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Say You'll Be There
Imagine bumping into your first love at speed-dating, a decade after he ghosted you.
Photographer Emma Anderson isn’t looking for love. She doesn’t date seriously, keeps men at arm’s length, and definitely doesn’t do vulnerability—not after the way things ended with her first love, Jake Griffin, in high school. The fallout was cyberbullying that forced her to switch schools, and radio silence from the boy who had once been her best friend. Since then, Emma’s buried the past so deeply that no one, not even her closest friends—or Emma herself—knows the full story.
So when she reluctantly goes speed-dating, she doesn’t expect to see Jake sitting across from her. And she definitely doesn’t expect to agree when her best friend suggests a good old-fashioned sexorcism to get over him once and for all.
As Emma and Jake fall back into each other’s lives, Emma is forced to face the past she’s spent years avoiding—and risk her heart on the one person who already broke it.
Photographer Emma Anderson isn’t looking for love. She doesn’t date seriously, keeps men at arm’s length, and definitely doesn’t do vulnerability—not after the way things ended with her first love, Jake Griffin, in high school. The fallout was cyberbullying that forced her to switch schools, and radio silence from the boy who had once been her best friend. Since then, Emma’s buried the past so deeply that no one, not even her closest friends—or Emma herself—knows the full story.
So when she reluctantly goes speed-dating, she doesn’t expect to see Jake sitting across from her. And she definitely doesn’t expect to agree when her best friend suggests a good old-fashioned sexorcism to get over him once and for all.
As Emma and Jake fall back into each other’s lives, Emma is forced to face the past she’s spent years avoiding—and risk her heart on the one person who already broke it.
- GenresCanada
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2026
About the author
Mia Denson
2 books11 followersMia Denson is the pen name of two friends and romcom writing partners from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. They drink a lot of tea, eat a lot of snacks, and try to cut down the use of ‘eyes’ in their manuscripts.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 25, 2026
Say You’ll be There by Mia Denson
I rated this 4.25 ⭐️
My Thoughts
The timeline shifts in this contemporary romance were seamless and done right. I was invested in both the past and present stories and could feel the chemistry between Jake and Emma in both timelines. I felt like the city of Toronto was a character itself and enjoyed the mention of landmarks, neighbourhoods and sites.
Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes to read and this one was done right. A miscommunication trope can be hit or miss for me and are hard to pull off but Mia pulled it off! This one was written the right way.
I really enjoyed meeting Meera & Owen from Prescription for Love again and am looking forward to seeing who Denson decides to dedicate a book to next. I have an idea at who could be next and am excited to see if I’m correct.
I’m currently in my high fantasy & Romantasy era and this book made for a great palate cleanser. I overall enjoyed the story, characters and writing. I definitely will be reading more of Mia’s work. I recommend this book to anyone who likes Annabell Monaghan, Catherine Centre and Laurie Gilmore
Book Overview
Imagine bumping into your first love at speed-dating, a decade after he ghosted you.
Photographer Emma Anderson isn’t looking for love. She doesn’t date seriously, keeps men at arm’s length, and definitely doesn’t do vulnerability—not after the way things ended with her first love, Jake Griffin, in high school. The fallout was brutal: cyberbullying that forced her to switch schools, and radio silence from the boy who had once been her best friend. Since then, Emma’s buried the past so deeply that no one, not even her closest friends—or Emma herself—knows the full story.
So when she reluctantly goes speed-dating, she doesn’t expect to see Jake sitting across from her. And she definitely doesn’t expect to agree when her best friend suggests a good old-fashioned sexorcism to get over him once and for all.
As Emma and Jake fall back into each other’s lives, Emma is forced to face the past she’s spent years avoiding—and risk her heart on the one person who already broke it.
I was gifted an ARC in return for an honest review
I rated this 4.25 ⭐️
My Thoughts
The timeline shifts in this contemporary romance were seamless and done right. I was invested in both the past and present stories and could feel the chemistry between Jake and Emma in both timelines. I felt like the city of Toronto was a character itself and enjoyed the mention of landmarks, neighbourhoods and sites.
Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes to read and this one was done right. A miscommunication trope can be hit or miss for me and are hard to pull off but Mia pulled it off! This one was written the right way.
I really enjoyed meeting Meera & Owen from Prescription for Love again and am looking forward to seeing who Denson decides to dedicate a book to next. I have an idea at who could be next and am excited to see if I’m correct.
I’m currently in my high fantasy & Romantasy era and this book made for a great palate cleanser. I overall enjoyed the story, characters and writing. I definitely will be reading more of Mia’s work. I recommend this book to anyone who likes Annabell Monaghan, Catherine Centre and Laurie Gilmore
Book Overview
Imagine bumping into your first love at speed-dating, a decade after he ghosted you.
Photographer Emma Anderson isn’t looking for love. She doesn’t date seriously, keeps men at arm’s length, and definitely doesn’t do vulnerability—not after the way things ended with her first love, Jake Griffin, in high school. The fallout was brutal: cyberbullying that forced her to switch schools, and radio silence from the boy who had once been her best friend. Since then, Emma’s buried the past so deeply that no one, not even her closest friends—or Emma herself—knows the full story.
So when she reluctantly goes speed-dating, she doesn’t expect to see Jake sitting across from her. And she definitely doesn’t expect to agree when her best friend suggests a good old-fashioned sexorcism to get over him once and for all.
As Emma and Jake fall back into each other’s lives, Emma is forced to face the past she’s spent years avoiding—and risk her heart on the one person who already broke it.
I was gifted an ARC in return for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 rounded up
Emma isn't looking for love. After a traumatic past with her first real love abandoning her in her youth, she's done everything to keep her distance. Right up until he walks into her life and wants to try again for something new.
*****
This was SUCH a fantastic novel. I love that we got flashbacks to young Emma and Jake as they existed through crushes, friendship, big feelings and young loves, slowly working forwards to the big conflict that destroyed their friendship.
I loved seeing young Emma as her clumsy, ridiculous self that was so open and willing to be enthusiastically who she was, with only the brazen confidence you can have in youth. Her wit and charm folding into her adult character, being funny and strange and down-to-earth made her such a loveable lead the whole way through.
Jake was a wild card. Positioning himself as someone to help guide her through school as someone slightly older, yet also clearly trying to spend as much time as possible in her adorable orbit while denying his own feelings. His complicated home life, transitioning into his very content adulthood set them up for a lot of hidden hurts and conversations delayed as they tried to deny the chemistry that still existed between them.
I loved that the miscommunication was genuine, and made sense with both of their complicated pasts, as they worked towards their HEA. It was also such a blast to have a book with so many Canadian references, culturally and otherwise. It felt like little nods to inside jokes and times you had to live through that had me vibing along the entire time.
All in all this was a sweet second chance romance, and I can't wait to see what else these authors write!
*****
Thank you to the authors, Mia Denson, for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Emma isn't looking for love. After a traumatic past with her first real love abandoning her in her youth, she's done everything to keep her distance. Right up until he walks into her life and wants to try again for something new.
*****
This was SUCH a fantastic novel. I love that we got flashbacks to young Emma and Jake as they existed through crushes, friendship, big feelings and young loves, slowly working forwards to the big conflict that destroyed their friendship.
I loved seeing young Emma as her clumsy, ridiculous self that was so open and willing to be enthusiastically who she was, with only the brazen confidence you can have in youth. Her wit and charm folding into her adult character, being funny and strange and down-to-earth made her such a loveable lead the whole way through.
Jake was a wild card. Positioning himself as someone to help guide her through school as someone slightly older, yet also clearly trying to spend as much time as possible in her adorable orbit while denying his own feelings. His complicated home life, transitioning into his very content adulthood set them up for a lot of hidden hurts and conversations delayed as they tried to deny the chemistry that still existed between them.
I loved that the miscommunication was genuine, and made sense with both of their complicated pasts, as they worked towards their HEA. It was also such a blast to have a book with so many Canadian references, culturally and otherwise. It felt like little nods to inside jokes and times you had to live through that had me vibing along the entire time.
All in all this was a sweet second chance romance, and I can't wait to see what else these authors write!
*****
Thank you to the authors, Mia Denson, for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 24, 2026
Thank you to the authors for a gifted ebook. All opinions are my own.
This was the perfect end of summer read. It was a sweet story with a believable dual timeline set in Toronto (love a local story!). It had quirky, lovable characters with a New Girl type vibe to how they all hung out and teased each other.
My only caveats was that it is open-door and included a good amount of swearing. However, that is a personal preference and the solid story built with these preferences is still a great read.
If you’re looking for that kind of Netflix second-chance romance vibe that likely stars Glen Powell, this is it. Read this one.
This was the perfect end of summer read. It was a sweet story with a believable dual timeline set in Toronto (love a local story!). It had quirky, lovable characters with a New Girl type vibe to how they all hung out and teased each other.
My only caveats was that it is open-door and included a good amount of swearing. However, that is a personal preference and the solid story built with these preferences is still a great read.
If you’re looking for that kind of Netflix second-chance romance vibe that likely stars Glen Powell, this is it. Read this one.
June 8, 2026
This book was incredibly adorable! Emma was such a realistic character that brought me back to being in high school again. I loved how well written the story was and how well developed the characters were. It was so fun to see all the references to different places and things that are Canadian, and so close to home. Such a fun read!
January 25, 2026
I loved this book, especially because it’s set in Scarborough and even connects back to the high school I went to. It was so fun seeing familiar spots woven into Emma and Jake’s story — it made everything feel extra real.
Emma running into her first love at speed‑dating after he ghosted her a decade ago instantly hooked me. Her mix of shock, frustration, and old feelings creeping back in felt so relatable. The book balances humour with some heavy emotional moments as Emma finally confronts what happened back in high school.
Overall, it’s a heartfelt second‑chance romance with a great mix of nostalgia, warmth, and Scarborough pride. I really enjoyed it.
Emma running into her first love at speed‑dating after he ghosted her a decade ago instantly hooked me. Her mix of shock, frustration, and old feelings creeping back in felt so relatable. The book balances humour with some heavy emotional moments as Emma finally confronts what happened back in high school.
Overall, it’s a heartfelt second‑chance romance with a great mix of nostalgia, warmth, and Scarborough pride. I really enjoyed it.
March 27, 2026
Loved this second chance romance! The dual timelines were great and love how they played out alongside each other. Also being from Scarborough myself, I enjoyed all the local references!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Jake is a big part of Emma’s past… and possibly, her future. Although the reader can only hope that the latter comes true (this is a romcom, after all) nothing is spelled out or known for certain until the final pages – which makes this second chance grown-up romance all the more irresistible.
Author Mia Denson plays a clever game of “will they or won’t they/do they or don’t they” in back-and-forth chapters, half set in flashbacks depicting Emma and Jake’s adorkable high school crush era, and half set in the present after they reconnect as adults at a local tavern’s speed dating event.
In both the past and present, the banter between Emma, now a professional photographer who still loves the Spice Girls, and Jake, an athletic optometrist in slutty little glasses, is top notch. It’s not easy to construct what are essentially two parallel stories, but Denson does a remarkable job of staying true to her characters. Despite being told in separate timelines, the storylines are equally engaging and believable as they unfold and, eventually, intersect.
After falling head over heels for Prescription for Love, I could not wait to dive into the author’s newest project. Say You’ll Be There did not disappoint. The depth of character development is terrific and genuine, and the supporting characters that add colour to the MCs’ world are just as well cared for in the author’s capable hands. The nostalgic nod to 1990s pop culture along with plenty of inside Canadianisms (iykyk, eh?) are sure to keep readers smiling chapter after chapter. I had such a great time reading this one and can’t wait to see what’s next!
Author Mia Denson plays a clever game of “will they or won’t they/do they or don’t they” in back-and-forth chapters, half set in flashbacks depicting Emma and Jake’s adorkable high school crush era, and half set in the present after they reconnect as adults at a local tavern’s speed dating event.
In both the past and present, the banter between Emma, now a professional photographer who still loves the Spice Girls, and Jake, an athletic optometrist in slutty little glasses, is top notch. It’s not easy to construct what are essentially two parallel stories, but Denson does a remarkable job of staying true to her characters. Despite being told in separate timelines, the storylines are equally engaging and believable as they unfold and, eventually, intersect.
After falling head over heels for Prescription for Love, I could not wait to dive into the author’s newest project. Say You’ll Be There did not disappoint. The depth of character development is terrific and genuine, and the supporting characters that add colour to the MCs’ world are just as well cared for in the author’s capable hands. The nostalgic nod to 1990s pop culture along with plenty of inside Canadianisms (iykyk, eh?) are sure to keep readers smiling chapter after chapter. I had such a great time reading this one and can’t wait to see what’s next!
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.5 STARS This was a cute, second chance romance that follows Emma, a Toronto photographer who, after a broken heart, decides that relationships and love just aren't for her. When she reluctantly participates in a speed dating event at her local pub, she is reconnected with none other than Jake Griffin, her first love and high school crush ... and the man who broke her heart when he ghosted her.
Through dual timelines of present day and Emma and Jake's high school days, readers get to see the beginning of their sweet friends-to-lovers romance as Denson slowly reveals what went wrong between the pair to rupture their relationship.
I loved all the wonderful bits of Canadiana and Toronto locations that I recognized and how poignant some of the scenes were as we witness the reasons for their heartbreak and their feelings of vulnerability when it comes to love. I found I connected more to the current storyline and was surprised at how much of the book was centred on their teenage years, giving it more of a teen vibe than I was anticipating.
This story is all about high school crushes, broken hearts, miscommunication and second chances at love and healing. It's also got one of my favourite tropes (friends to lovers!) and a perfect blend of spiciness for good measure. Look for it in stores February 17, 2026!
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the authors for the complimentary digital copy of this book that was given in exchange for my honest review.
Through dual timelines of present day and Emma and Jake's high school days, readers get to see the beginning of their sweet friends-to-lovers romance as Denson slowly reveals what went wrong between the pair to rupture their relationship.
I loved all the wonderful bits of Canadiana and Toronto locations that I recognized and how poignant some of the scenes were as we witness the reasons for their heartbreak and their feelings of vulnerability when it comes to love. I found I connected more to the current storyline and was surprised at how much of the book was centred on their teenage years, giving it more of a teen vibe than I was anticipating.
This story is all about high school crushes, broken hearts, miscommunication and second chances at love and healing. It's also got one of my favourite tropes (friends to lovers!) and a perfect blend of spiciness for good measure. Look for it in stores February 17, 2026!
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the authors for the complimentary digital copy of this book that was given in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is such a cute second-chance romance! New author, Mia Denson, pulls off a dual timeline narrative that flips between past and present so smoothly, you barely notice the shift — until suddenly you’re deep in both worlds, watching memory and history collide. It’s like getting the best kind of slow reveal, where you’re screaming internally, okay but WHAT actually happened between Emma and Jake?! The suspense builds so naturally that before you know it, you’re 200 pages in, fully invested, and maybe a little too emotionally attached.
Award for best supporting role has to go to the City of Toronto - my hometown (ok, so I'm definitely a bit biased). Only a few books I’ve read are so unapologetically situated in their location, and this one celebrates Toronto in all the best ways! From the quirky neighbourhood of Kensington to the sleek skyline views along the waterfront, to a day tripping picnic out to Toronto Islands, the city feels like a living, breathing character. You can practically hear the streetcar bells as Denson nails that distinct Toronto energy — the mix of cultures, and the creative buzz - and it's a perfect backdrop for this romance!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Award for best supporting role has to go to the City of Toronto - my hometown (ok, so I'm definitely a bit biased). Only a few books I’ve read are so unapologetically situated in their location, and this one celebrates Toronto in all the best ways! From the quirky neighbourhood of Kensington to the sleek skyline views along the waterfront, to a day tripping picnic out to Toronto Islands, the city feels like a living, breathing character. You can practically hear the streetcar bells as Denson nails that distinct Toronto energy — the mix of cultures, and the creative buzz - and it's a perfect backdrop for this romance!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 12, 2026
4.5 stars for this one!This was such a cute read!! The characters were so refreshing, fun and unapologetically themselves. I love how Emma brought out Jake's fun side and how he just went along with all her crazy ideas. The flashbacks to high school were so cute. Even in high school Emma was so sure of herself and able to roll with things. I loved it. This book did a really good job of showing how high school friendships and relationships change. It also showed how kids can be so mean and awful. I loved all the supporting characters from her parents, to her friends, to Jake's family. They all added something to the story. I need Mel and Ryan's story!
September 13, 2026
3.5* rounded up to 4
Second chance romance is already a weakness of mine, and this one delivers! The "first love turned total strangers" plot hit exactly where I wanted it to. The dual timeline worked and I thought it added weight to the present day stuff instead of feeling like filler.
The writing style was smooth and easy to sink into, the kind where you look up and realize you read way more than planned!
If "reunited exes with unfinished business" does something to you, this one's worth the read!
❤️ Thank you to the authors for access to this eARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.
Second chance romance is already a weakness of mine, and this one delivers! The "first love turned total strangers" plot hit exactly where I wanted it to. The dual timeline worked and I thought it added weight to the present day stuff instead of feeling like filler.
The writing style was smooth and easy to sink into, the kind where you look up and realize you read way more than planned!
If "reunited exes with unfinished business" does something to you, this one's worth the read!
❤️ Thank you to the authors for access to this eARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Say You’ll Be There delivers a heartfelt second-chance romance. The dual timeline unfolds effortlessly, as readers bear witness to Emma and Jake’s high school beginnings, and their present-day reunion. The gradual reveal of what really happened between them in the past adds the perfect amount of tension, and keeps you turning the pages. Toronto shines as a backdrop, giving the story in a strong sense of place. This is a romance about healing, missteps, and finding your way back. Add this book to your TBR list today!
April 17, 2026
I LOVED this book!! I’ve read many times where reviews say ‘This book will make you laugh out loud.’ and then never laughed once!! This book had it all: truly laughing within the first few pages, character development, and a scenario where I had a real interest in seeing how things pan out. Also so novel (pardon the pun) to have Toronto as the setting. Loved the TO references.
I’m just hoping they write a sequel. Well done!!
I’m just hoping they write a sequel. Well done!!
April 1, 2026
This book had me laughing and crying and excited to keep turning the pages. Such a good read. It brought back lots of memories of high school and all the feels. Definitely recommend reading this!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews