Book Review: Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff

"Witty, warm, and charming...Fans of Emily Henry and Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You are going to go crazy for this one!” —Jennifer Close, author of Marrying the Ketchups

Culinary student Lexi Berman, 24, has one goal: to make her late mother proud by becoming an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant. And she isn’t going to let anything–or anyone–get in the way. But when she meets Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician who charms her with show tunes, she makes a rare exception to her no-dating rule. After a steamy weekend together, Jake leaves for L.A. to record his demo, and Lexi never expects to see him again. And she definitely doesn’t expect him to become an overnight celebrity, with a breakout single that’s almost certainly about her famous blueberry pancake recipe.

As Jake’s star rises and the world speculates about the subject of his song, Lexi keeps the affair to herself. After all, she’s finally found her footing at her new restaurant job, and even has a prospective romance with her coworker. But when a distraught Jake turns up on her doorstep late one night, her carefully-laid plans are thrown for a loop. Though she and Jake try to be friends, things between them soon reheat faster than a bowl of Lexi's matzah ball soup. But a relationship with Jake means risking her face in tabloids, withstanding cruel internet comments, and worst of all, jeopardizing her career. As Jake’s upcoming tour approaches, and rumors swirl about him and another pop star, Lexi has to decide if holding onto her meticulously-planned future is worth walking away from what could be the perfect recipe for love.

Set both in the chaos of fame and the high stakes world of New York City restaurants, this novel sprinkles in a second chance at love and a dollop of celebrity drama to create a romantic romp that will make even the most jaded reader smile.

---

My Review:

I was immediately charmed by Lexi and Jake, and quickly fell in love with the idea of their relationship. I loved seeing the supportive people they had in their corner, but the ones out to ruin what they could have, broke my heart. I loved seeing that this story was about both of them making changes in order to make the connection between them flourish, and that apologies came from both halves of the couple. After getting to know the friends and family that surrounded this pair, I’m nowhere near ready to let go of them just yet, and I hope we’ll see more of Lexi, Jake, and those supporting cast members again in the future.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through NetGalley.