4.5 stars!

First love gets a second chance in "Back to Me" by Katie Duggan. This is one of my favorite books this year! I absolutely loved every single thing about this book. It's funny, heartfelt, intimate, sexy, and delicate. The characters are spectacular. I adored Jo and Hunter both as individuals and as a couple. Hunter is sassy, strong, thoughtful, and yet vulnerable. Jo was frequently manipulated by her ex-wife. She has major depressive disorder and goes into a deep depression from time to time. She is often unsure of herself, but she has found her way back to normalcy (for the most part). In fact, they are BOTH unsure of themselves and are still discovering parts of who they are. They find solace in each other. Their connection is electric. You feel how deeply they care about one another in every interaction. You never doubt their feelings. This book is also SO hilarious. I literally cackled out loud repeatedly. And the spice! Oh my god, the spice. I raised my fist in the air and cheered multiple times while reading this book. And... characters who actually talk through their problems and give each other space?! In what world!? I just loved this book so, so much. It has wonderful ADHD representation, a great exploration of what it's like to have chronic diabetes and major depressive disorder, and also gives readers an exploration of religious trauma and mental health struggles. Reading about a vast array of sexualities, body types, and disabilities gives me hope for the future of the romance genre. This book is truly inclusive and is very successful at it. Katie Duggan, you have my whole heart!

Thank you to NetGalley and Katie Duggan for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

The first girl you’ve ever loved might be the one to steal your heart once again, this time for good. Trigger warning: this story contains mental illness, chronic physical illness, neurodiversity, religious family trauma.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Life for Giovanna, Jo, is rough. Being left by her fiancée a year ago in favor of her boss, did a serious number on her. Even though her ex Kelsey never treated her right and saw Jo being a chronic diabetic as a huge nuisance, the break up hurt like hell. Jo slipped into a bout of depression feeling like she lost herself and not knowing how to get that version of herself back. As a wedding and event planner she plans a friend’s wedding not knowing they hired Hunter as their photographer. Hunter, the girl she was madly in love with during a summer twelve years ago, only for Hunter to leave her broken. Jo’s heart never mended completely after that. Hunter grew up into an even more beautiful and intriguing woman. Jo accepts this chance meeting as another event that drags her down further. That is until her wedded friend proposes Hunter to become Jo’s new roommate. Jo is determined to keep the past where it belongs. That proves extremely difficult as Hunter stirs up all kinds of feelings that break through her numbness.

Hunter has finally accepted herself for the chaotic but kind mess she is. Her Christian family is another story. They kicked Hunter out when she came out as bisexual. Packing up her stuff and starting a new life in the city, she lands a job of photographing a wedding. To her surprise the event is planned by Jo, the girl whose heart she broke twelve years ago. Hunter never forgot Jo and hopes she can forgive her teenage mistakes. When she ends up moving into Jo’s apartment, Hunter is determined to mend their relationship. Even if Jo can only offer friendship, Hunter wants her back in her life. Living with Jo stirs up a lot of feelings for Hunter and she falls madly in love with her again. The question is: is Jo ready to be loved?

I loved this story! The POV switches between Jo and Hunter and the timeline alternates between 12 years ago and the present. It’s a beautiful concept revealing new truths along the way. Both Jo and Hunter struggle with accepting themselves with all their good and their more challenging character traits, but they accept the other without question. It’s clear that what you, yourself, see as a flaw is something others might naturally accept as another part of you that deserves to be loved.

The representation of living with chronic diabetes, depression and ADHD is very well done. It’s clear Katie Duggan knows what she is writing about. A chronic disease like diabetes 1 rules the life of the patient. It’s heartwarming to see that Hunter doesn’t see Jo’s condition as an inconvenience but rather she does everything in her power to understand the limitations it brings to Jo’s life and tries her best to support her in every way she can. It’s the same for Jo’s need to sometimes revert back into herself to deal with her emotions. Hunter gives her a safe space to deal with whatever comes her way and is there when Jo resurfaces to welcome her back with love and kindness. On her part Jo loves all of Hunter, even though she struggles with ADHD. Hunter might be disorganized, loud and impulsive but for Jo that’s what makes her unique. It is the first time Hunter feels like she is accepted just as she is.

Hunter’s traumatic coming out results in her being kicked out of her extremely Christian family. Although she accepts her sexuality herself, the pain of her family disowning her stays locked inside her heart. Jo’s large family eventually accepts Hunter into their fold completely. It’s simultaneously heartbreaking and so sweet to see what this kind of loving acceptance can do to heal a person.

Back To Me is a gorgeous second chance love story. A story that deserves to be savored.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review! This book comes out today, September 17th!

I loved this sapphic romance between Jo and Hunter. It has fake dating trope and the second chance romance trope, which is two of my favorite tropes. What really stuck out to me was all the representation in this book. It not only had lgbtqia+ representation but also had plus size representation, diabetes representation, and mental health representation. I also loved the spice. With such a cute cover, I was not expecting so much spice.
Overall, I really think this was a fun sapphic romance, and you should definitely check it out!

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out today! This was everything. Disability rep. Check. Fat girl is seen as beautiful like she should. Check. Talks about comphet and als found family. Check. And on top of that the end of the book drama wasn't the miscommunication trope I hate but a would definitely happen in real life thing. I'm in love with these 2 disaster queers.

My first book by Katie Duggan was intriguing. This book was a second-chance, fake relationship, slow burn.
Both MCs had chronic/mental illnesses. Both were well developed characters, and one MC had a strong support group. The other didn't. The secondary characters were also well developed and added to the story.
The MCs had a good relationship, I appreciated the take Duggan had on the mental illness aspect for both MCs and how they worked and understood each other. They were good on their own but stronger together.
It felt slow at the beginning, but after a while, I really got into the book. This is the second book of the series, I did not read the first. I will read other books by Duggan that come our way.

3.5 stars .let's start with some typos : chapter 33 she said she fell fifteen years ago when it's twelve. Chapter 41 there is another one I can't find with two words in one.
There are a lot of good things in this book . Duggan nailed the variety in representation. The main characters have “real life” bodies, not model bodies, they appreciate their respective extra weight, stretch marks and that’s pretty rare ans so refreshing! They have layers and have respected wounds that impacts strongly on ther lives. Hunter is almost too perfect but she is really loveable patient, loving, caring, kind. Her ADHD seems well written. Jo is heartbreaking and is mourning a relationship with a toxic ex fiancée. She is living with diabete and handling depression. Again I think these topics were really well brought. The banter was perfect and chemistry was definetely here. When they start having sex, sweet discrete Jo turns into a sex beast, it’s really steamy. Some scenes or thoughts felt a bit repetitive at times, first with the characters lusting thoughts, then with the love declaration, giving the book some lengths. Anothe thing that didn’t really speak to me and I already said in on other reviews, it’s the “therapy” talk that’s has a huge part. But I know it’s something really important on the other side of the Atlantic.
Jo’s family brings a joyful mess I really like even if I was a bit lost with all the names. I expect other siblings to have their own book (I didn’t read book 1), and I especially look forward to Kate’s who I secretly hope to be gay but half the family is already queer so...
Overall a good read, full of tension, drama feelings and sweetness

This was an absolute delight! Giovanna (Jo) and Hunter were a breath of fresh air. So tender, so genuine, and faced their fears and doubts head-on, with the help of each other. The banter was quirky and fun, the spice was immaculate, and Katie created magic with the Qublings. I cannot WAIT to read more about this family!!!

One thing that really shone in Katie's writing was her representation of Type 1 Diabetes, ADHD, and Major Depression Disorder. You can tell Katie did research, hired sensitivity readers, and approached it with the utmost level of care and responsibility. I just had the best time reading this and I cannot wait to read more from Katie! She is definitely an upcoming author to watch!

Jo Quinn has everything under control. After her engagement suddenly ends, she is perfectly fine, thank you very much. Until her first love crashes through her walls and back into her life.

Hunter Cleary is looking for a new start after coming out, and moving in with her first love might not be the best way to do it, but it definitely isn’t the worst. When her new roommate finds herself planning her ex-fiance’s wedding, Hunter steps up to the plate and volunteers to help in an unconventional way. Jo surprises herself when she agrees to the outlandish plan because, really, it can’t make things worse.

I really loved this. One of the reasons I read is to broaden my horizons and to understand people who are different from me. I loved these characters, their quirks, their strengths, and their relationship. Highly recommend this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

My first ever Sapphic Romance and it was so sweet and heartwarming!

Hunter and Jo were just perfect together, they had the most unconditional accepting love of one another. This has second chance, fake dating, and plenty of spice. I loved how diverse all the characters were, so many different body types, sexualities, disabilities all represented so perfectly. The found family in this one was amazing too, I’d like to join the Quinn family please!
This book was the epitome of “it’s always been you”.

There was low angst in this one which was perfect since I was in the mood for a funny sweet read. There are some triggers so check those before you read, but to me it was nothing too heavy.

I have posted my review to my bookstagram and linked it below. In the release date I will also post reviews to Amazon and good reads!

3.5 rounded up- thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

Overall, I really enjoyed this sapphic romance, full of fun music references and a classic fake dating trope (a favorite of mine). And the playlist??! Incredible; I was updating my friends each time a shared favorite song popped up at the head of a new chapter.

It was really great to see some rep that is a lot less prevalent in publishing these days, especially in romance! I was able to connect to both characters and the alternating POV chapters made it easy to stay connected to each of their experiences and thoughts throughout.

Unfortunately, there were occasional typos or confusing wording that took me out of the story, however this was an arc, so I am hopeful they are fixed for the final published version.

*Back to Me* by Katie Dugan is a heartfelt and engaging romance that delves into themes of self-discovery, love, and second chances. Jo Quinn, a woman reeling from a broken engagement, seems to have it all under control until her first love, Hunter Cleary, unexpectedly re-enters her life. The reunion sets off a series of events that force Jo to confront not only her past but also her present feelings. Hunter, having recently come out, is also searching for a fresh start, and moving in with Jo, though unconventional, sparks both tension and undeniable chemistry.

Dugan beautifully explores the complexities of love and identity, as Jo and Hunter navigate their renewed relationship amidst the chaos of planning Jo’s ex-fiancé’s wedding. The fake dating trope is cleverly used, adding humor and depth as the two women find themselves falling for each other all over again. Their interactions are filled with warmth, vulnerability, and playful banter, making their journey both relatable and emotionally satisfying.

What makes *Back to Me* stand out is the genuine connection between Jo and Hunter, as they both rediscover the versions of themselves they had left behind. The story strikes a perfect balance between light-hearted moments and poignant emotional beats, ultimately crafting a compelling narrative about embracing the past to build a better future. Readers who enjoy slow-burn romance and second-chance love stories will find this book a delightful and rewarding read.

Was this book horrible definitely not. Was it great, also definitely not. An overall cute story but I personally never found myself caring about the main characters, in fact I actually disliked them throughout the book. The characters to me felt underdeveloped and highly stereotypical which made the story drag for me. Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.#BacktoMeKatieDuggan

A second chance sapphic romance with plus-size and disability rep, fake relationship, and a hefty dose of spice. Reminiscent of the Bergman Brothers series but queerer, so if you're a fan of that series you may appreciate the Quiblings series. This book fell a little flat for me, personally, but loved the representation and focus on healthy and affirming relationships. 3.5/5

Pros:
-disability representation, mainly T1D, depression, and ADHD for this book
-queer and plus-size rep for both main and supporting characters
-spice showing plus-size and disabled characters in a positive, affirming light with a focus on consent
-found family

Issues:
-did not particularly jive with the writing style; various proofreading errors
-repetitive, especially with the affirmations and therapy talk; the point was made, no need to beat it into the ground
-many of the spicy scenes/character behavior that deviated from rest of book did not work for me
-SPOILER: Hunter and Ren's idea to pretend to hook up to make Jo jealous at a family dinner was a strange choice that undermined some of the healthy relationship ideas this book preaches

I loved, loved, loved this book! This is the first time I have read anything by this author and honestly I ate this up! The tale is one of love lost then recaptured, we go back and forth through time and perspective via the dual point of view from Jo and Hunter. So much heart in both of these characters as well as yearning, acceptance and love. Also great to see perspectives on ADHD, type 1 diabetes, fuller figures and finding oneself and family. The Quinn family, faults are found within themselves but you cannot love them! Honestly this book was so charming and cute, and what I also enjoyed was it got to the point fairly quick no hanging about with a fake dating trope. Really enjoyed and would highly recommend when this is released on the 17th September. Thank you Kate Duggan and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this prior to publication for my honest review.

This was my first arc!! Sadly I dnf’d at 47% because one of the protagonists did something in the middle of the book that I could not get past lol.

Before I get onto that though here’s what I liked:
- This reads like an especially silly episode of The L Word, which is fun.
- It doesn’t take itself too seriously! Love that in a romance book.
- The plot moves fast and this is super easy to read.

K, now the things I disliked <3:
- The writing isn’t great, unfortunately. There are a ton of spelling errors and paragraphs that don’t make a ton of sense.
- We don’t have super clear environmental details at any specific time - unless the characters are at home - so it feels like you’re floating in vaguely new york-themed space for a lot of the book.
- The two main characters had a sexual relationship when they were younger teenagers, and talk about that time in their lives in such a sexual way that it personally made me uncomfortable lmao.
- The reason I dnf’d the book! Not a spoiler imo, but read at your own risk:

One of the main characters visits the other's family home with them for sunday dinner. She gets jealous for some reason (they aren’t dating), and in front of the other mc, goes upstairs with the other mc’s brother. She creates this situation to imply that she’s going to hook up with this mc’s BROTHER. In her family HOME. With her whole family THERE. This is her first time seeing these people in 12 years and they already don’t think super highly of her. These people are supposed to be like 27 years old.

When I read that the fun I was having reading this completely deflated. Talk about an ick, man.

It's hot with a lot of suppressed desire and the wish for more!
Hunter and Giovanna meet as teenagers and are each other's first loves!
They are so good together until they get caught and everything changes.
They split up and don't see each other again.
Until twelve years later, a coincidence brings them back together and forces them to work together.
The closeness to each other brings many feelings back to the surface, as well as wishes, dreams and longings. But it all becomes just a show... why?
Well, you'll have to read it yourself :D
It's funny with lots of loving and funny characters.
The story deals with life itself, living with a diagnosis that determines it and how you deal with it and live with it.
With pain from the past that causes suffering again and again.
Also loss, consolation, self-love and family ties and expectations and how you open your heart again after being hurt!
I loved this really sweet story and often had to smile and laugh.
I especially loved the conversations and banter between Jo and Hunter and they are very hot and very sexy together.
Thanks for this ARC to everyone!

I absolutely loved the story of Jo and Hunter! This was my first ever FF read and I’m so glad it was this one! I loved the development, the realism and the fact that there was so many diverse characters. Hunter has my heart, she was incredible! How despite her own trauma was always ready to rise to the challenge and protect her own. She is everything.
I love how Jo developed in her story and I’m not afraid to admit i whooped with joy at her girl boss moments .

Back to Me is a second chance, fake-dating sapphic romance. It follows the characters of Jo and Hunter as they navigate living together over a decade after a special summer that changed both of their lives.

Generally romance novels are not my go to but I was intrigued about this one after reading about it on a friends instagram. I went into this expecting I was going to read a nice romcom between our two lovely leads. And while I definetly got that, the book was so much more. Duggan did an amazing job at touching on religous trauma associated with being part of the queer community as well as highlighting important mental health issues and physical conditions and bringing light to some misunderstood 'taboo' areas of health.

This book really emphasises that finding yourself and in fact losing yourself is all part of life and it is a process that will continuously go on. As someone who sometimes feel a little lost I really loved seeing this played out.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really loved this book! Past lovers reuniting is one of my favorite troupes when there is history and it makes the chemistry extra sizzling! This book was wonderful at representation of queerness, health issues, neurodivergence, just … chefs kiss. There was emotion and love and it was just a beautiful story. I loved it

𝐈𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝.

I loved this book so much. It's swoony and sweet and emotional and deep and deals with a lot of tough themes. It just warmed me from the inside out and it was such a great book.

Jo and Hunter fell in love one summer when they were 15. Twelve years later they have a chance reunion and end up roommates. (THE TENSION)

When Jo is asked to plan her ex fiance's wedding, Hunter is the photographer and it's SO messy. So wonderfully, perfectly, messy.

I absolutely love how Katie writes mental illness, queerness, and disabilities in these books. Jo has Type 1 diabetes and depression, and Hunter has ADHD.

The way they work together to come back to each other is just so beautiful.

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.”
“𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐩. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

One thing I've noticed and appreciated about this author is their characters know how to communicate, and how to give long declarations of love. This wont be for everyone, but I love not having to worry about characters that can't say how they feel.

Honestly, it's just a lovely sapphic romcom and it spoke to me in so many ways.

𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲, 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for this review.