Ellie Greco cherishes her hometown and her family’s beloved deli, Greco’s. But when a high-end gourmet food store threatens her family’s business, Ellie takes her fight straight to the source: Theo Taylor, heir to the property management empire behind the development. Their heated confrontation takes an unexpected turn when Theo suffers a minor accident, leading Ellie to impulsively claim she’s his fiancée.

When Theo wakes up with amnesia, Ellie’s lie spirals out of control. Once his memory returns, Theo shocks Ellie by proposing they maintain the ruse for mutual benefit—Ellie gets a chance to save her deli, and Theo can clean up his tarnished reputation. But as their fake engagement takes on a life of its own, Ellie and Theo find themselves navigating nosy neighbours, complicated family dynamics, and their undeniable chemistry.

With Theo’s ex-fiancée reappearing and threatening their plan, Ellie must decide where her heart truly lies—saving her family’s legacy, holding onto her newfound connection with Theo, or finding the courage to embrace it all.

Tropes
- Enemies to lovers
- Fake dating/fake engagement
- Small-town romance
- Opposites attract
- Forced proximity

Jilly Gagnon delivers a sparkling, trope-filled rom-com with Love You, Mean It, seamlessly blending humour, heart, and heat. Ellie and Theo’s chemistry sizzles from their very first interaction, and their journey from adversaries to a convincing fake couple to something real is an absolute delight.

Ellie is a relatable and fiercely passionate heroine whose dedication to her family’s deli is both inspiring and endearing. Her sharp wit and determination make her an unforgettable protagonist. Theo, on the other hand, starts as a stereotypical corporate scion but quickly reveals layers of vulnerability, charm, and unexpected sweetness. Together, they create a dynamic filled with banter, tension, and deeply emotional moments.

The story expertly balances humour and heart. From laugh-out-loud scenes involving nosy neighbours and “engagement” hijinks to tender, introspective moments where Ellie and Theo confront their insecurities, the narrative never loses its momentum. The fake-dating trope is executed masterfully, and Theo’s amnesia adds an entertaining twist without feeling forced or over-the-top.

Gagnon’s writing also shines in her portrayal of family and community. Greco’s Deli and its loyal customers are lovingly depicted, creating a vibrant small-town setting that feels like a character in itself. The stakes are deeply personal, making Ellie’s decisions—and her ultimate choice—feel authentic and satisfying.

For fans of romantic comedies that embrace the genre’s beloved tropes while adding fresh flair, Love You, Mean It is an absolute must-read.

If any of these are your favs, then you should dabble in Love You, Mean It
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
- The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
- Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry
- Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

"Love You, Mean It" by Jilly Gagnon is a sharp, witty, and utterly relatable novel that dives into the complexities of modern friendships, romance, and the fine line between love and sarcasm. Gagnon’s writing is full of humor and heart, creating a story that resonates with anyone who’s ever navigated the ups and downs of relationships in today’s world. The characters are vividly portrayed, each with their own quirks and flaws, making them feel both real and endearing. The novel strikes a perfect balance between laugh-out-loud moments and deeper emotional insights, offering a fresh and entertaining take on what it means to truly care for someone, even when you might not always show it. "Love You, Mean It" is a delightful read, perfect for those who enjoy smart, contemporary fiction with a lot of heart.

It was nice but a little bit boring. Like typical romcom without something special. Fake trope is quite a cleshee

First of all when I requested this book from netgalley I thought it would be a graphic novel, it is not. But it is a cute, easy to read contemporary romance. It's fun, quick to read and entertaining. The characters are well developed and the plot is interesting and makes sense.
It has a few interesting clichés: fake dating, rich cute boyfriend, and an attempt at a second chance.

a fun and really enjoyable read. The characters were great and the story really flowed. i did enjoy this.

A fake dating romance. Ellie needs Theo to help her, even though it is his family that is trying to put her family deli out of business. A great read.

3.5 stars

Love You, Mean It has a similar trope like that of the iconic movie, While You Were Sleeping, so of course I had to read this. It took some time for me to get into the story, however when I did, I was fully invested in it. The pacing is kind of slow but picks up pretty quickly as we move into the story. I do think I would have enjoyed this story a lot more if we got to see more (and I mean a lot more) moments of Theo with his amnesia. I think that would have added a hilarious touch to this book which would have instantly solidified it as a favourite. Instead, we got a fake engagement, which was fun in its own way.

Honestly, it took me a while to see the chemistry between Ellie and Theo, but I think somewhere along the midpoint, I saw myself loving these two together. They had a special dynamic and that made this book a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

While Love You, Mean It is a book that I didn't love as much as I hoped I would, I still think its a pretty fun romcom with a lot of hilarious and cute moments; it's worth giving a chance too.

Love You, Mean It - 3/5


This was a cute romance read about a girl who is trying to help her family business. From the very first chapter I was pulled in but I was expecting to be more attached to the characters I just didn't like Ellie as much as I tried to like her throughout the book I just couldn't. This book has enemies to lovers and Fake dating which are two of my favourite tropes but they just didn't do it for me in this book I wish we had more of the enemies to lovers aspect. I enjoyed the beginning of the book and the writing style kept me engaged in the story it was an easy read and i read it in one day but for a romance book I do wish there was more of the romance aspect in the story.

I recommend this book to people who enjoy the tropes
Small town romance
Opposites Attract
Fake dating
Enemies to Lovers
or readers who are looking for a light hearted read !

*Thank you Netgalley and Headline for providing me this Arc in return for an honest review*

This was a cute book but I felt there could have been a lot more to it - the amnesia plot seemed very short and would have been good to keep it going for longer and there was only very brief mentions of the deaths that apparently changed the whole course of their lives.

Other than that, I enjoyed it. There was good chemistry between the characters and had a good connection of side characters.

This is a lovely light hearted read.

I usually read thrillers by Jilly Gagnon so I was very intrigued to read her romance book and I absolutely loved it overall and found it easy to read coupled with my favourite enemies-to-lovers trope.

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked right away from the writing style. I never had a book in quite a while just pull me in so quickly of be so relatable. I was laughing from the first page. I have definitely dealt with customers like that. It was so funny, relatable, and cute. I cannot wait to share more thoughts on it.