Thanks for the Memories : A Millennial Friends to Lovers Rom Com

by N.J. Weeks

The 2000s called...it wants you back.

Like most thirty something year olds, Natalia was tired of living in unprecedented times.

As if the world continually going up in flames wasn’t bad enough, her personal life wasn’t much better.

From student loan debt up to her eyeballs, and a love life in shambles she had come to a harrowing she had peaked.

Her prime flourished and died in 2006. When life felt easier, and her best friend, Rennix Steele, who she is secretly in love with, was still around.

She wanted nothing more than to go back in time, so she could see him again and feel something other than perpetual dread.

But you know what they say, be careful what you wish for because you might accidentally open the same portal to the past Rennix has been stuck in for the last twenty years.

Especially if said portal is opened on Friday the thirteenth… in October… in the basement of an abandoned video game shop rumored to be haunted.

Confronted with yet another unprecedented event, Natalia will now have to decide how far she’s willing to go to hold onto the nostalgia she’s been clinging onto for dear life.

They say the past should be left where it is, but when it has everything you want - including the one person you’ve spent everyday thinking about - leaving is easier said than done.

Thanks for the Memories is a friends to lovers, romantic comedy drenched in millennial nostalgia that will have you laughing, reminiscing, and likely shedding a tear or two.


What To
Millennials in their 30s
Gamer x Game Designer
Friends to lovers
Sarcastic Rom Com
Emo AF
Virtual time travel back to 2006
All the nostalgia & all the feels

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 23, 2026

About the author

A born and raised New Yorker, N.J. is a Latina romance author who loves to utilize her bachelor's degree in creative writing to write gritty romances that contain strong leading men, and even stronger leading women. Banter, thrills, and twists are key elements in her stories to keep her readers on their toes while making them swoon.

When she's not writing, she's likely jotting down ideas for a future project, lost in a book, or adding to her never ending tattoo collection.

Connect with N.J. on Instagram: @njweeks.books

njweeksbooks.com

Reviews

[Thalia Ohh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5


What to expect:
Friends to Lovers✔️
Emo AF✔️
Sarcastic RomCom✔️
Virtual Time Travel to 2006✔️


Listen… I’m not even gonna lie. That COVER?! Those TROPES?! It made my little millennial heart pitter patter 😏 Anyway..
Welcome to my unhinged & ✨chaotic✨ review 💅🏽 but first…

Live Reading Updates:
2%- okay and what if I told you I’m already obsessed?! THEN WHAT???

2%- hot pink razr BADDIES, UNITE 🤘🏽🫦💅🏽

4%- honestly, Natalia?! SOOO fxckn real 💀

12%- nah my girl’s having a FULL blown crashout lmfao

20%- “Who, me? To sky daddy? In this economy?” 💀 I STG I love Natalia 💀💀💀

20%- not me getting read to FILTH by NJ Weeks. Babessssss not the endocrinologist 😩

29%- babes I’m fxckn CHEESIN 😁

30%- wait! Why is my heart PITTER PATTERING with just ONE word?! Lia?😩🥹

33%- ”Cool.” RENNIX! Stawwwp flirting with us! 😏

40%- no because WTF is happening?!!

44%- & if I tell you I’d lay my life DOWN for a sad emo lover boy THEN what?!!?

45%- Dear Dictionaries, a new word has entered the simulation. Please add SCARNED 💀

52%- ykw FXCK that! Life’s TOO short, Lia! Think your with PUSS, babessss!💅🏽

58%- oh he likes to be called a GOOD BOY ? 🫦💦


63%- why doesn’t he WANT us? And WHY am I crying?😭 it said ROMCOM!!!😩

67%- I am Natalia. Natalia is ME.

75%- kiss ALLL the lips, DADDY Rennix

77%- Im a size Rennix 😏

79%- Rennix WHIMPERING?! (S)CREAMING! JFC

82%- nahhhh I already cried though 💀

89%- wait WHAT?!!!!! 17 MIN?!!!

100%- STFU 🥹🥰🤘🏽



Nah because wdym, 137 highlights?? WDYM, my ass basically highlighted EVERY SINGLE PAGE???
Natalia was sarcastic as shit, REAL AF & my spirit animal 100%! Because there were times I was like, YKW?! HYFR!
& REN?! Where do I fxckn start?! I’m absolutely fxckn OBSESSED! A dirty talker, a LISTENER, and an EATER?! My man is a triple THREAT fr 🫦

My ONLY wish 😏?? Make Thanks for the Memories, t LONGER! I WANT MORE. More sarcastic AF Lia & of course MORE down BAD REN! Pleaseeeeee NJ 🧎🏽‍♀️🧎🏽‍♀️🧎🏽‍♀️🧎🏽‍♀️

Thanks for The Memories is DEF a love letter to the 2000’s BY a millennial FOR millennials. & TFTM being my FIRST NJ Weeks book (but DEFINITELY not my last!) is a fxckn CRIME! Like where the fxck have I BEEN?!
If I can convince you of ANYTHING go in BLIND,babes!! TRUST!

So on 10/23 CHARGE your iPod, FXCK adulting, & get ready to into an AOL Chatroom and WISH you’d never left the 2000’s!


thank you NJ Weeks & team for the ARC and always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jasmine Kelii · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟶𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍….𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔.

“𝑵𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒈𝒊𝒂? 𝑹𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒙? 𝑵𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉?! 𝑺𝒂𝒚. 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒅.”

Omg talk about a trip down memory lane! As a millennial, I’ve never related so much to a book before. Feeling stuck and drowning in current times and completely desperate to go back to the good ol’ days.

All the throwback mentions, hello Payless and beaded curtains, to the sarcasm, and Rennix’s assertiveness? 😮‍💨 Ugh I had the time of my life!

Can we take a minute to appreciate the slutty glasses on Rennix?? This man may be inexperienced but that mouth of his? Yes pls 🧎‍♀️

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐱’s chemistry was everything. The yearning 😭 I won’t lie, my feels were attacked not knowing how the ending would play out. 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢! 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘕.𝘑. But gahhhd I was rooting for them so hard. Especially after finding out the big secret!! Stomp on my heart why don’t you.

“𝑨 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒂 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰’𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚.”

I loved this book so much I devoured it in one sitting. It was everything I needed right now! Thank you NJ for letting me take a blast to the past!

—————————————————————
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
🩷 MF
👾 Millennials in their 30s
💚 Gamer x Game Designer
👾 Friends to lovers
🩷 Sarcastic Rom Com
👾 Emo AF
💚 He’s a virgin…ready & willing to learn
👾 Virtual time travel back to 2006
🩷 All the nostalgia & all the feels
👾 Best friend’s brother
💚 Good boy
👾 It was always you

𝐓𝐖𝐬:
⚠️ Parental abandonment/ neglect (off page)
⚠️ Mention of alcohol abuse
⚠️ Mention of terminal illness
⚠️ Dark/morbid humor as coping mechanism
⚠️ Misogyny
⚠️ Profanity

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬:
⛓️ Oral
⛓️ Praise
⛓️ Dominance
⛓️ Good boy

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Heat: 🔥🔥🔥
POV: Dual - first person
Ending: 🩷HEA

[Valeria Campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Thanks for the Memories by N.J. Weeks 📼🩷

“He kisses me like I was made for him to devour.” 😮‍💨

As a millennial, this book had me feeling SEEN and personally attacked at the same time. 😂

The struggles of adulting, bills piling up, a car that won’t start, and desperately wanting to go back to when life was simpler?! RELATABLE AF. And when Natalia mentioned her car named Bessie, I about lost it because MY TRUCK IS NAMED BESSIE TOO. 😭🤣 Must be a millennial thing.

The 2000s nostalgia was EVERYTHING. The music, the gaming, the emo vibes, and all those little references that took me straight back to my teenage years. Add in Natalia’s love for horror movies and crime documentaries, and I swear she’s my kind of girl. 🩷

Natalia’s sarcasm and unfiltered mouth had me laughing, but RENNIX?! 🥹 This sweet, shy, nerdy man absolutely stole my heart. Don’t let that innocent exterior fool you either. 😮‍💨🔥

Their friendship, the banter, the years of unspoken feelings, and the chemistry were SO GOOD. I loved that underneath all the humor and nostalgia, there was actually a really sweet, emotional story about love, timing, and wanting to hold on to the people who mean everything to you.

This was such a fun, nostalgic little escape from reality. It made me laugh, swoon, and miss a time when my biggest responsibility was deciding what song to put on my iPod. 😭

10/10 would absolutely abandon my adult responsibilities to go back to 2006. 📼🖤

📅 October 23, 2026

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review: This book was so amazing. If you’re looking for a sarcastic friends-to-lovers rom-com, you need to add this to your TBR. This book has a time-travel element back to 2006. This book has all the nostalgic feels. This book follows Natalia and Rennix, who were childhood best friends. Natalia is a game designer with student loans up to her eyeballs. Basically, Natalia can't catch a break. A crumbling love life. I fell for Rennix instantly. I loved the concept of virtual time travel; it kept me interested. I was invested in every page of dialogue and lore. If you are looking for something different than your average rom com i highly recommend this one is a quick read with amazing concepts and some spicy times as well. The chemistry between Natalia and Rennix was hot! His banter had me gasping. He is not as innocent as he seems, y'all! This was an absolute honor to read early. Thank you, @njweeks.

[Awilda Mercedes · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Thanks for the Memories follows Natalia, who's buried in debt and longing for 2006, when she accidentally opens a portal to the past where her best friend Rennix has been trapped for twenty years. 🕰️✨
The friendship. The banter. The years of unspoken feelings. The CHEMISTRY. It was all SO good. Beneath the humor and nostalgia is a sweet, emotional story about love, timing, and holding on to the people who mean everything to you. 🥹💔
i have NEVER related to a book this much. 😭 desperate to go back to the good ol' days? Same, Natalia. Same
But it was too short! I need MORE sarcastic AF Natalia and, of course, MORE down BAD Ren!!

Things to know
Parental abandonment/ neglect (off page), mention of alcohol abuse, mention of terminal illness, dark/morbid humor as coping mechanism, misogyny and profanity, slow burn, time travel to 2006, virgin mmc, sarcastic romcom, friends To lovers, emo af

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖: Thanks for the Memories | N.J. Weeks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️|🌶️🌶️

**arc review**

If I could inject this book straight into my veins I would. It was literally everything I didn’t know I needed. I actually put it down at one point because I knew I was getting close to the end and I wasn’t ready to leave that world yet. I swear N.J. found my old diary, or MySpace, or something because Lia is me.

This was like a love letter to millennials. All the subtle (and not so subtle) nods and quotes, oh it was just perfect. I am obsessed with both of the characters and I only wish the book was longer so I could stay with them. This will definitely become a comfort read for me. If you’re a millennial, in a book slump, yearn for the 2000s, and love sarcasm with a taste of spice, don’t wait any longer! This is the perfect novella for you!

P.S. it was never just a phase!🖤

[Tracyreadsswiftly · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all NJ can do no wrong. As a millennial myself this brought me way way back to the good ol days. Absolutely love these characters, their wit/banter and the love they have for eachother that never dies (quite literally). When you think you understand what's going on something else happens that kinda leaves you speechless. There were so many plot twists that it was giving me whiplash but hey it was a great time! It was so fun and so out there I don't even know where to start. One of the most fun books I've read in a while. If you love gaming, an elder emo, all the 90's-2000's nostalgia and adventures then this book is for you! Now I'm gonna go listen to my elder emo playlist!

[Kata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short, nostalgic and fun read. Truly a trip down memory lane, and now I also want to travel back to early 2000s, or at least find my old iPod and listen all the songs I have there

Loved the chemistry and yearning between Natalia & Rennix. Natalia was so relatable character and I agree, adulting truly is a scam and lizards are scary lol. Rennix and his slutty little glasses, yes please! I need him in my life 🫠🔥

I highly recommend checking this book out!


I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

[Julie Bower · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me homesick for a time I’ll never experience again 🥲

This was such a fun read for me I am absolutely in love with Lia and her character 😭 Every time she opened her mouth I found myself laughing.

For Rennex, I love that he was such a softie even after all the time that had passed and that he didn’t try to “soften” Lia in any way.

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much and I really wish it was longer so I could stay in that time just a little longer than I did 😩

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an honor it is to get to read an ARC from N.J. Weeks. Thanks for the memories is a fun millennial coded novella that speaks to my emo heart. I loved Natalia’s snarky sarcastic self. Rennix made me say awe and ohhh in the same minute. We love a good boy with a dirty mind!!!

[Joslyn Rosado · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella had me crying way more than I expected to. I really loved all the nostalgic millennial nods. But seriously, I couldn’t stop crying. Thanks to the author for the eARC.