Till There Was You

For many months, I’ve been excited for the release of Lindsay Hameroff‘s debut novel, Till There Was You. I’ll admit, that delicious cover is what first caught my attention (who doesn’t love blueberry pancakes?), but I was also intrigued by the music industry aspect of it, too. This is a charming and heartwarming contemporary romance for anyone who loves food, music, and the rollercoaster that is a relationship with a superstar.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Summary

While in her first year of culinary school, Lexi had an unexpected hookup with an up-and-coming musician named Jake… the kind that turns into an entire weekend spent together. But when he left to LA to advance his music career, Jake ended up ghosting Lexi, and they haven’t spoken since. Over a year later, he’s a music sensation after the success of his debut single “Blueberry,” inspired by Lexi. Now he’s back in town, hoping for a second chance at making a relationship with her work. But how can she let him back in? And how can they ever have a future together with such different lifestyles and opposing career goals?

Review

There are two things I absolutely love: pancakes and music. Till There Was You first captured my interest because of those paired elements, from the blueberry pancakes on the cover to the plot of a young chef having a second-chance romance with the musician she spent a weekend with the year before.

At first, the romance between Lexi and Jake is a bit instant: They meet at a bar, end up having a one-night-stand, and then stretch that to a whole weekend of serious chemistry. It’s only been a couple days, but it feels like true love. Then he heads off to LA to record a demo album, and just as his music career is experiencing a sudden and meteoric rise, he ghosts her. Rude. So Lexi focuses on finishing culinary school and getting her first job as a line chef.

After Jake ghosted Lexi, I can see why it’d be so hard to let him back in. But I can also understand his reasoning for failing to reach out. Their second chance may need to start off as a tentative friendship, which gives their insta-love romance a bit more realism. It’s some necessary breathing room that makes me appreciate their relationship all the more once it gets going again.

I enjoyed seeing the different aspects of Lexi and Jake’s careers. Lexi loves to cook, but her new job working in a restaurant isn’t quite as fulfilling as she’d thought it would be. It’s uninspiring work with gruesome hours, and it’s hard to have a relationship with anyone (let alone a celebrity) when working in such a career. Jake has had whirlwind success with his first single (“Blueberry”) and album, becoming the biggest new music star in only a span of months. And while he loves many aspects of his music career, there are other parts that are draining on him. Like the chef career path, it can be hard for a celebrity of his caliber to have a solid relationship with anyone. How can Jake and Lexi make it work, despite the hurdles and media attention?

In addition to their romance and careers, I also enjoyed the other relationships they have. Lexi has some good friendships with Ali, Chloe, and later Mia, giving her some needed support at times. But her relationship with her father has become strained since her mother’s death. Grief and dealing with loss are major themes, and driving factors behind many of Lexi’s decisions. Jake also has a complicated relationship with his dad, though his mom is supportive and sweet. His bigger difficulties come from his professional connections.

Final Thoughts

Till There Was You is a deliciously sweet love story for foodies, music fans, and anyone with a soft spot for a second-chance romance. It has added depth in both family and career arcs, but is ultimately about a cute couple that has to work extra hard to make a relationship work. This is a wonderful debut, and I look forward to reading more from Lindsay Hameroff.

Get the Book

You can buy Till There Was You here – it’s available as a paperback and ebook.

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	New York; Georgia; Florida; California
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	February 20, 2024
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

“Witty, warm, and charming…Fans of Emily Henry and Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You are going to go crazy for this one!” —Jennifer Close, author of Marrying the Ketchups

Culinary student Lexi Berman, 24, has one goal: to make her late mother proud by becoming an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant. And she isn’t going to let anything–or anyone–get in the way. But when she meets Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician who charms her with show tunes, she makes a rare exception to her no-dating rule. After a steamy weekend together, Jake leaves for L.A. to record his demo, and Lexi never expects to see him again. And she definitely doesn’t expect him to become an overnight celebrity, with a breakout single that’s almost certainly about her famous blueberry pancake recipe.

As Jake’s star rises and the world speculates about the subject of his song, Lexi keeps the affair to herself. After all, she’s finally found her footing at her new restaurant job, and even has a prospective romance with her coworker. But when a distraught Jake turns up on her doorstep late one night, her carefully-laid plans are thrown for a loop. Though she and Jake try to be friends, things between them soon reheat faster than a bowl of Lexi’s matzah ball soup. But a relationship with Jake means risking her face in tabloids, withstanding cruel internet comments, and worst of all, jeopardizing her career. As Jake’s upcoming tour approaches, and rumors swirl about him and another pop star, Lexi has to decide if holding onto her meticulously-planned future is worth walking away from what could be the perfect recipe for love.

Set both in the chaos of fame and the high stakes world of New York City restaurants, this novel sprinkles in a second chance at love and a dollop of celebrity drama to create a romantic romp that will make even the most jaded reader smile.