Romance: You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Rating: 6/10

Arianna Sloane, a wannabe comedian who moved to New York to follow her dreams meets Josh Kestenberg on a less than positive note.

Josh Kestenberg was once the beloved chef who had an up and coming restaurant destined for greatness, and believed in monogamy and love. Now, he’s the unemployed single dude plowing through his savings in the apartment he got with his ex.

Ari was married and practicing ethical non-monogamy, for the first time in her life she felt the want of marriage. Now she was heart broken and a shell of the person she used to be after Cass, her ex-wife, left her for a younger lover.

In a moment of desperation, Josh and Ari become friends. They understand each other in a way others don’t, or at least it feels that way because no one else seems to be reeling from heartbreak or struggling in their careers.

The only thing I really disliked about this book was how long it actually took for them to get together. Most of the book isn’t a cute buildup to a relationship, it’s a rocky and at times unpredictable friendship that leads to a lot of fighting.

Now, with that being said, it’s lovely to see two people who disagree on most things eventually come together and form a beautiful bond. But they do drag their feet the entire time, or at least Ari does.

There was also a few other places that the book felt lack luster, in my opinion. There’s a big chunk of the book where the two main character’s aren’t even talking to each other, while it makes sense for them to have distance to grow as people, it was frustrating to have them choose other people over each other.

-Grace Sofia