How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle: A Novel

by Alissa DeRogatis

From Cosmopolitan's Cosmo Reads imprint and the author of the smash hit Call It What You Want comes a fresh, charming romcom about the chaos of dating in your twenties, the ache of a brutal breakup, and the hilarious lengths one romance writer will go to get her spark back—including staging her own meet-cutes. Perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Emily Henry’s Beach Read.

If you can’t write a good meet-cute, maybe you need to live one first…

Ainsley Green writes happily-ever-afters for a rabid fanbase of hopeless romantics. In real life? Her boyfriend just broke up with her, her editor wanted a new book yesterday and she’s starting to wonder if love actually exists beyond the pages of her favorite novels.

So when Lucas, Ainsley’s best friend and biggest cheerleader, insists the best cure for writer’s block is real-life inspiration, she’s ready to try anything. Enter: the meet-cute plan, a mission to take her head out of her heartbreak and force meet-cutes IRL to spark some new ideas. But as failed missions bumping into strangers at the airport and spilling coffee on men at the cafe result in nothing but embarrassment and stained clothing, Ainsley begins to wonder if maybe the romance she’s been chasing already has a leading man.

Because the truth about falling in love? It never goes according to plan.

Equal parts heartbreak, humor, and hope, How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle is a fresh, flirty send up of dating in the modern age and a reminder that love finds us when we stop performing and start living.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Adult, Contemporary Romance, Rom Com

335 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Alissa DeRogatis is the author of the viral debut Call It What You Want and How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she writes stories about modern love, self- discovery, and the people who help us put ourselves back together. When she’s not reading, she’s rewatching her favorite rom- coms, curating sad-girl playlists, or hang- ing out with her dogs, Asher and Oliver.

Follow along with her on socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alissaderog...

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@alissaderogatis

Reviews

[lauren ౨ৎ]

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ — preread:

omggggg been waiting for this one to be accepted and now im super excited!! can’t wait to start this today!!


thank you netgalley and cosmo reads for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Release date: August 4, 2026!

[ahmeeka · Rating 3 out of 5]

[arc review] 3.5* rounded down! full review to come xxx

[Larareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book sooo much! The slow-burn, friends to lovers romance was so well done!!! I actually don't really like this trope, but I adore how Alissa DeRogatis wrote about it.
This book is so much more than a romantic book, it's a book about finding love in all aspects of life, in loving yourself and recognizing every person in your life that's been there through good and bad.
I really liked Ainsley, even though she was a little annoying jn the beginning, but Lucas was the star here for me. He is the perfect book boyfriend!!!

[Tia Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the authors debut novel! Call It What You Want really spoke to a younger version of myself and was healing to read. So I was excited to receive an ARC of her second book and let me just say I have a new favorite book couple! Ainsley Green is a romance author struggling to find inspiration after her breakup. To get her out of her writing slump, her best friend Lucas comes up with a plan - embark on real life “meet cute” missions. This is a slow burn, friends to lovers romance that I could NOT put down! Alissa’s writing feels like a long candle lit dinner with your best friend, sharing gossip and a bottle of sauvy b wine. Her characters are relatable while also being incredibly entertaining, there were many scenes that had me laughing out loud and tear jerking moments I was reaching for tissues. Lucas and his family reminded me so much of my own family. While this book is a rom com theres also a strong emphasis on finding yourself, friendships and a reminder that you are not defined by your relationship status. Mark your calanders for August 4th!

[Heaven (HeavenIsReading) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is better than the author's first, but still not there for me. The premise is fine, not original, but had promise. The entire thing, plot and characters, fell so insanely flat for me. I was waiting for the story to get a little "umph" and it never came. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

My compliments:
- The cover is cute
- I didn't mind Lucas
- Winston, god I love dachshunds
- Maddie is a great friend

My complaints:
- Extremely juvenile writing
- Excessive hand holding with the reader. Too much telling and not showing
- I am begging the author to stop repeating the same words and phrases. Say hydrangeas again
- Why do we need a pop culture reference every other paragraph?
- Characters were not fleshed out
- There were zero good qualities about the MC's ex and old friends, so genuinely, why were we supposed to care
- This author does not know how to use a semicolon
- I feel like the author wanted to do a spicy scene but it was so awkward and flat that maybe this should've been closed door

I had similar thoughts with the first book. I will not be reading anything else by this author, I've realized she's not for me. That's not to dissuade anyone else....if you need a really simple, quick read, this may work for you.

[jensbooktok28 · Rating 4 out of 5]

How To Find Love in the Cereal Aisle ❤️‍🩹☺️📖💖✨
4/5 🌟

Since hearing about Alissa Derogatis’ new book, I have been so insanely excited about it. Call it What You Want was unbelievably relatable in so many different ways for me. I knew that happy ending or sad ending… I was going to love whatever she put out.

Obviously I don’t want to say too much, as it won’t be released until August, but I definitely want to talk about a few things. First of all, there are so many relatable parts of this book. Quotes, plot lines, her inner-dialogue. So many lines perfectly describing what love may look like, what heartbreak can look like, what friendship can look like. There so many other aspects besides romance that went into this book.

My favorite quote in this book (like literally tears starting forming IMMEDIATELY) was:

“Some friendships bend. Some friendships break. And some, if you’re lucky can even be rebuilt.”

Being a junior in high school, in a small town, with girls who aren’t the kindest can be hard, but this felt so refreshing to me. Nothing has to be permanent. Things can change in a multitude of ways and friendships are one of those things.

Of course. I will always eat up a friends to lovers. Who couldn’t? If there was one thing that could make this a 5 star read for me would be the possibility of having a couple more scenes where it feels like they were in love and were falling before they actually realized it. Just to show a little bit more yearning on Lucas’s part, but other than that, HTFLITCA got all A’s.

Lucas was precious. He was definitely hot in my imagination. I loved how he and Ainsley were always showing up for eachother (common theme throughout the novel). UGH Ainsley (love the name btw) was so funny and so personable. I could feel a personality throughout reading it. I feel like sometimes with books you don’t feel much regarding a characters personality or anything and they can feel flat, but through the dialogue and her interactions, you definitely can in this book.

Alissa. Girlllll. AMAZING. CHEFS KISS. 💋 🥹💖

Exceeded my standards. You made me cry happy tears, you made me cry sad tears, you made me smile, you made me feel bad. You made me feel everything. I feel like I was taught some MAJOR life lessons and just things to remember and keep in the back of my head. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE the things you’ll do in the future. Like I can already see so much improvement from CIWYW. UGH IM JUST SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS BOOK.

A couple songs that I think could be related to this book that may interest you in reading it…

Labyrinth by Taylor Swift
The Only Exception by Paramore
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
Ballad Of a Homeschool Girl by Olivia Rodrigo
CLEAN by Taylor Swift (capitalized for emphasis)
Fresh Out the Slammer
….. to be continued.

(Realizing I have to make a playlist right now.)

[Kelsey Zaporowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

**thank you to NetGalley for the ARC**

This was so adorable and honestly, I would have taken even more of it.

I loved the behind-the-scenes look at an author trying to figure out her next step.

Her friends and ex were kind of awful… but in a very realistic, 20s-growing-pains kind of way.

Favorite quote:

“Maybe the happy ending isn’t always about ending up with someone. Maybe the happy ending is about finding yourself, raising your standards, and never settling.”

[Dana K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Cosmo Reads for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

Ainsley is a romance writer who is going through a breakup with the man she expected to marry as she goes on book tour for her second novel. Her Q&As are a disaster, her confidence is shot and she can't seem to get anything on the page for her third novel. As she is going through her crisis her best friend, Lucas is at her side. They cook up a plan to force meet cute moments in the hopes of inspiring her writing but they are all hilariously disastrous. Just as she is at the end of her rope, she realizes her future may have been staring her in her face the whole time.

This was definitely more of a women's fiction story than a rom com. And more rom than com for sure. There were some funny moments but it was actually a lot more introspective and emotional hand wringing than the cartoony cover indicates. Also, the title just refers to her novel based on her parents' meet cute, it is not core to the story at all. It is a mega slow burn of a romance, which I liked as someone who takes a while to warm up to people but I can imagine that might be a struggle for people to wait for.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. I thought the flashback chapters were entertaining and serve a good purpose because Ainsley starts to reflect on her “picture-perfect” relationship and some signs she missed the first time. I also loved her going viral for the absolutely hilarious failed meet-cutes. Even the Instagram handles were fun to read with all the pop culture references.

What I loved most about this book was Ainsley’s voice. She felt genuine and it was very realistic the time it took to come to terms with her breakup from Cole. While romance plays a large part in this book, it also focuses on self-discovery and dealing with feeling like you’re behind in life or not good enough.

This was the slowest of slow burns and I mean that in the best way possible. Lucas and Ainsley were adorable together but it felt organic and developed well considering the breakup aspect. I think this is about as good as it gets for friends-to-lovers! I am so glad I took my time reading this book because I did not want it to end. I got to reflect on how hard life in your twenties can be but you come out stronger in the end from all the great life lessons.

Thank you to Cosmo Reads and NetGalley for the ARC of How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle in exchange for my review.

[Liz | lizzuplans · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and enjoyable read!

The cute cover and fun title caught my attention but the book delivered with a very cute layered romance and engaging writing.

The story did take longer than I would have liked to to get up to speed, but once the meet cute disaster stories started appearing (with the ADORABLE faux social media comments, we stan), I was fully locked in and had such a fun time with this book.
The third act slowed down a bit again, but the last few chapters felt like a warm hug and gave me all the feels.

Also: “I pop into a tiny independent bookstore across the street. I don’t really need anything, but I leave with a notebook, a pen, and a new romance release.” IT ME.

All in all, easy to read, cute side characters (loved Maddie!) real emotion and a fab romance.

A solid 4 stars!

I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.

[Paola Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like ever since I read Alissa DeRogatis’ debut novel Call It What You Want, I’ve been DYING for another book by her. CIWYW was a novel I related to sooooo much and felt so real. So the wait for this book has been KILLING me! 😩😂 (Big shoutout to NetGalley and Alissa for the ARC✨)
If you know me, you know I love a friends to lovers trope so bad. So so bad. Lol
I think all of us, if not most of us have been through a breakup you didn’t see coming that completely rocked your world. You found yourself creeping on their socials, seeing what their friends posts bc it just feels unreal to know someone can move on like your time together didn’t matter. You even sometimes find yourself comparing your timeline those around you…and this book felt like a hug to those of us who have been there. 🫶🏼 There were so many little reminders sprinkled throughout the entire book that made me think… I’m just a girl Alissa!!! 😩 But thank you bc I needed that!
I deff cried happy tears while reading this book!
.
.
Memorable quote:
"Maybe the happy ending isn't always about ending up with someone. Maybe the happy ending is about finding yourself, raising your standards, and never settling. Maybe it's the realization that you get to decide what happens next and your story doesn't have to read the same as everyone else's."
.
.
📚Book release: August 2026!

[Elizabeth Ann Hurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alissa!!!!! You did it again! I have so many thoughts; first of all related to this story especially Ainsley a little too much! As someone who shares similar goals of becoming an author I actually laughed at loud when she word vomited at the Q & A bc same bestie! This was such a fun, wholesome, relatable love story and so ruin the friendship coded! Getting to follow Ainsley as she re-finds herself and is forced to face her heartbreak in order to get to work on her new novel was such an adventure. Lucas was such a golden retriever, and continually met Ainsley where she was at, and such a wholesome book boyfriend! The slow burn, friends to lovers of it all was so beautifully written, and chef's kiss! Getting to follow Ainsley's journey to finding her perfect trope through her upcoming novel was so fun, I was laughing a little too hard because I could totally envision myself in the same spot! This book was all of the immaculate vibes I am always searching for in a rom com, I feel like Alissa had the perfect balance of real life, love, friendship, the realness of your twenties and finding and losing friends, and humor. SO GOOD! Thank you so much Net Galley, Cosmo Reads, and Alissa DeRogatis for this advanced readers copy!

[herbookcorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn’t what I expected... It was even better! The story had a beautiful depth, both in the development of the FMC and in the way it explored past, present, and new relationships. I found the reflections on her past experiences to be moving and authentic; not perfect or imperfect, just a genuine portrayal of what it means to grieve a romantic relationship, friendships, and a former version of one’s life.

I absolutely loved Lucas!! Even if we didn’t get to see him much in the role of a romantic partner, he is undoubtedly the kind of friend anyone would be lucky to have. I truly believe that even with friends he doesn’t have a crush on, he would still be just as generous and caring.

At times, I found the FMC’s uncertainties a bit difficult and somewhat repetitive, but I think that realistically reflects the endless spiral of thoughts we can fall into when everything in our lives feels like it has to be rebuilt, and we’re forced to adapt so intensely.

I also appreciated the ending. It didn’t feel like a typical “happily ever after.” Instead, it remained a bit uncertain, which felt honest. It reminds us that sometimes, all we can do is move forward, listen to both our head and our heart, and trust that we’re living what we need to live.

[dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the the advanced copy! I had been waiting for another Alissa Derogatis book since I read her debut “Call It What You Want”. Can’t wait to have this one up in the shelf next to it.

I thoroughly enjoyed just reading Ainsley trying to process and figure out her writing journey after a heartbreak. Once it started with her getting a bob I already knew poor girl was going through it.

The risk the friendship, slow burn, friends to lovers just ate it all up. Ainsley doing her meet-cute set ups while Lucas being right here as her videographer, I was screaming!!!

But it was more than just Ainsley and Lucas finding their way to each other as more than just friends, it was her finding herself again out of that relationship and in her writing.

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing with Alissa, you can always count on her books to hit the deeper, more raw aspects of being a woman in today’s dating culture, friendships, and careers. While this story is about love, finding that spark again, and continuing to hope for your own HEA, at its core it’s a fun, engaging, and emotional tale of an author trying to make it in the world while being a heartbroken hopeless romantic, a woman and dream chaser.
I can’t wait for everyone to fall in love with Ainsley Greene that way I did!
Proud of you, Alissa. Can’t wait to see what else you have in store.
*thank you to the author for sending me an early copy*

[Sabrina Izquierdo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I had the amazing opportunity to read this book ahead of the publishing date thanks to NetGalley and it did not disappoint!!!

I read Alissa’s debut novel years ago and was so excited to get my hands on the ARC for this sophomore novel. This was such a GOOD slow-burn friends-to-lovers. I enjoyed how focused we were on the FMC finding herself and her voice through writing again versus solely having the plot be based upon her relationship with Lucas altering into something more.

I love a good friends-to-lovers, there’s something about them knowing everything about you, the good and the bad, and still choosing you. I loved Ainsley and Lucas, and loved getting to read their story!

[Michaela Emrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Alissa's first book so I was happy to be able to download this early on NetGalley! This is an interesting twist on your traditional romance book...a romance author who just got her heart broken. I liked that our FMC is struggling with very real and honest emotions regarding her relationship, her friendships and her career. You get a front row seat to her trying to rebuild her life after the shock of a breakup she didn't see coming, but is exactly what she needed. The romance that unfolds is so sweet and genuine. I truly loved Lucas and the way he showed up for Ainsley. 

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a solid three stars. The pacing was a little off for me, with the friends to lovers arc being a little late to really kick up momentum. I was 75% done with the book until I really felt invested in the HEA. The writing was more surface level than I generally look for in a book, but it was clean enough that I wasn’t brought out of the story frequently. All in all an easy read that didn’t demand much of my busy brain. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Macey Harp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @cosmoreads for sending me this eARC!

Listen up!!! Talk about the PERFECT beach read. It's fun, it's emotional, it's funny. This book has the cutest storyline. Honestly, I've always had a dream of writing my own book one day, and this was so fun to feel like I was in that life for the read. Ainsley realized she was in a writing slump and took it into her own hands using her power of social media! It's literally the best of both worlds!! I naturally always love a good friends-turned-lovers situation, but I truly felt like I was apart of this friendship as I read it. I love how there isn't the super annoying long time to wait before they come to their senses. I just simply LOVE this book so much!

[Lex fullybookedbabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting this book. I thought I’d be reading a cutesy meet cute romance and instead got so much more.

Ultimately, a journey of self love and acceptance with a romance sub-plot. It shows us the messy imperfect side of love and relationships.

Things I loved: the author journey, the dual timeline, the soft slow burn, the main character growth arc.

The perfect book for the 20-something finding herself.

[Clara Gilleland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I LOVED this.

The formatting of the book (well-placed flashbacks), the friends-to-lovers element, the bookish/romance writer core (HECK yeah I love this microtrope), the self love, I could go on and on. This book just WORKS. Will easily and eagerly be rereading in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cosmo Reads for this eARC!

[Becca Kerschner · Rating 3 out of 5]

heartwarming love story that didn’t feel forced!!! took me a bit to get into but at around the 40% mark I was really into it and loved how the focus is on Ainsley’s journey as a person (the love story is just a bonus) but also would’ve loved some more scenes of Lucas and Ainsley being cute and coupley

[Niraja Surendran · Rating 2 out of 5]

having to read all the phone notifications and internet comments kept the story from engaging me. some of the details felt mundane, like mentioning tsa pre check for instance and doomscrolling. sometimes i like when fiction is a break from reality instead of shoving my face back into the day to day. on top of that, the storyline was entirely too predictable

[Karen Balint · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️

i really enjoyed this book. i don’t know if i liked it as much as the first one she wrote but i still enjoyed it. i liked the premise of the book and i think that the emotions that the main character went through are all real things that anyone can experience. i read this book in literally a couple of hours and enjoyed every minute of it

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC of How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle. After reading Alissa DeRogatis' debut novel in 48 hours I knew I needed to read her sophomore novel as soon as I could get my hands on it. Alissa DeRogatis' has a way with her writing style that transports you right into the story and it feels as if she is writing and telling the story of your life. As a single woman in my twenties, I felt like I could relate to Ainsley as someone looking for love. I really enjoyed the friends to lovers trope going on throughout this book and especially loved how she portrayed the social media aspect of Ainsley's job to be the basis of how she ended up finding love. I do have to say that I really thought she was going to find love in the Cereal Aisle! I will be recommending this book to everyone and I might need to reread it once it gets published!

[Dominique Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC gifted in exchange for review
4.5 stars

Being honest, I didn’t like Ainsley at the beginning of this book. She frustrated me but I can admit now that she frustrated me because she reminded me of myself a few years ago. We were both so guilty of looking back on the past with rose colored glasses. Ainsley slow became my favorite character as I watched her grow, change and learn how to take those glasses off and be honest not just about the mistakes she made, but the fact that the relationships in her rear view weren’t as great and perfect as she was making them out to be. I feel both proud and protective of her by the end of this book. She deserved better from her so called friends but!! If everything didn’t crumble the way it did, she wouldn’t have found her voice outside of a relationship, she wouldn’t have taken a chance and risked it all to be with the one person who loved her with his whole heart from the very beginning. She wouldn’t have gone on the journey she did, wouldn’t have made the new friends she did and she wouldn’t appreciate her support system in the way she does now. Ainsley would have ended up stuck in a relationship that just didn’t fit quite right, that looked okay from the outside and if you squinted it could pass for perfect when it was far from that. Whether we admit it or not, we have at all at point or another fallen into the trap of comparing our stories and timelines to those of the people around us. That old adage that comparison is the thief of joy is very true, and sometimes trying to keep up with everyone else’s timelines gets us in trouble, staying a dead end relationship because everyone is happily paired off and being single feels like failure. It can be even more difficult when you’re surrounded by people with what feels like epic love stories.

Following along on her journey, I laughed, I cried, I cringed so hard I nearly pulled a muscle, and I swooned. I swooned so hard I might have come close to being reduced to a puddle of mush. There were times I wanted to shake her and be like “STAND UP GIRL! THAT MAN WAS MID AS HELL”.

This book is about so much more than romantic love, it’s about finding love in all aspects of your life, about recognizing the people that have been by your side through the good, the bad, the cringe and the ugly. It’s a story about finding your voice again after heartbreak. It’s okay to be messy, it’s okay to hurt, and it’s okay to mourn that relationship but it’s not okay to let that heartbreak stop you from letting love in again whether it’s family, a new friend or a new romantic partner. Love is a choice, with your family, with your friends, with your romantic partner and with your self. The ones who really love you choose to do so when it’s easy, when it’s convenient, but most importantly when it is hard, when it’s trying and difficult, when it would be easier to give up and walk away. This was a reminder to focus our attention on those people and not on the ones who walk away the second things get difficult.

[Kara Sabbagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I absolutely LOVED this freaking book!!! Told through dual timelines, How To Find Love in the Cereal Aisle is a gripping and emotional new adult coming of age story. Readers watch our main character, Ainsley, experience the wild and unexpected ride of post college life. Career growth of an early career author, friendship transformations, the highs and lows of putting yourself out there online, and coming to terms with letting go of control… we learn that sometimes it’s best to let what’s meant to be be. While readers experience her college relationship breakup unfolding in snippets throughout this story, we also watch her new love story quietly simmering in the background before it begins to flourish, bloom, and grow. This story is the ultimate friends to lovers slow burn.

What really gets me lost in Alissa’s books is how REAL they are. As a reader I feel like I’m processing with a real person in real time. I LOVE spending so much time in our fmc's own interiority. I appreciate the added insight of the dual timeline rather than a dual pov that so many romances are going for recently. The best comp that I can give is that it feels like reading someone’s real life diary. For Millennials, it captures the old days of Tumblr and Blogspot where our peers would just let it RIP and tear themselves open emotionally for anyone with internet to see. She really just doesn’t hold back, and that has a heavy charm level for me.

Derogatis crafts something so real, delightful and insightful. I found myself sitting with the characters and their dilemmas and having brand new realizations of my own as our fmc’s rawness allowed me the safety to reflect and process things alongside her.

One of the major lessons our main character learns throughout this story is that sometimes she needs to let go of the narrative she wishes were playing out to make room for the reality of the situation. She learns to reflect and ground herself in what’s actually going on around her. Sometimes we need to see things for what they are and let them unfurl as they will for better or worse.

While some of the early reviews might be iffy, I really feel like the girls are going to LOVE 👏 THIS 👏 READ 👏 . I think a lot of women will feel deeply seen by this expose of a shitty relationship, struggling sex life, and more. I love how clearly this read highlighted how often women are willing to work for the good in a relationship, when men will so carelessly just let it drop.

Side thoughts: Another interesting and funny angle to this book is how the male best friend love interest has no visible personality at all (positive) LOL. it is simply not important to the character or story, and his devotion to her is all that is relevant.
-I thought the usernames and online comments throughout were hilarious
-I LOVED that the third act breakup was with herself and not an idiotic ~misunderstanding~ between the besties. It created tension but made the story feel real rather than tropey

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Sourcebooks and Cosmo Reads for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️ Oh girl, where do I start with this book?! Spoiler alert: I LOVED IT.

I adored Alissa's raw and vulnerable honesty in her debut, Call It What You Want, and was very excited to get more of that in her sophomore book. I wasn't shocked that her second book conveyed just as much honest and real emotions as CIWYW, but overall, this second book blew my expectations out of the water. While her debut was more women's fiction and less romance (it didn't have a happily ever after), her second, classified as a romance, made me swoon and laugh and tear up like any other romance novel has before. But on top of the typical romantic tropes and meet-cutes, it emphasized healing, self-forgiveness, and growth — true to Alissa's writing voice.

Alissa wrote Ainsley to be this heartbroken romance author — a character I found myself fascinated by. A heartbroken romance author? Sounds like an oxymoron to me. Because of that intriguing beat, every chapter, every word had me rooting for Ainsley — both professionally and personally. Ainsley's heartbreak felt so real and raw and relatable on paper. Like I was reading her journals. Alissa wrote with an honesty that you don't see from most romance authors. It felt authentic and true to her voice.

The romance itself, that happened between a certain friend of Ainsley's (who may be added to my list of favorite book boyfriends), was a slowwww burn — and I'm always down for a slow burn. The slow burn kept me glued to my Kindle, but it was Ainsley's growth that wrapped around my heart and never let go. Lucas, the friend, was the scene stealer. Literally. In one of the beats of the story, he was the "cameraman," often filming the behind the scenes of the meet cutes that Ainsley would go on for book inspiration. As I was rooting for Ainsley to resolve her heartbreak, I was also rooting for Ainsley and Lucas to finalllllllly get together and kiss. "Just kiss already," is probably a permanent part of my vernacular at this point.

Overall, I really loved this. I think that Alissa has a unique and authentic writing voice that doesn't and shouldn't go unnoticed in the romance book space. She's carving out a lane for herself to write raw, honest, and vulnerable love stories that may or may not have a typical happily ever after. She writes messy yet real love stories and honestly, the world needs more of those.

[Hannah Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much NetGalley and Cosmo Reads for the ARC!

This was an easy 5 stars. I don't even know where to begin. I wish this book existed for me to read (and that I was a reader) 6 years ago. This is a wonderful and sweet romance but it's not really about that. This book isn't about who the MC ends up with- even though it matters and it's satisfying and happy- it's about how she finds herself through a devastating breakup. Relationship breakups where you were truly in love and expected to spend your life together are a real form of grief, and the author depicts it extremely well.

The flashback chapters are painful and real as the MC recounts the excitement at the beginning and the slow distance and pull apart near the end. I loved the way the flashback chapters are written- not only as recounts, but with small little glimpses into her present thoughts as well- it throws us back WITH her while she is writing about it which is super unique and was wonderful to read. I felt the pain and devastation through the pages from the very beginning of the book and resonated with her feelings and fears throughout. This book is a real testament to how incredibly lonely life feels during this time and while trying your hardest to move past the grief and find a new normal- who are you when you're just you? It's painful and daunting, but worth it.

I loved that the author included the friendship strains and breakups that coincided with the relationship breakup - those are just as hard if not harder when you not only look back and realize some friendships aren't what you thought they were and those people didn't meet you where and when you really needed them, they left too (and maybe you weren't what they needed either, and that's just true sometimes). I was so happy Maddie was introduced and formed into a much needed close friendship. I loved the monologue about closure and how you write the letter, you want to reach out, you want to explain how you feel and make them understand, make them feel what you feel, but in the end, time really provides the closure you need and heals you.

I have a true and deep love for this story and I'm so glad it was written and that I had the privilege of reading it. Books like these find you where you're at and somehow have a way of making you really feel seen and comforted.

[cate · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

i really enjoyed call it what you want, so i was super excited to get an arc for this one. i think i preferred CIWYW (banger song) for a myriad of reasons, but that's not to say that this was a bad book. it wasn't! but i had high expectations, and was sad when they weren't met at the level i wanted.

ainsley was my favorite part of this book. she was a mess but in a lovable way, and she's one of those characters you just can't help but root for. you want the universe to throw this girl a bone!! i was invested in her life and how she healed after a breakup, using writing as a shoulder to cry on and learning to navigate life as a romance author while being heartbroken. our girl is a romantic at heart, and she wants the kind of love she's been writing about and seen around her (case in point: her parents, the inspiration behind one of her books). pair this with a friends to lovers love story, and you have a recipe for success.

but is that enough? unfortunately, no.

the friends to lovers romantic plot was officially introduced too late in the book. yes, it's a slow burn, but the chapters in the past timeline chronicle a breakup involving ainsley and someone else, with some sprinkles of lucas here and there. we're shown that he was there for her when no one else was. but we get barely any romantic hints between them across the board until way into the second half of the book. i think the book could have benefitted from being longer to give ainsley time to chronicle the relationship, its end, and slowly falling in love with someone else. the falling in love part felt rushed exactly because we got literal crumbs of moments.

the writing is something i had a hard time with. it felt so different from CIWYW. i thought it was stiffer, more mechanical, and didn't reflect why i'd fallen in love with it in the first place. the dialogues felt generic and devoid of emotion, and there were descriptions that didn't make much sense (i.e. the description of martha's vineyard). ainsley's inner monologues are still a highlight to me

overall, i wish i'd liked this more. it's not a bad book, but i still preferred the first book i read by the author.

thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!