If Not You

by Ellen O'Clover

Five years of history. Four weeks on the road. Two rival copywriters learning love is the hardest sell of all.

Mattie French has always known how to tell a good story. It’s why she stopped at nothing to land her dream career as a copywriter at a scrappy independent advertising agency. In fact, if it weren’t for one person, Mattie would probably be the most-talked-about rising star in town.

Campbell Porter is a senior copywriter at Chicago’s slickest agency. Absurdly talented, incredibly aware of it, and the bane of Mattie’s existence since they were interns together, Campbell is always just…there, with his golden-boy smirk and the familiar gaze that never fails to taunt her across a crowded room.

Mattie would love nothing more than to avoid Campbell forever. But when their agencies are pitted against each other to compete for a luxury resort account, it’s her chance to prove she can beat him—and earn the promotion she covets.

During the month of travel required for the pitch, Mattie and Campbell are thrown together as fierce competitors and, slowly, as unexpected witnesses to each other’s hidden wounds and softest parts. As their trip barrels toward its final pitch, Mattie is forced to confront the increasingly obvious the story she’s crafted for her and Campbell over the years might need a new ending.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Autumn, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction, Adult

396 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2026

About the author

Ellen O’Clover writes stories about love, identity, and belonging for both teens and adults.

Reviews

[Liana Gold]

3-3.5? O'Clover is a great fiction/romance writer but this didn't land for me. Hate to rivalry to love should feel earned but the romance here did not fully grab me. They were very mean to each other.. and while I love that kind of tension in my romantasy/fantasy books.. I don't enjoy seeing that in my contemporary romance books. I had a few other issues and will expand in my full review. Sorry everyone, school started, I'm swamped with work and kids schedules!

I'd still recommend it. Full review to follow!

What's it about, in short:
This is a story about two rival copywriters who become the banes of each other's existence. Want to avoid each other yet can't stop taunting one another.




Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Ellen O'Clover for an early ARC.

Publication date: September 15, 2026

[Jessica Joyce]

Ellen O'Clover's writing is so exactly my taste that it scares me. This was gorgeous intimate unputdownable, I want her to write forever so I never have to live without a new Ellen book.

[Sophie]

If Not You kept me hooked from start to finish! I don’t even like dual timelines, and yet I was eating this up. The writing was engaging, the dialogue was fun, and the chemistry was sizzling.

The tension and the pining were chef’s kiss. The romance made my heart melt, and I was so fully invested that I stayed up way too late finishing it. If you liked The Hating Game, you’ll probably love this too!

Tropes: Forced proximity | He falls first | Rivals to lovers

─ ✦ ────

✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: I’m 25% into this and I’ve been so gripped I actually forgot to make an update! If the tension keeps escalating at this rate, I totally expect to be giggling and kicking my feet soon 🤭 This is so good!!

⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

[aira]

been eyeing this for a while and I just saw that it was out yesterday.

[Stacey]

4.5
Mattie is a talented writer and she lands her dream job as a copywriter. She would probably be the most successful in her field , but one person stands in her way. The self assured Campbell Porter with his manacing, yet irresistible smirk and persuasive writing abilities. He has the senior position at his big agency, while she is trying to punch through walls at her independent agency. They know each other from when they interned together. There isn’t one other person Mattie wouldn’t steer further away from.

A competition looms for a high end resort ad. This is Mattie’s opportunity to seize the spotlight. As fate would have it, Mattie and Campbell have to travel together as required to get the account. Sparks are bound to fly from the friction between these two. While that’s true, it’s not combative, but a meeting of destiny. The question is whether they recognize the undeniable chemistry.

The dual timelines were perfect to add a fuller background. The length was a bit long, but staying in the orbit of these two was worth it 💕

Enemies to lovers. This is a favorite trope when the slow, smoldering tension heats up and the guards come down. The title, If Not You, encapsulates the story in a meaningful way. Recommended for romance fans.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for an early copy.

[Tarah DeWitt]

trust me i will be back to write a formal review but this has secured a permanent place in the zeitgeist of the very BEST rivals to lovers romances of all time

[jenny reads a lot]

Slow to start but absolutely nailed the landing!

I didn’t love this one quite as much as The Heartbreak Hotel but I definitely still think it’s a great book and one I’d recommend! It took a while for me to get into the storyline and to get to the “romance” portion of the book but once they started really flirting I was locked in!

Whats to love…
- travel settings
- strong female friendships
- second chance romance
- rivals to lovers (workplace setting)
- slow burn
- single POV
- mostly single timeline with multiple flashback chapters
- They’re the same height! (5’ 11”)
- Tall FMC!
- he wears ridiculous clothes (iykyk)
- child-free by choice

What might not work for some…
- Single POV. This usually works fine for me, in fact I am a firm believer that it’s needed in certain books. That said, i found myself wanting more from him much sooner.
- Pacing was a bit slow to get rolling on the romance. It wasn’t until about 50% that I really felt I was reading a romance book. But once that hit, the book sucked me in and it really nailed the landing.
- multiple flashbacks. I think these were useful and helped establish backstory but if you’re like me and prefer to have a single timeline with less flashbacks this might not work for you.

4.25⭐️| IG | TikTok |

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Kelsey reviews•books]

This was one of those books where I could appreciate what the author was doing while also recognizing that, personally, I wasn't the right reader for it... (more below)

▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★.25 out of 5
▹Format: 📱 eReader
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest opinions. This book comes out September 15, 2026
─────────────────────────

○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○

– FMC: Matilda “Matty” French (aka “baby”). 27-year-old woman married to her job (a job that doesn’t always love her back).
– MMC: Campbell Porter. Description
– Location: Chicago, IL; Colorado; California
– POV: Single first-person (some flashbacks)
– Spice: 3 open-door spicy scenes (somewhat explicit but also romantic)
– Tropes: rivals to lovers, hate to love, tall FMC, tall MMC, childless by choice, workplace misogyny, copywriter MCs, deadline/timeline to “friends with benefits”, forced proximity
– Representation: LGBTQIA+ minor side character

─────────────────────────

🎯 My Thoughts:

I think this is one of those books where my personal preferences had a huge impact on my reading experience. The writing was enjoyable, the overall vibes were good, and there were definitely things I appreciated. I especially loved the tenderness in the MMC’s relationship with his mother, and I found the FMC’s complicated feelings about her best friend entering a new stage of life very relatable.

Unfortunately, the central romance didn’t work for me. This is very much a hate-to-love/rivals-to-lovers story, and the characters are mean to each other. I know that dynamic works for a lot of romance readers, but it has the opposite effect on me. Because of my own experiences, volatile or disrespectful relationship dynamics are difficult for me to read, so I struggled to see their hostility as romantic banter. I don't need every romance to be soft, but I do need to believe the characters fundamentally respect one another.

I also had a hard time with the FMC’s lack of boundaries, both professionally and personally. Some of her relationships felt more codependent than healthy, and I often found myself frustrated by choices the story seemed to frame as romantic or admirable.

The workplace storyline was another miss for me. I appreciated the commentary on sexism and unequal opportunities, but I found the resolution unsatisfying, particularly when the MMC benefited from the FMC’s ideas and creativity.

Ultimately, the romance felt unearned to me. I never quite felt the transition from genuine hostility to romantic feelings, and some of the structural choices, particularly the abrupt shifts between flashbacks and the present, pulled me out of the story.

Would I Recommend?: This wasn't a book *for me*, but I can absolutely see it becoming someone else's favorite. If you love an especially antagonistic hate-to-love romance, sharp banter, and messy characters, you may have a very different experience. If you're sensitive to volatile or disrespectful romantic dynamics, though, I'd go in knowing that the “hate” is taken pretty seriously.

SHOUT OUT TO LINA. She and I got through this one together.

─────────────────────────

⍟»This or That«⍟

Character Driven————✧———————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet—————✧——————Spicy
Light/Fluffy———✧————————Heavy/Emotional



•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•

[DeAnn]

4.5 Rivals to Lovers Stars - now available

I love to read Colorado authors, and I really liked Ellen O’Clover’s first book, “The Heartbreak Hotel.” I was excited to get this new book and dig in. I rounded up for some tears, and because I kept wanting to get to this one to keep reading.

Mattie French has always wanted to be a writer, and she has worked like crazy to make it in the ad agency world. She lands an internship at the top agency in Chicago, which is where she meets Campbell Porter. Campbell is a Southern man and an outrageously good writer. Mattie and Campbell compete all summer long to win the one coveted spot. They tease each other and get under each other’s skin. At the end of the summer, Mattie vows to hate Campbell forever.

A few years later, Mattie and Campbell are up for an award in Cannes, but Campbell comes out on top again. Why can’t she ever best him? And how does he make it look so easy?

Now their rival firms are bidding on a luxury travel account that involves spending time at two resorts, one in Aspen and one in coastal California. Mattie can’t seem to keep away from Campbell. Is it possible that he’s changed? Why is she obsessed with him? Does he bring out the worst in her or challenge her to do her best?

In addition to the romance, there is a story about Mattie and her childhood best friend, who is now engaged. Mattie is scared to death of losing her. And Campbell has things going on in his life with his family.

These two had mad chemistry, and I rooted for them to get together, but should rivals get together? Is that professional? Could they both open up and be vulnerable after years of antagonism? And could Mattie finally best Campbell?

Can’t wait to read what Ellen O’Clover writes next!

My thanks to Berkley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one.

[Karol]

Well, I was definitely pulled into this one. The banter and spicy scenes were tame for me. I usually don’t jump for enemies to lovers simply because I prefer flirty, charming, dark and sexy.

[Luce]

4.5 🌟

First Ellen O’Clover book and without a doubt it will not be my last. I loved everything she did with this story and these characters.

A book where you find yourself laughing out loud as the book progresses and falling for the complexities of these two characters. You really believe the level of rivalry that’s portrayed and as the book progresses it makes for such a HOT kind of tension 🥵

We go on such a journey with our female character in particular and I really enjoyed seeing her overcome certain emotional challenges.

A beautiful book that I couldn’t put down.

[jenny reads a lot]

I need this book immediately.

| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Berkley for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[michelle]

The story was awful but the writing was good.

[hailee]

thank you to the publisher for the arc. all opinions are my own.

guys this book DECIMATED me in the best way possible. i cried no less than five times, which i was not expecting (though maybe i should have because the heartbreak hotel got me good).

this book is the epitome of how blurred the line can be between desire and hatred, between envy and lust, between rivals and partners. poor mattie, not understanding that what she was feeling was yearning disguised as disgust.

the tension!!!!! holy FUCK it was palpable. the banter between mattie & campbell was so witty and i loved the way they challenged each other at work/off time/everywhere in between. although it was a bit of a slow start, the build up was absolutely worth it. their first kiss scene had me enraptured and literally glued to the pages.

the way that mattie was written was, dare i say, horrifically real - it was like looking into a mirror. feeling attack-y, on the defense, needing to prove yourself, carrying guilt… mattie is me and i am mattie. also the fraught mother daughter relationship?? yikes! so well done but so painful.

i also loved campbell so, so much. the way HE was yearning had me blushing and giggling and kicking my feet. his character was so endearing to me and i love how easily he saw through mattie and her whirring mind.

this was just genuinely so good and tender and heartfelt but also HOT!!! their chemistry was perfect hehe

[taylor ❤️‍🔥]

rating: 4.5 ★

mattie and campbell have always been competing with one another. it all started when they wound up interning together at an ad agency fresh out of college, both determined to be hired for the one permanent position that was available. from there, the rest is history. there was no interaction that wasnt rife with passive agression and a determination to be the best. it isn't until both of their ad agencies are put up for the same account that they're put in a situation where they can't escape one another, or avoid the fact that there is a thin line between love and hate.

i absolutely loved heartbreak hotel but after if not you, ellen o'clover has become one of my favorite romance authors. something about the way she crafts her stories and her characters journeys feels so authentic.

the way o'clover writes her books is so engaging, the banter and chemistry between her characters is never lacking and suddenly you're so invested you don't want to put the book down.

her characters always have so much depth, mattie and campbell are no different. they both have actual personalities and heart wrenching back stories that make you just want to give both of them big hugs.

i will absolutely be picking up a hard copy of this book and am dying to see what she publishes next.


𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ⋆˚࿔

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘰'𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. ✨️

[Kseniia ✨️]

Атмосфера та тропи класні. Кемпбелл Портер — зелений прапорець та солодка булка. Але героїні навіть дурка не допоможе. Вона не чує і не вміє розмовляти. ЗОВСІМ. А дурний розрив в 3 акті ледве не змусив викинути кіндл у вікно.

[Casey Reads 🌸]

This was awful. I feel fooled by reviews again. Where was the romance? I got halfway through and all this book was giving was talk about work. I felt like I should be getting paid by the imaginary company for how much discussion of work was happening. And it was so repetitive.

Once again Book of the Month failed me. I will probably not be renewing with them beyond the 6 months that was given to me, because I am too picky. Once you have read as many books as I have, your tolerance for books that aren’t that good is so much lower, because you have read too many masterpieces at that point. The selection so far on Book of the Month has failed me. Ugh.

I would not recommend this personally, but so many others reviewed it well so take that with a grain of salt.

[Lina]

3.25 / 5 Stars
I absolutely loved “The Heartbreak Hotel” and it was a five star read for me, so I was so excited to read this book. Sadly, I had some issues with the first half but I thought the second half was quintessential Ellen O’Clover magic.

Let’s start with the first third. This part of the book was really tough for me. Rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes because at its heart, the rivals respect each other so any bickering is still based on a foundation of respect. I did not feel that respect here. From Mattie’s POV, it very much felt like Campbell did not respect her (and sometimes even did things that put her down unknowingly with tinges of unintentional misogyny - even if it was unintentional or maybe Mattie misread him, the impact was the same ). Their back and forth with each other was mean, unprofessional, and deeply childish. It was really hard for me to get through this section and if I hadn’t enjoyed Ellen’s other book, I might have DNF’ed.

Then, they make a truce and within a few chapters are hooking up. I understood why Campbell was into it, but how Mattie could flip her switch so quickly was really baffling to me. I felt like I had whiplash.

The last 40% was why I love Ellen’s work. The chemistry between them was palpable. It was crackling and fizzy and gave me butterflies. The yearning and pining was off the charts and so yummy. The third act conflict made sense to me and I bought into it (though I wish Campbell had done some things differently). There were also some really beautiful moments including one with Campbell and his mom and some of the ways that Ellen described feelings of self-worth that I really enjoyed.

I thought Ellen also did a great job of showing how Maddie’s relationship with her parents shaped her but I did not enjoy her friendship with Ava (they felt codependent) and her friendship with Dexter (he was pretty miserable).

I will continue to read all of Ellen’s books and I have preordered my copy because I just love Ellen a lot, but if you have thin skin like me or are sensitive to meanness, you may not enjoy the first half of the book. It is up to you to decide if it is worth it for the second half.

My rating is based on my score of the first 35% (2 stars), next 25% (3 stars) and last 40% (4.5 stars).

Many thank you to Kelsey for the buddy read!

You will probably like this book if you like:
⭐ Rivals to lovers
⭐ Workplace romances
⭐ Black cat x golden retriever
⭐ “It’s always been you”
⭐ Complicated family dynamics

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: September 15, 2026

⋆ ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ ⋆

[tiana ♡]

pre-read notes:
Thank you so much Berkley for the ARC of this book, I can't wait to dive into this! Look at that gorgeous cover as well! 🥰
🗓️ Expected publication: September 15, 2026

[Abi]

5 ⭐ ♾️

When I received the ARC earlier this year and I was so excited I read it right away but didn’t get the chance to write a review. So I did a re-read recently and I must say I loved this book even more. This book was a masterful take on the rivals to lovers trope! I read Heartbreak Hotel last year and I loved it so much but this book might be my favourite book by Ellen O’Clover!

Mattie and Campbell are copywriters working for competing advertising agencies. Their rivalry started when they were interns and now they have to present a month long pitch as they travel to different locations to win a new business.

The entire story is told in Mattie’s POV and when I was reading the earlier chapters I was worried she wouldn’t come across as likeable to other readers. However, that is why she felt so real to me. You need to understand her relationship with her parents and her upbringing to comprehend why she became so consumed with this rivalry with Campbell. She was a workaholic and achieving success became her main focus.

I loved how we got to know the real Campbell as the book went on. He was kind and I Ioved his golden retriever energy. Considering the years of animosity between them, I was surprised by how quickly they grew intimate.

To me this book was about embracing the uncertainty in life. We all have our own time line of what we want to accomplish and it’s ok to not have everything figured out. Also, you shouldn’t let the fear of heartbreak keep you from finding love.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

[✨Julie✨]

Just saw the new cover on IG! 😍 I loved The Heartbreak Hotel so much! Can’t wait to read this!

[Katie’s Bookshelf]

3⭐️

"There hasn't been a time since I've known you exist that I haven't wanted you, Mattie."

There was nothing wrong with this- I think it was perfectly fine. But I just never really connected to the story or the main characters? It just never manged to make me care- about the plot or Mattie and Campbell.

I'm all for a enemies to lovers but I think the rivalry went on a little too long here? Felt like Mattie never really stopped having that inner competition with Campbell. And I loved how independent and career oriented Mattie was but she always just seemed so obsessed with Campbell's success instead of her own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[BookishKB]

✨💫 If Not You by Ellen O’Clover 💫✨

I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

🚙 What to Expect
• Workplace rivals
• Enemies to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Copywriter MCs
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: September 15, 2026
📝 Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[sabrina (books.with.sabrina)]

DNF at 34%

I absolutely adored Heartbreak Hotel but this one is just not working for me. I was so excited for workplace rivals to lovers but the MMCs were just so childish for their age that I really couldn’t look past that. The whole “he did it first!!” and then stealing pens or notebooks from each other?? How old are you 💀 i think this had a lot of potential if their actions weren’t so immature. For that reason, I wasn't really invested in their relationship. They're just so mean to each other 😭

I found myself more interested in the dynamic between Mattie and her best friend, Ava. Feeling like you're losing your best friend when you're both at completely different stages in your life is totally relatable.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC!

[cherish𝜗𝜚⋆]

•*⁀➷ 𝗗𝗡𝗙 𝟰𝟬%

᭝ ᨳଓ 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:

𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦:
8/15/26

𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺
𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙚 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙝, 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜-𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡, 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙟𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩. 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙚'𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙮.

𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴/𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴:
𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚
𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚
𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨/𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙨-𝙩𝙤-𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨
𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙮
𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣
𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧
𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙘𝙖𝙩 𝙭 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧

𝘵𝘸’𝘴:
𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙜𝙮𝙣𝙮
𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨/𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨
𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙
𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙚
𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖

˙ . ꒷ 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 . 𖦹˙—

⤷ ゛𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 ˎˊ˗

ʚ༏ɞ don’t get me wrong, it’s not that it’s bad, i just got so bored around 34% to the point i couldn’t finish it. i just don’t think workplace romances are my thing. they just all seem the same to me, and it gets boring.

i will say though, i did really enjoy the parts where it switched to like a couple years before with Mattie and Campbell so we got more lore on their dynamic.
i also really enjoyed her writing, and i think i might check out her other books.


and the characters weren’t bad. i just wish they had more personality? they all seemed the same to me and nothing was really different between them except Mattie, being like a “black cat” and Campbell a cocky “golden retriever.”

˙ . ꒷ 🖋️ . 𖦹˙—

overall, this just wasn’t for me, and there’s nothing wrong with that. if you like workplace romances, definitely read this.

𝒑𝒓𝒆-𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅:
𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 (𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯)

i am so excited to read this. ive heard nothing but good things about this author and this book! so excited i got the arc

[Lauren (lololovesthings)]

4.5 stars.

Ellen O'Clover is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I found "If Not You" endlessly relatable, completely enthralling, and absolutely worth the slow-burning romance. I took my time reading this one because it pulled me in from the very first chapter. I felt myself holding my bent fingers to my face in anticipation and glee and sadness and joy multiple times as I turned each page faster and faster, wanting to know so badly how it ended, but not wanting it to end. Do you know what I mean? When you are reading something you're loving, but are sad it's going to end? That was me while reading "If Not You." UGH, this book is so good. The way O'Clover layers the pieces of this story on top of one another, how she weaves the characters in and out of each other's lives as she tells their stories, how she balances workplace drama with intense family issues, with friendship troubles, with burudgeoning relationships, with personal trauma and personality foibles, is nothing short of brilliant. I loved learning about Mattie and Campbell's history as rivals at opposing ad agencies, how Campbell has always had feelings for Mattie, and how Mattie has always pushed herself to be better than Campbell, even when she got everything about him wrong. They seem like true enemies to lovers on the outside, but things are not always what they seem. I loved watching them become friends and fall in love, and I loved seeing truths slowly revealed over time regarding who Campbell and Mattie really are. The tension between them is so palpable, so electric, it's like they can't wait to strangle each other or jump each other every second they are together. Gosh, it's just simmering with anticipation! I wonder if many readers will be put off by Mattie, who has walls miles high because of how she was raised, how her parents' actions molded her as a person, how she learned early that love was not all it was cracked up to be. Personally, I related to her so, so much. I just loved this story. I didn't find it to be too long, and I think it's well-paced. I liked the resolution in the end, and I loved all of the secondary characters. All in all, please give this book a chance. You won't regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellen O'Clover, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

[veerali]

thank you netgalley & berkley for the eARC—all thoughts are my own!
✦ publication date: september 15, 2026

THIS WAS CUTE

mattie french is a talented young copywriter at a small advertising agency, but her career is constantly overshadowed by campbell porter. campbell is an arrogant senior writer at a bigger agency and mattie's longtime rival ever since their internship days.

when both of their agencies compete for a major luxury resort account, mattie sees it as her big chance to finally beat campbell and win a promotion. the pitch requires a month of travel, forcing the two rivals to work closely together. as they spend time on the road, they begin to see past each other's defenses and discover unexpected sides to one another. by the time the final pitch arrives, mattie realizes her feelings for campbell have changed, and their rivalry might be turning into something else entirely.

this book started off really cute, and i was having a great time reading it. however, somewhere in the middle, my feelings changed. i felt like there was not much chemistry between mattie and campbell, which made it hard for me to connect with them.

i also noticed that some parts of the story repeated themselves. because of these things, the book missed out on becoming a true favorite, even though it definitely had the potential to be one.

still, i want to say that ellen o'clover is very talented. i really enjoyed her writing style, even if this particular story just wasn't the right fit for me. because of her good writing, i would definitely be open to reading other books by this author in the future.

౨ৎ ⋮ more by ellen o'clover
— the heartbreak hotel
— seven percent of ro devereux
— the someday daughter

[courtney]

There was something about this book (that I cannot pinpoint) that did not work for me unfortunately

[Mira]

I don’t have enough words to express how much I love Mattie and Campbell and this book! I first read it back in late March, and it hasn’t left my mind since. Ellen wrote such an incredibly beautiful, raw, tender, and deeply emotional story. It’s about friendship, work, family, and, of course, love—love between rivals. I don’t think I’ve ever highlighted so many quotes in a book.

Ellen’s books are honestly just pure magic to me. I feel and absorb every single word. I’m not usually a fan of the black cat trope, but I love Mattie with my whole heart. I completely understood her and felt her pain. From the very first pages, I could feel her chemistry with Campbell, and his yearning was everything.

I loved everything about this book. I loved the slow beginning, and then, in the second half, I completely fell in love with Campbell. I also adored the final chapters because they felt so real and true to life—the kind of moments where we see a little bit of ourselves.

I’ve already read it twice, and I’ll definitely be rereading it. And now I’m eagerly waiting for No Wilder Thing.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓rivals to lovers
✓workplace romance
✓he falls first
✓banter
✓slow burn
✓yearning
✓black cat x golden retriever

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[zil]

ellen o’clover doesn’t disappoint! loved this one too!
plus that the heartbreak hotel reference bye🥲