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tiffscozynook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
You, with a View is the kind of book that sneaks up on you and totally steals your heart. I went into it completely blind, and I’m so glad I did because it was such a pleasant surprise!
Noelle Shepard is navigating a pretty rough patch—she’s grieving her grandmother, living with her parents, and generally feeling a bit lost. Then she stumbles upon some old photos and a love letter that hint at a secret romance from her Gram’s past. Naturally, she does what any of us would do: she makes a TikTok, and it goes viral. Enter Theo Spencer, her high school rival who just so happens to be the grandson of the mystery man from the photos.
Noelle and Theo are forced into this road trip situation (with Theo’s charming grandpa Paul in tow), and the banter between them is just chef’s kiss. The sparks fly, the tension builds, and yeah... there’s only one bed.
What really got me, though, was the emotional depth of this story. It’s not just a fun romcom (though it definitely is that), but it also delves into grief, loss, and the journey of self-discovery. If you’re close to your grandparents like I am, this one will hit you right in the feels.
Plus, the fact that Noelle and Theo are from the Bay Area, CA (where I grew up!) made me feel an instant connection to them. I actually started this book on a flight back home to the Bay, and it felt like everything just clicked into place.
This book is the perfect mix of heartfelt and hilarious, with a romance that’ll leave you swooning.📚❤️
Noelle Shepard is navigating a pretty rough patch—she’s grieving her grandmother, living with her parents, and generally feeling a bit lost. Then she stumbles upon some old photos and a love letter that hint at a secret romance from her Gram’s past. Naturally, she does what any of us would do: she makes a TikTok, and it goes viral. Enter Theo Spencer, her high school rival who just so happens to be the grandson of the mystery man from the photos.
Noelle and Theo are forced into this road trip situation (with Theo’s charming grandpa Paul in tow), and the banter between them is just chef’s kiss. The sparks fly, the tension builds, and yeah... there’s only one bed.
What really got me, though, was the emotional depth of this story. It’s not just a fun romcom (though it definitely is that), but it also delves into grief, loss, and the journey of self-discovery. If you’re close to your grandparents like I am, this one will hit you right in the feels.
Plus, the fact that Noelle and Theo are from the Bay Area, CA (where I grew up!) made me feel an instant connection to them. I actually started this book on a flight back home to the Bay, and it felt like everything just clicked into place.
This book is the perfect mix of heartfelt and hilarious, with a romance that’ll leave you swooning.📚❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death
rachelmichelson's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
mariah_g's review against another edition
4.5
I love the relationship she had with her grandmother. And there were some good quotes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A very fun enemies to lovers travel based palette cleanser between some more serious books. I’d heard a lot of hype about this book and I’m not quite sure it lives up to the hype, but I still enjoyed it! For me the “to lovers” bit happened a bit too soon, I would have preferred a bit more build up so that I could enjoy the pay off more. That being said, the chemistry and the banter were fun and believable. The spice was nicely balanced by a genuinely sweet and interesting plot about the truth of family secrets and the way that grief impacts our lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Blood
mayareads4fun's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for a while and somehow had the urge to read it, and I’m glad I did. It’s one of those miracle reads where you have no expectations and get blown away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
mairead_parade's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I haven’t loved multi timeline/generation romances in the past - Mrs Nash’s Ashes in particular didn’t work for me, and this appeared to have a lot of similarities on paper - but I thought this was really well done and kept the focus on the main couple. The travel/road trip aspect was a lot of fun, and the epilogue is excellent. The MMC is a little opaque but has some good moments in the third act.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death
bekkaru's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
spectacles_and_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed Jessica Joyce's writing. This is probably the most character driven Romance I've read. Whilst the plot is simple, a lot of care was taken to unpack Noelle's emotional journey. I also usually prefer a dual narration, but Theo was so well-written that it was easy to understand and relate to his character arc as well. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual content
bookish_leslie's review against another edition
4.5
What To Expect:
- M/F
- MC's in their late 20s
- Enemies to lovers
- Old high school rivals
- Road trip
- Forced proximity
- One bed
- Single POV
- Social media references (TikTok)
Themes: secrets, relationships with grandparents, grief, healing, trust, enoughness, self-discovery and self-belief, the impermanence of good/bad and making the most of the here and now
Spice: 3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️(several open door scenes with detailed descriptions and explicit language)
Overall, I had a good time with this book and would be interested in reading more from this author. The premise was interesting, if a little weird. I’m not entirely sure why you’d want to go on a road trip inspired by your grandma’s broken engagement with a man 50-60 years ago, least of all with a perfect stranger and your old high school nemesis, especially when the grandmother had clearly and happily moved on from that relationship. But also, road trip! Plus it got the main characters together, and they did have great chemistry.
I’m feeling a little salty about the use of setting though. These characters were traveling to some iconic Western US spots, like Yosemite, Death Valley, Vegas, Zion NP, and the Grand Canyon. I so badly wanted an armchair travel experience alongside this romance, but for the most part, these settings were barely mentioned for the most part, let alone featured, and that not only felt like a big letdown, but also a missed opportunity.
That aside, I have to say that I really enjoyed the characters. Paul, Theo’s granddad, was such a sweetheart and probably my fav, but I also loved Noelle’s relationship with her brother and his girlfriend, and I could really feel the weight of her love, loss, and grief regarding her Gram.
“It’s so silent. It infuriates me that she can just be gone. That she left me like this, floundering for answers, talking to the sky.”
Noelle lying to everyone was off-putting, but I enjoyed the chemistry she shared with Theo, as I’ve already mentioned, and I liked that their connection wasn’t only physical, but sometimes had moments of emotional vulnerability sprinkled in, too.
“What’s that game called?’ he murmurs. ‘From last night?’
‘Tell Me a Secret,’ I manage, my heart in my throat.
His jaw ticks. ‘So, tell me one.’
I don’t want to admit it, but it’s the elephant in the room. His thumbs are inches from the spot throbbing worse than my knee.
‘I wouldn’t stop you if you kissed me right now.’ I say it quietly in case he changes his mind, but his eyes darken, pupils dilating. He doesn’t move, though his mouth parts like he can already taste it. ‘Now you.’
His breath dances over my lips. ‘If I kissed you right now, I wouldn’t stop.”
I thought the writing was solid; the dialogue/banter was especially well done. And I appreciated that there was depth in this otherwise light-hearted story, in the way Noelle grieved for her Gram. I really wish we’d had Theo’s POV alongside Noelle’s, though.
I thought the writing was solid; the dialogue/banter was especially well done. And I appreciated that there was depth in this otherwise light-hearted story, in the way Noelle grieved for her Gram. I really wish we’d had Theo’s POV alongside Noelle’s, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Cursing and Death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
hjb_128's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship