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 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.

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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam ( )

3.5 stars, enemies to lovers

I really enjoyed the writing in this book. The setup is a little unbelievable, but I liked the two main characters. There is a lot of conflict created by lack of communication, but I think the author does a good job of making you understand why the two main characters don't feel comfortable sharing the information with each other. ( )

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 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. ( )

Ah, don't we just love those meddling grandparents. I am consistently surprised by how much of a role they play in match making whether they are still alive or not. I'm also kind of fascinated by the role that grief is playing in so many new contemporary romances. Maybe it's not new, but I feel like there's some processing going on in our collective or something.

This book was sweet, a little bit sexy, but I'll admit for having an epistolary angle (for the grandparents of the main characters), those letters fell flat for me. I'm not sure if I struggled with the idea that the letters were from Noelle's grandma, but the narrative was then expanded by Theo's grandpa, but her letters didn't really make us feel how she was feeling and neither did Paul's story, generally speaking. I also think they were supposed to set the stage of the characters' emotional journeys, but I felt this failed too because the letters amounted to "I love you, but how how how," where the present-day struggles of the characters were about being vulnerable. Maybe it wasn't meant to be a mirror, but then it's a poor device and unnecessary in my opinion. Nothing about them helped us understand Noelle's grandmother or Noelle better, nor the couple. It was a missed opportunity for a what was a clever idea.

Theo's major conflict is his need for perfection, and his career turn. I really didn't have much to anchor on why I should care other than one or two ways.

All in all, this was fine, with the potential to be far better. There were some undoubtedly delightful moments, but the devices were, in my opinion, thinly spun. Recommended with reservations--it is an addicting and pleasant enough read. 2.75, rounded up. ( )

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 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. ( )