It is always nice when a book surprises you. Yes & I Love You was more than the title suggests. Yes, it is certainly a romance novel, but it also deals with things most of us don't think about when talking inclusion in books. The main female character, Hollyn, has tourette syndrome and suffers panic attacks. The disease affected the character's daily life but didn't define who she was. The author, Roni Loren, holds a master’s degree in social work and spent years as a mental health counselor, and it is clear her experiences helped her here. She represented the illness well and did a great job at demonstrating how anxiety and other daily things we take for granted made things harder for Hollyn.
Hollyn is very successful in her field. She runs a popular blog and her word is the law. If she recommends your business or entertainment it is certain it will be successful. But because of her tourettes she hides behind the screen and no one knows what the popular reviewer "Miss Poppy'' looks like. With the growth of youtube videos, tiktoks, etc., her boss wants Miss Poppy to come out of hiding. She doesn't own the Miss Poppy brand, so her choices are to evolve and face her fears or lose her dream job.
It is around this time that her life crosses paths with the new barista at work, who instantly thinks she dislikes him because of the faces she makes whenever she sees him. The new office coffee guy also happens to be an improv actor at night. With his help (after a number of misunderstandings) Hollyn might just be able to face her fears and face a camera. And with her help, Japer might get the attention he needs for his improv group to succeed. He will helps her, and she will in turn watch his group and review them.
Although this is a solid plan that will benefit them both, they didn't count on liking each other so much and their past baggage and life struggles does not make giving a relationship between them a shot easy.
If you are looking for an easy to read book this summer, that is lighthearted while also touching on something substantial that is a struggle to many, give this little romance novel a try!
Find the Book at: Inklings Bookshop - GoodReads
Thannks great blog post
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