Review: You, With a View by Jessica Joyce
Thank you Berkley Romance for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
I was SO excited to read this book based on the hype I’d seen. I also loved the cover and it captured the vibes I was hoping to insert into my Summer reading. I really liked this book! I elaborate below, but I struggled to connect with these characters and feel invested in their story, I think due to where my head was personally.
If you’ve got the travel bug and are looking for a heartfelt and tension filled romance, you’ll love this book.
Synopsis:
“Two high school enemies must reunite for a road trip inspired by their grandparents’ broken engagement in this electric debut romance.
Noelle Shepard is unemployed, living with her parents, and grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos of Gram and a smitten man, tucked alongside a love letter. She creates a TikTok to search for the mystery man, which goes viral, and she’s shocked when his grandson responds—a man who happens to be her high school nemesis, Theo Spencer.
Noelle refuses to let Theo’s annoying accomplishments in adulthood—or his sexy smirk—stand in the way of meeting his grandfather and unlocking the secrets he knew about her gram as a young woman. When she learns that their plans to elope were thwarted, Noelle decides to take the honeymoon road trip they planned but never got to carry out. There’s a catch, though: Paul, Theo's grandfather, asks to come with her, and he insists that Theo join them.
It’ll be a miracle if they make it through the trip without Noelle throwing Theo out of the moving car—or the bed they end up sharing. As the miles tick by, the tension simmers hotter between them...until she discovers that Theo’s hiding a secret that could cause their tenuous relationship to end before it can restart.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Travel Aspect—I have the travel bug recently and I really liked traveling with these characters. It definitely made my bucket list longer!
The Tropes—Nothing like a good rivals to lovers.
Noelle’s Character Arc/Realizations—I could really resonate with both Noelle’s and Theo’s professional struggles. I thought the writing perfectly captured feelings I have as an artist and what success means.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
I think I fell into “right book, wrong time” with this one and I’m quite sad about it. I still really enjoyed it, but I think circumstances kept me from really connecting with it. But I have to say, the epilogue was PERFECT.
Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 3/5
Content Warnings:
grief