Series: Say Everything, #1
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
When aspiring actor Jasper Deares finds out the shy woman who orders coffee every day is actually Miz Poppy, he realizes he has a golden opportunity to get the media attention his acting career needs. All he has to do is help Hollyn come out of her shell…and through their growing connection, finally find her voice.
A beautifully emotional new contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestseller Roni Loren.
Believe it or not, this is my first Roni Loren book! And I loved every single minute of it. I loved the premise when I requested it on Netgalley, but I did not expect to love this story as much as I did. From the characters to the setting, the details and the steam – Yes & I Love You delivered such a beautiful story about just trusting in yourself to achieve the best the world has to offer. It’s a story about being comfortable with yourself and never letting anything else get in the way of what you want to do. And I absolutely loved that about this book.
Yes & I Love You follows Hollyn and Jasper as they go through the motions of letting each other accept their own truths and connect with each other and all of it happens at a coworking space, which instantly gives this book a whole new vibe that I absolutely loved. Hollyn hides behind her online persona ‘Miz Poppy’ because she’s spent her whole life being teased and mocked for her Tourette’s. She’s not comfortable in unknown settings and new faces and she struggles to maintain proper relationships with people unless they’ve known her a long time. She works out of WorkAround because her therapist suggested it and Hollyn is finally comfortable enough that she gets through every single day without wanting to run and hide. Till she meets Jasper.
“Attraction was the worst. It was like detonating a bomb inside her, setting off all the most embarrassing aspects of her anxiety and Tourette’s.”
Jasper is new to the coworking space and he’s an aspiring actor as well as the new coffee guy. Having been raised in the foster system and having been dumped recently, Jasper has issues with abandonment and puts all of his focus into his improv group. And yet, somehow the two of them are drawn to each other like moths to a flame and what should be a meet-cute turns into absolute disaster. And almost every time they meet after that is chaos, but it’s so much fun to read! An improv session gone awry leads to an appendix surgery and then the building of a beautiful new friendship.
Jasper and Hollyn are incredibly hot together, that’s the first thing I can tell you. It takes them time to really get to know each other and adjust to the way they work, but once they do, it’s absolute fire. Hollyn’s Tourette’s wasn’t treated like a crutch for her life, it is part of who she is and I love how that was portrayed. I also loved how it was seen from Jasper’s point of view and not just how Hollyn sees herself. And more than that, the banter and the friendship that Jasper and Hollyn build through the story was so important and so wonderfully crafted. I absolutely loved their relationship, but I feel like it worked so well because they set up this friendship that was undeniable before they took things to the next level.
“Goddamn. She was doomed. Artsy hot was so much sexier than obvious hot.”
And my god, guys, the next level is HELLA HOT! Jasper and Hollyn set every page on fire and it’s not just with their witty banter, but in the way they are with eahc other. The chemistry is explosive and I love that they both just ask for what they want and take it without hesitation. Jasper introduces Hollyn to so many great new things about sex and to watch him push her beyond her comfort zone is truly the hottest thing ever. There’s sex in public (sort of), there’s a ridiculously hot face sitting scene that is making me fan myself by just thinking about it and there’s all this constant chemistry they’re building between each other as the relationship grows.
But beyond their physical relationship, I really enjoyed watching them learn about each other and help each other with their own things. Hollyn slowly comes out of her shell thanks to Jasper’s presence and she lets herself just explore so much beyond what she’s always done. While Jasper’s support helps her do it, I love that Hollyn keeps going. She takes charge and she takes every step forward on her own. Especially since Jasper makes some really terrible life choices and makes me question everything I loved about him at first. But you know what, he’s alright.
Yes & I Love You gave me such joy! I loved all the characters, even Cal who found a way to really upset me at one point. And I’m so excited that Andi gets her own book because it’s going to be so much fun!
Thanks to Roni Loren, Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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