You, with a View

After two extremely bad novels, I needed a winner to overcome a severe reading slump - and this one served very well. Amusingly, the one genre I never used to read - romance - led me straight back to reading.

Noelle, going on 30, has lost her beloved grandmother Kathleen, her job and her flat; the latter, adding insult to injury, leading to her moving back into her childhood bedroom at her parents’…

At that point, still deeply grieving, Noelle finds out that Kathleen had a great love before her eventual husband. Her curiosity piqued and in continuation of an old secret-trading game Noelle and granny played, she finds Paul, her grandmother’s old lover, and his grandson - her college “nemesis” Theo.

Theo has become a hotshot show more entrepreneur, a Forbes' 30 Under 30 - you get the gist. There’s something rotten in the state of Denmark, though… Together, our three protagonists go on a roadtrip to the core of their respective relationships.

This is the basic story and, of course, Noelle and Theo fall for each other in a enemies/rivals-to-lovers situation. What made me basically plough through this novel over the course of two days was the sensitivity with which all three protagonists are portrayed: Scarce are the “cheap shots” and yet “You” exudes an atmosphere of kind, sensible and sensitive lightness without being without substance.

The banter between Noelle and Theo is entertaining and funny and their more serious interactions feel heartfelt and honest. Throughout the entire novel, the story and its protagonists never leave the realm of plausibility.

Both Theo and Noelle have serious issues in their lives but Noelle slowly opens up to Theo and their mutual trust grows while they get to know each other again. There’s attraction early on but no “instant love” but personal growth in vibrantly and lively depicted environments.

There’s also no third-act breakup: Yes, there’s a conflict but it arises completely naturally and believably. It’s also dealt with by the author in a very sensible and sensitive manner - I could very much relate to Theo’s unfortunate behaviour and in the 25th year of our marriage (haha, C.!) I’m very happy to have found a person who acted (and still sometimes has to act) just like Noelle does at a certain point.

Paul is also a well-used asset and I really think the overarching backstory of his relationship with Kathleen really added to the mix. I really, really liked the epilogue as well. A brilliant and very fitting idea that I’ve actually never read before.

Even among its countless siblings in the romance genre, “You” stands strong and tall.

The missing fifth star is due to some choices of the author I don’t fully approve of but which only marginally diminished my enthusiastic reading of a very nice, charming, and refreshing romance novel.

Thus, very easy, very deserved four stars out of five.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Mastodon | Instagram | Pinterest | Medium | Matrix | Tumblr

Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam show less

Well, this was absolutely delightful. I smiled, I cried, I cried some more. The writing was great, the plot was super, and there were no dumb misunderstandings. This very much felt like a love letter to the author's grandmother, and I hope it was. Jessica Joyce is on my list of authors to watch.

This was perfection. I've been waiting for this one for months and jumped on it the minute it was available.

Noelle is not crushing it personally, professionally, or at home. Her favorite person in the world died a few months ago and when she was going through her things in the garage found an entire romantic love story that she had no idea about. She posted the photos on TikTok and asked if anyone recognized the man in the photos. Immediately, she gets a hit from someone who says it's his grandpa. Shocker upon shocker, it's her high school rival from a decade ago and he is killing it professionally and loves his grandpa. She's livid to learn this about him.

Guys, the banter. She ends up on a road trip with Theo and his grandfather and show more that is so much time to be on your good behavior so she doesn't really try. Her grandmother and Theo's grandpa had planned out a road trip for the honeymoon they never managed to take. Since she doesn't have anything else going on, she documents it for TikTok.

She has the unique ability to recognize that he has an excellent whole body and face thing going on but she would really like to punch it for quite a bit of the trip. They end up becoming friends during whispered conversations at night or on quiet hikes. The grandpa gives her a new love letter a day from her beloved grandmother and it was so nice to see how things paralleled the current story and how they didn't.

It's grief and it's love and it's joy and it's quiet. Plan to read the book.

Thank you to PRH Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own. show less

I gave You, with a View 3 stars because while it had a really cute premise and some sweet moments, it didn’t completely pull me in the way I hoped. I loved the idea behind the story, it’s heartfelt, has a bit of self-discovery, and the romance is soft and charming, but something about the pacing felt a little off for me.
The characters were likable and had some really cute interactions, but I didn’t fully connect with them emotionally. There were definitely parts I enjoyed, especially the travel elements and the moments that felt like little reminders to live life fully, but it just wasn’t a new favorite for me overall.
That said, it’s still a solid, easy read if you’re in the mood for a road trip romance with some heart. show more It’s got fun banter, a bit of wanderlust, and a good mix of sweet and emotional moments, it just didn’t completely wow me. show less

This was fantastic! I decided to give this book a try after reading some really positive reviews and I am so glad that I did. I liked this group of characters right away and I couldn’t wait to go on this journey with Noelle. Once I started listening to this audiobook, I simply did not want to stop because I just had to know what would happen next.

Noelle has recently lost her grandmother and is still grieving the loss. When she finds some old love letters and photos in her grandmother’s items, she wants to know more and posts a video to TikTok. She is able to find her grandmother’s lost love who happens to be the grandfather of the boy she knew in high school. Theo and Noelle were not exactly friends in high school so it is a bit show more of a surprise when Noelle, Theo, and Theo’s grandfather decide to take the trip that her grandmother planned for the honeymoon that never happened.

Noelle and Theo had wonderful chemistry together. Both of them had a few issues to work through and it seemed like the trip was exactly what they needed. I loved watching this pair grow closer as they spent more time together. Theo’s grandfather, Paul, was an amazing addition to the story and I really liked how he was always there for not only Theo but also Noelle. I couldn’t wait to see this pair find their happily ever after together.

Kyla Garcia did an amazing job with the narration of this book. I believe that this was the first time that I have had the chance to listen to her narration and I was quite impressed. She has a very pleasant voice that I found easy to listen to for hours at a time. She was able to add just the right amount of emotion into her reading to fully bring this group of characters to life. I am certain that her performance only added to my enjoyment of this story.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I thought that this was an incredibly well-done romance featuring characters that were easy to love. I am super impressed that this is Jessica Joyce’s debut novel and cannot wait to read more of her work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio. show less

This enemies to lovers road trip book takes the characters from one national park to another. It was a perfect fit for the trip I just took as we visited many of the same places. It was spicier than I expected, but I loved the characters, former high school rivals, and they way they pushed each other and became a safe place for each other to be vulnerable as they process grief. Highly recommended if you want a romance that takes place on a trip out west.

Noelle Shepard is out of a job and living with her parents when she stumbles across some pictures of her grandmother and a man she doesn't know. After putting together a TikTok video using the pictures, she finds, Paul, the man her grandmother fell in love with but never married. Unfortunately, Paul's grandson is Noelle's nemesis from high school, the wildly successful, Theo Spencer. Paul shares a map with Noelle and Theo of the honeymoon trip that he had planned to take with Noelle's grandmother, and the three of them decide to take the trip together. What happens on the road changes all three of their lives forever.

You, with a View borders on women's fiction but also includes an engrossing romance. The two main characters are annoying show more at times, but their foibles and insecurities make them more realistic and provide for satisfying character arcs. The letters written by Noelle's grandmother to Paul tie the narrative together and add angst to their love story. There is some humor, especially when Noelle and Theo become competitive, but there could have been more to lighten up parts of the plot that become pretty heavy. Overall, You, with a View is an enjoyable travel romance that touches on some deeper themes. show less