Love You, Mean It

Five years after giving up her dream career to take over her family’s beloved deli, Ellie Greco discovers that the Taylors, a family of local real estate magnates, plan to bring in Italian food superstore Mangia and put Greco’s Deli out of business. While Ellie is meeting with Theo Taylor in an attempt to save the deli, he suffers a head injury and loses his memory. At the hospital, Ellie panics and lies about being Theo’s fiancée, but when Theo gets his memory back, he suggests that they continue the ruse in an effort to stop the Mangia deal. But when their fake engagement leads to real feelings, things quickly get muddled. To make matters even more complicated, Theo’s ex-girlfriend Sam soon ropes Ellie into a scheme of their own. Ellie and Theo’s realistic romance grounds this sweet and sexy novel, and a satisfying ending makes up for some pacing issues. A subplot about the challenges of maintaining friendships as an adult will resonate with readers as well.