2.5 rounded down

It took me three tries to make it past the first few chapters. And there were times I considered DNFing once I really got into the book. So let's get into it, shall we?

Let's start with Reagan (I really don't like this name so that's already a tiny bit problematic - you can thank Ron and Nancy). Reagan is just about perfect and the whole arc about her dad is absolutely heartbreaking. Reagan and her mom were definitely a pro in my list of pros and cons. But that's really about it...

Jill and her family are a massive con for me. They're so over the top awful that it stretched my ability to suspend disbelief a touch too far. And the boss was absolutely bullshit. Corporate culture doesn't work like that anymore. Not to that degree. And if it does, any sane person would walk.

Besides that pro and con, there's the almost complete lack of setting the scene with descriptions of how people look, how old they are, locations, etc. I know I've sometimes complained about having every detail laid out for me but this was exactly the opposite. Maybe I missed them but I don't see how. I don't know how old any of the characters were. Both main characters wore buns and their eye colors and hair colors were mentioned but I don't know anything more about their faces or bodies. They both had breasts that the other would get caught ogling. It was really disappointing.

There were scenes that were incredibly moving and/or intense but that was offset by the issues above. And the change in Jill and someone else in a single scene (don't want to give a spoiler) was also unbelievable.

I had rounded up to 3 stars - Damn you Goodreads for not allowing 1/2 stars! - but while typing this out, decided it really was more of a two star read for me.

Thanks to Bella and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed Kate Gavin's writing style in Table for Two. They weave a wonderful story, filled with interesting side characters, and build marvelous anticipation. Reagan is a complex, likable character, and I had no idea what could have attracted her to Jillian.

Jillian is written as kind of an Ebenezer Scrooge character (and we get tid-bits along the way to help explain why she is the way she is). Reagan obviously saw something she really liked, and she wasn't giving up easily.

Both women grow quite a bit, and it's interesting the way Kate Gavin weaves and intertwines their lives together.

Table for Two is a well written, enjoyable story and I wish the romance had worked better for me.

This book!!!
It is sad and happy in one.
It gives you hope for better tomorrow. Hope to find love. Hope to find that one special someone. Hope that standing up for yourself and trusting somone is worth the risk.
This book was absolutely wonderful.

I was drawn to the premise and that first scene finished reeling me in. There is something about an enemies to lovers romance that I'm attracted to. I'm always curious to see how the author has these characters overcome these obstacle and in Gavin's case it is very slowly. There is physical attraction between these two characters, but Jillian is a hard character to like so Gavin offers access into her psyche to soften out perception and understand what Reagan sees in her.

The ice queen and the nice next-door woman story.

Jil and Reagan share a table during a busy lunch hour. Jill makes less than a good impression. To both their surprises turns out Reagan's catering business was hired by Jill's mom for her father's birthday party. Jill is tasked against her will to organize the party.

Having to work together Jill and Reagan grow closer, but not without bumps along the way.

Firstly, I adore the trope of melting the Ice Queen and Jillian is Antarctica. She is a stone-cold bitch on wheels whose only enjoyment comes from marking the next thing off her To-Do list. When she meets and is forced to work with the personable Reagan, they annoy the heck out of each other. Reagan finds joy in her work, her friends, and her family. Even in the middle of an immense family tragedy, she maintains her humanity.

Jillian’s family and friends are just what you would expect them to be, cold, petty, and emotionally barren. Reagan on the other hand is surrounded by a loving and supportive community. Her primary motivation is doing her best for others-whether it is literally catering to her clients’ last-minute changes or being wholly present for her parents. While Jillian frets over deadlines, Reagan anguishes over her father’s imminent death. Jillian slowly transitions into Jill, a woman with emotional needs but has no practical experience with getting them met. What she does know is that Reagan is an important piece to figuring that puzzle out.

Jill’s learning to care for someone does not immediately and miraculously transform her into a warm, considerate person and Reagan’s compassion does not make her accept being treated badly by anyone, Jillian included. While Jillian could be a raving bitch, she could be kind, warm, and generous. While Reagan was kind and giving, she could also be a bitch.

These are two well-rounded characters and I liked them both. Apart from my wanting to see a little more interaction and dating before their tentative coupling, the plotting was well-paced. The rest of the story is rounded out by a wonderful array from the QUILTBAG+ spectrum. I have a particular fondness for Jillian’s assistant Ash and I hope to read their story someday.

I highly recommend this excellent story of complex personalities, trying circumstances, and finding that piece of yourself that you didn’t even know you needed.

Jill is serious about her work and spends every minute of her day working, each minute bringing her closer to a promotion. In the middle of a busy day, she's just trying to catch a quick bite but the restaurant is full and the only space available is sharing the table with a stranger. She and Reagan have a lunch filled with banter and bickering and neither expect for their personal and professional lives to collide when Jill's mom hires Reagan's catering company for a party. The more time they spend together the more they find it harder to avoid their attraction, but does Jill have time in her busy life for a relationship?

I adored this book. I really felt that Kate Gavin matured and grew as an author from their debut and seriously knocked it out of the park with this book. The chemistry between Reagan and Jill in this book was delicious, it was cute and fun with the most perfect tension. Jill was a very complex character and the author did an amazing job making her balanced and nuanced. She's likeable and relatable even when she's a little prickly and her strength is amazing. I couldn't recommend this book more and I look forward to what comes next from this author!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

oh, I loved!

This book leaves you feeling warm, I've not come across a book that's been able to do that in a while.
I think this is the first book I've actually read by Kate Gavin... that's going to change.
Your two main characters, Reagan Murphy, sweet caring, and kind, among other characteristics, and then you have Jillian Jacobs, highly opinionated, ice queen, rude, she has reasons for her not being able to get too close to people. The chemistry between the pair is definitely there and builds up from when they both meet. *

Reagan Murphy is trying to take a few moments to herself from her busy day, she manages to grab the last available table at a busy downtown lunch spot. When another woman walks in looking for available seating, Reagan offers to share her table with her. Jillian Jacobs just wants to grab a quick lunch and needs to focus all her attention on her new working deadline. She irritated and hungry, doesn't want to wait to be served, so accepts a seat with a stranger.
Their shared lunch is filled with hostility, rude comments, and shades of derision from jill, and Reagan finds herself relieved once the dinner is over.
The two are thrown back together when jill needs a catering client of Reagan's company. Soon navigating a professional relationship becomes complicated as their attraction begins to smolder.


All in all, this is a really good romance book. I've given it a 4.5* and I highly recommend it.

Overall this is an average lesfic where each MC has their besties/mother they overshare sexual details with who give them advice and cheer them on to progress the plot at just the right moment. The breakup happens at exactly 81% and is followed by months of radio silence and gets fixed just before the end. Pretty standard, nothing memorable but a fairly safe read nonetheless. The hidden subplot between Sam and Alex looks more interesting than what’s going on with the mains.

If this was a debut I might forgive the cookie-cutter nature of this book.

Three stars

You are a product of your upbringing. This is a read about family, work/life balance, friendship, and loss. The story is pretty straight forward with some angst. Reagan Murphy, co owner of a successful restaurant corporation with her good friend Gwen. Reagan comes from a solid family that loves her very much and show it. She is looking for a long-term relationship that is as true as she observed with her parents. Jillian Jacobs, marketing executive with a family based on circumstance. Jill is closed off, cold-hearted, and very demanding. In general, not a very nice person.

With a focus on family, friendship, and dealing with challenges, I was drawn in. I felt for both main characters. I wanted them to end up together. The sex scenes were well written and fit nicely in the story. A little more information with the ending would have been good. There were a couple of loose ends.

A really enjoyable read. The writing was engaging, the two main characters had sizzling chemistry and were both very likeable despite their insecurities and flaws. Jill was irritating at first but I warmed to her quickly and understood where her hard edges were coming from. The romantic relationship developed very naturally and it was great to see the two leads were communicating with one another and talking about their issues and overcoming them, and the author avoided the temptation to add in drama for drama's sake. Definitely worth a read.

The characters were unique in their perspectives and the narrative was at an easy to read, but enjoyable pace.

This is the first time reading a Kate Gavin book so I wasn't sure what I was in for. The description intrigued me, sounded like enemies to friends to love, but wasn't sure.

At first I wasn't sure how I was going to like Jill going forward but as the book moved along my perception of her changed. I really liked Reagan, she was just the kind of person you are looking for in a friend and soon to be love. As they say opposites attract.

The book moved along at a good pace, there are a lot of ups and downs, but I am so glad I picked up this book. The dynamics between Jill and Reagan, and how Reagan's family intertwined into the story, just made you want to keep turning the pages.

I am so glad I read this story, I look forward to more of Ms. Gavin's books in the future

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but would have written the same opinion if I had come across this author on my own.

To see my Amazon review, it is under CC-Opposites attract

𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹, 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit and I think the dynamics between Jill and Reagan ended up being so good, it almost negated the fact that the book started out bad. It was hard to like the concept of them at first. Jill was plain rude, so how she could have left the slightest positive impression on Reagan, even if it's just physical, baffled me. And Jill didn't seem at all capable of liking another human being so I was pretty unconvinced that they could have anything substantial to work with.

But I'm glad it got a lot better after a while and Jill ended up pretty likeable even though she continued making poor decisions here and there. But she tried. And I like her tenderness and protectiveness of Reagan which was ascentuated by her nastiness towards other people. Jill and Reagan have a wonderful relationship despite being complete opposites in terms of personality and background. What was interesting was the contrasting family dynamics that came into play when they were brought into each other's worlds - Jill's elitist family vs Reagan's close-knit middle class one. And I love those private moments, the comfort they offer to each other, in Reagan's grief and Jill's loneliness. 

So yes, despite the weak start, I enjoyed this book a great deal.

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'

**'You as a good writer try to write what you write and then either it holds up or it doesn't hold up.There are no rules or particular sensibilities...'

4.5stars!
My first time reading something by Kate Gavin and I don't think it will be the only time because everything about this particular story has this feel of both realism and believability -- plus no reader can past on a well written story. 'TABLE FOR TWO' will literally grab you from the beginning to the last sentence -- unleashing a roller-coaster of emotions because of it's pragmatic storytelling. More than anything, 'TABLE FOR TWO' is also a heartwarming read -- where Ms.Gavin help readers to get a glimpse of this natural ability to put words and sentences together to mean something while in another breath she makes them privy to the perspectives of every other important character interacting with both leads (Reagan & Jillian) which was very thoughtful by Ms.Gavin.
The storyline did reveal an unflinching expression of Reagan's vulnerabilities that did make her appear human to readers -- and this unbound celebration of friends & family whether in sadness or life's achievements.
It's during a time where Reagan was struggling with her father's depleting health that she crosses part with Jillian then they got into this heated exchange but this brief moment and a few more interactions did lead to this intense romantic connection. Anger, emotional trauma, misplaced priorities etc. did lead to their break-up but as the storyline progresses few readers might actually see that predictability is in play because of how each felt about the other. Jillian was faced with doubts and inner questions about herself; like how much of who she was or wants to become rests not just in her mind but in her heart and body. So committing to being a better partner and person starts within then trusting to be open for changes in her life.
Overall, this story is also about identity, has a bit about second chances and the courage to starting life afresh.
A highly recommended book!

Jillian Jacobs was under a lot of stress when she first met up with Reagan Murphy. What she didn’t know was the stress Reagan was under.
Reagan along with her best friend Gwen has built up quite a business owing and operating restaurants around the city. Gwen was the chef of the operation, while Reagan saw to the business side of their operation. Now she’s taking a break in the everyday operations because of her desire to spend as much time as possible with her father who didn't have long to live. She wanted to also be as much help as possible to her mother who had the terrible job of watching the man she loved waste away on her. But one thing neither parent wanted for Reagan was to get out, run her business and hopefully find a woman to share her life with.
Jillian Jacobs was working herself and everyone around her trying to impress the boss. No matter what she did it never seemed like enough. Her family life consisted of a step-father she never got along with, and her mother who put herself first no matter how it affected her daughter. Now along with trying to meet another deadline for her job, her mother expected her to do the work required in planning her step-father’s birthday party.
When the two women met it didn’t go that well. Reagan offered to share her table with Jillian thinking it would be nice to have someone to talk with, but Jillian wasn’t having any of it. Bad manners were the one thing she got from her mother. She only knew of one way to talk with her staff or anyone else and that was to be demanding, rude and just plain nasty. Reagan didn’t understand her at all. Thank God they’d never have to meet again.
That’s until her mother’s call re the party. She had already picked the restaurant to cater the party. Now all Jillian had to do was all the work that entailed, including with the woman she’d just been so rude to. Reagan had no choice, she had to work with possibly the rudest woman she’d ever met.
Great characters, great story all in a fast paced book. Simply one of the best I’ve read. Very Enjoyable.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bella Books

Wonderful romance to which I am not going to give the top in rating because I think that in the second part it has dropped a bit. But it is that, from the beginning it has gone up, up and up in keeping my interest and, of course, that was difficult to maintain until the end. But not even that has made it less great for my liking.

Both main characters are fabulous. Reagan is a wonderful woman, excellent friend and daughter. She is going to have to face a very painful episode in her life, but that does not discourage her or make her disregard her other obligations. Even when a really unpleasant and certainly rude woman meets her at the restaurant at rush hour and with only one free table, which Reagan offers to share with Jillian, that obnoxious woman. Because Jillian is the Ogre in her office, it hints at how she treats her employees, and outside of the office is no better. But Reagan and Jill are going to meet again for work reasons after that first time at the restaurant. And Jill may not be so cold and despicable. And Reagan is willing to discover the person underneath that tough look. And from here the story unfolds a really beautiful romance.

Although it seems simple, the story has many aspects that make it interesting. On the one hand there is the environment of Reagan, family and friends, who are suspicious of Jill and her haughty and apparently cold attitude. Reagan is in no position to be hurt and that's what Jill looks like she's going to do. But Jill is also vulnerable in that regard, she does not have a close family or friends to protect her, so it is she herself who creates that protective shield that Reagan has managed to break.

And unsurprisingly, so many possibilities for drama, it has to appear sooner or later. I think the cause has appeared too early here or too foreseeable. Although there is some final surprise.

For me it has been a very enjoyable and highly recommended romance, one of those that I really like.

Loved it. This is a great enemy to lovers romance. Reagan and Jill initially met when having to share a table for lunch that let's say didn't go very well.

Jill is one of those unlikeable people but I loved her despite being one of the meanest main characters I've come a crossed in while. I believe her dry sense of humour helped her there. In contrast Reagan is a sweetheart that is going through a tough personal time.

Kate Gavin does a great work making the attraction between two very opposite personalities very believable. Parts of the book are a bit sad and others are good fun, so high in emotions.

This is my first book by the author so looking forward to read more from her.

This is my first time for reading a Kate Gavin book, and I can guarantee this wont be my last.
What a fantastically written book and story, I absolutely loved everything about it.

You have great characters, Jillian the Ice Queen and Reagan the friendly girl with a heart. Total opposites in all ways of life and family.....but as the saying goes 'Opposites Attract'

Once i started i just couldn't put down, I loved the Jillian and Reagan story.

Would I recommend: Oh yes if you're looking for that keep me hooked kind of story

Obviously this book has the Ice Queen vibe going for it, but about half way through this book, I realized that Jillian really wasn't much of an Ice Queen. Most of the time, Ice Queens enjoy being Ice Queens, especially in business. Jillian actually starts to realize what she's become because of her family, and wants to change. She's an undercover softy!

Regan, on the other hand, I liked from the get go. The whole portion with her family couldn't have been more different than Jillian's, and boy was it a tearjerker. I have to warn people that have had parents go through cancer, this book may trigger some of those memories (good and bad, I'm sure). But it was handled beautifully.

I loved all their interactions, from the first time they met and all the way through the times when they started looking forward to being with each other. It's a little bit more of a slow romance, but it wasn't snail pace. Just don't expect them to fall in bed with each other in the first 50 pages. I think Regan's friends would have killed her.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend others to give it a try.