Olivia’s dreams of becoming a photographer were shattered when her ex-boyfriend turned her world upside down. Now, working as a barista and battling PTSD, Olivia has lost sight of what she wants out of life. All she knows is that she longs to be free of the cage she’s been locked in for the past year.
Jack Walker has a successful career, good looks, a dashing accent, and a mean right hook. But his tendency to bury himself in his work has made him forget how to relax and have fun. He would be lying if he said the cute barista with the bright smile didn’t make him want to take a chance on love again. But old wounds heal slowly, and he’s not convinced he can take another heartbreak.
When a clumsy moment makes sparks fly, Jack and Olivia quickly learn they must set aside their fears and insecurities to be together. But looming behind their budding relationship is a shadow from Olivia’s past. When Jack finds a mysterious letter, they realize there might be something fear after all. Can they overcome all the hurdles this unwelcome guest brings?
This book was not what I expected it to be. It was suspenseful, thrilling, and I couldn’t put it down. I constantly kept reaching for this and neglecting everything else.
It’s about two people coming together after going through a trauma. Liv has a stalker ex who is set on getting her back and Jack lost his fiance to his best friend and move to the states. They meet at the coffee shop Liv works at. Jack hasn’t had a serious relationship since his ex three years ago and Liv hasn’t dated since Jared attacked her. They quickly fall for each other and dive into a fast relationship until Liv starts getting letters from Jared again. Jack starts training her in self-defense. Their relationship starts to be strained from the pressure of the letters from Jared and Jack wanting to protect Liv. She breaks up with him when he demands she quits her job (he just wants to keep her safe) since Jared left a letter for her there. Liv refusing and said she will never be in a controlling relationship again. They are both having a hard time being apart but Liv refuses to bring Jack back into the mix with Jared.
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It was a great book and I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked from the beginning. The story hit me hard, mirroring a lot of my history and reading as the character navigated through the emotions of the past and adjusted to a new relationship was refreshing. The relationship between the main characters was respectful of her past and had a depth that isn’t typical in many books. There was a lot of thought behind how they meshed together and how their pasts would effect their relationship and interactions. It was a great read and the trigger warnings were thorough and something I haven’t seen done before. Definitely recommend!
I received this book as a ARC read and to leave an honest opinion. I loved this book from start to finish. I love how Olivia discovers that she is truly stronger than she believes. Her friends and new love interest, Jack help her to grow and regain her independence. Both Jack and Olivia tackle their fears and gain love by never giving up. I cannot wait for other books with these characters. The writing was wonderful and the characters just flowed throughout the story. I will definitely be reading other books by this author. I like how the author gives you detailed TW. Please be sure to read that list at the beginning of the book.
I enjoyed it but Olivia drove me crazy with her “need for freedom” while an unhinged stalker actively pursued her. I felt like jack might have been too mature for her and definitely didn’t deserve to have to grovel for a completely reasonable reaction to stupidity.
I read this book in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it! I was looking for a spicy book with healthy relationships and this hit the mark. Jack is perfect and I love him.
The suspense with the psycho stalker ex was so well done. Reading his letters and scenes was sickening. The way it was weaves through the plot and specifically affected Olivia and Jack’s relationship was so well done. It was a great build of realistic conflict within a mature relationship, where they are both a little right and both a little wrong. It was so refreshing. I also love how as perfect as Jack is, he also still has flaws. He’s real and I loved that about him.
I haven’t experienced the trauma that Olivia has but throughout this book, it all felt so real. (Except for the fact that she was able to make it in NYC on a baristas income alone. I just can’t believe it. And why didn’t she ever use the metro?? Who drives in NY? And who used cabs??) Despite my qualms with the reality of living in NYC, the thing I loved most about this was how real it all felt. The plot. The conflict. The relationships. The characters acting like actual mature adults and talking about their feelings and working to heal through their traumas!
My heart ached for Olivia and the very realistic depiction of her PTSD. This was a realistic portrayal of a healthy relationship and it made my heart happy! The suspense helped to drive the plot too, and kept me reading long into the night! Overall, this is such a well crafted story that I really enjoyed. From the suspenseful undertones, to the healthy mature relationships, hot spice, and themes of healing and individuality and independence within a relationship, I loved this. I hope to find more stories like it.
Jack is everything. but once again, i feel like the relational conflict between them made Olivia so unlikable. it is my biggest pet peeve when authors build up a grand relationship then throw in a breakup just for some emotional turmoil. it's so lazy. i completely understand the mental state Olivia was meant to be in after being stalked and suffering from PTSD, but the inner monologue she had as the author reached to justify her decision making, made me want to stop reading completely.
it's a personal gripe and one i have with many romance books. the need to filter in more drama and make a higher page count almost always makes the fmc more insufferable than necessary. by the end, i didn't think she even deserved Jack and the ending that tied them back together felt rushed and disingenuous. i couldn't even sympathize with her because her thoughts and actions were so asinine. and then to really top it off, she's not even the one who subdued Jared when it finally came down to it. she lost all the shiny mojo of being determined and courageous the moment she started whining about losing her freedom when she had a LITERAL STALKER following her around and leaving notes. no one in real life acts that way and it was such a bizarre plot line in juxtaposition to the author's attempt to make her triggers, panic attacks and overall reactive PTSD, realistic.
i'm disappointed because i loved the entire first half of the book but it felt forced by the time i made it 60% i'm giving 3 stars because i thought it was good insight of how relationships sometimes have to function when one person suffers from debilitating anxiety. and really, Jack was so damned charming it makes it impossible to truly hate this book completely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
⭐ (Story) 4.25 ⭐ (Narrator) 4 🌶️2.5 🥵 Spicy Chapters: 15, 16, 18, 21, 25, 37 📚 Tropes/Themes: Dark romance, romantic suspense, protective MMC, healing, he takes care of her, nyc, strangers to lovers, Cinnamon roll MMC 👀 Triple POV 1st person 🎙️ Single narration ⏰ Approx 6 hours 💔 Triggers: Panic attacks, PTSD, stalking, abuse, SA, violence 🛍️ Available: Now
💬 Although it wasn't what I expected, this was an enjoyable read that I listened through pretty quickly. I thought this would be a stalker romance, but it was more of a romantic suspense because the FMC was being stalked, and the love interested is not her stalker.
I did feel like in the beginning few chapters some of the descriptions of their meet cute/meetings are repetitive about her being on her knees, but other than that I really enjoyed the story. I don't mind dark romance, but this was more of a romantic suspense which is definitely more my vibe.
I also was convinced the story was going to take a different direction than it did but it still sucked me in- like I said I blew through this pretty quick because I was so invested.
My only complaint, (and this won't be an issue in the ebook) is that there was very little break between chapters/POVs. IDK if that's a narrator issue or production issue but it made it really hard at time to follow because the transitions happened so quickly and the narrator didn't say "Chapter [x]" just said the chapter title and who's POV it was.
Other than that this is a really good romantic suspense to lose yourself in for a few hours!
This was such a great read. For a debut author I was really impressed with her writing style.
Olivia was a fragile girl trying to overcome a traumatic experience with her ex boyfriend, Jared. She wanted to move on with her life but Jared wasn’t letting go. After a year she was finally stepping out of her shell and embraced a new relationship with the hott British customer, Jack from the coffee shop where she worked.
Jack was such a freakin amazing cinnamon roll MMC. He was smart, caring, strong and overall perfect person for Olivia to be with. He gave her the strength and tools she needed to get out of her cage and it was beautiful to see.
The author did a great job showing Jared’s crazy with his POV and letters he sent to Olivia.
I also really liked the implication that Jack had money without making it a main point in the book. The “billionaire” boyfriend trope is overdone and sometimes cheapens the relationship for me if they constantly bring it up.
Olivia was a totally relatable character and seeing her inner thoughts on her fears with comparing Jack’s and Jared’s actions is a total normal thing to do when overcoming trauma. She made it known without completely shutting down and voiced those concerns. Jack was able to see her thoughts brewing and they honestly had one of the best communicative book relationships I have ever read. It was a breath of fresh air.
This is how I would define this book "two broken people with dark pasts who didn't know they needed each other until they met".
I don't think I can give a brief synopsis of this book without saying what it's about, I'll just tell you that I loved it. Follow the story of two people full of fear and insecurities that were put into them, who needed a little push to realize that they were perfect for each other.
I loved the way Jack helped Olivia learn self-defense, and how Olivia was able to overcome her fears and insecurities with his help, but also with her perseverance and courage.
I can say that for this being the debut novel of the author, it is very well done. There were disgusting moments, anger, sadness and happiness. I honestly run out of words to describe this book. The author knew how to handle trigger warnings and the story was perfect.
That said, if you want to read it I recommend reading the trigger warnings before, because there are quite a few.
This is one of those books that you put off and put off, but when you read it you go "wow, a new favorite". Many thanks to the author for allowing me to read it as an ARC. And happy release week!! 🖤
This book had me hooked from the moment I hit download. I absolutely loved the flow of the book, the story flowed seamlessly and so naturally. I fell in love with the characters main and supporting alike. I am hoping for more novels in this series because you do feel like you get to know the supporting characters and as a reader you want to know their story as well. I love the relate ability of this book, and yes there could be triggers for some but those are listed at the beginning. The way the book is written is so that these triggering spots could be easily skipped over and the story still be enjoyed. I am so incredibly impressed with this being a debut novel. I am an avid reader and knowing the ending doesn’t ruin a good book for me so this will definitely be one that I will be buying a hard copy of and reading again and again. Fall for these characters like I did, I promise you wont regret it. This is by far one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was so good I finished it in a day and I’m ready to read it again. Love love love this book, I am left wanting more.
Oliva is a struggling barista at a coffee shop who falls for a handsome business man who comes in regularly. But, with all thats she's been through over the past few years she can't imagine taking their relationship past the coffee. But Jack wants more.
Jack went through a rough break up and never thought he'd find someone to make him complete. That is, until Olivia spills his coffee on him.
Olivia and Jacks characters were spot on. When nothing feels safe and all her emotions seemed to be overflowing Jack was there to sooth her and make her feel powerful and loved. He was quick to respect her boundaries and understand her insecurities. He helped her become a stronger version of herself.
But is that all enough for her to finally let herself fall for him?
This book was fantastic! It was so hard to have to put it down to do adult things! I read it in one day and was so sad when it was over! I'm hoping we will get a Ben and Eve book next!!! 😁
If you’re looking for a great contemporary romance, then look no further. “I’ll Be Seeing You” by E.A. Buckingham-Young has vibes of the Netflix show “You”, and takes you on a suspenseful, but romantic roller coaster ride. Can our cinnamon roll MMC (main male character) Jack help our Resilient, but damaged, Mental Health Rep FMC (female main character) Olivia heal from the PTSD from her stalker ex-boyfriend who continues to torment her and give Olivia, and himself, the Happily Ever After they deserve? Or will Olivia’s stalker ex be a “Joe” and destroy Olivia and anyone associated with her? This book has suspense, spice, and super sweet moments. Once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down! “I’ll Be Seeing You” is the first book in The Sleepless City Series and can be read as a stand alone or read first before “Waiting in the Wings” and E.A.’s upcoming and highly anticipated “Tearing Me Apart” which are books 2 and 3 in The Sleepless City Series.
I got this amazing story as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this story from start to finish! Olivia was such a strong, sweet, smart main character and I adored her from the start. Jack was a very sexy, thoughtful and adoring love interest. Olivia grew so much in this story and the ending was absolutely perfect! I was hooked on this story from start to finish. And the spice? Top notch, their banter and talking during these spicy scenes was great. I can't wait to read more from this author! I also loved the side characters, well except for Olivia's ex.
Please heed to the trigger warnings, which are detailed down to the page number, which is very refreshing and I applaud the author for this!
Amazing read. Finished it in about 5 hours and couldn’t put it down. I was HOOKED. Olivia and Jack are so perfect together and I love how they help build each other. They’re so relatable and you fall in love with them as soon as they dig into their story. Olivia is such a strong heroine and you can’t but be so proud of her and her growth. You worry about the annoying clingy main characters and truly none of them are in here. The way the chapters are laid out are golden. I honestly haven’t been glued to a book this way in a good long while. Trigger warnings are listed which was nice as well! So you can skip or avoid those sections if needed. But honestly. So so so worth your time!
This is a story that I will be revisiting for years to come. The way the author handles mental health issues, couple issues, and a few other things were so incredibly well written I was blown away. It's a super healthy take on how someone living with PTSD can manage to live their life again and I found it WONDERFUL to see how it was handled. She didn't just magically overcome her issues, nor did she ever fully over come them they were slowly addressed with complete respect from the love intrest. And it was reciprocated! The FMC also handles the MMC issues with tact and it sets the bar so high for me on future works like this I doubt anyone can surpass this. Trust me, this is worth the read!!
I found I’ll Be Seeing You to be a fairly quick and easy read! The story follows Jack, a sexy British businessman and Olivia, a young college photographer as they navigate their love. Olivia is recovering from an assault the year prior and trying to find her way in a world where she knows she has a stalker watching her every move and Jack has been the doe eyed customer who fell for Olivia while she makes his coffee every day. When the two are forced to meet, they can’t help but fall head over heels for each other!
I honestly thought the story wasn’t enough. It was a “love at first sight” trope but I feel like the emotions weren’t expressed enough and personally, I felt like it was a bit rushed, even for love at first sight. While I enjoyed reading, it felt like the author couldn’t commit to putting 100% into the trope, the characters or the spice. I really wanted to love this story more than I do and I’m sad that I don’t!
This was an excellent read. FMC with PTSD from her former boyfriend meets a retired MMA fighter who helps train her? Yes, please!
I love Liv's development and her desire to always push through and keep going, even if she did act a little recklessly at times when the ex came back. Jack's growth was more internal, as he had acknowledged why he hadn't pursued serious relationships for several years, but I loved how he was so willing from the beginning to jump in with Liv and help her through her struggles.
Lots of angst and build-up to some spicy scenes, and those training sessions were divine!
Olivia - living in a nightmare trying to move on from her past, then she meets Jack
Jack - can't think about the girl who spilled his coffee in him, but her friend gives him her number
Everything was going great until Jared showed back up
Check for tiggers warnings ⚠️
When I tell you I couldn't put this book down is an understatement. See the love story build with Olivia and Jack and how he helps her overcome so much. You could feel the fear, love and hope written on the pages!!
The author lures you in from the very beginning, and keeps you on your toes the ENTIRE time you’re reading this book! It’s stunning! The main couple each have very realistic problems that are so well written you forget that they’re not alive telling you a true story about themselves. The way they fit together is so beautiful, broken flaws and all they don’t just help each other they understand. It’s not a fairytale type love it’s a realistic one that shows you can help build your significant other up in so many ways they may need.
It’s incredible, I can’t recommend this book enough!!
I absolutely devoured this book it was so good. I will say check your trigger warnings as it does have some hints at SA, violence, and stalking. I loved the character development and how both Olivia and Jack both work hard to overcome their past traumas from exes. One of my favorite scenes is the coffee shop with the coffee spill accident cause that's what set everything in motion for these two. The way he cares for her during her panic attacks and the help she has from her friends are so awesome. This was a well-balanced read with just the right amount of plot and spice.
I absolutely devoured this book. I started reading around lunchtime, and after many interruptions (blasted kids and adult responsibilities), I finished at 2 AM. I could not go to sleep without knowing how the story ended for Jack snd Olivia. I also had to be sure the cretin that is Jared got what was coming to him. There are a few triggering scenes, so be sure to read the content warnings. All in all was a nice step down for a bit of a mental refresh from the darker series I had recently finished.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Absolutely loved how relatable the FMC is. Having gone through trauma and lived in a cage - I know that struggle to gain freedom and the shutdown that comes when that freedom is threatened. You just want to be able to live your life. I loved how caring the MMC was and how he nurtured that freedom and fire within Liv.
This book brought back a lot for me but it was worth it because Olivia survived and is thriving! I too, survived and am currently working on the thriving part.
10/10 recommend! Check the trigger warnings and take breaks if you need to!
I had this book in my TBR for way too long! I wish I had read this sooner! The FMC is a great balance of badass/normal girl next door, and the MMC is an absolutely delicious muscled, tattooed "touch her and die" type with an accent! 🤌🏻 The spice scenes will make you feel your heartbeat in places not your wrist or neck 😜. I have do many books that I planned to read after this but I am jumping straight into the next book in the Sleepless City series! If you are a fan of spicy romance you will not be disappointed in this one! You can thank me later!
What a ride! I saw a TikTok with an interesting plot for a book and took a chance and decided to read it and I’m happy I did. This story is well written discussing PTSD due to DV. In this story we follow Olivia a year after an incident that leaves her shaken & not able to trust. We walk with her as she discovers her confidence, independence and even love with Jack. Olivia goes from a volatile relationship to a healthy one but not without some bumps along the way and not without danger. Very well written! As always, check TW’s! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is my first book by this author. Olivia and Jack are fantastic characters that you will love. Ben and Eve are awesome BFF’s. The book is he’s to put down.
Jack is a marketing executive that has been attracted to Olivia the barista at his favorite coffee shop. After a sweet meet cute where they officially introduced themselves the story flies. They have some great dates, share emotional baggage before things get crazy.
Check the TW’s before reading but k ow there is a happy ending.
I recieved this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book kept my attention from the very first page. This is a slow burn with lots of suspense. I fell in love with the main characters, Olivia and Jack, as they learned to trust again after past relationship traumas. Jack is great at making Olivia feel secure, while the threat of her ex looms in the background. This will definitely be a re-read for me, and I hope the author will be writing more!
Interesting storyline and characters. As someone who has suffered from panic attacks, I really appreciated the honest portrayal, including the long-term effects for the rest of the day after one.
However, I can't put my finger on what it was, but something was off (maybe the pace) or missing, which meant it didn't hold my attention the way some books do. Which was a real shame because the idea and writing were great for the majority of it
Stories like this are not overly original stalkers have been done before. Sexy af tatted MMA fighters have been done before. Healing heroine has been done before.
But...
This book is special. And I read it all in one sitting. It was beautiful, wholesome, frustrating , hot, adorably cute, funny, and hot (that definitely gets mentioned twice because 🥵)
Now if you can just point me in the right direction where I can find my own jack... 😉
In the 1st book of this series, we meet Olivia, one of the main characters. As we progress in the book, we find she has some very relatable trauma. We also meet Jack, the sexy tattooed British man who keeps popping up. As we follow along we get passion, spice, tension, conflict, a crazy ex, and yes, a happily ever after.
Please read the trigger warnings prior to reading. They're there for a reason.