feelings! It made me feel happy, sad, hopeful, reflective and inspired! It also gave me some much needed laughs! This book has lovable characters and it is also character driven. The characters strongly developed in the story. It is a medium paced read, has a diverse cast of characters and was beautifully written. I felt so connected with the main characters, especially the female main character named Prudence Welch. This book was very thought provoking, picturesque and believable.

I enjoyed the small town setting, the originality of the storyline and the descriptive writing style. It is an easy to read story and memorable. Oh, let’s not forget the spice this story comes with! It has open door spice, a bi male main character named Milo and has casual sex lessons! This book was overall amazing, in every way. Some themes explored in this novel include finding connections in unexpected places, acceptance and vulnerability, embracing change and stepping out of your comfort zones, the complexity of relationships and navigating through difficult family situations.

“People Watching” is about a woman named Prudence, who starts off having a quiet life in a small town. She goes to work at a gas station, writes poems and takes care of her mom. Her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and has Prudence thankfully taking care of her. Her Mom’s condition does progressively get worse. As her mom’s condition worsens, she begins having anxiety and starts spiraling out of control. Then we have Milo, who is the male main character. Milo is a traveler, but ends up in the same city as Prudence, due to a family emergency of his own. As these two characters come together, things between them begins to deepen and a meaningful connection forms. Overall, I rate this book a high 5 out of 5 stars!

I think fans of emotional romance novels would really enjoy reading this! Content warnings include dementia, child abuse, alcoholism, mental health (primarily anxiety), physical abuse and sexual content.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Hannah Bonam-Young and Ballantine | Dell for this electronic arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on September 9, 2025!

I really wanted to love this one—especially since the cover is so pretty and I’ve heard great things about this author. Her writing is strong and the storytelling kept me engaged, but I just didn’t feel emotionally connected to the main characters, especially Milo.

It felt like his whole personality was centered around being someone who can’t commit and has slept with over 200 people… yet somehow falls in love with the girl next door in under a month? I just couldn’t buy into it. Also, can we stop making our love interests serial flirts with commitment issues? It’s getting tired—ugh.

I’m giving this 3 stars because, like I said, I enjoyed the writing itself, and the side characters were a highlight. I’d definitely read more about Milo’s sister, Nadia!

Thank you to Dell for the eARC!

I received an ARC for People Watching from NetGalley. This is the second book I’ve read by Hannah Bonam-Young. I’ll be honest, this one fell a bit short of expectations for me. I enjoy Hannah’s style of writing and her overall flow while writing. However, this one lacked depth for me. It was VERY spicy, which is fine, but I don’t feel like there was much exploration into some of each of the main characters issues. It was mostly just sex. Again, that’s okay, but it left me wanting more depth to the story. Thank you for the ARC and the opportunity to give my honest review!

3.5/5

Extremely excited to have gotten an ARC because HBY is one of my favorite authors to read. IMO, Out on a Limb is still unmatched for me out of HBY's books, but People Watching still has many of the great qualities that I love about HBY's writing.

People Watching centers around a pretty common trope of a casual dater/player who turns into a committed "one and only." TBH, I wasn't feeling great (a little ick) about this trope throughout the book (I feel like it's really overdone and produces a weird dynamic between the characters that I don't really like) - there was a lot of emphasis on Milo being Prue's first (she's a virgin), but magically, she is great at sex despite having no prior experience. Plus the fact that it doesn't take much for Milo to give up his casual relationship ways. It all just didn't feel realistic to me. Also, the third act breakup could honestly be seen from a mile away.

But (time for my likes about this book) Milo and Prue are infused with a lot of depth into their characters, with both of them battling with real life issues with themselves and their families, making this a truly wonderful story to read. Milo is struggling with trauma from his parents and childhood - being constantly moving and running away is his way of coping. Prue has been caring for her mom, who has early Alzheimer's, and is pushed by her dad to consider whether a life outside of her town is for her. When Milo comes into the picture, he represents those possibilities of a different future, while Milo begins to see Prue as a major reason to stop running and stay. They pull each other out of their comfort zones and are vulnerable with each other. Their relationships with their family and each of their character developments - individually and together - were the best parts about this book.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the ARC!

i'm not going to spend too much time harping on these points, but there are issues with consent with the mmc and the infantilization of the fmc (in numerous aspects of her life, not just in the main relationship). the love also wasn't there as the mmc's growth with his family (however he still should've gotten therapy) was the focus resulting in the fmc's nonexistent growth. i just wanted to know more about the fmc and what she wants from this life rather than being told by secondary characters. the red string moments also seemed like a plot device. will still read everything bonam-young writes but just maybe with a bit more caution to sensitivity.

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine for this ARC! I’ve read pretty much all of HBY’s books within in the last month and the half and let me say this keeps her streak going strong. I absolutely adored People watching. All the characters felt so raw, and real. I love seeing love stories with real issues and struggles.

Pure and Milo have the most adorable story. The wit and banter between these two is unreal (not to mention the chemistry 🔥)

This felt so Taylor Swift core to me, specifically the Archer. Also the invisible string moments?!?

Highly recommend this for a cozy, spicy and heartfelt read full of deeply relatable characters

MASTERFUL. I laughed, I cried. I felt all the things. This book had a little bit of everything. I was so engrossed in the story of Milo and Prue that I didn't even realize how quickly I was turning the page. There were so many HEAVY HEAVY topics, and it made the romance all the more sweet and the humor at times felt so needed. I loved this.

Hannah Bonam-Young has done it again. She writes flawed characters who grow in such a beautiful way. The romance is hot, but the emotional toll of these characters having to adapt to difficult family situations will make you cry. You can't help but root for everyone and for every thing to work out.

I had a really hard time with this book and considering dnf-ing it. Milo, the mmc is extremely unlikeable. He is portrayed as a bisexual guy who sleeps around. Prue, the mfc is much more reserved. They have absolutely ZERO chemistry, but share some red string theories due to the people in their lives knowing eachother. Milo is a major red flag in every sense. The book has zero development. Right when you *think* it is going to get serious and have a decent storyline *BAM* nothing but sex. The sex is also cringe due to one of the characters being a virgin and playing into that trope.

4.5

hannah i am a slave for you forever and always

i’m crying this was so good!!!

thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review

as always, this romance hit in all the ways it needed to. it was super hot (omg like a lot) and they were adorable and i’m a slut for a manwhore who becomes an obsessed pathetic loverboy for THE girl

it always makes me squeal when there’s an element of the red string theory and always meant for each other and knowing each other before they ever actually met

yes they fell fast but whatever unlike a lot of instalove stories this one didn’t give me the ick. it’s probably a testament to hannah’s writing and how much i love her

half a star taken away for the third act breakup and seriously baffling behavior of her father that precipitated it

this will definitely be a reread in the future! i mourn my future self that can’t read this for the first time again in september when it officially releases

Where do I begin? I was so looking forward to this book, I have given every other book by Hannah 5 stars and really thought this would be no different, unfortunately I was wrong. From the beginning I could almost feel like something was different than Hannah's usual work and I do think this is one of the rare cases where I wish we did not get the MMCs POV.

Right off the bat, we're introduced to Milo, and immediately he's written to be the "sexual deviant bisexual" stereotype that I think we really need to retire it's so harmful. AND we're making jokes about Fox News which I simply do not think is appropriate in today's political climate. Then we meet Prue, a virgin who has never left her hometown. What could go wrong with these two? Definitely much more than happens in this book. Why is Prue, again a virgin, fucking like a porn star? A book is not teaching you to give the best head someone (especially not someone who has had over 200 sexual partners) has ever had in their life.

If we removed all of that I would've loved the book, it deals with hard topics exceptionally well which I think is Hannah's strongest skill as a writer. But then we get to the end, right after they make up and all of a sudden Prue is on birth control (she's had sex for the first time like a week and a half ago) and not for extra protection. No why would safe sex be practiced in full. No, she does it so Milo can hit it raw and nut in her. What are we doing here? Also I need everyone to stop making their FMCs fall asleep right after sex multiple times, have them go pee why do you want them to have chronic UTIs so bad

I finished this book yesterday and I can't stop thinking about it. I can't wait to get through the summer and read it again when it comes out in September. This book was amazing and I feel in love with the characters from the very first page. They're dynamic, banter, and they way they care for each other made me kick my feet and giggle as I read. I want to read it again already.

This is the 5th book by Hannah I have read and I can say that I'm a fan of her work. This book, while I did enjoy it, is most definitely not my favorite. This book felt a bit less organic than the others I have read and seemed forced in parts. While I ended up liking Milo in the end, I felt like his character was a bit over the top. Also, while I guess I can see why Prue is a virgin at 24 (there is absolutely nothing wrong with that), the reasoning just didn't seem all that great to me. I get that her mom is sick and she needs to help with the store, among other things but that doesn't mean she has to have no life whatsoever. No wonder her dad wanted her to leave and find a life for herself.

I liked the book when I was suspending my disbelief that these two would actually work together and the book was pretty short so I read it quickly. This is one of those book couples that I wonder where they will be in 5-10 years because Prue has no life experiences whereas Milo is the opposite (and I don't mean just sexually). I'm a big believer in that you need to find yourself before you find your life partner and I just don't know if Prue has that. But, again, this is just a book so I'm happy that they get their Happy Ever After.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine | Dell for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting but I did enjoy it nevertheless. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the Arc.

I really wanted to love this book. The story had potential and I can see why so many readers love this author. Unfortunately I didn’t end up finishing it. The writing itself was good, but I struggled to stay invested in the story.

The chemistry between the main characters just wasn’t there for me. Their connection felt forced and awkward rather than developed, and it made it hard to care for them. I appreciate what the author was trying to do, and I know every book won’t resonate with every reader. This one just wasn’t the right fit for me.