Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read this!

Blair's Chicago law firm goes to a retreat in northern MN where she meets Graham, the owner of Ruby Lodge. When Graham finds himself in legal trouble, he hopes Blair can help. As Blair struggles through her depression, she decides to make some major life changes. Maybe they are exactly what the other one needs 🩷

🏕 friends to lovers
🏕 slow burn
🏕 mental health rep
🏕 golden retriever MMC
🏕 small town
🏕 guy falls first

Overall I really enjoyed this read. Being from MN made this such a bonus! I appreciated the mental health rep and i feel that this made the characters felt authentic and genuine. I'm mentally sitting on the balcony of cabin 4, sipping my coffee 🥰

Blair is been fighting a heavy depression a for a long time. A work retreat to a Lodge in a remote island in Minessotta seems like a lot of work. But the wild place and his wonderful owner show Blair her worth and finally give her the push to love herself and embrace a future full of life and love?

Every once in a while a beautiful book cover catches your eye out of nowhere and then the story itself completely melts your heart. This is exactly what happened to me with Say You Mean It by Megan Reinking - this was my first book by the author but I'm sure it won't be my last and I was overjoyed to receive an ARC!

Say You Mean It is the story of Blair, who is struggling with her job, with her relationship, and with life in general. A trip with her colleagues at her law firm to a distant island resort in Minnesota seems horrifying but what Blair ends up finding is room to breathe, as well as the courage to listen to herself and her own needs.

"My eyes flutter closed, and a lazy smile grows on my face.
This right here. This is happiness."

Quick intro:
Graham runs a struggling lodge in Northern Minnesota and Blair is a big-city attorney with high functioning depression. They meet when her law firm has a retreat at the Ruby Lodge. We follow her mental health journey and ultimately her discovery of what truly makes her happy.

Quick thoughts:
This was a quick, light, and easy romance read perfectly paired with a warm cup of coffee or glass of wine. There wasn’t anything about this book that made it particularly unique or mind blowing, but I’d still recommend it if you are looking for an easy, low-stakes, and closed door romance. At less than 300 pages, you’ll be able to fly through it.

Both of the MCs are likeable enough, I just was left wanting more out of the story I guess. I appreciated how the author handled Blair’s mental health struggle, the positive therapy representation, and her healing journey. And Graham was the perfect match for Blair on her journey - he was a good communicator and cared for her really well.

Read if you like mental health rep, woodsy settings, small-town feel, no third act breakup, closed door, and slow burn.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was such a sweet and fun story! Blair is forced to visit Ruby Lodge on a remote island in Minnesota for a work retreat. She has suffered from anxiety, depression and low self-esteem for a long time, but she takes comfort in the beautiful setting and the sweet, handsome man Graham who runs the resort. When she receives a call from Graham asking for legal advice, she returns to the resort to provide support. This was a beautiful story about love, friendship and healing. I could really relate to Blair and I really loved the mental health representation in this book. I loved Megan’s writing style and I really hope she continues this series!

Tropes:
▫️Small town romance
▫️City girl x country boy
▫️Strangers-to-friends-to-lovers
▫️Cinnamon roll MMC
▫️Mental health representation

Thank you to Megan Reinking and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“You’re safe here”
This quote is how this book felt to me. Like a warm hug that carried me the whole way through.

Say You Mean It was so much more than a romance book! The mental health representation was so well done and added incredible depth to the story. I found myself just as invested in the FMC’s relationship with herself, as I was with her relationship with the MMC.

Graham is now one of my all time top book boyfriends! He plays guitar, he falls first and he falls hard! He was so caring and considerate doing absolutely everything for his family, his staff, his guests and handled Blair’s mental health with such grace!

I adored their relationship and loved that there was no miscommunication between them. This was the opposite of a miscommunication trope! They had great communication, it was honestly green flag central all round which made me so happy!!

If you are looking for small town, supportive female friendship, mental health representation, personal growth and of course romance, then this is the book for you!

I feel like this book had similar vibes to Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, so if you loved that one, I would definitely recommend Say You Mean It!

I really enjoyed this book. I found Blair to be incredibly relatable and I appreciated the realistic interpretation of mental health struggles. I also really enjoyed Blair's sense of humor, she definitely went on a journey of self discovery in this book which I really enjoyed. Moving on to the MMC, Graham, I found him to be very likable too. He was kind, sweet and funny. If you enjoy slow burn closed door romances this one will definitely be for you. The romance aspect was very believable with little conflict that was easily resolved. This book I feel is best described as a cozy, slow burn romance.

This book was more than just a romance but a story of two people who are facing obstacles in their lives and working through them with each other's support. Blair-dealing with depression, a job is does not love and in a relationship where she does not feel. appreciate and Graham trying to cope with his mother's condition while holding everything together at his family's Lodge.

The romance was a little slower paced (I wanted Blair and Graham to be together ASAP) but I appreciate that it was not about the romance but the growth of each character. I wanted a little bit of spice (closed door romance). I loved Graham he was everything Blair needed and he was always considerate of her. Blair came a long way and her growth was amazing.

Thank you to the author for giving me the chance to read a digital ARC of this book. I just got this book on March 27, and thought I would have until at least May 14 to read it since that is the pub date. However, I see that the archive date is in just a few days. I haven't had a chance to really dive into it yet, but I am looking forward to reading it this month. I will come back and edit my review once I have read it.

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

If you are looking for a clean (no spice), well written, emotionally impactful romance you need to read this book.
This adorable romance takes place in my own home state of Minnesota. You are following Blair and Graham.
Blair is a lawyer from Chicago that struggles with mental health, self doubt, and abandonment issues. This is depicted in an amazing way that I fully resonated with. She's a bit standoffish and secluded to protect herself from being hurt. Graham is the sweet innkeeper of a resort that is her company's getaway retreat spot. If you love a man who performs acts of service you are going to swoon over Graham.
These two have a slow start as Blair discovers just what it means to feel alive again; not only by finding love but rediscovering herself again.
I absolutely loved this entire story from start to finish and devoured it in two days.
The writing style is easy/fast paced but cohesive throughout the events of the book.
The descriptions in this authors writing style will have your mouth watering from the amazing food that one of the resort workers makes and your eyes alight with the Lake of the Woods views.

The only downside I would say to this book is everything major that happens is a little easily resolved with little to no strife, which makes this story really believable but sometimes a little flat. The drama was lacking but it was covered by just the overall cozy feel of this amazing love story.

I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a sweet, cozy, and impactful shorter romance.

I’ve never been to Northern Minnesota before but after reading this book I want to jump in my car and go for a visit. Megan Reinking did such a fantastic job describing the scenery that I felt like I was really there. Megan did a wonderful job of getting inside Blair’s head as she dealt with depression and low self-esteem. I found myself cheering on Blair and Graham, I couldn’t wait to see where their next adventure took them.

Tropes
- Slow burn
- Mental health rep
- Small town romance
- Finding yourself & your happiness
- Only one tent
- Closed door romance
- Dual POV
- Strangers to friends to lovers

Blair Williams is a city girl that travels to a remote island on a lake near the Minnesotan/Canadian border for her law firm’s company-wide retreat. Blair has long struggled with high-functioning depression and low self-esteem, in addition to battling the ever-present melancholy and negative internal thoughts that plague her.

Graham Peterson's mom is currently in the nursing home, suffering from Alzheimer’s, and his dad preoccupied with taking care of her, leaving Graham to run the lodge and deal with the growing pile of bills that threaten to jeopardise its future.

Graham calls Blair weeks later, looking for legal advice and Blair doesn’t hesitate to drop everything and travel back to the island to help.

Megan Reinking has done an amazing job of a slow burn that doesn't feel extremely slow paced. The entire plot had me hooked the entire time and was a short and quick read.

"Say You Mean It" is a cozy read with a lot of heart. While it might not be a rollercoaster of drama, it offers a sweet and sincere portrayal of two individuals finding solace and support in each other amidst life's challenges. Blair's journey with high-functioning depression hits close to home, and I appreciated the realistic portrayal of mental health struggles. Graham's gentle demeanor and the serene island setting added to the charm of the story, making it a comforting read. While some might find the plot a tad simplistic, the depth of emotion and relatable characters make it a worthwhile read for anyone craving a heartfelt romance with a side of self-discovery.

Thank You Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Okay I loved this book! It was such a heartwarming romance with self discovery that was so refreshing! I loved the slow burn of Blair and Graham. I felt like their romance was so sweet and realistic. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book! I would highly suggest adding this to your TBR list!

4/5 ⭐️
This was such a comfy cozy romance! I’m usually all about the spice 🌶️ and although this one was quite chaste, I still really really enjoyed it. Blair was such a strong character and I loved her transformation throughout the book. I wish I could go visit this little Minnesota island! Thanks to the author and publisher for this ARC copy!

3.5, stars, rounded up to four

’m never quite sure how to review books like this, books that are neither terrible nor amazing, but fall somewhere in between. Books that are, simply put, average.

This story is sweet, simple, and uncomplicated. If that sort of thing appeals to you, you’ll probably love this book.

As for myself - while I found the mental health aspects to be beautifully handled, I found the story telling to be too subtle for my tastes. I appreciate that not all authors feel the need to throw in unnecessary third-act breakups when the plot doesn’t call for them, but there has to be some form of tension to move the plot along. It’s like all the elements were there, but the assembly was off. Or the volume got turned down a little too low.

I enjoyed both main characters, and I would be willing to check out the author’s other works, but this particular book didn’t hold a strong appeal for me. It was cute and cozy, but ultimately a little boring.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book.

Big city lawyer Blair travels to a remote island for her company at an island lodge near the Canadian border. During her stay, see befriends the lodge owner Graham who is struggling to keep the lodge open as well as dealing with his ailing parents. Weeks later when Graham reaches out for legal advice, Blair finds herself returning to the island to help. Their mutual attraction has Blair questioning whether she should return to her normal life or see what life and Graham have to offer on the island. A small town, friends to lovers romance

This book is quietly stunning. It isn’t high drama, it isn’t spicy, and it’s not an escape. Reinking did something harder, and something more important, than all that - she offered a story that is committed to real emotions. If anything - Blair’s story is a mirror that will ask many readers to recognize themselves…one that might make some of us feel less comfortable, but also less alone.

Say You Mean it is one of the best books I’ve read in so long. With a name like Midwest Reading, you know I am here for the rural Minnesota setting. And the setting is the stunner of this book. Not only could I picture all of it, I also felt I could share in the peace of a campfire or a coffee by the lake. As if the book was a gentle reminder to lower my own shoulders, breathe a bit deeper, and rest while reading.

I think it takes so much more skill as a writer to write about the quiet moments, or an unproblematic male lead like Graham and a relationship that develops naturally and easily.

I’ve been heartened to see mental health rep across so many novels lately, but Reinking’s portrait of high-functioning depression hits different. It isn’t an add-on in an otherwise lighthearted story about something else. Depression IS the story here. Reinking is never tempted to resolve this piece, but still gives readers a HEA. And that couldn’t be more important.

Thank you to NetGalley and Megan Reinking for the ARC of this book.