It Had to Be You
Fiction
Atria/Emily Bestler Books
May 4, 2021
E-book
384
Publisher via NetGalley
For the past twenty years, Liv and Eliot Goldenhorn have run In Love in New York, Brooklyn’s beloved wedding-planning business. When Eliot dies unexpectedly, he even more unexpectedly leaves half of the business to his younger, blonder girlfriend, Savannah. Liv and Savannah are not a match made in heaven, to say the least. But what starts as a personal and professional nightmare transforms into something even savvy, cynical Liv Goldenhorn couldn’t begin to imagine.
It Had to Be You cleverly unites Liv, Savannah, and couples as diverse and unique as New York City itself, in a joyous Love-Actually-style braided narrative. The result is a smart, modern love story that truly speaks to our times. Second chances, secret romance, and steamy soul mates are front and center in this sexy, tender, and utterly charming rom-com.
To say that I am super picky about rom-com books would be an understatement. Whenever I start one (and I inevitably do, because gosh the covers are almost always so darn cute) I question why I'm doing so? This book is why I do it! They don't come along often, but this one had the perfect ingredients to be a winner. The cast was one of the most diverse I've seen in this type of story. The best part was that it felt natural, not like the author was trying to inject diversity for diversity sake. All of the romances felt real, no enemies to lovers (a trope I hate), and they were dealing, for the most part with real life problems (first world problems, but it is a rom com after all). I will say that there are a lot of characters to keep track of, sometimes that bothers me, but in this case I thought it gave the perfect blend to see a wonderful cross section of life in the 21st century in a city like New York. I loved the wedding planner aspect, the wide spectrum of ages amongst the characters, the questioning of when a relationship is right, and just generally finding your path in life. Let's also not forget to talk about the obvious in the newer rom coms I've read, the smut (or steam as some would call it) level. Sorry, not sorry, but I hate it! I do not need an anatomy lesson on making love. I can provide my own details in my imagination without the author giving me every minute detail. This book was the perfect level for me. It happened within a sentence or two, not four pages of graphic uncomfortableness. The ending was perfect, with every character getting their closure. It may have been a bit too cheesy, but here again, we're talking rom com (have I said that enough yet?).
I loved this light hearted, wonderfully diverse, look at the lives of several characters involved with a wedding planning company. It had all the qualities of what I'm looking for in this genre (including an adorable cover) and I would highly recommend as long as you aren't someone who is daunted by a large cast of characters.
