People Watching is a warm, funny and emotional romance that blends small-town charm with slow-burn spice. Prue and Milo’s connection is beautifully developed, growing from playful “sex lessons” into something deep and meaningful.
There’s a lovely balance of banter, vulnerability and tenderness, with sensitive themes handled with real care. Milo is a total softie and Prue’s journey towards confidence is genuinely moving.
It’s not quite a perfect five – a few predictable beats and some pacing dips – but overall this is Hannah Bonam-Young’s most emotional (and steamiest!) book yet. A lovely, heartfelt read that leaves you smiling.

3.5
Honestly this was a super fast paced romance ! I liked both our main characters ways of expressing their emotions even with milo struggling to at first I did like how he slowly felt more confident in opening up even just a little bit . Both of these characters have a lot of trauma and I do think at points it does become a bit complicated in the amount that’s being jumped from either sides and did feel slightly overwhelming in chapters! I did love both characters love for the people closest to them I think that was one of the best elements of this with how both characters love and feel so deeply but also still are learning how to express and communicate that with each other and everyone around them. The only thing that did kinda rub me up the wrong way was the Milo calling her a ‘slut’ which is something that I normally expect in darker romances and not contemporary ones so threw me through a loop because it felt out of character considering we are told consistently about the fact milo has literally ran laps with people in bed. Nevertheless the Alzheimer’s rep was well done and I that that element was very emotional in the story !!
Overall I would still recommend this one ! I just think that it won’t be something for everyone with certain things mentioned above !

Thank you Netgalley and Bedford square publishers for the e arc in exchange for an honest review !

People Watching was another heartbreaking read that had all the emotions showing. Hannah Bonam-Young, once again has solidified herself as an autoread author of mine.

Prue and Milo meet at the right time, when they both really need another person to show them there’s more to life than what they currently are experiencing. Prue is looking after her mother who has been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s and Milo is an enigmatic wanderer who can’t seem to find a place to call home. That all changes one windy day when Milo receives a one-one-nine from his brother and ends up in Baysville, standing out front of Prue’s family shop.

From there, we get to see both Prue and Milo come to life in the presence of each other. Milo constantly turns up for the people he loves, even if he doesn’t think he does, and Prue learning to let people in and help her rather than just trying to do it all on her own.

Also I cannot leave this review finished without mentioning the fact that Prue’s mum, even with the Early Onset Alzheimer’s remembered Milo from her school teacher days and even had one of his artworks in her house. AND that Milo had always been carrying Prue around with him without knowing!! Hannah really knows how to fit you right in the feels!!

I was however left with two unanswered questions after reading this:
1. How come Milo’s story regarding his siblings and family upbringing were not explored further since it was heavily mentioned in the book?
2. Aleks and Nadia definitely have a history - what is it and will we be getting their story in the future?

Thank you Hannah Bonam-Young, Bedford Square Publishers and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed People Watching; Hannah Bonam‑Young has such a warm, soft way of writing characters that you can connect to and Prue and Milo's story definitely pulled me in. The small-town setting (my favourite!!!), the emotional depth, and the slow-burn elements later in the book hit exactly the way that I was hoping for.

I did feel the connection between Prue and Milo came on a little too quickly for me and it bordered on insta-love in the beginning. I wished for a bit more buildup before they started falling for each other. That initial spark didn’t feel as genuine as the later emotional moments, which were beautifully written.

But the chemistry between Prue and Milo really grew on me, and I appreciated how the book dealt with vulnerability, family dynamics, and personal healing. There’s a softness to this book that lingers after finishing it.

DNFed at 26% which is such a shame because I absolutely loved Out On a Limb so had high expectations.

I wondered if it was just me so I read some reviews before writing my own, and saw people had similar experiences. I did not like the main male character at all, and the main female had no personality. The insta love/attraction (which I don't like anyway) felt so awkward, and the first time Milo meets Prue he wants to bed her. I did not vibe with him at all, major red flag throughout what I read and according to other reviews for the rest of the book too.

With such a sensitive, emotional topic such as Alzheimer's I thought this would be an emotional, deep rooted, romantic book but the way Milo basically just wanted to kiss and bed Prue immediately completely ruined that. The final straw for me was him randomly nicknaming her "Killer" and wanting to kiss her when he barely knows her AND they were sorting through her mum's old art studio?? wild.

anyway, not for me unfortunately. I still have another HBY book on my shelf tho, hoping that is more my kind of thing.

I hate to say it but this one just didn’t work for me 🥲 I really enjoyed the first 50/60% (even with the insta-lust which I’m not a big fan of), but then it just got a bit weird and cringe and I couldn’t pull myself out of that? The familial love was nice and I can see the set up for the next book (assuming that’s Nadia), but all of it just felt so underdeveloped. I love small town romance but we just didn’t see any of it, the side characters were not fleshed out at all and even the ‘issues’ the main characters had just felt like they were tossed in to add a bit of character depth without actually shaping them as people. Saying that, the spice was decent and there were a few wholesome and heartfelt moments but I think overall this one was a miss for me sadly. I’d probably still read another HBY book though! Thank you to Bedford Square for the e-arc! ✨

I really really struggled with this book.

I found no connection between the main characters. The MMC gave me the ick. There was so much potential, with such poor execution.

I was bored out of my mind the whole time and fuming at the sex lessons. They acted like teenagers and the plot was non existent.

3.5 stars. This is a really sweet book. I have personal experience with a close family member having dementia so that side of it really got me. It was written so well and so accurately. As for the romance between the fmc and mmc, it was a bit of an insta love situation, which isn’t really my thing and just for me personally something was missing there, but the spice was great and I really liked the two characters. This is a sweet romance that I’m sure a lot of people will absolutely adore.

Somehow, somehow every book Hannah Bonam-Young puts out- is exactly what I need to hear.

“You can decide someone doesn’t have a seat at your table without hoping that they starve.”

I loved every single heartbreaking and hopeful minute of People Watching. Milo and Prue (for starters I am obsessed with both of their names) had me in a chokehold from the first page. I was routing for them both in their personal lives and also together. HBY always makes the characters wins feel like they’re your wins too, so every time Milo had a revelation or Prue let herself breathe, I also felt them.

The way that love is described in this book, literally made me cry, because I felt it deep in my soul. This collection of adults who are all just trying to do their best by each other was beautiful.

As expected HBY has once again written one of my favourite romances of the year. Milo and his slutty little moustache will forever go down in the book boyfriend hall of fame. If you are looking for the perfect split of heartwarming and heartbreaking please pick up this book. You probably won’t be the same afterwards, but as someone on the other side of it, I don’t regret it for one minute.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 3.25-3.5 stars.

Hannah Bonam-Young is an autoread author for me, there’s not a book she’s written that I haven’t enjoyed. This book is no exception to this.

This book delves in with polar opposite main characters, one character slightly flighty and spontaneous, the other anxious and constantly seeking stability and whatever structure they can grasp. I think it’s a lovely slow building romance where the characters show some growth and help each other through some major life hurdles. That being said I feel like if I think on everything they go through I’m not sure there’s any real closure on some of the hurdles they face, and I know that’s not the point of the book, but I feel like the struggles were so important to their characters that it feels a shame to not have more closure on these issues. The topics raised in this book are deep and from my perspective we only really scratch the surface on how affected the characters are by these issues, and I would’ve rated the book higher if we’d delved a bit deeper and again got some further closure on these things.

Also I live for a lengthy prologue and I would’ve loved one that gave us a bit more of an insight into what happens next for our characters.

I do think this is a good romance with strong family themes throughout and the side characters play such a huge role in the story and I enjoyed that. I would definitely recommend this if you have enjoyed other books by this author.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

I wanted more!

I was hoping Milo and his siblings story would have been explored further.
What happened with Aleks and Nadias story or is that coming in the future?

However, it was a sad but easy read. Trigger warning of childhood trauma, Cancer, Alzheimers and the role of caregiver from the husband's perspective and the daughter. It was tough going for what seemed like a really lovely family.

Milo and Prue got there in the end, she tamed the wild boy!
I loved how mom remembered Milo from class, that was a lovely moment but then so sad when she thought Prue was her sister, this was written so beautifully.

I love Hannahs books, this just felt unfinished.

This was such a fun book! Pure & Milo were such a fun couple to watch. Coming from different backgrounds and finding their path is such fun June to read and readers will be delighted to check this one out! I can see it being a great series or movie

This book is exactly why Hannah Bonam-Young will always be an auto-read author for me. If she announces a new release, just know I’m already in the publisher’s DMs begging for an ARC because patience? Never heard of her. 😌

I finished this at 3am last night and haven’t stopped thinking about Milo and Prue since. (Mostly Milo’s tattoos, but still, I’m thinking about them, I swear.)

I’m a sucker for stories where two people meet right when they need each other the most, and this book ticked every single box. Both Milo and Prue were carrying so much from their pasts and present, and somehow, being together just made them stronger. I love love LOVE when characters fall for each other despite the hard stuff life’s throwing at them, and Hannah writes these kinds of stories with so much heart and care, it blows me away every single time.

Prue was an absolute gem. Strong, selfless, family-oriented, she’s that girl. The way she loves so deeply, even when it means putting herself last, hit me right in the soul. No wonder Milo fell for her at first sight. Honestly? Same.

And Milo… where do I even begin? This man has been through it. His journey in this book is one of the best growth arcs I’ve ever read. From guarded and hurting to soft and loving, he became one of my favorite MMCs, hands down. He’s sweet, thoughtful, and once again… those tattoos. IYKYK.

Also, no spoilers, but when Prue sees his tattoos for the first time and the meaning behind it clicks? I was FLOORED. It was so perfect, I had to turn off my kindle for a second to recover.

This story was everything I wanted and more. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for my first ever HBY ARC. Guys,, I’ve been MANIFESTING this moment and it finally happened. Prepare yourselves, I’m about to become so insufferable about this book.

✧.* Small Town
✧.* Poet x Artist
✧.* Found Family
✧.* Caretaking
✧.* Strangers to Lovers
✧.* Spicy Lessons

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/rachspages/profilecard/?igsh=amx1eThvNGIzd3pr"> my bookstagram!

This was a fun, sweet read. The plot went where I was expecting, it was well paced and had a good amount of tension. Hannah Bonam-Young’s writing is excellent and her characters are well developed. This is the third (maybe fourth) book I’ve read this year where an MC is caring for a close family member suffering with Alzheimer’s, and, while the was dealt with sensitively and carefully, it was the least emotionally devastating which made for a lighter read than the others. In all I enjoyed this book, and would recommend to those looking for a fun, spicy and sweet book with some heavier themes (check trigger warnings).

Thanks to Netgalley and Bedford Square Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On one hand I really enjoyed People Watching. It felt emotional, tender and had me smiling at so many moments. The storyline felt unique and while I didn’t quite get along with the characters in the beginning, they grew on me by the end.

The family dynamics were so good and despite what Milo and his siblings have been through, I loved that they were all still able to come together and help each other out. Their bond is so strong and they all cared for each other so deeply. Prue’s family dynamic as well was so loveable and the fact that HBY showed the good days and bad days really made Tom and Prue feel so much more realistic. There were some deeper topics in this book which definitely added to the story and was handled with a lot of care and made me really feel for our characters. It made me understand why Milo doesn’t tend to stay in one place for a time and why Prue has such a strong instinct to care for everyone.

Prue and Milo together was a surprise as initially I didn’t think I was gonna like them together, but as they got to know each other more I began to feel more of a connection between them and ended up really enjoying their dynamic. They had so many fun bantery moments together with lots of heartfelt and emotional times in bewteen that I think that’s what made their connection that much more stronger as they really grew to understand each other.

The setting and small town dynamic, although it was very minor, gave this book such cosy vibes. Oh how I wish I was reading this in October with a hot chocolate in hand because it was giving me all the warm, homey vibes that come with a classic autumn read.

While there was so much I loved, I did have a few issues with People Watching in the beginning. Right from chapter one it felt very insta-lusty which threw me off. I’m not a massive fan of this so I fully expected this to ruin Prue and Milo’s dynamic for me but thankfully in the end it didn’t. It was a little strange though how Milo came off so strong immediately, but I guess that just is his personality. While I love Prue she didn’t really have a lot going on for her and I hated how everyone, particularly her dad, treated her like she was a child and assumed that she can’t make decisions for herself. Even though they had such a good dynamic most of the book, sometimes, especially with the problems they face with Julia’s Alzheimer’s, it annoyed me how he would just decide for Prue what she should do even though she’s a grown woman and can decide for herself. The conflict at the end as well felt extremely unnecessary and even though it was resolved quickly it just annoyed me how it all played out and felt that those chapters would’ve saved a lot of time if they weren’t there.

Despite the few issues I had in the end, I did enjoy majority of People Watching and even though this is only my second HBY book I absolutely love her writing and definitely want to keep reading more from her!

Thank you so much to Bedford Square Publishers & NetGalley for the arc!

This was a difficult review to write because there were lots of things I liked about People Watching. I like Prue and her parents are sweet. I know it was for a sad reason (Mrs Welch has Alzheimer's) but I thought it was cute how they kept reliving their wedding day and how the whole town got involved to make it special. My great aunt had Alzheimer's and I felt like the subject was handled with great sensitivity. I can understand why her parents want Prue to experience life beyond their small town and also why Prue was so determined she wanted them to all stay together.

I liked Milo as well (although the mustache was distracting). Milo's brother, Nik and his wife, Sef are great characters. Because of their upbringing, Milo has a complicated relationship with Nik and their younger sister, Nadia and it was interesting to read about them trying to work through their issues.

I understand that the open door scenes were crucial to the plot because Prue's a virgin and Milo's a self-proclaimed "slut" and their relationship starts out with Prue wanting Milo to give her intimacy lessons. After I'd finished reading, I questioned whether I had trouble with these scenes because there were just so many of them but then I saw another review which said that they struggled with these scenes as well because they didn't feel the connection between Prue and Milo and I agree. I've read other books which include lots of open door scenes and I've given plenty of them 5 x Stars so I wouldn't consider myself a prude but I want there to be chemistry before the main characters hook up.

ARC Review
People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young

Quietly powerful and full of soul, People Watching is the kind of romance that sneaks up on you—tender, funny, and emotionally grounded in a way that stays with you long after the final page.

Prue Welch is not your typical rom-com heroine, and that’s exactly what makes her unforgettable. She’s introverted, guarded, and deeply shaped by the quiet grief of caring for her mother with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Her small-town world in Baysville is tenderly drawn—familiar and claustrophobic at the same time—and it’s in that space of stillness that the story truly begins.

Enter Milo Kablukov: chaotic van-dwelling energy meets mysterious cinnamon roll. Their chemistry is electric, but what makes it so refreshing is the way it’s balanced with emotional intimacy. Their “wild and sexy agreement” never overshadows the slow-burn vulnerability that builds between them. Hannah Bonam-Young does a brilliant job of showing how love isn’t about rescuing someone—it’s about seeing them.

🛻 What stood out to me:
• Honest representation of caretaking and the emotional toll of watching a loved one change
• Gloriously awkward, open, and surprisingly healing conversations about sex and desire
• A slow burn that simmers rather than sizzles—quiet but hot
• A real sense of place: Baysville is as much a character as Milo or Prue
• Subtle, respectful handling of mental health, grief, and agency

💬 Final thoughts:
People Watching is soft but sharp, funny but aching, romantic but grounded. It’s about letting someone in when your walls have kept you safe for so long. About intimacy that builds slowly—not just physically, but emotionally. If you’re into romance that makes you feel understood, not just entertained—this one’s for you.

Perfect for fans of:
• Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
• Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
• Small-town romance with heart and heat
• Emotionally rich, character-driven love stories

I loved this book

I think this is Hannah's first book with dual pov and the male characters pov and it was so good. This man is obsessed with the fmc from the first second he saw her and it was just so good being in his head as well as seeing it through her pov to

This small town is just so heartwarming and special, you could tell how much Hannah loves it

This book will definitely rip your heart out at times but then put it back together and fill you with joy (like all the best books should)

I loved the journey we went on with both the main characters and how messy their lives were and how they made it work and carved out time for each other

- slutty bisexual MMC who's got a mustache and covered in tattoos (one in particular I was screaming about, I don't want to spoil it but omg!!!)
- small town

Thank you to Bedford Square Publishers for the eARC - all opinions are my own

HBY never misses for me, and People Watching is no exception. There were some heavy hitting topics and both main characters have a lot of trauma (some past some present) but I really enjoyed their dynamic and the relationships with their families. I'm hoping we get more on Milos background in Nadia's book.

4✨
Thank you NetGalley, Hannah Bonam-Young and Bedford Square Publishers for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review - People Watching publishes September 11th.

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year so I was thrilled to get an early copy as I’ve read all of Hannah’s previous books and love her style.

People Watching kicks off a new a small town romance series following Prue and Milo. Prue is stuck in her hometown caring for her Mum with Alzheimer’s, she’s made a deal with her Dad to spread her wings, meet new people and get out more. Enter Milo, who is in town to help his brother at his brewery and sparks chemistry with Prue (and the creation of a temporary steamy arrangement!)

Prue is very caring and thoughtful, but she has neglected herself for a long time, fully devoted to caring for her Mum. Her Dad strikes a deal with her to get out of their small town and live the life she’s been missing.

Milo is a charmer and joker on the outside with a complex past and traumatic childhood. He has many issues to work through as he’s spent his life running from his past. Watching him slowly confront his demons and rebuild his relationship with his siblings was lovely to see.

The romance between Hannah and Milo was wonderful to see blossom - they clearly cared about each other a lot as they faced challenges together. I thought the third act conflict was handled very well which I really appreciated.

This was heart warming and quite emotional at times, it’s not a fluffy light hearted romance - however the sexy bucket list does help lighten the mood! There were a number of hard topics covered which added a lot of depth and layers to the story which I enjoyed.

Unfortunately it took me until around the 30% mark to start to feel invested in the story which was a shame, but I did fly through the second half of the book.

I’d recommend checking TW for this one as there are discussions of childhood abuse, cancer & Alzheimer’s plays a big part in the story.

Favourite quotes:
‘The night we met I realised that, no matter what happened, there was always going to be a before Julia and an after Julia. That my life, whether I like it or not, was going to be forever split into two parts’
‘I wonder whether it matters if it’s fear or joy I’m feeling. I wonder if that is how falling in love feels. Exciting and terrifying in equal measure’
‘With tears in my eyes, I smile up at the moon. Because I, Prudence Welch, against all odds, have fallen in love. Love waltzed into my tiny town, found my very doorstep, let himself in, and miraculously managed to find me in a home I’ve never left’

Overall, I’d definitely recommend People Watching if you're drawn to emotional romances with layered, imperfect characters. Out on a Limb is still my personal favourite from Hannah, but I really enjoyed this one.