You're It

by Cleo White

I am a walking, talking disaster.

Sometimes it feels like every step I take leads to a mistake that is painful or embarrassing, or painful and embarrassing, and it’s pretty remarkable that natural selection hasn’t taken me out yet.

The point is, I have a lot of experience in cleaning up my own messes. Even with all that practice, though, inheriting my dad’s failing laser tag business might be a little much.

Saving Galactic Guild Arena won’t be easy. Especially when my new business partner is my dad’s best friend/famous author/grouchy recluse/my former crush.

Darwin Wilder knows better than anyone what a mess I am. The man hates me, and for good reason. I need to remember that, because in a life full of missteps, falling for my dad’s best friend is one mistake I know I’ll never recover from.


This book is a steamy, age gap romance about two imperfect characters with sizzling chemistry and lots of reasons not to fall for each other. If you love forbidden romance, extra spicy spice, and a love story that will make you kick your feet and squeal, this is the book for you!

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity, Novella, Spicy

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2024

About the author

Cleo White's affinity for all things dramatic and hopelessly romantic began the day she was born, which happened to be in the middle of a record-breaking snowstorm on Valentine’s Day. Her love of literature came soon after, and she spent the better part of her childhood with both a book and a notebook full of unfinished stories in hand. Later in life, she found a love of writing spicy books with complicated characters and dysfunctional family drama. Cleo currently lives in Vermont with her husband and two daughters. When not writing, she can be found hiking, gardening, painting, and consuming excessive quantities of caffeine.

Reviews

[Kiara (easing back in) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This man who makes me feel seen, respected, and supported. This man who I realize—with a sensation akin to a kick to the chest—feels like coming home.”

👾 The Premise

After her father’s death, Savvy inherits his struggling laser tag business, Galactic Guild Arena—along with one massive complication: her new business partner is Darwin Wilder, her late father’s best friend, a famous sci-fi author, and the man who broke her heart nine years ago.

Forced to work together to save the business, the two are pushed back into each other’s orbit, where unresolved feelings and undeniable chemistry quickly resurface.

🕹️ My Thoughts

I really liked this one! What made it stand out to me most was definitely Darwin.

I genuinely can’t remember ever reading a romance with OCD representation quite like this before, and I thought it was handled really well.

His compulsions and anxiety never felt like they were there just to create conflict—they genuinely shaped his life, relationships, and ability to let people in. Watching him slowly allow himself to be vulnerable and open himself up to happiness with Savvy was easily my favorite part of the book.

“It's an obsession. I'm familiar with those, as they've dominated my entire life, but this one is different. Taking care of her isn't something I want to resist.”

Savvy and Darwin worked so well together. Their relationship had so much tenderness underneath all the tension, history, and longing. Savvy is chaotic in a very believable way—constantly feeling like she’s messing things up—but underneath that she’s resilient, caring, and far more capable than she gives herself credit for.

“No. No, Savvy. You are my safe space. You are my home—you are my fucking partner.”

The laser tag / arcade setting also made the whole book feel cozy and unique. It gave the story so much personality and charm.

Oh—and on a final note, I absolutely loved the audiobook.

I’m usually more of a duet narration person, but the dual narration by Savannah Thomas and Ryan Lee Dunlap worked so well here. Both voices fit the characters perfectly and really brought the story to life.

Tropes / What to Expect

👾 Dad’s Best Friend
💙 Age Gap (27 / 45)
👾 Forced Proximity
💙 OCD Rep
👾 Second Chance Vibes
💙 Virgin MMC
👾 Opposites Attract

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
✧･ﾟPre-Read ･ﾟ✧

laser tag romance???
say less 🎮

[Jen ♥]

I really should've stopped when it was clearly not working for me. The fact that I've been reading this for four days straight should've been a clear sign. 🤦‍♀️

But nope, stubborn me just wasn't about to give up. Was it even worth my time?! Honestly, no. I found it pretty boring for the majority of the time.

Anywaaay, I suppose I'll just hope to have better luck with my next read. 🤞


Book info:
- Dad's best friend
- Age gap (18)
- Second chance-ish (??)
- OCD rep
- V MMC
- No cheating, OM/OW, separation
- HEA (married and pregnant)

[Hollylovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

* Seriously guys? Spicy Laser Tag, okay? This book is amazing. I read it in one sitting and I’m SO happy with it. Cleos writing is spot on to what I love. I knew instantly I was hooked. Their story flows perfectly, from the backstory, to the present. The “we shouldn’t” vibes. The spice. I can’t recommend it enough.

* Savvy and Dar, gahhh I miss them already and I just finished the story! Savvy is sassy, strong, and stubborn as hell! Dar with his quirks, his sexiness, which for me comes from everything that he is. 🥵

* I don’t want to say too much about it and give anything away. Basically I wouldn’t change a dang thing about this book. Already thinking about when I’ll reread it!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
👾 late dad’s best friend
💙 age gap
👾 second chance-ish
💙 opposites attract
👾 OCD & ADHD rep
💙 lots of banter
👾 slow burn
💙 secret tattoo
👾 spicy laser tag
Rating: 4.45✨

Did I just read another Cleo White’s book right after I finished “Chilled and Thrilled”? I certainly did.
Did I enjoy it? Yes, yes I did.
Will I read anything else from her? You can bet your @ss I will.

I feel like Joey Tribbiani while he’s eating the trifle. Like, what’s not to like? Story? Good. Banter? Good. Spice? Goood. So yeah, have some of it, too!😂

[Rin Lashay · Rating 5 out of 5]

We open as all around hot mess express - and ironically named - Savvy spirals from not only facing down a fiber-less turd but inheriting all daddy dearest’s poor financial choices. Enter tall, grumpy, and obsessively compulsive Darwin to save the day with his sour face and AmEx card. Now, Savvy’s gotta face down the torch she’s held while also Extreme Home Makeover-ing an 80s sci-fi nerd’s wet dream of an arcade. Things heat up, wires get crossed, and… Jesus H Roosevelt Christ, you’ll never seen laser tag the same again.

[Christina (stinarinareads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨✨✨✨.25/5 (rounded to 4 for GR)
🌶️🌶️.75/5

👾Contemporary romance
👾Can be read as a standalone
👾Shorter read than average novel length
👾Dad's best friend
👾~18-year age gap
👾Somewhat second chance
👾Mental health, grief, and OCD rep

THEN

18 year old Savvy’s puppy love crush on her dad’s best friend Darwin has only grown stronger over the years, and now, she thinks it’s finally time to take the risk and act on her feelings. He’s almost twice her age, but they’ve been friends, she thinks, whenever she visits with her dad.

Her sudden romantic move comes as quite a shock to Darwin, a reclusive fantasy author with his own inner struggles. Neither is ready—Savvy too young, Darwin too broken—and an unfortunate series of events leads to a 9-year estrangement, only ended by the death of Savvy’s dad, Stone.

NOW

Savvy is without a father, but unexpectedly gains his failing laser tag business, Galactic Guild Arena, with her inheritance. With no hope to sell unless it can turn a profit, Savvy reluctantly reaches out to the other business partner for help—Darwin, the man she never thought she'd see again.

Now 27, Savvy is all grown up, or so she seems to constantly reassure her inner self. Darwin has done some growing of his own, too, getting treatment for his OCD, but his progress has taken a bit of a hit in the wake of his best friend's death.

Through shared grief over their loss, Savvy and Darwin agree to start fresh for the sake of the business. It’s completely platonic, at first, but they both soon begin to realize that perhaps it was always a case of right person, wrong time.

She was burned once. Brutally. Can Savvy take that risk again?

GUYS, this BOOK. When I say I was addicted, I mean I devoured this in less than a night, fighting off sleep until I finished.

This is a dad’s best friend romance that leans away from the taboo elements of it—Savvy’s dad actually never even found out about her pass at Darwin, and while his feelings around the relationship are definitely considered by Savvy and Darwin, it’s more in a retrospective way.

I’m also always a little wary with age gap romances where one party knew the other from birth, but personally I’m glad this was kept mostly toned down to that integral flashback scene. I think it really, really helped for me that all the actual romance takes place in the present, with Savvy’s past actions being seen as a brave mistake in hindsight, by both parties.

Overuse of flashbacks is something I side eye sometimes too, but this wasn’t the case here at all. We only flashed back a couple key times, and only to provide the needed context.

The romance and spice were amazing, filled with tension and chemistry and longing moments, but what truly surprised me here was how each character's story arc also felt distinct and important, and they were both integral in each other's development. I could connect to both Savvy and Darwin in a lot of ways, and I enjoyed how real they both felt. Everything didn’t go exactly right all the time, and they had to meet the other where they were.

This really felt like such a full circle story, with two people that rooting for felt well-earned. If you’re ever in the mood to read about two raw and real humans fall in love with the added bonus of an age gap/dad’s best friend trope, THIS is what you’re looking for!

[⋆·✦ zαвєтн ✦·⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating:⭐️4/5
Spice:🌶️4/5
Read in April 2024:🌸14/20
Goodreads Challenge:📚92/240

♥ 𝚂𝚊𝚟𝚟𝚢 & 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚠𝚒𝚗 ♥

📌 Late Dad's best friend
📌 age gap (18y)
📌 second chance-ish
📌 forced proximity
📌 he's a writer
📌 she's a mess
📌 OCD/disability rep
📌 smut
📌 yes, the 'laser tag' tag makes sense

🇺🇸 To be quite honest, it was the 'laser tag' trope that drew me to this book.



I can't help it, my curiosity will get the better of me, that's for sure, but not today because this book has turned out to be a wonderful discovery.

We follow in the footsteps of Savvy, the FMC, in her quest for a more stable and successful life. Faced with the debts left by her father, she has no choice but to team up with his best friend to raise from the ashes the business her father left behind: a laser tag to which he had devoted his entire life.

The catch: Darwin, 18 years her senior, is also the man she was madly in love with 9 years earlier before a 'mysterious' event broke off all contact between them.



I'm not a big fan of clumsy, disaster-prone female characters, but I loved Savvy. Perhaps because the 'disaster' part is ultimately her distorted view of herself and not necessarily reality. I found her brave, clever, resilient, and passionate. She also has a very soft side, which shines through in her interactions with Darwin.



Darwin was also a very pleasant surprise. When you start a romance with a big age gap between the characters, you expect a certain type of male character and I was surprised to see that he breaks most of those clichés.

The fact that he suffers from significant obsessive-compulsive disorder makes him a unique character and his development was incredible to witness. His disorders are a real obstacle to his life, happiness, and relationships, so to read how he overcomes them to be with Savvy was really great.



----------------------------------

🇫🇷 Pour être très honnête, c’est le trope ‘laser tag’ qui m’a attirée vers cette lecture. Je n’y peux rien, ma curiosité me perdra, c’est sûr, mais pas aujourd’hui car ce livre est finalement une belle découverte.

On y suit les pas de Savvy, le personnage principal féminin, dans sa quête pour une vie plus stable et plus réussie. Confrontée aux dettes laissée par son père, elle n’a d’autre choix que de s’allier au meilleur ami de celui-ci pour ressusciter de ses cendres le business laissé à l’abandon par son père : un laser game auquel il avait consacré sa vie.

Le hic : Darwin, de 18 ans son aîné, est également l’homme dont elle était éperdument amoureuse 9 ans plus tôt, avant qu’un événement ‘mystérieux’ viennent rompre tout contact entre eux.

Moi qui ne suis pas extrêmement fan des personnages féminins maladroits et prompts aux catastrophes, j’ai adoré Savvy. Peut-être parce que le côté ‘catastrophe’ est finalement la vision déformée qu’elle a d’elle-même et pas forcément la réalité. Je l’ai trouvée courageuse, maline, résiliente et passionnée. Elle a aussi un côté très tendre, qu’elle laisse transpirer dans ses interactions avec Darwin.

Darwin était également une très bonne surprise. Quand on commence une romance avec une grande différente d’âge entre les personnages, on s’attend à un certain type de personnage masculin et j’étais surprise de voir qu’il brise la plupart de ces clichés. Le fait qu’il souffre de troubles obsessifs compulsifs assez importants en fait un personnage unique et son évolution était incroyable à voir. Ses troubles sont un véritable obstacle à sa vie, son bonheur et ses relations amoureuse, alors être témoin de la façon dont il les dépasse pour être avec Savvy était vraiment génial.

[Avery Russell Westberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to get to read an advanced copy of Cleo White’s upcoming book You’re It. I loved her writing style and the spunky, quirky romance story between Savvy and Dar. Think age gap, steamy laser tag, forbidden romance, and an overall happy ending. This was a great and very fun read for me. And the steam, it was steamin’ 5 stars!

[Chiara^•^ · Rating 4 out of 5]

You're It by Cleo White
4,5/5⭐
2,5/5🌶️

I've finished three of Cleo White's books in three days, and they were all amazing! I'm really glad I decided to read her books to cleanse my palate after that Mafia romance binge. The theme here is pretty similar to her other books—still got the age gap and forbidden romance vibe—but this one dives into the MMC's severe OCD, which adds a whole new layer.

Darwin is a well-known sci-fi author but struggles a lot with severe OCD. He's not into going out, and he's never had any relationships. His only friend was Savvy's late dad. When Savvy's dad passes away, he leaves her in a tough spot with a bunch of debt and a gaming center that seriously needs some work. She's strapped for cash and has to ask Darwin for help, but she's not too keen on it because of something that went down nine years ago. Now, they both have to face their fears and deal with their past to find happiness.

Savvy is smart, brave, and caring. She is also very understanding and supportive towards Darwin. The fact that Darwin struggles with severe OCD gives him a distinct character, and witnessing his growth is remarkable. I love how both characters are very relatable with their fears and insecurities. Although they are completely different, their bond is genuine and I admire how Savvy manages to calm Darwin. I appreciate the way they heal each other and how they make me root for them from the beginning. This is my favorite book by this author, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

[Probably Reading Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It’s good for the plot.” spicy laser tag!!!!
I’m speechless. This story flows so well, I read it in under 2 hours. Savvy and Dar are perfectly imperfect. They felt real and I just wanted to be besties with them. The story, the plot, the world building, the chemistry, the spice made this such wonderful novel.
Savvy is confident, outgoing and sassy, and Darwin is the opposite, reserved, quiet, but deeply caring as he battles with his OCD.
These characters were developed with so much thought. Savvy is so gentle and sweet with Darwin. She understands him on a very deep level. Darwin is understanding of his OCD, and is very aware.

Overall, very well written, with no plot holes.

I did not want this book to end and I miss Savvy and Dar so much! Highly recommend!

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 rounded up

You’re It was a cute, spicy, sort of second chance, forbidden age gap romance.

When Savvy (h) co-inherits her father’s Laser Tag business, she has to face the man who broke her heart nine years ago, her father’s best friend. Darwin (H) is 45 years old and is a successful author, but he hasn’t done much else in his life because of his OCD and the terror that comes with it. Together, these two have to face their fears and confront the past in order to get their HEA.

I really liked this! I do wish Savvy would have held a bit firmer and gotten some good grovelling, but ultimately I understood why she let Darwin off pretty easily. Darwin was sweet, but a bit frustrating and stubborn. Ultimately, these two came together and brought the absolute best out of each other and it was so sweet to read.

Safety:
H is a V, h is not (seems to have been celibate for a few months and has had a few relationships in the 9 yr separation, though nothing happened prior so it was more a period of not seeing each other)
No ow or om drama.

[Peppa]

I dnfed it around 45% …I don’t think it’s bad but I just couldn’t get into that story nor was I able to connect with the characters .

[Lauren⚡️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

cleoooooo your books are perfect, never change (or do, whatever, i’ll still read your books and devour all the smutty goodness and sweet moments)

we love a little dad’s best friend romance (we is me, i am we)!

who knew laser tag could be so hot?

🫡

[Cheeseluvr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope more people read this book. Quick read, something different. Spicy but sweet (without being saccharine). Age gap but both MC are adults. Responsible depiction of OCD.

[bookwormriss · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s good for there to be ocd rep but as someone with ocd I struggled with this. Not that it was poorly written but sometimes it felt too familiar. Plus the fmc and mmc did not have a lot of chemistry imo.

[Orinta Nydere · Rating 5 out of 5]

So think Laser Tag…..but make it sexy 😛

I was lucky enough to get this as an ARC and boy oh boy did this story not disappoint!!

This is the first book of Cleo’s I’ve read and my goodness has she set the bar high!! By far becoming one of my favourite indie authors 🥰
Her writing is so captivating and I got sucked into Savvy and Darwin’s story.
The flow of it was so easy to follow and I love that we got the see the ‘then’ and ‘now’ and how much history there is between these two characters. The growth in communication was everything!! I was worried this will have a 3rd act breakup but trust me, with how far Dar has come, he wasn’t going to let Savvy run from him again 🥰🥰

I could resonate with Savvy so much with her scatterbrain antics with starting one task and moving onto the next without finishing what you started 😂😂 I felt seen 😌😉

Darwin, Darwin, Darwin 😏 my oh my what a specimen of a man! The neurodivergent rep was written perfectly and it made Dar even more special to me. The mouth on this guy though……HAWT DAMN 🥵

I hate that I’ve finished it, but I can’t wait to re-read it already😁😁

I’m so excited to see what Cleo will write next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[TheSassyNerdBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Cleo White and it won’t be my last. I had no idea what to expect going into this. I read the blurb and was immediately intrigued. I can say I have not read a romance about laser tag so I took a chance and I am so glad I did!


This book is about a girl, Savvy, who is 27 and just inherited her late father’s run-down gaming centre and her late father’s 45-year-old best friend and business partner Dar (Darwin) comes along with it. The gaming centre is called Galactic Guild. It has laser tag, an arcade, birthday rooms that can be rented out and a place where people can play DnD. It just needs a lot of work and TLC.

As Savvy comes to terms and works out where to start with the business and all the horrible financial decisions her father made with the business. It looks as though she will be spending a lot of her time at the centre which means she will be working alongside her father’s best friend… The thing is, she has always had a crush on him especially after they shared a kiss, but it’s been 9 years and they haven’t seen or spoken to each other since.

Dar deals with a lot and my heart hurts for him. He struggles with severe OCD. His inability to leave the house and his constant need to scrub his hands raw in fear of germs and how much it took a toll on him was heartbreaking to read. I just wanted to take it away from him.

As they begin renovations on the centre they start to spend more and more time together, becoming closer. It would seem that his OCD is starting to lessen and he’s starting to cope with it a lot better than he normally does and all arrows point to Savvy and the growing feelings he has for her.


While Dar and Savvy are complete opposites to each other, the connection between these two is pure. The way Savvy helps Dar with his erratic and obsessive thoughts and behaviour and how she’s naturally able to ease them for him is so special and you can tell they are meant to be together, regardless of the age difference. The chemistry and sexual tension were OFF THE CHAIRS. The author did not miss a beat with the spice in this book. I swear to god, I was fanning myself throughout the book!

And then you add in the banter… It had me laughing my head off at times. It was PERFECTION. Top tier!

This book may have been full of heat, humour and fun but it also touched down on some serious mental health topics and

I was extremely impressed with the way the author represented Neurodivergent characters and the accuracy, it seems like she did her research and it shows… As someone who deals with mental health on and daily basis and deals with some of the same topics mentioned in the book, it was refreshing to read it where it seems the author has taken the time and done her research. I’m extremely grateful to the author for that because there is so much misinformation out there, even though this is fiction, she made it pretty accurate.

All in all, this book was incredible. I’m so glad I took a chance. I’m sad to have finished it. I can’t wait to dive into the author's backlist!


Highly recommend! You won’t be disappointed!

5 STARS!!

[Eunoia · Rating 3 out of 5]

WOW! a good read!

First of all, The Laser Tag Romance thing made me very curious! It is very authentic tbh, the first time I encountered something of its kind.

And wooow, I just like this very much!
The story has a flashback of nine years before when the heroine turned 18 that had broken her heart. The Hero is struggling with OCD. Now, nine years later, weeks after her father died, the 27 years old heroine was faced with tons of debts, and an abandoned business, "Galactic Guild Arena" and the only person whom she can run to for help, was the Hero. The H is a sci-fi(?) author, that seemingly got his life together in his comfort zone and the heroine on the other hand was all over the place, unable to stick to one work and another; she doesn't have her life together. Now, She needed the help of the ghost from her past. A hot but untouchable one.



h - 27
H - 45
Virgin Hero x Experience Heroine
No ow/om drama (just mentions of heroine's past relationships. tbh it didn't bothered me that she had relationships.


| Eighteen Years age gap

| Father's Best friend Trope

HEA; married! With Epilogue, eighteen months after and a bonus epilogue if you sign up to the author's newsletter!

[Kirsten | Bookish.kir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darwin and Savvy were perfect opposites; Savvy being sassy and spunky while Darwin was more shy and reserved, it was really sweet how well they balanced one another out and overcame the challenges they were facing, together. If you’re in the mood for a spicy, forbidden romance with some arcade nostalgia look no further.

[Just a Little Reading & Reviewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved!!! Easily 5 Stars!

After being in a reading stump, I cannot rave enough about this book! The characters? Amazing! The slow burn romance? Fire! The unique setting and plot? Beautifully written and definitely memorable!!! This had me laughing, blushing, crying and in the end, feeling warm and gooey and totally in love with Darwin and Sassy.

This author has a knack for writing unique, endearing and captivating characters. Darwin and Sassy were genuine, interesting and easily relatable with their fears, insecurities, hopes and dreams. They shared a painful history but that added to the simmering tension that kept growing with each encounter they shared. Ultimately it was their present timeline that really hooked me. I'm a sucker for flirty/silly/teasing banter and there was plenty of that sprinkled throughout this story but it was the healing and support they each lent the other that cemented their love story. The perfect mix of humor, heart & heat made this easily a 5 star read. There is no surprise that this is on my favorites shelf :) Or that I've read it twice already.

She's a tornado. I should be hunkering down in my basement, but instead I'm driving right into it yelling, Take me!

Our heroine, Sassy is brave, kind and so smart. Watching her become a Lady Boss and gain confidence was awesome. Darwin, I can't even find the proper words to describe how amazing this character is. We need more characters like Darwin and more love stories that show us without a shadow of doubt that everyone can love and be loved, unconditionally.

Baby.
I never want him to stop calling me that. Just the sound of the word on his lips makes every muscle in my body go weak and my heart twist restlessly, undoubtedly knowing it's in for one hell of a ride.

If I could give this more than 5 stars I would because this deserves all the stars! And that epilogue?! *died* OMG! I squealed when reading it 😂 I couldn't contain the pure joy of seeing two of my favorite couples meeting and becoming friends! I didn't think this book could get any better but Ms. White proved me wrong with that OTT cute, adorable and oh so satisfying epilogue. It left me with all the warm fuzzies I want and need in a romance.

This woman is going to own me until the day I die, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I highly recommend this book (and any book by this author, tbh)! If you're read You're It but haven't downloaded the bonus epilogue and suffering from withdrawal like me, run and download it, you won't regret it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

SPOILER-Y EXTRAS:

Ages : Savvy is 28 and Darwin is 45.

Heat Level: 5/5 The spice is off the charts! Dirty talk, explicit scenes and naughty laser tag!

OM/OW drama : None.

Tropes, Triggers & Kinks : Age gap, neurodivergent MC, death of a parent, mention of depression & anxiety, found family, praise kink and breeding kink.

HEA/HFN : Ends on a HEA with an epilogue a year and a half later showing MCs married. Bonus epilogue 2 years later with baby news!

[theravingbooknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my own honest review!

4 Stars
4.5 Spice!

Tropes:
*Dad's Best Friend
*Spicy Laser Tag
*Age Gap
*Dual POV
*Neurodivergent Representation

Dar and Savvy have some INCREDIBLE chemistry. This book definitely doesn't shy away from the spice and it was such a quick read. I finished this book in one sitting!

You're It follows Savvy, a 27 year old ball of chaos who inherits her dead father's failing laser tag business and Darwin (Dar), her dead dad's 45 year old best friend and business partner.

As Savvy begins to cope with the fact that she is going to have to take care of all of the horrible financial decisions her father made in his business, she is also hit with the fact that she will have to see the man she had a crush on, kissed, and then never saw or spoke to again for 9 years - Dar, her father's best friend.

Dar has severe OCD and it seems as he begins to work on renovating the laser tag business, he finds the episodes for his OCD begin to fade away - thanks to Savvy and his growing feelings for her.

There is a SUPER SPICY laser tag scene, but there is an even better scene in this book in my opinion... HOT stuff!

[Paige Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time NetGalley locked me out of a work so I didn’t finish but immediately the voice is fresh and fun, a strangely natural mix of slang, cursing, low and high brow diction in a funny stream of consciousness / emotions / commentary. The setting is what sells me: a grimy but potentially cute business/bonding experience w/ fam or friends or lovers.

[Readingwithdesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

SAVVY AND DAR ❤️‍🔥SPICY LAZER TAG?? I think YES!!! I loved this “it’s good for the plot” 👀 trying not to give away so many spoilers but THE HARDWARE STORE SCENE 🥵🥵🥵 This was so good!! Thank you Cleo for the ARC 🫶🏻

[Kellie McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dad’s best friend but make it nerospicy, yes please. It brings respectable light to a disorder not talked about a lot in books while also having amazing banter and angst. And the laser tag scene, just you wait!

[sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you to the author for the e-arc opportunity!!!

"You're It" is a contemporary romance featuring an age gap, OCD and ADHD representation, forced proximity, opposites attract, and spicy scenes between two main characters working through their own personal struggles and a growing romantic connection with each other.

You're probably thinking - "how the heck does one make laser tag spicy"? And to be honest - fair question! All I can tell you without spoiling too much, is that I'll probably never step foot in a laser tag arena without thinking of *that* chapter again lol. In my opinion, it's a lighter take on the primal kink scenes I've read in more heavy/dark romances - and it works really well in this book and between these two characters.

On to the actual story itself - I really enjoyed the book & loved both main characters.

Savvy is our headstrong FMC - she's in her late 20s and struggling to find her path in life as she always feels like she's jumping from one thing to another, never really finding something she's great at. After the recent passing of her father, she finds herself having to focus on restoring his rundown laser tag/arcade arena in hopes of being able to sell it. Savvy gives off free spirit vibes but it's also pretty obvious she's exhausted from feeling like she has no idea what she's doing. To add on to her growing plate of chaos, she finds that her father had a silent partner with the business - his best friend and someone Savvy has actively avoided for the past nine years.

Enter Darwin "Dar" Wilder - reclusive, bestselling author and best friend of Savvy's late father. When we first meet Dar, it is very obvious he's dealing with a lot of OCD and anxiety. But the moment Savvy steps back in his life, his desire to get a control on his destructive compulsions becomes stronger as he realizes he'll do whatever it takes to be there for and help Savvy in whatever way she needs.

I loved how it was clear from the first chapter with Savvy and Dar on page together, that there is a lot of sexual tension and a past between them that they're both avoiding. The way the author didn't immediately show us that past or where the tension and awkwardness stems from, had me eager to keep reading. We eventually got the story via a flashback chapter, and oh man did it elicit some strong emotions from me! My heart broke for Savvy. I also think it's a testament to how well the author wrote Dar and his struggles, that my heart broke for him as well. Even though I wanted to hit him upside the head, it was so obvious that he was beholden by his OCD and anxieties and his regret and feelings of self-doubt surrounding it all made me love him even when I was mad at him.

Throughout the book, we don't just get the romantic journey between Savvy and Dar, but also their own personal growth that shows them working on their insecurities and anxieties to be better for themselves and each other. The author handled Dar's OCD and anxieties and Savvy's ADHD incredibly well - coming from someone with heavy anxiety and ADHD, and mild OCD myself. I found myself relating to both characters but more importantly, feeling great empathy for them. I love when I can tell an author has done their research well and truly cares for their characters and the story they're telling.

As for the romantic connection/growth between Savvy and Dar - A+ with the banter, tension, gradual growth, and spice! I really loved how both characters realized they needed to communicate rather than just continuing to avoid subjects simply because they might be awkward to talk about. The sexual chemistry was there from page one with both of them but the decision to act on it was a bit more gradual which kept the romance feeling realistic while also giving us more of the great banter between the two of them. I think my favorite part of Savvy and Dar's connection was the mutual reassurance and care they both showed towards the other. Especially Savvy when it came to Dar's OCD struggles.

Overall, I really thought the romantic chemistry formed well and that rehabbing a laser tag arena was a unique setting for the commonly used trope of forced proximity. The humor that came from the setting and the characters' tension was great and really pared well with the emotional aspects of Dar working through his OCD tendencies and Savvy dealing with her insecurities.

FAVS: Savvy and the 7ft spinning wheel, Caleb’s karma, the reaction to the ***, laser tag scene, Dar’s dirty talk (hello daddy can you talk to me that way!?🥵)

What I wish would have been included more is having Dar's feelings for Savvy growing more on page. It was obvious Savvy had feelings towards Dar for a while but there wasn't a strong indication as to whether Dar's feelings started prior to their 9-year silence or just suddenly formed once Savvy reentered his life. Additionally, there was a little bit about Savvy's best friend's reaction to the budding relationship between her and Dar, but I think it could have been fleshed out more from Savvy's POV chapters.

*Thank you again to the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this story and I'm so excited to go back through her other books now!

[Danie Y. | BohoBookMama · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED Dar & Savvy... SPICY LASER TAG?!?! What more could you want? The representation here was so good, the spice was HOT, the chemistry and tension was great. All around amazing quick read! Bravo Cleo!

[Lana Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars

​Another good slow burn with two imperfect characters. Loved the neurodivergent representations and the realness of it.

[Smuttybooks_geekystuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[brittany | bookishhbritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

ugh, I just loved everything about this 🥵 I will be reading more from this author.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute and no third act breakup which is a huge plus.
i think i just needed a bit more angst, especially in the beginning. i feel like they got together pretty quickly.