Sometimes you read a book that leaves you with so many good feelings that you want to dive into it again just to see if you can keep them going and that’s exactly how I felt when I finished Yes & I Love You. ~ Slick – Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Synopsis:
Everyone knows Miz Poppy, the vibrant reviewer whose commentary brightens the New Orleans nightlife. But no one knows Hollyn Tate, the real face behind the media star…or the anxiety that keeps her isolated. All her life, Hollyn’s tried to hide her true self behind an online façade, but when her boss tells her she needs to reveal the truth to the world or lose her job, she’s forced to rely on an unexpected source to help face her fears.
Enter Jasper Deares: actor, newly minted fake boyfriend, and way, way out of her league. Hollyn thinks Jasper must be joking when he offers private lessons to help overcome her fears. Getting up on a stage? Hello, worst nightmare. But Jasper’s infectious charm has her saying yes despite herself. They’re only supposed to be playing a few improv games, but as the lessons run longer and the lines grow blurrier, Hollyn can’t help but wonder if she’s acting at all…or if a relationship with Jasper might help give her the confidence she needs to say yes to every imperfect part of herself.
Sometimes you read a book that leaves you with so many good feelings that you want to dive into it again just to see
if you can keep them going and that’s exactly how I felt when I finished Yes & I Love You. I loved the way author Roni Loren wrote characters who were marginalized and underrepresented in most of the arts and I applaud her for that, in addition I felt she was respectful of their disorders and the way they can affect a person’s life. This book had a different feel from Ms. Loren’s other books but not in a bad way, it was lighter and had a bit more of a women’s fiction vibe (but this heavy romantic elements). I was mesmerized by these characters, their story, and invested in getting to the end to see how it would all turn out.
Living with social anxiety brought on by her Tourette syndrome, Hollyn Tate is doing her best at getting out and having a life in her new home town of New Orleans. Spurred on by her therapist, and her best friend who lives in Baton Rouge, Hollyn rents office space in WorkAround, a co-op office for creative types. Hollyn is Miz Poppy, an arts and entertainment journalist whose real identity isn’t known by anyone other than her, her best friend, and her boss. She is still not completely comfortable in her office space, but she knows she needs to be around other people even if it terrifies her. Jasper Deares is back in New Orleans after a short stint in L.A. where his then girlfriend made it and he crashed and burned. He’s taken a job as a barista at WorkAround while continuing to work with the Improv group, Hell Yes! The minute they meet there’s attraction which causes Hollyn to give off not interested vibes to Jasper who she believes is totally out of her league, little does she know he’s feeling the same way.
Hollyn amazed me throughout this book, she struggled, yet she kept putting herself out these and began to realize that she was holding herself back. She was smart, funny, snarky, and so damn resilient. Her life hadn’t been easy from bullying to being sheltered, yet she managed to go to college, have a first relationship with someone she trusted, and finally moving to a new city on her own. I loved watching her make friends, and opening up and asking for what she wanted from Jasper.
I love watching their friendship bloom and the way Jasper helped Hollyn begin to see that everyone had their own insecurities. The more comfortable Hollyn was around Jasper, the more she opened up to other people she came into contact with which enabled her to take the steps she needed to keep her job.
While I wasn’t thrilled with the ex’s drama, Cal’s relationship as Hollyn’s best friend was important and even though he threw a wrench into her life, it was actually good because it forced her to make some decisions with the help of an on page therapy session. I could have done without Jasper’s ex-girlfriend reappearing yet her callousness led Jasper to figuring out what was important in life.
I enjoyed every unique moment of Yes & I Love You; the dialog was smart, the characters well developed and quirky, and the pace kept me captivated from start to finish.
4.5 stars
Purchase from
AMAZON
