began Meeting Mr. Brown last week and, though it took me a little longer to finish than planned (thank you, busy work schedule 😩), it was absolutely worth the wait.
This is a beautifully written and heartfelt story about two people one who believed in happiness, and one who believed in promises and how they ultimately learn that true happiness is found in keeping that promise. The characters are tenderly drawn, the emotional beats feel genuine, and the message lingers long after the final page.

I absolutely loved this book. Their chemistry feels so real and magical from the very first chapter. And the wealth building tips are a genius idea. Can't wait to read more from this author!

Meeting Mr. Brown is a loose - extremely loose - modern take on An Affair to Remember. It follows two characters, Bart Brown, who, after recently losing his father, accepts a temporary job in New York City, and Celeste Brown, who is returning to her husband of five years, trying to sell herself on the idea that a dead marriage is better than throwing in the towel. They meet on a plane as a result of a mix-up.

See, they have the same last name so the stewardess sits them next to each other, thinking they're husband and wife. But they're not. In fact, even though the chemistry between them is fire, and the dynamic between them is easy and relaxed, their life philosophies could not be more different. While Bart is all about happiness, meaning he thinks committed relationships are fruitless because they will never last, Celeste is the opposite. She believes the promises we make, particularly those in a marriage, are important and worth sticking it out no matter how unfulfilled you feel.

However, when they start sharing adjacent offices at a hedge fund, and every event they attend mistakenly refers to them as Mr. and Mrs. Brown, they start enjoying each other's company and slowly, ever so slowly, begin to reevaluate their stances on relationships. And what it means to be in love.

All in all, this was an enjoyable romance. There wasn't anything inherently wow-ing about it, and I do think the connection to An Affair to Remember was distant at best, but Bart and Celeste did have a cute connection. It was perhaps a little too instantaneous for my liking, especially seeing as how Celeste was technically married to someone else at the time, but it served its purpose. Sometimes connections are like that. Familiarity can click into place in a moment, with a single look or in a short conversation, only to grow more over time. That's essentially what happens with Bart and Celeste. I appreciated the realness of that. A good pick if you're looking for a lighthearted romance in NYC to perk you up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Julie Parks for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I completely fell in love with Brown and Celeste's story. This was truly a slow burn romance. By knowing the exact thoughts of both characters, it was very easy to feel how the lust turned into deep adoration. In fact, being able to know the exact self-reflecting thoughts made me connect to these characters so much more. While I personally did not agree with some of the self-reflecting opinions due to my own convictions, I was not at all offended by them and could understand how they carried the storyline on. I gave this book a 3 star rating because the love story verses the financial advice were not married to each other. The financial advice came much later on in the story as a completely separate topic. Also, some topics were slightly incomplete. Overall though, this is definitely worth a read.

I love the description of this book! The idea was a brilliant choice, and the writing captured my attention. Throughout the story, I would pick up little gems of wisdom from Parks. Not only was I entertained, but I also felt like I walked away with things to think further about. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The characters in this book were rich (pardon the pun!) and had great depth, you could really feel the internal conflicts and their growth as the book progressed.

I did find the dialogue quite clunky, sometimes the conversations between the main characters didn’t seem to flow or connect too well. Some of the phrasing and writing could could be slightly smoother.

There was a bit too much jumping around - scenes didn’t always follow on and I found myself struggling to work out how much time had passed / what had happened after the last scene had cut off as we were suddenly days later, when we’d only been halfway through a scene or meeting between the two characters.

For me, a third act proposal sort of ruins the magic - when characters haven’t been together too long and still have a lot to learn about each other, I find it a little cringe and hard to believe. The ‘promise’ could have alluded to forever and a future proposal, it just felt a bit rushed to me’

I really loved the descriptions of the settings - Central Park and Brown’s drive from Switzerland to Portofino, the landscapes really came alive! The book definitely made me crave a trip to New York! And a frozen margarita buzz….!

I found the incorporation of the wealth tips fascinating, but sometimes they didn’t feel super natural in the story. I think this was a really clever idea though and it added something extra to the book!

I should also say I have not seen an Affair to Remember so it’s possible I am missing some key references / points…!

Ultimately this book was a clever concept, with deep characters who actively engage in personal growth and find the love they deserve along the way. I’m intrigued to see where Julie goes next, and whether she continues to artfully intertwine genres with self help and empowerment or whether she takes a different direction!