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ashleyelmreads's review against another edition
4.0
I flew through this one! Honestly wish there were 50-100 more pages. I love how this one incorporated horror movies while the first book had romance movies. I’m excited to see what genre the next book will include. I love Andi and Hill. Really great characters with some tragedy in their pasts. I loved Andi in Hollyn’s book and I’m so glad I love her even more in her own book. She’s strong, brave, witty, and so funny. Hill is a big, gentle sweetheart. I should have been taking notes from Chef Hill. Seriously love how Roni Loren fully develops her characters. They have pasts, flaws, dreams, passions. And they communicate with each other! I don’t know why authors insist on using the miscommunication trope! It makes me so mad and doesn’t add to the story at all! It’s so frustrating. Especially when we know they’re going to end up together because this is the romance genre! It doesn’t really bode well that the couple is going to last or that they have a healthy relationship when they hide speaking their true feelings to one another. Roni Loren’s books are the example! Her characters don’t shy away from speaking the truth and I love it so much!! Her books haven’t made me cry (yet), but this one also made me tear up. Chapter 24, World on Fire by Sarah McLachlan is mentioned, so I listened to the song and it’s the perfect song for Andi and Hill! Loren weaves a story together so well! It’s just amazing the details she includes and you can tell how well thought out her stories are. I’ve debated giving this 5 stars, but need to think about it some more. It’s really good. And I know I want to reread these books some day and annotate them. I really love the movie aspect of these books. Not just the mention of them, but the discussion around tropes and what can be learned from movies. Andi’s take on some romantic movies is amazing, too! Very, very excited to pick up the next book, which released today!
Search up trigger warnings!
Listened to the audiobook narrated by Desiree Ketchum.
Search up trigger warnings!
Listened to the audiobook narrated by Desiree Ketchum.
allisonderose's review against another edition
4.0
i don’t care to critically analyze this book. please don’t ask me to. i just liked it and i was kicking my feet so silly.
jen286's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved Andi and Hill and how they were so sweet together! They both have major baggage to deal with, but they both are just wonderful! They can open up to each other and be themselves and it was so sweet. Plus I loved that Andi was a huge horror fan and all the talk around that (as a huge horror fan myself it was fun! Not often do I get some horror references in my romance!). The only thing that annoyed me was Hill's ex who was horrible to Andi, I absolutely hated the way she talked about Andi, but she never apologizes for that. She had Hill have a talk about the past and wanting to be nicer and he apologizes for his part, but even after she just was crappy about Andi she still doesn't think to say anything or apologize for that which I hated. But she is not a large part of the book so it was fine. I still loved Andi and Hill!
peneloperea's review
4.0
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing the audio arc of What if You & Me by Roni Loren, narrated by Desiree Ketchum in exchange for my honest review.
What If You & Me is the 2nd book in the series, but the 1st in the series for me. We follow MC Andi Lockley, a horror writer, and crime podcaster, who struggles daily from a trauma in her past. She meets her “grumpy” next-door neighbor and landlord Hill Dawson, a former firefighter who is struggling with PTSD from a more recent trauma that ended his career as a firefighter and sent his entire world up in the air.
Both Andi & Hill are adorably sweet and compliment each other well. They are both struggling with real-life physical, mental and emotional trauma. Loren manages to write dark and difficult conversations on topics from depression, anxiety, trauma, and violence with a ton of respect, kindness, and a focus on healing, consent, and growth. I found the characters interesting and well-written. I enjoyed their quirks and vulnerability with each other, but more importantly the scenes when they weren’t together, they were still characters that I wanted to spend time with.
If you are looking for a swoon-worthy, sassy emotional read with plenty of blushing scenes, you will enjoy What if You & Me. The dark and emotional scenes are heavy, but I promise it’s worth it. You have to get down in them in order to really enjoy the happy swoon-worthy scenes. The payoff is, you get to watch two people who struggle to feel whole, build a beautiful relationship that allows them both to heal some of their trauma. Sweet romances are not usually my go-to, but I found Hill & Andi a great balance of each other, and as a Libra, that’s important to me. I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a romance with a little more grit.
What If You & Me is the 2nd book in the series, but the 1st in the series for me. We follow MC Andi Lockley, a horror writer, and crime podcaster, who struggles daily from a trauma in her past. She meets her “grumpy” next-door neighbor and landlord Hill Dawson, a former firefighter who is struggling with PTSD from a more recent trauma that ended his career as a firefighter and sent his entire world up in the air.
Both Andi & Hill are adorably sweet and compliment each other well. They are both struggling with real-life physical, mental and emotional trauma. Loren manages to write dark and difficult conversations on topics from depression, anxiety, trauma, and violence with a ton of respect, kindness, and a focus on healing, consent, and growth. I found the characters interesting and well-written. I enjoyed their quirks and vulnerability with each other, but more importantly the scenes when they weren’t together, they were still characters that I wanted to spend time with.
If you are looking for a swoon-worthy, sassy emotional read with plenty of blushing scenes, you will enjoy What if You & Me. The dark and emotional scenes are heavy, but I promise it’s worth it. You have to get down in them in order to really enjoy the happy swoon-worthy scenes. The payoff is, you get to watch two people who struggle to feel whole, build a beautiful relationship that allows them both to heal some of their trauma. Sweet romances are not usually my go-to, but I found Hill & Andi a great balance of each other, and as a Libra, that’s important to me. I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a romance with a little more grit.
aprilalwayswithabook's review against another edition
5.0
I love how Roni Loren can write complex characters that have very little miscommunication, a ton of backstory, and super hot sexytimes scenes all in one book. This is the best series.
leopardsheetcake's review against another edition
5.0
honest, tender, hopeful, and a steamy kind of wholesome. deals with some heavy topics but does it with sensitivity and treats the wounded characters with honor and autonomy. i loved this book.
jennie_cole's review
3.0
Andi is a blogger and podcaster that specializes in horror films and ways women can protect themselves. She is also very protective in her own life by carrying pepper spray, locking all of her doors, and keeping her secrets close to her chest. She might have a reason to be this way but now her new neighbor is an ex-fire fighter with his own pain and secrets and there is something about him that makes Andi want to spend time with him. Who knows they might be good for each other but first Hill, the neighbor, will teach Andi how to cook and she will introduce him to horror films. This is an enjoyable romance novel that reads fast and combines with a little thriller as well.
duhbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
It was an enjoyable read I just don’t think this one hit as hard as it’s predecessor. Maybe if it had been a complete standalone and not an interconnected series I might’ve given it a higher rating but then again I don’t think I would’ve picked it up