Title: Love You, Mean It
Author: Jilly Gagnon
Publication: April 30, 2023
Publisher: Dell
Genre: Romance
Pages: 320
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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
Ellie Greco wishes she weren’t stuck in Milborough. For a few brief, shining years, she escaped her hometown to pursue her dream career—designing beautiful, elaborate costumes for theater—until her father’s death five years ago called her home to run the family’s decades-old deli. Yes, she loves the place, but she’d always thought she was meant for more exciting things than stocking the right tinned fish. But when Ellie hears that a local landlord is planning to rent to Mangia, the glitzy gourmet food department store, Greco’s Deli’s very existence is suddenly in jeopardy.
She tries to plead her case to Theo Taylor, scion of the property management firm about to put her out of business, but their meeting goes from bad (it’s not her fault he’s infuriating) to worse (no one expects the ceiling to literally fall in).
With Theo out cold, Ellie panics and claims to be his fiancée… and almost passes out herself when amnesia means Theo seems to actually believe her. Soon, the effects of the head injury wear off, but Theo proposes that their “engagement” stick around. If they manage to convince enough people they might both get what they an end to the Mangia deal. Ellie doesn’t trust him (after all, if Theo Taylor wants it, how can it be good for her?) but seeing no other option, reluctantly agrees.
And miraculously, the fake engagement seems to be working—even Ted, Theo’s shrewd, cold father seems convinced—that is until Sam, Theo’s ex-fiance, reappears on the scene. Not only does she see through their ruse, she proposes an arrangement of her own, forcing Ellie to decide between blossoming friendship, her family legacy, and the burgeoning romance she frankly never asked for.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
I love a sweet rom-com and Jilly Gagnon delivered with this fake-fiance trope and some interesting characters. If you’d told me I’d be so into a a romance story about a snobby rich guy and a butcher, I’d call you crazy. But Sam and Theo are adorable in their love/hate relationship.
I instantly liked Sam because she was all about her family and she loved her dad, who had passed away. My father has also passed and I was a daddy’s girl so I knew I was going to like her. I also like humble people, and Sam was humble and kind. I am also a fan of enemies to lovers and fake dating turning into something so Gagnon had me hooked from page one. I think the character development was fantastic in this book, which is not something you always see in a romance book because the focus is more on the feelings than the in-depth characters. We really learned a lot about Theo as the story went on and watched his character grow from someone slightly selfish to someone really caring for people and thinking of others. Sam really grew as a person in-general and came around to figuring out how to mix her old life and new life into one.
My only issue with the book is that I wish we had more growth or even information on some of the side characters. The focal point was obviously Sam and Theo, but I love a good side story from a relatable supporting characters and I didn’t feel we got that much in this book. However, that didn’t break the book for me, just left me wanting a little. Overall, the main romance story carried this book and while I knew what was going to happen (who doesn’t when reading a rom-com) the story to get there was a fun journey to take.
Grab Love You, Mean It and cuddle up on your couch with a glass of wine or some tea and help yourself to this feel-good novel! I can’t wait to see what Jilly Gagnon writes next!
