You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Title: You, Again
Author: Kate Goldbeck
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication Date: September 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593448120

Synopsis:
When Ari and Josh first meet, the wrong kind of sparks fly. They hate each other. Instantly. A free-spirited, struggling comedian who likes to keep things casual, Ari sublets, takes gigs, and she never sleeps over after hooking up. Born-and-bred Manhattanite Josh has ambitious plans: Take the culinary world by storm, find The One, and make her breakfast in his spotless kitchen. They have absolutely nothing in common . . . except that they happen to be sleeping with the same woman. Ari and Josh never expect their paths to cross again. But years later, as they’re both reeling from ego-bruising breakups, a chance encounter leads to a surprising connection: friendship. As friends-without-benefits, they find comfort in late-night Netflix binges, swiping through each other’s online dating profiles, and bickering across boroughs. It’s better than romance. Until one night, the unspoken boundaries of their platonic relationship begin to blur. . . .

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You, Again has all the potential of a lighthearted, witty romcom of a novel, but this was a novel that just didn’t hold up for me. What is supposed to be an entertaining will-they-wont-they style narrative with enemies to friends to lovers vibes, is more of a slog through repeated unexpected interactions as these characters spiral downwards on both personal and professional levels. It is 9 years of snarky comments and sarcastic banter that could be funny if the characters lives weren’t disintegrating around them.

I wanted to like this book, but I found it disheartening and frankly depressing at times. The characters lack empathy, self-awareness, and drive, and they let mishaps derail their careers and personal lives repeatedly. Neither character is very kind and they treat their loved ones with very little regard. Perhaps these two characters are made for each other. They find connection through commiseration, which isn’t very romantic, and I personally couldn’t see what either of them saw in the other. It’s a shame, because it has a delightfully attractive cover that drew me in instantly.

For self-proclaimed rom-com, this book is neither very rom, nor com. I read it in isolation at a cottage, and even with little else to do, it took me far too many days to plough through these pages.

I’d love to hear from someone who enjoyed this book. Did anyone enjoy it and if so, what drew you in the most? I’m open to having my mind changed, but my first-hand experience didn’t result in any more than 2 stars on Goodreads.

Happy reading!