3.5⭐️
A sweet forbidden romance? Sign me up immediately! I saw in the synopsis that it was a romance between a guy and his boss’ ex husband…umm yes please🙌🏼 This was such a cute read and spicier than I expected from this author👀

Taylor and Ethan connected so genuinely and the development of their relationship felt so seamless—I really enjoyed them together!
I also LOVED the setting, I want to visit Storybook Endings Resort immediately😍

What an absolutely delightful novel! An age-gap romance that treats adults like adults. The romance felt authentic and had you rooting for them. I also appreciated the ADHD and bi rep and how well it was done.

i mean this had a dog(could be a collie) on the front, need i say more, need i wish for more.
this book was sweet and had that sprinkling of spice. its good to see so many gay books just becoming weaved into the space. i look forward to a day i dont need to say that though!
I though the adhd thing started to get to me towards the end. almost like someone new what would boost sales or tick boxes and so googled how to do so. im sorry if this isnt the case but it never felt real. and at times touch on the age old tropes to do with people on the spectrum.
towards the end that took over me loving this book with my whole heart. but i can also put this aside because it really was a good story.
the push me pull me and slight forbidden love aspect was a fun twist.
and of course you had that last break up where you wonder for just a second whether the happy ending will never come. and when done well this give us romance lovers all the angst we need.

I really enjoyed this book!
Thank you so much Netgally & the publisher for allowing me to read this book
3.5 ⭐️

This is a MMC, age-gap, spicy romance set in a cute cabin resort. I absolutely loved the setting of this book, the fairytales and the resort made it so whimsical. I also loved the relationship between Taylor and Ethan’s daughter.
However, I just didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I’d of liked to, and I’d of hoped for a little more depth in the characters. I wasn’t sure about the mentioning of ADHD to make a deeper connection, it felt forced to me.
Nonetheless, I did enjoy reading. It was a quick spring read, in a cute setting, with sweet moments that kept me engaged.
Thank you to Mills and Boon and Netgalley for this ARC, publication date is 24th April.

Oooof I really struggled with this one… I have loved the author’s previous works, New Adult and You Had Me At Happy Hour being two of my faves, but this one just fell flat for me for a number of reasons. There were some bits I really enjoyed but I just felt I wanted more from this book.

Stuff I liked:
- The setting. As a Disney adult, I absolutely loved the concept of a fairytale themed hotel and resort. I actually wanted to see more of life at the resort.
- The premise. Icy, fierce Personal assistant and hopeless romantic hotel manager; I expected a sort of enemies to lovers vibe but that was not delivered. The idea was good though.
- The archery lessons; makes me want to have a go!
- Nana the dog, enough said.

Stuff I struggled with:
- Amy’s character. She was written as the stereotypical ‘bitch-ex wife’ who was constantly belittling Taylor and Ethan and controlling her daughter Samara. She’s Asian-American, but other than that one line of description, we don’t get any more than that. She’s unsympathetic to Ethan’s ADHD (more on that in a bit) and seems to be an ‘evil’ caricature who only cares about work and money that the MCs are tiptoeing around rather than an actual person.
- Taylor’s character. He’s introduced as this icy, sharp personal assistant with cold hands and a colder glare… which immediately morphs into a sweet loving caretaker? It’s a total 180 in the first few chapters. In the beginning, Taylor is apprehensive about meeting Ethan because Amy has told him so much bad stuff about him… yet as soon as Taylor sees him, he’s smitten because he’s hot? Idk, the Taylor in the first few chapters is not the Taylor in the rest of the book and I feel like another round of editing would have fixed that issue.
- Ethan’s character. So this book is touted as having ADHD rep with Ethan being diagnosed late in life, and references are made throughout to Ethan being scatterbrained… which okay, is one symptom for some people, but other that that, we don’t get a whole lot of insight into this neurodiversity that allegedly has shaped his whole life. Again, ADHD presents differently in different people but I just don’t know if this felt like a genuine portrayal or if it was just added for a box ticking exercise here.
- The miscommunication. There was some really stupid miscommunication in this book. Taylor makes an off handed comment about Ethan being the tallest of this brothers and Ethan immediately takes offence and assumes Taylor is calling him fat? (Even though he self-describes as fat). And similarly, when Ethan asks if Taylor usually goes for older men, Taylor takes immediate offence assuming that Ethan only wants him because he’s younger (even though at this point they’ve allegedly developed a deep intimacy and connection). These men are acting like snappy teenagers and not actual adults and it really threw me out of the story.
- The pacing. All of this happens in a week. I understand that people can fall for each other quickly, but this was fast-burn to the extreme. By the end of the week when Taylor leaves, they’re both full on brokenhearted.
- The third act breakup. When Amy inevitably finds out about their whirlwind affair, she fires Taylor and he goes home… and Ethan is furious at Taylor because he ‘didn’t stay and fight for them’. MY DUDE he’s 27, has lost his income, his found family and his future career all in one swoop and you’re mad he went home to lick his wounds rather than stay and fight for a SIX DAY LONG RELATIONSHIP???
- The resolution. After throwing a complete fit over her ex-husband and personal assistant sleeping together (which, last time I checked is completely legal?!) and firing Taylor, she comes around with seemingly no reason and gives them her blessing. I could understand if her daughter had said something to her, but apparently Amy came to this conclusion on her own? After already wrecking Taylor’s life? Idk…

There are other bits that riled me up as well, but I feel like I’ve dogpiled on this book enough 😹 Needless to say, I will continue to read Janovsky’s books because there are some I really liked, but this one was an absolute miss for me 😅

Thanks to Mills & Boon for an eARC of this book via NetGalley.

4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5. This book was a cute, open-door MM romance that takes full advantage of the premise and fairy tale resort setting. Set in the catskills, Storybook Endings Resort is run by Ethan, who is divorced from Amy. Amy owns the resort and sends her assistant Taylor to set up for an important birthday party. Taylor and Ethan are immediately attracted to each other. Cue the workplace tension between Ethan and Taylor!

I usually avoid workplace romances due to the power imbalance, this is neatly sidestepped by both of them technically working for Amy and I enjoyed it. This adorable story is filled with chemistry and emotional moments and keeps up with the storybook/fairytale theme throughout. It's not quite instalove but the attraction is immediate, and the vibe is intense. There are a handful of open-door scenes, I would put this at a 3.5/5 🌶️.

I loved the portrayal of ADHD, I know just how Ethan feels sometimes. I also like that the family dynamics are tense but not hateful, just the kind of conflict that comes with a divorce. The whole story felt very emotionally genuine. The only character who was a little lacking depth was Amy, mostly I think because she isn't a perspective character.

Some people are concerned by the age gap between Ethan and Taylor. There is a decent age gap which is healthily addressed in character, but if you are fine with a 500-year-old fae and a 20-something human falling in love, I think you can handle this one (no shade to fae, I also enjoy those books).

A huge thank you to Afterglow Books and Netgalley for this eARC.

This was one I could not put down. As someone who loves a good, spicy, queer romance it ticked a lot of boxes where usually age gap relationships are a bit hit and miss for me but Once Upon a You & Me does it perfectly.

Forbidden allure and a sprinkle of fairytale magic, Taylor & Ethan are adorable! If you are a lover of tropes like: age-gap romance, forbidden and workplace romance. This is for you ❤️

While cute, this queer romance was unfortunately quite predictable. It didn't push any boundaries and felt like it was plotting along a formula at times. The main characters gelled well together, but neither stood out and there personalities were often surface level.

When Taylor Frost is flown across the country to prep for a sweet sixteen party at the Storybook Endings Resort, he thinks this is finally the opportunity he needs to show his skill set to his boss, Amy. But things get complicated when he finds himself drawn to Ethan Golding, the manager of the resort, the father of the birthday girl and Amy's Ex Husband!

I really enjoyed this book and ended up giving it 4 stars. Was it groundbreaking or life-changing? Not necessarily, but it was such a cosy, feel-good read. I absolutely loved both of the main characters, and by the end, I was fully rooting for them.
As someone with ADHD, I did find some of the references to it a little on the nose, though I understand that might be because I didn’t need Ethan’s feelings spelled out as much. That said, the way his ADHD was portrayed felt really accurate and resonated with me.

Overall, I loved the book and found myself wanting more of Ethan and Taylor’s story. I’m definitely excited to read more from Timothy Janovsky in the future!

I really enjoyed this. MM romance has become my favourite genre to read, Once Upon You and Me ticked all my boxes. The detailing was on point. I pictured everything. I’m excited to read more by this author.

I thought it was a really refreshing read. It’s a real feel good book. I highly recommend it to everyone who likes a cute forbidden love story with that pinch of spice.

Other tropes
-small town vibes
-age gap
-work place romance

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read this story.

truly an original read, and I enjoyed it immensely. Both characters captured my attention, and I found the storytelling and plot engaging. It features an age gap romance, which I appreciate, although I did find the pace a bit slow at times. Nonetheless, I believe this book has the potential to become a big success in the romance genre.

'Once Upon You and Me' was such a lovely, heartwarming read. We follow our two main characters - chivalrous Ethan, and hardworking and determined Taylor - in a cosy fairytale resort with small town romantic vibes.

Taylor is feeling overworked and unfufilled, unsure of where his career is leading. And Ethan has lost his spark since his divorce, no longer believing in happy endings, despite having built his entire life and career around a magical fairytale land.

This book follows their journey to a happily ever after. I loved both of their characters a lot; they were well fledged out with great backstories filled with wonderful family memories.They both shared a similar difficulty with not putting themselves first, leading to burnout. They were also so kind and thoughtful; it was really nice to read about such warm and gentle characters.

Taylor had a calmness to him in contrast to Ethans restlessness due to his ADHD, making him a great support to Ethan; despite their age gap, it was lovely to see how caring and what a rock he was for Ethan. I just love how thoughtful and considerate Taylor was. It was refreshing to see someone (regardless of just being a character in a book) who had taken the time throughout their life to learn how to treat and to adapt to somebody with a mental disability. Being neurodivergent myself, I also appreciated the overall representation in this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this!

*I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*

This book is for anyone who loves age-gap romance with a hint of forbidden allure and a dash of fairy-tale magic. It’s spicy, swoony, and utterly captivating.

This was an oh so cute romance, all told from the masculine point of view. There is the rugged outdoorsy Ethan who is at home in the wilderness and working to keep his resort looking great. Then there is Taylor. The PA to Ethan’s ex-wife. He’s a bit more delicate and is super organised and what is lovely is that he cares and wears his heart on his sleeve. The romance is quite lovely as both Taylor and Ethan work out their own value to themselves as well as to each other. There’s a slow burn of the romance over the first few days, but the spark is definitely smouldering. The way that Ethan stands up for Taylor made me want to cheer, the bookends with a cracking epilogue as every good romance should.