title: Love You, Mean It
author: Jilly Gagnon
publisher: Dell
publication date: April 30, 2024
pages: 304
peppers: 3 (on this scale)
warnings: dead sibling from violent accident
summary: Ellie, who runs her family's deli, is upset to learn that a rich boy she knew in high school is working to bring a giant Italian food emporium to town. She ends up in a fake relationship with the rich boy to try to prevent his family's real estate empire from moving ahead with that plan.
tropes:
- big business threatens small business
- family businesses
- fake engagement
- the one that got away
- great friends
- family means everything
- rich man with horrible, controlling father
- dead sibling and parent
- temporary amnesia
- enemies-to-lovers
- we're not right for each other
- cousin is best friend
what I liked: This trope-heavy book delivered a lot of fun in the fake-engagement-turns-into-real-love category. I liked the scenes of family and food.
what I didn’t like:
- their dark moment is pretty dark, as they both say extremely harsh things.
- I'd want her, in particular, to figure out her feelings quicker, as she tells the same lies to herself too many times
overall rating: 4 (of 5 stars)