What a gorgeous read - funny, moving, and sexy. Timothy Janovsky is brilliant and a talented author - these are layered, 3 dimensional characters taking part in fun plots

Wow.

I started reading this just before being diagnosed with OCD. This is important because one of the main characters has severe OCD, whilst the other has severe anxiety. I love reading romance books that have elements of disabled characters, and this book delivered AND more. The enemies to lovers storyline was amazing, especially since they were more hating the attraction they had to each other rather than actually hating each other. I loved the element of one of the main characters getting too caught up in his side, there were several scenes where this was a huge thing for him and I adored the way the author handled those - I adored the way they each thought themselves unlovable until they met each other.

This was an exceptionally sex positive book - both main characters were queer, one experienced erectile dysfunction due to his meds and the other had specific rules for sex due to his OCD. These subjects were written about sensitively and gently, whilst also creating a positive sex life for both characters. They worked together to find ways to make it work and I loved seeing the concessions they made for each other and the way they loved each other.

The disability representation in this book was absolutely wonderful to see. The characters were able to function on their own despite their disabilities and, rather than accepting help because they couldn't function without it, they accepted help because they wanted it. In romance books it is too often the case that the disabled characters aren't given their own independence, but they were in this one.

I read this book in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it.

4.5 stars.

I loved the premise of this; an uptight neurodivergent sommelier must work with a flirty TikTok famous mixologist in order to revamp a crumbling restaurant's rather lacklustre happy hour.

Neither are looking for a relationship; Julien is counting the days until he can sit for his advanced sommelier certificate and leave small-town Pennsylvania and Greg has his own issues that prevent him from investing in anything serious. What's two hot, sexually frustrated guys to do but to come up with a no-strings attached pact where both parties can explore their sexuality without any judgement and messy feelings getting in the way?

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting this title to be so spicy! Their sexual encounters were definitely hot, incredibly detailed and appeared to be realistically portrayed. This book normalises a lot of issues which I've never seen openly addressed before, such as the use of SSRLs to manage anxiety disorders and the side effects they come with; such as erectile dysfunctional in men and the way this can affect their performance and confidence.

I felt that Julien's OCD was carefully and sensitivity portrayed and I adored watching them both carve out their own safe space in such an intimate and gentle way. The patience and understanding they shared throughout was a really beautiful thing.

Both characters were clearly very cleverly and thoughtfully written. I appreciated the dual POV as it helped me develop a better understanding of Julien's perspectives and inner turmoil whilst also lifting Greg's carefully crafted mask.

The inevitable third-act breakup did rub me the wrong way. Greg returning to his own life and finding himself in his ex-boyfriend's apartment so casually seemed like a massive betrayal. I know in reality Julien pushed him away and they were never officially in a relationship, however, the whole encounter left a very sour taste in my mouth. As a result, I found the reconciliation and final chapters frustrating and difficult to digest.

Despite this, I adore these two endearing, flawed characters and how realistically their relationship was portrayed. The mental health representation was incredibly well written. Sometimes I feel like MH issues are simply tagged on or swept aside, however, theirs were intricately woven into their personality and day-to-day life which made me appreciate both Julien and Greg on such a deeper level.

Cute romance story about 2 guys. Runs fairly smoothly and easy to follow and like the characters. Some steamy scenes so if you don't like that don't read! The characters OCD, no drinking and anxieties are written with kindness.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

this was a really fun read!! i especially loved the neurodivergent representation and how the characters just accepted each others' differences completely, maintaining a really fun and sexy atmosphere. their chemistry was excellent. i wish it had been longer though!!! the third act breakup felt really rushed and stuff leading up to it got really frustrating at times. overall i'd recommend though, especially for the OCD/GAD representation!

This book was a truly glorious rivals-to-lovers story, with great writing and loveable characters, but you know what absolutely made this book stand out for me? The mental health representation. Holy heck this was one of those books where I was just so impressed by the representation and the way the author handles incredibly sensitive topics - it was so much more than I was expecting it to be!

Julien Boire works at his aunt and uncle’s restaurant, Martin’s Place, as a server and sommelier. They adopted him as a child after his alcoholic mother got into a car accident and he has a slew of trust issues from that, as well as OCD and being on the autistic spectrum. He is fixated on getting his master sommelier’s qualification and refuses to let anything stand in his way.

That is until his aunt and uncle hire Greg Harlow, a TikTok sensation and bartender, to help get in more customers by curating special cocktails and running happy hours. Greg is absolutely burnt out from his previous high-flying New York life filled with social media, product promotion and wild parties. He’s also wracked up an almost unmanageable amount of credit card debt and he’s hoping this escape from the city will be the reset he needs to get his life back together. He suffers from anxiety and depression and takes SSRI meds for this which seriously affects his sex drive and causes ED, which causes him performance anxiety around sex.

Watching these two navigate their hangups around sex (Julien’s OCD needs inc. a strict showering regime and Greg’s performance anxiety) was just perfection - I think it’s so rare to see these concerns, especially round ED, in romance (MM or MF) and I loved watching the pair navigate this whilst still making each other feel sexy, special and loved (although they won’t admit the last part!!)

The only reason this book loses a star from me is that HORRENDOUS third act breakup. Like… what were they both thinking? Like Julien’s reaction I 100% understand but Greg? Ugh. His choices whilst they were ‘split up’ really made me angry ha. But they do get back together and they do get their HEA but holy heck did we really need to be jerked around like that?? I think not 🤣 Other than that it would have been a 5* read!

Read ‘You Had Me At Happy Hour’ for:
✨ Rivals to lovers
✨ Bartender vs Sommelier
✨ Amazing mental health rep
✨ Navigating bedroom hangups (ED & OCD)
✨ Amazing adoptive parents & found family
✨ Moving to a small town to start again
✨ The pitfalls and successes of social media stardom

Thank you so much to Afterglow Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book! It is available on 23rd July 2024 ✨

This is more a 2.5 but I'll round up for this.
I've come to the conclusion Timothys writing just isn't for me. While the premise sounds interesting the book just didn't fully work for me. Especially the third act situation. While I get why the third act is used, here it really took my enjoyment even more. Which didn't help when I was struggling to care for them as a couple to start with.
I will say I liked that they had conversations about their issues and boundaries. Which were respected.

Janovsky is brilliant when you want an easy to read, lighthearted and low stakes contemporary romance/rom-com. You Had Me at Happy Hour is fast paced, simple, and fairly predictable, but also perfectly describes the experience of dating as a neurodivergent person and as someone with medicated anxiety. The ease, acceptance and trust between Greg and Julien was so well written. The miscommunication was the most predictable (but not annoyingly so) but adds a bit of laidback angst.
A character with ED in a book like this is almost unheard of, and Janovsky seemed to handle it well (but don’t quote me on this because how do I know lol) but I can say that Julien’s traits and triggers are really well done.
Overall a good read if you’re looking to kill a couple of hours!

Thank you to Mills & Boon and Netgalley for the ARC!

Janovsky is quickly becoming a go to author for me if I’m looking for a low stakes, easy to read contemporary romance. You Had Me at Happy Hour perfectly sums up an experience of dating while neurodiverse, and the trust and acceptance between the two MCs was an absolute delight. The miscommunication was a bit predictable but perfect if you’re looking for low angst. In terms of spice, this book is really creative and I loved seeing a character with ED in a spicy book. I read this book in a couple of hours and definitely had a fun time!

I haven't read anything by this author before. I enjoyed this book. It was an easy to follow, cute book that I read in an afternoon.
Overall a good read that I recommend to other romance readers.
💓 Thank you to Mills and Boon, netgalley and the author for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.