Name: lexie's review of What If You & Me by Roni Loren
Item: What If You & Me
Rating: 4
Author: lexie

Roni Loren

A beautifully emotional and unforgettably steamy new contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestseller Roni Loren. Some would call Andi Lockley a little paranoid, but she just calls herself prepared. After getting way too close to a deadly man as a teen, she's spent the last few years channeling her anxiety into writing horror novels and producing a true crime podcast. Things are looking up...if only her grumpy new neighbor would stop stomping around at all hours of the night. Former firefighter Hill Dawson can't sleep. After losing part of his leg in a rescue gone wrong, he's now stuck at home. He needs to figure out what he's supposed to do with his life, and he doesn't need to be distracted by the chatty-yet-anxious redhead next door. But when someone breaks into Andi's place, Hill can't stop himself from intervening. Soon, a tentative bond forms between the unlikely pair. But what starts out as a neighborly exchange quickly turns into more...if Andi can learn to put aside her fear and trust in herself and others again.

What If You & Me

Cheryl Hedlund

lexie

Kristen Claiborn

The Brenda Novak Book Club was the first of the celebrity book clubs I started following. I had honestly never heard of Brenda Novak prior to seeing an ad on Facebook, but since I love books, and I REALLY love romance, I dove right in. I have thoroughly enjoyed almost every book that Brenda Novak has added to her book club every month. I will forever be grateful to Mrs. Novak for introducing me to so many new authors AND introducing me to the joy that is (are?) celebrity book clubs. 
 One of the things that I absolutely hate is reading a book, or even partially reading a book, and finding out it is part of a series. That happened with this one. And even more frustrating is that many of these books don't acknowledge the series anywhere on the damn cover. So, unfortunately, that's why this book got three stars from me. It's sufficiently adorable, and it covers all the romance requirements, so it was a satisfying read, but it was JUST a satisfying read. Much of why I wasn't dazzled was because of the lack of previous warning that it was the second book in a series. That just chapped my hide.

Amanda

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was very good and did a great job evoking the different characters and their emotions.

The story itself was very fun and flirty. I liked that with all the horror and true crime scenery and subplots, it never became a horror. It just stayed a cute, fun romance about two people trying to get over their past trauma. There was some scare intensity near the end, but it wasn't the entire plot of the book and it resolved quickly.

On a personal note, I cheered with vindication when Andi compared a certain popular romcom to a horror film. I say the same things about it but people think I'm crazy 😜

All in all, a really enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

Pretty easy read! The steamy scene were great. The ending is a little hallmark but all and all good book!

Heather Hooker

Preye

Ahhhh. I loved this! Full review on the blog (Click here)!! 
New favourite author alert fellow readers! Haven't fallen in love with a book this fast guys! It's sweet and spicy and everything in between!

Maya Federman

I received an ARC of this book through Net Galley, and I'm so glad I did! This was my second ever Roni Loren book, and she did not disappoint. It definitely leans more toward the rom-commy vibe, and reading this felt like a warm hug (with spice).

I loved both of our main characters, and how they both had a good deal of PTSD and trauma they were working through, both on their own and together. This book was told from a third-person omniscient POV, which isn't my favorite, but I think it actually worked very well in this case to give us more of a bird's eye view.

As a major horror movie fan myself, I was absolutely delighted at the horror references sprinkled in throughout the book. Andi is a horror novelist and podcaster, and has immaculate taste in the "best cinematic genre." The fact that some of my all-time favorite movies were mentioned and hyped up made me so so happy. 

Spice-wise, Roni did not disappoint. Both of our characters come together with baggage to contend with, but the way that Hill constantly checks in and makes Andi feel safe and at ease was so amazing to see--we need more books with this level of consent. Normalizing it makes it sexy. 

LOVED this book!!

Jackie Siegel

Pretty standard romance book, some trauma with the characters, and exactly what you would expect to happen, happens. A good palate cleanse for me, but nothing to write home about.

Lauren Sullivan

Content notes: (view spoiler)[Anxiety, panic attack, amputation as a result of an accident (before book starts), depression, PTSD, cheating ex, drug addiction (of a parent, before book starts), sexual assault and grooming (retold on page), attempted assault with minor injuries (on page) (hide spoiler)]

Grumpy/sunshine is a favorite trope of mine, so I was very excited to read this newest book by Roni Loren, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s also a fascinating take on that trope: while Andi is extroverted and optimistic, she’s not without her own troubles, and I loved how in some ways she’s less sunshine-y than her “grumpy werewolf” neighbor. This is the second in the series but can easily be read as a standalone.

Andi’s never met her neighbor – frankly she half suspects he’s a werewolf since she only hears him moving around at night – until a late night horror movie session leads him to think she’s in trouble. It’s been two years since his career-ending injury, but Hill still thinks of himself as a firefighter, so of course he rushes over to help. Andi’s not entirely sure she can trust him (her gut’s been wrong before) but when she needs help, he’s the one she runs to. As horror movie viewings turn into quasi-dates, can Andi and Hill overcome their pasts to trust and rely on each other?

Andi was introduced in Hollyn’s book, the bubbly and extroverted true crime/horror podcaster who befriends a befuddled Hollyn and encourages her in her own relationship. While I’m neither a horror buff nor a horror virgin like Hill, I appreciated how much Andi loved the genre (while still understanding its shortcomings) and how it was a coping mechanism for her. I think a lot of times we think coping mechanisms are just crutches, but this is something she loves and makes money doing while helping other women. Definitely life goals material! Andi’s anxiety manifests in a variety of ways, but mostly constant “what-if’s” – what if she forgot to lock the patio door? What if her new neighbor is lying about being a firefighter? A lot of those what-ifs especially make it hard for her to have a relationship, as she’s very wary of men in general due to her past experiences.

“If you stop moving, you get more stuck, more hopeless. So even if moving forward is the last thing you feel like you have the energy to do, you have to force yourself sometimes—even if it’s little things.”

Hill is two years out from the injury that ended his career as a firefighter. He’s still woken every night by nightmares and has no idea what to do with himself, other than being landlord for a few rental properties, including the one he’s currently living in. His best friend is pushing him to write a cookbook since he loved cooking for the firehouse, but he can’t seem to drag himself out of his depression long enough to get started. But then he meets Andi and he can’t get her out of his head. To be honest, I was the same way, in that I found Andi to be the more compelling character of the two. This isn’t necessarily a knock against Hill but more that it was easy for me to empathize with her due to my own experiences.

“He knew what that feeling was—wanting something but not knowing if you were capable of having it without your demons getting in the way. He fought those wars, too.”

The romance between Andi and Hill is very slow-burn, partly due to Andi’s previous trauma. To be honest, neither person thinks they’re ready for a relationship, so it starts out as more of a friends-with-benefits situation. Both have scars from their past traumas that affect how they approach relationships, though in Hill’s cause they’re both physical as well as mental. And while I can’t speak to Hill’s disability, I felt like it was handled thoughtfully. One of the things I loved about Andi and Hill’s relationship is that they fit so well with each other, not in spite of their traumas but because of them, and watching them figure that out with honesty and patience and superb communication was incredibly fulfilling. The consent is excellent. While the situation that forms Andi’s trauma isn’t what most people would think of when with sexual assault – and it’s something her own parents deny was assault – Hill immediately grasps it. I liked how he respected her boundaries, and I liked how, once he admitted he had some depression-related inertia and that he needed a push, she became that push, inviting him over to watch movies and visit her coworking space. Trauma, especially Andi’s type of trauma, takes away your feelings of safety, and one thing I really loved was seeing the characters think about their relationship in those terms: which feeling came first in their relationship, love or safety?

“People seem to think horror is anti-woman, but I think a lot of it subverts gender dynamics. In most cases, you don’t want to be the dude in the horror movie. The dudes get dead. They ride in like the hero to save the ladies and the villain is like—nope. The women save themselves.”

I am a huge fan of how the author writes mental health. It’s normalized for characters to talk about therapy and coping mechanisms. If a character sets a boundary, it’s respected, and for the most part everyone involved, including side characters, is sensitive to mental health topics. It’s why I’m ok with reading this series (and her previous series) even though it has such heavy content because I trust it will be handled well. As for cons, I didn’t find the suspense portion of the story very compelling. I saw it coming from the beginning of the book and was hoping I was wrong, since it seemed to pop up at random times rather than being woven throughout the plot. I’m generally not a fan of the “omg I almost lost you” clue by four. In the author’s defense, it was done as well and gently as I thought it could be and it reinforced Andi’s control of her own life.

Overall, while I didn’t care for the suspense arc, it’s a small portion of the book and greatly overshadowed by the amazingly built relationship between Andi and Hill. Roni Loren’s solidified herself a place on my auto-buy list and I can’t wait to see where this series goes next!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Linda Quintanilla

I don't know how to say this but I love it yet I don't love it. You know. I did enjoy reading this book but at the same time, I got really annoyed with the main character. She was just not it for me. I tried my hardest in convincing myself to give her a chance. She just acted too much for my taste. Yes, I know I sound a bit judgy. But she always had to refer to her past as a coping mechanism and always judge people's flaws. No one is perfect in life but not everyone is going to hurt you. I just could not get over her consistent back and forth.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I really liked Yes & I Love You, but I LOVED What If You & Me (and I can't wait for the third book, For You & No One Else). Andi intrigued me in the first book, so I was really looking forward to learning more about her in her book. I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared for aspects of her back story (um, literal serial killer ex-boyfriend holy shit) but I loved so much watching her work to move beyond that. Which, naturally, wasn't easy. Hill played an important part in her growth, especially when it came to trust and intimacy. Though their past traumas were different, they could relate to each other. It was a beautiful book with a wonderful romance.

Amy Arthun Lorton 

I would say 3.5. I really liked it up until the inevitable conflict. I just didn’t believe that he would do what he did.

Martyna Kwiatkowska

A beautifully emotional and unforgettably steamy new contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestseller Roni Loren. The world can be a scary place. At least, that's what Andi Lockley's anxiety wants her to believe. It doesn't help that she narrowly escaped a dangerous man years ago, or that every relationship since has been colored with that lingering fear. But things are better now—she's channeling everything into her career as a horror novelist and true crime podcaster, and her next book may be the breakthrough she needs. If only her grumpy new neighbor would stop stomping around at all hours of the night. Former firefighter Hill Dawson can't sleep. After losing part of his leg in a rescue gone wrong, he's now stuck in limbo. He needs to figure out what he's supposed to do with his life, and he can't let himself get distracted by the pretty redhead next door. But when someone breaks into Andi's place, Hill can't stop himself from rushing in to play the hero. Soon, a tentative bond forms between the unlikely pair. But what starts out as a neighborly exchange quickly turns into the chance for so much more...if Andi can learn to put aside her fear and trust in herself—and love—again.

Cheryl Hedlund &
What If You & Me by Roni Loren

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